All of us here at Saint Mary’s University would like to thank you and offer a huge congratulations for making it through this past year. The COVID-19 pandemic changed many aspects of your living and learning experience, yet you remained steadfast and resilient in your efforts to maintain normalcy.
Students should be proud of all the hard work you’ve put into your coursework and in following the everchanging COVID-19 guidelines that have been set forth. Faculty and staff should be proud of the hard work you’ve put into adapting to all that COVID-19 has brought to your work. When new challenges arose, you met them with great enthusiasm and creativity.
Here are a few examples of how each and every one of you persisted:
- You diligently wore your mask as you worked and studied on campus and beyond..
- At the College, you participated in regular COVID-19 testing to ensure safety for yourself and your teammates.
- At the College, you sacrificed visiting friends and family on the weekends to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
- At the College, you participated in and helped host the more than 350 events that took place this year, including tie-dye nights, movie nights, hikes, bonfires, and TedTalks, to name a few.
- At the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs, you adapted to the rigors of online learning while juggling work and taking care of your families..
Although there were a few setbacks, we applaud your efforts and ability to make this a memorable year.
To commemorate, we’d like to invite you to share your experiences of the past year so we can accumulate various voices and create a collection of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Saint Mary’s community.
As I reflect on the year, I am reminded of comments from Kris Shepard, our Outstanding Male Senior Student, at the luncheon for the finalists for the Outstanding Senior awards last week on the Winona Campus. He spoke about the “silver linings” we have all experienced throughout this year. For me personally, one silver lining has been you, our students, who persevered and persisted amidst the many trials and tribulations of this pandemic, doing so with evident care, compassion, and empathy for each other. I also count all the employees of the university as my other silver lining. Faculty and staff alike worked countless hours to ensure that you, our students, could have a successful experience. You are all my inspiration and my cause for hope.
THANK YOU again for all your hard work this year. We are proud of each and every one of you and grateful that you’re part of the Saint Mary’s community.
Together, we are Saint Mary’s.