Trinity senior Juliet Peñaranda Pérez and doctoral candidate Lucas Bellaiche delivered welcoming remarks at the 2026 Commencement ceremony Sunday, encouraging graduates to embrace their differences and reflect on the bonds they forged at Duke.
“Class of 2026, this degree is more than a credential,” Peñaranda Perez said. “It is a chance to shape what comes next.”
Peñaranda Pérez, the undergraduate speaker, earned a Bachelor of Science in biology with minors in chemistry and global health. She also served as a research assistant in the Hartman Lab and was a Mayo Clinic UPS Scholar…