Convocation 2026: Beginning the Franklin Journey
Every new journey begins with a first step, and on September 3, Franklin’s new students took theirs together. Surrounded by the beauty of the Garden of Light at the McNeely Center for Ideas and Imagination, the Class of 2030 gathered for the Convocation Ceremony, marking the beginning of a university experience filled with new ideas, meaningful connections, challenges, discoveries, and opportunities to grow. More than the start of a new academic year, the ceremony invited students to look ahead and imagine not only what they will learn at Franklin, but who they will become along the way.
The start of a new journey
Interim President David R. Mills opened the ceremony by introducing Fintan Hoey, Associate Dean for Student Success and Professor of History, who encouraged students to see their university years as an exciting opportunity to shape their own experiences, discover new interests, and learn about themselves.
Supported by academic advisors, tutors, mentors, Community Assistants, and the Office of Student Life, students are encouraged to take responsibility not only for their own growth, but also for the wellbeing of those around them.
At the heart of this journey is a fundamental question:
What kind of human being do I want to become?
Together, we will learn and shine
Dean of Student Life and Engagement Deborah Knaust followed with an emotional ode she wrote celebrating community and collaboration, reminding students that their university experience will be shaped by the relationships they build and the ways in which they support one another.
Ode to Franklin Students
By Deborah Knaust
While our time together may be short,
We gather here, side by side, in support
For progress will ask us to bend and to grow
To step past the comfort of all that we know
In signs and on paper, we find our new name
Shaped by tradition, Liberal Arts is the aim
Together we share the excitement of experiential education
Exploring new paths through curiosity and collaboration
Some will step up and lead the way
Raising their voice through the SGA
Others will listen, will join in, will stay
With President Dave helping guide the way
The world keeps shifting, fast and unknown
As AI reshapes the world we’ve known
We'll learn to question, to guide, to steer
And keep our minds sharp, thoughtful, and clear
And though we may stumble, we'll stand and grow strong,
Learning together where we all belong
Together we’ll learn, and together we’ll shine
This year is our story, our moment, our time
Drafted with the assistance of AI
Welcome to the year ahead. Let's make it a great one!
Dean Knaust then introduced Brielle Landry, President of the Student Government Association (SGA), and Katie Wickersham, Head of Community Development and Initiatives Committee, who presented the association’s role in representing students and fostering engagement and community on campus. Their introduction also built excitement for the many student-led activities and events planned for the new academic year.
The generosity we receive, share, and carry forward
The final address came from Interim President Mills, who invited students to make generosity a guiding value throughout their Franklin experience.
Generosity, he explained, is not only about what we give away. It can also describe how we learn, how we live with others, and what we choose to do with the knowledge and opportunities we receive.
He presented three forms of generosity: the generosity that comes to us, the generosity that passes between us, and the generosity that we carry forward.
The first is the generosity of the people and resources that make a Franklin education possible: from donors and scholarships to the faculty and staff who give their time, energy, creativity, and care to students.
Their exceptional contributions were recognized during last May’s faculty and staff awards ceremony as follows:
- Britt-Marie Muzi Staff Award: Justine Salam, Associate Dean of Career Readiness
- Excellence in Teaching Award: Martin Bullock, Instructor of Chemistry
- Excellence in Professional Engagement Award: Mario Schultz, Assistant Professor of International Management
- Excellence in Service Award: Caroline Wiedmer, Professor of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies
The second form is the generosity that passes between us. Referring to Kathleen Fitzpatrick’s Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University, Interim President Mills reflected on the importance of combining critical thinking with curiosity about other people's experiences. Generosity does not require agreement; rather, it means remaining willing to listen, learn, and engage in productive conversations even when differences remain.
Finally, there is the generosity we carry forward. Drawing on Toni Morrison’s idea that knowledge should not become a “grab-bag candy game,” Interim President Mills encouraged students to think beyond simply collecting grades, credits, experiences, trips, and internships. What matters is what they choose to do with what they acquire.
If you have the power, empower. If you are free, free someone else.
Three questions for the years ahead
Interim President Mills concluded by leaving students with three questions:
Who am I becoming?
As habits, values, thoughts, and capabilities develop, students are continually shaping the person they will become.
Who are we becoming?
Every choice contributes to the community, and a generous community is built through the generosity of each of its members.
Who are others able to become because of how I share life with them?
Because education is not only about individual achievement, but also about the impact we have on others.
As the Class of 2030 begins its Franklin journey, these questions offer a meaningful framework for the years ahead: to learn with curiosity, live generously, and consider not only what they will gain from their education, but what they will give back.
As Interim President Mills reminded them, “Pay attention to what you receive here and to the people who make it possible. Take risks, ask questions, find people from whom you can learn, listen generously enough to allow another person to surprise you. But don’t treat your education as a grab-bag candy game.”
The ceremony ended on a sweet note, with free gelato for all students, faculty, and staff, giving the Franklin community a chance to celebrate together and continue the conversations and connections that will shape the year ahead.
