Class of 2030 Begins GW Journey at Convocation

Authored by:

Every year for more than two centuries, the George Washington University has welcomed a new group of young people determined to make their mark on society.

And as she looked out at the 2,750 first-year and transfer students comprising the Class of 2030 during Saturday's annual Convocation ceremony at the Charles E. Smith Center, President Ellen M. Granberg said she could tell that she was addressing a group that would continue the university's proud tradition of preparing future leaders who combine their intellectual promise with a determination and grit to solve complex problems, create new knowledge and break through barriers.

As those who have come before them, the Class of 2030 made a conscious decision to pursue their passions in Washington, D.C., where for the next four years they will be steps away from some of the world's most consequential institutions.

A GW education is deeply connected to experience as students discover for themselves how they can utilize this proximity to ignite progress, especially, as Granberg noted, in a world where new ideas are blooming, old ones are being reimagined and people continue to innovate to tackle problems once thought unsolvable.

"You have chosen to launch your journey here, in this place," Granberg said. "You chose to be right here in the beating heart of our nation's capital, where every single day decisions are made that affect the entire world."

The Class of 2030 now joins the ranks of a university that has produced more than 120 members of Congress, 79 ambassadors, two U.S. secretaries of state, two U.S. attorneys general and countless journalists, judges, CEOs, athletes and entertainers who all at one point began their GW chapters with a blank page, just like the one the university's newest students have in front of them.

Whether it's interning on Capitol Hill, attending a conference at the World Bank, meeting dignitaries who are speaking on campus, conducting research studying the life of George Washington at his Mount Vernon home or showcasing their art at the NEXT Festival in the Corcoran School of Arts and Design building-located right across the street from the White House-the Class of 2030 now gets to leverage their adjacency to power and consequence to write their own stories.

"This proud legacy combined with your talent and energy make this the perfect place for you to chase the possibilities that your future holds," Granberg said.

Saturday was the 18th iteration of Convocation, one of two ceremonies that bookends a student's time at GW-the other being Commencement on the National Mall. It is the formal recognition of the start of academic journeys as new students begin their matriculation at GW.

The morning ceremony included a procession of academic leaders, trustees and staff members. In addition to Granberg, Saturday's attendees and participants included Provost Edward J. Balleisen, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Colette Coleman, Trustee Camila Tapias, College of Professional Studies Dean Liesl Riddle representing graduate and professional schools and deans of GW's five undergraduate residential colleges: Alyssa Ayres of the Elliott School of International Affairs, Kelly Gebo of the Milken Institute School of Public Health, John Lach of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Paul Wahlbeck of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and Sevin Yeltekin of the School of Business. Each of them encouraged their school's students to cheer and applaud when their school was recognized.

GW's class of 2030 comes from 49 states and the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories and 49 countries around the world. And almost one out of every six will be the first in their family to earn a college degree.

Balleisen, who also is beginning his first academic year at GW after starting his role in July, told students that learning often sticks best when they "seek to address real problems or seize authentic opportunities" and that there was no place better to do this than their new home-as well as his-in D.C.

"Consider the nation's capital an extension of our campus and part of your education," Balleisen said. "The District of Columbia is home to institutions that shape policy, advance science, promote culture and address global challenges. Some of those institutions are only a few blocks away. They are yours to discover. Take advantage of them."

He challenged the Class of 2030 to approach problems thoughtfully, collaborate constructively, know how to ask good questions and develop sensible answers and how to know when tools such as artificial intelligence are worth consulting versus figuring it out on their own.

As they tackle these challenges laid out for them, Coleman outlined five principles that will serve as pillars holding them up throughout their time at GW: critical thinking, community, exploration, empathy and curiosity.

"These five principles are the threads we weave into everything we do, from leadership programs to student organizations, from well-being resources to cultural celebrations," Coleman said. "They'll help you find your way here, and they'll shape the mark that you leave on this place."

Student speaker Amel Alahmadi, a junior civil engineering major, has embodied the university's principles and purpose during her first two years at GW. She has connected her education with community service, noting that GW has shown her that "knowledge has the greatest meaning when we use it to help others."

Whether it's serving through Math Matters, a Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service program that partners with D.C. Public Schools to provide high-impact tutoring to elementary and middle school students, or helping to design a learning center in Uganda through Engineering Without Borders, Alahmadi found her "why" through service and encouraged the Class of 2030 to think about their own goals and the greater impact they have when they work together with and for others.

"Service reminds me that my degree can make a real difference in someone's life, and this institution has introduced me to people who share the same passion for using their education to help others," Alahmadi said. "College is not just about earning a degree, it is about contributing to something larger than yourself."

Before they departed for their Welcome Day of Service sites throughout the city, the Class of 2030 clapped along for a raucous rendition of the GW fight song, performed by the Foghorns pep band.

Their GW chapters have officially begun. It's up to them how they fill pages.

"To all of the Revs launching your journeys here today, in your years at GW, may you

take on difficult challenges that stretch you, that demand your very best and that help you discover just how much you are capable of achieving," Granberg said. "And when we all gather for your Commencement on the National Mall in just a few years, I hope you will look back knowing you aimed high, worked hard and became the very best version of yourself."