In her last commencement speech, Tilghman tells Class of 2013 to ‘aim high and be bold'

After a Commencement weekend characterized by rain, with guests huddling under white tents, the sun shone brightlyTuesdaymorning as members of the Class of 2013 marched onto the front lawn of Nassau Hall for the University's 266th Commencement.

One thousand two hundred and sixty-one members of the Class of 2013, five students from other classes and 892 graduate students received degrees in the morning ceremony, joined from the audience by roughly 10,000 friends and family members.

The University's 19th president Shirley Tilghman addressed the graduates. In her last Commencement remarks as president of the University, she reminded the graduates of the advice she gave them when they first entered the school at their Opening Exercises in 2009 — including to "remember to exercise, eat healthy, get some sleep and have fun."

"Except for the sleep part, which I know you all ignored, I hope those recommendations were helpful from time to time. Now here you are — four years later — and we are going out together," Tilghman said.

Tilghman then challenged the graduates to use their liberal arts educations to fulfill Princeton’s motto and "be in the service of this and all nations."Tilghman highlighted the athletic and academic accomplishments of the graduating class, referencing the field hockey, men's squash and fencing teams' national titles, as well as the women's basketball team's and men's swimming and diving team's Ivy championships.

In addition, Tilghman mentioned the class's advocacy, civic engagement and independent work.

Despite the class's successes in these fields, Tilghman told the graduates that learning within a classroom or laboratory was not enough. Instead, she said, friendships and extracurricular experiences had challenged students to "embody the qualities of character we most value in Princetonians."

Tilghman said these qualities were "loyalty, courage, honesty, integrity and a commitment to serve others."

Tilghman closed her remarks by encouraging the graduates to "aim high and be bold."

Valedictorian Aman Sinha ’13 from Ivyland, Pa., a mechanical and aerospace engineering major, reflected on the graduates’ time at the University and reminded them that while their time together was great, it was time to leave to pursue new adventures and to make room for the incoming Class of 2017.

Sinha likened the graduates’ diplomas to "fancy eviction notices," adding that they were “so fancy that most of it is still written in Latin.”

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“That eviction notice will be a reminder that you can do anything you set your mind to, that you really can make your way in the world,” Sinha said.Salutatorian Amelia Bensch-Schaus ’13, a classics major from Swarthmore, Pa., delivered the traditional salutatory address in Latin. Per tradition, the graduates received annotated copies instructing them to laugh or clap at specific parts while the visitors were not provided with these instructions.

"Once we entered these very gates as sheep, but now we will emerge from these same gates as men and women unafraid of hungry wolves and fierce storms: We will emerge as tigers of Princeton," Bensch-Schaus said in Latin, followed by cheers and rounds of applause from the Class of 2013.

In addition to the degrees conferred to the undergraduate Class of 2013 and the graduate students, honorary degrees were presented by University Orator and Trustee David Offensend’75.

Honorary doctorates were awarded to National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis S. Collins, Executive Director of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Dr. Lorraine Jenifer Daston, world renowned design architect Frank Gehry, professor and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison and Afghan Institute of Learning Executive Director Sakena Yacoobi.

Additionally, unannounced in the program, Chair of the Board of Trustees Katie Hall’80 conferred an honorary doctorate of law to outgoing President Shirley Tilghman. The assembled crowd gave her a standing ovation.

As part of the ceremony, University Provost and President-elect Christopher Eisgruber’83 recognized the recipients of prizes for distinguished secondary school teaching in the state of New Jersey, including Medha Jayant Kirtane, John McAllen, Robert O'Boyle and Deane R. Stepansky’73.

University teachers were recognized as well. Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin recognized assistant professor of classics Yelena Baraz, associate professor of electrical engineering Andrew A. Houck, professor of English Deborah E. Nord and astrophysical sciences department chair David N. Spergel as recipients of the President's Awards for Distinguished Teaching.

After the awards, Tilghman led the assembled crowd in thanking outgoing Executive Vice President Mark Burstein, who will leave the University to become president of Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

The ceremony concluded with the benediction and the singing of “Old Nassau” before the graduates proceeded out of FitzRandolph Gate and then back into campus. The seniors received their degrees at their respective residential colleges.