Bentley welcomed the Class of 2018 to the university August 28 at a convocation filled with pomp and tradition and uplifting words of wisdom from President Gloria Cordes Larson and digital marketing strategist Shama Hyder, dubbed the “millennial master of the universe” by Fast Company.
The 980 students and their families arrived on campus from 36 states and 42 countries on a picture postcard late summer day. They were greeted warmly and assisted by student volunteers.
Larson recalled her arrival as a freshman at Vassar College in 1968, “a time of tremendous change on college campuses and for the country.” A few months before enrolling, she had joined 50,000 other Americans at a National Solidarity Day rally in Washington, D.C., following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We listened to his widow, Coretta Scott King, declare with no hint of bitterness that ‘love is the only force that can destroy hate,’” Larson said.
She called on that experience during a special freshman orientation held jointly with Yale.
“We read a dozen books that summer about race … and discussed their relationship to what was happening around us. I was already socially committed. But these discussions, in that environment, just as I started college, cemented my desire to go to law school, pursue a career in public policy and to try always to approach issues with an open mind.
“Bentley University is a place of just such awakenings. Here you have the freedom to invent, explore, test and create. Ours is a culture and learning environment that fosters innovation and experimentation. Ours is a faculty that values fresh ideas and new ways of thinking.
She urged the students to “Forget the notion of matching narrowly defined skills with narrowly defined business silos. The 21st century enterprise demands more: business literacy…cultural literacy…science knowledge…tech savvy…creativity.
“Your preparation for this brave new world begins today.”
In a keynote address via video, Hyder, CEO of Zen Marketing Group and an ambassador for Bentley’s PreparedU Project, offered “10 tweetable tips” for students to make the most of their time at Bentley.
Foremost among them was the visionary digital strategist’s admonition to “embrace each day with passion and purpose” because “you only live once...or hashtag #YOLO.”
Hyder also advised students to:
- Let curiosity be their guide
- Create their own curricula
- Be resilient
- Seek help when needed
- Cultivate good friendships
- Have fun but “think hard before posting pictures from Spring Break”
- Manage time and money wisely
- Attend faculty office hours, and
- Remember that their parents are smarter than they realize.
“Take advantage of the great resources and experiences Bentley has to offer and make the most of each day you have on this campus,” she said. “After all, this is your journey. You alone are responsible for your successes and your failures. From the great classes to special on-campus events, you have a world of opportunity in front of you. And, you get to decide each day what to make of that good fortune.”
Hyder concluded, “Although each day will bring its own set of challenges and hurdles, remember that you have the rare ability to choose your own adventure. Make it worthy of you and worthy of those who have supported you so far.”