2023 Winter commencement

Celebrating new beginnings

Trustees, Provost Shrivastav, faculty and staff colleagues, family and friends, and members of the IU Bloomington Winter Class of 2023:

The Spanish poet and Nobel Laureate in Literature, Juan Ramón Jiménez, once wrote, "A permanent state of transition is (humankind’s) most noble condition.” [1]

Jiménez eloquently expressed that life is a series of transitions, that life’s beauty and nobility lie in its unpredictability, and that each twist and turn is an opportunity for growth, learning, and self-discovery.

Graduates, today’s commencement ceremony is not just a culmination of your years of hard work, dedication, and resilience; it is a celebration of one of the most significant transitions in your lives.

As president of Indiana University, I have witnessed the transformation of thousands of students into educated, empowered, and inspired graduates. Each commencement is a testament to new beginnings, the power of education, and an unwavering commitment to growth. Today, we stand at the crossroads of the past and the future, on the precipice of a new chapter waiting to be written.

Think back to your first day on the Bloomington campus—the nerves, the anticipation, the sheer excitement of embarking on a transformative journey. In a few moments, when you stand for the conferral of your degrees, do so with the realization that you are not the same individuals who walked through the Sample Gates for the first time, but new versions of yourselves—equipped with knowledge, fortified with resilience, and poised to make a difference.

During your time at IU, you have grown and learned in ways you never thought possible. You have discovered your passions, created lasting memories, and made lifelong friends. At IU, you have received an education that has prepared you to enter the workforce or to go on to advanced studies. But your IU education has also helped you learn to think critically and creatively and given you the skills you need to help devise solutions to some of the most pressing challenges we face in the 21st century.

Today is also a pivotal moment that symbolizes not only the end of an academic journey but also the commencement of a lifelong expedition. Many other life transitions lie ahead of you… from career changes to starting families. You are entering a world brimming with opportunities, challenges, and uncharted territories. And while the unknown may seem daunting, it is also the source of immense excitement.

You are now ready to make your mark on the world and to help shape a bright future for all of us.

Celebrating the Winter Class of 2023

The students who graduate today as part of the IU Bloomington Winter Class come from 64 countries, 47 states, and 66 Indiana counties.

One-hundred and ninety-eight of you are graduating with double majors, and 11 members of the Winter Class of 2023 are graduating with TRIPLE majors. 

Many of you have helped make Indiana University a better place by uplifting and supporting your fellow students, actively working to make our campus more inclusive and welcoming, and working to improve the quality of life for members of this community and citizens of the world.

Yahnea' Gentry, for example, graduates today with a degree in elementary education and a concentration in mathematics. A Hudson & Holland Scholar and a Groups Scholar, Yahnea' served as president of Peer Advisors and Ambassadors for the Groups program and won the Groups Ambassador of the Year award. She also served as a peer mentor in the School of Education, as the fundraising and scholarship co-chair for her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, and was a member of the Homecoming Court in 2022.

Jason Tedjasmita is one of more than 300 international students earning degrees today. He says he chose to study in the U.S. and at IU to step out of his comfort zone and broaden his horizons. He graduates from IU’s renowned Kelley School of Business with a major in Information Systems and Supply Chain Management. As a representative for the Singapore Alumni chapter, Jason serves as a mentor to students from Singapore at IU as well as American students studying abroad. As a project management intern for IU Corps, he has helped connect hundreds of non-profit organizations with the IU community for volunteer activities. He has also served as an officer with Ascend, a Pan-Asian business organization.
 
Mariah Benham is one of the nearly 1,000 students earning advanced degrees today. She graduates with a master’s degree in data science from the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. This summer, Mariah worked with INsite, a partnership between 30 school districts and the IU School of Education. Her project focused on developing a web app that allows teachers and administrators to view changes in student data across time, with visualizations that show student grades and associated risk scores across multiple school terms. After graduation, she will work as a research associate at Prevention Insights, an addiction science center based at the IU School of Public Health.

Clara Isaac graduates today from the Media School. As a highly accomplished journalism major with a concentration in public relations and strategic communication, Clara is an Ernie Pyle scholar, a James E. and Anne Echlin Bright Scholar, a Hudson and Holland Scholar, a Herbert Presidential Scholar, and a Founders Scholar.  You may recognize her name as the co-host of the Bloomington Breakfast Club on IU Student Television. While at IU, Clara has been guided by her passion for communicating with others, specifically amplifying the voices of underrepresented minorities.

Sydney Foreman graduates today with a degree in Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences with a focus on Food and Agriculture Systems. A recipient of the Tracy Gardner Internship Scholarship, Sydney traveled to Zambia last summer to work with a research team studying how local maize farmers are adapting their farming methods to keep their yields profitable. Her dream is to work in the field of agriculture to promote food justice and food freedom.

And Jonathan Kim is one of many students graduating today from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Jonathan is graduating with both a Master of Public Affairs and a Master of Science in Environmental Science, with a concentration in Energy and Climate Policy. During his time at IU, he has worked as a Student Trainee Economist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., and this past summer he interned in Lisbon as part of O’Neill’s Global Leadership Program in Portugal. Jonathan has accepted a position as a research associate with the Energy and Policy Institute after graduation.

Embrace the excitement of the unknown

As all of you stand on the threshold of new beginnings, I encourage you to embrace the excitement of the unknown, for it is in those uncertain moments that your character will be tested, your resilience will shine, and your greatest achievements will unfold.

And while many transitions and new beginnings lie ahead of you, one thing will never change: you will always be a part of the Indiana University family.

You can expect that we will reach out to you often in the coming years because we know that you care not just about this institution but also about the people who comprise your IU family. We hope you will return to the campus that has been your home, visit often, and when you’re away… keep in touch so we can celebrate your successes.

As you move into the next chapter of your life, remember the lessons you have learned and the relationships you have formed here. Cherish these memories and take them with you wherever you go.

In the face of challenges, maintain the spirit of curiosity that brought you to Indiana University.

Carry the torch of knowledge with pride and let it guide you as you contribute your unique perspectives to the world.

And may your new beginnings be as extraordinary as the potential within each of you.

Congratulations and best wishes to the Winter Class of 2023!

Footnote

[1] Juan Ramón Jiménez "Heroic Reason," as translated by H. R. Hays, in Selected Writings of Juan Ramon Jimenez (1957) edited by Eugenio Florit, p. 231.