Good morning and welcome to the members of the Class of 2025 and honored guests, we are here this morning to celebrate you, the culmination of your liberal arts journey, and the curiosity that made it possible. You all arrived here with your own special talents, but that alone wasn’t enough to get you to where you are today. That’s where curiosity comes in. As Albert Einstein once said: “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” I am not sure I completely believe that in Einstein’s case, but, nonetheless, I do think the emphasis is in the right place. Here at Kenyon, you have been relentlessly curious. You have sharpened your intellectual gifts by experimenting with different disciplines, exploring a range of new activities and developing deep relationships with people from all over the world. By asking questions like “What if?” or “Why not?” you have made unlikely connections and found deeper meaning along the way.
Curiosity has already led you to wonderful opportunities. But curiosity requires practice and study to reach new insights. It also requires a willingness to adapt when it takes you to unexpected places. Because this rapidly changing world is full of unexpected obstacles; it takes a passionate curiosity to view them as opportunities for growth rather than roadblocks to be removed. Hold on to this curiosity in this next chapter of your life. I want you to always remember what it felt like at Kenyon to push boundaries, to question, and to extract meaning and purpose from what you do.
Of course, dealing with unexpected change is something you’ve been doing since even before you set foot on this campus. You finished high school in the middle of a pandemic and came here only after emerging from a global shutdown that upended the world as we knew it. Think for a moment about all the changes you’ve experienced between then and now – New friends and teammates, new mentors and collaborators. Ideas that have changed how you think about the world, skills that have changed what you can do in the world. Even your physical environment has changed. We like to think of Kenyon as eternal — after all, you were here to celebrate our bicentennial — but some of you began your college careers not in Gambier but studying abroad in Copenhagen; and all of you have seen the campus blossom during your time here, from the West Quad to Bexley to the new South Campus residence halls.
Everything we’ve taught you on this Hill has been to prepare you for what’s next: a dynamic, diverse and, yes, at the moment, a divided society. You’ve learned how to challenge the status quo, how to think critically, how to tackle complicated problems, and, importantly, how to appreciate diverse points of view. And, you are graduating at a moment in history when all of this matters. Greatly. We are counting on you to shape your communities using what you’ve learned here.
Why am I so hopeful? Because every morning I wake up, drink a cup of tea, read the daily headlines — disheartening as they sometimes are — and then step out into a campus filled with joy. It’s true. No matter what is happening in the world, I see students sitting under trees reading a book or deep in conversation with one another while sitting in Adirondack chairs or tossing a Frisbee along Middle Path.
In the last two months, I have had the true pleasure of having dinner with 300 members of this class at Cromwell Cottage (my house) and we have had wonderful and thoughtful conversations about your time at Kenyon. As you have counted down your days, I have so enjoyed hearing about your favorite classes and professors (it is always hard for you to choose just one), the deep friendships you have developed, and your many memories here in Gambier and across the country and the world as you studied abroad, traveled to tournaments or toured with your acapella group. I also had the wonderful opportunity to hear about your dogs as you played with Milo. He loved every minute. You also had a running list of bucket list items to accomplish during Senior Week. I hope that you were able to float on the river, head to the observatory and hike the BFEC. Those were the top items commonly on the list — at least, those suitable for sharing with the president; there may have been a few others.
As you prepare to head out into the wider world — whether that’s a job in the private sector, teaching English in a far away place, going to graduate school or something else completely — never forget that you are part of something larger. When you leave this place, you will take all of us with you. I’m talking about your peers – those who have shared so much with you and held you up with love and support. But I’m also talking about faculty and mentors who have offered their insights not only into their academic fields but also into how to live a well-considered life. All of them have your back. That’s one of my favorite things about Kenyon, the way that everyone shows up for one another. Just a few weeks ago, I attended a Bluegrass Ensemble performance here and watched what seemed like the entire football team walk in, shoulder to shoulder. While that might seem surprising at first, the mandolin player was on the team and his teammates showed up for him. At Kenyon, we show up for one another. It’s what you do. How many of you attended your first basketball game, your first K-pop dance performance, your first piano recital just to support a friend here in Gambier? Whether it’s dancing in the rain at Summer Sendoff or winning a national title in swimming, we show up for one another.
And that doesn’t stop with the end of this ceremony. You are now part of a long, proud tradition of colleges and universities asking hard questions, supporting free expression, and studying democratic values while simultaneously strengthening them. That remains at the heart of a Kenyon education, and it is exactly what a healthy democracy needs. You have played an important role thus far, becoming informed citizens, embracing difficult conversations, and contributing to the communities we share. When other campuses have erupted during difficult moments facing our world or country, I have seen you listen well, then work towards understanding, conversing and convening in ways that are respectful and thoughtful. These are critical underpinnings to a civil society that you have learned — and demonstrated — while here at Kenyon. Keep this commitment to good citizenship. It will be hard; it will require practice and engagement. But it is necessary — both individually and as part of a society where we can live well together.
You graduate at a moment when many in this country are questioning the value of a four-year college degree, including and perhaps especially a liberal arts college education. Your time here on the Hill has given you the tools to step out into the world and shape your future in whatever ways you choose. It also prepared you to advocate for the value and import of the education you have received. Colleges and universities generate knowledge, promote economic growth, and conduct research that saves lives and improves public health.They play a critical role in healthy democracy. Decide what matters to you about your education and your time at Kenyon and use your voice to advocate for it. Loudly and proudly.
When I look out at all of you, I am truly filled with hope and joy. I see a community of agile, bright minds ready to take their place in the world. And I see individuals who, like Einstein, are passionately curious and, because of that, endlessly resilient. I am filled with excitement for what your future holds. As you take your next steps, know that the Kenyon community will always be there for you. I wish you the best of luck as you set off on your next great adventure. I hope you’ll return to Gambier often and look forward to seeing you at reunion weekend. Congratulations!