Dear friends,
Earlier this month, we celebrated more than 170 Ford School graduates at Hill Auditorium, sending them into the world with our mission and our confidence. Commencement was joyful, proud, and honest about the work ahead. As I shared in my remarks, public service requires courage and constancy, and I believe our graduates are ready to lead with discipline, care, and purpose.
We were honored to welcome U.S. Senator Gary Peters, who called on our graduates to seek common ground, serve their communities, and use their Ford School education to take on the complex challenges ahead. Our elected student speakers, Breah Marie Flores Willy (BA '26) and Elizabeth Mugo (MPP '26), carried that spirit beautifully. Breah urged her classmates to keep asking questions, listening across differences, and building bridges. Elizabeth reminded us of the community our students have built here, and of the courage it takes to keep growing amid uncertainty. If you couldn't join us or would like to revisit those moments, you can watch the full Commencement Ceremony.
I know they will carry the Ford School mission forward in powerful ways.
That work continues here on campus this summer. In June, I look forward to welcoming our Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute and Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience (ASPIRE) students. Together, these programs will bring 24 exceptional rising juniors and seniors from across the country to the Ford School as they begin their own journeys in public policy and applied social science research.
On July 9, we'll come together as a global community for the 16th annual Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day. Stay tuned for opportunities to gather both virtually and in person. I also hope to see many of you back in Ann Arbor this fall for Homecoming. Visit our Alumni Resource webpage for ways to stay involved.
Wherever you are, and however you engage with the Ford School, thank you for being part of a community dedicated to the public good. My very best wishes for a restful and productive summer.
Warmly,
Celeste Watkins-Hayes
Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Jean E. Fairfax Collegiate Professor of Public Policy
University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor
Professor of Sociology
