Interim President Urges Buffalo State Students to Shine in Convocation Address

Buffalo State Interim President Bonita R. Durand, Ph.D., delivered a stirring speech to the incoming Class of 2027 during the university’s annual First-Year Convocation on Friday, August 25. The auditorium was filled to capacity with students attending the event in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, which was live-streamed to an overflow audience in Ciminelli Recital Hall. First-Year Convocation is the Buffalo State tradition that officially introduces and welcomes its newest students to the campus academic community.

Durand entreated students to embrace the opportunities that lie before them: Arrive early for class, she told them. Sit in the front row, do your best work, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Engage with your faculty members and fellow students, participate in campus and community life.

“Your time at Buffalo State University is a gift, a golden opportunity that countless others can only dream of,” she said. “Cherish it, respect it, and make the most of it.”

Read the interim president’s full First-Year Convocation Address to students on the president’s website and see photos from the event on the Buffalo State Marketing and Communications website.

Video by Ken Giangreco, John Myers, and Dave Ross, Buffalo State Creative Services, Marketing and Communications Office.