(Music Playing) Good morning.

On behalf of Michigan State University, welcome to the spring 2025 master's degree commencement ceremony.

For those joining us on live stream, greetings.

Today, we recognize the scholarship and dedication of our graduate students and celebrate their achievement of a master's degree.

Graduates, I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you over this last year, including over pancakes.

A few weeks ago as we celebrated graduating Professional Students Appreciation Week, and I can tell you that you are passionate and dedicated scholars.

Throughout my career, I've been privileged to work with and mentor many outstanding graduate students, and I can attest t their importance to my success and that of the university.

You have delivered great service to this university, its students and faculty as you worked to complete your programs, you have stepped beyond your roles of students to assume leadership in classrooms, laboratories, and in the spheres of your academic disciplines.

You support our research enterprise, and faculty mentors by applying your perspectives to, uncovering, analyzing and presenting new information.

You have added the diversity of your unique backgrounds to the University's educational community, as well as your scholarship.

You range in age from 21 to 63 and represent 54 countries.

45 of you are military veterans.

And thank you for your service.

This year, we observed the 170th anniversary of Michigan State's founding from humble beginnings, we soon became a template for the nation's land grant universities.

In the intervening years, we have grown into one of the world's great research universities.

It's in Michigan State's DNA to marshal cutting edge knowledge and innovation to address society' great challenges food security, sustainable energy, public health and medicine, to name just a few.

As emerging knowledge leaders, you are the next generation of thinkers and doers fit to grapple with those challenges.

So, graduates thank you for your partnership in fulfilling this passionatel public university's commitment to creating knowledge and transforming lives.

Today, one chapter in your lif journey story might be closing, but another exciting chapter opens with new possibilities in an unfolding future.

I'm confiden your MSU degrees will serve you well as you pursue your careers, whether you continue in academia or move on to business or other organizations.

We ask now that our guests join students and faculty in singing one stanza of the Star-Spangled banner, performed by the MSU Wind Symphon under the direction of Professor Doctor David Thornton from the College of Music.

The singing will be led by Amira Coleman, a doctoral student in music performance.

Now please rise as you are able and upon conclusion of the singing, please remain standing for a moment of silence.

O say can you see by the dawns early light What so proudly we haild at the twilights last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight Oer the ramparts we watchd were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets red glare the bomb bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave Thank you Amira.

And as you remain standing, I ask interim provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Thomas Jeitschk to please join me at the lectern on this joyful occasion, let us also briefly acknowledge the fellow students you have lost along your journey to reach this moment.

Those scholars are forever part of our Spartan family.

So let us pause here for a momen Thank you.

You may be seated.

Interim Provost Jeitschk will now present this morning's candidate for the awarding of their honorary degree.

Mrs. O'Brien, please come forward.

President Guskiewicz I have the honor to present Mrs. Deirdre O'Brien for awarding the honorary degree.

Doctor of Business.

You are a highly accomplished and inspiring business and retail professional who has committed their life to providing expansive strategic knowledge and support throughout one of the world's most inventive and forward thinking companies.

You have shared your expertise countless times throughout your tenure at Apple, through your Assistance and Innovation Incorporated in the launches of some of the most progressive pieces of technology today and your work toward empowering and fostering an environment focused on uplifting people and relationships.

Your current work as Senior Vice President of Retail Plus People entails important decisions and direction regarding the vision and strategy of one of the nation's most noteworthy businesses and technology corporations and solidifies your prominence in the world of technology, consumerism and business.

For your notable career in the retail and business sectors and your time, expertise, advice and dedication to Michigan State University's success, I am pleased to award yo an honorary Doctor of Business degre from Michigan State University.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Interim provost and the chair of the Board of Trustees.

And thank you to the friends and family who've traveled from all over to celebrate this milestone.

And most importantly, congratulations to the class of 2025.

It's an extraordinary accomplishment to make it to this day.

And while graduation is about celebrating the work you've done, I'm even more excite about the future you will build.

And that' because despite the challenges facing the world today, this moment of your graduation is filled with change and opportunity and enormous potential.

You're entering the workforce at the start of a new technological revolution, and I know a little something about what that's like.

I started working at Apple in 1988, four years after the first Mac was introduced, and about 20 years before the first iPhone.

Yes, there was a time students before the iPhone, personal computing was brand new, and to most people, the idea o having a computer in your home, much less in your hand or even on your wrist sounded a bit like science fiction.

It was an uncertain time, but it was an exciting time.

There were no guarantees, just a lot of smart, passionate peopl with big ideas about the future working so hard together to bring them to life.

Now you are those smart, passionate people.

Your generation has more opportunity to change the world than any before it.

And today, I'd lik to share a few pieces of advice that I hope will help guide you along the way.

My first tip is this how you work is as important as what you know.

Here's what I mean.

As students at MSU, you've been very focused on learning from your professors, proving your knowledge so focused that you might not have noticed everything you learned that wasn't on a syllabus, like how to pull a team member into the flow of the work to get their perspective and build momentum.

How to ask the right question.

When your class is stuck on a problem, or how to move the group project forward when no one agrees on the path to take.

Now, these moments and more taught you about communication and collaboration.

They taught you how to lead, how to follow, how to listen, how to challenge, and how to make space for others to do their best work.

These skills are so important because once you leave school the measure of success changes.

Most of you will be working with the team to achieve something greater than you could on your own.

Your whole career will be some form of group project, and you won't always get to choose your group.

Trust me on that.

So how you work will be just as important as what you know.

I still think about my first day at Apple, when I got some of the best advice of my career.

My manager told me there were two people that I should learn from.

The first would explain what I'd work on, the mechanics of the job, how to do my job, the actual product itself, and equally important, the second, equally important, would show me how to work with the people on my team to be successful.

Pursuin excellence at what you work on can be challenging and fun and fulfilling, but pursuing excellence in how to work, how to build real trust with the team, how to disagree without being disagreeable, how to spot talent and help people grow.

Some people call these skills soft skills.

I call them core skills.

They will hel you bring out the best in others and the best in yourself.

And if you spend a lifetime learning them, you will get so many great returns.

My next piece of advice is to find a strong sense of purpose.

Right now one of the challenges before you is deciding the next step that you'll take on your path.

How do you take all of you skills and put them to good use?

It's one of the most important questions that we have to answer.

And while I can't tell you which job to take or what path to follow, I can tell you this you will be fulfilled.

If you bring a sense of purpose to the work you do each day.

Steve Jobs once said, the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

And that's somethin that I learned at my first job at Apple, at a factory where we built some of the earliest Macintosh computers.

I was there to help our teams bring together the tiny, complex part and transform them into a mac.

And what motivated me was the idea that, however small my role, it added up to a product with the potential to change the world.

It was so exciting to think about this powerful personal device helpin doctors, scientists, teachers, and people with all kinds of dreams and ambitions live a better life.

That sense of purpose is why I loved my job, and it's still the reason tha I love working at Apple today.

More than 30 years later.

Now your purpose could look totally different.

You might spend your time caring for patients, teaching classes, building businesses or telling meaningful stories.

But in any job, somewhere along the line, there's a person that you can help a customer, a client, colleague, student, or neighbor who may never know your name but whose life is better because of what you do.

That's where purpose comes from.

It's serving others and working towards something bigger than yourself.

So to find yours, think hard about the impact that you want to make.

Seek out a career that lets you channel your strengths into action.

And whatever you do, find something that gives you the boost that only purpose can.

My last lesson is to always keep perspective.

Perspective can be difficult to find, but it's always worth searching for.

To me, perspective is the ability to step back and take in the full picture.

It's understanding that today's speed bumps are part of a much longer journey.

That's certainl been true of my time at Apple.

There have been so many bright spots, but also plenty of roadblocks along the way.

We've had to navigate some tough challenges and find ways to come through stronger.

On the other side.

At every obstacle.

I'll always be grateful for the times when my boss, Tim Cook, would see m really struggling with an issue, and he turned to me and say, this too shall pass.

And after all, that's what perspective is about.

It's a simple reminder that no setback is forever.

When we zoom out for a moment, we can find new ways forward, and that broader view can help you see the whole board so much more clearly.

So when you find yourself overwhelmed or unsure of the path forward, take a step back.

Know that a solution is possible.

You just need to give yourself the space to find it.

I'll share one last story from right before I graduated from Michigan State.

Now, I did not have a job offer that I was really excited about and it was springtime.

So I'm getting a little nervous here.

And I was on spring break in Florida, and in the middle of the trip, I was scheduled to fly to Californi for my big interviews at Apple, a company I had dreamed of working for, and I was so excited about the opportunity.

But I spent 18 hours stuck in traffic in the Florida Keys, jammed into a rental car with my best roommates who are here today, and I missed my flight and an entire day of interviews.

Yes, I did not show u for an entire day of interviews at Apple.

as a senior on spring break.

because a drawbridge, a drawbridge was stuck in the upright position and would not come down.

Now, I remember feeling like was watching my dream slip away and remember everybody.

No, no iPhones at the time.

I just need to paint that picture for you.

Completely helpless at the most important time of my young life, I felt like the universe was plotting against me in my dreams.

It was rough, but I didn't count myself out.

I failed to get that job.

Yes, I got rejected from Apple, but I did not want to give up.

And eventually that year I got a different job at Apple One.

That led me on the path that led me here today.

So graduates, there will be many times in your life when you find yourself o the wrong side of a drawbridge, when it is not clear how you'r going to get to the other side.

And at moments like this, it's more important than ever to draw strength from the lessons we talked about today.

Remember that how you work, how you work is as important as what you know.

Remember to find your purpose and the boost of motivation.

It will give you.

And lastly, remember to keep perspective and know that no single setback will define you and you can always find a path forward if you remember these things and put them into action.

I have every confidence that you will find success and fulfillment and make a very, very positive impact on this world.

Congratulations class of 2025.

Now go out and show us what you can do.

Thank you, Mrs. O'Brien.

And what wonderful words of wisdom.

And, watch out for those drawbridges.

they'll show up somewhere but you persevere through them.

So wonderful.

Wonderful.

words of wisdom and advice.

we will now have the privilege of hearing, special music, by the MSU Wind Symphony under the direction of Doctor David Thornton.

this selection is called fantasy on MS songs composed by James Kernow.

(Music Playing) Thank you, Doctor Thornton.

And if that doesn't get you fired up, I'm not sure what will, but, Outstanding.

I would now like to introduce the Honorable Kelly Tebay, chairperson of the MSU Board of Trustees.

after trustee Tebay, interim provost and executive vice president Thomas Jeitschko will present members of the platform party.

Trustee Tebay.

Thank you, president Guskiewicz.

On behalf of the MSU Board of Trustees, I'd 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 all of you 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 encouraged you along the way.

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

Our faculty, administrators, an trustees are all proud of you.

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

Congratulations and go green!

Thank you.

Trustee Tebay.

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

Graduates, each of you embody a unique confluence of new knowledge.

The discoveries you have made and the new capabilities that you now possess are represented in your curiosity and in your drive to innovate, express, discover and perform.

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

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

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

Thank you.

We are honored to welcome university leaders seated on the platform, bu who will not be speaking today.

In their 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 solemnity and the significance of this moment.

Colleagues, please remai standing as you are introduced.

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

Rebecca Barber, vice president for financial planning and analytics.

Bill Beekman, vice president for strategic initiatives.

Rique Campa, senior associate dean of the Graduate School.

Stefan Fletcher, secretary and chief of staff to the board of trustees.

Lisa Frace.

senior vice president, chie financial officer and treasurer.

Douglas Gage, vice president for research and innovation.

Emily Gerkin Guerrant, vice president for media and public information and university spokesperson Ashley Green.

offic of the provost chief of staff.

Mark Largent, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education.

Neil Romanowsky, Dean of libraries.

Allyn Shaw, assistant vice president and co-lead of student affairs.

Kim Tobin, vice president of university advancement.

Mike Sykes office of the president, chief of staff.

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

MSU academic governance and the University.

Mace bearer.

I would also like to thank our live captioner today, Miss Sherri Benso and our teleprompter technician, Doreen Oharacheski .

I now invite all past and present members of the Council of Graduate Students to rise as they able.

We honor the Executive Board members, department representatives and all Cogs members.

Thank you for all you have done in support of the University and your fellow graduate students.

Please accept our appreciation for your contributions.

The deans will now present the candidates for the conferral of their degrees.

Interim Dean Matthew Dau from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Will the degree candidates from the founding college of Michigan State University.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Please rise and remain standing if you are able.

President Guskiewicz.

Interim Provost.

Jeitschko Trustee Tebay on behalf of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, I am proud to present these outstanding candidates.

Each one has fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of their degrees, and each one is prepared to tackle today's grand challenges in food, water, agriculture, built environments and sustainability.

Interim Dean Yen-Hwei Lin from the College of Arts and Letters.

Where are the candidates?

Outstanding candidates fro the College of Arts and Letters.

Please rise.

Us and remain standing if you are able.

Present Guskiewicz, interim Provost Jeitschko, trustee Tebay, on behalf of the world class of faculty of the College of Arts and Letters, I'm pleased and prou to present the next generation of national and international leaders in transforming arts and humanities.

For the deferral, fo the conferral of their degrees.

They are ready to lead us to a bright future with grace and integrity.

Dean David Souder from the Eli Broad College of Business.

Will the outstanding master' degree candidates from the Eli Broad College of Business please rise and remain standing?

If you are able.

President Guskiewicz, interim Provost Jeitschkoo.

Trustee Tebay, distinguished faculty, family and friends.

I am honored to present to you these remarkable individuals, visionary, driven and dedicated, who have not only met the rigorous requirements for the conferral of their degrees, but have also exemplifie the true essence of leadership, growth and excellence.

Today, they are not just graduates.

They are future leaders who are ready to shape th business world, inspire change, and make a lasting impact on their organizations and communities.

Empowered by their Spartan will.

Dean Heidi Hennink-Kaminski from the College of Communications, Arts and Sciences.

Will the master's degree candidates from the College of Communication, Arts and Sciences.

Please rise and remain standing if you are able.

President Guskiewicz interim Provost Jeitschko, trustee Tebay.

On behalf of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, I am pleased to present these exceptional, talented master's candidates who have fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of their degrees and are ready to help transform the world through the power of communication.

Dean Jerlando Jackson from the College of Education.

Will the advanced degree candidates from the unparalleled College of Education at Michigan State Universit please rise and remain standing if you are able.

President Guskiewicz Interim Provost Jeitschko, and board of trustee Tebay.

On behalf of the MSU College of Education, recognized globally for advancing excellence and teaching, learning, kinesiology, and educational leadership, it is my privilege to present these fearless thinkers, equity driven leaders an architects of future possibility as candidates who have fulfilled all requirements for the conferral of their degrees.

Interim DeanJohn Papapolymerou from the College of Engineering.

Hey, Spartan engineers.

Please rise and remain standing if you are able.

All right.

President Guskiewicz, interim provost Jeitschko, Honorable trustee.

Tebay.

On behal of the College of Engineering.

I'm pleased to present these amazing innovators of today and tomorrow that will transform our economy and our society for the conferral of their degrees.

Dean Aaron Sousa from the College of Human Medicine.

Will the masters of science and masters of public health.

Candidates from the College of Human Medicine.

Please rise and remain standing as able.

President.

Guskiewicz.

Provost Yates, go.

Trustee TVA, on behalf of the faculty of the College, I am happy to certify these candidates for having completed the requirements for their degree.

They are ready to go out and save lives through the power of science.

Dean James Forger from the College of Music.

Will the candidates from the College of Music.

Please rise and remain standing as you are able.

President Guskiewicz interim provost Jeitschko, board Chair Tebay.

On behalf of my faculty and staff colleagues, I am delighted to present these candidates from the College of Music who have completed all the requirements for their various degrees and are now ready to go out into the world and seek to make it a better place through the power of music.

Dean Eric Hegg from the College of Natural Science.

Will the master's degree candidates from the College of Natural Science please rise and remain standing as you were able?

President Guskiewicz, interim Provost Jeitschko, board of trustee member Tebay.

On behalf of the College of Natural Science, I am pleased to present these outstanding candidates who have fulfilled the requirements for the conferra of their degrees and are ready to address the grand challenges facing society.

Dean Joyce DeJong, from th College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Will the Master's of Science degree candidates from the College of Osteopathic Medicine please rise and remain standing as able President Guskiewicz.

Interim Provost Jeitschko.

Board of Trustees Chai Tebay on behalf of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, I'm pleased to present these outstanding trailblazing Master's of science candidate in pharmacology and toxicology, integrative pharmacology, basic medical science, and global health studies who have fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of their degrees.

Dean Brent Donnellan from the College of Social Science.

Soon to be graduates fro the College of Social Science.

Please rise and remain standing if you are able.

President Guskiewicz Interim Provost Jietschko chairperson Tebay.

On behalf of the outstandin faculty and staff of the College of Social Science, I am pleased to present these fantastic candidates who fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of their degrees.

They are both equipped and excited to contribute to a far better world.

Associate Dean James Luyendyk from the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Will the degree candidates from the College of Veterinary Medicine please rise and remain standing?

If you are able?

President Guskiewicz interim Provost Jietschk Board of Trustees member Tebay.

On behalf of the absolutely epic College of Veterinary Medicine, it is my great pleasure to present the candidates for the master's degree in Food Safety.

They have fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of their degrees, and they are truly ready to go out and enhance and protect the global food supply.

Will all degree candidates please rise and remain standing?

If you are able?

I invite, chair Tebay to please join me in conferral of the degrees.

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 side of your cap.

Please do s at this time.

Congratulations.

You may be seated.

Now we will mark this auspicious occasion with the presentation of diplomas.

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

The associate dean will now escort their graduates to the platfor to be recognized individually.

Degree recipients, please return to your seats following the presentation of your diploma, and remain until the conclusion of the event.

Members of the audience, please be considerate in applauding so that each graduate's name may be heard.

(Conferral of Masters Degrees, Reading Graduate Names) We are almost to the finish line.

We want to make sure we get all the hugs and handshakes in.

Okay, will the Masters graduates please rise as you are able?

I welcome you to this community of scholars, MSU alums.

Everyone, please join me and congrats relating these degree recipients one more time.

You may be seated and we are almost finished.

Graduates, there are many who celebrate with you.

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

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

So let's show our appreciation to all the family members and friends who have been so important in your journey and are here, or joining vi live stream to share the moment with family and friends.

Please stand family and friends, please stand.

There's another group and you may be seated.

There's another group of people richly deserving of our recognition.

The amazing world class faculty and dedicated staff who support your success at Michigan State University.

Please rise.

Can we show our appreciation?

Thank you.

As an educator, I can tell you there are few joys greater than watching those of you, who have taught and mentore become the leaders of tomorrow.

And as I consider words of wisdom that I could leave you with today, I remembered another educato who offered exceptional guidance not only to his students, but to all of us.

And that's Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University before his untimely death in 2008.

Professor Pausch delivere his famous last lecture in 2007 entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, which was turned into a New York Times bestseller.

He said something that resonate deeply with me as an educator.

He said the questions are always more important than the answers, so my charge to you is to always remain curious.

I urge you to always ask, why?

To be able to imagine what we can be.

It's this spirit of inquiry that drive innovation, fosters discovery, and leads to the breakthroughs that move the needle for our quality of life.

Now you carry your experienc to a new chapter in your lives, joining a proud line of Spartans who went before you, bringing your talents and energy to a world in need of both.

And I hope you remai connected to this magical place, this incredible university as you join the ranks of a half a million degreed Spartans making the world a better place.

Go green.

Go White.

I now invite everyone to join in singing the first stanza of the alma mater.

MSU shatters shadows.

Miss Coleman will lead us in the singing.

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

Please rise as you were able.

MSU we love thy shadows When twilight silence falls Flushing deep and softly paling Oer ivy covered halls Beneath the pines well gather To give our faith so true Sing our love for Alma Mater And thy praises MSU.

(MSU Fight Song)