Facing Challenges Ahead, Ebony Burns CPS ’26 Offers Words of Hope and Inspiration
In the months leading up to commencement activities at Villanova University, the College of Professional Studies (CPS) chose Ebony Burns as the student speaker for the Evening of Celebration, an event honoring the achievements of the CPS Class of 2026.
Ebony was selected for this honor after writing and delivering a speech that spoke to the community of learning she encountered in her time at Villanova and the valuable lessons she learned as part of that community.
“Community here was not accidental. It was intentional. It was embedded in the curriculum, in the traditions, in the way this university understands education itself. We were reminded, again and again, that learning does not happen in isolation. It happens in relationship.”
- Ebony Burns '26 CPS, in her speech to her fellow graduates
In the days leading to the Evening of Celebration, Ebony pre-recorded her remarks, unable to attend the event as she prepared to start treatment after a sudden and life-altering diagnosis: Stage III breast cancer.
When her speech ended, her words and emotion still echoing throughout the Topper Theater at the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts, all in attendance rose from their seats, applauding with a minutes-long standing ovation. Ebony’s peers and fellow graduates, along with the CPS faculty, staff, and friends on hand, joined in celebrating her determination and inspiration in a time of need.
“We leave with the quiet confidence that wherever we go next, into offices and classrooms, hospitals and studios, neighborhoods and homes, we know how to build community because we have lived it. We know how to protect dignity because we have practiced it. We know how to lead with care because it has been modeled for us."
- Ebony Burns '26 CPS
Ebony’s speech was built upon her transformative journey to Villanova on her way to earning a bachelor's degree. Her higher education pathway started at Drexel University years ago, before obstacles forced her to step away from school. She forged onward, building a successful career with companies like Independence Blue Cross and Comcast.
Ebony first came to Villanova for a professional education credential, over a decade ago. Working full-time and raising a son and step-daughter, Ebony earned a Lean Six Sigma certificate. After that experience, she committed herself to continuing her education toward a degree. Again, life offered a setback, as Ebony was diagnosed with and completed treatment for colon cancer.
Determined to push forward, Ebony continued her studies at Villanova and found a supportive community and a thought-provoking curriculum.
“Across colleges, across backgrounds, across different paths leading up to this very moment, we encountered something consistent. Villanova did not simply ask us to accumulate credits. It asked us to engage knowledge — carefully, humbly, and in relationship with others..”
- Ebony Burns '26 CPS
At Villanova, Ebony’s education was shaped in the Augustinian intellectual tradition, offering a deeper, richer understanding of the world around us.
“What started out as just wanting to get a credential and ‘check the box’ became more of a personal spiritual journey. It really changed my outlook on people and community,” she explained.
“My classes and my peers, they became part of my support system in ways that they didn't realize. A lot of the work at Villanova is rooted in tradition and spirituality and forgiveness and faith,” Ebony said. “Classes that were based in theology and religion gave me a different perspective on life. Being able to have certain conversations or question certain theories or certain concepts from a theology perspective and in a way that was respectful and comfortable and safe.”
Like many at CPS, Ebony’s means to her degree involved flexible scheduling, long hours and a determined outlook, but led to fulfilling outcomes.
“Even when I didn't want to show up, I would come to class and I would leave feeling like a weight had been lifted,” she said.
“When professors create space for dialogue instead of monologue, it shapes you.
When classmates challenge your thinking without questioning your dignity, it shapes you.
When an institution insists that intellectual growth must be accompanied by care for others, it shapes you.”
- Ebony Burns '26 CPS
Ebony was also recognized as the 2026 recipient of the CPS Caritas Award, a peer-nominated honor given to a student who has been a source of encouragement, motivation and inspiration for their peers. The awardee is seen as someone who embodies the Augustinian mission and core value of Caritas through their commitment to the well-being of others. Ebony credited her time at Villanova with opening her mindset to living for others.
“I think Villanova gave me a different perspective to be more selfless. I'm now able to see things beyond me and believe in things that are bigger than me and see how my individual actions contribute to the greater good of other people,” she said.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Ebony plans to continue studying at Villanova, in pursuit of a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Villanova School of Business. Her diagnosis has altered her plans, but not stopped her. She’ll look to pursue her MBA, adapting her path to one that best supports her health and well-being.
“Coming to the end of my Villanova journey and then having something so massive being put on me is a story that I think is worth telling because I still have faith and I'm still hopeful.”
“Long after this ceremony ends, long after the celebrations quiet and the degrees are framed, that (community) will endure.
What began here as community will move with us as family — steady, expanding, and strong enough to shape whatever comes next……And that is the gift we carry forward. Together.”
- Ebony Burns '26 CPS