At our annual fall meeting in mid-October, my fellow Alumni Association members and I had a chance to hear from Dean Baernholdt for the first time about her vision for the school and how she’ll build on the strong foundations established by former Dean Pam Cipriano. It was refreshing to hear that the school will remain committed to excellence in education, research, and outreach, and that alumni will continue to play a critical role in its future.

Your Alumni Council has worked hard over the past two years to create structures that will allow the Alumni Association to grow and evolve in the ways it supports the School and responds to alumni needs. I encourage each of you to consider what your experiences at the School of Nursing and UVA have meant to you, your families, and your communities. Please reflect, too, on how the Association can best support you and your work and, in turn, how you can support the Association and the School.

Financial support is always welcome, and volunteer opportunities—serving as Alumni Council leaders, on committees, or volunteering at events as Association representatives—abound. Please share your ideas to help us build on the legacy of excellence of the Alumni Association and School for years to come.

Membership on the Alumni Council is fun, flexible, and meaningful, and you’ll have a chance to work with some very impressive and committed fellow UVA-educated nurses. Please join me in thanking Sara Covall (BSN ’09, MSN ’14) as she ends her term as awards coordinator and welcoming Joshua James (BSN ’05), our president-elect this year.

And always wear your UVA education out loud. I’m still so proud to be a UVA nurse. Wahoowa!

Sincerely,

Sandy Reed-Bryant (BSN ’78, MSN ’86)
Williamsburg, VA