Nov. 26, 2024
A year after making international news, Ferris State grad Grace Szymchack adjusting to motherhood, teaching career
Grace Szymchack never dreamed graduating from Ferris State University would make her famous.
But the 25-year-old Traverse City woman became an overnight sensation after Ferris State published a story - and adorable photos – showing Szymchack accepting her diploma Dec. 15, 2023, with her 10-day-old baby tucked inside her graduation gown.
Ferris State alum Grace Szymchack with daughters Annabelle and Isabelle.
“My daughter Annabelle decided to come early on Dec. 6,” Szymchack said. “But I’d worked hard for this degree, and I was determined to walk with the rest of my class, so I just brought her to graduation with me.”
The heartwarming tale struck a chord with folks, prompting hundreds of newspapers, TV stations, websites and social media outlets across the United States to pick up the story and run with it. Szymchack appeared live on “Good Morning America” then in major outlets like USA Today, CNN, People, NBC News, and others before international outlets picked up the story.
The spotlight was nice, but almost overwhelming at times, she said.
“My family kept using words like’ inspiring’ to describe why people were so interested in my story,” she said. “I guess people – especially other moms – liked to see that it’s possible to go to college and even graduate with an itty-bitty.”
Szymchack attended Ferris State at the Student Success Hub in Traverse City at Northwestern Michigan College. It was a perfect fit for her — especially after she and her husband, Caleb, had their first daughter, Isabelle, in 2022.
The couple originally expected to welcome their second baby girl on Dec. 18 via cesarean section. But Annabelle had other plans, making her debut nearly two weeks early.
Not wanting to leave the infant home with a sitter but concerned about exposing her to germs in a crowd of 400 graduates and their families, she opted to tuck Annabelle in a baby carrier strapped beneath her graduation gown.
The plan worked perfectly. Annabelle napped through the entire ceremony as her mom earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, magna cum laude, and her family cheered them on.
For Szymchack, now 25, the ceremony was the culmination of six years of balancing classes, work, marriage and motherhood. She’s now a full-time teacher at Strong Beginnings, a state-funded preschool for 3-year-olds at Munson Healthcare in Traverse City.
Now that the hubbub has died down, the Szymchack family is adjusting to the busy life of two working parents with two children, now 2.5 years and 9 months old.
It’s a life she loves.
“I never imagined I might be an inspiration to others … but I’m happy if others see my story and see that it’s possible to follow your dreams, whatever they are.”
Fall commencement this year is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 13, with about 400 students expected to be recognized in ceremonies at the R.L. Ewigleben Sports Complex, 210 Sports Drive in Big Rapids.
Graduates from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education and College of Engineering Technology are walking at 9 a.m. and graduates of the College of Business, College of Health Professions, and Doctorate in Community College Leadership will be honored at 12:30 p.m.