Message from the President
As I look back on my first year as President of Berea College, I am continually inspired by the generosity of our donors and the profound impact of your contributions. This year, thanks to your support, we launched several “Students First” initiatives—transformative projects that are directly enhancing the lives of our students and removing barriers to their success. With your help, I was able to ensure my presidency started with a clear focus on our students—listening to and responding to what they voiced as their most important hopes and dreams, needs and concerns.
Your commitment has empowered us to make significant strides in several areas. For instance, with your support, we’ve expanded student healthcare services, enacting our holistic head-hands-heart approach to education. We’re revamping our mental healthcare to include 24/7 access, providing a groundbreaking free dental health clinic, adding substance abuse treatment and offering healthcare for families of our non-traditional students. Our telehealth counseling services, launched at the start of the fall 2024 semester, now allow students to connect with healthcare providers across Kentucky who can best meet their needs, a direct response to student feedback. These enhancements ensure every Berea student has access to the care they need, thanks to you.
Your generosity also made it possible to eliminate student course fees for the 2024-25 academic year, building on our no-tuition promise by removing yet another financial barrier. This initiative, funded by an anonymous donor, aligns perfectly with Berea’s founding mission to provide accessible education to all. Just as our Berea Patrons program empowers students to give back through gifts or their Labor Program stipends, your contributions have made it possible for students to pursue their studies without the burden of additional costs. You are helping us maintain our standing as the nation’s most affordable and accessible college, where education remains debt-free and transformative.
The opening of the “Bear Essentials” free store is yet another testament to what we can accomplish together. Funded by the generosity of alumni and friends like you, this new resource ensures that every student has access to essential supplies—whether it’s notebooks, pantry items or seasonal necessities. It’s not just a store; it’s a lifeline that embodies the spirit of our community. Your support has allowed us to provide these resources, fostering an environment where students feel supported and connected.
We have also been able to invest in opportunities that further enrich the academic experience at Berea. This past summer, with the help of a Sherman Fairchild Foundation grant, students engaged in a pilot undergraduate research program that emphasizes hands-on learning, exploring chemistry, biophysics and biology under the mentorship of esteemed faculty members. These research experiences are made possible by donors like you, who believe in the value of experiential academic exploration.
Your impact extends beyond these initiatives. Donors like George Dewey, who recently established an endowed fund to support tuition scholarships for education students, and alumnus Julian Higgins, whose family’s generous gifts have supported students from Central Appalachia, are vital to our mission. Their stories, like yours, are woven into the fabric of Berea’s legacy—a legacy of access, opportunity and community.
To read more about these incredible stories of generosity and the lives they are touching, I encourage you to explore the full articles in this edition of the magazine. You’ll find inspiring accounts like Kamuskay ’27’s letter about the Berea Patrons program, updates on the Sherman Fairchild Foundation-funded research projects and many more stories that celebrate the transformative power of giving at Berea.
Looking ahead, our “Vision into Action” strategic plan will further outline how your support will continue to shape the future of Berea College. Together, we are creating a more inclusive, dynamic and welcoming campus, where every student has an unparalleled opportunity to thrive.
Thank you for believing in our mission and for your unwavering generosity. Your contributions are not just improving the student experience, they are transforming lives and ensuring Berea College remains a place where dreams are realized by putting “students first,” one student at a time.
The primary reason I support Berea College is its “Student First” core belief, and the initiatives President Nixon describes above illustrate that belief put into action. I can think of no other college or university, anywhere, that “walks its talk” better than Berea. Thank you. Oh, and One More Thing – when I contribute to the Berea Annual Fund, I am assured that those funds will go directly to some form of student support. Best “return on investment” I have ever experienced!