[ Music ]
>> Stanford University.
[ Music ]
[ Applause ]
>> Rabbi Patricia
Karlin-Neumann: Good afternoon.
I invite you to rise
for the invocation.
This moment arriving at Stanford
University is one to be marked.
Parents, it was only
yesterday that the impressive,
accomplished young person
sitting beside you was a tender,
innocent babe you gazed at
through tears of gratitude,
wondering what the gift
of their presence would bring.
Frosh, it will not be
long before this campus,
which receives you today, will
be transformed by your energy,
your creativity, your
challenges, your attainments.
Between those two moments,
we celebrate today both
accomplishment and possibility.
Both gratitude and anticipation.
We celebrate the blessing
that you are and have been,
and the blessings you
are yet to become.
We ask the source of life,
be present with us today,
enable us to drink
in anticipation
and pour out gratitude.
To celebrate the
wondrous educational
and life adventure ahead.
Open us to the delights
of the mind and the heart,
to the excitement of
sharing ideas, to the mystery
of exploration, and the
companionship of learners.
May we all, students, families,
faculty, administrators,
friends treasure the gifts
that you have entrusted to us
and mark this moment
of possibility
with gratitude and fullness.
Baruch ata Adonai, elohenu
melech haolam, shechiyanu,
vekiyaman, vehigianu
lazman hazeh.
Let us bless the source of
life, who has kept us alive
and has sustained us and enabled
us to reach this special moment.
Please be seated.
It is a pleasure to introduce
to you the person at Stanford
to whom you are the most
grateful, the Dean of Admission
and Financial Aid, Richard Shaw.
[ Applause ]
>> Richard Shaw: President
Tessier-Lavigne, Provost Drell,
Trustees, Deans, Faculty,
Staff, parents, and friends,
what a spectacular day.
Although slightly
hotter than we expected.
[Laughter].
What a glorious celebration.
You have arrived into the class
of 2022 and as new transfers,
with your entire entourage of
family, friends, and loved ones.
We have been waiting for you.
To mark this exceedingly special
and momentous convocation,
as is a recent tradition,
we are all going to express,
on the count of three, how
great it is to be here.
We are ready up here for
an earsplitting cheer,
in our regalia, our
finest regalia.
Are you ready?
>> Yes.
>> Richard Shaw:
One, two, three.
[ Cheers, applause ]
Yes, indeed.
Go Cardinal.
Yes. Ah, the other page.
[Laughter].
Convocation is my
favorite event at Stanford.
It brings together an
incredible group of students.
All of you worked
hard to get here.
All of you have long
anticipated this moment.
Each of you in your unique way
will bring something exceptional
to this place.
To those of us who
considered your applications,
your potential and
promise is breathtaking.
As dean of admission
and financial aid,
I could not be more proud.
Over the course of
our deliberations,
we got to know you
through your own words.
We learned about you from
those who contributed
to your education, most notably,
your teachers and counselors.
And we imagined the
possibilities that lie ahead
for every -- each
and every one of you.
I am fortunate to have chosen
a career that allows me
to spend much of my time
in communication with you,
young people from
across the globe.
I have amazing and dedicated
colleagues in admission
and financial aid who
join me in this effort.
We are the luckiest people
in the world because we got
to be part of your
journey to Stanford.
I am honored by the truth
that you are here now.
Let me tell you about who
you are in this class.
As the newest undergraduates,
there are actually 2022,
just by default, of you 
coming from all 50 states.
Yes, that's 50 of 50.
And sixty-two countries.
You are 49 percent women and 51
percent men, hailing from urban,
suburban, and rural communities.
You come from 1230 high schools,
and you are transferring
from 23 different colleges.
Eleven percent of you are
citizens of other countries.
You speak 41 unique
languages in your home
in addition to English.
Eighteen percent of you are
among the first in your families
to attend a four-year
university.
[ Cheers, applause ]
Nine of you are military
veterans, and we salute you.
[ Applause ]
Your talents stretch beyond the
classroom to music, athletics,
art, drama, leadership,
service, research and writing.
You've shared with us stories
of resilience, kindness,
humility and humanity.
You worked hard to master what
you love, and you met, head-on,
the challenges of life.
You bring an extraordinary
breadth
of life experiences
and perspectives.
Two of your classmates
here today are
from the Republic of Mauritius.
That is about 11,200 miles
away, as the crow flies,
one of the farthest
hometowns away from Stanford.
Together you represent the
world, and all of you arrived
with absolute intelligence
and fantastic potential.
Your academic interests
span equally the humanities,
engineering, earth, energy,
and environmental sciences,
the natural sciences,
and the social sciences.
This breadth of the whole
of you will contribute
to the vibrant conversations
that are soon to come.
And now, we welcome
you to a new sense
of independence and freedom.
You are living in a time and
place where you have the freedom
to pursue a university
education.
You have the opportunity to
listen to and engage with those
around you, to reach
out and give back
with a generosity of spirit.
Freedom, well engaged, is best
informed by integrity, humility,
and basic human kindness.
Soon you will say goodbye
to your family members.
In quiet moments, you
will realize the awesome
responsibility of deciding
next steps for yourself.
In this moment, you are stepping
away from the person you were
to the one you will become.
This is your time, and it will
afford you the greatest freedom
of your life.
Be open to each other.
Be open to opportunity.
Welcome to the Farm.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
And now, I deliver you to
the undergraduate schools
and introduce you
to the Vice-Provost
for Undergraduate Education,
Professor of the Humanities
and Vice President of the
Arts, Harry J. Elam, Jr.
[ Applause ]
>> Harry J. Elam: Thank you,
Dean Shaw for your remarks
and for bringing to Stanford
this amazing new class.
As Vice Provost for
Undergraduate Education
and on behalf of the
Stanford faculty and staff,
following the ritual of
convocation, it is my honor
to accept you from
the Dean of Admissions
and welcome our truly remarkable
transfer students of 2020 and 21
and the fantastic Frosh class
of 2022 to Stanford University.
[ Applause ]
Students, we are so very
glad that you're here.
So now begins an exciting new
adventure that may pass ever
so quickly in only a few years,
but will endure in your hearts
and minds for a lifetime.
So now begins the realization of
a dream, built on the realities
of hard work and persistence,
sacrifice and commitment,
by you and by those who
have always believed in you.
So now begins a Stanford
experience
that is singularly yours, but
at the same time, communal,
forever linked to that of the
other 1700 or so compatriots
that embark with you today
on a shared quest to define
and discover the future.
But then what of today?
How to reconcile its
meanings and consequence
with those yesterdays now past
and tomorrows yet to come?
For today has finally arrived,
and yes, the waiting is over.
Earlier this summer you probably
started letting yourself imagine
what might be, how
you might feel,
who you might meet upon
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 will my friends be?
Would I fit in?
And then the less existential
but no less plaguing concerns,
would l like my RA?
What is an RA?
Where do you do laundry, or
rather, how do you do laundry?
And just what does happen
when you wash those reds
and whites together?
Well, just like you have
been waiting for Stanford,
as Dean Shaw said, Stanford
has been waiting for you.
And so today, the dean of
admissions, the president,
the provost, and I and other
administrators all went
around to each frosh dorm
shaking hands, welcoming you
and your families and
friends to Stanford.
Today as you moved in
to your new residence,
staff and fellow students
grabbed your bags to help
and your RAs shouted out
your name and cheered
as you walked up to register.
Needless to say, this
caught some by surprise.
I saw more than one student
when they called out their name,
smile and look down to see
if they were wearing
a hidden name tag.
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."
[Laughter].
I saw tears trickle
down the cheeks of more
than one family member, with the
recognition that this gesture
of welcome signals our personal
concern for their child.
Yes, this welcoming ritual
is a tradition at Stanford
that speaks to a
practice of "community,"
which yokes us all together,
for you all are now
part of this community.
New students, we hope you will
come to recognize that here
at Stanford, you are seen.
That your interests are valued
and that you, very much, belong.
You are entering Stanford at
a pivotal time in the history,
a moment lifted by the
highest possibilities
and greatest hopes, but
also a moment made keener
and more poignant by the
knowledge that we stand
on the precipice
of 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 potentiality
to conjoin service,
social commitment,
and intellectual
inquiry productively.
Here, diversity, equity,
and inclusion are not
just an empty mantra
but fundamental principles.
Amid the uncertainty
of recent events
that have further revealed the
terrible fissures still present
in our society, Stanford
offers all our students,
regardless of their beliefs,
or their background, community,
and support, opportunity
and acceptance.
Unburdened by 300 years of Ivy,
Stanford not only champions
its traditions but rejoices in
and cultivates the
spirit of reinvention.
Stanford's history and unique
culture have embraced uncommon,
uncertain routes, the
less predictable trail.
This philosophy has
been critical
to the university's achievement.
Built on an inclusive
vision and expansive ideals,
this upstart university,
with a decidedly west coast vibe
has re-centered the academic
universe and changed the world.
Shaped by the ongoing
tension between careful design
and extraordinary innovation,
Stanford, remains committed
to exploring difference,
remains dedicated to discovery,
remains inclined
to inspire risk,
just as it has done
since its inception.
Over your time at Stanford,
you will have agency
in shaping your education
as well as in participating
in how this institution
continues its own evolution.
Stanford, is a place where
your ideas can find support,
where your intellectual
dreams can be fostered,
where your doubts can be
creatively transformed
into confidence.
Parents, friends and family, we
know that you have sacrificed,
in large and small ways,
to make this day possible.
And even as you want this
so much for your loved one,
you may be feeling that this
day, though long awaited,
has somehow, suddenly
come too soon.
Well maybe for some,
not soon enough.
[Laughter].
I understand.
It never gets easy letting
your young people go forth
into the world.
Still, let me attempt to
ease some of your concern.
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 you are
in the process of becoming you.
That today marks
a new beginning.
That today you to step out with much
anticipation into your future.
At a time when this 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 just to you
and at the same time capacious
and inclusive enough of
others' particularities.
And so, let us take this
moment together to honor
and embrace community
and to appreciate the
collective power that is here.
As you realize your
own individual dreams
and aspirations at Stanford,
we trust you will find not only
your way, but also your people.
Rest assured, Stanford
will change you.
And in turn, all of
you will change us.
The communal adventure that is
your undergraduate experience
begins today.
Welcome to Stanford.
[ Applause ]
And now it is my pleasure
to introduce Jasmin
Kamruddin, Class of 2019.
[ Applause ]
>> Jasmin Kamruddin:
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 your families.
Three years ago, I sat
where you all sit now,
listening to these
inspirational speeches,
in awe of the beauty around me.
The meticulously
detailed Memorial Church
that stood behind me, the
gateway in front of me
that previewed the Oval, and the
sun that seemed to be shining
at just the right angle.
I sat here beyond excited
to start this new journey,
but I also worried about
finding my place at Stanford.
I was a low-income student with
disabled parents and I worried
where all of that would fit
in to the Stanford experience.
My solution was to make a plan
because I believed being a
Stanford student meant looking
forward and charging down
a rigidly laid out path.
And boy, the 17-year-old
me thought she had it all
figured out.
I was going to follow
the premed track
on the straight path
to medical school.
But after struggling
in a course early on,
I started to question my plan
and even my place
here at Stanford.
Was belonging really about
blindly following a path
if I didn't know why
it was important to me?
That spring, I took my
thinking matters course,
Reading the Body,
taught by Cari Costanzo
and Dr. Abraham Verghese.
This class was the
setting of one
of the best lectures
I've heard at Stanford.
It was given by Dr. Verghese,
who spoke of his experiences
treating AIDS patients
at the start of the epidemic.
As he delivered an
emotional lecture and spoke
of his connection to
patients and deep commitment
to a community, I thought
about my own journey thus far.
Dr. Verghese's words
helped me recognize
that my true passion stood
in health and social justice,
and perhaps the path to
pursuing them was not this plan
to go straight to
medical school.
So, over the course of
the next few quarters,
I decided to let my plan change.
The questions I had considered
after Dr. Verghese's lecture,
who I wanted to be at Stanford,
what difference I wanted
to make, forced me to shift my
focus from only looking forward
to taking a look
back at my family
and where I had come from.
This made me realize
that I wanted
to explore the connections
between race, medicine,
and policy.
I declared political
science and African
and African-American
studies as my majors
and found incredible professors
willing to not only listen
to my rants about social
justice and healthcare,
but who also guided me
to explore nontraditional
approaches
to healthcare and advocacy work.
This led me to studying
kidney cancer
in Stanford's medical school
and taking knowledge pertinent
to patient advocacy
through my mentors there
to public policy work in
Alameda County's Public
Health Department.
Through this time, I came
to realize that belonging
at Stanford didn't mean
having it all figured out.
Belonging at Stanford meant
finding what I was passionate
about and figuring out how
I could best contribute
to these fields through
my time here.
By the start of my junior
year, I had grown in my sense
of belonging through all the
opportunities Stanford had
to offer, I was being exposed
to things I had never thought of
and thinking in ways I never
had-but life outside was
happening too.
I received devastating news
that my dad had passed away.
In that moment, it
felt like coming
to Stanford had meant
leaving my parents
and the life I had lived
before Stanford behind entirely
and I again questioned
my place here.
But through that process of
looking back at where I had come
from and how far I had
gone, I found a new meaning
to belonging at Stanford.
I hadn't left my parents behind
but had found my passions
because of them and would
be working for them.
Reconciling the parts
of my life that seemed
to be polar opposites allowed me
to experience Stanford
in a new way.
I tried new things, participated
in Stanford in Oxford
and Washington DC, took courses
by experts in their fields,
met policy makers, and
traveled to new places.
As I continued to discuss
social justice and healthcare
through this journey,
I was met with mentors
who would develop my knowledge
while pushing me to see things
from different perspectives.
Mentors who encouraged me
to bring my own experiences
to light.
Through this I learned
that finding my place
at Stanford meant taking
those moments of reflection
to see those things I
thought didn't make me belong,
the low-income student
with disabled parents,
had in fact led me
to my passions.
So, to the class of 2022, as
you embark on the next stage
of your life and move in to your
new home, my wish for you is
that you embrace this journey of
finding your place at Stanford.
That you recognize the
things that make you nervous
about fitting in here can
lead you to your passions
and the change you want
to make in the world.
And that you always
remember you belong here.
Stanford was made for
each and every one of you.
To the class of 2022,
it is my great privilege
to welcome you home.
[ Applause ]
Thank you.
And now, it is my pleasure
to introduce the president
of Stanford University,
Marc Tessier-Lavigne.
[ Applause ]
>> Marc Tessier-Lavigne: Well,
thank you, so much Jasmin,
for sharing your story
with us this afternoon.
To our incoming first year
and transfer students,
I'm honored to welcome
you to Stanford.
We are thrilled that you've
made the decision to join us.
Your experiences,
your accomplishments,
and your unique perspectives
will enrich our
campus community.
I hope and trust that, likewise,
you will find yourselves
challenged and enriched
by your Stanford experience.
To all of the parents and family
members who are here with you
to wish you well as you
embark on this journey,
I want to thank you for
entrusting your loved one to us.
I assure you that we will
support and care for them
as they begin taking those
first steps toward the future.
We welcome you all
to Stanford today.
Now, a moment ago, Jasmin told
us that she came to Stanford
with a plan to become a doctor.
But once she got here, she took
the opportunity to explore.
She realized that her passion
lay down a different path.
And so, she let her
plans evolve.
Jasmin has taken
on the challenge
that also faces all of you.
At Stanford, you will begin
the exploration required
to find your purpose.
It's a process that begins
in earnest in college,
but continues throughout
your life.
I went through my own
exploration in college, and I,
too, changed my plans.
I'd always had a great
love for math and science.
I was certain I would
become a physicist.
But a course in biology
changed my scientific focus,
and then an introductory
philosophy course piqued my
interest in that discipline.
The blend of those two interests
led me to neuroscience,
which combines biology together
with the bigger questions
about consciousness and
what it means to be human.
Like Jasmin and like
countless other students,
I began to realize that
life is not a straight path
from beginning to end.
It has twists, turns,
and unexpected departures
that you cannot foresee.
I am sure many of you
came here with a plan
for how your future will look.
You may think you have every
step laid down in front of you.
But our job is not
to give you the keys
to a linear fifty-year career.
In fact, it's highly unlikely
that you'll have a
linear fifty-year career.
Rather, our aim is to impart
to you the tools and knowledge
that you will need to
navigate your own path,
with all of its unique
twists and turns.
Now this afternoon, I want to
give you three pieces of advice
to help you acquire those tools
and skills during your
time here at Stanford.
I encourage you first, to
seek experiences, next,
to seek connections, and third,
to seek your own
way to contribute.
First, seek experiences.
The next four years will
offer you a unique opportunity
to explore your curiosities
across many fields.
I want to encourage you to look
beyond what you already know
and seek a breadth of
experiences here at Stanford.
Whatever your interests are,
there are opportunities
here to explore them.
From art history and medieval
studies, to computer science,
biomedical engineering,
and psychology,
Stanford offers you the
opportunity to explore in dozens
of disciplines across
the university.
Beyond your coursework,
you also can get involved
in countless activities here.
You can serve in
student government.
You can write for
The Stanford Daily.
You can even play
innertube water polo.
[Laughter].
There are quite literally
hundreds of student groups
on campus, and I encourage
you to find the ones
that spark your curiosity.
And as you explore
in your coursework
and in your activities, I
also encourage you to see
and experience as
much of the world
as you can during
your time at Stanford.
Immerse yourself in
communities and cultures
through a study abroad program,
an internship, or service work
in communities throughout
the United States
and around the world.
You may, at times, feel
consumed with figuring
out what your professional
life will be.
Far from distracting
you from that challenge,
exploring broadly will
not only enrich your life,
it will also help you
discover what you love
and help you refine your
plans for the future.
Moreover, the things you try
here will impart knowledge
that will pay off down the
road, often in unexpected ways.
I can't tell you how many
times I have seen serendipity
at work in people's lives.
You may take a course in
coding or learn a language just
to explore an interest.
But that knowledge may
benefit your life and career
in unanticipated ways.
I'll offer you one more reason
to explore, for those of you
who do have employment
on your minds.
And if you don't, I
expect that at least some
of your parents here may.
[Laughter].
As you prepare yourself
to enter the job market,
you will discover that employers
are looking for graduates
with a breadth of
knowledge across disciplines,
and with the ability to
think deeply and critically
and understand varied
perspectives.
You may major in
English with the goal
of becoming a journalist,
but the ability
to interpret scientific
data will give you an edge.
Likewise, medical schools
are looking for physicians
who have a command of
science, of course,
but who also have
exposure to the humanities,
which can help them
communicate more empathetically
with their patients.
And if you talk with leaders
in tech firms, you will learn
that they want to hire employees
with a broad background
that includes the arts,
or the humanities,
or the social sciences,
which can position employees
to develop more human-centered
products and anticipate ethical
and societal impacts
of their work.
No matter what field you plan
to go into, employers want
to hire graduates who
are trained to think
and to see the world for all
of its complexity and nuance.
The world is changing rapidly.
The best jobs of tomorrow
may not even exist today.
So, explore.
By actively exploring
new experiences,
you will set yourself up
to succeed, not only here
at Stanford, but also in
the years that follow.
Next, seek connections.
One of the most lifelong
sources of joy
from your college years
will be the friendships
that you make here.
You will meet a wide
variety of peers
with different backgrounds,
different perspectives,
different interests, friends
who will open your mind
and broaden your perspectives.
I predict that your best
and most lasting memories
of Stanford will be
of late-night chats
in the residence halls, long
meals in the dining halls
or CoHo, and gathering with your
friends in Stanford Stadium.
I think all of us here
cherish memories like these
from my university days.
You will, of course, be
focused on your studies
and your extracurricular
activities.
But it is just as important
to devote time and energy
to nurturing your friendships,
building friendships takes time.
Besides your peers, I encourage
you to make connections
with faculty and other mentors.
Mentorship is one
of the best ways
to extend education outside the
classroom and can open doors
to research and fieldwork
opportunities.
Mentors and peers will also be
essential sources of support
when you experience
setbacks here at Stanford.
And you will experience
setbacks here.
You will get critical
feedback on assignments.
You may get your
first poor grade.
There will be moments where
you will feel discouraged
in the search for your purpose.
That is when you will need
to draw on the connections
that you made with others.
In those moments, I encourage
you to seek guidance and support
from peers, from RAs, from
professors, from coaches,
or from staff from the office
of religious life
or student affairs.
Remember, you are not alone.
There will always be help
and support for you here.
And remember that setbacks, even
failure of one kind or another,
are inescapable in life.
When surgeon Atul Gawande
was a Stanford undergraduate,
he got a C in his
freshman writing seminar.
He later recalled
that he was horrified.
He had never seen a letter like
that on his report card before.
But he learned from
the experience.
He is now both a practicing
physician and a prize-winning
and prolific writer on medicine
and healthcare, with four books
and many articles to his name.
But to get to that point, he
had to overcome his setbacks
and develop his resilience.
This reminds me of one
of my favorite sayings,
"experience is what you get when
you don't get what you wanted."
So when you face a setback and
you don't get what you wanted,
accept the experience and
learn from it, build on it.
Navigating setbacks is
how we build resilience
and set ourselves up
for future success.
Finally, I encourage you to
use your time at Stanford
to find your own
way to contribute.
Our goal is to help you
become engaged citizens
and purposeful leaders.
We want you to know how to
use the skills and knowledge
that you acquire
here at Stanford
to make a real impact
in the world.
Stanford's founding purpose is
"to promote the public welfare
by exercising an
influence in behalf
of humanity and civilization."
The university was built with
the goal of educating students
and of generating knowledge
not only for its own sake,
but also for the
betterment of the world.
You will find many, many
opportunities here at Stanford
to put these ideals
into practice.
For example, through the
Cardinal Service program,
you can address community
service needs while pursuing
your academic interests
and developing your
leadership skills.
This summer, nearly 500 Stanford
students completed Cardinal
Quarter Fellowships,
which support students
in service-learning
experiences around the world,
from across the Bay in
Oakland to the Philippines.
Junior Harika Kottakota
spent the summer in Uganda,
where she developed an art-based
curriculum for children
with developmental disabilities.
Harika's experience
challenged her preconceptions
about disability.
It also showed her how community
outreach can foster awareness
and acceptance.
Harika, who is majoring
in biology with minors
in human rights and global
studies, drew on skills
and knowledge she developed at
Stanford to make a difference
in the lives of underserved
children and their community.
In doing so, she extended
her Stanford education
to benefit others.
I encourage each of
you to do the same,
to go out into the world and
find your own way to contribute.
You will not only be
improving our world,
you will also be finding
greater meaning and purpose
in your work and in your life.
I want to say a final word
to the parents and families
who are able to be here today.
With a college-aged
daughter myself,
I know this is a
bittersweet moment for you.
There are two thoughts
I wish to convey, first,
I want to encourage you to give
your kids the space they need
to explore and make new
connections here at Stanford.
But, second and at the same
time, please, let them know
that you will always be there
for them when they need you.
You have raised tremendous
young adults.
Now, we will be your partners in
supporting them as they develop
into successful citizens
who will offer their own
important contributions.
To all of you, thank you so much
for joining us this afternoon.
And to the students, I am so
happy that you have chosen
to spend the next
four years with us.
I can't wait to see
the paths that each
of you will take to
find your purpose.
Welcome to Stanford.
[ Applause ]
And now, it is my honor to
introduce two student soloists,
Cassidy McCleary
and Miles Petrie,
to lead us in the
Stanford alma mater.
>> Miles Petrie: Please rise
for the Stanford alma
mater, Hail Stanford, hail.
>> Cassidy McCleary:
We will sing twice.
First on our own and
then we will ask you
to join us as we sing it again.
The words are printed on
the back of your program.
>> Cassidy McCleary,
Miles Petrie:
Where the rolling
foothills rise,
up towards 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!
>> Cassidy McCleary: Please
join us as we sing it again.
>> Cassidy McCleary,
Miles Petrie:
Where the rolling
foothills rise,
up towards 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!
[ Applause ]
>> Please remain standing
for the benediction
that will be given
by the Associate Dean
for Religious Life,
Sughra Ahmed.
>> Sughra Ahmed: You have come
a long way to be here today
and the path that lies
before you is full of promise
and opportunity,
it is full of hope.
Your journey here at Stanford
will take time before you begin
to make friends,
feel like you fit in
or even decide on a major.
Whether tomorrow brings
the highs or the lows,
trust your process,
trust yourself.
Know that you are going
to be okay and we are
on this journey with you.
You are not alone.
The important thing
is to remember
that this is your unique
adventure, unlike anyone else's
and therefore whatever
you do, know that it has
to be good because you are good.
Be true to yourself
so that those who come
in the future may also benefit
from the blessings
you share today.
In this home away from
home bring joy to those
around you just as those
who came before you
brought happiness here.
We give thanks today
for the incoming class
of 2022 and transfers.
May you enjoy your own journey
and take strength from all of us
who are supporting
and encouraging you
to simply have faith
in yourself.
Amen.
[ Applause, Music ]
>> For more, please
visit us at stanford.edu
