Pursue your passions and fulfill your purpose.
That was the message from the keynote speaker at Lake Superior University's 61st annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, as she encouraged the newly-minted grads heading out into the world, while drawing on inspiration from her ancestors.
Lake State celebrated 341 new graduates along with their families and friends in a ceremony at Taffy Abel Arena.
LSSU students earned 315 bachelor’s degrees, 153 associate degrees, and 12 certificates during fall 2022, winter 2022-23, spring 2023, and summer 2023 (based on satisfactory completion of all academic requirements).
The university also awarded its first cohort of cannabis chemistry bachelor’s degrees, with six students completing all four years at LSSU.
In 2019, Lake State launched the first cannabis chemistry program in the U.S. A total of 40 students have now earned bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, or certificates in this field, LSSU said in a news release.
Keynote speaker Whitney Gravelle, president of the executive council of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said graduates will leave LSSU with a strong foundation, advising them to “keep learning and never accept the status quo”.
To inspire the Lakers, she drew on cornerstone touchstones of her Indigenous ancestors: love, respect, bravery, honesty, truth, wisdom, and humility.
Graduating student speaker Hannah Grace Brood, who earned bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and robotics engineering, listed support of people around her, belief in God, and a “stubborn commitment to excellence” as three factors in her success. She also thanked Lake State for having “equipped us for life outside of college.”
Professor of Psychology Dr. Kristina Olson-Pupek received LSSU’s 2022-23 Distinguished Teaching Award for instruction methods “as diverse as they are effective,” wrote a nominator. She works tirelessly, said another, and students leave her office hours with “questions answered and a sense of confidence,” cited a third.
Interim president Dr. Lynn G. Gillette congratulated graduates for an important accomplishment and milestone, commended their inner circle for “love and support,” and saluted faculty for their knowledge, wisdom, and "tenacity".
The university said faculty and administrators cheered, clapped, and high-fived graduates in the corridors of Taffy Abel Arena as they marched to their seats.
Several thousand well-wishers similarly applauded and whooped throughout the ceremony.
