Saginaw Valley State University

About 800 students graduated from Saginaw Valley State University following the 2020 winter semester. The graduates earned the distinction despite a global pandemic that led many institutions -- including SVSU -- to transition its in-class courses to online and remote learning environments in the middle of their final semester.

More than 500 students earned academic degrees from Saginaw Valley State University at the end of the fall 2019 semester.

More than 800 students earned academic degrees from Saginaw Valley State University at the end of the winter 2019 semester.

More than 600 students earned academic degrees from Saginaw Valley State University at the end of the fall 2018 semester.

As the winter semester's close approaches, members of Saginaw Valley State University's Honors Program are set to graduate.

Cameron Pratt didn't need a math equation to discover his professional trajectory. But the math didn't hurt. The Howell native discovered his love for accounting during his sophomore year at Saginaw Valley State University, where he enrolled in an introduction to financial accounting course. He spent much of his remaining time at SVSU capitalizing on opportunities that empowered him to grow and take on new challenges. After graduating from the institution in May 2017, Pratt's dedication and hard work will pay off when he begins a full-time job working in the accounting department at The Dow Chemical Company in June.

Jenni Putz enjoys a challenge. Her research record is extraordinary for an undergraduate, and one of those research interests resulted from challenging herself to step outside of her comfort zone. Far outside. Her first experience on a plane came in 2015 on a trip all the way to India, and the flight included hitting bad pockets of air turbulence. "It was really interesting," the Lapeer native said, a hint of sarcastic humor in her tone. "And when we got to India, it was quite the culture shock. Quite the culture shock."

One shift. That is all it took for Iridian Juarez to leave an impression in SVSU President Don Bachand's office so strong that it led Mary Kowaleski, the president's executive assistant, into a figurative tug-of-war for more of Juarez's time. A social work major from Detroit, Juarez was working in SVSU's Academic Affairs office when she filled a shift one day in Bachand's office. Shortly thereafter, Kowaleski was inquiring on how to get her back for more. A deal was struck where Juarez would split her time between Academic Affairs and Bachand's office, where she communicated regularly with top university officials and other guests of the president.

"I like to stay positive and keep a positive outlook on life." Sarah Tennyson's optimism at first might seem odd coming from someone once kept alive by a feeding tube, she admitted. In her world, though, there is plenty to celebrate, and her celebration grew more jubilant recently when the Saginaw Township native joined more than 1,000 of her Saginaw Valley State University student peers who participated in the May 2017 commencement ceremonies. Tennyson, 30, has two classes still to complete, but participated in the May ceremony, which she found fitting. She always imagined celebrating her accomplishment in the mellow comforts of springtime. It was a fantasy that pre-dated her brush with a disease that nearly prevented her from living to see such a day at all.

Inspired by a love of math and science, Saginaw Valley State University new alumna Heather Harvey decided on a nursing career when she was in high school. "Nursing always seemed like the right fit," she said. "For me, the end goal would probably be a pediatric nurse because I've always loved kids. My mom runs a daycare out of her house so I grew up with kids. I was always just surrounded by them."

As a future accounting asset to The Dow Chemical Company, Kevin Finley crossed the graduation stage in May 2017 with excitement and a firm sense of purpose after five years at Saginaw Valley State University. The Flint native has replaced childhood scars with an ever-present smile, having learned many valuable lessons inside and outside the classroom.

Mackenzie Allen arrived at Saginaw Valley State University with her sights set on an academic path that would lead her to a profession helping bodies heal. The Saginaw Township native departs with her aspirations confirmed and her prospects bright thanks to a community-minded commitment to hands-on education.

On the day Mallory Rivard walked across the stage at Saginaw Valley State University's May 2017 commencement ceremonies, she already had one foot set in her future career: inspiring young minds as a classroom teacher. After four years at SVSU, Rivard said that graduation was bittersweet. She doesn't plan to stray too far from home, though, after accepting a full-time teaching position at Bay City Public Schools.

Less than a year after a roadway crash claimed his left leg - and nearly his life - Alex Fullerton was where he belonged: back at full speed behind the wheel of an Indy-style car he helped build. His perseverance comes naturally. Fullerton passed a finish line of sorts in May 2017 when he graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. The feat was one of several accomplishments the Onaway native earned since the lure of a collegiate race car program convinced him to enroll at the university in fall 2012.

Alec Ward has a gift for solving math problems, and he wants to share that talent with others. "No question, he has been one of our best students ever," said Amy Hlavacek, associate professor of mathematics. "He's already great at teaching others math." And so it only makes sense to Hlavacek that her pupil from Almont would pursue a career empowering others to become strong math students.

In her circle of friends, Madison Laskowski admits she is the one most likely to trip over her own two feet, but she has proven she knows how to put her best foot forward when it comes to making legal arguments. "I'm definitely the goofball of the group," the Auburn native said, "but I'm ambitious."

Driven to solve complex problems, Sarah Albanawi knows her choices defy some preconceptions. The May 2017 graduate of Saginaw Valley State University began her push against convention the day she decided to move across the planet to pursue a bachelor's degree. And the native of Saudi Arabia continued to defy convention when she decided to pursue that degree in electrical engineering, a choice of study rarely pursued by women.

Sloan Klaski looks to the future with excitement and a smile on his face as he describes his goals in the years to come. Many Saginaw Valley State University graduates share his positive outlook; few have faced as many obstacles. A standout football player at small Harbor Beach High School in Michigan's Thumb, Klaski was featured on the front page of The Detroit Free Press sports section in November 2012, but not for making plays on the gridiron. "Klaski leads from the sidelines," the headline read, a reference to how he supported his teammates through an injury that denied him nearly all of his senior season.

Isabelle Pacitto came to SVSU with a passion for helping others and leaves inspired to make it her life's work, thanks to engaging with a campus community filled with servant leaders. A social work major from Hartland, Pacitto expected the usual stress and long hours of being a college student, but she was surprised at how "right" SVSU felt for her, and how it not only fueled her passion but also paired it with professional purpose.

Taylor Fisher has built quite an email signature during her time as an SVSU student.

In the wake of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, Jarrod Eaton felt the world shake beneath his feet. Literally and figuratively. Literally, the Saginaw Valley State University student was on the ground in the Asian nation - helping those affected by an initial earthquake that registered a whopping 7.9 on the Richter scale - when an aftershock that registered 6.7 rattled his world.

On a warm October day in 2011 on Michigan Tech University's football field, Scott Stanford experienced one of his first feelings of success at Saginaw Valley State University.

Marianna Cuevas knows that leaving SVSU to take the next step toward fulfilling her professional ambitions will be bittersweet.

Emily Short demonstrates her passion for environmental preservation through her studies and her everyday life.

From the moment she arrived at Saginaw Valley State University, Christina Swain knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish.

In the depths of a Utah canyon, Nicole Calandrino received a phone call with news that made her want to shout with joy from a mountaintop.

If teaching isn't in Madeline Lefere's DNA, she was certainly empowered with the role of educator at a young age.

The sight of those T-shirts still makes Kimberly Salwey smile.

Keshara Mumford remembers what it was like to search for purpose in life. The Detroit native enrolled at Saginaw Valley State University initially as a criminal justice major, but spent much of her first year unsure of the decision - and her future.

Dustyn Tubbs is ready for the next upgrade.