I feel an immense sense of gratitude for the special privilege of being able to sustain the experiences of self-discovery, personal growth and impactful relationships across six decades. Lehigh is a place composed of people who can and do help to change lives by believing in the power of relationships and the inspiration associated with the pursuit and achievement of dreams. I’ve witnessed the impact of the Lehigh experience on thousands of students, faculty and staff, and on generations of alumni of our institution who continue to be nurtured long after graduation by relationships formed at Lehigh.
Truly meaningful investment in the future is ultimately about investing in people. I will be forever grateful that Lehigh took a chance on investing in me.
Beyond the initial invitation to join and contribute to this community, Lehigh also invested in the coaches who cared enough to challenge me and affirm their confidence in my potential. Lehigh invested in a faculty that made me think, and work, and ponder. Lehigh invested in campus resources that reflect the enduring heritage and values of the region, and yet also provide for the educational needs of the future. Lehigh invested in university leaders who believed in the potential of an ever more compelling Lehigh experience. And Lehigh invested in a group of professional peers and colleagues who became a daily source of personal inspiration in the shared and relentless pursuit of distinction while they also became longtime friends.
To the many alumni, families and friends who have given back to Lehigh to ensure the educational experience remains a transformative one, I thank you—you have all helped to make my experience quite meaningful. And please keep investing as the best is yet to come!
Lehigh has been my home for the last 52 and a half years, or since I arrived on this campus as an 18-year-old first-year student. I expect it will always be a “home” for me and also for my family. While much has changed about and around Lehigh and many of the faces are new and different, far more has remained the same—remarkably and thankfully.
In a world that sometimes feels too transactional, too busy and too selfish, my wish for Lehigh is to always remain a place that fundamentally is about relationships, about wonder, about “why not?” and about appreciating the power in and love of learning and growth.
My Lehigh life has been blessed by those impactful and life-enriching characteristics. My hope is that Lehigh students, faculty, staff and alumni for generations to come will continue to experience those same outcomes.
Thank you, Lehigh! And Beat Lafayette!
—Joe Sterrett ’76
