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Category: Alumni Stories

Campbell Hall Donor Stories: The Porteous & Hamilton Families

- Alumni Stories Featured News

 By Brandi Stover & Melanie Brender Three Spartan alumni siblings – Dave Porteous, Bill Porteous, and Ruth Porteous Hamilton – had often thought of ways they could honor their parents, who had attended Michigan State College between 1937-1942. When the siblings learned of the project to renovate Campbell Hall into an Honors College living-learning […]

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Renowned mathematician exponentially boosts student success

- Alumni Stories Featured News

By Melanie Brender As a mathematician, Ted Petrie is a natural problem solver. He navigated financial hardship and the challenges that come with being a first-generation college student to earn a degree at Michigan State University. As an Honors College Spartan, he went head-to-head against students from MIT, Harvard, and other premiere institutions in the […]

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Alumnus entrepreneur helping to build championship debate team 

- Alumni Stories Featured News

By Dan Olsen & Melanie Brender   Howard Akumiah’s transformative experience through the Michigan State University Debate Team propelled his success after graduation in 2015. The program is why he chose MSU in the first place. His focus now? Building a national championship team that cultivates the next generation of entrepreneurs, critical thinkers and innovators.  Earning […]

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MSU alumna named a finalist for prestigious scholarship

- Alumni Stories News

Press release from the Distinguished Student Awards Office: East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State University Honors College alumna Angela Yuan is a finalist for the nationally competitive Schwarzman Scholars program. Each year, the Schwarzman Scholars program holds a rigorous competition to select students from around the world for a fully funded one-year master’s degree and leadership […]

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From MSU to MIT: How alumnus Riley Lawson made the most of his undergraduate experience

- Alumni Stories News

By Brandi Stover When Riley Lawson visited Michigan State for the first time in Spring 2019 to attend the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship (ADS) competition, he knew he had found his new home.   “The ADS competition was my first large experience with MSU, and it was an exciting opportunity,” Lawson said. “Beyond the scholarship itself, it […]

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Recognizing our Honors College Alums and Spring 2023 Graduates

By Sloane Barlow The Honors College would like to thank its recent graduates, as well as its inspiring alumni, who took the time to speak at Spring 2023 Michigan State graduation ceremonies across campus. Please join us in extending our gratitude and appreciation to our alumni speakers: Farhan Bhatti, Ph.D., Yvette Efevbera, Ph.D., and Chelsey […]

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MSU hosts Alumni Distinguished Scholarship event on campus 

- Alumni Stories News

By Sloane Barlow and Audrey Richardson On a brisk Friday morning, over 500 high school students and their supporters came to the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center to take part in the first of two Alumni Distinguished Scholarship events, to learn more about the Michigan State community and to compete for scholarships.  Prospective students who […]

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Donor Makes a Difference

- Alumni Stories Student Stories

Research is something that many students want to participate in before graduating — but the time commitment can cause challenges without proper funding. Third-year Honors student and Wielenga Research Scholar Morgan Vandenberg has felt this pressure, as she holds three odd jobs on top of her research position. Vandenberg explained that through having her research […]

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