By Maiya Tomlin
On May 2nd, 2026, my dear older sister, Ava, graduated from the University of Michigan (go blue!). It was quite a different experience. Instead of being called graduation, it was called commencement. Instead of filing into Kilpatrick Stadium, thousands of people filed into Michigan Stadium, also known as “The Big House.” And instead of wearing a floral dress, I wore jeans and a sweater (partly because the dress code is more casual, and partly because it was 39º).
It also shocked me when they presented honorary degrees, which universities grant to individuals who usually did not graduate from the university but have made significant contributions to a specific field or society. It shocked me even more when Michael Phelps walked on the stage in sunglasses to receive one. Yes, that Michael Phelps, and he received an honorary doctorate in law. Apparently, he is a swimmer by day and a lawyer by night.
Another key difference is that the graduates do not get to walk the stage. There are nearly 14,000 of them, opposed to the 160 that graduate from Lovett. I think if they allowed graduates to walk, I would still be at the commencement ceremony.
I talked to my oldest sister, Campbell, who is a 2020 Lovett graduate and a 2024 Michigan graduate, about both of her experiences. “They differ a ton because high school graduation was 2020 during peak COVID… so we did 6 feet apart,” she said. “Aside from COVID, high school graduation was more personal; the teachers knew all of us, and we knew all of our classmates.” She told me she preferred college graduation, though, because it was more fun and lively.
Campbell did tell me that college graduation was much sadder than high school graduation. “High school graduation meant college, yay!” she said. “And college graduation meant adulting.”
About two weeks later, I attended Lovett Graduation on May 16th. Now, Michael Phelps was not present, but we did hear from amazing speakers, including Valedictorian Mitchell Deutsch and Eva Edwards Lovett award-winner Christina Dehabreh.
Cate Turner and Bryce Milbury are the junior vestry wardens. They got to plant the flag on stage and hand out programs, which Cate told me was a super cool experience.
The Lovett grads got to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, sacred texts, and take a photo. Although Michigan’s commencement ceremony was larger and more energetic, Lovett’s graduation felt far more personal and intimate, just as Campbell described.
Watching both ceremonies showed me that although graduations may share similar traditions, the experiences themselves can feel completely different. I guess I’ll have to report on my experience next year when it’s my turn to walk the stage…
