Jacksonville Alumni Club President Toni Chrabot — who spent more than 20 years working for the FBI and is now the CEO of Risk Confidence Group, LLC — is originally from northern Michigan, but moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 2009.

She said she enjoyed every second at MSU.

“Some of my best memories are with the friends I made there,” Chrabot said. “I think I went to every football game all four years. One of my best memories was after a huge snow storm — walking through campus and realizing how gorgeous it was. The snow had piled four or five inches on every branch of the huge, tall pine trees. It was absolutely stunning.” 

Chrabot graduated in 1984 with a degree in organizational communication. She said her experience at MSU was also inspiring because she was introduced to new ideas and perspectives she wasn’t exposed to before. 

Alumnus Steven Culp, member of the Metro Detroit Alumni Club, came to MSU from Los Angeles. He graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

He said MSU gave him everything he wanted out of college, academically and socially.

“The ability to meet people of different backgrounds, a social campus,” Culp said. “People in general were just friendly, happy to meet you, learn about you and willing to share themselves with you. That was everything I was looking for, and MSU provided that.”

Alumna Megan Jackson said she has hope for MSU’s future. She said she believes President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. has started to make changes at the university recently.

“Those couple of people that made decisions that might not have been the best at the time, those people aren’t truly Spartans at all. Because those aren’t the standards we hold ourselves to,” Jackson said.

She finished her bachelor’s degree in communications in 2016 and received a master’s degree in health and risk communications in 2017. 

MSU alumnus Robert Hornik, who is the president of the Macomb County Alumni Club, transfered from Western Michigan during his sophomore year.  He graduated in 1978 with a degree in political science. 

He said going to a four-year university as a freshman makes you grow up quickly.

“There is no one there to watch over you and you have to want to accomplish what you want to accomplish,” Hornik said.

Chrabot said her advice to MSU students would be to take advantage of all that the university has to offer.

“In the course work, in the culture, in this diversity that it offers of people you can meet and be exposed to,” she said. “Reach out to your alumni. Spartans want to help other Spartans.”

Macomb County Alumni Club recently provided three freshmen with scholarships to continue attending the university. 

Culp said he wants MSU students to remember that once you become a Spartan, you’re always a Spartan. 

“One thing I know is different than other universities is when you go to MSU, wherever you go, if you’re wearing Michigan State gear, people will come and say, ‘Go Green’ to you,” he said. “If you meet someone from Michigan State, that is that ultimate bond there. I would say Spartans for life.”