Grow Where You Are Planted is the theme emblazoned on T-shirts and banners welcoming our newest students to Davis & Elkins College’s Orientation Weekend on August 14-16. With the beginning of a new academic year comes a renewed sense of purpose and possibility across our campus and throughout the Elkins community. Once again, these hallowed grounds will be filled with the energy of students beginning a journey that will shape not only what they know, but who they become.
This first-year class joins a student body representing 40 West Virginia counties, 37 states, and 41 countries. From communities near and far, they have come to the picturesque campus of D&E, continuing a tradition that has flourished for 122 years. Each arrives with unique gifts, aspirations, and experiences, adding new color and vitality to the rich tapestry of our campus.
To grow or bloom where you are planted is a fitting description of the Davis & Elkins experience. Every student arrives with hopes for the future, tempered by the natural excitement and uncertainty that accompany new beginnings. My promise to them is simple: if they bring curiosity, determination, and perseverance, Davis & Elkins College will provide fertile ground in which they can bloom and grow beyond what they ever imagined. Here, education extends well beyond the classroom. It is found in meaningful relationships, moments of discovery, service to others, and experiences that often arrive when least expected.
During our Matriculation Convocation, I have the privilege of greeting each new student and officially welcoming them to the D&E community. As I look into their eyes, I find myself wondering about the paths before them. Some will discover a calling different from the one they envisioned when they arrived. They will encounter new ideas, cultures, and perspectives that broaden their understanding of the world and deepen their appreciation for one another. Many will form friendships that endure for a lifetime, and some will meet their soulmate with whom they will build a life. For students who have never experienced winter, the season’s first snowfall may become one of their fondest memories, complete with snowball fights and sledding on front campus. Along the way, all will gain the wisdom that comes from newfound independence, personal responsibility, and learning from both successes and setbacks. These experiences, both ordinary and extraordinary, are the moments in which students truly bloom.
It is a profound blessing to serve this institution and to witness these transformations year after year. As I welcome the 11th new class of my presidency, I am reminded once again of the enduring mission of Davis & Elkins College. On these hallowed grounds, lives are shaped, character is formed, and futures are enriched through a community committed to helping every student flourish. It is little wonder that students travel from across our state, our nation, and around the world to make this place their home.
God willing, generations of future Senators will continue to be welcomed with the same invitation – to bloom where they are planted, to embrace every opportunity for growth, and to discover that the richest blessings are often found in the unexpected. That enduring promise is what makes the Davis & Elkins experience so extraordinary and these collegiate years among the most meaningful of life’s journeys.
The journey continues….
Chris A. Wood
President
Davis & Elkins College
