Daniel Yu, Madeleine Murnick named valedictorian, salutatorian of the Class of 2026

Daniel Yu ’26 has been named valedictorian of the Class of 2026, which was officially approved by the faculty on Monday. Madeleine Murnick ’26 was named salutatorian. Yu and Murnick sat for interviews with The Daily Princetonian on their experience at Princeton and their future plans. 

Typically, the process for electing a valedictorian involves the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing narrowing a list of a dozen students with high academic standing down to one student based on “their excellence in the curriculum” and “the difficulty of their course of study,” Dean of the College Michael Gordin explained to the ‘Prince.’

However, the salutatorian selection process differs in that the recipient must have proficiency in Latin, since the salutatory is traditionally delivered in Latin. The Committee considers both top Classics majors and other high-achieving students with significant Latin coursework.

When asked about the process of choosing a specific candidate, Gordin stated that “there’s not a single metric you can look at because, for example, you have students who have equally excellent records.”

African American studies major succeeds chemistry major as valedictorian 

Yu told the ‘Prince’ that the first thing he thought when called into Dean Gordin’s office was, “Are you sure?”

His journey to this point, aside from the initial shock of being named valedictorian, had been academically unexpected. Yu told the ‘Prince’ that before arriving on campus, he had not considered majoring in African American studies. After taking African American studies professor Marcus Lee’s course AAS 336: Racial Histories of Gender and Sexuality, Yu changed his mind.

He had been especially drawn to how Professor Lee grounded the intellectual coursework in the physical conditions of the world. 

“It was really in that class where I was like, ‘Okay, this is what I’ve been looking for: people who are really interested in doing rigorous, intellectual and creative work, but who also are grounding that work in how we create social change,’” Yu said.

Lee would go on to advise Yu on his thesis, titled “Purity Politics: Race, Racism and (Anti-) Blackness in an Era of Anti-Trans Violence,” which, according to Yu, explores “the role of race and racism in the sort of contemporary anti-LGBTQ movement.”

This interest in creating actual social change through intellectual rigor has enabled him to engage with communities who feel supported by his work, both professionally and academically. For Yu, “the most meaningful part has been hearing from people who are excited about the work that I’m doing, who are excited about the necessity of Black Studies scholarship at a political moment like this.”

Yu explained that his academic goal at the University has been immersing himself in studies that emulate the real world — studies that are “grounded in the material realities of the world, the actual inequalities that I was seeing in my own city, in my own experiences and understanding.” 

Besides majoring in African American studies, Yu is pursuing minors in English and in gender and sexuality studies. From New York City, Yu was also an early inductee into the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a recipient of the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence. He has received 14 A+ grades throughout his time at Princeton — one more than last year’s valedictorian Erik Medina ’25.

In December of 2025, Yu was also named a 2026 Marshall Scholar. After graduation, he plans to undertake a two-year graduate study at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London. He intends to pursue a master’s degree in race and gender studies in his first year, and a secondary master’s degree in socio-legal studies. 

“I’m excited to both be continuing thinking about these questions of race and gender, but also being able to do it in one of the world’s most diverse and vibrant cities,” Yu said. 

“[It is] really a gift to be able to go to Princeton, and that is more reason to speak up than it is to say silent,” Yu added, in reflection of his previous and upcoming socially-oriented work. 

Madeleine Murnick follows fellow Classics major as next salutatorian

Murnick had known for a while that she wanted to study Classics — and her time in the Western Humanities (HUM) Sequence at the University confirmed that. 

“Once a week after lecture, professors and students in the HUM Sequence used to gather for lunch at [Rocky-Mathey Dining Hall] and talk about class, our readings, and our lives in a casual setting. Those were great opportunities to connect with students and faculty, and I have very fond memories of them,” said Murnick, who later became a mentor for the HUM Sequence.

She had begun studying Latin at the National Cathedral School and furthered her study of the language in her coursework at Princeton. As salutatorian, Murnick will give the opening speech at Commencement — the “salutatio,” which is traditionally recited in Latin — to the graduating class. 

“I hope to be able to, first and foremost, tell my class what they have meant to me and also what I know that they mean to each other. I hope to talk about my class a little bit and to get everyone excited about starting off the commencement ceremony,” said Murnick. 

Murnick’s passion for Latin is evident in her thesis, “Latin in the Literary Imagination,” which takes a close look at the practicalities of Latin pedagogy over the past 2,000 years, with a focus on the best practices for teaching Latin today. However, Murnick has also nurtured a love of Greek, which solidified during a trip to Athens with the Classics Department. 

“Being there in real life was definitely one of those moments that will stick with me from my Princeton experience,” Murnick said of Athens. “Seeing the ruins of the works I was reading in class was definitely a formative moment.”

Murnick, who is from Washington, D.C., is also receiving minors in humanistic studies and music performance. 

Outside of the classroom, Murnick is an Outdoor Action (OA) leader, the 2025 president of Charter Club, a member of the Glee Club, Chamber Choir, and other student-led choral groups. 

During the summer and fall post-graduation, Murnick will work at Baxter State Park in northern Maine where she will help update its guidebook, before making a decision about pursuing further education. 

Murnick advises incoming students to “take the HUM Sequence no matter what major you’re planning to do. You won’t regret it, and it will go by way faster than you can possibly imagine — try not to forget that.”

Yu and Murnick are both expected to speak at Commencement to the graduating class on May 26. 

Gus Vogel is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Brookline, Mass. and can be reached at gv6325[at]princeton.edu.

Giselle Moreno is a News contributor from Dallas interested in covering the Municipality of Princeton. She can be reached at gm2076[at]princeton.edu.

Haeon Lee contributed reporting.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.