We know it well, the daily chaos which we now accept as the new normal, at least for the moment. Each day brings its own set of challenges and choices: Helping children with their schooling while still making progress on your own studies, finding a steady stream of motivation to fuel your work when turning on the computer feels tasking, considering if you can even continue your education with new changes in employment or benefits.
Of all the dreams you’re deciding to put on hold or let go of altogether, your education does not have to be one of them. Know that you can confidently plan on your doctoral education continuing, whatever phase you are in. Though we as your faculty and program staff may not yet know how it will be delivered to you, we do know that we’ll continue to provide high-quality education. You can depend on us. We’re here to serve and happy to do so.
Saint Mary’s has a rich history of Lasallians going the extra mile for their students, and this is still very much a living part of the culture today. Blessed James Miller is the utmost example of this, making the ultimate sacrifice of his own life in 1982 to put his students first and remove incredibly dangerous barriers to their education (Schmidt, 2020). In more recent times, Brother Tom Johnson emphasized in a February talk at the Twin Cities Campus that it’s not exclusively educators who can embody the Lasallian charism. Brother Johnson explained that staff and all who work to support students can be Lasallian by “placing one’s energy in educating young people by using a combination of faith and zeal, an appreciation for the presence of God, care and concern for the poor and marginalized, and a trust in the providence of God to form an educational faith community” (Schmidt, 2020).
Whether you are spiritual or otherwise, our Lasallian heritage strengthens our commitment to you, not only in this challenging time, but always. We approach our work with passion and a desire to serve. We do so in hopes that the energy and zeal we put into what we do flows through to you. We hope our support empowers you to get through this trying experience and others you may face so that through your educational journey, you may be transformed.
References:
Schmidt, S. (2020, April 16). Exploring the charism of the modern-day Lasallian: Part 1. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Retrieved from https://newsroom.smumn.edu/2020/04/16/exploring-the-charism-of-the-modern-day-lasallian-part-1/
Schmidt, S. (2020, April 16). Exploring the charism of the modern-day Lasallian: Part 2. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Retrieved from https://newsroom.smumn.edu/2020/04/16/exploring-the-charism-of-the-modern-day-lasallian-part-2/