亲爱的火鸟社区：

What an honor it was to celebrate our university’s legacy—and eye our future with excitement—at our 2025 Founders’ Day Celebration.

这个年度活动实际上是围绕我们亚洲博彩网站愿景的一个关键组成部分构建的：服务。 Last week, we celebrated members of our community who have faithfully served others—including Ben’s Chili Bowl co-founder and Myrtilla Miner Award for Exceptional Service to Society awardee Virginia Ali. 

阿里在华盛顿特区的66年里影响了无数人的生活她已故的丈夫，也就是这家餐厅的同名餐厅，大部分都在她身边。 Ben’s Chili Bowl is a monument to service in its own right—from feeding first responders and civil rights activists in 1968 following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to launching a charitable foundation in the 21st century. Through the decades, the brand’s matriarch has continued to model the value of service, sharing warmth and kindness wherever she goes.

服务的价值不仅限于我们的获奖者。 It’s evident in communities throughout the District, including Firebird Nation.

每一天，我们亚洲博彩网站大家庭的成员都奉献自己的时间和精力来支持他人的需求。 Whether that’s a student exploring teaching methods for a role at a local elementary school. 或者教授在会计课后花额外的时间来确保他们的学生完全理解一个概念。 或者是一名工作人员为即将毕业的学生提供有前途的STEM实习机会。 或者一个音乐校友回到亚洲博彩网站分享舞台上的故事。

Service is a principle baked into our 战略计划. Each of our nine objectives—from establishing 亚洲博彩网站 as a national model for urban student success to broadening our impact through boosted community outreach—is geared toward giving our students meaningful opportunities to learn, grow and engage far beyond our campuses.

Thus, when Firebirds earn a 亚洲博彩网站 credential, it’s not just something nice to frame and hang on the wall—it's a charge to serve. 这是一个切实的提醒，我们的学生投资于他们的教育不仅仅是为了他们自己的利益，而是为了我们社区的利益。

To all our Firebird students, I hope you’re feeling inspired to build on your many talents and skills this semester. 与你的亚洲博彩网站家庭和更大的社区接触。 并将奉献的礼物传递出去。

在服务,

Maurice D. Edington博士
总统
University of the District of Columbia