Related: Celebration, Higher Education, Sports, Students, Trinity, Women

Amazing Founders Week!

 
 

What an amazing final week of classes we had last week!  With Founders Day in the middle of so many activities, it seems fitting to call it “Founders Week” since we simply could not get all of the great events in on one day!  The video clip above shows just some of the highlights.  The Trinity Community knows how to celebrate!  Check out these items as well:

Founders Day on Wednesday, April 24 included not only the traditional picnic and maypole depicted in the slideshow (see the seniors wearing their academic gowns!), but the “new tradition” of the Spring Honors Convocation.   We were so fortunate to hear terrific presentations from Sr. Mary Johnson, SND and Sr. Camilla Burns, SND on the importance of Trinity’s mission, the story of our founders Sr. Julia McGroarty and Sr. Mary Euphrasia, and the founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame St. Julie Billiart.  More on the Founders and the great talks by Sr. Mary and Sr. Camilla later this week!

During the Honors Convocation, we recognized all students who have earned merit scholarships this year, all members of honor societies, and the students who have received special awards.

Later in the evening of Founders Day, we had the traditional Athletics Banquet honoring all of the terrific women who play on our teams, their coaches and fans.  I’ll be posting the Athletics Slide Show later in the week.

Earlier in the week, we celebrated the new members of Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious of all of the academic honor societies.  Alumna Gina Perovich ’94 gave a splendid address on the importance of the liberal arts.

Many other honor societies had their induction ceremonies during the last two weeks.   Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society, welcomed Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie who gave terrific remarks during the ceremony.

Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth made a special appearance at Trinity on Tuesday, April 23, and several hundred students and faculty members packed Social Hall to hear her give an inspiring address about overcoming adversity, persisting in the pursuit of goals, and “getting out of your own way” in the pursuit of success.  Several standing ovations cheered on this brave lawmaker whose injuries in combat did not daunt her, but rather inspired her to make  difference in the public square.

At the end of the week we had the special treat of the Trinity Gospel Choir’s spring concert.  What a fabulous performance!

The last few weeks in the nation and world have been full of terrible news and great tragedy — the Boston marathon bombing, the garment factory disaster in Bangladesh, the ongoing crisis in Syria and floods returning to the midwest.  The Trinity community is mindful of all of these crises even as we celebrate the best of our academic and community traditions.  Such celebrations are not frivolity for its own sake, but rather, a time for students, faculty and staff to form bonds that give everyone strength and solidarity for the very hard work that consumes most of our lives — not only on campus, but in the purpose of our work at Trinity to inspire students to be of service to the world that needs these powerful women and men so very much.

Congratulations to our students, especially the seniors who have won so many awards!  And many, many thanks to all of the faculty and staff whose hard work and dedication not only made Founders Day and Week a great success, but more importantly, for living the vision of our founders every single day in the sense of mission and purpose you bring to our work together.

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Patricia A. McGuire, President, Trinity, 125 Michigan Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20017
Phone: 202.884.9050   Email: president@trinitydc.edu