Letter from the President

Dear Celt Community,

Welcome to the winter edition of ENCOUNTER magazine. Typically, this page presents presidential perspectives about the theme of the particular issue. Instead, I would like you to consider this message a call to action.

Every great thing that has happened at the University of St. Thomas throughout our history has come from a call heard by people who believed in our mission, who came together to leverage their collective resources and build something new. You are one of those people, and now is the time to answer our call—a Call Toward Tomorrow— to grow. To act!

The pages of this magazine are filled with stories of UST in partnerships, old and new—the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Glassell School of Art, Methodist Research Institute, and METdance. All of these partnerships that serve our students and engage our community today began with a single idea, followed by someone reaching out to others, someone writing a check, and someone saying a prayer.

As you read about how our current partnerships are enriching the lives of your fellow Celts, I encourage you to think about how you might re-engage with the University of St. Thomas to accomplish something mutually beneficial for our community. You will realize that aligning with UST fulfills the promise that we “will do greater things” (John 14:12).

As you dive into the stories in this edition of ENCOUNTER, you will see that there is something very special happening right now at UST. It is a momentum that will continue to grow exponentially with your help, and it will carry us to a beautiful and shared vision.

I look forward to our continued dialogue together as we accompany one another toward tomorrow.

With hope and joy,

Richard Ludwick, President