College of Menominee Nation holds President’s Breakfast ahead of commencement

College of Menominee Nation used a quiet breakfast in the Five Clans Ballroom to give graduates a final pause before commencement week moved into its formal finish. The May 14 President’s Breakfast brought students together with a handful of staff and faculty members, creating a space to celebrate, reflect and look ahead to the ceremonies that followed.

The breakfast fell between a May 13 high school recognition event and the college’s May 15 commencement ceremony, making it part of a tightly packed week centered at Menominee Casino Resort in Keshena. CMN scheduled the President’s Breakfast and commencement rehearsal for 9 a.m. on May 14, with rehearsal following around 10:30 to 11 a.m. The commencement ceremony was set for 10 a.m. on May 15 in the Five Clans Ballroom.

The college said the breakfast was meant to offer graduates a structured, supportive moment before they walked across the stage. CMN described the gathering as a chance for students to enjoy breakfast and community before moving into Commencement proceedings, a small but deliberate break in a week built around recognition. In the college’s broader commencement messaging, CMN said its family came together to honor one of its largest graduating classes yet.

That emphasis on gathering reflects how CMN presents itself in Menominee County. The college says American Indian culture is at the heart of its work, and it identifies itself as a tribal land-grant institution chartered by the Menominee People. CMN says it prepares students for leadership, careers and advanced studies, placing Native and non-Native students in a learning environment grounded in Menominee history and culture.

The breakfast also fits the college’s longer pattern of building commencement around more than the diploma itself. CMN said in its 2024 commencement announcement that a breakfast with the college president would be held the day before graduation for rehearsal and portfolio headshots, suggesting the event has become a recurring part of how the school prepares students for the transition out of college. That institutional consistency matters in a county where education, workforce preparation and cultural continuity are closely linked.

CMN’s history also points to the depth of that role. The college was chartered by the Menominee Legislature on March 4, 1993, began offering general education classes on Jan. 19, 1993, to 42 tribal members and later received a revised charter on Oct. 3, 1996. Its accreditation under the Higher Learning Commission’s Open Pathway adds another layer to that academic standing, alongside a mission rooted in Menominee community life.