This morning, we gather to honor the members of the Class of 2025, who soon will be graduates of one of the most distinguished colleges in the country.
Seniors: Congratulations! You arrived in August of 2021 with tremendous anticipation for your next four years, notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic that was still hovering then. Your Bowdoin experience culminates on this special day amid the pines andclosely gathered with family and friends to celebrate your education, your experiences, and your graduation.
I hope, as you reflect on your time at Bowdoin, “The Offer of the College” held true and you indeed feel you now carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket and made a host of friends that will be lifelong. Together with them, I am sure you have made enduring memories.
I vividly remember sitting where you are now forty-seven years ago, listening to someone who is now me. I suspect the last four years feel like they have flown by. I feel like the last forty-seven years have been equally quick. But isn’t that an important lesson about life—time flies but your memories endure. The Greek philosopher Theophrastus said, “Time is the most valuable thing a person can spend.” So, as you leave Bowdoin, I hope you treasure time.
Don’t waste it. Spend it wisely. Fill your life with unforgettable adventures.
Seek conversations that help you see the world through the eyes of others.
Relish time with friends, sharing both laughter and tears.
Read widely, exercise, and work to live a healthy life.
Go out into the world and generate new and lasting memories through experiences that give you a deep sense of accomplishment, pride, and most importantly, happiness.
And as you leave this special college, I wish you good luck, not because I think you will need it to succeed in life, but because I believe you will need it to stay open-minded and curious, present and in the moment, and caring and optimistic as you enter the rapidly changing, increasingly technology-driven world beyond this campus.
Our college is not only the oldest in the state of Maine, it is older than the state itself, with an identity and history that is inextricably linked to this beautiful and extraordinary place.
Walking this campus for four years and living as a member of the Brunswick community and among the fine people of the midcoast region are important and memorable parts of the Bowdoin experience, so it is customary at Commencement for the College to invite a representative of the state to bring greetings to our seniors.
This morning, we have the privilege of hearing from Khalil Kilani (“ka-LEE’-al kee-LAHN’-ee”), a member of this year’s graduating class and a proud Maine citizen from Portland.
A computer science major and government and legal studies minor, Khalil (“ka-LEE’-al ) was class president during his first two years here at Bowdoin.
He has also been very involved with the McKeen Center for the Common Good and its Bowdoin Public Service in Washington program, experiences that he says have been meaningful and formative experiences, the latter introducing him to a career path in diplomacy.
As a Pamela Harriman Foreign Service Fellow, Khalil (“ka-LEE’-al) will spend the summer pursuing a self-designed project in Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey, and then in the fall, as a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellow, he will attend Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in pursuit of a master of international affairs degree.
Please join me in welcoming Khalil Kilani, who will deliver Greetings from the State of Maine.
