Resiliency

The Mountaineer spirit that sustains
Friday, December 14, 2018

Tomorrow, about 1,600 graduates will cross the stage at commencement. I am confident their Mountaineer spirit will sustain them — at home, at work and in their communities.

As we look toward 2019, I appreciate what each of you contributes to the Appalachian Experience.

To faculty: You work 24/7 to offer our students opportunities for career-building, life-changing, hands-on research. You inspire critical thinking and provide exposure to cultural and intellectual diversity. I am proud of the caliber of education and individual attention you provide our students, and for your diligence and determination.

To staff: Your support is unparalleled and critical to our mission. Your inventiveness and spirited engagement are especially evident when there is more than 15 inches of snow blanketing the campus. Thank you.

To students: You are making real and powerful differences in the world and are following in the footsteps of the alumni who have come before you — who have been doing so for nearly 120 years.

And to our graduates who tomorrow will join the more than 126,000 alumni who are living, working and contributing to their communities across the world, remember you will always be a part of an ever-growing Appalachian Community.

Commencement ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow in the Holmes Convocation Center. You can watch them livestreamed here and on AppTV’s Facebook page.

Have a safe and restful holiday.

/s/ Sheri Everts

Sheri Everts, Chancellor