Good morning, everyone.
My name is Maurie McInnis, and on behalf of Dean Lewis, Provost Strobel, and all of our colleagues, it is an honor to welcome you to Yale.
This is only my second opening assembly as university president, but I've quickly learned it may be my favorite moment of the year.
Yes, graduations are fun and reunions are joyful, but nothing quite compares to the energy of this day, the buzz of possibility and the promise of new beginnings.
Of course, as a parent who's had to drop two kids off at college, I know the squirrel of emotions of this moment. The tug of sadness as you prepare to say goodbye, ultimately outweighed by the immense excitement you feel for your child.
So to the parents and the family in the audience, let me just say thank you. Thank you for letting us be part of your child's journey. Thank you for trusting us to guide their pursuit of knowledge for the next four years.
We take that responsibility seriously, and I can promise you this. By coming to Yale, your child will not only receive a world-class education, They will also become part of a rich community of learners, one that feeds their curiosity, challenges their thinking, and helps them grow, both as scholars and people.
That is the power of a Yale education.
And it doesn't fade. It's a compass you'll carry with you for the rest of your life, with curiosity as its true north.
And it's more important than ever, especially in a world that seems to be changing at warp speed, which brings me to what I want to talk about today.
