Adrian, MI – Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking officially welcomed an incoming freshmen class of 602 students on Monday, August 17, by offering words of encouragement and advice for a successful educational experience.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Adrian College was unable to hold its annual matriculation ceremony during freshmen move-in day. Instead, the class was divided into several smaller socially distanced groups and Docking spoke to them in Dawson Auditorium on Monday during Adrian College’s “Welcome Week.”
“Let me just begin with this, You have no idea how happy we are to see you. Really, I can’t put into words how happy we are to see you,” Docking said to the incoming students. “Sixteen years I’ve been doing this, saying hello to freshmen in groups coming in. Obviously, this one is different. Your class has climbed higher mountains, endured bigger storms, and you guys have been through a lot. Let’s be honest. A lot. But, I’m not going to talk about the disappointments of the past six months. You all know what they are… What I want to do here is focus on the future, meaning the semester awaiting all of us. You, most importantly. Because, if we do this right, I am convinced that you will find this to be the most extraordinary time in your life, the most fun time in your life, the most amazing and intellectually rewarding, time in your life.”
Coupled with last year’s class of 612 freshmen, this year’s class will push Adrian College’s enrollment to more than 1,800 students going into 2021. The College has had an incoming class of more than 500 freshmen each year for the past 13 years. Graduate student enrollment is at a record level this year, as well.
“What a fantastic class we’ve brought in,” Frank Hribar, vice president for enrollment and student affairs at Adrian College said of the Class of 2024. “We understand the desire of these students to be educated in as normal a fashion as possible and we’re going to provide that in- person opportunity this fall.”
According to Hribar, nearly 6,000 high school seniors from around the nation and the world hoped to attend Adrian College this fall, and the college selected only the most accomplished among them.
Hribar said it won’t always be easy and will take some hard work for the students to succeed, but will be well worth the effort once completed.
“Only one out of every four people you walk by on the street on any given day has a four-year college degree. This means that earning a degree is a bit of a rarity if you consider that 75 percent of people do not have a four-year college degree,” Docking said. “These new students chose the road to a better life. For one thing, on average, they will earn with a college degree, verses someone who just has a high school degree, 1.1 million dollars more throughout their life. A lot of them will make more than that.”
“Their professors will be stimulating, challenging and tough,” Hribar added. “Their classmates will partner with them, compete with them and teach them along with their professors. Their courses will take them on an intellectual journey they never imagined. The range of academic disciplines in our College is exceptional and the pathways they can lead to are infinite. It is the student’s job to make those connections. I encourage each of them to make academic achievement their highest priority.”
Before Docking spoke, each student received a small, intricate globe marble as a token of their past achievements and acceptance to Adrian College.
“This marble is symbolic of our desire to encourage you to understand our world and to make it better,” Docking said to the students. “You will notice on the cool little marble that the snowcapped mountains of Colorado are indeed snowcapped. The great rainforests of South America are lush green. Iceland is icy and wonderful rivers traverse through all lands. What you won’t see on this marble, what is missing, are the borders that divide. No separations between countries, no lines to distinguish war zones, no boundaries, races, religions, cultures — one planet, one human race sharing in the rich resources that God has given us.”
Docking continued, “Allow your education to build on this thought from Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ As representatives of Adrian College, I hope this statement will be true of each you.”
Docking told the students the day marked a life-changing experience, one that would begin at Adrian College. “We love to see the wonder and anticipation in the eyes of all of our new students, as you anxiously await all of the amazing experiences that will define your college years,” Docking said. “You stand today on the threshold of a magical time in your life, a time of significant growth, introspection, self-awareness, challenge and opportunity — a time that you will always look back on as special years. You will make incredible friends that you will cherish the rest of your life, and meet professors who will impact you so profoundly that you will make great efforts to come back for Homecoming year after year.”
During Welcome Week, students check in and are able to meet faculty advisors and student leaders. Along with things like mandatory placement testing, a course scheduling session and various advising sessions on everything from financial aid to time management, the new students will participate in fun events scheduled on campus.
At the start of the week, the large freshmen class of 602 had a “socially distanced” group photo taken to commemorate their new beginning at Adrian College.
Several activities Adrian College usually plans for students were adjusted because of COVID- 19. This year, a majority of events were scheduled to take place on campus and all students received a COVID-19 test as soon as they arrived on campus, unless they submitted proof of a negative test result at home one week prior to arriving at the College.
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*All media courtesy of Adrian College*