The Alumni Distinguished Scholarship, or ADS, is a collaborative effort between the Office of Admissions and the Honors College to recruit high-performing students to come to MSU, compete for merit-based academic awards and learn about the resources that will help them succeed as Spartans. 

The ADS event is a one-day competition held twice annually during the spring semester. This year, ADS took place Jan. 31 and Feb. 7. 

The event begins with students participating in the scholarship competition exam, in which the 15 top-performing students earn a scholarship award. Meanwhile, as students test, parents and family members have an opportunity to learn more about the university and how MSU supports student success.

John Ambrose, executive director of Admissions, described his enthusiasm for taking part in the event in collaboration with the Honors College. “Each year, we are privileged to meet not only some of the brightest students in the nation but also the families who have nurtured their success. The ADS competition is a reminder that education is a collective effort and, at MSU, we take pride in fostering an environment where diverse voices come together to push the boundaries of knowledge and create solutions for a better world.” 

As students complete the exam, ADS also hosts a resource fair and various information sessions for parents to explore campus resources. The fair highlights over 32 resources on MSU’s campus, including personal interest opportunities, academic pursuits, and health and well-being-related services. The resource fair gives parents a sense of the many ways their students can get involved in campus life and community, as well as ways they can access the support they may need as first-year college students.
  
According to Florensio Hernandez, the assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion at MSU’s Office of Admissions, “ADS is a great scholarship event. Each year, the incoming class is more diverse, and it is important to provide opportunities based on academic merit without losing focus on the individual student’s background, culture and lived experiences before coming to MSU. This is why it is important to continue to promote campus resources, inclusion and a sense of community and belonging at MSU, which also impacts student success.”

This year’s ADS agenda included three information sessions to help parents better understand how the competition works and what it means to be a Spartan on MSU’s campus. 

The “ADS Next Steps” session helped parents learn about the ADS scholarship selection process. The second session, “Spartan Experiences,” explored the university’s research, internship and education abroad opportunities, highlighting MSU’s excellence in experiential learning and global engagement. Finally, “Spartan Outcomes” gave parents the opportunity to hear about the strategies in place to support student success and the resources and services available to students and how to access them. 
  
Parent Bridgette Dammann attended the “Spartan Outcomes” information session and said that it was “good information where you get to see and get a taste of it all.”

It can be difficult for parents to find all the information they need to help support their students in pursuing their college aspirations, especially if they’ve never been to a university like MSU before. As ADS parent Brenda Thomas noted after sitting in on the “Spartan Experience” session, the experience is “overwhelming but filled with needed information.” She also voiced that she is beyond proud of her daughter and ecstatic that she will be the first in the family to attend college. It’s feedback like this that helps ADS coordinators ensure the information sessions answer common questions, provide information that settles uncertainty and empowers parents with the support and resources to confidently navigate the college process.