Posted August 24, 2016 by
Tags: Student Activities My Wheaton Campus
A Warm Welcome to Wheaton from your Student Body President
If you walk into Lower Beamer this week you are likely to see a lot of new faces–some of them looking very nervous and anxious, others bursting with excitement and anticipation. These faces belong to the 641 new students about to begin an awesome journey here at Wheaton. As I think back about my time here, I can’t help but reflect on the ways in which this community has shaped me and grown me. I wonder though, what will this place be for these new students over the next several years of their lives? As Student Government this year our desire is that Wheaton continues to be a place of growth and encouragement for all of us, from freshmen just beginning to seniors preparing to take the next step in their journeys.
In each of our lives Wheaton has given us some wonderful years along with some very difficult ones, but through the ups and downs Wheaton has come to be home. The sense of belonging many of us have found here is the driving force behind our desire as Student Government to foster a campus that can truly be called home by all students. It grieves us to know that there are students among us who feel ostracized, excluded, and alone. We want to hear these voices and welcome them in as a part of faithfully living together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Additionally, we see at Wheaton a beautiful community composed of individuals from all over the world with a huge diversity of perspectives and experiences. We are excited to delve into our differences as a campus, knowing that doing so will necessitate working through some hard issues. We realize that we will never attain perfect community together on this earth, but we sincerely desire another year of growth at Wheaton with the hopes of seeing a small glimpse of our eternal community.
Finally, we are seeking to promote excellence in our academic and vocational pursuits at Wheaton. We are blessed to be studying at one of a select few institutions that has maintained its Christian foundation while continuing to offer highly-regarded academics. We believe that continuing to prepare well for life beyond the doors of Wheaton is an important part of our calling to go out into the world and serve Christ.
It has been a privilege and blessing to begin working with my Vice President Elizabeth Tilley ’17, and the 15 members of our board. It is clear that the Lord has assembled a group of students who care deeply about our student body and whose life experiences have equipped them to serve our campus well this year. I am so excited for this year that we have together and trust that the Lord has great things in store for each of your lives and our campus.
Josh Rowley ’17 is a senior economics major and Student Body President at Wheaton. Elizabeth Tilley ’17 is a senior math and secondary education major and Student Body Vice President. Photo caption: 2016-17 Student Government gathers at HoneyRock in August 2016. Top row (l to r): Brent Westergren, Ted Cockle, Emily Taetzsch, Audrey Gross, Jack McHenney, Elizabeth Tilley, Mady Reno, Alex Kuo, Charisa Fort, Rachel Lies. Bottom row: Simona Andreas, Josh Rowley, Caleb Guerrero, Matt Anderson, Jackie Westeren, Sade Bammimore. Not in photo: Alouette Greenidge, Michael Liu.