Letter from the President

Dear Alumni,

When your degree was conferred, we charged you with the noble mission of using it for a higher purpose.

As alumni, you represent the university’s rich past and the legacy built by Bernie and Rita Turner and the late Bud Hodgkinson, but you are also our future. As we reflected on the life of Bud Hodgkinson after his passing this year, it was your stories that reminded us—faculty, staff, students, and fellow graduates—that we are all here to give and achieve more than our founders ever dreamed of, and to change the world that future generations will inherit. And while your stories can bring us together through shared milestones and accomplishments, they are also very personal and powerful in many different ways.

Starting on page 22, you’ll read about three motivated alumni who challenged the expectations of others to reach their own dreams. Each of them—children of parents from other countries who settled in America—faced language barriers, lack of support, and limited confidence. But today, they each hold a doctoral degree and believe that they are responsible for helping children with roots similar to theirs find their own paths to success.

Likewise, we are all responsible for the future of Walden. I continue to be proud of the innovative and extraordinary institution that we’ve become. And when people ask me about the best part of my work here, I talk about you.

Sincerely,

Jonathan A. Kaplan

President