From The Director's Desk

What a year it has been!

It is safe to say that 2020 has handed each of us challenges beyond what we may have ever imagined. A long overdue collective reckoning of systems and structures that perpetuate racism, a country apparently deeply divided down party lines, a global pandemic stripping away the majority of life as we know it.

Like all things in life, there is coexistence. The presence of challenge does not eliminate the power of a single person to make a difference. Hardship does not erase all that is good. Acknowledgement of one does not reduce the other.

While we were mourning loss and injustice, we also had the opportunity to celebrate and honor. Collectively, each of your achievements and contributions that resulted in our receipt of Full Accreditation Status through 2028. Individually, the successes and accomplishments of the Class of 2020, who finished their training in an entirely virtual world and headed out into the field that has been brimming with uncertainty. As we enter into the anniversary of the 20th year of the program, it is amazing to consider how the dedication and vision of a group of people can change the landscape as we know it. There are innumerable scenarios like this we can cite – challenges, victories, inequity, change. The capacity we all have to give, to stand up for each other and to act in a way that is in accordance with our values has never been more evident than it is now.

So, at the end of a year like no other, I remain grateful. I am thankful for the ways, known and unknown to us, that you have supported someone else this year. For the ways you have survived and taken a stand. For your continued involvement and interest. For the ways you will choose to represent in the future.

Sending you all the best for health and safety throughout the holiday season.

With gratitude,

Lauren E. Doyle