Lots to celebrate and be thankful for!

Every year, spring offers us a season of rebirth, with signs of nature emerging everywhere we look. It offers a unique opportunity for new beginnings and it is in this spirit of renewal that I reflect on the many things within our Acadia community to celebrate and be thankful for. Recently, we celebrated the Convocation of more than 800 new graduates on May 14-15. These graduates join our Acadia alumni family, swelling our ranks to over 40,000 alumni around the globe. The richness and diversity of this outstanding group and the incredible promise they bring to our constituency is, quite frankly, overwhelming and inspiring. I applaud their generosity of spirit, diligence and determination, and look forward with great anticipation to the many gifts they will deliver as GOLD alumni, representing Graduates of the Last Decade in our community, adding fresh insight and energy to our shared goals and vision. There are so many ways to be involved, and I encourage you to explore how you can serve Acadia and the alumni community by clicking HERE. I also had the pleasure of hosting the Acadia Alumni Awards Dinner in April and can say without qualification that there is nothing as exciting as being in a room full of other Acadia alumni as we acknowledged and celebrated our Distinguished Alumni Award and Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipients, Dr. Susan Crouse (’85) and Ms. Shannon Boldon (’13). This year’s recipients have demonstrated their commitment to service through their professional careers in the area of health, and in doing so have made our alumni family proud. As an Association we continue to foster equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility as foundational pillars of endeavour, and strive to reflect institutional values that have informed generations of Acadia alumni as surely as they have influenced scores of students over Acadia’s 185-year history. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank University President Dr. Peter Ricketts for his considerable contributions to Acadia over the last six years. Amidst unexpected and unprecedented public health challenges, Dr. Ricketts helped us navigate uncharted waters, sustain Acadia’s momentum and identify a clear path for the future through the Acadia 2025 strategic plan. His dedication has been incredible and on behalf of the Acadia Alumni Association, I extend a sincere thanks for his service and wish him all the best for the future. In closing, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the continued promise of Acadia. Across Canada, fewer and fewer post-secondary institutions are willing or able to offer a liberal arts education in the same manner as Acadia. I have long held that we must be fierce advocates for this educational model by ensuring the Alumni Association continues to support our students, our alumni and Acadia University to the fullest extent. Have a great summer, and all the best. In Acadia Spirit,

Matthew Rios (’14) President, Acadia Alumni Association