WesternU CHS Commencement 2026: A community of healers
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Health Sciences (CHS) celebrated 178 graduates, including 47 Doctor of Physical Therapy, 39 Master of Science in Medical Sciences and 92 Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies graduates at its Commencement ceremony at Sheraton Fairplex Suites & Conference Center in Pomona, California on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
This ceremony was especially meaningful, as WesternU is celebrating 40 years since the founding of CHS.
“For four decades, this college has remained committed to humanism, excellence, and service. During that time, we have proudly graduated over 5,000 students who now serve communities across the nation and around the world,” said CHS Dean Gail Evans Grayson, EdD, MA. “Humanism reminds us that every patient is a person, every interaction matters, and every decision should be guided by empathy, dignity, and respect. It is the foundation of trust and the standard by which your leadership is measured.
“As you move forward, remember that leadership is not defined by title or position. It is defined by how you serve. It is found in your empathy, your integrity, your humility, and your courage. It is demonstrated in your willingness to advocate for the vulnerable, to stand in the gap for those without a voice, and to lead with both competence and compassion.”
During each Commencement ceremony, a WesternU alum presented graduates with an alumni pin to symbolize their transition from students to alumni. At this ceremony, the pin was presented by CHS Class of 2010 alumna Laura Murphy, PT, EdD, DPT, who currently serves as Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Clinical Education for the Department of Physical Therapy Education.
The College selected three students to serve as graduate speakers during the ceremony. The first speaker was Master of Science in Medical Sciences graduate Olugbolahan Fajolu, MSMS ‘26.
WesternU’s 12-month MSMS program equips students with the analytical and research skills needed to succeed as health care professionals and pursue advanced training in the medical and health sciences. Fajolu will be pursuing his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree at WesternU in the fall.
“Our fellow graduates and I of the MSMS program arrived here with different stories and different reasons for choosing this path. Upon arrival to this program, our faculty set the tone, one declaring that we are more than just students, but professionals already. That belief shaped how we showed up and defined how we arrived here today,” said Fajolu.
The second graduate speaker, Benjamin Iraheta, MSPA ‘26, represented the MSPA program. In a heartfelt address, Iraheta reflected on the strength of community and the resilience that carried his classmates through moments of challenge and loss.
“We stopped going through it alone and started getting through it together. We leaned on each other. We shared our struggles and our wins. Some of us faced real loss, but we kept moving forward. Because even when we felt alone, we weren’t. There was something within us, our courage. Quiet, steady, and persistent,” said Iraheta.
The final graduate speaker was physical therapy graduate Joscelise Jackson, DPT ‘26, who echoed Iraheta’s reflections on the power of community and the relationships that sustained them throughout their educational journeys.
“We have heard our professors tell us that school is the time in our lives when we will know the most. While I certainly hope to hold on to every piece of knowledge we’ve learned, I know what I’ll treasure most are the people and moments that carried us through,” said Jackson. “I am so incredibly grateful for this class. Every single one of you possesses unique strengths, whether it’s compassion, humor, intellectual curiosity, or an unwavering spirit. As we step into our career, it is these strengths combined with the collective memory of what it took to get here, that will shape us into exceptional clinicians.”
It was the strong sense of community that drew MSMS graduate Kevin Lyons, MSMS ’26, to WesternU. After being inspired by the close relationships between students and faculty during campus preview days, Lyons experienced that culture firsthand when current College of Dental Medicine (CDM) students organized interview preparation sessions to help his class succeed.
“The DMD students from this year reached out to our class just to have an interview session where we could all come together and they’d prep us for interviews. It was like a big family moment. It wasn’t even a college of people I knew yet, but they came to help us out,” said Lyons.
Lyons was accepted into WesternU’s CDM and will begin classes in the fall.
For CHS graduate Dustin Martin, DPT ’26, WesternU provided a place to grow not only as a clinician, but also as a person. Martin began working as a physical therapist aide after graduating from undergrad and quickly discovered a passion for the field. That passion deepened during his clinical rotations, where he saw firsthand the impact physical therapy could have on patients’ lives.
“I fell in love with the environment. I fell in love with the fact that all my passions and interests were in one place under one roof,” said Martin. “It was nice to be able to help people using all the knowledge I’d gained and really make a difference. It was really cool to go home and know I did something good that day. No matter how bad my day as a whole may have been, I knew that I did a good deed,” said Martin.
Beyond the classroom and clinic, Martin also found a strong sense of community among his classmates, forming friendships that extended well beyond their coursework.
“I have the most amazing classmates. We’ve done everything together, even outside of school. We’ve had karaoke nights, bowling nights, beach adventures, and bonfires. We’re really close and I could not have chosen a better group of people to do this with,” said Martin.
For MSPA graduate Maricsa Secundo, MSPA ‘26, the path to health care was not always linear. At 19 years old, Secundo dropped out of college, a decision she always regretted. However, she went on to get married, buy a house, and start a family. Everything changed when her daughter was born with a congenital malformation of her brain. It was sitting in the hospital waiting room that Secundo decided she was going to find meaning in a difficult situation and return to school.
“I discovered the PA profession through my daughter. She had a lot of physician assistants that were part of her care team and that opened me to the profession that I didn’t know about prior,” said Secundo. “My daughter is my biggest motivation. Seeing the care from other health professionals that were involved in her case, whether they were nurses, doctors, PAs, NPs, and even people like housekeeping and food services, they made such a big impact not only on my daughter, but on myself as well. That was my motivation to keep going.”
As a Mexican American, Secundo is eager to use her language skills to provide accessible health care to her community.
“I’m so excited to be able to go out there, be bilingual, and help other people by making them feel safe and understood the second I walk through the door and start speaking their language. I’m really excited and I don’t think I would have had that confidence had it not been for this program,” said Secundo.
