Interim President Leslie E. Wong
Remarks at the 106th Commencement
May 19, 2024
What a special moment for Connecticut College. We are honoring the class of 2024. Welcome soon to be graduates! A well-deserved welcome to family, friends, faculty, staff and all our supporters in addition to those of you joining us via live stream. I want to thank the trustees, our donors and especially our commencement speaker this morning. This is the 113th year of Connecticut College’s existence. Your success and the hard work and commitment of faculty and staff mean the class of 2028 will enjoy the same success, commitment, resilience and level of excellence you experienced during your time here at Conn. You represent the picture of resilience for me. Covid years, this thing called “zoom,” vaccinations, campus repairs. But most important, you have made friends for life. The memories of Conn will be with you for a number of years. As a psychologist, I want you to remember the high points. That other stuff can be lost to history. I hope your time here has been memorable and I am sure your family is proud of you.
Connecticut College is so proud of your achievements. Many of those occurred in the classroom, labs, dining halls and on Tempel Green. A lot of learning also occurs outside the classroom. Many of you are on varsity rosters, many of you play intramural sports, there are numerous clubs and organizations. You also have a championship chess team, a player of the year in basketball, national and international scholarship awards, acclaim on many fronts. And I have to say, Floralia. Thanks for tolerating my presence, I can still hear. And yes, there are many private opportunities (with refreshments) where you make lifelong friends and learn more about yourself. Now that you are about to become a college graduate from a premier school, don’t forget. And I should also mention that many of you are felt deeply the sadness and grief of wars in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the discomfort here in the United States and elsewhere.
There are responsibilities of being an educated person that now will shadow you your entire life. Respect that responsibility, accept it with pride. I ask that you live that ethic each day forward. The moral compass you are building into your personality originates from your years at Conn.
As we get ready to honor you, I want to thank you for caring about Connecticut College. I took on this assignment to reset the path Conn was on. To do what I could to restore some faith and hope that studying and working here will be an honor was my goal. This community is doing well and on a good path. You’ve helped me set the seeds for a much brighter future. And those contributions made a difference. Thank you graduates for being here and succeeding.
Ok, let’s get you graduated!