As we look ahead to upcoming commencement ceremonies and the anticipation we share with our current and recent graduates, we pause these next few days for a brief but welcomed holiday break. The extended weekend is, for many of us, a time to reflect, spend time with loved ones and express gratitude for what we have.
Looking back on my time as president of San José State, I remain grateful for our remarkable student body as well as the esteemed group of faculty and staff members that I have been privileged to work alongside.
All of these individuals, as well as our Spartan alumni and other friends and supporters, demonstrate kindness, compassion, and an unwavering commitment every day to each other’s success and well-being. I value and appreciate all of you and the work you do.
The most recent illustration of this was an open house to help showcase our new SJSU Cares office, as well as the Share Your Spartan Heart campaign currently underway. These efforts help raise awareness of SJSU Cares offerings, and funding to help students in need with food and emergency housing support.
The campaign, which runs through Friday, Dec. 10, is off to a great start, with many departments, staff and faculty members reaching out to our Spartan Food Pantry to see how they can assist. The SJSU Cares open house, too, attracted many visitors from the campus and local community. All told, the heartfelt generosity currently on display by our university, while unsurprising, is a testament to our values and our giving spirit.
To help show gratitude to those Spartan students staying on campus over the long weekend, the SJSU Athletics and Campus Life teams are offering a free holiday meal to all of our students attending Thursday’s football game against rival Fresno State. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m., and students can collect their meal – a smoked turkey sandwich, garlic mashed potatoes and a side of gravy – in the student section at CEFCU Stadium. Admission to the game itself, of course, is free with your Tower ID. Students should be sure to reserve their holiday meal through the required pre-registration.
If all of that were not enough, the upcoming Day of Giving on Nov. 30 – which coincides with the national Giving Tuesday initiative – will offer SJSU alumni and others in our campus community the opportunity to contribute to a variety of university programs and participating student success initiatives. One unique aspect of Day of Giving is that it is tailored in such a way that contributions are directed to specific programs, so participants can give exactly to those areas that are most important to them. I am confident our campus will reach or exceed the Day of Giving goal of $25K in contributions!
On behalf of the rest of our campus community, I wish our students the best of luck as they prepare for this semester’s final exams. And to everyone: Best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy holiday break.