AC welcomes Class of 2029
Posted Monday, August 25, 2025
Author: Mickey Alvarado
A majority of Adrian College’s 1,700 students returned to campus during Welcome Weekend, August 22-24, for the start of the fall semester, which officially began Monday, Aug. 25.
The freshman Class of 2029, made up of 580 students, arrived Friday, Aug. 22. After moving in with help from the Bulldogs football team, they attended a resource fair where college departments were available to answer questions.
Later in the day, the new students and their family members were welcomed by Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking and his staff during this year’s matriculation ceremony in Dawson Auditorium.
“For those of us on this stage, today is one of the most exciting days of the year,” Docking said. “We love to see the wonder and anticipation in the eyes of our new students as you await the experiences that will define your college years. Today, you stand on the threshold of a magical time in your life, a time of growth, introspection, challenge and opportunity. These are years you will always look back on as special, never experienced before you arrived and never replicated after you leave. You will make incredible friends to cherish for the rest of your life and meet professors who will impact you so profoundly that you will return for homecoming year after year just to say thank you one more time.”
Adrian College has enrolled an incoming class of 500 or more new students each year for the past 18 years. The Class of 2029 includes 12 valedictorians and 36 students admitted to the honors program. Fifteen of the new Bulldogs are legacy students with family members who are Adrian College alumni.
Andrea Milner, Adrian College Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, told the visitors that matriculation ceremonies are designed to celebrate transitions.
“This ceremony recognizes that our outstanding freshman class is transitioning from home to a new home, from high school to college, from teen years to adulthood,” she said.
Twenty-four states and nine countries (Canada, Burkina Faso, Germany, Italy, Peru, Singapore, Spain, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and the United Kingdom) are represented in this year’s incoming class. Canadian provinces include Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
Frank Hribar, Adrian College Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs, attributes the college’s success to the wide variety of opportunities available on campus.
“Such a large incoming class is certainly a byproduct of the innovative culture on our campus,” Hribar said. “The addition of several new academic majors and minors played a significant role in the growth of this year’s class. I am very proud of how this campus continues to develop and transform in creative ways.”
Four hundred twenty-eight of the students are from Michigan, with 88 coming from Lenawee County. Adrian has 42; Tecumseh, nine; Blissfield, eight; Onsted, five; Britton, Clinton, Hudson and Morenci, four each; Sand Creek, three; Manitou Beach, two; and Brooklyn, Deerfield and Riga, one each.
Ohio has 58 students coming to Adrian, while Indiana has 20. Illinois and California have five each; Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, four each; Tennessee, three; Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Washington, two each; and Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, one each.
“Thousands of high school seniors from around the nation, and indeed the world, hoped to attend Adrian College this fall, and we wanted you, the most accomplished among them,” Hribar told the students. “This is our day to celebrate you, our incoming class, and the talent, intellect and aspirations you bring to our community.”
During the three-day Welcome Weekend, students checked in and met with faculty advisors and student leaders. Along with mandatory placement testing, a course scheduling session and advising on everything from financial aid to time management, students participated in events including a Parking Lot Party, Mall Beats and Eats, and Movie on the Mall.
Docking concluded his talk by telling the incoming students to relax and enjoy the moment.
“You’ll be in the swing of things in no time, and I think you’ll discover that your college years will go by faster than you expect,” Docking said. “We look forward to seeing what you accomplish here and to helping you along the way.”
To view the matriculation ceremony, click here or visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrxfdfXeuQQ.
