Matriculation ceremony welcomes freshmen to Adrian College
ADRIAN — Students representing Adrian College’s Class of 2027 officially made the Adrian community their new “home away from home” last week after moving in and being welcomed to campus.
Students from around the globe — 32 states, 12 countries and three Canadian provinces — are represented in the newest class of freshmen at AC.
Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking and his staff welcomed the 602 new students to campus during this year’s matriculation ceremony Aug. 13 in Dawson Auditorium. The matriculation ceremony officially marks the entrance of the Class of 2027 into Adrian College.
“For those of us on this stage, today is one of the most exciting days of the year. We love to see the wonder and anticipation in the eyes of our new students, as you anxiously await all the amazing experiences that will define your college years,” Docking said in a news release.
Adrian College has had an incoming class of 600 or more new students each year for the past seven years and 500 or more freshmen for the past 15 years. The college’s overall enrollment is more than 1,800 students heading into the 2023-24 academic school year, which begins today.
Much of this year’s freshmen class hails from Michigan with 386 students remaining in the Mitten State. Forty of the new students are from Lenawee County with students from Addison (1), Adrian (8), Blissfield (2), Britton Deerfield (1), Clinton (3), Hudson (3), home-schooled (Manitou Beach, 1), Lenawee Christian (3), Madison (5), Morenci (3), Onsted (4) and Tecumseh (6).
More: Getting a 'Sneak Peek': Incoming students check out what Adrian College has to offer
Fifteen of the new Bulldogs are legacy students with family members who are Adrian College alumni, the release said.
Ohio has 48 students coming to Adrian College while Florida has 22 students heading north for school. Illinois has 17 students enrolled at AC, Indiana, 14; California, eight; Wisconsin, six; Minnesota, five; New York and Texas, four each; Arizona, Nebraska and Tennessee, three each; Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia, two each; and Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Vermont, one each.
There are also 38 international students from 10 countries, including Australia (Queensland, 1), Canada (Alberta, 3; Nova Scotia, 1; Ontario, 20), Fiji (Suva, 2), Georgia (Chokhatauri, 1), Ghana (Ashanti Region, 1), Jamaica (St. Catherine, 1), Japan (Tokyo, 1), Netherlands (Amsterdam, 1), New Zealand (1), Northern Mariana Islands (1), South Africa (2), Spain (Barcelona, 1) and Sweden (1).
Docking gave the new students two suggestions to make their college experience a great success. He told them not to leave college without getting to know personally as many of the faculty as they can, and his second suggestion was, “Give yourself time to figure it all out, to figure out what you want to do with your life. … The beauty of a small college is that it gives you a chance to discover your passion. If you start in one place and end up in something totally different, that is OK as long as you love what you are doing professionally, you’re good at it, and you can make a lasting and positive contribution to whatever field you choose.”
The college’s matriculation ceremony is just one aspect of AC’s Welcome Week activities for its new and returning students. Welcome Week began Aug. 13 and continued through Friday, Aug. 18.
During the past week, students checked in with their faculty advisers and student leaders. Along with mandatory placement testing, a course scheduling session and various advising sessions on everything from financial aid to time management, the new students also participated in events such as the Community Plunge, where they volunteered at a variety of service locations in Adrian. At the end of the week, the freshmen class had a group photo taken to commemorate their new beginning at Adrian College. The week was closed out with a trip to Cedar Point.
Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content
Adrian College Student Government Association President Taylor Yount welcomed the Class of 2027 and said there is a community full of students, faculty and staff that can provide them with the opportunities they need to succeed.
To view Adrian College’s matriculation ceremony in its entirety, visit www.youtube.com/@AdrianCollegeTV.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Matriculation ceremony welcomes freshmen to Adrian College
