Olympian and Colorado State University alumnus Hunter Powell is set to be the 2026 universitywide commencement speaker. Hailing from Fort Collins, Powell recently competed in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games with Team USA’s four-man bobsled team.
Powell’s commencement speech will outline his “unconventional” Olympian journey, as well as sharing what he considers to be four “absolute truths” that he learned along the way. Universitywide commencement takes place from 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, in Canvas Stadium.
Powell attended Fort Collins High School, where he competed on the track and field team. He later started his collegiate track career at Western Colorado University, only to transfer to Baylor University and later return home to Fort Collins to attend CSU. After graduating CSU in 2019 with a degree in physics, Powell’s fiancee and fellow Olympian Kaysha Love recruited him to try bobsledding, leading to his Olympic debut in the sport in February.
For Powell, his home in Fort Collins and at CSU played a critical role in this journey.
“It feels like the journey has come full circle,” Powell said about being commencement speaker. “I remember when I was a little kid in elementary school, going to the old stadium … to watch football games; I remember being in high school (and), every single Saturday, running (the) stairs in Moby Arena. I remember every single break-even when I wasn’t going to school at CSU, coming back and running at the indoor track and doing kids camps at the indoor track as a little kid. This school has been a part of my life forever; it’s not just my college career. It really has been part of my entire life and childhood. I’m so proud to represent it.”
Throughout the years, CSU’s universitywide commencement has welcomed speakers including former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eugene Daniels and U.S. Senator Gordon Allott. In 2025, Canvas Stadium hosted the first universitywide commencement in nearly 30 years, re-sparking a tradition that started with the first graduating class of Rams.
CSU commencement speakers are known to tell inspiring stories and showcase “the best of what it means to be a CSU Ram,” said Kyle Henley, vice president for marketing and communications.
“Hunter 100% embodies that,” Henley said. “His path to success in the Olympics wasn’t a straight line. … So, (one thing) many of these students in this generation can look to is that the path to success, the path to your future isn’t always a linear straight line. I think Hunter shows us that sometimes being open to different opportunities or thinking about what success looks like in a different way can really be an amazing path as well.”
Powell said CSU President Amy Parsons reached out to CSU head track and field coach Brian Bedard, who coached Powell during his time at CSU, to gauge whether Powell would be interested in speaking.
Following, Powell “got an email from Amy just saying, ‘Hey, I just want to tell you, we’re so proud of you and you did such a great job, and we want you to be the commencement speaker.’ I immediately said yes,” Powell said.
Parsons elaborated on Powell being the commencement speaker to CSU SOURCE, saying his story is the perfect message for new graduates.
“As a Fort Collins local and proud CSU alum, Hunter Powell embodies the spirit of the Ram community,” Parsons said. “His journey — from multi-sport standout and conference champion to Team USA Olympic bobsledder — shows the determination and adaptability required to pursue bold goals. We’re thrilled he’ll inspire our graduates as they begin their next chapter.”
Growing up, Powell said he was a decent athlete but not someone who would be expected to go to the Olympics.
“I truly believe that greatness is … not reserved for a select, chosen few,” Powell said. “It’s something that anybody and everybody is capable of obtaining, and they should strive for excellence in all they do. I wasn’t more talented or more gifted or more impressive than anybody else; I was more stubborn and persistent probably than anybody else.”
Universitywide commencement formats offer students an opportunity to unite and reflect on their college experiences. Henley said commencement speakers partially define these moments and set the tone for the event.
For Alek Korolainen, a student graduating with degrees in political science and international studies, Powell being the commencement speaker wasn’t a huge draw for him, but he still plans on attending the universitywide commencement.
“I think I have paid enough for this education,” Korolainen said. “I should see it through. I should go to the big ceremony and throw the cap and pay $75 for the gown and all that.”
Powell said he has never given a speech at this scale before and is feeling nervous ahead of it. Nonetheless, he is also feeling excited.
“It is such a huge honor,” Powell said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s something I never would have dreamed I would have actually had the chance to do. This is one of the coolest things I think I’ve ever done.”
Reach Chloe Rios at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
