Online Graduates

Congratulations to our Online Grads!

Indiana State Online graduates have balanced coursework with careers, families, military service, and countless personal responsibilities – all while remaining committed to earning a degree and building a better future. Their success is a powerful reflection of what it means to persevere with purpose and rise through challenge.

Here is a short message from Indiana State President Mike Godard for our Spring 2026 online graduates.

Proud to be Sycamores   

As online students, our graduates have demonstrated that the Indiana State experience extends far beyond campus boundaries. Through virtual classrooms, late-night discussions, early morning assignments, and unwavering persistence, they have built connections, strengthened their skills, and achieved a milestone that will shape their futures for years to come. Their accomplishments reflect not only academic excellence, but also grit, discipline, and a deep commitment to personal and professional growth.

Indiana State University is proud to celebrate each of our Spring 2026 online graduates and the unique journeys that brought them to this moment.

We honor your achievement, celebrate your success, and welcome you into the proud and growing community of Indiana State University alumni. Congratulations, graduates!

Commencement Message from Online Graduate Tametra Parrish-Ussery

Tametra “Tee” Parrish-Ussery, from Lafayette, Indiana, is a graduating senior at Indiana State. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in General Studies with a minor in Psychology and graduated cum laude. A dedicated nurse with a heart for people, she plans to continue advancing in healthcare while also pursuing her passion for helping others by launching a life coaching business focused on purpose, growth, and transformation.

Letter from Online Grad Gabriel (Konnor) Lewis

Gabriel “Konnor” Lewis, from Franklin, Indiana, is a graduating senior who earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Counseling. A passionate advocate for positive psychology and human connection, he credits Indiana State’s supportive online learning environment with his academic and personal growth. Lewis plans to pursue a career as a motivational speaker or life coach, focused on helping others grow and believe in their potential. 

A Marker on Our Journey 

We observe today not as the completion of a journey, but as the continuation of one — a marker on a timeline that holds each of our unique success stories. This day is a pause to look back at how far we have come, and a launch point toward everything that still lies ahead.

My name is Gabriel (Konnor) Lewis, and like you, I am graduating as an online student. We may not have always shared the same classrooms or schedules, but we have walked a very real journey together: logging into classes from our homes, jobs, and communities, balancing assignments with responsibilities, and choosing — again and again — to keep going when life could have easily pulled us away. Today is a moment to honor that journey and the kind of people it has helped us become.

For many of us, studying online has meant doing school in the “in‑between” spaces of life. Some of you were up late after second shifts, some woke up early before kids opened their eyes, and others squeezed discussion posts into lunch breaks or weekends that never really felt like weekends. We logged into course sites instead of walking into lecture halls, watched recorded lectures and read materials on our own time, and learned to speak up through discussion boards and written work instead of rows of desks. None of that was easier; in many ways, it was harder. It required discipline, self‑motivation, and a quiet kind of courage that did not always get seen.

Along the way, we faced obstacles we never planned on — health challenges, family changes, financial stress, uncertainty about the future. There were probably moments when dropping a class or pressing pause felt tempting or even necessary. If you had to step away and then come back, that is part of your strength, not a mark against you. Each setback you worked through added layers of resilience, perspective, and empathy that you will carry long after this degree.

As you look back, I hope you can see more than just stress and deadlines. I hope you also remember the victories: the first time a concept finally made sense, the encouraging comment from an instructor, the classmate who replied to your post and made you feel less alone, the advisor or staff member who took the time to listen and advocate for you. These moments remind us that even in an online environment, we were never purely on our own. There were people cheering for us — sometimes behind the scenes, but still there, believing we could make it.

Now we stand at the edge of what comes next. For some of you, that means stepping into a new career. For others, it might mean further education, a promotion, a career change, or even just taking a breath and asking, “What do I truly want my life to look like from here?” Wherever you are headed, remember this: you have already proven that you can learn, adapt, and persevere through uncertainty. You have done hard things without a clear roadmap, and that is exactly the kind of strength our world needs.

The future may feel exciting, overwhelming, or a mix of both. None of us knows exactly how our stories will unfold. But uncertainty also means possibility. It means there are opportunities you have not even imagined yet, people you have not met, and doors that will open because of the skills, character, and perspective you have developed here. As you move forward, give yourself permission to keep growing, to ask for help, to try, fail, pivot, and try again. You do not have to have it all figured out today.

My hope for you is that you carry both confidence and kindness into your next chapter — confidence in what you have accomplished and who you are becoming, and kindness toward yourself and others as you navigate the unknown. Celebrate this moment fully. Let the people who supported you know how much they matter. And whenever you doubt yourself, remember the you who kept showing up to class, finishing papers, and pushing through long nights to reach this day. That same perseverance will guide you in the days ahead.

As we move beyond today, may we see this commencement not as a finish line, but as a marker on a much larger story still being written.

Congratulations, Class of 2026. It is an honor to graduate alongside you. I am proud of you, and I hope you are proud of yourself, too.

Cheers!
Gabriel (Konnor) Lewis
Indiana State University Online Graduate 
Class Of 2026