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Good evening, everyone. My name is Dean Pribbenow, and it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 �鶹Լ�� University Opening Convocation. As the 17th President of this remarkable institution, and now starting my sophomore year as president (having just finished my first year), I have the honor of standing before you tonight to officially launch the 2026-27 academic year together.

As we open our ceremony this evening, I would like to offer an especially warm welcome to our new and returning international students. This year, 50 students representing 25 countries are part of the �鶹Լ�� community. Tonight, the flags of their home countries proudly joined us in the processional, offering a wonderful reminder of the many places, perspectives, and experiences that make our University stronger. Students, we are so glad you are here. Thank you for choosing �鶹Լ�� and for bringing your voices to our community. Would everyone please join me in giving a warm �鶹Լ�� welcome to our new and returning international students? 

Traditions in our lives are important, and that’s why there is something special about this evening. Every fall, we gather to formally welcome new students and welcome back returning students to our community. Some of this may look familiar from year-to-year — the academic regalia, the wonderful music, the words of welcome from faculty and students — but the truth is, every year, this moment is new.

Because you, our incoming class, are new.

And because you bring something to �鶹Լ�� that no one else can bring.

You bring your own experiences and questions. Your hopes and doubts. Your talents and quirks. Your victories and disappointments. The people and places that have shaped you.

You bring your whole self. 

And as you do that, I want to begin this year by asking you — and all our students — to do something very simple, but profoundly important:

Bring all of it.

Don’t leave parts of yourself at the door. Don’t decide that college is only about your major, your grades, or your resume. And don’t decide that the person you are today is the person you have to be when you graduate.

Instead, be willing to discover. To be surprised. To speak to someone who sees the world differently than you do — and truly listen. Be willing to change your mind. And, perhaps most importantly, be willing to let other people see you — and to truly see them in return. 

Because that is where much of the magic of college happens.

In 1901, James �鶹Լ�� had a vision for an institution that would educate students from all walks of life not simply for a career, but for a life of purpose and difference-making.

, students have walked these halls, sat in these classrooms, performed on these stages, competed on these athletic fields, conducted research, served their communities, formed relationships, changed majors, discovered vocations, and even failed — but, thankfully, tried again — and eventually left this place to make their mark on the world … after having made their mark on this place.

In a recent student spotlight, 2026 graduate said it perfectly: “I came here hoping to find my place. Instead, I found my purpose. �鶹Լ�� has poured into me, and I’ve poured everything I have right back. That’s what it means to get your money’s worth.” 

And now it is your turn. But here is something I want you to understand about your time at �鶹Լ��:

We believe that what makes an education transformational is not simply what you learn. It is what you do with what you learn. That is the heart of what we call .

You might work with a real IT client through . You might conduct research in the sciences or humanities, right along side your faculty mentor. You might produce a film through . You might manage an art gallery, create marketing materials for a community partner, record music, assist with community healthcare or education, or help a small nonprofit think through its future. 

These aren’t just simulations. They are real opportunities to practice and learn about the person— and the professional — you are becoming. And they position you for success.

But sometimes, you will discover that the most important thing you learn is not how to succeed. It is how to recover when you don’t. How to respond when someone disagrees with you. How to take responsibility. How to ask for help. How to look at a problem and say, “I don’t know how to solve this yet. But I’m willing to figure it out.”

That is education. And it is why the relationships you build here with faculty, staff, and one another matter so deeply. You’ll remember your classes, your assignments, and your exams. But I suspect that many of the moments that shape you most will involve people.

Perhaps you’ll encounter a professor who challenged you, because they believed you were capable of more. Maybe you’ll be inspired by a coach who believed in you when you weren’t sure you believed in yourself. You may have a chat with a staff member who noticed when you were having a difficult day. And you will almost certainly meet classmates who will become lifelong friends. Indeed, we’ve met many partnered couples who got their start at �鶹Լ��!

This is the kind of community that we want �鶹Լ�� University to be. One in which our students feel like they belong and matter. One that is student-ready.

Being student-ready means we see you as a whole person. Whether you are coming from down the street or across the globe, whether you are a first-generation college student or a legacy student, and whether your path was direct or full of turns, you belong here.

Some of you have known what you wanted to study since elementary school. Others may already be wondering whether the major you chose a few weeks ago is the right one. Either way, we are here for you. (I’m not sure if this where I should tell you I changed my major 5 times before landing on one that stuck!)

We will prepare you for a world that is constantly evolving. Our campus, Decatur, Central Illinois, and our local community partners will all be part of your classroom.

But there is another part of this equation … you have to show up.

We can create opportunities. We can build partnerships. We can surround you with faculty and staff who care about you. We can give you the tools. 

But we cannot live your �鶹Լ�� experience for you. That part is yours.

Recent graduate said it well: “�鶹Լ�� is full of opportunities. A lot of what I’ve done came from just being willing to try something new.”

During this past spring, one of our student speakers, Miamaya Parra, shared that when she first arrived at �鶹Լ��, she expected that she would not stay. She was ready to finish before she even began.

But something happened along the way.

She got involved. She met people. She found mentors. She discovered opportunities she hadn’t expected. She grabbed the experience by the horns and became part of the life of the University. And today, she’s still here with us as a graduate student.

So, try something new. Find something that matters to you. Find something you know nothing about. Don’t forget — getting involved is about what you get and what you give. When you bring your full self into this community, �鶹Լ�� becomes better because of you. And a few years from now, when you stand where our graduates stood this spring, I hope you can look back and say not only, “�鶹Լ�� changed my life,” but also, “I changed �鶹Լ��.” And we’ll all be better because of it. 

So, as I close tonight, I want to leave you with a question. It is one I shared with our students last year, and I return to it tonight, because I think it becomes more meaningful the longer we sit with it.

In a poem entitled “Summer Day,” the poet Mary Oliver asked, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

I don’t expect you to know the answer tonight. In fact, I hope you don’t think you have to. Instead, let that question follow you. Let it linger. Let it challenge you. Let it evolve as you evolve. 

To you, our students: Bring your whole self. Bring all of it.

Welcome to �鶹Լ�� University!