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09/01/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/02/2026 05:33

Boston University Matriculation 2026: Welcome Class of 2030!

Boston University Matriculation 2026: Welcome Class of 2030!

The 3,722 students in the Class of 2030 hail from 48 states and 87 countries. "That is our strength as a community," Boston University President Melissa Gilliam told them during the Matriculation ceremony on September 1.

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Boston University Matriculation 2026: Welcome, Class of 2030!

BU President Melissa Gilliam urges University's newest Terriers to embrace their shared superpower: finding common ground

September 1, 2026
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Sporting scarlet and white T-shirts and beaming smiles, thousands of new students came together to celebrate their arrival at Boston University during this year's Matriculation ceremony, held at Agganis Arena on Tuesday, September 1.

The 3,722 freshmen bring with them experiences, perspectives, hopes, and dreams that are as diverse as the 48 states and 87 countries they hail from. In officially welcoming the Class of 2030, BU President Melissa Gilliam encouraged them to embrace those differences and the conversations, learning, friendships, and community that can come from them.

"We, all of us, delight in the fact that you come from different countries, you come from different towns and cities, you have different ways of learning, you hold different political viewpoints, you practice different religions, and express your identity in a variety of ways," Gilliam said. "That is our strength as a community."

She noted that the University's emphasis on finding common ground and embracing the individual-"our shared superpower"-can be traced back to its early history. Under William Fairfield Warren, who became BU's founding president in 1873, all students were admitted to every level of the University, regardless of background.

Liam Collins (Sargent'30) (left) and Dominick Coffie (Sargent'30) celebrated as the Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Class of 2030 is announced by the school's dean, Jack Dennerlein. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Gilliam told the story of a young Howard Thurman (Hon.'67), who, in the early 1900s, left his hometown of Daytona Beach, Fla., at the age of 14 because Black children were not allowed to attend school at the time. He set out for boarding school in Jacksonville but almost didn't make it because he didn't have enough money to check his luggage on the train. A stranger gave him the money, a kindness that changed his life. Thurman would go on to become the dean of Marsh Chapel at BU, the first Black dean of any predominantly white campus in the United States.

"I love his story because it is a story I see in each of you-the transformational power of education," Gilliam said.

At the University, Thurman developed his idea of Common Ground, an "answer to forming a thriving community built on kindness, regard, and respect" that Gilliam encouraged students to embrace.

"It is about living in harmony with those who are different from you," she said.

"I want you to listen and debate and argue, and I want you to engage in discourse, express your ideas, even if others disagree with you or actually hate your ideas. But offer your ideas and argue with respect," she added. "Freedom of expression is the key to intellectual rigor, critical thinking, discovery, and lifelong learning."

In the above video, President Melissa Gilliam urges the Class of 2030 to find common ground and embrace their differences during the University's 2026 Matriculation ceremony at Agganis Arena on September 1.

Gilliam was joined by several speakers, including Jason Campbell-Foster, dean of students and the emcee; Robert Allan Hill, dean of March Chapel, who delivered the invocation; James Klein (Questrom'27, CAS'27), a senior orientation leader and vice president of the Music Business Club; Robinson W. Fulweiler, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of biology and of earth and environment, who represented the faculty; and Colin Duckett, provost and chief academic officer, who formally matriculated the students.

Matriculation is one of the oldest university traditions, dating back to 13th- and 14th-century Europe. Historically, students went through a formal ceremony upon entering a university in recognition of the special societal status they held at the time. Today, many elements of the tradition remain. Faculty don formal robes, and banners representing the undergraduate schools and colleges are displayed.

Drawing on the story of Howard Thurman (Hon.'67), who served as dean of Marsh Chapel, President Melissa Gilliam urged the Class of 2030 to find common ground, even if it means having difficult conversations. "I want you to listen and debate and argue, and I want you to engage in discourse, express your ideas, even if others disagree with you," Gilliam said. Photo by Cydney Scott

"This is the moment in which we make a formal commitment to you as scholars of Boston University," Duckett told the assembled students during his first Matriculation ceremony as provost. "Today is one of only two occasions on which your entire group will gather as a class. The next time we meet, we will hand you your degrees. Between now and then, all of us here wish you a meaningful, joyous, and formative journey."

Klein, who is also a student in Kilachand Honors College and a programming director at WTBU, the student radio station, offered three pieces of advice he wished he had received earlier in his time at BU: "Be present. Get uncomfortable. Find your community."

Klein recalled that he was a bundle of nerves when he arrived on campus in 2023. There were more people in his freshman class than in his entire hometown in upstate New York. But once he started embracing the moment and pushing himself to find new friends and interests, his life changed.

It's how he found himself onstage at Matriculation, doling out advice to a new generation of students.

"One thing that can make navigating discomfort easier is the people you surround yourself with," he said. "Before coming here, I had never been part of a community as diverse as BU. I had always understood the importance of diversity, but BU was the first place where I experienced that diversity on such a large scale.… Learning from such a varied group of people has not only expanded my understanding of the world but also my place in it."

During her remarks to the Class of 2030, Robinson W. Fulweiler, a College of Arts & Sciences professor of biology and earth and environment, likened their upcoming journey at BU to the crests and troughs of a wave. Photo by Cydney Scott

Fulweiler, an oceanographer, encouraged BU's incoming class to think about their life at BU-and beyond-as a wave.

"I want you to remember that every wave has a trough and also it has a crest," she said. "And when things feel hard enough that you can't imagine getting through it or you feel overwhelmed by the thought of dealing with it, know that the crest is there. It's how wave energy works. It's how life works. The better parts come again."

Those waves can also have an impact far beyond their origin, Fulweiler noted. A storm far out at sea can create waves that touch down miles away on land. She urged the Class of 2030 to consider the impact their actions during and after their time at BU will have on the world as they embark on their academic journey.

"This can be sort of terrifying, but it is also empowering," she said. "It means the kindness and grace we show ourselves and others can be transported far and wide. It means that the ideas you have-the invention, the story, the experiment-they are needed. And those good ideas, like the swell, will travel around the globe to make a better world."

Platform members congratulated students, like Sophia Ecarma (CFA'30) (right), as they left the 2026 Matriculation ceremony and walked through the crowd at Agganis Arena. Photo by Cydney Scott

As the ceremony came to a close, Duckett officially introduced the freshmen according to their college and school. With the announcement of each school and as each dean stepped to the podium, groups of smiling students surged to their feet and cheered. Gilliam then officially admitted the new students to BU as the Class of 2030.

As the applause faded and the entire Class of 2030 remained standing, the final words from Gilliam's remarks took on new resonance: "As you exit Agganis Arena today, newly matriculated members of the Boston University Class of 2030, I urge you to see the beauty and dignity in each and every one of you and find common ground."

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Boston University published this content on September 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 02, 2026 at 11:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]