Governor Healey’s address to the class of 2025: Mount Holyoke has been a beacon of hope

Good morning, and thank you so much, President Holley, trustees, faculty, staff, alums. Honorands — it’s truly an honor to be with both of you this morning. Guests, parents, family, friends — where are you out there? Look, you all deserve honorary degrees today for all that you’ve been through. Rest easy knowing that the job is now done — except for helping these incredible graduates move out, of course. And most of all, to the class of 2025 — congratulations. Congratulations!

And thank you for allowing me to share this day with you. It’s a joy to be here. It’s an honor. I say that as a Radcliffe woman, and I want you to know I am really, really proud to be a Mount Holyoke Lyon today. And I guess that makes me a green griffin, too!

Seriously, I’m proud to be governor of a state that is home to the world’s first institution of truly higher education for women. The world’s first, right here. The oldest of the seven siblings. As the oldest of five kids, I appreciate that. Mount Holyoke, your graduates have changed the world through activism, education, public policy, science, medicine, civil rights. You’re one of just two colleges that were the first in the nation, back in 2014, to officially welcome a gender-diverse student body. And this year, President Holley and Mount Holyoke were the first to stand up without hesitation for the essential importance of diversity in higher education. You make Massachusetts proud.

Graduates, this is a legacy that you’re a part of. A legacy of leadership, a legacy of courage. You’ve been shaped by this legacy. I had the honor of being able to meet some members from the class of ’55 here earlier today, and class of ’50 here earlier today. An incredible, incredible legacy. And you’ve all made your own unique contributions to that legacy in all the ways that Tehani so beautifully described. From around the world and across America, you brought your cultures together to form one community. You’ve studied science, technology, arts, humanities — growing in wisdom as well as knowledge.

I appreciate you’ve also served your communities here on campus, in the cities and towns of the Connecticut River Valley and across the globe. You’ve learned truths about the world, and, importantly, you’ve learned truths about yourself. You’ve also learned something about resilience. I know how you started, the moment that we were in — the pandemic — what it took to get here, what it took to get through with all the disruption and disorientation it caused. But you figured it out. And that is something you can draw upon for the rest of your life.

And it’s a good thing because you face another test now. You face another test because you graduate in a time of political upheaval, in a time of deep uncertainty about the future. I don’t want to talk about politics today. This is your day, no one else’s.

I will say something. I will say something about this moment in history. One hundred and eighty-eight years — you all are steeped in history. I want to talk about this moment in history because this is your moment. Yours to confront, yours to change. It’s not an easy moment by any means. Values and people we hold dear are being attacked and vilified. It’s a frightening time in many communities, and some of you no doubt have been directly affected.

Ultimately, everyone is affected, of course, because at this moment, starkly different visions of America are in conflict. A democracy defined by pluralism versus a system of hierarchy and domination. Constitutional rights, which are universal, versus the privileges of power. An economy of innovation and opportunity versus greed and inequality. A social vision that is rooted in freedom versus fear and hate. And a vision of higher education as the foundation of our leadership in the world, not a domestic enemy to be torn down.

I know which vision I stand for. I know you do, too. This is a moment that clarifies our values. It’s also a moment that challenges us to think about how we protect, defend and advance those values. Now, this may not be the moment you would have chosen for yourself. It may feel as if you’re graduating in the worst timeline.

But the crisis of this moment, the challenge of this moment, also offers a huge opportunity. It’s an opportunity to make choices that truly matter not only to yourselves but — you’ll find out — to the world. It’s the gift of a purposeful life, however you choose to build it. I don’t mean to suggest that you should own and bear the weight of the world on your shoulders as you leave campus today. But what I do want you to know is that in a time like this, simply how you live makes a statement. Who you are makes a difference. You can be caring and compassionate to those who right now are afraid or hungry or sad, sick or struggling in your communities, wherever you go from here — and I want you all to come back to Massachusetts — but in your communities, you can take the time to get to know people, to look others in the eye, to see the world through a lens that is not your own. You have the opportunity in communities to be engaged, to just show up. And in doing so, that makes a profound difference.

I appreciate that clap! Because you all have worked incredibly hard and you’ve achieved so much: degree, recognition, awards, accomplishments. But life is about the little things. The little things, the daily engagements. I’m 54 years old. It’s taken me a long time to learn some things, and I’m learning every day. But I will tell you that no matter where you are in life, no matter how far along you feel you are in whatever trajectory you sought or somebody else sought for you (which is going to change countless times, by the way), it’s those daily acts of engagement every day that matter. And in this world today — where so many are feeling dislocated, apart, experiencing some alienation — the more you can do to reach out and to engage in the smallest of ways with a smile, with a gesture, with a hello, trust me, it’ll do amazing things.

In your careers — whether you’re going on to teach, to heal, to advocate, to invent, to explore — you can help people and move us all forward. Whatever you do and wherever you go, the qualities that got you to this day, the strengths you forged in this community, will allow you to not only survive this timeline but to change it. History is giving you this moment, and now you will change history.

This is what you prepared for at Mount Holyoke. Not to be passive, but to seize the agency that you have, to recognize that you have agency and to use it. The truth is, over the last 188 years, we’ve faced some challenging times. Those who came before us didn’t give up. That’s why we’re all able to be here today. They didn’t give up.

You know, one of my favorite sayings, and I don’t really know who said it first, is, “Life isn’t a marathon. Life isn’t a sprint. It’s a relay race.” It’s a relay race. We’re passed the baton, you’re passed the baton, and now it’s our leg to run. And we owe it to all who came before and all who come after us to run our best race.

You know, I think back to the days before marriage equality in this state, in this country. I’ll never forget the longtime partners and families who were just struggling bravely to be heard, to be seen. And it was very formative to me in my career as a lawyer in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office. And in that role, and through coming to know the braveness of those trailblazers, I was able to lead a lawsuit against the federal government to end the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.

This was a law passed back in the 1990s to counter the movement for marriage equality. And it denied couples, even if they were married, all the rights and protections under federal law. It was a big deal. But I will never forget the longtime couples and the families I met who had been denied the right to parent a child, to visit their partner in the hospital, to receive retirement benefits and so much more.

And I will never forget the feeling of collective joy and power we shared when we won and paved the way for marriage equality to become the law of this country. And I think about that today because, to me, that’s the vision of the democracy we work for. Where the dignity and the worth, the humanity of each person, is respected. This is the kind of change that we can achieve. It’s not new or radical, but it’s rooted in our nation’s founding ideals, which were forged right here in Massachusetts.

Two hundred and fifty years ago this spring, some ordinary folks in our state stepped forward to defend their right to self-government and due process. They started the revolution that gave us our country. And in every generation since, Massachusetts has sought to make those ideals a reality. We’re home to the first public school, public library, public park. We hosted the first National Women’s Rights Convention in 1850. We were the first state to abolish slavery, and where the all-black Massachusetts Fifty-Fourth Regiment mustered and marched south to help win the Civil War. This Memorial Day weekend, we remember and honor the sacrifices that they and members of our military have made throughout our history.

More recently, we were the first state to guarantee health care to all of our residents. And yes, we were the first state to elect a lesbian governor.

We haven’t always been perfect. We haven’t always been perfect, far from it. Everything is a work in progress. We all are. But we have the humility to listen and to know that there’s always more to learn. In times of choosing, Massachusetts has always understood the assignment. That will not change. Massachusetts will not be silent. We will not back down.

And as long as I am governor, we will stand up for our students, neighbors, workers, communities. Stand up for the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. We’ll stand up for a vision of America where freedom is not just for the few but for all. In Massachusetts, we’ll stay true. We’ll stay true to who we are. Because who we are is why we succeed.

We lead in education and innovation because we believe in our schools and our students. We’re number one in health care, in quality and also coverage because we believe health care is a human right. We believe women and all people should make their own health care decisions, not their government. We believe our children deserve a healthy planet free from pollution. And we know that having people of color, women, immigrants, the LGBTQ community at the table is a strength and not a flaw. We will never back down from that.

This College, this community, Mount Holyoke, has been a beacon of hope, a beacon of light. Generation after generation, you have always been willing to go first. You stay true to yourselves and your values rather than seeking the safety of a crowd. And at this moment, when courage is called for, we look once again to you, graduates, to lead the way. So do not be daunted. Be who you are because who you are and how you show up is where your agency begins. It’s the first impact you make, and it’s the foundation of the legacy you will leave and further.

I know that you’ve already begun to build it. You’ve made your family, your community, your professors so, so proud today. And I am confident with everything that you have gathered and learned and learned together, you all are going to go out and do fabulous things. Each in your own way, on your own timeline, but true to what this great College has always been about.

Thank you, graduates. Congratulations, and may the spirit of this beautiful campus and this community always be in your heart.