With Gratitude

Good morning. 

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, when I typically share a themed graphic for the week’s VC Notes column. I’ll do that again this year, but today I wanted to speak a little bit on the topic that most people think about around this time – thankfulness. 

Throughout my professional life, one of the things I’m most grateful for is YOU – this institution’s faculty and staff. 

Success in our three-part mission – to heal, to teach, to discover – depends on a dedicated, compassionate workforce. Thankfully, we have that here. Your commitment to your job is a commitment to your fellow Mississippians, who need our support. Lots of people – even more than the 3 million people who live in this state – rely on you doing your job and sometimes going beyond your listed responsibilities. What you do makes a difference, and your effort can lead to a positive outcome, a new discovery, an enlightened trainee, a successful project or initiative. You make a difference in people’s lives in ways that are immeasurable. Thank you.

Next week is typically filled with time spent with friends and family, and a grateful spirit permeates. I feel that grateful spirit daily when I see all that you accomplish and the energy you bring. Let’s keep that spirit up as we approach the end of this calendar year. Let’s finish 2025 strong.  

I want to end today with a quote attributed to theologian John Wesley. I think it well describes what I see you do daily as you help get us closer to A Healthier Mississippi. 

“Do all the good you can, 
By all the means you can, 
In all the ways you can, 
In all the places you can, 
At all the times you can, 
To all the people you can, 
As long as ever you can.”