SAINTS PERSPECTIVE, SCCC President Brad Bennett
We are less than a week away from Christmas, and it is not just the kids who are ready for the holiday. Growing up, my mother liked to say, “If you don’t believe, you don’t receive.” It still rings true for me in more ways than one.
Here on the campus of Seward County Community College, we are in the middle of an academic year that bears out the wisdom in what my mom liked to say. Starting nearly three years ago, when we created our Strategic Plan, we believed that increasing enrollment was critically important for a secure future for the college and for the community we serve. More important, we believed it was possible to achieve our goal of growing enrollment by five percent year over year.
As we approach the end of 2024, the numbers show that believing can indeed lead to receiving: SCCC’s enrollment led the state of Kansas last year and is on track to repeat that performance.
But the numbers are not the main thing on my mind as Christmas approaches. I have been thinking about the spirit of the holiday, and the joy, generosity, and sense of community that make the season shine so bright. I saw it last week, as our students approached final exams, fully supported by the entire SCCC team. From the testing center, housed in the SCCC library, which was cram-packed with students signed up for early exams, to the cafeteria, which stayed open late Dec. 11 to enable us to serve students a Moonlight Finals breakfast, to the Saints Bookstore, which has surprised us all with 12 Days of Christmas deals, holiday cheer is all over campus. I'm so thankful for our team members, who make our best intentions for student support and success come to life.
Faculty and staff gathered for the annual Christmas party on Dec. 17, where we were treated to a session of carol-singing presented by folks from Student Services, enjoyed a feast of treats, and played games for prizes. I love seeing everyone together, setting aside daily stress to simply relax in a spirit of camaraderie.
Growing up, my parents understood how important a holiday break can be. Because both my father and my mother worked in education, the rhythms of our family life followed the school calendar. Once the semester ended, the focused shifted to Christmas at my grandparents’ place. I was lucky enough to grow up close to my grandparents; they were a regular part of my life, not distant relatives you see only once a year.
If you ask me to name the best Christmas present I ever got, 10-year-old Brad will answer before adult Brad can get a word in: it was the Go-kart my presents surprised me with all those decades ago.
Going to my grandparents’ place was always fun, but that year not only did I get the Go-kart I longed for, my grandpa created a Go-kart track for me and my friends. It was fantastic to race with my buddies, free from all worries and daily problems and my two sisters who were too grown up for Go-karts and also were girls!
Now, if you ask me what I love most about Christmas, adult Brad will tell you it’s all about the childhood memories Lindsay and I are creating for our daughters. Since my wife grew up in Seattle, we always get crab legs from Pike’s Place for our Christmas Eve celebration. It’s a huge treat and a way to incorporate her experiences into our family tradition.
We also welcome the unpredictable Elf on a Shelf to our home, where he has survived a night in the freezer and many other adventures. My girls are growing up, and this might be the last year Elf makes an appearance. I’m a little sad about that.
On the other hand, I’m fairly confident that my daughters, echoing their grandma, will keep believing. The traditions that we experience as young children tend to stick, and they bring us wisdom, comfort and joy as we make our way through life. On behalf of SCCC and the Bennett family, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful new year.
ABOUT THE WRITER — Brad Bennett is the President of Seward County Community College, husband and father and a steadfast believer in gifts delivered by Santa, family, and life itself. You can reach him at
