IU Bloomington New Student Induction Ceremony

This morning, in this small break from the frenzy of getting your student into a residence hall or apartment—with all the desk lamps, oddly-sized sheets, and reminders of home—this is a moment where we can breathe in the complexity of emotions to set in and things that are occurring as you become a student at Indiana University.

I am eager to see how you make IU Bloomington your academic home and help shape our campus.

You are a wonderfully diverse and academically accomplished group, and I cannot wait for you to get to know each other.

There are 65 sets of twins in this group of new students. I’m a twin myself… so welcome, fellow twins!

And there is one set of triplets among our new students. Special thanks to the parents who had THAT moving task this week!

You have found your way to Bloomington from every county in the state of Indiana, 43 states, and the District of Columbia.

There are even 70 of you from the West Lafayette area…. And we love you especially. You are wise enough to come to the land of crimson and cream.

I want to extend an extra special welcome to our international students, who have gathered from every continent (except Antarctica) and from 41 countries around the globe.

It takes bravery and fortitude to travel to another country to pursue your education, and we are honored that you have chosen to study with us. I know your fellow students from around the United States will be eager to reach out to welcome you to Indiana University as well.

Your distinctive attributes and divergent talents form a remarkable assembly of Hoosiers.

Let’s start with your academic gifts.

About one-third (31 percent) of you graduated in the top 10 percent of your high school class; 89 were high school valedictorians.

Your projected 3.9 median high school GPA is a new record.

Every student here today has shown the discipline and drive to succeed academically.
 
As we move full throttle into the implementation of the IUB 2030 strategic plan, I want to emphasize that your success is a pillar guiding everything that we do.

As you learned during orientation, with hundreds of academic programs and undergraduate majors, our university has worked hard to ensure that your education will prepare you well for whatever comes after it. 

Your success, however, will not rest in the classroom alone.

As you find and create your academic home here, you can join one or several of our many student organizations.
 
You can get involved in student media and Outdoor Adventures.

You can volunteer with IU CORPS and connect with communities throughout Indiana. You can make lifelong friends with the person down the hall, and you can travel across the globe.

Getting the most out of your IU experience will mean finding the connections between all the elements of your life—formal research and everyday curiosity, artistic creativity and strategic innovation, honoring yourself, and serving your community. Make sure that while you pursue expertise in your chosen field, you also make time for courses and experiences

that challenge and stretch you. Make sure to go visit your faculty during their office hours. You will find some amazing faculty members that way.

We often hear from employers that they’re looking not only for expertise but also breadth of knowledge and critical thinking. They want, and the world needs, people who are curious, creative, and able to understand and discuss a wide range of subjects.

Employers want to hire people who understand that we live in a world of connections that cross borders of all kinds—of language, culture, and politics.

Regardless of your major and future career path, the habits of mind you develop here will be critical to your future success.

You can start this journey by introducing yourself to someone as you leave the arena this afternoon.

Welcome to IU, your new home and a home you will keep in your heart forever. And welcome to the Hoosier family!