Macte Virtute

Post-Pandemic Era

"By all accounts, we are in good hands"

Take it from an old football coach who has been through a fair share of last-second nail-biters, the certainty of victory comes only when the clock ticks no more. That’s why, even-though it appears we may have beaten back this incessant threat of COVID-19, it’s best that we remain vigilant and cautious.

That’s exactly what we’ve done and will continue to do here at YSU as we look forward to fully reopening the campus for the start of the Fall Semester in August. By then, it will have been nearly 18 months since we curtailed most on-campus classes and activities. We are thrilled to be able to bring students back into classrooms and return to a near-normal teaching and learning environment.

So, with a cautious eye on the past, we look ahead with great expectations, and this online version of YSU Magazine gives us every reason to do so. Two parts of the magazine in particular best reflect our proud past, as well as our promising future.

The Class Notes section features the extraordinary work that our graduates are doing in classrooms, laboratories, small businesses, hospitals, theaters, financial institutions, newsrooms, concert halls and courthouses across the region and the country. Featured are artists, college deans, musicians, bankers, doctors, engineers, writers, judges, chemists, nuns, coaches, principals and historians active in advancing their chosen professions and the futures of communities in which they live. More than anything, these folks are our lasting legacy.

Then, also make sure to read the Our Students section – filled with news about the accomplishments of current YSU students. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, our students never failed to amaze, earning national and international recognition and representing YSU and the entire Mahoning Valley on the global stage. We look forward to their continued success and following their careers beyond their alma mater.

It’s tempting and easy sometimes to get lost and lose focus in the midst of crisis. Here at YSU, we have not. The center of all we do remains ensuring that our students become successful, productive and contributing members of society, both professionally and personally. These are the young men and women who will lead us through the post-pandemic era. By all indications, we are in good hands.

Stay safe, remain well and as always…

Go Penguins,

James P. Tressel, President