While I recognize the challenges that our great University has faced, we need to stop focusing on the mistakes of the past and begin to look to the opportunities of the future. I am extremely proud to be a Zip and of the accomplishments I have obtained while at The University of Akron, and I encourage all of my fellow students to also take pride in what they have achieved during their time at UA. The University of Akron is a great place to be, and in recent months, that continues to be proven to us. Whether it’s President Wilson having pizza parties with students or a Zip winning an Olympic bronze medal, the energy and buzz on campus is electric. If you haven’t felt it already, this year is going to be vastly different from any other year at The University of Akron. We have faculty and administrators that work endlessly to support us, nationally-recognized academic programs, and hundreds of clubs and organizations to get involved with.

As the student body, we should be proud to be a part of The University of Akron and a part of community that overcomes and perseveres. UA students aren’t afraid of hard work. In fact, we seek it out. Our drive for success is only matched by relentless work ethic. It’s who we’ve always been and what will always set us apart. Be proud to say “The University of Akron” when someone asks where you go to school. It’s an honor to be a Zip, to wear the Akron blue and gold, and to be a part of a tradition of community that spans nearly one-hundred and fifty years.