The home stretch. The 2-minute warning. The last lap. Stoppage time. All of these terms refer to forthcoming conclusions to sporting events. They speak to the notion that we can see the end in sight after a long campaign,  match, game,  etc. The same can be said for our academic year, one where we have less than a month until finals, and a little over a month until the last exam has been completed. As we approach the last few weeks of the 2021-2022 school year, let us reflect on the year that was.

For starters, Wake Forest welcomed Susan R. Wente as our 14th present. Many members of our community celebrated this special occasion the last weekend of March, a fitting culmination to Women’s History Month 2022, by honoring Wake’s first woman president. This past school year also saw our university come together, both virtually and physically, to elevate underrepresented voices through a myriad of programs during Latinx Month, Queer History Month, Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month; and we currently find ourselves at the beginning of Asian Heritage Month. Furthermore, this academic year saw the start of RECAAL (The Center for Research, Engagement, and Collaboration in African American Life) and the first full year of the African American Studies Program. The arts were also celebrated through a series of installations in and around campus, including the Black is Beautiful exhibit at Reynolda House of American Art and the opening of the new Lam Museum of Anthropology. And just this past weekend, Wake Forest co-hosted the University Studying Slavery annual conference with Guilford College. Through it all, Wake Forest students, staff, faculty, and alums have come together to grow, learn, and expand their horizons. 

Dr. Wente has made it a point to emphasize the importance of Radical Collaboration since arriving on campus in July 2021. Put simply, this phrase has become her encapsulation of how great universities can best serve their campus communities and reach out to the community they call home. In this regard, it has been a fruitful year of working together to build on our shared values, beliefs, and commitment to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. May this “final countdown” bring all who learn, work, and live on our campus a sense of closure to this academic year, as we gear up for the months and years ahead. 

José Villalba, PhD, LCMHC