Friday Focus: Welcome back to school — you’ve got this!

Welcome back to UAF and to the start of a new school year! I am so excited to see the Troth Yeddha’ Campus here in Fairbanks come back to life with more student activity. It is fun to see more colleagues in the hallways again engaging in discussion, catching up and getting back into the swing of a new academic year. Orientations are running full-throttle and faculty, staff and students are participating in different ways to get to know UAF and all it has to offer. 

It was a delight to participate in the new-faculty orientation earlier this week, along with the chancellor and UAF Core Cabinet. The Provost’s Faculty Development Team did a wonderful job introducing new faculty, and it is clear we are building a faculty base with extensive knowledge and passion that will contribute to our teaching, research, and outreach mission. Best of luck in your new careers, and welcome. 

At the residence halls, families and friends are teaming up with UAF student ambassadors and volunteers from many departments to help get new college students settled and welcome returning students back to campus. For those first-time students, this is a big exciting step and a momentous time. It may even be a first time away from home for many students, after more than a year of dealing with the pandemic, so it is quite an adjustment and UAF has a great support network to help our students to be successful. 

For our family, this is also a special year because our eldest daughter, Polly, is a kindergartner. That means my husband and I are also getting into the swing of having school-aged children and I’m sure the transition has been easier on her than on us! I was an anxious mom yesterday, doing our first school drop-off, wondering all day how she would do, if she might make a friend, and if the classroom was warm and welcoming to help start her off in a positive direction. When we arrived at her new school, I was absolutely surprised to see groups of UAF athletes there, holding signs, waving at the children and posing for photos with the kids that were delighted to see “the UAF Nanooks!"

This mix of emotions on the first day of school was a great reminder that our new UAF parents and students may be feeling just as nervous as they are excited as they enter this new school year. My kudos and appreciation to Brock Anundson and the UAF athletics coaches, staff and players who took some time out of their day to be present and to help make the day extra special for the K-12 students. The teams did this at 14 different schools in the area and it was heartwarming to see the smiles all around. What a great way to set the tone on the first day of school and to let the community know the Alaska Nanooks are here from day one of kindergarten through a collegiate career. Way to go, Nooks, and to echo their words: “Welcome back to school. You’ve got this!”

Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.