About 310 new students arrived on the Marymount University campus last week during Thursday’s Move-In Day, with an estimated 33 volunteers consisting of Marymount faculty, staff and current students on hand to assist these first-year Saints from the Class of 2026 and celebrate them as new members of the Marymount family.
Approximately 340 returning students then moved into their residential living spaces on Saturday in advance of the first day of Fall 2022 classes, with the semester officially kicking off on Monday. Overall, there is a 33 percent increase of students living on Main Campus compared to last year. The University’s current COVID-19 guidelines mirror those that were in place for the 2021-2022 academic year, with the vaccine (or an approved waiver) required for all students and employees.
Welcome Week events, which last from August 25 to September 5, include programming designed to help new students actively engage in the Marymount community. Notable events include last Thursday’s Convocation in the Rose Benté Lee Center, a longstanding tradition held to celebrate the new academic year and mark the transition of Saints formally becoming a part of the University family.
“Here, you will Learn with Purpose and Live with Purpose by embracing the values of intellectual curiosity, service to others and having a global perspective,” said Dr. Irma Becerra, President of Marymount University, to the audience of new students at Convocation. “You will have countless opportunities to grow yourselves personally, academically and professionally. At Marymount, we focus on the education of the whole person – intellectually, ethically and spiritually.”
“During your college journey, don’t stop asking questions of yourself and others – because being intentional is paramount to your success,” added Dr. Hesham El-Rewini, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Marymount University. “You should also always remember that you reserve the right to change your mind, you can seek help when you need it, and you should be grateful to your family, parents and teachers that have allowed you to get where you are today.”
Welcome Week also featured activities for students joining Marymount from abroad, as approximately more than 40 new Saints are international students. Of those, they have arrived in the U.S. from 17 different countries – these include Brazil, Ethiopia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and more. Marymount, known for harboring a global perspective, had students representing 49 different U.S. states and 75 different countries in last year’s census.
Before Convocation, the Honors Student Orientation & Induction Ceremony was held, an event that welcomed 23 new inductees into Marymount’s Honors Program – a diverse, intellectually curious and academically gifted community of students representing all majors on campus.
Saints from across the University also gathered together on Friday for an annual community service event organized by the Saints Service Network to promote Marymount’s core value of service to others. In partnership with Rise Against Hunger, 65 student volunteers gave back to the less fortunate and packed 10,152 meals to provide hunger relief to underdeveloped areas globally as well as crisis relief to populations in immediate need.
“While our institution has changed much over the years, one thing has always stayed the same – Marymount goes out of its way to help those who need it most,” President Becerra explained to the crowd of student volunteers in the Lee Center. “That’s why service to others is one of our three core values as a University. It is who we are – it defines us in the tradition of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. As lucky as we are to be at this special place, we must use our God-given gifts to give back to our communities near and far.”
Other noteworthy Welcome Week events included the annual Welcome Mass and Welcome Back Party, both of which were held on Sunday, as well as Wednesday’s Fall Engagement Expo, which connected Saints to over 40 different student clubs and organizations. A Labor Day picnic will also be held on September 5 on the Ireton Lawn, with cookout food and games available for Saints to enjoy.
