[Music] Good afternoon, Spartans.

And welcome to Michigan State University's Fall 2025 commencement ceremony here at the Breslin Center.

To those joining by live stream, we offer you greetings as well.

Today, we recognize and celebrate our graduating senior from the College of Engineering, Lyman Briggs College and the College of Natural Sciences.

I love to look out on so many happy faces in a sea of spartan green, and to see the pride in the faces of the family members and guest who are also joining us today.

Thank you all for being here.

You can feel the deep affection Spartans have for this special place here on the banks of the Red Cedar River.

It's something I know runs through multiple generations in many families attending today's ceremony.

Graduates, today is your day.

We're all thrilled to celebrate your accomplishment of earning a Michigan State University degree.

So, colleagues, families, and guests, let's start celebrating our 2025 graduates today with our applause.

I've had the great pleasur of meeting many of our graduates in dining halls, in classrooms and laboratories at, sporting events, and even climbing the steps of Beaumont Tower.

A new graduation tradition, that I enjoyed introducing.

So let me briefly introduce this season's baccalaureate graduates.

They are a diverse group, ranging in age from 20 to 52 and representing 42 countries and 38 states.

274 of them are in the Honors College, 2743 have made the Dean's List at least once, and 76 have represented Michigan State University in intercollegiate athletics.

And graduates, when we've met, I've always come away impressed by your curiosity and determination to make a difference.

Each of you have what it takes to call yourselves Spartans for life.

And so, even as your as you savor this milestone in your life journey, you're called once again to seek new horizons.

Now you have a powerful asset to carry with you.

A lot of assets to carry with you, including a Michigan State degree, which is an asset that will appreciate over time in many, many ways.

I can't let you all go without passing along three pieces of advice that I think can serve you as you move forward.

Number one, continue to hone the skills you've developed here at Michigan State, including your capacity to advocate for yourself tactfully and methodically, which is something I preach to my own kids.

Build your case for yourself, and you'll come to the attention of people who can take you places.

Next, I hope you remember the methodologies of inquiry you've learned here, and never lose the curiosity that drives you forward.

And if you always ask why or why not?

You'll be on the right track to lead a life of purpose and meaning.

And third, for your self-respect as well as your advancement.

Never surrender your integrity.

Soldier and former U.S.

President Dwight Eisenhower said that the supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.

Without it, no real success is possible.

Graduates, you depart equipped with multiple lenses to process the inputs of our diverse, interconnected world and with habits of mind to exercise informed critical reasoning.

To be able to make sound decisions.

And as Spartans, you possess the will to rise to the challenges that confront our communities and our world.

I'm confident that in five, ten, maybe 25 years from now, you'll look back at your college career and realize how much better prepared yo became to meet those challenges and seize the opportunities ahead of you.

So today, each of you can say with growing confidence, I'm built for this.

I can reach my destination and achieve my aspirations.

Today you can say, I got this.

Now will everyone please rise as you're able to join in singing one stanza of the Star Spangled Banner performed by the MSU's Jazz Orchestra one the Bebop Spartans, under the direction of University Distinguished Professor Rodney Whitaker.

The singing will be led by Amanda Jane Ross, a master's student in the College of Music.

And upon conclusion of th singing, please remain standing for a moment of silence.

[Music] Thank you, Miss Ross.

As you remain standing I ask provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Laura Lee McIntyre, to please join me at the lectern.

On this joyful occasion, let us briefly acknowledge the fellow Spartans our graduates have los during their academic journeys.

Let us pause here for a moment of silence and remembrance.

Thank you.

Please be seated.

I now invite Provost McIntyre to present this ceremony's candidate for an honorary degree.

Mr.

Kevin Conroy, please come forward.

President Guskiewicz, I have the honor to present Kevin Conroy for awarding of the honorary degree.

Doctor of engineering.

You are an inspiring leader who drives progress in the fields of biotechnology and diagnostics.

Your commitment to innovation, advancement, and knowledge has led to impactful developments within one of the world's most progressive of scientific organizations.

Kevin, your notable work at Exact Sciences includes the innovation of cologuard, advancing preventative care through early detection and increased accessibility, and the acquisition of Genomic Health, Inc.

under your leadership and vision.

Exact Sciences has progressed colorectal rectal cancer detection system and solidified your prominence in the fields of biotechnology, health care, and diagnostics.

Your dedication to improving patient care is an inspiration to all Spartans.

The impacts of your career and contributions are immeasurable.

You have received numerous accolades, including the Claude de Erickson Distinguished Alumni Award from the MSU College of Engineering in recognition of your sustained excellence and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Midwest Biotechnology.

Your establishment of the Senator Joe and Mary Conroy Endowed Scholarship.

Supporting engineering students is a testament to your commitment to Michigan State University and our entire community.

In recognition of your distinguished career in the health sciences and cancer screening and your expertise, advice, and dedication to Michigan State's success, I am pleased to award you an honorary Doctor of Engineering degre from Michigan State University.

Spartans always take care of one another.

I believe I'm the first ever commencement speaker to wear a tie borrowed from the president of our great university.

Thank you, president Guskiewicz.

Spartan graduates, are you ready to run the greatest experiment of your life?

First, let's welcome President Guskiewicz.

Provost McIntire, the board of trustees, esteemed faculty, and of course, your family and friends.

Thank you for the support you have provided to these remarkable graduates.

Congratulations, Spartan class of 2025.

What an amazing achievement you've all earned.

And I'm honored beyond honored to celebrate it with you.

As science and engineering majors, I know you've all spen a lot of time in laboratories.

You've been asking big questions, conducting experiments, testing hypotheses, and you've honed skills of curiosity, observation, analysis.

And now you're movin into the laboratory of your life where you'll conduct the most important experiments yet.

When I came to campus 42 years ago, I started my own series of life experiments.

I began in Lyman Briggs.

Are there any Briggs's.

And then I switched to electrical engineering, thinking that someday I could help develop new medical technologies.

But during a summer working in Ingham Medical Center emergency room, I realized medicine might not be for me.

And not being sure what to do.

I went to law school and becam an intellectual property lawyer.

And after working in private practice, I moved to California to work in technology and eventuall followed my passion for health care to GE Health Care in Milwaukee.

I eventually became general counsel of Third Wave Technologies, a compan that was doing fascinating work in using the power of DNA tools to diagnose disease.

And this is where the experiment went i a totally unexpected direction.

One day, a board member called me and he said, come to my offic because we're going to replace your boss, the CEO and we're offering you the job.

And he gave me 48 hours to decide.

I thought he had taken and the board had taken leave of their senses.

And I asked him, why me?

I've.

The most I've ever managed is one person.

And he was a paralegal.

And he was he was honest with me and he said, look, we don't think we can find a qualified person to take this job.

It's a true story.

We we had really cool technology, but not enough impactful tests to help patients and grow our company.

And our company was running out of money.

So taking the job could have really advanced my career, or it could have ended it.

My wife Sheila and I, we had three young daughters to think about and I was curious and I really believed in this work.

And for some reason, the board and Sheila believed in me.

So 48 hours later, I was back in that board members office and I said, yes.

I brought with me a one page, three point plan to turn the company around, and we put all of our focus on developing a cervical cancer screening test using DNA technology.

We ran a successful clinical trial.

We did this on a shoestring budget, and we beat two larger companies to FDA approval.

The experiment was a success.

Thank you.

The risk paid off, but now m short run as the CEO was over.

And I was where you are now looking for a new start.

And I had no idea what would come yet.

But here are the lessons that I learned in that first part of my professional life.

Put in the hard work.

Put in the hours.

Learn to converse in many languages.

Science, medicine, business, technology, whatever your fields are and those adjacent fields, and gain as many new skills as possible.

Keep learning and be willing to take risks and really test yourself while searching for my next life experiment.

I had a life changing meeting.

A small struggling company called Exact Sciences was looking for a new CEO.

The company had tried for 13 years to develop a noninvasive wa of screening for colon cancer.

The concept was to detect colon cancer DNA from a stool sample, a very difficult task.

And and I initiall said no, but they said, please go to the Mayo Clinic and meet with Doctor Dave Ahlquist.

I was curious.

I was also unemployed.

So I went and docto always had this vision to help eradicate cancer through early detection by using noninvasive screening tools and patient samples to look for signals of cancer early, when those cancers are very treatable.

And he showed me data, data suggesting that his ideas were achievable.

I was fascinated by this vision.

So I took the job.

I partnered with the Mayo Clinic and Doctor Ahlquist, and that's how I became CEO of Exact Sciences.

We set up shop in Madison, Wisconsin, where Sheila and I lived, and we recruited the best scientists in the world, including many smart young scientists and engineers just like you.

After five years of grueling work by an incredible team, Cologuard was born.

And we were thrille that Cologuard got FDA approval and Medicare coverage on the same day, which had never been done before by any medical technology.

But before health insurance companies would actually pay for this test, we needed one more important approval.

And that was from an important guideline group.

We just couldn't succeed without that approval.

I was in Ireland for my 50t birthday when we got the news.

We did not get the the approval we needed from the guideline group.

They said we had insufficient evidence despite runnin a 10,000 patient clinical trial, a size never that had been run before.

They needed a second study and the problem wa they only met on this topic once every five years.

And these studies took a long time to plan and execute.

To gain some perspective I went to the Cliffs of Moher, and the Cliffs of Moher, sa 400ft above the Atlantic Ocean.

I went over to the edge and I looked down and you could see the the waves from the Atlantic crashing against these massive boulders far below.

And I thought, this is over.

This is symbolic.

It's over.

The journey is over.

But then I looked up and there was thi remarkable sunset looking west.

I went home and I met with our team, and I said, look, we may have to shut down our efforts for five years while we run another clinical trial.

And most people said, we'll stick it out.

And then doctor All quist called me.

And just like that sunset, he sparked a jolt of hope.

He said, no, Kevin, we have what we need.

Remember years earlier you helped fund this study among Alaska Natives who suffer from the highest rate of colon cancer in the world.

And we just got the results back.

The results were impressive.

And against all odds, we had 30 days to get that paper written and published.

Doctor, all got that done because of the second study.

We got the approval from the guideline group.

We're off to the races.

And exact sciences flourished.

We've grown to 7000 team members.

We've expanded well beyond colon cancer.

And with Cologuard 23 million times, it has been used with 20 million people.

11% decrease in the overall colon cancer mortality mortality rate in the US.

Since that approval.

What I learned was you need a few things when you're conducting life experiments.

An inspiring vision, one that will guide you and those around you.

Talented colleagues with unstoppable willpower.

And you need a backup plan for those inevitable failed experiments that happen in this laboratory of life.

With Cologuard a success, we pushed onward to develop Cancer Guard, a multi cancer screening test.

It's a test to find 50 different types and subtypes of cancer with one blood draw.

The science engineering analytics software are incredibly complicated and we conducted 16 years of research, thousands of experiments and many clinical trials.

And despite our the challenges, our engineers and scientists refuse to give up.

And this year we launched Cancer Guard it.

It can detect even tiny fragments of circulating tumor DNA in a person's blood.

And by doing it on a regular basis, we believe that you can help find cancers earlier when they're more treatable.

So bringing this test to the world is a testament to the spirit of engineers and scientists.

You.

A few months ago, one of our team members took the test.

She'd been working on the test for up for seven years.

She was in her mid 40s and she never dreamed she had cancer.

She mainly wanted to take the test to see how the the experience worked.

Her cance guard test came back positive.

She had a CT scan.

It showed a shadow.

She got a biopsy.

And she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

It was terrifying, but it turned out to be stage one cancer.

The earliest stage.

The tumor was found so early doctors were able to remove it.

No chemotherapy needed.

This just happened in October.

It really was a remarkable story.

And there are lessons from this.

And number one is the power of perseverance.

If you believe in something, even if you can't quite see that finish line, just keep going.

Keep trying.

Don't give up.

Sometimes it takes years.

As Doctor Orcu would say over and over again.

Will the journey be easy?

No.

Is hard a reason not to try.

No soul.

I was once sitting where you are today.

And in some ways, we'r in that same exact spot again.

Very recently, exact Sciences announced that we're being acquired by Abbott Laboratories.

And so I'll be joining you in this experiment.

This life experiment once again.

And, you know, you're graduating at a time that we're heading into a dynamic, rapidly evolving world that will force you to learn how to, adapt to get better.

And that's that's a little daunting.

But isn't it also thrilling, if we're lucky?

Life is an ongoing experiment full of discovery, meaningful findings.

And you can start right now.

Be curious.

Take risks.

Learn as many new skills as you possibly can.

And importantly, partne with people who make you better.

And then when you find that intersection between what you're great at and what you have a deep passion for.

Go all in.

Go all in.

Toda you are officially scientists, engineers, physicists, biologists, botanists, mathematicians, computer scientists.

More importantly, you're our future leaders.

Leaders that our world needs.

Yeah, you are.

And now it's up to you to test yourself in the laboratory of your own life.

Congratulations.

Class of 2025.

Go green.

Why?

Wow.

Thank you, Kevin, for those inspiring words.

Sharing your, life's experiment with us and with the incredible, graduates here who soon to be graduates, who are about to start their life's experiment.

And so I know that, your words will love will help them on their journey.

So fantastic.

Thank you.

So I'd now like to call on the Honorable Kelly Tebay chairperson of the MSU Board of Trustees, to address our graduates and guests after chair, Provost McIntyre will continue with the introductions.

Chair, Tebay.

Thank you, president Guskiewicz.

On behalf of the MSU Board of Trustees, I would like to welcome our graduates and their families and friends who join us today.

Under the Michigan Constitution, the Board of Trustees is the governing body of the university by whose authority degrees are awarded.

And we take great pride in sharing this exciting milestone with you all.

At this time, I'd like to recognize my colleague on the MSU board who is here with me this afternoon, Rebecca Bahar Cook.

Graduates, today's ceremony represents the culminatio of your academic achievements.

The degrees that you have earned acknowledge your success, and it honors those who have encourage and supported you along the way.

Our wish is that you us this knowledge and understanding to improve the quality of lif for your community, and advance the common good.

Our faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees are all proud of you.

Thank you for allowing us to share this very special tim with you.

Congrats!

Relations.

Thank you, chairperson Tebay.

I join you and President Guskiewicz in congratulating our newest degree recipients.

Grad graduates.

Each of you possess a unique combination of knowledge and skills you've acquire during your studies here at MSU.

These scholarly achievements culminate today in the conferral of a degree, along with the conferral of our great pride and faith in what you will now accomplish as a resul of your scholarly achievements.

As we send you forth, we're counting on you to become the next generation of thought leaders and innovators of the 21st century.

It is now my pleasure to introduce Shahad Nasir, a neuroscience major i the College of Natural Science.

Shahad was chosen by the Senior Class Council to represent the class of 2025.

Good afternoon everyone.

My name is Shahad Haider Nasir and I'm truly honored to stand here today and proud to serve as a studen speaker for the class of 2025.

Their families, friends, faculty, and of course, my fellow graduates, congratulations and thank you for being here.

And thank you, Presiden Guskiewicz and Provost McIntyre.

Please take a second and look around.

This moment right here is one we've been waiting years, for years that somehow felt both endless, and over in a blink.

But we made it has been a long, challenging journey.

And standing here today, I'm trul proud of every single one of us.

It feels like just yesterda we're freshmen, wandering across campus pretending Renewables Hall was.

We were nervous, hopeful, and maybe a bit lost.

But that's the thing about beginnings.

You never realize how far they'll take you until you look back.

We came here not quite knowing who we were or what we wanted to do.

Some first aid matters once or twice, maybe three times.

Some of us learned that 8 a.m.

classes are less about learning, but more about survival.

The caffeine was not a choice, but a lifestyle.

And the crew projects sometimes just meant doing all the work yourself.

But through it all the late night comings, the moments of self-doubt, the victories big and small, we changed, we grew, and we learned that growth does not come from comfort.

It comes from the challenge, uncertainty and perseverance.

But there's a kind of growth that goes even deeper, a kind that comes from resilience.

The voice that shows up when you think, I can't do this, and then somehow you do.

As a neuroscience and human biology major in the premier track I spent more nights of my laptop on lecture notes that I'd like to admit.

I've memorized brain pathways, studied enzymes, and honestly questioned my own neuron more times than I can remember.

And somewhere between those classes I learned about neuroplasticity, the idea that our brains change with what we feed them, what we practice, think, and choos actually rewires who we become.

The thoughts we repeat become beliefs.

The habits we build become our character and the challenge we lean to become our strength.

And I realized success does not suddenly appear.

We build it once, thought on choice and one action at a time.

And somewhere along this journey, we found our people, those who supported us.

The best moments of college years were never in the syllabus.

They were the moments when w said, let's study well, somehow ended up doing everything stuff, studying, flashing, talking, scrolling, and realizing that those breaks were the best part of all.

They were the friends who showed up with snacks, the yoga, this text before exams, and the small range of memories that made this years unforgettable.

Now, as we stand at the edge of a new chapter, it's easy to want to look back.

After all, this place holds so many pieces of us.

But life does not wait.

It moves fast.

Unpredictable, sometimes messy, but always forward.

It's like a chain that never stays on one station for too long.

So don't stand on the platform saying what's behind you.

Get on the next train.

Chase an extreme.

Miss a few stops.

Switch directions if you need to.

Just keep moving because growth only happens when you do.

And of course, I can't pause here without acknowledging something from my cultur and the language that shaped me.

There is a saying in Arabic that goes forward.

It means your destiny is shaped by the words you speak.

This is a reminder that every word we say becomes a signal to the mind.

Our words become the blueprint of the lives of a building.

Say I can't even win.

And you build a reality where you can't say.

I will even know the answer.

And you begin building the future you want.

So, class of 2025, choose your words with intention.

Choose courage or fear.

Choose hope over doubt.

Speak the future.

You are even step into it.

Before I close, I want to take a moment to honor my family.

To my family.

Especially my parents, Hayden and Sara Akram.

Your the reason I'm standing here today.

Your sacrifices, your love and your endless will.

Even me having the greatest suppor for me throughout this journey.

I am so grateful to have you a my family and to the families.

To the parents and families every graduate here today.

Your guidance, your patience and your unwavering support have carried all of us to this moment.

This accomplishment belongs t you as much as it belongs to us and to my friends.

Thank you for the laughter, the memories we have made along the way, and for making this year so special.

And to the faculty and mentors who pushed us beyond what we thought we could do.

Thank you for helping us se you are capable of class of 2025 who began this journey uncertain and will leave ready to dream beyond limits and use our knowledge to make a difference.

The world is waiting.

The train is moving.

And the next station is ours to find.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

And forever.

Go green.

Thank you.

Shahad.

The senior Class Council from the Associated Students of Michigan Stat University has worked tirelessly in support of the senior class gift campaign.

The council engaged fellow seniors to contribute to a class gift that will help make a positive impac on the lives of future Spartans.

This semester the senior class raised $14,000 to support various causes.

We are grateful for their thoughtful and generous contributions.

I would now like to acknowledge the outstanding faculty and academic staff who are here to celebrate with our graduates.

We're also honored to welcome several of the university's leader who are seated on the platform, but who will not be speaking today.

In their varied roles, they provide support across our academic mission and are deeply invested in fostering academic excellence and student success at Michigan State University.

Colleagues, please remai standing as your name is read.

Members of the audience please hold your applause until all are introduced.

Bill Beekman, vice president for strategic initiatives.

Stephan Fletcher, secretary and chief of staff for the Board of Trustees.

Lisa Frey, senior vice president, chie financial officer and treasurer.

Ashley Greene, assistant provost and chief of staff for the Office of the Provost.

James Hintze, vice president for student affairs.

Mark Largent, vice provost an dean of undergraduate education.

Kimberly Tobin, vice presiden of the university advancement.

And Angela Wilson, associate dean and chairperson of the Faculty Senate.

MSU academic governance and the University.

Mace bearer.

Lastly I would like to thank our live captioner, Andrea Cleaver and our teleprompter technician, Doreen Cover of Chomsky.

Thank you.

Today we pay tribute to graduates who have distinction of maintaining the highest grade poin average is in the class, thereby earning a 4.0 grade point average.

Names of the 4.0 students present at this ceremony are on the screens behind me.

To be eligible for a 4.0, at least three fourths of the credits for the degree must be earned in residence at Michigan State University.

This honor is designated by the green, white, and gold braided cord worn with the academic robe.

This summer semester, 12 students qualified, and this fall semester, 86 students qualified.

All 98 earned a grade point average of 4.0.

Students, please rise and remain standing to accept our congratulations.

Award recipients.

You should be proud of your outstanding academic records that honor you and the university.

On behalf of your classmates, the faculty administration, and the trustees of the University.

I congratulate you and wish you the best.

Please be seated.

I now invite my colleague, Glenn Chambers, junior dean of the Honors College and interim dean of the Residential Colleg and the Arts and Humanity ease to acknowledge graduates.

Thank you, Provost MacIntyre.

Good afternoon everyone.

Students who participate i and fulfill the requirements of the Honors College by completing enhanced programs of study are identified as graduatin with Honors College distinction.

These graduates wear a whit stone with the HC designation.

Will all students who are graduating as members of the Honors College.

Please rise if you're abl and accept our congratulations on behalf of the Honors College.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Student who attain a minimum grade point average of 3.98 are awarded University High Honor.

University honor is awarded to students who earn a minimum grade point average of 3.89.

These honors are designated by the Gold cord worn with the academic robe.

All students graduatin with high honor and with honor.

Please stan and accept our congratulations.

I would like to commen those who have worked diligently during the past yea representing the senior class.

We congratulate each of you for your outstanding contributions in the class of 2025.

Members of the Senior Class Council, please stand so we may hono you and show our appreciation.

You out there.

We'll clap anyway.

He students who were selected to represent their college by carrying the college banner in both the processional and the recessional.

Please stand and accept our appreciation and congratulations.

In recognition of Michigan State's ongoing commitment to study abroad, I asked graduates who have had an international experience as a study abroad student outside of the United States to please ris and accept our congratulations.

In addition to those students that traveled abroad.

Michigan State is committe to supporting students traveling from other countries to study here at MSU.

I asked graduate who are international students that have traveled here to study at MSU to please ris and accept our congratulations.

All first generation graduates, please stan and accept our congratulations.

We're grateful you selected Michigan State University and are proud of your achievements.

Graduates, if you transferred to Michigan State University to complete and earn your baccalaureate degree, please rise and accept our gratitude and congratulations.

There's more.

In recognition of our students who served in leadership or service roles while here at MSU.

I ask all graduates who participated in an organization such as Tower Guard, ASMSU or any other service organization to please stand.

Thank you.

All right, let's get this party started.

We will now confer baccalaureate degrees upon the candidates.

The deans will present their candidates.

I'd like to first call u interim dean John Papapolymerou from the College of Engineering.

All right.

Spartan engineers, are you ready?

Okay.

Please stand and remain standing.

If you are able.

Let's go ahead.

President Guskiewicz.

Provost McIntire.

Honorable trustees Tebay and Bahar-Cook, on behal of the College of Engineering.

It's my great pleasure to present these amazing innovators of today and technology leaders of tomorrow who will transform our world for the conferral of their degrees.

Dean Kendra Spence-Cheruvelil from Lyman Briggs College.

Where are my Briggsys?

Awesome.

Please stand if you're able and remain standing.

President Guskiewicz Provost McIntire and Honorable Trustees, on behalf of Lyman Briggs College, I am pleased to present these amazing graduates from Lyman Briggs.

They have fulfilled all the requirements for conferral of their degrees.

Equipped with sharp science skills and their social and global lenses, these graduates are ready to solve our most pressing health and environmental challenges.

Congratulations, Briggs.

These.

Dean Eric Hegg from the College of Natural Science.

Will the outstanding Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree candidates from the College of Natural Science.

Please rise and remain standing as you are able.

President.

Guskiewicz.

Provost McIntyre.

Board of trustees.

Members.

On behalf of the College of Natural Science, I am pleased to presen these inspirational candidates who have fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of their degrees and are ready to tackl society's most pressing problems and transform the world through the power of science.

Thank you.

I'd like to ask our trustee to please join me at the podium.

By authority.

And please rise.

I need you to stay up.

I should have, I should have said.

Please remain standing by the authority of the State of Michigan, vested in the Board of Trustees and delegated to me.

I confer upon you the degrees for which you have qualified, with all the rights and distinct as a symbol of your achievement.

It is it is a tradition to move the tassel from the right side of your cap to the left side.

You may do so at this time.

This this act represents an incredible achievement.

An accomplishment in your early journey here.

Your life's experiment as, as Kevin.

Conroy mentioned earlier.

So we are thrilled for you.

And so at today's ceremony, we congratulate you.

We're going to applaud one more time and then allow you to sit down as we begin to line up to actually hand out the the degree.

So, congratulations.

You may be seated.

We will now present diplomas.

Jody Knol and Scott Pohl will announce the names of graduates as the president presents their diplomas.

I ask that the new graduates be escorted to the platform.

We ask the audience to please be considerate and applauding for your graduates.

As the names are read so tha each graduate's name is heard.

Degree recipients, we ask you to return to your seat following the presentation of your diploma, and to respectfully remain seated for the recognition of your fellow graduates.

From the Lyman Briggs College.

[Conferral of Degrees] From the College of Natural Science.

[Conferral of Degrees] From the College of Engineering.

[Conferral of Degrees] Okay, we're almost to the finish line.

Got a few more folks to sit down.

Everybody feel an energized.

It's a little more lively in here than it was at the beginning of the program.

Okay, graduates, we are very proud of all of you.

There are so many people who celebrate with you.

Many of them are here today.

People who have been with you throughout your academic journey, who rooted for you and perhaps helped you to cross that finish line.

They might be parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents or friends.

So let's show our appreciation to the family members and friends who have been so important in your journey.

Will family and friends pleas stand as you're able to receive our appreciation?

Please be seated.

There's another group of people who deserve a shout out.

And this is our amazing world class faculty and staff.

Who supported your success here at Michigan State University?

Can we also show them our appreciation?

One of our accomplished alums who addressed last year's fall graduates, Jillian Lorenz, quoted poet Ralph Waldo Emerson and saying, what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matter compared to what lies within us.

She asked what if the only thing standing between you and your greatest potential is the courage to live your truth?

She said, if we stay committed, using our Spartan will to make choices that allow our souls to shine full power, we can together illuminate the world.

I think that deserves that.

That was, last year's commencement speaker, Jillian Lippert.

She's wonderful.

Now, members of the fall graduating class of 2025, please rise as you are able.

You came together to share your fellowship.

This magical place and all it had to offer.

You celebrated each other' triumphs and consoled each other in adversity.

I urge you to remember to advocate for yourself, to stay curiou and to maintain your integrity.

And please stay connected to this special university as you join the ranks of a half a million degreed Spartan making the world a better place.

So go forth, Spartan graduates, and illuminate the world.

And for a really cool photo opportunity in your Spartan cap and gown, you might start at Beaumont Tower, which we have illuminated for you on this special day.

So go forth and as always, go green.

I now invite everyone to please stand and join in the singing of the first stanz of the alma mater, MSU shadows.

Miss Ross will lead us in the singing.

Following the singing we ask guests to remain seated until the recessional of the platform.

Part faculty and students, thank you.

[Music Alma Mater] [Music Fight Song]