Commencement Tickets/RSVP

Due to seating capacity, guest tickets are required for the Commencement Ceremonies on May 9th. There is no charge for tickets, but graduating students must complete the Commencement Weekend RSVP to request tickets for their guests. The RSVP has been emailed to students who have completed their Intent to Graduate form. The RSVP will remain open through March 13.

• Each graduating student may request up to 11 tickets. Eight seats will be under the tent on St. Anne’s lawn, where the Commencement Ceremony will take place. Three seats will be inside Zecco Performing Arts Center, where a live stream of the ceremony will be provided. Tickets will ensure entrance to each location but seats will not be reserved.
• Weather dependent, additional “standing room only” areas will be available adjacent to the tent on St. Anne’s lawn. Space is limited and will be first come, first served (no ticket required).
• Students will have the opportunity on the RSVP form to be added to a wait list for up to two extra tickets. Extras are not guaranteed and will be fulfilled (in order of RSVP completion date) during the week of April 20.
• Tickets requested after the RSVP closes on March 13 are not guaranteed and will be subject to availability.
• The entire Commencement Ceremony will be live streamed for any friends and family members not able to attend in person. The live stream link will be available from the Anna Maria College homepage prior to the start of the ceremony.

Ticket Distribution

• Full-time Bachelor’s degree students (resident and commuter) will receive their tickets on April 13 at our Graduation Information / Cap & Gown event. Please see details in the Cap & Gown section below.
• Full-time Bachelor’s degree students who completed their degree in August or December may request their tickets be mailed with their cap & gown. However, we encourage you to attend the Graduation Information / Cap & Gown event on April 13 if possible.
• Master’s degree students taking spring classes on campus will be provided evening drop-in hours to pick up tickets during the week of April 13.
• All  Online students and August / December Master’s degree students will be offered  a “will call” ticket pickup the morning of Commencement.

Future Updates

Important graduation updates will be sent to your students’ AMCATS email throughout the spring.

Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
Doctor of Public Administration

Former Secretary Ed Augustus was appointed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in June 2023 to lead the newly created Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

An experienced, results-driven executive, Augustus has spent more than 35 years in public service, building effective teams and bringing people together to have a positive impact on communities.

As the secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Augustus led the state’s mission to create more homes and lower housing costs for Massachusetts residents. The executive office also distributes funding for community development initiatives, oversees the state’s public housing and operates homelessness prevention and housing stabilization programs.

Before joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Augustus served as city manager of Worcester, where he led the state’s second-largest city through a revitalization that became known as the Worcester Renaissance. Under his administration, the gateway city saw a wave of new development, infrastructure improvements and new housing that attracted statewide attention and restored pride to residents.

As city manager, Augustus also spearheaded the $240 million landmark redevelopment of Worcester’s Canal District and Kelley Square, including leading negotiations to relocate the Boston Red Sox AAA affiliate (now the WooSox) to the city and construction of the multi-use Polar Park stadium.

Before joining the city of Worcester, Augustus served as director of Government & Community Relations for the College of Holy Cross, state senator for the 2nd Worcester District, chief of staff for Congressman Jim McGovern, and chief of staff to the assistant secretary for Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education under President Clinton’s administration.

Augustus currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of UniBank, the largest mutually-owned Bank in Central Massachusetts with $3 Billion in Assets, headquartered in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

Patricia Zillian Eppinger
Doctor of Human Service

Patty Eppinger is a distinguished business leader, educator, and civic advocate whose career reflects a deep and enduring commitment to leadership, education, and community service.

Ms. Eppinger began her professional career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where she advised organizations on strategy and organizational effectiveness. She later brought her expertise to the classroom, serving as a Lecturer at both the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

A graduate of the College of William & Mary where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and government, she went on to receive her MBA from the Tuck School of Business, building a strong foundation for her professional and civic leadership.

For more than two decades, Ms. Eppinger has been a tireless champion for education and community engagement in Worcester. As a founder and former Chair of the Worcester Education Collaborative, she helped build and lead an organization dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in education—bringing together educators, families, and community leaders to drive meaningful, systemic improvement for Worcester’s students.

As Co-Chair of the One City, One Library Initiative, Ms. Eppinger played a pivotal role in a transformative public-private partnership that brought libraries into Worcester’s elementary schools and neighborhoods—an enduring contribution to literacy, equity, and community connection. This innovative collaboration was recognized with the Award for Excellence in Collaboration from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, underscoring its impact as a model for cross-sector partnership.

Ms. Eppinger’s commitment to educational equity has extended to the state level through her service on the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, where she co-chaired the development of the Strategic Plan for Racial Equity, helping to shape a more inclusive and just future for public higher education in the Commonwealth.

The breadth and depth of her impact have been recognized through some of the region’s highest civic honors. She has been celebrated for distinguished community service, transformative support of education, and her ability to mobilize public and private partners in service of the common good—receiving honors such as the Isaiah Thomas Award, the United Way Alexis de Tocqueville Award, the Worcester Public School’s Thomas Jefferson Award, the Worcester Public Library Foundation’s inaugural Dr. Richard E. Greene Award, the Women’s Initiative Lois B. Green Award, and the Museum of Worcester’s Harvey Ball Smile Award. Reflecting the profound and lasting nature of her contributions, Ms. Eppinger has twice been presented with the Key to the City of Worcester.

Patty and her husband Fred reside in Grafton, MA, and have three adult children: Katie (28), and twins Lauren and Andrew (24) – as well as a menagerie of four-legged family members. They love to travel together and are all diehard Boston sports fans.

We will celebrate the Baccalaureate Mass on campus on Friday, May 8th, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Baccalaureate Mass is a Catholic liturgy, celebrating the Sacrament of the Eucharist and graduating students.  All members of the Anna Maria College community and their guests are invited to attend the Mass, regardless of faith.  

The Hooding Ceremony will immediately follow Baccalaureate Mass. The hooding of the Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree Recipients by faculty recognizes your academic success.  Your hood (the scarf-like part of your academic regalia) represents the degree that you have earned, and will be placed over your shoulders by a faculty member or department chair in your field of study. 

 A reception will be held in the Bishop Flanagan Campus Center for graduating students and guests, faculty, and staff immediately following the hooding ceremony.  

Class of 2026 News

• For on-campus students, we are busy planning Senior Week events for the spring – watch for exciting announcements!
• Email questions or ideas to SeniorClass@annamaria.edu
• To donate directly towards the class gift, please click here

• Full-time Bachelor’s degree – order by February  20

• Part-time/Online Bachelor’s and all Master’s degrees – order by April 5