Share your gratitude

As many of us know, it’s the people we work with each day that make being a part of GSW a special experience. It is the way we come together to guide, motivate, challenge and develop students that makes GSW a unique educational community. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us in directions we never thought possible, and has caused us to be creative, quick thinking, and focused on our primary goal of student success while ensuring we are able to protect the safety and health of all involved.  While it has been challenging, I know the GSW family has risen to the occasion in ways seen by many, but also in countless acts of skill, generosity and caring that may have gone relatively unnoticed.

As we work our way through this challenge, I am asking for your help to make sure we capture and celebrate all the things we are doing to support each other, the students and the communities we serve. Each of us knows of people on campus who are going above and beyond to ensure we are able to meet the mission of our institution, and I would like to recognize that work and allow us to celebrate some of the amazing things that have happened on our campus during this pandemic. 

To accomplish this goal, we are putting together a GSW Book of Gratitude to showcase the work of people on campus throughout this event.  I invite faculty, staff and students to go HERE and share the story of someone you work with who has shown creativity, dedication to our students and our campus, or a sense of community that has helped our students, and/or the GSW community, thrive during this time of challenge. 

In the fall, when we come together to celebrate our Faculty and Staff Awards, we will present everyone with a book containing all the entries submitted as a way of celebrating what we have done and accomplished during the COVID-19 pandemic.  You are welcome to submit more than one entry, and I encourage you to consider not only the big things, but also the little gestures that have helped you during this time. Each and every person at GSW has had a role to play in our success and I hope will take a moment to share your experience.

If you have any questions, please feel free to follow up with Suzanne Smith at Suzanne.smith@gsw.edu.  We look forward to reading your stories and to celebrating each of you in the fall when we are able to be together again as a GSW community.

GSW President
Dr. Neal Weaver