President Grandillo made good on his promise to hold in-person commencement when it was safe to do so. The seven ceremonies of the 73rd and 74th Commencements were held May 13-16 on the lawn in front of the Felician Sisters Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Central Convent -- the first outdoor commencement in 50 years.
The events honored 1,670 Madonna graduates, from 34 countries who earned degrees over the past two years. Degrees were conferred upon eight Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates, nearly 360 master’s and education specialist graduates, and more than 1,240 undergraduate students, including 11 of 47 Haitian graduates who came to Michigan to take part in the ceremony.
Another highlight was the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award to the following outstanding alumni from each college Michelle Moccia, Senior ER Program Director at St. Mary Mercy Hospital; Jennifer Kirkland, Director of Community Relations at Angela Hospice; Curtis Caid, Livonia Chief of Police; Cali Crawford, Director of Athletics at Schoolcraft College; and Errin Duane Brooks, Grammy-winning Tenor with the New York Metropolitan Opera. Brooks brought the crowd to their feet with a moving performance of Nessun dorma from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, at the Sunday afternoon ceremony.
To view the recorded live stream of each ceremony, go to madonna.edu/stream. More photos are available on all of the University's social media pages as well.
A special thank you to all who worked behind the scenes to ensure the success of the 73rd and 74th Commencement Ceremonies – seven ceremonies, May 13-16: Commencement Co-Leads Katie Alexander, director of special events, and Amanda Geraci, assistant director of undergraduate admissions; the Core Commencement Team, including Dr. Connie Tingson-Gatuz, vice president for student affairs and mission integration; Dr. Chris Benson, assistant vice president and dean of students; Dina Dubuis, assistant vice president for enrollment services and registrar; Cliff Camp, assistant dean; University Marketing and Communications teams, Media and Information Technology teams, Broadcast & Cinema Arts staff, Facilities Management Team, Campus Safety, all of the Deans, Marshals, Ushers, Interpreters, Performers, Shuttle Drivers, Volunteers, and Faculty. Your tireless efforts in serving our students are a testament to the spirit of Madonna University's mission and core values.
