Lavender Celebration Class of 2026
On Saturday, May 2, 2026, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and family gathered to celebrate our graduating LGBTQIAP+ students at the 2026 Lavender Celebration, hosted in Unity Hall by the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME).
Lavender Celebration is an event that recognizes LGBTQIAP+ students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to WPI. These ceremonies celebrate our LGBTQ+ community on campus, recognizing the resilience, strength, and success of our graduates. Lavender acts as a symbol of queer people & relationships, resilience through discrimination, and protest & advocacy for the LGBTQIAP+ community.
During this year’s celebration, the entire WPI community was invited to recognize over 30 graduating students. As a part of the event, the Student of Distinction Award, honoring students who have made a significant impact to the WPI community through programming, leadership, and/or advocacy for the LGBTQIAP+ campus community, was also awarded. The Student of Distinction for this year was awarded to Nikolai Tan ’26.
The ceremony featured words of wisdom and speeches by Dean Emily Perlow, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Max Ketter ’28, President of the Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition (QTPOCC) and Lily Navarro ’29, Secretary of the Alliance, affiliate chapter of oSTEM, Lauren Feldman, Assistant Director for Gender Equity and Sexuality, and Zoe Reidinger, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering.
"Dream wildly, class of 2026. Let your dreams grow with you. Let them be unfinished and messy. Let them be loud and hopeful. Let them bring you joy. And most importantly, let them be yours.”
-Lauren Feldman (they/she), Assistant Director for Gender Equity and Sexuality
Thank you to all who were able to attend the Lavender Celebration and support our Class of 2026 graduates! To the class of 2026, congratulations!
VPSA Emily Perlow speaking at Lavender Celebration 2026
Lily Navarro and Max Ketter, Alliance and QTPOCC Executive Board Members, speaking at Lavender Celebration 2026
Professor Zoe Reidinger speaking at Lavender Celebration 2026
Lavender Celebration 2026 Student of Distinction Winner, Nikolai Tan '26
Lavender Celebration 2026 Stoles
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees student-facing learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.
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