'Never Forget the Humanity of this Place': Davidson College Celebrates Class of 2026

On Sunday, the college bade them farewell at a commencement ceremony that both celebrated and challenged them to bring their humanity to the rapidly changing wider world.

“Machines and technology can massively assist in making us more human, and yet they also have the power to de-humanize individuals and our very society as a whole,” college President Doug Hicks ’90 said. “In this burgeoning world of AI, you not only face the question of, ‘what is real?’ — you must deeply consider the question, ‘what makes us genuinely, authentically human? 

“To answer that, you take with you Davidson’s fundamental commitment to the dignity and worth of every human person.”

It was the college’s 189th commencement, held outside on a warm, sunny day. Proud families and friends from nearby towns to faraway continents flocked to campus with cameras and cellphones ready to capture memories. Those who couldn’t make the trip watched via livestream.

The 504 graduates represent 29 countries, 45 American states and Washington, D.C.

Their influence on the college will live far beyond their time on campus.

They have worked locally and globally to combat poverty, homelessness, educational inequities and societal polarization. They’ve researched diseases, tutored struggling young readers and sought sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change.

They’ve excelled athletically, from lacrosse fields to basketball courts to swimming pools; academically from classrooms to national research conferences; and artistically from theater stages to musical ensembles to art galleries. 

Now they’ll pursue career paths as physicians, economists, scientists, educators, engineers, artists, technology experts, policy makers, non-profit leaders and military officers. The class also includes a new WNBA player; the college’s first person drafted for the women’s professional basketball league. 

Member of the Class

The class’s most popular majors were biology (104), political science (75), economics (66) and psychology ( 61). 

Their ranks include eight John M. Belk Scholars, bringing the Belk alumni total to 181. The Belk Scholarship recognizes students for leadership, creativity, compassion, integrity, intellectual curiosity and outstanding academic achievement. The award, which covers tuition, fees, room, board and stipends for special study abroad, is one of the country’s most competitive and generous undergraduate scholarships.

The new graduates entered Davidson in 2022 as Hicks began his tenure as president. 

“I’m starting my work here, too,” Hicks told them at their welcome assembly. “You’re my class — I’m part of the Class of 2026. I’m going to learn with you and from you.”

On Sunday, Hicks reminded them of the changes the campus — and the world —have gone through during those four years, including the dedication of With These Hands: A Memorial to the Enslaved and Exploited, and the founding of the D.G. and Harriet Wall Martin Institute for Public Good.

“We live in a moment of tremendous turmoil in politics, global affairs and the economy. Human conflicts and natural disasters have not spared people very close to this Davidson College community,” Hicks said. “We have navigated public distrust in and political pressure on higher education by adhering to our values and our educational purpose. 

“You as students have led our efforts to recommit to honor and integrity on campus, to serve our local communities and to press for a more just world.”

Hicks challenged the notion that college is not “the real world.”

“Real, too, is the preparation you have made for lives of leadership and service in your reading and writing and group projects, in your singing, creating and performing, in your winning and losing, in your helping friends and strangers in their moment of need, you have built up knowledge and capacities that will serve you for a lifetime.”

He left them with a final charge:

“Never forget the humanity of this place and these genuine relationships — use the humanity you practiced here to build a world that is as authentic as the years you spent on this campus,” he said. “That way, you don’t just accept the real world, you become agents in creating it.”

Teaching & Service Awards

The college also handed out awards to professors and community members. They include:

Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award

Students nominate professors for the annual award. The professors will each receive $7,500, and each gets to direct an additional $7,500 to fund a campus project of their choice. This year’s recipients are: 

Suzanne Churchill, Professor of English:

Nominators remember beginning her seminars feeling they “didn’t quite belong there — like we weren’t smart enough,” and leaving with the conviction that their ideas matter. One alum says Churchill is “a mirror of one’s best self,” in whose presence “the perception of one’s own potential expands.” 

Another recalled being invited into Churchill’s research-in-progress: “I wasn’t just raising my hand to answer questions in the classroom. She made me feel like I could truly contribute and participate in scholarship.” Another described her as “simultaneously our toughest, most nuanced critic and our most enthusiastic cheerleader.” 

Nominators talked about “receiving advice over lunches by the windows of Vail Commons — and years later, still receiving it over lunches across the country.” 

The award cites her “decades of patient, devoted instruction; for treating undergraduates as scholars and inviting them into modernist literature and the digital humanities as participants, not spectators; and for a generosity that has reached across coasts and careers.”

Peter Krentz: W.R. Grey Professor of Classics, Professor of History

A nominator described “simply the best teacher I ever had … his love of his field shines through in his unique and engaging teaching style.” Multiple nominators joined his introductory classes to complete a requirement but were unexpectedly hooked and declared a major in the subject. One spoke of Krentz’s enthusiasm in showing students different ways to interact with the field that resonated with their individual interests. Another appreciated that the teaching style focused on self-discovery, saying “many topics I researched have grown into passions instead of a one-time assignment.”

Former students recall exceptional, patient mentoring, connecting on both intellectual and personal levels; Krentz “goes above and beyond to ensure that each student feels valued and supported, dedicating extra time to provide individualized guidance.” A mentee said, “conversations in office hours helped me realize that my goals were attainable … his belief in me helped instill confidence in myself.” 

In leading study abroad trips, Krentz’s demeanor was “one of almost preternatural unflappability … keeping calm and collected, teaching and leading students through overwhelming cities and out-of-the-way villages without the ease of now-ubiquitous Wi-Fi and smart-phone maps.’’ 

And from another nominator: “He wants students to be critical thinkers and “showed us that events over 2,000 years ago in a dead language have active, modern lives.”

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards

The awards go to one graduating student and one member of the larger Davidson Community who exemplify “the fine spiritual qualities practically applied to daily living … persons who have given unselfish service without due recognition.” 

Student Award: Nina Worley 

Worley, the class of 2026 president, consistently places service to others before self-interest and her work reflects both intellectual excellence and a deep moral commitment to the public good, the citation says. Her professors describe an “extraordinary individual who seeks to use her education to strengthen communities and improve institutions.”

At Davidson, she has been a driving force for literacy, playing a key role in establishing and supporting tutoring programs at Davidson Elementary School and the Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center. The citation says: “She understands that literacy and opportunity are linked. She approaches this work with patience and humility and a willingness to show up week after week. Informed by her faith tradition, she approaches every opportunity as a chance to improve the lives of others.”

The citation notes her research work for the College Crisis Initiative (C2i), where she contributed to national conversations on higher education governance: “Whether collaborating with policymakers in Washington or mentoring children in Davidson, she is a leader who creates community by listening first and ensuring that collective work reflects shared purpose rather than individual ambition.”

One mentor described her as “curious, courageous, relentlessly committed to justice, brilliant and deeply kind.” 

Community Award: Richard Neidinger, Professor Emeritus

The citation says Neidinger has dedicated his life to delivering hope and opportunity across borders. His devotion to others has only deepened since his 2020 retirement. “Rather than choosing a path of well-earned rest, he has used his retirement years to serve, quietly and without fanfare, the community, broadly defined.”

He’s a longtime volunteer at the Nourish Up food pantry at First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, serving as a constant presence for those facing food insecurity. In 2003, he founded the non-profit Friends of Acción to support the work of the Acción of Mexico association in the Yucatán Peninsula. As the long-time president and current treasurer, he travels to Mexico multiple times a year to supervise work that offers life-changing education to young men and women from culturally rich but economically disadvantaged Mayan communities.

His organization provides free room and board at three local homes to youth from small rural villages, making it possible for them to attend middle and high school. For those pursuing advanced degrees, he ensures they can attend university in the Yucatan capital city. Friends of Accion also hosts teams that partner with local people to build and re-build homes and churches and provides critical emergency relief when the region is battered by natural disasters.

The award recognizes “his decades-long commitment to the well-being of others, his global vision of community, and for exemplifying the servant-leadership that defines the spirit of this award.”

Honorary Degree: Carole Weinstein

The degree honors “a teacher, visionary leader, and steadfast champion for the transformative power of education.”

Weinstein, a former English professor and co-founder and vice chair of Weinstein Properties, “demonstrates a life of leadership and service informed by humane instincts and a disciplined and creative mind.” 

The citation describes her long history with the college:

“Davidson College is deeply fortunate for the friendship, born on a tennis court, between Carole’s husband Marcus and late President Emeritus Samuel Spencer. This friendship grew to include Carole and Ava Spencer, and an abiding affection for Davidson College, which blossomed into a legacy of exceptional leadership and generosity.”

Their family’s investments in Davidson include the Spencer-Weinstein Center for Community and Justice, the Spencer-Weinstein Prize for Community and Justice, and the Weinstein International Programs. 

As Davidson’s first Jewish trustee, the citation says, “Carole served with courage, grace and clarity, consistently reminding us that the college’s Statement of Purpose calls us to extend the loyalty of the college to the whole of humanity. Her leadership was marked by her commitment to ensuring that every student has a sense of belonging and the resources to thrive.

“Carole has lived out the central principles of her faith: Tzedakah — making the world a more just place — and Tikkun Olam — repairing the world.”

The college awarded the honorary degree:

“Because you have used your voice to build bridges and ensure that every person has a seat at the table; because you and your husband, Marcus, have recognized that a liberal arts education is a moral imperative for the next generation of leaders; and because you have invested abundantly in the potential of young people, providing resources necessary to nurture a more empathetic and connected world.”