Westfield State University President Ramon S. Torrecilha. (Photo submitted)
By Ramon S. Torrecilha, Ph.D.
President of Westfield State University
Under normal circumstances, in May our community celebrates the academic success of Westfield State University’s undergraduate seniors and graduate students, upon the completion of their course work. Our annual commencement exercises mark not only the end of college for these graduates, but the beginning of their adult lives and career journeys.
We are not, however, living under normal circumstances. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic—after forcing the closure of our campus mid-way through the spring semester—required Westfield State to postpone Commencement until October. Despite these hardships, the past few months have actually given us more to celebrate than one might expect.
In pursuit of our multifaceted mission, we awarded approximately 775 degrees and also overcame great obstacles to empower our students through knowledge, skills, and character. It’s in trying moments—periods of crisis—that new ideas take flight.
Within a matter of days, in March, our students, faculty, and staff successfully pivoted from in-person to virtual learning. Despite the campus shifting to a period of restricted access, Westfield State demonstrated its importance as a center of scholarship and creativity that is the backbone of our region’s economy.
Our highly engaged and adaptable faculty used their creative insights to teach complex lessons online. Without access to classrooms, labs, and Westfield’s Little River, one geology professor helped students use crumpled paper and tape to help simulate watersheds. In the case of a chemistry class, students turned to fruit, tinfoil balls, and spaghetti noodles to make models of molecules.
And because so many of our students seek a whole-campus experience, we maintained—virtually—many of the resources and programs that make campus life vibrant. Classes are just one piece of the puzzle.
The Career Center, for example, launched its “Ready to Work” campaign on Westfield State’s social media channels. By sharing details about members of the Class of 2020 and their career interests, it’s one of myriad ways we are connecting graduates with prospective employers—a crucial activity at a time of constrained hiring.
Our athletic programs still have their eyes on winning. While virtual signing days pumped up future Owls, we’ve also worked with seniors looking to play another year, given NCAA eligibility allowances in light of the pandemic. That extra time playing can help our student-athletes complete their degree, or earn another degree and work with teammates in the quest for a championship.
As one amazing class of students moves on to a new chapter, we are also celebrating an incoming class of first-year students eager to launch their college careers. Westfield State’s faculty and admissions office rolled out the virtual red carpet for admitted students. We successfully hosted virtual acceptance days and facilitated open discussions between admitted students and department chairs and faculty.
Of course, during these challenging times, we’re celebrating our alumni, many of whom have become heroes on the front lines fighting COVID-19. Earlier this month, The Republican ran a special section that honored nurses and their heroic service, particularly during the pandemic, to save lives. The article, reported by Ron Chimelis, highlighted the excellent nursing education programs offered by colleges and universities in western Massachusetts. Featured were Westfield State nursing faculty and one of our nursing program graduates, Andrew Morin. The president of the Class of 2017, Andrew now works as lead team nurse for Brookline-based Pastor Medical Group and shared with Republican readers how his Westfield State education has shaped him and his career in nursing. His is only one example of the thousands of alumni whose vital impact across Massachusetts and New England serves as a source of pride and is worth emulating by current students and future generations at Westfield State.
Beyond celebrating our students—current, future, and former—were are also able to celebrate the hard work and generosity of our greater campus community. When Westfield State Dining Services recognized the need for access to groceries, staff leveraged their own surplus supplies and their steady supply chain to create a temporary grocery store, selling fresh foods and other goods at cost to faculty and staff. Efforts like this demonstrate why our campus is so special.
Despite all of the adversity, we can say that Westfield State University, our students, faculty, staff and community were leaders in a challenging time. In that vein, I want to recognize everyone for their extra effort in an extraordinary year.
To the Class of 2020: Congratulations on this seminal achievement, accomplished with grit and grace despite the immense turbulence caused by a historic pandemic. Your resilience this past semester demonstrates that you can handle a challenge. Let this be a final Westfield State lesson for you: When life throws a roadblock, you will find a detour. You will overcome.
