MSU Alum Reflects on Gap Year Teaching English in Japan

Danielle Goldberg, who graduated from Michigan State University in Spring 2023 with a B.S. in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and a B.A. in Linguistics and minors in Japanese and Cognitive Science, is now an Assistant Language Teacher through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program at a rural junior high school in Gunma, Japan. Goldberg recently emailed Mariko Kawaguchi, Senior Instructor…

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Theatre Alum Continues to Create Sensory-Friendly Productions as Artist-in-Residence in Georgia

Since early childhood, Evan Hill Phillips has always enjoyed the spotlight as he craved an outlet to create, entertain, and perform. At Michigan State University, the BFA in Theatre graduate discovered a whole new and innovative theatrical approach, one that is designed for audiences that are neurodiverse.With an older brother who is neurodiverse and a first-hand knowledge of the industry’s…

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$1.638 Million Gift Establishes Two Scholarships and Supports English Department

Although they never had kids of their own, Gregory Shafer and Bernadette Gongora helped raise 39 foster children and soon will have a positive impact on the lives of countless students at Michigan State University for generations to come thanks to the $1.638 million gift they made to MSU’s College of Arts & Letters. Married for 30 years, Shafer and Gongora say…

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Black Art Library at MSU Union Art Gallery Through March 8

The Black Art Library, founded by Michigan State University BFA in Art Education graduate Asmaa Walton, is now on display and can be experienced at the MSU Union Art Gallery through Friday, March 8.A collection of books and other art history ephemera on Black visual art, Walton, who is an arts educator, created the Black Art Library to serve as…

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Graphic Design Graduate Competes for Miss America

Maya Schuhknecht, a Spring 2023 Michigan State University graduate with a BFA in Graphic Design and the reigning Miss Michigan, is competing this week for the title of Miss America 2024. The 2024 Miss America Competition is taking place Jan. 6-14 in Orlando, Florida, where 51 contestants are vying for the title of Miss America 2024 along with more than…

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Legacy Gift Creates Two Scholarships to Support College of Arts & Letters Students

Alaine Weiss credits her time as an undergraduate at Michigan State University as one of the most impactful experiences in her life and her years in East Lansing among her most treasured memories. But the road to becoming a Spartan was difficult, having lost both her parents due to extended illnesses when she was just 11 years old. Were it…

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College of Arts & Letters Graduate Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

Randolph (Randy) Cowen, a graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters, College of Social Science, and Honors College, is a 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, which is among the highest awards the university bestows on its alumni.Each year, the MSU Alumni Office recognizes Spartans who positively reflect and enhance the prestige of Michigan State University with its…

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Alum Reunites with Mentor Who Helped Kickstart Her Career

In Spring 2020, Shelby Eppich became one of the first two people to graduate from Michigan State University with a BFA in Stage Management, a program founded in 2017 by Tina M. Newhauser, Head of the Department of Theatre’s Stage Management Program at MSU.Now, three years after earning her degree, Eppich works as the Artist Relations and Special Projects Manager…

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MSU Graphic Design Graduate Crowned Miss Michigan 2023

Maya Schuhknecht, a Spring 2023 Michigan State University graduate with a BFA in Graphic Design, was crowned Miss Michigan 2023 on Saturday, June 17, at the Frauenthal Theater in downtown Muskegon following a three-day competition.  Along with the crown, sash, and Miss Michigan 2023 title, Schuhknecht, who is from Buchanan, Michigan, received $10,000 in scholarships.

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MSU Graduate Co-Founds Multimillion-Dollar Company Fueled by Goat Milk and Kindness

Michigan State University graduate Josh Kilmer-Purcell is a New York Times bestselling author who, together with husband, Dr. Brent Ridge, founded a multimillion-dollar skin care company, starred in their own reality TV show, and won season 21 of The Amazing Race — and those are just a few of the couple’s many accomplishments in what can be described as an…

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