After The Week That Was

Dear John,

I am very happy to be writing you this note. It's been a great week here at Juniata, and not just because of the kind of fall weather that leaf-watching tourists live for.

It's been the kind of week that says more than I or you or anyone ever could about what Juniata is all about. And because you know better than most what giving your time or your abilities or your financial gifts can do, I wanted to share with you a few things. Some of it you may have heard, but taken together they reiterate one very moving fact:

We all have a part in creating a very powerful Juniata community.

Click a plus sign to see the result of each day!

On Monday, a longtime supporter of Juniata arrived in my office with a check for $1 million. Part of it fulfilled a pledge for a previous gift, part of it prolonged a research program for students, and part of it established a new endowment. Because this person would rather not have too much publicity, I am purposely withholding some information. But he did say this: he noted the momentum gathering in support of the College, and the example of others doing what they can, and decided to give more than we expected, to establish that new endowment.

On Tuesday, we received advance notice that Kiplinger's, the personal finance magazine, ranked Juniata at #65 in their top 100 for "Best Value among Liberal Arts Colleges." It was our debut on the list. Now, while the magazine says its methodology made use of Peterson's/Nelnet databases and their own reporting, I can't help suspect that our community had some impact. For the last year, alumni, parents and friends of Juniata have been voting (and voting and voting) on their Reader's Choice Poll, to put Juniata at the top of the list with three times the number of votes of the number 2 college. If I were a journalist, that might make me want to look into the college that inspired such loyalty--not to mention persistence.

On Wednesday, I sat in the audience at an event held at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., a celebration sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research. I was there because of our student, Katrina Shughrue '11, who was one of only three students invited to present. Katie's presentation preceded an address by the Director of the National Science Foundation. Her research--on how to quickly identify conflict minerals from war-torn nations--was the clear hit (and not just in my biased opinion), and has since earned her, among other things, a job offer and a call from a senator.

On Thursday, in another show of community influence, we learned that Founders Hall won the 2010 People's Choice Award in the AIA Pittsburgh's annual architectural design awards. Ours was one of five buildings nominated in the Historic Preservation category, and once again, our supporters turned out and voted. It was our community who won that award.

Also on Thursday, we were pleased to congratulate one of our employees, Jessica Maxon '09, who received a Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation recognizes the valuable contributions volunteers make in our communities and encourages more people to serve. The President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard--measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime. The Gold Award is their highest honor.