On Monday, thousands of students will attend their Commencement ceremony. Graduates should be proud of their accomplishments at Penn, and we are proud of them, too. Whether they conducted scholarly research, were active in extracurricular activities or simply made it out of here without having too many breakdowns, they have a lot to celebrate.
But there is another group of Quakers for whom Monday signals the end of their Penn careers. After long tenures at the University, many faculty members and administrators are retiring — including former Penn President Sheldon Hackney, Office of Student Life Director Fran Walker and Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin.
Words cannot begin to describe how grateful we are to retiring staff. They have been working to make Penn a better place since before most students were born. They have contributed to the global academic community, and personally touched students. They have been constants as the Unversity expanded and changed. And when they leave Penn, they will take pieces of Penn with them.
Congratulations to everyone leaving the Penn nest. You’ve done brilliant things here, and we’re sure you’ll keep shining.
