DURHAM, N.C. -- A new class of Duke Blue Devils now have their degrees.

  • More than 5,500 students graduated.
  • Apple CEO and Duke grad Tim Cook served as commencement speaker.
  • Six honorary degrees handed out.

More than 5,500 Duke students braved the heat and graduated on Sunday, as thousands more family and friends looked on.

"It's an honor, and I think everyone here feels the same way," said Duke graduate Coby Wayne. "We're all really blessed to be here."

Apple CEO Tim Cook was the commencement speaker. Cook, who got his MBA at Duke in 1988, told the graduates and the crowd at Wallace Wade Stadium that nothing should stop them from following their passions.

"Fearlessness means taking the first step even if you don't know where it will take you," said Cook. "It means being driven by a higher purpose rather than applause. It means knowing that you reveal your character when you stand apart more than when you stand with a crowd."

Duke also handed out six honorary degrees. They went to:

  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian-born writer known for the novel "Americanah"
  • Bill Bell, who served as mayor of Durham from 2001 to 2017
  • Phillip Freelon, a Durham-based architect who helped design the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
  • Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
  • Dr. William Kaelin, a professor and researcher of medicine at Harvard Medical School
  • Russell Robinson, a Charlotte-based business lawyer

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