ANN ARBOR—Marit Dewhurst of East Lansing, who will earn a B.S. degree in community empowerment through the arts, will be the student speaker at the University of Michigan Spring Commencement in Michigan Stadium at 9:15 a.m. April 27.

More than 6,000 students expect their degrees this spring. William H. Gray III, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and a former U.S. congressman, will give the commencement address.

DewhurstDewhurst says her initial reaction to U-M was hardly love at first site. “I was a Spartan through and through. I wanted to go out of state, but that wasn’t feasible, so I grudgingly came to Michigan,” she says.

Dewhurst quickly changed her mind—”within the first two weeks I fell in love with the school. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Dewhurst thrives in U-M’s activist atmosphere. “Active participation in working toward social justice is a must; it is the driving force of my life. One of the best things about being here at Michigan is being able to be surrounded by students who are passionate about ideas,” she says.

“Marit is an extremely passionate person. She has dedicated her college career and her life to promoting social justice. Her energy is contagious,” says Aubrey MacFarlane, Dewhurst’s adviser at Project SERVE.

Why did Dewhurst want to speak at commencement? “I was planning on giving the poem I had written to the people who have impacted my life at U-M, so this way I get to share my enthusiasm and positive experiences with a few more people.” The theme of Dewhurst’s poem involves packing. Her commencement address will point out that the most important things in life can not be put away in boxes.

After graduation, Dewhurst will enter an arts and education program in graduate school. Eventually, she hopes to focus on working with underprivileged youth. Eventually she would like to teach at U-M.

Dewhurst graduated from East Lansing High School; she is the daughter of Marsha MacDowell and Kurt Dewhurst.

At U-M Dewhurst is a member of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society; she earned the 2002 Tapestry Award for her commitment to diversity and social justice in the University community. She is also a James B. Angell Scholar, awarded to students who receive all A’s for two or more consecutive terms, and received an Outstanding New Member nomination from the Student Activities and Leadership Office.

Dewhurst has extensive experience working in museums. In New York, she helped conduct several research projects at the Museum of Modern Art, and worked with youth at El Museo del Barrio. In Durban, South Africa, Dewhurst helped the Kwa-Muhle Museum host a youth workshop. She assisted reinstallation of the U-M Museum of Art collection of African art, and is currently a curatorial assistant at the Michigan State University Museum.

Dewhurst currently compiles interviews and information for the Imagine America newsletter, and is active in the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives King/Chavez/Parks Program. She has led U-M campus tours for prospective students and their parents, and was a Residential College Peer Advisor.

She is active in the Prison Creative Arts Project, Volunteers Involved Every Week (VIEW), and the Community Service Commission, where she oversaw distribution of more than $70,000 to student community service organizations.

Previous commitments include Raising Strong and Confident Daughters, Parents Learning Along With Youth (PLAY), the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, and Project Community, where she coordinated and led class discussions regarding sociology and juvenile justice. Dewhurst also mentored at Arbor Heights and coached a first-grade boys soccer team.

Dewhurst served as editor-in-chief for the 1999-2000 Residential College Review, an art and literacy publication, and helped develop new arts-related activities and programs for campus as a member of the Students Arts Advisory Council.

Additional activities include Dance Marathon, Community Plunge site leader, and diversity workshop facilitator.

Dewhurst is fluent in French and speaks basic Zulu.

William H. Gray IIIProject SERVEMortar BoardMuseum of Modern ArtOffice of Academic Multicultural InitiativesPrison Creative Arts ProjectRaising Strong and Confident Daughters