Student Development Message: 'You're in the Final Stretch'

Dear SLU Companions,  

Today is study day, and I wanted to send some words of encouragement as you enter the final stretch of this very strange semester. 

Study day -- or “reading day,” as it was called when I was in college (“way back in the 1900s,” as Interim Dean of Students Myers likes to say!) -- offers a moment to catch your breath before heading into the final stretch of the term. Classes have ended, finals haven’t yet started, and you are beginning to see the light at the end of spring coursework. The close of the spring term brings a sense of real accomplishment. You may be finishing up your first term or year at SLU, or you may be coming to the end of your degree and preparing to graduate. 

This spring, though, has been the semester that just won’t end. Or the semester that feels like it ended too soon (but with all that coursework still to be completed). It’s definitely been a strange one -- filled with unforeseen challenges and unexpected gifts. I know it’s been hard to adjust to not seeing each other in person and to not completing important events, to finishing courses online and to finding yourself back in an identity from an earlier time as you attempt to re-integrate back into your family home.  

I also know you’ve been taking remarkably good care of each other, by staying connected and by working hard to make the best of remote learning. You’ve continued to give everything you can to your education and to each other. Some of you have even been able to continue to give your time and talents to the broader community. (Don’t forget to complete the annual survey on service you received recently from the Center for Service and Community Engagement!)  

For all that you have achieved -- and will achieve -- this semester, I applaud you. You have continued to show resilience, even in the face of grief for the losses you’ve had this semester. That’s the true Billiken spirit.  

As you move into finals, please know that your SLU family is thinking of you, sending you good thoughts for successful completion of this strange and unexpected semester. Please remember to reach out if you need support during this final stretch; there are lots of resources available to support you.  

Whether you’ll be back for fall classes or returning for graduation, we can’t wait to have you back on campus. The place just doesn’t feel like home without you. 

Warmly, 

Debie 

Debra Rudder Lohe, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Interim Vice President for Student Development
Saint Louis University