(academic music) (academic music continues) (academic music continues) (academic music continues) (academic music continues) - Good morning everybody.

(audience cheering) My name is Kendra Spence Cheruvelil.

I use she/her/hers pronouns and I am the dean of Lyman Briggs College.

I am so excited to be here today, so excited.

(audience applauding) Before I begin my remarks, I would like to acknowledge the land on which we live.

We work and we learn.

Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabe, the three fires Confederacy of Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Peoples.

In offering this land acknowledgement, I affirm indigenous sovereignty, history and experiences.

Today we bring together our graduates, along with their families and their friends to honor you and your accomplishments.

As we begin to celebrate your accomplishments, let us pause for a moment of silence to honor all of those who have enriched our lives and are not with us today.

Thank you.

Y'all may be seated.

We are here today to bestow the baccalaureate degree on 348 spring and summer graduates in the Lyman Briggs College class of 2024.

(audience cheering) Let us join together here on the Banks of the Red Cedar in spring in a season of renewal and fresh beginnings to share stories, to support and uplift each other and to celebrate the curiosity, the perseverance, and the success of our graduates.

I appreciate and am feeling them myself, particularly strong emotions for this graduating class and their guests.

Most of these amazing Briggsies were robbed of their traditional high school ceremony due to the pandemic, so this is their first opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments in this way.

You deserve this weekend.

You deserve this moment.

(audience cheering) As we honor this important moment in the lives of our graduates and their family members and friends.

I'd like to especially thank the other Briggs and MSU alumni who are with us in the audience and to the family members and friends who have traveled to be here and who are watching from afar.

Welcome and thank you.

(audience applauding) Briggsies you have come so far.

A few short years ago, you enrolled in Lyman Briggs College full of interest and curiosity about science.

Some of you had grand plans for your life.

Some of you are unsure what the future would hold.

The Global Covid pandemic changed life for all of us in profound ways, and we cannot ignore the toll it had on societies, families, and individuals.

For you, the pandemic disrupted your celebrations of important milestones and the ways that you connected with others and you spent your quintessential first year of college learning remotely rather than in Holmes Hall.

We recognize that, we commend you for your tenacity and your remarkable accomplishments.

(audience applauding) As a Briggs student, you took foundational science, maths, and writing courses through our small dedicated college, your faculty and advisors knew you by name and we all discovered that our community is not limited to the confines of Holmes Hall or even to the MSU campus.

As you progressed through your programs, you grew as scientists through your classes and labs and hours and hours of study, research, projects, jobs, volunteering, student clubs, and especially friendships.

You helped to recruit students to Briggs.

You supported First Year Briggsies as mentors.

You helped your fellow students as learning assistants and peer advising assistants, and you gave award-winning research presentations.

Many of you even took on leadership opportunities across this world class university.

You leave Lyman Briggs College today empowered with a deeper understanding of scientific fields and how they intersect and a broader perspective of the sciences in their diverse human, social, and global context.

The world needs you Briggsies use your compassion, your creativity, your curiosity and your compassion to continue to make a difference.

We cannot wait to learn about what you do next.

Once a Briggsy, always a Briggsy.

Congratulations.

(audience cheering) At this time, I'd like to welcome and thank trustee Brianna T. Scott for celebrating with us today.

(audience applauding) - At this time, I would like to welcome all of you on behalf of the MSU Board of Trustees.

Welcome to the graduates families and friends who are with us at this time in this afternoon's undergraduate commencement under the Michigan Constitution.

the board of trustees is the governing body of the university by whose authority degrees are awarded.

Today's ceremony represents the culmination of discipline, intellectual work, and creative imagination.

Certainly no small accomplishment, for many of you and your families here today.

The sacrifices have been long and great.

The degree you have earned acknowledges your success and honors all of those who have encouraged it.

Our wish is that you will always be leaders who generously use your intelligence and your knowledge to improve the quality of life for your community, to advance the common good and to renew hope in the human spirit.

Our faculty, administrators and the MSU Board of trustees are all very proud of you.

Please accept our warmest congratulations and best wishes and Go Green.

(audience cheering) - At this time.

I ask that everyone who's able to please rise for singing of America The Beautiful performed by MSU Jazz Orchestra II under the direction of Anthony Stanco with soloists Sarah Whitaker.

♪ Oh beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ For amber waves of grain ♪ ♪ For purple mountain majesties ♪ ♪ Above the fruited plain ♪ ♪ America ♪ ♪ America ♪ ♪ God shed His grace on thee ♪ ♪ And crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ From sea to shining sea ♪ (audience applauding) - Thank you.

It is now my absolute pleasure to introduce the Lyman Briggs senior class speaker Loreta Prenaj.

(audience cheering) Loreta is a human biology major with a minor in bioethics from Okemos, Michigan.

She has also served as a Briggs ambassador and undergraduate learning assistant and was recently recognized at a board of trustees award winner.

(audience cheering) - Hello graduates, faculty, staff, and loved ones.

Also surprise mom and dad.

(chuckles) What an honor it is to be here with you all today.

For many of us, this is our first official graduation ceremony, a grand celebration that we thankfully do not have to experience from the comfort of our house this time, I'll be transparent in telling you all that I was very hesitant to even apply to give this speech here today for a reason I am sure is familiar to us all, the fear of failure.

I was scared that my speech wouldn't be chosen, worried that if it happened to be picked, I would actually have to present it.

I worried about if people would actually listen to my words or if they would simply tune them out.

I feared failure.

Now, the reason I am being so vulnerable with you all today is because graduation, an event we have been working towards for quite a while now can also leave many of us graduates feeling almost incomplete or unsatisfied like we haven't really done all that much yet and may or may not even know what our next steps will be.

It's almost as if we are fearing that all of this will have been for nothing, a failure perhaps.

Well, I'm here to remind you that no matter what your journey has looked like, you have not failed in getting here today.

And when I say your journey, I'm not just talking about the last four years, I'm talking about all the events that have happened in your life, all the work you have put in and all the people who have supported you over the last two decades or so.

Some things I personally think of are my immigrant parents who came to this country so that I could have this opportunity in the first place.

My sisters who have provided constant support along the way, my teachers, professors, and advisors throughout my education who have dedicated their careers to helping me get to where I am today.

When it comes to our collective time at MSU, I'm sure we can all think of the friends we have made in our classes, study lounges, dining halls or campus events who have made us smile and pushed us to keep going even on the harder days.

Of the study groups we have made and the late nights we have spent in our last attempts to understand meiosis in biology, nephrons in physiology, Newton's laws in physics, the list truly goes on.

Of the hard work each and every one of us has put into passing our classes and earning our degrees.

At the end of the day, each of our stories will be different, but my point is that you are not sitting in this room because you just happened to be here.

You're sitting here today because you have earned it and because you deserve it.

Of course, it is normal to have worries and doubts, but on this day you should all be extremely proud of yourselves and if I still haven't convinced you, at the very least, you should know that I'm proud of you and that everybody here is proud of you too.

So even with that pesky fear of failure looming about, be sure to take today to celebrate all of your amazing achievements.

My sincerest congratulations class of 2024, Go Green.

(audience cheering) - Definitely a success, right?

(audience cheering) Thank you for that meaningful address.

That was wonderful.

At this time, please enjoy a performance of Centerpiece by the MSU Jazz Orchestra II under the direction of Anthony Stanco with instrumental soloist Mason Reinhardt.

(jazz music) ♪ The more I'm with you pretty baby ♪ ♪ The more I feel my love increase ♪ ♪ I'm building all my dreams around you ♪ ♪ My happiness will never cease ♪ ♪ But nothing's any good without you ♪ ♪ 'Cause baby you're my centrepiece ♪ ♪ I buy a house and garden somewhere ♪ ♪ Along a country road a piece ♪ ♪ A little cottage on the outskirts ♪ ♪ Where we can really find release ♪ ♪ But nothing's any good without you ♪ ♪ 'Cause baby you're my centerpiece ♪ (jazz music) (jazz music continues) ♪ I buy a house and garden somewhere ♪ ♪ Along a country road a piece ♪ ♪ A little cottage on the outskirts ♪ ♪ Where we can really find release ♪ ♪ But nothing's any good without you ♪ ♪ 'Cause baby you're my centrepiece ♪ (audience applauding) - Thank you.

That was amazing and thank you again, Sarah.

It is now my absolute honor to introduce LBC alumna Abbigail Tumpey.

Abigail has a master's in public health and is vice president for institute communications at Georgia Tech.

She brings to us more than two years of crisis communication leadership at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most notably, Tumpey led the CDCs communication efforts during pivotal outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tumpey, a member of the Lyman Briggs class of 1998 credits her time at Lyman Briggs College for sparking her interest in public health.

Please welcome Abbigail Tumpey.

(audience applauding) - Good afternoon, faculty, parents, and graduating Briggsies.

It's an honor to be here today to celebrate with all of you.

When I sat down to gather my thoughts about my personal journey and the advice I could give you, my mind was filled with 25 years of outbreak response at the CDC from the first outbreak I ever worked on, the anthrax attacks after 9/11 to a fungal meningitis outbreak that impacted Michiganders to sounding the alarm about antibiotic resistant infections, and then there was covid, so many outbreaks and pandemics, so many lessons, but all I could think about was how my 25 year career at CDC began with failure.

Yes, you heard it right.

Failure.

You see, I had entered Lyman Briggs with big ideas of becoming a doctor.

I had done everything I was supposed to do, kept good grades, did clinical rotations and research, and took the MCAT multiple times, but I was horrible at standardized tests.

If everyone has a superpower and I believe they do, then standardized tests were my kryptonite.

So in 1998, having not made the cut for any of the medical schools I applied for, I sat in my Lyman Briggs graduation with no plan.

If there is any of you sitting out there today wondering what is next, I can empathize with you, to understand how I got past this moment.

Let me take you back to 10th grade.

Growing up in Battle Creek, Michigan, I was offered an opportunity to try out for a national performance team based out of Atlanta, Georgia.

The tryouts were in Cincinnati, Ohio, and my mother, recognizing the importance of this opportunity, drove me through the night to ensure I made it.

Now, to understand the story, you have to know that my maiden name was Schultz, so I went by Abby Schultz.

When I got to the auditions, I was trying out for a woman named Heather Schultz, no relation.

She had just adopted a dog that she named Abby Schultz.

So there I was, Abby Schultz, the 10th grader from Battle Creek, Michigan, trying out for a national dance team for a woman with a dog named Abby Schultz.

Turns out I made the team and kept in touch with the people I met that day.

Six years later, as I was graduating from MSU, Heather called to ask, "What was I going to do with my life?"

I had just spent the last several years at Lyman Briggs working with a pediatrician, Dr. Ruth Ann Dunn, who had once been one of CDCs elite disease detectives.

Dr. Dunn filled my brain with stories of outbreaks and amazing things I could do if I pursued a career in public health.

I told Heather my dream job would be to work at CDC.

After the call, Heather sent my resume to a friend at CDC who passed it through a whole series of people.

Eventually, it ended up on someone's desk who called me up, invited me to Atlanta headquarters, and hired me on the spot.

At 21 years old, I was in my dream career, all because of the critical people around me and a series of circumstances that started with my mom making the decision in 10th grade to drive through the night to Cincinnati, Ohio so I could dance for a woman with a dog named Abby Schultz.

Life is a series of seemingly chance moments.

You are the through line that weaves these chance encounters together, and your relationships are the critical foundation that will help you on your journey as you embark on your own paths.

Remember that every experience, every encounter, and yes, even every failure is a stepping stone towards your future.

Embrace them, learn from them.

Now onto a few pieces of advice I've learned.

First, do right by people.

No matter what field you go into, you will be faced with tough scientific and medical and public health decisions.

Always choose the path that benefits the most people.

At CDC I did this throughout my 25 years from helping think through tough decisions during the Covid, such as, can we open schools in the southern United States while the Delta variant is surging?

To decisions about what PPE healthcare providers should wear during the Ebola pandemic.

Whatever you are doing, let people be your north star.

Second, be transparent.

If we are going to tackle some of the most pressing scientific issues of our time, we have to be transparent with our data and science.

For several decades, I've been waving the flag for scientific transparency at the highest levels of our federal government.

For years, I've trained scientists on how to talk to the public.

I'd often start my presentation with a simple slide that says, "Data does not equal information."

We need to not just release scientific data, we need to make it clearly understandable.

In 2009, during the H1N1 pandemic, there were concerns about the safety of the vaccine supply.

Particularly in light of what happened during the 1976 pandemic.

My team not only worked to ensure that all vaccine safety data was available for download by the public, but we provided clear summaries of the data so people could make their own interpretations.

And today, as vice president of communications at Georgia Tech, my team regularly works to make scientific and technological advances accessible to the public for making computer science accessible to rural Georgians, to making technology and research we're doing at the institute understandable to a fifth grader in Atlanta public schools.

To advance as a country and ensure we are scientifically literate, our science and technology has to be accessible to everyone.

Third, answer the call.

Since the 2001 Anthrax attacks, I've volunteered to work on nearly every major outbreak response or pandemic that CDC has undertaken, from Hanta virus to Marburg, to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to Mpox.

During the Covid pandemic, I was unexpectedly asked by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky to lead communications for CDC.

I knew that this job, this moment, was much bigger than me.

I checked my ego at the door, recruited in the best of the best, surrounding myself with diverse perspectives and ideas, told everyone to speak truth, and I listened a lot.

Over the next 12 months, we led the country through mask off, mask on, Alpha, Delta, Omicron, School reopening, vaccines, boosters, test kits rollout, test kit shortages, and ultimately stabilizing the country.

My days were filled with urgent, sometimes all hour of the night calls between CDC headquarters, the White House, Dr. Fauci teams, the surgeon, general Media, and other federal leaders.

There was no moment in my career that was harder and yet more rewarding because I answered the call.

Fourth, surround yourself with great humans.

Responding to 25 years of outbreaks at CDC was only gonna be possible if I surrounded myself with great people, and I knew in order to do that, I had to marry well.

In 1999, I met and fell in love with a man in the Hopin CDC cafeteria who had the pickup line, "Aren't you Abby from Gonorrhea?

I'm Terry from Influenza.

Do you wanna go to lunch?"

(audience chuckles) I know y'all wish you had that in the Holmes Hall cafeteria.

In 2005, Terry reconstructed the 1918 flu virus advancing influenza research on vaccines and antivirals.

He was suddenly on the cover of every newspaper in the country.

The subject of numerous documentaries and his face started popping up in college textbooks.

Despite both of us having CDC careers, there were numerous times when I threw myself into an outbreak response and Terry or our two boys, Blake and Pierce, were there to cheer me on.

Surrounding yourself with great humans makes you a better human too.

And lastly, give back to the people and places where you come from.

I loved Lyman Briggs.

I loved living in Holmes Hall all four years.

I loved walking to class on the Red Cedar River.

I loved that students took calculus in pajamas and slippers.

I loved that I finally enjoyed English class because I was reading biographies about Louis Pasture.

I loved knowing that we were part of something unique and special and innovative.

When you leave this beautiful place, be ready to turn around and give back to it.

There are hundreds of Briggsies walking in your footsteps.

They need you, your support, your comradery, and your wisdom.

Take time to mentor and support them and take time to always give back.

So as you stand at the beginning of your next chapter, remember how much this last chapter has shaped you.

Your resilience and problem solving skills.

We're not only tested by being a Briggsy.

They were tested by forcing you to survive and thrive as a student living through a once in a century pandemic.

Your resilient problem solving skills are now etched into your very DNA, demonstrating the epitome of Spartan's will, as you go out into the world, face failure head on, keep people top of mind, be transparent in all you do, answer the call and be ready to give back.

And don't be afraid to call on the good humans around you to help you on your way.

I cannot wait to see the incredible things you do.

Congratulations, Briggsies, and Go Green.

(audience cheering) - Ought to get to the right spot.

Hello, my name is Ryan Sweeder and I'm the Associate Dean for Research and faculty Affairs.

(audience cheering) It is my honor to recognize outstanding seniors for their contributions to our residential college community.

These awards recognize students who stand out for academic achievement, leadership and extracurricular involvement.

Each award emphasizes one particular contribution or accomplishment.

All students receiving these awards were nominated by their peers and faculty.

The first award is the Lyman Briggs College Academic Excellence Award.

This award is given for outstanding scholastic achievement contributions to one's field and leadership potential.

This year's award goes to Aya D. Abu-Zama.

(audience cheering) Aya is from Canton, Michigan and is a member of the Honors College graduating with her degree in human biology.

(audience applauding) The next award is the FB Dutton Award.

This award is given for outstanding academic achievement, a contribution to science education along with active leadership in the Briggs community.

And this year's award goes to Nick Carlier.

(audience cheering) Nick is from Troy, Michigan and is a member of the Honors College and earning a degree in human biology with a minor in bioethics.

(audience applauding) The final award is the LBC Alumni Association Outstanding Student Award.

This nominee must display exemplary leadership and dedication to student and alumni activities while earning a high level of academic achievement.

This year's award goes to Trevor Markwood.

(audience cheering) Trevor is from Macomb, Michigan and is a member of the Honors College earning a degree in environmental science and sociology with a minor in history, philosophy, and sociology of science.

(audience applauding) Congratulations to these students on their amazing achievements.

(audience applauding) - I'm definitely not as tall as Dr. Sweeder.

Hi folks, my name is Niki Rudoph.

I'm the Assistant Dean of student success and advising, and I use she/her pronouns.

I have the distinct pleasure of recognizing the remarkable hard work and accomplishments of this graduating class.

Your honors are a testament to the incredible work you have invested and the amazing support that has brought you here.

The MSU Honors College is one of the nation's most extensive honors programs students graduating from the honors college wear a white stole to signify this accomplishment.

Will the students graduating from the Honors college please rise if you are able and be recognized?

(audience cheering) Thank you, you may be seated, but probably not for long, so hang on.

The students of Lyman Briggs College are among the most academically distinguished students at Michigan State University.

This year, over 42% of our graduating class is graduating with honors students in, oh, definitely give a round of applause.

(audience cheering) Students in the top seven to 20% of all MSU students in the graduating class are distinguished as graduating with honors.

These students have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.88 to 3.96.

These students wear gold honors cords.

Will the students graduating with honors please rise if you are able and be recognized?

(audience cheering) You may be seated.

Students in the top 6% of all MSU students in the graduating class are distinguished as graduating with high honors.

These students have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.97 or higher.

These students also wear the Gold Honor cord.

Will the students graduating with high honors please rise if you are able and be recognized?

(audience cheering) Thank you.

You may be seated.

And students graduating with a perfect 4.0 GP average across all of their courses at MSU receive the special honor of receiving the Board of Trustees Award.

This is an incredible achievement attained by only 272 students graduating across MSU 47 of those are graduating today from Lyman Briggs College.

(audience cheering) Would those students who are receiving the Board of Trustees Award, please stand and be recognized if you are able?

(audience cheering) Thank you.

An essential part of the success of Lyman Briggs is the role that our students play in co-creating a supportive residential and academic community, both in Briggs and across campus.

They welcome new students, support each other in the classroom, represent the student voice on college and university committees, and raise important questions in our community.

Would these students please stand if you are able and remain standing as I announce these positions?

Those who have served as Briggs ambassadors.

(audience cheering) Resident assistants.

Intercultural aides, peer mentors and peer support coordinators, (audience cheering) Members of the Student Advisory Council or LBC Inc. Undergraduate learning assistants.

(audience cheering) and any member of an MSU band or choir, fraternity or sorority or other MSU student organization.

(audience cheering) Please be seated.

Our students balance much more than academics and student leadership.

Will the students who have participated in education abroad or away please stand.

(audience cheering) Thank you and be seated.

Will students who have competed as a student athlete in a varsity sport here at Michigan State, please stand.

(audience cheering) Thank you.

And will those students who worked a job or two or three, please stand if you are able and be recognized.

(audience cheering) Thank you.

You may be seated.

Finally, in recognition of all of the different pathways our Briggsies take, we'd like to celebrate all of those graduating today who are setting a family milestone.

Will all those who are the first generation in your family to graduate from college please stand if you are able and be recognized?

(audience cheering) - Congratulations everyone.

As you can see our Briggsies are amazing, well-rounded, accomplished people.

At this time, we are getting to like the best part here.

We will now present diplomas to the new graduates.

Yeah.

(audience cheering) Graduates, once you receive your diploma, we ask you to return to your seats to help celebrate each of your classmates.

Will the graduates please be escorted to the stage to be recognized?

(audience cheering) - Blake John Heilman.

(audience cheering) Loreta Prenaj.

(audience cheering) McLaine Smith.

(audience cheering) Julia Haddad.

(audience cheering) Brenna Karl.

(audience cheering) Greg Mitchell.

(audience cheering) Alexandra Linn Steurer.

(audience cheering) Alkesha Griffin.

(audience cheering) Clara Jekel.

(audience cheering) Jackson Kerrigan.

(audience cheering) Noah Joseph Kaplan.

(audience cheering) Christine Kim.

(audience cheering) Morgan Gowdy.

(audience cheering) Jenna Nylander.

(audience cheering) Lillian Kempisty.

(audience applauding) Ryan Matusik.

(audience cheering) Emily Neeb.

(audience cheering) Ellen Bennett.

(audience cheering) Aya Dawud Abu-Zama.

(audience cheering) Trevor Markwood.

(audience cheering) Alexandria Nicole Beavers.

(audience cheering) Sohum Acharya.

(audience cheering) Ajit Raghavan.

(audience cheering) Aiden Hannapel.

(audience cheering) Taylor Smith.

(audience cheering) Unser Jaffry.

(audience cheering) Wyatt Jason Feldman.

(audience cheering) Sverre Finn Sears.

(audience cheering) Cassandra Milch.

(audience cheering) Ashlyn Muirhead.

(audience cheering) Lauren Demas.

(audience cheering) Elvira Gjelaj.

(audience cheering) Akshay Chalasani (audience cheering) Hunter Dehaan.

(audience cheering) Austin Miles Huckins.

(audience cheering) Nicholas Kwang-Chen Carlier.

(audience cheering) Sevana Mailian.

(audience cheering) Zina George Khader.

(audience cheering) Justin Daniel McNulty.

(audience cheering) Sumitha Raman.

(audience cheering) Megan Kumar.

(audience cheering) Grace Niu.

(audience cheering) Karly Kim.

(audience cheering) Elizabeth Karen Courtright.

(audience cheering) Joanna May Berriman.

(audience cheering) Abigail Brinton Johnson.

(audience cheering) Kaitlin Poindexter.

(audience cheering) Ashley Claire Stefens.

(audience cheering) Shannon Pavlak.

(audience cheering) Zoe Pozios.

(audience cheering) Taryn Vielma.

(audience cheering) Ananya Kamath.

(audience cheering) Emily Anne Maclarty.

Lauren Latta.

(audience cheering) Jocelyn Warnica.

(audience cheering) Marine Avequin.

(audience cheering) Matthew Othmer.

(audience cheering) Ashley Harlock.

(audience cheering) Alexandra Stapleton.

(audience cheering) Nicole Manzzullo.

(audience cheering) Avery Wieczorek.

(audience cheering) Christina Zenos.

(audience cheering) Luca Jane Jolly.

(audience cheering) Sam Waite.

(audience cheering) Brian Hosmer.

(audience cheering) Jorge Valois-Espinoza.

(audience cheering) Alexander Charney.

(audience cheering) Lucas James Stimach.

(audience cheering) Logan Charles Patterson.

(audience cheering) Madeline Bartolotta.

(audience cheering) Kaitlyn Rock.

(audience cheering) Seema Shah.

(audience cheering) Kareena Gooroochurn.

(audience cheering) Maria Horak.

(audience cheering) Lauren Collins.

(audience cheering) Samantha Kaywood.

(audience cheering) Audrey Marie Monahan.

(audience cheering) Lilian Asamoah-Barnieh.

(audience cheering) Autumn Williams.

(audience cheering) Abigail Connell.

Saffron Sky.

(audience cheering) Kelly Rose Sullivan.

(audience cheering) Kaytlyn Grace Kunse.

(audience cheering) Eliza Marie Guernsey.

(audience cheering) Katryna Jeannine Kemp.

(audience cheering) Kristiana Palushaj.

(audience cheering) Mathilda Jacqueline Margaret Smith.

Jacqueline Dippre.

(audience cheering) Madison Poulos.

(audience cheering) Julia Meyers.

(audience cheering) Lauren Davis.

(audience cheering) Taylor, Irene Rabanus.

(audience cheering) Anna Maria Kitsios.

(audience cheering) Anjali Alice Thomas.

(audience cheering) Lilja Plumert.

(audience cheering) Hannah Penfold.

(audience cheering) Thomas Edward Libcke.

(audience cheering) Josh Edwards.

(audience cheering) Akhil Penumata.

Olivia Melville.

John Charles Day.

(audience cheering) Ashley Smith.

(audience cheering) Harrison Kush.

(audience cheering) Evan Ireland.

Callie Paul.

(audience cheering) Charisma Moore.

Megha Prashant Pratapwar.

(audience cheering) Anushree Ravi.

(audience cheering) Tiernan McGowan.

Claudia Daniela Soria Casanova.

Allison O'Malley.

(audience cheering) - Sarah Madison Roberts.

Nikita Heather Nel.

Hannah Lynn VanSlembrouck.

Paige Rosalyn Schneider.

(audience cheering) Melody Marie LeClerc.

(audience cheering) Meghna Ancha.

Maya Shivani Patel.

Cushy Kapoor.

(audience cheering) Sathvik Suryadevara.

Brianna Meyer.

Olivia Stray.

Matthew Hands.

Luke Mel.

Seth Jager.

Simon LaFleur.

(audience cheering) Sean HamMommy.

(audience cheering) Spencer Wozniak.

(audience cheering) Alwin Joseph.

Matthew Yonan.

Joshua Prabhu.

(audience cheering) Jatin Singh Bains.

(audience cheering) Adish Arjun.

(audience cheering) Arjun Singh Bhooi.

(audience cheering) Shashank Kolluru.

(audience cheering) Shogo Terakado.

(audience cheering) Benjamin Joseph Jarrett.

(audience cheering) Sarah Zenas.

Rebecca Martin.

Natalia Portales.

Elise Willa Straub.

Shayna Kay Menzer.

(audience cheering) Serena Luka Lefef.

(audience cheering) Emma Shores.

Brett Washburn.

(audience cheering) Megan Bergeron.

Sierra Staman.

Julia Considine.

Sara Kurkechian.

(audience cheering) Tara Wagh.

Brianna Mary Mearim.

(audience cheering) Gianna Mary Abro.

Steven Stefan Allen Jones.

Jesse Alexander Hawkins.

Alexander Federman.

Yashhvardhan Rajjput.

Mithil Kumar Penta.

Krishna Devarahalli.

Adarsh Mahendrakumar.

Vedi Patel.

Ryan Jamal Suarez.

Ruthvik Mahesh Pudale.

Shether Ahmed.

(audience cheering) Attie Roman.

Jennifer Roamer.

Molly Matun.

Lily Sophia Scott.

Melissa Briggs.

Samantha Lee Goetz.

Caroline Grace Downs.

Ethan William Timms.

Nilesh Tripathy Josh Evan Burman.

Kaitlyn Hutchins.

Sarah Hoogstraten.

Monish Moyal.

(audience applauding) Nicholas James Wright Meyer.

Michael Robert Quintieri.

Joseph Vieregge.

Andrew Scheil.

Emily Reagan Zimmer.

Shambhavi Shivaram.

Sarah Mary Elias.

Aaron Van Heest.

Kevin Huen.

Sidney Hall.

Madison Mayhill.

Claire Sivak-Schwennesen.

Shivani Anandhasenthil.

Sonali Mohan Joshi.

(audience cheering) Tanishaa Bains.

Anmol Kaur Gill John Dingle.

James Lily.

Beau Martindale.

Elyssa Evanzia Orlando.

Isabella Vivian Elias.

(audience cheering) Sheena Khan.

Sydney Kenaya.

(audience cheering) Lauren Ashleigh Hamama.

(audience cheering) Angeline Alexander.

Maiya Quinn Russell.

(audience cheering) Ashley Miller.

(audience cheering) Nupur Huria.

(audience cheering) Prerna Chahal.

Brendan Steichen.

Rohith Nadella.

Ashleigh Dobbin.

Sophie Quirk.

Emilia Puda.

Amanda Joy Makemson.

Autumn Elizabeth Hart.

Sarah Goldman.

Austin Miller.

Laura Danon.

Kiran Leanne Phillip.

Erica Lienne-Xinfu McGraw.

(audience cheering) Madeline Wynn.

(audience cheering) Trevina Chen.

Jack Warner.

Amarpreet Singh.

Emilee Ann Bellant.

(audience cheering) Charlotte Best.

(audience cheering) Aubrey Mutel.

- Megan Bow.

Ahed Nahas.

Claire Dunnigan.

Lauren Batra.

Rayna Longo.

(audience cheering) Vismaad Nagra.

(audience cheering) Lauren Christine Kwarciany.

Alexandra Marie Stevens.

Mackenzie Campbell.

Trenton DeLongchamp.

(audience cheering) Gabriel Wesley Radgens.

Aiden Jacobson.

Michael Christopher Polly.

Nikhail Rinke.

Sarah Kefri.

Mridula Mudaliar.

(audience cheering) Sarah Reis Salam.

Molly Grace Ferencz.

(audience cheering) Myra Chahal.

(audience cheering) Mithilya Srinivasan.

Ndika Iris Sheel.

(audience cheering) Steven Mark Perino.

Tristan Mayton.

Ethan Markus Nowakowski.

(audience cheering) Saed Sole.

Okshe Vaibhav.

Ajayveer Singh Gill.

Emma Stempien.

Jaclynn Sibley.

(audience cheering) Emma Lenneman.

(audience cheering) Gabrielle Dobernick.

Lindsey Blumberg.

(audience cheering) Amanda Stevenson.

Eman Abake Lasisi.

(audience cheering) Keerthi Morisetty.

(audience cheering) Saloni Shah.

(audience cheering) Erin Groell.

Jacqueline Nicole Ryan.

(audience cheering) Justin Strong.

(audience cheering) Sophia Staufer.

(audience cheering) Carolyn Garner.

Kat Borders.

Julia Piett.

Bailey Elizabeth Delcamp.

Madeline Fry.

Daeun Nam.

Nithya Gogineni.

Kezen Uy Sanchez.

(audience cheering) Madeline Jeffrey.

Nishtha Kakar.

Sahithy Samyuktha Oruganti.

(audience cheering) Lindsay De Jesus.

Neha Navathe.

(audience cheering) Nia Sophia Brodsky Kepes.

Noah Shouts.

(audience cheering) Hunter Pouillon.

(audience cheering) Kaylee Chaewon Park.

(audience cheering) - Petra Johnson.

Shreeya Kandukuri.

(audience cheering) Fumbi Kakure.

(audience cheering) Aaditi Nambiar.

(audience cheering) Tyler Alexis Benet Adams.

(audience cheering) Pia Gandrothu.

Hope Bemis.

Olivia McConville.

Rhea Shenoy.

(audience cheering) Tanvi Sharma.

(audience cheering) Sravani Sunkara.

(audience chatter) Olivia Brooke Slewa.

(audience cheering) Bhavya Thotakura.

(audience cheering) Vishok Gunasekar.

Astha Dalal.

(audience cheering) Akshita Thummalapally.

(audience cheering) Uma Krishnan.

Madhav Barot.

Aman Panjabi.

Chaitanya Vadlamudi.

(audience cheering) Emma Ronnie.

Rebecca Sofa Popovski.

Grace Singh.

(audience cheering) Gabreen Zacharia.

(audience cheering) Montana Rochelle Wesley.

(audience cheering) Rheal Shamoon.

(audience cheering) Giovanna Xhomaqi.

Lauren Leanna Haddad.

(audience cheering) Vidhi Sinha.

Rhea Raut.

(audience cheering) Jess Cherniawsky.

Olivia Blanchard Dunmore.

Gabriela Joan Keckley.

Grant Lane.

Eli Gray.

Xavier Lee.

Jared Craft.

Ryan Lipman.

Rachel Olivia Lybeck.

Leah Marchiando.

Rachel Michelle Nadler.

Grace Best.

Sophie Rose Zinsky.

Magana Gogineni.

(audience cheering) Keneya Burks.

(audience cheering) Nabria Nicholson.

(audience cheering) Asia Young.

(audience cheering) Marin Freifeld.

(audience cheering) and James Matthew Catchick (audience cheering) (audience cheering continues) - One more time.

(audience cheering) The energy in here is amazing.

I wanna take a moment to recognize and thank some of the people who have worked so hard to make this event special for our graduates.

First thank you to the Lyman Briggs college staff who have dedicated many hours to coordinating and staffing today's celebration.

(audience cheering) Thank you to Dylan Krupp and the Breslin staff, Heather Fink and the University Commencement office Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, and the MSU Police for their hard work and preparation for today's ceremony.

(audience applauding) Thank you to Andrea Cliver who provided the captioning for our event, and Scott Poll and Jody Noll, who read graduate names.

(audience applauding) Thank you to Alexandra Beavers, our student banner carrier, who also represented us at convocation on Friday.

(audience cheering) All right, now I ask the class of 2024 from the Lyman Briggs College to please rise.

(audience cheering) Lyman Briggs College could not be what it is without the dedication, enthusiasm, and expertise of our faculty and our advising team, many of whom are up here on the stage facing you now.

These individuals have played an essential role in providing the education, mentoring, and support throughout the years that has helped these graduates we celebrate today.

Let's share a round of applause as gratitude for their contributions as teachers, advisors, collaborators, and mentors.

(audience cheering) Now, I ask the graduating students to carefully turn around to see your family, friends, and loved ones who have gathered here to celebrate you today.

(audience cheering) Thank you.

Thank you for all that you've done to support these amazing Briggsies, the myriad ways you've done throughout the years.

Woo hoo.

All right.

Here it comes.

You ready?

All right.

Face the stage again.

On behalf of the President who has delegated to him the authority of the state of Michigan vested in the board of trustees, I confer upon all of you the degrees for which you have been recommended with all the rights and distinctions to which they entitle you.

According to custom you may now move your tassel from the right side of your caps to the left.

(audience cheering) This act represents the conclusion of a great achievement and marks the beginning of a lifetime of dedicated service.

It is an achievement worthy of celebration, and we are here this afternoon to celebrate the fact that more than 348 individuals have completed their academic program of their choice in Lyman Braves College.

Congratulations MSU and Briggs alum.

(audience cheering) We end our celebration today with a university tradition singing the Alma Mater MSU Shadows.

After singing, we request that our guests and graduates be seated and remain in their places until the recessional of the platform party.

Who is going to greet the newest graduates in the tunnel as they depart.

Will everyone please stand if you're able for singing of the MSU Shadows.

♪ 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 ♪ (audience cheering) (marching music) (marching music continues) ♪ Go right through for MSU ♪ ♪ Watch the points keep growing ♪ ♪ Spartan teams are bound to win ♪ ♪ They're fighting with a vim ♪ ♪ Rah!

Rah!

Rah!

♪ ♪ See their team is weakening ♪ ♪ We're going to win this game ♪ ♪ Fight!

Fight!

Rah!

Team, Fight ♪ ♪ Victory for MSU ♪ (marching music) ♪ Fight!

Fight!

Rah!

Team, Fight ♪ (audience cheering)