At the close of the fall semester, I’m reflecting on the amazing achievements of our students and some new faces at the university. Exciting things have come to pass. Senior Austin Hughes was named a Rhodes scholar, the latest in a long line of Iowa students to achieve the award, a legacy beginning with Jacob Van der Zee in 1905. Not only was Austin named, but senior Melissa Lauer was a finalist as well, an additional honor for the university to celebrate.

We also welcomed a new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Steve Goddard, who came to us from University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Steve is a computer science and engineering professor, and I’m excited to see how he will work with everyone in CLAS to facilitate and further the groundbreaking research and education that takes place there.

But poignantly, we’re bidding farewell to an extraordinary group of graduates. I’m looking forward to the work they will soon be doing in the world, though we’ll certainly miss them here. Taking the hands-on experience of Iowa classrooms and transforming it into innovation and introspection in their lives outside of the university, our newest crop of Hawkeye alumni is venturing forth into a world ripe for improvement, repair, and progress.

And to our graduates specifically: You’re at the close of an exciting adventure, but you’re also at the start of a much longer and more adventurous one. What you’ve done at Iowa has already laid the groundwork for your future success—and you’ve accomplished a lot, from discovering a new circle of friends to pulling all-nighters (hopefully not too many) to getting through those three papers coming due at once to acing those final exams you were so worried about—but your story’s just beginning.

You’re leaving the University of Iowa at the start of a new calendar year—the perfect time for goal-setting and renewal. If you’re feeling a bit lost and rootless now that college has come to a close, I have a small exercise for you to think about. Imagine yourself in ten years. You’re content, sitting at the table with your morning coffee or tea, looking forward to the day ahead. Now ask yourself, “What would make your life feel like that? What would you need to have done—or be able to do?” Then think about yourself in 20 years. Or 30. And onward. How will you get to those good places?

You’re full of potential right now, and probably as unencumbered as you’ll ever be. And that’s a really fortunate place to find yourself. But now is the time to start charting a new course. You’ve learned how to navigate the world in many ways already, in classrooms and labs and downtown coffee shops. You’re well prepared, and you know more than you even realize.

Now, go use that knowledge and get where you want to go. I know you’ll be successful. You’re Hawkeyes, after all. Go make a difference in the world! Congratulations, fall graduates! We’re all pulling for you.