Macalester was founded on a firm belief in the transformational power of the liberal arts.
Our students and alumni have demonstrated that power as a force for positive change, in turn attracting a growing community of learners from around the world. Macalester was founded in 1874 on a firm belief in the transformational power of a liberal arts education. Since then, our students and alumni have demonstrated that power as a force for positive change, in turn attracting a growing communit
06/08/2026
1600 Grand never truly leaves you
What an amazing weekend we had. With over 1,400 celebrating, including our twelve alumni award winners, Reunion 2026 was one for the books.
While our alumni may have stepped off of campus, they hold a piece of Macalester wherever they go. We can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
What were your favorite moments this weekend? Let us know below!
06/05/2026
It was a joyful day of reconnection and celebration on campus as we kicked off yesterday! From food trucks and lawn games, to incredible musical performances and the special celebration of our newest Golden Scots—it’s been a full and heartwarming day.
06/02/2026
Picture this: in 48 hours, you'll be scenes like these on the Great Lawn with old friends.
Yep—it's that time of the year: Reunion is only two days away!
Alumni, we are so excited to see you again at 1600 Grand. See you soon! https://www.macalester.edu/reunion/
05/20/2026
Makol J. Chuol ’27 has secured a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant as part of efforts to promote peace and build stronger communities worldwide.
This summer, Chuol will lead the Voices of Amani project in Kenya, addressing ethnic conflict in the Kakuma Refugee Camp by empowering teachers as “Peace Champions.”
Through training in empathy, dialogue, and conflict resolution, the project aims to reach over three hundred students, fostering cross-cultural understanding and sustainable reconciliation of one of Kenya’s long-standing refugee communities.
“It feels like a full circle moment, but not the end of the story; it feels like a beginning,” says Chuol. “It reflects what it means when a place like Macalester believes in you and gives you the opportunity to return and create change where you once felt limited. I am returning not as someone who escaped the story, but as someone ready to help rewrite it.”
The work is especially meaningful to Chuol, who grew up in the same refugee camp.
“I have experienced, witnessed stories of pain and resilience in Kakuma that have stayed with me like a song in my head, moments where I wished I could do more,” Chuol said. “This grant is not just support—it is permission to act on the voices I could no longer ignore.”
Chuol overcame significant obstacles at a young age, living without his family since the age of twelve and eventually traveling to Minnesota to study computer science.
“I remember long lines for water and food that was never enough, and classrooms where learning often meant listening closely and making sense of what you could,” says Chuol. “Yet even in those moments, there was laughter and community, and those experiences shaped me into someone who values resilience and purpose. I did not have the easiest childhood, but it gave me a reason to make things better for someone else.”
Through it all, Chuol has prioritized giving back to others. Despite his busy schedule as a student-athlete on Macalester’s track and field team, he still dedicates time to teach children in Kenya online, connecting with them from thousands of miles away.
Now, the children in Kakuma will soon have even more of his attention, along with the financial backing of the Davis Projects for Peace.
Makol J. Chuol Awarded 2026 Davis Projects for Peace Grant - News Chuol will lead the Voices of Amani project in Kenya, addressing ethnic conflict in the Kakuma Refugee Camp by empowering teachers.
05/18/2026
The Class of 2026’s Commencement ceremony opened to a sound that Macalester seniors have gotten to know well over their last four years—the sound of bagpipes. An annual tradition, the Macalester College Pipe Band led the processional in full regalia, with dozens of pipers and drummers leading this year’s graduates into the Leonard Center Field House on Saturday, May 16.
Before the ceremony was through about 475 students would cross the stage and receive their diplomas. It was a celebration marked by reminders of their resilience, the strength of community, and calls to carry Macalester values into an uncertain world.
Physician-scientist Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and bioethicist Dr. Christine Grady delivered a joint keynote address after receiving honorary degrees from the college. Together, they encouraged graduates to strive for excellence in service to society and to be daring in the face of adversity.
https://www.macalester.edu/news/2026/05/celebrating-the-class-of-2026-at-commencement/
The last four years were a blur for us, too! Congratulations Class of 2026!
It’s official. The class of 2026 is signing off! Two more days until they walk across the stage for their diplomas. Watching our seniors autograph the lens is both a goodbye and a hello to a new chapter as alumni. There’s more than 30,000 people who count themselves as Scots. Welcome to the club!
It’s official. The class of 2026 is signing off! Two more days until they walk across the stage for their diplomas. Watching our seniors autograph the lens is both a goodbye and a hello to a new chapter as alumni. There's more than 30,000 people who count themselves as Scots. Welcome to the club!
Only few days left to ring the bell, seniors! 👀 Video by Fiona Houlgate ‘26
05/11/2026
Show your Macalester pride during Wear Orange & Blue Days by sporting your favorite Mac gear and representing the Scots wherever you are. Whether you’re on campus, at work, at home, or out in your community, we want to see your orange and blue spirit!
Post a photo on Facebook or LinkedIn using between May 11–13. Everyone who shares a photo will be entered into a drawing—three winners will receive our new Macalester Coo orange and blue shirt.
Wear your colors, share your pride, and celebrate the Mac community together!