Dear friends,
October begins with one of my favorite University traditions: Homecoming and Family Weekend. Beginning tomorrow, alumni, families and friends will join our students, faculty and staff for a weekend celebrating the relationships, traditions and shared experiences that make the Marlin community so special.
This year’s gathering carries particular significance as our first Homecoming and Family Weekend as Batten University. While our name has changed, the sense of community that has long distinguished this institution remains unmistakable. I look forward to welcoming alumni back to campus, spending time with our families and celebrating alongside generations of Marlins.
We enter the weekend following a September filled with reminders of both our heritage and our growing impact. Our first Founders Day as Batten University honored the people and values that shaped this institution while recognizing alumni whose accomplishments exemplify the lasting value of a Batten education. Constitution Day brought our community together for a timely conversation about citizenship, self-government and constructive disagreement.
We were also proud to learn that Batten University has been selected by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to receive a 2026 Workforce Innovation Award, recognizing our expanding efforts to connect education with workforce needs and create pathways to opportunity throughout the region. That regional engagement was also evident as we welcomed participants in the Greater Norfolk Corporation’s Executive Mentorship Program to Virginia MOCA, connecting college students with experienced professionals from across Hampton Roads.
Together, these efforts reflect something fundamental about Batten University. Education happens in our classrooms and laboratories, but also through relationships, mentorship, service and opportunities to engage with the world around us.
That same spirit will be evident throughout Homecoming and Family Weekend as we cheer on our Marlins, reconnect with classmates and friends, welcome families into the life of the University and celebrate the traditions that connect generations of our community.
October will offer still more opportunities to come together. Virginia MOCA will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Boardwalk Art Show October 9–11, bringing artists and visitors to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for one of our region’s most enduring cultural traditions.
A university is more than the place where an education occurs. It is a community shaped by those who learn here, teach here, return here, and remain connected long after their own years on campus have ended.
Whether you are returning for Homecoming and Family Weekend or following Batten University from afar, thank you for being part of this community. I look forward to all that October will bring.
Sincerely, | 
