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“Class of 2023, when you ask yourself, ‘Who am I?’, stand tall and answer confidently because you are a VMI graduate and you will inspire the world,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin told the graduating class of 2023 at the Virginia Military Institute commencement ceremony yesterday, Tuesday, May 16.
Similar to the other speakers of the day, Youngkin’s message was well-received by the audience and graduates, and he was cheered as he walked into Cameron Hall with the rest of the procession line.
With 327 graduates and over 53 percent of those graduates commissioning into the armed forces, Youngkin and VMI Superintendent Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins commended the class of 2023 for overcoming the difficulties of attending an institution as rigorous as VMI, particularly amid a global pandemic.
“You are one of the few classes at VMI to endure the full effects of the global pandemic. … By the time you returned in August 2020, none of us were quite sure what was in store. You fought through the many challenges thrown your way,” Wins said.
He continued, “… To put it lightly, your cadetship was punctuated with challenges … So, I want to commend you today for what you accomplished. I can say without a doubt, your class showed tremendous grit and resilience. You not only persevered to the end, but you did it with character.”
Wins introduced the class valedictorian, Samuel Wolfe, and president of the first class, Cameron Cavanaugh. Both cadets urged their fellow classmates to embody the character, integrity, honor and strength they developed during their time at VMI.
Through a poem he wrote, Cavanaugh reflected on the victories and hardships the class endured throughout their four years. Both Cavanaugh and Wolfe remembered their lost “brother rat,” Jamison Clark, who was killed in a single- vehicle car accident during the class’s first year. Cavanaugh recognized Clark’s family who was in attendance on Tuesday.
Likewise, the governor acknowledged some of the difficulties the class faced, mentioning the heartache of losing Clark. He admired the cadets’ strength and perseverance, seeking to celebrate the highs and lows of their VMI career.
“Happily, and not surprisingly, there were more highs than lows,” Youngkin said. “You forged friendships in barracks, built relationships with instructors and professors, and grew in self-confidence and self-discipline.”
He continued, “… You experienced the highs and lows as a class, that’s the VMI way. You were there for your fellow rats, and you relied on your fellow cadets. You are blessed to have those lifetime bonds. I mean it when I say that I don’t believe there is a college graduating class anywhere in the United States quite like you – the class of 2023. Thank you, VMI.”
Youngkin said he believes that their experiences will allow the graduating cadets to confidently answer the “most important life question” of “Who am I?”
He continued, “While there will be people you have not met, and events that have not occurred that will meaningfully influence your future answer to this question, you today, are fully equipped to answer, ‘Who am I’, with confidence.”
Youngkin reminded the cadets of the code they live by, which “incorporates words like integrity, character, respect. A code that stands against prejudice, hate and oppression. A code that honors our great country, commonwealth, corps, family and friends.”
He recalled notable VMI alums who also lived by this code. Youngkin told the story of Jonathan Daniels, VMI class of 1961, who gave his life in Alabama to defend a Black teenager being threatened with a shotgun. “Jonathan Daniels heroically answered the question, ‘Who am I’ … He was selflessly looking out for others. There is nothing more honorable than giving one’s life for another,” Youngkin said.
He mentioned George C. Marshall, VMI class of 1901. “Each of you know the details of his legendary career, but he faced the ‘who am I’ question again, and the principles of duty, loyalty and selflessness he had learned at VMI helped him answer the question and change the course of history,” the governor said.
In his remembrance of great cadets, Youngkin included G. Gilmore Minor III, VMI class of 1963, who died on May 4. Minor, a former present of the VMI board of visitors, had been a recipient of the VMI Distinguished Service Award on Founders Day, the Spirit of VMI Award, and in 2007 the school’s baseball stadium was dedicated in his name.
Youngkin believes that like those who graduated from VMI before them, “through all walks of life, [they] will forge a better, more perfect union because [they] are from VMI.”
He told the graduating class, “From brave warriors in our armed services, to engineers, to teachers, to health care workers, to business leaders, to ministers, you will be whatever you resolve to be. … Virginia is proud of you. Our nation needs you and will look up to you. The world will witness your talents and successes.”
Following his appearance at VMI, Youngkin traveled to the McCormick Farm wayside in Raphine Tuesday afternoon for a ceremonial signing of Controlled Environment Agriculture Bills. (A story on the signing will appear in next week’s paper.)
