Class of 2025: Ready to ‘Build a Better & Brighter Future’ [Video]

Under a cloudless blue sky outside Memorial Building, Whitman College’s Class of 2025 received their diplomas on Sunday, May 25, in Walla Walla.

The graduates, who started college in the midst of a pandemic, crossed the stage as one of Whitman’s largest-ever classes: 415 strong.

Respected conservationist, enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and public leader Chuck Sams, who served as Director of the National Park Service during the Biden administration, delivered the commencement address, telling graduates, “Now more than ever, we need your energy. We need your zest, your zeal to build a better and brighter future. So that your stories will be told here and across the nation.”

Enjoy these highlights from the momentous day and read more about the celebration.