Message from Dr. Belinda S. Miles: Inspiration-November 15, 2019
November 15, 2019
Colleagues,
Last week’s message—WOW! What a tremendous response! Your ideas and inspiration continue to populate my inbox. Keep your thoughts flowing as you encounter new ideas. It may be valuable to get together and share these ideas and consider how they have an impact on the future of Westchester Community College and higher education. Stay tuned!
Congratulations to the Westchester Community College Foundation on its 50th anniversary, for which donors came together to celebrate at a festive dinner on Wednesday evening. We are truly fortunate to have friends and benefactors who share a commitment to the community college mission and who so generously support our students and our work. The Foundation’s celebration will lead into the college’s 75th anniversary in 2021, by which time the Foundation plans to complete a monumental $50 million campaign to raise funds supporting student scholarships and cutting-edge programs. They are well on their way with $43 million secured to date. Every gift counts and makes a strong statement in support of the college’s mission, its role in creating access to opportunity, and student success initiatives.
This week’s exemplar of academic excellence is our student veterans who hosted “More than a Veteran” as part of their Veterans Day celebration. Student veterans shared what being a veteran means to them along with other things that define them as individuals – they are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, they have varied interests and hobbies, and they are Vikings. This was an outstanding example of how co- and extra-curricular activities and programs add value to a student’s experiences. Next week, the Board of Trustees will vote on a resolution to waive application fees for veterans and their spouses.
Thank you for offering so many opportunities for our students to learn, share experiences, and truly round out their academic journey.
Dr. Belinda S. Miles
President