New Rhythm, Same Heart: How Jagathon 2025 Redefined ‘For All Kids’

Finding your why – that’s perhaps the best way to describe Jagathon 2025. I had the privilege of watching our students come together, renew their friendships, dance together, and find renewed purpose and meaning as they raised money for ‘For All Kids.’  They raised over $227,000 on Saturday, and it was an uplifting experience to hear about their ‘why.’ Whether it was V.P. for Operations CJ Hutchison or Director of Traditions Jaci Page, both nursing students or President of Jagathon Nicole Cremasco or V.P. for External Relations Lauren Fancher or Director of Family Relations Montana Crossman, they were united in their purpose – for all kids. 

What was also interesting was to see the changes they had made to the event – 10 instead of 16 hours and events that really focused on kids and supporting kids. That’s what students want when they attend Jagathon, and the goal was to meet students where they are, as Lauren explained to me. In a world where change is the only permanent fact of life and often hard to live with, even for experienced professionals, our students had the courage and the willingness to make changes. The very best parts of the event are still there – of course – and will always be. The hair-cutting event, the Morale Dance, the Circle of Hope, Candlelight (the story of Brady Gabbard pulled at our heartstrings this year and made the ‘why’ matter), and, of course, the Big Reveal – these items will stand the test of time. Witnessing each of these events, I left truly stronger, more inspired, and hopeful than I have been in a long time. Thank you, Jaguars – you are rock stars, each and every one of you, for what you do and how you do it.

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor