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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Graduates have said farewell to Michigan State University after hearing speeches from executives of two major companies.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek spoke to undergraduates Friday, while Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris spoke to students who received advanced degrees.
There were more than 7,000 candidates, most of them undergraduates.
Chapek urged graduates to be "winners" who "find a way" to get over hurdles. The graduates also heard from one of their own. Twenty-one-year-old Mario McLean got a standing ovation as he talked about overcoming a tumultuous childhood in Detroit. He spent five years in foster care.
Chapek, Liveris and Daniel Loepp of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan received honorary degrees, along with Carlotta LaNier, president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation.
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