West Lafayette Alumni Association Announces 2025 Wall of Pride Inductees

The West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation and the West Lafayette Alumni Association are pleased to announce the seventh Wall of Pride class. Six distinguished alumni and one educator will be recognized for career accomplishments on Thursday and Friday, April 10-11,
2025. The 2025 Wall of Pride class includes:

• Arnold Chen ’88 – Associate Professor, Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer
  Engineering, Purdue University
• Judith Edstrom ’66 – Senior Manager, World Bank
• Jerrell Jimerson ’83 – Technology and Media Executive
• Jay McDowell ’87 – Musician
• Maura Pierce ’82 – Senior Protocol Officer, Office of the Chief of Protocol, U.S. Department of State
• Brian M. Rosenthal ’07 – Investigative Reporter, The New York Times
• Kathy Trout, Educator – WLCSC Art Teacher from 1979-2001

The inductees will be introduced to students at a convocation on Friday, April 11 at West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School. They will also visit select classes. The Wall of Pride ceremony is an annual event.

Chad Rodgers, principal at West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School shares, “The Wall of Pride was established for the purpose of celebrating how proud we are of our alumni and the success of our schools. It is our hope that the Wall of Pride inductees will be an inspiration for generations of West Lafayette students, community members, and alumni. We are proud to be able to celebrate alumni who are true leaders and have made an impact in fields such as the arts, sciences, engineering, technology, law, business, music, sports, and academia.”

The Wall of Pride honors celebrated alumni and educators whose actions or achievements in their chosen fields bring admiration and distinction to the heritage of West Lafayette High School. Members are nominated by fellow alumni, parents, current West Lafayette students, faculty, staff and administrators, and citizens from the community. Nominees are reviewed annually and are selected by a committee comprised of West Lafayette High School administrators, alumni, and members of the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation. To date, 32 alumni and 7 educators have been inducted into the Wall of Pride.