Letter from the President

“...as we reflect on the 2020-21 school year, we find moments of grace, pride in the SLUH community, and a deep sense of gratitude for all who support our Jesuit mission.”

– ALAN CARRUTHERS LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Thank you for spreading joy.

I think we are all tired of COVID 19 – at least, that is the case at St. Louis U. High. Yet as we reflect on the 202021 school year, we find moments of grace, pride in the SLUH community, and a deep sense of gratitude for all who support our Jesuit mission.

Our faculty, staff, students and families navigated this unprecedented time with balance, consistency and a collective commitment to creative problem solving. At the same time, our alumni, parents and benefactors rallied to support our school at a level that surpassed that of our Bicentennial in 2018. The Jr. Bill Fund, Parent Annual Fund, Cashbah, our Endowed Scholarship program and the Go Forth campaign experienced incredible generosity.

Buoyed by our supportive community, we are focused on our future. We are taking what we learned from the pandemic to evolve and grow stronger – and we are eager to repeat the success of last fiscal year as we enter the final phase of Go Forth, cementing a sustainable foundation for our third century.

When we welcomed our faculty and staff back to campus this August before the start of school, I was overcome by joy, which, coincidentally, is the theme of our current school year. Knowing what we had accomplished together last school year, even in a prevaccine world, I felt a collective, positive energy among our beloved colleagues through lively conversation, jokes and stories of travel and the literary treasures of summer reading.

I felt the joy of a productive summer on our campus, featuring Upward Bound, sports and STEM camps, outdoor life experiences and summer school options. I felt joy knowing we had made several security and technology updates; undertaken strategic academic planning, scheduling and curriculum work; and finished many campus improvements, including a new roof and restoring the original skylights on Backer Memorial. The school looked and felt brighter, as if ready to throw off the burdens of the last 18+ months and welcome the energy of nearly 1,000 talented young men returning fully in-person to its halls.

Thank you for spreading joy through your generous charitable support of SLUH. It envelops our campus and enriches our mission. We remain humbled and grateful for your support as we continue to form Men for Others committed to pursuing excellence in leadership and service for our city, our nation and our world.

Gratefully,

Alan Carruthers

President