Good morning, Class of 2022!
I am thrilled to join Duke's faculty and your classmates, your families, and so many friends in congratulating you for reaching this extraordinary milestone – your commencement.
Today is, fittingly, Mother's Day, when we come together in gratitude for the love and the support that sustains us.
And in that spirit, let's begin by giving a shout-out to the mothers, and the family members and the friends who are here today.
Class, please stand up, please stand, turn around, and give them a thunderous round of applause.
Thank you.
So we are gathered here this beautiful morning, this unseasonably cold morning, in historic Wallace Wade Stadium, the site of many joyful triumphs over the years.
The Classics scholars among you may know that the word 'stadium' comes from the Latin for the standard distance of a footrace.
And a race may be what many of you may feel you've just completed – an extraordinary run with unforeseen turns along the way.
And to be sure, you've earned the opportunity to sit here and to revel at the finish line, with your fans surrounding you.
