Lessons on family farm and foundation of faith guide new president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Brennan Randolph keeps his focus on faith and family as the new president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
Helping on the family farm as he grew up in Indiana taught Brennan Randolph a harvest of lessons about life, all of which came into even sharper focus when his grandfather died and he stepped in to help his grandmother during that heartbreaking time.
“On our family farm, there were my grandparents, my dad and my uncle. My dad was very involved, and he had three boys. I was the oldest. Those were the employees, mostly unpaid,” recalls Randolph, the new president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
“The work ethic that was developed in those years absolutely framed me for my adult life. When my grandfather passed away 10 years ago, I stepped in, helping my grandmother on a more regular basis. It became almost a daily assistance because of her health. I wasn’t out there planting fields or cleaning pens then. We have a farmer who takes care of our grounds. Most of the activity I’ve done in the past 10 years has been more from the business and administrative side of what a farm needs. But it has absolutely shaped a lot of who I am today.”
Randolph believes that the qualities that have come from a lifetime of helping on his family’s 650-acre farm in southern Vigo County will also serve him well in leading Saint Mary-of-the Woods College, which has always emphasized the foundations of faith and family.
“I was taught early on to be a servant leader,” he says. “Making sure that the right tools are in place to do the right job. You definitely are there to take care of your family. That’s what family farms are all about. You have to take care of one another together. And don’t be afraid to spend the whole night doing whatever is necessary, whatever the case might be.”
His emphasis on family shows in the loving way he talks about his wife of 26 years, Beth, and their two grown children, Caleb and Madison. And just as his family is important to him, so is his reliance on his faith.
“It’s every day,” says Randolph who served as interim president of the college for one year before being named officially to lead the college this year. “This job is not the easiest thing ever. And having a spiritual life and being able to turn to God in prayer to help you get through things or how to navigate things is very powerful. And I lean on it every day.”
Randolph shared those insights during a conversation with The Criterion. Here is a slightly edited version of other parts of that conversation, which includes his story of an emotional moment that he shared with his daughter on her college graduation day last May.
Q. Talk about what makes Saint Mary-of-the-Woods special to you.
A. “For 185 years, we’ve been training students for career paths that are very necessary in the world we live in. This is a campus that is rooted in spirituality. And I would say it’s also full of family-like-atmosphere characteristics that students appreciate. Some of that is brought on by our size. It’s a smaller place and that’s more comfortable for some. But it’s more than that. The faculty, the staff, our coaches really wrap around the students and support them from multiple levels to see them to success.”
Q. Your daughter graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in May. What impact did you see the college having on her?
A. “She actually got her diploma from me, so that was very special. It was emotional, coming from someone who would usually admit they are not a very emotional person. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s something I’ll never forget.
“She finished the nursing program in three years. The biggest thing I noticed that really took place in her growth is the building of confidence and in building what we call ‘the call to care.’ God calls you to care for people. She absolutely loves to be neck-deep in taking care of a patient on their worst day. She likes to put a smile on their face and make sure they feel important and that they feel loved. And that they’re getting everything they need to turn their health around.
“She has a big heart for people, and I think the Woods and the program and the culture and the spiritual component all helped to grow in her. She’s blossomed into a very competent nurse. I’m focusing on her, but really what I’m doing is talking about all our students.”
Q. Share what you hope that students will experience during their college years at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
A. “I hope they’re willing and able to have an experience where they can do an internship or have some sort of ‘boots on the ground’ work scenario that’s at least similar to their career path they’re building. I think that helps build a lot of confidence in a student. I also hope they will just enjoy being students. Enjoy your athletic teams, engage in activities on campus, and just get the most you can out of your four years while you’re here.”
Q. Talk about how your faith will guide you in leading the college.
A. “I have a deep respect for the traditions that are here. I have a deep respect for the Sisters of Providence and what that means for our students. And how we weave the faith into our coursework, particularly what we call the ‘Woods core classes’ that are part of our general education program.
“All students are in a different place when it comes to their spiritual growth. So being an example to each student and encouraging them along those lines is very important, and I do take it very seriously.”
Q. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods has been a co-ed college for several years now. How has that change had an impact on the college?
A. “We went co-ed in fall of 2015. That was my first year with the institution. We started with five gentleman that fall. They were not living on campus in the first year, but they were allowed to live on campus in year two, in fall of 2016.
“It’s had a tremendous impact from an enrollment standpoint. Most people see that immediately because we’ve added athletic teams and academic programs that men were attracted to.
“It’s just who we are today. The community as a whole immediately embraced the idea that we were going to go in this direction and welcome men to the campus community. It was never perfect probably, but I do think for the most part, even from the beginning, it’s been a smooth transition. And as of this fall, we are 60-40 with our enrollment. The total campus enrollment for this fall was about 630. We also have online undergraduate students, and we have graduate students. In total, we’re about 1,150 students for the fall semester.”
Q. What is your favorite part of being president of the college?
A. “I love to interact with the students as they’re out and about on campus. The new students have been coming over because they’re trying to understand the place and know where everyone is at and know people’s names and faces. So they’ve been coming through the building where my office is. That’s been really fun.” †
