‘What is required is a new vision—and deep, structural change’

Comparing the country’s current challenges to the Gilded Age and other past eras of deep economic and political division, California Congressman Ro Khanna encouraged graduates of Suffolk’s College of Arts & Sciences to “build a reform agenda for our time, in a moment when the system again is horribly stacked against ordinary people."  

“What is required is a new vision—and deep, structural change,” said Khanna in his keynote speech at the Class of 2026 ceremony on Sunday, May 17.  

A five-term congressman from California’s 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Khanna has emerged as a leading progressive voice in the US House of Representatives. He received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree during the afternoon ceremony at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion.  

‘Our country needs you: your fresh ideas, your energy, your decency’ 

Khanna outlined what he characterized as a daunting list of structural problems in America today, including “unlimited money in politics, filibusters, gerrymandering, political polarization, divisive algorithms, an out-of-touch Supreme Court that rolled back Black political rights [faster] than [anytime] since [President] Hayes ended the Reconstruction, brash tech billionaires, and corporate lobbyists.” 

Acknowledging the temptation many feel to “withdraw from politics altogether that is dominated by big money and bitter divisions,” he delivered a rousing call for the new Suffolk graduates to lend their energy and talents toward improving society.  

Past generations, he said, have been called upon to die for our country. “Our task,” he said, “is different: whether we are willing to live for our country.” 

On the eve of the country’s 250th anniversary, Khanna pointed to the wealth inequality and corruption of previous eras, including America’s Gilded Age and the period leading up to the Great Depression, and the progressive reforms that followed. “Those who chose to live for our country in those eras, building reform movements and bold governing agendas—the Progressive Era and the New Deal—took on entrenched power to make our nation more just.” 

To cheers from the audience, Khanna called for a slate of reforms he dubbed “the new economic patriotism,” such as taxing billionaires to pay for universal healthcare and advancements in housing, education, childcare, and wages; rooting out political corruption; ending wars in the Middle East; and investing in an ambitious jobs agenda. He also advocated for regulation to ensure that artificial intelligence “serves workers, not tech billionaires.” 

In closing, Khanna decried what he called “a failed generation of political leadership in this country” and implored the new graduates and their generation to “step up.” 

“At Suffolk, you’re not just focused on your title or your pay,” said Khanna, later continuing: “You have as your mission civic engagement. Our country needs you: your fresh ideas, your energy, your decency.”

“I hope you will still decide that this country is worth building, still worth fighting for, still worth living for. If we provide economic hope for all Americans, we can be a cohesive, multiracial democracy, and once again be a moral force for the world,” Khanna concluded.  

Download video transcript [PDF]

‘A humanity-first approach in the age of AI’ 

Suffolk University President Marisa J. Kelly spoke of the need for the Class of 2026 to continuously adapt to a world in which “change has been a constant, uncertainty the only certainty.” 

Kelly expressed her pride in the students’ ability to navigate disruption with creativity, skill, and grace. 

“Even in the midst of dramatic technological change, you have never lost sight of the fact that human interaction matters,” said Kelly. “In a world so focused on AI, you have led through human connection in ways technology cannot replace.” 

While celebrating the graduates for their technical prowess and ethical mastery of powerful tools, Kelly highlighted the strong network- and community-building skills that will serve them well whatever the future brings.  

“What I believe the world needs now, more than ever, is your deep, rich humanity-first approach,” said Kelly, stressing the class’s orientation toward friendship, mentoring, and community engagement. “You could have turned these times of turbulence into a dog-eat-dog environment. Instead, you sought to lift each other up.” 

Kelly also pointed to the long-term, “AI-proof” value of the liberal arts education the graduates received at Suffolk.  

“Technology will change, but you have learned to learn, and that will last a lifetime. You are communicators, researchers, artists, analysts, critical thinkers prepared to solve complex problems across disciplines—and to lead with humanity.”      

‘At Suffolk, even the smallest spaces taught us how to make room for one another’ 

The class greeting was delivered by Spriha Paudel, who earned a bachelor of science degree in computer science. Paudel, who was active in student government on campus and founded Suffolk University’s Nepali Student Association, praised her fellow graduates for the strong bonds of community they forged together. 

“Because we are a city campus, no matter how many elevators we shared, we always ended up sharing stories too,” said Paudel. “At Suffolk, even the smallest spaces taught us how to make room for one another.” 

Paudel said her address itself was an example of one of the most important things Suffolk taught her and her fellow classmates—that stereotypes are meant to be challenged. “If there was ever a belief that computer science majors are meant to be introverted, let today be proof that even an extroverted one can stand here and represent an entire class.” 

As they grew in knowledge and experience, Paudel noted that her class had also become “leaders, mentors, and the people who now hold doors open for those coming after us.” 

“That is what we should carry forward: the courage to keep showing up, the willingness to create space for others, and the belief that community can be built anywhere if we lead with heart.” 

Download video transcript [PDF]

About Ro Khanna 

Congressman Ro Khanna represents California’s 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is serving his fifth term. A Democrat, he has worked across the aisle to deliver on legislation to invest in science and technology, create millions of good paying tech jobs, and revitalize American manufacturing and production.   

Khanna is vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and serves on the House Armed Services Committee. He is committed to using his position to advance a foreign policy of military restraint and diplomatic engagement, and favors investing in domestic priorities like Medicare for All, affordable childcare, and free public college and vocational school.   

As the former chair of the Environmental Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, Khanna brought the CEOs of six major fossil fuel companies before Congress to testify under oath about climate disinformation for the first time in history. Together with Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), Khanna has also led congressional efforts for a full release of the Epstein files. 

Khanna graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in economics from the University of Chicago and received a law degree from Yale University.   

Commencement 2026 

The College of Arts & Sciences Class of 2026 comprises 854 new alumni, with 761 undergraduate and 93 graduate degrees awarde

The ceremony was one of three Suffolk Commencements held on Sunday, May 17, at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion. The University conferred a total of 2,066 undergraduate and advanced degrees to graduates from 42 states and 62 different countries. Thirty-four percent of Suffolk’s 1,161 undergraduate degree recipients are first-generation college students.   

Download the CAS program [PDF]