In this first year of serving as president at Albertus Magnus College, I’ve discovered that the time demands on a president’s schedule are many. My days most often are filled from morning to evening with appointments and meetings, on and off campus. And frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. For me to have any chance of being the successful leader I aspire to be for this College, I need to be engaged in listening and communicating with members of the Albertus Magnus community as well as current and potential friends beyond the immediate Albertus family. Less than a month ago, I was formally installed as president, and the days leading up to and during the inauguration events were full, without exception. But in addition to being filled with time commitments, they were filled with the beautiful and inspiring ethos that emanates from Albertus Magnus College. The inauguration events elicited from the Albertus and greater New Haven communities stories of Albertus impact and opportunity. My pride in serving as president grew even stronger in those days. With all that was occurring, it would have been easy to overlook the less obvious, simple graces in our lives that always are present but may go unnoticed if our hearts and heads aren’t opened to their receipt.
On the Monday after the inauguration, I received a congratulatory and welcoming email message from a woman who lives in nearby North Haven. In the message, Janice Bruce shared with me that she grew up on Read Street, which borders the Albertus campus, and that reading the media coverage of the inauguration events reminded her of childhood memories, when during snow storms the Dominican Sisters overseeing Albertus Magnus College would open the “gates” to the College, enabling Janice, her siblings, and other neighborhood kids to enter the campus so they could sled on the hills of the campus. Janice wrote to me that “Albertus Magnus College was a kind and thoughtful neighbor living by Jesus’ commandment, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’.” Janice shared, too, that she soon would be 90 years old. I was moved, deeply, that someone whom I had not met before would not only send a nice note of congratulations, but also share a personal story about the College.
I reached out to Janice and invited her to visit with me at Albertus. Today, Janice and I met in person, and she shared her childhood memories with me and offered me a glimpse into her life’s journey, which included four siblings, among them her identical twin, June, and how she married her first true love and they had two children, Joan and Jack, her “blessings.”
When Janice walked into my office, she presented me with beautiful fresh cut flowers from her garden, and they now brighten my desk. During our time together, Janice mentioned despite growing up in the neighborhood and spending her adult years living in North Haven, she had never been in any of the Albertus buildings. I took her over to tour Rosary Hall, which today continues to stand so elegantly watching over our campus, as it has for 93 years. The walk through historic Rosary Hall and the views from its windows elicited curiosity and reflection from Janice.
Janice Bruce didn’t attend Albertus Magnus College, but I believe she and the College share in common much more than their nine decades on the Earth. Janice’s spirit and character are full of the values that uphold this College. As the Dominican Sisters did in welcoming the neighboring children to the campus during the snowstorms of Janice’s childhood, Janice welcomed me through her message and visit. Her thoughtfulness extends beyond that outreach, as the pink and purple petals on my desk now attest. Today, I am again touched by graces, experienced through Janice Bruce’s actions, reminding me of the power and purpose of what it means to be a neighbor and to be part of a community.
Dr. Marc M. Camille is the 14th President of Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. He began his tenure on June 30, 2017 and was inaugurated on May 4, 2018.