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BRANDI HEPHNER LABANC, ED. D. VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AND CAMPUS LIFE
I hope you all are finding ways to care for yourself as we wrap up what has been the most trying semester for the ODU community. This edition comes at a time when we continue to reflect on the March 12 tragedy and on the extraordinary leadership of Lt. Col. Shah.
Lt. Col. Shah’ s impact on our students and this community is lasting, and we continue to honor him. His influence is reflected in the strength of the AROTC program, a testament to the leadership, mentorship, and sense of belonging he helped cultivate. At its core, this reflects what matters most: student success.
We often talk about student success and retention in numbers, but this moment in our campus’ history reminds us that the numbers only reflect something deeper and more personal. Retention is about whether students feel supported, connected, and able to continue through graduation day. It is about whether students know this is a place