A Message from Manor College President Dr. Jonathan Peri

 

Dear Manor Students,

Back in 1990 I was a teenage student and one of my teachers was a Nun named Sr. Noreen. She was a quiet, straightforward history professor who really cared about us.  And I probably could have been a better student in those days…! I was mostly focused on my friends and social life. My young life was hardly perfect. Sharing challenges with good friends, who also shared their challenges with me, helped me to find my way. Caring teachers did too.

One day, Sr. Noreen asked us to really stop and pause for a few moments to think about our future. She asked us where we thought we would be and what career we would have in 2022.  She said: “What do you think you will be doing?” A few people in the class made light of it and thought it was a silly exercise, but most of us gave it some real thought.

Where would we be? What would we be doing with ourselves? Would we have families of our own? There was no way of knowing. It was very difficult to envision ourselves so many years into the future.

What this did for us, however, is it helped us to consider that no matter what we did, we were going to need to be the ones to do it. No one else was going to swoop in and hand us a job or a family or a good life. If we wanted that, we were going to have to work for it.

Next week we start our final exams.  As you are studying, ask yourselves what you will be doing in 2045.  Envision your own success and building it upon taking initiative, being creative, being innovative, and working hard to achieve your goals now, so that your future goals move closer to you.

Know that at Manor College, you have Professors and Manor Staff who care about you, who want you to succeed, and who are here to help you. Ask for help if you need it.  Study hard; do well. Register for next semester too, so you can keep the ball rolling.

Make your time over the next couple of weeks worth it, so that you can enjoy your holidays knowing that you gave it your all. God bless you through final exams and papers. You are going to be great!!!

Dr. Peri