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They arrived with curiosity, drive, and a sense of possibility — and now Hamilton’s Class of 2025 is stepping boldly into what’s next, with graduation canes in hand and valuable lessons learned. What shaped them during their four years on College Hill? Which moments, mentors, and courses stand out?

Delbert Gonzales ’25, a theater major at Hamilton and winner of the College’s James Soper Merrill Prize this year, is committed to pursuing a career in the theatre industry. However, this path did not always seem a viable option to him. Growing up in Louisiana, Gonzales described how his school didn’t provide much support or many opportunities in theatre. His overall inexperience left him not knowing if he would ever “be good enough” to truly pursue the art.

Sabina Feder ’25 and Brianna “Bri” Padilla ’25 both received Hamilton’s prestigious Bristol Fellowship, which sponsors projects “based on strong personal interest and commitment” and that “exhibit a spirit of inquisitiveness and a seriousness of purpose.”

In the world of Hollywood, the road from script to production is a long one. It starts with the development team that reads the scripts, hears the pitches, and ultimately decides whether a script has the potential to be a successful show. Then, it’s their job to get the network to see that vision. Zoe Neely ’25 had the opportunity recently to step into this world.

Andrew Fredericks ’25 and Charlie Haberstock ’25 both received a 2025 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, a national $40,000 grant to pursue a one-year passion project anywhere in the world. While receiving the award is a feat in and of itself, the two geosciences majors were particularly excited when they heard that the other had won. Close friends since their first year at Hamilton, the pair had supported each other throughout the Watson application process.

Anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite K’74 is 72 and she’s good with that. The Decade of Healthy Ageing, a U.N. collaboration with the World Health Organization, recently honored her as one of its Healthy Ageing 50.

Individuality. Creativity. Collaboration. Dependence. To Charlie Ratner ’23, lacrosse has always provided the perfect blend of striving for success both as an individual and working together as a cohesive team. These qualities have been the building blocks of Ratner’s life; in fact, he describes his lacrosse stick as an inherent part of his very being.

Among Dan Small's ’66 rich and varied life, there’s one thread that weaves through all seven decades. In fact, that thread — fishing — is cinched to his earliest memory.

Back in 2020, three DJs at WHCL scored an interview with then up-and-coming artist Chappell Roan, who just took home the Grammy for Best New Artist. Check out their conversation!

Philip O’Neill ’73 gets around. His senior year winter study at Hamilton took the Soviet studies major to Uzbekistan, a Muslim republic then part of the U.S.S.R. There, looking at the distant mountains, he asked a local what was on the other side.