University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business Graduation

Graduation weekend finally arrived in Ann Arbor and Scottie participated in the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business festivities in anticipation of final set of classes this Summer.  We started the weekend early by taking the afternoon off to attend the Beta Gamma Sigma (an international honor society serving business programs) induction ceremony at the new business school building.

Following the brief ceremony, we grabbed some of the free munchies at the Dean's Open House in the Davidson Winter Garden before making the trek over to Crisler Arena for the business school commencement exercises.

The ceremony started with the graduates processing down the aisles to their seats on the basketball court.  We heard from Dean Dolan, an undergraduate student speaker, a MBA student speaker, and the commencement speaker, Zainab Salbi, founder and CEO of Women for Women International.  In her speech, she divulged that her father was chosen as one of Saddam Hussein's personal pilots.  Growing up in a world of tyranny and abuse, she eventually started over in the U.S. at the age of 19, founding the Women for Women organization.  Incredible life experience.

After the speakers, we sat through the lengthy process of handing out diplomas to each student; however, it was really just a picture and shaking hands procession as they didn't actually get the diploma.  At the conclusion, the crowd and students sang the University of Michigan fight song before marching out. 


Post-ceremony, we headed over to Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Ypsilanti for some tasty beer and burgers with Steve.