Presidential Perspectives:
Welcome to the Class of 2013
Welcome to Saint Mary's College. Forty-one years ago, my family and I sat in the same seats you are in today and listened to Father McGrath, the president of the College, welcome us. And like you, my mind was full of excitement, and apprehension, and to tell you the truth, I don’t remember a word he said. But what I do remember about sitting in that seat is that I knew I had made the right choice. I knew my decision to attend Saint Mary’s College would change my life.
Was my college experience here perfect? Of course not. I knew no one at Saint Mary’s. I came from a small town in upstate New York and for the first few months, I felt that I just didn’t fit in. But, I had classes that were really interesting and professors who were engaging, and my homesickness soon faded. Before I knew it, I was immersed in the life of Saint Mary’s.
I spent my sophomore year abroad in Angers, France—one of the highlights of my four years. I encourage you to take chances, to stretch yourselves, and to try things that may seem beyond your reach. Don’t just sit back and absorb—be an active participant in your education. Ask questions. Probe for answers.
These four years will be filled with opportunities. This is your time to read the great books and ask the big questions. You will never again have time to do this with the same amount of concentration—life will get in your way. As an English major, I developed a passion for reading that continues to this day. But, I also took art classes that opened my eyes and taught me to see the world differently. I developed my adult faith life here. An education is not just about your major or career preparation—it should be a preparation for a lifetime of learning and growing.
I encourage you to participate in student activities—run for office, participate in one of the many boards. Take part in sports, at either the varsity or intramural level. Try out for a play or musical. Whatever your passion, there is a way for you to explore or strengthen it here. Take advantage of the next four years—don’t waste a minute.
For some of you, the Saint Mary’s family will be the most racially and ethnically diverse community you have ever experienced. For others of you, it may be among the least diverse you have experienced. Where your experience falls along this spectrum, is most often the consequence of the part of the country in which you grew up.
I want to assure all of you that there is no one way to be a Saint Mary’s woman. No single look; no specific life style or music, or style of dress; and no proscribed intellectual path. What we expect of you here, is that above all you accord everyone in the Saint Mary's family the respect due to each of God’s children. What we hope of you here, is that you take full advantage of learning from each other as well as from your excellent faculty.
To the parents and guardians in the audience—in four years the young woman with you will have matured far beyond your current imagining. You are making a major investment in her future and I promise you a good return on that investment. The education she receives here will prepare her for a career, but much more importantly, it will prepare her for life.
As a Holy Cross College, we continue the educational philosophy of our founder, Father Basil Anthony Moreau. One of his most famous quotations is, “The mind will not be educated at the expense of the heart.” At Saint Mary’s we are committed to the moral and spiritual formation and the intellectual growth of our students.
She will be able to think critically, express herself articulately, and write clearly. She will leave Saint Mary’s with the hallmarks of a liberally educated woman. I received a wonderful email from the father of a recent graduate. He wrote to me the day after he took his daughter to the University of Michigan Medical School where they attended the white coat ceremony. He said, and I quote, “…at our orientation four years ago, Karen and I listened to you and other staff members tell us you would transform our daughter into a Saint Mary’s woman. We were promised she would be challenged to be her best and you would support her every step of the way. At the time, I thought, 'nice promotional speech.' Looking back, everything we were promised was delivered and more.”
So families, relax and embrace this special time in your daughter’s life—her four years at Saint Mary’s College. I look forward to getting to know you and sharing this wonderful College with you. Welcome to Saint Mary’s.
