St. Olaf Honors Day celebrates achievement—and the hope that sustains it
Kenneth Bjork Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Thomas Williamson ’86 delivers the Honors Day address, titled “The Politics of Hope.” Photo by Evan Pak ’19. 
St. Olaf faculty participate in the Honors Day procession in full regalia. Photo by Victoria Campbell. 
Students, faculty, staff, and families gather in Boe Memorial Chapel for St. Olaf College’s annual Honors Day convocation on May 1. Photo by Evan Pak ’19.
St. Olaf College held its annual Honors Day celebration on Friday, May 1, welcoming students, families, faculty, staff, and members of the St. Olaf Board of Regents to Boe Memorial Chapel for a convocation recognizing student excellence and community contributions.
Honors Day is a celebration of academic accomplishments, a time to express gratitude for faculty members, and an opportunity to thank the alumni and friends of the college whose support makes student success possible.
President Susan Rundell Singer offered a warm welcome to those gathered, and reflected on the strength of the St. Olaf community. She also honored the life and legacy of alumnus and longtime Senior Regent Dean Buntrock ‘55, who died on April 17. His decades of leadership and philanthropic support helped shape many of the spaces and programs central to campus life.
“He challenged us to be bold and future-oriented,” she noted. “My heart is heavy with loss, and filled with gratitude for the remarkable and transformative life of Dean Buntrock.”
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tarshia Stanley led the recognition of students named to honor societies and the dean’s list, inviting students across class years to stand in acknowledgement of their achievements. The convocation also celebrated recipients of national and international awards, including the Rotary Global Grant, Fulbright Scholars, Smaby Peace Scholars, the Goldwater Scholarship, the Rossing Physics Scholarship, the Phillips Scholarship, and the Beckman Scholarship.
“These awards and fellowships are highly competitive,” Stanley told those gathered. “Receiving one is an indication of the high regard in which St. Olaf students are held.”
President Susan Rundell Singer welcomes attendees to Honors Day, reflecting on the community that supports student success. Photo by Evan Pak ’19. 
The Honors Day convocation concludes with a resounding rendition of the college hymn, “Fram! Fram! St. Olaf.” Photo by Victoria Campbell. 
The St. Olaf community fills Boe Memorial Chapel for Honors Day. Photo by Evan Pak ’19.
This year’s Honors Day address was delivered by Kenneth Bjork Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Thomas Williamson ‘86, who spoke on the theme The Politics of Hope. Drawing on his experiences in the classroom and across his career, Williamson explored the complexities of higher education and the importance of maintaining a sense of possibility, even amid uncertainty.
He shared how he and former student Reilly Friend ‘23 had worked together over the past couple of years to develop a syllabus for a course centered on the anthropological assessment and study of hope, which they launched during January Term 2026 — coinciding with Operation Metro Surge.
“As the situation surrounding the cities grew more dire, colleagues would wanly grimace and say, ‘How is that course on hope going?’” Williamson recalls. “Our intention was never to suggest that hope equals some kind of inevitable progress — far from it. Hope, instead, is a kind of discipline. It aims to be measured, to see possibility amid despair. Hope is most valuable when it seems elusive.”
Williamson connected that idea of hope to the daily work of learning, noting that it often takes shape through persistence, curiosity, and cooperation.
“Education is an inherently hopeful venture,” he says. “We hope that the semester will go well, that students will learn things, that our research will pan out. We on campus find ourselves often taking one step forward, one step back — but we keep coming to class, collaborating as best we can. That’s the continued hope of the man standing before you on Honors Day.”
Watch the full Honors Day Convocation, including Williamson’s address, below.