“One of the big advantages of UD is we bring the world to you,” Assanis told the students. “Take advantage of this. Network with each other, embrace international students, and they will contribute to you just as much as you contribute to them.”

Assanis said that each of those unique student stories needs to be shared so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of diverse perspectives. A campus can easily be filled with smart scholars, but their true potential emerges only when those smart ideas are shaped and shared together.

“Science is a team sport, so you’ll enjoy it much more if you collaborate with others, especially if you reach across disciplines and boundaries,” Assanis said. “Whether you’re an engineer or a businessperson or anything in between, just make sure you reach out to others who are different from you.”

That quest for meaningful collaboration will be helped by UD’s status as a top-tier research university and also by its ideal location in the heart of the mid-Atlantic region, said Lou Rossi, dean of the Graduate College and vice provost for graduate and professional education. 

"We’re the place where great ideas mix, fertilize and grow,” Rossi told the students, who came to UD from at least 45 different nations. “If there is one thing that characterizes our Blue Hen graduate community, it is that not only are we a diverse group, but we are a community that values these differences. We learn from one another, and we are better and stronger for it.”

And even as they learn from one another, the students should be mindful that their scholarship has the potential to reach far beyond campus. By becoming engaged with community partnerships and the federally supported research institutes on campus, graduate students can become change-makers even before they get their degrees, Assanis said.

“You have the capability to change people’s lives for the better, whether you are a mathematician or a historian, an artist or a linguist, a chemist or an engineer,” said Max Bobbin, a doctoral candidate in chemical and biomolecular engineering who is president of the Graduate Student Government. “When you leave this room today, pursue your passions with vigor. Advocate for yourself and for your field; advocate for people who can’t stand up for themselves; advocate for what is right and what is good; advocate for a better world.”

In the meantime, UD staff will be there to help navigate life’s non-scholarly challenges, the students were told. The University has renewed its efforts to enhance resources for students with dependents, and it has programs in place to support students from historically excluded identities, said LaRuth McAfee, senior assistant dean for the Graduate College.

Students also can rely on an array of academic support systems, ranging from mentoring programs to career guidance, said Suprawee Tepsuporn, senior assistant dean for graduate professional development.

The acute worries of graduate students everywhere — time management, finances, housing — will ease over time, a panel of veteran graduate students and professors told the crowd. No matter how heavy the obligations of their studies become, they must be mindful to practice self-care and carve out crucial leisure time, panelists advised.

“You can’t have it be 24/7 academics,” advised Violet Strawderman, a fourth-year doctoral student in English. “You’re going to burn out if you do that.”

It helps to proactively schedule regular blocks of downtime as a reward for all the work, noted Maria Purciello, a professor of music history and literature at UD. Now is the time to create a more structured approach to their studies and their personal lives, and to begin stitching together the person-to-person connections that will sustain them through their studies and into their careers, the students were told by panelists.

“One of the most important things you can do is find people and build that support structure,” Bobbin said. “Find people who you can talk to, find a group of people that can help each other achieve greatness.”

The bigger that group is, the better off you will be, the students were told.

“Spend some time getting to know your professors and not just your advisor,” said Ben Bagozzi, professor of research methods and international relations and assistant director of UD’s master of science in data science program. “As you get to know professors and other faculty, other opportunities will arise down the road, be it opportunities for funding or just other connections with regard to collaborations. It’s worth investing in.”

Strawderman said that as they work to connect with their academic cohort, they should also sustain connections outside of academia. Friendships can bring an added layer of support, providing a more personal level of connection during tough times.

“Be completely honest about the struggles you’re having,” Strawderman said. “I’m not saying be overly personal, but you’re allowed to be human. Be human, be kind, and if you give kindness, you’ll it get back. I think that’s something we in academia sometimes forget to do, is be nice to each other. 

“Be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and that will find its way back to you.”