Welcome

Dear Class of 2018,

In a few weeks, you will embark on your college journey, and we look forward welcoming you to Yale.  As a Yale College student, you’ll meet people from all walks of life, and as a part of this community, you’ll have experiences that will help define your character and shape the person you’ll become. There will be surprises and unexpected moments that you’ll have, and we invite you to engage in as many experiences as possible. 

The Unexpected Connections project was born out of a desire to share the interesting connections, both sustained and fleeting, often empowering and sometimes challenging, that students have with each other and with members of the Yale community.  These moments might begin outside their comfort zone, yet end with students learning something about themselves and others that they might not have ever known otherwise. Students often have described these experiences as transformative and a central part of their life at Yale.

Starting with this first video installment, we will be sharing a collection of Unexpected Connections assembled by a selection of current students who volunteered to submit spoken word pieces, essays, poetry, or videos with you.  You’ll have the opportunity to discuss these Unexpected Connections submissions in small groups with your freshman counselor during orientation. We encourage you to be open to all the wonderful possibilities that await you, and we look forward to hearing about some of the unexpected connections that you’ll have.

Sincerely,

W. Marichal Gentry
Associate Vice President for Student Life
Senior Associate Dean of Yale College

On behalf of the Unexpected Connections project team