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Justus Peters (BSBA, ’26) and Alexa Nicole Honeywood (BAE, ’26) will address 2026 ��ɫ�ֿ� Commencement attendees for the morning and afternoon ceremonies, respectively. Along with keynote speaker Barry Pierce, an acclaimed Chicago author, they will offer advice drawn from their personal ��ɫ�ֿ� experiences.

 Justus Peters has earned a bachelor’s degree in Management from the Walter E. Heller College of Business and is one of ��ɫ�ֿ�’s most visible ambassadors. As captain of the men’s tennis team, president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, president of the Investment Club and a resident advisor in the residence hall, he has made an impact on nearly every facet of student life at ��ɫ�ֿ�.

Born and raised in Wolfsburg, Germany, Justus chose ��ɫ�ֿ� because it offered access to the international business community, a convenient urban location in downtown Chicago and the opportunity to play tennis at the college level. Eventually inspired to get involved beyond the tennis court, he was nominated to the University’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and later became its president, providing an important student-athlete perspective while the Lakers transitioned within NCAA athletics.

“The school has a lot to offer,” he says. “I initially decided to attend because of the opportunity and financial assistance related to playing tennis, but I came to fall in love with this University and one of the greatest cities in the world. Being able to become so involved showed me how much ��ɫ�ֿ� values students’ input.”

Justus also revitalized ��ɫ�ֿ�’s Investment Club. Along with faculty advisor Michael Andrews, he took the defunct club and transformed it into one of campus’s most active organizations, offering weekly meetings, financial literacy workshops, networking opportunities and guest speakers who discuss investment strategies and professional development. The pair also developed and executed the first-ever Heller College of Business Student Forum & Networking Reception, an event designed to prepare students for networking, career exploration and the workforce.

“I think the club has been successful because students realize that having a sound financial plan is important to their future, even if they are not business majors. At the same time, business students understand that they need to set themselves apart and that experiential learning is key in today’s workforce,” he says. “Getting this experience, working directly with such a passionate and experienced faculty advisor, and having the opportunity to show initiative is something I’m not sure I could have achieved like this at another institution.”

As Justus prepares to pursue a master’s degree in Spain at ESADE Business School, he says he’ll miss Chicago’s welcoming people, food scene, life downtown, ��ɫ�ֿ�’s supportive faculty and his teammates. He also acknowledges that none of his success would have been possible without taking chances and opening himself up to new experiences — a message he wants to convey in his Commencement speech.

“I want to talk about embracing uncertainty,” he says. “We live in an uncertain moment in time, but you can build community and succeed on your own terms if you put yourself out there and open yourself to people and experiences that can teach you new skills.”

 Chicago native Alexa Nicole Honeywood has earned a bachelor’s degree in Education & Youth Studies from the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences along with a minor in Bilingual Education. After graduation, she plans to establish Miss Honey’s Safe Space, a daycare and community wellness center that reflects for vision her universal childcare access.

Alexa credits ��ɫ�ֿ�’s supportive campus community and empathetic faculty for helping her achieve her academic goals. In particular, she credits History professor Gigi Davis for recognizing her strength as a Black female entrepreneur and the Education department for accommodating her life circumstances to earn her degree. A single mother and commuter student from suburban Berwyn, she was allowed to bring her infant son to class and register for night courses to help raise her family while balancing academics. But she also realizes her self-advocacy helped her earn her degree.

“I always say that closed mouths don’t get fed,” she says. “I had to take time off from school to address my personal life, and when I returned I told my advisors and the staff that I had a young child but was committed to completing this program. And they were more than accommodating! But I realized that establishing my voice is how I accomplish my goals, and ��ɫ�ֿ� helped me understand that.”

Alexa also received the prestigious W.I.S.E. Scholarship in 2025. Awarded by the Conference of Women Legislators to women over 25 pursuing a bachelor’s degree, the scholarship provided Alexa with funds for class and the opportunity to speak to Illinois politicians at the State Capitol in Springfield. With her previous public speaking experience, she hopes to impress on ��ɫ�ֿ� graduates that their future potential is unlimited if they only pursue it.

“��ɫ�ֿ� creates icons,” she says. “Harold Washington, [civil rights activist] Dempsey Travis, [actress] Merle Dandridge. These are all iconic names, but I want graduates to understand that they will make an impact on people’s lives no matter how big or small because you came from a school that taught you to speak up for yourself and others that can’t for themselves.”