Trinity College of Arts & Sciences is home to 80 percent of Duke's undergraduate student body, and we will soon welcome another graduating class into our esteemed and ever-growing alumni community. Among the graduates are dancers, medical researchers, student organization presidents, and this year's student commencement speaker — Economics major and Art History minor Zahra Hassan.
Duke's primary Commencement ceremony was held Sunday, May 12, and many Trinity departments and programs held their own ceremonies throughout the weekend. To find more information about the various events taking place for graduating seniors and their families, visit Duke's Commencement website.
Read more about a few of these exceptional seniors below!
Interdisciplinary education is baked into the academic experience of Trinity College students. With over 35 departments and programs spanning the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences, Trinity students often forge their own paths — merging majors, minors and certificates to create unique academic experiences. Students often carry with them a focus on community, their participation in local organizations, student groups and co-curricular activities can be just as enriching to their academic experience as their coursework.
Major in International Comparative Studies, minor in Political Science and a certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Suzie Choi is a senior from Seoul, Korea, who in addition to ICS and Political Science has served as the Vice President of the Social Impact Committee at Business Oriented Women (BOW), as Co-Vice President of Duke’s UNICEF-Durham Affairs Committee, as an I&E Student Fellow, and as a flutist at the Duke Flute Studio.
"One thing I learned in these four years is that you shouldn’t give up on something you want to do because of some immediate midterms, or feel bad about not putting in your best effort because you don’t have enough time. Pursue everything. But try your best with your best capability now," Choi said.
Major in International Comparative Studies and minor in Religious Studies
A leader of the queer Muslim student group Jummah 4 All, Maya Ghanem’s research is grounded in queer Muslim studies and sexual ethics among Muslim authorities. During their time at Duke, Ghanem also worked as a programming coordinator at Duke Arts and served as the Justice Director of the Undergraduate Environmental Union, a hub for environmental programming, action and collaboration at Duke.
"I felt very supported in my ICS Senior Seminar class while I wrote my honors thesis on Queer Muslim Environmental Futurisms. Throughout the year, my brain was struggling to map all the ideas I had in my head. Being in a class with such wonderful peers and advisors helped me organize my thoughts and produce something reflective of my research and experiences," said Ghanem.
The most valuable lesson I learned at Duke was to pursue knowledge for its own sake, not just for grades. My most fulfilling classes were those I chose out of genuine interest.
Isabel Siebrecht, Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies Ambassador
I'm incredibly appreciate of the communities I've managed to find here. I have so many great memories with so many people and looking back is going to be bittersweet.
Ben Davies, Theater Studies and Romance Studies Ambassador
Major in Religious Studies and minors in Biology and Chemistry
Christina Lewis used her honors project on alternative healing practices to tie together her academic interests and to explore ways in which she, a future clinician, might best serve her patients.
“I think that it’s important to acknowledge that health extends beyond the biochemistry of the body,” said Lewis. “A person’s relationship to their health is influenced by a variety of factors — their environment, their culture, their family and their beliefs."
Majors in Economics and Mathematics and minor in Cinematic Arts
For Parinay Gupta, it was his Writing 101 course on Gender and Sexuality in Latin American Films that inspired him to minor in Cinematic Arts.
“Delving into the analysis of gender representation in Latin American cinema, I became increasingly intrigued by the creative processes that transpired behind the camera and shaped the narratives presented on screen," he said.
Majors in German and Cinematic Arts and minor in Chemistry
Having studied German in high school, this cinephile came to Duke thinking she would fulfill her language credits and move on — but she simply fell in love with the German Studies department.
“There’s a linkage between the humanities and STEM that I wanted to explore in college, and I started to think that maybe Duke was the perfect place where I could have this really thorough liberal arts education while following all of my different passions.”
From departmental awards to national recognitions, Trinity College students are frequently acknowledged for their hard work and the success that follows. Meet a few of these award-winning students who have been recognized for both their academic and community achievements.
Major in Theater Studies and minors in Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies and Computer Science
Isa Mellody spent her senior year developing rules for the world she built for her distinction project, "Do I Know You?" — an original play written under the direction of faculty member Neal Bell.
In addition to her distinction project, she is a recipient of the department’s 2024 John M. Clum Distinguished Theater Studies Graduate Award and the Reynolds Price Award.
Major in Sociology with a certificate in Documentary Studies
Duke senior Staci Grimes is the winner of the 2024 Julia Harper Day Award for Documentary Studies.
Grimes, who is from the Bronx in New York City, describes themselves as a queer, Black, first-generation college student whose documentary work fuses humanities research and digital media creation. Their aim is to explore the reflexive relationship between social theory and practice.
The most important thing I learned at Duke is to pour into yourself before you can pour into others. If you spend the time to care for yourself, you can better care for others.
Isaiah Hamilton, Biology Ambassador
One of my favorite professors was Dr. Sarah Gaither. She has an authenticity in her personality that made me incentivized to always be myself in her classroom.
Mackenzie Warren, Psychology Ambassador
Majors in Public Policy and Political Science
Kristin Zhu was selected for the competitive James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Major in Migrant Health and Healthcare through Program II
For his leadership and selfless service to others, Elaijah Lapay recently joined two others at Duke in receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, given annually by the Office of the Provost.
Major in Psychology and minors in Creative Writing and Spanish
Tess Redman received a Benenson Award to develop her play that delves into the journey of a person with Type 1 diabetes in an experimental therapy program.
Research isn’t only for faculty or graduate students. Undergraduates can begin participating in research in a multitude of ways from as early as their first year at Duke. Whether part of their class assignments or setting out on their own projects, research experiences are among what makes this senior class impressive.
More than half of the students graduate with either capstone independent study or honors projects of distinction. These provide students with opportunities to develop their research skills, take deep dives into intellectual questions and work closely with faculty outside of the classroom. Read more about some of these honors students and the projects that caught their curiosity.
Major in Cultural Anthropology
Sabrina Sebastian-San Miguel has been involved in disability and disability studies advocacy efforts on campus since her second year at Duke but found few formal curricular opportunities to do so.
Joining the Cultural Anthropology course "Bodies at Work" last fall gave her a chance to incorporate her interest in researching disability into her coursework.
Major in Disability and Despair through Program II
Ben Sperber would like people to stop talking about cures. His thesis on the flawed tropes of healing and the human context of suicidality, argues that illness, disability and despair aren’t always things to be simply overcome and cured.
“There is this idea that diseases should be eradicated,” he said. Using eating disorders as a specific example, he continued: “It’s not just something you ‘go through.’”
Duke gave me the freedom to explore my passions and put time into the things that matter to me, including teaching and advocating for equity in education.
Emily Sandberg, Evolutionary Anthroplogy Ambassador
I will miss the friends I've found here and the incredible learning environment where the professors and students' passion and dedication allows us all to support and push each other forward.
Shanzeh Sheikh, History Ambassador
Major in Neuroscience and minors in Computer Science and Visual Media Studies
Athena Yao has been interested in neuroscience from the moment she picked up a book in her high school library addressing the science of stress and motivation.
After witnessing the impacts Alzheimer’s had on her grandfather and family, she came to Duke with a determined interest in memory and neurodegenerative diseases.
“I was trying to figure out the source of my own stress and how I could develop a better sense of control over my life,” she shares. “It was fascinating to learn about the biological basis of emotion and behavior.”
Major in Sociology and minor in Global Health
In high school, Amber Smith planned to become a physician. She had no intention of studying Sociology before coming to Duke, but after one class, she became passionate about medical sociology.
“I learned about all the structures in place that lead to differential health outcomes, and how there’s a lot more to healthcare and health outcomes than just presenting oneself at a clinic.”
Smith’s fascination with the social determinants of health led to her senior thesis "Zip Code Matters: A Social Network Analysis of U.S. State-Based Abortion Care Access Over Time."
