Ari's College Graduation from MSU

I got to Michigan State University early in the morning for Ari’s graduation session thinking we were being smart by beating the crowds… only to realize campus was already packed because of the MSU 5K & 10K happening that morning for students and families. Every main road into campus was blocked off, runners were everywhere, and for a second we were both wondering if we picked the worst possible day for graduation photos.

But honestly? It ended up making the whole session even better.

Since the roads were closed off, campus had this weirdly calm feeling in certain areas, and we got opportunities for photos that normally would never happen. One of my favorite moments was being able to take photos sitting right in the middle of one of the main roads with absolutely no traffic behind her  something you definitely cannot usually do at MSU. We also didn’t have to wait forever at the popular spots like the Beaumont tower and Spartan Statue, which felt like a huge win on a graduation weekend.

The whole morning felt like spring finally showed up in Michigan. The flowers around campus were blooming, the trees were blossoming, and everything had that fresh spring color everywhere you looked. Between the  morning light and all the greenery coming back, campus looked SO good for photos.

As we walked around, we stopped at all the classic MSU locations. We grabbed photos at the library, the famous Beaumont Tower, the Spartan Statue, and of course the MSU sign above the football stadium. Every spot had its own vibe, but somehow the entire campus just fit Ari perfectly.

One of the funniest and most unexpected parts of the session happened when we came across an MSU police officer during our walk. He was seriously one of the nicest people and took the time to talk with us for a bit. He even let Ari take photos in front of the police cruiser and with his K-9 partner, Shadow. Shadow definitely became the star of the session for a few minutes and those photos ended up being some of my favorites from the whole day because they felt so random and genuine.

The best part of the session though was celebrating everything Ari accomplished to get to this point. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education after years of working incredibly hard for it. She balanced school while raising two kids, getting engaged, planning a wedding, getting married, and somehow still pushing through to finish her degree. Seeing all of that finally pay off made this session feel even more special.

You could tell the whole morning meant a lot to her, but it also never felt overly serious. There were so many laughs throughout the session especially with the big speaker dance music during the race across from us, random moments between locations, and little unexpected things that made the day memorable. It honestly felt less like a photoshoot and more like walking around campus celebrating a huge milestone with a friend.

Sessions like this are always my favorite because they’re about way more than just graduation photos. They capture a whole chapter of someone’s life.  All the hard work, chaos, excitement, and memories that got them there. Ari’s session was the perfect mix of meaningful, fun, and very full of Spartan pride.