A message from President Shushok

Dear Colleagues,

Today, I write to you from our beautiful Roanoke College campus where I have officially begun the role of 12th President. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome you have extended my family and me. Over the summer, Kelly and I helped our oldest son, Brayden (22), get settled in his new residence in Sarasota, Florida. In the coming weeks, you’ll likely see our other two children exploring campus, including Christian (20), a rising Junior at Sewanee, and Ivy Anne (17), a rising senior at Blacksburg High School. No one, however, is more excited about being a Maroon than our one-year-old dog Maple, who received her acceptance letter from Dean Poggendorf in April. We’re simply so honored to be part of the Roanoke College family.

I know I’m filling the very big shoes of President Mike Maxey, who served with unshakeable character and a deep reverence for the mission, traditions, and people of the College. I’m grateful and humbled to join you on this storied and important journey. Thank you for being a community of remarkable educators and stewards of a valiant mission in motion since 1842.

Since the beginning of the presidential search process, I have learned that Roanoke College is a community with a soul that sees and serves goodness in a world replete with challenges. I love how laser focused you’ve been on student success, with an “all-in and whatever it takes” spirit that is a guiding light of the College’s cultural fabric. Your willingness to engage the constant tension between tradition and new possibilities is also abundantly clear. You have inspired me greatly!

Presidential transitions are important moments for institutions, as they often represent a new chapter in a book already bulging with inspiring stories, courageous people, victories, defeats, resilience, and perseverance. The most recent chapter certainly tells how hard the past few years have been, as well as just how much you have sacrificed for Roanoke College. Thank you for staying the course, for believing in what is still possible, and for remembering that a Roanoke College education is a unique game-changer for scores of students and their families.

I recognize that new chapters can be also scary, even for the new president! My first and foremost responsibility in the coming months will be to become your student, listening intently to your stories, fears, and hopes. Whatever the future holds for us, it must be woven together by the entire community with transparency, trust, truthfulness, integrity, and goodwill. I promise to do my best to live up to such important expectations.

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