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On Sunday, May 3, Illinois College celebrates its 192nd commencement. Approximately 185 degrees will be awarded to members of the Class of 2026. Commencement exercises are scheduled to take place in the Bruner Fitness and Recreation Center at 1 p.m. The ceremony will be available via livestream.

Miranda Araujo ’26, this year’s senior class representative, will speak during the ceremony. During her time on campus, Araujo majored in biology with minors in mathematics, environmental studies and global studies. She has held leadership roles in Nuestra Casa, the Alpha Lambda Delta first-year honor society, IC’s literary magazine Forte, and Eco Action. She recently presented her student-faculty research with Professor of Biology Bryan Arnold at the Illinois State Academy of Science Annual Meeting. After graduation, she will be pursuing graduate school in biology with a focus on plant science.

During the commencement ceremony, Illinois College will recognize Susan J. Allen H’09 H’26 and Patrick B. Mathis H’09 H’26 with Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa degrees on the occasion of their retirement from the Illinois College Board of Trustees.

Susan J. Allen H’09 H’26 served as Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Nielsen Media Research, Inc. prior to her retirement, following a distinguished legal career that began with Marvin Benn & Associates in Chicago and continued for more than two decades with A.C. Nielsen Company. Raised on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University School of Law in Chicago. 

A member of the Illinois College Board of Trustees since 2006, Allen has dedicated twenty years of service to the College, contributing her leadership across numerous committees. Beyond the College, she has served a wide range of nonprofit, educational, civic, and religious organizations, including Northfield Community Church, Family Promise Northshore, and Quest Academy in Palatine, Illinois. An avid traveler, Allen’s early experiences abroad inspired a lifetime of global exploration with her late husband, Douglas Allen, her children, Katie and Mike, and close friends.

Born and raised in Southern Illinois, Patrick B. Mathis H’09 H’26 is a graduate of Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis and earned a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Saint Louis University, along with a Juris Doctor, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Laws in Taxation from Washington University in St. Louis. A founding shareholder of Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. – located in Belleville, Illinois, where he and his wife, Rosanne, reside. Mathis is widely recognized for his distinguished legal career with expertise in business law, banking, estate planning, taxation, and mergers and acquisitions. He is also the managing member of Title IX Solutions.

Mathis has contributed significant leadership and insight as a dedicated Illinois College Trustee, particularly as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee, Governance Committee, and Committee on Academics and Student Success. Deeply engaged in his community, Mathis has served numerous civic and charitable organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Belleville Community Health Club and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education; the Illinois Supreme Court Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board; March of Dimes, Southern Illinois District; the Southwestern Illinois College Foundation; Camp Ondessonk of the Catholic Diocese of Belleville; and as a Southern Illinois University Foundation Planned Giving Council Member.

The College will host several additional events during commencement weekend. The 94th annual Phi Beta Kappa installation ceremony for new members will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, in Dunham Auditorium in Crispin Hall. Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most distinguished academic honor society. The Nurse Pinning Ceremony will also take place on Saturday in Rammelkamp Chapel at 4 p.m.

The popular Osage Orange Festival and Senior Celebration is scheduled for Saturday, May 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the Historic Upper Quad. Admission is free and is open to the public. The event is an opportunity for graduating seniors, faculty, staff, and their families to celebrate. It will include free admission, inflatables, games and fun activities for all ages. Chartwells Catering will provide food and drink options. BrainFreezers food truck will provide fun snacks and non-alcoholic drinks for purchase.

The Baccalaureate Service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday in Rammelkamp Chapel. The service will feature the IC music department, speakers and readings. Special events for graduates and their families will be held after the Baccalaureate and after Commencement that day.

For more information about Commencement Weekend or to RSVP for events, visit the 2026 Commencement schedule.