President's Report 2008-2009

TAN YA: For me it’s “caring.” Twice a year, the Law School has a tradition called “the midnight breakfast.” On the night before finals, the faculty serves us a hot breakfast—pancakes, eggs, bacon. Everybody knows how horrific law school can be, and it’s a nice touch. I’m glad I get two more breakfasts before I graduate!

(laughter)

KELLY: Once you start doing service, it’s almost addicting in a way. It kind of sets you up for the rest of your life to keep giving back and helping others. That’s one of the values we learn here.

ABBY: There are so many different opportunities at Villanova for service that you can find something you love to do. It’s not a chore at all.

Without people “
giving me so much,
I wouldn’t be here.

I think it’s very
important for me
to give back.”

—Ameer Jones ’ 10

ABBY: I’d say “love”—the love I have for Villanova and the love I feel from professors, other students, from my friends, just everyone. It’s this community of love that extends way beyond our campus. I think that’s why so many people also go abroad and do the service trips. They want to reach out and extend this love we have to the rest of the world.

AMEER: A big part of the Villanova experience
is service. Once we went to paint a building
of a church that offers after-school
programs. It was in really dire condition.
After we painted and cleaned it up, the
people were so gracious and thankful.
It made me feel like a great person, that I
accomplished something.

FR. PETER: We have 105,000 living Villanova alumni in all walks of life, many in places and careers they never imagined the day they arrived at Villanova. Here, you can discover something new about yourself and achieve the skills you need to take different paths. This doesn’t happen only on campus, but during extracurricular activities, travel abroad, service experiences and competitive summer internships. During your time here, have you learned something new, different or unexpected about yourselves?

AMEER: Villanova is really concerned with developing you as a whole person— academically, spiritually, culturally. I feel like I’m developing in all aspects of my life.

FR. PETER: How, exactly?

AMEER: Coming in, I was a very shy young man. I would have never thought that three years down the line, I’d be president of one organization, vice president of another, on the Engineering Student Council and the club basketball team.

WILL: We’re encouraged to step out of our comfort zone. I never thought I’d get involved with Campus Ministry, but as a sophomore I went on a retreat and had a great time. The next year I was asked to lead the retreat. When you’re on a retreat, you explore your own ideas about religion and faith, and your personal values. I’ve definitely grown spiritually in a way I’ve never thought possible.