Vivek Murthy Delivers Moving Address At College Commencement

India-West News Desk

BRONXVILLE, NY – Sarah Lawrence College celebrated its 96th Commencement on May 10. Parents, families, and friends gathered under a tent in Westland’s Lawn to cheer on the nearly 450 graduates, with many more joining from afar via live broadcast.

The audience heard Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Commencement speech, which the university dubbed as a “moving” one. Weaving moments of humor and poignancy throughout, his address reflected several priorities on which he has focused during his tenure as Surgeon General — connectedness, community, and relationships, it said.

He left the Class of 2024 with this powerful message: “Love is the world’s oldest medicine. It is what I wish for you more than anything else in the world. Your ability to give and receive love is your greatest power. It is what will sustain you on every step of the journey ahead.”

During her remarks, Sarah Lawrence College President Cristle Collins Judd marveled at the resiliency of this year’s graduating class — a class that began their undergraduate years during the pandemic — and reflected on all that they experienced and achieved in their time at the College, saying: “Class of 2024, while your years at this College have been profoundly shaped by external forces that will mark your memories of this time, equally profound are the ways in which you have shaped each other and shaped this College.”

Founded in 1926, Sarah Lawrence is a prestigious, coeducational liberal arts college that consistently ranks among the leading liberal arts colleges in the country.