May 2, 2025
SVSU students spring toward next chapter
Alumna to deliver address
Nearly 970 Saginaw Valley State University students soon will receive their degrees and celebrate the beginning of the next chapter of their lives. Many of those students will participate in commencement exercises on Saturday, May 10.
Graduates from the College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences, the Scott L. Carmona College of Business, and the College of Science, Engineering and Technology will be recognized in a ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. Graduates from the College of Education and the Crystal M. Lange College of Health and Human Services will participate in a ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Both events will be held at SVSU’s Ryder Center and will be livestreamed. The livestreams can be viewed here.
Alberta Lewis Lee, an SVSU graduate and executive vice president, chief people and culture officer for Rock Entertainment Group, will speak at both ceremonies. SVSU President George Grant Jr will confer on Lee an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree during the 10 a.m. ceremony.
With decades of leadership experience in strategic human resources, Lee partners with her colleagues on the executive team to drive organizational excellence and cultural transformation across the enterprise. Rock Entertainment Group encompasses the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, the AHL Cleveland Monsters, the NBA G League Cleveland Charge and the newly formed Rock Entertainment Sports Network.
Lee’s connection to Saginaw Valley State University started with her father, Napoleon Lewis Sr., who joined SVSU in 1971 as a safety officer in the Department of Public Safety, transitioning to the role of equipment manager in the Athletic Department until his retirement in 1989. He was posthumously recognized with emeritus status in 2016.
Lee continued her father’s SVSU legacy, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from SVSU. After graduation she joined the SVSU Foundation as a coordinator of Alumni Relations. Her journey is part of the proud “Lewis Legacy” that also includes three of her seven siblings, who have contributed to SVSU in various roles.
In addition to her B.B.A. from SVSU, Lee holds a Master of Science Administration from Central Michigan University.
SVSU graduates are building careers in high-demand fields in the Great Lakes Bay Region, throughout the state and beyond.