Students hold class of 2020 banners in front of Rockefeller Chapel

Convocation

Meet the Class of 2020

During Convocation Weekend, 1,600 College students from the Class of 2020 joined together from locations around the world to be recognized in the University of Chicago’s 533rd Convocation. Learn more below about their personal stories, extraordinary accomplishments, and notable contributions to UChicago’s community of scholars. They have made their University tremendously proud. 

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#UChicago2020 Stories

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Keir Adams

“At UChicago, my fascination with quantum mechanics and computational chemistry merged with my interests in astronomy, and suddenly I found myself simulating interstellar molecules."
Majors: Molecular Engineering and Chemistry

Ozan Beran Akturan

“I think that my generation should be the pioneers of global stability.”
Major: Biological Sciences

Gabe Barrón

“UChicago has imparted on me the hunger to understand something before I praise it, push back on it or advocate for it.”
Major: Biological Sciences

Greer Baxter

Class Day Speaker
“UChicago ended up being everything I had imagined and hoped for.”
Major: Creative Writing | Minor: Theater and Performance Studies

Jade Benson

"I find myself constantly thinking over discussions I’ve had in my HIPS courses and will hopefully continue to do so after I graduate.”
Major: History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine

Miranda Burt

"UChicago has given me lifelong friends from around the world as well as all walks of life.”
Major: Public Policy

Michelle Chong

“UChicago taught me that it was valid and valuable to have diverse intellectual interests.”
Majors: History and Physics

Maya de Jonge

"Aside from introducing me to a whole new set of intellectual ideas and ways of thinking, UChicago has brought some incredible people into my life."
Major: History | Minor: Biological Sciences

Annie Geng

Class Day Speaker
“UChicago gave me the language to articulate who I am and what I care about.”
Major: Philosophy

Jay Gibbs

“To be Black in America is to persist against adversity. That itself is beautiful.”
Majors: East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Public Policy, Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, and Political Science

Lexie Holden

“UChicago has given me the confidence and tools to take on the many issues I am passionate about.”
Majors: Political Science and Germanic Studies | Minor: Human Rights

Maxime Kpangbai

"Take advantage of the different opportunities on campus. Classes are important, but so is being engaged in the community.”
Major: Economics | Minor: Visual Arts

Linnea Lungstrom

“I recognized how important and supportive my RAs were toward me. So, I knew that I wanted to be that for someone else.”
Major: Biological Sciences

Yifan Mao

“Sickle cell disease research has been a very meaningful experience for me because I've learned tremendously as a scientist.”
Majors: Biological Sciences and Neuroscience

Jess Mora

“UChicago gave me confidence to use my voice, my knowledge and my experience in ways I didn't know how to before.”
Major: Public Policy | Minor: Romance Languages and Literatures

Teniola Odugbesan

“UChicago helped me realize that being a thinker and a scholar can be a lifelong pursuit.”
Major: Political Science | Minor: East Asian Languages and Civilizations

Nikhil Pandit

“This experience helped me to move beyond relying strictly on textbooks for information and toward engaging directly with current research."
Major: Mathematics

Vivek Ramakrishnan

“UChicago gave me the tools to condemn injustices that I encounter by backing up my claims with data, literature and critical thought.”
Major: Public Policy

Nivedina Sarma

“I used to feel so uncertain about doing certain procedures, and now I can come in and do them on the weekend by myself.”
Major: Chemistry

Emily Stevens

Class Day Speaker
“I wanted to be able to give something back to my classmates who have meant so much to me and made me who I am.”
Major: English Language and Literature | Minor: Theater and Performance Studies

Maritha Wang

"The advent of 2-D materials in the last two decades has given modern society the opportunity to explore the ultimate realm of ‘small.’"
Majors: Physics and Chemistry

Zola Yi

“I think what I’ll miss most about UChicago is the family of friends that I’ve found here."
Major: Neuroscience | Minor: Visual Arts

Ihna Yoo

“I'm never going to forget the people and all of my new connections and friends. I wouldn't be the same without them.”
Major: Biological Sciences