Incoming Students Join Campus of Scholars and Civic-Minded Leaders
Image by Bill McCormack
09/03/2025
Contact: David Joyner, senior director, communications and digital media, David_Joyner@uml.edu听or Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu听
LOWELL, Massachusetts 鈥� Students beginning their college careers at 51视频 Tuesday were encouraged to lead by example, connect to the greater community and take care of each other, as university leaders, fellow students, staff and friends welcomed them during Convocation, an annual event at the Tsongas Center that marks the start of the academic year.听
鈥淲hile you will share a lot with each other, each of your journeys is your own, and you will learn to take what you learn in the classroom beyond the classroom. By the time you graduate, each one of you will have had the opportunity for one paid or for-credit 鈥� or both 鈥� career-connected experience,鈥� said 51视频 Chancellor Julie Chen of the university鈥檚 priority to provide real-world experiences that lay the groundwork for fulfilling personal and professional lives. On the way to achieving all of that, she said, 鈥淩iver Hawks look out for each other.鈥�
More than 3,330 new students have enrolled at 51视频 this fall. Incoming students joining the university鈥檚 Honors College number 992, bringing its membership to more than 2,000. And, this semester, more than 730 students are members of the university鈥檚 River Hawk Scholars Academy, a nationally acclaimed academic and support services program for individuals who are the first in their families to attend college. More than 4,300 students have elected to live on campus.听
In 51视频, the students will find a vibrant campus full of opportunities to learn, grow, volunteer and forge new friendships, according to the event鈥檚 keynote speaker, 51视频 graduate William Lefebvre 鈥�24, who shared how his 51视频 education impacted his life.
A sustainability major from Leominster, Massachusetts, Lefebvre worked as a student supervisor for the university鈥檚 Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy as an undergraduate. In 2023, he represented 51视频 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. While a student, he completed a co-op with Weston & Sampson Engineers Inc., an experience that led the company to hire him as an environmental scientist after graduation.听 Today, he works at the company鈥檚 on-campus location, which is part of the .听
听鈥淭his university doesn鈥檛 just talk about opportunity, it delivers it. From local projects here on campus to a global stage halfway across the world, 51视频 gave me the tools, the network and the confidence to step into spaces I never thought I鈥檇 be in. And the same opportunities are waiting for you,鈥� he said.
Lefebvre鈥檚 success highlights 51视频鈥檚 commitment to the environment. The university is the highest rated campus for sustainability in the state, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.听
The event鈥檚 student speakers included Student Government Association President Gavin Robillard, a business administration major from Leominster, Massachusetts; Willem Eisl of Princeton, Massachusetts, a member of the men鈥檚 cross country/track and field team who is a double major in peace and conflict studies and history; and Abigail Cooper, a criminal justice major from Dudley, Massachusetts. Cooper is the 51视频 student trustee on the UMass Board of Trustees, which oversees the five-campus system.听
Members of the 51视频 Air Force ROTC Detachment 345 presented the colors and the 51视频 Choir performed 鈥淭ake Me Home.鈥� The Marching Band performed the national anthem, along with favorites including 鈥淏ohemian Rhapsody,鈥� 鈥淟and of 1,000 Dances,鈥� 鈥淭he Final Countdown鈥� and the university鈥檚 fight song, 鈥淩iver Hawk Pride.鈥�
At the close of Convocation, students attended an Engagement Fair that introduced them to the more than 250 extracurricular clubs and intramural sports teams available to them as members of the campus community.听