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Schmidt encouraged the 1,581 graduates at two commencement ceremonies May 17 at The Sonnentag to “keep walking the rare and difficult path of excellence” as they work to achieve their life goals.

Graduates were on a “remarkable educational and life journey” at 91���� as they balanced classwork and research opportunities with work and life responsibilities, Schmidt says.

“But you kept going,” Schmidt says. “You didn’t shy away from difficulties; instead, you found opportunities to think differently. Blugolds are known for making a difference because their excellent academic and community-engaged education prepares them to contribute to the public good for a lifetime.”

Schmidt, who is leaving 91���� in July to become president of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, reminded graduates that 91���� is a special place where students “bring the best of themselves to a place dedicated to elevating human potential.”

“In my 12 years as chancellor, I’ve come to know countless Blugolds and the incredible faculty and staff that makes this such a life-changing university,” Schmidt says. “And I can say, without a doubt, that it is the people who come here to learn, and teach, and grow together that set this place apart. In the process, we awaken empathy and courage in one another, fueling our desire to make the world a better place for ourselves, our families and our communities.”

‘Charge to the Class’

John Noltner, a 1990 91���� journalism graduate who gave the “Charge to the Class” at commencement, says graduates will have choices every day about how they will respond to challenges in their lives. Noltner, a recipient of an Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award from the 91���� Alumni Association, has been a freelance photographer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for more than 25 years.

“There is beauty and wisdom all around us if we choose to see it,” Noltner says. “You have strength and courage that you have only just begun to lean into. The world is hard; the world is uncertain. And you were made for this moment.

“Every day you get to choose if you lean into division or if you move toward healing. Every day you get to choose if you will take or if you will give. Every day you get to choose if you will help another human, build a connection, show compassion, plant a seed of hope in someone who desperately needs it. You get to choose.”