UNCSA alumna Tiffany Little Canfield tells graduates to embrace “a life of authenticity”
Award-winning casting director and School of Drama alumna Tiffany Little Canfield, CSA, encouraged graduates at UNCSA's 60th Commencement to pursue “a life of authenticity,” urging the Class of 2026 to resist fear, embrace change and remain committed to meaningful artistic lives.
Canfield, CSA, an eight-time Emmy-nominated casting director at The Telsey Office, encouraged graduates to celebrate their accomplishments, take action against their fears and continue building lives rooted in authentic engagement with their art. Speaking to the Class of 2026 at the Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem, she reminded them of the significance of what they had already achieved.
“The first thing I have to say to you is probably the most important part of my speech today. You did it,” Canfield said. “We must celebrate the wins. We need to do that for ourselves, and we need to do it for others in our lives.”
Drama alumna Tiffany Little Canfield at UNCSA’s 60th commencement.
Canfield, who graduated from the School of Drama in 2000, has cast some of the most recognizable films and series today, including “Wicked: For Good” and “Wicked, Part One,” with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey; “Paradise,” with Sterling K. Brown and alumna Krys Marshall; “Only Murders in the Building,” with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez; “This Is Us,” with Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia and Sterling K. Brown; and “The Greatest Showman,” with Hugh Jackman.
In addition, Chancellor Brian Cole and Provost Patrick J. Sims presented Canfield an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, recognizing her outstanding contributions to the arts and arts education.
In introducing Canfield, Cole praised her career and impact on the industry. “Casting, you see, is as much of an art form as acting, directing, singing or dancing,” he said. Cole also highlighted Canfield’s commitment to giving back to her field and her advocacy for disability representation. “Besides making successful casting decisions for television, film and theater, giving back is one of her superpowers,” Cole said. “Not only does she offer guidance to aspiring talent through workshops and classes, she champions disability representation.”
Chancellor Brian Cole at the 2026 UNCSA Commencement Ceremony / Photo: Allison Lee Isley
Canfield spoke candidly about her own path after UNCSA, recalling that after moving to New York in 2001, she began applying for opportunities that would bring her closer to the kind of artistic life she wanted, eventually landing a role working on Baz Luhrmann’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” on Broadway.
“I didn’t try to ‘gig’ or think about my ‘career’ until I was ready to face rejection and know I had the foundation to withstand it,” Canfield shared.
She said that early experience taught her not to rule herself out before trying.
“Let them tell me no … I’m not going to tell myself no and not apply!” she said.
Canfield encouraged graduates to move toward the work and communities that inspire them, rather than allowing fear or comparison to define their next steps.
Students at the 2026 UNCSA Commencement Ceremony / Photo: Allison Lee Isley
“Take action against your fears,” she said.
She also urged them to remain active participants in the arts, reminding them that seeing work, discussing it and learning from it is part of building a meaningful creative life.
“When you make that choice, to engage in the art form … you aren’t just being entertained,” she said. “You are building your community, you are learning the trends of what’s going on in your industry, you are developing your taste and point of view.”
Canfield also cautioned graduates against allowing online criticism and comparison to pull them away from their purpose, noting that artists understand the vulnerability and effort required to make meaningful work.
“Everyone graduating today knows how hard it is to make something, and how special it is to make something good that resonates with people,” she said. “And how important it is for artists to keep trying, to keep authentically reflecting the human experience in our storytelling.”
386 graduates from the schools of Dance, Design and Production, Drama, Filmmaking and Music received degrees, certificates and diplomas during two ceremonies — a 10 a.m. University ceremony for undergraduates and graduate students, and a 2:30 p.m. High School ceremony — at the Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem.
Students at the 2026 UNCSA Commencement Ceremony / Photo: Allison Lee Isley
In closing remarks, Cole told the graduates that the world needs artists willing to create meaning, beauty, empathy and truth. He reminded them that success is not measured only by fame or recognition, but by the willingness to keep creating, growing and bringing an authentic voice into the world.
“The world does not need you to become someone else to succeed,” Cole said. “It needs the perspective, discipline, imagination, and humanity that only you can bring.”
The ceremony concluded with the traditional turning of tassels and a standing ovation for the Class of 2026. As graduates crossed the stage and into the next chapter of their artistic lives, Canfield left them with a reminder that change is not a failure, but part of the journey.
“You are evolving … you are going to change,” she said. “Priorities change, but if you lean into the experience, challenge yourself to put positivity into the world, engage in art in a meaningful way, you will have an authentic life and be on the artist’s journey.”
May 18, 2026