January 2013 Message
This academic year we celebrate the 15th Anniversary of St. John’s College. It’s a happy occasion to reflect back upon the many accomplishments of our alumni and to look forward to the future. We are launching new initiatives that continue to build upon the legacy of our Johannean founders, the alumni of St. John’s University, Shanghai, by connecting the best of what happens here at the College to the highest ideals exemplified in their salutary lives of accomplishment and service. The College looks forward to welcoming the Johanneans back to the College in June of 2013 as the highlight of our 15th Anniversary celebrations. I know that they will look with pride upon the unique international community that they helped build.
Our residents come from over 45 different countries. Every day, they share their knowledge over dining tables and through a wide array of intellectual and social activities. From language classes that cover Cantonese and Mandarin to French and German, to intense discussions about difficult international problems and contemporary social justice issues, SJC has become, in 15 short years, a shining jewel at UBC that aspires to change the lives of its residents so that they can change the world.
We take the opportunity of our anniversary to thank past Principals, office staff, and alumni for helping to build this amazing institution. Just as the College helped provide support and a unique home at a crucial moment in their own lives, we hope our alumni, now spread all around the world, will connect with our future residents. This year, we appointed Ian Okabe as our Assistant Principal for Alumni Engagement; hearing the stories that he has already helped gather from our alumni, it is clear that for many, living at SJC was a transformative experience that changed their lives in a myriad of ways. Ian is a familiar face to many of our alumni, having lived at the College several times over the years, and he joins Associate Principal Christopher Lee and Assistant Principal Sandra Shepard on our leadership team as we move forward. After re-organizing the College’s finances and operations over the last two years, we have a bright future ahead. This year, we take an opportunity to reflect upon the qualities that make us so unique. I hope that you will join us in this important moment of taking stock of where we are and who we are.
Dr. Henry Yu,
Principal, St. John’s College