(KLZA)-- The 2026 commencement at Peru State College, Nebraska's first institution of higher education is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Al Wheeler Activity Center on the Peru State campus. More than 300 graduates will be conferred during the ceremony including master's and undergraduate degree recipients, and Winter 2025 graduates. Following a welcome by President Dr. Robert Mock, Jr., Ms. Connie Edmond of Lincoln will provide greetings from the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees. Edmond is a 1987 graduate of Peru State. The 2026 Peru State College Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Joyce Douglas of Lincoln. Douglas has had a long history of collaboration with the College. Peru State will recognize Ms. Cassandra Tangen, Instructor of Math, as its Teaching Excellence Award winner. Mr. Ted L. Harshbarger, Class of 1977, and Director of Alumni Relations of the Peru State College Foundation, will welcome the graduates to the Alumni Association. The presentation of the graduates will be overseen by Dr. Regina Toman, Dean of the School of Professional Studies, and Dr. Paul Hinrichs, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. President Mock will confer the degrees and provide concluding remarks. After commencement, those attending are invited to a celebration reception on the campus courtyard. A picnic meal and live music will be provided, allowing families, friends, and the College’s faculty and staff to wish the 2026 graduates success in their future endeavors. Established in 1867 as Nebraska’s first college, Peru State has transformed over the past century and a half into a state-of-the-art institution offering diverse, multifaceted educational programs to nearly 1,300 students each year. The commencement ceremony will be available via a livestream link at https://www.peru.edu/commencement/.