t has been just over five months since taking office July 1. Words such as surreal, challenging, exciting, intense, fun, and very busy all come to mind when I look back.

It has been a delight and pleasure to return to the institution that started my passion for higher education. When I walk around campus, it feels so good to be home. While some things are very much the same, others have changed. The first time I heard the bells of the Manchester Chime ring, I got chills as a flood of memories returned.

I have been incredibly impressed by the people who work at Manchester. Some have worked at Manchester for most of their careers, and some are brand new. For example, Jill Biehl, administrative assistant for admissions, has been at Manchester for 49 years, and I worked with her when I was a student employee almost 30 years ago!

Over the past few months, I have spent a good part of my time meeting with those who make Manchester University what it is today. This includes one-on-one meetings with faculty and staff, alumni, past employees, community members, and students. It is important to me to relate to our faculty and staff. We meet regularly to address concerns and celebrate successes, to keep our lines of communication open, to be transparent, and to make sure that we are all moving in the same direction.

Moving in the same direction is key as we implement our 2022-2027 strategic plan. My office made sure every faculty and staff member had a copy of the plan for their desk, and our marketing team created banners for the building entrances. Keeping the roadmap to our future in front of all our faculty, staff, and students is vital to making sure our plan is successful.

One highlight of my time as president has been MU’s recognition as Grow Wabash County’s Business of the Year. Of course, I knew immediately that I could not accept this award without Dr. David McFadden ’82, president emeritus, who truly led Manchester during the time for which we earned this award. Dave and I accepted the award together.

Getting to meet alumni and hear their stories has been one of the biggest blessings. We have alumni doing incredible and inspiring work, including running nonprofits, giving medical care, practicing law, owning businesses, accounting (all with stories about Professor Art Gilbert), teaching, creating art, nursing, leading communities, and so much more. I did not know what a delight this part of my job would be.

As many are well aware, Manchester University Fort Wayne continues to grow. We are currently expanding to prepare for the growth of our health science programs. Each cabinet member and I go to Fort Wayne during the week to work with faculty and staff and talk with our students. A lot of my time over the past few months was spent doing painstaking work with our Doctor of Physical Therapy faculty and staff toward successful DPT accreditation.

Getting to spend time with past presidents Dr. Jo Young ’69 Switzer, Dr. Bill Robinson, and of course, Dr. David McFadden, has been a blessing. Hearing their words of wisdom and their stories is helpful and they have been extremely gracious with their time. It is not lost on me that I get to do this incredible job because of their work and dedication to Manchester.

Students sign a wall in Tall Oaks, where the president resides.

On a personal note, returning to campus has so many perks — such as living in Tall Oaks. I also love my one-minute commute by car and five-minute walk when it is nice out. (It is almost a half-mile from Tall Oaks to the entrance of Funderburg Library, where my office is.) I enjoy taking my family to all our favorite places, including dinner at Main View and Time Out/Sandwich Cellar. The local grocery store, now with a different name, still has the same look and feel that Lance’s did back in the day.

I absolutely love running on campus. I love the quiet, and have a lot of time to reflect on this great University. Often, I will go out for a run after work and see our students at practices, walking to dinner, or playing volleyball in the sand volleyball court (This is a very popular activity; they are always begging me for lights and a second court!).

I absolutely love attending student events, such as the annual costume BINGO event for Halloween. It was after 8 p.m. on a Friday night, so I dressed as a “tired president” in my pajamas, which was not a tough look for me, because that is literally how I spend my Friday nights! I spent one evening playing board games, a Saturday attending an esports tournament, and many days attending athletic events. It was great fun to attend a concert with some of our music students.

Of course, just chatting with students while they have lunch or seeing them at Sisters Café (our little campus Starbucks coffee shop) are other ways to connect with them. I was even invited to participate at my first Kenapocomoco Peace Coalition meeting.

I have been incredibly impressed by the level of student engagement since I started at Manchester. Students regularly come to Tall Oaks, where they continue the tradition of signing a wall when they visit. I see their involvement and passion each day, and I envision their potential to change the world!

I am so grateful to serve Manchester.
Dr. Stacy H. Young, President