Olympic Champion Jade Carey Set to Take Center Stage at OSU Graduation
Vault - CAREY Jade USA celebrates on podium during the 2024 Artistic Gymnastics Olympics Games at Arena Bercy on August 03, 2024 in Paris, France. Photo by federico pestellini / DPPI / Panoramic - JO 2024 : GYMNASTIQUE - Jeux Olympiques 2024 - Paris2024 - Paris - 03/08/2024 DPPI/Panoramic PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxBEL
Vault - CAREY Jade USA celebrates on podium during the 2024 Artistic Gymnastics Olympics Games at Arena Bercy on August 03, 2024 in Paris, France. Photo by federico pestellini / DPPI / Panoramic - JO 2024 : GYMNASTIQUE - Jeux Olympiques 2024 - Paris2024 - Paris - 03/08/2024 DPPI/Panoramic PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxBEL
Olympic medalist Jade Carey will be trading the mats for a mic, as her next move will take place at the graduation ceremony of Oregon State University’s 2026 class.
With 3 Olympic and 7 world championship medals under her belt, the 26-year-old gymnast will also graduate with a degree in digital communication arts. However, she’s also set to be the commencement speaker.
“Carey, who is graduating with the class of 2026, was announced as the commencement speaker on April 23,” wrote The Daily Barometer’s Ethan Browning. “A Beaver for her whole college career, Carey competed with OSU from the 2022 season through the 2025 season.”
April 17, 2025, Fort Worth, US: JADE CAREY from Oregon State in action during the semifinals held at the DickieÃââ s Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Fort Worth US - ZUMAs146 20250417_fap_s146_453 Copyright: xAmyxSandersonx
April 17, 2025, Fort Worth, US: JADE CAREY from Oregon State in action during the semifinals held at the DickieÃââ s Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Fort Worth US - ZUMAs146 20250417_fap_s146_453 Copyright: xAmyxSandersonx
During her 4-season tenure with OSU, Carey has been a 12‑time NCAA All‑American and a 13‑time regular-season All‑American. She’s also the 13th gymnast in NCAA history to achieve a ‘Gym Slam’ by landing a perfect 10 in every event.
The winner of the 2025 AAI Award, Carey, is equally accustomed to both ends of the sport. She became a student-assistant coach to the Beavers in 2025. And soon she’ll be a prestigious alum after delivering the commencement address.
Her achievements are pretty self-explanatory. But OSU’s Provost and Executive Vice President Roy Haggerty further explained why Carey was chosen as the speaker.
What Makes Jade Carey a “Very Good” Commencement Speaker
The 26-year-old was initially announced as the commencement speaker on April 23. Undeniably, she’s younger compared to past speakers. However, Haggerty explained what made Carey the perfect fit for this role.
“In terms of her professional accomplishments as a gymnast, she’s been doing this a long time,” Haggerty said. “She just reached a level of excellence far earlier than most of us… I hope that the graduating class of 2026 is very, very proud of the commencement speaker.”
In Haggerty’s words, Carey is both an extraordinarily successful athlete and an academic genius. And so, she’s more than worthy of taking the stage on June 13 in Reser Stadium.
With that being said, are you looking forward to Carey’s commencement speech? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy