Kulas auditorium was filled with excitement on Friday, August 15, when members from across John Carroll University’s community gathered to welcome the 689 members of the Class of 2029 and kick off the 2025-26 academic year.
This impressive group of incoming students is not only the largest in five years, but is both academically strong and diverse, with an average GPA of 3.78 and nearly 27% identifying as first-generation college students.
“This year’s Freshman class is incredibly impressive, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish during their time here at John Carroll," said Bonnie Gunzenhauser, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who spoke at the ceremony. “They are now part of a community that will challenge, celebrate and stand beside them as they begin their collegiate journeys.”
The theme for the year, Together We Thrive, set the tone for the ceremony—reminding students, faculty, and staff that no one at JCU succeeds alone.
President Alan Miciak, Ph.D., spoke to this spirit of unity and mutual growth in his remarks, followed by a message about the enduring value of a Jesuit liberal arts education. He urged students to embrace their differences as a source of strength and to resist the pull of division.
“Let’s embrace and learn from our differences and count them among our greatest blessings,” Miciak said. “If you challenge your assumptions about your capabilities and limitations you will discover how far you can go.”
That same spirit of care and connection carried into the message from this year’s convocation keynote speaker, famed clinical psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Lisa Damour, who spoke directly to the Class of 2029 about what it means to begin their JCU journey together.
“As you launch yourself into a college student, I encourage you to embrace the hard work ahead. I hope you will feel unafraid of the stress that comes with it and then lean into the recovery that you have earned, that you deserve, and that you will need in order to thrive,” said Damour.
The theme of Together We Thrive continued in a short video shown during the ceremony, featuring sophomore Kevin Kotyk ’28, who reflected on what makes JCU’s community so special:
“The community here is solely built on supporting one another, lifting each other up, and cheering each other on for success,” Kotyk said. He went on to describe how friendly and welcoming everyone is—how it’s common to be greeted with a hello while walking across campus, creating the foundation of a community where every student feels seen.
As the Convocation ceremony concluded, students stood shoulder to shoulder, their blue and white electronic candles glowing like a constellation in the darkened auditorium. The words of Lisa Damour lingered as they left to begin their first semester:
“Don’t be frightened of that discomfort – that discomfort means that growth is happening…and what I can tell you is that you’ve come to the right place to do that growth because you’re going to be surrounded by people who are here to support you.”