I often turn to the theatre to help make sense of the world around us. This year, I found myself returning again and again to Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. At first glance, the musical appears to be a collection of familiar fairy tales—stories about wishes fulfilled and happy endings earned. But anyone who truly knows Into the Woods understands that while Act I ends triumphantly, Act II reminds us that life is far more complicated than happily ever after.

And in many ways, that feels remarkably similar to this moment in higher education. Over the past several years, Wilson College has experienced extraordinary momentum. Together, we have celebrated record enrollment, expanded academic offerings, launched innovative online and graduate programs, strengthened the student experience, and completed one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the College’s history.

By every outward measure, Wilson is rising. And yet, we would be doing ourselves a disservice if we ignored the realities facing institutions like ours. The demographic cliff is no longer theoretical. Public confidence in higher education is shifting. Government regulation continues to intensify. Costs rise faster than traditional revenue streams can sustain. Across the country, colleges are closing, merging, or fundamentally restructuring.

This is the forest higher education now walks through. But one of the lessons of Into the Woods is that the existence of uncertainty does not determine the outcome of the story. What matters is how the characters choose to respond.

At Wilson, we are choosing to respond with clarity, courage, and purpose. We are not retreating from our mission. We are leaning more deeply into it. That means continuing to create access for students who may not otherwise believe college is possible for them. It means investing in programs aligned with workforce needs while remaining firmly rooted in the liberal arts and sciences. It means reimagining what a Wilson education can look like for traditional students and adult learners alike.

Most importantly, it means keeping student success at the center of every decision we make. Our responsibility is not simply to bring students to Wilson, but to help them flourish once they arrive. And I am proud of the work our faculty and staff are doing every day to ensure that happens.

I also remain deeply optimistic about Wilson’s future because of something that cannot be captured in spreadsheets or enrollment reports: the extraordinary people who make this institution what it is.

I see it in our faculty who continue to mentor, encourage, and challenge students with compassion and rigor. I see it in our staff who work tirelessly to support the College and one another. I see it in our students, whose resilience, creativity, and ambition inspire me every day.

And I see it in you—our alumnae, alumni, donors, and friends—whose belief in Wilson continues to sustain this institution through moments both triumphant and difficult.

Wilson has never been a place defined by ease. For 157 years, this institution has adapted, evolved, and persevered through wars, economic crises, enrollment challenges, pandemics, and enormous social change. Again and again generations of Wilson women and men chose not merely to preserve this College, but to strengthen it for those who would come next.

Now it is our turn.

The years ahead will require thoughtful decisions, strategic investments, and continued sacrifice. We must grow new revenue streams, strengthen our financial position, support our employees more effectively, and continue telling Wilson’s story with boldness and clarity. Wilson’s future will not be determined solely by the challenges before us. It will be determined by the courage with which we meet them.

Near the end of Into the Woods, after loss and uncertainty have reshaped the characters’ understanding of the world, they arrive at a simple but profound truth: “No one is alone.” That lyric has stayed with me in recent months. Because one of Wilson’s greatest strengths has always been the power of community.

We are not walking into this next chapter alone. We walk forward together bound by a shared belief in the transformative power of this institution and the lives it changes every single day. And that is why, despite the challenges facing higher education, I remain hopeful. Not blindly hopeful. Not naïvely optimistic. But genuinely hopeful because I have seen what this community can accomplish when we unite around a common purpose.

Wilson is stronger today than she was just a few years ago. And while important work still lies ahead, I believe the next chapter of this College’s story can be among the most transformative in her history.

Into the woods we go. Together.

Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D.
President, Wilson College