Pictures of joy, friendship fill the Yard before Commencement

As Avinashi Bhandari ’26 stood in Harvard Yard with her Dunster House classmates, preparing to march into Tercentenary Theatre for the 2026 Commencement Exercises, her mind was pulled to the memory of moving into the Yard’s first-year residences four years ago.

“It’s always exciting to get to a culmination of a period of your life, but at the same time I’m starting to actually feel quite emotional,” said Bhandari, who studied physics and chemistry. “I’m realizing that this is the end of a very significant and important period of my life.”

Daria Hărăbor ’26, standing with Bhandari, said it’s exciting to have finally reached her own Commencement ceremony.

“I’ve been singing in Commencement choirs for the past few years, and I’m finally on the other side of the celebration,” said Hărăbor, whose parents traveled from Romania to see her graduate. “This time it’s for me.”

Aidan Chen ’26 and Fraz Javed ’26 chatted with fellow Kirkland House seniors as they lined up to process into Tercentenary Theatre. Chen, who studied economics, said he has been reflecting on all the people who helped him reach Commencement Day. His Boston family came to the ceremony to support him, as did extended family members from China.

“I feel like it’s the culmination of a lot of people’s work, not just my own,” Chen said. “It’s been a grueling four years, but also a lot of my parents’ and my grandparents’ work as well.”

Javed agreed. His parents traveled from Oklahoma to see him graduate, while his older brothers took a bus up from New York. The applied mathematics concentrator said he has watched himself reach his “complete form” while at Harvard, in part thanks to the support he received from family and friends.

“I’m thinking a lot about my upperclassmen friends and how they also finally graduated, and thinking about how they felt at this time,” Javed said.

Feriel Terras ’26 took in all the sights and sounds of Commencement Day morning as she lined up in the Yard with Leverett House friends Rysa Tahilramani ’26 and Mina Chae ’26.

“There’s so many little things, and so much effort that goes into making this day so special — from the breakfast to the music as we’re walking out,” said Terras, a mathematics concentrator. “I feel really grateful that all this effort has been put in for us to have the most special day ever.”

The seniors were also feeling grateful that their families could see them graduate. Tahilramani’s parents and sister flew 16 hours from Hong Kong to attend the ceremony, while Terras’s parents flew in from Tunisia.

“It’s really, really special,” Terras said. “They’re so proud, and it makes me really happy to see them.”

In front of Sever Hall, Adams House residents Ana Aguilar ’26, Lael Ayala ’26, Gowri Rangu ’26, and Eduarda Demoura ’26 smiled ear to ear as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

“This feels surreal; that’s the only way I can describe it,” Aguilar said. “Part of me doesn’t feel like this is real, but the other part of me is like, ‘I worked so hard and I finally made it, and it’s finally happening.”

Ayala said Harvard provides students with good opportunities to build community, especially in the Houses. As senior year draws to a close, she has been reflecting on the connections she made, especially in Adams House.

Rangu agreed. “I’m really proud of everyone,” she said. “I feel really proud to call this my place, because of the people.”