The Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies congratulates all of the 2025 graduates at the University of San Diego. In honor of the occasion, the Kroc School hosted a graduation celebration and award ceremony to honor the achievements of its graduate students.
The commencement weekend kicked off on Friday, May 23, with a series of reflective and celebratory events designed to honor the hard work and dedication of our students.
The Kroc School’s 2025 graduating cohorts included:- 12 students from the MA in Peace and Justice program
- 19 students from the MA in Social Innovation program
- 15 students from the MS in Conflict Management and Resolution program
- 5 students from our Dual Degree JD/MA in Peace and Justice program
- 22 students from our MS in Humanitarian Action program
Kroc School Graduating Class of 2025
Let's take a look back at the memorable moments that defined this extraordinary event.
Kroc School Graduation Celebration & Awards Ceremony
The ceremony began with Dean Darren Kew to the stage, welcoming the graduates, their friends, families, and loved ones on the special occasion, “We all know this year has been full of challenges for all of us in so many different ways, and this graduating class faces a unique set of challenges that other classes have not, but I step back and reflect on how amazing you all are, and I think of all the skills and energy you brought to the Kroc School this year, and I couldn't be more hopeful about where this world is going.”
Student Speeches
At the award ceremony, one graduating student from each master’s program is selected to deliver a speech on behalf of their cohort. These speeches celebrate the collective journey, acknowledge challenges and growth, and inspire a continued commitment to peace, justice, and innovation. This year’s speakers included:
- MA in Peace and Justice Class Speaker: Yadana (Helene) Aung
- MA in Social Innovation Class Speaker: Mikayla Ross
- MS in Conflict Management and Resolution Class Speaker: Rowan Hepps Keeney
- MS in Humanitarian Action Class Speaker: Heather Fuenmayor
Rowan Hepps Keeney, Class Speaker for the MS in Conflict Management and Resolution program
Academic Awards
Professor Dustin Sharp then took to the stage to announce the recipients of this year’s academic awards.
- Best long-form piece was awarded to Dalia Haas for her piece, Center for Resilience, Well-being and Purpose. The paper proposes the creation of the Center for Resilience, Well-being, and Purpose in the Tijuana-San Diego region to support immigrants, asylum seekers, and survivors of human trafficking through trauma-informed mentorship, integration, and personal development.
- Best short-form piece was awarded to Ren Flanders for an environmental justice brief that explores the intersection of coastal erosion and limited public lakefront access along Northern Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline.
- This year’s recipient for best published piece was awarded to Sala Kurtz, wrote a piece that will be published in Handbook on Humanitarian Crises in November 2025 and examines Iraq’s deepening water crisis as a result of climate change, poor governance, conflict, and overreliance on agriculture, which collectively fuel water scarcity, deteriorating health, economic hardship, and migration.
- Steve Commins, incoming Program Director of the MSHA annouced the final academic award; the MSHA Academic Excellence Award which was awarded to Stella Desiree Bosch for her high performance and active participation in every course as well as her perfect 4.0 graduating GPA.
Best Portfolio Awards
Professor Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick introduced the Best Portfolio Awards, celebrating the comprehensive and impactful work of four students:
- Best MAPJ Portfolio: Sara Kuhn
- Best CMR Portfolio: Dalia Haas
- Best MASI Portfolio: Caroline Feeney & Krista Stellmacher
Professor Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick presents the award for best MSCMR portfolio to Dalia Haas, joined by Dean Kew
Community Awards
The Community Engagement Awards recognize students who made significant contributions to the Kroc School community and beyond. Nominations for these awards were from self-nomination, peers, and/or faculty and were decided upon by a selection committee.
- Patricia Marquez Innovator Award: Ramya Mabry for her outstanding creativity and leadership by co-founding Nourish Our World Again (NOWA), a social enterprise addressing food insecurity that became a semi-finalist in the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge.
- John Patterson Humanitarian Promise Award: Gabriel Richardson for their unwavering commitment to humanitarian service in crisis zones around the world, including South Sudan, Liberia, Brazil, and the U.S., where he has supported displaced communities and advanced peacebuilding efforts.
- Necla Tschirgi Civic Engagement Award: Ryan Shipley for their compassionate leadership in advocating for justice-impacted individuals and fostering community healing. As co-founder of the SISU Freedom Foundation and organizer of USD’s Criminal Justice & Recidivism Event Series, he created powerful spaces for dialogue, education, and action on issues of incarceration and reentry.
- Joan B. Kroc Award: Maria Jose Molina Sanchez O'Dell for their exceptional contributions to the Kroc School community.
Professor Emeritus Necla Tschirgi presenting the Necla Tschirgi Civic Engagement Award to Ryan Shipley
We are incredibly proud of each and every one of our students and look forward to seeing the impact they will undoubtedly make in the world. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
Watch the entire ceremony on our YouTube here.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to share your own memories and photos from the commencement weekend on social media using the hashtag #KrocProud. Let's continue to celebrate and support our new alumni as they embark on their journeys to create a more peaceful and just world.
