Meet Emory's Class of 2025

Their paths to Emory are unlike any other students: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their junior year of high school, then sparked senior years that flip-flopped between in-person, hybrid and online learning, with little — or no — opportunity to visit college campuses and altered application processes. 

But the Class of 2025 rose to each challenge and now brings a unique blend of perseverance, awareness and compassion to the Emory community.

“I am thrilled to welcome Emory’s Class of 2025 — a vibrant and diverse group of exceptional students who are talented and creative, and each of them has the drive to succeed and serve,” says Emory President Gregory L. Fenves.

“By beginning their college education in the midst of a global pandemic, Emory’s newest students have demonstrated extraordinary determination and fortitude — qualities that will serve them well throughout their lives,” Fenves says. “I can’t wait to see all that they will contribute and achieve.”

These members of the Class of 2025 are unique in another aspect: They are drawn from the largest and most diverse applicant pool in Emory’s history. A record setting 33,780 undergraduate applications were submitted this year, up 18% from the previous year and up 67% from five years ago.

“Emory students all share a love of learning and a love of community,” says Ravi Bellamkonda, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Our students have a sense of connectedness with the world around them and understand that a single individual can make a difference for many. The students we welcome this academic year are also more aware of social justice. 

“At Emory, I hope they channel this awareness into creating a place where every student feels they belong, can express themselves fully, and any individual can rise up and be the best amongst us,” Bellamkonda says. “We’ll be the welcoming and inclusive Emory I know we can be when each of us can cheer the successes of the others.”

With top academic scores, athletic and artistic achievements, and strong records of community service, they come to Emory from around the nation and the world ready to take the next steps in their educational journeys.

“These are an elite group of students from an academic standpoint, at the very tip of the academic distribution across America,” says John Latting, associate vice provost for enrollment and Emory dean of admission. “They have shown they’re ready to take on the challenge of an Emory education, but also have shown that they care about other people and their communities. They’re looking through the lens of ‘How can I take the skills I’m about to learn and apply them to life?’” 

Emory University offers two unique starting points for first-year students: Emory College of Arts and Sciences on the Atlanta campus and Oxford College on Emory’s original campus in Oxford, Georgia. Applicants choose to apply to Emory College, Oxford College or both. For the Class of 2025, 59% applied to both colleges, a growing trend in recent years.

After the sophomore year, all students complete their undergraduate degree on the Atlanta campus through Emory College, Goizueta Business School or the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. 

A variety of online programs and updates during the summer set the stage for first-year students to experience a smooth transition to life at Emory.

“The start of a new academic year is always filled with anticipation and excitement, but welcoming the Class of 2025 feels especially monumental in many ways,” says Kelley Lips, assistant vice provost and dean of enrollment services for Oxford College. “The knowledge, passion and diversity that this cohort brings with them truly complements the university’s values of innovation and social responsibility. We look forward to seeing all they will do at both Oxford and Emory.”

On the Atlanta campus, early move-in for those participating in an array of pre-orientation programs began Aug. 17. The majority of the new class followed on Aug. 21. Altogether, some 1,501 first-year students unpacked their bags and began a four-day Emory College orientation.

Their introduction to campus life included moving into residence halls, meeting academic advisers, visiting the Emory resource fair, exploring campus and participating in multiple discussions and activities with their orientation group.

Through it all, they reaffirmed that they are ready to be part of Emory.

“By any measure, the Class of 2025 is the most accomplished and most diverse class of any that we have welcomed to Emory University,” says Emory College Dean Michael A. Elliott. “They are also a class of students that have navigated the extreme challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been tested by history before they have stepped foot on campus, and I feel confident that they will leave a mark here.”

“Accomplished” and “diverse” also describe Oxford’s incoming students — all 599 of them, the largest group of first-year students in Oxford College’s history. Most moved to campus Aug. 20, ready to settle into their new home and begin orientation. 

“This year, Oxford welcomes the largest and most talented group of first-year students in our history,” says Oxford College Dean Douglas A. Hicks. “Each member of the Class of 2025 brings unique gifts and perspectives; all have demonstrated a high degree of intellectual capacity and curiosity, a desire to help their communities and a passion for turning ideas into action. We look forward to introducing them to our close-knit campus community, where they will be fully immersed in a rigorous and innovative liberal arts education that will expand their minds, hearts and spirits.”

Both Atlanta and Oxford campus students saw the return of some orientation traditions that were altered last year due to the pandemic. They were welcomed with in-person Coca-Cola toasts, Oxford students competed in the light-hearted Oxford Olympics, and Songfest for Emory College students is on tap for Thursday evening, cementing ties with other first-years and earning bragging rights for the winners. 

Members of the Class of 2025 share a passion for Emory and what it offers its students. They want to be challenged as they learn from world-class faculty. They want to delve into research and explore a diverse array of interests. Then they want to use that knowledge to make the world a better place. 

“They’re a wonderful class,” Latting says. “They’re engaged and they learn really well. I can’t wait for our faculty to get to know them.”

Here are a few of their stories:

Téa-Moné Bechthold

An aspiring surgeon, Téa-Moné Bechthold says Emory is her dream school. She’s still weighing cardiothoracics versus pediatrics, but knows she wants to provide quality medical care to people from diverse backgrounds, like herself. Coming from a biracial family, Bechthold believes her perspective can benefit the world of medicine and beyond.  

“Having been around a mix of several worldviews in my own family and home, I believe that I can evaluate problems not just through a biased or one-sided lens, but with a broader perspective that incorporates several different points of view,” says Bechthold, who will start her Emory years in Oxford College.

Her jumpstart came at Killian Hill Christian School in Lilburn, Georgia, where she volunteered at local food drives and organized blood drives and related health activities.   

She also has a dual passion for athletics and the arts. In high school, she placed second in a national vocal music competition and was captain of her school’s varsity volleyball and basketball teams.  

She’s already getting involved at Oxford through the Ignite Leadership program. For four days, Ignite students learn team-building and community-building skills that will prepare them for leadership positions during their time on campus. Bechthold is ready to get the semester started and dive into Emory’s diverse community.  

“I'm excited that the community at Oxford is so diverse and that there are many learning opportunities for understanding different backgrounds and cultures,” she says. “I hope, along with others, that I can continue developing a mindset that considers the beliefs of others while also looking at the whole picture when it comes to making decisions in the future.”

Sam Goldstone

Competing in a debate tournament during his sophomore year of high school brought Sam Goldstone to Atlanta — and introduced him to Emory College. 

“I actually hadn’t heard much about Emory until I had the chance to see the Atlanta campus,” the Wayland, Massachusetts, resident says. “After walking around, talking to students and seeing many smiles, I concluded that Emory was quite literally the perfect place for me.” 

What factors make Emory his perfect fit? Goldstone says it’s the university’s interdisciplinary approach to education, world-class faculty and commitment to and pursuit of justice in all forms. “That stands out to me above all other reasons to come here,” he says. 

Plus, “having wide-ranging general education requirements gives me the perfect opportunity to explore a plethora of interests through many different classes.” 

Through his work serving on the North American board of the National Federation of Temple Youth (Reform Judaism’s official youth movement), registering more than 100 first-time voters and lobbying Congress on three separate occasions, Goldstone is no stranger to advocating for causes he believes are important. And although he hasn’t narrowed his many interests to a single major, he expects life at Emory to teach him ways to continue those efforts.

“From what I’ve heard, every Emory student puts a strong emphasis on helping others and going far above and beyond what’s needed to do well,” Goldstone says. “Being part of such a caring community is where I see myself thriving most.” 

Angel Thompson

The prospect of combining a liberal arts education with the opportunity to be academically challenged in a research university led Angel Thompson from Windsor, Connecticut, to Georgia. As a student in Emory College, he is particularly excited about having access to resources such as The Hatchery, which he hopes will help him dive deeper into his entrepreneurial endeavors as a photographer. 

Thompson has already used his love of photography and interest in socioeconomic issues to bolster others. He sits on the board of ShopBlackCT.com, a not-for-profit platform that provides Black-owned businesses in Connecticut with marketing support. He’s put his photography, media marketing and data analysis skills to use on their behalf. 

“This platform has given me the opportunity to give back to a marginalized community, using my talents constructively to promote Black success,” Thompson says. “Due to COVID-19, many of these small businesses don’t have direct access to the quality of service we offer. For many of these businesses, this is the difference between bankruptcy or revenue during the pandemic.”

Thompson plans to fine tune his management and finance acumen by pursuing a degree in business administration at Goizueta Business School. His goal? To make the most of all the resources Emory offers so he can someday run his own successful business and help others start their own. 

“I am grateful to have facilities that put me in a position to succeed,” he says. “Emory puts me in the best position for a successful collegiate and professional career.”

Beauttah Wanja

“My mother always encouraged me to dream big,” says Beauttah Wanja, who was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. “She’d always say that ‘education can make the poor man dine with kings,’ and I believed that.” 

But believing her mother’s words and applying them to her own life seemed a far stretch for Wanja until she was selected as a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar. 

“As an international student from a low-income family, my options were few — almost nonexistent,” Wanja says. “The Scholars Program is what made it possible to join Emory.” 

She is the first in her family to attend college, and doesn’t view the position lightly. “Being one to set an example of what is possible for my family and society is a matter of great honor for me.”

“I’m most excited about being exposed to such a diverse community of people both inside and outside the school,” she adds. “This is an opportunity for me to learn, grow and develop a global mindset essential in shaping my perspective of the world and its systems.” 

In Emory College, Wanja will pursue a degree in computer science while taking math, economics and language courses. She is particularly intrigued by the artificial intelligence field of CS: its interdisciplinary nature and potential to revolutionize industries. 

“I also am interested in the economic growth of developing countries and plan to take classes to improve my understanding. I’m just allowing myself to grow.” 

Jack Wood

Jack Wood is looking for a place to call home. Finding a sense of purpose and belonging — and helping others do the same — is his passion. 

While the Alexandria, Virginia, native was in high school, he served as a mentor for underprivileged kids through the nonprofit organization Little Friends for Peace. As the eldest of four boys, he says he’s used to being a role model and wanted to give back to students who did not have the same stability and opportunities. 

He also volunteered with the Father McKenna Center, a social service nonprofit housed at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., where Wood went to school. 

“Like D.C., I know Atlanta has a large population of people experiencing homelessness, so I hope to become involved with that community,” Wood says.   

In addition to service work, he also was selected to serve as a senate page for U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York).

Now, he’s embarking on a new adventure that begins at Oxford College. Wood says he applied to Emory not knowing much about the campus, and that he only visited Georgia once before accepting his admission offer. Receiving a Robert W. Woodruff Scholarship sweetened the deal.  

“Sometimes the unknown can be scary, but in this case, I’m looking forward to whatever the Emory experience has to offer, and I want to receive it with an open heart and an open mind,” Wood says. “Emory gives me a real opportunity to pave my own path.”

ABOUT THIS STORY | Story written by Leigh DeLozier. Student profiles written by Leigh DeLozier and Kelundra Smith. Emory campus photos by Kay Hinton. Video by Corey Broman-Fulks and Stephen Nowland. Infographic by Angela Vellino. Design by Linda Dobson.