President Andrea E. Chapdelaine
Remarks at the 107th Commencement
May 18, 2025
Good morning.
To the graduates, families and friends, faculty and staff, members of the Board of Trustees, and all those gathered with us today - welcome! It is a joy to be here with you. Class of 2025, you will always be a special class to me. I may be your third president, but you are my first Conn graduates!
Today, Class of 2025, we celebrate 433 of you – each one a testament not only to personal achievement, but to the power of persistence, possibility, and connection.
Among you are:
- 22 legacy students,
- 73 first-generation students,
- 12 members of the 2021 NCAA National Champion men’s soccer team,
- 3 Watson Fellows who will spend the next year traveling the world and conducting research,
- 5 Mellon Mays Undergraduate fellows,
- a Pickering Fellow and
- a 4-time NCAA National Champion swimmer!
You came to Conn from 32 states and 20 countries, bringing with you diverse experiences and expertise to our hilltop campus.
Class of 2025, you came of age during a global pandemic—graduating from high school in 2021, arriving at Conn masked and distanced, carrying not just your books but the weight of a world in crisis. You had no choice but to learn how to successfully navigate uncertainty, anxiety and isolation. You learned how to “undistance” with strangers in a new environment, while also learning how to be a college student despite the less than ideal high school preparation. And yet here you are. That experience made you strong, resilient and filled with purpose. You came, you conquered and you have rightfully earned your place on this stage.
Connecticut College was founded in 1911, at a moment of profound change in America. Cities were booming, industrialization was revolutionizing the economy, and demands for justice were reshaping society. From that moment on, each graduating class has stepped forward, ready to meet the world where it is and help shape what it can become. And now, Class of 2025, it is your turn.
You are entering the world during another period of significant disruption. Despite this uncertainty, I know you are well-prepared for what lies ahead. How do I know? Because your excellent liberal arts education and the challenges you have overcome to earn your degree have provided you with two essential tools that will ensure your success: adaptability and a desire to continually learn.
Recently I was listening to Radiolab—one of my favorite podcasts. The show was called, “Terrestrials: The Snow Beast.” It was about the surprising discovery of fossils near the North Pole of … wait for it - camels.
Yes! Camels! The animals we see crossing sunbaked deserts evolved in the Arctic. Millions of years ago, their wide, padded feet helped them walk through deep snow. Their long lashes shielded their eyes from icy winds. And those famous humps? Not water tanks, but fat stores (their own marathon gel packs) — perfect for surviving long winters with little food. Everything we thought evolved to survive in the desert actually started as “winter-proof.” The same features that made the camel strong in one environment helped it thrive in another. All those things that made camels great snow beasts would also make them great desert beasts?
You, class of 2025 Camels, have the same ability to adapt and the desire to explore new vistas and discover new communities. These skills you’ve developed here under unusual or challenging circumstances, not only enabled you to arrive at this day - your graduation day - but may even be more useful in the places you’re headed next.
This amazing discovery about the origin of camels also shows us that life is full of surprises. What we assume we know about a creature, a place, or even ourselves often turns out to be only part of the story. Who knew that camels have spent most of their lives in the snow? One of the scientists who studied Arctic camels said, “It makes you start thinking about camels differently.”
Similarly, one of the key outcomes of your liberal arts education is a willingness to have one’s beliefs challenged and even toppled. One question answered always leads to the next one. Understanding, purpose and growth occur by knowing something or someone more deeply, by experiencing new people, places and pursuits.
So to sum up, you, class of 2025, have already shown what it means to meet disruption with resilience, uncertainty with courage, and disconnection with compassion. You are ready and excited to meet this moment of change, and all those that will come after, by continually adapting and learning.
And when it all is a bit too much, think of Conn and all your great memories here, reach out to your friends and mentors for support, or just watch Tik Tok videos of camels playing in the snow.
May you continue to embrace the spirit of the Camel – resilient, steadfast, and ready for any journey. You are walking a path shaped by those who came before you, cheered on by those who walk beside you, and watched with hope by those who will one day follow in your footsteps.
So, go forward with confidence, but please come back. You will always be part of the herd, and will always belong on the Hill. We need your voice, your support and your example for the generations that follow. And we - I - will always be glad to hear from you.
Congratulations, Class of 2025.