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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
Kaylah Jetton began studying Japanese on her first day of kindergarten at Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School, an international K-8 school in Detroit, where students learn French, Spanish, Chinese, or Japanese from native speakers. There, she studied the Japanese language for two hours daily and performed traditional Japanese songs and dances at annual school cultural festivals after being…
Nick McPhail first started painting when he was a sophomore at Michigan State University with his first creations being photorealistic oil paintings of East Lansing landscapes. Now a seasoned artist with a wealth of experience under his belt, McPhail has gained a large following of fans and collectors with his use of bold colors and geometric shapes. For McPhail, who…
Four years after graduating from Michigan State University with a B.A. in English, Jack Epps Jr. met with Jim Cash, his former screenwriting instructor who also earned his B.A. in English from MSU, at the MSU Union Grill. The duo discussed movie ideas and decided to join forces. They went on to write ’80s and ’90s blockbusters like Turner &…
With a work ethic as strong as her instincts, Tori Nichel Gibbs was destined for success. After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Apparel and Textile Design, she rose through the ranks within the fashion industry, working in various positions including Assistant Fabric Researcher for Dana Buchman, Senior Designer for Kenneth Cole, and Head Designer…