From leſt: members of the Class of 2026; Alumni speaker Eric Huang ’05 reflects on the power of the AUWCL alumni network; Congressman Jamie Raskin with Interim Dean Heather Hughes and AU President Jonathan R. Alger; and student speaker Nicholas Menacho-Foronda.
During the ceremony, Hughes also recognized retiring faculty members Brenda V. Smith, professor emerita; Adeen Postar, law librarian emerita; and Stephen Wermiel, professor of practice emeritus, for their scholarship, teaching, and service to generations of AUWCL students.
American University President Jonathan Alger encouraged graduates to lead with curiosity, humility, and ethical judgment as technology and artificial intelligence continue to reshape society.
“Let technology be a tool, but never a substitute for judgment, ethics or human connection,” Alger said.
This year’s student speaker, Nicholas Menacho-Foronda, Student Bar Association president and a first- generation law student, delivered deeply personal remarks reflecting on family, sacrifice, resilience, and the meaning of opportunity.
The son of Bolivian immigrants, Menacho- Foronda shared memories of growing up with parents who worked long hours while building a better future for their family. He spoke about lessons learned from his father while working construction jobs together and the sacrifices that made his legal education possible.
“ Stand on the side of justice rather than on the side of power if they come into conflict,” Raskin told graduates.
“My name doesn’t matter,” Menacho- Foronda said. “Because today, I stand here not just as one person, but as a story many of us share. A story about being first.”
Reflecting on the journey of the Class of 2026, Menacho-Foronda described AUWCL as a “modern odyssey,” where students arrived “on the beaches of uncertainty,” navigated challenge aſter challenge, and ultimately found community and purpose.
“This school didn’t just create lawyers,” he said. “It created heroes. People who care, people who fight, and people who lead.”
He also challenged graduates to remain connected to future AUWCL students and support those who follow.
“There will come a day when a WCL student will reach out asking for help,” Menacho-Foronda said. “Liſt them up. Answer the call for aid.”
The ceremony celebrated graduates across AUWCL’s JD, LL.M., SJD, MLS,
and certificate programs and marked their transition from students to alumni, advocates, and future leaders.
As graduates crossed the stage and turned their tassels, the ceremony reflected both the culmination of years of study and the beginning of new journeys dedicated to service, leadership, and justice.
Raskin closed with a reminder that protecting democracy and strengthening the rule of law now rests with the next generation of lawyers.
“Stand on the side of justice rather than on the side of power if they come into conflict,” he told graduates. “When everything was hopeless, my dad used to say, ‘You’re the hope.’ I see a lot of hope out there today.”
View the Photo Gallery:
tinyurl.com/2026- AU-Commencement
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW 27
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