Elizabeth “Izzy” Reel ’21
Content Marketing Manager, Junior Class Advisor
This speech was presented during the 2023 Ring Ceremony.
What is a word that you hold near and dear to your heart? A word that has impacted your life. A word that has stayed with you your whole life. Perhaps this word is love…patience… courage…faith…providence…for me, one of the first words I think of is promise. Promises can be defined in various ways: to some, it may mean security; to others, it may mean motivation or relation to faith. To many, a promise is a symbol of honesty. How can a seven-letter word be so impactful in different ways?
I am a proud 2021 graduate of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. In saying this, some of you may know what comes next…my Ring Day ceremony was set to take place on March 21, 2020. As all college students were impacted, my peers and I, some of whom are on this alter today, were no different. I remember vividly how the day went on, being told that Ring Day was temporarily canceled. Along with my classmates, I was devastated. This was our own “frightful tempest,” like the storm at sea that Saint Mother Theodore Guerin wrote about in today’s journal reading. As class vice president, the other officers and I took our moment to process, and then, after some discussion with our advisor, we were determined to be able to celebrate our achievement. With the support of faculty and staff members, we made a promise. A promise to ourselves and to our classmates that no matter the setting, we would celebrate the academic achievement we had made in our college careers.
Half a year later, we were very thankful to have a socially distanced outdoor ceremony in September 2020. It was then that we learned how prominent our traditions at The Woods are, along with their purpose in giving hope for the future. With our ceremony altered due to the world happenings, we learned that the tradition is the ring itself. The promise of a Woods Ring is one of a kind—a symbol of academic achievement, connection and a legacy that has been carried for generations. The Woods Ring serves as a promise that the journey continues. As Saint Mother Theodore Guerin once said, “We cannot do our work if we stay in the nest.”
I’m thankful to be in your presence. You are the first class of our tradition’s second century. A unique thing about SMWC is that the institution’s foundation was built on promises. When Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and her five companions ventured to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods from their covenant in France, they were determined to establish an academy to educate children. They made a promise. They trusted God’s promise and what it meant to them through the long journey they took as a leap of faith. As the second reading explained, Mother Guerin was no longer alarmed by what the land meant when she returned to Indiana. She trusted in the promise made that the future of all those who would be touched by her work would be bright. Needless to say, she was right. As we sit here today at what is now our beloved College, we are reminded of the promise Saint Mother Theodore Guerin made and the legacy she built. As many have shared, there really is no place like The Woods. Whether you’re religious or merely just spiritual, there is a feeling on this campus that often cannot be explained. Whether today is your first time physically being on campus or if you’ve lived here for years, all of you will always belong here…and this will always be home.
In 1922, when the first ring ceremony occurred, it was a very intimate ceremony where students celebrated their academic achievement…a promise that still holds true today.
In addition to the academic achievement you’ve made, a connection to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is also made. Each of you [recipients] receiving your ring are living proof of the promise Saint Mother Theodore Guerin made almost two centuries ago. A promise that would impact this very moment. A promise made for generations before you and a promise for generations to come. You serve as proof of hope and a legacy for the future. You are hope. You are the future. You are Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s legacy.
When you receive your ring today, I invite you to make another promise. As we heard in Ecclesiastes, “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” Be mindful of the promises you make. Commit yourself to fulfilling them. A promise is more than words, a promise is action. Allow your promises to serve as a guidepost on your journey, wherever life may take you. Strive to go the extra mile, prove yourself to those who challenge you, and never forget the promises made before you, for they will serve you well as you have miles to go.
A proud alum of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Elizabeth “Izzy” Reel ’21 started her career in higher education in February 2022. Reel graduated from SMWC in 2021 with a bachelor’s in professional writing and completed a marketing minor. She was humbled and honored to receive the Undergraduate Alumni Leadership and Service Award in 2021. In addition to her love for The Woods, she enjoys being involved in the community, coaches high school soccer and loves spending time with family and friends.
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