President’s Office

President’s speeches, letters, and articles

Subject: Thank you

photo of ceramic heart hanging from tree branch
As the fall semester comes to an end, I feel gratitude and pride in our community. My wife, Cheryl, and I placed ceramic hearts in trees around campus as a symbol of love for Reed.

December 15, 2020

Dear staff,

This has been a difficult year for our community and for the world. As the semester comes to a close, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts you have made to help us arrive at this point.

Since March, it has been necessary to reconfigure almost every aspect of our work in order to contain the virus. You have taken on additional responsibilities, developed new skills, and found creative ways to perform tasks in support of Reed’s academic mission. The college owes you an enormous debt of gratitude.

Your love for Reed shines through in everything you do. As we near the end of this year, I hope that you feel proud of all you’ve accomplished and that you take some time to recharge your batteries.

I miss seeing everyone together on campus. It is impossible to make predictions about the new year; however, I will share my hopes. I hope our collective experience of navigating these challenges will make the college stronger and bring us closer together as a community. And I hope it has shown us that we are capable of more than we could have ever imagined.

Thank you so very much.

All my best to you and yours,

Audrey