“Let the Games Begin” by Christie Holderegger
President Bobby Reed set the tone for friendly competition and national pride as many of our Rotarians competed for an “Olympic” medal in the javelin, basketball, soccer and archery. Who will walk away with the gold? Who will walk away with the gold?
Thought for the day presenter Rio Ray shared famous quotes of past Olympians that summed up three important values to live by: Trample your fears, Be champions and Put the work in.
Club Announcements Included:
- Volunteer signups for the Sac Century is open, shared Ruth Tesar; visit Sacramentocentury.com to choose from a variety of volunteer activities that will make this year’s event the best ever.
- Sign up for this year’s Dictionary project coming up in September, said April Javist.
PP Diane Woodruff introduced our guest speaker, Sacramento State president Dr. Luke Wood. She highlighted Dr. Wood’s inspiring journey from growing up in a small northern CA town as a foster youth to earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Sac State and his PhD from Arizona State. He has authored over 170 publications, including 16 books, and more than 78 peer-reviewed journal articles. In 2023, he was selected as Sacramento State’s president. Since then, he has ignited our community with his vision for Sac State and our region.
Dr. Wood took the stage to share his ambitious plan to make Sac State the flagship university within 3-5 years. After conducting 92 listening tours and gathering feedback from 1,500 students, faculty, and partners, he is determined to increase graduation rates for all students, with a particular focus on improving rates for Black students, currently the lowest.
Among his many initiatives, Dr. Wood has already established Sac State as the first Black Honors College in the country. He aims to partner with Tribal College to create the largest enrollment of Native American students in the state.
To meet student needs and fuel growth for our region, Dr. Wood plans to invest in athletics, new residence halls, campus expansions in Placer County and downtown Sacramento, and create the #1 AI school in the country. While some may see these goals as ambitious, his infectious energy and dedication make so many Rotarians proud to be Sac State alumni. Stingers UP!
President Bobby thanked our greeters Steve Shiflett, Bill Shubb and Callee Setzer; wine sponsor PP John Frisch, and club photographer John Swentowsky.
Sacramento district attorney Thien Ho will be the guest speaker at next week's luncheon. Click here to register to attend.
Photography Courtesy of John Swentowsky.
