To the Class of 2025: You were the class that brought MIT back to life.

When the Institute reopened after 18 months of pandemic-induced separation, it was you who stepped onto campus and helped us all remember what this place could be. With you, we rediscovered our classrooms, our labs, our hallways and greens. At first timidly, then confidently, we – the faculty – followed your lead in repossessing a space that had stood still for too long. You didn’t just come to MIT; you rejuvenated it. You reminded us why we were here.

You brought new life into the classroom, challenged our assumptions, and reawakened the urgency of the pursuit of knowledge during some of the most challenging times – perhaps among the most perilous in MIT’s history – when the Institute’s strength and resolve faced, and continues to face, an unprecedented test. You questioned received wisdom. You dusted off what lay dormant. You made MIT hum again – with curiosity, with energy, with purpose.

You will go into the Institute’s history not only as the Class of 2025, but as the class that revived MIT.

Now, after four years of growth, inquiry, setbacks, achievements, and laughter, we are proud of who you have become. You’ve grown far beyond our expectations – equipped with talent, creative ambition, resilience, and the thoughtful, sometimes quirky self-expression that makes this community so distinctive.

You did not shy away from the hard questions. Whether it was a challenging problem set or the grand challenges of our time – climate change, income inequality, artificial intelligence, gender equity, the energy transition, public health, the horrors of war in Ukraine and Gaza – you met each with intellect and urgency. You have been, and continue to be, an inspiration to us all. First and foremost, you’ve led as critical citizens – and then, as engineers, scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs.

We can’t wait to see what you do next – in labs, boardrooms, startups, classrooms, and communities. We know you will carry with you not just the rigor of your education, but the values that will define your leadership: humility, integrity, curiosity, and a deep sense of justice.

Now more than ever, the world needs you.

On behalf of the entire MIT Faculty, we wish the Class of 2025 – and your families – vision, strength, commitment, and success in building rewarding lives and confronting the unique challenges that lie ahead.

Congratulations. We are proud to have been part of your journey.

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