"Embrace the Challenge": Honors Class of 2030 Begins Their Journey at Induction
By Matthew Medeiros
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The Tillis Performance Hall at the Bromery Center for the Arts was full of energy as incoming first-year students in Commonwealth Honors College (CHC) took their seats for the 2026 Induction Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 4. New students streamed into the Bromery Center for the Arts lobby and picked up their programs, which contained their official CHC induction pin, information on resources at the Honors College, and their activity card for the post-induction meet and greet activity.
Honors dean Mari Castañeda kicked off the ceremony by welcoming students and saluting those who had contributed to that moment, including “familias and amigas/amigos who support us and root for us from afar”, as well as staff, student staff, faculty, and administrative leaders at UMass Amherst.
“As my favorite African proverb says, ‘if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to farther, go together,’” she added.
Dean Castañeda then introduced Chancellor Javier Reyes, who began by congratulating students for joining Commonwealth Honors College.
“You have joined a community of scholars that is committed to excellence in every way… you have an exceptional opportunity to pursue research and scholarship, engage with faculty, and shape the future that you want to see,” Reyes said. The chancellor finished his remarks by sharing his excitement for the compelling research that students will complete in their Honors Theses.
Student Speaker Leila Metres, a junior Honors student majoring in English with a specialization in Creative Writing and a minor in Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, took the stage next. Metres began by introducing herself as an Honors student, a member of the UMass Track and Field team, president of the UMass chapter of Athlete Ally, and a communications assistant for the Honors College. She brought up the audiences’ spirits with personal anecdotes about self-advocacy, belonging, and how to get on track again after challenging circumstances. The audience cheered loudly as she shared her experience coming back from injury to be part of UMass Amherst’s Atlantic 10 Conference Championship track and field team in spring 2025.
“This framework of seeing challenges as opportunities is key to maintaining motivation through the difficulties of being a track athlete—or an Honors student,” Metres explained.
She closed her time by reassuring students about the challenges they faced ahead as new Honors and UMass Amherst students.
“You do not need to get everything perfectly right the first time. You can fail, get rejected, get hurt, or say the wrong thing… These moments will forge you into the person you are meant to be. And the good news is, help is everywhere around you at UMass, as long as you embrace the challenge and advocate for yourself. Class of 2030, go make that next right choice. It starts today,” Metres said.
The Induction Ceremony’s last speaker was Erik Cheries, senior lecturer and Honors program director in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. He passionately explained psychology’s importance as the science examining the human mind before transitioning to his own experience as an Honors undergraduate at UMass Amherst.
“Have any of you ever seen the movie Back to the Future? …standing here as a former Honors student, I feel like I have traveled back in time and this is my Back to the Future moment. I am you 20-30 years from now. And stepping out of my time-traveling DeLorean to talk to my younger self; here’s what I have to say. And it’s very simple…Get involved. Right away. As soon as you can,” Cheries said.
He closed echoing similar sentiments by urging the audience to take chances.
“I’ve shared my Back to the Future wisdom, and now I have to return to my present. But I am so excited to see you begin your future,” he explained.
Dean Castañeda returned to the podium to lead students through their pinning ceremony, inviting students to turn to the person to their right and helping them place their Commonwealth Honors College Induction pin on their shirt. Students exited the performance hall wearing their new Induction pins and took part in a meet and greet activity in the crisp autumn air outside the Bromery Center, mixing with new friends and UMass Amherst staff and leaders.
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Matthew Medeiros
