Meet the young MSU alums moving Michigan forward

Each year, Michigan State University enrolls more than 50,000 students, with thousands graduating at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Of those graduates, 64% choose to stay in Michigan, launching their careers and continuing their Spartan journey alongside nearly 300,000 fellow alumni who are already making their mark across the state.

Spartan alums shape the state’s future and contribute to Michigan’s economic development and social fabric in meaningful ways. They can be found in nearly every industry in every corner of the state.

Meet five early-career Spartans who are moving Michigan forward.

Daniella Bruce finds success entertaining Detroit sports fans

A 2016 graduate of MSU’s School of Journalism, Daniella Bruce broke into professional sports broadcasting with a Spartan’s will to succeed — becoming the first female color analyst for the Detroit Red Wings in 2022.

Today, the metro Detroit native provides expert radio and TV commentary and play-by-play insights for Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers games in addition to hosting all livestreamed events straight from the stands and creating digital content. Bruce’s time at MSU laid the foundation for her career and shaped her sense of identity, she says. “Being a Spartan is being a part of a community, not just in your time at Michigan State but for life.” 

Read more about Bruce’s journey from MSU classrooms to major league broadcasts.

Tarek Chawich stays connected to MSU as he builds his business

Tarek Chawich founded Château Coffee Co. in 2022, and today the bustling coffeehouse business, with locations in Lansing and Okemos, contributes to Michigan’s economy by offering local roots and global flavors to Michiganders looking for the perfect brew.

Chawich developed his entrepreneurial acumen at MSU, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from MSU’s Broad College of Business and a minor in retail management and entrepreneurship and innovation from the Burgess Institute in 2020. “There was no place I would have rather gone,” he says about the unique combination of education and mentorship that encouraged his success. “I love to say that I graduated from MSU.”

Read more on how advice and resilience helped Chawich find his entrepreneurial stride.

Bryanne Standifer-Barrett is dedicated to the health of Michiganders

Bryanne Standifer-Barrett is an internal medicine physician at Henry Ford Health and a clinical professor in MSU’s College of Human Medicine. Staying in Michigan after graduating in 2018 to care for her community was an easy decision for the Detroit native. Standifer-Barrett’s mission aligns with MSU’s drive to improve the health of Michigan’s population.

“MSU taught me how to be a really good doctor,” she says. “It’s where I learned how to break down information so it’s easier for people to understand. That’s the impact I have.”

Read more about how Standifer-Barrett cares for her community’s health.

Kate Reitz helps protect the natural ecosystem in Sleeping Bear Dunes

In Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Kate Reitz conducts grid surveys, carries out seed collections and occasionally executes prescribed burns as a biological science technician. Reitz, a 2012 environmental biology and zoology graduate in MSU’s College of Natural Science, aids the restoration efforts happening in the national park.

Always interested in the natural sciences, Reitz’s summer classes at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station opened her eyes to the impact experimental research can have on the world around her.

In turn, Reitz makes an impact on her home state: “In a small, rural place like this, being a Spartan is about being a positive part of my community and being a positive part of Michigan’s workforce,” she says. 

Read more about Reitz’s work conserving Michigan’s national lakeshore.

Brett Brothers combines chemistry with food science to create your favorite snacks

Growing up in Battle Creek, Michigan, both MSU and the Kellogg Company were formative presences for Brett Brothers, a 2016 food science and technology graduate.

His father, who worked in the food industry, piqued his interest in pursuing a similar path. Attending MSU was a natural fit. “The world-class education is hard to beat,” says Brothers, “it prepares you to be successful in the real world.”  

He credits his MSU experience for shaping his approach to food chemistry and helping him connect scientific principles to real-world product development. Today, Brothers designs and develops new flavors, shapes, formats and products under the Cheez-It brand at Kellanova.

From the lab to the store, he loves every aspect of his job. But the most rewarding part? “It’s really cool to see products that you come up with on the store shelf,” says Brothers.

Read more about the products Brothers develops as a food scientist at Kellanova.