3 minute read
President's Message
Dear LVC Community,
This fall, Lebanon Valley College welcomed the largest number of incoming new undergraduate students in its history—476 members of the Class of 2027 and 54 transfer students. Graduate & Professional Studies is also on a growth trajectory: As of this writing, there were 431 students enrolled in LVC’s graduate programs compared to 186 in Fall 2019.
The Academic Year 2023–24 has already brought much excitement. On Friday, Sept. 15, Rev. Dr. Bernice King—lawyer, minister, activist, and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change—spoke in the Frederic K. Miller Chapel as part of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission’s Social Justice Lecture Series. She talked about crucial issues including the Beloved Community that her father promoted, saying, “No matter what society you live in, no matter how you define yourself, [the Beloved Community] helps us to create a framework for interconnectedness… a frame of reference to understand no matter who people are, they are part of your human family.” I am inspired by her words and committed to guiding LVC toward becoming a community of belonging and interconnection.
Homecoming Festivities were damp but spirit-filled. During the weekend, Oct. 13–15, five alumni were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame: Jenn Cronin ’11, Sarah Dietrich Linn ’03, Laura McMillen ’11, Nicole Snyder ’13, and David Zimmerman ’07. Five additional graduates received alumni awards: Bob Johns ’75, Dr. Anthony T. Marasco ’08, Betty Ross ’14, Cornell Wilson ’96, and Karen A. Young ’84. You will find brief bios of the recipients in the spring 2024 issue of The Valley. On Oct. 20, we dedicated the new 35,330-square-foot Nursing Education Facility, now open for our nursing students to learn to become patient-centered, culturally competent caregivers.
Thank you to the alumni and friends of the College who spread the good word about how an LVC education enables students to go further and achieve more than they ever thought possible. If you are an alum, please keep in mind the Alumni Referral Scholarship program. You can refer a high school student as early as their ninth-grade year. Enrolled students you have referred will receive a $1,000 annual scholarship. Refer a potential LVC student at www.lvc.edu/alumnireferral and give them 4,000 reasons to attend LVC. You are also invited to let potential Dutchmen and their families know that LVC offers a Visit Incentive to current high school seniors who visit campus before May 1, 2024. The incentive is also $1,000 annually for four years. Sharing LVC’s social media posts from your accounts is yet another great way to spread the word about the benefits of an LVC education!
Finally, the LVC community extends its gratitude to Kathy Bishop, a longtime trustee and College friend, for her transformative gift in 2022. Please read the feature story on p. 2 for a sample of the lives her generosity has affected and will affect for generations to come.
My family and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!
