The Harvard Extension School Class of 2026 is remarkable in its breadth and depth of scholarship, and we are delighted to celebrate our students’ tremendous commitment and hard work during the University’s Commencement on Thursday, May 28.
Spotlights will be added over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
Share Your Story
Your journey at Harvard Extension School is unique, and we want to hear about it! Help inspire future students by sharing your experience. If selected, your story could be featured in our marketing materials.
How to Participate
Submit your story through this form. We’re especially looking for stories that talk about how Harvard Extension School impacted your career.
Consider filming yourself answering questions like:
- How has Harvard Extension School helped you meet your career goals?
- How did you balance school with working full time and family commitments?
- What is one thing you wish people knew about Harvard Extension School?
If selected, a member of our marketing team will reach out with next steps. Thank you for helping us showcase the HES experience!
Meet Our Graduates
What we all had in common was our willingness to work for our degree, proving ourselves in merit and grit. United in rigor, we all sought out a purposeful education surrounded by peers and professors who believed we all had something more to give this world with our words.
Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program
Journalist and filmmaker
The experience reminded me that ‘capacity’ isn’t fixed. With structure, focus, and purpose, it can be expanded. That rhythm has reshaped how I manage my time and priorities, and I plan to carry those habits forward as I step into new opportunities.
Sustainability Master’s Degree Program
Research and development manager, PepsiCo
Rather than waiting for an ideal moment, I learned to integrate education into my real life as it was. That balancing act became one of the most meaningful aspects of my experience, reinforcing that growth and ambition don’t have to be postponed while building a career and a family.
Sustainability Master’s Degree Program
Director of sustainable packaging at Estée Lauder Companies
Every week asked for something different: leadership at work, presence as a father, discipline as a student — rarely in equal measure.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Master’s Degree Program
Founder and consultant; finance
I found real joy in recognizing how much I didn’t know — letting go of my assumptions and rediscovering learning through a process supported by instructors who were deeply invested in helping those ‘lightbulb’ moments happen.
Sustainability Master’s Degree Program
Founder
Every course sharpened my ability to think about ventures not just as missions, but as institutions. The academic rigor pushed me to stress-test assumptions I had been carrying for years. When my thinking held up under that pressure, I trusted it more. When it didn’t, I rebuilt it — better.
Management Master’s Degree Program
Entrepreneur and founder
Over my time at HES, realizing that people valued who I was and that I could fit in at college has allowed me to venture out alone to do more volunteer work, attend classes at the local senior center, and have more confidence in myself.
Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree Program
Retired; former court transcriber
After my first course, something shifted: I could feel my definition of ‘what’s next’ getting larger. It felt like both a gift and a responsibility — the chance to choose a different use for my skills and my time.
Sustainability Master’s Degree Program
Executive advisory
I can say without hesitation that every instructor I had at Harvard Extension School was outstanding — true experts in their fields who were both passionate about teaching and remarkably good at it.
Management Master’s Degree Program
Nonprofit leader
I can now confidently pursue further promotions or career changes to skilled government positions that were previously unattainable.
Government Master’s Degree Program
Public service
I fully expected Harvard to be academically rigorous, and it was. But it was also human, global, fascinating, and somehow connected, even during asynchronous classes.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Master’s Degree Program
Founder & CEO, Harmonia Leadership Strategies
I really upskilled on a daily basis, doing things I never would have dreamed of being able to do had I not done this program. I’m really happy with the decision I made and its impact on my career and work.
Industrial-Organizational Psychology Master’s Degree Program
Associate Director, Talent Sourcing Business Partner at Novartis
When AI went from interesting to critical, HES didn’t scramble. The faculty were already there. They updated courses in real time. They were genuinely engaged with where the field was going.
Data Science Master’s Degree Program
AI Software Engineering
I absolutely fell in love. I felt alive and joyful in a new way. After that first class, I decided to go through the full admissions process and apply for the degree program.
Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program
Higher education and marketing
