For as far back as I can remember, the elders in my family have reminded me to count my blessings, especially in challenging times. Count your blessings is such a simple statement but is filled with so much wisdom. The global pandemic has revealed a few things to us that one might consider blessings. One blessing being a strong reminder of the importance of having a plan in place that is consumable, flexible and targeted to meet the needs of our community of faculty, staff and students.
Our new Strategic Plan – Wilmington RISE is focused on taking advantage of our strengths and building in areas where we have the potential to be stronger and more competitive. RISE is a word that outlines our trajectory, RISE is an acronym that spells out our aspirational goals, RISE is a call to action and a call to service for each individual to support the greater community, RISE is where our spirits are collectively headed and just the beginning of what we are capable of doing together.
We will hold tight to our Quaker history and heritage and release any fear associated with making difficult choices and taking difficult steps to ensure the Wilmington College Mission continues to RISE for another 150 years of educating, inspiring and preparing each student for a life of service and success!
I invite each member of the community to join together in rejecting the traditional notion of “Us vs Them” that exists in the world. Our liberal arts foundation teaches students to think critically, serve passionately and work collaboratively reinforces the statement you will hear me say many times, “at Wilmington College, there is no them, it is just us.” We have no opponents, adversaries or enemies within the Wilmington College community, we have colleagues and friends with a common goal to help Wilmington College RISE and many great and sometimes different ideas of how to make that happen.
Our strategic plan is our road map and, for those who have run into construction in your travels, you understand there may be a few detours to navigate through along the way. We will take the many steps on a path that is unknown to all, we call it “tomorrow.” We will lean on one another to provide much-needed support, trust and encouragement along the way.
We will succeed by making the sacrifices necessary to plant seeds that will bear fruit for years to come. We have been handed this opportunity to serve Wilmington College by those who came before us and I am excited about our future together. I sincerely thank every person who has enthusiastically jumped aboard to offer their expertise, energy, and inquiries to help us move forward in a productive way. Thank you for your trust and support, they are greater blessings than you know!
Go Quakers!
Blessings,
Trevor
