Dear Orange Friends:
Alumna Mary Gold recently shared her family legacy with me. Her parents brought Mary to Flint Hall in the fall of 1959 to begin her journey at Syracuse University. In 1963, her mother and grandmother proudly watched from the stands of Archbold Stadium as she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Twenty years after her graduation, Mary helped move her son David into Sadler Hall. In 1987, on Mother’s Day, she cheered in the Dome as David received his bachelor’s degree in management. In 1989 (also Mother’s Day), she was there again as her son Steven received his bachelor’s degree in biology. This year, Mary’s grandson Nicholas Gold has started as a freshman in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Mary plans to be back in the Dome for his anticipated graduation in 2019.
Mary and her family bleed Orange, like so many other families I meet all over the world. They are grateful for the education they received, the life lessons they learned, and the friendships they developed during their time here. Family, however it is constituted, is so important to the Syracuse experience. Many students are part of a first-generation Syracuse family, others go back through many generations. For all students, family bonds and support are crucial in our mission to graduate men and women ready to meet the challenges of our complex world.
In a few days, our students will be joined on campus by their families for our annual Family Weekend . All of us at Syracuse will then be celebrating every family member for helping as part of our University community.
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kent Syverud