[MUSIC PLAYING]
When you think about UVA, one
image comes to mind first.
It's always the Lawn.
It remains the one
place where you go back,
and every single memory of the
university comes flooding back.
It's this historic
place where people
have lived, where they have
learned, where they have grown.
It's a place where
everyone is welcome,
where so much activity goes on.
But on graduation day,
when you walk the Lawn,
you're entering a whole
new chapter of your life.
This is the culmination, the
accomplishment of four years.
I think graduation puts
your years here in focus,
to think about what you've
done, and to realize
what it means for your future.
It's loud, it's beautiful, and
just like it was yesterday.
I still remember it.
You walk in this mass.
You're not in a straight line
to pomp and circumstances.
It's a living,
breathing graduation.
You get to be with the
people you want to be with.
Who were those important
people during your time at UVA?
For me, it was definitely my
friends, my sorority sisters.
We made sure that
we started together,
and that we ended together.
When you are walking down
that Lawn, take it all in.
Really engage with
that experience.
See those smiles, be
aware of those joys,
and even the freshly cut grass.
Embrace all that.
Take a moment.
Take that extra picture.
Capture some of those memories
to share with your loved ones
in the future.
Walking down the Lawn is
such a wonderful celebration
of what you've been through.
But it's also a celebration
of what you're going to,
your next adventure.
This isn't the end of
anything but a phase
in your higher education.
You have won the
honors of honor.
You've been able to engage,
and grow, and become a leader.
Do not put restrictions on what
you think you can accomplish.
Your learning hasn't ended.
Your UVA experience
hasn't ended.
What you've done is you
walked off the Lawn,
and you've walked
into the world.
There's a community of UVA
alumni waiting for you.
We are here.
We are everywhere.
Do not think that the only
people that you can count on
are those who you've
engaged with already.
You have thousands of us to
help you in every endeavor
that you take on.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You are forever
written into the spirit
of the University of Virginia.
Enjoy every moment of
that walk down the Lawn.
And leave the world a
little better place,
just like you left UVA a little
better place by going there.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
