This issue of the Achieve magazine focuses on the generosity of the many friends of William Jewell College. That generosity has never been more important to the College than it is right now. Your gifts allow us to provide an experience that transforms lives. I have recently told groups of prospective students and families that three words have particular meaning for Jewell right now: community, achievement, and expectations. Jewell has long demonstrated a strong, vibrant and warm community. However, the May 4 tornado called on us to become an even stronger and more tightly knit campus family. We shared gratitude that nobody was injured. We shared gratitude for partnerships and friendships that were affirmed and expanded. We shared a huge amount of hard work that was needed to be ready for school to start this fall. There is a different level of community here today.

The College has long been known as the Campus of Achievement. In fact, the 2004 Achievement Day celebration will be our 60th. Students and faculty continue to excel in their chosen fields. The most recent major recognition was the selection of 2003 graduate Andy Johnson to participate in the National Institutes of Health and Oxford University joint Ph.D. program. Andy was one of only 12 scholars selected from 240 applicants. Jewell is also about achieving for others. Fletcher Cox, student body president (class of 2003) is spending this year teaching school in Kenya, living without many of what we consider the basics of living. Many of us anxiously await his occasional e-mails that keep us up-to-date on how the experience is shaping both his life and the lives of those he teaches. Why do so many of our students and graduates achieve at a high level? Partly it is because the College community sets high expectations. It has long been apparent that people will not achieve beyond their own and others’ expectations. Our faculty and staff excel at setting high expectations for our students. Somewhere along the way Carrie Vanderford realized that she could be a Truman Scholar; somewhere along the way Mindy Baccus came to understand that she could be a Marshall Scholar. Our faculty help our students see what is possible, and then help them to achieve those goals.

Expectations and successes such as these grow out of the close interactions with faculty who are well-prepared in their disciplines, who care deeply about what happens at a place like Jewell, and who work in an environment that allows them the time to nurture students’ dreams.

Our faculty can do this because you have given the financial support to make it possible. Jewell needs you to provide support now more than ever. The tornado of May 4 has left us with major building projects to complete and hundreds of trees to replace. The longstanding conflict with the Missouri Baptist Convention over the governance of the College has led to the end of that financial relationship, so nearly $1 million per year in unrestricted operating funding will no longer be received by the College.

These are difficult blows. However, momentum at Jewell is very positive. Enrollment increased over 100 students this fall to 1274. Spirits are high. We are grateful for the fact that nobody was injured in the tornado and we are proud of the fact that our Board leaders have stood for important principles in the conflict with denominational leaders.We are tremendously excited about the future of the College.

We are where we are, in a position to transform students’ lives, because we have thousands of friends who stand with us financially each year. Thank you for being among those friends.