Welcome to the rest of your life.
Sounds dramatic, huh? It is. You are at a milestone in your life. You've worked hard in high school and accomplished a lot in your first 12 years of education. You've proven that you are exceptional, and now you're on your way here, to Dartmouth College.
First, I hope you never question the fact that you got in. Some of you, the more confident ones, can list off the accomplishments that make you unique and qualified to be here. Others, those of you whose eyes went wide when you first saw your acceptance letters, are convinced that Admissions somehow made a mistake. I spent most of my first year here wondering how I had slipped through some crack in the system. Trust me, though, each and every one of you belongs here.
But getting accepted and coming here is only the first part of this great milestone. You've done a lot to get into college; now you can begin thinking about what you want to do once you arrive here.
I am working in Admissions as a Senior Interviewer this summer, and one of the questions I often ask prospective students is, "Now that you've finished high school, what do you most want to be remembered for?"
So, members of the Class of 2004, the best and the brightest, what do you want to be remembered for four years from now? How do you want to impact the Dartmouth Community? It begins now; it begins as soon you arrive for your freshman trip or orientation. You can make a difference, and you can make that difference in any way you choose.
Because you know what's so wonderful about college? It's a completely new beginning. No matter what you've done before, this is your chance to re-examine your priorities and involvements, and decide what really makes you happy. You can continue doing the great things you've done before or you can set out on a new track. You made it this far because of what you've already accomplished. What new accomplishments lay ahead?
In high school, I was very involved in music and drama, as well as the yearbook and our literary magazine. So when I came to Dartmouth, I figured I'd continue doing what I had done before. My freshman fall I applied for a yearbook position auditioned for an a cappella group, and tried out for a play. I ended up going 0 for 3. What a way to begin, huh?
If someone had told me then that I would end up becoming the president of the Student Assembly, elected by the student body, I would have never believed it. I had never even been involved in student government in high school. But it happened. And it'll happen to one of you. Others will do other great things. From organizing DarCORPS, a campus wide community service day, to creating a new student organization; from dancing on Sheba, our renowned dance group, to scoring a goal with our women's field hockey team. Your future awaits.
I would love it if you got involved with Student Assembly, the student body's representative organization. But even if you never come to an Assembly meeting, there are so many other ways to get involved, so many ways to impact this campus. It's your future, but now you are also the future of Dartmouth. Isn't that perhaps one of the reasons why you chose Dartmouth? The tradition? The sense of community? The school spirit? Well in a few weeks, it's going to be all yours. What are you going to do with it?
"You are the leaders of tomorrow." You'll hear it again and again. And you know what? It's absolutely true. But you don't have to graduate and move into the "real world" before you become a leader. As much as I love Dartmouth and as much as I love telling prospective students how much I love it, even Dartmouth isn't perfect. Even Dartmouth could use some change. You, me, we, can affect that change. We as students, along with administrators, faculty members, alumni and Trustees, can think thoughtfully about the future of this College and help to guide it. If we're going to be the leaders of tomorrow, what better time to begin learning then now? And what better way to learn then through experience?
I've always felt that Dartmouth revolves around its freshman class. This coming fall and all next year, your excitement will spread across campus and infect the entire Dartmouth community. Every organization will thirst for new energy and beg you to join and get involved. This is your opportunity to re-invent who you are and what you are capable of. Members of the Class of 2004, welcome to your Dartmouth.
