This past weekend, hundreds of Spartans graduated from Michigan State University as part of the Class of 2019. I was able to not only witness the College of Arts & Letters ceremony first-hand, but take part in the festivities as well. For the last five years, I have been a member of the CAL Alumni Board of Directors. As president this past year, I was given the opportunity to address the graduating CAL students on behalf of the alumni of the college.
My husband Zack was also a member of the CAL board, serving for six years before I, as I liked to joke, continued the Pohl dynasty on the board. Being a member of the CAL board gave me the opportunity to meet and become friends with several other alumni, as well as reconnect with MSU and the great things going on in our college.
While the college will be moving forward with a different way of engaging alumni and forgoing its traditional board, I was honored to be asked to speak at CAL’s commencement as a sort of last act as president.
I had several ideas of what I wanted to say and do during my speech, but in sitting down to actually write down my thoughts, I realized how challenging these things can be.
Continue reading “The honor — and challenge — of a commencement speech”