Delivered by President Scott Beardsley during Convocation on August 23, 2026.
Good evening, and welcome — officially, finally, and wonderfully — to the University of Virginia.
Tonight, you officially enter dear ol’ UVA. One physical entrance to Grounds is located about 300 yards behind me toward the Corner. These are called the Senff gates, and they are inscribed with the words: “Enter By This Gateway And Seek The Way Of Honor, The Light Of Truth, The Will to Work for Men.”
Class of 2030, your instructions — and the instructions for all who pass through UVA’s doors — are to seek honor, truth and public service.
And that's what I want to talk to you about this evening — the importance of opening doors.
When I was a kid, I loved Dungeons & Dragons. Yeah, my three sons say I’m a geek. A university president admitting that in public is either refreshingly honest or a bit concerning, and I'll let you decide which. Your version of that might be Minecraft, World of Warcraft, or Pokémon, or something else that I am not cool enough to know about.
But here's what I loved about Dungeons & Dragons: you never knew what was behind the next door. You'd be sneaking down some torchlit corridor with your party, and the dungeon master would say, "There's a door in front of you," and your heart would do this little flip — is it a dragon? A ghost? A pile of gold? A trap? A hallway that leads nowhere? You didn't know. You COULDN’T know. The only way to find out was to open it.
You see, over time, I have learned that if you open one door, it will lead to another door. Some doors won’t be right for you, and you’ll need to close them. Others will lead you to a better opportunity than you imagined, and the next door, even better.
I’ve found this to be true every time I have moved to a new place or phase of life, like you are doing today.
Though my extended family was originally from New England, my parents moved us to Alaska when I was a kid, and I went to what has been ranked as America’s most diverse public high school: East Anchorage High School. When it came time to go to college, I thought it would be nice to go back east to be closer to my grandparents, and I applied to Tufts University.
My parents cried when I walked by the 10-and-a-half-foot tall moose in the Anchorage airport and flew alone 4,000 miles away and five time zones on Northwest Orient to Boston, with just one blue suitcase and a tennis bag. I imagine some of your parents have shed a few tears this week as well. And, having helped out at Move-In this week, I know you brought along some pretty heavy suitcases.
As the only Alaskan, I knew zero people at Tufts, and I had to learn fast to make friends. You will come to know that I love tennis, so I opened a door and walked onto the tennis team, where I met some great people.
I was not from a family of means, and to afford college, I needed a scholarship. I entered in the College of Arts & Sciences, but I opened another door and applied for a scholarship – turns out, it was a scholarship for engineering only.
When I won it, it meant I was going to become an electrical engineer. I was OK with that because it meant I could stay i college.
Even so, I didn’t limit my studies to engineering alone. I opened the door to a course on Yiddish literature, taught by Provost Sol Gittelman, whose passion for his subject blew me away!
I wanted to learn French so I opened the door to a summer study abroad program in Talloires, France. There, I met a beautiful French woman named Claire – my wife of 38 years! See, you never know what’s behind the door! One decision to study abroad and the rest of my life reorganized itself around it. You cannot plan for that. You can only put yourself in the room — or the country — where the door of opportunity might appear. Stay open enough to notice when it does.
Later in life, other doors will be there for you to open — whether a master’s degree, a new job, a relationship, exciting travel, or a new place to live.
But for now, focus on opening the doors of the incredible college experience before you. Think of opening a door like “swiping right.”
Some of you may already know — or think you know — what you want to study. If that’s the case, open wide the doors of that field.
The truth is that many of you will change your mind or major in a subject that you cannot predict today. Don’t be scared or disappointed by that. That’s the point. That’s the assignment.
You are here to open doors and find out where your strengths and interests lie.
Education isn't a four-year transaction where you swipe your card, collect a credential, and walk out the same person you were when you walked in. You are here to begin shaping who you are as a human being.
Please take a moment to look at your fellow students to your right and left. Somewhere on this Lawn might be your new best friend, your debate partner, your co-founder, or yes, even your future spouse!
The company you keep matters greatly as you make your journey. You will meet people who have different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas than your own. This is a beautiful thing. Embrace it! Ask, “Why?” and “Tell me more.” The University cherishes student self-governance and you will soon sign the Honor Pledge. Live up to it! Here, we also have the freedom to share our ideas, debate them, and learn from each other, even if we respectfully agree to disagree. Those conversations are doors, too.
A final note to wrap up your first-year convocation … I want to remind you that if your head is down and you are consumed by your phone and social media, you just might miss some doors. The algorithm is powerful, but I strongly urge you to talk to people face-to-face, get outdoors, and around Grounds and not just be glued to the smart phone screen.
Speaking of, I hope you will stay for some ice cream after this. And please always feel free to reach out to me. You can find me on social media at @uvapresident, on my Scott Beardsley LinkedIn, or email me at president@virginia.edu.
With that, Class of 2030, it is my profound honor to welcome you to the University of Virginia. Let’s go open some doors!