Commencement 2025: ‘What a Joy!’
As the overcast morning gave way to a sun-filled afternoon, the Babson community came together Saturday under the expansive tent atop Isbrandtsen Field to celebrate the Class of 2025.
During the day’s two ceremonies, more than 4,500 loved ones gathered to see their graduates cross the stage, marking the culmination of an exceptional academic journey for more than 700 undergraduates and 450 graduate students.
Addressing the newest graduates, Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD put the momentous day into perspective, as he called upon them to drive social and economic change no matter their industry.
“The diplomas that you will soon receive are powerful,” Spinelli said. “They’re not just credentials, they are commitments. Commitments to using your knowledge to advance yourselves, your communities, your industries, and society. The future needs leaders who prioritize purpose as much as profit, inclusion as much as innovation, and empathy as much as efficiency.”
Joining Spinelli in recognizing the moment was Ariel Armony, Babson’s provost and executive vice president. In his first Commencement ceremony since joining the Babson community, Armony noted the expansive reach that Babson alumni have across the globe.
“As we would say in my native country, Argentina, ‘Qué alegria!’ ‘What a joy!’” Armony told the graduates. “You have been waiting for this day your entire academic journey. You are about to begin new adventures in all corners of the world.”
From Babson’s Globe to The Boston Globe
Returning to campus 25 years after her own Babson graduation, Linda Henry ’00, H’19 served as the 2025 Commencement speaker during the morning’s undergraduate ceremony. The CEO and co-owner of Boston Globe Media, Henry shared reflections on how her Babson experience shaped a successful career and fulfilling life, urging the graduates to focus on the lessons learned from their peers while on campus.
“I find it remarkable that the most powerful lessons I learned at Babson came not from a textbook but from my classmates—from my community,” Henry said. “Then again, maybe it’s not so remarkable. The real point of Babson is not books and papers. It’s the community of people who pass through here every four years.”
WATCH the complete undergraduate Commencement address by Linda Henry ’00, H’19
Henry’s address reflected a career that continues to draw upon her lessons learned at Babson. As a first-year student, Henry’s time in Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME), Babson’s flagship yearlong course, instilled in her leadership qualities she continues to draw upon today as the strategic leader and co-owner of a reimagined 153-year-old legacy media company.
“When I joined The Boston Globe, I had a much wiser understanding of leadership, thanks to my FME classmates,” Henry said. She shared how she has drawn upon those FME leadership lessons when facing difficult decisions in her professional career. One such lesson she learned was to be more personal when communicating important decisions.
“I find it remarkable that the most powerful lessons I learned at Babson came not from a textbook but from my classmates—from my community.”
Linda Henry ’00, H’19, CEO and co-owner of Boston Globe Media
“When I led the decision to leave the historic, and very expensive, Globe headquarters, I could have announced the move by email,” she reflected. “But thanks to that FME experience, I was a wiser leader.”
Outside of her professional advice, Henry stressed the importance of striking a balance between career aspirations and personal time. “I have learned to be as deliberate and scheduled with my personal life as I am with my professional commitments,” she said. “You might value something entirely different. But whatever it is, schedule it. Protect it. Make it non-negotiable. The most successful people I know aren’t just good at managing their businesses—they’re masterful at protecting what sustains them, and their calendars reflect that.”
Henry, an active partner in Fenway Sports Group, sent each member of the undergraduate Class of 2025 on their way with a fitting parting gift—a Babson green Boston Red Sox cap marked “Class of 2025.”
Designing a Life Through Perseverance
Karen Clark Cole H’25, co-founder and former CEO of Blink UX, addressed the Class of 2025 during the graduate ceremony.
The visionary behind the first user experience company in the United States imparted her wisdom gained across a career advising notable clients such as Amazon, Apple, Disney, and Starbucks. She counseled that life would bring obstacles and the unknown, and that finding the strength to persevere would be dependent on graduates identifying passion and meaning in their work.
WATCH the complete graduate Commencement address by Karen Clark Cole H’25
“After you walk across this stage, each of you will set out on your own unique journey,” Clark Cole said. “And whatever trail you blaze, I can promise you this: It will be hard work. Twelve-hour days, seven-day weeks, and a to-do list that only grows—with stress levels to match. To keep moving forward, it’s critical that you like what you’re doing. Even better if you love it.”
“You are ready for anything. At Babson, you’ve learned more than case studies and cap tables. You’ve learned resilience, determination, empathy, and creativity.”
Karen Clark Cole H'25, co-founder and former CEO of Blink UX
In an era marked by a fluctuating economy, the ability to pivot and remain resilient is crucial. “Today, you are graduating into an unsettled, uncertain world,” Clark Cole said. “It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen next week—let alone next year. But here’s one prediction I can make with absolute certainty: You are ready for anything. At Babson, you’ve learned more than case studies and cap tables. You’ve learned resilience, determination, empathy, and creativity.
Global Arrivals, Global Community
During the ceremonies, student speakers addressed their peers, sharing an appreciation for the global community that shaped their Babson experiences. “For me, Babson didn’t just help me dream bigger, it gave me the platform to turn those dreams into a reality,” said Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25 during the undergraduate ceremony.
WATCH the complete undergraduate student address by Sheikha Al-Otaibi ’25
Equating Babson to an airport, Al-Otaibi noted that members of the Class of 2025 gathered from around the world, each with different baggage, points of origination, and final destinations. “Landing at Babson was a dream I never thought possible, especially as a first-generation student,” she said. “Babson became the runway where my ambitions finally took flight.”
“Always remember that you are a part of the Babson community for life. You will always have my unending support, and the support of our 46,000 proud Babson alumni who make the world a better place.”
Babson President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD
During the graduate ceremony, Robert Pullés MBA’25 echoed that global sentiment. “Here in this class, we represent over 40 nationalities and speak more than 20 languages,” he said. “We come from different corners of the world, different cultures, faiths, and beliefs. And yet, we came together, in a time of heated global conflict, not just to learn, but to listen. To put our differences aside. To challenge and support each other. To build something bigger than ourselves.”
WATCH the complete graduate student address by Robert Pullés MBA’25
The annual tradition of Commencement carries many recurring sights and sounds—the warm tenor of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the roar of confetti cannons, and the raucous cheers that accompany the turning of tassels, as one chapter closes and another begins.
President Spinelli reminded the newest graduates that the receipt of their Babson diplomas did not mark their exit from the community. “Always remember that you are a part of the Babson community for life,” Spinelli said. “You will always have my unending support, and the support of our 46,000 proud Babson alumni who make the world a better place.”
Photos by Nic Czarnecki/Babson College
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