For graduation 2026 Gratefully reprinting verbatim testimonies about Princeton

RantWoman heartily congratulates this year's graduates. RantWoman has LOTS of other opinions that deserve their own space another time. 

Photo montage of alumni at Reunions

As Princetonians of all ages prepare to celebrate Reunions and Commencement over the next week, we give three cheers for the University’s generous financial aid program, which enables students, regardless of financial circumstances, to embrace the power and possibility of a Princeton education. And don’t forget that the impact of Princeton aid lasts far beyond graduation, as nearly 90% of students graduate debt-free, freeing them to pursue lives of leadership and service without worries about loan payments.

Opportunity. Possibility. Empowering. University students share what “Princeton is” to them and how the University has opened doors and inspired them to become leaders prepared to stand up for what they believe.

Financial aid opens doors

Left to right: Matthew Trotter ’22, Autumn Shelton ’24, and Taraje Whitfield ’22

Matthew Trotter ’22: An “unparalleled” financial aid package makes a dream a reality Matthew Trotter grew up in Union Dale, Pennsylvania, population 239. “Everyone knows each other and helps each other. But at the same time, there’s not always a lot of opportunity for people to live out their dreams.” The imposing costs of college loomed over Trotter’s own dreams until he received a “yes” from Princeton. “I accepted as soon as I saw the financial aid package. The package that I was given was unparalleled — it gave me momentum to follow my dreams.” Four years after Princeton, Trotter graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College and will soon begin his family medicine residency near Philadelphia. “Through the doors opened for me by Princeton, I look forward to helping serve the community as a doctor,” he said. Autumn Shelton ’24: A heart for service in rural America Autumn Shelton grew up in Lamar, Missouri, a small town in the southwestern part of the state. She hadn’t considered applying to Princeton until visiting for an arts and humanities seminar during her senior year. Her time at the University inspired a passion to serve humanity, particularly in rural areas like Lamar. “I realize how unique and important my hometown and culture are, and I want to go back to rural America and be one of the people who are working to protect it and make it better.” After graduation, Shelton joined the staff at Camp McDowell in Alabama where she farms and teaches children hands-on agricultural skills. She plans to start law school in the fall and return to rural America following graduation. Taraje Whitfield ’22: A first-generation college student paves the way for his family A varsity athlete from Millersville, Pennsylvania, Taraje Whitfield overcame the complications of remote learning during the pandemic, not only maintaining his studies online, but also supervising and tutoring his youngest siblings. “I helped them out a lot growing up, and now it brings me so much joy to hear them talk about wanting to go to Princeton when they grow up. I haven’t had anyone in my family that I could go to for counsel about college, but I think it’s a huge blessing that I could be the person who paves the way for a new standard where college is normal for the generations of family behind me.” Since graduating in 2022, Whitfield earned a master’s in biomedical science at the University of Connecticut and is finishing his first year in the Medical Scientist Training Program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he was elected class president. “Princeton played a major role in my getting to where I am now, and I will forever be grateful to the University for its support of me, and the doors it opened.”

WORTH       SHARING Most families with incomes up to $150,000/year will pay nothing for their student to attend Princeton — with tuition, housing, food, books and other expenses covered. Most making up to $250,000 pay no tuition.

Will World Cup games be available through OneCourt?

#WorldCup2026 #CopaMundial

RantWoman's personal experience with team sports: in public school, RantWoman REALLY liked volleyball, as long as all she had to do was serve. Quaintly, teams rotate positions and RantWoman's visual experience--double-vision, lousy depth perception, general lack of coordination got in the way of fielding. This personal ineptitude has also mostly translated to general lack of interest in team sports.

In particular RantWoman is NOT a giant fan of stadium sports. For one thing, a lot of the time RantWoman can neither visually track what is on the field nor follow narration provided by announcers. 

(yes, yes. Some games have audio description or really good broadcast narration. RantWoman still is not charmed enough about the social aspects of team sports to manage to follow very much.

RantWoman may have to reconsider this conceptual allergy, thanks to OneCourt

 What is OneCourt you ask?

OneCourt is the world's first tactile way to experience sports events. RantWoman first encountered OneCourt at a demo a local blindness group chapter meeting. That day, RantWoman decided her hands were too full of pizza sauce and the line of people wanting to try it was too long. RantWoman just listened.

RantWoman still has not quite tracked the technology that allows the product to track players and render their moves in a way that blind or low vision people can enjoy.  OneCourt exists at some sport venues. OneCourt devices are or soon will be availabe for individual purchase. RantWoman is probably not interested for herself either in attending World Cup games or in buying a device. But RantWoman is definitely intrigued enough to tell other people about it and to ask whether any World Cup games will have a OneCourt stream?

The party of Jim Crow

 

Support needed with African voices to fight Ebola

 #Ebola #PublicHealth

More countries asked to energize their public health systems to fight ebola.

LOTS of mistrust of outside help based on past experiences. LOTS of need for supplies.

Viruses don't respect borders. Do the right thing now.

Trump Moves TERRIFY EXPERTS as DISEASE SPREADS

How dangerous is the new Ebola outbreak? | DW News

Ebola spreads as new cases confirmed in Uganda | DW News

Why this Ebola is different | The Current

D.R.C. suspends large gatherings as WHO raises Ebola public health risk to 'very high'

Secure location delivery?

The RantWoman department of #FirstWorldProblems has FEEDBACK for Amazon.

Ahem.
RantWoman's instructions
ask for packages to be delivered to
her apartment door. That is not hard.

 1. What means "secure location?" Packages of perishable items left on the floor of a mailroom where people's packages are VERY likely to get stolen does not fit RantWoman's definition of "secure location." 

Luckily, one of RantWoman's neighbors put the grocery bags on top the mailboxes, a reasonable gesture only because RantWoman is tall and can stand, not an assumption to make about RantWoman's neighbors.

RantWoman appreciates a text indicating that the delivery had arrived. However, in a work at home world, needing to interrupt what one is doing to go look for one's groceries also makes RantWoman SCOWL.

Is RantWoman done?

NO!

Couldn't these two items
have come in one package instead of two?

As RantWoman has noted, first world problems....

Still

Thank you Iceland? A cold reception for US emissaries to Greenland?

Iceland has now sent their army
to Greenland

 Iceland

Today RantWoman has been collecting quirky reasons to be wildly enthusiastic about a trip to Iceland 

RantWoman has also been SLOWLY tiptoeing into Instagram. Adventures to be chronicled separately.

Quirky reasons....

1. NO MOSQUITOS. RantWoman believes the YouTube post where she saw this. Actually finding the post now, not so much.

2. NO McDonalds! Iceland is the only country in Europe without a McDonalds. YouTube promises plenty of other dining options so no loss.

3. A very safe place for women to travel alone. RantWoman kind of imagines wanting to assemble a posse of compatible souls but really likes the concept.

4. No freeways. From what RantWoman can tell, even the Ring Road around the Island is definitely a drive cautiously zone and a lot of the country is two-lane roads one needs a 4x4 to negotiate safely.

New Moms: GET YOUR BABY the Vitamin K shot at birth.