Each fall, I look forward to walking across campus during move-in, greeting new and returning students and their families as they start their year at UC San Diego. Thousands of students traveled here from near and far. This year, I walked campus with Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Simmons, and we met families from as close as Chula Vista and Riverside to as far as Houston and Singapore. 

This year has been particularly satisfying, as I watched our campus come alive with the energy, enthusiasm and promise of what lies ahead. Student voices filled campus, as they carried suitcases toward residence halls, explored campus, and began building lifelong connections and a sense of Triton community.

It is always a pleasure to meet families and experience the tradition of bringing a student to college. I often ask, "Who's more excited? Parents or student?" The overwhelming response is "student!"