Dear Friends,
Success, it is said, is where preparation meets opportunity. In this old saw, opportunity is external, something to be found. Undeniably, CMC’s rigorous liberal arts program, strong research institutes, competitive athletics, and vibrant residential life all prepare emerging leaders to seize the opportunities of our time. But CMC does more. We prepare students and alumni to create their own opportunities. CMC instills the courage and self-confidence in our students and alumni to carve their own new paths.
In this magazine, you’ll find ample evidence of this claim. CMCers don’t wait for others to shape their fate. They take it into their own hands. You will see how. Lauren Iungerich ’96 and Tendo Nagenda ’97 both pivoted in an evolving entertainment industry to assert control over their careers and create the stories they wanted to see. Bruno Youn ’19 climbed out of his own challenges with autism and turned them into strengths. Scott Akasaki ’98 used a study abroad trip to become a walking encyclopedia of Japanese baseball and all but force his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers to give him a job. John Spinosa ’80 aimed to solve problems using data at the San Diego Blood Bank, and turned to a CMC professor and associate dean, Emily Wiley, to develop a student-directed pilot study. Think of the rigorous education and invaluable encouragement from faculty, staff, and peers that inform Steve Bullock ’88 and his run for the presidency.
These individual stories inspire our institutional path, as well. Consider the meteoric rise of the Murty Sunak Quantitative and Computing Lab, which attracted over 11,000 visits in only its first year. Reflect on the Institutional Excellence Award from the Heterodox Academy, noting that the CMC commitments as an exemplar for freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and effective dialogue “mark a critical inflection point in the open inquiry movement.” Anticipate what’s still to come as we deepen and broaden our founding vision, strengthen and fully integrate sciences and computation in our strong liberal arts program, and yes, expand the powerful tools students have to create their own opportunities.
Wishing you all the very best,
