Good morning, Class of 2030!
On behalf of all of us at Ohio State, I am so excited to welcome each and every one of you to our university.
After seeing that video, I'm even more energized about the year ahead and what we're going to achieve together. Are you ready to get the semester started?
We are so glad you've chosen Ohio State. You are already succeeding, because you've already made one of the smartest decisions you'll ever make. You've decided to invest in yourself by choosing to become a Buckeye. This is an extraordinary gift that you have given yourself... The gift of high expectations, of the opportunity to become the best that you can possibly be - as a scholar, a leader, a friend, and a citizen of the world around you.
I hope your experience at Ohio State is off to a great start as you've gotten settled into your new "home away from home," met new friends, and prepared for classes.
Some of you have traveled a great distance to this “new home.” 47 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, and 37 countries around the world are represented in your class. I am so happy you’ve found your way to Ohio.
I know these first few days can feel both exciting and overwhelming. I've been there myself. It's okay to feel a little bit awestruck by it all.
Let me assure you. Ohio State is a big place, but each of you matters. Each of you will have the opportunity to unleash your extraordinary. And our size and scale is the very thing that gives us a competitive advantage – the thing that will make your experience here uniquely extraordinary by giving you lots of ways to find your people, create your own unique experiences.
In fact, I’ve discovered myself that the Ohio State experience is a truly immersive one. It truly is an experience, not captured by numbers, and statistics about us as good as all these are!
As a Buckeye, you don't have to pick between world-class academics, hands-on research, championship athletics programs, or unlimited extracurriculars. You get it all. You don’t have to settle.
You can enjoy being in a fast-growing big city, then come home to a close-knit residential community where everyone knows your name.
You're going to become fluent in AI so you are prepared for the workforce of tomorrow, but you'll also explore deeply what it means to be human in this age of technology.
You'll be able to help solve urgent global challenges alongside the highest-caliber faculty and industry leaders during the day, then relax and have fun with friends that night.
You can start your own business – and we are creating new pathways for you to do just that as we speak. You can join a club or start your own. You can enjoy the fine arts, join a sorority or fraternity, find a faith-based organization, do community service, study abroad, get an internship...
All of it is right here at your fingertips. All you have to do is jump in and immerse yourself.
This is what Ohio State has been doing for over a century and a half. We opened our doors to our first class of students in 1873... a cohort that included two women, which was unusual for the time. Buckeyes have been unafraid to be bold from the start. We have always believed in our sacred land-grant mission to create opportunity for all. To be welcoming to all.
We have come a long way since those early days... But the values that animated our founding still hold true today. In fact, I would argue that our mission is more important now than ever. The excellence of Ohio State is available and accessible to all who wish to pursue it.
You can see that we are delivering on our mission in the 640,000 living alumni who are leading and doing big things in every corner of the world.
Now you, too, are becoming part of the story of one of America's finest public universities.
This ceremony is one of our many cherished traditions here at Ohio State. Convocation represents the first time that your class gathers together.
And it will be bookended in 2030 with your commencement ceremony, when we will celebrate your next steps into the world.
In between, you will make memories to last a lifetime.
You'll make lifelong connections, you'll overcome challenges, you'll surprise yourself with what you're capable of. You'll have fun – lots of fun, I promise. You'll look out for yourself and each other. We all need help sometimes. Let's not be afraid to ask for it, or to offer it.
When you pick up that diploma in four years, I know you're going to look back and say, "This was one of the best experiences of my life. A truly extraordinary journey."
Today, we welcome you, we celebrate you, and we believe in your ability to do big things in the years ahead and we invite you to write your chapter in Ohio State’s history.
Welcome, again, to the Class of 2030. We are SO happy that you are here!
(Remarks as written.)