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I love this photo. Marcus and Carlos are two
remarkable Hartwick graduates. It is easy
to remember them earlier in their time at
Hartwick, and to measure the extent — and
depth — of the change within them. They
were wonderful young men when they
arrived here, and they are so much more
now.
I have heard Nadya Zhexembayeva ’01, PhD
tell our students that they must be prepared
to reinvent themselves every three and one-
half years. To a College President, this seems
like the perfect timeframe. I want every
first year student to reinvent herself while at
Hartwick; I want every Hartwick student to
become restless just before he leaves us.
When Dr. Zhexembayeva delivered the
Commencement address in May, she
challenged students to embrace the forces of
change and to use the associated energy and
momentum to catapult rather than crush
them. This is such an inspiring concept, and
a perfect way to rethink our relationship to
the forces of change. Rather than resisting
change, we can catch it, embrace it, and be
energized by it.
Sally Griffiths Herbert ’88 and Tim Herbert
have inspired reinvention at Hartwick. Their
leadership includes a major gift that has
named the Griffiths Center for Collaboration
& Innovation, an organizational framework
that includes Hartwick’s Makerspace,
Entrepreneurship Hub, Fabrication Lab,
and other Innovation Stations to come. We
cannot yet imagine the full impact their
generosity will have on students’ learning
and their futures.
The alumni change makers featured in this
edition of
The Wick
are adept at harnessing
the power of reinvention. You can see it in
their own career development and in the
ways they strive to better their communities.
You will also recognize these traits in
today’s students, many of whom are already
working hard to make a difference.
The students and employees who created
the plan
Hartwick225: Students First
have
shown us the practical “next steps” toward
the College’s 225th anniversary in 2022.
Hartwick225 co-chair Professor Diane Paige
says it best: When we act with courage and
thoughtfulness today, we automatically
become stewards of the future.
I like to think of Hartwick as a place filled
with imagineers (move over, Disney). Our
students, faculty, and staff not only ride
the momentum of change, they use it to
fuel their creativity and shape the future. It
doesn’t get better than that.
Best,
Dr. Margaret L. Drugovich P’12
President
A Personal Tradition: President Margaret L. Drugovich P’12 welcomes seniors home for a farewell dinner the week of Commencement.
She is pictured at Thornwood with Marcus Hudson ’18 and Carlos Silva ’18.
It Doesn’t Get Better Than This