Great morning, Team!
Happy April and Happy Spring!! 😊 As we get closer to May 1st, National Signing Day for all students who are committing to Colleges and Universities nationwide, I must sing the praises of all staff who have gone through the college application and selection process with your children. Whether or not you realize it, you all have nerves of steel. I cannot believe how much the process has changed from when I applied to college. Never were the words, “Check your portal!” repeated so many times in my adult life. Often, it felt futile, like herding fleas to influence my son to comply with these college tasks on top of schoolwork. Understandably, though, my child at 17 years old is still a child. Back in the day, it was a paper application, typed essay, a stamp to mail it, a few visits to schools, and finally notification letters arriving in April. Things are not so simple now. Increased technology has changed the speed and efficiency of the financial, merit, scholarship and application process, and human connection in all of it can often feel quite siloed.
Last weekend, we visited Stony Brook University for Admitted Students Day. It was well organized and felt like a big conference where you could choose your tours of labs, and sessions based on various topics. We sat in one session led by Dr. Sprayberry, Director of Undergraduate Biology, who fascinated me. She discussed the research and statistical outcomes of how the student experience equals student outcomes, with COMMUNITY as THE strong anchor to enabling overall student success. In this university setting, “community” is defined as connections with each other through study groups, office hours with professors, attending campus events and involvement in clubs. In essence, the more connection you have with others, the more communication you engage in, the more relationships you build, resulting in increased overall support and ultimately success both academically and socially.
I was surprised by thoughtfulness of the topic, given it is such a large university, and in addition, how this theory completely aligns with the design features of our growth culture here at E&I, specifically HOME, within Edge, Home and Groove. Most of the time when we meet with each other in our day-to-day work, it is through a computer screen. It’s effective, efficient, and it works. However, there is something so special and almost sacred about connecting in-person with others. Our Leadership recognizes and supports the value of this mode of connection, which is why Better Together annual meetings are so important. The planning and investment of this yearly event is enormous, and the lasting effects are truly worth it. As we head to Better Together 2026 in just about 2 weeks, I can hardly wait to see colleagues in-person for the first time and to reunite with those I haven’t seen since our last Better Together in 2024. I look forward to meaning-making moments connecting and deepening our relationships, learning new things, and celebrating all of us!
This year’s theme of Better Together is aptly named “Welcome Home!” As echoed by the theory of this Stony Brook University professor, I truly believe when we connect, and continue to build our community of Home with each other, our experience at work becomes more engaging, our support system of our colleagues increases, and subsequently our own performance and growth elevate.
What are you hoping to experience at Better Together 2026? What is the mindset you will arrive with and what do you hope to leave with? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. 😊
PS. My son did commit to Stony Brook University as a Biochemistry major with a pre-med track for Fall 2026, and I am pleased to say he will be seeing a lot more of Dr. Sprayberry AND the flea-herding experience is finally over…for now! 😊
Wishing you all a Better We, Better Week! 😊
Lori Beth
