Commencement 2026 Celebrates Accomplishments of Those Who Commit to Self-Improvement
The Boston University Metropolitan College community gathered on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Agganis Arena to celebrate a graduating class defined not only by their academic achievement, but also by their determination. After pursuing their degrees while working full time, caring for families, changing careers, serving their communities, or studying from around the world, it was only fitting that this set of BU MET students was rewarded with the kind of sunny day that perfectly matched such a joyous occasion.
“We are here today for one reason: to congratulate, celebrate, and honor the year’s graduates,” said Metropolitan College Dean Tanya Zlateva, opening the Convocation. The ceremony honored both a milestone and a mindset. As Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and featured speaker Steve Akers (MET’94) told the assembled graduates, “You’ve taken on this challenge, and the beauty of it is, it was hard. Anything in life that’s worth it is hard. You decided to embrace adversity, and that’s how you get the best of yourself.”
A Longtime Hub for Development
Since 1965, Metropolitan College has served students whose ambitions often have had to fit around demanding careers, personal responsibilities, rapidly changing industries, and even, eventually, international time zones. Dean Zlateva connected the celebration to that founding purpose and to BU MET’s continued evolution.
“For six decades, we have persistently developed new curriculum responsive to industry needs and emerging technologies while remaining rooted in rigorous academic foundation,” she said. “This ensures not just your immediate success in the workplace, but the foundation to continue learning and adapting to new things.”
That adaptability has helped BU MET grow from a college rooted in Boston to one with a global reach. “At any time in our online classroom, there are students all across the globe,” Dean Zlateva noted. BU MET’s global presence was also apparent through the students who joined the ceremony from Spain’s CEU, which has for 20 years enjoyed a constructive partnership and exchange with the College.
Urging them to “listen and lead,” Dean Zlateva reminded all the graduates that their education carries responsibilities that extend beyond individual achievement. “You each have an impact on those around you,” she said. “That is a significant responsibility. It demands more than a degree from Boston University. It requires compassion, mentoring, leadership, and kindness.”
Embracing Difficulty
Mr. Akers, a serial entrepreneur and longtime champion of Metropolitan College, presented in his remarks a simple but demanding idea: growth can only come from focusing on self-improvement.
Drawing from the great Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius and the famous comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Akers offered the audience a guiding principle. “All you really need to do in life is focus on getting better at whatever it is you choose to do,” he said. “Everything else is an utter and total waste of your time.”
The path may be challenging, he explained, but that very struggle is also what gives the achievement its meaning.
“That’s exactly what you chose to do by coming here to Metropolitan College,” Mr. Akers told the graduates and their gathered friends and family. “You should be proud of yourselves.”
By creating pathways for working adults and non-traditional students to pursue a Boston University education without stepping away from their lives and careers, MET’s mission, Mr. Akers explained, falls neatly within the University’s broader history of inclusion and access.
“Metropolitan College is a place where the impossible, seemingly impossible, can become possible,” Akers said. “And you took on that challenge.”
Akers shared the stories of two BU MET alumni whose lives, he feels, reflect the college’s promise. Cynthia Cohen, a Metropolitan College graduate and vice chair of the BU Board of Trustees who grew up in a single-parent household and worked to support herself while earning her degree, went on to become one of the first female partners at Deloitte. Annie Wilcox (MET’06,’09) came to Boston from segregated Memphis, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s connection to BU, and earned her degrees through BU MET, going on to become a community liaison between the city and police department.
Both stories carried significance for Akers, as he eventually named offices in BU MET’s 1010 Commonwealth Avenue home in their honor. Akers recalled, during the pandemic, asking Wilcox’s permission to use her name on an office as a tribute to the achievements of her and other Black alumni. In that conversation, Wilcox shared that hearing Dr. King speak while she was in high school had sparked her dream of studying where he had studied. Where her mother was initially skeptical, those concerns soon melted away into encouragement. Wilcox went on to make her dream happen. Years later, standing at her mother’s graveside, she said to her: “I’ve not only seen, but I have entered the promised land.”
“And I think today, all of you have entered the promised land,” Akers told BU MET’s latest graduates.
A Salute to Student Award Winners
The ceremony next honored Metropolitan College’s distinguished undergraduate and graduate students. Nominated by the faculty in their program of study and announced during the ceremony, each recipient took to the stage to accept their award and pose for a picture with their program chair or director. See the list of award winners.
Teaching That Transforms
The ceremony also celebrated the faculty commitment that helps BU MET students meet demanding academic challenges. David Orlinoff, a longtime instructor in what is now the Arts & Cultural Management program, was honored with the 2026 Roger Deveau Part-Time Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Senior Associate Dean Lou Chitkushev introduced Mr. Orlinoff by highlighting his signature course, Financial Management for Nonprofits (MET AR 610), a requirement of the MS in Arts & Cultural Management that can sometimes be intimidating for students.
Dr. Chitkushev quoted one as saying, “I was terrified to take the class in the beginning, but I loved every single [one] and have learned very valuable lessons I can apply to my work.”
Drawing on decades of experience as founder and principal of Concord Financial Organization, as well as his time as interim CFO for mission-based nonprofits, Orlinoff has long brought professional insight directly into the classroom. Organized and approachable, his teaching is grounded in real-world examples that help students master complex material and apply it with confidence.
“David leaves a lasting impression because he cares deeply about their success,” Dr. Chitkushev noted.
Not an Ending, But a Beginning…
After the ceremony, Metropolitan College’s Class of 2026 joined family, friends, faculty, and classmates for a reception in the Four-Court Gym at BU’s Fitness & Recreation Center. There, the celebration continued into the afternoon with photos, congratulations, and conversations among the newest members of the BU MET alumni community.
For more highlights from MET’s 2026 Convocation Ceremony, watch the videos below.