Start with Confidence

Classes were underway yesterday and to quote one of our faculty members "Being here and around our students and peers is so inspiring". Ditto - it was a very hectic and a very inspiring day! I reflected in a short note to the community last night.

Dear Community:

I felt that I would be remiss if I did not address you all today, even if briefly.

This week, we kick off ALU's launch into a new century. Today, we started our class load in the second half of our first decade. I commence my tenure in a new role, as do our newest crop of first years, as do many of our new faculty and staff.

Whether it was the group of first years I chatted with at lunch, or the faculty member who I talked to after her very first class, or the 4 senior leaders with whom I spent much of the day, or Fred with whom I texted frequently, I heard one message, loud and strong, in the voice of ALU - the message of confidence.

Confidence is that bold definition of our role in a complex world.

Confidence is that embrace of challenge as opportunity.

Confidence is accepting that we lead and not follow, that we create the future and not wait for it to happen to us.

Confidence is that stubborn insistence that our best days are ahead of us.

On this day, at this place, at this time, I could not have asked for a better welcome gift than that of our Confidence.

Thank you and here's to a successful year for all of us.

OCW