Latest news with #of2025
Press and Journal
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Prom photos: Inverurie Academy Class of 2025 leavers' ball
Inverurie Academy's Class of 2025 has partied together for the last time. The graduating pupils dressed to impress as they gathered for their leavers' event at the Aberdeenshire school. And they made it a night to remember before going their separate ways in the world. The Inverurie prom is the latest to feature in our Class of '25 series, in which we showcase pictures from some of the leavers' proms and dances across the north and north-east. Read more:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pine Grove Area seniors head off to next chapter
PINE GROVE — Pine Grove Area High School graduated 132 students from its senior class Thursday at its commencement exercises. Dressed in the district's signature Cardinal red gowns, the seniors celebrated the momentous occasion on a pleasant evening at Cardinal Stadium, surrounded by bleachers packed with family members and friends. Superintendent Heath W. Renninger, in his welcome address, reminded students of three powerful qualities — resilience, creativity, heart — that have shaped their journeys. 'Creativity is often thought of as art or music, but it's so much more,' he said. 'It's your ability to think outside the box, to find new solutions, to dream bigger than the circumstances around you. Your creativity will allow you to navigate a world that's changing faster than ever.' * Members of the Pine Grove Area JROTC present the nation's colors during the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Members of the Pine Grove Class of 2025 proceed onto the field for their graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29.(RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Pine Grove Class of 2025 Valedictorian Alexander Dubbs speaks at his graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Members of the Pine Grove Class of 2025 proceed onto the field for their graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * A pair of Lockheed C130 Hercules military transport planes pass over Pine Grove Area High School's graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Pine Grove Class of 2025 President Alexis Butler speaks at her graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Pine Grove Class of 2025 Salutatorian Allison Kelley speaks at her graduation ceremony of Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 7 Members of the Pine Grove Area JROTC present the nation's colors during the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) Expand He also urged students to remember 'who's in your corner.' He said they will continue to develop relationships with their corners of support and will find new ones over time. Valedictorian Alexander Dubbs recalled the tough time the Class of 2025 had recovering from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said affected their social skills as they entered high school. He also referenced a wave of teacher resignations during the class's sophomore and junior years. 'Still, our class didn't let it hurt us as we made it to the start of senior year, and ultimately where we are tonight,' he said. Salutatorian Allison Kelley, in her speech, offered a reflection on the dangers of nostalgic reminiscing and told her fellow seniors to enjoy the present. 'Here's the truth: High school is not the best years of our lives,' she said. 'And honestly, that's a relief because the best years don't exist. There is no single chapter of life that defines our joy. What we do have are the memories that we make throughout our entire lives.' Alexis Butler, senior class president, spoke about her experience as the student representative to the Pine Grove Area school board. She called it 'a rare opportunity, as most school boards don't include a student voice. That alone speaks volumes.' Butler said she regularly attended board meetings, where she provided updates on student activities, and visited classrooms, spoke with teachers and administrators, and interviewed peers to 'bring a real, student-centered perspective to the table.' 'Our board listened, not just to the highlights, but to the needs, challenges and hopes of our student body,' she said. 'Representation matters, and I'm proud Pine Grove believes that, too.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump addresses West Point graduates: 'You are winners'
President Donald Trump told U.S. Military Academy graduates at West Point's commencement ceremony that they are all winners. "Let me begin by saying congratulations to the West Point Class of 2025," Trump said in a high-energy address at Michie Stadium in New York. You are winners. Every single one of you. Today I can proudly say mission accomplished, great job." Trump took to the stage to a loud chorus of "USA, USA" chants. The speech to the 2025 graduation class marks the first military commencement address of Trump's second term. Grading Trump: Where The President Stands In The Eyes Of Americans Four Months Into His Second Term He told the 1,002 graduating cadets that the academy is the "most elite and storied military academy in human history." Trump railed against previous foreign policy initiatives. He declared to end critical race theory, DEI initiatives and men in women's sports while vowing to promote a return to merit-based systems and traditional military values. Read On The Fox News App "The job of the U.S. is not to host drag shows or transform foreign countries, to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun. The military's job is to dominate and foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime and anywhere." He emphasized "peace through strength," a common mantra he often uses and committed to helping build up the military. "If the United States is under attack, the army will obliterate our opponents with overwhelming strength and devastating force," Trump said. "That's why this nation has begun a colossal buildup of the United States armed forces, a buildup like you never had before." "Because as much as you want to fight, I'd rather do it without having to fight. I just want to look at them and have them fold -- and that's happening." He announced a $1 trillion military buildup, including new stealth aircraft, tanks and a state-of-the-art "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, all which he declared would be "Made in America." He said the dome would be finished by the time he leaves office. Trump called Cadet Chris Verdugo on stage after announcing that he had "smashed" an international record for an 18-and-a-half-mile march, as well as Cadet Ricky McMahon, a fourth-generation West Point graduate whose father served in Iraq. The president also celebrated Army football victories, noting wins over Navy and Air Force and national team rankings in what was a typical Trump speech, blending his unique blend of bravado, showmanship and crowd engagement. Trump also offered personal advice which he said would be a recipe for success for the cadets. He told cadets to "do what you love, ""think big," and "work hard," citing an athlete who said the harder he worked, the luckier he got. He also told cadets to "never lose momentum" and to "never give up." Trump also praised his administration for closing the broader and said that the U.S. had been "invaded" over the last few years. Vance Tells Naval Academy Graduates They Are Facing 'New' And 'Very Dangerous Era' For Us The academy is best-known for producing Army officers including Gen. George S. Patton and Gen. Douglas MacArthur as well as Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Some of its graduates have gone on to become CEOs of major companies, such as Jim Kimsey, founder of AOL; Bob McDonald, former CEO of Procter & Gamble; and Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson. On Friday, Vice President JD Vance told graduates at the United States Naval Academy that they are embarking on a mission in a new and very dangerous era for the country, with threats from adversaries such as China and Russia. Vance emphasized a move away from prolonged military engagements with undefined missions. He highlighted the administration's focus on clear, specific objectives when deploying military force. Fox News' Greg Norman and Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump addresses West Point graduates: 'You are winners'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Harvard Business School Students Launch $1 Million Class Fund to Back Their Own
Harvard Business School's Baker Library Seven second-year students at Harvard Business School have launched a first-of-its-kind fund aimed at backing entrepreneurs from their own graduating class — and they've already raised $1 million to get started. The fund, called Twenty25 Ventures, was created by members of HBS's Class of 2025 to invest in classmate-founded startups over the next decade. Built around a model of 'community-based investing,' the fund will automatically back any qualifying venture launched by a 2025 graduate, bypassing traditional selective processes in favor of broader support for their entrepreneurial peers. 'There's no specific area we're looking at,' Twenty25 co-founder Insoo Chang tells The Harvard Crimson. 'As long as a founder in our class is able to do that, they will get a check.' AUTOMATIC FUNDING FOR QUALIFIED STARTUPS Insoo Chang: 'Raising capital — fundraising — should be incredibly difficult. But because we have so much confidence from our classmates, it hasn't been too difficult' The funding initiative, which began organizing in fall 2023, marks the first time HBS students have created a self-organized investment fund to support their classmates. However, the idea was partly inspired by similar efforts at peer schools, particularly Stanford Graduate School of Business. Chang tells the Crimson that the Twenty25 team received guidance from founders of Stanford's 2020 class fund and utilized a platform called Power in Numbers to structure their fund legally as an investment club. Twenty25 Ventures sets clear and open criteria for founders seeking investment: startups must have a Class of 2025 founder, have raised at least $500,000 in an external round, and have institutional validation from another investor. Companies that meet these standards will automatically receive an investment, with check sizes ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. The fund does not plan to back nonprofits, academic research, grant proposals, or search funds, according to its website. Beyond capital, participating founders gain access to an advisory board of HBS alumni and venture capital professionals who can offer mentorship, fundraising guidance, and potential introductions to additional investors. In comments to the Crimson, Yuval Efrat, another Twenty25 co-founder, describes the advisory board as a 'win-win' setup. Advisers get early connections to promising HBS founders, while entrepreneurs receive access to valuable networks and expertise. '(Founders) get their classmates on the cap table willing to help them with everything they need,' Efrat says, 'and (they) get that list of advisers that are willing to help them either with advice on the fundraise, maybe invest themselves, or even connect them to other VCs that might be interested.' BUILT BY THE CLASS, FOR THE CLASS In a departure from typical venture funds, Twenty25 Ventures operates without management fees or carried interest. Any member of the HBS Class of 2025 can contribute financially to the fund. The fund's advisory board of nearly a dozen venture capital leaders and HBS alumni includes Bryan Kim, partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Alex Kayyal, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, Arjun Chopra, partner at Floodgate, Sara Choi, partner at Wing VC, and Kristie Han, principal at Canapi Ventures. Chang emphasized to The Crimson that the strength of the HBS network made the fundraising effort unusually smooth. 'Raising capital — fundraising — should be incredibly difficult,' he says. 'But because we have so much confidence from our classmates, it hasn't been too difficult.' The fund's founders hope it will create a lasting foundation of support for future HBS entrepreneurs — and perhaps inspire a new tradition within the school's famously competitive environment. Plans are already underway to replicate the model for the HBS Class of 2026, Chang says, as enthusiasm for community-driven investing grows within the business school. 'The community, alumni, professors, and classmates have been all in, super engaged, and they want to help build this together,' he says. DON'T MISS and The post Harvard Business School Students Launch $1 Million Class Fund to Back Their Own appeared first on Poets&Quants. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Senior students give back to community
HUBBARD, Ohio (WKBN) — One Trumbull County district's senior class is kicking off its last month of high school by giving back to their community. Ninety-two members of Hubbard High School's Class of 2025 are learning a lesson on giving back. 'We're just out in the community, you know, having some fun, cleaning some stuff up, doing some service,' said senior Alex Hackwelder. Willingly trading a morning in the classroom for manual labor, they're volunteering to do work on different projects at nine different locations across the city and township. 'We're helping the fire department and washing all their trucks and ambulances,' said Malia Hivner. 'There's some blisters, a little bit of dirt, these kids got wet at the fire station, but so it's a fun day but they're also doing some work,' said senior class advisor Andrea Stamp. It's the fourth year for the district's annual Senior Day of Service. 'The kids enjoy giving back then they talk about it, it's a memory for them,' Stamp said. 'It's good for both the community and the school.' The seniors say It's a fun-filled way to kick off the last month before graduation. 'It's just a great day to get our senior class together and come out and be with our teachers and help out around our community and kinda like we're doing many different last hurrah's with our class,' Hivner said. 'We get that time in class together, but now we get some time outside of class to, you know, not only spend some time together but also do it in a good way that gives back to you know the people of Hubbard that supported us through you know our four years of high school,' Hackwelder said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
