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At Alumni Weekend 2026, President Beth Ross shared a clear message: Emmanuel is moving forward with purpose, confidence, and real momentum—and alumni are essential to what comes next. The full text of her address is below.
Good afternoon, everyone. It is such a joy to welcome you home to Emmanuel. And I do mean home. For so many of you, this is not just where you went to college. It is where something happened.
It is where you met lifelong friends. Where a professor or a Sister saw something in you before you fully saw it in yourself. Where you found your voice, your vocation, your confidence, your faith, your purpose. For some of you, it is where you met your spouse. For all of you, it is where the course of your life changed.
That is the power of Emmanuel.
This afternoon, I’ve chosen not to give you a typical “state of the College” address. I want to do something a little different. And I have to give credit where credit is due. Last year, one of our Trustees, Marian Ryan, a proud member of the Class of 1976, delivered a Commencement address that many of us still remember. Not only because of what she said, but because she understood something powerful: sometimes an object can help an idea stay with you.
She used props in a way that was funny, wise, and unforgettable. So, inspired by her, I brought something with me today: a sneaker. I know, very presidential! But I brought it because I want to make one thing very clear:
Emmanuel is moving.
Not standing still, not drifting, not waiting for the future to happen to us. And not running scared. We are moving forward with purpose.
A Confident, Evidence-Filled “Yes”
And in this moment in higher education, that matters. Anyone who reads the news knows this is a challenging time for small private colleges. Students and families are asking harder questions. Alumni are asking honest questions. And they should.
Is this college strong? Does it know who it is? Is it preparing students for the world they are entering? Does it still matter?
My answer is yes. Not a vague yes. Not a sentimental yes. A clear, confident, evidence-filled yes.
When I make the case for Emmanuel, I can point to our campus, our faculty, our location in the heart of Boston, our focus on the whole student, our internships, our research opportunities, and our partnerships.
But the strongest case for Emmanuel is sitting in this Chapel.
You are not simply our history. You are proof of what Emmanuel does. You are the teachers, doctors, scientists, lawyers, executives, public servants, parents, artists, advocates, leaders, and neighbors who show what happens when a student is known, challenged, supported, and formed with purpose.
Emmanuel at Its Best
That is not nostalgia. That is evidence. And today, that same Emmanuel spirit is alive in our students.
Just a few weeks ago, the members of the Class of 2026 crossed the Commencement stage and stepped into the next chapters of their lives. Some are beginning full-time roles with organizations such as Fidelity Investments, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, PwC, the Boston Public Schools, and the Boston Celtics. Others are heading to graduate programs at institutions including Boston College, Boston University, and Brown.
But beyond the names and destinations, there is something even more important: there is a pulse to this place, a vibe that is equal parts striving and joy.
You can feel it in the labs, on the Quad, at athletic competitions, in theatre productions, in senior presentations, in service, in internships, and in the relationships between students and the faculty and staff who know them well.
This is Emmanuel now – and it’s Emmanuel at its best: personal and ambitious, mission-centered and practical, rooted in values and connected to the world.
These have always been Emmanuel’s strengths. But now we have to connect those strengths to the future with greater intention. That is the work underway.