UVA President Scott Beardsley urges graduates to seek ‘shared ground’

[President Scott Beardsley speaking]

Thank you, Thomas, for your remarks. We do have the best alumni community in the world, a community you all are joining today.

I’d like to say a final thank you to our grand marshal, professor Michael Kennedy, over here, and to all of today’s speakers and performers.

Alright Class of 2026, I see you with the fans. It’s hot. We’re in the home stretch here! I know I am the only thing between you and heading back to “Trinitanellies.” So, let’s take just a minute, this final moment of Final Exercises to pause and look around. Just take a second to look around.

Here we are on the beautiful Grounds of the University of Virginia’s Academical Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If we would be in Europe, it would be like Versailles, that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site too. This is better. In this nation’s 250th year, you have just been declared a UVA graduate.

Gathered here are people from every corner of the commonwealth, the country and the globe.

Each of you arrived with your own sets of ideas, experiences and beliefs. I’d guess many of you were a bit nervous about fitting in. I know I have been many times.

Yet, after sharing these Grounds, you are stepping forward together as alumni of UVA. It’s a powerful feeling I’ll call it “shared ground.”

This moment is the perfect example.

We are all wearing robes, wool, pretty hot, and even though you studied different things, you are celebrating your degree today, surrounded by proud loved ones.

But our connection runs deeper.

How many of you here love Bodo’s Bagels? Yea, double egg sausage on everything bagel is from my order.

Many of you have spent a late night in Shannon Library – or on the Corner, and I know some of you here on the Lawn, late at night. Yeah, we don’t know what happens, but something.

And you have cheered on our teams and our national champions.

You see, we are all Wahoos.

But in a few moments, you will turn toward the Rotunda and enter a wider world.

After UVA, you will meet people who don’t look like you, speak like you, think like you or vote like you.

As you make your way, I urge you to remember this moment and to seek shared ground.

You see, I know a little something about this.

I grew up in Alaska and I arrived at college alone, several thousand miles from home, with one suitcase and no familiar faces. My tennis teammates asked if I had lived in an igloo and jokingly called me “Polar Beardsley.” I convinced some of them that I learned to play tennis on ice. As an engineering student at Tufts, I had to find that shared ground – and fast.

In my career, I was blessed to work in places like Abu Dhabi, Caracas, Tokyo, Warsaw and Cairo, among dozens and dozens of others, and I came to know that starting a new job or project often requires walking into rooms of strangers, in places you’ve never been, in languages you don’t understand, to work on problems in totally unfamiliar contexts.

I learned there are two ways to approach that challenge. You can complain and focus on what is different, which can stall progress or basically get you nowhere. Or you can focus on what I call commonality. The shared ground. Our common humanity. What unites us.

Now, this is not new wisdom. Thomas Jefferson shared this advice in a letter in 1811 to his granddaughter, Cornelia. Rule number 10 of his dozen “Canons of Conduct” was to quote:

“Take things always by their smooth handle.”

Jefferson wasn’t suggesting we avoid hard things. He was suggesting how to approach them. You can start with the rough, serrated edge of division, or you can start with the smoother side of commonality.

Graduates, I urge you not to walk through life looking for the sharp edge of difference. Consider that we all paradoxically share in common that we each are unique.

Science tells us that human DNA is 99.9% identical. No matter where you live, my experience is that people want the same things, like: To feel safe. To find meaning. And to build a life we enjoy.

Safety. Meaning. And a good life.We have many things in common. We want shared ground.

If I could give you a parting gift today, it would be the ability and desire to seek commonality. Commonality will make you happier and help you build relationships. It will make you adaptable and diplomatic. It will help you be successful.

In a moment, as you turn toward the Rotunda – to build your career, your family and our world – be the person whobuilds shared ground.

Class of 2026, these Grounds are forever yours.

Congratulations. And as we say in French, “a bientôt j’espére.” We hope to see you again soon!

Wahoowa!