New Student Welcome, 2016

Welcome to New Students
Leavey Center
17 September 2016

Thank you, Lidia, for that introduction and best wishes for your year as student body president. Thanks also to our student musician, Byron Fan, for some wonderful music. Let me also recognize all our student volunteers who assisted today with move-in to the residence halls. That is a big job, so thank you!

I am pleased to welcome all of you this afternoon. You have survived a day of lugging, unpacking, arranging, and trips to Target and Ace Hardware for all your residence hall needs.  And you parents with students living in Swig: you certainly got your exercise trudging up and down the stairwells, some as far as the 12^th floor.

Welcome to you, the Class of 2020 and your families! Before classes have even started, you are already making an impact on the University: we welcome 1329 first-year students, from 40 states plus Washington, D.C., as well as 48 international students from 24 different countries! We are excited to see the ways in which you bring further diversity and excellence to Santa Clara.

Recently, Harvard professor Richard J. Light wrote an article in The New York Times entitled, “How to Live Wisely,” based on his experience educating students. He talked about college being a time of personal exploration and growth, and focused on the question, “What does it mean to live a good life?”

Now, that may seem daunting as a first-year student; some of you may not even be able to decide on a major yet! But let’s take a moment to reflect on this question, and the way it may appear throughout your college career.

First, take a moment to think: what matters to you? What of the vast opportunities that Santa Clara has to offer excites you most? Are you looking forward to starting classes, or joining an intramural sports team? Perhaps you were involved in the newspaper in high school and wish to be a writer for The Santa Clara, or maybe you are excited to make new friends and spend time with them.

A good measure for finding what matters to you is by examining how you spend your free time. What captures your interest, either inside or outside the classroom? Do you spend your time in pursuit of whatever goals you may have set for yourself, or maybe do you focus more on other things that are more interesting to you? Comparing our goals with our actions can help us to pursue what is most important to us. It can also guide us to reevaluate our choices, if the two do not overlap.

Much of this examination is tied to the Jesuit practice of personal reflection. As a Jesuit university, Santa Clara strives in every way to challenge you to examine your convictions, your interests and passions, and the role that each individual plays in the wider community. As your undergraduate career begins, notice the things that pull at your mind and your heart. Remember: your professors, classmates, and the entire SCU community will be there to support and challenge you throughout your time here, as you seek out what matters most to you.

And you will certainly not be alone-- everyone at some point must consider where his or her true passions lie. One of our recent alumni identified his passion and rearranged his life to chase it, as he reflected on his journey in a blog post through our Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. [1]

Ty Van Herweg, Class of 2015, is the Founder & CEO of Wakabi, what has been called the “Uber” of rural Uganda. It is a social impact startup that connects rural villagers who need transportation to help in the distribution of goods with registered motorcycle riders, otherwise known as “boda bodas.” Wakabi benefits end-users who need transportation, and motorcycle riders who seek to improve their income and job security.

It all started with his time at Santa Clara. He was a double major in Economics and Theatre Arts and started on a journey as a Global Social Benefit Fellow in Uganda with the Miller Center. He witnessed “intense inefficiencies that limit the incomes of those who live in rural areas, and the opportunity to improve these distribution channels using frugal technology.” In a relentless pursuit of that opportunity, Ty secured a Fulbright Research Grant to return to Uganda. He returned, as he said, “with an open heart and an open mind.” There he deployed a phone app which would become the foundation of his new business.

At Santa Clara, we focus on educating for the 3 C’s: Competence, Conscience, and Compassion. Just like Ty in his initial experience with the Global Social Benefit Fellowship, this stimulation of compassion and the prodding of conscience arise through direct encounter with people in need. Ty’s story is truly inspiring; what is great is that he sees a direct correlation between his success and contributions to the world with his time at Santa Clara. He reflects:

• “Thank you, Santa Clara University, for inspiring me to pursue my dreams. Without your persistent teachings of the three C’s and the importance of social justice, I would have never felt empowered to apply for the Fulbright or to pursue Wakabi. I am proud to be a Bronco, and to represent everything SCU stands for. Here’s to the persistence of the entrepreneurial spirit, the drive to create a more just world, and to the Jesuit mission to educate the entire individual.”

Ty asked himself what mattered to him. Through his studies, engagement around campus, and his interests outside the classroom, he found an answer. He found that he wanted to devote his energy to this project that had become bigger than he was. He filled his time with his passions, and he has inspired all of us to be ardent dream-chasers, in whatever realm that leads us.

And for those of you who haven’t declared a major yet, Ty even has a bit of advice for you. He says:

• “My degree in economics gave me the tools to look at things like poverty, homelessness, lack of access to education, and then ask ‘what can I do to address inefficiencies in order to make life better for others?’ And then, my degree in theatre brought things together for me. For instance, in theatre, you have to be prepared to do everything and deal with any situation; it has a very entrepreneurial aspect.”

As with everything, find what ignites a fire in you, and pursue it with your whole heart. Then, you can begin to answer the question, “what does it mean to lead a good life?”

I hope that gives you a sense of what is possible for you and how we approach teaching and learning. Santa Clara fosters men and women who are morally, spiritually, and intellectually competent to engage with and shape our modern world. At Santa Clara, we educate students to develop solutions to social issues; to connect people and ideas across the world; and to engage as local, national, and global citizens who are prepared to make decisions that influence all of us. And underlying all that is a strong commitment to integrity, respect, and mutual accountability.

Let me say a few words about integrity. Integrity is a communal value of Santa Clara University. As a community--students, faculty, and staff--we are committed to living this value in every dimension of our lives. Choosing to join this community is a sign of your own acceptance of these values and your commitment to living them out. I know you are already familiar with our emphasis on integrity from the common readings and RLC discussions. You will hear more about the Academic Integrity Pledge from Lidia following my remarks.

All of this is to say, that Santa Clara is a special place. We work to create an environment that will encourage and challenge you to imagine new possibilities for yourself and your community. We educate you to build a better world, a world that is more just, more humane, and more sustainable. And finally, we give you the tools and support you need to answer the question of what truly matters in your life.

Oh, and one more thing. Ty, and thousands of other alumni who have gone before you over our 165-year history, are the measure of who we are.  These alumni have made all this possible - a beautiful campus, remarkable faculty, impressive facilities, and a thriving environment.  Make the most of these generous gifts in your four years here. And never stop pursuing your own answer to the question of what it means to lead a good life. Congratulations to you, the Class of 2020, and welcome to Santa Clara University!

Michael E. Engh, S.J.
President

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[1]: Ty Van Herweg, “Dumb Phones and Boda Bodas: Proving the World Wrong One Call at a Time.” http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/socent-blog1/2016/8/11/dumb-phones-and-boda-bodas-proving-the-world-wrong-one-call-at-a-time