\u201cPassion is a force that can transform obstacles into opportunities and setbacks into fuel for growth,\u201d\u00a0N. Louis \u201cLou\u201d Shipley \u201985\u2014a Trinity trustee, multi-time tech CEO, and senior lecturer in entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School\u2014told the Trinity College Class of 2026 during his Commencement address on Sunday, May 17.<\/p>\n
Addressing a crowd of thousands assembled on the Main Quad for Trinity\u2019s 200th Commencement, Shipley urged students to combine their liberal arts degrees with an entrepreneurial mindset. \u201cThe resilience and intellectual agility cultivated in a liberal arts education lays the foundation for entrepreneurialism,\u201d he said. \u201cYour degree will help you navigate changes, learn new roles, and reinvent yourself throughout your career.\u201d<\/p>\nHonorary degree recipients Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Trinity College president, emerita; N. Louis \u201cLou\u201d Shipley \u201985, and Carolyn A. Pelzel \u201974 with President Daniel G. Lugo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The 549 members of the Class of 2026 represent 30 states and 46 countries. Among the undergraduates, 317 received bachelor of arts degrees, and 221 were awarded bachelor of science degrees. Eleven graduate students received master\u2019s degrees.<\/p>\n
Trinity bestowed an honorary doctor of humane letters degree on Shipley in recognition of his distinguished career, exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, and unyielding dedication to the College.<\/p>\n
Trinity also awarded an honorary doctor of science degree to\u00a0Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Trinity<\/p>\n
College president, emerita, who served from 2014\u201325 as Trinity\u2019s 22nd president and is an accomplished neuroscientist and author of more than 60 scientific publications. Carolyn A. Pelzel \u201974 received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of her career in higher education advancement and her contributions to Trinity in a variety of roles, including shepherding the\u00a0All In campaign.<\/p>\n
Members of the Class of 2026 also heard from Trevor Francis McDonald \u201926, who spoke about gratitude in the face of obstacles. \u201cYou learn far more about yourself in moments of struggle than in moments of comfort,\u201d he said. \u201cTrue growth often happens when things are hard.\u201d<\/p>\nSalutatorian Marie Naka \u201926 and valedictorian Ki Tae Hwang \u201926<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
President Daniel G. Lugo said the class helped him understand the meaning of the College as a living community. \u201cIn my first year as president, I have come to understand that Trinity\u2019s tradition matters most when it becomes fuel for our future,\u201d he said. \u201cThe point of honoring 200 Commencements is not to look backward with satisfaction. It is to ask what the next 200 will require of us.\u201d He left the students with a charge: \u201cCarry the tradition. Build what is missing. And bring others with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ki Tae Hwang, of South Korea, who earned a B.S., summa cum laude, with honors in mathematics and computer science, was named valedictorian; Marie Naka, of Maryland, who earned a B.A., summa cum laude, with honors in educational studies, was named salutatorian.<\/p>\n
Following the awarding of degrees,\u00a0Trinity College Alumni Association\u00a0President Scott A. Lessne \u201980 welcomed the graduates into the company of Trinity alumni, numbering more than 30,000 around the world. The celebrations began as the new Trinity graduates tossed their mortar boards in the air.<\/p>\n
Accolades<\/h2>\n
Trustee Award for Faculty Excellence<\/h3>\n
Charles A. Dana Professor of Music Gail H. Woldu<\/p>\n
Staff Excellence<\/h3>\n
Interim Director of Career and Life Design and Associate Director of Strategy and Student Development Maria Dyane; Associate Director of Strategic Projects and ERP Project Manager Kimberly F. Eckart<\/p>\n
Student Excellence<\/h3>\n
Zaynab Hameed Khan \u201926, Alexandra Torres Pons \u201926<\/p>\n
The Thomas Church Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence<\/h3>\n
Associate Professor of Political Science Reo Matsuzaki; Professor of History Jennifer Regan-Lefebvre<\/p>\n
The Dean Arthur H. Hughes Award for Achievement in Teaching<\/h3>\n
Assistant Professor of Philosophy Carmen De Schryver; Assistant Professor of Political Science Nhat-Dang Do<\/p>\n
Header Image: Soon-to-be graduates, including Mackenzie Vallas \u201926, center, take part in the Commencement ceremony.<\/p>\n
Photos: Nick Caito and Fiona Cunningham \u201928<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cPassion is a force that can transform obstacles into opportunities and setbacks into fuel for growth,\u201d\u00a0N. Louis \u201cLou\u201d Shipley \u201985\u2014a Trinity trustee, multi-time tech CEO, and senior lecturer in entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School\u2014told the Trinity College Class of 2026 during his Commencement address on Sunday, May 17. Addressing a crowd of thousands assembled on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":0,"parent":8695,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8717","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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