Good morning, everyone! What a wonderful day for this celebration! Welcome from the Board of Managers to our esteemed faculty and staff and proud families on this very special day. And to the graduating Class of 2026, congratulations on achieving this major milestone. 

With four remarkable honorees waiting to share their wisdom today, I will be very brief with my words, untouched by Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT.

You should be very proud of getting to this point. We certainly are proud of you. The last four years have offered significant challenges alongside the coursework, co-curricular and extracurricular activities you have crammed in. The long tail of the effects of COVID, volatile political climate and the accelerating change brought on by Artificial Intelligence have created uncertainty beyond what anyone expected when you began your time at Swarthmore. Even getting around the College has required creative navigation for much of the last four years as we prepare the campus for a carbon free future. 

Amidst all this you have persevered and grown, built character and resilience, and become wiser in the process. The faculty and staff have helped and guided you to gain new skills, to identify and reflect upon your core values, and to further develop attributes which will serve you well in the future.

While some of you have a defined plan to pursue further education, work or service, most of you will face a winding path ahead and this may be a source of stress. Having met many Swarthmore alumni over the past several decades and learned of their travails and successes, I aver that you have the tools and will further build the confidence to find your way forward to a fulfilling life. And among our alumni there are many who are willing to help you along the way.

One final thought. Before too long, come back to Swarthmore. Soon the campus will be free of fences, Parrish Beach resodded, and temporary pathways gone. The College, its caring community, and beautiful, peaceful settings will be here, ready to provide you with a respite as well as to energize you.  

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 and very best wishes for the years ahead!