Congratulations to the Class of 2023! They went out in style at Commencement on June 10, with Michaela’s emotional valedictory address and an inspiring commencement address from Kareem Daniel ’92.
Meet the Class of 2023
Our graduating seniors had some very exciting options as they made their college decisions, with $11.6 million in scholarship offers and admission offers from top national universities and liberal arts schools including MIT, Northwestern, U. Chicago, Cornell, Notre Dame, Wash. U., Cal Berkeley, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Michigan, USC, UNC Chapel Hill, Tufts, Howard, Wisconsin, Carleton, Illinois, Spelman, Morehouse, and Wellesley College. We couldn’t be prouder to see the nation’s top schools recognize the character, accomplishments, and future potential of MPA graduates!
Photos
Visit our photo site at SmugMug.com to see the full gallery of photos from Commencement 2023.
Commencement Address
Over a tenure of nearly 20 years at The Walt Disney Company, Kareem Daniel ’92 held global leadership roles across every line of business — from film, television, and streaming to theme parks, consumer products, and video games — at one of the world’s largest media companies. Most recently, as Chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, he oversaw The Walt Disney Company’s full portfolio of media businesses globally, and was responsible for bringing its unparalleled storytelling to diverse audiences around the world.
Valedictory Address
Equally passionate about academics, athletics, and service, Michaela graduates as an Illinois State Scholar and a member of the Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and International Quill and Scroll Honor Society. A native of Olympia Fields, Michaela also shined on the tennis, basketball, math, and academic challenge teams, was a member of the Honor Council, and led a fundraising drive that generated $6,500 for breast cancer research. After receiving more than $1 million in scholarship offers, she chose to enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she will study chemistry and Spanish on a pre-med track.