The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” may be cliché, but it’s so true for me. Where have the last 12 months gone? It seems like only yesterday I was arriving to Carver Hall to humbly serve as the 19th president of Bloomsburg University. Now more than 12 months have passed and I can stop, look back, and reflect on how much I have enjoyed getting to know our students, our faculty and staff, and our many graduates. You’ve embraced me and made me feel part of the BU family in ways I could never have imagined.
As I sit here and think about all that has happened, I am honored to have been a part of so many wonderful events and look forward to meeting more new people in the next 12 months.
We had many highlights in the last 12 months starting with last August when we have welcomed more than 1,600 new students to the Husky family. That was followed by the dedication of Soltz Hall, our new suite-style apartment building and the close of the It’s Personal capital campaign, the most successful one in university history. In December over 400 students became the first BU graduates with me as president. In late April I survived the inauguration ceremony, and in May we celebrated the graduation of over 1,500 Huskies.
Our students continue to show all of us how they want to help those around them by holding the biggest Big Event in school history; putting on one of the most elaborate Make-A-Wish reveals ever for a local child battling cancer; hosting the annual Bocce Ball Bash for Special Olympics as well as the annual Relay for Life event for cancer research.
Another one of the enjoyable parts of this job has been the chance to meet and talk with everyone. My chats with students in Starbucks, the dining halls or just walking through campus, have given me a real sense of what is important to them and reminds me daily of why I got into higher education. I’ve also had the chance to meet with many faculty and staff (both active and retired) and find out what they like about working here at BU and ways we can make this an even better place to work.
And finally, as I travel the state and around the country to meet with our alumni, there is one common theme I hear over and over and that’s about how “someone at BU changed my life.” That power of transforming the life of someone (and their family for generations to come) is something we can’t take lightly. I am also thankful for all our alumni and friends who continue to support current and future Huskies. Every gift has an impact, more than you can imagine.
There is a lot of work to be done in the next 12 months, but I know, with the help of my pack of Huskies by my side, we will continue to be successful and accomplish our mission which is to educate the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and beyond.
Until next month, GO HUSKIES!
Bashar
