As the academic year draws to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our graduating and continuing students, whose accomplishments and energy bring us all great pride and hope. I’d also like to recognize our talented faculty and staff, whose care and commitment have brought us to this joyful moment.
Commencement season always prompts reflection. At a recent celebration of our students’ successes, I sat with three undergraduates who spoke about the moments that shaped who they are today. When I asked what sparked their transformations, one student described a pivotal moment in her second year, when self-doubt had clouded her path. A two-minute conversation with a faculty mentor helped her reframe her challenges as opportunities for growth, changing the trajectory of her life, for which she remains deeply grateful.
As her story unfolded, the other two students shared their own accounts of how seemingly small interactions with a mentor or friend had propelled them forward. These moments remind me of the profound power of words — the ones we speak to each other and, just as crucially, to ourselves. Reflecting on this, I thought of Dr. Ethan Kross, a psychologist whose academic papers on the science of emotion regulation I've been reading and whose book Chatter I recently re-read. In it, he illustrates how subtle shifts in language can profoundly affect our self-perception and influence how we think and feel. Too often, our inner dialogue traps us in cycles of "chatter," leading us to see setbacks as permanent, pervasive, and personal. Left unchecked, this mindset can narrow our perspective and drain our resilience.
As a community, we are navigating serious challenges — from threats to funding for the humanities and STEM disciplines to broader questions about the public’s support for higher education. But I am confident that, as we have for the past 154 years at the College of Arts and Sciences, we will emerge stronger. Our history is rich with examples of resilience, creativity and renewal in the face of adversity.
By connecting with each other, spending time in nature, practicing mindfulness and consciously choosing the words we use — with ourselves and with others — we can access the full strength of our individual and collective resources. These habits will serve our graduates as they step into their futures. And they will enhance our College’s ongoing efforts to demonstrate the enduring value of our scholarship, research and creative work to society and our planet.
Thank you for all you have contributed this year. I wish you a restorative and joyful summer.