President's Blog: From the Heart

The University of Dayton cancelled afternoon classes on Monday. Well, not exactly. The Central Mall, dotted with students, faculty, staff and families sprawled on blankets, turned into a massive outdoor laboratory for viewing the moon move across the sun and cast the University into twilight and then near-darkness.

When President Spina asked me if I would write a guest blog before our sixth annual giving day, One Day, One Dayton, I told him I would be thrilled to borrow his pen and use his platform.

When Dr. Sidaard (Sid) Gunasekaran ’12 ’16 won the prestigious KEEN Rising Star Award, the organization awarded him a sleek electric guitar, worthy of a rock star. He is a rock star among students and faculty in the School of Engineering and in the aerospace engineering world.

Camryn Yacks’ teammates shouted out encouragement after she air-balled her first shot playing wheelchair basketball. As athletes with disabilities, they know it’s not easy the first time you wheel out on the court, even if you were a college athlete like Camryn.

Choosing the right college, where you feel a true sense of belonging, is always a moment filled with excitement and some level of anxiety. However, this year, ongoing delays in the FAFSA at the federal level have complicated the college choice process for many families.

“You’ll never get that time back.” That’s how Matt Hoyng, an industrial engineer in the University of Dayton Research Institute, talks about the value of UD’s expanded parental leave policy that allowed him to take six weeks off after his second son, Palmer, was born in July.