DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac Union High School has announced the Top Ten Graduates from the Class of 2025.

The following students have excelled both in and out of the classroom by maintaining a superb academic record, while also participating in numerous extracurricular activities and teams. Commencement will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at Chris Taylor Alumni Field. This year, seven Chieftains earned 4.0 GPAs to achieve Valedictorian status.

Graduating as a Valedictorian of the Class of 2025 is Guadalupe Brito. Guadalupe is the daughter of Andres and Natalia Brito. Her high school activities include National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Humanities Club, Educational Talent Search, varsity soccer and wrestling.

Her Awards include academic Award of Excellence, Academic Achievement Award, Student of the Month, Honorable Mention for soccer from the Lakeland Conference, Honorable Mention all-conference wrestling and high honors. She plans to attend Ferris State University to pursue a degree in diagnostic medical sonography and she hopes to one day become an ultrasound technician.

Also graduating as Valedictorian is Rebecca Guernsey. Rebecca is the daughter of Richard and Jennifer Guernsey. Her high school activities include golf, softball, basketball, National Honors Society, robotics and powerlifting. Her awards include National Rural Small Town Academic Award, a six-time first-team all-conference honoree – four times in golf, two for soccer – two-time first team All-State golf, three-time state qualifier.

She is also an individual regional champion in golf and is a five-time team MVP – three in golf, two in softball. She plans to attend Bethel University to get a bachelor’s degree in sports management and her career plan is to become a golf course manager and a PGA professional.

Nevaeh Hemminger is also graduating as a Valedictorian. Nevaeh is the daughter of Regina Hemminger and Chad Velthouse. Her High School activities include National Honor Society, Chieftain Heart, Humanities and National Society of High Schools. Her awards include student of the month and she was aNational Rural and Small Town Recognition Award winner. She has received High Honor Awards, First Generation Recognition Award, CTE Health and Therapeutic Awards, the Award of Academic Excellence, National Career Readiness Certificate and has been a CTE Outstanding Award recipient.

After graduation, Nevaeh plans to attend Southwestern Michigan College for another year before entering the workforce or possibly transferring to the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan, she plans to major in business and minor in entrepreneurship. Her goal is to become a successful entrepreneur and business owner by opening a bakery within five years of graduation.

Emerson Kruger is Dowagiac’s next Valedictorian. Emerson is the daughter of Andy and Jacqueline Krueger. Activities include being Vice President of the Rotary Interact Club, secretary of Student Senate, captain of the varsity volleyball team, member of National Honor Society and also a member of the Humanities Club and Environmental Club.

Her awards include receiving High Honors and the Academic Award of Excellence. She’s been Student of the Month and had a volleyball academic All-State award. Emerson plans to attend the University of Michigan to major in kinesiology and exercise science. Emerson hopes to become either a physical or occupational therapist or work for a sports team as an athletic trainer.

Brenna Mott is also graduating as a Valedictorian. Brenna is the daughter of Jason and Stephanie Mott. Her high school activities include Vice President of the National Honor Society, treasurer of Student Senate, chair of Rotary Interact Club and a member of Humanities Club and Environmental Club. Her awards include an Academic Award of Excellence, High Honors, individual, All-State basketball and individual All-State volleyball. 

Brenna plans to attend Michigan State University. In the future, she dreams of working for the Detroit Lions as a member of their managing and marketing team, where she can promote them on social media,

Graduating as a Dowagiac Valedictorian is Carlee Spagnoli. She is the daughter of Michael Spagnoli and Mickey Spagnoli. Her high school activities include softball, golf and National Honor Society. She is a member of the Career and Technical Education showcase team that represented the Dowagiac’s automotive class in Lansing.

Carlee Earned her ASE certification in maintenance, light repair and brakes. Her Awards include High honors, the Academic Award of Excellence, Academic all-state team and individual all-state for softball and golf and all-conference for golf. Carlee plans to attend Ferris State University for either radiography or nuclear medicine. She hopes to work in a hospital as a radiography tech or a nuclear medicine tech.

Dowagiac’s final Valedictorian for the Class of 2025 is Emma Stanger. She is the daughter of Mike and Melissa Stanger. Her school activities include Rotary Interact – where she was the treasurer last year and president this year – Environmental Club Leadership Team, Student Senate, National Honor Society. Humanities and Chieftain Heart.

She also represents Dowagiac in the Michigan Gateway Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Emma is a 14-year member and team captain of the Miss Michelle and Company dance team. Her Awards include High Honors, MVP, all-state and academic all-state for competitive cheer.

Emma plans to attend Purdue University and major in marketing. After graduating college, she aims to work in the sports industry being behind the scenes working on marketing.

Representing the Class of 2025 as Salutatorian is Markus Ottinger with a GPA of 3.952. He is the son of Brandon Ottinger and Sherry Chaline. Markus’ high school activities include National Honor Society, Rotary Interact and Environmental Club. His awards include receiving an Academic Award of Excellence and being recognized for high honors. He was honorable mention at the 106 and 113-pound weight class and was first team all-conference in wrestling. He was also Academic All-State for four years, a four-year wrestling varsity starter and is ASE certified in maintenance and light repair and plans to attend Western Michigan University to study computer science, computer systems and information. He hopes to become a certified information technician.

Lauren Balsbaugh is ranked number 9 with a GPA of 3.95. She is the daughter of TJ and Kelly Balsbaugh.Her high school activities include National Honor Society, Rotary Interact, Environmental Club, Student Senate, Chieftain Heart, varsity sideline cheer along with varsity competitive cheer and varsity tennis. Her awards include Certificates of Excellence all four years of high school, High honors and Academic All-State for competitive cheer. She’s been the MVP for tennis and has made all-conference in competitive cheer as well. Lauren plans to attend Saint Mary’s College and after graduation hopes to start as a registered nurse before returning to get a master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner.

Merrill Adams is ranked number 10, graduating with a GPA of 3.92. She is the daughter of John and Erin Adams. She is enrolled at Cassopolis Ross Beatty for agriculture classes and is dual-enrolled at Southwestern Michigan College. She is the Vice President of the Cassopolis FFA chapter, Michigan’s Region One FFA Reporter, is a member of Student Senate, Vice President of the Dowagiac National Honor Society and Rotary Interact Club.

She has received high honors all four years of high school and was the recipient of Green Hand, chapter and state degrees for FFA. She also received a state chapter award for FFA and placed sixth at the Michigan FFA State Convention in the prepared public speaking competition.

Merrill is currently Miss Cassopolis and Miss Congeniality 2025. She plans to attend Southwestern Michigan College for agricultural business before getting her certificate in agricultural operations from Michigan State University. After graduating, she plans to get her bachelor’s in animal science from Kansas State University’s online program. She plans to be a MagnaWave practitioner and hopes to become an agricultural science teacher.

The Houston Texans have unveiled a multi-year partnership with Coyote Promotions, establishing them as a Proud Partner of the franchise.

The extensive collaboration will see Coyote Promotions engaging with the Texans on various fronts, which is set to commence with the 2025 season, including gameday merchandising, community support initiatives, and broader brand promotion efforts.

The partnership is designed to enhance the overall experience for fans, introducing promotional item opportunities that will be available throughout the season.

This strategic alliance reflects the Texans’ commitment to enriching fan engagement while simultaneously fostering valuable community connections through Coyote Promotions’ expertise.

As the partnership develops, stakeholders will be keen to observe its impact on both the Texans’ brand visibility and community outreach initiatives.

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Cadance Winder and Bailee Roberts came to AU on very different paths but will be part of the historic class.
 
Winder transferred from Valdosta State and saw the program was opening up and knew right away that’s the direction she wanted to take.
 
“I thought sports management was a great way to get involved with something I’ve done my whole life,” said Winder
 
Roberts came to AU her freshman year and was originally a finance major. Once she found out about the sports management program, she knew it would be her calling.
 
“Sports has always been a passion and once they introduced that, I knew that was something I wanted to pursue a career in,” said Roberts.

 
Both Winder and Roberts know playing on the softball team has given them an advantage before they start their post-collegiate careers. Seeing how the Jaguar program is run and what it takes has been an advantage to them.
 
Since their classes have been all-encompassing and exposing them to many different aspects of sports management, they’ve been able to broaden their horizons, and each have had their own favorite classes.
 
“I really liked sports marketing; it really piqued my interest,” said Roberts.
 
“My favorite right now is organizational behavior in sports because it teaches you how to persuade people and how to talk with people, especially in the athletic field as a woman,” said Winder.
 
Roberts would eventually like to open her own softball clinic and help young girls get to where she is. Having this degree will certainly help her in that career path.
 
“I mainly want to focus on kids. Kids trying to come up in the athletic program and trying to go to the collegiate level because some don’t get the opportunity and are overlooked, and I want to help guide the girls to be where I am today,” added Roberts.
 
For Winder, she’s looking at pro sports and her dream job would be with the Atlanta Braves.
 
“I want to work in professional sports in the long run. Being a woman in sports is on the uptick right now,” said Winder. “I have more of an upper hand because I’ve been in sports my whole life. So just getting that hands on experience and knowing athletes and how teams are run, helps me.”

For years, the path for elite college basketball players was simple: dominate the NCAA, enter the NBA or WNBA draft, and start earning big. However, the game has changed since 2021, with the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules.

Now, top college basketball players can cash in on their fame while still in school, with some earning amounts comparable to professional salaries

Why Today’s College Basketball Stars Can Skip the NBA and Still Get Paid

The shift in the landscape means the traditional dream of going pro is no longer the only avenue for financial success. In 2025, today’s college hoopers can stay in school and still rake in substantial earnings without ever stepping foot in the NBA.

The introduction of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights has dramatically reshaped the landscape of college basketball.

This new opportunity enables student-athletes to profit from endorsements, social media, and more while maintaining their NCAA eligibility. This new opportunity has blurred the lines between college and professional basketball, narrowing the financial gap for elite players.

The NBA is no longer the default destination for top talent. Several factors contribute to this shift. First, the NBA draft is highly competitive, with only 60 spots available annually, drawing a global pool of prospects.

Finally, NIL’s financial benefits encourage players to stay in school longer, allowing them to focus on their education and long-term career goals. Today, college players can earn substantial amounts through NIL deals, even without a professional contract.

These opportunities include collaboration deals with brands, which enable players to earn up to millions of dollars, and social media endorsements, appearances, and merchandise sales.

One of the best instances is Duke’s Cooper Flagg whose NIL value is determined to be close to $5 million—this figure is higher than the earnings of athletes playing in foreign leagues and also G-League players who have been affected by the rise of NIL.

NIL has shifted the incentives for college athletes. With financial rewards on the table, players are less inclined to leave college early. As one Reddit user pointed out:

“Rodney Rice… just signed for USC for 3 million… Can you imagine being a Rice-tier player from before this era and seeing this?”

KEEP READING: 2025 Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

“How pissed are pre-NIL college basketball players when they see these players getting millions per year now?”

Before NIL, players like Rice would have had to go pro to make substantial money, but today’s college stars can secure impressive earnings while still in school.

This transformation allows athletes to gain valuable experience, build their personal brands, and amass wealth—all without needing to rush into the uncertainties of the NBA draft.

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