WILLIAMSBURG — Hundreds of William & Mary students gathered near the Sir Christopher Wren Building on Wednesday to kick off the start of the 2024-25 academic year during the university’s opening convocation ceremony.
The incoming undergraduate class includes around 190 transfer students and 1,620 members of the Class of 2028, according to William & Mary. The annual convocation invites current students, Williamsburg community members and university staff to gather and celebrate by inviting the incoming class to walk through the Wren Building onto the Sunken Garden.
President Katherine Rowe began her welcoming remarks by mentioning one of her college passions — ultimate frisbee.
“Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the basic joy of play,” she said. “At the alma mater of the nation, we build on that legacy together, and all of us have a chance to leave this university better than we found it by doing this together. That is how we compete together. That is how we win together. That is our spirit of the game.”
Both Rowe and Provost Peggy Agouris also addressed the upcoming November presidential election, urging students to get involved and represent the university by addressing “the most pressing issues of our time.”
“I encourage you to share in the utmost when it comes to your education,” Agouris said. “Today you begin an academic journey that will challenge you, one that will deepen your connections, one that will evolve in ways you can’t yet know.”
During Wednesday’s ceremony, W&M’s class presidents — senior Matthew Huang, junior Zoe Wang and sophomore Nico Giro-Martin — presented a banner to the Class of 2028, a longstanding tradition extended to each year’s incoming class.
This year, William & Mary invited Dr. Cleveland “Cleve” Francis Jr. as the convocation’s keynote speaker. Francis received a bachelor’s degree from Southern University in 1967 before pursuing a master’s in biology at William & Mary, graduating in 1969. He later pursued a medical doctorate through the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and now owns his own cardiology practice in northern Virginia.
Outside of medicine, Francis is a musical artist who recorded his first album while completing his master’s degree, later creating the Black Country Music Association in 1995.
Rowe emphasized Francis’ passions as a perfect example of the William & Mary ampersand, symbolic of the wide range of study, extracurriculars and passions that students are encouraged to get involved with. Francis’ story is not only representative of the university’s student body, but also speaks to the institution’s complex history. As one of only seven Black students attending William & Mary while working on his master’s degree, Francis spoke about the challenges he faced while pursuing his academics.
“I arrived in Williamsburg at the Williamsburg Amtrak station a half a mile from here, lugging a small suitcase, a Bible, a notebook of folk songs I’d written, and of course, my guitar,” Francis said. “Prior to this journey, I had never stepped outside of the state of Louisiana. I didn’t know a single person in this town and I wasn’t sure where I was going to sleep at night.”
Growing up in the segregated town of Jennings, Louisiana, Francis said he never thought college was an option for him, until his mother urged him to learn as much as he could throughout his life. Today, he says that applying to William & Mary was “the best decision I ever made.” Francis continued by telling students about Louisiana folklore and the deep belief in ghosts that, despite skepticism, he brought with him to college.
Those ghosts would become a metaphor for the university’s extensive history, as well as his own ancestors and great leaders who inspired him to follow in their footsteps.
“My grandmother said about ghosts, they can’t see you, but you can see them among the ghosts of the past,” Francis said. “You may be able to see that true essence of a life well-lived, to give your life a personal sense of meaning, of what makes you you while you’re here — not in the courtyard of this grand building, but in this wonderful world of ours.
“The saga of America still being written, consider how you can add to that story and improve the lives of those who will follow.”
Also Wednesday, Rowe honored education professor Debbie Ramer and senior Michelle Indelicato with the President’s Award for Service to the Community. Both Ramer and Indelicato donated their awards to local Williamsburg organizations.
The incoming class later proceeded through the Wren Building to be met with cheers and celebration from current students, a William & Mary tradition.
“It was very reminiscent of our when we walked through and there were so many people welcoming us,” senior Isabel Rose said. “It was such a surreal experience welcoming the new freshmen knowing it’s my last time.”
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