At Convocation, first-years called on to ‘embrace the unexpected’
Penn’s 286th academic year formally began at Convocation, where President J. Larry Jameson drew lessons from nature by invoking fireflies—recognizing students’ brilliance, prescribing them to ‘embrace the unexpected,’ and reminding them, ‘Fireflies do not glow alone.’
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Illumination. Connection. Purpose. These are the three words President J. Larry Jameson asked Penn’s Class of 2029—made up of 2,249 matriculated students—to remember as they begin their journeys at Penn.
Jameson, joined by other senior leaders, the Penn Band, the Penn Glee Club, and Quaker Notes, welcomed new students to the University community and officially commenced the 286th academic year during Penn’s Convocation ceremony at Franklin Field.
In his welcome remarks, Jameson recalled camping in the Great Smoky Mountains ahead of his own start to college. He pointed to three qualities of fireflies native to the region: illumination, or their brilliance; connection, noting that “Fireflies do not glow alone” but actually use bioluminescence for communication; and purpose, highlighting fireflies’ short but intentional lives.
“You are here because we saw something extraordinary in you,” Jameson said. “Your purpose at Penn is not nearly as prescribed as a lightning bug’s—which is a good thing. Instead, let me put on my white doctor’s coat for a moment as Dr. Jameson and give you a formal prescription: Embrace the unexpected. That is a key purpose of all Penn people.”
Referencing that Photinus carolinus fireflies blink in perfect unison, Jameson further emphasized the critical function of collaboration.
Addressing the Class of 2029, Penn President J. Larry Jameson (top) said, “We solve problems not by working alone, but by syncing up—across disciplines, backgrounds, and ideas.” Provost John L. Jackson Jr. (bottom left) and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule (bottom right) highlighted the value of learning at Penn. “You will become the leaders who will take us all forward,” said Soule.
“We solve problems not by working alone, but by syncing up—across disciplines, backgrounds, and ideas,” Jameson said. “Collaboration is not just encouraged—it’s our superpower.”
In delivering the invocation for the gathering, University Chaplain Charles “Chaz” Lattimore Howard echoed the sentiment of togetherness, nodding to the tremendous collective effort of the previous week’s Move-In. “We never need to carry the heavy things in our lives by ourselves,” he reminded students.
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Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule, meanwhile, spoke of the “challenge and exhilaration” students will soon experience.
“You are the future, but you’re also the present—and the skills you choose to strengthen, the courage you show in meeting challenges, and the way you learn from your peers, professors, and in countless everyday moments at Penn, and you will become the leaders who will take us all forward,” she said.
Provost John L. Jackson Jr. highlighted the value of learning at Penn, where it is possible to engage with different perspectives and opinions. As an anthropologist, he advised students to grow by seeking out difference.
“My hope for you over the next four years is very straightforward: That you will come to view your Penn education not as a destination, but as an exceptionally robust launching pad, as a series of investigations of what’s new and ever-evolving—and maybe even of what’s impossible to fully quite grasp yet,” he said. “And I want you to allow those investigations, those curiosities, those questions, existential and otherwise, to lead you in unexpected directions.”
Bryan Garcia, a first-year from Crete, Nebraska, studying in the School of Nursing, said after the event that he reflected on how he can—as someone who admits to “keep[ing] to myself”—try harder to connect with others. “I don’t reach out to people but realize I probably should. There can be missed opportunities out there,” Garcia said.
Abigail Jaboin, meanwhile, a first-year from the U.S. Virgin Islands studying economics and communication in the College of Arts & Sciences, reflected on Jameson’s comments about fireflies and connection. While there can be a perceived culture of competition between students, she said, she found optimism in the idea of working in unison.
“We don’t have to be competing against each other; we can be uplifting each other because we’re all special and unique, and all go to this school for different reasons,” Jaboin said.
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