30 Student Leaders Honored at 10th Anniversary of Forever Duke Student Leadership Awards
By Megan Hujber
A future physician helping redesign postpartum care through community partnerships. A student-athlete whose leadership shaped both her team and the wider Duke community. And one student whose mentor flew in from New York City just to watch him receive the honor.
These were just a few of the 30 students recognized during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Forever Duke Student Leadership Award, held April 23 at Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center by Alumni Engagement and Development.
This year’s awards also marked a milestone in participation. Organizers received 49 nominations, reflecting the growing depth of student leadership across Duke.
“The thoughtfulness behind each nomination made selecting this year’s honorees especially meaningful,” said Sara Stevens A.M.’19, program director of Alumni & Student Connections. “These students represent some of the very best of Duke.”
The Forever Duke Student Leadership Award recognizes graduating students who have made a significant impact on Duke through leadership, service, innovation and community-building. This year’s recipients represented a wide range of schools, programs and academic units, underscoring that leadership at Duke takes many forms.
The evening opened with a special “Made for This” conversation moderated by Melissa Bostrom, senior assistant dean for graduate student professional development at the Graduate School. It featured past award recipients Temis Coral Castellanos M.E.M.’19, Edgar Virgüez A.M.’22, Ph.D.’22 and Brittany Gabriel M.P.P’24. The panel reflected on how leadership evolves after graduation and how their experiences at Duke continue to shape their careers and communities.
Some awardees included the following students:
Dhruv Rungta ’26 was recognized for creating Duke Wizard, an AI-powered advising tool that helps students navigate academic policies and registration. What began as a student initiative is now being integrated through Duke’s Office of Information Technology, expanding access to information for undergraduates across the university. He also helped grow student-faculty engagement through Duke Conversations and new community programs at the Nicholas School of the Environment.
Nicola Young M.D.’26 was honored for co-developing Postpartum Partners: Interprofessional Service-Learning, a first-of-its-kind Duke course bringing together students in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy and physician assistant studies. Through partnerships with local organizations, the program supports Durham families during the postpartum period while preparing future health care professionals to better understand barriers to care.
Millie Muir ’26, M.M.S.’26 was recognized for leadership that spanned athletics, academics and service. A volleyball team captain, she helped shape team culture while advocating for student-athlete well-being through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her nomination praised her commitment to mentoring younger teammates, strengthening communication with university leaders and leaving “every space better than she found it.”
The range of this year’s class was one of the evening’s defining themes. Students from public policy programs stood alongside engineers, physicians, doctoral researchers, student-athletes and undergraduates. Some had launched new initiatives. Others had loyally sustained communities, mentored peers or improved existing systems.
Ten years after the award was established, the ceremony highlighted not only individual achievement, but a broader culture of service and leadership across Duke.
As graduates prepare to leave campus, the Forever Duke Student Leadership Award serves as a reminder that the most meaningful contributions often continue long after commencement.
Full list of awardees:
- Paige Allen M.P.P.’26
- Ellie Armstrong ’26
- Hannah Auddino ’26
- Sydelle Bernstein ’26
- Abigail Bergan ’26
- Anna Brown ’26
- Sara Canale B.S.E.’26
- Christian Chung M.P.P.’26
- Brian Cole Ph.D.’25
- Lizzy Glazer ’26
- Jaqueline Villanueva Govea ’26
- Emily Green Ph.D.’26
- Lola James M.P.P.’26, M.B.A.’26
- Nishchhal Kharal M.P.P.’26
- Aniketh Shenoy Kota M.Eng.M.’16
- Francesca Magario Ph.D.’26
- Millie Muir ’26, M.M.S.’26
- Mercedes Muñoz Ph.D.’26
- Tyler Ratcliffe ’26
- Calvin Rausch M.P.P.’26
- Ian Redmond J.D.’26
- Dhruv Rungta ’26
- Jaden Sacks ’26
- Lena Shadow M.P.P.’26
- Tara Singh ’26
- Alex Sizemore M.D.’26
- Joy Xiao D.P.T.’26
- Chaoran Yang ’26
- Athena Yeung ’26
- Nicola Young M.D.’26
