The roots we share

In May 2025, Michigan State University hosted the Global Spartan Reunion in South Korea.

University leaders, alumni and friends from across the world came together at Konkuk University in Seoul to celebrate Spartan impact and advance MSU’s mission of creating a global community of engaged citizens and changemakers. It was a defining moment in MSU’s expanding international story.

“The Reunion exemplified the global Spartan spirit,” said Michael Lindhout, '95, MSU’s Senior Director of International Advancement. “It demonstrated the lasting impact of a Spartan education beyond borders, strengthening the worldwide network that connects MSU graduates across continents and cultures, while fostering new partnerships and celebrating the university's commitment to global engagement.”

Dr. Jong Pil Won, ’95, hosted the Reunion as both an alumnus and as the president of Konkuk University. He also leads the Korean Spartans Alumni Association—one of hundreds of similar
organizations around the world.

More than 550,000 strong, MSU alumni are a global force. Spartan networks, both official and informal, serve as a bridge to opportunity, belonging and service. What begins in East Lansing doesn’t end at graduation. It carries forward, connecting us across borders, across cultures and across generations.

For attendees like Nikunj Agarwal, ’22, the Global Reunion was a rare chance to connect with a welcoming community of fellow Spartans. Local alums offered advice and hospitality, helping him experience South Korea in unique ways and feel at home in a new corner of the world. As one of the youngest attendees, he found inspiration and affirmation from his fellow alums.

“I love meeting new people and having new experiences,” he said. “There were people of all ages, people 40-50 years older than me, but we had this shared lived experience—the Dairy Store, Beaumont Tower or just sitting along Grand River. It didn’t matter when you graduated. All that mattered was that you were a Spartan.”

In the stories linked below, you’ll travel from East Lansing around the globe to meet Spartans whose stories span continents. You’ll see how alums everywhere are building communities and carrying a shared spirit to create a far better world.

TEXAS AND ARIZONA, USA

All for one

When Matt Pasant, ’00, M.A. ’02, became president of the Dallas–Fort Worth Spartans in early 2024, he asked, “Who’s doing this best?”

Introduced to the Arizona Spartans, Pasant set out to learn what made the thriving southwest community a model of alumni engagement and philanthropy. What followed was a year of mentorship and just the right dose of playful rivalry.

Pasant led his first Give Green Day just six weeks into his role, raising nearly $30,000. That was a good start, but he saw untapped potential. With more than 6,000 local alums, the DFW region was “starving” for greater connection, he said.

Armed with momentum and a mission to win big, the DFW Spartans returned a year later looking to provide a big boost to both their scholarship and bragging rights. They succeeded on both counts for Give Green Day 2025, edging out their Arizona “rivals” with record numbers on both sides.

“Arizona has been a great mentor to us for what’s possible,” Pasant said. “We’re competitive. We think everything’s bigger in Texas. We put out the challenge to our alumni to show the country that DFW is the leader in giving back to MSU. A lot of people got behind that.”

For Pasant, reaching out to others doing things well just made sense. And Arizona was generous with its playbook.

“They shared their strategy about engaging alumni year-round,” he said. “They instilled the value of being intentional, but also in providing an environment that fosters good will.”

Ann Burnett, ’79, former Arizona Spartans president who now runs the club’s philanthropy efforts, said that Pasant was eager to learn. “I told him our formula,” she said. “You need to reach out to your donors and get everything set up beforehand. That’s the key.”

“Dallas did a great job,” added current Arizona president Greg Wittcoff, MBA ’13. “It was really good to have that fun competition and having anything that benefits the university is good for all of us.”

The results speak for themselves. On Give Green Day 2025, DFW led all U.S. alumni clubs by raising $79,952, while Arizona finished close with $71,748. Arizona also logged the nation’s highest donor count (156), holding their status as a perennial powerhouse and setting the
stage for another spirited contest in 2026.

“Iron sharpens iron,” Pasant said. “Arizona taught us a lot, and maybe we taught them a little, too. The value of being a Spartan is strengthened when we all come together as one.”

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

The hoops herald

As a member of MSU’s 1979 National Championship basketball team, Roberto Gonzalez discovered how a collective drive to succeed creates purpose and enduring relationships.

“I saw firsthand how sports breaks barriers of race, class and religion and takes people to better places. I took this with me on my basketball odyssey,” said Gonzalez, a 6-7 forward on that revered Spartan squad whose professional career included stints in France, Spain, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Mexico—his father’s native homeland.

Over the past three decades, Gonzalez, who splits time between Mexico City and Frisco, Texas, has been a basketball missionary of sorts, elevating the game’s stature in a country long dominated by soccer. In the early ’90s, he brought his MSU teammate, Magic Johnson, to Mexico to help promote the game, the first of many visits the legend made upon Gonzalez’s request.

“Magic always takes the cake. He’s larger than life,” said Gonzalez.

In 2008, Gonzalez partnered with the Carlos Slim Foundation and the Telmex Telcel Foundation to create the Telmex Telcel Basketball League, the largest no-fee youth basketball league in the world. Last year, the program, which aims to increase interest in hoops while promoting healthy lifestyles, gender equality and personal development, hosted more than 60,000 boys and girls across Mexico.

“Through sports, you can develop fundamentals like discipline, humility and perseverance that make you successful in life,” said Gonzalez. “I saw an opportunity to put basketball on the map in Mexico, and I’ve loved helping to grow the game.”

TOKYO, JAPAN

Forward the Spartan way

Kaori Koide, ’06, represents a new generation of Spartan leaders in Japan.

Her recent appointment to the MSU Alumni Club of Japan’s board marks both a milestone and a moment of change—she’s only the second woman and one of the youngest members in one of the university’s most established alumni networks.

It also reflects her career-long dedication to advancing MSU’s global mission. Over the past few years, she has made it her mission to "repay the values" she gained in East Lansing, helping the next generation of Spartans find their place in a global community that shaped her own life.

Born in Japan and raised in Malaysia, Koide moved to suburban Detroit for her final year of high school. She chose to continue her education at MSU for its strong academic programs in supply chain and marketing.

After graduation, Koide returned to Japan and really began to appreciate the value of her Spartan identity. Over nearly 20 years as a supply chain transformation consultant, she’s worked across Europe and Asia, developing a reputation for collaboration and innovation.

“I credit Michigan State for helping me understand how to work hard, learn and work alongside people from different backgrounds," Koide said.

Today, she serves as a conduit to promote the university and uplift other Spartans. She's a founding member of the Broad College of Business International Advisory Board, served as a judge for the Best of Broad Abroad student video competition, spearheaded the development of a global mindset digital badge and helped coordinate opportunities for students studying abroad in Tokyo.

In 2023, she was named Broad’s inaugural International Executive-in-Residence. She spent a week in East Lansing engaging with student organizations, speaking to classes about working in international markets, and connecting with campus leaders on topics such as global mindset, entrepreneurship and women’s leadership.

“I know what MSU has given to me, and I want to pay it forward,” she said. “That, to me, is the Spartan Way."

HONG KONG, CHINA

First in service

Since 2013, the MSU Hong Kong Spartans Alumni Club has carried on a tradition that no other Spartan group can claim. Their geographic location gives them the distinction of kicking off MSU’s annual Global Day of Service each year.

“Because of the time difference, we typically have the privilege to be the first community to start working, while most others are still asleep,” said Calvin L. Lai, ’12, longtime member and current president of the club.

That foundation of giving back defines the Hong Kong Spartans. Whether volunteering in their communities, mentoring future Spartans or partnering with fellow Big Ten alums, service is the heart of what they do.

“Hong Kong is such an international city, we’re always learning how we can connect with others in the region,” Lai said.

The club, which represents more than 300 local alums, has compiled a lengthy résumé of efforts in support of the Spartan community. The club has held study abroad programs, prepped soon-to-be Spartans for life in East Lansing, and hosted the Global Spartan Reunion in 2017.

“We were expecting maybe 50 people,” said Lai. “But more than 150 came from many countries, including MSU leadership. We were amazed.”

For Lai, who chose MSU sight unseen for its reputation in academics and athletics, creating an atmosphere of belonging for his fellow Spartans is a labor of love.

“At MSU, they promote collaboration,” said Lai. “We have such a strong school spirit over sports and over the community, which is not something easy to even find in every college situation.”

Lai recently launched an event, the Spartans’ Spotlight Series, where alumni share their expertise through panel discussions.

“We’re upholding the MSU spirit, the global vision to help connect Spartans: the incoming students, current students and alumni,” he said. “To basically share this as a network to support, to give and to continue to extend the community wherever possible.”

ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN

Community architect

In 2019, Assem Amantay, ’09, welcomed a cohort of 30 Afghan women through a United Nations Development Programme initiative in Kazakhstan, opening new paths through educational and vocational opportunities abroad.

As part of the initiative, Amantay helped develop a foundational language program through her own experiences as an international student. Nearly 15 years earlier, Amantay had left Kazakhstan to study at Michigan State.

“I attempted to build a welcoming and culturally rich international student experience based on my own experience,” Amantay said. “I am proud of how they overcame these challenges to become confident learners. They found friends, took internships and participated in local conferences. Day by day, I stood next to them, believed in them, supported them.”

That instinct to build belonging has defined Amantay’s journey from Owen Hall to Astana, uniting Spartans across continents.

At MSU, Amantay founded the university’s first club for Kazakh students. She also served as Director of Events for the International Student Association and the community coordinator at Owen Hall.

Two decades later, her advocacy continues back home. Relying on little more than word of mouth and sheer will, Amantay and 28 fellow Spartans have built their own informal alumni network. They keep in touch through WhatsApp and seize every opportunity to gather in person.

“I am thankful to MSU for finding lifelong friends in Kazakhstan and overseas,” Amantay said. “No matter how far we are, we are connected through experiences, like the annual Global Festival, football games, singing the fight song and studying together at the library. Now we continue creating new memories with family calls, life updates and birthday wishes.”

Amantay came to MSU through Kazakhstan’s Bolashak presidential scholarship. She returned to Kazakhstan for her master’s degree and built a career in education and international outreach.

Mikhail Assafov, ’10, another Bolashak scholar and member of the Kazakh group, said MSU equips its alumni with a values-driven foundation that endures across continents.

“Being an international MSU alum is a lifelong bond,” he said. “There’s a continuous exchange between what MSU gave me and how I apply it to real-world challenges—always keeping the Spartan spirit alive no matter how far from campus I am.”

AFRICAN ALUMNI AND FRIENDS NETWORK

A continental collective

Damaris Choti sat in a room in Kenya in 2017 surrounded by fellow MSU alums. There was a rare energy as Spartans who had all once walked in the shade of Beaumont Tower now stood together 8,000 miles away. From there, the African Alumni and Friends Network (AAFN) was born — a continent-spanning community dedicated to connection, mentorship and kindred as Spartans.

Launched in 2021 through MSU’s African Studies Center (ASC), the AAFN’s mission is to rally African alums at home and abroad. Together they’re building a community to mentor students in East Lansing, guide graduates, and serve as ambassadors for both MSU and Africa.

“African alumni are ready and willing to be part of MSU,” said Choti, ASC coordinator of Student and Alumni Programs. “African alumni have a lot to offer. They understand what it takes for a student from Africa to succeed.”

The AAFN also works closely with the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), a research consortium of MSU and ten leading African universities dedicated to co-creating innovative solutions to global challenges.

Alumni gatherings have been held alongside major AAP meetings in Nigeria (2022), South Africa and Botswana (2023), and Uganda and Ghana (2024).

“We invite alumni to continue being a part of MSU, to feel like they belong at MSU—because they really do,” Choti said. “The more you connect, the more they know about what is current at MSU, and you can tell that they feel included.”

Running a network for nearly 5,000 alums across 55 countries is, by Choti’s own admission, “a work that needs patience,” but she's not alone. Alumni volunteers like Chair Somadoda Fikeni, Ph.D. ’08, and Vice Chair Patrick Lukulay, Ph.D. ’95, along with regional coordinators representing North Africa (Nawal Ghatas, M.A. ’11), East & Central Africa (Raymond Musiima, MBA ’25), West Africa (Arhin Acheampong, ’18) and South Africa (Fikeni), have become essential. Together they manage communications, organize local gatherings and connect back to MSU.

Choti’s own story threads through this network. Born in Kenya, she earned her master’s in education administration at MSU in 2006, her Ph.D. in 2013, built a life and family in East Lansing and now helps sustain Spartan identity for others.

“MSU is a land-grant university that instills a sense of community. Community is not just where you’re born. It’s a spirit you see in all alumni, working together for the common good,” Choti said.

“When I’m at MSU, my community is the students I work with. I know I need to do something to make their lives better. That’s why MSU was created. To be the light. That source of light for the community. When you graduate, you have that spirit in you. I see it in the alumni I meet. They’re fully Spartan.”

PARIS, FRANCE

'A helping hand'

Erica Labous, ’00, arrived in Paris nearly two decades ago brimming with anxious optimism. She had followed her heart—and her new husband—to France without knowing the language, no job and with few people to lean on.

“I went into it thinking maybe I could join the gym and meet a lot of friends,” Labous said, “but that’s not how it works in Paris, or probably even New York, or any big city. It was a struggle.”

Those first few years were a crash course in reinvention. Labous enrolled in a French language class, finding a slice of community during coffee breaks when the students could connect in English. It took three years before she felt fluent, but the experience left a lasting impression.

“When you’re so far from home, it’s important to have something familiar,” she said. “Having people with a shared history is important. It’s a helping hand.”

Now she wants to extend her hand to others by bringing Spartans together abroad. Working with MSU and other overseas allies, Labous is building a new Spartan network—either in France or as a broader European association. The process has been slow, but her enthusiasm hasn’t dimmed.

Labous knows what’s possible, finding inspiration from examples near and far. Friends in Paris are active in their alumni clubs from similar U.S. schools, while former classmates back home delight in effortlessly finding community through the nearly 100 official MSU clubs in the U.S.

Her husband is equally persuasive. Deeply involved with his own alma mater, he recently attended a 60th-anniversary gala for his business school that drew graduates from across the country.

“He keeps telling me, ‘You need to do this!’ I really long for that here with Michigan State,” Labous said. “There are professional and personal aspects to it which are beneficial for everybody. For most of us, spending time at Michigan State was an important and large part of our lives.”

Building strangers into a community isn’t new for Labous, who is adept at opening doors as a licensed luxury tour guide in Paris. Through her company, It’s A French Thing, she creates experiences that unite visitors around art, history and discovery. When her work connects her with other Spartans, she’s reminded of what makes MSU special.

“I wear two hats,” Labous said. “I’m always an ambassador for where I came from, but when I’m with Americans here, I’m an ambassador for France. When I meet people that have a connection to Michigan State, there’s always this sense of familiarity and trust.”

TORONTO, CANADA

Honoring a legacy to connect Spartans

Armando Benitez, M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’09, and Catherine Ferrari, J.D. ’05, had plans.

Married in 2009 after Benitez proposed to Ferrari at the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden on campus, the couple built a vibrant life together in the Toronto area with two daughters. Benitez was thriving in a professional career for Bank of Montreal (BMO), while Ferrari co-founded a successful legal firm specializing in business and employment law.

In December 2023, the couple took the collective leap to serve as co-presidents of the MSU Alumni Club in Toronto—aka the Toronto Spartans.

“We both saw it as a wonderful opportunity to make something great with the Toronto community of Spartans,” Benitez said.

Soon afterward, however, Ferrari began feeling ill and doctors discovered advanced breast cancer. On July 14, 2024, eight days shy of her 50th birthday, Ferrari passed away.

With the stunning turn of events, Benitez could have understandably relinquished his post with the Toronto Spartans to navigate his grief and newfound role as a single father of two pre-teen children. Instead, he cemented his commitment to the organization.

“Catherine cared about our kids, her community and all things MSU,” Benitez said. “I wasn’t walking away from Toronto Spartans and something we agreed to do together.”

Benitez, of course, understands the possibilities MSU unlocked for him.

Born and raised in Colombia, Benitez knew nothing of Michigan State until a chance encounter with MSU physics professor Chip Brock. When Brock visited Benitez’s undergraduate university in Colombia, Benitez was intrigued. He landed a coveted position in MSU’s Ph.D. physics program with Brock as his advisor.

“A really fantastic support network between Student Services and faculty like Professor Brock helped me succeed,” Benitez said.

After completing a post-doctorate stint at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, Benitez shifted to working for an e-commerce tech company. Though a vastly different arena, he found the skills he honed at MSU allowed him to propel results.

“Different field but the same principles apply,” he said.

As he noticed interest in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) beginning to soar, Benitez started a group for industry folks to connect about the ascendant technologies. Forming that extended network led Benitez to his current role as chief data analytics officer and head of AI for capital markets at BMO.

“It’s clear to me the benefit of building a wide and diverse network,” he said. “It creates opportunities for learning and growth.”

Now, Benitez wants to ensure MSU alums in Toronto can expand their networks with access to a lively and diverse club. Ensuring a dynamic organization, he said, will position other Spartans for potentially life-altering opportunities, thereby empowering Benitez to honor the spirit of his late wife and the MSU ties that brought them together.

“Catherine was passionate about life and building connections, which is why she was so attracted to leading Toronto Spartans,” he said. “That I can carry on her legacy is so meaningful.”

EAST LANSING, USA (and all around the world)

Paths to peace

Dr. Kazuko Thornton has spent a lifetime connecting cultures.

In 1968, she served as an interpreter for Michigan Gov. George Romney and Kinichiro Nozaki, the governor of Japan’s Shiga Prefecture, during the signing of a sister-state partnership that still thrives today.

“It was about exploring the possibilities of two similar states to cooperate in tourism and economic activities," Thornton said. “It was about building a bridge.”

That same essence inspires the Thornton Opportunity Scholarship, which supports MSU undergraduates affected by war or conflict and need financial help.

Growing up in post-World War II Japan, Thornton came to the U.S. to study foreign languages and education, first at Marshall University and later at MSU, where she earned her Ph.D. in 1979. “It was very expensive to study in this country,” she recalled. “I managed it with the help of my family and a Marshall University scholarship, but it was a hardship as many families were reestablishing themselves in the postwar period.”

Thornton went on to a long career in education with East Lansing Public Schools and as a MSU adjunct professor, convinced that learning is the surest bridge to understanding.

Her gift now helps students scarred by conflict cross into new possibilities and carry the work of peace forward.

“War is the worst thing human beings have inflicted on one another,” Thornton said. “I think about the children that have to go through conflict—communities destroyed, schools burned, parents lost. I empathize with the people living under that, and I want to help any people come to Michigan State to study. Just encouraging learning and supporting people who have gone through so much."