Members of Class of 2026 Join Royal Community

Learn about the FIRST group to arrive, a student from Ukraine who renewed plans to pursue his dream of attending college in the United States, participants in the Royals of Color Kickoff program and more in this article.
Members of the Class of 2026 at The University of Scranton.
Members of the Class of 2026 at The University of Scranton.

i-rock-2026.jpgThe University of Scranton welcomed the most diverse class in the history of the school last weekend with 285 members of its class of 2026 identifying as a student of color, representing nearly 27 percent of the incoming class. Scranton also welcomed its largest degree seeking, graduate international student cohort in the last 15 years, with more than 60 new graduate degree-seeking international students starting this fall.

Shown above are Shania Hemingway (left), a chemistry major, and her twin sister Selina, a biology major, both from Alburtis and in the pre-med program, arrived on campus to participate in the Royals of Color Kickoff. 

Read more about the Royals of Color Kickoff (ROCK), here.

Read more about the first-year class, here.

See more photos from Fall Welcome Weekend, here.

i-first-schultz.jpgForty-two members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2026 arrived on campus on Aug. 22 to participate in FIRST (Freshmen Involved in Reflective Service Together), a reflective service immersion program at Scranton. Students volunteered with Neighborworks, the Belleview Center, Telespond and Friends of the Poor. FOX-56 News interviewed students participating in FIRST at the Friends of the Poor warehouse in south Scranton.

Shown, Blake Schultz, an accounting major from Dunmore, was among the members of The University of Scranton’s class of 2026 who participated in FIRST. Here, Schultz is pictured playing catch with children at the Belleview Center in West Scranton.

Read more about the FIRST members of Class of 2026 to arrive, here

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“I hope that by talking about how this war destroyed villages and towns, and killed, hurt and damaged the lives of so many people, maybe in the future, people will be more reasonable and peaceful and others will not have to go through what we experienced,” said Serhii Kuzmin Jr.

Eighteen-year-old Serhii, from Kharkiv, Ukraine, arrives on the campus of The University of Scranton as a member of the Jesuit school’s class of 2026. He will major in computer science.

Serhii completed his high school studies in Ukraine in 2021 and spent a gap year searching for a school in the United States to fulfill his dream of attending college in America. He found a fit to cultivate his love of philosophy grounded within a Catholic tradition at The University of Scranton.

Then, he was awakened by loud noises in the early morning hours of February 24. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had begun and everything else stopped.

Learn more about how Serhii renewed his plans to pursue his dream of attending college in the United States, here.

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On Tuesday, Center for Student Engagement hosted a New Student Resource Fair at the DeNaples Center. More than 16 organizations were represented in an effort to help incoming students navigate campus resources and services. 

Shown, Center for Student Engagement Assistant Director Casey Steiner gives complimentary T-shirts to students attending the event.
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