Jenifer Young ’18, ’20 remembers what she felt on her first day of classes on Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus. “I was standing in front of the Commerce and Finance building and holding my books and being so excited about the idea that one day I would be graduating,” she said. …
A few months after becoming the pastor at St. Sebastian Church in Dearborn Heights, Father Walter Ptak found he was a bit embarrassed whenever he walked in the entrance procession at a Mass with Deacon Larry Girard ’58. It wasn’t that Ptak was ashamed of his permanent senior deacon. It …
Edward Martell was back in Wayne County Circuit Judge Bruce Morrow’s courtroom. The same courtroom where his life changed in 2005, when he was facing up to 20 years in prison for drug charges. But this time, Martell was experiencing a whole new range of emotions. He wasn’t back as …
We are sharing the stories of several of University of Detroit Mercy’s newest alumni to mark the graduation of the Class of 2021. Dalonzo Curges knew he belonged at University of Detroit Mercy from the moment he stepped foot on the McNichols Campus. “I loved the environment, people and faculty …
We are sharing the stories of several of University of Detroit Mercy’s newest alumni to mark the graduation of the Class of 2021. Taylor Kile came to University of Detroit Mercy wanting to become an architect. After four years, she completes her undergraduate career knowing exactly how she can impact …
We are sharing the stories of several of University of Detroit Mercy’s newest alumni to mark the graduation of the Class of 2021. Bonanza Cummings’ favorite memory from his time at University of Detroit Mercy is one Michiganders may take for granted: The first time he saw snow. Growing up …
We are sharing the stories of several of University of Detroit Mercy’s newest alumni to mark the graduation of the Class of 2021. As a child, Nurzahan Rahman dreamed of being her school’s valedictorian. Through her hard work in the classroom, dedication to giving back and willingness …
Joseph Alvaro understands that it’s not life’s challenges that define someone, it’s how that person responds to them. In a span of 14 months in 2009 and 2010, Alvaro lost Frances, his wife of 25 years, his daughter, his father, a brother-in-law and an uncle by marriage with whom he …
Detroit Mercy is in John Freeman’s bones. His father, John Freeman, was a beloved English professor whose lectures examining connections between the lyrics of Tupac Shakur and themes in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet were popular with students and taught young John to think in creative ways. The father and son also …
David Tumpkin fondly remembers his childhood performances, when he would play music by banging on pots and pans and entertain relatives with puppet shows from behind the family couch. From those early at-home productions, to high school marching band and choir, music has been a constant in Tumpkin’s life. Over …
