In January 2025, the Cedarville community experienced a profound loss with the passing of Grace Maxwell, a member of the class of 2026. Known for her steady faith, diligence, and the way she quietly invested in others, Grace left a lasting impression on those who learned and lived alongside her.
At graduation this year, Cedarville University will honor her with the degree she worked toward with such consistency and care. While she will not be present to receive it, her life and witness remain a meaningful part of this class and this milestone.
As you approach graduation, it is fitting to pause, remember, and recognize both what was lost and what continues through the impact she made.
Dean Maxwell, Grace’s father, has written a letter to you, the class of 2026, with a challenge to honor her memory and live with intentionality as you approach your final days on campus and step into the future to which God has called you.
For Grace
You share a graduating class with someone truly special — Grace Maxwell — a person I had the privilege of knowing and loving throughout her life. As you approach this season, you may feel a mix of hope and anticipation or even some anxiety about what lies ahead. If you’d like, you can hear Grace’s voice and perspective through her Resound radio clips — just click on each of those words.
Grace was one of the hardest-working individuals I have ever known. From an early age, it was clear that whatever she set her mind to, she pursued with determination and excellence. During her time at Cedarville, her preparation, tenacity, and unwavering work ethic made it exciting to imagine all she would accomplish.
Yet on January 29, 2025, her time on this earth came to an end, and with it, so much visible potential. What remains, however, is not lost — it lives on in the people she impacted and the example she left behind.
So today, I offer you a challenge, class of 2026.
As you step into what comes next — whether that’s further education, a career, or building a family — you will face challenges, adversity, and moments of deep fatigue. There will be days when quitting feels easier than continuing, when doing the minimum feels sufficient, and when you feel you have nothing left to give.
In those moments, I ask something simple: do just a little more — for Grace.
- Study a little longer. For Grace.
- Arrive a little earlier. For Grace.
- Be a little more patient. For Grace.
- Push past the snooze button. For Grace.
- Spend a little more time in the Word and in prayer. For Grace.
There is work left undone because she is no longer here to do it. That reality is not fair, but it does present an opportunity for each of you to carry forward a small part of what might have been.
But this is about more than honoring her.
Scripture reminds us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” There is nothing we can do to earn the grace God has freely given. Yet that grace calls us to respond — to live with obedience, gratitude, and perseverance.
So perhaps it begins with doing a little more for Grace. But my hope is that it leads you to do these things because of grace — the grace you have been given.
My hope is that these small, faithful choices become habits. That they shape your life. That they remind you not only of Grace Maxwell but of the greater grace of God that strengthens you to endure, to press on, and to live with purpose.
Let’s close by hearing one final message from Grace.
Congratulations, class of 2026. Go forward — and do just a little more. For Grace.
— Dean Maxwell, Grace's dad