Remarks by the Chair of the Board of Trustees

Sunday, May 19, 2024
by Anthony J. Friscia ’78, P’15, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Thank you, President Bradley, and congratulations to the Class of ’24.

When I come to these, I always think that it seems like yesterday that I was sitting where you are. The only thing I remember about that day is that I did have a lot of hair back then. But the important thing is we are soon to be fellow alums. I often think too much time is spent talking about what makes us different and not enough about what we have in common. As an alum, the reality is that the day you leave here this becomes the beginning, not the end, of your relationship with Vassar. And if you approach it the right way, we all have a very common experience. So I just want to talk about that a little bit.

There are several things we share when we leave.

• The first is that many of the people you are sitting with will be friends for the rest of your life. I get to meet alums from the 1950s on up and when I ask “What has meant the most to you about your time at Vassar?” they say, “The friendships that I made.” Even from my own experience, there are people I may talk to once a year or I see every other year, but when we get together it’s just a continuation of the conversations we were having at Raymond House. It never changes. Those relationships, those bonds are special and they are stronger than any other relationships you’ll have in your entire life. So treasure those.
• Number 2. Someone sitting behind me, for most of you, has had a profound impact on you–faculty here who are so incredibly talented and have dedicated their lives to your education. There will be times going forward when you think about that impact, and it has meaning in your life. What I urge you to do when that happens is reach out, drop a note, say thank you. Stay in touch because that’ll be meaningful to them and a reward for the work they put into helping you get your education.
• Number 3. If you pursue it, you’ll find an older alum who will be a mentor, who will open a door for you, who will give you advice when you need it most. Some of my closest friends who are Vassar grads weren’t here when I was here. You’ll find that the alum network has great value and I hope you take advantage of it.
• And finally, the education. All I can say to you is that no matter where you go, no matter what they do to you, the one thing they can’t take away is your education. And the value of this education is something you will appreciate more and more as the years go on. So you’re leaving today, but Vassar will always be a place you can call home and I hope you treat it that way.

So, again, let me say congratulations. My very, very best to you, Class of ’24. Please be well.