Student View: Receiving Honors at the 102nd Annual Convocation
The University of Michigan held its 102nd annual Honors Convocation at the Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Sunday, March 16th, 2025. Scholars from all three University locations were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements.
My name is Kate Lawrence. I am a senior communications student at UM-Flint, and I was awarded University Honors during the convocation. This honor meant a lot to me because it made me feel I was being recognized for my hard work. In fact, when I first got the email informing me of this honor, I had to verify the email’s legitimacy with one of my professors, Dr. Sarah Rosaen, because I could not believe that I had been selected to receive such recognition.
Throughout the ceremony, their respective leadership recognized students as a group. When it was time for UM-Flint students to be recognized, Chancellor Laurence Alexander asked all UM-Flint students to stand. The ceremony itself felt surreal. There were so many people in attendance, and it blew my mind to think that I was someone who deserved to be there. There were not a lot of students from UM-Flint at the ceremony, but it was still good to see that I was not alone.
After the ceremony, all students and our guests were invited to an outdoor reception for snacks and refreshments, including some delicious punch. As we entered the reception, there was a small table where we could pick up honors pins, if we had not already received one, that we could proudly wear to show off our recognition. I was able to speak to Chancellor Alexander briefly during this reception, and it was so nice to meet him and have the opportunity to speak with him.
I felt very honored to have one person who has been there for me every step of the way in attendance as my guest: my mom, Dana. My mom is my best friend, and I am so grateful she could come and watch me be honored because she has constantly supported me in everything I have done. These last couple of years have been hard for us both, especially after my father got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but I am so happy that my mom has been able to watch me excel academically.
