Looking back at everything that’s occurred over the last year, I am so grateful to be part of one of higher education’s most supportive and committed learning communities. Early last spring, when the pandemic began to threaten our ability to provide students with the support they require, our parents, alumni and friends began reaching out to make sure our students had everything they needed. As the pandemic dragged on and the nation was rocked by historic social and political unrest, the outpouring of support and concern for our students only intensified. It was truly awe-inspiring.

Some of the first people to contact us were our alumni, many of whom recorded inspiring video messages to share with struggling students. Over the summer, we were blessed with parents who hosted a virtual coffee chat session to welcome in the newest members of the SALT Center family. Throughout the year, we even witnessed several brave students turn to social media channels to share their own stories of hardship and success to let their peers know that they were not alone. In the fall, as we commemorated our 40th anniversary and reflected on the life of our founder, we were touched by those who chose to honor Dr. Eleanor Harner’s legacy by contributing more than $30,000 to the scholarship fund set up in her name.

I would be terribly remiss if I failed to recognize the amazing efforts made by my colleagues at the SALT Center. With decades worth of collective knowledge and wisdom, we were able to rapidly adapt our services to an online delivery model and even expand our program to begin offering support services to students enrolled through Arizona Online. Our team also made tremendous enhancements toward promoting students’ emotional well-being to counteract the effects of social isolation and stress, as well as countless other things that I can’t even begin to list.

As we embark on this new chapter of our lives, I am confident that we can continue to develop world-class programming for the students we support. From the hardships of the past year, I have been privileged to see first-hand how we can rise together as we look to each other for support and remember that everyone has the potential to grow in ways they never thought possible. Let’s Bear Down and make 2021 an unforgettable year!

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