Celebrating the Trinity Class of 2026

From departmental honors to nationally recognized awards, Trinity College students are celebrated for the curiosity, rigor and impact that define their work. From the Paol Keineg Prize to the James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship, these honors reflect the many ways students are making meaningful contributions across disciplines.

Senior Claire Heyne, a Psychology and Neuroscience major, received the 2025–2026 Jerome S. Bruner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Faculty noted that she brings a high level of curiosity and care to her work, translating her passion into meaningful scholarship. Receiving the Bruner Award represents more than an academic achievement for Heyne; it is a meaningful marker of personal growth. 

“Meaningful learning does not happen in isolation. It happens through relationships, reflection, and engagement with the communities around us.”

-  Jacqueline Villanueva, Sociology major and Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Award recipient

Meet a few of these award-winning students who have been recognized for both their academic and community achievements.

The Trinity experience doesn't stop at the classroom doors. From Bass Connections projects to Global Education programs, co-curricular opportunities and experiences across Durham and the world, stepping outside of the classroom shapes students’ perspectives and creates some of their most meaningful moments.

Program II major Aisha Mane centered her self-designed course of study around one guiding question: what systems shape health outcomes in Black communities? Along the way, she explored Morocco and Egypt through Duke in the Arab World and engaged in a Bass Connections project building community for antepartum patients — an experience that showed her how meaningful listening can be in healthcare.

For many students, these experiences extend learning into new environments, offering fresh perspectives that shape both their academic and personal growth.

“The Duke in London – Arts program was a turning point for me,” said senior JR Cassidy, an English and Theater Studies double major. Cassidy studied abroad in the Duke in London - Arts and Duke in Seoul programs. “It was an intense, immersive experience filled with theater, art and art history, and it felt like a creative oasis. Torry Bend, who led the program, gave me a strong scholarly foundation for thinking about art and performance. That framework shaped many of the creative choices I made afterward.”

"Many of Duke’s most meaningful learning experiences happen outside the classroom. Opportunities like research, independent studies and academic travel allow students to see how their work connects to real-world challenges."

- Bradley Bowen, Statistical Science and Earth & Climate Science double major

Explore how Trinity students are learning beyond the classroom.

Navigating through the variety of degree options and courses Trinity offers can seem to be a daunting task. The Trinity Ambassadors is a peer-to-peer program through which juniors and seniors across Trinity's departments are accessible as a resource for all undergraduates.

As many of the current cohort of Trinity Ambassadors prepare to graduate, we asked them for one last reflection on their time at Duke and their advice to future students.

"Be willing to explore. You might arrive certain about your path, but college is a time to try new things and learn what truly interests you."

-Jiae Kim, Public Policy major

Read all the ambassador reflections