Student Experience

Ryan Urges Class of 2028 To Pursue Truth

August 26, 2024 • By Alice Berry, aberry@virginia.edu Alice Berry, aberry@virginia.edu

Students sit in front of the Rotunda during convocation

In their first official gathering at the University of Virginia, nearly 4,000 new Hoos heard from the president and signed the University's Honor Code. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

Sunny skies and warm temperatures on Sunday evening welcomed the University of Virginia’s newest students.

Nearly 4,000 first-year and transfer students gathered on the Lawn for Opening Convocation, their official welcome to the University. They heard from student leaders and University President Jim Ryan before signing the Honor Code’s pledge to not lie, cheat or steal during their time at the University.

Ian Baucom, UVA’s executive vice president and provost, noted what a “remarkable, singular place” the University is and encouraged new students to “soak it in.” He then introduced the University’s president.

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Ryan is a first-generation student and noted that about one in five members of the Class of 2028 is the first person in their family to attend college. He said all of the students assembled on the Lawn belong at UVA.

“People are fond of saying that this is Mr. Jefferson’s University, which is true, but know that as of today, it is also your university,” Ryan said.

In time, Ryan said, new students will find themselves part of an inspiring, challenging and caring community.

“There is a place here for everyone, and it will feel like home to you before too long,” Ryan said.

The sun glows behind UVA President Ryan as he speaks to the crowd gathered for convocation

UVA President Jim Ryan, once a first-generation student himself, addressed an incoming class that is 20% first-generation. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

Since its founding 205 years ago, UVA has expanded its scope from educating students to conducting vital research, fielding championship-winning sports teams and providing life-saving medical care. But at its core, UVA still has a mission to create and disseminate knowledge – and students are a critical part of that, Ryan said. They “pursue the truth.”

But how should they do that?

Ryan turned to a favorite quote from the poet Walt Whitman by way of the fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso: “Be curious, not judgmental.”

“It sounds so simple, but I promise it is the way to get past the surface of things and to the heart and truth of things, including the truth and reality of other people who might seem very different from you, unless and until you get to know them,” Ryan explained.

Valentina Mendoza Gonzales is the first Latina to serve as UVA’s Student Council president.

Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez is the first Latina to serve as UVA’s Student Council president. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

Student Council President Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez, a fourth-year student, recounted a low moment in her second year when she was on the brink of dropping out. Mendoza Gonzalez has made UVA history as the student body’s first Latina president.

“I was burned out, confused and convinced that I wasn’t ready to do well here,” she recalled. “But then I remembered the excitement that I brought with me, the passion that I felt.”

Students and their passion are “the driving force” that makes the University run, Mendoza Gonzalez said. They can change things for the better and rely on one another to get through tough times.

“At UVA, your village is all around you,” she said.

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As the ceremony concluded, Laura Howard, chair of the student-run Honor Committee, explained the school’s Honor Code, which students would soon sign at tables bordering both sides of the Lawn.

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Howard said. The thousands of students who pledged not to lie, cheat or steal, she said, were choosing a more difficult path – but in doing so, they were also creating a “community of trust” that would endure even after graduation.