Oh, how lovely it is to welcome you all back to a new semester at Biola. The GRIT team is so excited to see your beautiful faces, get to know you, and watch the ladies of this university do amazing things for the sake of the Kingdom. It is such a privilege to be part of building up this place with you.

As I sat down to write this blog -- welcoming the women of Biola back to campus, back to the GRIT community, and hopefully back to a better sense of normalcy -- I was struck by the weight of this moment. The last 17 months have left us with a diverse array of experiences, each of them different from the other. There has been profound loss and undeniable grief. There has also been a deep joy and inexplicable peace. There is a strange tension here, one that is difficult to put into words, but I’d like to start by saying that however you are stepping into this new semester, whatever you are feeling or experiencing, GRIT is here to welcome you with open arms--embracing you right where you are in this new chapter of your life.

Whether this is your very first time stepping into Biola classrooms or your last semester of college, GRIT is thrilled to come alongside you as you grow, learn, and step deeper into your passions. What a sweet reunion we get to have--all year long.

So welcome back to Biola, you gifted, resilient, insightful, and tenacious women of this community. We love you and we look forward to what is to come for you this year.

Love,

Rachel & the rest of the GRIT Girls