Educational Innovator Chen to Speak at NMU Commencement

Milton Chen
Milton Chen
Apr. 19, 2024 —
Educational innovator and author Milton Chen will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary Doctor of Education degree at Northern Michigan University's May 4 commencement. He is senior fellow and executive director emeritus at the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF)—on his 50th birthday, Lucas named him a Jedi Master—and once served as director of research at Sesame Workshop in New York. His honors include the Fred Rogers Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Understanding of National Parks and touting their value as outdoor classrooms.
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Dream Deferred: Mom Graduates with Daughter

Nadia Rosemurgy and mom Kristie Peterson
Apr. 25, 2024 —
Northern Michigan University's spring commencement carries added significance for Kristie Peterson of Marenisco. The mother of three has achieved her deferred dream of earning a bachelor's degree by completing the online applied workplace leadership program through NMU Global Campus. And in a case of serendipitous timing—about a week before Mother's Day—she will march in the ceremony alongside her daughter and elementary education graduate, Nadia Rosemurgy.

Mom, Daughter Were Commencement Speakers 25 Years Apart

Rebecca Slough in 1990 and Kylee (Slough) Deckert in 2015
Apr. 25, 2024 —
In her 1990 student commencement address at Northern Michigan University, Rebecca Slough encouraged her fellow graduates “to lead with integrity, not because anyone is looking, but because it's who you are.” Twenty-five years later, her daughter Kylee (Slough) Deckert stood behind the podium, urging peers to approach the future with courage and “embrace success in all of its forms—not only what we achieve in our respective careers, but the type of people we become.” It is no surprise they expressed similar themes, because Kylee said her mom and dad instilled those qualities in their three children.