Commencement Speakers
Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 9:15 a.m. EDT | Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Science Quad
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ will celebrate its 137th Commencement on Saturday, May 16, 2026. We are proud to welcome an inspiring keynote speaker and a remarkable student representative to the stage as we honor the achievements of the Class of 2026.
Morgan Shaw Parker
Commencement Speaker: Morgan Shaw Parker
President and chief operating officer, Atlanta Dream
Morgan Shaw Parker, president and chief operating officer of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, will be the speaker at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s 137th Commencement ceremony. Shaw Parker has had a successful 28-year career in the sports industry, with leadership roles in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NCAA and Nike. She currently leads the Atlanta Dream’s business operations and strategy.
“The Atlanta Dream has set a remarkable standard for Atlanta and been a valued partner in the Agnes Scott experience for years, and it is a joy to welcome Morgan to our commencement stage,” said Leocadia I. Zak, president of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. “Morgan has spent her career proving that true leadership means using your platform to stand up for others — and she has done so with courage and conviction that our students know well and our graduates will carry with them.”
Since joining the Dream in 2021, Shaw Parker has brought new energy to the organization. She has helped boost attendance, started new community programs and introduced initiatives like the Dream Collective and Emerging Dreamers. Her leadership has helped the team grow its influence in Atlanta and beyond.
Chandler Grant
Chandler Grant
Psychology major and English minor
Our student speaker is Chandler Grant ’26, a psychology major and English minor whose work centers on writing as a tool for exploring personal trauma and healing. Grant has served Agnes Scott as an Associate Justice of Honor Court, Resident Assistant and tutor for the Center for Writing and Speaking. An award-winning poet, she has performed spoken word across campus and throughout the Atlanta community, and has created spaces for others to share their voices through workshops such as Another Kind of Language.