Ring Girl Sydney Thomas Adds Another Hat After Graduating From Alabama
Ring girl Sydney Thomas has finally graduated from the University of Alabama. Sydney, who attained her stardom following the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bout, was done with her studies this week, a process that took only three years.
A series of photos displays Thomas in a white dress around the Tuscaloosa campus, including one with six of her buddies.
'Did it in 3 @univofalabama,' said Thomas on Instagram. 'As I look back and reflect on my college experience, I can't help but acknowledge how monumental each of these years has been in shaping me into who I am today.'
The viral ring girl who initially seized the internet's attention during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bout just tossed her cap with six of her spectacular best friends beside her, and the University of Alabama may never be the same. This wasn't just another average graduation celebration, though, a full-blown occasion.
'From navigating the loss of my mother to the whirlwind of unexpected overnight fame, Alabama has been the one constant through it all - continually welcoming me with open arms and keeping me grounded in who I am. Though my college journey was far from typical, I've found such beauty and comfort in the abnormalcy of it all, trusting that everything unfolded in alignment with God's divine timing,' she posted on her social media account.
It was not just the only outfit she wore; rather, she was also captured in a bold red dress sipping Champagne on a set of stairs at the Tuscaloosa campus.
'This has been such a beautiful chapter in the story of my life - one I'll look back on often. And while it's bittersweet that it's come to an end a year early, I know that wherever my path leads next, Alabama will always be my sweet home. Roll Tide, forever & always xo,' Sydney posted on Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
8 minutes ago
- USA Today
Emma Heming Willis was 'panicked' by husband Bruce Willis' dementia diagnosis
Emma Heming Willis is opening up about her private world with husband Bruce Willis. The advocate and model, 47, is getting candid in an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer about the 70-year-old "Die Hard" actor's dementia diagnosis and how the family is handling it all. "I was so panicked, and I just remember hearing it and just not hearing anything else," Heming Willis told Sawyer in a teaser clip released Wednesday, Aug. 13. The actress' interview with Sawyer is set to air in full during the ABC special "Emma & Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey" on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m. ET. The legendary actor retired after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023. Earlier this year, after the death of Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife and caregiver Betsy Arakawa, Heming Willis wrote in a vulnerable Instagram caption that "caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop. #supportcaregivers." On Father's Day, Heming Willis spoke out about what their "unexpected journey" looks like for her family. In an Instagram post on Sunday, June 15, she wished a happy Father's Day "to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them." She added that Willis teaches their children "resilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present." The couple share two daughters: Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11. The actor also has three adult daughters with his ex-wife and Oscar nominee Demi Moore: Rumer, 36; Scout, 34; and Tallulah, 31. But Heming Willis also shared that she was feeling "profoundly sad today," reflecting, "I wish, with every cell in my body, that things could be different for him and lighter for our family." She said the phrase "it is what it is" helps her "return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to." On March 21, the couple celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary: "Today marks 16 years with the love of a lifetime," Heming Willis wrote in a heartfelt Instagram caption. "We've shared monumental highs and devastating lows, and through it all, we've built something timeless," Heming Willis wrote. "I'm so deeply grateful for every chapter I've had with him—and all the ones we'll continue to write, in our language of unconditional love."
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Follow the money: Boston's Insta-fueled cash hunt
Advertisement For But Beumee also sees something deeper at play; a current of economic anxiety, if you will. A New York City transplant, she quickly noticed the refrain that there's nothing to do in Boston that's affordable. People would comment on her social media posts: 'I leave my apartment and I'm spending $100 a day,' she told me. In response, she launched her $20 challenge online. Advertisement 'I explore different neighborhoods in and around Boston and spend $20 or less because there's actually a lot to do,' Beumee said. 'You can pair a free thing and then try out this restaurant. Or if you use your Massachusetts license or your library card, you can get a discount on a ticket. I've done Fenway, Charlestown, Beacon Hill, and Harvard Square, and spent $20 or less.' Free-cash accounts, she said, are masters of serial content, and their success is a reflection of how audiences consume entertainment or recreational content nowadays. 'It's an easy engagement hack,' Beumee said. 'Serial content is one of the most strategic and easiest ways to grow. Social media is becoming Netflix for some people. They [follow] these accounts and creators that they view as characters.' It's the equivalent of a reality TV show but on Instagram. Eventually, Beumee theorized, once these accounts have garnered a big enough public — Find the Cash Boston currently has 164,000 followers — they could partner with brands, like doing a cash drop at a pop-up or event to get people in the door. 'The initial $100 [giveaway] is an investment in building an audience.' The appeal of 'Find the Cash' is obvious — what's not to like about free money? Beyond the scramble for cash, it also perfectly captures the current moment: Money is tight, attention is currency, and entertainment often comes in the form of public spectacle. Advertisement This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García. . Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland's E.l.f. Cosmetics responds to backlash over Matt Rife ad, says it ‘missed the mark'
E.l.f. Cosmetics is defending a new ad campaign featuring comedian Matt Rife after facing criticism over his past joke about domestic violence. The Oakland-based beauty brand said it 'missed the mark' with some customers and pledged to listen to feedback from its community. 'You know us, we're always listening and we've heard you,' the company wrote on Instagram Wednesday. 'This campaign aimed to humorously spotlight beauty injustice. We understand we missed the mark with people we care about in our e.l.f. community.' The campaign, launched Sunday, Aug. 10, parodied early-2000s personal injury law commercials, with Rife and drag queen Heidi N Closet playing 'beauty attorneys' fighting overpriced makeup. E.l.f. cast Rife for his large Gen Z female following — 80% of his TikTok audience is women, the company said — but quickly faced backlash from viewers citing a 2023 Netflix special, ' Natural Selection,' in which Rife joked about a waitress with a black eye. 'If she could cook, she wouldn't have that black eye,' he said. 'I figure we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be pretty smooth sailing after that,' Rife added. Following the 'Natural Selection' backlash, Rife posted an Instagram Story saying, 'If you've ever been offended by a joke I've told — here's a link to my official apology.' According to NBC News, the link directed users to a website selling medical helmets for people with special needs. Critics questioned why a brand known for championing women's causes would partner with him. 'Matt Rife? The guy who jokes about DV? In an ad targeted to women? That's, um. A choice,' one Instagram user wrote. E.l.f.'s global chief marketing officer, Kory Marchisotto, said the team was 'very surprised' by the reaction. 'There is a big gap between our intention and how this missed the mark for some people,' she told The Business of Beauty. 'We always aim to deliver positivity, and this one didn't.' In recent years, E.l.f. has focused on culturally relevant campaigns, from featuring Jennifer Coolidge in its 2023 Super Bowl debut to partnering with astronaut and activist Amanda Nguyen for Blue Origin's first all-female spaceflight.
