On March 1, three Robertson Scholars will step into very different spaces — united by a shared decision: to speak with purpose.

Isaac Frank ’26 is making history as the first Carolina student selected to preach at Duke Chapel as its annual Student Preacher. It’s a longstanding tradition at Duke in which an undergraduate is chosen to deliver a sermon during Sunday services.

“As a Carolina Robertson Scholar, I am honored that they would choose me to preach at the Chapel. I guess faith, like the Robertson, can also bridge the rivalry,” Isaac joked.

“Being selected as a student preacher at Duke is one sign to me that I have not only grown in my personal ability to connect faith and learning, the mission of Duke Chapel, but that I have also grown in my ability to articulate my faith in ways that speak to other people.”

It’s an opportunity several years in the making. “I actually applied to be the Duke Chapel student preacher sophomore year but didn’t receive it.”

When the opportunity to apply came around this year, Isaac wasn’t sure he wanted to try again. “My roommate, Josh Lopez ’26, a fellow Robertson Scholar, encouraged me to.”

Isaac’s advice to others: “Lean into your community for encouragement as you pursue your goals. I am convinced that good leadership is impossible without encouragement from those around you.”

While Isaac has preached before in smaller settings, this will be the first time he shares a full sermon in such an iconic and meaningful space.

“Faith has guided all aspects of my life, but especially my leadership. My sermon centers on this principle — Jesus modeled leadership for us perfectly despite having all power. He willingly gave up his power to die for his people.”

The service will be held on March 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Duke Chapel. It can also be streamed live on YouTube and broadcast on 620 AM WDNC.

But Isaac won’t be the only scholar stepping up to the mic that day.

Also happening March 1 is the annual TEDxDuke Conference, featuring Chloe McGeehan ’26 and Yash Dutt ’26. This year’s theme, 180°, challenges speakers and attendees alike to reconsider assumptions and embrace perspective shifts. Topics will range from using humor as a coping strategy to Ghanaian stories in film, embracing the AI boom, and rethinking bereavement leave policy.

Yash’s talk, Human-Centered Innovation in the Age of AI, will explore how meaningful technological impact often begins with small, ordinary steps. Drawing from his journey from writing a teenage blog to building AI products now used by Fortune 500 companies, Yash will argue that the future of innovation must remain grounded in real human problems and real human conversations.

Chloe’s talk, Water Bear Walk-On: Discovering YOUR Different Path, traces her transformation from running forwards to rowing backwards, reflecting on what it means to pivot into new spaces. A Division I rower and stem cell reprogramming researcher in the Charlie Gersbach laboratory at Duke’s Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Chloe draws on both athletics and science to explore how curiosity, resilience, and trust allow us to navigate change. Through a microscopic lens, she invites the audience to consider the untapped capabilities within each of us.