Dear Soka community and friends,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to an exciting new academic year. We kicked things off wonderfully with a welcome back event that served as a great reminder that the heart of global citizenship is rooted in community. That community starts here at SUA and expands to include all of our precious alumni and supporters.
I wanted to provide an update on my meaningful trip to Washington D.C. this month, where I was honored to represent SUA at the Presidents Dinner hosted by Bucknell University at the National Press Club, a long-standing professional society for journalists and media professionals that facilitates dialogue on current events and issues. I was one of 13 university presidents invited to participate in a forum on higher education, engaging in thoughtful discussions about promoting equity, access, and excellence.
While in D.C., I also had the opportunity to connect with our alumni at the Sohokai D.C. Regional Chapter meeting. Hearing about their experiences and ongoing contributions after graduation was incredibly inspiring. Our alumni are doing tremendous contributive work in places including the Department of Defense, Portugal delegation for the International Monetary Fund, World Bank transportation project leader in Africa, in schools and government agencies, and much more. I also met with several of our generous donors, including many sincere alumni. Their pride in Soka's mission and vision established by our university founder Daisaku Ikeda is what encouraged them to support SUA over so many years. I am always invigorated by how widely our mission resonates with individuals not directly affiliated with SUA, who hold high hopes and expectations for Soka global citizens.
This year promises to be an exciting one for our community, on campus and beyond. Looking to next year, we will celebrate another milestone: the 30th anniversary of the start of the SUA graduate program at our Calabasas campus. I am confident that through our continued commitment to fostering global citizens we will empower our students and alumni to create meaningful positive change in their communities and the world. I look forward to keeping you updated on SUA’s impactful work. As always, please share your updates and experiences with me as well—it is so valuable to stay connected.
Sincerely,
