From 14 different countries, the 26 international students in the Class of 2028 make up the largest group of international students in any prior class at Wabash.
Students, families, and friends enjoyed a variety of options from local food trucks for lunch.
The Ringing In Ceremony was packed and hot and as special as it is every year.
New Glee Club Director Juan Hernandez led a group of alumni and students in the singing of "Old Wabash."
Dean of Students Greg Redding ’88
Dean for Enrollment Management Chip Timmons ’96
President Scott Feller listens to National Association of Wabash Men President Jim Hawksworth ’95.
National Association of Wabash Men President Jim Hawksworth ’95
Orientation leaders were ready to meet their groups and officially kick of orientation.
A little break from the heat came just as the Ringing In Ceremony ended.
Parents and families gathered at the end of the day for a reception with President and Mrs. Feller.
The newest class of Wabash College students were welcomed to campus with a challenge and a charge, ready to take on all that comes next.
The 267 students who make up the Class of 2028 were greeted Saturday afternoon in Pioneer Chapel by College administrators who offered advice, and were “rung in” with the same bell that the College’s first professor used to welcome his students 191 years ago.
“I challenge each of you to demand excellence from your classmates, your teachers, and most of all from yourself,” said Greg Redding ’88, Dean of Students and professor of German. “Your college experience will only be as good as you make it. Your path through Wabash may zigzag a bit; you may stumble a time or two along the way; but you will have innumerable opportunities for growth, both in and out of the classroom if you choose to seize them.”
President Scott Feller asked the freshmen to be open to the new experiences that lie ahead.
“Allow yourself to let joy and curiosity be part of what drives your Wabash experience,” he said before ringing them in as Wabash men. “The payoff will be huge.”
Certainly, there was much to process for those members of the Class of 2028, a cohort that represents 18 states and 14 countries and includes the largest contingent of international students ever to enroll.
“The truth is that I don’t really know how valuable this is,” said Ricardo Juarez ’28. “I’m sure I will learn to appreciate it in a couple of years. I’m excited to meet my professors and build relationships with them, and my roommates, and teammates. I want to see that progression.”
Classmate Griffin Rhoades shared similar feelings.
“There are a lot of unknowns,” he said. “When I first arrived, I was nervous, but now I feel like I'm kind of ready.”
While there is so much ahead of the new students, they are aware that they are experiencing a big life chang
e.
“I’m 1,500 miles from home,” said Juarez, who hails from Buckeye, Arizona. “I have to understand why I left home and take advantage of the moment, be disciplined, and get it done. This is something new and I should takeadvantage of all the opportunities I have here.”
Rhoades knew that a new level of personal investment may be required.
“I have to work hard for some things in life and Wabash is the place to do that, where you can invest effort and time into yourself,” said the Fishers, Indiana, native. “I’m on my schedule and it’s in my control. I have to prove myself to be responsible.”
Rhoades doesn’t yet know what he will study, but he is ready for the challenge.
“That's what I'm here to find out,” he said. “I don’t know yet, but I’m ready to figure it out.”