Welcome Weekend 2026: Focusing On The Journey

There’s no mistaking the shift in energy that arrives on the Gonzaga campus when new and returning students arrive each fall.

No matter the weather forecast, the sun shines a little brighter (despite an occasional cloudburst). The vibes feel a little warmer (despite blessedly dropping temperatures). And the buzz is undeniable as dorms and walkways quiet for much of the past few months are suddenly teeming with Zags and their families – not to mention the hundreds of faculty and staff helping carry furniture, offering directions or simply welcoming both the new faces and the familiar ones with a smile.

Zags helping Zags at Move-In Day 2026.

Summer wasn’t completely quiet on campus, thanks to the presence of Egypt’s World Cup soccer team, Gonzaga’s shift to the Pac-12 Conference, campus construction projects and the regular array of research pursued by faculty and students.

But as Move-In Day for new students arrived Aug. 28, and Welcome Weekend continued through events like Playfair, Zagfest, posing for the class of 2030 photo and a campus block party, it was clear a new school year was off and running.

There's always time for a family photo.

The Beginning of the Journey

After new students were regaled with applause and smiles on the Welcome Walk Monday morning, Interim Provost Mia Bertagnolli greeted a packed St. Aloysius Church for Academic Convocation by encouraging new Zags to embrace the journey ahead for the next four years, a journey “that will challenge you, inspire you, and ultimately transform you.”

After a prayer from Fr. Tim Breen, S.J., Heather Easterling and Matthew Barcus re-introduced themselves in their new support roles as Class Fellows to accompany the class of 2030 through its academic and personal journeys.

President Passerini chatting with students on Move-In Day.

President Katia Passerini, who’d spoken with the new class at several events through the weekend, delved into the stories of Ignatius and Aloysius, of Father Cataldo’s founding of Gonzaga and of Brunelleschi’s vision of a dome in Renaissance Florence that many thought impossible to build.

“Now I want to take you somewhere else. I want to take you to the future,” Passerini said, outlining a potential “science-fiction” future for Gonzaga in which the idea of a Gonzaga campus extends far beyond its home in Spokane and satellite in Florence into Seattle and Washington, D.C., across Europe and Asia. People in this imagined future still mention Gonzaga basketball, but they also talk about “our students, our faculty, our international programs, our commitment to human dignity. The kind of leaders who come from this place.”

“Brunelleschi could see a dome before anyone knew how to build it,” she said. “Ignatius could imagine a worldwide mission before the Jesuits had traveled across the world. Father Cataldo could imagine a university here long before any of us could have imagined the Gonzaga we know today.

A Snapshot of Gonzaga’s New Students 

Gonzaga is welcoming nearly 1,350 first-year and transfer students this fall, according to Dean of Admissions Stephen Keller, although final enrollment won’t be known until late September.

Among that group are students from 37 different states, several tribal nations, and countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, China, Congo, Denmark, Egypt, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Spain, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. The incoming class of 2030 also equals the last two years as the most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse classes in Gonzaga history, with 35 percent of first-year students self-identifying as Alaska Native, Asian, African-American, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

Taking selfies with new friends at Playfair during Welcome Weekend.

More about the new Zags arriving this fall: 

Leadership Personified 
12 student body presidents 
52 class presidents and officers 
189 student government members 
493 students involved in leadership activities

Love for the Stage 
59 members of speech and debate 
268 musicians 
161 participants in theater or dance

Earth-friendly 
90 students involved in ecology/sustainability clubs

Ready for a Game 
956 students involved in athletics and/or outdoor activities

Caring for Others 
825 with significant volunteering experience