Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. It took me 22 years to discover my dream, then the next 22 years to prepare for it and pursue it. Now I get to fulfill my dream – serving as President of a remarkable educational institution.
The way to discover, prepare for, and fulfill a dream is through curiosity. Albert Einstein once remarked that he had “no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” So, how can curiosity serve you during your Catawba experience and prepare you for the world beyond?
Curiosity should be intentional, not casual.

Don’t just dismiss difference when you encounter it – explore it! Recognize that it can be challenging and valuable to try something different, even a different perspective.
Curiosity should be unlimited.

Winston Churchill once observed that the “most important thing about education is appetite”. How hungry are you? You have to learn how to learn! Receiving your degree signifying the completion of your collegiate education is not the end but only the beginning – in today’s rapidly changing world you must be a lifelong learner and, therefore, ceaselessly curious.
Curiosity should be met with excellence.

Excellence has a surprising consequence: joyfulness. Don’t you find that you don’t get much pleasure out of something that you have only done in a half-hearted way? Take on the challenge with energy and a commitment to doing it well, even if you only end up doing that thing once.
But … why be curious?

The people who founded the College that is entrusted to us had vision and vocation in mind, not just grades, or boxes checked, or even careers. Being educated for the 21st century is not just about the transmission of knowledge but understanding the importance of values. These are reflected at Catawba in our Honor Code, in our seal, and in our Mission Statement. We do not take words like Scholarship, Character, Culture and Service lightly. These are touchstones for us and we are constantly evaluating how to best embody and infuse them throughout the Catawba Experience.

I hope and trust that you will bring your intentional, unlimited, and excellent sense of curiosity to all you do here. You – and the Catawba community – will be much richer for it.