President’s Weekly Messages
February 26, 2021
This week’s message is of a more personal note, a perspective not typically pronounced in my public communications. As many of you are aware, my beloved husband, Keith Miles, passed away earlier this month. My family and I received an outpouring of beautiful expressions of condolence that were heartfelt, empathetic, and moving. Many shared their own stories, which were inspirational not only in their content but in their spirit of openness and concern.
Our country is home to over 300 million people, each of us with our own unique experiences, perspectives and beliefs. It feels as though these differences have been amplified in recent years. Yet most people have in common the experience of grief and difficulties at some point in their lives. It is during such times that empathy often binds us, resulting in unexpected and uplifting experiences. It can be difficult to accept care from others, yet such interactions lift both the helped and the helper.
While we will always value the messages we received on a personal level, we also recognize that they provide insights that parallel present times. Your words of support were a light leading out of darkness, just as we, as a society, are beginning to see the light of re-emergence following a year of pandemic darkness. Your messages of hope are a source of strength and a reminder that through our struggles and resilience we emerge – always different, but hopefully stronger and better. That is how we move forward as a society, and as individuals.
This week we honored our Achieving the Dream Scholar, Estefany Palencia. She shared her own personal journey in her poem I Am From. Starting with the cultural and personal horrors she faced in her homeland of El Salvador, she describes her own re-emergence:
“…I am from mi Tios who love and adopted me
Who never went to college but wanted me to go
I’ve gone from almost not going to school because of money
To being a full 2-year scholarship recipient
I’ve gone from almost taking a gap year because I wanted to fight my battles alone
To learning to ask for help and taking advantage of many opportunities at my door…”
In the spirit of resilience and community, and as we close an edifying month of Black History programming celebrating outstanding service award recipients Dr. Erik Fortune, Ms. Dawn Gillins, student Kimani Lafond, and faculty member Towanda Mathurin, I am also reminded of the powerful words of Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, in her poem Miracle of Morning where she writes of healing stating that,
“…While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,
Our people have never been more closely tethered.
The question isn’t if we can weather this unknown,
But how we will weather this unknown together.
So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.
Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend.”
Thank you for being light in the lives of our students and for each other. Our collective work represents our North Star as we make a difference in the lives of others in ways that we may not have even imagined.
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President
2021 Weekly Messages
2020 Weekly Messages
2020 Messages
- December 18, 2020
- December 11, 2020
- December 4, 2020
- November 25, 2020
- November 20, 2020
- November 13, 2020
- November 6, 2020
- October 30, 2020
- October 23, 2020
- October 16, 2020
- Add 2nd week of November here!
- October 2, 2020
- September 25, 2020
- September 18, 2020
- September 11, 2020
- September 4, 2020
- August 28, 2020
- August 21, 2020
- August 14, 2020
- August 7, 2020
- July 31, 2020
- July 24, 2020
- July 10, 2020
- July 2, 2020
- June 26, 2020
- June 19, 2020
- June 12, 2020
- June 5, 2020
- May 29, 2020
- May 22, 2020
- May 15, 2020
- May 8, 2020
- May 1, 2020
- April 10, 2020
- April 3, 2020
- March 13, 2020
- March 6, 2020
- February 28, 2020/
- February 21, 2020
- February 14, 2020
- February 7, 2020
- January 31, 2020
- January 24, 2020
- January 17, 2020
- January 10, 2020
2019 Weekly Messages
2019 Messages
- December 20, 2019
- December 13, 2019
- December 6, 2019
- November 27, 2019
- November 22, 2019
- November 15, 2019
- November 8, 2019
- November 1, 2019
- October 25, 2019
- October 18, 2019
- October 11, 2019
- October 4, 2019
- September 27, 2019
- September 20, 2019
- September 13, 2019
- September 6, 2019
- August 30, 2019
- August 23, 2019
- August 16, 2019
- August 9, 2019
- May 17, 2019
- May 10, 2019
- May 3, 2019
- April 26, 2019
- April 19, 2019
- April 12, 2019
- April 5, 2019
- March 29, 2019
- March 22, 2019
- March 15, 2019
- March 8, 2019
- March 1, 2019
- February 22, 2019
- February 15, 2019
- February 8, 2019
- February 1, 2019
- January 25, 2019
- January 18, 2019
- January 14, 2019
- January 4, 2019
2018 Weekly Messages
2018 Messages
- December 21, 2018
- December 14, 2018
- December 7, 2018
- November 30, 2018
- November 21, 2018
- November 16, 2018
- November 9, 2018
- November 2, 2018
- October 26, 2018
- October 19, 2018
- October 12, 2018
- October 5, 2018
- September 28, 2018
- September 21, 2018
- September 14, 2018
- September 7, 2018
- August 31, 2018
- August 17, 2018
- May 18, 2018
- May 11, 2018
- May 4, 2018
- April 27, 2018
- April 20, 2018
- April 13, 2018
- April 6, 2018
- March 30, 2018
- March 23, 2018
- March 16, 2018
- March 9, 2018
- March 2, 2018
- February 23, 2018
- February 16, 2018
- February 9, 2018
- February 2, 2018
- January 26, 2018
- January 19, 2018
- January 12, 2018
2017 Weekly Messages
2017 Messages
- December 15, 2017
- December 8, 2017
- December 1, 2017
- November 17, 2017
- November 10, 2017
- November 3, 2017
- October 27, 2017
- October 20, 2017
- October 6, 2017
- September 15, 2017
- August 17, 2017
- August 11, 2017
- May 19, 2017
- May 12, 2017
- May 5, 2017
- April 28, 2017
- April 28, 2017_v2
- April 21, 2017
- April 14, 2017
- April 10, 2017
- April 7, 2017
- March 31, 2017
- March 24, 2017
- March 22, 2017
- March 10, 2017
- March 3, 2017
- February 24, 2017
- February 3, 2017
- January 30, 2017
- January 27, 2017
2017 - 2018 Summer Reading Resources
Summer Reading Resources
May 2018
May 25, 2018June 2018
June 1, 2018 June 8, 2018 June 15, 2018 June 22, 2018 June 29, 2018July 2018
July 13, 2018 July 20, 2018 July 27, 2018August 2018
August 3, 2018 August 10, 2018 August 24, 20182016 Weekly Messages
2016 Messages
- December 20, 2016
- December 16, 2016
- December 9, 2016
- December 2, 2016
- November 22, 2016
- November 18, 2016
- November 11, 2016
- November 4, 2016
- October 28, 2016
- October 21, 2016
- October 14, 2016
- October 7, 2016
- September 30, 2016
- September 23, 2016
- September 16, 2016
- September 2, 2016
- August 26, 2016
- August 23, 2016
- July 22, 2016
- July 15, 2016
- July 8, 2016
- July 1, 2016
- June 24, 2016
- June 17, 2016
- June 10, 2016
- June 3, 2016
- May 27, 2016
- May 20, 2016
- May 13, 2016
- May 6, 2016
- April 26, 2016
- April 22, 2016
- April 15, 2016
- April 8, 2016
- March 25, 2016
- March 18, 2016
- March 11, 2016
- March 4, 2016
- February 26, 2016
- February 22, 2016
- February 19, 2016
- February 12, 2016
- February 5, 2016
- January 29, 2016
- January 22, 2016
2015 Weekly Messages