Princeton University announced on April 20 that Daniel Yu has been chosen as the valedictorian and Madeleine Murnick as the salutatorian for the Class of 2026. The selections were approved by the university faculty following nominations from the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing.
The announcement is significant for both students and the broader Princeton community, as these honors recognize outstanding academic achievement and leadership among graduating seniors. Commencement will be held at Princeton Stadium on Tuesday, May 26, where Yu and Murnick are expected to deliver remarks.
Yu, an African American studies major from New York with minors in English and gender and sexuality studies, is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. He has previously received the Freshman First Honor Prize and Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence. After graduation, he plans to pursue master’s degrees in the United Kingdom as a Marshall Scholar with interests in research related to race, gender, law, political advocacy, and social justice work. “I called my parents immediately, and they were amazed and overjoyed. My family, and the generation before them, sacrificed enormously for me to get here. I’m glad I could begin to pay that effort back in some small way,” Yu said about learning of his selection.
Yu credited his time at Princeton—especially within African American Studies—for shaping his academic path: “AAS has given me a truly interdisciplinary toolkit…to meet the multidisciplinary challenges of the present moment.” Marcus Lee, assistant professor of African American studies who advised Yu’s senior thesis titled “Purity Politics: Race, Racism and (Anti-) Blackness in an era of Anti-Trans Violence,” described him as “an exceptionally talented” student who takes human creativity seriously.
Murnick majors in classics with minors in humanistic studies and music performance. She expressed her honor at being named salutatorian: “Not everyone gets to tell the rest of the class how much they meant to us…I want everyone to leave knowing that not only did they get a strong education, they helped their friends along the way.” Her thesis explores how Latin has been taught over two millennia; her adviser Ilaria Marchesi praised her devotion to inspiring others’ appreciation for Latin.
Beyond academics, Murnick has participated widely across campus activities—from performing with musical groups like Glee Club to serving as Charter Club president—and plans this summer to work as a writing intern at Baxter State Park in Maine. Gabriel Crouch from Princeton’s Program in Musical Performance called her “a beautiful singer…the ultimate team player” whose dedication inspires fellow students.
Both honorees highlighted community engagement alongside scholarship during their time at Princeton—a theme echoed by their mentors—and plan next steps that build on these values after graduation.
