On Saturday, students took their final steps in their undergraduate careers for their commencement ceremonies. Recent graduates, family members and loved ones all gathered at the Breslin Center to celebrate.
President Kevin Guskiewicz, who addressed the graduating class, said that courage is the power to let go of the familiar. The group of graduates today is a determined one, who has pushed through hardships like the COVID-19 pandemic, Guskiewicz said.
"If there's one thing I would send you on your way with, it's simply this: Always stay curious, it'll help point you to your true north," he said.
Staying curious will help people lead purposeful lives, Guskiewicz said. Their MSU education has prepared graduates to engage with the world as citizens and leaders, while tackling the challenges of today and tomorrow, he said.
"You go forth today, equipped to view the world from different lenses, to identify those challenges, to process all the inputs of our diverse, interconnected world and to exercise informed critical reasoning to support democracy," he said. "I am confident that in five or in 25 years, you’ll look back to your college career and realize how much better prepared you became to adapt to the challenges and opportunities ahead."
After opening remarks, Guskiewicz implored the audience to take a moment of silence to mourn the recent passing of former MSU President Clifton R. Wharton Jr.
"On this joyful occasion, let us briefly acknowledge the Spartans like Clifton Wharton, as well as the fellow students you have lost along your journey to reach this moment, those scholars are forever part of our Spartan family," Guskiewicz said.
Keynote speaker Darius Adamczyk, chairman of Goldman Sachs Private Asset Investments and Operations, spoke to the graduating class about overcoming fear.
Adamczyk, who studied electrical and computer engineering at MSU when he was an undergraduate student, said that he thought engineering would be extremely difficult and wanted to study history instead. His father, a first-generation American who immigrated from Poland, pushed back on this.
"Given how hard my own parents worked to be able to get by in this country, the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint them," he said.
The classes he ended up taking were not only rewarding and challenging, but also offered the foundation for the rest of his career, Adamczyk said. Self doubt and fear gripped him, but overcoming that led him to success.
He said he used this mindset of continuously challenging himself throughout his career.
"Don’t take the easy road, take the hardest road and see what you’re made of."
Looking back on his career, Adamczyk said he always had a lack of confidence, but overcoming that fear helped push him into good company.
"I know all of you will face this if you haven't already," Adamczyk said. "My advice to you is to follow your goals, pursue the hardest job, the hardest assignment. The things you hate doing, that's what will pay off in the future. Push yourself to be the best you can be, because I guarantee you each one of you is capable of much more than you think you're capable of."
Tessa Kresch, a graduate in broadcast journalism and theatre, was chosen by the senior class council to represent the fall class of 2024.
Kresch addressed her graduating class, saying that it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for her peers.
"No one expected that our college experience would include Zoom classes in our pajamas, or almost a year only seeing half of each other's faces behind masks," she said.
As a journalism major and a member of the Impact 89FM radio station, Kresch said she had the privilege of interviewing student clubs and organizations every week.
"One thing that stood out about every single one of those groups is a bond that everyone shared," she said.
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Her class has also faced immense hardships too, like the Feb. 13, 2023 campus shooting that killed three and injured five students.
"I want to take a moment to honor Brian Fraser, Alexandria Verner and Arielle Anderson," Kresch said. "While the impact of that terrible day will never be erased, that tragedy does not define us. What defines us is the strength and the unity of the Spartan family."
She ended her speech by telling her graduating class, "surround yourself with good people."
"My professor once told me, 'who you will be in life is a direct reflection of who you spend your time with,' and that brings me back to the Spartans," Kresch said. "No matter where life takes us, whether it's across the country, around the world, or just down the road in Okemos, I know one thing, and that's because you're a Spartan, you'll continue to flourish."
Gabriel Bialek, a civil engineering graduate, said he has a job lined up with Kimley-Horn in Southfield Michigan working in land development.
"I’m super excited all around," he said. "I'll just have to see where life takes me, but for the moment I just have to appreciate what I got in front of me with friends and family here celebrating."
