Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” On March 15-16, more than 100 students participated in the two-day Challenge Day event. These students were asked to challenge themselves by participating in conversations about differences, the importance of understanding other perspectives, and recognizing the impact they make on our community. They were challenged to reflect upon UST’s core convictions, mission, and mantra of “Challenge Yourself, Change Our World.”
Thank you to all the students who participated in Challenge Day! We are proud of you for making the commitment to participate in conversations that may have been uncomfortable. This really shows how much you care for each other and the St. Thomas community. Stretching yourself is so important for your growth and there is great hope that you will all go far! We hope that you enjoyed the “challenge” and will continue to have difficult conversations that push you to think about what needs to change, and how you can make a difference.
Thank you to the faculty who served as facilitators on Tuesday. Your service to our students allowed them to realize that it’s OK to speak up and to want to make a difference:
- Cori Carvalho, Vanessa Cornett-Murtada, Paola Ehrmantraut, Gloria Frost, Dina Gavrilos, Katharine Hill, Anne Klejment, Amy Levad, Tim Scully, Jonathan Seltzer, Kristine Sharockman, Heather Shirey, Buffy Smith, and Bob Werner.
Thank you to all the departments that made this event possible:
- Multicultural Student Services, Office of Institutional Diversity, Service-Learning, Tutor-Mentor Program, Center for Intercultural Learning and Community Engagement, Campus Ministry, Faculty Development, American Culture and Difference, Justice and Peace Studies, and the University Lecture Series.
