Tag: commencement

“Try Everything”: Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Passes Down Father’s Advice

Mary Stevens sits at a table in Michigan Tech’s Writing Center next to a window. The windowsill is lined with books, notably a thesaurus and dictionary among others.
Spring ‘25 undergraduate commencement speaker Mary Stevens took advantage of every opportunity at Michigan Tech, gaining experience as a volunteer, tutor, author, podcaster and more.

Mary Christine Stevens, undergraduate student speaker for the 2025 spring commencement, has sampled much of what Michigan Tech has to offer during her time as a student—a philosophy she happily passes on to current and future students. As Stevens prepares to graduate from Michigan Tech and Pavlis Honors College, she looks back on the time spent earning her bachelor of arts in English with a minor in French, she recalls the advice she received from her father when she first started her college journey.

“He told me to try everything,” Stevens said. “College is the last time in life you’ll have this much freedom and these few responsibilities.”

Health Sciences Students Graduate Ready to Change the World, One Person At a Time

A panoramic view of the Biological Sciences Learning Center shows tables and couches for studying, mini-lab tables, bookshelves and multiple resource shelves.
Soon-to-be graduates Jessica Gadbury and Riley Stichter spent a lot of their time at Michigan Tech in the Biological Sciences Learning Center coaching their fellow students.

Hundreds of Michigan Tech undergraduates cross the threshold from college student to graduate each semester. Meet Jessica Gadbury and Riley Stichter, two biological sciences students who graduate with the Class of 2024 this month, as they share a look back at their journeys, what kept them going through challenges and obstacles, and what drives them to make the world a better place.