A New Journey Begins for a New Class of Students

On a sunny Friday morning, a day after many of them moved to campus and into their residence halls, the Ursinus College Class of 2028 walked from the field adjacent to the facilities building toward Bomberger Hall, where they would officially participate in Ursinus Day Academic Convocation—an official welcome to their new college community.

The bagpiper-led journey that weaved between campus landmarks was short, unlike the one that led them here, and the one that will follow. But it marked a beginning, and no matter where it may lead, the students are certainly starting at the right place.

“I want to share a vision with you—a vision of a river with many streams that flow and intertwine, creating a vibrant and ever-changing course,” President Robyn Hannigan told the class of first-year students. “Each of you is a part of this river, carving out your unique path, sometimes diverging into new streams, sometimes rejoining the main flow, but always moving forward, always shaping your journey.”

This academic year, Ursinus is welcoming 440 new students to campus, which includes the largest-ever class of transfer students. Among them, the first-year class represents seven different countries and 20 states, and nearly 30 percent are first-generation students.

Over the next few days, they will meet many faculty and staff who will be instrumental in their academic and personal growth. But, as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Campus Life Gundolf Graml pointed out, the students will each play a major role in their own undergraduate experiences.

“[Your classmates] are the people with whom you will learn, work, and play for the next few years,” Graml said. “The rest of us are here to support you in the process of becoming thinkers and doers, problem solvers and leaders. But it is you and your peers who will apply these skills every day, as individuals and as a group.”

The Convocation ceremony served to introduce the first-year students to Ursinus’s Quest core curriculum that undergirds their holistic undergraduate experience. It included a musical performance of “Days and Days” from Fun Home (a Common Intellectual Experience text) by Laisha Torres ’26 and Gianna Daiuto ’26, as well as a self-choreographed dance performance, “Agency,” by Izabella Entrekin ’26. Following Convocation, the first-year students participated in their first CIE course.

Serena Rose Gaskin ’23, now a graduate student at Bryn Mawr College, described her experiences with Ursinus’s Quest in a short conversation with Professor of Biology Carlita Favero.

Gaskin said, “I tried to make the most of my experience, not just in the classroom, but outside of that. I was really able to grow and develop so all of these different aspects of my journey, the social relationships that I made, really transformed me, personally, and my career path.”

In her own remarks, President Hannigan said, “At Ursinus, we believe that every student’s path is personal and that your pathway to success is as individual as you are. Your pathway down this river reflects the diversity of your experiences, the choices you make, and the connections you form. As you navigate your course, remember that you are meant to be here, at this moment, in this place. You belong at Ursinus. This is your time to explore, to learn, to grow, and to make this journey truly your own.”