Letter from the President

IMPACT. While it is a difficult thing to quantify, here at Potsdam I see it everyday. On our campus, it is often the intersection of giving and receiving that has a profound impact on people’s lives, in or out of the classroom. Quite frankly, our alumni’s impact on the College is what sustains Potsdam’s greatness.

During one of my first visits with an alumna now living in California, I was struck by her appreciation of the excellent education she received at the College. Since her years at Potsdam, she has endowed three full scholarships, enabling students to experience and pursue their own excellence. These are extremely competitive scholarships and are responsible for bringing the best and brightest students to Potsdam. The magic and the impact of her gift were obvious as I witnessed the alumna meet the scholars whom her gift empowered. That gift has an impact not only on the students and their families, but on the alumna herself. Her joy was palpable.

Potsdam has also demonstrated to me that impact does not always occur in large measures. It is manifested in the everyday efforts of Potsdam people. So many of our graduates are teachers, who have a profound impact on the lives of small children and young adults everyday, enriching their lives in many ways. We witness their influence as educators when our first-year students arrive on campus, and they consistently astound us with their creativity and potential. Many of our students dream of becoming teachers, having experienced excellent teachers throughout their own educational journey. How do you quantify that impact?

What impresses me most with Potsdam is that we find ways to make many small things add up to far more than the simple sum of their parts. Potsdam continues to present itself as a force with which to be reckoned. How is it that one of the smallest of the SUNY comprehensive colleges has one of the highest alumni participation rates and one of largest endowments? Our alumni prove again and again that size is not the important characteristic. Wealth is not a simple indicator of quality. The commitment to excellence trumps all.

This issue of Potsdam People just scratches the surface in telling the story of the enormous impact that our students, faculty, alumni, emeriti and friends have on the lives of so many people. Every conversation
I have with students quickly reveals the transcendent impact that Potsdam has on individuals and, in turn, the enormous impact that individuals have on the College.

Let us take a little time to reflect on impact and celebrate itin all of its complexity. We look to our greatest assets, our alumni, to continue to maintain the momentum necessary for the maximum impact in the years to come.

Dr. John Schwaller