Winona State University

05/12/2026

Want to see all 166 photos from Spring Commencement? Take a look at our full Flickr album! 🤩🥳🎓

Photographer: Jason Page

05/09/2026

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to celebrate our graduates. Thank you to everyone who joined in celebrating such a meaningful moment!

05/08/2026

Congratulations to our undergraduate nursing students who officially graduated during our first-ever combined Pinning and Commencement Ceremony!

We are so proud of you and excited to have your chosen pinners join you on stage for such a special moment. 🥳🎓

05/07/2026

Meet our 3 p.m. student Commencement speaker, Cassandra Ferraro! Two weeks after being accepted into the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, Cassandra became pregnant and navigated working full time, transitioning into motherhood, and completing the program.

Now graduating as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Cassandra has proven what strength, compassion, and perseverance look like and is ready to step into psychiatric mental health care with purpose and heart!

Looking ahead, Cassandra plans to continue serving others through psychiatric care, with a particular interest in therapeutic practice and community-based support services.

For Cassandra Ferraro, Winona State University represents both professional excellence and deeply human support: an institution where rigorous preparation and compassion go hand in hand.

05/07/2026

Meet our noon student Commencement speaker, Larissa Lopez Nikolskaia! As an international student from Bolivia, Larissa was looking for a university with strong academic programs, but what she found at Winona State was so much more. She found supportive faculty, a welcoming campus, and a passion for helping others through her Finance degree.

"Everything about finance is interesting and complex, and it’s another way to help someone — from learning how to save money to investing in a future for yourself or your family," she said. "The industry feels endless in opportunity, and I hope to continue being curious.”

After graduation, Larissa will work as a Financial Analyst at Thomson Reuters and plans to explore graduate programs while continuing to build her professional experience.

For Larissa Lopez Nikolskaia, coming to Winona State University meant more than earning a degree: it was where she found a sense of belonging and discovered confidence in herself.

05/07/2026

Meet our 9 a.m. student Commencement speaker, Jenna Larsen! From playing teacher with friends to helping her little brother learn to read, Jenna has always had her eyes on a career in education.

Through the hybrid nature of Winona State’s Elementary Education program at the Rochester campus, Jenna was grateful to get started on field experiences early with the flexibility of online and in‑person classes.

Jenna looks forward to beginning her teaching career and leading a classroom of her own after starting her master’s degree this summer.

Jenna Larsen’s path to becoming an educator took shape early. Growing up in Ramsey, Minn., she was often the one volunteering to be the teacher while playing with friends, drawn to a future w…

05/07/2026

Meet our first student Commencement speaker, Abigail Knoernschild! Abigail always knew she wanted to help others, but it wasn't until she was hospitalized for two weeks prior to freshman year that her calling to be a nurse was revealed.

"I had another nurse who walked in on my crying," she said. "I’ll never forget her saying that I don’t always have to be sunshine and rainbows, especially when life gets hard. Those nurses truly inspired me to become the nurse I plan to be.”

After graduating today, Abigail is getting the opportunity to step into her career and be the kind of nurse who changes lives showing that setbacks don’t define you. They shape you.
Congrats Abigail!

For Abigail Knoernschild, the road to a nursing degree was paved with grit, and a firsthand understanding of life on the other side of a hospital bed.

05/06/2026

We’ve shared the names. Now it’s time to share the numbers! Each of these stats represents the hard work and passion our Warriors have put in on their road to graduation. We couldn't be more proud!