MSU Honors College

"One of the biggest reasons I chose MSU was that I've always been a Spartan. My parents met at Michigan State and named my siblings and me after buildings there," said Alumni Distinguished Scholar Kedzie Hall.

Hall belongs to a cohort of 51 incoming Spartans who have earned some of the most competitive scholarships in the nation.

The awards cover full tuition, room and board, and a stipend for up to eight semesters of undergraduate study.

They include a spot in the Honors College’s Professorial Assistantship program, which provides students a two-year paid research placement with a faculty mentor.

"MSU feels like a place where I can grow intellectually while also engaging with global issues in a meaningful way," said Williams Scholar Safia Behmen.

"I chose MSU for the amazing opportunities in academics, research, study abroad, and so much more," said University Distinguished Scholar Sophia Tavarez, "as well as the school spirit and community that I felt everywhere on campus."

The newest scholars represent thirteen states and five countries. They are pursuing degrees across nine different colleges at MSU.

Read more in the comments below.

"These four years haven't been about being ready. They've been about the middle. They've been about the sweaty-palmed, nauseating, beautiful feeling of becoming."

More than 850 Honors College graduates have become scholars, changemakers, and the newest Spartan alumni.

Congratulations, Class of 2026. 🎓

Spartans of impact – may we know them, be them, and support them.

Friday was a joyful day in celebration of Honors College graduates and their supporters. 💚

Complimentary photos from the Honors College Graduation Reception are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCSPqd

“If the College of Arts and Letters is a pillar in my education, then the Honors College is my guiding light."

Best wishes to graduating Honors student Sloane Barlow, who will deliver the undergraduate speech at the MSU College of Arts & Letters commencement ceremony this morning.

Barlow was also a student speaker at the Honors College Graduation Reception, where she dedicated remarks to her mother, a Spartan alumna who was a commencement speaker as well.

Read more about Barlow's journey, storytelling, and community engagement at the link in the comments below.

More than 10,000 Spartans are preparing to graduate this weekend and change the world. Honors student Julia Preservati has gotten a head start.

In her four years at MSU, Preservati has studied abroad three times – in Costa Rica, South Africa, and an expedition between Argentina and Antarctica.

Through her time abroad, she felt a life-changing call to become a polar ecologist.

"I really want to look at the impact [of avian flu], not necessarily even on birds, but on seals," Preservati said. "Seals are also getting very exposed and having large die-offs, and there's been some studying, but none in the polar regions."

Preservati took advantage of Honors experiences, undergraduate research, and Distinguished Student Awards Office opportunities to make her mark.

She graduates this weekend with one degree in zoology, another in environmental studies and sustainability, and a minor in leadership and integrative learning.

Read more about Preservati's journey at the link in the comments.

Introducing the Honors College Graduation Reception speakers, Om Nair and Sloane Barlow.

You might recognize Nair as a co-founder of SPARC, the university's student-led undergraduate research journal.

You may have seen him waving in a parade as a member of Homecoming Court, or welcoming students through the International Scholars Advisory Board, an Honors College student organization.

Nair is graduating with a degree in applied engineering sciences through the Michigan State University College of Engineering, with a minor in data science, and a second minor in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Barlow is also an active member of the campus community, helping countless Spartans feel celebrated and seen through her photographs and news stories.

She's been behind the lens for more than three years of Honors College events, and captured campus-wide moments for the Red Cedar Log: Official Yearbook of MSU.

Barlow is graduating with degrees in English and journalism through the MSU College of Arts & Letters and Michigan State University College of Communication Arts & Sciences, with a minor in media photography.

Barlow and Nair will be speaking at the Honors College Graduation Reception this Friday, May 1 inside the Breslin Center.

Join us in congratulating the 161 Honors College students graduating with 4.0 GPAs.

They represent 11 colleges on MSU's campus, almost 65 majors of study, 60 Michigan cities, 15 U.S. states, and seven countries.

These students have earned the Board of Trustees' Award for Academic Excellence and special acknowledgements at spring commencement ceremonies.

🌏 Maps created with mapchart.net

Nearly 250 graduating Honors students joined Stoles & Snapshots at Campbell Hall.

This originally started as an early pick-up event for students to receive their complimentary Honors College graduation stoles.

It has also turned into an opportunity to get graduation photos and professional portraits, courtesy of Honors College photographer Sloane Barlow.