(orchestral instrumentals music) - [MC] Introducing the president of Michigan State University, Samuel L. Stanley Jr. (audience applauding) - Good afternoon, and welcome to the fall commencement ceremony as we recognize and celebrate our graduating seniors from the Eli Broad College of Business, (audience cheering and applauding) the College of Education, (audience cheering and applauding) the College of Engineering, (audience cheering and applauding) James Madison College, (audience cheering and applauding) the College of Music, (audience cheering and applauding) and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.

(audience cheering and applauding) I wanna thank everyone for observing our masking requirement and ask that you remain mass throughout the ceremony to allow all of us to safely celebrate together.

I think it is important that we be together to celebrate this milestone in the lives of our graduates and to recognize the dedication it took to get here.

We honor MSU's 166-year old mission and certify with these degrees that our graduates are fit to meet the challenges of tomorrow and today.

It is immensely satisfying feeling to look out on this group and see the next generation of problem solvers, leaders, and creators.

In this ceremony, we honor our graduates and salute those who have achieved academic distinction.

We celebrate the special unity and diversity of the Spartan family as represented by the flags of the native lands of our students and by the banners heralding our colleges.

Now I ask our guests to join students and faculty in singing one stanza of the "Star-Spangled Banner" performed by the MSU Wind Symphony under the direction of professor Kevin Sedatole.

The singing will be led by Shannon Crowley, a senior in vocal performance.

Upon conclusion of the singing, please remain standing for a moment of silence.

♪ O say can you see, by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ That our flag was still there ♪ ♪ O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

♪ (audience applauding) Thank you for remaining standing.

Graduates, I'd like us to pause now to allow you a moment of silent reflection on the opportunities for growth you've enjoyed at Michigan State University and the relationships you've formed.

Please be seated.

Now I invite Provost Teresa Woodruff to present this afternoon's candidate for the honorary degree.

- Thank you, President Stanley.

Mr. Menear, will you please come forward?

President Stanley, I have the honor to present Craig Menear for the award of an honorary degree, Doctor of Business.

- An entrepreneur at heart and an astute business person, you currently lead the world's largest home improvement retailer.

Your father, a General Motors employee, taught you the value of hard work and the importance of people to an institution.

It was during these formative years in Flint, Michigan that you grew to love helping your father with home improvement projects.

After graduating from MSU Eli Broad College of Business, you went on to work for several retailers before arriving at Home Depot.

You have worked there for more than 20 years, making your way up the ranks in the organization and pushing the company to success by blending the physical and digital realms to provide innovative product offerings and reliable delivery options.

You now serve as chairman and CEO, and are responsible for 2,300 stores and the livelihoods of 500,000 associates.

But it is your leadership during the pandemic that has been exceptional.

Putting people first, you navigated these challenging times to provide a safe environment for customers and employees alike.

Home Depot also donated millions of dollars in personal protective equipment to hospitals and healthcare providers.

Your philanthropy is also evident from your personal involvement with the Atlanta Committee for Progress, Camp Southern Ground, Junior Achievement programs, and the Salvation Army.

You have clearly put your education to work for the greater society and epitomize the phrase Spartan's will.

For your leadership in business and philanthropy, I'm pleased to award you the honorary degree of Doctor of Business from Michigan State University.

(audience applauding) - Good afternoon, Spartans.

(audience cheer and applauding) Thank you, President Stanley, for those very kind words.

And I'd also like to say a special thank you to Provost Woodruff, and thank you to the deans and the faculty that are present today.

I'm honored to be here today with all of you at this great university and I'm truly delighted that tonight, I can go and tell my mom that there's finally a doctor in the house and it's not my brother-in-law coming over for dinner.

But I'm even more delighted and proud to be a Spartan.

So to my brand new soon-to-be fellow alums, the graduates of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, the Eli Broad College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the James Madison College, and the College of Music, congratulations.

(audience applauding) As of today, you all have reached a tremendous milestone.

And each of you has someone to thank; friends, family, faculty, because nobody does great things like this alone.

I'll talk more about that in a minute.

To the people who helped make today possible for all of us, thank you for allowing me to share in this occasion.

Now graduates, I've been asked to speak to you today because, in theory, I've been where you are.

So let me start by saying, I actually skipped my graduation; I was in a hurry to get to my job.

But even if I had been here, I wouldn't be where you are today because nobody has been where you are in the last hundred years since the Spanish flu, the last time that college students graduated in pandemic, and your pandemic is not over.

Here's the good news, we're all forged from our experiences and the harder they are, the greater the opportunity to transform them into something meaningful.

The generation who got handed World War II became the greatest generation.

Their children, the boomers, they faced Vietnam and then went on to change popular culture.

You got COVID.

So what are you gonna make?

Where do you go from here?

You've already proven that you have a crazy amount of Spartan will to get this far.

So how will this influence your decisions going forward?

How will you choose?

Because that is who you will become; the consequences of your choices.

And your choices, they don't automatically get better as you get older, trust me on that one.

You will get older, but if you want to get better, you will have to choose wisely at least some of the time.

So I thought I'd share with you an approach to making choices that I have found helpful in the hopes of shortening your learning curve, which is actually step one.

To accelerate your development, tap the knowledge base of others.

This is what I do as a CEO.

I am not the smartest guy in the room by a long shot, but I am smart enough to surround myself with very smart people.

The next thing to remember is if you wanna get older and wiser, you have to take calculated risks.

If you always choose safely, you may end up very comfortable, but you probably won't grow very much.

If you take crazy risks, you'll probably grow, but you may not grow older.

But if you take calculated risks, risks that balance the upside with the possibility of failure, you will enhance the quality of your life and your work.

In my business, for example, I was asked to run distribution, which is way outside of my path of career development and way outside of my comfort zone.

I chose to be in retail to serve customers, not run warehouses.

But I thought that I might learn something that would be useful.

15 years later, as it turns out, I did.

When my boss asked me to run merchandising and supply chain, and my knowledge base from distribution prepared me to ask the right questions that help my team to develop a completely innovative approach in our business.

Now, not every choice is gonna work out, not even for a Spartan.

There will be disappointment.

You will never always get what you want.

So I have always tried to want what I have, to do the job in front of me the best that I could, not worrying about what the next job was or what the competition for that job might be.

There were times when folks got ahead of me and at a faster pace and candidly, that was disappointing until I learned that not getting this or that promotion really wasn't a total reflection on who I was, but there were reasons beyond my control.

What I could control was how I saw the world, what I paid attention to, and what I didn't pay attention to.

For example, when my daughter, Danielle, was in high school, she sang in the chorus.

I tried to make her events and it seemed to me that I did a pretty good job of balancing work and family until tell her last concert.

When I called her to say, "Hey, I'm going to be there."

And I heard the surprise and pleasure in her voice, and it reminded me that actually I hadn't been there nearly as much as I thought I had.

That was a jab in the heart.

And sometimes that's the price of growth, recognizing where you are in life and pushing through the pain so that next time you fail better.

So to Danielle and her sister, Courtney, thank you both for being here today.

Every day I wake up and I kinda pinch myself.

How in the world did I get here?

I'm the leader of a fortune 18 company, and not only was I not even my Spartan class president, I struggled, especially in math to the point where I told my dad in my sophomore year that I wanted to go fly jets.

I had been recruited by the Air Force Academy and it seemed like a better fit.

He said, "You're not going anywhere until they kick you out."

They didn't and I kept learning, and I eventually graduated from college algebra to company P&L's.

And today, when I meet with the president and CFO of the Home Depot to review those P&L's, they tell me, "Craig, you never forget a number.

How could you possibly say that you hated math?"

Well, partly it's a matter of survival.

As the CEO of a public company, if the CFO and I screw up, we can potentially be sharing a jail cell together.

But the biggest growth driver is asking questions about stuff you don't completely understand.

That's why we have a CFO.

He's the financial expert and the president of our company, he's a former banker.

So I tap their knowledge base to accelerate my development around financial theories, which put me in a position to pay it forward.

A few months ago, I got an email from one of our associates who wrote, "Craig, I came to the Home Depot as my first job.

I was 18, homeless, and I walked 7.5 miles to the store for an interview with everything I owned in a bag on my back.

Today, I'm an assistant manager and the first member of my family with a bachelor's degree, and I continue to work on my MBA."

That is an incredible story of transformation for our associate and calculated risks for our store manager.

An associate walks 7.5 miles to a job interview, the store manager recognizes that, gives them a shot and changes that associate's life forever, which is a humble reminder that nobody succeeds alone.

In my case, my business partner was my life partner, Dawn.

We got married on a Saturday in the fall, which you know it was football season.

On this particular Saturday, the Spartans had an away game in a little stadium filled with Wolverines.

Our friends were not happy about that at all.

In fact, the minister actually sent us in the church.

So people would have somebody to look at while he watched the end of the game on TV, which I'm sorry to say we lost that day.

But the wedding worked out okay and ever since, I've trusted Dawn's judgment and valued her partnership.

So many years later when the CEO of the Home Depot came and asked me if I wanted to be considered to replace him when he retired, I told him I needed to go ask Dawn first because I knew it would impact her as much as it would me.

I also knew that without her, I would never have been in the position for the CEO to ask me that question in the first place.

You see, earlier on in my career, we were living in Atlanta and she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the same time my boss wanted me to move to Chicago.

I turned them down, not knowing what that would do to my career, but I wanted to keep Dawn close to her doctors.

And on October 11 of this year, we celebrated our 35th anniversary.

And so far my career has gone okay.

(audience applauding) So after 35 years, I think I understand some of the reasons why; you tap the knowledge base of others, you take calculated risks, you learn from your failures and keep growing, you pay forward your successes because nobody succeeds alone.

That's the approach in terms of how I try to make choices.

And for whatever it's worth, I offer that approach to you as you set out from this great university and make your place in the world.

Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your journey.

Your challenges are great, but your opportunities are equally great.

And judging by your ability to seize this opportunity, to become a Spartan in the face of obstacles no one your age has faced in 100 years, I have every reason to believe that you will continue to celebrate milestone moments and use your Spartan will to change the world for the better.

So to each and every one of you, good luck, congratulations, and go green.

(audience applauding) - Thank you so much, Mr. Menear, for those very, very inspiring words, and you're ever going commitment to Michigan State University.

Now I invite Provost and executive vice president Teresa Woodruff to continue with introductions.

- Thank you very much, President Stanley.

I join you in congratulating our newest degree recipients.

Each of our graduates embody a unique confluence of new knowledge.

Graduates, your scholarly achievements culminate today in the conferral of a degree along with the conferral of our great hope, faith, and pride in what you will now do with your achievements.

Indeed, as we send you forth, we are counting on you to become the thought leaders and doers of our 21st century.

Now it is my pleasure to introduce Dayana Villagran, a mechanical engineering major who was chosen by the Senior Class Council to represent the class of 2021.

(audience applauding) - Greetings, Spartans.

My name is Dayana Villagran and it is a true honor to represent you all today.

This time of celebration has come at a great cost.

We as Spartans have sacrificed so much to earn this degree.

We have studied countless hours to fulfill our thirst to learn, and I can say that the fear of failure, the pressure to perform well, and the eagerness to earn this spot where you sit today has built us to withstand whatever obstacles life has to throw at us.

Who am I, and why do I stand here?

I started working in the fields when I was 12 years old.

I worked from sunrise to sunset.

From the very first day, I knew I wanted something better for myself and for my family.

I knew that education for me was not a want, but rather a need.

I wanted a job that didn't cause my hands to go numb or my back to feel like it was breaking, a job with an employer that valued and demonstrated commitment to the well-being of its employees, a job that didn't marginalize you because perhaps you didn't have the privilege to get a higher preparation.

My parents gave up their homeland in exchange for my education.

They sacrificed many things to grant me a chance to have a more pleasant lifestyle.

I carry with great pride the weight that was put on my shoulders, that weight that symbolized more than just getting a preferable job, but instead the of dismantling the imposed position of being a field worker.

I went from pulling weeds to fulfilling my needs.

And although at times things did get rough, I found a home here.

I formed long-lasting bonds with my coworkers from the CORE program, the CORE family, as we like to say.

I had an amazing boss who I not only consider a mentor, but also a dear friend.

I also had an amazing support system with the Supporting Excellent Engineers program who not only provided financial assistance, but also a safe space for me to be myself.

And I can't forget the College Assistance Migrant Program who not only made sure that I stayed warm in the winters, but also introduced me to some of my best friends.

Like myself, each and every one of you has had their fair share of unfortunate circumstances growing up.

Yet for one reason or another, you decided that getting your degree was the next step in your journey.

We have finally made that step today.

Today, you will walk across this very stage and receive that paper you have worked so hard for.

On this day of celebration, I ask that you remember all the good, the bad, and the ugly that came before.

I ask that you recognize that you are now a true Spartan and Spartans are unbreakable.

Learn to appreciate what you have and all the accomplishments you have achieved for this is your moment, you made it.

Every single person earning their degree in this room has at least one thing in common; we all did whatever it took to be a Spartan.

And as students, we had many things taken away from us.

We at times exchanged social options for obligations, sleep for submissions.

And now, now we are ready to interchange our struggles for success.

At one point or another during our time here, we have questioned ourselves.

Sometimes it was after that failing grade or pulling an all-nighter that those questions roamed our mind.

Do I have what it takes?

Do I belong here?

Is that even worth it?

I firmly believe that you have the answer to those questions today.

And if you still, by any chance, have doubt, let me tell you that the answer is yes.

Yes, you did have what it took, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

Yes, you did belong here, and yes, it was worth it.

The reason you chose this degree was because you are capable of recognizing a problem and solving it.

You have the ability to change the world because you create what may not exist and change what is fixed.

After all those exams, group projects, transitioning from in-person to online, to transitioning back from online to in-person, we can say that we are two warriors.

Not only did we survive the pandemic, we survived Michigan State University.

This has been a heck of a ride and it is a great privilege to represent you all today.

Go green!

(audience applauding) - Thank you so much, Dayana, for reminding us all of the value proposition of education and of the Michigan State University education.

Thank you very, very much.

The Senior Class Council has worked tirelessly in support of the Senior Class Gift Campaign.

The presentation will be made by Danielle MacLean and Amy Liu.

(audience applauding) - Hello, class of 2021, my name is Amy Liu.

- And my name is Danielle McLean.

- And we are board members of the Senior Class Council from ASMSU, the Associated Students of Michigan State University.

- As our journeys have come to an end here at MSU, the Senior Class Council wants to ensure that we choose a gift to donate to the university, which will go towards a course that will emphasize the fact that Spartans will.

- With so many organizations to choose from, the Senior Class Council understands the struggles that COVID-19 virus has brought, which I'm sure many of you will understand.

The Senior Class Council would like to applaud the graduating class of 2021 as it was not easy to get here.

You should all be proud.

So be kind to ourselves.

Congratulations, Spartans.

(audience applauding) (Amy speaking faintly) - As we stated earlier, the Senior Class Council picks a senior gift and chooses a charitable organization to donate to.

We wanted to ensure this donation would support those who have been greatly affected by the pandemic as many of us have been in different ways.

Seeing that education took a monumental toll on many of us, and as college students, faculty and staff, we sit together here in this space, I know we can all emphasize with this struggle.

- For this reason, we have decided to donate to the Diversity Research Network, which connects Faculty of Color and Scholars interested in diversity research.

The DRN also creates scholarly communities, fostering new collaborations among all areas of studies, and works to advance the growth and visibility of research by underrepresented faculty as well as research on diversity across MSU.

- With this in mind, a check to President Stanley and this glorious institution will be awarded accordingly.

And this gift from the senior class will be donated to the Diversity Research Network.

Go green!

Thank you.

(audience applauding) - Thank you so much, Sammy and Danielle, that was really terrific.

A great and generous gift to the Diversity Research Network.

I'd like to now take a moment to acknowledge the outstanding faculty and academic staff who are here to celebrate with our graduates.

Our faculty and academic staff are guides, mentors, and they celebrate with all of us in your accomplishments today.

Please join me in thanking them.

(audience applauding) We are honored to welcome a number of the university's leaders who are seated on the platform, but who will not be speaking today.

Each plays an important university role and joins us to celebrate in your accomplishments.

And there are many and varied roles, they provide support across our academic mission and are deeply invested in ensuring academic excellence and student success at Michigan State University.

Their presence marks the importance of this moment.

I asked my colleagues to please stand as your name is read, and I asked the audience to please hold your applause until all are introduced.

Lisa Frace, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and treasurer, Mark Largent, associate Provost for undergraduate education and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Christopher Long, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, and the Honors College, and Melissa Woo, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Information Officer.

(audience applauding) We pay tribute today to graduates who have the distinction of maintaining the highest grade point averages in the class thereby meriting the Board of Trustees Award.

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

And this semester 38 students qualified for the board award.

All 38 earned a grade point average of 4.0000.

We recognized 12 of these students this afternoon.

I asked the students to rise and stand and remain standing as your name is read, and audience, please hold your applause until all are introduced, and please excuse any pronunciation or diction errors as I read the names.

Samuel Chan, a computer science major and Honors College member from Lawrence, Kansas, Sophia Cislo, a marketing major and Honors College member from Brighton, Michigan, Brendan Shakiel, a marketing major and Honors College member from Lansing, Michigan, Meredith Detweiler, an applied engineering sciences major and Honors College member from Marion, Ohio, Arden Knoll, a computer science major and Honors College member from Okemos, Michigan, Amanda Colemar and accounting major and Honors College member from Rochester, Michigan, Chris Lee, a mechanical engineering major and Honors College member from Wuhou, China, Ryan McLean, a computer science major and Honors College member from Rochester, Michigan, Garrick Nurawasky, a finance major and Honors College member from Lebanon, Ohio, Benjamin Robbins, a computer science major from Novi, Michigan, Joseph Schuster, an applied engineering sciences major and Honors College member from Alto, Michigan, and Kayla Seaman, an environmental engineering major and Honors College member from Washington, Michigan.

Please join me in recognizing these students.

(audience cheer applauding) We hope each of these students are proud of their outstanding academic record that honors both you and this university.

And on behalf of your classmates and the faculty, and academic staff, as well as the trustees and the university, I congratulate you and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Students who participate in and fulfill the requirements of the Honors College by completing enriched Programs of Study are identified as graduating with Honors College distinction.

These graduates wear the white stole with the HC designation.

All students who are graduating as members of the Honors College, please stand and accept our congratulations.

(audience applauding) Students who attain a minimum grade point average of 3.94 are awarded University High Honor.

University Honor is awarded to students who earn a minimum grade point average of 3.79.

These honors are designated by the gold cord one, one with the academic robe.

All students graduating with High Honor and with Honor, please stand and accept our congratulations.

(audience applauding) In recognition of Michigan State's ongoing commitment to study abroad, I asked graduates to stand who have had an international experience as either a study-abroad student or as an international student who traveled from around the world to study at Michigan State University.

(audience applauding) We shall now confer baccalaureate degrees upon candidates.

The deans will present their candidates.

May I ask interim Dean Dylan A. T. Minor from the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities to present his candidates.

- If you are able, may I ask the graduates from the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities to please rise.

President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, and the honorable platform party, on behalf of the faculty and staff and the ARCA community where students live their learning, I'm honored to present these transformational change makers who have completed all requirements for the Bachelor of Arts for the conferral of their degrees.

- Thank you.

(audience applauding) Well, Dean Sanjay Gupta from the Eli Broad College of Business present his candidates.

(audience cheer and applauding) - Will the outstanding candidates from the one and only Eli Broad College of Business please rise and remain standing.

(audience cheer and applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, on behalf of my faculty and staff colleagues in the Broad College, I'm delighted to present to you these candidates for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Well, Interim Dean Ann Austin from the College of Education present her candidates.

- Will the excellent candidates from the College of Education please rise?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provosts Woodruff, distinguished members of the platform party, I'm very pleased to present these excellent candidates for the bestowal of their degrees.

Their work in education and kinesiology is extremely important to our society, especially now.

And they're well-prepared to make impactful contributions.

Thank you.

(audience applauding) - I next like to invite Dean Leo Kempel from the college of engineering to present his candidates.

(audience cheering and applauding) - Engineers, stand up!

(audience cheering) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, on behalf of the faculty, staff, and alumni of the College of Engineering, it's my great pleasure to present these innovators who will transform Michigan's economy and transform the world for the conferral of their degree.

(audience applauding) - Next, let me invite assistant Dean Jeffrey Judge from James Madison College to present those candidates.

(audience applauding) - Will the amazing candidates for the bachelor degree from James Madison College please stand?

(audience applauding) President Stanley and Provost Woodruff, on behalf of the faculty and staff of Madison College, I would like to present the candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree from James Madison College.

(audience applauding) - And lastly, let me welcome and ask Dean James Forger from the College of Music to present his candidates.

(audience cheering and applauding) - Will the candidates from the College of Music please rise?

(audience cheering and applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, on behalf of my faculty colleagues, I am delighted to present this wonderful class that has completed all the requirements for their various degrees and are prepared to go out and help make this a better world through the power of music.

- Thank you.

(audience cheering and applauding) - Will all the candidates for degrees please rise?

(audience applauding) By 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 distinctions to which they entitle you.

As a symbol of your achievement, it is traditional to move the tassel from the right side of your cap to the left.

You may do so at this time, and congratulations.

(audience cheering and applauding) you may be seated.

- And now the presentation of the diplomas.

Jamie Paisley and Scott Pool will announce the names of graduates as the president presents their diplomas.

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

We ask the audience to be considerate in applauding to your graduate as names are read so that each graduates name is heard.

We ask all degree recipients to return to your seats following the presentation of your diploma and to remain seated for the recognition of your fellow graduates.

(members of audience laughing) - From the earlier ceremony, Angela Sanchez (audience cheering and applauding) Chanel Moore.

(audience cheering and applauding) From the James Madison College, Rose Cherosky.

(audience cheering and applauding) Sarah Shore, (audience cheering) Vanessa Myers, (audience cheering and applauding) Emma Nettleton, (audience cheering) Celeste Johnson, (audience cheering) Alexias Berg, (audience cheer) Tyler Myers, (audience cheering) Audrey Frost, Thomas Stevenson, Daniel Acker, Jonathan Yul, Chester Ho, (audience cheering) Natalia Schwartz, (audience cheering and applauding) Kalian Southworth, (audience cheering and applauding) Emma Simpson, (audience cheering) Justine Juliana, Robbie McQueen, (audience cheering and applauding) Kayla Donaldson, (audience cheering and applauding) Connor Gustavus, Ian Irish, Connor Lin, Jenna Thompson, (audience cheering) McKayla Santino, (audience cheering) Kathleen Sullivan, (audience cheering) Ziyoung Son, (audience cheering) Blaine Weinert, (audience cheering and applauding) Madeline Dylan, Joshua Vallecat, Owen Wesorrick, (audience cheering) Jessica Cohen, Kyle Murphy, (audience cheering) Brennan Vargas, (audience cheering) Cameron Beaton, (audience cheering and applauding) Matthew roads, (audience cheering) Samantha choppin, (audience cheering) Anna cool, Debra Misach, Julie climb, (audience cheering and applauding) Rebecca Sullivan, Alexander McWood, Harrison Wiremiller.

From the College of Engineering, William Chisholm, (audience cheering and applauding) Patrick Dempsey, (audience cheering and applauding) Alexander Brandt, (audience cheering and applauding) Troy Mishalech, Drew Hubbard, John Royston, Daniel Fox, (audience cheering and applauding) Madison Dissamo, (audience cheering and applauding) Kelsey Johnson, (audience cheering and applauding) Lauren Colts, Joe Madrid, (audience cheering and applauding) Garrett Novak, (audience cheering and applauding) Friedrich Hipner, Matt Schram, (audience cheering and applauding) Alec Rotter, (audience cheering) Isabel Woolray, (audience cheering and applauding) Kepler Tigi, (audience cheering) Kayla Seaman, (audience cheering) Julian Olynyk, Jordan Rosario, (audience cheering) Sidney Smith, (audience cheering) Emily Loftus, Meredith Detwiler, (audience cheering) Alexis Burrows, (audience cheering) Jessica Lipka, (audience cheering and applauding) Grant Youngs, (audience cheering and applauding) Louie Roland, (audience cheering) Sean Win, (audience cheering and applauding) James Carvonen, (audience cheering) Nicholas Fitzsimmons, (audience cheering) Kelly McPherson, (audience cheering) Sarah Navadal, Emily Estrada, (audience cheering) William Teasley, (audience cheering) Akasha Davicha, Hunter Lee, (audience cheering) Everett Case, Sulaiman Alkatan, Hannah Golf, (audience cheering) Maxwell Stall, (audience cheering) Aaron Rakowski, (audience cheering and applauding) Abdullah Alenezi, (audience cheering and applauding) Khalid Alhamadi, (audience cheering and applauding) Hamed Alrashid, (audience cheering and applauding) Rebeca Fernandez de Cordova, (audience cheering) John Bosio, Jack Belding, (audience cheering and applauding) James Chadwick, (audience cheering and applauding) Jeffrey Rockwell, (audience cheering and applauding) Aaron Cyril John, (audience applauding) Anthony Bastidas, (audience cheering and applauding) Liam Conlin, Drew Larson, (audience cheering and applauding) Natalie Cornay, (audience cheering) Tina Wong, (audience cheering) Toshfi Taljordi, (audience cheering) Lazarak Hill II, (audience cheering and applauding) Dishon Schwann, (audience cheering and applauding) Justin Kowalchuk, (audience cheering and applauding) Yoshuan Thigonash, (audience cheering) Ananda Kumar, (audience cheering and applauding) Justin Hollingshead, (audience cheering and applauding) Ahmad Mandu, (audience cheering and applauding) Emma Turkmani, (audience cheering and applauding) Katieann Roush, (audience cheering) Zachary Atkins, (audience cheering) Colin Hashi, (audience cheering and applauding) Luke Evangelista, (audience cheering) Hunter Carmack, (audience cheering) Jacob Jenna, (audience cheering and applauding) Jared Kukuk, Andrew Retzlof, (audience cheering) Riley O'Connor, (audience cheering) Max Smith, (audience cheering) Jacob Koffi, Jacob Zettel, (audience cheering) Matthew Good, (audience cheering) Andy Fulbright, (audience cheering) Joshua Paul, (audience cheering) Brady Muldoon, (audience cheering) Ryan Brown, (audience cheering and applauding) Jose Alcantar Guyagus, Akansha De, (audience cheering and applauding) Justin Yen, (audience cheering) James Provax, (audience cheering) Kindred Griffis, (audience applauding) Vasaf Sufi, (audience cheering and applauding) Shahiya Hassan, (audience cheering) Kyle Pattern, (audience cheering and applauding) Jessica Havlik, (audience applauding) Elliot Ryan, (audience cheering) Hunter Paul, Joelle Eaves, (audience cheering) Douglas McNaney, (audience cheering and applauding) Sohaib Farruk, (audience cheering) Connor Rosecrans, (audience cheering) Alexander Walton, (audience cheering and applauding) Derrick Gotaris, (audience cheering) Bradley Thomas, (audience cheering and applauding) - Vincent Cushing, (audience cheering and applauding) Vladimir Barnakov, (audience cheering and applauding) Brady Riery, (audience cheering and applauding) Ashley Gray, (audience cheering and applauding) Luke Stag, (audience cheering and applauding) Rodrigo Acevedo, (audience cheering and applauding) Daniel Reynolds, (audience cheering and applauding) Connor Foley, (audience cheering) Sebastian Bosak, Jake RizKala, (audience cheering) Jack Sycamo, (audience cheering and applauding) Elizabeth Stevens, (audience cheering and applauding) Leslie Schuchart, (audience cheering and applauding) Hussain Atwain, (audience cheering) Christina Bucco, (audience cheering and applauding) Patrick Dickerson, (audience cheering) Emily Cova, (audience cheering and applauding) Page Loft, (audience cheering) Elizabeth Kirby, (audience cheering) Varsha Sulacech, Zachary Gentry, (audience cheering and applauding) Ben Robbins, (audience cheering) Shelby Stanfield, (audience cheering and applauding) Ethan Curtis, (audience cheering and applauding) Marvin Hadab, (audience cheering) John Jaska, (audience cheering and applauding) Sam Tyson, (audience cheering and applauding) Matthew Borello, (audience cheering) Roman Grishin, Lily Craig Malich, (audience cheering) Daniel Boganovsky, (audience cheering) Matthew Green, Mark Kistler, (audience cheering), Chase Miller, (audience cheering), Andrew Emery, (audience cheering) Miles Overall, (audience cheering) Alex Ifkovits, (audience cheering) Sarah Coldwell, Shashi Joshi, (audience cheering) Peter Caruso, (audience cheering) Ethan Kalkman, (audience cheering) Santiago Armeda, (audience cheering) Noah Terek, (audience cheering), Jacob Armstrong, (audience cheering) John Thompson, (audience cheering) Emmanuel Engader, (audience cheering) Palmer Blazer Shallow Wilo, (audience cheering) Alexa Poll, (audience cheering and applauding) Nadah Alkaderi, (audience cheering) Nicholas Lenahan, (audience applauding) Nicholas Bariantez, (audience cheering) Nicole Keller, (audience cheering) Adam Deon, (audience cheering) Adeboye Adegbenro Jr., (audience cheering) Shaplop Medovski, (audience cheering) Julius Eliah, Amy Pasokas, (audience cheering) Oriel Kanellis Salus, (audience cheering) Mitchell LeBlanc, (audience cheering and applauding) Jacob Fraelich, (audience cheering and applauding) Sean Lashua, (audience cheering), Devin Pong, (audience cheering) Ryan Ro, (audience cheering) Jendong Liu, (audience cheering) Ethan Labah, Anna Kolbe, (audience cheering) Chelsea Eli, (audience cheering) Todiwa Chaduma, (audience cheering) Ali Shami, (audience cheering and applauding) Dante Richard, (audience cheering) Sean Gilo, Kelsey Karasik, (audience cheering) Andrew Dabeka, (audience cheering) Ryan Langan, (audience cheering) Kayla Corey, Diana Viagrand, (audience cheering) Jamal Burton, (audience cheering) Devin Moses, (audience cheering) Matthew Schwager, (audience cheering) Joseph Beatty, (audience cheering) Nicholas Holly, (audience cheering) Jason Jair Kumar, (audience cheering) Mckay Brown, (audience cheering) Munzer Elser, (audience cheering and applauding) Devin Ab, (audience cheering) Connor Kanoute, (audience cheering) Davis Brown, (audience cheering) Noah Pesta, (audience cheering) Zach Arnold, (audience cheering) Robert Vetti, Liam Picard, (audience cheering) Race Pinekoski, (audience cheering) Vanessa Wong, (audience cheering) Victoria Tsao, Rolanda Hutson, (audience cheering) Lindsey Boyvan, (audience cheering) Jacobs Zanoli, (audience cheering) Garrett Pline, (audience cheering) Joshua Comiska, (audience cheering) Nadia Shuba, (audience cheering) Wendwal Young, (audience cheering) John Knoll, (audience cheering) Samuel Chan, (audience cheering) Ethan Smith, (audience cheering) Ryan McLean, (audience cheering) Gi Lee, Justin Cole, Amaya Bookhill, Adichie Guy, (audience cheering) Anshuman Gupta, (audience cheering) Kyle Terran, (audience applauding) Thomas Boss, Nicholas Masini, Nolan Kerwin, (audience cheering) Jacob Claco, (audience cheering) Liam Ryan, Austin Mysel, Andrew Hall, (audience cheering) Justin Stark, Jack Beto, (audience applauding) Joseph Schuster, Santos Lopez, Adams Lewinsky, Noah Hubbard, (audience cheering) Josh Bankie, (audience cheering) Shayou Lee, Shiao Xiao, (audience cheering) Yuan Delai Cow, (audience cheering) Chris Lee, (audience cheering) Morgan Sandler, (audience cheering and applauding) Zachary Fincher.

(audience cheering) From the Residential College of Arts and Humanities, Alicia Erickson, (audience applauding) Sophia Beckman, (audience applauding) Megan Granick, Elizabeth Tanner, (audience cheering and applauding) Kyle Stewart Whitehouse, (audience cheering) Zaria Cannon.

(audience cheering) From the College of Music, Kaitlin Sundquist, (audience cheering) Lamar Jones, (audience cheering) From the Eli Broad College of Business, Jordan Eler, (audience cheering) Michael Colitis, (audience cheering) Brendan Cheika, (audience cheering) Puneet Narang, Isabel Johns, (audience cheering) Jack Trainer, (audience cheering) Hunter Mills, Dominic Dawson, Christian Golic, Almir Chalovic (audience cheering) Yusef Haji Hammad, (audience cheering) Brendan Bloviko, Jasraj Kochar, Lauren Beiser, (audience cheering) Nicole Castrucci, (audience cheering) Ariana Inez, (audience cheering) Olivia Lawler, Hannah Ikes, Zeejo Shu, (audience cheering) Jacquelyn Smive, (audience cheering) Hanin Mansoor, (audience cheering) Madison Strauss, (audience cheering and applauding) Waxiu Lu, Chris Randall, (audience applauding) Michael Dowel, (audience cheering) Brett McKay, (audience cheering) Hadley Diamond, (audience cheering) Cherish Woodworth, (audience cheering) Abigail Olson, (audience cheering) Yvette Cresson, Abigail Catarina, (audience cheering) Abigail Bobak, Amanda Komarr, (audience cheering) Sophia Sizlo, (audience cheering) Maddie Gillis, Hanna Kuraito, Kelly Yannick, Houssainatou Diallo, (audience cheering) Morgan Samuels, (audience cheering) Jay Chen Xiao, Bing Luo, Wen Yu Xiai, (audience cheering) Matt Lewandowski, Sidney Powell, Alyssa Chick, Mackenzie Baron Brock, (audience cheering) Lily Kubek, Kendall Keys, (audience cheering) Men Ching Lee, Gi Bao, Shoyang Goa, (audience cheering) Joshua Griffel, (audience cheering) Noah Harvey, Cameron Beaton, (audience cheering) Daniel Dolinka, (audience cheering) Cassius Cook, Matthew Reynolds, Austin Shock, (audience cheering) Jack Nigway, (audience cheering) Farzad Sultanpur, (audience cheering) Dinn Yi Xiann, Hudson Elowsky, Christopher Job, Daniel Young-Hands, Zach Heisser, Trevor Lauer, Tyler Collins, Kahleel Hall, (audience cheering) Ryan Schiffman, Chase McManamon, Lindsay Fox, (audience cheering) Peter Win, (audience cheering) Jacob Cole, (audience cheering) Alec Shanks, Michael Grodi, (audience cheering) Derek Boyki, Kendall Sanders Bubolz, Idea Brooks, (audience cheering) Cassidy Ballard, Camille Weaver, (audience cheering) Trevor Richards, (audience cheering) Noah Troyer, Kyle George, Jack Warner, (audience cheering) Logan Kannan, Joshmaher Ducolan, (audience cheering) Robert Steven, (audience cheering) Jack Dunkel, (audience cheering) Spencer Billy, Carl Rayu, Brian Platt, Hope Emington, (audience cheering) Connor Blafis, (audience cheering) Alexander Ajelani, Nicholas DeBryun, (audience cheering) Lauren DuChene.

Alex Flower, (audience cheering) Phillip Pelond, Walid Julio, (audience cheering) Frong Tanitachul, Tori Curtis, Shatanya Reina, Jack Lacos, (audience cheering) Zubar Hamid, (audience cheering) Toshio Shimazaki Ito, (audience cheering) Ariana Yu, Kayden Morello, (audience cheering) Joe D. Pirlo, Elijah McLean, (audience cheering) Austin Miller, (audience cheering) Celeste Eutrine Chen, Ashton Murphy, Amy Paddington, Olivia Miller, (audience cheering) McKenna Zukowsky, Brian Castillo II, Seth Scorpio, (audience cheering) Benjamin Swayze, (audience cheering) Hudson Wong, Paolo John Andrea, (audience cheering and applauding) Garrick Norawsky, (audience cheering) Collin Ghosn, (audience cheering) Ryan Flaherty, Sarah Poser, (audience cheering) Jacob Blackmore, (audience cheering) Alexander Gaffed, (audience cheering) Anang Lee, (audience cheering) Shaween Jong, (audience cheering) Lauren Hurley, (audience cheering) Jamila May Beckwith, (audience cheering) Destiny Ori, (audience cheering) Xingyi Jong, Kira van Antwerp , Aaron Polands, (audience cheering) Blake Richert, (audience cheering) William Bulkoski, Heather Kuns, Scott Berger, (audience cheering) Corey Jaeger, (audience cheering) Amy Nicole, (audience cheering) Amelia Armstrong, Manik Gupta, (audience cheering) Anna Hancock, (audience cheering) Sarah Pegler, Jacob Roche, (audience cheering) Madison Mikel, Nadia Sismaisha, (audience cheering) Ashley Pokeeney, (audience cheering) Kara Lash, Samantha Elkis, (audience cheering) Chloe Ambis, John James Kokios, (audience cheering) Val Ward, Parker Spears, (audience cheering) Dalton Rigs, (audience cheering) William Hoover, Noah Frank, Asheesh Majnoor Kunda, (audience applauding) Saskshom Kalra, (audience applauding) Hardik Garg, (audience applauding) Jillian Louis, Brian Wilson, (audience cheering) Joshua Hara, Benjamin Tent, (audience cheering) Charisma Nair, (audience cheering) Dylan Hernandez Suarez, Kira Milka, Gabby Roselee, (audience cheering) Scott Freevert, Lorenzo Diego Steni, (audience cheering) Jayda Carter, (audience cheering and applauding) Kennedy Montgomery, (audience cheering) Charles Persons, Jordan Smith, Amir Eccles Jr, (audience cheering and applauding) Jenny O, (audience cheering) Alan de Boer, (audience cheering) Carter Jordan, (audience cheering) Fade Tang, Meredith Ross, (audience cheering) Chloe Aker, Zachary Fiedler, (audience cheering) Jacob Watt, (audience cheering) Isaac stinger, Stefan Helinkos, Nathan Wellman, Miles White, Garrett SarVelo, (audience cheering) Grant Kershaw, (audience cheering) Jacob Zona, (audience cheering and applauding) Hunter Zona, (audience cheering and applauding) Jonathan Connotes, Samuel Kenword.

From the College of Education, Anneliese Barnhart, (audience cheering and applauding) Kelly Pierce, Malina Moody, (audience cheering) McKayla Vaughn, Noah Butler, (audience cheering) Evan Willowbrook, Alicia Birch, (audience cheering) David Acunha, Mark Angotti, (audience cheering) Julie Karen, Deanna Murphy, (audience cheering) Michael Austin, (audience cheering) Dantevious Brannigan, (audience cheering) Alyssa Wilson, (audience cheering) Jayda Thomas, (audience cheering) Olivia Dustin Fonts, (audience cheering) Justine Warley, Brittany Infavong, Savannah Shifflett (audience cheering) McCurry Whitaker, (audience cheering) Alison Range, (audience cheering) Olivia Thomas, Emily Wagner, (audience cheering) Sean Nolan, (audience cheering) Sally Gathy, Leah Sinisi, (audience applauding) Michael Wetangu, (audience cheering) Rachel Provo, (audience cheering) McKayla Kerr, (audience cheering) Miguel Cortez, Ryan Sendarson, Neil Jang, Kevin Guggemos, (audience cheering) Catherine Glaser, (audience cheering and applauding) Jacob Van Duran, (audience cheering) Isabel Hub, (audience cheering and applauding) Megan Brandon-Mule, (audience cheering) Kristen Kennedy, (audience cheering) Maria Bayuk, (audience cheering) Robert Lipsey, (audience cheering) Lauren Miral, (audience cheering) Natalie Ragnon, (audience cheering) Curtis Hemingway, (audience cheering) Josie Pincoski, (audience cheering) Taylor Paget, (audience cheering) Natalie Passat, (audience cheering and applauding) Lauren Slavish, (audience cheering) Francesca Parata, (audience cheering) Jensen van Gamplayer, (audience cheering and applauding) Yuki Babinec, Yixiong Hao, David Mobius, Rose Thomas, (audience cheering) Destiny Outlaw, (audience cheering) and Regina Marie DeLoach.

(audience cheering) (audience cheering and applauding) (audience cheering) - Graduates, please rise.

(audience cheering and applauding) Congratulations.

You are now Michigan State University alumni.

(audience cheering and applauding) Please be seated.

May your Michigan State University degree provide a path to a future filled with happiness, service, and personal and professional triumphs.

A great university and a world-class education are the result of the combined efforts of many dedicated people.

The contributions of MSU faculty and academic staff are essential to your achievements, and our faculty and staff are a source of great pride to us.

I asked that the faculty and academic staff rise and accept our gratitude for their contributions, please.

(audience cheering and applauding) And now, will the families and friends of our graduates who have contributed their love and support please rise if they can and accept our appreciation?

(audience cheering and applauding) Thank you, thank you.

Graduates, your foundation on which to seek truth and accumulate wisdom is firm.

Your qualification as aware-critical citizens have been established.

Now you join a long line of Spartans who've contributed so much to their families, our nation, and the world.

You join a group of more than half a million Spartans worldwide, and I hope you find ways to engage with this amazing global family.

And I wish you all a life grace by the joys of engagement and discovery, and the fulfillment of making a positive difference in the life of others.

I now invite all of you to join in the singing of the first stanza of our "Alma Mater MSU Shadows."

Ms. Crowley will lead us in the singing.

Following the singing, we ask guests to remain seated until the recession of the platform party and faculty.

Again, thank you very much and congratulations to all our graduates.

(audience cheering and applauding) ♪ MSU, we love thy shadows ♪ ♪ When twilight silence falls ♪ ♪ Flushing deep and softly paling ♪ ♪ O'er ivy covered halls ♪ ♪ Beneath the pines we'll gather ♪ ♪ To give our faith so true ♪ ♪ Sing our love for Alma Mater ♪ ♪ And thy praises MSU ♪ (fast-paced orchestral music)