HAMPTON, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger yesterday delivered the keynote address at Hampton University’s 82nd Annual Opening Convocation as part of a celebration of service, leadership, and scholarship.
During her address, Spanberger praised students and their families for pursuing a Hampton education, encouraged students to build resilience in the face of adversity, and highlighted Hampton University’s long history of preparing leaders committed to service.
“Hampton University’s mission speaks to something profound: ‘to promote learning, the building of character, and the holistic preparation of students for positions of global leadership and lives of service.’ Lives of service,” said Spanberger. “Those three words capture something essential about what you are preparing for here.”
Spanberger continued, “Carry Hampton’s commitment to character with you. You’ll face moments when doing the right thing isn’t the easy thing. I would encourage you to choose character over convenience; service over self-interest. And keep in mind that the achievement of your goals and progress itself requires persistence.”
More than 2,000 attendees joined Sunday’s event, which marked the start of a new academic year for the Hampton University community.
Click here to watch coverage of her remarks. A full transcript of her remarks as prepared for delivery is below.
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REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY:
Good morning, Hampton University!
What an extraordinary honor it is to be here with all of you today — students, parents, faculty, and the entire Hampton family — as we celebrate this day and this tradition.
My name is Abigail Spanberger. I represented Virginia’s 7th District in Congress for three terms. But today, I’m here simply as someone who deeply believes in the power of education, the calling of service, and the incredible legacy that Hampton University represents.
First and foremost: to the Hampton University students: congratulations on the start of another exciting academic year. Let me say on behalf of everyone here today that you make our communities, our Commonwealth, and our country proud. You’ve reached this moment thanks to your determination, hard work, and the support of those who’ve believed in you.
To the families here today, especially the parents, thank you for the courage and wisdom it took to entrust your children to this institution.
You made a leap of faith, but you chose well. Hampton University has a proud history of developing leaders who change the world, and I know your children are in excellent hands as they prepare to do exactly that.
Hampton University’s mission speaks to something profound: “to promote learning, the building of character, and the holistic preparation of students for positions of global leadership and lives of service.”
Lives of service. Those three words capture something essential about what you are preparing for here, and I’d like to take a moment and tell you a little about my own story when it comes to serving others. Because, honestly, if you had told me when I was your age that I’d one day be standing up here in this capacity, I don’t know if I would have believed you.
I grew up in Henrico County, Virginia, just about an hour west of here. My own parents taught me early that there is no higher calling than service to others. My mother was a nurse who spent her career caring for patients in their most vulnerable moments. My father was a federal law enforcement officer who put on the badge each morning, knowing he might face danger, to protect our communities.
I absorbed those values of duty and service. After graduating from college, I became a federal law enforcement officer, working cases involving narcotics, financial crimes, and crimes against children.
Later, after 9/11, I worked counterterrorism cases at CIA, serving undercover to help keep our country safe. It was not your typical nine-to-five job.
At CIA, I learned something crucial: when you have a mission to accomplish, you focus on that mission above all else. Politics didn’t matter. Ego didn’t matter. Money didn’t matter. What mattered was getting the job done, keeping the American people safe, and serving something bigger than yourself.
That same spirit of service eventually led me to run for office. And I approached that job the same way: when you have a problem to solve, you work with anyone and everyone to find solutions.
This commitment to service isn’t unique to my family or my generation. It runs deep in Virginia’s DNA, and it runs especially deep here at Hampton.
Virginia is a special place, where American democracy was born and where we’re still working to perfect it today.
After all, it was Virginians who built the framework for a constitutional system strong enough to help a young nation move away from tyranny.
Virginia is also where Hampton graduates like Booker T. Washington and Mary Jackson proved that courage, education, and persistence can break down barriers and transform entire communities.
Born into slavery, Washington walked 500 miles to reach this very institution, where he graduated in 1875. He then went on to found Tuskegee University and become one of the most influential voices in American education and civil rights.
And Mary Jackson, who graduated from Hampton in 1942 with degrees in mathematics and physical science, later became NASA’s first Black female engineer. Working at Langley Research Center right here in Hampton, she didn’t just break barriers for herself — she spent the later part of her career working to ensure equal opportunities for the next generation of women scientists and engineers.
But you don’t have to look back in history to see public service in action. You can look right here on this stage at President Darrell Williams. Hampton graduate, distinguished military leader, corporate executive, and now President of the institution that shaped him.
That’s the full circle of service. That’s the kind of leader Hampton produces. And that’s the legacy you’re inheriting as students, graduates, and alumni.
And it’s not just in leadership positions where Hampton makes a difference.
Right here on campus, you have the Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. This facility, the first of its kind owned and operated by an HBCU, isn’t just advancing cancer treatment. It’s serving the community, conducting groundbreaking research, and training the next generation of medical professionals.
When your former President Dr. William Harvey learned about the high rates of prostate cancer in underserved communities, he didn’t just express concern. He took action. He assembled a team, leveraged Hampton’s medical physics program, and created something that saves lives every single day.
That’s what service looks like. It’s seeing a problem and refusing to accept that “this is just how things are.”
And because of Hampton’s commitment to making the discoveries of the future, earlier this year, Carnegie designated this university as a prestigious Research 2 institution — making Hampton one of only four in the Commonwealth to receive this honor. That’s an incredible accomplishment.
AND — just a few days ago, US News & World Report ranked Hampton #7 out of all the HBCUs in America. No pressure, right?
I tell you this because there is a legacy of service here at Hampton. And whether you’re just entering these halls or preparing to graduate soon, you are in a position where you can serve your communities. And you can do it right now.
Because you’re here at Hampton at a unique time in Virginia’s history, and there is history and progress all around you.
As a former legislator, I’ll give one recent example. In a 2018 study, Virginia was ranked 49th in the country for ease of voting. Only one state in the country made it harder for people to use their voices in our democratic process.
But our Commonwealth and the people of Virginia chose to put us at the forefront of expanding democratic participation and making it easier for people to have their voices heard.
In the past few years alone, the General Assembly passed the Virginia Voting Rights Act. Implemented automatic voter registration.
We’ve expanded early voting. We’ve created same-day registration. We’ve made Election Day a state holiday. We went from 49th to 12th and are still getting better.
These aren’t just policy changes. They’re expressions of Virginia’s values. They reflect our commitment to the idea that democracy works best when everyone can participate.
But make no mistake about it: this progress didn’t happen by accident. It happened because people chose to serve, chose to advocate for change, and chose to believe that we could do better.
And if you are waiting for me to tell you that some of those people — some of those legislators — are Hampton graduates, you would be right.
Delegate Alex Askew, a Hampton Graduate, was vital to passing these reforms. And State Senator Mamie Locke, also Hampton University Professor Emerita Locke, has spent her career focused on strengthening our educational system and expanding voting rights.
And she continues to lead the effort to pass a constitutional amendment to secure the automatic restoration of rights for Virginians with prior felony convictions — when we pass that amendment, Virginia will further cement its place as a place where we didn’t just found our democracy, we are leaders in constantly improving upon it.
And all of you are being prepared to continue that work and become part of that legacy.
Part of what makes Hampton special is that it’s a place where ideas can be exchanged, tested, and refined.
In recent weeks, there’s been a lot of serious discussion about discourse on college campuses across the country. These conversations remind us of something important: universities are meant to be places where different perspectives can be shared and debated. Ideas tested. Beliefs challenged.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t make judgments about right and wrong. It means that the way we test our convictions is by engaging with people who might see the world differently or who might learn from my perspective or from yours.
Hampton’s core values speak directly to this idea. They include “promoting inclusion and democratic ideals, while striving to learn from the differences in people, ideas, and opinions.”
That’s wise. That’s how we grow. That’s why this university thrives, and that’s how democracy functions at its best.
When those legislators questioned how they could make voting more accessible, they promoted inclusion and our democratic ideals. When Dr. Harvey wanted to create the proton lab, he brought in experts; people to bring their different ideas and perspectives to the table to save lives and advance science.
When you leave this institution and enter the wider world, I can promise you this: you’ll encounter people who disagree with you. Sometimes fundamentally.
Your Hampton education has prepared you not just with knowledge, but with the character not just to engage those differences constructively, but to learn and better the world around you in the face of new ideas or new challenges.
So let me leave you with this: remember that public service takes many forms. You can be a teacher, doctor, engineer, entrepreneur, or community organizer. The common thread is asking not just “How can I succeed?” but “How can I use my success to make a difference?”
Carry Hampton’s commitment to character with you. You’ll face moments when doing the right thing isn’t the easy thing. I would encourage you to choose character over convenience; service over self-interest.
And keep in mind that the achievement of your goals and progress itself requires persistence. The changes we’ve seen in Virginia didn’t happen overnight. Booker T. Washington didn’t transform education in a single speech. Mary Jackson didn’t break NASA’s barriers in a single day. And President Williams didn’t build his leadership capabilities in a single role.
Change happens through sustained effort, through people who are willing to stay engaged even when progress feels slow, even when setbacks occur.
You’re entering a world with significant challenges. Just read the news – there’s no shortage of problems to tackle.
But I mean this sincerely: I look at all of you and feel incredibly hopeful. You’re the products of an institution that has been preparing leaders for more than 150 years. You will leave this place not just ready to adapt to the world as you find it — you will leave this place ready and prepared to do your part to make it better.
The question isn’t whether you’re capable of making a difference — your presence here proves you are. The question is how you’ll choose to use that capability.
To the students of Hampton University: you are being given the tools to succeed – whether it’s demonstrating character even when it’s hard, learning to show leadership even when no one is watching, or understanding that service is both a calling and a privilege. Use them wisely. Use them generously.
And to those who will soon be looking for jobs, I wish you all the best of luck. I myself am going through quite the rigorous job application process right now.
In all sincerity: to the students here at Hampton, I look forward to watching you make a difference. Thank you again for having me here today. Go Pirates.
