Last week, President Mayme Hostetter introduced 620 new Pipers to three ideas that will help define their college experience.
Hostetter focused on leadership, scholarship and service – cornerstones of Hamline’s mission. She delivered the remarks during the 2026 Convocation and Matriculation ceremony in Hutton Arena, as the university begins its 172nd academic year.
“College is the best place on earth to find your crew and to realize that your crew can and should be bigger and more diverse than you ever imagined.” Hostetter said.
She asked students to consider what they can do this fall, encouraging them to make connections beyond their familiar circles, including with people whose backgrounds and interests differ from their own.
That advice resonated with students.
Nataniel Gazamoundjou from Minneapolis, who chose Hamline in part because its small campus makes it easier to meet people.
“Even if you have nothing in common, just go out there and talk to them,” Gazamoundjou said.
Gazamoundjou will have plenty of opportunities to put that advice into practice. The 620 first-year and transfer students come from 25 states and 23 nations.
The incoming class reflects a wide range of backgrounds, including 60 percent who identify as female and 50 percent who identify as students of color. Forty-one percent are first-generation college students and 45 are second- or third- generation students. Thirty-one percent were recruited as student-athletes, 24 percent were admitted as early honor students and nine have served or are currently serving in the military.
Greta Schwirtz of Big Lake, said Hostetter’s charge connected with values she had encountered before coming to Hamline.
“I really liked her different pillars of life that she was putting us on,” Schwirtz said. “When I was in the National Honor Society (NHS) in high school, that’s something we focused on, too. It's nice that it kind of carried over and showed that it readily does carry into the rest of the world.”
For first-generation college student Dana Marschall from Shakopee, Hamline’s smaller campus and tighter community were part of the appeal as well as the pre-optometry track. Hearing the speeches reinforced her decision.
“It shows that they truly care about the students here and they really want to resonate with you,” Marschall said.