(WFXR) – Thousands of students across Southwest and Central Virginia walked across commencement stages this weekend as Liberty University, Virginia Tech and Virginia Western Community College celebrated the Class of 2026 with ceremonies drawing families, faculty and community leaders from across the region.
At Liberty University in Lynchburg, commencement activities run from Thursday, May 14 through Saturday, May 16 and are expected to bring more than 70,000 visitors to campus for one of the school’s largest graduation weekends in history. The university says it would celebrate more than 32,000 graduates during its 53rd Commencement ceremonies.
The main ceremony took place Friday night at Williams Stadium, where former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner addressed graduates as the keynote speaker. Turner encouraged students to pursue their futures with faith and purpose during the ceremony, which began at 7 p.m. after a graduate processional onto the football field…