I did not get a chance to read this exact speech at the Joseph Wharton Scholars opening dinner earlier this week because it was too dark in the restaurant to see my printout, but this is what I had prepared to say to the incoming freshman class, the Class of 2030, exactly 35 years removed from when I was in their seat in the fall of 1991 when I first arrived in Philadelphia.
Thank you Utsav for inviting me to this and hello to the JWS Class of 2030!
Wow saying that makes me feel old. But I guess I am.
I was in your shoes some 35 years ago, a fresh-faced kid from suburban San Jose California.
I had Penn on my radar because Wharton was the best undergrad business school in the land.
But I picked Penn because of JWS. I was dead set on staying local and going to UC Berkeley. I'd been on campus a million times, would be staying with some of my closest high school friends, even looked up what classes I wanted to take.
My parents insisted on taking me on a college tour of East Coast schools I'd gotten into, and I remember the day I was at Penn was a dreary April morning, a big contrast to the sunny skies I was used to back home.
Dr. William Whitney, the person who would be my JWS advisor so Utsav's predecessor, told me all about Philly and Penn and Wharton and JWS, and I was intrigued by the access to the honors offerings and small class sizes and extra attention.
But what really got me was one of his students burst into the office while we were talking, and she was really excited and told him she'd just gotten a random opportunity to study marine biology in Hawaii, and Dr. Whitney said, "well of course you're going to go," and she replied "but I'm a finance major" and he just said "go; finance will wait, you won't regret doing something fun and different"
The fact that I can tell you about a conversation from 35 years ago tells you it left a mark on me, and so if there's any advice you'd be willing to receive from me, it's be open to new and seemingly random activities, because they end up helping shape your life perspective in ways that can be hard to predict at the time
In closing, I'll only add that you don't have to go all the way to Hawaii to access unique experiences
Most of you are not from Philly, and I venture to say that for most of you, Philly wasn't the primary reason you picked Penn and Wharton and JWS, or perhaps it wasn't a factor at all; I know it wasn't for me when I was in your shoes
The fact that I'm here, 35 years later, living and working in Philadelphia, tells you I fell hard for Philly
But even if you're just here for 4 years and go somewhere else, make the most of your time in this great city
The thing about undergraduate education in the year 2026 is that it can't just be in the classroom
Your future success depends on you learning about and eventually solving problems and having impact in the real world, out there
And here, in Philadelphia, "out there" is right here, meaning you will scarcely have a more accessible chance to understand and engage with real-world people and real-world issues and real-world platforms
Go to a city council or school board meeting, get involved in a local non-profit, read the local paper - these things don't feel as sexy as taking that class with the famous Wharton professor or snagging that coveted internship on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley, but you will find they are no less important in shaping your worldview and preparing you to make a difference in the world
And with that, I leave you to 4 great years here, and I hope we can stay in touch if only so I can have the pleasure of watching you grow into what will be a fantastic career and life
Thank you
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