Greetings!
Over the past 10 days, I've had the chance to reflect on the impact of what we accomplished these past few weeks and months (and years!) that culminated in NCSSM-Morganton's historic grand opening on June 10.
Countless alumni, donors, elected officials, and friends have reached out to tell me how impressed they were with our new campus in the NC foothills. But as impressed as they are with the buildings and the campus, they were primarily referring to the people who made it happen. I'm grateful not only to our internal team but also to our incredible network of donors and supporters. Regardless of whether you became engaged with this project years ago or weeks ago, we are grateful for each and every member of our growing community.
It was so incredibly inspiring to see the realization of a vision. When you look back at what has been activated here, it's truly remarkable:
- Activating nearly 20 acres of campus alongside nearly 170,000 square feet of space
- Launching the inaugural week of summer programs for 66 students participating in courses ranging from Alien Ecosystems to Mountains & Minerals
- Cultivation of more than $12 million raised from more than 250 donors across the country
- Development and refinement of more than 90 courses to be offered in the first year at NCSSM-Morganton
- Stewardship of dozens and dozens of partners in business and industry, higher education, municipalities, economic development interests, land trusts and natural resources, and the not-for-profit sector.
- Recruitment, selection, and admission to the inaugural class of 150 students who will attend NCSSM-Morganton from every congressional district from the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge Mountains
As you reflect on your own engagement with this project, I encourage you to watch our
retrospective of "The Road to Morganton" that was featured at the beginning of our Grand Opening ceremony and splices together scenes from 14 episodes of our documentary series.
Beyond all else, I hope that you take great pride in your contributions to this historic milestone for our state. You have made an indelible impact on our school and the countless lives it will touch in the future. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
With gratitude,
Kevin Baxter
Vice Chancellor and Chief Campus Officer for NCSSM-Morganton
kevin.baxter@ncssm.edu
828.347.9124