One of the hardest jobs at the Olympics is commenting on Simone Biles’s performances. The normally chatty announcers can’t say anything except “Wow!” “Incredible!” “Unbelievable!” I get it. I’ve been an armchair gymnastics fan since I was a kid in the 1980s and ’90s. Biles soars higher than anyone else in the competition. She performs more difficult routines than any other woman. Heck, her vault is so hard that almost no men in the world can land it. And she’s doing all this at a gymnastics “grandma” age of 27. If she wins the most coveted gymnastics prize in Paris — all-around gold — she will be the oldest woman to do so since 1952.
Washington
Meet the MBA Class of 2025: Elsa Morales, University of Washington (Foster)
“Curious, caring, creative woman, driven by the desire to be helpful; Global Citizen.”
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Fun Fact About Yourself: I truly love learning new things and challenging myself. One area where I’ve experimented the most is sports, particularly some that were somewhat risky, such as figure skating, snowboarding, and rock climbing. This journey has led me to break over 6 bones, guiding me towards sports with a smaller likelihood for accidents. Currently, my favorite one is paddleboarding.
Undergraduate School and Major: Tecnologico de Monterrey, B.S. Clinical and Health Psychology; Monterrey Institute of Psychoanalysis, M.A. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Business Owner and Psychotherapist at Elsa Morales Psicoterapia; School Psychologist and Program Coordinator at Tecnológico de Monterrey.
What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? Seattle is the home of many incredible companies, which have been attracting truly bright, creative, and driven people for many years. Being in a community where everyone you meet has an incredible professional trajectory, very smart, and stays grounded and authentic, is so inspiring and freeing. Additionally, being surrounded by nature gives a sense of peace and purpose.
Aside from your location and classmates, what was the key part of Washington Foster’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Applied Strategy Projects. Coming from a non-traditional background, one of my strongest concerns was the steep learning curve I’d face becoming a businesswoman. Having the opportunity to work with leading companies to solve complex problems or to find new paths for them has allowed me to start putting everything I am learning into practice and to get a taste of what my future work will be like. This has certainly helped me feel more prepared to hit the ground running when I start working in a business role.
What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Foster? Without a doubt, every facet of my journey at Foster has been immensely fulfilling. Each day presents new challenges and learning opportunities that feed my passion for growth. A standout highlight from this past quarter was undoubtedly my Business Statistics class, under the guidance of the extraordinary Professor Jennifer Graves. Profoundly knowledgeable, kind, and funny, she not only imparts invaluable wisdom within the classroom, but also extends her mentorship to equip us with practical insights for the professional world. Being her student was an absolute privilege, and I look forward to continuing learning from her! She is the perfect example of the woman I aspire to become.
Washington Foster operates off a philosophy of We>Me. Give us an example of how you’ve seen that among your classmates so far. We>Me truly encapsulates the philosophy at Foster. I’ve experienced this in various ways, notably during the recruiting process. With the current job market’s challenges in mind and the heightened stress levels due to fewer internship openings, people might expect individuals to prioritize their own interests and withhold support from others out of fear or competition. However, at Foster, I’ve witnessed the opposite! Our community unites to share opportunities and aid each other in interview preparation. Instead of viewing one another as rivals, we genuinely celebrate each other’s success. This spirit of collaboration, community, support, and warmth is one of the many reasons why I love Foster.
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Establishing my own psychotherapy private practice stands as one of my most significant achievements to date. Rooted in my fundamental drive to be helpful, this endeavor presented numerous challenges, each of which I proudly overcame. Guiding over 50 patients through their psychotherapeutic journeys was an immense honor, and I am so happy and thankful of having earned their trust, leading to numerous referrals and a consistently full schedule from the second year onward.
Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far: One of my greatest accomplishments to date is seeing all the effort I’ve invested and the knowledge I’ve gained result in the opportunity to join A.T. Kearney, Inc. as a Summer Associate! This achievement fills me with immense gratitude. Throughout the interview process, I was amazed by the remarkable warmth, kindness, and professionalism exhibited by the Kearney team. Their collaborative spirit and genuine interest in fostering meaningful connections have left an indelible impression. I am happily looking forward to the prospect of contributing to Kearney’s culture of excellence and innovation, working alongside bright, hard-working, creative, and kind people!
What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? In just 6 months I already have so many, but I think for me it’s in the everyday things. I think my favorite memory is a compilation of the days we’ve stayed late at school studying or preparing for interviews. There’s something quite special about working so hard to reach your goals by the side of such amazing friends who are going through the exact same thing.
DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON FOSTER’S MBA CLASS OF 2025
The pro-Palestinian protests that erupted in Washington during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress drew condemnation Thursday from political leaders.
It was the latest inflection point as the protests have persisted around the United States since Israel responded to Hamas’ terrorist attack in October. The war has engulfed the Gaza Strip, with hostages still being held there by Hamas.
The protesters have called for a cease-fire and criticized America’s ongoing support for Israel, mostly in the form of weapons. Opponents of the protests say they ignore the ongoing hostage situation and echo the talking points of a terrorist organization.
A smaller group of protesters returned Thursday to demonstrate outside the White House, where Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Joining several Republicans who condemned the protests on Wednesday, Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats, forcefully criticized the protesters on Thursday, with Schumer telling NBC News, “What happened at Union Station was vile, offensive, wrong.”
Harris, in her statement, called out “despicable acts by unpatriotic protestors” and called their rhetoric “dangerous and hate-fueled.”
She also condemned “any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas” and “the burning of the American flag.”
Jeffries told reporters at the Capitol that “it is unacceptable to deface public property, desecrate the American flag, threaten Jews with violence, or promote terrorist organizations like Hamas.”
The protest on Wednesday was originally led by the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition and grew to thousands ahead of Netanyahu’s speech.
Waving flags and chanting, the protesters clashed with Capitol Police at barricades set up near the Capitol and then grew more heated when they reached Union Station, a few blocks away.
Protesters vandalized statues in front of Union Station (a major Amtrak stop), removed and burned the American flags from the flagpoles and replaced them with Palestinian flags. Several flash bangs were heard, believed to be set off by protesters in the middle of Massachusetts Avenue, one of the main streets that feeds a circle in front of the train station.
In several instances, police deployed pepper spray against the protesters and several were arrested.
During his speech Wednesday, Netanyahu condemned the protesters, accusing them of standing for evil and “for Hamas.”
“From all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building,” the prime minister said, adding: “Well, I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising and promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.”
The statements from Democrats come as support for Israel’s war against Hamas has become a political problem for the party.
Nearly half of congressional Democrats skipped Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, and former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, of South Carolina.
In recent weeks, more Democrats have called on Netanyahu to accept the terms of a cease-fire deal announced by President Joe Biden in May that would help bring home the remaining Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas.
Frank Thorp V contributed.
I’m rooting for Biles to win it all not just because she’s the best, but also because she has changed the sport of gymnastics — and her country.
Who can forget what happened at the last Olympics in Tokyo. Biles stunned the world by dropping out of the team competition after a fluke vault. She wasn’t visibly injured. There was no limping or screaming. But she was hurting mentally. Had she kept going, she might have died. Her brain was telling her body to fly and twist, but her body wasn’t complying.
When she tried to explain this, the internet labeled her a disgrace, a traitor, a quitter. She went from “GOAT” to scapegoat for an angry world still largely locked down. Her career seemed over. Yet here she is — back and better than ever with a new tattoo on her collarbone: Maya Angelou’s “And Still I Rise.”
Her actions in Tokyo spurred a shift that affected the world well beyond sports. Suddenly, it was okay to talk about and prioritize mental health. Biles says she wouldn’t have returned to the Olympics without her family — and her therapist. She is transformed. She’s smiling more. And she’s leading her sport. Her parents opened a gym in Houston that has become a haven for Biles and many other elite gymnasts including France’s Melanie De Jesus Dos Santos and Team USA’s Jordan Chiles and alternate Joscelyn Roberson. When Olympian Suni Lee was struggling at the U.S. national championships competition this year, it was Biles, rather than Lee’s coach, who gave Lee the pep talk that made the difference.
Biles has transformed gymnastics from a girls’ to a women’s sport. In the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s, female gymnastics champions were extraordinarily young and thin. Their coaches yelled at them so much, it amounted to borderline child abuse. It took the story of widespread sexual abuse of gymnasts by team physician Larry Nassar to bring the situation into the open. But the brutality wasn’t limited to sexual abuse, especially not in the era when head coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi constantly criticized the girls’ weight and appearance, and urged them to compete while injured. Kerri Strug’s infamous vault on an injured ankle at the 1996 Atlanta Games, as Bela Karolyi yelled “You can do it!” from the sidelines looks alarming to the world today.
“You literally had one job and you couldn’t protect us,” Biles said of USA Gymnastics in 2019. She refused to continue with Karolyi-style training camps. She testified before Congress about the trauma she suffered.
In her new Netflix documentary, she says she still struggles with flashbacks when she arrives at big competitions. But she has found her voice and pushed for change in her sport. Her new coaches put mental fitness first. Her gym has pioneered new training methods. Biles even helped change Team USA leotards — from girly pink to patriotic colors with higher necks and a more elegant, mature style.
She’s also helped diversify the sport, inspiring young gymnasts of all backgrounds to compete. Biles’s personal story is powerful: She lived in foster care until her grandparents adopted her. She had overcome a great deal well before social media trolls criticized her hair, her clothes, her dance moves and even her husband. Today, there is a calm about her. She lets her flips and turns, scores and medals do the talking. China has boasted that the men’s team it is sending to Paris is the most decorated, with 37 Olympic and World Championship medals among its five stars. Biles has won 37 medals all on her own.
America loves a good comeback story, and they don’t come much better than Biles’s. I’m rooting for her to win — for herself, for America and, most of all, to remind the world what a strong woman can do.
Transgender athletes won first, second and third place at a recent women’s cycling competition held in Washington.
The annual Marymoor Grand Prix kicked off on Friday at the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome with at least three transgender athletes taking part in a 2-person relay of the Elite Women’s division.
According to results made available on Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome’s website, the top three teams each had one biological male. They included Jordan Lothrop, Jenna Lingwood and Eva Lin.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome for comment.
TRANSGENDER WOMAN FINISHES IN FIRST PLACE AT NEW YORK CITY CYCLING EVENT, SPARKS OUTRAGE
At least three transgender athletes took part in the annual Marymoor Grand Prix over the weekend. (iStock)
WASHINGTON SCHOOL BOARD PRES TAKES STAND ON GIRLS’ SPORTS AFTER TRANS RUNNER WIN: ‘WE’RE EXCLUDING GIRLS’
Lingwood, who placed second, was previously referenced in an amicus brief filed by Hannah Arensman, a 35-time winner on the national cyclocross circuit, to the Supreme Court in 2023. Arensman revealed that she had retired from cycling after being forced to compete with Lingwood and another transgender athlete.
Several cycling organizations have put in place restrictions and regulations on transgender athletes.
In July 2023, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced that it would no longer allow transgender cyclists to compete in women’s divisions if they began transitioning after puberty.
A few months later, USA Cycling announced similar restrictions, categorizing transgender athletes into “Group A” and “Group B” categories based on the race.
Group A athletes must provide medical documentation showing a testosterone level in serum that has been below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months, completed 90 days prior to the first race.
The UCI previously ruled transgender athletes cannot take part in women’s races if they went through male puberty. (BRENTON EDWARDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Group B athletes must complete self-identity verification request to document the change in gender identity 30 days prior to the first race.
In a comment to Fox News Digital, Independent Women’s Law Center Director May Mailman responded to the results, saying, “Males accelerate 20% faster and are 30% stronger than women with similar body mass. So this isn’t a competition, it’s a joke. Female athletes are in a tough spot, faced with either turning away from what they’ve worked for or engaging in a hopeless endeavor. To support women, the adults running the show should make women’s sports for women again and stop the madness.”
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