Message From the Chancellor (COVID-19 May 7, 2020 6:28 p.m.)

Our pioneering spirit will shine on

Dear Texas Woman’s Community,

I hope this message finds you well as spring 2020 draws to a close.

On the one hand, I can hardly believe it. On the other, we are the Pioneers—“marking a trail in a pathless wilderness.” We have overcome obstacles. Some of you have even had obstacle upon obstacle. A few are not yet out of the woods. We have lost much. We have gained much. We have laughed at memes and parody videos, spent hours on TikTok squelching anxiety, and cried more tears than I care to count. From all the canceled events, trips, and plans, we have learned to go deep into our core and change our minds about someone or something. Ask yourself the last time that happened.

There is no sugarcoating the pain many have endured. Yet through it, I believe we have strengthened our solidarity and sense of community. I have received hundreds of emails with stories that span the spectrum of lived experience in this pandemic. For those who were unable to write, others wrote on your behalf. In my attempt to share your stories back, I have written over forty messages. It has been a labor of love to retell your stories of courage and resilience, of self-care and giving back, and, most importantly, of patience and perseverance. We made it.

As with the many societal disrupters of the past, we are and will continue rebuilding. What we have done and what we are planning to do at Texas Woman’s is all about keeping the light of our mission in higher education shining bright despite the coronavirus. Though this semester is over, our ending is not yet written. Our light—and pioneering spirit—will shine on.

With a pioneering spirit,

Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President

P.S. For the latest information, check out the TWU COVID-19 webpage.

Page last updated 11:08 AM, September 13, 2024