March 27, 2025
President Robert W. Iuliano
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
As Delivered.
Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to share a few comments at your Sophomore Halfway Tradition.
Let me begin by offering a special thanks to Jack Thompson, the sophomore class officers, and the many people behind the scenes who helped to bring this event together.
Jack mentioned to me that the class officers often speak about the impact of COVID on their high school experiences and asked if I might be willing to offer some thoughts from my perspective. Given how profoundly the pandemic shaped your high school experiences, and how it continues to have some hard-to-quantify impact today in who you are and how you see the world, I readily agreed.
And, so, I want to speak with you today about three words. Three words that will change your life, if you choose to embrace them during your time at Gettysburg and in your career and communities upon graduation.
But, first, I don’t know if there are any baseball fans here today. Show of hands?
For those of you who are fans, then you probably know that today is Opening Day. At least where I grew up, in Boston, and maybe when I grew up, when baseball was at least on par with football as the national sport, Opening Day was something like a holiday.
It’s trite, but true: it is also a day filled with hope. Everyone has the same record. And everyone has the hope that this will be the season that their team wins it all. For what it’s worth, I start this day with the hope, though perhaps not the expectation, that this is the year for my beloved Red Sox to return to the World Series.
Hope. Fresh start. Expectations about the future.
You all had that when you made the transition to high school. It didn’t mean it would be easy—entering a new school, meeting new people, and simply trying to figure out who you are, where you fit in, and what’s in store for your future. But, again, I imagine many of you began high school the way I’m beginning this baseball season: a new beginning, our time.
And then COVID hit, and with it every sense of normalcy flew out the window, and with it the expectations you had about how your first year and ultimately much of your high school experience would follow.
From canceled athletic games and theatre productions to virtual classes and social distancing to missed dances and cherished traditions, I know this wasn’t easy for you.
But despite these hurdles, here you are today—sophomore students enrolled at one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the country.
You pushed through. You overcame.
Let me go back to the Red Sox for a moment. In 1919, the Red Sox sold the best baseball player in the league, and one of the greatest players ever, to the New York Yankees. His name was Babe Ruth, also known as the Great Bambino. And from that day on throughout the rest of the 20th century the Red Sox never again won a world series. Some described this remarkably long streak of frustration as the Curse of the Bambino.
Yet, the Sox continued to compete, didn’t give in to the narrative or to the frustration, despite many opportunities to do precisely that. And then, in 2004, the curse finally broke, and the Sox went on to win four world series between 2004 and 2018—the most successful run of any team in the majors over that period.
This happened because the Sox made a choice. A choice to keep pressing forward. To persevere in the face of adversity.
While the analogy is imperfect, this is exactly what you did in response to the pandemic. When I reflect on this remarkable Class of 2027, I often think about your extraordinary talent—in and out of the classroom—and how much you have accomplished and contributed to this campus in such a short amount of time.
But I also think about your grit, your determination, and your willingness to go the extra mile to achieve your goals. It’s truly inspiring.
This too is part of your Gettysburg education. We challenge you to be your very best in all that you do. We set high standards for you because we know you are capable of not only reaching them but surpassing them.
Believe me when I tell you that this inner drive, paired with rigorous study in your academic disciplines, will get you far in life—and position to overcome nearly every obstacle in your path.
I say “nearly” because there will be times—and perhaps you have experienced this during your last two years at Gettysburg—that no matter how deep you dig within yourself, the challenge in front of you is just too big or too complex or too unique for one person to tackle alone.
Maybe it is an upper-level course, and the material just isn’t clicking. For me, that course was linear algebra in my first year in college. My D- in the course is pretty good proof I didn’t get it.
Or, maybe it is a difficult break up with someone you deeply cared about.
Or, maybe it is an uncertainty about what to major in or what career you want to pursue after graduation.
This all leads me back to where I began: The three words that will change your life.
The three words are simply this: “I Need Help.”
These three words—"I Need Help”— are not a sign of weakness, but rather a declaration of strength. They represent your willingness to be vulnerable, to grow, and to learn from the wisdom and lived experiences of those around you.
At Gettysburg, you are surrounded by friends and classmates and teammates who want to see you succeed. Lean on them—and encourage them to lean on you. Like baseball, life is a team sport—we succeed in part because people help us along the way.
You’re also the first class to experience our Guided Pathways. That means many of you also have your own Personal Advising Team—and soon, your own Alumni Mentor. Be brave enough to ask them for guidance.
Here, you are at the center of a constellation of mentors—from our devoted faculty, to coaches, to program directors, to our dedicated dining staff. We are here because we believe in you and we want to see you thrive.
Let me conclude.
Class of 2027, time and again, you have proven your resilience and resolve. You have demonstrated your capacity to overcome challenges and to reach new heights on this campus.
In terms of your Gettysburg career, it’s no longer Opening Day. It’s now midway through the season, and this gives you the opportunity to reflect on just how far you’ve come and take rightful pride in all you’ve accomplished.
As you set your eyes on all that’s ahead, continue to embody the grit and drive that has gotten you here, but likewise, remember those three words, and let them not only shape your Gettysburg experience, but your life as well.
Congratulations, once again, on reaching this significant milestone and thank you for allowing me to share in your education. I wish you the very best in your journey ahead!