College of Social Science graduates honored at 2025 Commencement Ceremony

May 8, 2025 - Emily Jodway Patyna

The Michigan State University College of Social Science held its 2025 undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 3 at the Breslin Student Events Center. This weekend, the university held graduation ceremonies for over 10,000 students earning degrees from baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and professional programs.

Dean Brent Donnellan began the ceremony by congratulating the diverse group of students on their outstanding academic achievements during their time at Michigan State. Additional speeches were given by MSU Trustee and Social Science alum Rebecca Bahar and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Emily Durbin. 

In addition to the recognition of 39 Social Science seniors graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA and being presented with the Board of Trustees' Award for Academic Excellence, Social Work professor Ashlee Barnes-Lee was awarded the 2025 College of Social Science Outstanding Teacher Award. 

This year's alumni speaker was David Blight, a world-renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the MSU College of Social Science. Blight grew up in Flint and is currently the Yale University Sterling Professor of American History and Director of the Gilder Lehrman
Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition.

Adena Norwood was chosen as this year's student commencement speaker. Norwood graduates with a degree in Anthropology alongside a minor in International Development. During her four years at Michigan State, she was involved in the Social Science Scholars Program, Women's Leadership Institute, Delta Phi Epsilon professional sorority and the Honors College.

The title of Norwood’s speech to the Class of 2025 was ‘Don’t Forget to Breathe.’ She spoke to her fellow classmates about the importance of time moments to stop and smell the roses and recognizing the value of their accomplishments, both big and small. She talked about moments of defying expectations, something she considers to be a key characteristic of a true Spartan. 

“Michigan State students do not go the course. They do it their own way. I think it’s very important for me, as a Spartan, to do things the way that I see is best,” she said. “I didn’t do [everything] by the book, but it still made sense to me. I was told a lot, ‘That doesn’t make sense. Do it the right way. Do it the way that makes sense.’ Spartans don’t make sense and they get it done.”

Photos by Jacqueline Hawthorne.