President Santa J. Ono told U-M’s newest students that they must work together to overcome challenges and be the next generation of leaders and change makers.
“Our world needs you. We need your energy, your excellence, your engagement,” he said in remarks delivered remotely at the Aug. 27 New Student Convocation at the Crisler Center. “I urge you to dream bigger, bolder dreams, and then study and work and persevere to make them come true.”
Ono and other university leaders at the ceremony encouraged incoming students to embrace their unique identities, persevere through challenges and enrich the campus community.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students sat in chairs on the arena floor facing the stage upon which sat university leaders in their academic regalia. Parents and family members, most wearing maize and blue, crowded the stands above.
Ono told the students to aspire to the ideals that distinguish Wolverines: passion, integrity, imagination and a thirst for knowledge and truth.
“You will be walking in the footsteps of our incredible alumni: Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners, Hall of Fame athletes and moon walkers, Broadway producers and playwrights, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs of startups, public servants and one U.S. president … so far,” Ono said.
Ono highlighted the university’s longstanding legacy of excellence, starting with President Henry Tappan’s vision to transform U-M into the first true American research university. Subsequent presidents, Ono said, continued Tappan’s vision with dreams and decisive action.
“(These former presidents) shaped our modern campus, and even more, they shaped the ethos of this university — its dedication to leadership and excellence, to elevating society by lifting the distinct, ineffable potential of each individual, no matter their race, color or creed,” he said.
Ono said the students will now become part of U-M’s legacy and propel the university into a new era of prosperity heralded by their talent and ingenuity.
More than 93,000 high school seniors worldwide applied to attend U-M this fall, said Adele Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management. The incoming class includes students from every U.S. state and more than 70 countries.
“The people are what make the University of Michigan a world-class institution, and more importantly, a special place,” Brumfield said. “You’ve just started a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will help you grow into the person you’re meant to be.”
Martino Harmon, vice president for student life, said new students should create their own personalized collegiate experience as the university constantly evolves.
“U-M is a place of diversity, of ideas, identities, opinions, dreams; and this diversity makes our university such a powerful place, one where you will get to learn and get out of your comfort zone,” Harmon said.
As students learn and grow, Harmon said, they will be expected to give back and enrich the campus community. He said every student has a unique perspective that will add to U-M’s rich history.
“This is why we put a lot of energy and resources into matters of personal identity and diversity. We can teach you how to make a difference with your ideas, your action, your character and commitment, but you must actually do it,” Harmon said.
Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, told the students to use the next four years to unlock their full potential of character and develop their identities.
“No matter what your background, your religion, your ethnicity, you are welcome here. If you grew up in Detroit or Boston or Copper Harbor, your unique identity will form a thread in the grand tapestry of this university,” McCauley said.
She encouraged new students to eagerly engage in the university’s intellectual landscape and embrace new ideas and perspectives.
“You will debate, collaborate and have late-night pizza with people from all walks of life. And among those with different, deeply held values, you will discover unlikely friendships and broaden your perspective in the process,” McCauley said.
With more than 1,600 student organizations, museums, performing arts and gardens, McCauley said, there are countless opportunities for students to dive in and find a place they belong.
“You do have what it takes to make it here. We are the experts on that subject and just as you chose us, we chose you. You belong here. I can’t wait to see how you unleash your unique, tremendous potential energy,” McCauley said.
