Dubai graduate chosen as student voice of Stanford’s 2026 commencement
She graduated this month from Stanford with Honors in Economics
At Stanford University’s Class of 2026 Baccalaureate celebration on June 13, Lamya Sikandar Butt, an alumna of Dubai Scholars Private School, was selected to deliver the student address. Speaking before approximately 4,500 graduates, families, and guests, she represented the graduating class in a role reserved each year for a single senior chosen from across the university.
The same weekend, Stanford alumnus and Google CEO Sundar Pichai delivered the University’s Commencement keynote, marking a significant moment in the institution’s graduation calendar.
Butt graduated this month from Stanford with Honors in Economics and a minor in South Asian Studies. A first-generation American university student, she moved from Dubai to Stanford four years ago. She will begin her career as an investment banking analyst in New York while maintaining a long-term interest in developing solutions to poverty and improving educational access across South Asia.
Her honors thesis focused on the financial case for building climate-resilient schools in Pakistan, combining themes of education equity, development economics, and finance.
Reflecting on the honour, Lamya Butt said:
“I am incredibly honoured to have been chosen as this year's student speaker. Standing on that stage, I knew I wanted to do justice to everyone who helped me reach that moment, my family, my friends, my mentors at Stanford, my teachers, and the entire community at Dubai Scholars. This merit belongs as much to them as it does to me.
Butt spent 15 years at Dubai Scholars before earning a full scholarship to Stanford. She grew up between Dubai and Toronto.
Dubai Scholars congratulated Butt on her achievement and wished her success as she begins the next chapter of her career.
Aparna Verma, Founder and CEO of Scholars International Group (SIG), said: "We watched her grow from a bright eyed three-year-old into an intellectual force of nature by the time she graduated from Dubai Scholars. We are immensely proud of everything she has achieved."
