We are thrilled to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of our graduating students in spring 2026! Learn more about these students and how they embody the Volunteer Spirit.
Student Spotlights
Kevin Hunter
Kevin Hunter entered UT as a first-generation college student curious about political behavior. Graduating as a Volunteer of Distinction in 2026, he is pursuing a career in political science research that will allow him to shape our understanding of American political behavior.
Ashley Burger
With UT’s new actuarial science concentration, senior Ashley Burger channeled her interest in mathematics into a high-growth career in the financial and insurance industries.
Tori McCall
Tori McCall forged her unique Volunteer journey from rural Tennessee to Central Europe and back home to Rocky Top, excelling in classwork and research while also working to pay her way through college. A first-year history class spoke to her long-held passion for helping others.
Anja Shull
Anja Shull grew up holding a childhood goal close to her heart: find ways to help animals. She brought this inspiration to her studies, coupling her philosophy major with a minor in animal behavior, and graduates spring 2026 as a Chancellor’s Honors Student with a record of focused service and purposeful engagement.
Isabella Thomas-Wilson
Bella Thomas-Wilson’s lifelong fascination with storytelling in visual and performing arts inspired her to create her own unique major through UT’s College Scholars Program: “Public Art and Media with an Emphasis on Underrepresented Communities.” The Knoxville native graduates this spring with a professional foundation built from her personalized academic pathway.
Caroline Znachko
As a UT doctoral student in biological anthropology, Caroline Znachko has been involved in multiple research projects aimed at improving methods and uncovering more information about people’s lives from their bones and their genes.
Congratulations to our Macebearer, Torchbearers, and Trailblazer!
Torchbearers
Justin Henley
Psychology and Neuroscience
Jerome Jarjoura
College Scholars and Psychology and Neuroscience
Marlon Tully
Psychology and Neuroscience
Alice-Grace Beavers