The SJSU Lurie College of Education provides research awards to support students, mentored by a faculty mentor, on a student-initiated research project to support student-faculty collaboration on an on-going or proposed research project related to the student’s major. Learn about our recent student research award recipients – Alaysia Palmer (Child & Adolescent Development), Paulina Medina (Communicative Disorders & Sciences), and Vinson Vũ (Child & Adolescent Development) as they discuss their experiences with their research projects, faculty mentors, and more.
The Lurie College of Education is pleased to offer up to three student-research awards for the 2021-2022 academic year to support students, mentored by a faculty mentor, on a student-initiated research project. These awards are designed to support student-faculty collaboration on an on-going or proposed research project related to the student’s major. Students can receive an award of $2,000 per semester and $4,000 a year. Apply for a research award by Monday, April 12, at sjsu.edu/education/financial-aid.
Congratulations to Child and Adolescent Development faculty Ellen Middaugh and Teacher Education faculty Mark Felton, who have received an SJSU Level Up Grant for their project “Enfranchised: Using social media to foster dialogue and civic empowerment.” This grant will provide internal resources for conducting research that will ideally lead to future external funding to conduct additional research.
Emancipatory Education Now is a student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices.
Ana Isabel Hahs – Graduate and credential student, Teacher Education
Vaishnavi Sunkari – Undergraduate student, Child & Adolescent Development, Public Health
Victor Calvillo Chavez – Graduate student, Counselor Education
In this episode, Vaishnavi leads a dialogue around inequality and access in education. The co-hosts shared their insights framed by questions such as:
What are some examples of initiatives at the classroom, school/university, state, or federal level that have been effective at creating a more equitable education for low income students? What are some examples of ineffective initiatives or missed opportunities?
How do you think race plays a factor in schooling in low income communities? The videos provided some examples. Did anything stand out to you?
In the Crash Course video, we saw that higher income parents are more likely to spend time with their children reading books and strengthening their cognitive skills. These higher income children enter school with more knowledge compared to a child from a lower income household. How can we support these young children early on to ensure that they are successful throughout their school journey?
FAFSA is a great way for students to get grants and money. However, do you think FAFSA is a simple process for low income families? Why or why not?
After reading the article on the factors that count against low income students in the college admissions process, what were your thoughts/initial reactions? Do you think that students that attend schools with extremely low budgets will always have no hope towards attending good colleges since they don’t have impressive extracurriculars or classes?
This episode’s call to action: After our discussion, think about how San Jose State University aids low income students to continue attending classes. Find one resource that SJSU provides to support these students. Do you think this resource is helpful? Is there a resource that you would recommend to SJSU instead?
The SJSU Spartan Scholarship Application portal is now open to those who will be enrolled during the 2021-2022 academic year! Applications for SJSU Lurie College of Education scholarships are due by Saturday, May 1, 2021. Visit sjsu.edu/education/financial-aid to access the link to the SJSU Spartan Scholarship Application portal, watch the recording of our recent scholarship application workshop, and learn about other Lurie College financial aid opportunities.
Watch this video to listen to SJSU Lurie College of Education Dean Heather Lattimer share some reflections on the 1 year anniversary of when Santa Clara County and SJSU first transitioned to a shelter-in-place in response to COVID-19 and share some updates and optimism about returning to SJSU to teach, learn, and work in person as we look ahead to the Fall 2021 semester. The full text of Dean Lattimer’s remarks is available below.
Dear Lurie College students, faculty, and staff,
It has been one year since we left campus due to COVID-19. When we said goodbye a year ago, I suggested that staff and faculty pack up what they would need for a couple of months – just to be on the safe side. It has obviously been a lot more than a couple of months.
As I reflect back on the past year, I am both heartbroken and grateful. I am heartbroken by the incalculable losses that we’ve witnessed – Friends and family members lost to COVID and other illnesses. Job losses and financial insecurities. Exacerbated inequality. Anti-Asian, anti-Black, and anti-immigrant violence targeted toward our BIPOC communities. Isolation and mental health challenges. Wildfire-related disruptions and displacements. Missing celebrations and curtailed rites of passage. These losses are real and significant and we grieve them with you.
But I am grateful too – I have been so deeply impressed by the resilience and commitment of our Lurie College community. During the past year, we’ve witnessed students, faculty, staff, and community partners coming together to support and care for one another. There have been real accomplishments that would have been significant in normal times and are monumental in COVID times. For example – this year 330 undergraduate students in Lurie College have earned the dean’s scholar award, a 50% increase over the previous year. Enrollment in our credential programs grew by 40%. We’ve seen an increase in faculty and staff recognition through awards, grants, and publications. We’ve deepened partnerships and outreach and provided direct support to school districts, community-based organizations, and clinics.
Each and every day I wake up humbled and grateful to be part of a college community that consistently demonstrates care and kindness toward one another and a passionate commitment to our larger mission to prepare and sustain transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders. Thank you!
One year later we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. If vaccination continues to progress and infection rates continue to decline, we anticipate that we will be in a very different context by August. We are planning that most classes will be able to have face-to-face meetings for the Fall 2021 semester. We are anticipating that most field experiences will be in person at our partner sites. College offices will be reopening and I anticipate being back on campus in Sweeney Hall full time by August 1.
We recognize that some people may have health concerns that prevent them from returning to campus and will need accommodation. We also recognize that there have been some real benefits to the online environment and are exploring how effective use of the virtual space can support student learning and strengthen access moving forward. However, I know that many of us are eager to be able to see people face to face and be in community together. As you look to the year ahead, please anticipate that we will be returning to campus. There will likely be the continued need for masking and some social distancing, but it will be so good to be able to see people in person!
Of course, the pandemic isn’t over and I encourage you to continue to wear masks, socially distance, and wash hands. When you are able, please go get the vaccine. Santa Clara County is now in phase 1 b of vaccine distribution, with people working in education and childcare eligible to be vaccinated. This includes all SJSU employees and all Lurie College students who currently are or anticipate returning to school or clinic sites in Spring 2021. I received my first dose at Levi Stadium last weekend. The health care workers and volunteers at the stadium were fantastic. And it felt really good knowing that it represented a huge step toward getting us all back to campus.
Thank you again for all that you do to contribute to the health, well-being, and success of our community. Lurie College is a family of dedicated, talented, smart, creative, passionate, and capable individuals. Together we have not just survived this past year, we have thrived. Thank you for being part of our family. I look forward to seeing you back on campus next semester!
Emancipatory Education Now is a student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices.
Ana Isabel Hahs – Graduate and credential student, Teacher Education
Vaishnavi Sunkari – Undergraduate student, Child & Adolescent Development, Public Health
Victor Calvillo Chavez – Graduate student, Counselor Education
In this episode, Aminah leads a dialogue around high-stakes standardized testing. The co-hosts shared their insights framed by questions such as:
What are your initial reactions to this reading? Do you have any examples or questions that came to mind after the reading?
How do you think standardized testing practices racial inequality and who do you think it affects the most?
How can we support students who are affected by the inequalities of standardized testing, when these practices are still in place?
What are possible standardized testing alternatives you would implement/want to see implemented in schools that would achieve racial equality and be accurate measures of a students knowledge? Or is this something we even need to measure?
This episode’s call to action: Raise our awareness of how biases in standardized testing affect our students in order to provide support for students who are affected by these biases and find ways to help them succeed.
At the SJSU Lurie College of Education, we prepare transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders through an emancipatory approach across our teaching, scholarship, and service and with a focus on being community-engaged, culturally sustaining, interdisciplinary, and holistic. Learn more about what this looks like in practice from Child & Adolescent Development faculty Maria Fusaro as she discusses our Early Childhood Institute and Early Childhood Connections initiative below.
As a faculty member in ChAD (Child and Adolescent Development), I’m privileged to work with many dedicated students as part of their educational journey. Students bring rich insights from their experiences in their own families and from work and volunteer experiences in their communities to my classes on infant/toddler development.
While classes are a critical part of the college experience, college is also a prime time to make personal and professional connections, broaden our horizons, dream bigger dreams, and persist through new struggles. When I began my journey as a first-generation college student, I had optimistic but vague perspectives about what higher education was all about. While I cannot fully appreciate what it means to be a college student in the era of COVID, I do recognize the value of having intentional opportunities for connection and dialogue, especially to recover some of the informal connection that we’ve lost to this virus.
In 2019, I worked with my colleagues Emily Slusser and Andrea Golloher, from ChAD and Special Education, to launch the Early Childhood Institute (ECI). At its heart, ECI is a hub for all things early childhood on campus, including research, training, and advocacy. We create opportunities for dialogue to better meet the needs of young children and their families in ways that connect research and practice.
As part of our work, and with the support of Lurie College Strategic Plan funding, ECI established a program called Early Childhood Connections (ECC). ECC focuses on building community and supporting the professional growth of BA and MA students and recent alumni across disciplines in pursuit of careers involving young children. During each of our ongoing sessions, presenters from SJSU and ECI’s community partners are invited to lead discussions on a range of topics. We’ve learned about the landscape for infant/toddler intervention in California, strategies for engaging with diverse families, and ways in which early childhood teachers (generalists) can work hand in hand with early childhood specialists. We are particularly proud that some of our presenters are SJSU alum, returning to share their wisdom with the next generation of early childhood professionals.
ECC only exists because of our participants and their voices are critical for shaping the program. A huge shoutout goes to Thao Ngyuen (ChAD BA, 2021), who has served as our dedicated student coordinator throughout our first year of program design and implementation. Our team, which also includes Isabel Vallejo and Donna Bee-Gates, developed the bones of the program, and participants have weighed in on our meeting themes and ways to stay connected outside of our planned meetings. ECC is one part of each of their unique SJSU experiences, but it is one that we hope will carry on long into the future, as they continue their professional journey and stay connected to ECI along the way.
Emancipatory Education Now is a student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices.
This episode’s call to action: The effects of colonization can be experienced by the narrow thinking developed in the human mind. As we return to society, we must be more mindful in how we interact with each other. Decolonization begins with decolonizing one’s own mind.
I wish I had a program like the Promise Group when I was a first-year college student. I progressed through undergrad as a first-generation student, all the way to becoming a professor at SJSU. However, it took years to find mentors who could best help me toward success. Today, I am thrilled to be part of a program that facilitates that search and provides mentorship for SJSU students.
The Promise Group fosters a caring and supportive community of belonging, encourages relationship building, and cultivates a culture of appreciation, which reflects the “holistic” goal of the Lurie College of Education’s strategic plan.
Supportive Community of Belonging – Serving as a faculty mentor has given me opportunities to build meaningful relationships with my student mentees. My mentors continue to be an important part of my life and I am glad to be that for my students today. For instance, I have watched one mentee progress and graduate with her bachelor’s degree and my other mentee has started college in the most difficult of circumstances – during a global pandemic. Our regular meetings have not only helped her develop strategies for success in college but help both of us feel a sense of connection, especially while we all work remotely.
Relationship Building – Serving as a faculty mentor has not only been about me imparting my knowledge and wisdom, but I am always learning from my mentee. Whether it’s how to order Boba tea, keeping up with pop culture, or brainstorming teaching and research ideas together, I leave every encounter with a new perspective and a better sense of my mentee as a complete person.
Appreciation – It brings me great pride and joy to recognize and appreciate all of my mentee’s accomplishments and progress. We celebrate small wins after each meeting (like getting a paper submitted), and BIG wins, like getting their first full-time job after graduation. It is exciting to serve as their cheerleader along their academic journey!
…and speaking of appreciation: a big Thank you goes out to Donna Bee-Gates for all of her hard work in leading this group, and for pairing me with amazing mentees. Watching all members of the group develop over time and successfully move into their next adventure is a highpoint of my work at SJSU.
– Dina Izenstark, Assistant Professor in Child and Adolescent Development
SJSU Lurie College of Education undergraduate, graduate, credential, and doctoral students can enter your name for a chance to join Dean Heather Lattimer and a group of students for great conversation and a complimentary meal each month during the academic year!
Attendees will be selected at random – none of your responses in the RSVP form will affect whether or not you’re selected, but they will help Dean Lattimer learn a little bit about you before the meal if you are selected.
Those who are selected to dine with the dean will receive an email notification approximately 1 week before each meal if once they’ve been randomly selected. Those who aren’t selected for a meal are still eligible to be selected for a future meal. Lurie College students are only eligible to enter their information once and attend at most one meal per academic year.
The next Spring 2022 Dine with the Dean event is scheduled to take place:
Video description: Lurie College student Jacqueline Lopez Rivas – BA, Child and Adolescent Development, speaks at our Fall 2020 ceremony.
Lurie College wants to select a graduating student to represent and speak on behalf of the Lurie College community at our Spring 2021 Graduation Celebration ceremony, which will take place on Friday, May 28, at 4pm! In order to be eligible to apply to become the student speaker, you must also be eligible to graduate. Your speech can take any number of approaches, but should be original and should resonate with the event attendees, which will be made up of Lurie College students of different academic levels and disciplines, SJSU and Lurie College faculty and staff, and family and friends of all ages and backgrounds.
To apply, submit a 3-5 minute video of you reciting your speech by Sunday, February 28, via this Google form. More information about graduation and commencement for Lurie College of Education students is available at sjsu.edu/education/graduation.
Emancipatory Education Now is a student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices.
In this episode, you can learn more about our student co-hosts – Abby, Aminah, Ana, Vaishnavi, and Victor – through their name stories. They also share a preview of some of the topics they plan to discuss in more detail later this semester.
The call to action for this episode: Exchange your name story with a family member, friend, colleague, or classmate!
Additional resources shared in this episode include:
Big thanks to Christine Cha from the SJSU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office as well as Child and Adolescent Development faculty Danielle Mead for sharing their insights about the Spring 2021 SJSU and Lurie College scholarships application process for students who will be enrolled at SJSU for the 2021-2022 academic year! The recording of the workshop is available for viewing below. The SJSU scholarship application platform will go live in March and the deadline to apply for Lurie College scholarships will be Saturday, May 1. We will send out an email notification to Lurie College students when they can begin to apply. In the meantime, please visit sjsu.edu/education/financial-aid for an overview of all Lurie College of Education financial aid opportunities.
Emancipatory Education Now is a new student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices.
Join us for the live discussion on Friday, February 12, at 5:30pm on the Lurie College YouTube channel – bit.ly/lurie-youtube – to learn from the student co-hosts and get a preview of some of their upcoming dialogues!
The SJSU Early Childhood Institute is hosting Tena H. Sloan, Vice President of Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Training (ECMHC) at Kidango, on Wednesday, February 10, from 3-4pm on Zoom to share her perspectives on making every interaction in early childhood a healing-centered experience. In light of the many persistent stressors facing families with young children in the Bay area and beyond, Tena’s talk “Healing-Centered Interactions Across Early Childhood Settings” will inspire all professionals working with young children and their families to make each interaction one that supports the wellbeing of the whole person. To learn more and RSVP, visit sjsu.edu/eci/events.
We hope that your first days of class were a success and that you are looking forward to new opportunities and learning experiences during the semester ahead. We know that taking courses remotely can be challenging and that many of you are also navigating added family responsibilities, work disruptions, and health concerns due to COVID. Our Lurie College community is here for you!
Please reach out to your instructors, academic advisors, and/or program coordinators if you have questions or concerns about your courses. We also encourage you to connect with our dedicated team in the Lurie College Student Success Center for support and advice on how to access resources on campus. If you are struggling, you aren’t alone. Please contact us so that we can connect you with academic supports, counseling services, financial supports, or other resources to help you succeed.
The events of recent weeks have reminded us, once again, of the critical importance of the work that happens in our college. The hatred, bigotry, nativism, violence, and white supremacy that were on full display during the capitol insurrection on January 6, clearly demonstrate the need for transformative educators, counselors, therapists, and school, college, and community leaders. Thank you for your courageous decision to commit to academic fields and professional careers that will position you to be agents of change and move us toward a more just, inclusive, and equitable future.
In recent months, our faculty and staff have recommitted ourselves to advancing racial justice within our college. You can view numerous examples of policy and program changes that we are committed to addressing during the 2020-21 academic year on our college’s Strategic Plan webpage. We also recently created a webpage with a collection of Antiracism and Racial Justice Resources, which includes articles, podcasts, social media accounts, videos, and much more.
A final word of advice in closing… Pace yourself! It promises to be a full semester with lots of time spent in online learning and activities. Make sure that in the midst of your courses, field experiences, work, and family responsibilities you take time to take care of yourself. Give yourself permission to turn off the computer and go outside. Get sleep. Find time to listen to music, have a good laugh, or just breathe. We need you in this work for the long term, and that means we need you to take care of yourself.
Congratulations to Child and Adolescent Development alumni Emerald Green, who is the new program director of the SJSU Black Leadership and Opportunity Center (B.L.O.C.)! Learn more about Emerald via @the_bloc Instagram account.
Are you a current student interested in assisting with research related to child and adolescent development?
Each semester, ChAD Faculty have a variety of research projects underway. Student Research Assistants are hired by the department to provide faculty with support on their research projects while exposing students to different research methods and topics. Complete this Google form to tell us about your interests and to hear about upcoming opportunities.
Emancipatory Education Now is a student-led initiative at the SJSU Lurie College of Education that examines what emancipatory education – the critical evaluation of the systems and structures of oppression that maintain the status quo in our educational institutions – looks like in today’s society and advocates for the expansion of emancipatory education research, policies, and practices!
Student co-hosts from across Lurie College’s academic programs will meet regularly throughout the spring semester to engage in dialogue about critical topics in education and share those thoughts out with the Lurie College, SJSU, and local community. Co-hosts will be compensated hourly for their participation and receive a high-quality USB microphone.
Lurie College has a limited amount of grant funds available to support its students who have experienced an unforeseen financial hardship that will prevent them from continuing their enrollment at Lurie College and SJSU. Awards are processed fall and spring semesters and advisors are available year-round. If you are a currently-enrolled Lurie College undergraduate, graduate, credential, or doctoral student who has experienced this type of hardship, please complete this brief Google form so that a Lurie College advisor can contact you.
Shoutout to Child and Adolescent Development Department faculty Robert Marx and Counselor Education Department faculty Kyoung Mi Choi, who – with the support of a Lurie College of Education Strategic Plan grant – have established the “Creating an Inclusive Climate: Queering Our Classrooms & Our Campus” initiative, which aims to offer introductory and advanced trainings at the department and college level around topics like pronouns and vocabulary terms, the hidden curriculum in our classes, and creating opportunities for authentic self-expression! Listen to an overview and update about their initiative below.
“I want to start by giving an overview of what the phrase ‘Queering Our Campus’ means because it’s not a term that is always used and it’s not always immediately understood. When Kyoung Mi and I put this proposal together, we were thinking about the ways in which our campus – and our college in particular – sometimes unintentionally uphold certain hierarchies and power imbalances. What it means to queer something is to trouble those hierarchies, to think critically and consciously about the power that’s in place, to think about the dynamics that are always circulating around us, and to think about what we can do to trouble that, to make that more capacious, to make that more inclusive, to make that a little less stable and a little more interesting for those of us who don’t necessarily fit into the norms of our society.”
Our SJSU Lurie College of Education Graduation Celebration took place on Friday, December 18 – watch the recording from the live event above!
14:35 – Video acknowledgment of Spring 2020 Lurie College graduates (alphabetized by last name) and remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer and Associate Dean Marcos Pizarro
26:30 – Remarks from Lurie College Graduation Celebration Speaker, Jacqueline Lopez Rivas (BA, Child & Adolescent Development)
36:14 – Slideshow of collages submitted by graduates (alphabetized by last name)
We recently spoke with Natalie, Jose, and Vinson – the winning filmmakers of our Fall 2020 Student Social Justice Short Film Festival – to learn more about what motivated them to create their films and what their future plans for advocating for social justice are. Watch the interview with them below and watch their individual films at sjsu.edu/education/community/film-festival.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact so many facets of society over the duration of 2020, that’s not stopping the Lurie College of Education at San José State University from organizing a live graduation celebration to recognize our more than 200 Fall 2020 graduates (and soon-to-be alumni)!
This year has presented our students, our college, and our communities with one challenge and hardship after another, from prioritizing our health and safety while simultaneously addressing educational inequities in response to COVID-19; to responding to acts of racial injustice and uprooting systemic racism; to surviving wildfires and dangerous air quality levels; and to navigating through a tumultuous election cycle. Despite all of these challenges and hardships, I have been proud to witness our students, faculty, and staff persevere and support one another throughout this year while continuing to make progress towards their personal, academic, and professional hopes, dreams, and goals. With that in mind, while we are unable to celebrate with our graduates in person at this time, it’s our priority to celebrate virtually with them to acknowledge their accomplishments and bring some closure to their academic experiences with us. We look forward to welcoming our graduates back to campus and celebrating in person together when it is safe to do so. – Dean Heather Lattimer
The Lurie College Graduation Celebration will take place online on Friday, December 18, at 4pm PST and begin with a college-wide ceremony that will include remarks from Dean Heather Lattimer, Associate Dean Marcos Pizarro, and student speaker Jacqueline Lopez Rivas, who is graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development.
I’m so grateful and appreciative to have this opportunity to represent my peers as the graduation speaker. With everything that’s happened this year, it’s been challenging for us to find moments to celebrate. For me personally, I had previously taken a break from school and practicing self care made a huge difference in my life and in my ability to return to school and graduate. It takes hard work to heal because it’s not always easy to focus on the difficult things in our lives. However, that’s where having and practicing healthy and safe outlets come in. Having a support system, different meditation practices, and getting in touch with my creativity are all my personal examples. I’ve seen so much resilience, perseverence, and commitment from my peers as well, so I’m looking forward to all of us having the opportunity to celebrate our graduation and end this year on a great note. After we graduate, I hope that everyone continues to find joy, keep working towards their goals, and not be discouraged. – Jacqueline Lopez Rivas
Each Fall 2020 graduate will also be recognized during the college-wide ceremony. Lurie College graduates, faculty, and staff have been invited to attend the live ceremony on Zoom, and family and friends are invited to watch the live ceremony on the Lurie College YouTube channel.
After the college-wide ceremony, each Lurie College department – Child & Adolescent Development, Communicative Disorders & Sciences, Counselor Education, Special Education, and Teacher Education – is hosting an online reception to include remarks from faculty chairpersons, individualized slideshows, and socializing among graduates, faculty, and staff to close out the semester and calendar year.
Since this semester’s experience is entirely digital, Lurie College has created some other digital items to add to the experience, such as:
San José State University as a whole is honoring and celebrating all Fall 2020 graduates by launching graduate recognition websites, which will go live on Friday, December 18, at 10am. Learn more on the SJSU Commencement website.
For me, graduating also goes beyond my own personal meaning. It carries great importance for my family, friends, community, and future generations, especially as someone who is Latinx, a woman, queer, and a first-generation college student entering the education profession. Sadly, I also have personal contacts and know of SJSU students who will never have the chance to graduate because their lives were cut short, so to me this graduation is in honor of all of them and is an opportunity that I am not taking for granted. – Jacqueline Lopez Rivas
As we enter into the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to express my admiration and gratitude for each of you.
This semester has presented incredible challenges — a global pandemic, massive wildfires, a passionate movement for racial justice, and a contentious election. Throughout it all, you have persisted and found ways to thrive. You’ve demonstrated care and compassion for one another, offered creative solutions to problems, been resilient in navigating online courses and field placements, and championed changes that can make our college and our world more just, equitable, and inclusive. I am impressed and profoundly inspired by each you! Thank you for all that you contribute to our college and thank you for choosing to pursue academic and professional fields where your passion and commitment will have a transformative impact!
I hope that you are able to take time away from schoolwork in the coming days to rest, reflect, and enjoy time with family. This semester has been exhausting for everyone and a break is needed before we return for the final push. Please give yourself permission to take a break, turn off the computer, and put aside the “to do” lists. The break has been hard earned and is well deserved!
