On the weekend of May 15 and 16, commencement ceremonies will create lifelong memories for thousands of new UNLV graduates — acting as both the close of one chapter, and the start of another.
No two stories align in quite the same way. And as students cross the Thomas & Mack Center stage, friends and family will join professors and faculty to celebrate their unique paths paved through academics and hard work.
One of UNLV’s most proud and enduring commencement traditions is for the president to recognize a select group of outstanding graduates who encapsulate the absolute heights of achievement that all Rebels are truly capable of. This spring’s six honorees have shown not only book smarts, but street smarts as they help improve their communities along with their education.
They include a physician-scientist striving to make eye conditions a thing of the past; a first-generation immigrant dedicated to serving vulnerable populations; a geoscientist seeking solutions to water scarcity; a student-athlete with a penchant for gaming mathematics; a small-business advocate combating food insecurity; and a researcher spearheading a variety of initiatives to help children and seniors.
Gare Ambrose-Igho
Ph.D. in Geoscience
Water scarcity is top of mind for many Nevadans — and it especially hits home for Gare Ambrose-Igho. The geoscience Ph.D. student is from Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country and part of a region where many lack access to clean drinking water.
Gare spent her graduate career looking for solutions — and along the way earned awards, scholarships, and an impressive 3.9 GPA as she smashed through barriers of a historically white male-dominated field.
Gare’s research explores groundwater flow. Specifically, she uses math to combat food insecurity by mapping well locations and predicting future water availability and agricultural irrigation needs as populations, climate change, and pollution increase. It required years of persistent communication and digging through sometimes unorganized or undigitized data. The award-winning work is focused on Nigeria and its fast-growing neighbor Niger. But Gare’s ultimate goal is to spur international cooperation in managing precious water resources to help alleviate human suffering around the globe.
That includes right here in the Silver State. Gare served as an environment geologist through a Nevada Gold Mines fellowship, mapping well sites, analyzing groundwater samples, and collaborating on an interactive museum exhibit for kids.
Gare has persevered through personal tragedy, balancing academics with leadership and service for organizations including the African Student Alliance and Association for Women Geoscientists.
Her passion has paid off. Gare recently took her talents to the Texas Water Development Board, where she’s working as a hydrologist looking for ways to solve water scarcity challenges there.
Zachary Diaz
B.S. in Biology
Zachary Diaz is a unique blend of professionalism, curiosity, and maturity. And his clinical experiences, research involvement, and service activities demonstrate a consistent commitment to improving human health. Zachary graduates this spring with a bachelor of science in biology and an impressive 3.96 GPA.
From eye tissue regeneration to patient care, his academic work reinforces and reflects the caliber of his character. Zachary earned the 2026 Nevada Centennial Medallion for academic, service, and leadership excellence; multiple National Science Foundation scholar awards; and a NASA-funded neuroscience internship. He will present his research on spaceflight’s sensory and motor skill impacts to the Aerospace Medical Association this summer.
He collaborated with the Desert Research Institute to develop a STEM curriculum for second-grade students in the Clark County School District. Zachary is a Red Cross volunteer and Guam native who returned home after a recent super typhoon to help displaced families find shelter and receive emergency supplies.
Since 2024, Zachary has worked as a clinical research assistant in the University Medical Center’s ER, gathering data aimed at improving emergency medicine. He additionally supports pharmacy operations for Nellis Air Force Base as a clinical volunteer.
His award-winning research on restoring eye function is expected to be integral to the eventual journal publication of his lab team’s work, and his high level of dedication and initiative make him an easy choice for an outstanding grad. Zachary is a future physician-scientist who represents the values of UNLV through and through.
Taylor Gauthier
B.S. in Mathematics; B.S. in Computer Science (Honors)
Taylor Gauthier’s ability to simultaneously and successfully navigate positions as a Division 1 student-athlete, scholar, researcher, and working professional reflects exceptional discipline and focus and makes her a truly outstanding UNLV graduate.
A member of the UNLV Honors College, Taylor graduates this spring with bachelor’s degrees in both mathematics and computer science. While completing dual degrees, she conducted National Science Foundation-funded research on machine learning and served as a math tutor for K-12 students. She also led one of the College of Engineering’s most impactful student programs as a student ambassador, training tour guides and championing the school through outreach to prospective students and their families.
Taylor also completed internships in both engineering and gaming companies, and she designed, developed and sold an original casino game math model to DraftKings in 2025.
For the past four years, Taylor has balanced her academic and professional pursuits with major college athletics, competing as a member of UNLV’s Track & Field and Cross Country teams. She is a three-time recipient of the Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete award, has earned numerous university scholarships, including the Nevada Gold Mines Scholarship and Roy & Helen Kelsall Scholarship, and – not surprisingly – has consistently placed on the Dean’s Honors List.
Taylor leaves UNLV with a record of contributions to the university that extend in and out of the classroom, a clear professional direction in gaming mathematics, and a very bright future.
Giana Honorio
B.A. in Psychology; Minor in Neuroscience (Honors)
Attending and graduating from college as a first-generation immigrant is a triumph on its own. But Giana Honorio has taken it to the next level with a sustained commitment to academic excellence and to understanding and serving people in vulnerable circumstances.
Giana graduates this spring as a member of the Honors College and with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in neuroscience. And she converted her academic interests into real-world experience by working as a physical therapy technician, volunteering to help those in hospice, and assisting with the Eighth Judicial Court’s addiction and mental health diversion program.
As a testament to her academic excellence, Giana has funded her entire undergraduate education through scholarships and grants, including two supported by NASA and the Bennett Honors Scholarship.
As a UNR Extension intern with the Hope for Family Resilience Program in Clark County, Giana helped empower domestic violence survivors and support substance abuse recovery. She has also spent time in Italy teaching English and enhancing her study of child development. Her undergrad thesis explored teaching practices for students with autism. Currently, she works as a research assistant in the BRaIN laboratory at UNLV — analyzing the effects of sleep deprivation, alcohol, and space radiation on behavior.
Giana’s commitment to academics, scholarship, and service are indicative of the strength of UNLV’s Honors College and of the standout UNLV Class of 2026.
Kelli Kelly
M.A. in Urban Leadership
Ever heard the phrase, “Put your money where your mouth is?” Well, UNLV grad student Kelli Kelly embodies it daily through her work. She is a non-profit leader, small business advisor, and researcher who has raised millions of dollars in Nevada’s fight against rural and tribal food insecurity, and has spent countless hours studying or advocating for related policies and laws.
Kelli maintained a near-perfect GPA while pursuing her master’s in Urban Leadership, with an eye on food systems policy, governance, emergency preparedness, and real-world problem solving.
She contributed to statewide food insecurity research for the Guinn Center, co-authored a forthcoming white paper on state-level food systems policy, and helped educate the public via media interviews on related topics.
Kelli juggled coursework with multiple day jobs. As executive director of the Fallon Food Hub, she secured $1.25 million in funding to prevent farm closures; significantly ramped up growers’ connections with businesses and consumers looking to buy fresh foods; and distributed 105,000 pounds of food to 3,500 households, including tribal communities. She also dedicated countless hours to supporting local entrepreneurs as a Nevada Small Business Development Center advisor, helping launch 40 new ventures.
Her leadership extends to systems-level change too. Kelli led development of the unanimously adopted Nevada Assembly Bill 352, which expands sales limits for cottage food operations.
And she’s not done. Kelli continues to serve in multiple governance and advisory roles across Nevada’s food and economic development ecosystem, and is currently developing a regional toolkit to support municipal planning in Southern Nevada.
Mayahuel Velazquez
B.A. in Psychology; Minor in Family Studies
Mayahuel Velazquez’s time as an undergraduate exemplifies the academic excellence, leadership, service, and impact of the UNLV Class of 2026. Maya graduates this spring with an impressive 3.88 GPA and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, along with a minor in family studies.
As a research assistant in UNLV’s Auditory Cognition and Development Lab the past two years, Maya explored how children and adolescents develop responses to unfamiliar sounds – furthering research into how kids learn music without any prior exposure. Her work earned a best poster presentation award at UNLV’s annual undergraduate research symposium, and she was also named the Research Assistant of the Year by her lab in 2025.
Maya’s commitment to research was matched only by a passion for service to her peers and the community. During her time at UNLV, she held positions as secretary of the university’s Psi Chi International Honor Society, and as a peer mentor – both within the College of Liberal Arts and campuswide as an assistant coordinator for the Outreach Undergraduate Mentoring Program.
Off-campus, Maya completed an internship with UNLV’s Mojave Counseling Adult Psychiatry and Mental Health Clinic. She worked directly with clients in a community-based treatment program, leading groups focused on symptom management, mindfulness, anger management, and communication. She also volunteered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Three Square, assisting with meal packing initiatives for children, supporting senior community meal distributions, and contributing to numerous outreach activities.
Next up for Maya is grad school. After earning acceptance to all of her top choices, she intends to stick with her first pick – UNLV – and pursue a master’s degree in couple and family therapy from the Kerkorian School of Medicine.
