We’ve got three topics for today, and a few questions. First, the threshold: Opening Doors. No doubt you’ve got a story about one yourself—the portal that was locked, so how was it opened? Did you knock, ring the bell—and who answered? Did you discover that you possessed the key all along? Did it take fiddling with the latch—or an incantation did the trick? Open sesame! What did you discover inside?
A fine metaphor, opening doors: especially of possibility—for our students, for our community, for many millions around the world. For those of us blessed to work on the Mission campus, when we show visitors around, it’s a wonderful moment when we walk up the front steps of Mission Santa Clara de Asís and open a door and—behold! That beauty and history, the encounter with the spiritual heart of campus. Tens and hundreds of thousands of Santa Clarans have crossed the threshold before, and how wonderful that so many of those—young and old, through word and deed—have sustained this place and ensured that this door and many others will open for generations to come.
Which gets us to Educating the Whole Person. The individuals who walk through that door, what is it that they become, through knowledge and experience? Do they acquire new ways of thinking for the world taking shape—but remain grounded in something solid and true? How can we nurture the habits of being fully present, with strength and beauty, with a sense of self in relation to others: child and parent, spouse and best friend, committed citizen and faithful public servant, outrageous aunt and indulgent grandfather, educator and pastor, counselor and engineering lead. Let them be people of wild generosity of spirit, embodying the virtues of hard work and teamwork, creativity and imagination, on the field or on the stage, in the classroom or the board-room. Addressing the complexity of our past so we can shape a better future.
Which brings us to: Innovating for the World. Sparked by curiosity and a yearning for discovery—looking for new paths and patterns, new doors to open to feed the world and heal the sick. Understanding the ethical ramifications of scientific discovery and advances in engineering, how we square material needs with what nourishes the soul.
In the pages that follow, you’ll notice a few things different. (Fear not! Bronco News, Class Notes, and Mission Matters return next edition.) In this special edition, you’ll see a more than a few people whose minds and hearts are fueled by wonder. The word wonderful itself means “full of wonder.” So consider the Campaign for Santa Clara an invitation. Because fundamentally, the campaign is about people—and this wonderful new chapter for all of us, companions on the journey.