Posted May 15 - It’s common to hear that graduation is the best weekend of the academic year on campuses across the country. The students with whom faculty and staff have worked closely are about to graduate and go into the world. This year’s Class of 2017 at Manchester includes undergraduates, pharmacy, pharmacogenomics and athletic training graduates.

At Manchester, this “best weekend” is extended into the “best week,” as graduates return for Alumni Days. On the Tuesday after commencement, graduates from 1967 will gather to celebrate their 50^th class reunion. They will be joined by alumni celebrating their graduations of 55, 60, 65 and 70 years ago.

• Our new graduates leave ready to change the world. Our alumni return to share stories of their contributions, large and small, that have improved the human condition.
• Our new graduates leave with hugs and handshakes from family and extended Manchester family, able to touch those who made their success possible. Our alumni return to reunite with some and remember others who touched their lives at Manchester.
• Most of our graduates leave with some amount of debt, having borrowed to invest in their futures. Most of our alumni return having contributed to Manchester over many years, investing in the futures of others.

Gratitude, celebration and hope for the future mark both events, making this the best week of the year.