A marching band led the way into Harwood Arena as hundreds of students packed the entrance, greeted by a balloon arch, dancing students waving pom-poms and cheers of “Cou-Coug-Cougars” echoing across campus.
The celebration marked Kean University’s 2026 Freshman Convocation on Wednesday, August 26, where the university officially welcomed its largest freshman class in history, the Class of 2030. Students were greeted by university leaders, student representatives and alumni during an afternoon ceremony featuring speeches, performances, the Cougar Pledge and surprise prizes.
The energy continued once the Class of 2030 settled into Harwood Arena. President Lamont Repollet took the stage to greet the crowd. "They call me President Oprah Winfrey," he joked, then proceeded to prove his moniker by granting a student a $5000 scholarship after praising his energy and enthusiasm. He announced that several more scholarships would be awarded throughout the ceremony, encouraging students to stay engaged and pay attention.
Host and emcee Kerrin Lyles, the Vice President of Student Affairs, first asked the freshmen to take out their phones, capture the moment and “soak it all in,” before introducing university leaders, student representatives and performers joining her onstage.
During his speech, he challenged the Class of 2030 to make the most of their four years at Kean. “Your journey is going to have peaks and valleys,” he said. Drawing from his own experience as a two-time Kean graduate, Lyles recalled the doubt, fear and uncertainty he experienced as a student. He described how the people he met at Kean helped him through those moments, including a campus job that gave him not only financial support, but meaningful connections and leadership skills.
He encouraged students to be comfortable with discomfort, try new things and become involved on campus. “These are invitations to belong, to engage and to take ownership."
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Birdsell followed with a challenge of his own: to think beyond simply completing assignments and earning a degree.
Birdsell asked students to picture themselves four years from now, sitting at graduation. To get there, he said, students should attend class, participate and listen to their peers. He also encouraged them to take advantage of Kean’s opportunities outside the classroom, including study abroad, research and Travel Learn programs.
The provost highlighted Kean’s connection to Wenzhou-Kean University in China and opportunities for students to spend a semester or year abroad. He also noted that Kean’s Travel Learn programs give students the chance to visit countries including Costa Rica, Brazil, South Korea, China, Italy, South Africa, England and France.
“You're going to identify questions that matter to you,” he said, pointing to topics ranging from voting and nutrition to cultural differences and the communities around them.
President Lamont Repollet brought the conversation back to a question he said every student should keep in mind throughout college. “Why are you here?”
He asked students to close their eyes and think about their reasons for coming to Kean, the sacrifices that helped them get there and what they would need to do to reach their goals.
The exercise reflected a lesson Repollet said he learned during his own college experience. As an athlete entering college, Repollet said he initially struggled to adjust. He spent his first weeks with a group of friends instead of focusing on school and eventually found himself close to failing out.
“I had forgotten my why,” he said.
Repollet encouraged students to avoid making the same mistake by using the support systems available to them. “Become friends with them,” he told the freshmen, referring to faculty, staff and advisors who could help students navigate college.
Student Government Association Executive President Favor Oyelade also addressed the class, encouraging students to see one another as people who could help each other reach that point. “Look left, look right,” Oyelade said. “That's somebody who's on the same journey as you.”
She explained how stepping outside her comfort zone, getting involved and saying yes to opportunities helped shape her own Kean experience, such as networking with Fortune 500 companies and traveling to Dubai through Kean’s Travel Learn program.
“College is not just about the classes,” Oyelade said. “It's about the people, the relationships, the risks and the memories.”
Erik Parker, a Kean alumnus, director of Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America, was invited to the Convocation to reflect on his own journey and give advice to incoming freshmen. Parker, who attended Kean beginning in 1994, recalled becoming active in campus life through WKNJ, the university's radio, video labs and student government.
His advice to the Class of 2030 was simple. “Cultivate your tribe,” he said. College, as Parker described it, is a “hero’s journey,” in which students leave what is familiar, encounter challenges and return transformed. “You've got people rooting for you,” he told the class. “And you have to be a resource to somebody else.”
Hailey Silvestri, who performed "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, told the freshmen that three years earlier she had been sitting where they were, hoping for the opportunity to perform onstage.
Afterward, Lyles led the Class of 2030 in the Cougar Pledge. Students raised tassels that had been placed beneath their seats as they pledged to uphold Kean's mission and core values, to pursue their individual passions, to embrace the full Kean experience, and to make a difference in their communities.
The ceremony concluded with a raffle for students who participated in the July 16 New Student Orientation stamp-card activity, including prizes such as an iPad and a Kean swag bag.
Javier Jimenez, a freshman majoring in Global Business from Edison, NJ, said he was excited to explore campus and meet new people. "I’m hoping to accomplish putting myself out there more, especially since the community seems really nice so far," he said. "I think the campus is beautiful, first off, and there’s an energy here that you can feel, where everyone feels very accepting so far."
For August Canpr, a freshman physical therapy major from Williamstown, NJ, the transition was harder to fathom. "I feel like I’m still going back to high school tomorrow," she said.
Annabelle Wright, a freshman forensic psychology major from upstate New York, said leaving her family and dog made the transition feel more real. "I'm hoping to get my degree, get a good job, and meet new people," she said.
The 2026 Freshmen Convocation introduced the Class of 2030, the largest freshman class in Kean history, to the people, opportunities and community that will shape their next four years at the university.
