The past year, as hard as it was, offered optimism and opportunities 7:00 am, May 1, 2021 × Plexiglass dividers keep students safe when distance is not always possible. Photo courtesy of Concordia No industry remained untouched when the pandemic struck in March 2020, the least of which education. In just a matter of days, all educational systems immediately pivoted toward online learning to help reduce the spread of the deadly coronavirus. While that upheaval certainly caused some strife, the pandemic also illuminated areas where systems could improve. Within higher education, many local administrators and instructors realized just how creative their faculty and staff could be as well as how resilient their students would remain in the face of constant change.