Letter from Tom Ramsden, Vice President of Development

Letter from the Vice President of Development

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one definition of the word bold is, “standing out prominently.” For almost sixty years, Saint Viator High School has had a tradition of standing out prominently - in faith, in academics, in leadership, and in athletics. This tradition would not be possible without the support of alumni, current and past parents, and friends of Saint Viator that generously provided financial support for our mission.

In 2020, our community has once again been called to act boldly, refusing to compromise on our responsibility to provide academic excellence and faith formation despite the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our faculty, staff, students, and families have joined together, standing out in numerous ways including: n Pivoting to an eLearning environment due to the pandemic in March, without losing a single day of instruction for our students. n Being among the few schools in the area to develop a comprehensive plan to safely open for full in-person learning this fall. n Increasing the amount of tuition assis- tance, we were able to provide over $1.8 million for our current students during the 2019-2020 school year, ensuring that all who seek a Saint

Viator education have access to it. n Selflessly finding ways to assist those that are often thought of as being of least importance despite many service sites being closed for safety reasons. n Continuing to innovate in the class room with our new Klues Innovation

Center and the opening of our new

Counseling Center. Graduates of Saint Viator and Sacred Heart of Mary have made a lasting impression on the communities they serve in business, the arts, philanthropy, education, medicine, the military, and so many other pursuits. Yet, we cannot simply reflect back on the tradition of the past sixty years and consider our mission complete. Now more than ever, we must be bold in looking to the future and securing our place for the next generation of Lions. In the near-term, we must focus on delivering projects such as: n Renovating the Murphy Wellness Center on behalf of our athletes and overall student body. n Fortifying the center-piece of our faith life, the Alumni Memorial Chapel, where intellectually, we learn about our faith, communally, we gather around the altar, and individually, we are inspired to help others through servant leadership. n Continuing to fund the costs associated with keeping our community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. n Beginning to envision and build the classroom of tomorrow. n Increasing even more the amount of scholarships, grants, and tuition assistance we can provide to young men and women who share our vision and seek to discern who God wants them to be, discover what the world needs, and transform the communities they encounter.

I look forward to partnering with you now and in the future as we remain committed to developing students who will stand out prominently and serve boldly for the next sixty years. We know that with your generous support, we can succeed.

God Bless and Go Lions!

Thomas J. Ramsden Vice President of Development