Fall 2025 / Departments

by Janet Foor, ED.D., Assistant Professor of Special Education

As an educator in the field of special education, I’ve spent years learning from students who challenged assumptions, redefined success, and frequently reminded me that learning is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Each student had a different path—their own way of learning, growing, and becoming—and all paths were valid, valuable, and unique.

Much in the same way, Wilson College is not just a place to earn a degree. It is a place to discover who we become when challenged or inspired, and when we surround ourselves with people who think differently than we do. Students are not here to fit into a mold. They are here to discover what makes them who they are—and to use that discovery to make a difference.

And making a difference does not always mean changing the world overnight. Sometimes it means showing up for a friend who is struggling. Sometimes it means asking for help when needed. Sometimes it means speaking up in class, even when one’s voice is shaking. These small acts of courage matter. They shape who we are, and they shape the kind of community we build together.

One of my favorite quotes is from Helen Keller, who said, “I am only one, but I am one.” Keller was both blind and deaf from a very young age and later became a prolific writer and advocate for those with disabilities. Her quote reminds me that each of us, no matter our background or our challenges, has the power to contribute something meaningful. We do not have to do everything, but we can do something. And that something can change a life—maybe even one’s own.

I do hope all is well with you and yours.

Life here at Wilson College continues to be as lovely as ever, and as the days grow crisper and the leaves begin to turn, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time, especially my own. You see, this year marks a most significant milestone: I am turning 18! Why, if I were human, I would be stepping paw-first onto campus as a bright-eyed first-year student. Indeed, it struck me the other day that I am now the same age as the newest members of our Wilson family. How curious and purrplexing!

I began to imagine what life might be like if I were enrolled here at Wilson. Would I attend lectures? Perhaps I’d curl up in the library, pretending to study while secretly napping atop the books. After all, a catnap a day keeps the stress away. Might I join a club, or better yet, lead one? I can see myself organizing the most exclusive feline society, complete with tea breaks, soft pillows, and naturally, a few catnip treats. And of course, I would strut across the Mistick Quad, tail held high, greeting friends both old and new. Oh, the pawsibilities I would have as a student! Yet, I must admit, I think I would miss my perch in Sharpe House, where I can watch over all of you with the dignity that only a First Feline can maintain.

But time, as it always does, reminds me that I am not the sprightly kitten I once was. While 18 may seem young to some, it is, for a cat such as myself, a venerable age. I have entered the golden years of my life, and with them come the responsibilities of self-care. My days now include a regime of taking my feline medicine, truly an exercise in patience and fortitude. Fortunately, I am in the most capable of hands. I am lucky to have Miss Eileen of the veterinary nursing staff here at Wilson assist my dads with administering my monthly shot. She is simply claw-some, ensuring that I am comfortable and cared for, and she treats me with the respect and gentleness that a First Feline so rightly deserves. Her kindness warms my heart, as much as a cozy windowsill warms my fur.

To those of you who, like myself, are aging like a fine wine (a merlot perhaps, or dare I say, a purr-lot), know that I am with you. Even in these years of dignified age, I find comfort in the familiar: sharing a steaming pot of tea with my dear friend Agatha the groundhog, observing the students as they pass through campus, and enjoying the quiet pleasures of Sharpe House. And I hope, dear reader, that you too will find your way back home to Wilson College soon. My porch is always ready, the cushions are fluffed, and there is always a sunny spot waiting for you to sit and catch up.

With affection and a gentle purr,

Wilson Soccer Scores Big in Italy

The Wilson College women’s and men’s soccer teams took an unforgettable journey to Italy at the beginning of August. Combining athletic training with cultural exploration, both teams played several friendly games and visited some of the sights of Rome, Florence, and Milan.

The women’s team began their trip to Italy in Milan where they trained and had the unique opportunity to meet a goalkeeper from the Internazionale Milano women’s team. They later traveled to Rome where they visited historic sites, including the Colosseum.

Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team trained in Florence with coaches from the Italian Soccer Federation at the renowned Coverciano Technical Centre, home to Italy’s national teams. Their visit also included a tour of the Museo del Calcio, the museum at Coverciano, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the gym and players’ locker rooms.

M.F.A. Summer Residency

On Saturday, July 19, Wilson’s Master of Fine Arts students participating in the 2025 Summer Residency presented a final performance and exhibition of works-in-progress during a performance that took them across campus from the Appenzellar-Buchanan Dance Studio to the John Stewart Memorial Library and the Bogigian Art Gallery. This included theatrical and choreographic solo and ensemble performance pieces, site-specific theatrical work, visual art exhibitions, short story readings, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Click to Order

Launched in Fall 2016, Sarah’s Cupboard is Wilson College’s on-campus food pantry, dedicated to supporting students facing food insecurity. Located in Lower Lenfest and overseen by Andy Hart, the Nancy A. Besch ’48 and Elisabeth Clarkson ’47 College Chaplain, the pantry provides students with access to essential groceries.

This fall, Susan “Evie” Hubbard ’28 collaborated with Hart to create an online ordering system for the pantry. Prioritizing confidentiality and convenience, their goals were to make students feel more comfortable using Sarah’s Cupboard by making the ordering process easier.

With 23% of undergraduate students in Pennsylvania experiencing food insecurity and the rising cost of groceries, Sarah’s Cupboard ensures that no student at Wilson College goes without food. “I am trying to remove every barrier that I can think of for students who need food,” said Hart. By introducing the online ordering system, Hubbard and Hart are making the resource more available and encouraging more students to use this important campus resource.

Alumni interested in helping support Sarah’s Cupboard should reach out to Alumni Relations for more information.

TERF’s Ongoing Impact

Wilson College is proud to announce the continued support of the Thoroughbred Education & Research Foundation (TERF), a fund of the Chester County Community Foundation, which awarded a generous scholarship grant for the 2025-26 academic year. This year’s grant will provide three students with scholarship
funding, continuing TERF’s longstanding commitment to advancing equine education and welfare. Since 2015, TERF has contributed $118,000 to Wilson College students pursuing degrees in equine studies, equine-facilitated therapeutics, veterinary nursing, and animal studies. The 2025-26 recipients include Olivia Ewing ’26, Kendi Long ’26, and Regina Snyder ’26, who each demonstrate passion and dedication to careers in the equine industry. TERF’s mission to improve Thoroughbred health and safety through education and research aligns deeply with Wilson’s academic programs, led by the College’s esteemed faculty. Wilson College is honored to continue this impactful partnership to empower students and strengthen the future of equine care.

If one only reads the headlines about higher education, one might believe the only story is one of decline. Yet at Wilson, I am a daily witness to a different story unfolding: one of renewal, resolve, and rising together.

The challenges we face are real. Across our sector, institutions are wrestling with demographic shifts, questions of affordability, tight fiscal margins, political turmoil, and the urgent need to reinvent in a fast-changing world.  But enduring challenges are also invitations: invitations to be bold, to reimagine, and to recommit to mission.

Here at Wilson, we have accepted that invitation through Future Wilson: The Phoenix Rises strategic plan, which will conclude in December after five years. Over the last few years, this plan has become not just a roadmap but a rallying cry. I am deeply gratified to report that we are seeing measurable momentum:

• Enrollment is growing rapidly. We achieved our highest enrollment for the start of a fall term in the history of the College, with 1877 students, a 10% increase over last year. Our entering traditional aged class studying at our campus in Chambersburg is the 2nd largest class since 1967, nearly exceeding our residential capacity.
• Retention is improving. Through innovations in our advising model, strengthened student supports, and more intentional community building, we have seen significant improvement in retention. Students who begin here are more likely to stay, succeed, and graduate.
• We have launched new academic and co-curricular initiatives that match the needs of a 21st-century workforce and the aspirations of our students. Whether it’s introducing hybrid or accelerated pathways or expanding online offerings, we are making Wilson more nimble, accessible, and forward looking.
• A Wilson education is affordable. The U.S. Department of Education reports that after all financial aid, students at Wilson, on average, pay approximately $2,300 less per year than students attending a nearby public institution, despite that institution receiving tens of millions of dollars in public funding.

All of this is made possible by the investment of our community. It is therefore with both joy and gratitude that I share this milestone: the We Rise: United for Wilson’s Future campaign has closed at more than $21.7 million in gifts and pledges, over 98% of which have already been received. This far exceeds even the ambitious stretch goals we adopted during the campaign’s final phase. These funds will power scholarships, program growth, and support for the women and men who teach and serve our students.

This achievement is not about numbers on a balance sheet. It is about people—students whose dreams are made possible, faculty and staff whose excellence is uplifted, and alumnae, alumni, and friends whose commitment assures Wilson’s trajectory. It is about trust in our shared vision and determination to ensure Wilson does not just endure, but thrives.

I will not pretend that this journey is without risk or strain. The higher education landscape remains volatile, and the margin for error is small. We must steward carefully, innovate thoughtfully, and lean into what sets Wilson apart: individualized education driven through strong relationships, academic rigor rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, affordability and access, and a relentless focus on our values.

But I have never been more confident in Wilson’s capacity to rise. The conditions are difficult—but our community is courageous. Our mission is needed. And the momentum is real.

To every member of the Wilson family—students, faculty, staff, alumnae, alumni, parents, trustees, and friends—I extend my heartfelt thanks. You have shown up. You have believed. And together, we are writing the next chapter of Wilson’s story.

May this edition of Wilson Magazine inspire pride in how far we have come and excitement for what lies ahead. Let us continue to rise—undaunted, united, and unwavering.

Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D.
President, Wilson College