 Good afternoon and welcome. My name is Kevin Quinn. I'm the Vice President for University Advancement at Immaculata and Having started less than a month ago This is a wonderful thing to be able to do as one of my first official duties Usually you have to do all the hard work up front to put a name on a building I just get to show up for the name you so that's a that's wonderful Sister Pat the members of the board sisters Student leadership administration admission staff financial aid staff Alumni parents friends. This is truly an extraordinary day Welcome to all of you and To our folks who are going to be viewing this online eventually so welcome to them This is a special ceremony dedicating this brand new campus landmark and Even though I've been here less than a month. I found Immaculata to be overwhelmingly welcoming and this building reflects that It's our natural way of welcoming people now to this campus perspective students and their families And even current students as they come in to work through Financial aid issues or anything. This is a place that sends a very different message about what that experience should be like From the lighthouse cupola to the wraparound porch throughout the design Everyone who enters here is embraced by Immaculata Of course all this architecture and construction Winned me much if it wasn't for the outstanding staff that is here So I just want to make sure we acknowledge the admissions and financial aid staffs who are housed here in the building I want to thank that staff for welcoming us into their home this afternoon and Without any further ado, I'd like to introduce our president sister Pat that thank you Kevin And welcome to all of you Thank you for the support friendship and dedication Especially we're joining us here for the celebration Immaculata really blessed to have you here Some special thanks are due to those who have helped to make the vision of this new admissions and financial aid center a reality Although not all are able to be here I want to take this opportunity to recognize publicly the Immaculata University plan giving committee Mary Queen Miller Quinn Miller to class of 1946 former trustee Joseph Lucinich and his wife Katherine Mary Beth Sass Bimmerleith class of 1986 current trustee Mary and Hamakiromio class of 1967 and her husband Bob and The estate of Virginia McNat who's the sister of retired faculty member sister Virginia Dolores IHM Eventually many spaces within this building will have markers acknowledging their leadership roles in the creation of this wonderful facility And if you would like to know what they are you see them all lined up behind me a leading dog at the sign So you can read those At your leisure But today we gather formally to announce the new name of the admissions and financial aid center From this point forward this building will be known as the Locillian P. Latia Center Named in memory of the mother of Barbara Latia And her brother Jack a proud alumna of the class of 1972 and a current member of the Immaculata Board of Trustees Barbers gift is an exceptional public display of her confidence in Immaculata While she was making this important decision It was uppermost in her mind the impact this gift would make on Immaculata for years to come She has shared her hopes with us that this gift will inspire others to join her in supporting our University in a personal and meaningful way Those in her service as an Immaculata Trustee and as the vice president for finance at Trinity University in Washington, DC Barbara has a clear understanding of the impact of philanthropy on small private institutions She knows from personal experience that her gift will resonate for years to come And she looks to all of us to share that message with other friends of Immaculata Barbara, if you please join me I hate to trickle up Trustee, benefact your alumna and most of all friend. Thank you so much for your belief in Immaculata You're alma mater expressed in this exceptional generous gift, and then I couldn't resist adding this as a toast an Irish blessing May love and laughter light your days and warm your heart and home May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you may roam May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours May God reward your generous heart and hold you all your days in the palm of his hand Thank you All these very nicely prepared remarks I was avoiding having to do this This is quite overwhelming But I would like to thank sister Pat and thank all of you for coming here today. I especially want to thank my brother Jack for Making the trip here. I haven't seen him in a few years and this has been a wonderful reunion I told him I was gonna brag on them a little bit so don't get mad at me but I'm very proud of my brother. He He didn't go to Immaculata He did attend the General Motors Institute and worked his way Liberally from bottom up at the New Jersey Department of Transportation And his last job there was the commissioner for the state of New Jersey's Department of Transportation So we're very proud of him. He along with myself do not know how to retire. He's retired from there He's still working. So I understand Jack. It must be in the genes Well, this new building is certainly a very special place And I'm especially pleased to have a very special lady's name associated with it little in little tear is my mom and she played an extremely important role in my life as did Immaculata Indulged me for just a few seconds here to relate a story About my mom's influence and my decision to come to Immaculata So, you know, how it is when you're a junior senior in high school. You're going around looking at different colleges and Jack and I knew that not going to college was not an option Education was extremely important to my family even though Jack and I were the first ones in our Little family to be able to attend college So after looking at a few colleges My mom made her decision very clear And when I asked mom, do you think well are I like Immaculata? Well, I'm gonna tell me why Well, it's close to mom and We can come and see you or if you get home sick you can come home I said geez mom is that it? She said no No, she said I look everywhere around that building. I couldn't find a speck of dirt So With some teaching assistantship that Immaculata was Very gracious in warning me the decision was really easy And so my decision was to come to Immaculata this building Was built as was mentioned here today was built as a welcoming and Effective way to attract new students and I can't think of a better ambassador for this purpose than my mom She loved Immaculata and I am sure that she will do her best to live up to her top building So mom, you never had the opportunity to go to college But you have arrived Any faculty that are here administrative staff And any students who may be here on behalf of my family We wish you continued success and hope that this building will be a very important part of that success Thank you all very much I don't have nearly Anything is eloquent to say is what you just said Barbara. Thank you very much Man's father Christopher Rogers to come forward to say a prayer and I'll be followed by the singing of the alma mater That will conclude our program and when our program concludes you will see that there is Enough dessert here This entire campus, so we're gonna have to handle the chore so Please enjoy each other's company and the desserts and time together Program, there's actually some Coffee and beverages and water in the little area behind us here So after the program, please feel free to linger and enjoy each other's company Honor to be here today. I think today is a fitting day for this dedication and this this naming Fitting not just because your family is here with us and all the board and so many family of Immaculata But fitting to on this national Patriot day when we remember the importance of names Today throughout our country the meaning of all those who have lost their lives 11 years ago today Those names are so very important etched in stone in so many places the names of this day are important It's also fitting because tomorrow We celebrate a name day tomorrow is the piece of the most holy name of Mary We celebrated her birthday on Saturday tomorrow will celebrate her naming And so as we gather in this building today, which now bears a name. We dedicate it It's been through many stages. There was a blessing of the ground when the ground was broken There was a blessing on Opening day sister Anne Heath and I were talking about this today a blessing for its dedication a reminder that each step along the way of this building each stage God's presence has been both upon it and today marks another stage Similar to our lives so let us not only pray for this dedication as we honor the name and now bears But also pray for our university and for each individual life that will come here to Immaculata Each one bears a name and each one is worthy of God's grace. Each one is loved by God Let us pray God our father. We praise you and thank you for your many gifts I get to be friends share the life of through when we become your sons and daughters called by me Thank you for the many signs you give to us of your love for the generosity found in good people and For the ability to be co-partners with you in your work of creation Father as we dedicate this new admissions and financial aid Center here today. We ask your blessing on the family name it now bears May this name forever be a sign to us of the generosity you call us to In the service of one another May it spare us on to bear your name and your mission well To the praise of your glory and for the benefit of all We ask this through Christ our word