Last month’s graduation weekend was a great success. The MSU StratCom program graduated more than 15 students in the fall 2022 semester.
Along with the graduate degree commencement ceremony at the Breslin Center, the StratCom program held a cookie reception and family dinner afterwards at the Kellogg Center for faculty, graduates, and their families.
Below are a few of the graduates reflecting on their time in the program.
“Attending the commencement ceremony and post-graduation day events was important because it helped me connect with not only the school, but with the online family I had built throughout the program,” said fall 2022 StratCom graduate, Monica Najera.
Najera, along with her husband and son, traveled to Michigan all the way from Hawaii to participate in the graduation weekend festivities.
“My favorite part of the weekend’s events was the family dinner,” said Najera. “It was special to celebrate together in an intimate setting, and I was able to connect with other students and faculty in a deeper way.”
One of the StratCom family dinner traditions is to pass the microphone around after eating and let students, spouses and family members reflect on their experience or give praise.
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Najera explains how this allows a unique chance to slow down and really get to know each other and listen to everyone’s experiences about their time in the program. “I am truly honored to be a Spartan and specifically a part of the StratCom family.”
“While I did feel connected to my classmates despite it being an online course, being able to meet in person made the connection stronger,” said fall 2022 StratCom graduate, Amber Wise. “The day of graduation I was excited to be able to see familiar faces, especially my capstone cohort.”
With the MSU StratCom M.A. program being 100% online, students are not required to step foot on campus at all during the program, even walking at commencement is optional.
“It was so amazing to hug my classmates in person, to walk across that stage and having my name called, hearing my family and friends cheering for me,” said Wise.
Our program offers to students a one, two or three – year course track, which means that alongside working a fulltime job, and often on top of being a parent and spouse, our students having been working hard at their degrees for a good chunk of time.
“One of my goals in life was to get my M.A.,” said Wise. “It was a long and difficult road, so taking part in all the events was important to me. It solidified the amazing journey that I took part in, and how proud I was of myself. It was my time to shine!”
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Holding space to celebrate and get together with our students has been very important to the program since the first cohort five years ago.
“I think that is one of my top favorite things about the Strat Com program,” says Wise. “It is a family, plain and simple. While the group strives to push you, they also take care of you and are proud of your achievements. It's a wonderful feeling.”