2026 New Student Convocation

Sept. 21, 2026 

To all of our new Redhawks: welcome! It is great to see you here!  We have been waiting for you all summer, thinking about you and preparing for this day. We had many hopes for you: that you arrived safely, ready to start this exciting journey, that the weather would be good as you moved in, that you have been connecting with your advisors as you registered for classes, and so much more. It’s wonderful to be here with you and finally get to his academic convocation, where we can formally welcome you to First Hill. Whether you are a first-year student or a transfer, I know that the next few years will be terrific as you grow and learn at Seattle University. 

I know you’ve been given a lot of advice over the past few days on your transition to college. Instead of advice, let me share some hopes for you.   

#1:  I hope that you take advantage of your Seattle University experience. You are now part of a vibrant intellectual community – embrace this! Take challenging classes, stay up late arguing philosophy with your friends, write for one of our many student publications, read different newspapers and journals, participate in undergraduate research, and THINK about what you are learning and discovering. College is not a spectator sport. Yes, let me repeat: College is not a spectator sport. Take charge of your own education and take full advantage of it. In just a few short years, we’ll gather again in larger arena to celebrate your accomplishments – I know that in this group we will have Fulbright Scholars ready to teach and do research in other countries; outstanding chemists, computer scientists, historians, philosophers, musicians, debaters and more; experts in various languages; student researchers who have created new knowledge; and students who have made a difference in their communities. The future is yours to write – get started now by taking charge of your learning.   

#2: I hope that you will take some risks. Now, I am not suggesting that you be reckless or that you break the law. But I do hope that during your time at this university, you get outside of your comfort zone and come to graduation with great stories about what you did and what you learned. You know yourself well enough to know what you will find new and challenging. But I’ll also offer some suggestions:  talk to someone you don’t know – you might make a great friend; take a class because you are interested in it, not because it’s required; go on a retreat; explore the Seattle and the beautiful nature around it; travel to a new state or country; join a new club; start a new club. You will discover something new about yourself. And yes, you will make some mistakes. But you will learn from these experiences and you will be stronger because of them. So don’t be afraid to take on new challenges and to take some risks. 

#3: As you challenge yourself and move outside of your comfort zone, I hope you know that you are not alone.  I hope you know that college is an adjustment for everyone. The start of a new quarter– of a new life at a new college – is a time of hopes and dreams, and some anxiety and confusion. We know that – and we want you to know that we are here for you.  At Seattle University, we take the person-centered nature of a Jesuit education very seriously. We are all on campus for you – take advantage of it! Ask questions, visit your professors during office hours and get to know them, use your advisors as resources and guides, get career guidance from your faculty. Everyone here cares about you and is here to help you to succeed. Know that you are not alone.   

#4: I hope that you take time to wonder during your time at Seattle University. You will be busy, but I encourage you to stop every once in a while and look around with wonder and awe. You are part of an amazing university, a university rooted in an amazing city, and you are living in an amazing time. This is also a difficult time, with great inequities, climate disasters, wars – and this is a particularly challenging year – many of you will vote for the first time in the upcoming midterm elections. As you reflect on your civic responsibilities, I encourage you to tap into your curiosity and wonder. Take time to go beyond the campaign slogans and instead, look for opportunities for dialogue. Debating with others is a great way to deepen your understanding of what matters for you – so debate and argue, but learn to make this about the issues, not the person with whom you are debating. Your Seattle U education will help you learn how to have fearlessly curious conversations in our divided society – and it starts with curiosity and wonder. So take the time for this and know that it is essential if we want our democracy to succeed.  

This leads to my fifth and final hope: I hope that you strengthen a habit of gratitude. Gratitude starts with saying “thank you,” but it’s more than a courtesy. I’m asking you to make sincere, reflective gratitude a part of your daily life. Br. David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, wrote, that “it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.”  Let me repeat this: “it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” You are so blessed. You have received so many benefits. And when you get in the habit of looking for and appreciating those benefits and blessings, when you practice gratitude, you will find that it opens your heart and brings you joy; it changes you and the way that you look at people and the world; and it compels you to be part of the world and to restlessly work to make the world better.   

Let me end, then, by practicing gratitude. Thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for choosing Seattle University. Thank you for allowing us to be your guides and mentors through this incredible journey called college. Welcome to Seattle U and go Redhawks!