Insight

What a singular time this has been for higher education. My arrival at Holy Family University is marked by the joy of joining a tremendously warm and supportive community, along with the renewed pleasure of seeing members of the community in person once again. The excitement on campus as we prepare to welcome students back to campus this fall is palpable.

And yet, I would like to pause for a moment on the past 18 months which have presented each of us with an unprecedented and collective inflection point. The experience of weathering a pandemic produced dramatic change, forcing us into new ways of thinking, new routines, and new technologies to navigate as a lifeline to family, friends, and colleagues.

As I reflect on this time through the lens of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I am struck by the level of resilience within our community, and I am inspired by all that you have accomplished. I am reminded of the important takeaways the pandemic has produced, articulated beautifully in a recent article from Yale Medicine. Two lessons that speak poignantly to our community are the importance of human connections, and the gift of humility.

With family at the heart of our Mission, being apart meant working harder to stay connected, and by all accounts, our community achieved this brilliantly. From virtual lecture series, to online alumni wine tastings and networking events, we persevered on behalf of the important goal of connecting with one another in real and meaningful ways.

And during this time, each of us has been humbled in some way—by the overwhelming uncertainties that an unknown virus can produce, to the dedication of essential workers who never missed a shift, to the selfless efforts of our healthcare workers and educators—so many of whom are Holy Family alumni.

I would like to ask that you carry these lessons with you. The relationships that are formed at Holy Family University are part of our experience as we strive to produce graduates who not only do well, but also do good by sharing their talents with respect and dignity for one another. The ability to put our egos aside and to realize that we are each an important part of a larger plan as we go out to serve others is what distinguishes our community in an especially meaningful way.

I look forward to meeting each of you at an upcoming alumni event, and to learning about the unique role that you play in our Holy Family University family.

Onward & upward together, in faith & family,

Anne M. Prisco, Ph.D. President “ The relationships that are formed at Holy Family University are part of our experience as we strive to produce graduates who not only do well, but also do good by sharing their talents with respect and dignity for one another.