While remembering and celebrating its past, Averett University took another impactful step towards its future during the annual Founders’ Day celebration Thursday, Jan. 30, in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center.
New Averett President the Rev. Dr. David Joyce made his first public remarks about his installation as the university’s 15th president. Joyce was welcomed and introduced by the Rev. Dr. Daniel Carlton ’90, chair of the Averett University Board of Trustees.
Joyce spoke about the future of Averett University. He listed a roadmap: honor the past, be transparent in the present and be clear for the future.
“What excites me most in this new presidency is the promise of the Averett of tomorrow. The Averett of the future, and what we aspire to be,” Joyce said. “The many students we can prepare, the impact we can have on this community. That’s the chapter that we are walking into together.
“Just as Danville continues to reimagine itself, we will follow suit and reimagine what it means to be the only 4-year university in the immediate area with post-graduate programs. This city needs us and we need this city. Let’s do this together now as we work to steady this institution and secure its future as a viable and needed part of this community, region and state.”
Melissa Wohlstein, vice president of philanthropy welcomed those in attendance and introduced the ceremony’s speakers.
Ms. Amanda Hylton ’02, ‘09, and Dan Hayes ‘92 delivered reflections for graduates and Student Government Association Treasurer Sophia Marshall delivered a charge to students during the celebration.
Hylton, the president of the Averett Alumni Association and the vice president, strategic initiatives at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, told the assembled crowd that college isn’t about grades, it’s about growth. It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone, learning from mistakes and embracing the opportunities that you never expected.
“Averett isn’t where I earned my degree, it’s where I found my voice in student government, built life-long relationships, cheered from the sidelines and seized opportunities that shaped my future,” Hylton said. “The lessons I learned both inside and outside the classroom about leadership, resilience and community have stayed with me ever since.”
Hayes, a former employee of the university and currently the executive director of the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region spoke about his belief in Averett University and how it prepares you to be a servant.
“Service is not only about giving time, it’s about committing your time to improving the world around you. America is great because of the people who are willing to raise money, box food, save a monument for people they have never met.”
He talked about how Averett was the perfect place to prepare for the future. He reflected on how, at times he would discuss this career path, mentioning the various and diverse steps along the way.
“Usually about this time, somebody in the room says, ‘Man, you can do anything’. And that is the advantage to an Averett education. That is why Averett is important. An education in the liberal arts made me well-round and prepared to learn what I needed to know to be ready for jobs that I didn’t even know existed.”
Marshall, in her charge to students, stated that every student should be involved, try new things they may have never tried before, take on every opportunity that comes their way and get active within the Averett community.
“I have had the chance to reflect on two and a half years of memories. Memories of late-night studying, laughing, crying and wondering why did I move across the country? I asked myself that question a lot during my first year here. But I realized it’s not about the material things, or the diploma that I will get at the end of the tunnel, even though that is going to be an amazing accomplishment. It’s about all the people and the opportunities that I have encountered along the way.”
The Averett Singers, along with Professors of Music Dr. Anne Lewis on piano and Dr. Janet Phillips on flute, sang a selection and led the audience in Averett’s “Alma Mater”. Dr. Susan Huckstep carried the university Mace and university Chaplain Sean Timmons delivered the invocation and benediction.
Following the program in the auditorium, the audience was invited to the Cougar Den dining hall for a celebration of the university’s 166th birthday.