A Note of Thanks and Best Wishes

Dear Trinity Community,

As we prepare for the end of another academic year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your work. This year has been challenging, and even so, through creativity and care for one another, we have continued to grow, learn, and advance our shared mission to offer a transformative education to our students.

Each one of you – faculty and staff alike – has played a vital role in keeping our community resilient, robust, and expressive. Over and over again, I’ve been inspired by your dedication to Trinity. My goal has been to support your ability to do the work you came to this university to do, putting our students first and advancing free inquiry. There will be times when we disagree about the best next steps in our shared work; such disagreement is to be expected and, frankly, encouraged within an academic community. Through it all, I never doubt the sincerity of your commitment, and I thank you for that.

As we head into summer, many of us will be balancing ongoing responsibilities with the opportunity to rest and recharge. I encourage you to take time for joy and connection – whether that’s through travel, time with loved ones, new hobbies, or simply some well-earned relaxation. We all need it. 

Our students need it, too. I want to let you know about a new opportunity for joy and connection we’re offering our graduating seniors in a few weeks – a chance to celebrate together by exploring a special spot here in San Antonio. On Tuesday, May 13, they will enjoy “A Night Out in Vegas at the San Antonio Zoo,” a new event designed to mark the end of their Trinity years in an unforgettable way. Thanks to a collaboration with the San Antonio Zoo and some generous supporters, our city’s zoo will be transformed into a casino-inspired party created exclusively for our seniors. (If you talk to any graduating students who want more details, please ask them to check their email.)

Then, on Saturday, May 17, we will witness all of our graduating students, including master’s students, receive their diplomas during our Commencement ceremonies. I view Commencement as the most important day of the academic year, as we certify our students’ readiness for their next steps and celebrate with friends and families who have also worked hard and made sacrifices for their graduates to arrive at this threshold. 

Looking ahead to the summer months, I’m also pleased to share that I’ll be launching the inaugural President’s Book Club, which will be open to faculty and staff as a way for us to connect through meaningful conversation in response to new ideas, images, and other thoughtful insights. This summer, I have selected two works by Trinity faculty authors: Contemplative Democracy: Politics, Practice, and Pedagogy (Oxford University Press, 2025) by Professor of Political Science Shannon Mariotti, Ph.D., and The Imagined Life (Knopf, 2025) by Professor of English Andrew Porter, MFA. More details, including how to sign up in time to receive a free copy of the books, will be sent via email next month. 

With my appreciation and best wishes for the summer ahead,

Vanessa B. Beasley
President, Trinity University