Happy Thanksgiving! This is the time of year when we pause to reflect on the many blessings we share together in our lives and work at Trinity. I give thanks for the gift of our amazing students, devoted faculty and staff, generous benefactors and so many great friends in the Washington community. The short video above is a reflection on the joys and gratitude we share in this community.
Members of the Trinity Community have shared these reflections on this season:
“The etymology of the word “gratitude” comes from the words for “grace”, “praise”, “welcome”, and “sacrifice” in several different ancient languages. I try to remember each of these layers of meaning as I give thanks for beautiful friends, family, and companions; interesting work; benevolent colleagues; and vibrant, frank, and courageous students.” – Nelly Lambert, Visiting Assistant Professor of English
“This has been a very rewarding first semester for me here at Trinity DC University. I am so very thankful to be back in college and taking classes at Trinity at THEARC. It has been 50 years since I graduated from high school! My story is long with the ins and outs of marriage, divorce, working, parenting and eldercare, and I won’t go into details here. I just want to let you know that I am thankful that we have the undergraduate program in Southeast DC to meet the special needs of students like me. Happy Thanksgiving to you and the faculty, especially those at THEARC.” – Marilyn Greene, student at THEARC
“I am grateful for the Trinity traditions of service and social justice and the sense of community at Trinity. The demands of graduate school and work are supported in this community of strong women and men.” – Cathy Ellis, graduate student
“I am thankful for many things; for my husband and my oldest sister who are still here after five years of dealing with a chronic lung disease and cancer, respectively; my four adult children who are progressing toward their goals; my two granddaughters, ages 3 and 5, who continue to amaze me; and for those who support and encourage me through my life’s journey. I am extremely thankful for my Trinity University family of faculty and friends, many of whom I still stay in contact with since I became a returning college student in the Fall of 2011. Most importantly, I am thankful and grateful for the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; my salvation.” – Martina Coates-Nance, undergraduate student
“In my life often my thanks comes from awareness of what God has blessed me with presently, and over the years…but since coming to Trinity my thanks so often focuses on what God has been doing in the lives of those students I am privileged to meet every day through Campus Ministry. This year I am grateful for students who weekly give of their time and talents in service at the Capital Area Food Bank or Christ House and will spend a week in Selma, Alabama, for students who share their spirituality in the Gospel Choir or in stop-in conversations about some struggle in their lives, for Trinity students who go out of their way to hold a door and say “how are you,” and for our students who keep the vision of making a difference in the world alive in their hearts and on our campus. The ongoing mission of Trinity is alive and well, and for this I am thankful.” – Sister Mary Ellen Dow, S.N.D., Director of Campus Ministry
This year I give thanks in a very special way to the extraordinary benefactors whose great acts of charity make it possible for Trinity to sustain this vital mission in education. The great gifts of Joan Payden, Barbara and John Glynn, Jurate Kazickas and Roger Altman, the Moran Family Foundation, Joanne and Bill Conway and the Bedford Falls Foundation, and so many others have made it possible for Trinity to move from dreams to reality in planning our new academic center and providing even greater scholarship support for our students. Thanks to our thousands of alumnae and countless friends and partners in the community for your affirming support. Thank you!
I also always give thanks for the great dedication of our faculty and staff who make Trinity’s mission come alive every single day. Our colleagues choose to work at Trinity because of the deep meaning and great fulfillment they find in working with our amazing students. Thanks to all for your hard work every single day!
Students are the reason we are here, and I am so grateful to our students for keeping us on our toes each day! Trinity students in each generation reflect Trinity’s values in remarkable ways. Thank you to our students for giving us 2,500 reasons to do an even better job every day!
May everyone have a truly delightful Thanksgiving. Thanks for being part of Trinity!
What is your reflection on gratitude in this season? Add your comment below or email your message to president@trinitydc.edu and I will add it to this blog.