Congratulations to all students graduating this year! Below is the student union's speech to be heard at the college's graduation ceremonies on the 4th and 5th of July 2026. Written by Alexandra Bokström Niflis.

Student life often consists of major milestones – the first seminar, the first exam, the first essay, the final peer review and the day when graduation is finally here.

The moments that appear in the calendar.
The ones you can plan for, count down to and tick off.

Yet the strange thing is that it is rarely the milestones that you remember most vividly.
Instead, it is often the small moments that linger.

The conversation that continued long after the seminar had actually ended.
The group that always stayed late in the library.

That message in the group chat the night before the deadline where someone wrote: "Is it just me who doesn't understand anything?"
And the relief when it turned out it wasn't just you.

That feeling when you’ve submitted an assignment at 23:58 and realise that you actually made it. You managed it.

You might remember that person who always seemed to be on top of absolutely everything. And that person who was always 10 minutes late for the lecture.

The commuter train chaos in January, the constant coffee breaks in Prego and the sunny spring days out by the rock. 

The truth is that it is easy to think that higher education is just about courses, exams and accumulating credits.
But it is about so much more. 


It is about people.
About realising that you don't have to manage everything on your own.
About finding contexts where you get to grow together with others.
And about realising that the people who were once strangers in a seminar room had suddenly become a part of one's own story.

And perhaps that is precisely why this day feels a little special.
Because a degree is something you have worked towards for several years.
But now that it's here, you realise that you're not just saying goodbye to an education. You're also saying goodbye to everyday life.

Of people you have met daily for years.
Of places that have become natural.
Of daily routines that one might not always appreciated, but which one will miss when they are gone.

And if it feels a bit wistful today, perhaps that's a sign that the time here has actually meant something.
But the great thing about endings is that they also make space for beginnings.
Because even if you leave Södertörn today, the story does not end here.

A new chapter awaits.
New workplaces.
New studies.
New contexts.
New people to get to know.

And just as you once found your place here, you will find new communities.
You will build new contexts.
Create new memories.
And one day you will look back on this time and realise that what you took with you from here was more than just knowledge.

You bring your experiences.
Friendships.
Perspective.
The self-confidence that comes from having accomplished something that at times felt far too difficult.

And the realisation that you are capable of more than you perhaps thought on that first day.
So today is not just about celebrating what you have achieved. 
It's also about celebrating the person you have become along the way. 

And before we finish, we would like to say a few words to our international students.

You came here from different countries, cultures and backgrounds, and for many of you, studying at Södertörn University meant building a new life in a new place. And that takes courage.

Thank you for being part of our community and for the perspectives, experiences and friendships you have shared with us. You have helped make our campus a richer, more international and more vibrant place.

Wherever your next chapter takes you, I hope you leave with good memories, lasting connections and confidence in everything you have achieved.

Congratulations on your graduation