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When she heard that Nazareth College was searching for its 10th president, Beth Paul couldn鈥檛 have known that her first months in that role would include a number of extraordinary tasks that were definitely not included in the job description.

Understandably, she wouldn鈥檛 have imagined the need to become an expert in exclusive pandemic-era administrative specialties, including reconfiguring campus and academic models to ensure student, faculty, and staff safety; clearing roadblocks to procure hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment; or closely following state and local directives that were shifting by the day.

A year ago, Paul didn鈥檛 visualize a 鈥渇irst 100 days鈥� of those priorities and many more. Instead, she saw a chance to guide an already high-performing college toward an ever-brighter future.

More than anything, that鈥檚 still what she sees today.

Without flinching at the obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul has jumped into her new job with clear-eyed positivity 鈥� fueled as much by her natural enthusiasm as by her understanding of Nazareth鈥檚 proven ability to set goals and accomplish them.

鈥淭his pandemic accentuates any community鈥檚 strengths and weaknesses,鈥� she says. 鈥淗ere at Nazareth, it鈥檚 allowing us to leverage incredible strengths that have been here all along, and make them even stronger.鈥�

As she jumped in to lead the myriad COVID-centric changes, Paul also established a drumbeat of communications to align the temporarily remote campus community: a series of blog posts, videos, and even a podcast, covering such topics as individual responsibility in the face of COVID, the unique situations faced by Nazareth鈥檚 international students, and even her fondness for her new hometown. On the eve of students鈥� return to campus in August, she closed one message with a simple rallying cry: 鈥淲e can do this!鈥�

That sense of confidence has proved 鈥� to borrow from COVID itself 鈥� to be nothing short of contagious.

New Processes, New Potential

Between the January 27 announcement of Paul鈥檚 appointment and July 1, when the new leader officially succeeded outgoing president Daan Braveman, Nazareth experienced once-in-a-lifetime changes. Pandemic restrictions forced a temporary suspension of campus activities in March, as the spring 2020 semester continued via online instruction. From local partner organizations to peer colleges worldwide, no one was spared from having to cope with the coronavirus.

鈥淎ll at once, everything changed. It was surreal,鈥� Liliam Montilla 鈥�21 recalls. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 anyone鈥檚 fault 鈥� we knew we had to stay safe. But it was a very unusual time. I鈥檓 grateful to be back.鈥�

The fall 2020 semester took some getting used to, Montilla says, given its necessary mix of traditional classroom-based instruction and online learning from her residence hall room. This is just one of the sweeping changes now in place to preserve the safety of the college community without compromising educational opportunity.聽

Adjusting to those new protocols 鈥渨asn鈥檛 easy, and isn鈥檛 easy,鈥� says Susan Nowak 鈥�77, S.S.J., professor of religious studies, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 remarkable just how prepared we鈥檝e become for this. And we haven鈥檛 stopped planning. We鈥檙e committed to doing this safely, and doing it well.

鈥淏eth has been wonderful,鈥� Nowak adds of Nazareth鈥檚 new president. 鈥淚n the midst of this tumultuous pandemic, she has been steadfast. She sees the best in us, and that idea has become instilled in all of us in different ways.鈥�

While Paul credits students and faculty for their adaptive spirit, she also recognizes that adaptation has benefits that transcend the here and now. For instance, the use of stronger and more versatile high-tech solutions is fulfilling short-term educational needs, and at the same time, it鈥檚 helping students become stronger and more versatile learners.

鈥淪tudents and faculty aren鈥檛 only adding tools to their toolbox through all this. They鈥檙e building a greater capacity for information literacy and adaptive learning,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ur students will take those skills into their professional lives, where they鈥檒l be in greater demand than ever.鈥�

That lesson hasn鈥檛 been lost on Nowak, who inadvertently finds herself borrowing Paul鈥檚 contagious phrase. In a pattern that began in the earliest days of the fall semester, she relates, 鈥淚 wake up and say to myself, 鈥楥an we do this?鈥�

鈥淎nd then I get to school, and I say, 鈥榊ep. We can do this.鈥欌��

An Obligation to Lead

COVID-19 wasn鈥檛 the only viral phenomenon awaiting Beth Paul when she arrived on campus. Longstanding national tensions about systemic racism and inequality reached a tipping point following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, in May. Then, in September, the Rochester community was shaken when revelations were made public concerning the March death of Daniel Prude that occurred just miles from the College.

In response to these incidents and others, individuals and institutions around the country 鈥� including members of the Nazareth community 鈥� have demanded action. They see the efforts made by the College through the years as strides in the right direction, but insist that more can and should be done.

Indeed, Paul says, initiatives such as the College鈥檚 multidisciplinary Community and Belonging Division represent past successes 鈥� while creating an obligation for Nazareth to do even more. 鈥淲e should be out front,鈥� she contends. 鈥淲e should be saying, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 what we鈥檝e learned. Here鈥檚 what we realize we still don鈥檛 know. Here are the big questions that we鈥檙e wrestling with.鈥� We can鈥檛 be complacent. We have to listen, and we have to act.鈥�

Montilla, a resident of New York City, was elected president of the Nazareth Undergraduate Association last spring. She returned to campus in August with a five-point array of short- and long-term initiatives aimed at expanding the College鈥檚 commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She found an immediate audience in Paul and other Nazareth leaders 鈥� and although change hasn鈥檛 occurred overnight, she likes what she鈥檚 seen and heard so far.

鈥淚 know much of my thinking may not become real before I graduate next year,鈥� Montilla says, 鈥渂ut I want to be a catalyst for the students that come after me. We can only make change happen by starting the ball rolling.鈥�

Ideas like Liliam鈥檚 鈥� and the expansion of the usual faculty-and-staff Summer Read project to include students and alumni in a consideration of 鈥淗ow to Be an Antiracist鈥� by Ibram X. Kendi 鈥� are a step in that direction, Paul says.

鈥淲e have to keep at it,鈥� she adds. 鈥淭he events of the past few months have provided us with a new opening to act from a position of earned leadership, and raise the conversation to a new level. Given our history, that鈥檚 where we need to be.鈥�

Looking Back to Move Ahead

While it鈥檚 fair to say that the concerns of today are top-of-mind for Paul, her confidence in Nazareth affords her a forward-looking vision: 鈥淚'm always thinking about the future, and what鈥檚 going to be there for us to work with.鈥�

That future includes Nazareth鈥檚 100th anniversary, right around the corner. It鈥檚 too soon to predict what 2024 will look like (four years ago, who could have foreseen 2020?), but Paul sees clear ties between our COVID era and the College鈥檚 founding 鈥� and particularly to its founders鈥� mission that has lost none of its relevance.

鈥淣azareth was born in the aftermath of the last global pandemic, which happened in 1918,鈥� she notes. 鈥淭he needs of that time led the Sisters of St. Joseph to create a college community with a specific set of values. They saw a connection between education, social justice, and community. I think it鈥檚 time to re-engage in that.鈥�

To facilitate that re-engagement, she鈥檚 already initiated a new strategic planning process, following up on the Nazareth 2020 strategic plan that helped chart the last decade of the College鈥檚 success under Braveman. There鈥檚 plenty of work to be done, and Paul is welcoming all voices to participate in that work.

Nowak sees Paul鈥檚 keen interest in other views as a distinct asset to her presidency. During a 2019 visit to Nazareth, when Paul was still a candidate for the position she now holds, her campus tour hit some unexpected delays. 鈥淪he always wanted to stop and talk to people, particularly students,鈥� Nowak recalls. 鈥淭hat was when I first began to think, this is the person for us.鈥�

With less than a year left in her undergraduate experience, Montilla says she鈥檚 excited about Nazareth鈥檚 new leader, and about Paul鈥檚 aims to help the college community remain safe 鈥� and prosper 鈥� during COVID and beyond. While expressing her confidence, she echoes that powerful four-word mantra.

鈥淭here will be struggles, of course, like there are everywhere and at any school,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut this is a perfect opportunity for us to show what we're really made of.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to make it through this, with greatness,鈥� Montilla adds. 鈥淲e can do this.鈥�

Freelance writer Erich Van Dussen lives in Rochester, N.Y.