ORIENTATION SPEECH

PRESIDENT CAROL ANN MOONEY

AUGUST 19, 2011

Welcome to Saint Mary's College. Forty-three years ago, my family and I sat in the same seats you are in today and listened to Father McGrath, the president of the College, welcome us. And to tell you the truth I don’t remember a word he said.

But I do remember that in spite of my nerves, I knew I had made the right choice, I knew my decision to attend Saint Mary’s College would change my life.

Was my college experience here perfect? Of course not. I knew no one at Saint Mary’s—I came from a small town in upstate New York—and for the first few months, I felt that I just didn’t fit in. But, my classes were really interesting, my professors challenged me in ways I had not been challenged before, I made great new friends, and my homesickness soon faded as I found my niche at Saint Mary’s. Before I knew it, I was immersed in my new life at Saint Mary’s.

I spent my sophomore year abroad—in Angers, France—one of the highlights of my four years. I encourage you to take chances, to stretch yourselves, and to try things that may seem beyond your reach. Don’t just sit back and absorb—be an active participant in your education: ask questions, probe for answers.

These four years will be filled with opportunities. This will be the best time in your life to read the great books and ask the big questions. You will never again have the same amount of time to do this with the same amount of concentration—as your parents know too well, life just gets in your way.

I was an English literature major. I developed a passion for reading that continues to this day. I also stretched a bit and took art classes that opened my eyes and taught me to see the world differently. I developed my adult faith life here. An education is much more than your major or career preparation—a Saint Mary’s education is preparation for not only a lifetime of earning, but a lifetime of learning.

I encourage you to participate in student activities: run for office, participate in one of the many boards. Take part in sports, at either the varsity or intramural level. Try out for a play or musical.

Find your passion. Take advantage of the next four years—don’t waste a minute.

I want to assure all of you that there is no one way to be a Saint Mary’s woman. No single look, no specific life style or music, or style of dress, and no proscribed intellectual path. What we expect of you here is that, above all, you accord everyone in the Saint Mary's family the respect due to each of God’s children. What we hope of you here is that you take full advantage of learning from each other as well as from your excellent faculty.

To the parents and guardians in the audience—in four years the young woman with you will have matured far beyond your current imagining. You are making a major investment in her future, and I promise you a good return on that investment. The education she receives here will prepare her for a career, but much more important, it will prepare her for life.

As a Holy Cross College, we continue the educational philosophy of our founder, Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau. One of his most famous quotations is, “The mind will not be educated at the expense of the heart.” At Saint Mary’s we are committed to the moral and spiritual formation and the intellectual growth of our students.

Your daughter will graduate from Saint Mary’s able to think critically, express herself articulately, and write clearly.

Every year parents talk to me at Commencement about the transformational experience their daughters received here. One of my favorites was a father who wrote to me the day after he took his daughter to the University of Michigan Medical School. They had just attended the white coat ceremony. He said, and I quote, “At our orientation four years ago, Karen and I listened to you and other staff members tell us you would transform our daughter into a Saint Mary’s woman. We were promised she would be challenged to be her best and that Saint Mary’s would support her every step of the way. At the time, I thought, ‘Nice promotional speech.’ Looking back, everything we were promised was delivered and more.”

So, families, relax. Embrace this special time in your daughter’s life. I look forward to getting to know you and sharing this wonderful College with you. Welcome to Saint Mary’s.