Editor's Note
2020 has been a uniquely challenging year. Yet there were still many positives for St. Paul's, and reasons to be proud of, or grateful for the incredible people who make up our community.
I am proud of my colleagues who worked so hard through the summer months to enact plans that would keep our student residents safe this fall.
I am extremely grateful to the dozens of St. Paul's alumni and friends who donated $25,000 in July and August to help provide the Residence Life team with the resources they needed for a successful fall term. Grateful also, to those of you who donated again on Giving Tuesday helping us raise another $5,500 to purchase new musical instruments for the College collection.
I am really happy for the students who chose to live in residence this fall. It was most assuredly a different experience than all previous St. Paul's students had, but they made the best of the situation and enjoyed it.
I feel inspired by the recipients of the 2020 Distinguished and Young Alumni Awards and by two of my colleagues in the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre who all have been honoured for the great work they do professionally and in their communities.
Finally, I am thrilled that the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean has joined the St. Paul's community as our 3rd Chancellor! Mme. Jean has already proven why she was a great choice for us at this time. She has taken time to speak one on one with several students and young alumni, she granted the Young Alumni Award to Seyni Mbaye while she was on an official visit in Dakar, Senegal and she has raised the profile of St. Paul's through media interviews and stories on the website of her Foundation.
Please enjoy reading about all of these good news stories (and more!) and together, let's all commit to making the best of it this Holiday Season by enjoying old family traditions where possible or making new ones as needed.
Warmest wishes,
Stephen Loo
Director, Advancement and Alumni Relations
PS If you know a member of the St. Paul's community with an interesting or important story about performing essential work or leading for change on issues of systemic racism and injustice, please let us know so we may share their story as inspiration for all of us.
