SIT celebrates 60th commencement with a call to persevere, connect, and create change

Publication Date: August 10, 2026
Publication Location: Brattleboro, VT
Contact: Abby Henson  |  [email protected]

At School for International Training’s 60th commencement on Saturday, 28 graduates received their master’s or doctoral degrees during a ceremony that asked students to trust in themselves and their work, even when the path is difficult, because change happens through perseverance.

School for International Training (SIT) faculty, staff, and board members from around the world gathered for the ceremony on the front lawn of the school’s Brattleboro campus. They were joined by nearly 100 guests to celebrate the students who completed their master’s degrees in climate change, international relations, humanitarian assistance, international education, and sustainable development, as well as doctorates in global education.

Graduating EdD student Kylie Parks delivered the student address, in which she highlighted that SIT attracts a “very special type of person.” She shared a story from her time on campus during her doctoral program’s summer residency, when she got caught in the rain while walking. She noticed how water carved grooves in the pavement, drawing an analogy to her time with SIT.

“I think that image of rivers in concrete is the truest thing anyone could tell me about the work I do—about the work we all do, and the work our degrees actually prepare us for—regardless of the title on your diploma.

“We all show up day in and day out in communities, in systems and institutions where nothing is resolved quickly. And we do work whose effects we may never personally witness. Yet, day by day, year by year, we trust that a groove is forming, even when the concrete still looks untouched in the dry seasons,” Parks said.

Keynote speaker Barbara Smith is vice president for Peace Programs at The Carter Center in Atlanta. She oversees the center’s democracy, human rights, conflict resolution, and rule of law programs worldwide. Her remarks charged the graduates to stay grounded in service and principle, even as circumstances change, noting that “history does not move in a straight line, and neither do careers.” She stressed it is often perseverance and human connections, what she calls “the quiet work that doesn’t make international headlines,” that is most effective.

“It begins when people choose dialogue instead of violence. It begins when people decide that dignity and coexistence are worth fighting for. That kind of work rarely happens overnight. And neither does progress,” Smith said. “Perseverance is not pretending problems do not exist.

Perseverance is seeing the world clearly—and choosing to continue anyway.”

Smith advised the graduates to lean on their classmates and professors as they embark on their careers, noting that they will need colleagues and mentors who both challenge and support them.

“Graduates, the world needs people who can work across cultures and across differences.

And it needs people who still believe that human beings can solve problems together. That is what SIT has prepared you to do.”

SIT’s Acting President and World Learning CEO Carol Jenkins further emphasized the need for graduates to foster positive relationships. She referenced U.S. Representative Becca Balint’s visit to SIT’s campus last week, during which Balint spoke about “relational energy” and its importance.

“This is not enthusiasm that is manufactured or performative, but the genuine energy that comes from believing in a purpose, caring deeply about people, and bringing your whole self to the work,” Jenkins said. “Skills matter. Integrity matters. Authenticity matters. Courage matters. But enthusiasm is what inspires others to join you on the journey. And if I’ve learned anything about SIT graduates, it is that you are not just on a journey—you are blazing new trails.

“The world needs leaders who not only know what they stand for, but who inspire others to believe that together we can build something better.”

SIT Professor Emerita Dr. Sora Friedman delivered the faculty address. She shared lessons from key people who were critical to shaping her academic and professional journey as a master’s student at SIT in 1984 and throughout her career teaching at SIT’s Graduate Institute. She encouraged the graduates to utilize their own networks to do the same.

“Ask others what they think, and listen, truly listen to understand as you gather information. And then, trust your gut,” Friedman said.

Carla Lineback, director of alumni and external engagement, concluded the program’s remarks by fittingly welcoming the graduates into SIT’s extensive global network of more than “130,000 changemakers from all parts of the globe.” Alumni have graduated from or taken SIT graduate, undergraduate, certification, or non-degree programs since its founding in 1964.

SIT’s global one-year master’s programs are designed for students to study and do field-based research at international learning centers. SIT’s doctoral programs are designed for working professionals and incorporate short residencies with online coursework. Flags from around the world adorned the stage’s backdrop, representing the countries where students were from and the countries where SIT’s learning centers are based. A reception was held following the ceremony in SIT’s Stephen and Nita Lowey International Center on campus for the students, friends, and families who attended.

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School for International Training, the higher education institution of World Learning, was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs, including the International Honors Program, and globally focused graduate and doctoral degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world's most critical global issues.