UIW Welcomes New and Returning Students to the Broadway Campus During Move-In
The start of a new academic year ushers in an exciting time on all of our UIW campuses, but particularly here on the UIW Broadway campus as new and returning Cardinals flock to the Nest as residents. On Thursday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 24, the campus experienced one of its largest anticipated move-ins with approximately 1,175 students choosing to call UIW their “home away from home.”
On Thursday, Sept. 21, students and their families arrived eager to become acquainted with the campus and the exciting opportunities it has to offer for the 2025-2026 academic year. JR Chiodo-Benmuvhar, associate director of Residence Life, expressed that he loved to see the level of enthusiasm students and their families brought to campus. He especially enjoyed seeing as students had already begun building friendships within their dorm communities.
“Make the most of your on-campus experience!” Chiodo-Benmuvhar encouraged new students. “Attend events on campus, support your classmates on the field, stage and auditoriums. Say ‘hi’ to your neighbors and get to know your RA. Rise up, take flight and Be Brave Cardinals!”
The day’s festivities continued as over 600 students and their families gathered in the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center for UIW’s annual Pinning Ceremony, a special ceremony the commemorates the start of student’s journeys at UIW. Students put on a pin depicting the University’s seal to symbolize their promise to achieve personal and academic success. Family, friends, faculty, staff and even University President Dr. Thomas M. Evans applauded and cheered for the Class of 2029 as they officially became a part of the Incarnate Word family.
“This ceremony is a special moment when students place the gold lapel pin over their hearts, officially becoming Cardinals,” shared Dr. Rochelle Ramirez, director of Campus Engagement. “The pride and emotion on their faces reflect both a meaningful rite of passage and their connection to a supportive, lifelong community.”
Last, but certainly not least, the weekend’s fun concluded on Sunday, Aug. 24 with a Welcome Mass hosted in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. This tradition is hosted the Sunday before classes start, allowing for students and their families to prayerfully ask for God’s presence to guide them as Cardinals as they embark on their new chapters at the institution.
“As students prepare to come back to school, they think of all the things they will need to nurture their body and mind,” noted Sr. Walter Maher, CCVI, vice president of Mission and Ministry. “Mission and Ministry completes that preparation by thinking about their spirit. The welcome Mass is our way to set our students up for success, not only as students and/or athletes, but as people of faith. After all, Incarnational spirituality teaches us that grace works through nature, so we need to get our students’ bodies, minds, and spirits ready for the journey.”
Welcome to UIW Class of 2029!