Thanksgiving has always been a time for me to pause and reflect on all of my blessings.
I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of the remarkable close-knit community that is Nichols College. And I am particularly thankful for our alumni, who volunteer their time and talent for the College, and who have been incredibly generous donors to the capital campaign, which has enabled us to design and build the new academic building, undertake renovations in athletics, and nearly double the number of endowed scholarships over the last four years.
I’m also thankful for the students. They have embraced our mission for them to become leaders and are preparing for their careers by learning to communicate and present themselves well, and by developing the other skills that their future employers will covet.
Dudley, our hometown, and Webster nearby are in my thoughts on this day as well. Dudley has provided a safe and attractive community for our students and our partnership through the Nichols Academy with Bartlett High School in Webster allows us to engage high school students and help them prepare for college. I believe I speak for all of the Nichols community in sharing good will with our neighbors.
Like all of us, I am most grateful for my family — two great children Kristy and Jason and their spouses Brad and Erin and four delightful grandchildren – Grace, Liam, JJ and Addie. And of course, the world’s best husband, whom I married while an undergraduate student myself. I am also thankful to still have my parents at age 89 and my mother-in-law, who is 99.
Happy Thanksgiving.