La Sierra helps cultivate God-given potential, Arthur tells students in address

The service is steeped in ceremonial tradition, with faculty and staff processing in regalia, musical performances, prayer, readings by deans of the university’s schools and college, introductory remarks by incoming student association president Ivan Diaz, and a convocation address by La Sierra University President Christon Arthur.

In his remarks, Diaz welcomed the students and noted their importance, in particular the freshmen, in representing the future and the next generation upon which hopes and dreams are placed. He reassured freshmen of the commitment of faculty to help guide ad support them along their academic journey.

“You are like a tree planted by flowing cool streams of water that never run dry,” Arthur said to the students in opening his address. “Your fruit––biologist, chemist, physicist, nurse––ripens in its time.”

“The word from God to us this morning is that God is our cooling shade. He’ll give us our fruit in due season, and because we work with him, the future looks ok. 

There’s a promise, that with God, you can be anything God wants you [to be]. La Sierra University is a place where you can cultivate your God-given potential.”

Arthur cited the university’s strong placement in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges guide in which the university ranked No. 3 in the West for Social Mobility.

“What does that mean? It means that when you come to La Sierra University, because of the transformative work of faculty and professional staff, we help you be socially mobile. We lift you up.”

“You have all the right to be here. This is your place to thrive.” – La Sierra University President Christon Arthur

He cited individuals who were noted on September 23 at various points in history for their achievements and for overcoming great challenges to achieve their full potential. These included Wilma Rudolph who overcame the effects of childhood polio to become a world record-holding gold medalist Olympic sprinter in 1956 and 1960 games. She also took a stand against racial segregation and due to her efforts, a first racially integrated parade was held in her honor.

“We have to know what we stand for,” Arthur said. “And when we decide that’s what we stand for, we should stick to it and stick to our principles.

“She cultivated her potential,” Arthur said to the students. “You can do it too. You have all the right to be here. This is your place to thrive.

“And so today at convocation, we make a commitment to you, we make a promise to you, a promise that we will help you to grow spiritually. A promise that we will help to grow academically. We are a place that gives opportunities to the marginalized, and those who feel as though society has left them behind. We’re a place that says you’re welcome here, welcome home.”

For those on the margin and who feel as though ‘my presence is almost as though it’s illegal,’ at La Sierra University you have a home, you belong here. Within the walls of this university, you are cherished, you are valued, you are loved, you belong.

“You are like a tree planted by a flowing, cold stream of water that never runs dry,” he said in closing. “And because you are the center of God’s plan, whatever you do, God will prosper you. You can be all that God has created you to be. You can cultivate your potential”