[MUSIC PLAYING]
Sending our students home in the spring was one of the hardest things we have ever had
to do as a community.
Our students are the beating heart of UVA.
And looking around at the spaces on Grounds that were usually so filled with energy and life and
instead seeing emptiness was heartbreaking. While we always look forward to welcoming our students
to Grounds in the fall, this moment feels even more momentous.
We're excited to welcome you, the class of 2024, into the University of Virginia family.
This coming year at UVA is going to be different.
It’s going to be different than you imagined or I imagined or all of us imagined.
I am certain though that it’s going to be a great opportunity.
One for us to learn from one another, an opportunity for us to take care of one another, and we
are absolutely determined to make sure that you have a fabulous educational experience.
Embracing obstacles as opportunities requires us to look at things a little differently.
And one of the ways we will have to adapt is in athletics.
We will have to find new ways to come together as fans to cheer on our Hoos.
But if any community can do this, it’s this one.
And when it’s safe to open our stadiums and arenas once again, that moment will become
even more powerful.
This year will look and feel different than years in the past.
It will require us to come together as a community and meet our challenges with imagination,
compassion and determination.
But if you’re watching this as a member of the class of 2024, then that means you
already have these qualities inside you.
You’re joining this community – this family – at a remarkably challenging time.
But if the past is any indication, then I have every confidence this year will lead
us to be more creative, inspire us to be more selfless, and in many ways bring us closer
together than ever before.
I can't wait to see you on Grounds.
Our students are the spirit of this iconic institution.
We cannot wait for you to get here and fill these spaces with life and energy once
again.
Welcome, class of 2024.
[MUSIC PLAYING]