Dear members of the Class of 2013,

Welcome to the University of Illinois. You are joining more than 70,000 other students, 5,700 faculty members and almost 20,000 administrative and support staff on our three campuses here in Urbana-Champaign and in Chicago and Springfield.

While these numbers sound large and impersonal, I can assure you that the U of I is a very friendly and personal place. U of I people really do care about your intellectual growth and pre-professional development over the next four years. You'll also find that your fellow students, your professors and the university staff are genuinely interested in you as a person and a fellow member of the university community. We really are all in this together.

Many of you entering freshmen have a good idea what your choice of major and preferred career will be. That's fine. But keep an open mind. There is much to discover here at the U of I, and what ultimately becomes your career might be something you can't conceive of now.

If you're not sure about your major or projected career path is, that's OK, too. Again, keep an open mind. Follow your head and your heart, and the "right major" will open its doors wide to you. Even if you're still in a quandary about your choice of major two or three semesters from now, choose what you love. The chances are good you can figure out a way to make that work career-wise.

Not all of your education here at the U of I will come in the classroom. You'll learn a great deal from other students and faculty who are from other states and other countries; from other races, religions and ethnic groups. You have the opportunity to get to know people with different backgrounds, cultural traditions and ideas than yours. The more difference you can experience and understand, the better.

Don't stick just with what you know or people like yourself. Reach out for new ideas. Take the opportunity to study abroad. In a global economy tied together with instant electronic communication media, knowing and understanding difference is no longer optional. And knowing a mix of different kinds of people will enrich your life here right on through your post-graduate life as a world citizen.

Reach out of your comfort zone culturally, too. Illini athletics are top notch, but we also have great student and professional musicians, actors, poets, artists ... Take advantage of performances you've never had the opportunity to attend before. The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Assembly Hall and our museums offer great performances and programs, and artists come to campus from all over the world.

Join a club or organization that supports a cause. Be active, involved. Speak up with your ideas. Take a leadership role.

The U of I is a fascinating place, full of brilliant and interesting people — and they include both you and that educated, knowledgeable, accomplished person you are striving to become in the next four years.

Welcome. We're happy to have you here.