A new host venue, a large crowd and a renewed energy that showcased the community’s belief in the importance of higher education were just a few of the highlights from the 2025 Richmond Promise Scholar Celebration held May 28 at the Richmond Art Center.

The event, which moved back to late May to coincide with similar end-of-the-school-year festivities, officially welcomed approximately 450 students as the 2025-26 cohort of Richmond Promise Scholars. The group represents Richmond Promise’s 10th incoming class of scholarship recipients, and attendees joined with family, friends, community members and local elected officials to celebrate the next step in their collective educational journeys.

Richmond Promise Executive Director Christopher Whitmore and Director of Programs & Partnerships Miguel Molina addressed the crowd and provided an idea of what joining the RP community means for students moving forward. The new cohort also got to hear from RP and Wharton School alumni Chandani Battle as she gave new Scholars her perspective on Richmond Promise and what they can expect as they move into postsecondary education. And, new Scholars got to know each other a bit with a scavenger hunt that earned a few lucky Scholars some great prizes.

Check out the photo gallery from the event below (all photos courtesy of Gerry Serrano), give this recap of the event by Richmondside a read and keep an eye on Richmond Promise’s social media channels for more coverage of the event!