Natalie Sika graduated from Delta College this spring with an Associate in Science and was selected as one of the 64th Commencement ceremony speakers. She plans to transfer to Central Michigan University this fall to major in communication and disorders to earn a degree in speech pathology.
Throughout her time at Delta, she was very involved on campus as a student employee in the library, in the Leadership Academy and as an Alternative Spring Break volunteer. She was awarded many scholarships including the Wickson-Link Memorial Foundation, Delta College Foundation anonymous donor scholarship, Saginaw Community Foundation, Elks National Foundation and the Mary Free Bed Guild scholarship. Outside of Delta, Natalie participated as a model at the 2024 New York Fashion Week’s Runway of Dreams. She also volunteers as an advocate for others with neuromuscular diseases as a Muscular Dystrophy Association national ambassador.
As one of this year’s Commencement speakers, what is the main message you hoped to share with the rest of the graduates?
My big thing was just promoting following your dreams and never giving up. Even if challenges come your way, take them as a learning experience because it just adds to your story. I just hope each and every student is able to accomplish what they really want to and knows that they can do anything they set their minds to. I’m just really excited for the future and I’m excited to see everyone achieve all their goals.
What are your favorite things about being an MDA national ambassador and your experience at Delta College?
I would say the community, as a whole. Meeting different people that all share the same mindset of helping others, and just making our community, a welcoming and open place for all. And Delta has been a really uplifting, positive, rewarding journey. It flew by. I can’t believe two years went by. I’m really excited for my future, but I’m going to miss Delta greatly.
What are you most proud of?
Going to New York for New York Fashion Week last fall. I would never have thought
I’d be able to have that opportunity. I’m very grateful, and it was just an awesome
experience. I got to meet really amazing people. Also, I had some struggles in math
courses, but putting in the effort and time and studying and working with
the Teaching Learning Center, I was able to overcome those challenges and was able
to succeed and pass those classes. Even with those challenges, I made it on the President’s
List for pretty much all of my semesters at Delta.
When you imagine yourself in your career, what do you see?
I see myself just making big, life-changing impact. Just helping others. Being able to make a difference in other individuals’ lives. Even if I don’t end up in speech, I just know I want to be helping people. There’s so much negativity these days and I just want to see a change. I want to make a difference to this world.
