Kudos to Robert Watrous, Bradley Villeneuve and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen. On behalf of the entire graduating class, staff, and faculty, I wanted to extend my deepest gratitude to you and your team for your invaluable contribution to our recent college commencement ceremonies. Your presence added a touch of dignity, respect and patriotism to the event, setting the tone for the significance of the occasion.

Kudos to the Commencement Volunteers. Thank you to Denny Nguyen, Brittany Hanbury, Lisa vonReichbauer, Ali Thornton, Theresa Scott, Suzanne Rizzo, Lindsey Dickinson, Hannah Rodriguez, Katie Sommer-Ford, Zach Whitaker, Ryan Bernstein, Bridget Munroe, Linda Berlin, Tracy Welch, Taylor Nash, Lisa Thomas, Molly Norville, Lynne Moritz, and any other volunteer I may have missed, I wanted to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contributions to our recent commencement ceremonies. It is because of volunteers like you that our ceremonies were able to proceed seamlessly, leaving a positive impression on everyone in attendance. Your willingness to give your time and energy to help celebrate this important milestone in the lives of our graduates truly embodies the spirit of community and service.

Kudos to Megan Holtrey and Maria Ulrich. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work were instrumental in ensuring that Commencement ran smoothly and that our graduates had a memorable and enjoyable experience. From assisting with logistics to providing support behind the scenes, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Thank you once again for your invaluable support and for being an essential part of our special day.

Kudos to the Public Relations, Marketing & Communications department. On behalf of the entire commencement committee, I wanted to extend our heartfelt appreciation to you and your department for the invaluable support you provided in making our recent commencement ceremonies a resounding success. Your expertise in communication, promotion and coordination played a vital role in ensuring that our ceremonies received the attention and recognition it deserved. From crafting engaging press releases and coordinating media coverage to managing social media campaigns and promoting the event to the wider community, your efforts were instrumental in generating excitement and interest surrounding the ceremony.

Kudos to the Bookstore, Alumni Services and the Extended Education Services department. Thank you for being a part of the NMC commencement ceremonies. You helped to make the day a huge success. It was wonderful to have all of the support for our graduates and their families.

Kudos to the Facilities department. I wanted to extend our heartfelt appreciation to you and your department for the invaluable support you provided in making our recent commencement ceremony a success. From setting up the venue to ensuring that everything ran seamlessly behind the scenes, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Your contributions were instrumental in creating a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere that will be cherished by all who attended.

Kudos to Kyle Morrison, Eric Carlson and Chris Hanna. Thank you for all of your help with the 2024 commencement ceremonies. From recording Nick’s message to the grads (with closed captioning) to livestreaming the ceremonies, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Your dedication, hard work, and attention to detail played a crucial role in ensuring that our ceremonies proceeded smoothly and flawlessly. Thank you once again for your invaluable assistance and for going above and beyond to help make our commencement ceremonies a success.

Kudos to Colleen Burry. A huge thank you to Colleen Burry for organizing and executing a smooth set of commencement ceremonies on May 4! Colleen’s effort allowed me to attend my son’s commencement in Marquette. This effort takes months of organization and dedication. Colleen also implemented a Grad Fair this year which resulted in increased attendance at our ceremonies. Way to go, Colleen!

Kudos to Esther Nance, Chad Schenkelberger and the Hawk Owl Café. Huge thanks to Esther, Chad and Staff at Hawk Owl Café for a last minute coffee 911 order for CIT IT Olympics. Your team truly saved the day as our many volunteers need their morning coffee to effectively run the registration for the CIT Olympics and I totally forgot to put in the coffee order ahead of time.


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!