MTU celebrates 2023 graduates with fall commencement

HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) - While no Michigan Technological University (MTU) students seemed to toss their caps, they did leave with their new diplomas.

MTU celebrated the graduation of the class of 2023 during the Midyear Commencement on Saturday morning. There were approximately 350 graduate and undergraduate students in attendance.

There were two student speakers at the ceremony, one undergraduate student and one graduate student.

Aerith Cruz, the undergraduate speaker, talked about how she challenged herself by asking ‘why not’ instead of ‘why should I’ in the face of opportunity.

“I wanted to challenge my fellow graduates to continue finding ways to challenge themselves, even if it’s just with a simple question as they continue their future endeavors,” said Cruz.

Sushree Dash, the graduate speaker and newly minted Ph.D. stressed the importance of resilience and knowing your power in her speech. She also included some wise words from one of her idols, Taylor Swift.

“The wise words are, ‘The bad news is you’re on your own now, but the good news is you’re on your own now’. So, please take all the challenges that come your way because that is an opportunity for you to grow,” said Dash. “Keep bulldozing through tenaciously, because every possibility will become an opportunity through tenacity.”

The speakers both stressed the importance of challenging yourself. Congratulations to all who graduated.