Morning CLAS Commencement, 9:00 a.m.
Chloe Schultz, National Anthem singer
Chloe Schultz will perform as Commencement singer on the morning of May 16, marking the transition from student to educator.
From Atkins, Iowa, Schultz graduates with a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and a Bachelor of Arts in music education. After graduating, she will begin her career as director of vocal music at Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School, working with students in grades 6 through 8.
Her path reflects the full arc of a music education degree, from performance to the classroom.
“My amazing mentors at Iowa have really helped me become confident in my own sound, allowing me to take the pressure off of performances and enjoy them in the moment, just like I did as a kid,” says Schultz.
Jenna Crowley, Commencement speaker
Jenna Crowley’s path at Iowa has been shaped by the work of publishing—writing, editing, and building projects from the ground up.
Drawn to Iowa for its publishing track, she sought out hands-on experience early. She contributed to and helped publish an anthology, created her own zine, reviewed submissions with The Iowa Review, and completed an independent study editing a full-length book. Those experiences, she says, changed how she approaches opportunity.
“Because of the variety of experiences I’ve had in the classroom, I have grown more comfortable with reaching out and making my own opportunities, rather than waiting for that ‘perfect’ offer to come along.”
Crowley’s Commencement speech centers on resilience. Reflecting on both her own experience and her family’s sacrifices, she focuses on the persistence required to reach graduation. She sees Commencement not just as a milestone, but as evidence of what students have already endured and overcome.
She hopes her message leaves peers with a sense of confidence—grounded in what they have already proven to themselves.
Crowley, from San Diego, California, graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in English (publishing track) and a minor in communication studies. She will attend the University of Denver’s Publishing Institute this summer.
Afternoon CLAS Commencement, 1:30 p.m.
Sage Johnson, National Anthem singer
For Sage Johnson of Des Moines, IA, singing at Commencement carries both familiarity and new meaning.
Her first time performing the national anthem solo came just months earlier, at CLAS's fall 2025 Commencement, bringing nerves alongside gratitude for the opportunity. Seeing graduation from behind the scenes helped shift that perspective. Now, returning to the stage at her own ceremony, she describes feeling more relaxed and ready.
That readiness comes in part from recent experience. Johnson completed her senior voice recital with a room full of friends and family, a setting she once found more challenging than performing for strangers. Standing in front of peers at Commencement, she now feels prepared for that shared moment.
Her message to her peers? “You should be proud of all you have accomplished and worked through to get here.”
Aidan Wirtz, Commencement speaker
Aidan Wirtz came to Iowa for the strength of its journalism degree. He discovered Iowa's people impacted him as much, if not more, than the classes themselves.
Claude responded: Aidan Wirtz came to Iowa to study journalism.Aidan Wirtz came to Iowa to study journalism. Four years later, he leaves with a sharper eye and a clearer sense of what makes a place matter.He points to professors who prioritize growth beyond grades, coworkers who made space for his voice, and friends who became a steady presence over four years. That network, he says, prepared him for what comes next by pushing him to step outside his comfort zone and keep improving.
“The people really do make the place,” Wirtz said.
His speech focuses on the tension between capturing memories and living them. Over the past several months, Wirtz has carried a camcorder to document daily life. The practice revealed something unexpected: the most meaningful moments are not always the ones recorded.
The call to his fellow students is a call to full presence and engagement with life: “We should be in the moment, as sometimes that’s all we have,” said Wirtz.
Wirtz, from La Grange, Illinois, plans to return to the Chicago area after graduation to pursue sports journalism, with hopes of traveling abroad in the coming year.