Bruins get a big welcome from Chancellor Julio Frenk and an even bigger block party

Good afternoon, Bruins.

Today marks a milestone in your UCLA journey. You've earned this moment through your hard work, ambition, creativity and talent. You chose us. And we couldn't be happier to welcome you as the newest members of our Bruin family.

I want to share a few numbers that show how special you are. Our first-year students come from 47 states, plus Washington D.C., and more than 70 countries. Eighty-one percent of you ranked in the top 9% of your high school class or state. And 23% of you are first-generation college students.

Among our transfer students, 40% of you are first-generation, and more than 92% come directly from California community colleges. Our transfers' average GPA is 3.83.

As a group, there are nearly 50 veterans and active military servicemembers among you.

But more important than the numbers: You are curious and you care. You want to be a part of a world that does good - and is good. In choosing UCLA, you've come to the right place. You have all earned your spot at the most-applied-to university in the nation.

Together, you create a tapestry of lived experiences. Embrace that diversity.

You will learn and grow inside the classroom, where you will study with some of the world's leading thinkers in everything from engineering to economics, astrophysics to art history, poetry to politics. Remember: We have more than 140 majors at UCLA.

You will also learn outside the classroom. Get involved in volunteer programs or athletics. Or join one of our more than 1,500 student organizations, from beekeeping to beatboxing. Find time to explore Los Angeles. Your new home is the creative capital of the world. And we have the best weather and the best food in the nation. Right here on campus, we offer more than 1,000 arts events each year.

Be open to new ideas. Broaden your worldview. And be someone who embraces the complexity of human experience around you. All of this will take you on a journey of discovery.

I'd like to share a personal story that shaped my own path. When I was 16, I spent a summer in a remote indigenous community in Chiapas, in southern Mexico. I was trying to decide between studying medicine - like my father, grandfather and great-grandfather - or becoming an anthropologist. One day, a woman came into the village carrying her sick grandson. She had walked more than three hours to seek help, and along the way, she had fallen and injured herself. Her forehead was bleeding, but that didn't stop her. She wanted care for the child in her arms. But when she arrived, the village's only health worker was away. There was no one to help her. I stood there, watching this woman, exhausted and bloodied, and I thought: I don't want to only study people. I want to serve them.

That moment changed my life. It led me to study medicine, public health and social policy - and it continues to shape my work to this day.

All of you will have moments like that here, moments that clarify who you are and what you want to give to the world. Pay attention to what moves you. And let new experiences redefine your old beliefs.

You will quickly discover: Bruins care deeply about this institution and each other. At UCLA, we are guided by three principles that reflect who we are and who we aspire to be:

• A connective university that builds bridges across disciplines, geographies, communities and generations.
• An impactful university that links scholarship to solutions so we can fulfill our ultimate duty to society.
• And an exemplary university that stands as a model for the larger society it serves.

These are shared aspirations - ambitions we strive for. They are not without challenges, and I want to be clear-eyed and open with you.

Higher education - and universities across the country - face a consequential moment. Not everyone understands the life-changing and life-saving value of our scholarly and creative work. And our research funding is at risk.

We also live in a time of extreme polarization, not just on college campuses but in our national conversations. Now more than ever, we must stand together and stay connected.

I believe there are two points on which we can all agree. First, we must uphold the inherent dignity of every person and actively combat discrimination and hatred in all forms. And second, while we honor the many dimensions of identity that shape us, we must remember never to reduce individuals to stereotypes or to see those around us as "the other." That is the root of dehumanization and division - and it has no place at UCLA.

I encourage each of you to look out for one another. Yesterday during move-in day, my partner, Dr. Felicia Marie Knaul, and I had the joy of meeting many of you and your families. And after this, we'll join you at the block party.

Remember, UCLA is more than a place to learn. It is a place to build community and create connections. This goes hand in hand with an initiative we call UCLA for Life. This embraces the idea that education lasts an entire life - long after you leave our campus. And the idea that education prepares you for life, enabling you to lead meaningful lives as constructive members of a community.

I say this from the heart: You will always be a part of UCLA. And UCLA will always be a part of you.

Congratulations again on becoming Bruins. Let's make this an extraordinary year together. Fiat Lux. And remember: We are One UCLA.