The Fog is Clearing

It’s been more than two decades since my family and I took our first trip to the North Carolina mountains. It was an important trip because we were looking for a house and schools for the kids. We were moving because I was starting my first job after grad school. It was an exciting time in our lives. However, we ran into a challenge – fog. It was so dense that we had to be extra cautious and often couldn’t see but a few feet ahead. It was my first time driving in the NC mountains, and the fog made it extra challenging. Recently, I’ve had similar experiences traveling to campus across the Ravenel Bridge. But, given time, the fog eventually cleared, and I became more comfortable. It did not take long for the apprehension to subside and the excitement to return. And Boone and Charleston are beautiful places. I’m glad the fog lifted so that we can see it.

I think that’s where we are right now. Maybe it’s just me.

The fog is beginning to lift, and I can see the future straight ahead. We’ve been under the COVID and leadership change fog too long. If you add in the enrollment challenges and changes in the higher education landscape, the fog has been pretty dense. It’s made planning and moving forward more challenging. But, just like my experiences, the fog cleared, and I saw further ahead. That allowed me to hit the accelerator and get us to where we were going that much quicker.

The last few weeks have been, and the next few weeks will be incredibly busy, but we are making significant steps forward. There are certainly clearer, brighter days ahead.

A lot like those days driving in the fog, it was a slow go. You’ve done the same. Over the past year, you kept us moving forward. I know our progress was slowed, but you never stopped. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Even in the fog, you continued to make a difference. Now the fog is lifting.

I am looking forward to our conversations over the coming months as we focus intently on our mission and plan our path forward to a brighter future. Remember the 3 question survey about our societal impact and the 20-question open-ended survey about our strategic plan.

YOU make a difference!

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