As the United States prepares to celebrate the 250th year of its birth, there are some milestones at the University that deserve recognition. At the 2026 Spring Commencement ceremonies, the University granted its 1 millionth degree. Graduating students wore caps and tassels that sported a Block M with the number one in front to commemorate the occasion. Kent Syverud, JD’81, MA’83, HLLD’26, who was previously announced as the next U-M president but will not be taking office due to a brain cancer diagnosis, received an honorary law degree. We thank Kent for his willingness to lead the University, and continue to wish him the best in his recovery.
In addition to the graduation ceremony at the Big House, there were dozens of graduation celebrations that took place across U-M’s three campuses. From the Honors Convocation to the First Gen Ceremony, U-M gives students and their families meaningful ways to reflect on their collegiate journey.
While watching the new graduates and their families flock across campus, taking pictures at the fountain on Ingalls Mall or by the Cube, it’s hard to imagine the fortitude it took for many early scholars at U-M to make their way to and through the University.
Consider Madelon Stockwell, 1872, who, at the age of 24, was the first woman to enroll at Michigan. When Madelon arrived on a cold day on Feb. 2, 1870, there weren’t residence halls, clubs, or classes with other female classmates. Yet this self-described “student for life” pressed on, without knowing that thousands of students in the future would call Stockwell Hall home on the Ann Arbor campus.
When I entered Stockwell in the early 1990s with a little trepidation and a lot of my life packed in plastic crates, I couldn’t imagine how quickly it would feel like home. Between my RA, fascinating hallmates from all walks of life, and the social community found in the programs and multicultural lounge, Stockwell became a safe haven and source of connection. Many alumni share similar sentiments with me when reflecting on the rich connections made within the residence halls that bear the names of our earliest Wolverines.
The newest cohort of graduates from Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint is joining an alumni family of more than 700,000 globally, and typically 40 percent of these grads choose to live, work, and thrive within Michigan. As an alumni family, we have much to offer the newest members — encouragement, advice, a professional connection, a welcome to your community, or simply a heartfelt ‘Go Blue.’
U-M clubs and affiliates choose Spring Commencement time to represent the Maize and Blue by hosting local community service projects. Alumni volunteers find myriad ways to contribute their time and talent in support of the University, and it is special to have our alumni turn their attention to their hometowns for local impact.
In addition to the celebratory season that commencement brings, I also want to acknowledge the continued commitment of Domenico Grasso, PhD’87, recently named the 16th president of the University of Michigan. We are grateful for his service and leadership as an alum and University president. While we celebrate the accomplishments of our student-athletes this year — including the 2026 national champion men’s basketball team, and success of women’s basketball, men’s hockey, swimming and diving, men and women’s gymnastics, and the Big Ten champion women’s tennis team — President Grasso regularly reminds us of the breadth of academic excellence, rigor and opportunity at U-M. We are indeed an “everything school,” and are committed to ensuring everyone feels a sense of belonging at the University and in the alumni ranks.
Ayanna McConnell is the president and CEO of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan.
