Sometimes, you just want to get away. You need a fresh start: new people, new scenery, and new opportunities. Forget cities that never sleep and work days that never end. At the Tuck School of Business, you can slow down and savor the experience.

Picture an Ivy League school where MBAs are the focal point – all the faculty time and school resources are invested in them – no pesky undergrads clogging the halls. Alas, Tuck is not a place for MBAs to play Henry David Thoreau and hide away for two years to just reflect. Being a “Tuckie” – the name for Tuck MBAs – is a 24×7 experience, says ’24 alum Ta-Von Wilson. Due to its small class sizes and tight-knit culture, Tuck is a business school where everyone must play leadership and supporting roles for the program to function. That’s why Tuck is referred to as an “all-in” MBA. That’s exactly what Kayla Hergott Heiny experienced as a first-year student.

“Everyone is at Tuck because they want to be here,” she observes. “This intentionality creates an invested and highly engaged community that wants to experience everything Tuck offers for the two years they are here. Weekends are devoted to camaraderie and creating memories together in Hanover, whether it is attending “Tucktoberfest” or dancing with hundreds of your classmates while jamming out to Tuck’s class bands.”

A HOCKEY CULTURE

The all-in expectation is further rooted in choosing Tuck. Hergott Heiny’s classmate, James Lewis, points to the fact that all Tuckies are foregoing city life – with Boston being over two hours away – and “starting from scratch.” That creates a common bond from the start. Even more, it reflects a common purpose: Tuckies come to Hanover to be part of a community and contribute, says first-year Ryan Montgomery. It is a self-selection process for MBAs looking for an Ivy League education with a specific identity.

At Tuck, that means more than embracing all things Tuck: Small group dinners, ski weekends, and fall hikes. It also entails taking risks. Lauren Baltrus, a ’24 grad, frames Tuck this way: “[A] paradoxical feeling of being both out of my comfort zone and yet extremely comfortable at the same time.” That can be illustrated in what is the school’s most hallowed tradition: Tripod hockey. Think of it as a hockey league for MBAs who “use their hockey stick as a third leg,” in the words of first-year Ricardo Torres-Garzon, a Miami native. Like the NHL, Tuck teams adopt names like Blades and Confused and Shake It Off(side) and even hold a player draft attended by students and alumni alike. Held during the fall and winter, Tripod Hockey is a way for students to bond by doing something they would normally shy away from out outside Hanover.

“Many students—some of whom have never seen snow before, let alone ice skated—are playing ice hockey,” adds Ryan Montgomery. “Tripod makes for fun, silly moments that will be unforgettable during our time here at Tuck (or perhaps it will be our shared trauma of falling on the ice). Jokes aside, it is very fun.”

ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO

Since arriving in Hanover last year, Madelyn Flores has discovered that time moves differently “in the woods.” Here, she can take walks around nature, a “environment to reflect on my experiences and process them in a deeper way.” While the Tuck curriculum and culture has been honed by 125 years of business students, the surroundings are equally central – or intentional – to the MBA experience.

“My favorite part of living in Hanover is the access to the mountains and the intentional lifestyle that the Upper Valley encourages,” explains Kayla Hergott Heiny. “I am looking forward to hiking many of the 48, 4000-plus foot mountains with my husband (who is also a Tuckie!) and our two dogs while we live here!”

What is Hanover like for MBAs? Think four seasons, hiking and cycling along the Appalachian Trail or kayaking in the nearby Connecticut River. It is one of those rare locales, says Brooke VanRosendael, where student can take a class and then “hit the slopes” for the rest of the day. This “anything and everything outdoors” milieu was fundamental to Ignacia Ulloa Peters choosing Tuck.

“During our summer term, we spent most days swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and standup paddling on the Connecticut River. As soon as the leaves started turning, I bought a used gravel bike and have been using it to explore the fall foliage across the Upper Valley and joined some Tuck Community Rides—an opportunity to spend time with classmates, professors, and Tuck staff outside of daily academics. With winter around the corner, I plan to spend as much time as possible skiing.”

WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME

Among Tuck alumni, you won’t hear much about Tuck being too out-of-the-way. In fact, ’24 grad Lauren Baltrus would say that school is situated just perfect. “Hanover is quaint and cozy, embodying the essence of small-town charm with all the essentials one could need. But I find that the best part of Hanover is actually its close proximity to other towns. Its location right on the border of Vermont makes it accessible to many weekend getaway destinations across New England (and even Canada!). These weekend trips have become a cherished part of my Tuck experience. Whether it’s skiing in the many mountains across New Hampshire and Vermont, dining at renowned restaurants in small towns throughout Vermont and Portland, Maine, or even venturing into Canada for the first time, these experiences have made me gain an appreciation for rural New England!”

In fact, Ta-Von Wilson jokes that Hanover is a place where he could enter a coffee shop or restaurant and “everyone knows my name.” It was an experience that Wilson’s classmate, Fresia Blanco, also enjoyed. “I love that you quickly feel like a local in Hanover—I often run into classmates at the local coffee shops and say hello to professors in town that are walking their dogs or enjoying time with their kids. I never thought I’d love living in a small town so much!”

STRONG FOOTPRINT IN PUBLIC SERVICE

Over the past year, the Class of 2026 has adjusted quite nicely to their new digs. The class includes students like Brooke VanRosendael, a former U.S. Army Reserve commander and jumpmaster who most recently worked as a consulting manager at PwC. Her classmate, Nicholas Mut-Tracy, is pursuing an MPA at Harvard University alongside his Tuck MBA. Before business school Mut-Tracy earned a Presidential Management Fellowships with both the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

“Some of our greatest accomplishments included negotiating a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Chilean governments and achieving diplomatic milestones with Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Likewise, as the Department of Defense’s policy lead for Colombia, I managed the United States’ defense relationship with a critical partner during a period of geopolitical volatility…I also met presidents and worked with foreign ministers, ambassadors, and chiefs of defense—all incredibly humbling experiences.”

Ignacia Ulloa Peters also operated in DC before business school, including three years with the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan think tank. “Before Tuck, I worked in foreign policy in Washington D.C. During my time there, I got the chance to experience impact on a micro and macro level, both within the United States and across Latin America and the Caribbean. One of my biggest accomplishments to-date was seeing research we produced be cited by Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs during a public meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.”

PRO ATHLETE AMONG ENGINEERS AND INVESTMENT BANKERS

Jason Gaines, who holds a doctor of pharmacy degree, spent six years at medical powerhouse Eli Lilly as an associate director in business development. Kayla Hergott Heiny has visited 49 of 50 American states – not to mention 47 national parks. She also holds a master’s in Engineering Management and has most recently led product launches in the medical technology field. Alexa Stewart brings over five years of experience from L’Oréal and Northrup Grumman to her classmates (along with internships at Amazon and Michelin). Not only did James Lewis spend time at Johns Hopkins University in research, but came back to lecture for a political dissidents course. After growing up in rural, poverty-stricken South Africa, Nelo Thembeka Mnguni became an investment banking powerhouse.

“One project especially meaningful to me was the $300 million modernization of the border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, which involved a partnership with the government and other financial institutions. Before the project’s completion, four people tragically lost their lives waiting to cross the border in December 2020. I strongly believe that no one’s life should be at risk due to inadequate infrastructure. Working on projects like these aligns with my core values of creating measurable impact, and I aspire to continue making a difference on an even larger scale.”

At the same time, Ryan Montgomery has been able to find balance between his career as a DEI strategy and brand consultant and his commitments as a professional trail ultra-marathoner. “Aside from athletic accolades, I have worked hard to bring my business skills to the table with my athlete partners. This has created meaningful partnership work that goes beyond being “an athlete for a brand.” For example, I have worked with my partners to do content shoots in other countries, event marketing strategy, and diversity and equity strategy. These experiences and work projects are something I have uniquely built from my athlete partnerships.”

ALUMNI PAY IT FORWARD

According to Tuck admissions, the school seeks out students who are encouraging, collaborative, and empathetic – or to borrow a popular campus phrase, “Tuck Nice.” Think of Tuck Nice as a Midwestern pleasantness with backbone, a sense of looking out for each other while still expecting the best from each other.  Or, to quote Brooke VanRosendael, Tuckies have a knack “for making [people] feel truly at home.” The Tuck ethos, says Jason Gaines, is to “always lend a helping hand.” One example of this, says ’24 alum Ben Marshall, is Tuck’s SafeTides program.

“The Upper Valley has no Uber and limited public transport, so there are lots of events which would be inconvenient or off limits, especially for students living off campus. We get around that through SafeRides, a system where Tuckies pair up and volunteer to drive their classmates to/from events on Thursdays through Saturdays. They only get paid in gratitude, but it’s a great experience on both sides. It’s also a prime example of the generosity and “all in this together” spirit of Tuck students.”

This sense of togetherness started early for the Class of 2026, adds James Lewis. “After only a week or two on campus, someone mentioned in our entire class group chat that there was a rodeo going on about an hour away in Vermont. One hundred people responded that they were interested, so that same afternoon someone else called a few bus companies. The next day we had two school buses booked to drive us all there. It really set the tone for how students here strive to bring everyone together. This kind of thing happens all the time at Tuck. Whether it’s organizing parties, hiking trips, or apple picking, students are constantly creating opportunities to connect with one another and explore the Upper Valley.”

And it isn’t just students who’ve bought into this level of engagement. Look no further than alumni, with over 500 graduates streaming back to Hanover to recruit or be part of classes. And alumni show up financially too. After Tuck completed its Tuck Difference campaign in 2023, it reported that 81% of alumni made gifts – more than double the usual rate at most business schools. At the same time, the campaign attracted $416 million – far more than its $250 million goal. That doesn’t even count the $37.5 Million gift it raked in last year from Glenn Britt, a former CEO of Time Warner Cable.

“The MBA class is fairly small, with just about 300 people—it’s not that hard to connect with most people over time, and everyone seeks out those connections,” observes Salman Kazrooni, a Bahrain native who last worked in investment banking. “You also see this accessibility stretching to the alumni. Tuck has a wide reach when it comes to alumni—there’s always a Tuckie who’s doing something you’re excited about and, for the most part, they’re always ready to help. The response rate for any outreach I’ve done so far has been close to 100 percent.”

A CLASS PROFILE

By the numbers, the Class of 2026 represents some high marks for Tuck. For one, the school reported a 36% increase in applications over the 2023-2024 admissions cycle. In fact, its 2,734 applications achieved an all-time high, with the school accepting just 31.2% of applicants. As a whole, the class GMAT average – 727 – inched up a point over the previous year. All the while, the class Verbal and GRE scores held steady at 161 in both cases, as the undergraduate GPA average notably improved from 3.49 to 3.6.

Like the previous class, the first-year consists of 41% women, while underrepresented minorities account for a 15% share. The class hails from 41 countries, with 30% of the class coming from outside the United Staes. First generation students make up 15% of the class, with another 7% identifying as LGBTQ+. Another third of the class brought their partners to Hanover.

Together, the 296-member class has attended 178 undergraduate institutions and worked for 231 employers. The class carries a strong liberal arts flavor, with 45% of the class majoring in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. 26% of the class hold undergraduate degrees in Business, while another 26% come from STEM. As professionals, the largest segment – 25% – last worked in Consulting. Financial Services (23%), Technology (13%), and Nonprofit and Government (10%) also boast 10% shares.

Next Page: 12 Student Profiles From the MBA Class of 2026.

Yale Athletics

On Sep. 17, 2021, Walker Oberg ’25, Luke Neal ’25, Aidan Reilly ’25 and Renaud Lefevre ’25 suited up to take on the Boston College Eagles at the Dartmouth Invitational. Oberg and Lefevre won in straight sets, while Reilly and Neal won in three.

After that dominating performance, there was no looking back for the four members of the Yale men’s tennis class of 2025. In October 2021, all four helped the Bulldogs take home two 6-0 victories by sweeping both days at the Harvard Invitational. And their home defeat in March 2023 against a previously unbeaten squad from the New Jersey Institute of Technology served as a launching pad for the team for their success that spring.

Then, in 2024, the class of 2025 helped the team get off to a blistering start, one that saw the Bulldogs victorious in their first four matches, and that concluded with Theo Dean ’24 and Reilly earning All-Ivy accolades. Reilly was named captain soon after, and he has led the Elis to new heights in his senior year. In March, the Bulldogs beat Cornell for the first time since 2013.

The group of seniors has helped foster a team environment where teammates play for one another. “It’s been incredible to come into a team with such a close bond, and have the opportunity to work hard every day towards pushing the team’s results forward,” Neal wrote to the News. “I wouldn’t have wanted to play anywhere else.” The class of 2025 has helped the Bulldogs reach double digit wins in each of the last four seasons.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The Kansas State women’s golf team recorded a score of 13-over par 301 on Saturday to fall 10 spots into a tie for 17th place during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Championship held at the par-72, 6,330-yard Omni La Costa Resort & Spa.
 
K-State sits at 14-over par 590 through two rounds to sit in a tie with LSU and will need to move up at least two spots on Sunday to survive the 54-hole cut. 
 
“The conditions were tough,” head coach Stew Burke said. “We knew being in the afternoon wave that we would have to grind and hang in there. We actually grinded pretty well, but we just gave up a couple of bogeys in the end. That will put us in the afternoon wave again tomorrow in the tougher conditions. Unfortunately, we just didn’t play well today, but, at the start of the week, all we wanted was a chance. We’re not too far back. We have to get off to a better start tomorrow.”
 
The Wildcats are only one shot out of a tie for 15th place. The top 15 teams following Sunday’s third round will advance to play in the final round of stroke play on Monday.
 
Sophomore Alenka Navarro and senior Carla Bernat led the Wildcats on Saturday as each tallied a score of 2-over par 74. Starting on No. 10, both players had a pair of bogeys over their first nine holes before paring every hole on the front half of the course.
 
Navarro enters Sunday’s third round in a tie for 19th place at even-par 144, while Bernat is tied for 33rd place at 2-over par 146.
 
Senior Sophie Bert went 4-over par 76 with three birdies on the day as she is tied for 103rd place at 8-over par 152. Bert is two shots back of freshman Nanami Nakashima, who is tied for 80th place following a round of 7-over par 79.
 
Junior Noa van Beek improved three strokes off her first-round score as she tallied a 5-over par 77. She enters Sunday’s round tied for 141st place at 13-over par 157.
 
Top-ranked Stanford had the round of the day at 10-under par 278, rising 10 spots on the leaderboard to take over the top spot. The Cardinal is at 5-under par 571, five shots ahead of Northwestern. Mississippi State’s Avery Weed holds a two-shot lead on the individual leaderboard at 7-under par 137.
 
The Wildcats tee off the third round of the NCAA Championship on Sunday off No. 1 beginning at 11:50 a.m., and K-State is paired with UCLA and LSU. Live results can be followed on SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the 383 student-athletes from 170 schools who comprise the 2025 NFCA Division III All-Region teams on Friday afternoon. Junior Abbie Hoff was named Region VII Third Team All-Region. All honorees move forward to be considered for selection for the three NFCA Division III All-America squads, which will be announced May 28 online and on-site at the NCAA Division III Finals banquet in Bloomington, Ill.

Abbie Hoff played a pivotal role in leading the Bulldogs to a strong 2025 campaign, finishing the season with an impressive 28-14 overall record and a 12-4 mark in MIAA play. Hoff emerged as one of the team’s top performers, dominating at the plate with a remarkable .429 batting average. She collected 30 hits, including eight doubles, one triple, and four home runs, while driving in 35 RBIs. Her .743 slugging percentage ranked fourth in the MIAA, and she led the conference in batting average while finishing fourth in RBIs.

Hoff was consistent and delivered in the clutch all season long, notching eight multi-hit games for the Bulldogs. She elevated her play even further during conference action, where she was nothing short of dominant, posting a staggering .500 batting average. Hoff led the team with 23 hits, including eight doubles and three home runs, while driving in a team-best 29 RBIs, proving to be a key catalyst in the Bulldogs’ success down the stretch.

Her outstanding season was capped off with her being named to the All-MIAA First Team, the first All-Conference honor of her career. Hoff’s breakout performance in 2025 firmly established her as one of the premier players in the league and a cornerstone for the Bulldogs’ success.

 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MCLA’s Class of 2025 was reminded to move forward with love, kindness, and pursuing what is just.

“I grew up wanting to be like my grandmother. When my grandmother was alive, she always talked about us living in the end times, but somehow her acceptance that we were living in the world’s last movement made her capacity for kindness even higher. It made her want to be better at love,” said keynote speaker Kiese Laymon, an award-winning author and Rice University professor.

“She understood that all great human beings do not get a ceremony, but we must be ceremonious to all human beings in this world.”

Per tradition, graduates marched through the iron gates on Church Street before receiving 187 undergraduate and 38 graduate degrees in the sciences, arts, business, education, and more. This was the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ 126th annual commencement.

“MCLA is a small institution, but it delivers big results,” said Paul Paradiso, who earned a master of business administration.

“I’m standing here alone only because I’ve been surrounded by a community of students and faculty. We’re here because of both group effort and individual drive. We work independently on projects, yet none of us got here entirely on our own.”

President James Birge reminded students that this day is a culmination of years of academic work and accomplishment.

“During your time at MCLA, you have compiled a long list of accomplishments and inspired us with your success in the classroom, in the lab, on the stage, in the gallery, on the athletic playing surfaces, and in the community. You’ve studied abroad, conducted research, participated in service trips and internships, and created community service programs to meet the needs you saw in our community,” he said.

“You were inducted into honor societies, held office in the student government, produced works of art, theater, dance, and spoken word, scored goals, runs, and baskets, and crossed finish lines. Some of you returned to school after time off, bringing with you professional and life experiences that enriched class discussions and that underscored the importance of lifelong learning.”

Birge said he and his colleagues are called to their work at MCLA by one common purpose: to contribute to the education of the next generation of leaders.

Brigh Cote, a communications major with a concentration in public relations and corporate communication, explained that she has transferred colleges twice and joined the Army, where she currently serves as a sergeant. Cote’s time at MCLA has “meant the world for me” for a variety of reasons, one being its inclusive nature.

“The very first time I heard about this school, I was sitting in my kitchen after having a meeting with my previous college that informed me that I was being fined $50 for being in a relationship with someone of the same sex. I knew I had to get out of a place like that,” she explained.

“How could I attend a college where being myself cost me money? I immediately began googling hockey teams that needed players, when my sister called me to tell me that a college named Massachusetts, College of Liberal Arts, was looking for players as they were about to start a program. I emailed the coach, and it wasn’t even 20 minutes after I sent the email that we set up a phone call.”

Cote had only one question for MCLA’s hockey coach: Can I be gay on your team?  She reported that the line went silent for a minute before her phone buzzed and a photo of two LGBTQ+ mugs appeared on the screen.

“He returned to the phone and said, ‘I will have to ask my athletic director and her wife to see if that will be a problem,'” Cote reported, followed by laughs and cheers from the crowd.

During her first hockey season, which was also the first time in MCLA history that the women’s team was established to take part in a regular season, little girls from around the city would stand outside the team’s door before they entered the ice and gave out high-fives.

“I learned a lot from them without them even knowing. At the last home game of the season, I’m about to take the ice for the third period when I feel the tap on my shoulder. It was one of the little girl’s moms, and she told me, ‘I just wanted to tell you, you’re my daughter’s favorite player. You’re super feisty, and she enjoys watching you play,’ I said, ‘Thank you,’ and I had to skate onto the ice,” she explained.

“…It hit me at that moment that we had an impact on this town, showing little girls from the Berkshires that they could be just like us.”

A “heartbreaking” injury in 2024 ended Cote’s college athletic career, but she became the official voice of the MCLA women’s hockey league. “This had helped me overcome the intense feelings I had because of not playing, but gave me a sense of purpose,” she explained.

Cote told fellow graduates to be the person they once needed.

“Be the teammate, the friend, the voice, the encouragement, the safe space, because out there, someone is hoping to find the kind of community we have built here at MCLA,” she said.

“Don’t shrink yourself to fit into places that you weren’t built for. Expand them, fill them with your truth.”

During the ceremony, honorary doctorates were conferred to Laymon, NAACP Berkshire County Branch President Dennis L. Powell, North Adams Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Malkas, and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.

Laymon spoke about Sesame Street, grandmothers, and style.

His grandmother did not have a commencement ceremony at home in Mississippi because she could not go to any high school, college, or university, and instead, had to drop out of high school to work.

“My grandmother was the greatest human being in my life, but she could not vote in our state by law until her late 30s. Her third child, my mother, did not go to school with white children until she was a junior in high school in 1969. Sesame Street also debuted in 1969,” he explained.

Six months later, Mississippi voted to remove the children’s show from televisions across the state. The rationale leaked to the New York Times was “Some of the members of the commission were very much opposed to showing the series because it used a highly integrated cast of children,” Laymon reported.

Twenty-two days later, his grandmother joined others in publicly challenging the decision not to air Sesame Street and won. Six years after the show aired, Laymon was born and received the teachings of Sesame Street along with those of a “Palestinian, Jewish character in this big old book called the Bible named Jesus.”

“‘They’re the same teachings,’ she would say,” he reported.

“Treat folks as we want to be treated, share, be honest, be kind, admit mistakes, accept others’ mistakes, and revise, and finally, fight tyranny by all means necessary. I wasn’t a great student, but I was a great student of my grandma.”

He said his grandmother passed away a few months ago at the age of 95, around the time of statewide diversity, equity, and inclusion bans.

“Our desire to organize, our capacity for kindness, and our desire to revise all that we have is the only thing that will save us; it is all that has ever saved us from tyranny,” Laymon said, asking that graduates exhibit love in honor of his grandmother.

Tags: graduation 2025,   MCLA,   

Waterville, Maine. – The Mules faced off against the Ducks of Stevens in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. Colby defeated Stevens 17-6, advancing to the Quarter Finals. 

The Ducks and Mules spent the first half in a near stalemate due to excellent defensive pressure by both teams. The first quarter saw more action from Stevens, who scored two goals to Colby’s one, but the Mules reciprocated in the second quarter with four goals to the Ducks’ three, resulting in a 5-5 tie at the half. The Mules would kick it into high gear offensively in the second half while keeping their defense strong. Colby came out swinging, scoring two goals in the first three minutes of the second half. When Stevens answered with a goal of their own, the Mules made sure that would never happen again. Pushing again offensively, Colby settled into a 13-6 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Mules kept going and scored an additional four goals while holding Stevens at zero. This resulted in a 17-6 win for Colby.

Jillian Kane’s nine saves were one part of an outstanding defensive game by the Mules. Kat Munter and Gisele Uva caused four turnovers each, and Avery Del Cole caused two, further contributing massively to the defensive push by Colby. Julia Jardina was the lead scorer for the Mules with five, and Charlotte Michener was close behind with four, Ainsley Dion with three, and Kins Helmer with two. Gennie Littlejohn led the team in assists with two. 

The Mules next face off against fellow NESCAC team Wesleyan University. The match will take place Sunday, May 18, at 2 pm at home.