 Congratulations, 40s. I am so proud of you. You've come through this year together as a team and really helped advance the public good. Thanks so much for all you've done to strengthen our community. Go Blue! I'm Sharon Massini. I'm on the Ford faculty and the director of the BA program. Huge shout out to all of our graduating 40s, our seniors as well as our grad students. So excited to celebrate with you all today. Congratulations and Go Blue! Hi folks, it's Professor P or Natasha. I just wanted to say congratulations to the class of 2021. I'm so excited for all of you. I've gotten the chance to teach all of the seniors and many MPAs and many MPPs over the last two years and I know it's been kind of an interesting and strange time but you all have done it and I'm so proud of you and I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. Congratulations! Hello for the many of you who don't know me. I'm Alan Deardorff, a professor here in the Ford School. I've been a professor at Michigan for over 50 years but I've only taught a very few of you because I've only lately taught my course in international trade policy and I wanted to do this recording mainly for that small number of students who have had me in that class and most of them I would guess took it this last fall when I taught it online so you're seeing me now very much as you saw me every day throughout the fall in our online course. I just want to say how much I've enjoyed teaching this course for many years in fact I'm going to continue teaching it even after I retire about a month from now because I enjoyed the course and I enjoyed the students especially those from the Ford School a lot of the class has students also from economics taking it. I wish you well in your coming careers. I would love it if you ever find yourself using any of the modeling exercises that we did in my course and if you do I'd love to hear about it you know email me and tell me how on your job you've been asked to quantify the effect of a trade policy or something like that. I don't actually expect very money and we'll have that opportunity. I still think it is a useful thing for you to learn. Anyway congratulations to all of you. I wish you the best in your coming careers and well go blue. Greetings class of 2021. I'm Alex Routh one of the quartet of writing instructors here at the Ford School and I'd like to join with other faculty in congratulating you and your graduation. You may have heard that there's a pandemic and this will make the graduation a little bit different than the other years but I nonetheless hope it's a meaningful event for you and your family. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors. Do come back and visit come back with stories come back with gossip and do write well and go blue. Hello everyone my name is Alberto Rodriguez. I am a graduate of the MPA of the School of Public Policy in 1993. I want to congratulate all of you for completing your studies and for moving on to hopefully a fantastic and very rewarding professional career. Right now I work as director for operations of the World Bank covering the sectors of education health social protection jobs and gender. Our global work this year has been enormously enormously demanding. With the COVID-19 we've had to make sure that vaccines are distributed and they get to the poorest countries of the world. It has been difficult but that's what we prepared for when we went to Michigan. We were thinking of how to contribute to a better world. If I were to advise anything for any of you is don't give up. There's always opportunities to contribute from any place either on the ground working directly with communities or at the policy level nationally or internationally. I really want to congratulate you for choosing a career in public policy as this is an area that has enormous impact on human development, on people, on the environment and on so many challenges that humanity is facing. Congratulations for your graduation and go blue. Hello everyone this is Avery from Student Services here to wish you congratulations on your graduation. In a year unlike any other it's been thoroughly impressive and enjoyable to watch as you all accomplish great things not only in your classes but in your research and in your support of our community and your communities back home and around the world. I know that you're all prepared to continue supporting these communities and to make a difference in the field of public policy. Congratulations and go blue. Congratulations class of 2021. I'm Alfred Young professor of sociology and afro-american-maskin studies but I have the pleasure of having a courtesy appointment in the Ford school that enables me to get to know some of you and get to work with you quite directly in my involvement in campus initiatives like the Center for Social Solutions and the National Center for Institutional Diversity. It's there that I've had the benefit of recognizing the brilliance of the Ford school students. Therefore I'm especially thrilled to be able to offer my congratulations to you and my encouragement as you grow out and tackle a world that is so sorely in need of good skills and abilities. We've lived through a traumatic time. You all know that. Most importantly you know how to approach and intervene in that world to make a big difference. By all means go out there and do so and go blue. Hi everyone this is Ann Lin. One of my favorite pandemic moments was the first meeting of our fall 2020 Project Skills Zoo. The first 10 minutes of screen and audio were filled with all of you calling in your classmates and sending love out. When I remember the 2021 graduating classes I'll remember all of your acts of grace and strength for each other. Special shout out to the BAs who rallied when you got a new 320 prof at the last minute and to the overwhelming number of second years who signed up for the all virtual IPE. I appreciate you and I thank you. Keep alive your support for each other for justice and for the world and go blue. Hi I'm Beth Sobolesky to the Ford School graduates of 2021. I'm very excited to say congratulations and well done. You've made it through a year unlike any that we have known and hopefully unlike any that we will know in the future. So please take a few minutes to enjoy that and reflect on all that you've accomplished this year. You've treated each other with kindness and care and respect and those are traits that will serve you well going forward. I'm sad that we haven't had a chance to spend time together in person but I look forward to continuing to hear about the wonderful things that you do once you leave the Ford School. Please know that the Ford School is your home. You are part of our family and we will always be glad to hear about how things are going for you. So drop us a note, stop by and we will be so glad to see you. As you celebrate this milestone achievement I just want to say congratulations, good luck and go blue. Hi everybody it's Alton Worthington. I hope you don't mind I got a little dressed up for the occasion I get quite excited to graduate. I just wanted to reach out and give a hearty congratulations to all of our 2021 Ford School graduates. You've taken on a challenge in a very unusual mind and I have to say how proud I am of the ways in which you've supported each other you've lifted each other up you've been there for each other you've put in the hard work to learn the skills you'll need to go out and make a difference in the world and we need people who want to make a difference. So although we didn't get to see each other in person as much as we quite have liked getting to spend time with you in the classroom has been a real bright spot so without laboring on too long which is my way I'll just say that you know we're really excited to see what we do next. Hopefully you take the skills you've learned here if you go out and make a difference in the world. Don't be strangers we'd like to hear from you so send us emails keep us in the loop let us know how you're doing. That's all I have to say for now but I suppose in closing what you're saying congratulations graduates well done and go blue. Hi I'm Cindy Bank the Associate Director of the Program Practical Policy Engagement and I want to congratulate all the students graduating this year. The highlights of this past year for me have been the times that I've been able to spend speaking with you. I've been inspired by you and your commitment to make your corner of the world a better place. I know you'll go off and do great things. Please stay in touch come back often and make sure you come back to share what you're doing with our future classes and forever go blue. I'm Valente Cabo and I am so excited to congratulate you on your graduation. I've gotten to know some of you MPPs and DAs in my classes over the past couple of years and one of the joys I've had going to work under such crazy times is interacting with you. I've been so impressed by your perseverance your inquisitiveness your thoughtfulness and your ability. One of the reasons I have for being optimistic about the future is that you are the next generation of leaders. So when you go out and face the challenges that life will inevitably throw your way you can look back on this accomplishment and know that you are more than capable of meeting those challenges. So congratulations again and go blue. Hi everyone I'm David Morse one of the writing instructors at Ford and also the instructor for undergrad classes on Utopianism and the Ethics and Politics of Wine. As a writing instructor I often tell students to avoid cliches but this time of year in graduation it's impossible to avoid platitudes and platitudes and cliches so I figure instead of fighting it let's just embrace it. So here it goes. As a society we've all been under the weather it's been an uphill battle but hey the grass is greener on the other side and now you've graduated you're ready to move to that other side with the greener grass and if you play your cards right and read between the lines don't judge your book by its cover and remember that at mine is a terrible thing to waste and especially with covid that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Then before you can say Jack Robinson you'll be the bee's knees living on cloud nine but seriously let me end with something that's not a cliche but it kind of sounds like one you cannot achieve what you cannot imagine so imagine bigly and boldly and go forth and achieve great things and of course the greatest cliche of all go blue. Congratulations on graduating you are no ordinary class it took a lot of perseverance to get to this day to stick with it and you did it these were tough times for all of us but yet you kept working and you made it through you've probably learned more about public policy the need for good policymaking and the challenges we're facing in the world and how you can address them than any other class. These challenging painful times can push us all the most because they force us to challenge what we think we know and ask new questions you've done that more than any other class we've all been doing that across so many dimensions of our lives about how we want to live how we can safely live and what it means to live together as a society where everyone can thrive you're equipped to change the country and the world for the better and we need you more than ever so thank you for persevering I'm gonna offer you three small pieces of advice to take with you the first is simply never stop learning and realize that failure and criticism is a chance to learn faster. Now my third piece of advice I hope you take to heart give praise generously and often to those around you they need it and they deserve it just like you deserve it congratulations please take time to appreciate yourself I appreciate you your friends and family appreciate you and we are all amazed by everything you've accomplished take time for yourself to recognize just everything that you've done you really deserve it congratulations and go blue greetings I am Celeste Watkins Hayes the Gene E. Fairfax Collegiate Professor of Public Policy and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan I'm also a University of Diversity and Social Transformation Professor I want to issue my thanks and my congratulations to the work of the class of 2021 I know that it was challenging I know that this was an unprecedented time in which to receive a degree but you did it and I want to thank you for all of the work that you are going to do in the world given your training your work and service are essential to our world you have a lens now to see to hear to analyze and to understand all of this is necessary in our world so use that gift in the service of those who need to be lifted up congratulations congratulations to your families to your friends and to all who supported you be well and take care hi I'm David Thatcher and I just wanted to congratulate all of the amazing Ford School graduates this year I was just talking to my kids I explained to them that I wanted to do this graduation message for the graduates and what should I put into it they thought I should try to simulate this kind of crazy world we've lived in this year by like having the cat walk across the screen and have a kid barge in the room and tell me to stove on fire that sort of thing I decided I'd just stick with saying we've been through a lot to get this far you guys are amazing I really look forward to hearing all the incredible things I expect you to do in your career so keep in touch congratulations and go blue I'm Claire Davidson and I work in graduate career services I'm excited to share congratulations with the class of 2021 I'm very grateful for the chance I had to get to know you over these last couple of years and have been continuously inspired by your resilience and perseverance I can't wait to see where you apply your skills and knowledge after graduation and am eager to stay connected as you become alumni of the Ford School congratulations again and go blue my name is Chuck Shippen and I'm a professor at Ford and in political science I want to congratulate all of the Ford School graduates and I especially want to take a moment to congratulate Michael Lerner who is earning his PhD from Ford and from political science it's been my honor and privilege to serve as the chair of Michael's dissertation committee Michael's dissertation is about an incredibly significant policy area environmental policy and about why some countries have been able to provide more effective leadership on this policy area Michael has just done a tremendous job on this project and provided all sorts of important insights into this important policy area congratulations Michael well done it has been such a pleasure to work with Chiara Ferrero who is a joint student in economics and the Ford School Chiara does exciting work in public finance and political economy her thesis work was some of it on how state governors allocate federal grant money to districts it turns out they do so in a strategic manner in order to get themselves re-elected something we always suspected was true and now there's evidence Chiara has other work on on grants and federal grants to states and also work with Thomas Rosie another of our graduates on property taxes during the great recession it's fascinating work it involves economics and politics it's rigorously done and really contributes to our understanding Chiara after graduating is off to the IMF and if Mario Draghi's career is any guide I think that means that ultimately she'll wind up prime minister in the meantime I'm sure she will make major contributions to the Italian economy the European economy and indeed the world economy looking forward to great things Chiara congratulations Ford School Class of 2021 you did it hello my name is Courtney Sanders and I am an alumni of the class of 2017 this year has been a tough year but you proved you were tougher as a Ford School student many of you made a difference in how we think about and infuse racial equity and anti-racism in our legacy and I couldn't be prouder to call you a fellow 40 you have taken the test written the papers and finished your internships you are more than prepared for the future ahead my mother used to say do you know what stock do you come from well 40s I hope you know that you come from a long line of incredible people from a president to activists and people from all across the world that's making a difference the Ford School prepared you for many challenges to solve and many problems so go show the world what you got congratulations Ford School graduates you all are poised to go out and make a huge difference in the world I'm really proud of you and I've been honored to have had you in my classes this year take care and go blue hi and congratulations the class of 2021 you did it I'm Caitlin Rainey an assistant professor here at the Ford School and I just wanted to share how impressed I am with all of you and your ability to navigate this incredibly tough year while you were in school I've been so inspired by your resilience and your empathy with one another and uh with your engagement with the world around you it makes me really excited to see what you all are coming to next and for speaking on behalf of all of the Ford School faculty I really hope that you will keep in touch and keep us posted on everything that you're doing um because we love to hear from you good luck and go blue hey good day it's Justin Walters here and I remember when you shuffled into my classroom very first day of graduate school first quantitative class and I know that you looked a little nervous at the time and it's two years later and look at you uh congratulations I'm so excited to to know that you're graduating and you're going to take the economic super tools that you learned here at the Ford School and use them to make the world a better place congratulations and I look forward to tracking your many successes in the future congratulations to the Ford School class of 2021 I'd like to give a special shout out to the seniors in live fall 2019 for 95 Bryce Connor Damien Samantha Jack Molly Daniel Lucia Matthew Julia Angelica Nick Maeve Lauren and Ryan and to Barriana Brady Kerrigan Devin and Julia who took my fall 2020 for 95 Eddie 30 no less I hope that you will not need to put your financial crisis expertise to work before you had a chance to celebrate graduation but I have full confidence that will that you will use your knowledge of past crises for the greater good I'd also like to send best wishes to Eric Sharana Alex Amy and Christopher who took my international financial policy class and to Chiara and Stephanie in the phd program I am optimistic about the future knowing the contributions you will all be making congratulations 40s and go blue hi everyone I'm Jennifer niggam I are the director of graduate career services and alumni relations and today I am coming to you with my alumni relations hat on and I want to welcome all of you to the Ford School alumni community you can't get away so easily just by graduating you're now part of a much bigger community and we look forward to many years of engagement and hopefully giving back the ways that many alums give back to you we wish you all the best and know that you are always part of this network go blue hello John Hansen here I just want to offer my congratulations to our graduates from 2021 if the past year and a half has shown us anything it's that expertise matters in public policy and I'm so honored to have been part of your training and policy analysis over the last couple of years and I know that you're going to do uh go out and do great things and so I wish you all the best congratulations and go blue hi my name is Alusha la Samuel I'm a VA graduate class of 2010 and I just want to wish my most heartfelt congratulations to you class of 2021 it has been a unique year a challenging year but your resilience has been so impressive I'm extremely confident that you're prepared for whatever endeavor comes next and I'm extremely hopeful that your character your compassion your leadership your creativity will lead our global community to sound policies in the future so thank you in advance for that and I just want to say congratulations again and go blue hello I'm Peter Vasher from graduate career services congratulations to the class of 2021 we're excited to see where your path may take you in years ahead and know that your great resilience and hard work will serve you well wherever you make your policy impact congratulations and go blue hey Ford school graduating classes of 2021 I'm Rachel White a 2010 Ford school BA alum and current chair of the Ford school alumni board well your final year at the Ford school was quite different than anyone could have expected I know that each and every one of you will use this experience as an opportunity for growth despite challenging contexts you were resilient passionate and demonstrated what it means not only to be a 40 but a Wolverine these skills will take you to the greatest of places and I know you will use them to serve the public push for equity through policy and fight for social justice congratulations and go blue hi this is professor Hills congratulations this is a graduation that you will always remember and an education that will always stand you in good stead so there's two things I want to pass along to you as we celebrate this the first is this we do the hard things in government so remember that one person can make a difference you be that person when you make a difference remember this be bored thanks and congratulations on a job well done and a degree well hi I'm Stephanie Sanders lecturer and diversity officer in the Ford school of public policy I'd like to send the class of 2021 my warmest congratulations on your latest achievement it's been an incredibly difficult year yet I am truly inspired by your level of commitment and your fortitude I believe that your hard work over the last two years has prepared you for life's next steps at a critical time in our nation's history your hard work your leadership and your voice is important in developing sound public policy and public policy solutions one piece of advice I'd like to bequeath graduates is to remember that every moment is an opportunity to learn learning certainly doesn't stop when you leave the classroom so be curious remain interested and stay engaged in ways that lead you to new insights congratulations again on a huge milestone and go blue hi I'm Susan gindi director of student and academic services congratulations for the school class of 2021 I'm so proud of you and so inspired by your perseverance in the face of a really tough year you did it so go forth do great things and forever go blue hi everyone use of niggers assistant professor of public policy here Ford school class of 2021 congratulations it's been a real pleasure having so many of you in class with me over the last couple of years and now I'm excited to see your next steps when you're back out in the world working the areas that you're passionate about so congratulations again and go blue hi I'm Molly Spencer a writing instructor here at the Ford school and I want to wish a warm congratulations to our class of 2021 one of the things that has given me hope in these pandemic times is the knowledge that all of you and your intelligence your ideas and your care for each other in the world would be out in the world soon shaping public policy in our shared public life I truly believe you will make the world a better place and now a bit of advice as you leave Ford and embark on your policy careers remember lead with argument follow with evidence and always use the simplest most concrete word that will serve your purpose sorry once the writing instructor always a writing instructor congratulations again dear 40s and go blue