Good morning Class of 2018!

Welcome to this glorious celebration.

Welcome to our honorands and trustees. Welcome to our faculty, staff, and alumni. Welcome to our Brunswick neighbors, and welcome especially to family and friends who are here to celebrate this joyous occasion. Thank you for traveling from all parts of our country and the world to be here on the beautiful campus of the college we love. And to our graduates, one journey ends today and another begins.

In “The Offer of the College,” Bowdoin’s seventh President, William DeWitt Hyde, described these as the best four years of your life. For those who have come before you—those who have marched in our previous 212 graduations—these were among the best four years of their lives because of the rich, wonderful, challenging, and rewarding experiences on campus, and because of the foundation of knowledge, skills, friendships, and deep sense of self that comes from these experiences—experiences that will make your life richer every day.

First things first. I would like to ask our students to stand up. Now, turn and face your parents, family, and friends—those who have supported you and who love you. Consider all that they have done for you to help you get here today and thank them with your applause.

This is our 213th Commencement. In 1806, when our first Commencement took place on these grounds, Thomas Jefferson was in the White House, Congress was in only its ninth term, and it would be three years before Abraham Lincoln was born. While the design of this campus has changed a touch, Massachusetts Hall just over there, our first building, was standing. Very few institutions have been as durable as Bowdoin, a place that embraces both change and a steadfast commitment to our core values as essential elements in providing a great liberal arts education.

To our students, many congratulations. You have successfully completed a challenging and compelling course of study and taken full advantage of the cultural, artistic, athletic, and yes, the social aspects of Bowdoin. You are moments from leaving the world of a student and joining the ranks of our amazing and devoted alumni.

Let me ask you to stand again—last time, I promise—and give the faculty and staff at Bowdoin a round of applause for all they have done to make this experience possible.

I would like to recognize one of our graduating seniors, Charles Phillips, who was commissioned into the United States Marine Corps yesterday. Many congratulations.

To our seniors, Julianne and I have enjoyed beyond words the opportunity to come to know you, we are incredibly proud of all of you and we look forward to seeing you as alumni of our College for many years to come, both back here on campus and in those places you will be calling home.

Thank you to our honorands for sharing yourselves, your experiences, and your remarkable accomplishments with us.

Yesterday at Baccalaureate, I talked about Ed Lee, the joy with which he lived his life, and the challenge to you to also find that joy. This morning, I would like to share with you a related idea, and the singular insight I have gleaned in my almost sixty years of what I believe is essential for a happy life. It has nothing to do with your GPA or smarts, or the careers or fancy titles you’ll have, or the money you might make. It is about your heart and soul.

Find and nurture the special relationships that make you whole.

Find that person who will love you completely and without question—they are out there—and give them the same. It is magic and life changing. Should you have kids, love them completely and make your time and attention a top priority. Grow the friendships that draw out the best in you, with those who love you for who you are and who are there for you as you are for them.

No amount of money, no fancy titles, no other goals can come close to the life changing satisfaction that comes from these special relationships. Nothing else—nothing—will sustain you in the same way and nothing else will make you or your life as good.

Class of 2018, we honor you and celebrate all that you have accomplished. Many congratulations and Godspeed.