Wow. What a year it has been. I don’t think any of us knew quite what the 2020–2021 academic year would be like, and I am so delighted and proud of all our collective hard work over this past year. We have reached the end of a full year of remote learning and have done so successfully. While it may not be what any of us wanted, I am impressed and humbled by the entire Salem College community’s ability to come together during an extremely difficult time to forge a campus community in a virtual space. The word “unprecedented” has perhaps been overused during the pandemic, but that’s because it is apt. We have not confronted anything else quite like this in our lifetimes.

We are looking forward to this Saturday, May 8, when we will be celebrating the Class of 2021 at their Commencement. We are thrilled to be able to hold an in-person ceremony at Truist Stadium (home of the Winston-Salem Dash baseball team) and can’t wait to honor the graduates and welcome their friends and family. You can find a full list of Commencement Week events on or website. You will be able to watch Commencement via a livestream. Information on how to access the livestream will be posted on the website.

We are also excited about planning a celebration for the Class of 2020, who were not able to have an in-person ceremony last spring, during the 2021–2022 academic year. We will send more information on this event at a later date.

In just under four months, we will be welcoming students back to the Salem campus for the first time in nearly a year and a half. I feel safe in speaking for the faculty and staff when I say that we can’t wait for all of us to be together again as an in-person community. We will reunite in August as stronger and more resilient people.

As we end this semester, I wish you all well in whatever your endeavors are this summer. I hope you find time to relax and rejuvenate. After this unique and at times stressful year, you’ve earned the right to pause in satisfaction of all of your achievements in 2020–2021.

This past weekend, three studio art seniors—Augusta Graham, Haley Hutchens, and Spencer Williams—installed and exhibited their Senior Thesis work in the galleries of the Elberson Fine Arts Center to a very intimate audience made up of immediate family members and faculty advisors.

Following proper COVID-19 safety protocols and with the support of Dr. Maria Robinson, three separate viewings were scheduled throughout the weekend.

Please celebrate with us and congratulate these wonderful artists for their hard work and resilience through these exceptional times. Check out their work, including their artist’s statements, on the Elberson Salem Fine Arts Facebook page (@salemfineartscenter).