All are welcome

MICHAEL J. BAYNES, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE, MINNEAPOLIS CAMPUS

I arrived at the College in January 1998 to fill a temporary position. I recall looking forward to the opportunity, but I was certain I'd be ready to move on when the time came. Little did I dream that 11 years later I would still be here — and happily so.

I will never forget my first Student Affairs meeting. The Campus Ministry team started it off by leading us in the hymn "All Are Welcome."The five previous public and private schools at which I had worked had never celebrated their identity in such a fashion. That was the beginning of my realization that St. Kate's infuses its mission in everything.

Now it's 2009, and I have become one of the Sisters of St. Joseph's most ardent fans. I think about "evoking hope" whenever I'm working with someone who needs encouragement. It's become routine to ponder how I can assist students to "lead and influence." And I have fully come to know that the right to an education is truly an issue of social justice.

So, as the melody of "All Are Welcome" runs through my head, I am excited for our evolution from college to university. Even more so, I am thankful for over a decade of personal and professional transformation.