Middlebury College recognized the class of 2025.5 at its annual Feb Celebration on January 31, 2026. The event took place at Virtue Fieldhouse in the Peterson Family Athletic Complex, where 163 midyear graduates were honored for completing their undergraduate studies. Following the ceremony, graduates participated in the traditional ski-down at the Middlebury College Snowbowl, a custom that has been observed since 1987.
President Ian Baucom addressed the graduates for the first time at this event, acknowledging their diverse backgrounds and experiences. “Each time I met one of you, each time I met one of your professors, I kept hearing the same thing: ‘these are special, unique, curious, open-to-the-world students,” he said.
Baucom also spoke about how students made use of opportunities during their time at Middlebury. “Life presents myriad challenges and opportunities—many of them unexpected, unplanned, and uncharted—and while we as educators seek to prepare you to meet these moments and seize these opportunities, the act of doing so ultimately falls to you,” said Baucom. “Over the past four years, you have done so again and again.”
Samimah Naiemi ’25.5 served as student speaker during the celebration. Naiemi shared her journey from Afghanistan to Middlebury after leaving her home country due to deteriorating conditions for women. “Going to college was one of my biggest dreams since I was a little girl,” she said. She described arriving in Rwanda before coming to Middlebury on a cold February day and searching for a sense of belonging.
“I was looking for a community—a community I felt I belonged to,” said Naiemi. “And Middlebury welcomed me with open arms and open heart. And soon, this place became more than a college—it became my home…my Feb class was a whole community of its own. Slowly, quietly, Middlebury changed my definition of home. Home became the place where my heart felt full.”
The class will officially receive their bachelor’s degrees in March after completing winter term and will be invited to participate in May Commencement.
During the event, Smita Ruzicka, vice president for student affairs, presented Lucas Nerbonne ’25.5 with the Jason B. Fleishman ’03.5 Award for demonstrating pride in being a Feb graduate as well as leadership and care for others.
Earlier that day, Ronan Christopher Corley ’25.5 was commissioned as second lieutenant during an Army ROTC ceremony held at Goldsmith Lounge in Peterson Athletics Center. Corley is also a graduate of Army Mountain Warfare School and received The National Defense Transportation Association Award ROTC for his leadership and academic achievement.
Faculty speaker Héctor Vila compared graduation day to stepping off a fast-moving train after four years at college. He encouraged students not to rush into conventional choices but instead pursue what feels meaningful: “You are ready—not because you have all the answers, but because you’ve learned to live with the questions. Not because you fit perfectly into what comes next, but because you’ve learned that the most important space is the space between. Stand at the edge. Live on the boundary. Cross the line.”
Afterward, graduates continued tradition by skiing or hiking down Middlebury Snowbowl in caps and gowns.
