A Letter from the President — Fall 2015

Dear Friends and Alumni,

Kansas has had one of the wettest springs and summers on record. The wet weather has slowed the construction of our stadium and softball field. Perhaps the Lord is trying to teach me patience—and I seem to be a remedial student when it comes to patience. Or, perhaps the Lord is reminding us that we are not in charge. We are simple workers in God’s vineyard. We aren’t the ones who make the rains fall or the grapes grow.

In some ways, this analogy works for education as well.

We are really not in charge of a student’s learning. We create the environment for her to learn; we challenge her to learn; we encourage her to learn, and then we must let go. We stand back and watch a young mind daring to challenge the assumptions she brought with her. We see wide-eyed wonder at a new learning. We see frustration turn to joy as she grasps a concept that had eluded her. Just as the farmer delights as He watches the grapes grow and ripen, we in education have a similar delight—the privilege of watching students grow and learn.

We have worked all summer tilling the soil for our new Saint Marians.

Many of our staff volunteered a day and painted the hallways in Maria Hall. The maintenance crews installed a fire pit with benches behind the dorm for student use. The bushes around the front fountain have all been replaced with beautiful flowers thanks to a grateful graduate. We are replacing the service lines in the cafeteria with a food court.

Yes, we do all we can to be sure the soil is ready for our students to plant their roots deep in Saint Mary soil, for we know the formative power of a Saint Mary education. Once a Saint Marian, always a Saint Marian.

Blessings to you,
Sister Diane Steele, SCL, Ph.D., C’83