Graduation: Memories made to last

JAMIE DIEDRICH
PHOTOGRAPHER
STAFF WRITER

4/13/2026

The Class of 2026 is graduating from Alma College on Apr. 18, myself included. In my opinion, this is a bittersweet end to a long academic year. The campus held quite a few events leading up to graduation, most of which were optional, including a Senior Toast, a separate celebration and the Winter Career Fair. The rehearsal is not optional and takes place on Apr. 17 at 3:00 p.m. Commencement is at 2 p.m the following day. 

I was a transfer student to Alma College, my first in-person institution after fifth grade. The overwhelming sense of wonder at being new to a campus with many unique quirks warmed my heart. The tortoise Reese, the basement of SAC, the Heartland Trail; there are so many things to explore around campus that I will miss dearly.

There are a lot of friends to be made; this is a close campus where we all know each other; my old roommate is now one of my best friends. We also have a very friendly new president of the college, Joe Odenwald, who is both very involved and supportive of his students. 

The academic work, while strenuous for people who aren’t Communications majors like myself, was another thing I loved about my time here because there are so many options for electives. Take your time researching courses and professors because I wish I had taken more varied courses. In addition to STEM, we have fitness, art, humanities and more. 

Some of my favorite memories were formed while taking courses with Dr. Prathim Maya Dora-Laskey, Dr. Matthew Doggett and Dr. Robert Vivian, all in their own right, fun and memorable people, along with many others. The faculty-student bond here is part of what kept me going. I received a lot of support from both the professors and my boss at the library, Chantell Graves. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; this campus is riddled with warmth and understanding.

If one does end up taking quite a few courses and finding themselves potentially overwhelmed, the Wellness Center was a huge help for me during my time here. They have free counseling, information on sex-ed and they can help with accommodations. 

Missing the most important part, if the courses aren’t one’s thing, we have a lot of student organizations, including a rich Fraternity and Sorority Life community, clubs for languages and academic organizations like Sigma Tau Delta. There is always a way to get involved, and I love it because no matter who you are, you can find community. 

Speaking of community, Alma College also has a lot of really cool spring terms, and I’m a little sad I only got to do the one. A lot of these involve traveling using grant funds, but I took one that was on campus, a Philosophy and Chemistry course that was still a lot of fun even though I had literally no background in chemistry.

I’m biased, as I work there, but we also have a vast academic library on the top half of the Learning Commons. We have some neat stuff in the archive, resources for one’s major, and if for nothing else, it’s always nice to stop in and say hello to my very kind boss. The question I was asked the most was if we have printers, and we do not and will not have printers, but it’s an awesome library anyway.

When I leave, I know I will leave a piece of my heart at this college. It wasn’t all sunshine, but in my final year, I found community in my two jobs; I made a lot of very kind, loving friends and presenting for Honors Day will be the highlight of my year. To my fellow graduates, good luck, stay safe and thank you for making this community the lively, welcoming group it is.