This semester, Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber was the special guest at a reception for first-year graduate students. The informal event for students to meet the president was hosted by Graduate School Dean Rodney Priestley at Wyman House, the dean's historic residence on the grounds of the Graduate College. 

President Eisgruber spent most of the evening making his way around the crowd, chatting with groups of students, smiling for selfies, and getting to know the early scholars still in their first term at Princeton. As everyone gathered in a circle and offered their favorite piece of advice, President Eisgruber said the advice that has served him well through the years is to "Learn something from everyone you meet." 

The president then took a few moments to welcome the first-year students and reflect upon the role of the Graduate School in Princeton's history. He noted the creation of the graduate school was vital to turning Princeton into a world-class teaching and research institution. 

Pointing to the many graduate alumni who have become "leaders in extraordinary ways in academia and other sectors of society," Eisgruber told the students, "The Graduate School is essential to what we do here at Princeton in terms of the learning, the research, the scholarship, and the teaching in which you participate. Graduate education is a huge part of who we are."

Eisgruber also urged the students to think about being good storytellers about their own scholarly experience and the University's broader mission. “As scholars, we all need to think about how we tell the story of what we do and how caring about the long term – the way the Graduate School has done throughout its history – makes a difference to the world."

Graduate School events bring together  students from across the University

The students lingered after President Eisgruber left the event, continuing conversations and getting to know each other. About three dozen students studying in a variety of programs attended. All first-year students had been invited to apply for the guest list and then were selected by lottery for the limited slots. 

Although this reception for first-year students to meet the president is a new gathering, it is one of many hosted by the Graduate School to bring students from across the University together to build friendships and community and explore topics beyond their disciplines. 

"In the first year of the PhD, there is a lot of valuable time spent within one's departmental cohort in required courses and other events in the program," said Helen Ruger, a first-year graduate student in Classics. "In receptions like these, it is enriching to talk with other students to learn not only about their scholarly and academic interests that are so disparate from my own, but also to connect over our shared experiences." 

Ruger added, "Learning from and speaking with students outside of my program is one of the reasons I wanted to live in the Graduate College this year. These receptions are a microcosm of this broader collaborative, energizing graduate school community." 

Graduate students are encouraged to watch their email throughout the year for invitations to events hosted by Dean Priestley and the Graduate School.