Jumbo Magazine - Fall 2023

GREETINGS,

Tufts University President Sunil Kumar recently addressed our newest Jumbos as part of our annual Matriculation ceremony. Held at the beginning of Orientation week, this address is meant to set the tone for our students as they begin their undergraduate journey through Tufts.

President Kumar made clear his hopes for this class. He said, “As you’ll come to learn, one of the great advantages of being a college student is the immense freedom you are afforded. I urge you to take full advantage of this freedom. It will never be easier to explore a new discipline or to discover new ways of viewing the world than in the next four years.”

So that is what this issue of Jumbo Magazine is about: exploration. The embrace of testing limits, of being uncomfortable in a new setting, of trying new things, and of figuring out what you’re really made of. At Tufts, we will support you through that discomfort—after all, what you discover when you explore beyond your comfort zone is the space where your growth as a scholar, community member, and human being really takes place.

In this issue, you will read about Cole Reese ’25 and his willingness to explore attending a university in a different part of the country than where he is from, you will discover the opportunities that club sports provide for students to engage in organized athletics without the intensity of the varsity program, and you will see how our students explore a variety of pre-professional path ways. You will learn from our faculty about their approach to scholarship. And you will discover how Gabriela Perez ’25 made her home at Tufts through an exploration of myriad academic pursuits, Centers within the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion, and student organizations.

My hope is that, as you read these pages, you will learn more about a community that intrigues you—and one that you might hope to explore in the next year or two. For now, keep making the most of the opportunities in your current environment, and I hope to see you exploring the Hill in the near future.