Together we share!

Friday, December 5, 2025

Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday!

Just a few years ago, we couldn’t assemble in person for a few years! In the era of masks and six-foot separations, we all longed to get together to share a collective purpose. Zoom and Teams brought us together … but not really. No doubt the tools will continue to be a substantial part of our lives tomorrow, but they will never be as powerful as face-to-face and shoulder-to-shoulder, where conversations can take deeper, different directions. Nowhere is “together we share” better sensed than in celebrations, gatherings of volunteers and community service. Of course, there is no better time to share and give of ourselves than during the festive holidays.

Here at S&T, we have the opportunity to participate in many university-community events, celebrations and activities around the holidays. Some of the upcoming events include the 13th annual Rolla Christkindl Markt on Dec. 6, where an annual celebration is held in honor of Rolla’s sister city, Sondershausen, Germany. The Christkindl Markt typically starts immediately after Rolla’s Christmas Parade and is set to provide food and fun, German style.

Another favorite is the 9th annual Festival of Trees that is also held on Dec. 6 here on campus, featuring dinner and auctions of decorated trees. Proceeds go to train and support volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in foster care. 

In the same spirit of community support, the annual “Shop with a Cop” initiative pairs local school children with a law enforcement officer to shop for holiday gifts at Rolla’s Walmart store. This year, 220 children will participate, and each will receive up to $125 to spend. Led by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, many local agencies participate. These include S&T’s University Police, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the FBI, Rolla Police Department and St. James Police Department, just to name a few. This program not only meets immediate needs but also fosters positive relationships between youth and law enforcement.

Of course, such events are ongoing here on campus as I highlighted in my “Cupcakes for a Cure!” and “Sharing the Light” messages earlier this year.

At this time of the year, every year, I am reminded of my own first encounter with the concept of community service when my freshman year dormitory roommate at LSU asked me if I wanted to help him and his family sell Christmas trees. “Does your family sell trees?” I asked. “No, but we volunteer at Christmastime and raise funds for the Huey P. Long Charity Hospital,” he said. “Sure,” I said, not knowing anything about selling trees, and so I began my first real volunteer experience of selling trees for four hours a night for eight evenings a year for four years. I have fond memories of that wonderful experience all those years ago.

My take-home portion? A great feeling of having helped an organization with a mission to serve others. Since then, of course, like our own faculty, staff and students, I have served as a volunteer in many professional and civic organizations. And, in the process, I have enjoyed connecting with like-minded, kind-hearted people and have sensed the emotional highs and the satisfaction of serving others. In the words of French/German polymath Albert Schweitzer, “… those among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve (others).”

To our students, I say, today, on this International Volunteer Day, don’t miss this important rite of passage of your college years. By participating in the acts of giving, sharing and caring for others, you will learn firsthand that volunteerism not only enhances the lives of others in our communities but it also enhances your own sense of inner goodness. And, in the process, you shape and form your better self and inspire others to build better tomorrows for themselves and others.

Warmly,

-Mo.
 
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Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu