Dear Students,

I am thrilled to welcome you to campus as we begin a new year at the Clinton School of Public Service!

This semester marks the beginning of my first full year as Dean, and I couldn’t be more excited. Since arriving in January, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with so many in the Clinton School community, including our current students and many graduates, and I have had the chance to see up close what makes this such a special place.

To our enrolling students, thank you for choosing the Clinton School. I enjoyed meeting you and learning more about your public service journeys during our orientation week. Your passion for serving others is the reason I have optimism about the future. You are the leaders who are running toward the fires instead of away from them.

Your backgrounds and interests are wide-ranging, which is a core strength of the Clinton School. Your educational journey is led by our amazing faculty but is also shaped by the rich interactions among all of YOU. We attract students from all walks of life, and we train public service leaders for all industries and sectors. Over the next two years, we will equip you with a versatile public service toolkit that you will carry with you throughout your career as you go forth and create meaningful public service impact.

We will have several exciting announcements for you in the coming weeks, including information on a special Hispanic Heritage Month program. And I can’t wait to see your choices for the school’s annual Recommended Reading list that will be released in September.

As President Clinton told our students during a special conversation last spring: Public service is about making sure those you have come to serve are better off when you leave than when you started.

I look forward to this school year and to our journey together as a space of public service impact - Adelante!

Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph.D.