Recently I received an encouraging note from one of our beloved parents—a father who soon will join us for Commencement.
He wanted me to know how grateful he is for Wheaton College, not only for the difference he sees it making in the lives of his beloved son and daughter, but also for the difference it has made in his own life. His Wheaton students frequently commend various chapel talks for his edification (“This would be good for you to listen to, Dad”). They also share what they are learning in and out of the classroom, and sometimes there are lessons he can apply to his own life, work, and ministry.
Hopefully, you can relate to this father’s testimony. You are seeing gospel transformation in the life of your Wheatie. You tune in to our chapel services from time to time. As a result, you are having your own Wheaton experience, and this is making a difference in your Christian experience.
I hope you can also relate to the father’s closing line. Wheaton College, he wrote, is graduating students who can thrive in the darkness and pay the price.
We count on the prayers of our Wheaton parents to make that aspiration a reality, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We want our students and our graduates to thrive, even in the darkness, and to honor Jesus wherever they go, no matter the price.
In Christ’s service,
Philip Ryken President
Commencement 2026
Congratulations and virtual high fives to the parents of graduating seniors! Commencement weekend is just around the corner, May 9-10. As you make plans to attend, be sure to consult the Commencement Week Event Schedule and review the Undergraduate Commencement FAQs.
If you have friends and family who would like to watch Commencement virtually, they are invited to tune in via livestream on Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. CDT.
Celebrate Your Graduate with a Custom Yard Sign
Let your neighbors know you are proud of your Wheaton graduate by staking a generic or customizable yard sign in your yard! Signs can be downloaded and sent to your local print shop to be printed.
Commencement Brunch Registration Deadline
Families are invited to register for the on-campus Commencement Brunch hosted by Bon Appetit in Anderson Commons. The brunch will be held between Baccalaureate and Commencement ($25.81 for adults; $13.02 for kids ages 3-7; graduating seniors are free.) Please see the reservation instructions and RSVP for the Commencement Brunch by Wednesday, May 7 if you plan to attend.
Center for Vocation and Career
We were happy to see so many of your students at our March Senior Series event, where the CVC offered free bundt cakes and budgeting advice. On Reading Day (May 4), encourage your seniors to stop by the CVC anytime between 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for the last event in our series, Senior Celebration! They can enjoy free boba and treats, use our photo booth, pick up their cap and gown, and more. We can’t wait to celebrate their accomplishment.
As the end of the year approaches, the CVC wants your seniors to know that we are here to support them through graduation and beyond – students have full access to our resources for up to two years after they graduate. If they don’t have a post-grad plan lined up yet, encourage your senior to make an appointment with a career coach.
If your student is not a senior, coaches are still holding virtual and in-person appointments throughout the summer to talk about internships, prepping for the fall, vocational discernment, and more. Appointments for all ages can be made here.
Wheaton is Coming to the Boston Area
If you live in the Boston area, you’re invited to a special alumni and parent event (students are welcome too) on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Burlington, MA. Enjoy a delicious brunch and an engaging session with Wheaton Professor and Head Archivist of Archives & Special Collections, Katherine Graber.
Professor Graber will highlight the unique role of Archives & Special Collections on Wheaton’s campus and showcase some of the collection’s one-of-a-kind items. Learn more and register.
Support Your Wheatie on April 22!
WheatonGives is almost here! April 22 marks Wheaton’s annual celebration of generosity. You’re invited to join the fun with a gift of any size. The excitement increases as your gift is matched by $500—making just a $10 gift grow to $510! You also unlock the chance to vote for your student’s favorite club or athletic team to win a cash prize. You can even nominate a current student (not a relative) to win a $5,000 scholarship or, for seniors, two extra graduation tickets. Join the celebration on April 22!
Campus Housing Closing Dates and Instructions
Meal plans end with dinner on Thursday, May 7 and housing closes on Friday, May 8 at 5:00 p.m. unless your student receives approval from our office to remain on campus. Any students who are siblings of May graduating students may remain in housing until 5 p.m. Sunday, May 10, but they must submit a request. Students are required to complete the checkout list provided by their residence life staff member – and an incomplete or improper checkout may result in a fine. Students must check out of their living space with their residence life staff member before leaving for the summer.
Summer Housing:
Summer housing is available Monday, May 11 – Saturday, July 25. Students participating in a college-sponsored trip, those from an international country, summer researchers, students working on-campus jobs, or summer school students may apply for summer housing. We are not able to provide housing for students requesting to work off campus, or those whose off-campus lease dates differ from our housing calendar. For housing questions, contact housing.services@wheaton.edu.
Summer Storage:
Wheaton College offers limited space for students to store their belongings over the summer. Students will store their belongings in the storage area where they currently live. Generally, students may store several boxes, a small fridge (which will count as one box), and a bicycle. Each building has slightly different space limitations.
Find general information on storage opportunities in our student handbook. Students are encouraged to store their belongings in plastic tubs to protect their items from a possible summer rainstorm. The College is not responsible, and will not be liable for loss, theft, or damage to students' personal belongings, whether by act of God, accident, negligence, or intentional act. For these reasons, students are strongly encouraged to carry personal property insurance.
Fall Housing:
Housing reopens to returning students on Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m. Our Housing Calendar will keep you informed of opening and closing dates throughout the year.
Faithfully Forward Campaign Events
The Faithfully Forward national campaign events successfully kicked off last month in Minneapolis and Denver. To those who attended, thank you for being part of such special nights of fun, fellowship, and worship. All parents are welcome to attend one of our upcoming events, where you can meet leadership, learn more about what is coming to Wheaton’s campus, and worship with the Chapel Band and special guest artists Rend Collective or Steven Curtis Chapman. We hope you can join us in Atlanta (April 18), Los Angeles (September 26), or Washington, D.C (October 24).
Order Finals Care Packages by April 26
Send your student(s) a Finals Care Package to encourage them during finals week! The care packages will include small gifts, snacks, fruit, and a personal note from you. This fundraising initiative supports Ministry & Evangelism programs on campus, locally, in the US, and around the world. While we do not require a specific amount for the Finals Care Package, we ask that you prayerfully consider a donation. Place your Finals Care Package order here by April 26.
Conservatory, Arts, and Communication
The spring semester is always a vibrant and demanding season for the arts at Wheaton. As academic work intensifies toward finals, music, theater, visual art, and debate offerings keep pace, as they reflect a full year of discipline, growth, and artistic achievement. In the coming weeks, many junior and senior music majors will present recitals, while senior art majors will showcase their work in capstone exhibitions.
Over spring break, the Concert Choir, joined by a small chamber orchestra, traveled to Florida for the 2026 Messiah Project performance and ministry tour. The Wheaton College Artist Series will also welcome the Brentano String Quartet for a residency and performances on April 16 and 17 during which Conservatory students will have the opportunity to work closely with this world-renowned ensemble. Following commencement in May, the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra will conclude its 100th anniversary season with Through the Wardrobe, an international tour to Northern Ireland and England.
The Communication Department has likewise enjoyed a full and dynamic spring. Arena Theater has two productions: Arms and the Man and the upcoming Well. In March, Wheaton College sent three debate teams to the 2026 National Debate Tournament in Houston, Texas. Two teams advanced to elimination rounds, with one reaching the quarterfinals and another the novice semifinals.
How to Pray for Wheaton in April
As students finish the academic year, pray they will commit everything they do to the Lord and trust that he will help them accomplish all that is required of them. Psalm 37:5
Pray that graduating seniors hold tightly to the promise that God’s plans for them are for good and not for disaster, to give them a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Pray that faculty and staff experience the strength of Christ within them as they push toward end-of-the-year deadlines. Philippians 4:13
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