Braydon Hoover \u201911, MAOL \u201921<\/strong>, vice president of enrollment and marketing, and Dr. Tynisha Willingham<\/strong>, provost and vice president for academic affairs, reflected on EMU\u2019s history and vision. In what Hoover called \u201cthe most fabulous Friday night Eastern Mennonite University has ever seen,\u201d the gala kicked off a weekend that \u201cgives new meaning to the \u2018Shannon\u2019doah Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n EMU made history in 1948 when it became the first historically white college in Virginia to admit Black students, Hoover said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd we get to make history again,\u201d Willingham added, \u201cas we inaugurate the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus as EMU\u2019s first Black president.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hoover and Willingham emphasized the importance of preserving EMU\u2019s identity while embracing change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can make sure that the next generation inherits an EMU rooted enough to know who we are, courageous enough to keep becoming, and welcoming enough that everyone who arrives here knows that they belong,\u201d Willingham said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sharon Salinas Morales<\/strong>, an MA in education student, shared the story of her journey from Managua, Nicaragua, to EMU in 2019. Growing up in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, she learned early on that education could transform lives and uplift communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor as long as I can remember, earning my master\u2019s degree was a dream. I carry that dream close to my heart. Today, I\u2019m thrilled to say that I\u2019m almost there,\u201d said Salinas Morales, who expects to graduate in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nathan Leopard<\/strong>, who joined EMU as vice president for advancement this summer, recalled seeing in Dycus a conviction that the university\u2019s values should remain central to its future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI saw a leader who could honestly look at the challenges before us and speak with hope about what this university can become, a leader whose laugh can shift the mood of an entire room, a leader who understands that an education should prepare people to make a living, but also to make a difference,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I wanted to be a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n President Dycus invited guests to embrace the joy of the historic occasion and recognize the generations of people who made it possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think about all the people who have loved EMU,\u201d she said, \u201cwho taught here, studied here, prayed here, who gave what they could because they believed something good would grow here. We are living in the reach of their generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTonight we celebrate,\u201d she said. \u201cSo much of our work asks us to look ahead or look down, but tonight, I want us to look around and look up and say, \u2018I am grateful that we are here, that we are present, and that there is joy in this room.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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