A year ago, at this time, I didn’t know what to expect. COVID-19 was ravaging the world, and while a vaccine was hopefully on the horizon, it was a scary time for all of us.
I chose to teach on campus to give the students who chose to be there as much of the “Wheaton experience” as possible under the circumstances. It was a long school year, but we made it through it, and now we find ourselves in a world that is still full of fear, but we also now have hope.
I was on campus the other day, and you could feel a different energy. It felt good. It felt positive.
With mandatory vaccines for all and masks only required inside, you could see students gathering. They laughed and hugged after not seeing each other for over a year and a half in some cases. My heart was filled with joy, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
This year won’t be without its own challenges, but I’m excited to have everyone back on campus and to have full classrooms again. I hope we can continue to make positive progress forward and not have to step back.
