Summers are a restful time for many, and certainly faculty and staff alike use the summer months for rest and rejuvenation. But we’ve also been preparing for students to return to campus and the start of the fall semester. This issue of Bridgewater magazine shares news of our alumni and friends and the accomplishments of our students, but it also tells the story of the public launch of our Connections Campaign and the ways we seek to strengthen the educational experience here at BC.
In early May, we recognized the accomplishments of the graduating Class of 2024 and welcomed them as our newest alumni. Just two weeks later, we celebrated the generosity of our donors with the public launch of Connections: The Campaign for Bridgewater College in the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons.
The public launch of any fundraising campaign means that significant milestones have been reached. In our case, some of these milestones are clearly visible: the opening of Rebecca Quad, the naming of the Nolen School of Business and Professional Studies and the announcement that we have raised more than $30 million toward our $35 million campaign goal. But the most important milestones are to be found in student successes like those we celebrated at Commencement, successes made possible by the investment our donors make in scholarship support, in teaching and learning initiatives and in the spaces on campus where our students live and learn.
But like Commencement, the Connections Campaign public launch was as much a new beginning as it was a celebration of past accomplishments. We are counting on everyone to help us move forward. We can do amazing things when we work together!
David W. Bushman, Ph.D.
President