New Student Convocation, 2024

Good afternoon! And thank you, Chaplain Donald. 

Like all of you, our University Chaplain is new to Wake Forest, too! Let’s welcome Chaplain Donald! 

And, I want to welcome all of you to this building, Wait Chapel — a place where so many special traditions take place that make us who we are. Welcome to your first Wait Chapel ceremony. 

And here on the stage with me, you will see faculty, staff, and administrators who will become part of your Wake Forest experience. We are here because of you — indeed many of us pursued careers in higher education because we are called to share our love of learning with students. 

Today is also a special day on the calendar for me as president. 

There are only two times each year when I have the opportunity to speak to an entire class of Wake Forest students in one space: opening convocation today and graduation on Hearn Plaza in May. 

Now, there are many other times when we will be together, but only these two times devoted especially to your class — the Class of 2028 — that’s it!

So I want to make it count! 

First, I am going to share a secret with you. 

And second – because I am a teacher at heart – I am going to share my love of learning by giving you an assignment. 

Before we get to the secret and the assignment, let’s talk a little about how you got here. 

You are outstanding students – you have achieved academically, you have led in your extracurriculars, and you have made a difference in your communities. In other words, when it came to what you would do after high school, I know you had options. 

And, you chose Wake Forest. 

Our faculty, staff and administrators are a lot like you — they are talented, accomplished scholars and leaders who have had many options. 

They chose Wake Forest. 

Why? Think about your answer for a moment. 

I spend a lot of time talking with Wake Forest faculty, students and alumni. I ask this question a lot: Why did you choose Wake Forest? 

And the answer I hear over and over again is this: Pro Humanitate. 

Our motto. 

Like no other place I have ever been, at Wake Forest, our motto is a living part of our culture. We talk about it in the classroom. We pursue it in our research. We dedicate our spring break trips to it. 

At Wake Forest, Pro Humanitate is more than Latin words on our University seal. It drives us. It binds us together as Demon Deacons. 

And while this may be true, you, just like me when I first arrived, might find this calling daunting. 

For Humanity… All of humanity — that’s nearly 8 billion people! It’s overwhelming! 

What can we as individuals do to live out that motto? Taken at face value, affecting change, making a difference for humanity can seem impossible, unrealistic, outlandish! 

But here’s the secret: 

Pro Humanitate starts with you and the person in front of you, beside you, behind you. Not with 8 billion people. 

It starts with you. 

Our motto means extending grace to your roommate and to your future classmates. 

It means offering to help when you can see someone is in need. 

It means reaching out when someone is hurting; saying good morning to the stranger you pass on the quad; holding the door for the person behind you at the Pit. 

Our motto comes to life, even in these small acts. 

As my colleague, Vice President Shea Kidd Brown, says often, small moments like this can make a difference in someone’s day and even their life. 

My academic background in cell biology and biomedical research further proves this point. 

Before I was a University President, or a Provost, I studied life at the cellular level — first as an undergraduate, then in my graduate work before becoming a faculty member.

My research experiences demonstrated clearly how the smallest things can have the most extraordinary impact. 

Under the microscope, we can see that which the human eye cannot. The smallest cellular feature or mechanism can be the key to understanding a complicated process, to unlocking healing and curing disease. 

As a scientist, I know that one small thing, one microscopic cellular feature has the power to shift our collective understanding, to reveal whole new avenues for knowledge and solutions to problems.  

The small things are the big things. 

So when you hear “Pro Humanitate” – which you will hear a lot over the coming days, weeks, and years —  remember this secret. Our motto can start small — and it starts with you. 

You have the power each day to make our community better, stronger, and more open to all. And, conversely, you also have the power to do the opposite. 

Every day, you will make choices and those choices will impact the community you live in now, just as your choices will impact the communities you join when you graduate. 

Pro Humanitate for you starts now. Live it. Show it. Extend its impact. 

Our motto inspires us to more. 

I want you to really start thinking today about what it means to you. 

Now, I’d like you to take out your phones. Yes, the President is giving you permission to use your phone for just a little while during Convocation! 

Use the QR code behind me to share with us what our motto means to you. 

Thank you for doing that! 

Now let’s talk about the assignment. 

I believe that our motto also means seeking to understand humanity. And while humanity means all of the human race, and it means you and the person next to you, Pro Humanitate also means kindness. Care. Friendship and honor. 

It means empathy. 

And it is no secret that the world we live in today, the society we inhabit,  might feel devoid of empathy at times. 

It might feel like the world is seeking to divide us, tempting us to retreat to our corners, to turn words into weapons, to break others down, rather than build one another up. 

Many of you will vote in your very first presidential election this fall — which I encourage you to do! 

When I was a first-year college student, it was also a presidential election year – and my first time to vote.

I was from a small rural town, many of my classmates were from big cities, and some from different states. We had different perspectives and experiences, but we appreciated opportunities to listen to each other and think about the future.

Today, in 2024, it may be a difficult season for this country. The contentiousness that can accompany elections may threaten to spill over into our community. 

So here is your assignment: I want you to practice empathy. 

Empathy — the ability to put yourself into the shoes of others; to really listen, not just to respond, or win the argument, but to understand others; to seek what connects, rather than what divides; to search for common ground, common humanity. 

This assignment — it should sound so easy! And yet at the same time, in society today, it is also quite radical! To lead with empathy, to engage others with empathy, when strife, division, and conflict are commonplace might feel counterintuitive in our culture.  

I have always been an optimist. My glass is more than half full, so to say. 

So I choose to believe this is possible that we as Wake Foresters can challenge ourselves and one another to adopt empathy as a mindset and a practice. 

I believe this mindset — and our shared commitment to it —  it will make us an even stronger learning community, a place for all to live, thrive, and find a sense of belonging. 

And make no mistake, this assignment starts today, here in Wait Chapel – but it’s not just about Wake Forest. More than ever, the world needs leaders in every field and profession who are capable and ready to lead with empathy, with courage, and with integrity. 

You are here because you have the capacity to be those leaders, and your experiences here will help you strengthen your skills and find pathways for you to apply them, during and after college. 

So let me ask you this: do you understand the assignment? 

Good. 

Remember the secret: Pro Humanitate starts with you. 

And do your homework: Practice empathy — even when it isn’t easy. 

The world will likely find a thousand ways to make this hard.  

Support one another in this assignment, and know that we — your faculty, staff, and leaders — will do the same. 

And be prepared — when we see each other on campus in the coming days, weeks and months, I just might ask you this question: What does our motto mean to you? 

Welcome to Wake Forest! You belong here, and we are so glad you are here.