President’s Vision

Transcript

Our tour of Valpo is almost done, but we still have one very important person to hear from. And that’s president Jose Padilla. He’s not just a figurehead, he’s actively involved in campus life and invested in each student’s success. You can say the same about his entire faculty. President Padilla, the floor is all yours.

– Thanks, Alex. I came here to be part of a great academic university where learning and our faith in God make us better persons, neighbors, and citizens. Valpo is a great Lutheran university, but it’s open to all beliefs and religions. They welcomed me as its first Catholic and Mexican American President ever. At Valpo were small yet mighty. Our intimate size will prevent you from falling through the cracks. You’ll get the attention and respect that you deserve. You’ll be the top priority of our dedicated faculty and staff. Now, Valpo may not be the place for somebody who wants to coast because here we’re gonna make you break a sweat. We’re gonna push you to do things you never thought you could do. Things otherwise you’d have to wait for until graduate school or your first job. For example, doing cutting edge research in our nationally ranked College of Engineering, being accepted as a freshmen and our Physician’s Assistant Program, to advocating before Congress. I had a junior in political science help me write letters to Congress. Now I’m a former lobbyist and her letters were among the best I’ve ever seen. At Valpo we build you for speed so that in your first job, you’re not just along for the ride, you’re the driver. You’re not just the ripple, you’re the splash. You’re not just the echo, you’re the one busting through the sound barrier. We also build you to be servant leaders. Our excellent academic programs will give you the wisdom to put your faith into practice. You’ll not only have a career for life, but a life where the value of others exceeds the value of your paycheck. At Valpo, where beacons that will show you the way so that once you graduate, you’re gonna show others the way. Back to you, Alex.

– Thanks so much, President Padilla. Based on what you said and everyone we’ve talked to on our tour today, this really is a small but mighty school. A place where you can be part of something bigger, where you can build connections for life and make an impact from day one. We really appreciate you sharing that. Well, this tour has flown by, right? And I’ll be honest, it’s a tour I won’t forget. Who else is inspired by Valparaiso University? I wanna thank the incredible students, alumni and President Padilla who gave their time today. And as you can see, everyone has something unique and personal to share, but there’s something to picking up on in each story, an awesome sense of community and energy. Hopefully soon, you’ll get a chance to tour Valpo for yourself, until then, please check out their website to get more information. This is one of those schools you’ll definitely wanna keep on your radar. Hopefully we’ll see on campus real soon. Cheers everybody.