Each year, students compete for the honor of being chosen as the student keynote speaker at Commencement. Each submission is excellent and choosing a winner is difficult. We share submitted keynotes from four students here. They indicate the breadth of experiences a Denison education encompasses.
Kate Hinshaw ’24
Wow! What a day, I am absolutely exhausted… How about you guys? I know for the senior class, we are wiped. Four years of learning, questioning, growing, and not to mention the majority of the senior class pulling an all-nighter last night! For those of you who don’t know, it’s a tradition for the senior class to watch the sunrise on North Quad Hill the morning of graduation after staying up all night, socializing, drinking, and celebrating our accomplishments—one last hurrah, as a class together.
This morning, we sat, huddled with our friends, puffy-eyed, hungry, and maybe a little anxious for the day ahead, patiently waiting for the sun to rise. It was an emotional occasion for many of us. Some people were holding back tears, some were just letting them fall, with the reality setting in that this is the end of college. Others probably hoped the sun would just hurry up and rise so they could shower and get on with the day. And a few people may have sung the lyrics to themselves of Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles.
While it’s expected that the sun would rise, as it does every day, the anticipation of actually seeing a faint orange light, peek through the clouds and over the sprawling roof of the Mitchell Center, is something that we all eagerly awaited, as if it might not happen. This anticipation happens in many areas of life, like getting through a long week of classes or work and finally making it to the weekend. That same excitement surrounding your 21st birthday. Or awaiting college graduation. As days, months, and years went by, we knew this day would come but many of us were not expecting it to happen so soon.
We have been deemed the covid class. We endured a year of classes on Zoom and even sat at desks outside, under a tent on A-Quad. Our first impression of our new friends now sitting next to us today, was behind a mask. We weren’t allowed to socialize in our dorm rooms and those of us who did might have even been sent home. We made sacrifices to protect those susceptible to illness and for the privilege of living on campus. However, we have been called resilient. We are the class who had to adapt and pivot under the “unforeseen circumstances.”
While all of this is true, we had no other choice. We had to embrace the abnormal nature of our freshman year because that was a year we would never get back. And though many of us struggled and we experienced a lot of bad, the hardship led to so much good.
We made lifelong friends, and took intellectually engaging classes with professors who made a lasting impact on our education. We went sledding on the IMs, socialized on the Curtis lawn, were shouted out in the Bullsheet, sunbathed, and wandered through the Bio Reserve. We made the most of our freshman year. And this was just the beginning.
Sophomore year was our first “normal year.” It was the year of Yik Yak, finally living on East Quad, and experiencing a snagle from the Bandersnatch. During our junior year, many of us had the opportunity to study abroad while others embraced their rigorous courses here on The Hill. And, just nine short months ago, we moved into our beloved senior apartments. Since then, we have gone to trivia on Thursday nights. We won championships. Drove loops around campus, conducted senior research, and spent hours in Bryant or Eisner perfecting our craft.
Through it all, the comradery we built through the pandemic and the following three years has bonded us as one. Thus, there is something different about the energy flowing through the Class of 2024. An unspoken agreement that we are special because of our roller coaster of a college experience. It has given us wisdom, empathy, and an appreciation for each new day.
The Class of 2024 is amazing. Resilient yes, but more than that, we are full of intelligent, collaborative, curious minds. We embody diversity, comprising of individuals from around the globe to Columbus natives. We have been published in academic journals, performed with Grammy nominated artists, and are finalists for the Fulbright scholarship. All of which would not have been possible without the foundation of our liberal arts education that fosters critical thinking, adaptability, and innovation. Spanning disciplines from data analytics to writing 101, we are prepared to tackle the challenges ahead.
Our class’s resilience is proof that we can do anything. We are future politicians, teachers, entrepreneurs, designers, and leaders. We will use not only the academic education we have received at Denison but rely on our lived experiences of the past four years to make the world a better place. Denison’s Class of 2024 is going to change the world and I’m so proud to be a part of it.
So, for today, the anticipation is over, the sun rose this morning as it does every day, and graduation now is upon us. Because of what we had to overcome with the pandemic, graduating high school virtually, and starting college in one of the most universally challenging years, we have learned to fight through. As our lives progress, good and great times will occur but undoubtedly challenges will follow. So, I urge you to remember these past four years, your resilience, your ability to fight through the hard times, and most of all, your fortitude to pull an all-nighter to watch the sunrise on the morning of graduation. Because, no matter how tough things get, there is always another day. Just like the Beatles said, Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right.
Jakob Lucas ’24
Family, friends, and fellow graduates. First, I want to start off with a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came to celebrate this momentous occasion in our lives and all of those watching online. To the Class of 2024: congratulations!! We began college in testing conditions but persevered and stand here today ready to take the next step in our lives.
Looking at our class, I think about where I was starting my senior year of high school. Sincefreshman year, I was dead-set on attending another university close to home. Although committed to the philosophy of a liberal arts education, Denison was just another application to give me options.
Then the pandemic began, and a hasty decision was made: Mid-Covid and a mere two days before decision day, my father and I would make the 7.5-hour drive to Ohio and back in a single day. A preview of my beloved busy life here at Denison.
The near 20-hour day left me exhausted. On a leap of faith and gut instinct, I threw over 3 years of planning out the window, making The Hill my home and freaking my parents out in the process.
My decision was quickly affirmed. At the freshman sizzle I met Alex and Johnny. We bonded over random games and got to know each other while navigating the nerves of our arrival. Fast forwarding four years, they remain some of my best friends.
But, still, why Denison?
Over these past four years I came to truly understand Denison’s previously indescribable allure.
Reflecting on our class’s experiences and the opportunities that await us, it’s clear we embraced the unknown. Starting college in the middle of a pandemic, we accepted the uncertainty and unease ahead of us.
With many of the other schools out there, there seemed to be a roadmap of classes to take, clubs to join, and people to isolate yourself with. But not Denison. Instead, students arrived open to the possibilities. Choosing Denison meant choosing a growth mindset and keeping an open mind about everything ahead of you.
Since my freshman year, I’ve had countless meetings with administration, including President Weinberg, discussing campus improvements, concerns, and even my future. These meetings are what Denison is all about. Whether talking to a friend, classmate, professor, or administrator, there lies a powerful sense of community. Everyone cares about each other as individuals and wants to hear their voice and their story.
For all of us, Denison was a clean slate with endless opportunities for friendship, engagement, and learning. The college was tailored to constantly questioning the norm and empowering students to be “discerning moral agents,” us Denisonians’ favorite phrase.
Nearly 200 years since Denison’s founding, that phrase remains central to the university’s mission to produce autonomous thinkers through its broad and rigorous education. And looking over this crowd, I see innovators and leaders, driven by unbridled ambition. Students who have squeezed out the essence of their liberal arts education, allowing their minds to be molded by a variety of disciplines, pedagogies, and ideas.
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
This critical skill faces sharp decline, in a time of staunch ideological division and an inability to see the other side. Yet, Denisonians shine as diamonds in the rough. Embodying the philosophy of open-mindedness, we seriously evaluate other opinions, permitting our minds to be changed, thereby enabling ourselves to unleash our unlimited potential.
To my fellow graduates, as we prepare for what’s next, our generation begins a leap into the
unknown. With an ever-changing world and an uncertain future ahead of us, nerves will naturally arise. As someone who often plans their life well in advance, I’ve adopted a new mindset here on The Hill. Don’t stick to a plan or fight the changes that come before you. Instead, embrace the chaos.
The world will whirl by at a million miles a minute, much like our time on The Hill did. Do not dwell on what could have been or worry about the aftermath. Nobody knows what their future holds and that is what makes it all the more beautiful. We have a whole life left to live, new memories to make, and opportunities to explore.
We are a generation of changemakers and world-shakers. I’m honored to be amongst you today and cannot wait to say, “I knew you when.” Now take a moment to appreciate the friendships and family you’ve made here; The Hill will forever be our home! Congratulations Class of 2024!
Thank you.
Alex Pan ’24
Hey everyone. Congratulations, Class of 2024. Thank you to our friends, family, faculty, staff, and everyone here to support us.
As a graduating class, we truly embody Denison’s embrace of the word, “and”. While I can speak for hours — days — about each unique mark that the Class of 2024 left on our community, I wish to focus on something truly special. Seniors, I’d like to explore two ideas: dreams and happiness as two threads that weave together many popular ideas of a meaningful life. Before I share more, please rise and join me in something quick:
Close Your Eyes.
Invoke a Dream.
Any dream.
It can be a dream you’ve always had
Or a dream you just spawned in…
Hold onto it and I’ll count to five
Open your eyes. Please, take a seat - thanks.
Where was I… ah happiness and dreams. I remember sitting at the dinner table with my parents before deciding to attend Denison: I’d never heard of Granville, Columbus, and didn’t know that Ohio was even a state (true story). My sparkly childhood dreams involved sprinting down subway streets and causing traffic jams left and right — corn fields and two-lane highways were never part of that. Having spent roughly three months locked down at home, I was itching to live among new people my age, though I love my parents and little brother a ton. The prospect of a fully residential college in Central Ohio sounded like an attractive adventure compared to my hometown of Queens, New York.
My parents had a different perspective. In his typically brief fashion, my dad said, “We’ll try to support you in whatever way we can. We just want you to be happy.”
While I responded by saying, “OK, I guess I’m going to Denison.”
The past four years have taught me to question what that phrase means, and here’s my attempt to understand happiness: Right now, many of us are living lives that probably defied our wildest expectations four years ago. Most people who love and care about us dream of us living healthy, safe, and free lives.
Healthy, in the sense that essential wellness will be a given.
Safe, because it’s hard to imagine tomorrow when today’s security is in question.
Freedom, to learn and explore the endless, diverse opportunities our world has to offer.
As these three pillars found new meanings amidst a global pandemic, our curious pursuit of learning didn’t stop. We weathered unimaginable personal challenges, volatile economic conditions, and a pivotal U.S. Presidential election. While some of 2024 feels like deja vu, unlike last time, our class is better equipped to usher innovative solutions to our most pressing challenges.
A liberal arts education equips us well to pursue our dreams and happiness, with critical thinking and lifelong learning landing at the forefront of the Denison difference. Unique people that we’ve met along the way breathe life into the diverse experiences that define our college days. Through moments of unimaginable difficulty and joyous celebration, the Class of 2024 understands the value of being an engaged citizen, searching to define a common good, and pursuing the best interests of our shared community.
Dreams and happiness are often portrayed as transactional — take the American Dream. In many ways, popular culture creates a relationship between obtaining wealth, status, and achievement to happiness. As Denisonians, our existence “writes in” the importance of vibrant music, cultural holiday celebrations, and that one GE class that you didn’t think was necessary. We can take the perspective that “life is a mosaic of endless side quests, bringing us one step closer to the true meaning of our lives”. As champions of this vision, the Class of 2024 has always embraced our communal value of “and.”
We want to be successful and see our community flourish alongside us. We want to solve problems and help our loved ones. We want to be helped and help folks who could use a helping hand.
As our world continues to “build a plane while flying it,” we cannot lose sight of our limitless potential to make a difference. I’d like to ask you to rise again and repeat the following:
Our best days are on the horizon
If we don’t only wait
For the sun to eventually rise.
I can tip the balance
As a leader and citizen
In the pursuit of happiness
Thank you so much, Class of 2024. Congratulations again, and it’s been an honor to share the past four years together.
Sophia Sobota ’24
The Road We Travel
Thank you, President Weinberg, distinguished Denison faculty and staff, families, and friends and my fellow graduates – the Class of 2024. Today, we take an exciting turn as we transition into a new era. It is a pleasure to share my thoughts as we begin our journey after spending the past four years on The Hill.
We were not certain where the road would lead us when we came to Denison amidst a global pandemic. We applaud President Weinberg and Denison faculty and staff for their steadfast leadership in 2020 when we began our life on The Hill and for their guidance as we navigated global events. We celebrate the Class of 2024 recognizing our academic accomplishments, and our patience and persistence as the road we traveled together challenged us. The Class of 2024 has never looked back in the rear-view mirror. WE MADE IT!!
Our liberal arts education at Denison has given us an opportunity to excel in selected course disciplines, and our experiences have opened our eyes to the issues facing our communities and the world. With this knowledge and awareness, we leave The Hill today with the power to choose wisely, to act boldly, and to value those who travel beside us. On life’s journey, we must always remember the importance of leading not only with our minds but also with our hearts, caring deeply for the well-being of others.
We are often inspired by poets, leaders, and songwriters from past eras who traveled before us and those traveling on their journeys today:
In the Gilded Age, Walt Whitman wrote “… I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.”
Let’s choose wisely. As Denisonians, we were given a special opportunity to be challenged by rigorous academics while enjoying social, philanthropic, and multi-cultural organizations, music and dance groups, and championship athletic programs. We were free to make decisions influencing our college experience and our life. During our time at Denison, we began to figure out who we are and who we want to be. It was a time to make memories, to learn from our mistakes, question ourselves and to think independently. It was in this time that our strength was tested but our resilience was rewarded. As we choose our path, we must reflect on the gift of a Denison education and use it wisely.
During the mid-twentieth century era, my favorite poet, Robert Frost, said “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”
Let’s act boldly. Our experiences at Denison ignited our interests in approaching future opportunities with broad perspective and optimism. I often think about my roots - my maternal grandfather who fought in WWII and my paternal grandparents who left war-torn homelands to seek a better life in a welcoming America. We too will face many uncertainties over the course of our lives, but our Denison education provides a foundation to be “active citizens of a democratic society,” honoring those who have made sacrifices for us. Act boldly — let’s make the most of the careers we pursue and choose opportunities to support those around us seeking a better life.
In the current era, Steve Jobs said, “The journey is the reward” and, “In life, we choose where we travel and who we travel with.”
Let’s value those around us. We all remember our group projects. Team members brought subject matter expertise, analysis capability, or a sense of humor, and maybe — the team member who arrived late to our meeting brought coffee from Village. Every individual’s contribution was important, and we learned working together is the key to achieving shared goals. As Denisonians, we embrace collaboration strengthened by diversity. We value the unique and different perspectives of those around us. And, as a result, we have grown as intellectuals and as adults. So, let’s value the talents of those traveling beside us. Work hard with others, laugh with them, celebrate successes together and most importantly, lift them up from their setbacks — never leave them behind when they face challenges on their journey.
Finally, let’s remember to lead not only with our minds but also with our hearts. In today’s world, it is easy to be distracted and take an easy route. Technology has made it easy to ignore our personal connections. We must all be wary of the implications of our actions – or inactions. We cannot lose sight of two important human attributes: being genuine and being kind. Keeping these values in mind, we will feel more fulfilled as human beings and contribute to making the world a better place.
As we leave The Hill today, we enter a new era on our individual journeys. We will define the road we travel, remembering to choose wisely, to act boldly, to value those beside us, and to lead with our hearts and act with kindness. Playing on words of a popular songwriter of OUR era, we have a blank slate, Denisonians, and we’ll write our names. Thank you for being a part of this stop on my journey. Congratulations Class of 2024!! Go Big Red!! Denison, you will be in our hearts forever.
