Twelve seniors receive Yale College’s top student prizes

Twelve members of the Class of 2026 who distinguished themselves for scholarship, creativity, athletic performance, and commitment to community received Yale College’s top senior prizes, one of the most cherished traditions of Class Day. The prizes were awarded by Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis and other Yale leaders. 

The recipients of the top six academic prizes will have the privilege of carrying an official flag or banner during the Yale Commencement procession on May 18. The winner of the Warren Memorial Prize carries the American flag. The winner of the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize carries the Connecticut flag. The winner of the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize carries the Yale College banner. The two winners of the Sudler Prize carry the president’s banners. The recipient of the Josiah Willard Gibbs Prize will carry the Yale Engineering banner. Finally, the winner of the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize carries the Yale University banner.

The names of the prizewinners, and their citations, are listed below, in the order of their presentation.

The Alpheus Henry Snow Prize

Awarded to that senior who through the combination of intellectual achievement, character, and personality, shall be adjudged by the faculty to have done the most for Yale by inspiring in his or her classmates an admiration and love for the best traditions of high scholarship.

August Rios, Timothy Dwight College

“August Rios, of Timothy Dwight College, graduates magna cum laude, with distinction, in Intensive Sociology. A Rhodes Scholar, he will pursue graduate study in Comparative Social Theory at Oxford next year. August’s work exemplifies a rare integration of intellectual rigor and moral commitment. His senior thesis, ‘If Walls Could Talk: Chronic Disrepair, Habitability Policy, and the Low-Income Renter Experience in New Haven,’ brings together theoretical insight, statistical analysis, and deeply engaged fieldwork. Working with Yale’s Housing and Health Equity Lab and as a mayoral appointee to the city’s Affordable Housing Commission, he conducted a meticulous study of housing code violations and enforcement. Yet his work did not remain at the level of data alone: August went door to door, documenting living conditions and listening with care to the experiences of New Haven residents, producing an ethnography marked by patience, respect, and clarity of purpose. This integration of scholarship and action has defined August’s time at Yale. As a first-year student, he founded Connecticut’s only volunteer small claims assistance organization to support tenants seeking redress in court. As a sophomore, he became a licensed real estate agent in order to represent low-income first-time homebuyers at no cost. For August, the questions of policy and justice are not abstractions but lived commitments — what one professor rightly described as a calling. For his exceptional scholarship, his integrity of purpose, and his profound commitment to the communities he serves, Yale College takes great pleasure in bestowing the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize upon August Rios.”

The Warren Memorial High Scholarship Prize

Awarded to the senior majoring in the humanities who ranks highest in scholarship.

Noah Tirschwell, Saybrook College

“Noah Tirschwell graduates summa cum laude with distinction in both his majors: Philosophy and History. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year, he has completed 40 credits at Yale, earning no grade other than A. Noah has also demonstrated exceptional linguistic and scholarly range, pursuing advanced study in French and Hebrew and undertaking coursework in graduate and professional schools. Noah’s academic excellence has been recognized with the History Department’s David M. Potter Prize and the American Jewish Congress Prize for his senior thesis, ‘Could It Happen Here? Rethinking American Jewish Exceptionalism After the Holocaust, 1945 to 1954.’ This fall, he will continue his studies at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Outside the classroom, Noah has been equally committed to fostering dialogue, building community, and serving others across campus. In recognition of these contributions, he was awarded the John C. Schroeder Award. In recognition of his extraordinary scholarly achievements, Yale College is proud to award the Warren Memorial High Scholarship Prize this year to Noah Tirschwell.”

The James Andrew Haas Prize

Awarded to that member of the senior whose breadth of intellectual achievement, strength of character, and fundamental humanity shall be adjudged by the faculty to have provided leadership for their fellow students, inspiring in them a love of learning and concern for others.

Emily Hettinger, Pierson College

“Emily Hettinger of Pierson College graduates cum laude, with distinction, with a degree in Psychology and a certificate in Education Studies. Her honors include induction into the Psi Chi Honor Society and receipt of the John C. Schroeder Award and the David Everett Chantler Award, recognizing her altruism, public service, courage, and deep moral purpose. Emily has spent her Yale career building communities grounded in learning, public service, and care for others. Through the Yale Prison Education Initiative, she connected more than one hundred fifty incarcerated students with Yale Library resources, managed a volunteer team of more than one hundred student researchers, and tutored students in Connecticut prisons. In Yale’s Emotion, Health, and Psychophysiology Lab, she coordinated research teams studying positive emotion and implicit racial bias. Emily has emerged as one of the university’s most thoughtful and effective student leaders. She has served as a First-Year Counselor in Pierson College and as a two-term Yale College Council senator, culminating as Speaker of the Senate, where she guided policy initiatives advancing financial aid, mental health, and access. She also co-chaired the Reimagining Elite Higher Education Conference at Yale Law School, convening students, faculty, and national partners to examine higher education’s public mission. In all of her work, Emily has strengthened communities, expanded opportunity, and modeled leadership grounded in purpose. For her intellectual achievement, strength of character, and capacity to inspire others in a life of learning and care, Yale College is proud to bestow the James Andrew Haas Prize upon Emily Hettinger.”

The Josiah Willard Gibbs Prize

Awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in engineering and the applied sciences.

Shaun Pexton, Silliman College

‘Shaun Pexton of Silliman College graduates cum laude, with distinction in both his majors: Applied Physics and Computer Science. He is the winner of the Yale Science and Engineering Association Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement. His coursework reaches deep into graduate territory not to accumulate credits but to fuel research that has already reshaped corners of the field. That research has produced results that would distinguish a doctoral student. At Quantum Motion Technologies in Oxford, Pexton co-authored ‘Snakes on a Plane: Mobile, Low-Dimensional Logical Qubits on a 2D Surface,’ now under review and accompanied by a pending patent. With his Yale advisors Aleksander Kubica and Yongshan Ding, he produced a second manuscript on error mitigation within fault-tolerant quantum circuits, submitted to MICRO-59. At ASML Research, the only non-PhD member of the R&D team, he built machine-learning schemes for ultrafast optical metrology. He won MIT’s iQuHack and twice won the Johns Hopkins × OpenAI AI Hackathon. Pexton is not only a scholar but a community builder. As board member at Code Haven, he manages volunteers teaching computer science to over two hundred students across New Haven public schools, and teaches a classroom himself each week. He sits on both the Yale Physics and Engineering advisory committees, co-presides over Yale Undergraduate Quantum Computing, plays the saxophone in the Yale Jazz Collective, and this year served as a First-Year Counselor. He has also swum the English Channel, raising over $10,000 for charity. For his scholarship, his research, and his service to Yale and New Haven, Yale College is proud to award the Josiah Willard Gibbs Prize to Shaun Pexton.”

The Nakanishi Prize

Awarded to two graduating seniors who, while maintaining high academic achievement, have provided exemplary leadership in enhancing race or ethnic relations at Yale College.

Michaell Santos Paulino, Saybrook College

“Michaell Santos Paulino of Saybrook College graduates with distinction in his major, Ethnicity, Race, and Migration. He has built enduring communities at Yale defined by belonging, mentorship, and cultural celebration. Through his leadership, he has consistently identified gaps in support and created meaningful structures to fill them. A founding board member of Claro Que Sí, Yale’s Latine student magazine, Michaell helped create a platform for student voices. As a founding member of the Yale Undergraduate Black Pre-Law Association, he developed pathways for aspiring Black lawyers, connecting students to mentorship and opportunity. At La Casa Cultural, his leadership strengthened programming and community traditions, including the annual Latine Retreat. Michaell’s impact extends across campus and beyond. As President of Sabrosura, he led the organization’s 15th anniversary and fostered connections across generations of dancers. As President of the Yale Interpretation Network, he expanded language access for Spanish-speaking communities in New Haven. His global engagement includes leadership in the Yspaniola program and coordination of the National Dominican Student Conference. For his visionary leadership and lasting contributions to community at Yale and beyond, Yale College is honored to award the Nakanishi Prize to Michaell Santos Paulino.”

Joshua Ching, Ezra Stiles College

“Joshua Ching of Ezra Stiles College graduates cum laude with distinction in both his majors: Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Political Science. He has been a steadfast advocate for Pasifika and Indigenous communities at Yale, advancing cultural representation, education, and dialogue across campus. From his first year, Joshua demonstrated a commitment to justice and historical responsibility, helping facilitate the repatriation of Native Hawaiian ancestral remains. As a co‑founder of Indigenous Peoples of Oceania, he created a vibrant platform for cross‑cultural engagement, organizing teach‑ins with partners across the university and leading Pasifika Fest, the East Coast’s first intercollegiate celebration of Pacific Islander cultures. Joshua’s leadership has extended across Yale’s Indigenous communities. As Head of House Staff at the Native American Cultural Center, he supported programming, organized professional development opportunities, and strengthened community traditions. His advocacy also led to the removal of a campus plaque tied to contested histories, fostering dialogue and institutional reflection. Beyond Yale, Joshua has supported Native youth through the Center for Native American Youth and contributed to legal access initiatives in Hawai‘i. His work reflects a deep and expanding commitment to community. For his leadership in fostering cross‑cultural understanding and meaningful change, Yale College is honored to award the Nakanishi Prize to Joshua Ching.”

The Nellie P. Elliot Award

Awarded to a senior female sport participant whose excellence in the field of athletics and her life at Yale best represents the ideals of sportsmanship and Yale tradition.

Emmy Pascal, Silliman College

“Emmy Pascal is one of the finest women’s lacrosse players in Yale history. A member of the winningest class in school history with 57 wins and only 18 losses, Emmy has been part of two Ivy League regular season championships, two Ivy League Tournament championships, and three NCAA tournament appearances, including two NCAA quarterfinal appearances. Emmy has started in all 74 games of her career, earning All-America and All-Ivy recognition for three straight seasons. Emmy was also named the 2026 Ivy League Defender of the year as well as one of 25 nominees nationally for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the best college women’s lacrosse player. Emmy has led a team that ranked first in the Ivy League and in the top four nationally in scoring defense for three straight seasons. As captain she has challenged, championed, and supported her teammates in ways that bring out the best in them, strengthening the program on and off the field. For her excellence in a sport where skill, intelligence, and intensity must work in harmony, and for her competitive spirit balanced with her care for others, Yale College is proud to award her the Nellie P. Elliot Award.”

The William Neely Mallory Award

Awarded to a senior male sport participant who on the field of play and in life at Yale best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition.

Noah Millard, Silliman College

“Noah Millard has been recognized as one of the most consequential swimmers in recent Ivy League history. His performances rank him among the all-time elite in swimming, with times that place him as the 10th fastest ever in the 500 Freestyle event, 17th in the 1000 Free, and 24th in the 1650 Free. This year he has been awarded the prestigious Harold S. Ulen Career High Point Swimmer Award, presented to the senior male swimmer who has accumulated the highest number of individual points at the Ivy League Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships over his four-year career. Named an All-American in 2025 and 2026, Noah’s unwavering positivity, work ethic, and championship mindset have inspired his teammates and helped create a culture of excellence for a team that has broken numerous Ivy League, pool, and school records. An active participant as a United Way volunteer, a dedicated volunteer in Yale’s Swim New Haven program, which provides free swim lessons and drowning prevention classes for children in the greater New Haven area, Noah is a transformative leader who embodies the spirit of Yale Athletics. For his contributions in the pool, on his team, and in the community, we are proud to present him with the William Neely Mallory Award.”

The Louis Sudler Prize

Awarded to two seniors for excellence in the performing or creative arts.

Paul Ji, Morse College

“Paul Ji of Morse College graduates with a degree in Music and Philosophy, with distinction in Music. A rising star among concert pianists, he has already launched an international career, playing with world-class orchestras and performing solo concerts in Vienna, Paris, London, and Beijing, and will make his Carnegie Hall solo debut next year. Paul performs a repertory predominantly from the 19th- and early 20th-century with an ease and joy that makes even the most challenging passages seem simple. His technique is impeccable, exhibiting astounding virtuosity and musicianship. At the same time, he is a master of the singing piano tone that Chopin cultivated. Paul’s accomplishments as an undergraduate include winning the William Waite Concerto Competition; performing Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto with the Yale Symphony Orchestra; winning an international concerto competition in Lucca, Italy; and being named a semi-finalist in the 2025 National Chopin Competition. For his accomplishments in musical performance, Yale College is honored to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performing and Creative Arts to Paul Ji.”

Kai Chen, Pierson College

“Kai Chen of Pierson College graduates with distinction with a degree in Art. A multi-disciplinary artist in painting, photography, and installation, their work presses against traditionally fixed images and addresses the alternative reality in which queer and non-binary artists may exist. Kai utilizes large-format film and pinhole cameras to build spirit-photography effects without digital manipulation. Their sustained intellectual engagement across disciplines served them as artist, thinker, and presence in their community. As co-head of Yale Visual Artists, Kai organized a large-scale open-call exhibition with rare administrative and curatorial skill. They also served on the faculty search committee for the Painting and Printmaking department. More than illustrative, Kai’s practice investigates with intentionality and rigor. For their accomplishments in visual art, Yale College is honored to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performing and Creative Arts to Kai Chen.”

The Russell Henry Chittenden Prize

Awarded to the senior majoring in the natural sciences or in mathematics who ranks highest in scholarship.

Sean Liu, Grace Hopper College

“Sean Liu of Grace Hopper College was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year and graduates summa cum laude, with distinction in both his majors: Neuroscience and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. His distinction extends across his entire academic record: over eight terms, he earned 48.5 course credits — every one of them an A — consistently exceeding Yale’s standard course load. Sean’s academic interests span neuroscience, clinical research, and health systems. He has conducted research across multiple laboratories at Yale, including the Jane Taylor Lab, the Jacob Muysser Lab, and the Division of Surgical Oncology. His work has culminated in research presentations on healthcare systems for First‑Episode Psychosis and a publication in the Annals of Surgical Oncology. He has complemented this work with extensive clinical engagement, serving as a Community Mental Health Fellow, a Longitudinal Care Director and Patient Navigator at HAVEN Free Clinic, and an Emergency Patient Aide Volunteer at Yale‑New Haven Hospital. Beyond the sciences, Sean has contributed to Yale’s artistic and athletic communities as Managing Director of the Yale College Opera Theatre, President and cellist of the Yale Undergraduate Chamber Orchestra, and a member of the Yale Club Archery Team. Next year, Sean will attend the NYU Grossman School of Medicine as a Vilcek Scholar. For his exceptional scholarship and future promise in his field, Yale College proudly awards the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize to Sean Liu.”

The Arthur Twining Hadley Prize

Awarded to the senior in Yale College majoring in the social sciences who ranks highest in scholarship.

Johnny Dedyo, Timothy Dwight College

“Johnny Dedyo of Timothy Dwight College was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year and graduates summa cum laude with majors in Applied Mathematics and Economics, with distinction in Applied Mathematics. His academic work reflects a sustained engagement with the theoretical and practical intersections of economics and artificial intelligence, with particular attention to inequality in retirement systems in the United States. He has earned an A in each of his 38 course credits, which include advanced coursework and research in Physics. Outside the classroom, Johnny has distinguished himself across multiple areas of college life. He has served as a peer tutor and STEM navigator, been an active member of the rugby team, and contributed to the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project as Pardon Director and Seminar Leader. An intellectually ambitious and deeply engaged scholar, Johnny will continue his studies next year in a doctoral program in Business Economics at Harvard. For his exceptional scholarship and future promise, Yale College proudly awards the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize to Johnny Dedyo.”