Love Letters to Moravian
“I feel like I’ve been surrounded by angels. Moravian is my second home, and I know I can come here for anything I need. I’m forever grateful.”
—Ana Bustamante ’18, ’23
Love Letters to Moravian University is a project created by Brian Rashid and Moravian's Department of Marketing and Communications. Its purpose is to highlight powerful stories of students and alumni as they describe their special experiences on the Bethlehem campus, meaningful connections, and successes found along the way.
Love Letters began in Uruguay. Brian Rashid, a New York brand strategist, videographer, TED talker, and communication guru, planned to visit Uruguay for one month. But it was 2020, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic caused Rashid to live in the country for one year. During the end of his time in South America, he crafted a “love letter to Uruguay”—a thoughtful message thanking the country for what he saw, learned, and came to love about it.
The letter went viral, and Rashid received thousands of messages from around the world. So he decided to turn the Love Letters concept into a multimedia platform, inviting people to share their stories about places they love the most—a project Moravian University is proud to be a part of.
Ana Bustamante
Class of 2023
Accelerated nursing program • Born in Bogota, Colombia
“One of the things that I saw that was important and made a difference was that I was able to communicate with patients who spoke Spanish. When I came into the room and they saw who I was, their faces changed. They smiled. They felt better.”
Arly Hernandez
Class of 2026
Accounting major • Parents from Guatemala and El Salvador
“I never thought I was going to achieve that dream of going to school and studying. I’m very happy here. The university helped me with scholarships and donations. I also won a government scholarship. I also work two jobs.”
Catie Lovett
Class of 2025
Nursing major • Member of varsity cross country, swimming, and track teams
“When I came to campus, the first time I toured, everybody was saying, ‘Hi.’ Everybody had a smile. They knew my name. I wasn’t just a number here … Moravian has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. It has made me want to do things that I never thought I wanted to do before.”
Charlie Decker
Class of 1963
BS in economics • Recipient of 2009 Haupert Humanitarian Award • Born in Bethlehem • Developed the “Milk Mustache” marketing campaign and the “He Likes It! Hey, Mikey!” television commercial
“What became clear to me at Moravian was the value and importance of service … The greatest joy in this endeavor is putting children onto a path in their life, and that’s what Moravian did for me.”
Dave Sommers
Class of 1982; Seminary Class of 1987
High school teacher, artist, and Moravian Church minister
“Today I value my Moravian College roots but also my Moravian Church identity because the Moravian spirit is one of innovation and forward thinking. The Moravian tradition values music, arts, and technological innovation.”
Fred Rooney
Class of 1975
CEO, Consortium for Access to Justice • Fulbright Specialist • Recipient of 2002 Haupert Humanitarian Award
“I chose Moravian. It was probably the best decision I ever made, because it provided me with great education, socialization, and an opportunity to see the world.”
Gabriella Greenhoward
Class of 2020
Born in Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York • Moved to Bethlehem soon after Hurricane Sandy in 2021 • Law clerk at Cullen & Dykman, New York City
“Thank you for creating a healthy learning environment that was conducive to my success, to my development, to helping me learn about advocating for myself … because that gives me the tools that I need to advocate for others.”
Gary and Marilyn Kester
Class of 1964
Soulmates since meeting in Western Civilizations class at Moravian
“We’ve been married for 591/2 years—since one week after we graduated from Moravian. We were dedicated to each other from the beginning and still are.”
Kahron Walker
Class of 2017
Financial Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
“My goal for college was to be in a position to provide for my family. Moravian equipped me with the tools and resources to do that. I was able to meet successful alumni and see their career paths.”
Marquis Ratcliff
Class of 2026
First-generation college student • Varsity basketball team
“I’m around the best people that I can be, like my friends and teammates. My teammates are great. We all get along. We have that family that we built here. You can’t take that away from someone.”
Gwen Kester
Class of 2024
Cellular neurobiology major
“At a lot of other schools it’s very, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky to be here.’ But Moravian was very much, ‘We’re so lucky to have you. We’re so excited to have you!’ ”
Sabrina Moody
Class of 2024
History major • Phi Theta Kappa Honors, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honors • Works at Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites
“Despite having brain cancer, I have been able to accomplish more here at Moravian than any other time in my life. And it’s thanks to the people here at Moravian.”
Sonia Aziz
Moravian University Administrator
Dean of School of Business & Economics
“All these years I’ve been searching for belonging—a community to love and to be loved. You believed in me when I did not. When I thought all was lost, you said, ‘It’s going to be OK.’ And all these years later, it turns out you were right.”
Love Letters to Moravian University
A 9-minute documentary created by Brian Rashid, CEO of Brian Rashid International, that tells the story of Moravian through the experiences of students, alumni, and a faculty member.