Space was at the heart of two major Tar Heel accomplishments. Karsen Kitchen ’25 had to miss class early in her senior year for a good reason — she became the youngest woman ever to cross the Kármán line, where outer space begins, as one of six members of Blue Origin’s NS-26 spaceflight mission.

Months later, graduate student Madyson Barber and associated professor Andrew Mann served as co-authors on a paper detailing the discovery of the youngest transiting planet ever. The work began as research for Barber’s thesis in the College of Arts and Sciences’ physics and astronomy department.

At Winter Commencement, Dr. Shelley Earp told graduates to “keep a sense of wonder about the world around you and what it means to be human.”

In March, medical students celebrated years of hard work at their Match Day celebration, participating in a decades-old tradition of finding their match at the same time as others around the country. Learn more about health affairs students’ matching processes.

At Spring Commencement, soccer legend Mia Hamm ’94 reminded graduates that none of them made it this far on their own. “Each of you will receive a diploma with your name on it,” Hamm said. “But written in invisible ink all over that piece of paper are the names of everyone who helped you along the way.” Read more about Carolina’s Spring Commencement celebrations.