December 8, 2022

Dear Bobcat parent and family members,

Congratulations, your student is about to become a Montana State University alum! Earning a university degree is a tremendous achievement, and I share your sense of pride for your student's accomplishment. Considering that most of their college career has coincided with the pandemic, their resilience and determination to persevere to graduation are truly impressive.

I'm so excited for our graduates and can't wait to see what they accomplish with their degrees while taking their next step into adulthood.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for being there for your student and being engaged with our work at MSU during the last four (or more) years. This is the sixth year that we've been actively communicating with parents and family members, and I want to thank you for reading our emails, writing back to me occasionally, and being our partner in student success.

As a reminder, Commencement is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16, at 9 a.m. MST in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Details about the ceremony are available at montana.edu/commencement. Commencement will be livestreamed for those not able to attend in person. A link will be activated on the Commencement webpage the morning of the ceremony to access the livestream.

If you plan to attend in person, tickets are not required for guest admission to the ceremony. However, we ask that degree candidates RSVP for the ceremony to ensure we plan for adequate seating on the main floor.

And if you or other family members and friends want to congratulate your student via social media, use #CatGrad22 on Twitter and Instagram for the opportunity to have your congratulatory message and photo displayed before and after MSU's commencement ceremony on the screens in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse and online during the livestream.

Finally, most colleges and many departments host celebrations for their graduates and their families. These are a great way to kick off the celebratory festivities, meet some of your student's professors, and enjoy refreshments. Please visit the College Celebrations webpage to view the schedules and details.

Although your student's time at MSU is ending, you and your student will always be part of the Bobcat Family. You are welcome on campus anytime, and if you live out of the area, I hope you will visit Bozeman and MSU in the future, perhaps during the annual Homecoming festivities. Regardless of the occasion, please stop by and say hi whenever you find yourself in town. I'd love to hear about what your student has been up to since leaving MSU.

Again, my sincerest congratulations to you and your student on this significant milestone.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Warm regards,