The Kenyon community welcomed first-year and transfer students to Gambier on Sunday, Aug. 20, during the College’s Opening Convocation ceremony held on the Samuel Mather Lawn.
A long line of new students — representing a group that is about 480 strong this year — processed past Kenyon’s assembled faculty before being welcomed by Chaplain Rachel Kessler ’04 and Acting President Jeff Bowman.
Bowman detailed some of the skills the newcomers can expect to develop during their time at Kenyon — collaboration and lucid writing, among them — and promised, “All of these opportunities you’ll pursue in an environment that is supportive, inclusive and caring.”
Diane Anci, vice president for enrollment management and dean of admissions and financial aid, stressed that it’s no accident that those in the crowd ended up at Kenyon, which received a record number of applications and whose incoming students include representatives from 39 states and 20 countries.
“We’re here because we made an intentional decision to be here, in this beautiful place, in this magical community of thinkers and learners. … Your arrival renews us and makes us better,” she said.
Kenyon’s newest students were described in glowing terms by their previous counselors and teachers. “Top of the list, the words that were used to describe you were ‘brilliant,’ ‘bright,’ ‘intelligent,’ ‘smart,’ ” Anci said. Close behind were “hardworking,” “determined,” “creative,” “passionate,” and “curious.”
Trustee Benita Jackson, who also is a parent of a Class of 2018 graduate, extolled the virtues of a liberal arts education and the importance of “our shared love for being part of a community of learners and thinkers who don’t shy away from challenging work.”
That work, echoed Acting Provost Sheryl Hemkin, is about more than just reading books or doing homework; it’s a process intimately connected to peer and instructor interactions. “Know that you’re not doing this work alone — we are all here to work, to learn and to grow alongside of you,” she said.
Self-discovery is such an important part of the college experience, Vice President for Student Affairs Celestino Limas told the crowd. “While your parents’ transition is learning to let go, your transition is learning to actually understand yourself so that you can develop new and healthy relationships as adults. … If you are willing to be present each and every day, I promise you the return will be immense,” he said.
Welcoming the Class of 2027 on behalf of their more veteran peers, Student Council President Marissa Sun ’25 urged newcomers to make the most of their time on the Hill, calling it “a transformative experience.”
“Whatever you do, I implore you to take advantage of this short time because while it might not feel like it now, it does fly by quickly,” Sun said.
There was plenty more advice dispensed during the morning remarks. Prior to a closing benediction by Chaplain Marc Bragin, Bowman shared tips for new students that spanned medieval times to the modern era. These included comments that Kenyon’s 12th president, William Foster Peirce, made to students a century ago in 1923 about the virtues of nonconformity, as reported in The Collegian.
“President Peirce advised them to think for themselves, not to take blindly all the advice that would be offered them by their upper-class peers,” he said.
The trick about advice, Bowman said, is to think about what kind would be most beneficial — and then ask for it.
“Kenyon’s campus is full of faculty, staff, coaches, counselors and classmates who are eager to offer useful, timely, tailored advice to you about courses, careers, time management, and even how best to deploy the panini press,” he said. “We look forward to the conversations that will follow.”
