Meet DU's Class of 2025
91Ƶ graduates reflect on how they’ve grown, what they’ll miss—and what comes next.
This June, the 91Ƶ's Class of 2025 will move their graduation tassels from right to left, marking the culmination of a successful academic journey. It’s a ritual that takes a second, but the milestone it represents is life changing.
In preparation for the big day, we spoke with seven soon-to-be graduates about their memories, aspirations, and reflections on their time at DU as they prepare to begin the next chapter.
Rachel Bienstock: Embracing New Perspectives
Hometown: Montreal, Canada and Miami, Florida
Major: International Studies and Sociolegal Studies with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies
How have you changed in the last four years?I came to DU because I wanted to meet new people with different backgrounds. I found that. Something that’s important to me is diversity of opinion and thought in my academic settings. If I was in a school where everyone had the same exact ideology, I would never be challenged. By virtue of being in classrooms where people have a totally different worldview on security and human rights than me, it pushed me to become more confident in solutions needed in our world today.
³’s going through your mind as you prepare for graduation? I love it here. If I could stay forever and be a college student forever, I would. I’m grateful to the people I’ve met and the things I’ve learned.
Eli Billings: Never Sitting Still
Hometown: Middlebury, Vermont
Major: Kinesiology and Sports Studies and Psychology
What was your favorite class at DU? My first kinesiology class, Foundations of Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting. On Mondays, we would go to the classroom and do normal classroom activities. Then on Wednesdays, we would go to the and practice the lifts that we were learning. I came in an undecided major, and that class was the one that got me hooked on kinesiology. I love the idea of having an active job, because I just do not mesh well with spreadsheets.
What impact do you hope to have in your career?I always struggled with my own fitness, especially when I was growing up. Then I had a big transformation when I was in high school and I started thinking about my health. I lost 60 pounds and it was really empowering. So in the future, once I get some more experience working with teams, it would be cool to be a sports psychologist and help people with the hurdles they have.
What will you miss about DU? I will miss how small the community is —going around campus and seeing people that I know all over the place and giving them a fist bump.
Kenna Stephen: Fostering Understanding
Hometown: Longmont, Colorado
Major: International Studies and Geography with a minor in Spanish
How have you changed in the last four years?It's easy to view the world in black and white when you’re 18 and you think you know everything. But if college has taught me anything, it’s that nuance is important. I’ve become a more nuanced human and have better critical thinking skills.
What impact do you hope to have on the world?Fostering greater understanding, especially cross cultural and intercultural. That’s an asset in the world today and something we’re lacking.
What was your favorite student organization? We started a critical theory book club that meets in the Renaissance Room. We call ourselves “” and our goal was to create a space where critical theory—a genre of books that dissects social structures in which we live —cdzܱ be accessible.
What will you miss about DU?
Denver’s reputation for civic engagement has been meaningful for me. I’ll miss being in Colorado’s capital, where the action is and policies are being made.
Khadija Mohamed: Supporting the Next Generation
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Major: Computer Science
What impact do you want to have on the people around you?Coming here wasn't easy, and the journey hasn't been easy at all; however, the support I've received from my community and people outside my community—that helped me a lot. As a first-generation student, navigating college and future careers was something foreign to me. I want to help students who are in a similar position. In my role as president for , I’ve been trying to create a community for Black STEM students and provide them with resources. With any organization I'm in, I want to help students and people accomplish their full potential.
How have you changed over the last four years? I've grown more confident and secure in my abilities, and I've learned the power of hard work and being consistent, no matter what. I struggled with imposter syndrome, but even though it was tough, I was still showing up and continuing to put in hard work. Eventually, my brain caught up to the reality that I was living in. I realized that I am capable, and I can do a lot more than I think.
Salli Lubbe: Sharing a Love for the Outdoors
Hometown: Windsor, Vermont
Major: Kinesiology and Sports Studies with minors in Business Administration and Psychology
What will you miss about DU? I’ll miss the early morning starts with my friends for our mountain trips. It could be skiing, hiking, or camping—we’d get up at 3 a.m. and drive to the mountains for sunrise. While skiing, we would cook in the parking lot and have breakfast sandwiches, have a good day, and then drive back together.
How have you changed over the last four years?I’ve grown in my appreciation for the outdoors. If I went to New York City or Boston, I would not be the same person I am today. I also found a good work-life balance. As a student intern at [James C Kennedy Mountain Campus], I loved the time to disconnect from my phone and explore activities that a lot of freshmen haven’t done before. I also got to shadow guides as they worked on the via ferrata—that was sick.
³’s next for you? This summer, I’ll be in Jackson, Wyoming, as a camp counselor, backpacking with the Teton Youth and Family Services’ Jackson Hole Leadership Program.
Jared Briggs: Feeling at Home
Hometown: Sacramento, California, and Reno, Nevada
Major: Business Analytics
What will you miss about DU? The community here. I transferred to DU, so I have the perspective of being from a different school that didn’t have as much community. Everyone at DU is so approachable. You lean on them and have a support system. DU was a place where I felt instantly at home.
Is there anything you want the DU community to know about your time here?There’s this idea that professors are just good at teaching and don’t know about the outside world, but I found that at DU they have real industry experience, understand the market, and have connections you can lean on. The school was also accommodating. I have an invisible disability, and I loved the flexibility at Daniels [College of Business] and the willingness of professors to go above and beyond.
What campus tradition will stick with you? The and the parades were some crazy events—those I’ll never forget.
Tony Bisimwa: From Club to Career
Hometown: Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda
Major: Molecular Biology and Computer Science
³’s next?I’m blessed to have a job offer already. Through the , I got connected with the National Society of Black Engineers. In 2023, I went to their conference in Chicago, and I got to talk to a few companies that were there. United Airlines happened to be one of them, and the interview turned into an internship, the internship turned into a return internship, and from there to a full-time job.
What will you miss about DU? There's actually a lot of things I'll miss about DU, starting with food. I enjoy the end of the quarter Finals Feast. It's a great time. The whole Community Commons turns into a very festive vibe. Other than that, I'll definitely miss my E-STEM community—most of my best friends here at school I met through the program.
