For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

It has been amazing to see a city, state, country and world come together to serve and help each other in the wake of the horrific events in Orlando. Even though you may not live in Orlando or attend online classes through our Orlando campus, you may have a connection to the Orlando community. You may have visited Orlando. You may have family in Orlando. Our thoughts and prayers for healing continue for the victims, families, first responders, volunteers, healthcare professionals, law enforcement officers, the list goes on. #orlandostrong defines this community.

Many of our Belhaven students are part of the group of unsung heroes – the volunteers who immediately asked, “How can I help?” and were out in the field serving others. These selfless acts started me thinking about our Belhaven community. You may not realize it until you need something, but you have an incredible community of resources available to help and support you as a student – whether you are online or on campus. The faculty, staff, administration, and fellow students are all part of your Belhaven community, and invested in your success as a student. In an online environment, there are times when you may feel you are out there by yourself. I encourage you to reach out to other members of your Belhaven community for help, and to share thoughts and ideas. Asking questions and sharing ideas is also an important part of the learning. As we wind down this academic year, and look forward to our next year, I encourage you to reflect on the verse for our past academic year.