Members of Princeton University’s Class of 2025 celebrated the end of their undergraduate careers with a Class Day ceremony honoring their achievements and leadership on Monday, May 26.

The Allen Macy Dulles ’51 Award was given to Katie Horan of Knightdale, North Carolina. The award recognizes a senior whose activities at Princeton best exemplify the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity.” Horan is majoring in religion and minoring in African American studies and in values and public life. She was a member of the Princeton Film Society. She has been awarded the John C. Bogle ’51 Fellow Award for Civic Service and Princeton’s ReachOut 56-81-06 fellowship. Horan founded the nonprofit All Bodies, All Brides, which promotes accessibility in the bridal industry. Outside of Princeton, she has volunteered at the nonprofit organizations Jill's House and Camphill. Horan is a member of Forbes College, where she serves as a residential college adviser.

Adriana Alvarado, of Delano, California, received the Frederick Douglass Service Award, established in 1969 at the recommendation of Carl Fields, who was assistant dean of the college. The award is given to a senior who has exhibited “courage, leadership, intellectual achievement and a willingness to contribute unselfishly toward a deeper understanding of the experiences of racial minorities and who, in so doing, reflects the tradition of service embodied in education at Princeton.” Alvarado is a sociology major with minors in environmental studies and Latino studies. She has received a RISE Fellowship Award, the John C. Bogle ’51 Fellow Award for Civic Service, the A. James Fisher Jr. ’36 Memorial Award from the Pace Center for Civic Engagement and a ReachOut 56-81-06 fellowship. At Princeton, Alvarado was co-president of the Princeton Latin American Student Association, an El Centro volunteer and founder of the student-led Multicultural Council. She is a member of Whitman College.

The Harold Willis Dodds Achievement Prize was presented to Jaime Chen of Bellevue, Washington. The award recognizes the senior who best embodies the qualities of Princeton’s 15th president, Harold Dodds, “particularly in the qualities of clear thinking, moral courage, a patient and judicious regard for the opinions of others, and a thoroughgoing devotion to the welfare of the University and to the life of the mind.” Chen is majoring in neuroscience and minoring in cognitive science. She participated in numerous campus organizations, including as a member of the women’s swimming and diving team and a member of the Asian Student-Athletes of Princeton. She served as a peer health adviser and a research assistant in the Department of Psychology’s Princeton Baby Lab. Chen is a member of Yeh College, where she also serves as a residential college adviser.

The W. Sanderson Detwiler 1903 Prize was awarded to Ben Wachspress of Yardley, Pennsylvania. The prize is given to a senior who, in the judgment of the student’s classmates, has done the most for the class. Wachspress is majoring in computer science with a minor in statistics and machine learning. Among his contributions to campus life, Wachspress served the Class of 2025 for four years as a member of the first-year council, as social chair during his sophomore and junior years, and then as class president in his senior year. He also chaired the class Commencement Committee. Wachspress is a member of New College West, where he also serves as a residential college adviser.

Gil Sander Joseph of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, received the Walter E. Hope Class of 1901 Medal, which recognizes the senior who, in the judgment of the student’s classmates, has done most for Princeton. Joseph is majoring in sociology with a minor in Latin American studies. His contributions to Princeton include serving as a member of the Council of the Princeton University Community (CPUC) Priorities Committee, the Undergraduate Residential Experience Working Group and the Princeton Honor Committee. He was also co-president of the Princeton African Students Association and the Undergraduate Francophone Society. Joseph co-founded the Hector Foundation, a youth educational nonprofit in Haiti. He was named a 2025 Knight-Hennessy Scholar. Joseph is a member of Forbes College, where he serves as a residential college adviser.

The Priscilla Glickman ’92 Memorial Prize — given to a Princeton senior who has “demonstrated independence and imagination in the area of community service, who seeks knowledge and purposeful adventure in unfamiliar cultures, and who maintains strong academic work” — was awarded to Emmie Pickerill of Aurora, Colorado. Pickerill is majoring in anthropology and minoring in American studies and in global health and health policy. She was a Pace Center Service Focus fellow, a community ambassador for the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity, a Writing Center fellow and a member of the Princeton Rose Castle Society. Pickerill completed internships in Switzerland and Uganda through the Office of International Programs and the Center for Health and Wellbeing, as well as another through the Office of Religious Life’s Faith-Based Internship Program. She is a recipient of the Barry Gillman Memorial Scholarship for Humanitarian Service Award, a Leader of the Year Award from the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life and the Office of Religious Life's Kenneth Christopher Harris ‘65 Memorial Award. She is a member of Mathey College.

Athletic awards

The Class of 1916 Cup was presented to rower Caroline Zhao of Westfield, New Jersey. The award, which was established by the Class of 1916 on the occasion of its 50th reunion, is presented to the senior varsity letter winner with the highest academic standing. Zhao, who is majoring in chemical and biological engineering with certificates in computer science and finance, helped pace for the men’s lightweight rowing team as coxswain of the fourth varsity boat. During the 2023 season, the team won the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship after racing to an Ivy League title and Eastern Sprints Championship. At Princeton, Zhao served as president of the Princeton Engineering Council and a volunteer with Princeton’s Special Olympics Rowing program. A two-time recipient of the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence, she also received the 2024 George B. Wood Legacy Prize. She is a member of Butler College.

The C. Otto von Kienbusch Award, which recognizes the top senior sportswoman at Princeton, was awarded to track and field and cross country athlete Mena Scatchard, a major in the School of Public and International Affairs from North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Scatchard is a middle distance runner and eight-time Ivy League champion who helped the women's track and field team complete their third-ever Triple Crown — winning indoor, outdoor and cross country titles in the same season — and the program’s first since 2011. As a two-time All-Ivy performer in cross country, she finished second overall and led the Tigers to their first cross country Heptagonal title in nine years. Scatchard was also the 2025 NCAA indoor runner-up in the mile. At the conference level, Scatchard won individual Ivy League titles in four events and set four facility records during her championship performances. She is a nine-time First Team and three-time Second Team All-Ivy honoree in track and field. At Princeton, she holds seven program records and ranks second all-time in three other events and made the all-time Top 10 in four more. Scatchard’s performances have placed her in the Ivy League all-time Top 10 all-meets in seven events. She is a member of New College West.

The William Winston Roper Trophy was awarded to water polo player Roko Pozaric, an economics major from Zagreb, Croatia. The trophy, awarded since 1936, goes to “a male senior of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics.” Pozaric is a four-time All-American and three-time conference player of the year for the men's water polo team. He is Princeton's all-time leading goal scorer with 281 tallies and also ranks second all-time in assists. Pozaric was named the Northeast Water Polo Conference Rookie of the Year and Rookie of the Tournament on his way to his first All-American honors. In 2023, he was recognized as the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Tournament MVP and a finalist for the Cutino Award. He has since won the conference title four years in a row, making it to the Final Four in 2023 with a program record 28 wins and finishing fifth in the country the last two seasons. Pozaric is a four-time First Team All NWPC performer and 14-time conference player of the week. He is a member of New College West.

The Arthur Lane ’34 Award honors selfless contribution to sport and society by an undergraduate student-athlete. This year the honor was shared by Issa Mudashiru of Bethesda, Maryland, and Maddie Seltzer of Scarsdale, New York.

• Issa Mudashiru, an anthropology major pursuing certificates in East Asian studies and global health and health policy, is a captain and defender for the varsity men’s soccer team, which he helped win both the 2021 Ivy League regular season championship and the 2024 Ivy League Tournament championship. A 2025 Schwarzman Scholar and Spirit of Princeton Award recipient, Mudashiru served as vice president of the Black Premedical Society and a Global Health Scholar at Princeton’s Center for Health and Wellbeing. On campus, he was a Student Athlete Wellness Leader, a mentor with the Princeton University Mentorship Program, an intern at the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding and a volunteer with the Princeton Varsity Club’s Johnson Park Tiger Pals and Reading with the Tigers programs. Mudashiru also founded the Dunya Soccer Foundation, a youth soccer nonprofit in West Africa. He is a member of Rockefeller College.
• Maddie Seltzer, a sociology major pursuing a certificate in entrepreneurship, is a diver for the varsity women’s swimming and diving team. In addition to helping the team win three consecutive Ivy League championships, she is a three-time NCAA Zone Championships participant. Seltzer is a Team IMPACT fellow, which establishes partnerships between college athletic teams and children with serious illnesses and disabilities. Under her leadership, Princeton was named the 2023-24 Division I Team IMPACT Fellowship Campus of the Year. The recipient of a 2025 Spirit of Princeton Award, Seltzer served as a co-president of the Student Athlete Service Council and a co-founder of the Jewish Student Athlete Collective. She also taught students in Vietnam as part of the Coach for College initiative. She is a member of Butler College.

The Chris Sailer Leadership Award honors two senior student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional leadership and a commitment to serving others. The award was donated by Lucy Small DeStefano of the Class of 1999 and Chris DeStefano of the Class of 1994 in honor of Chris Sailer, Hall of Fame women’s lacrosse coach at Princeton from 1987 to 2022. The award recipients are Mia Coene and Thomas Rosini.

• Mia Coene, a politics major from Clayton, New York, is a forward and two-year captain for the women’s ice hockey team. She has appeared in over 120 games during her career, including serving as the center for the team’s checking line. Coene is a two-time Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Academic Team honoree. She has served as a SCORRE (Strength in Coaching on Relationships, Respect and Equality) leader and a member of the Varsity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She also volunteered with Ronald McDonald House Charities and interned with Let Her Play, a nonprofit that promotes female participation in sports. She is a member of Rockefeller College.
• Thomas Rosini, a philosophy major from Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, with a minor in computer science, is a two-year captain for the men’s squash team. A College Squash Association First Team All-American, Rosini helped the team to the 2024 Ivy League championship. As team captain, he helped propel the team to back-to-back CSA Potter Cup semifinal appearances. Rosini is a 2025 CSA Scholar Athlete and an undergraduate student representative in the Department of Philosophy. He is a member of Rockefeller College.

Honorary class members

Each year, the graduating class nominates and selects faculty, staff, alumni or others who have made a profound impact on the student body.

The Class of 2025 recognized the following people as honorary class members: Melanie Ibarra, student organization program coordinator in the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students; Chelsie Berg-Geist, assistant director of college success and student engagement at the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity; Catalina (Esther) Maldonado-Lopez, Campus Dining staff member in Yeh College; Julie Gerek-Sefa, undergraduate administrator in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering; and podcaster Jay Shetty, this year’s Class Day speaker.

All University programs and activities are open to all eligible participants without regard to identity (or other protected characteristics).