Commencement Remarks for the Class of 2025
President Kathleen Harring delivers remarks to the Muhlenberg College Class of 2025.Sunday, May 18, 2025 10:00 AM
Families, friends, faculty, staff, trustees, and distinguished guests — thank you for joining us today to honor our graduates.
Muhlenberg Class of 2025, congratulations! We are so proud of your remarkable achievements.
Today, I want to reflect on three things: everything you've done, everything you will do, and how you will change the world.
But first, a word from one of our sponsors, the liberal arts:
The liberal arts are perhaps the most American form of education. Liberal arts colleges arose directly from the American Enlightenment and its ideals, the same intellectual movement that gave us the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and other writings that inform the foundation of our country. From the American Enlightenment, the liberal arts gets its emphasis on reason, individual rights, the cultivation of well-rounded individuals capable of critical thinking, effective communication, and civic responsibility.
The liberal arts also are full of paradoxes. Whatever you majored in, there’s a good chance that your career won’t focus on that specific discipline. There often is not a straight path from your major to your profession. And that’s not a weakness, it’s a strength. Don’t get me wrong; what you study is important, but at Muhlenberg we’ve seen countless alumni thrive in careers far removed from their majors. In fact, many of you will work in fields that don't even exist right now. This is important. To lead today, you need a skillset that demands flexibility, transcends disciplines, and focuses on what connects them.
That brings me to what you’ve done. While at Muhlenberg you experienced extraordinary events, from the rise of artificial intelligence to massive geopolitical shifts. In the midst of all that, you have mastered complex topics. Interned at hundreds of companies and nonprofits. Conducted ground-breaking research. Studied away from campus. Created astonishing works of art, drama, and music. Won conference championships. Led student organizations for the betterment of the college community — and so much more.
You’ve been getting all the benefits of our rigorous academic programs, PLUS the intangibles of attending a place like Muhlenberg. You’ve become more well-rounded individuals who think critically about difficult topics. You know how to communicate effectively. You have learned how to reason methodically and ethically. You know that being a responsible citizen is a duty, not an option. Think of these intangibles as sparks that result from friction — friction that comes from living in close community with one another and, also, from competing ideas and competing priorities all jostling together.
On to what you will do: You will succeed, and you will succeed greatly. You will thrive in this environment, just like you have thrived here at Muhlenberg. But not only will you thrive, you will lead. You have the ability to delve deeply, master complex topics, and engage with those who think differently than you do. You also understand how to do that ethically and humanely. This is one of the reasons our graduates are more successful than most; they are prepared to lead and serve.
Finally, how you will change the world: You will do it by applying all you have learned — from the tangible things you have created to the intangibles that come from relationships and experiences — and you will apply it to solve the world’s thorniest problems. Problems that are complex, that seem intractable, that require a multidisciplinary approach. You will solve those wicked problems. And by doing that you will help advance the common good. This is what leadership looks like.
Why is this important? This kind of leadership is critical to economic vitality and a healthy democracy. The American Enlightenment thinkers understood that democracy and vitality depend on well-educated citizens. Indeed, James Madison wrote: “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
In its most successful form, our democracy inspires free citizens, who while pursuing their own ends, act together in service to the common good. I would posit that the collective efforts of free people are some of the most powerful forces on earth.
Frederick A. Muhlenberg, our College’s first president, led the college with two purposes in mind: the education of the conscience and the cultivation of the heart. Our brand of liberal arts education is an expression of American democracy’s best parts. We are, each of us, empowered to pursue our own ends, and that is good. A liberal arts education requires us to work together. Democracy requires us to work together. And that is good. When we do that in a principled and ethical way — when we lead with our minds and our hearts — we better the world.
So, this is my charge to you:
Take your Muhlenberg experience out into the world. Ask questions. Act ethically.
Solve those wicked problems.
Lead with your mind and your heart. Be successful and advance the common good.
Like the liberal arts, democracy is a contact sport. So make contact. Cause friction. Generate sparks.
Be the Mules our world desperately needs.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. I look forward to welcoming you back to your Muhlenberg home and celebrating all your accomplishments. Now, go and change the world!
