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President Coker offers a message of hope amid unfolding Ukraine crisis

The following is a letter, titled “Hope and Prayers for Ukraine — We Are All Connected,” emailed Feb. 24, 2022, to the campus community from Maryville College President Dr. Bryan F. Coker.

Dear Campus Community,

I began this academic year by speaking about the interconnectedness of humanity, across our campus, our nation, and our world – I emphasized that We are all connected.

Over the past 24 hours, we have witnessed the attack and invasion of Ukraine, beginning a military offensive which is unlike anything the world has seen in 80 years. While it may be easy for us to feel insulated from the effects of a war so far away, what is happening in Ukraine matters. Just this morning, three of our own students currently serving in the National Guard received notice of deployment. We are all connected.

All community members are reminded of the support resources that are available during challenging times – the Counseling Center and TimelyCare are available to students, employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program, and our Campus Minister, Rev. Dr. Anne McKee, is also a resource for all in the campus community.

Remembering that We are all connected, let us hold our deployed students and the Ukrainian people close in our hearts and prayers, as we hope and pray for peace to prevail.

Sincerely,

Bryan F. Coker, Ph.D., President

Maryville College is a nationally-ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges. For more than 200 years we’ve educated students to be giving citizens and gifted leaders, to study everything, so that they are prepared for anything — to address any problem, engage with any audience and launch successful careers right away. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville, Maryville College offers nearly 1,200  students from around the world both the beauty of a rural setting and the advantages of an urban center, as well as more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last. Today, our 10,000 alumni are living life strong of mind and brave of heart and are prepared, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”