Take A Step

President Julie Sullivan offers sage advice in personal letter to the graduating class

Class of 2023, I’m sure you will get lots of advice over the next few weeks from anyone and everyone you meet. But don’t worry, unlike a lot of the advice you’ll receive, mine is pretty simple:

Take a step.

That’s it.

Now, I know many of you are thinking, “Yes, but what step?” And the answer? It doesn’t matter. A step might be a job, a volunteer opportunity, public service, military service or graduate school. Just find the next step that’s best for you right now and take it.

I’ve often said God has a better imagination than we do. You shouldn’t worry or obsess about the domino effects of a “right” or “wrong” decision. Life isn’t quite that high stakes.

Just take a step, learn as much as you can from that step, and be open to where it might lead. The dream job you see today might be wrong for the person you’re meant to become.

I want you to remember God is always walking beside you, and you will feel it when you are open to it. That’s why when I think about graduation, I don’t think about the day or the ceremony. I think of the journey—and that’s especially true for the Class of 2023.

Your journey started at Santa Clara in the fall of 2019, and, just as you were beginning to make this place your own, COVID-19 pulled the rug out from under you. But through resilience, courage and grit—and yes, many hours on Zoom—you soared past obstacles and fulfilled the high standards required to graduate with a Santa Clara degree.

By the time I arrived at Santa Clara last fall, so many of you had already filled this place with life and passion. In my first few weeks on campus, I met the seniors who make Santa Clara special through their leadership in SCCAP, the Multicultural Center, ASG, The Santa Clara newspaper, LEAD and other organizations. What struck me right away was your maturity, intelligence, and deep care for this community. You were so active and involved, dedicated to building a better path forward.

Leaving a community like Santa Clara is always difficult, and a little scary, especially when you can’t know what the future holds. Every graduating class enters a world that is uncertain in some way. That’s especially true today as our technological and political landscape seemingly changes every day.

But even with that reality, I want you to know that you are prepared. Santa Clara doesn’t just teach you a body of knowledge. It teaches you how to learn and how to continue learning. It gives you an ethical framework to make decisions and teaches you to be people for others, skills that will serve you throughout your career. The world needs your empathy, creativity and courage. I believe you are ready to share that.

I also want you to know you won’t be alone. Long after you leave our campus, the Bronco family will be there for you. You will take with you the cherished relationships with the friends you’ve made as a student, the professors you had in class and the staff who have supported you, and I hope you will sustain and nourish these relationships for decades to come. Also waiting for you are the Bronco alumni you’ve yet to meet, who are eager to assist you and open doors of opportunity.

Mostly I want you to know I am so proud of what you have done, and who you have become. So for now, take a step and trust that God is always with you. The more you can turn over the reins and let faith guide your life, the more joy you’ll find all around you.

I can’t wait to watch your next steps.