Congratulations to the high school classes of 2018

Everyone knows it is impossible to predict the future. Despite our best efforts, we cannot be sure who will win the World Series or even of tomorrow’s weather. Looking back at my own life, I never could have guessed the twists and turns that have happened along the way.

That is why graduation is such an exciting time of the year: so many unknowns await our graduates. What we do know is that these young people — our city’s graduating seniors — are about to embark on new adventures!

As a proud resident of New Haven, I am honored to introduce, on behalf of Yale University, the Register’s annual “Senior Spotlight” series. Throughout the summer, we will “spotlight” talented New Havenarea high school seniors as we hear their stories and learn about their dreams for the future.

Each of these amazing young people has already made important contributions to their schools and communities. And they have excelled in several different areas. Many have earned recognition for their academic, athletic, and extracurricular achievements.

Too often, when we become adults, we narrow our worlds. We focus on work and give up other interests and hobbies. Although I hope that today’s graduates will find meaningful and satisfying jobs, I also hope they pursue other activities beyond their careers. Or, as I told Yale graduates this year, I hope they “draw a larger circle.”

What do I mean by this? The phrase was written by Pauli Murray, a 1965 graduate of Yale Law School and an extraordinary figure in American history. She was a lawyer, civil rights activist, teacher, poet, and the first African American woman to become an Episcopal priest.

In 1945, Murray wrote, “When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them. Where they speak out for the privileges of a puny group, I shall shout for the rights of all mankind.”

Murray was talking about segregation — the intentional and, at the time, legally-backed exclusion of African Americans from so many spaces and opportunities in the United States. She dedicated her life to fighting segregation and discrimination. She championed the rights of all Americans and all people until her death in 1985. She also drew many circles and made a wide range of friends. She never limited herself to one type of person or a single cause.

Drawing a larger circle in life means reaching out to new people and expanding our range of experiences. In addition to serving on Yale’s faculty and as its president, my passion is music: I love to play and hear music from the Appalachian mountain region, and I have played bass in a band, the Professors of Bluegrass, for 30 years. This “circle” has been a source of fun and pride throughout my life.

I am impressed by all the ways our high school graduates have drawn large circles of their own. They have embraced new opportunities and made new friends through their many interests and activities. I hope they continue to create new circles of friendship, belonging, and understanding in the years ahead.

Our graduates are the future of our city and our world. We have every reason to be optimistic about that future as we applaud the talents, energy, and optimism of our New Haven-area graduates. Please join me in congratulating the class of 2018!