Coming Home: Grand marshal seeks to unite students, faculty, alumni at MSU Homecoming 2023

MSU Today with Russ White

Molly Brennan is 2023 MSU Homecoming Grand Marshal for Michigan State University

Molly is a Spartan with both academic and athletic legacies. She was the engineering group manager for the Truck and Bus Division of General Motors Corporation, where she won the first World Solar Challenge, setting four solar and electric land speed records in the Guinness Book of World Records. Beyond her illustrious career in engineering, she also made significant achievements as a track athlete, scholar, and philanthropist.

Brennan shares some favorite MSU memories and talks about her accomplishments in life. She talks about challenges she has overcome and shares her advice for young women interested in STEM careers.

Conversation Highlights:

(1:59) – “I didn’t really have a hard class.”

(5:56) – “The deciding factor was when I stepped foot on campus, and it felt like home.”

(9:57) – “I made the very hard decision to stay home with my kids. And as a result, my kids are my proudest accomplishment.”

(10:37) – “I would say the biggest challenge was being female.”

(14:00) – “We want you to drive a solar car in Australia.”

(16:33) – “Just like Kennedy sparking space exploration, we hope we sparked an interest in kids.”

(17:29) – “I hope we get it right because our planet is burning. My generation has not been good stewards of the planet.”

(19:30) – “I love MSU. And I totally understand the transformative opportunities it gave me. And I want to give students here that same opportunity.”

(21:22) – “I’m hoping that as grand marshal, I’m able to unite our student body and faculty and especially our alumni to reconnect back with Michigan State. Hopefully, they feel the same sense of gratitude that I do.”

Brennan is working with the MSU Alumni Office to identify campus fund initiatives for Homecoming that are meaningful to her and have transformed her life while on campus. One of the great things about MSU is Spartans can give back to the areas they are most passionate about. To learn more about Molly’s selected giving initiatives, visit giving.msu.edu.

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