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| MVCC President Randall J. VanWagoner with the 2019 MVCC Hall of Fame inductees (from left): Professor Emeritus Michael Sewall, Professor Emeritus and MVCC alumnus Robert Decker, Vice President Emerita Dr. Maryrose Eannace, and Administrator/Professor Emeritus Frank Przybycien. |
I recently had the privilege of emceeing the MVCC Foundation’s annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It is always an inspirational event that recognizes the incredible careers of individuals who have made significant contributions to Mohawk Valley Community College. While this year’s class of inductees mirrored the same caliber of excellence as current members of the Hall, something in the air seemed to wash over many in the audience.
I’ve always felt that our format reflects the distinctively personal nature of this institution. Many other organizations seize the opportunity to make induction ceremonies important fundraisers, which in the non-profit world is a commonly accepted best practice. Rather than selling tickets and tables and securing sponsors for a big dinner, admission to MVCC’s Hall of Fame event is free with a very nice reception of heavy hors d'oeuvres followed by a ceremony that introduces each inductee and allows them a few minutes to share their reflections and insights. It’s an evening where the focus is intentionally focused on the inductees — their lives, their values, their careers, their contributions — nothing more and nothing less.
When the ceremony concluded, I had separate conversations with multiple attendees who all initiated unsolicited comments following the same theme. As inductees made their individual remarks, many in the audience picked up on three common threads in their stories that connected back to induction ceremonies of previous years. Each inductee has a unique story to tell with their distinctive personal career at the College, whether the person is faculty, staff, administrator, alumni, or friend of the College. First, the words they share speak about how much they treasure their personal relationships with people who work at the College. MVCC seems to be the perfect size that fosters meaningful connections among everyone associated with the place. Second, the inspirational vision of the College to transform lives through learning motivates people over many years of putting forth extra effort to helping students succeed and consequently sustain and improve our local community. Finally, a consistent theme among inductees is the enormous pride they feel in being associated with MVCC knowing the important work that occurs here continues a compounding positive impact on this community that cannot be found in many organizations or places of work.
Meaningful relationships, transforming lives, and uncommonly enduring pride are three themes that these amazing Hall of Fame inductees bring to life through reflections on their outstanding careers here. It reaffirmed for me that our core values of Model the Way, Inspire Confidence, Encourage Excellence, and Embrace Community underscore the essence of what makes this College so special to those of us with the good fortune to work here. As we collectively face increasingly disruptive times full of accelerating and uncomfortable change, it is comforting to know that the core values of this institution endure and will continue to tether us through the future times — good, bad, and everything in between — on cloudless days and others when we simply have to make our sunshine.
If you have any questions, comments, or insights, please contact me directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.
