“I came here with so many different interests,” says Walter Washington ’19. “I wanted to do music, I wanted to get into politics, I wanted to study the law more.

“I wanted to do all these different things, and also to become a person who can make things happen and make change happen. And I found all of those interests here at �ֲ���ý.”

Video by Theophil Syslo.

Today, counting down to graduation, Washington of Fleetwood, N.Y., is one of the best-known faces on the �ֲ���ý campus.

A politics major, he has served as president of student government for two years. A letter-winning defensive lineman for the football team all four years, he received the Stephen B. Ritter Award, given to football players with the highest GPAs. He has also sung with the Deansmen, the oldest of �ֲ���ý’ beloved a cappella ensembles, throughout his �ֲ���ý career.

“I was able to carry things out that I never imagined myself doing. And it started with just taking an opportunity,” he says.

Washington’s advice to new �ֲ���ýies? “Don’t be scared to branch out — don’t be afraid, because you never know what great things can happen from something so small.”

Text of the 2017 Convocation Welcome by �ֲ���ý College Student Government President Walter Washington ’19 delivered on Sept. 4:

Good morning, and welcome to the 2018-2019 academic year. Greetings to all, faculty, staff, returning students, and most importantly, to the Class of 2022. Congratulations. You’re all officially Bobcats.

Three years ago, I sat in the very seats you all are sitting in right now, captivated by feelings of excitement, anxiousness, and definitely a lot of fear. The most vivid memory I have about my Convocation three years ago — and some of the faculty may remember this — was that much like today, it was one of the hottest days I’ve ever experienced in the state of Maine.

But truly what was running through my mind was how in the world I was supposed to navigate these next four years: manage to play football, make friends, sleep, and find time to get involved. I’ll be honest, I had no idea how.

What became apparent to me was that not knowing was okay, and that it would take time to adjust. It won’t take long, but you’ll get acclimated to the classes, to the long readings, to the professors and their different policies on laptops in the classroom, and to the jungle that is 6 p.m. Commons.

Quite unexpectedly, while you’re acclimating yourself to each of those things, you will also discover that you’re acclimating yourself to the person that you’re becoming. Three years ago, I was simply a college student, but over time, the idea behind becoming someone who can effectuate change began to overtake the simplicity of just being a college student.

Today, I stand before you with the firm belief that your journey through these next four years is going to do the same. I believe that you are about to embark on an adventure that is going to make you an agent for change no matter your field of study.

I spent this past summer working for a legal aid provider in Maine, a firm that only represented people below 125 percent of the poverty level — the poor, the forgotten, individuals with mental disabilities and physical disabilities. I walked into a coalition of lawyers who were simply passionate about being compassionate.

They were determined to remember those forgotten within our current system. From what I saw, that seemed to be the driving force behind everything they did. This firm used the majority of its resources to focus on housing discrimination, illegal evictions, subsidized housing, and the bevy of legal issues that come along with that.

During the first week of my time working there, one of the lawyers who was working within the veterans unit came into my office quite frantic. He goes, “Walt, we’ve got an emergency. I’ll explain the car, but we gotta leave right now.” I got up kind of scared, and there was a sort of calmness about him, and I quickly understood that when he said, “We’ve got an emergency,” he meant one of our clients had an emergency.

In the car, he explained to me that a veteran he had been working with was served with an eviction notice because he had not been paying his rent. The reason this veteran had not been paying his rent was because of a bunch of problems with his apartment — mice, mold, no hot water for long periods of time.

This veteran, who was also struggling with some other disabilities, had gotten so fed up that he got all of his things, placed them in his truck, and decided to spend the night in the parking lot of a local Shaw’s grocery store. We traveled there to meet him.

As I sat there, listening to him explain the issues within his apartment and the aggressive conversations his landlord had with him, I began to get angry for him. I looked at the lawyer with this look that said, you know, we got what we need.

The next thing that came out of the veterans mouth was quite stunning. He said, “I don’t want to go to court. I need to get a shower and find a place for my cats, because I know no shelter is going to take them too.”

That moment, I felt so many emotions, because firstly, I wanted the landlord to pay for what he had done. But I also struggle to understand how someone who dedicated his life to defending his country felt that he couldn’t even defend himself, nor even see himself as worthy as being defended. We escorted him to a shelter, and I spent that day torn up with the fact that I couldn’t do more for him.

“We’ve got to spend more time getting closer to those forgotten within our society, spend more time placing ourselves into uncomfortable situations.”

A few weeks later, I sat in on a case meeting in which paralegals and lawyers discussed upcoming cases, next steps for clients, legal strategy. When the eviction cases came up, we noticed that a few of them were coming from the same trailer park, the same landlord, the same living conditions. One of the lawyers decided that she was going there to meet the clients in person, to gather some more information. I went along with her.

On that day, we visited four trailers. On that day, I realized I spent my entire life taking everything I had for granted. On the outside, there were tarps covering old roofs that had gone years without repair. On the inside, there were leaks. The floors and the walls had holes in them. Doors were broken, windows were shattered. We were given documents that confirmed their water was contaminated.

We heard stories where these people begged their landlord to fix things, and he had declined, and the only thing these people kept saying was that they wanted a safe place for them and their children, and they were struggling financially, so it’d be quite difficult for them to just up and move to a new place.

Before we left, I listened as one family member described more details about their living conditions. As he talked, he quickly stopped and asked me to turn around. It was their landlord. I watched this man on the porch of this beautiful well-kept home as he smiled and waved at us. I got in the car, and I was almost brought to tears at the thought of those children being forced to live in those conditions and the landlord’s blatant disregard for his obligation to keep his tenants safe.

Within the next three weeks, we were in court every Wednesday and Friday battling for these people, hearing after hearing, settlement after settlement. When it was all over, these people were in tears, thanking us for the help, but most importantly, just taking the time to listen and to care about what they were going through.

After those two instances, it became apparent to me that in order to effectuate the change that we want to see within this world, we’ve got to spend more time getting closer to those forgotten within our society, spend more time placing ourselves into uncomfortable situations that place us amongst the forgotten, because in a lot of ways, it was those people that showed me what true compassion, true equality and true justice were all about.

Honestly, as these realizations became clearer over time, I questioned how I cannot have noticed the things that I experienced right on this campus, where individuals passionate about change put themselves in uncomfortable situations in order to make long lasting impacts.

I watched a student by the name of Lydia Sullivan, who had the desire to transform our safe ride program. She had so many flourishing ideas, scheduled meeting after meeting with members of our administration. I watched this team challenge a system that had been in place for years, and with our hard work, her goal had been achieved, one that will benefit all students at �ֲ���ý.

I watched �ֲ���ý Student Action, a student led group on campus, organize for two weeks to hold a rally for gun control right outside of Commons, and, less than a month later, hold another rally to highlight the benefits and the cost of making a �ֲ���ý education truly accessible to all. I watched our student community go above and beyond each and every day, volunteering to help asylum seekers, local schoolchildren, victims of domestic violence, getting closer to those disenfranchised.

The true power of the �ֲ���ý experience lies within two distinct factors. The first is that we are a community that places value on respect and kindness — kindness not only towards each other but to those within our surrounding community and even those that may disagree with our mission. What I want to convey to you today is that the other true power of the �ֲ���ý experience is not that we were founded by Baptist abolitionists, not that we are one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

No, the true splendor of the �ֲ���ý experience is that no matter what you plan to do with your majors or your profession, here we challenge you to take your passion and to create ways to make your passion the driving force behind how you change the world.

�ֲ���ý does not define you. It gives you all the tools necessary to define yourself, to discover the very things that have been lying dormant within you. This class, the Class of 2022, each of you has the power to be a class unafraid to take action, that does not shy away from injustice but rather forcefully seeks out ways to abolish it.

Walter Washington ’19, the student government president, speaks to members of the Class of 2022, faculty, and staff at Convocation on Sept. 4. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

It was Michelangelo who said that every block of stone has a statue inside it, and the task of a sculptor is to discover it. I want you all to think of your next four years as that stone and everything you do, from this moment on, as you chiseling away at it until the next time you’re all here on this quad receiving your diplomas. Everyone will sit in awe of your statue that you’ve created. Each and every single one of you has a gift, a passion and the ability to transform the proverbial learning experience into a journey rooted in making a difference.

Fortunately, you are now part of a community where education and making impactful change are one in the same. I encourage you all today to spend this journey remembering those who are banking on you to discover your passion, to see this journey through no matter how difficult things may seem, and to dedicate your time to not only pursuing knowledge but to fostering an environment where strength, passion, equality and change are the norm, and that change must begin right here on this campus.

Today, I welcome you into the �ֲ���ý family. As you embark on this journey, I look forward to watching you grow. I look forward to watching you discover your passions, and more importantly, as a member of your extended family, I’m so excited to begin invoking those changes that we all want to see together.

Thank you.

A horn sounded. Eight 10-member teams cheered. And dodgeball began.

Featuring student vs. faculty-staff teams, the March 2 tournament in Alumni Gym was organized by the �ֲ���ý College Student Government, the Security Advisory Committee, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, as a fundraiser for Farwell Elementary School’s food pantry.

The games had the added benefit of strengthening community among students, faculty, and staff, said Walter Washington ’19 of Fleetwood, N.Y., the student government president.

All the hosting organizations had “these same kind of ideas of bringing everyone together, so why don’t we blend all of our groups and see what we can come up with?“ Washington said.

“All the people that were involved behind the scenes are really where the greatness of this event is shown. It just shows what happens when you bring so many creative �ֲ���ý minds together.”

Text of the 2017 Convocation Welcome by �ֲ���ý College Student Government President Walter Washington ’19 delivered on Sept. 5:

Good morning, and welcome to the 2017—2018 academic year. Greetings to all faculty, staff, returning students, and, most importantly, to the Class of 2021! Congratulations, you are all officially Bobcats!

It was not too long ago, two years specifically, that I sat in the very seats you all are sitting in right now. I remember it was a pretty hot day ,and as I sat there in the heat, listening to all the speakers tell us how life-changing these next four years would be, I somehow could not keep my mind off how much I missed my mom and her home cooking. What was also running through my mind was, how in the world was I supposed to navigate these next four years: manage to get straight A’s, make friends, play football, sleep, and find time to get involved, all while trying to make my law school application more compelling than the next? I’ll be honest, I had no idea how, but what became apparent to me was that not knowing was okay, and that it would take time to adjust.

How in the world was I supposed to navigate these next four years: manage to get straight A’s, make friends, play football, sleep, and find time to get involved, all while trying to make my law school application more compelling than the next?

What I can spend time speaking to you about today is how my academic life somehow intertwined with my social life here at �ֲ���ý; how my First-Year Seminar, “Searching for the Good Life,” with Professor Michael Sargent, changed my overall outlook on life’s journey; and how Constitutional Law with my adviser, Professor Stephen Engel, reinforced my desire to continue a career immersing myself in law and politics. But what I want to talk to you about today places �ֲ���ý somewhat in the background.

Let’s go back to the summer of 2014, when I was a rising senior in high school. I was ecstatic not only because I was on my way to becoming a senior, but also because I was transferring to a beautiful boarding school in Readfield, Maine. I spent the summer training, getting ready for football season, when my family’s life took an unexpected turn. I found out that my mother was diagnosed with cancer.

I have five siblings. I am the youngest, and with such a close-knit family, you could imagine the heartbreak that this brought upon us. I watched my mother, my entire life, give so much of herself to ensure that everyone else was taken care of. And to be completely honest, I was angry that, out of all people, this had to happen to my mother, someone so genuine and kind. I immediately told my parents that I wasn’t going to transfer, and they told me in no uncertain terms that I was given an opportunity and that I was going to take it.

Walter Washington ’19 of Fleetwood, N.Y., president of the �ֲ���ý College Student Government, gives the welcome address to the Class of 2021 during Convocation. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

I went through my senior year trying to focus on school as much as I possibly could, but everything in me just wanted to be back home with my mom. With cancer, there comes chemotherapy, radiation, hospital stays, doctor visits, and all of that costs a pretty penny, and meanwhile, I have a $52,000 boarding school education to worry about.

There were times when I got called into the business office, and they told me if my parents couldn’t keep up with the payments, that I would be kicked out of school, and for a senior applying to colleges, you could imagine how difficult that would be. Back home, my mother’s health was deteriorating, and the one thing I wanted was for her to see me graduate. She did and was able to watch me go through my freshman year of college.

Fast forward to sophomore year, and her good days were off and on. Luckily, she was able to string together a few good days during the fall to come up during Parents Weekend. In that weekend, she watched her son sing a solo in his newly-joined a cappella group and the next day watch him register his first college sack against Williams. That was a pretty awesome weekend.

The winter came, and it was pretty tough, as she was again great for a few days and then back in the hospital days later. We spent Christmas in the hospital as she had another surgery. The new year arrives, and I hear a lot from my parents in the month of January, telling me that things are looking great after my mom’s second surgery, and she’s stringing together consistent good days.

To make a very long story short, February comes along, and on a random Wednesday, I get a call from my mother asking me if I was sitting down. She tells me that she had a visit to her doctor, they ran all of these tests, and they couldn’t find any more cancer in her body.

There is no way, absolutely no way, that I could have persevered through such an ordeal without being a part of the community that is �ֲ���ý.

An amazing miracle, but I’m sure you are truly wondering, how does �ֲ���ý fit into that story? I’ll tell you. There is no way, absolutely no way, that I could have persevered through such an ordeal without being a part of the community that is �ֲ���ý.

My coaches became more than just coaches, but a supportive resource for me outside of my academics, Jessica Perez, my student support advisor, was always willing to talk and made herself available for whatever I needed, and I couldn’t forget my two best friends, Nolan Burgos and Brandon Galloway, who quickly became my brothers, always around — not only for conversation and a good laugh, but they constantly challenged me to be the best possible person and not let such a situation define my time here. �ֲ���ý is more than just a college. It’s an accepting, strong, encouraging community and filled with people that you will someday call your family.

On a larger scale, the true moral of that story is that in the midst of all of the success, joy, and accomplishments you will have here at �ֲ���ý, I guarantee you that there will also be times where you feel like you cannot keep going. When that problem set becomes too difficult to complete, when each of your professors are all assigning homework as if theirs  is the only class you have, or when it’s finals week and your nights sleeping in Pettingill Hall are still not long enough to help you retain all the material for that terrifying cumulative exam. But take a moment, and look at the people to your left and to your right. This place, the people sitting right next to you, the relationships, friendships and extended family you will make during your next four years here — it is that that makes this place so special.

�ֲ���ý is more than just a college, it’s an accepting, strong, encouraging community and filled with people that you will someday call your family.

My freshman year, I knew this kid who was a shell of himself; he was quiet, he joined no clubs, didn’t go to Gala, and he was terrified to walk into the jungle that is Commons. I say that for all of you to understand that where you are right now, captivated by those feelings of excitement, anxiousness, and probably a pinch of fear, are all perfectly okay. More importantly, I guarantee you that those feelings will someday fade, because that same terrified, uninvolved, quiet freshman, joined an a capella group, got involved within a few committees, became student body president, and now has the fortuitous opportunity to begin his junior year, speaking to all of you.

It was Mark Twain who said, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do rather than the things you did do.” So, as you go through this four-year journey, I challenge you all to explore, travel, take that class, dance with your Commons crush at Gala, and do the very thing that even your wildest of dreams cannot have you do, because this is the place for it.

Walter Washington ’19 of Fleetwood, N.Y., president of the �ֲ���ý College Student Government, talks with President Clayton Spencer before processing on the Historic Quad for Convocation 2017 (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

As you experience all of the great things that this place has to offer, I leave you will three final tips. One: call the people you love. They are worried about you and are expecting a call. Two: do your laundry on Mondays. Everyone does it during the weekend. You will have to wait forever for a dryer. And lastly, make sure you actually go to class. There is often no more than 30 students in each, so trust me, your professors will know when you aren’t there.

Your next four years here are not just the clichéd learning experience, opportunity, or a time for you to carry out the liberal arts mission. Your next four years here are the definition of a truly unique journey. As you go through this journey, allow �ֲ���ý to help you define yourself, and take the time to not only use �ֲ���ý to catapult you into your future, but as a fundamental cornerstone of your right now. Explore, dream, go out change the world, because this is the place for it. Once again, welcome to �ֲ���ý, and we are so proud to welcome you into your new family. Thank you.