Each year, the MSU Alumni Office partners with a talented student artist to create a one-of-a-kind commemorative graduation scroll—an exclusive print given to every graduating Spartan. This longstanding tradition celebrates both the creative spirit of our students and the shared pride of the graduating class.
The selected artist works collaboratively with the Alumni Office to design a piece that captures the essence of the Spartan experience and the milestone of commencement. Each design reflects the individuality of its graduating class while honoring MSU’s enduring legacy.
Explore below to learn more about this year’s featured artist and their design for the Class of 2025–2026.
Bella DiPonio is a multidisciplinary artist from Southeast Michigan. Her practice centers on oil painting and installation, exploring themes of identity, family and personal narrative. Through her work, DiPonio reflects on the evolving concept of Americana, using intimate experiences to examine broader cultural movements and the shifting landscape of American life. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Michigan State University, where she was recognized with the Geraldine Potchen Award for Excellence in 2024. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including galleries in Michigan and Bencha, China. DiPonio continues to develop a body of work that navigates the complexities of youth, memory and place, offering a nuanced perspective on what it means to come of age in contemporary America.
"In my work, I explore themes of American culture and deep nostalgia. Painting, for me, is not just an art form but an extension of my soul that lives outside of my body. I paint what I know, what I have felt and what I believe, in order to decode and make sense of a life that, at times, seems cruel and unforgiving yet offers moments of light and joy.
As a Michigan State Legacy, I explored different compositions and images that not only represented my own experience at MSU and those of my family and my peers. The fight song is a piece of Michigan State culture that resonates with everyone, a symbol of our memories on campus. I chose to include band member figures to represent the fight song. Their skin is intentionally not shown, avoiding any implication of race or gender so that anyone can imagine themselves, or someone they know, playing the beat of a song that holds meaning for millions. A window from Beaumont Tower, the map view of the Red Cedar River and the famous cherry blossoms fill the rest of the composition as iconic landmarks of campus. My goal to include a sense of nostalgia was wrapped up in the antiquarian font that displays the name of a place many people call home and surely a place that gave me a home when I became detached from my own."