The school year is off to a great start. Freshmen are finding their way through the
buildings. Fewer are looking lost. They are trying to imagine what it will be like in
four years to sit in the senior section in the Keller Student Center. Trying to fit into something can be
hard for everyone, especially students. You remember when you had that gut-
dropping feeling when your child was left out of some event?  Perhaps you have had
a similar feeling when you saw a Facebook post of a fun party you weren’t invited
to.  Whatever the situation, I think we all agree that it’s not a good feeling to be
left out.
Jesus was, among other things, a great role model for inclusivity even to the point
of his willingness to engage with people who were not like him. The challenge set
before us this 2024-25 school year isn’t that hard, rather just start with the simple
and be more inclusive and welcoming to those in our SUA community.
Why be inclusive?  Many people have made inclusivity political and something
that we ‘have to do’ or ‘should do’ but when we get beyond that limited mindset,
people have found great peace and joy as they became more inclusive.  At some
level we are all connected because we are humans first. That is why Saint Angela
Merici was a great model in being intentional in her inclusivity. 

There is so much we miss out on when we stay in our own little circle of familiarity.  Could you
imagine if we only ate the same food every day or our box of crayons only had a
couple colors - how boring life would be!  By opening ourselves up to more
choices and different experiences we enable ourselves to experience life more
fully.  Being around people who have different backgrounds, look different, think
differently or have different lived experiences can help paint a more vibrant life
for ourselves. 

Let’s look at inclusion in a different light and allow ourselves to experience it for what it truly is - a wide variety.  It’s easy to judge others who are different than us and not be inclusive, but the rewards come when we have the courage to get to know and experience those who are not familiar to us.  As we go through this school year and everyday life, see the value of each other. Children are a product of their environment. They emulate what they see. So let them see how you model the way with inclusion. A conscious decision to include a wide variety of people and experiences is the benefit of God’s beautiful creation, the Saint Ursula sisterhood way, and a diverse world that He created! It’s our “present” from Him!