Brescia celebrates Founder's Day with centennial at Winter Convocation
Owensboro's Brescia University hosted its annual Winter Convocation ceremony on Tuesday, but this ceremony just so happened to be presented on the university's Founder's Day.
And this year the school will celebrate its 100th anniversary of opening its doors.
Brescia University, a Catholic university, was founded by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as the Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women in 1925. Establishing the college was a way for the sisters to showcase their dedication to education.
Following World War II, Owensboro expressed a need for co-educational extension courses and asked the Ursuline sisters to create a second campus site in downtown Owensboro. The two campuses consolidated in 1950 at the school's current location off of Frederica Street in downtown Owensboro.
The Ursuline Sisters were founded by Saint Angela Merici who was known for her ministry of service to marginalized groups including the displaced, the poor, the orphaned and the sick. She saw women as a means to promote and provide change in a world seeking love, unity and harmony. Throughout the years, the sisters established themselves as educators and founded communities and schools to educate women and girls.
Leading from the example set by Saint Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters, Brescia University has made its mission to provide students with a personal and social transformation through education.
The school recognized two students, both a male and a female, with the Spirit of Angela Merici Award during the Winter Convocation.
'By recognizing these two students, we're paying homage to our roots and keeping with the tradition established by Saint Angela Merici,' said the school's vice president for student affairs, Lori Etheridge.
This year's award recipients were Daniel Rusiecki and Sr. Chanh Ngo.
'These students exemplify the spirit of St. Angela through their service to others and to the entire community,' said Etheridge.
Etheridge said that the selection process for this year's award recipients was 'tough' because 'many students are deserving of the honor.'
Current Brescia president, Father Larry Hostetter, who will retire from his position at the end of the spring semester, said that the Spirit of Angela Merici Award is 'the most prestigious award for students' at Brescia.
Twenty-four additional students were recognized as student leaders during the ceremony.
'Student leadership is valuable for a lifetime,' said Isaac Duncan, the assistant dean of students for student activities and leadership development. 'Leadership helps students to build valuable skills and achieve new heights.'
Hostetter also discussed the school's centennial and introduced the university's new ceremonial mace, designed and crafted by Brescia alumnus Jim Barr.
'Our old one was getting worn out, so I thought it made sense to replace it during this year's centennial,' Hostetter said. 'And I want to thank Jim Barr on an excellent job.'
Hostetter said that the mace features several important symbols for the university including four cords standing for the school's founding principles, laurel leaves for the Ursuline sisters and the addition of the colors blue and gold, the school's designated color scheme.
Hostetter mentioned some positives for the university during his address to the crowd.
'I'm happy to report positive enrollment statistics and retention numbers at 91%,' he said. 'Those numbers show that we're moving in the right direction.'
Hostetter also touched on a recent executive order to come from the Trump administration's White House which will issue a pause on federal grant spending.
'Luckily for Brescia, we don't have any big research grant funding that impacted,' he said. 'But I know everyone is worried about whether the executive order will affect student loans and the PELL Grant. And I can only say that we all hope it doesn't.'
Hostetter said that Brescia students should face the current uncertain circumstances with fortitude, resilience and strength.
'I know how strong Brescia students are and I know that we have always adapted and overcome,' he said. 'And we will continue to do so because that's the Brescia way.'
Brescia plans to have more events throughout the year to highlight its centennial celebration.
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