Eleven of Caltech’s 2026 graduates discuss their achievements, challenges, and lessons learned during their time at the Institute. Ava Barbano “When I was secretary of ASCIT [Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology], I was encouraged to take on my own project. At the time, Jim Barry [Caltech’s drawing, painting, and silkscreen art director] mentioned that he was looking to phase out the screen printing equipment on campus, and I realized it could be an opportunity to set up