Dear Classmates,

This happens every fall. It doesn’t matter where I am, but I begin to feel the chillier evening breezes, I hear the rustle of leaves hurried by the gentle wind behind them, I see the deep hues of red and orange emerge from the treetops– and I’m transported back to that old Hill. Images and sensations drawn from the same memory-well begin to spring up for me: inhaling the crisp air of a Middle Path walk, devouring the long conversations in Peirce, and gearing up with some green tea and honey for yet another late night at the library. The nostalgia is so good I can almost taste it– sweet like the last lick of a Bookstore ice cream. But whatever the season, Kenyon remains a sacred place in my heart because of the people I shared it with. Thus, it’s with an unrelenting sense of hope that I look forward to running into you on the Hill again soon!

And surely you have heard of the campus we will return to. Chalmers Library is open and beautiful! I drove through Kenyon this summer during a cross-country move back to the West Coast and was humbled by the transformations, both tangible and intangible, the College has undergone. As you can imagine, Chalmers, and all that it implies, rests at the center of that change. While I sincerely believe it would make any of us want to do another four years, I’m heartened by the fact that all four current classes are studying together again in Gambier this fall. (With a bonus first-year cohort finishing a semester in Copenhagen). Thankfully for us old-timers, plans are taking shape for an unforgettable Reunion 2022 on the Hill. (Mark your calendar for the weekend of May 27th. All alumni are invited to attend!)
 
In other exciting campus news, the College just shared its new strategic plan that will guide its planning and actions leading up to the bicentennial in 2024 and beyond. You will be pleased to see it includes core elements like developing a computer science program informed by the liberal arts; enrolling, retaining, and graduating a student body that is representative of the talent and diversity of our nation and the world; implementing a holistic approach to health and wellness, with an emphasis on mental health; and expanding its commitment to environmental responsibility. Like I said, transformative. 
 
You have also likely heard the announcement of the Kenyon Access Initiative which will bring more high-achieving students to Kenyon thanks to a $25 million matching grant from the Schuler Education Foundation. This means that any amount we give through this Kenyon Access Initiative will be matched 1:1 and will go to a new scholarship for students from families with limited means and those ineligible for government aid — up to $25 million. This institutional priority holds a particular value in my heart: I myself would not have been able to attend  
Kenyon without inclusive, far-sighted, and gracious programs that the Kenyon Access Initiative will only build upon. 

Now I could go on for pages about these two pieces of Kenyon news, but lucky for you, I don’t have to. Scroll on to learn more about Kenyon’s strategic plan and the Kenyon Access Initiative (and how they fit into our 2024 bicentennial celebration).
 
As you read about what’s in store for Kenyon’s promising future, I hope you’ll call to mind the lasting impact your time at Kenyon has had on you these past six years, and consider supporting today’s students with a gift to the Kenyon Fund. Moreover, if you have the ability, I would strongly encourage you to make a special additional gift to the Kenyon Access Initiative that has the potential to bring 50 additional talented students to Kenyon each year. 
 
Though it goes without saying, Kenyon couldn’t be Kenyon without involved and supportive alumni like us. Thus, as the bicentennial draws closer, an opportunity we are lucky to experience in our lifetimes, I graciously ask us all to consider doing a little more than we have in the past to help make Kenyon the special place it is. This could mean becoming an alumni volunteer, attending a College event, submitting a class note, or setting up a recurring monthly gift. Every bit that you offer of yourself makes a lasting difference to the College and the students who call it home.

In closing, I send you the warmest of wishes this fall season, along with some uplifting updates from some of your favorite Kenyon people.

With sincere fondness,
Edgar Arceo