New students welcomed to College of Saint Mary during Fall Convocation

OMAHA, Neb. – The class of 2029 was welcomed to College of Saint Mary (CSM) during the Fall Convocation and Missioning Service on August 19.  

The annual event, which took place the day before classes began, welcomes new students to the CSM community and celebrates the College’s mission. 

“CSM’s Mission is built upon the enduring legacy of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy. The mission articulates the distinctive reasons the university exists, ‘College of Saint Mary is a Catholic university providing access to education for women in an environment that calls forth potential and fosters leadership,’” said Emily Kahm, director of spiritual leadership and associate professor of theology. 

Jannette Taylor, a 2006 CSM alum and the CEO of the Women’s Center for Advancement, gave the keynote address. She spoke about the Sisters of Mercy core values called Critical Concerns—earth, immigration, nonviolence, racism and women—and this academic year’s focus on women. 

“As students at an institution shaped by Mercy values, you are called to be more than passive recipients of education. You are called to be agents of transformation—in your own lives, in your relationships and in the world. This means recognizing that when women are marginalized, dismissed or treated as less than equal, our entire community suffers,” Taylor said. 

“Your education here is not just about preparing you for successful careers. It’s about preparing you to be builders of this community, architects of justice and living embodiments of mercy in a world that desperately needs all three, now more than ever.” 

As part of the ceremony, students were given a daffodil bulb. They carried the bulbs to the statue of CSM foundress Catherine McAuley, where they gave the bulbs to the Sisters of Mercy, a symbol of the care and support students will receive at CSM. 

“When you receive the daffodil bulb there are several things to notice, it looks somewhat unremarkable, but it also has something very special—great potential. Potential to grow and develop into something beautiful and completely different than the form it has now,” said Kimberly Allen, vice president of academic and student affairs. 

Students were encouraged to think about their hopes and dreams for the academic year, and to remember that the CSM community believes in their potential. The bulbs will be planted in the Convocation Garden by the Lozier Residence Hall.  

“When the flowers bloom this spring, they will be beautiful and impactful symbols of the growth we have all experienced throughout the year,” Allen said. “Hopefully, everyone here will see themselves as part of the larger CSM community as these bulbs create something beautiful together.” 

After convocation, students gathered with the Sisters of Mercy for tea and crafts.