Meet nine outstanding graduates from Emory’s Class of 2023

Each May, we celebrate the latest Emory graduates as they close one chapter and enter the next phase of their lives. These nine profiles are just a few examples of the driven, compassionate members of the Class of 2023. From building community to discovering unseen connections, there’s no limit to what Emory students can do.

Candler School of Theology

Lessons from the front lines as a pastor and emergency manager

Jonathan Trapp, who graduated as a doctor of ministry, has spent two decades working in emergency management and as a pastor. That bivocational experience allowed him to better serve his community during the COVID-19 pandemic and advocate for caregiver support interventions.

Emory College of Arts and Sciences

Blending science, art and history into a broad palette of impact

Elise Etrheim came to Emory ready for a diversity of ideas. She found them by blending the skills of a humanist and the insights of a scientist — and impacted peers and professors. When she enrolled in a class on ancient Egyptian art as a way to add some fun to a heavy course load, she spotted organic chemistry at work and everything clicked. 

Goizueta Business School

Do what scares you: How one BBA student pushed past her comfort zone

Ria Puri found life outside her comfort zone at Goizueta Business School, from pursuing a double major to getting involved with campus life and bettering the student experience. Now, she’s ready for whatever’s next. 

Laney Graduate School

Laney Graduate School student pushes boundaries in the digital humanities

In her work on postcolonial and decolonial novels by Caribbean women writers, Alicia Doyen-Rodríguez has been an innovator in the digital humanities who shares that expertise with her students as well as fellow graduate students.

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Nursing school graduate works tirelessly to increase representation in health care

As an advocate for greater representation of gender, racial and ethnic minorities in the nursing field, Audric Donald is primed to be a change agent in health care. Donald is also a founding member of the Georgia chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing and is part of the Atlanta Black Nurses Association.

Oxford College

Oxford second-year student excels in classrooms and on the court

Justin Whitening arrived at Oxford College with interests in zoology and basketball. Through curiosity and connections across campus, he’s managed to excel at both while also giving back to his community.

Rollins School of Public Health

Discovering epidemiology and combating health inequities through a leap of faith

McKenzi Thompson found purpose and direction at Rollins School of Public Health. Now, she’s working to advance reproductive health and justice while also building community wherever she goes, including by creating a mentorship program that matches pre-med Rollins students with Black Emory medical students.

School of Law

Relentless kindness motivates future trial attorney to foster community

Adriano Omar Iqbal views his budding career as a trial attorney focused on bankruptcy as an ethical imperative to help others grow from perceived failures. The journal for which Iqbal served as editor-in-chief created a sense of belonging and became a throughline of his law school story.

School of Medicine

Pursuing medicine to target health disparities in the rural South and globally

Leveraging his experiences in rural Alabama and rural Mozambique, John Chancellor has committed his life to family medicine, rural primary care and mental health care while advocating for underserved groups.