President’s Christmas Newsletter

President’s Christmas Newsletter

December 2020

Dear Alumnae, Alumni, Parents and Friends:

In this Christmas season of light and hope, during a time of both great loss and remarkable stories of resilience, with many people coming together to support those in need, we give thanks for all those who make a difference in our lives. I am reminded of those who came before us to make Trinity a beacon of hope. I am grateful to our benefactors, alumnae and alumni who have helped to ensure that Trinity’s star continues to shine radiantly through the dark days of this difficult era.

Dedication CeremonyThis year, we celebrate 120 years since Trinity first opened its doors to students in 1900 – a prelude to our 2022 observance of the 125th anniversary of Trinity’s founding in 1897. With our vast Trinity family joining us virtually on November 22, we gathered on the Marble Corridor to mark the 120th anniversary of the official dedication of Trinity College on November 22, 1900. During that ceremony, I was joined by Trinity’s Campus Minister, Sr. Ann Howard, SNDdeN, as we unveiled the portrait of our beloved President Emerita, Sr. Margaret Claydon, SNDdeN, ’45. Watch the video of this ceremony here. 

On November 3, 1900, the very first students arrived on Trinity’s campus. Elsie Parsons, a member of the first class to graduate, the Red Class of 1904, later described that day vividly: “And this is how Trinity first opened its doors to its students. It was Sunday noon, November 3, 1900, when amidst a depressing downpour of rain four students and one sister wended their muddy way from the car track to the front door. When I said Trinity opened its doors, I should have been more explicit – Trinity opened its door for it had only one in a state resembling anything like completion… Once inside, our welcome was warm… and we began to feel our zeal for learning and our responsibility as pioneers grow and increase within us.”

Trinity continues to provide a warm welcome to students who share that same persistence and zeal for learning as those very first students. This fall, we welcomed nearly 2,000 students in a range of living and learning modalities – resident and commuter, in-person and online, full-time and part-time, undergraduate and graduate. Thanks to generous benefactors, we were able to provide critical emergency funds and other forms of support such as laptops to students in need. Such generosity helps to ensure that Trinity students can be academically successful and complete their degrees despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic. Thank you!

Education is truly a gift that changes lives forever. Your gift to the Trinity Annual Fund supports so many different needs, making it possible for our students to continue to thrive. Your investment in today’s students will return countless rewards in the ways in which they will live Trinity’s mission in the world for future generations. Please know that every gift truly makes a difference.

May the spirit of Christmas, filled with hope and peace, be with you throughout the season.

Gratefully,

Patricia McGuire ’74, President

50th Reunion Classes Pay It Forward with Class Gifts

We are grateful to members of the 50th Reunion classes who are focusing their Reunion gifts on providing critical financial support for today’s students:

Stephanie Flores ’19 is currently working as a step-down ICU nurse at Shady Grove Hospital. Her unit has had to change some areas to accept COVID-19 patients, especially ones with heart issues.THE CLASS OF 1970 raised more than $200,000 designated for aspiring nurses in Trinity’s School of Nursing and Health Professions. These funds were immediately put to use to provide financial support to nursing students. Nursing is on the rise at Trinity and thanks to these critical funds our nurses can finish their degrees, pass their professional exams, and enter the work force during a time of great need for fully qualified front line health care professionals.

Ann Stallkamp ’70 reflected on her class gift: “I continue to be amazed with the many opportunities Trinity offers to a diverse student population. Developing the School of Nursing is another example of why our alma mater has been so successful in establishing new opportunities in a very challenging atmosphere of higher education. It is my privilege to be a graduate of Trinity.”

THE CLASS OF 1971 is off to a very strong start in 2020 as members of this Gold class will be seeking maximum class participation for their 50th Reunion Gift. Members of the class have indicated a particular interest in supporting Trinity’s program in environmental justice and sustainability, a program that reflects Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si and that also has been inspired by the work of classmate Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker who leads the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale. Gifts to support Trinity’s environmental program will provide scholarships, support for undergraduate research and internships, and the special costs of field research and instrumentation.

While Reunion giving is an important way to mark a significant milestone, other classes are also stepping up:

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1967 are supporting an endowed scholarship fund in memory of their classmate, Mary “Boodie” Christian Clark, who was a vibrant and dedicated class, community and Trinity leader. Thanks to a generous response from many donors to a 1:1 match from a few class leaders, the goal of permanently endowing the scholarship is within reach.

THE CLASS OF 1963 originally established the Sr. Margaret Claydon Scholarship Fund and Trinity is pleased to invite new gifts from all classes to honor her remarkable legacy. The scholarship supports high achieving young women in the College of Arts and Sciences who exemplify Sr. Margaret’s intellectual strength and leadership.

Trinity Nurses Achieve 100% First-time Pass Rate on Nursing Exam!

Nursing at LaptopI am so proud of our nursing graduates who, for the year 2019-20, attained a 100% first-time pass rate on the very rigorous NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination). I am grateful to Dr. Mary Romanello, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, Dr. Denise Pope, Chief Nursing Officer, the nursing faculty and, of course, the recent nursing graduates, who made this great achievement possible.

Thanks to the generous support of Joanne and William Conway and their Bedford Falls Foundation, we have 140 Conway Nursing Scholars this year. These generous scholarships, and the additional support from the Class of 1970, significantly reduce the financial worries of our nursing students, enabling them to focus on their studies. I am pleased to report that top hospitals in the region are competing to hire Trinity nurses, resulting in a 100% employment rate after the students graduate.

Katherine Johnson Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics

Trinity is grateful to Jurate Kazickas, Class of 1964, for establishing a new scholarship: The Katherine Johnson Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics. This award recognizes high achievement among Trinity students who major in math or science. Named for the renowned NASA mathematician who was one of a small group of African American women providing the essential math calculations necessary for early space exploration, the Johnson Award aims to inspire new generations of women of color to emulate her example of intellectual excellence and creativity, resilience in times of challenge and integrity in the execution of her responsibilities.

The Johnson Awards are scholarships for students chosen by the STEM faculty for their outstanding academic performance and potential in math and science. One award each is available for a senior, a junior, a sophomore and a first-year student.

Katherine Johnson graduated from historically Black West Virginia State College in 1937 where she earned highest honors in mathematics and French. After a career in public school teaching, Ms. Johnson took a position in computing with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the precursor to NASA. Ms. Johnson and her colleagues were portrayed in Margot Lee Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures, later made into an Oscar-nominated movie. Ms. Johnson became so invaluable to the early NASA space program that astronauts like Alan Shepard and John Glenn insisted that she verify the critical data about the launch windows and flight trajectories coming out of digital computers before they took their historic first space flights. She went on to break numerous barriers of race and gender at NASA including being the first woman ever named as an author or co-author of an agency report.

Give the Gift of Education This Season!

We are so grateful for your support for the Trinity Annual Fund! The Trinity Annual Fund enlarges our resources for student grants and scholarships and other student needs.

Ways of Giving to the Trinity Annual Fund:

  • Donate online: www.trinitydc.edu/give – Make your one-time gift or set up a recurring gift. It’s easy, fast and secure!
  • Mail your check, payable to Trinity, to: Development Office, Trinity Washington University, 125 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20017
  • Make your credit card gift by phone: 202-884-9720.
  • Donate stock or mutual funds: Please contact Patrick Kellogg, 202-884-9721 or KelloggP@trinitydc.edu

To qualify for a 2020 tax deduction, your gift must be postmarked or credit cards charged by December 31.

Thank you! Merry Christmas and Peaceful Holidays to All!

 

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