- [Voiceover] Stanford University
(ceremonial brass quintet music)
- As we begin, let us take a moment
to recognize that Stanford sits
on the ancestral and unceded land
of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.
This land was, and continues to be,
of great importance to the Ohlone people.
We recognize that every member of Stanford
has, and continues, to benefit
from the use and occupation of this land
since the institution's founding in 1885.
Consistent with our values
of community and diversity,
we have a responsibility to acknowledge
and make visible the
university's relationship
to native peoples.
And so we begin, with recognition,
with honor and with reverence
on this sacred occasion of convocation.
Let us be together.
Standing on the precipice of possibility,
we pause to be present
to this very moment.
To this right of passage.
To this particular beloved community.
In the days ahead,
may we cultivate a
passionate love of learning.
Exploring new ideas
and diverse disciplines
through intellectual inquiry
and responsible innovation.
May we hear one another to speech
with a deep listening born
of curiosity and goodwill.
May we cultivate a
community that seeks out
difference not for debate,
but for sheer delight.
That in our diversity we
might discover new truths
about each other and ourselves.
Poised between the past and the future.
We ready ourselves, right here, right now,
to become part of this new,
vibrant community of belonging.
And so, lets take a deep
breath in together (inhales),
go ahead, do it, you
need it after this day,
and look around.
Look to your right.
Look to your left.
Look to the people you know:
your families and friends,
your brand new roommates,
and look to the people you
know not yet, but will.
Go ahead, not a lot of looking.
(audience laughs)
I see you.
We do this.
We look at one another,
because we are Stanford.
We are Stanford only together.
It is with this group
of people here gathered
on this quad today that
we will sojourn the year,
nurturing in one another
the wisdom and strength,
tenacity and drive, grace and compassion,
necessary to confront the
ever-growing challenges
in our lives and in the world.
May we greet this new
adventure with open hearts
and outstretched arms, never losing faith
in the collective power
that we have harnessed here.
To create a world marked
by peace, justice,
and compassion beyond measure.
So may it be.
Amen.
And now as we begin it is my pleasure
to introduce the Dean of
Admission and Financial Aid,
Richard H. Shaw.
(audience claps)
- Class of 2023
and transfer students!
(audience cheers and claps)
You sit before us on this glorious day
surrounded by family and friends
and life, indeed, has significant moments
of transition and this is a big one.
You are here.
You're in college and you're at Stanford.
So take a deep breath, and
let's hear it much better
than we just did this
and cheer for pure joy
how excited you are: in three.
One!
Two!
Three!
(audience cheers)
I think that may be the best yet.
Go Stanford!
Go Cardinal!
Wow, you're amazing!
Maybe the loudest ever.
Let me officially begin by
sharing a few highlights
about you and your classmates.
The beautifully diverse Class
of 2023 and transfer students
is 1,722 strong!
So you come from 48
states and 77 countries,
and by the way, I already
have admissions officers
on the ground in Mississippi
and North Dakota.
We'll be 50, 50 next year!
(audience laughs)
48% of you, oh 42, I'm sorry that's wrong.
52% of you are women and 48% men!
(audience applauds)
I tried to sneak the reverse in here.
You come from 1,253 high schools
and you're transferring
from 18 different colleges.
Over 11% of you are
citizens of other countries
and you speak 49 unique languages
in addition to English.
Nearly 19% of you are
among the first in your families
to attend a four-year university!
(audience cheers and claps)
And nine of you are military
veterans, and we salute you!
(audience claps)
These measures and
highlights are illustrative
of the whole, but the whole
is the sum of the parts
and each of you is a unique
part. Indeed, in substantive
ways you've shared your
unique story with us.
Stanford, through it's
undergrad application,
is famous for asking a
great number of questions,
short and long.
And we actively seek to hear your voice
and your reflections when
reviewing your candidacies.
Of course your academic and
extracurricular strengths
are the foundation of your application,
but the texture and nuance and context
come through in your written words.
Can I be honest?
While success can be
measured in part by grades
and scores and activity
lists, the meaning and purpose
of your candidacy, to me, comes through
in your own words and
in the words of others
who tell us who you are in the world.
We know you are smart and capable,
accomplished and talented,
but you're more than that.
Human characteristics are important
and inform your candidacies.
Pause for a moment and think
about qualities of character,
what might be termed
non-cognitive characteristics.
Might you find your human
self within the meaning
of some of these:
curious, compassionate,
innovative, resilient,
creative, strong,
collaborative, caring,
thoughtful, optimistic.
I emphasize these qualities
because they lead me to a request.
I observe the generations X, Y, Z.
Now you, Z, have grown
with the ever-expanding World Wide Web.
In this world, we find
shortcuts in all we do.
We find ourselves in a world
of soundbites and disinformation.
We are informed by innuendo
and incomplete ideas.
Besides arms and legs, we
have additional appendage
that carries rapid-firing
messaging which at times
seems to direct our
navigation through life.
It encourages communication
without commitment or consequence.
We are impacted by the
infinity of information
coming back at us: true,
false, or indifferent.
Call me old school,
but allow me to make a heartfelt request
as you enter this incredible
place full of life,
learning and endless possibilities.
Take your mobile device
and occasionally put
it away in the drawer.
(audience claps)
I will do the same.
(audience claps)
We read your applications
without the benefit of
incomplete sentences.
We may well know you better than many
who only see a fragmented version
of you on YouTube and Instagram
and TikTok and WhatsApp
and Snapchat or in the Twitterverse
and so, so many more.
So I ask you to take a deep
breath more often than not.
Pause from using that extra
appendage and slow down.
Hold an extended conversation
or stroll with a friend.
Speak in full sentences to each
other and listen carefully.
Make a commitment to read
short stories and books,
thoroughly, and to ponder
and ruminate creatively.
Yeah.
(audience laughs)
PhD.
(audience laughs)
Research and find your
own true passion and self
with depth, compassion,
understanding, and openness.
We saw something in you
well beyond soundbites.
You are a person, complete and whole
without an extra appendage.
We look forward to seeing
you grow and thrive.
Welcome to the Farm, and
thank you for choosing us!
(audience cheers and claps)
And I now have the
privilege to deliver you
to the undergraduate
schools and introduce you
to Professor Harry J. Elam, Jr.,
Senior Vice Provost for Education
and the Vice President for the Arts
at Stanford University.
(audience claps)
- Thank you, Dean Shaw, for your remarks
and for delivering to Stanford
this amazing new class.
As Vice Provost for
Undergraduate Education
and on behalf of the
Stanford administration,
faculty and staff, following
the hallowed rituals
of convocation, it is
my honor to accept you
from the Dean of Admissions
and officially welcome
our truly remarkable transfer
students of '21 and '22
and the fantastic frosh Class of 2023
to Stanford University!
(audience cheers and claps)
Students, let me just echo
what others have already said
because it bears repeating, we
are so very glad you're here.
Now begins an exciting new adventure
that may pass ever so
quickly, but it's impact
will endure your entire lifetime.
Now begins the realization
of a dream built on the realities
of hard work and persistence.
On sacrifice and commitment by you
and others who believed in you.
Now begins a Stanford experience
that is singularly yours
but at the same time
communal, forever linked
to the other 1,700 students, compatriots,
that embark with you
today on a shared quest
to define and discover the future.
It is communal also in
that from this day forward
you are joining the
wider Stanford community,
all those on campus
and all those alumni across the globe.
But then, what of today?
How do we reconcile its
meanings and consequence
with those yesterdays now past
and tomorrows yet to come?
For today has finally arrived.
You are here.
The waiting is over.
You've waited a long time for this day.
Earlier this summer, you
probably started letting
yourself imagine what might
be, how you might feel,
whom you might meet upon
your arrival at Stanford.
Your mind may have gone spinning
with different outcomes and scenarios
trying to predict every little detail
of your soon-to-be,
too-long-anticipated life
on the Farm.
There are the big questions:
who would my friends be?
Would I fit in?
And then the less existential,
but no less more important
concerns: will I like my RA?
What is an RA?
(audience laughs)
Where do I do my laundry?
And just what happens when you wash
those reds and whites together?
(audience laughs)
Where will I get a bike?
And that bike helmet
that I'm told is oh so fashion-forward?
As I suggested, just as you've
been waiting for Stanford,
Stanford has been waiting for you.
And so today, it is with
great pleasure that I
and the Dean of Admissions, the President,
and other administrators all went
around to each frosh dorm shaking hands,
welcoming you to Stanford.
Today as you moved into
your new residence,
staff and fellow students were on-site
to grab your bags, to
help you and your RAs
shouted out your name and cheered
as you walked up to register.
Needless to say,
this caught some first
year students by surprise.
On the way, I saw more than one student
when they called out their name,
smile and look down to
see if they were, in fact,
wearing some other kind
of identifying signage.
Another confided in me that,
"Well, Stanford is big on
machine-learning and technology,
so I thought maybe Stanford had planted
some kind of tracking device
in my Approaching Stanford materials."
(audience laughs)
I saw wet eyes on more
than one family member.
With the recognition that
this gesture of welcoming,
signals part of our very personal concern
for their young person.
This welcoming ritual you
experienced this morning
is a tradition at Stanford
that speaks to a practice
of community which yokes us all.
You are all now part of this community.
New students, we hope you
will come to recognize
that you are seen, that
your interests are valued,
and that you belong.
You are entering Stanford
at a pivotal moment in time,
a time lifted by the highest possibilities
and greatest hopes, but
all the moment made keener
and more poignant by the
knowledge that we stand
on the precipice of a certain change
and unprecedented national
and global challenges.
It is a time when higher
education itself is
both coveted and contested.
Consequently, this is a time
that amplifies all the more
what it means to be here at Stanford.
Here at home on the Farm away from home,
you will find the encouragement
to think critically,
the opportunity to engage
new perspectives deeply,
the singular potential to
conjoin social commitment,
service, and intellectual
inquiry productively.
Here, diversity, equity,
and inclusion are not just
an empty mantra but
fundamental principles.
Stanford works to offer
all of our students,
regardless of their beliefs
or their background,
community and support,
opportunity and acceptance.
Now you may have read or heard
that Stanford is the land of unicorns,
a place where lucrative start-ups
and technological innovations
are paramount and extravagant,
VC deals are made just
steps from CS classrooms.
But hear me, this is not the
sum of what you will find.
What you will find is a
brand of liberal education
that is particularly
distinctive to Stanford.
It is not just a matter of what we teach,
but how we teach.
How we integrate attention
to student well-being
and creative confidence
and academic progress
from the very outset of your time here.
Liberal education at Stanford
purposefully embraces
and fully immerses you in
the humanities and arts,
as well as the social
sciences, natural sciences,
and engineering because we are concerned
about and invested in your whole being,
your complete self.
Liberal education at Stanford
foregrounds the value
of hands-on experience and recognizes
that so much learning is
not about the classroom
but about what happens in your
dorm, on the playing fields,
in the concert halls and studios,
outside soaking up the sun, and
the beauty that is Stanford.
Sure, you can get rich at Stanford,
but I mean rich on the
lasting interactions you shape
with people different from yourself.
Rich from the challenges you
will face with professors
who may push you outside
your comfort zone.
Rich in the power of
creative and intellectual
risk-taking that will
embolden you and move you
in new, unexpected directions.
Rich in the support that we always strive
to offer you even as you
mark out your own way.
To be sure, you can chase
unicorns at Stanford,
those unicorns that
symbolize your own seemingly
rare and precious intellectual ambitions.
We hope that you will come to see and know
for yourself that nothing,
really nothing, is impossible here.
Now, I can say this because
Stanford, unburdened
by the weight of 300
years of Ivy, rejoices
and cultivates in the
leavening spirit of invention.
Stanford, of course, has
its own storied history
and traditions, but our unique culture
also embraces the
uncommon, uncertain roots,
the less predictable trail.
This philosophy has been critical
to the university's achievements built
on an inclusive vision
and expansive ideals,
this upstart university on the Pacific Rim
with its decidedly West Coast vibe
has re-centered the academic universe.
By virtue of our location
and our orientation,
Stanford, you will find,
widens the global prospectus
to which to view the world.
Parents, family, friends:
we know that you have sacrificed
in ways large and small
to make this day possible.
And even as you want this
so much for your loved one,
you may be feeling that
this day, the long awaited,
has somehow suddenly
come a little too soon.
I understand.
As a parent of an alum
myself, it never gets easy
letting your young person
go forth into the world.
Still, let me attempt to
ease some of your concerns.
Here students will be
pushed, but appreciated.
They will face exceptional
academic challenges,
but also find unprecedented encouragement.
They will come to know new worlds,
but also come into new knowledge
of themselves and others.
New students, we recognize that
today marks a new beginning.
That today you step out
with much anticipation into your future.
Please know that you are not alone.
In this time when the world
seems at a turning point,
Stanford offers you
pathways to become a part
of an educational community that is
at once, intimate enough
to be responsive to you,
and at the same time, capacious enough,
and inclusive enough for
others' particularities.
And so, as you realize your
own dreams and aspirations,
we trust you will find your
way and also find your people.
Rest assured, Stanford will change you,
and in turn, you will change all of us.
The great adventure that is
your undergraduate experience,
begins today.
Welcome to Stanford!
(audience cheers and claps)
And now it is my pleasure to
introduce the student speaker
for the student address,
Will Paisley, Class of 2020.
(audience cheers and claps)
- (in Navajo language)
Hello, my name is Will Paisley.
I am a Two-Spirit Navaho and Blackfeet.
I use he/him and they/them pronouns.
Good afternoon, President
Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Drell,
Vice Provost Elam, Dean
Shaw, faculty, trustees,
and our most important guests, all of you,
our new students and family.
First and foremost, I would
like to congratulate you,
the Class of 2023 and incoming transfers,
for being the next cohort
to enter this unique
and amazing institution
I've come to call home.
I stand before you today
with great pride, joy, and gratitude.
Stanford has given me much more
than I ever hoped for,
dreamed about, and expected.
Here, amidst a rigorous
academic environment,
I have found communities
that I have come to love
and that love me back.
I have found friends who
now will always be family.
I have cultivated my dearest passions
and found my callings.
The value I hold dearest
at Stanford is community.
The power in collective
strength, belonging,
and inclusivity is enveloping, empowering,
motivating, and inspiring.
Coming from Seattle, I
began my Stanford career
with the Stanford Native Immersion Program
lovingly called SNIP.
A pre-NSO retreat that helped
me integrate seamlessly
into the Stanford community
by first becoming part
of the Native community.
During SNIP we were introduced
not only to the multitude
of resources available
to us as undergraduates,
but we made meaningful
connections with each other.
Older students, staff, and faculty served
as our mentors on this retreat.
SNIP showed me from the
beginning what it means
to be part of the community,
how it felt to be cared for,
and how important it is
to take care of others.
I have so many heartfelt
memories from SNIP,
including how my arresting performance
of the Mean Girls Christmas talent show
moved my gracious peers
to award me the superlative
of Sass Master (chuckles).
(audience laughs)
Since then, I have found many
other orbits and communities
that I now belong to and
I can't begin to describe
how enriching it's been.
My greatest joy at Stanford
has been building relationships
with peers and mentors who inspire
and fuel my passions and objectives.
Around me I have people who
support me wherever needed
and who continuously encourage me
to be the best version of myself.
Growing up, I did not feel
like I belonged as my interests
and identities were just developing.
Many of you may also feel like this,
so I want you to know
how vitally important
this supportive community
at Stanford will be to you.
I am blessed to have found
belonging and opportunities
that cultivate my personal character,
academic scholarship,
and leadership potential.
This community has been the
key to how my Stanford journey
has evolved over the years
and for the roles I have taken
that allowed me to care for this community
in so many different ways.
From having the great privilege
of serving as the co-chair
of the Stanford American
Indian Organization,
the indigenous community I
call my family on campus,
to staffing in an arts-themed
cooperative residence
on The Row, to being rush
chair for my fraternity,
to working as a coordinator
for your Admit Weekend,
from embracing my desire
to support and promote
the recognition and success
of indigenous peoples,
especially within my own tribes,
to academic exploration
and faculty mentorship,
toward a double major in
Native American studies
and sociology with a minor in Spanish,
to studying abroad in Santiago
through the Overseas Studies Program,
and now to writing an honors
thesis on entrepreneurial
Native American fashion,
which I hope will serve
as a powerful storytelling
tool to help others
better understand the
burgeoning contributions
our rich, diverse, and
ancient cultures continue
to make to today's society.
The community here has supported me,
so that I am now here to support you
with this wind (laughs)
and with hard work you can accomplish
more than you can imagine.
Here I have been able to expand
my personal and professional
inquisitiveness to get a fully integrated
and experiential undergraduate education.
I've grown fully confident in my identity,
and now I exert all
aspects of my character
with excitement, happiness,
and most of all, pride.
At Stanford you can find
mentors, friends, and family,
and most importantly, yourself.
I feel incredibly blessed
to attend this institution today,
and now I am excited and happy for you
because it is now your turn
to find your own blessings
and create your own community.
Thank you.
(audience cheers and claps)
(laughs)
And now that the wind has died down,
it is my honor and pleasure to introduce
the President of Stanford
University, Marc Tessier-Lavigne.
(audience claps)
- Well, thank you so much, Will,
for sharing your story.
And to all of you, welcome to Stanford!
(audience claps)
I know you've had a long day of moving
of getting oriented and
learning your way around campus.
For me, Move-In Day is one of
my favorite days of the year.
You all bring so much
excitement to our campus
from the energy and the
warmth as you meet the people
who will become your friends
in coming weeks and months,
to the arguments that
erupt over who was supposed
to bring the mini fridge (chuckles),
it really is a special day.
Now to our incoming first
year and transfer students,
I am just so delighted
that you made the decision
to come to Stanford this fall.
Each of you will enrich
our Stanford community
and help us see the world
a little differently.
You are what makes the
Stanford such a special place,
and I look forward to meeting
each and every one of you.
And to all the family members
and friends who join us today,
I want to thank you for
entrusting your loved ones to us.
I want to assure you that we will support
and care for your
students as they undertake
the important work of
intellectual exploration,
personal connection and contribution
that will mark their time at Stanford.
We are happy that all of you
are joining our Stanford community today.
Now at the start of each year,
I like to give some words
of advice to our incoming students.
This year I'd like to
do this through the lens
of a historical figure
who speaks to the spirit
of a Stanford education.
That person is Leonardo da Vinci.
Earlier this year, I read Walter
Isaacson's recent biography
of Leonardo and I also visited an exhibit
on Leondardo at Stanford's Green Library,
just over there, it's still showing
and I invite you to see it.
Leonardo lived in Italy
during the Renaissance
in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
In fact, he died exactly 500 years ago,
half a millennium ago, in 1519.
Many of you know his masterpieces:
the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
They've distinguished him as one
of the greatest painters of all time.
But you may know less
about the achievements
that transcend his artistic work,
he was an inventor, a
scientist, an engineer,
and a scholar of literature,
anatomy, and architecture.
He was always exploring,
always trying to know more,
to learn more about a
sweeping array of topics.
His interests ranged from
determining the different
techniques needed to paint reflected light
as opposed to direct light,
to understanding the mechanics
of a woodpecker's tongue.
Leonardo's boundless
curiosity across disciplines
and his approach to combining
the arts and sciences
in his work made him
what we consider today
to be the quintessential Renaissance man.
Now, the magnitude of his
accomplishments can make them
seem out of reach, easy to admire
but hard to apply to our lives today,
but as I learn more about him I realize
there are several lessons
and experiences from his life
that are directly relevant to all of us,
and that might be
particularly helpful to you
as you embark on your
journeys here at Stanford.
First of all, Leonardo
was relentlessly curious.
Because he was curious he explored
and gained knowledge of people,
the natural world, and engineering.
He combined that knowledge
with his artistic inclination
and created unprecedented works of art.
For example, he believed
that a deep understanding
of anatomy would help him
become a better portrait artist.
He found that anatomical
dissections could help him
understand muscular structure
and depict the human body
more realistically, more powerfully.
He explored how light strikes the retina,
the neural tissue at the back of the eye,
and found new techniques to create
an illusion of changing visual perspective
in The Last Supper.
The notebooks he kept have been called,
"The most astonishing
testament to the powers
"of human observation and imagination
"ever set down on paper."
Because he made these notebooks,
many of which survive,
we continue to learn from
his ideas and questions
from the lists and sketches he
recorded on a regular basis.
So, I offer you this advice:
use your time at Stanford
to explore, to be curious,
with the enthusiasm and
determination of a Leonardo.
Your college years are a
unique moment in your life
when you have the
opportunity to freely explore
a broad variety of interests.
I encourage you to look
beyond what you already know,
to unexpected paths and possibilities,
and embrace learning
outside the classroom.
Here at Stanford, you have the opportunity
to discover what's exciting and new
in every discipline and
learn from leading scholars
in each and every field.
You can explore your
interests both close by
and also far from campus
at our overseas programs.
When you prepare to enter the job market
some years down the road
you'll find that employers are looking
for graduates with unique experiences,
knowledge across
disciplines and the ability
to think deeply and understand
varied perspectives.
Even better, these experiences
will help you discover
what brings you happiness
and how you can combine
and apply your talents.
So be relentlessly curious, explore,
and do take notes.
(audience chuckles)
My second lesson from Leonardo's life is
that he was an individual.
Isaacson writes that Leonardo's
creativity stemmed from,
"...his ease of being a
bit of a misfit different
"from the stringent cultural
expectations of his time."
Leonardo was vegetarian and left handed.
He was born out of wedlock.
He was gay, and he held some views
that were considered heretical,
all of which created obstacles
for him in 15th century Italy.
But his individuality also
meant that he didn't let others'
opinions constrain his own thinking
and he was often centuries
ahead of his time.
He envisioned flying machines,
underwater diving equipment,
and portable bridges.
Some ideas came to fruition in his day,
some of them generations later,
others we are still
waiting to be realized.
Then and now being original
and unique can be difficult
but, ultimately, rewarding.
So, I encourage you to
be true to yourselves
and celebrate your individuality.
Follow your heart
and embrace your
personality like Leonardo.
Cultivate and express those qualities
that are uniquely your own.
In our world, and even in our university,
you will sometimes
encounter strong pressures
to do what others are doing.
Resist the inclination to model yourself
on the success of others or to
focus on someone else's idea
of what you should be.
Be an original, be
yourself, and also remember
that you, with the ideas and
personality that you possess,
will contribute to this
community in amazing ways.
A third lesson from Leonardo's life is
that although he was an individualist,
he also took advantage of
the growth and opportunities
that come from being a team member.
He wasn't a loner, but instead a genius
who worked well with others
and learned from others.
Beginning around age 14,
he became an apprentice
with an artist and engineer
named Andrea del Verrocchio.
There in one of Florence's best workshops,
he began learning how to
convey a sense of motion
and how to tell a story through his art.
He learned how to use math
and the beauty of geometry in the studio,
which led to another one
of his iconic pieces, The Vitruvian Man.
This stunning, meticulous drawing,
which I'm sure you've all seen,
depicts a man's body with
arms and feet outstretched
within a circle and a square
in an intersection of art and science.
Not only did he benefit from others,
he also added to his team's success.
Many of Verrocchio's works
were, in fact, a combined effort
and Leonardo made
significant contributions.
Isaacson tells us that
Leonardo enjoyed the collegial
and familial atmosphere so much that
after he turned 20 years old
and his apprenticeship ended,
he continued to live and work
in Verrocchio's workshop for many years.
So reflecting on these experiences,
my third piece of advice is this:
as you gain new independence
and begin charting your own course,
also take advantage of
the joys and benefits
of being a team member.
On the Quad today you are among people
with different backgrounds,
identities, view points,
and ways of thinking
who will open your mind
and broaden your horizons.
Lifelong friendships begin
here, many with peers
whose stories are very
different from your own.
So I encourage you to
connect with each other,
support one another and
make room for new ideas.
Your social interactions
will make you happier,
help you accomplish more,
and enrich each others' lives
as well as our campus
community as a whole.
A final lesson from Leonardo
is the way he experimented
and then strove with great persistence
to continually improve his work.
You might not be familiar
with his portrait
of Ginevra de' Benci, the
daughter of a prominent banker.
He completed it while in his mid-twenties
and today we might call it a prototype.
Ginevra de' Benci is a fine painting,
but it's far from his best work.
It does, however, show experimentation,
and hints at the genius
that is yet to be realized.
As Isaacson points out,
we see the early stages
of many of Leonardo's touches
and innovative techniques
from Ginevra's three quarters pose,
which was unconventional at that time.
Sfumato, which is the blurring of lines
and blending of tones,
and the facial expression
with that tiny hint of a smile,
these features are all at the core
of what would be on full
display three decades later
in the Mona Lisa, the most
famous painting in the world.
It's important to note
that despite his genius,
like everyone, Leonardo also
experienced disappointments.
Isaacson tells us that he
was not always a giant.
He made mistakes.
He went off on tangents.
Notoriously, he left many
of his paintings unfinished.
He was rejected for
some treasured projects,
and his notebooks include
expressions of anguish.
But he wasn't deterred when he fell short.
As you begin your fascinating new journey,
my fourth piece of advice is to experiment
and not let the obstacles
dampen your spirit.
Always try new things and
then adapt and improve.
Expect to have challenges and setbacks
in the classroom and
in your personal lives,
we all do.
Navigating them will help
you persevere and improve.
And remember that success can take time
and can take hard work,
as Will said just a few minutes ago,
with hard work you can accomplish
more than you can imagine.
And if and when you hit rough patches,
be assured you are not
alone, we will help you.
Your resident advisors
and fellows, faculty,
professors, coaches, staff members,
and many others are here to help.
In fact, our entire
university is deeply committed
to your well-being.
Although I believe that
each and every one of you
is capable of producing
masterpieces in your lives,
and you should know that you are capable,
you should not, necessarily,
expect them to come right away.
But you can expect to
start envisioning them here
and everyone here is excited
to help you get started.
To the Class of 2023, I also hope
that each of you will consider
how to use the knowledge
you'll gain here to make
your own contributions
to making the world a
better place for all.
You'll find many opportunities
here to make an impact,
for example, our Cardinal Service program
can help you find service opportunities
that will improve the broader community
and also align with your own interests.
That's just one of many
opportunities you'll find here
to affect positive changes in the world.
Before closing, I want to say a final word
to the families and friends here today.
I expect that many of
you are feeling a mix
of emotions this afternoon,
the joy of seeing your student embark
on this next exciting
step into independence.
Mixed perhaps with some sadness
about how quickly the time has gone by.
You have raised tremendous adults,
now we will be your
partners in supporting them
as they explore their interests
and determine where their
talents will lead them.
As the father of three children myself,
the youngest of whom is
now a senior in college,
I want to offer two
pieces of advice learned
through my own experiences.
First, I encourage you
to give your students
the space they need to explore
and make new connections,
but at the very same time,
make sure that they know
that you will always be there for them
when they need you.
They will still need you.
And to our students, I am so
happy that you have chosen
to spend the next few years with us.
I wish you Leonardo's immense creativity
about the world and that you'll
find the opportunity here
to explore everything that interests you.
I can't wait to see the paths
that each of you will take,
and the wonderful things that you will do
at Stanford and beyond.
Welcome to Stanford.
(audience claps)
And now it's my honor to
introduce our student soloists,
Tim Isaacs and Lauren Ramlan.
(audience claps and cheers)
- Please rise if you're
able for the Stanford hymn.
We will sing the hymn two times:
the first time so you all can year,
and the second we invite
you to please join us.
♪ Where the rolling foothills rise ♪
♪ Up t'wards mountains higher ♪
♪ Where at eve the Coast Range lies ♪
♪ In the sunset fire ♪
♪ Flushing deep and paling ♪
♪ Here we raise our voices hailing ♪
♪ Thee, our Alma Mater ♪
♪ From the foothills to the bay ♪
♪ It shall ring ♪
♪ As we sing ♪
♪ It shall ring and float away ♪
♪ Hail, Stanford, hail ♪
♪ Hail, Stanford, hail ♪
(audience claps)
♪ Where the rolling foothills rise ♪
♪ Up t'wards mountains higher ♪
♪ Where at eve the Coast Range lies ♪
♪ In the sunset fire ♪
♪ Flushing deep and paling ♪
♪ Here we raise our voices hailing ♪
♪ Thee, our Alma Mater ♪
♪ From the foothills to the bay ♪
♪ It shall ring ♪
♪ As we sing ♪
♪ It shall ring and float away ♪
♪ Hail, Stanford, hail ♪
♪ Hail, Stanford, hail ♪
(audience claps)
- Good job.
If you're able, please
remain standing, thank you.
Source of life and love,
we are here and we are grateful.
Class of 2023 and beloved transfers,
are you here?
Are you here?
(audience responds)
May these words be as a blessing upon you
as if they could pass on to you
what you most need today.
May they bless you not
merely for the path ahead,
but for all the moments
that will open themselves
to you in each day to come.
May you be given a generous heart
when you think of the place called home.
A place you couldn't wait to leave,
and now one, perhaps, you
have already begun to miss.
May the wisdom of humor and humility
help you take yourselves
lightly, live more slowly
as though your worth does
not depend on your work.
May a generosity of
intellect inhabit your doubts
long enough to befriend them,
long enough to listen and learn
from those with whom you disagree.
And may you live compassionate of heart,
clear in word,
gracious in awareness,
courageous in thought,
generous in love.
And may these words of
blessing be upon all of us
gathered here upon this university
and all those who have sustained it
and passed on its deep heritage to us.
May it be so.
(ceremonial brass quintet music)
