President Levin’s remarks at Opening Convocation
Welcome to Stamford 0:00
President Levin welcomes first years, transfer students, and their families, calling this one of his favorite days of the year. He predicts students will remember almost nothing he says today but will remember the feeling of arriving at Stamford, just as he remembers arriving in the fall of 1990 with two duffel bags in front of Wilbur. He recalls choosing Stanford for its openness, possibility, and spirit of exploration.
Jessica Watkins astronaut journey 1:32
Levin describes Jessica Watkins, who arrived at Stamford in 2006 wanting to be an astronaut, studied geological and environmental sciences, won a national championship in rugby, and interned at NASA studying plants in Martian soil. She is now commander of the crew 13 mission to the International Space Station, her second flight, though Saturday's launch was delayed. He notes Stanford has graduated 27 NASA astronauts, more female astronauts than any other civilian university.
Three answers on education 3:31
Teaching a new course called College 101 this fall, Levin spent the summer reading Plato, Dubois, Dangarembga, Epicurus, Seneca, and Tara Westover among others, prompting him to offer three answers about what makes a Stamford education distinctive. First is the freedom to explore and change your mind, as he did shifting into English and mathematics, and as Jessica Watkins moved from engineering into geology. Second is the closeness between expert faculty and undergraduates, illustrated by a research paper he wrote with a student who had worked at a used car dealership. Third is the campus experience itself, shaped by dorms, dining halls, and shared culture built on excellence, openness, and optimism.
Three pieces of advice 10:30
Levin closes with three pieces of advice: explore fearlessly but with intention and clear goals, engage across differences with curiosity rather than judgment to build a culture of dignity, and remember the words of a former tennis coach who told his team each practice, sorry about the weather, as a reminder of their good fortune. He urges the class of 2030 to embrace their position with humility and a desire to serve others as they begin their Stamford journey.
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