The photo is from one of the spring break outdoor programs offered on our Santa Fe campus–but I think it captures the joy of a well-earned summer break!

But as our students head out to relax, pursue internships and coursework, and enjoy some summer reading, here’s one last monthly round up for the academic year.

Highlights for the month of May include:

Graduating senior Journie Kirdain won the 2017 Charles Vernon Moran Prize for her entry in the community art exhibition,  which included a two sculptures and water color painting. Kirdain has also received a Pathways Fellowship, which she will be using to help fund study at The Marchutz School of Fine Arts in France.

On the Santa Fe campus, the archery team notched a victory in competition with the Institute of American Indian Arts.

The international student organizations on both campuses hosted Holi celebrations. Although a quirk of this year’s academic calendar prevented campus celebrations from lining up with the date of Holi,  our students from South Asia still enjoyed the chance to celebrate and share this tradition with their classmates from around the world.

The Atalaya Search and Rescue team, based out of our Santa Fe campus, passed its re-accreditation tests with flying colors. Search and Resue squads must pass these tests every five years. The team met the gold standard in all five categories: high angle (cliff) rescue, avalanche rescue, wilderness rescue, scree (steep slope) evacuation and snow evacuation.

President Chris Nelson will retire this summer after 26 years of service. Seniors on both campuses chose him as commencement speaker; check out the highlights of his speeches here.

Remember, St. John’s College is still accepting Rolling applications–it’s not too late to become a member of the class of 2021!