President’s speeches, letters, and articles
Subject: A Time for Celebration
May 18, 2022
Dear Reed students, faculty, staff, families, and our newest graduates,
Congratulations on completing the academic year!
It was a joy to celebrate Commencement with so many of you earlier this week and to welcome back to campus Lisa Nakamura ’87 as our Commencement speaker. I feel fortunate to be able to join in another celebration in a few weeks, when we will welcome back the Class of 2020 for their own in-person Commencement festivities during Reunions.
Spring can be a bittersweet season. We eagerly rush into the spontaneity of summer even as we bid farewell to people and places we’ve come to love. Amid final assignments, end-of-semester meetings, and grading deadlines, it can be a challenge to pause and reflect on our triumphs of the year. I hope you will do so now. Please also join me in applauding the Class of 2022 on their final projects, which you can catch a glimpse of on Reed’s virtual thesis board.
I am tremendously proud of all the ways you rose to a multitude of challenges this year. Our students engaged passionately in the exploration and inquiry that Reed is known for, and our faculty and staff supported their learning and contributed to community growth and progress. As we collectively navigated our second full year of pandemic operations at Reed, our connections mattered more this year than ever before.
Please take pride in your achievements, and make time this summer to recharge for the year ahead. I look forward to seeing you again soon on our beautiful campus.
With gratitude,
Audrey
---
Audrey Bilger
President