PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

From the President

AT A FIRST GLANCE, this Patches appears similar to recent issues, but this magazine is special. It marks our efforts to return to the quality of life on campus that we treasured before the pandemic’s disruption.

We returned to an in-person Commencement this spring, the first in three years, hosting 1,300 graduates and guests. We celebrated our capstone events in person—the Interior Design Portfolio Show, the Student Fashion Exhibition, the Athletics Banquet, the Student Recognition event, and ceremonial pinnings for health sciences graduates.

We also brought friends, donors, and the Harcum community together in Klein Hall, resuming the annual Circle of Excellence dinner and awards, well showcased with photos in the Advancement News.

We introduced some new events, too, one that even I was not expecting to attend one year ago. First Lady Margi Tucker DeTemple emerged from an intensive two-year research project with a multi-media lecture series presentation for the Harcum community and guests called “The Harcum Mile,” which is featured in this issue. Hers was a significant endeavor that expanded our archives, enriched connections with neighbors and alumni, and truly made Harcum matter.

And in early summer, the Harcum College Upward Bound (HCub) program returned to residency on the Bryn Mawr Campus with a jam-packed schedule from move-in to the day they departed six weeks later. Their summer experience included hands-on workshops led by our program directors, also captured in this issue.

I am immensely proud of the graduates appearing in this magazine. They completed their studies despite the challenges introduced by COVID-19. I am grateful to the faculty and staff whose work helped our students persevere. In the face of adversity, I take heart in knowing we all emerged stronger for the effort—as individuals, as programs, and as a community— because effort is what unlocks our potential.

Until next time,

JON JAY DETEMPLE, PH.D., MBA