As 2024 comes to a close, it is time to look back this year’s stories, highlights, and historic milestones on the Hilltop.
January began with exciting news when the college received the 2024 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. One of the community partnerships at the center of this classification, the community center at Saint Raphael’s parish, received a visit from New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen to highlight its work with refugee families.
Any year that features the N.H. Primary is exciting, and this year was no different. One of our student ambassadors reflected on the 2024 cycle. Later in the semester, students had the opportunity to play a role in President Biden’s trip to New Hampshire.
Politics wasn’t the only place where current events found their way to the classroom, in Professor Lupo’s Barbenheimer class, students studied the blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer to explore gender politics, representation, and film.
After a strong season, Saint Anselm Men’s Basketball Coach Keith Dickson announced his retirement after 38 years of coaching at the college with 719 victories.
The arts were active in many ways on the Hilltop. The Chapel Arts Center’s spring exhibition was the “The Intimacy of Seeing: Elsa Voelcker – A Retrospective,” a look into the career of the long-time photography professor. The Men of Color presented “The Laissez Faire Experience,” an immersive show highlighting local fashion designers.
In May, the college held commencement exercises for the class of 2024, with Pulitzer prize finalist, Lauren Chooljian Baer ’10, serving as the commencement speaker. This year’s commencement was also noteworthy as the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences graduated its first class.
June began with the historic election of Brother Isaac Murphy, O.S.B. as the sixth abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey. He is the first non-ordained abbot in the United States. Later the College welcomed alumni back to the Hilltop for Reunion 2024.
A year after we cut the ribbon to open the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute, there was still much to celebrate, first with an award for the preservation of the building, and then with the dedication of the statue of Joan of Arc.
In August, the college welcomed the class of 2028 to campus, the second largest class in the college’s history. It was also a time to honor some outstanding students with the announcement of the Holmes and Melucci scholarships.
The school year began with the announcement of the Anselmian Community Commitment program, which allows students with a family income of $100,000 or less and a GPA of 3.25 or higher to attend the college tuition-free. The announcements continued with the launch of the Campaign for the Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences, a $40 million campaign that will support the construction of its new home, Grappone Hall, along with scholarships and programs.
On November 24, 2024 the Saint Anselm Women’s Field Hockey Team won their first National Championship. Fifth-year player Maddie Davis scored the game-winning goal in overtime versus Kutztown University in Gaffney, S.C.
The year ended with the College’s traditional Christmas celebrations.