Working at one’s alma mater can sometimes be a challenge. The dual role as alumnus and employee is not always comfortable as the rose colored glasses often worn by alumni are tarnished by day to day drama that seems to be present in any workplace.
This weekend an unplanned reunion of the MOB at the 11:00 a.m. Mass in the College Chapel offered a gentle reminder to those present of the value of the Puma family. Just as the liturgical season of Advent calls us to pause and reflect upon the blessings of the past year and the gift of Christ’s birth, so too is it time to celebrate the Puma family.
No matter how ridiculous my student loan payments seem; no matter how many hours I spend working on Phonathon; no matter how frustrated students are with the quality of cafeteria food, at the end of the day we are all in this together. Whether alumni, faculty, current students, staff, coaches, sports fans, community members, or friends – we all have fond memories of SJC and the friendships made here.
Perfect harmony doesn’t exist in any family on Earth. But many families find ways to love and support one another all the same. Some might even go so far as to argue that the true measure of a strong family is the ability to celebrate each other despite the shortcomings. We do that at SJC.
Bennett Hall was old, musty, and lacked air conditioning – but it was our home. The equipment in our classrooms wasn’t always the most cutting edge—but we were instructed by professors, many of whom we call our friends. As staff we accept that some years we will go without raises—but experience true pride when our students (yes even if we don’t teach they are our students) graduate and become independent, productive, thoughtful members of society.
That’s the secret to the Puma family. That’s the gift of our founders, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. We stick together, not because we all see eye to eye, but because we are bound by our shared experiences and use those experiences to celebrate our differences.
