WINTER 2015
WINTER 2015 COLLEGE THE MAGAZINE OF AQUINAS THE MAGAZINE OF AQUINAS COLLEGE
SKOT WELCH, M.M. ‘93
GROWTH FAITH AND DEDICATION PAGE 20
Volume 14 :: Issue 1 :: Winter 2015 The Aquinas Magazine is the flagship publication of Aquinas College. This magazine reflects the heart of the College as expressed through its Catholic heritage and distinctive Dominican tradition.
IN THIS ISSUE 7 :: Building a Supportive Community 14 :: Women’s Hockey 16 :: Alksnis Athletics & Recreation Building 20 :: Growth, Faith and Dedication 26 :: Aquinas & Goodwill Partnership 28 :: Dominican Sisters
Message from the President New Year. New Beginning. The start of a new year is a time for beginnings. For Aquinas, that means the beginning of a new era based on the solid foundation of our rich, 128-year legacy of scholarship, community service and leadership within the framework of our Catholic faith. Throughout our history, our commitment to our mission and our values – prayer, study, service and community – has not changed. These have remained valued underpinnings of the Aquinas experience. Honoring our roots. At the same time, Aquinas has continuously evolved, adapted and matured from the Novitiate Normal School for women to a two-year coeducational institution to the respected four-year college we are today. At each step in that evolution, we found relevant and meaningful ways to meet and exceed the needs of our students. We continue to redefine and refine the essence of the Aquinas experience to respond to each changing moment in time. Celebrating our accomplishments. As times continue to change, we have been busy over the last four years. Planning is a vital ingredient in ensuring a sustainable future for Aquinas. Along with the College’s strategic plan, an academic master plan, a facilities master plan and five-year technology plan have been developed. Our science faculty have presented ideas and dreams for what science can and should look like at Aquinas. We have also begun a collaborative and comprehensive look at how we will implement Peter Wege’s philosophy of Economicology throughout campus and beyond. The Aquinas experience has been enhanced by the completion of our newest buildings. An apartment building, Apartment E, was constructed in summer 2014 in response to the desire of upper classmen to live on campus, and we held a celebratory grand opening of the Alksnis Athletics & Recreation Building in October 2014. Good things are happening and we are ready to fully embrace the future! Anticipating a sustainable future of faith and learning. Our vision of being an exceptional Catholic liberal arts college in the Dominican tradition means that we will concentrate on strengthening our Catholic identity, while articulating to employers the strong skills gained through a liberal arts education. We will continue to expose students to new ideas through guest lectures, internships and job shadowing. To complement our already strong liberal arts curriculum, we will focus on opportunities for undergraduate research and community service that will link education with career readiness. We are committed to offering a 21st century learning environment that fosters innovative ways to help students prepare for a life of learning in the global economy against the backdrop of real-world opportunities. Our vision celebrates the diversity of our student body, where they come from, their talents, and their academic and career achievements. As a Catholic college, we are called to bring our faith and ethics into the business and academic arenas. As you will see in the alumni feature in this Aquinas Magazine, our alumni carry with them that special something that only the Aquinas experience provides. We are counting on your commitment to our future. With your faith, support and confidence, Aquinas will grow and preserve our strong legacy for future generations. Together, we can. Juan R. Olivarez, President
SWEETER THAN
HONEY
AQ Keeping Bees Club Celebrates Successful First Year by Lauren F. Carlson ‘12
The bees are buzzing at Aquinas College. With ambitious leadership, exciting events and products for sale on campus, the Aquinas student club Keeping Bees is breaking new ground at Aquinas and in the surrounding community. Though the organization is relatively new, the club has become successful within one year. Through the hard work of club president Jamie Sansone ‘15 and the guidance of club advisor and Assistant Professor of Biology Clark Danderson, Ph.D., the groundwork is being laid for future AQ beekeepers. After attending a beekeeping workshop and learning about bees, honey and the art of beekeeping during her sophomore year, Sansone, a sustainable business major, developed an interest in something she had never before explored. “This is really cool,” she thought, and she quickly began investigating other universities’ and organizations’ beekeeping programs. “I wanted to start something like this at Aquinas,” said Sansone.
qualified faculty advisor. As Sansone began to build the club, she sought the advisement of Danderson, who brought expertise and a fresh voice— he began teaching at Aquinas the summer of 2013—to the unique club. “I have a lot of background with insects,” said Danderson, who conducted his undergraduate, master and doctoral studies in plant biology, and completed his masters thesis in plant/insect interactions.
Soon, she visited the Grand Valley State University beekeeping student organization and the Holland Area Beekeepers Association. Witnessing the commitment of these individuals to their craft, Sansone discovered the time and effort required to build the AQ club from the ground up. “We wanted to be committed,” she said. This dedication included seeking a highly
In his advisory role, Danderson provided both expertise and support from the faculty perspective. “It requires a little bit more faculty influence,” he said, explaining that he assisted in many capacities including fundraising events, visits to other hives and relationships with other apiarists. “It’s been kind of a busy year,” said Danderson. With a faculty advisor on board and interest from other
4::AQUINAS
students picking up, Sansone dove head first into events to gain both awareness and financial resources for the club. “We did a lot of fundraising,” said Sansone, whose first big event took place on March 18, 2014 at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA). Partnering with the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), Keeping Bees held a fundraiser after a showing of the film “Vanishing of the Bees,” narrated by Ellen Page. The film, directed by Maryam Henein and George Langworthy, “takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee,” according to imdb.com. After the screening, the club held a discussion panel on the importance of honey bees. Soon after the fundraiser, “I started
The club’s mission is to educate the community about the value of the nation’s honey bees.
“ We’re doing something better. We’re really contributing.” - Clark Danderson making all of these connections,” said Sansone. After receiving beekeeping equipment as a generous donation and acquiring the funds to purchase their first generation of bees, the club was up and running. “Before we knew it, we pretty much had everything that we needed,” said Sansone. Unfortunately, all of the club’s efforts were not without a few set backs. The club’s first set of bee hives were diseased, and Sansone was forced to burn one of the precious hives. “I started crying,” said Sansone, who watched months of hard work burn to the ground. Fortunately, one of the hives was restored, treated and returned to the club, where it soon found a home on the Dominican
Sisters’ Marywood campus, just down the road from Aquinas College. The discussion to locate the bees on the Marywood campus began as a concern for the insects to live in a safe place for both themselves and the humans who would care for, study and work near them. “They are bees. Bees sting,” said Danderson playfully. After receiving the suggestion of Marywood, the club jumped at the opportunity to “better incorporate Marywood and the Dominican Sisters with [the Aquinas] campus,” he said. Sansone and company also presented their work to the Sisters as a show of good faith for the bees and their many benefits. “The Sisters just loved that,” Sansone said.
This connection to Marywood, the various fundraisers, and the connections to other colleges’ beekeeping programs all fuel the club’s mission to educate the community about the value of the nation’s honey bees. “We’re doing something better. We’re really contributing,” said Danderson. As the wider community learns more about beekeeping, so does the AQ campus. With their hard work and dedication, Keeping Bees has even begun selling its honey in the Moose Café. This quality product, combined with education and outreach, serves the greater purpose of informing the public of the many benefits of these buzzing—and yes, stinging—honey bees.
WINTER 2015::5
Published student researchers included: Noah Davis ‘15, who analyzed squaring the circle in the hyperbolic disk; Jillian Duffey (Russo) ‘10, who worked on hyperbolic polygonal spirals; Nathan Poirier ‘11, who researched Alhazen’s hyperbolic billiard problem; and Kyle Jansens ‘15 and Noah Davis, who worked together on a do-it-yourself problem for squaring the circle. Though all were working on unique projects, Davis, Duffey (Russo), Poirier and Jansens assisted in the creation and verification of new geometrical ideas and provided constructions for important geometric objects. In addition, all of their theorems have been reviewed by math professors and verified as both new and true. Their theorems were individually published in the Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Math Journal and are now also published in Geometry by Construction. McDaniel started the book during his first sabbatical in 2008 and has continued to work on and modify his text every year since. The book has two unusual properties that allow it to stand out.
“American textbooks have all but given up on constructions using compass and straightedge while European math has kept the concepts, dating from 300 BC, alive,” said McDaniel. “Giving constructions the emphasis in a college course has not been done in any other American college text.”
TH
EO
RY
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PROFESSOR CHAMPIONS STUDENT WORK IN NEW GEOMETRY BOOK by Brittany Devon ‘15
Aquinas students have recently been published in a new geometry book titled Geometry by Construction: Object Creation and ProblemSolving in Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometries by Professor of Mathematics and department co-chair Mike McDaniel, Ph.D.
In addition, McDaniel’s work with his undergraduate students was unprecedented. “Including undergraduate research as theorems is extremely unusual for any textbook because these theorems have to be verified. Luckily, four of my five researchers have their work in refereed journals—their theorems are solid,” said McDaniel. Many of these theorems were a result of the Aquinas undergraduate summer research program, which continues to grow. “I credit all my student theorems to the Aquinas College Mohler-Thompson summer research program, said McDaniel. “I dedicated the book to Ted Thompson and Dennison and Marguerite Mohler because they supported student research and their vision paid off.” Geometry by Construction is published by BrownWalker Press, an imprint of Universal Publishers, Inc., and released in February 2015. The book can be found online and in select stores.
RIN G
, SU
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OR D IVE
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ION S U L B UIL D S C A INC
M U NIT Y
CENTER F
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by Mary Webster ’17
Aquinas College is known for its roots in the Dominican charisms of prayer, study, service and community, but the College’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion embodies one charism above all others. “Community,” said Latoya Booker, Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. “As the center’s mission statement says, ‘our purpose is to encourage the Aquinas community to engage in empathic cross-cultural exploration, and develop a deeper understanding of their individual cultural identities,’” she said.
leadership divisions. These trainings are also offered to Aquinas faculty and staff, who have a strong commitment to facilitating their classrooms and offices in a manner that promotes a safe environment. This focus on safety and personal comfort of students, Booker explained, assists in the creation of spaces in which everyone is comfortable sharing and asking questions, and “there is nothing more important for our students,” she said.
“The need to increase individual awareness around the experience of others based on race/ ethnicity, gender, ability status, etc. is essential for community growth.” – Latoya Booker
The center sponsors multiple, annual campus-wide events, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice March, the Native American Heritage Celebration and the Migrant Family Donation Drive. The center not only organizes opportunities to serve, but also unique chances to learn.
“The need to increase individual awareness around the experience of others based on race/ethnicity, gender, ability status, etc. is essential for community growth,” Booker said. “Additionally, the understanding that everyone comes to the table with biases is so important, because it gives us permission to move beyond our initial discomfort and defensiveness. Acknowledging our lack of awareness or experience, related to a particular aspect of diversity is foundational for being able to develop cross-cultural skills and become an engaged citizen,” she said. The center encourages an inclusive environment on campus through various trainings offered for the College’s student
According to Booker, a large aspect of the Aquinas community is the respect and kindness displayed from one person to another. That is a part of what it means to be an AQ Saint, and is what makes a caring, supportive community possible. Booker also emphasized that cross-cultural empathy is a journey and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion is growing, one student, one issue, one change at a time. “It is okay to make mistakes; mistakes are part of the growth process,” said Booker. “If people can find the courage to press through their missteps in efforts to expand their comfort zones, at the end of those experiences they will hopefully walk away with an expanded perspective. That individual growth is what our diversity and inclusion work is all about,” she said. “As individuals grow, our community will grow stronger. That is why we do what we do for Aquinas,” Booker said. As the Center for Diversity and Inclusion continues to grow, so do Aquinas students, faculty, staff and the wider community. WINTER 2015::7
CAMPUS SAFETY CELEBRATES 35TH ANNIVERSARY by Brittany Devon ‘15 Aquinas College Campus Safety is celebrating 35 years of protecting and serving the Aquinas campus and community. After 35 years, the department continues “to provide leadership to the Aquinas College Community in striving for a safe and secure environment in which all community members can live, learn and work,” according to its mission statement. As the campus has grown, technological has expanded enabling Campus Safety to communicate more effectively. Advances such as better radio systems and text messaging alerts have improved campus communication. Service, a Dominican charism, is a core value that has remained unchanged over the years. Campus Safety continues to
provide the Aquinas campus with a high level of service while taking on additional responsibilities. Many former Campus Safety officers have gone on to do remarkable things in their careers: Kevin Arnold ‘82 is the CEO of Southwest Regional Hospital; Wesley Braun ‘03 is a military JAG officer; Paul Cardenas ‘87 is a military pilot; Jeremy Marshall ‘05 is an ATF agent; and Bob Ryan ‘98 is an FBI Agent. Campus Safety would like to thank all past employees, and invite all members of the AQ community to visit when they are next on campus.
THINGS
FIRSTTSRIF
One Student’s Perspective of the First Year Experience by Rebecca Kurskowski ‘18 As a first year student at Aquinas College, I was required to take a class called “The First Year Experience” along with the rest of my peers. For this class, I had to make my way to the Performing Arts Center every other week for a large group discussion of topics chosen by our professors, such as the liberal arts and St. Thomas Aquinas. My favorite discussion was led by Latoya Booker, the Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Father Stan, the College’s chaplain. This was a really interactive discussion because they shared various stories and lessons with the first year class. For the other weeks of class, I participated in small group discussions with a class of about twenty students and one professor. There, we would discuss readings required for the class. This was an environment in which I could connect with other students about what was going on during the course. The First Year Experience benefited me because it made me more aware of what I want to do in the future. It also helped me improve my writing skills due to the large number of written responses. This course will benefit future students because it fills you in a little more on Aquinas and taking pride in your school.
Molly Patterson, Ph.D. Director of the First Year Experience
Student Senate Research Fund Completes Sixth Year by Heather Hall
“All good student governments either save their students money or give their students money,” according to Butch Oxendine, Executive Director of the American Student Government Association. This concept is alive and well in the AQ Student Senate as the Student Senate Research Fund (SSRF) completes its sixth year offering funding for student research opportunities for enrolled AQ undergraduates.
The students were divided into three different teams and worked on three very distinct areas within the site. I was on the team that worked on the oldest excavation area on the dig. I worked in a few different sections, one of which I uncovered the remnants of what was likely an Early Iron/Late Bronze age home floor, as well as ashes, charred olive seeds, charred pottery and more items dating 3,000 plus years old.
Chuck Hyde ’15, Academic Affairs Director for the 2014-2015 Student Senate, is charged with the care of the SSRF, its fundraising and the consistent allocation of funding various opportunities.
This was by far one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. I have never seen such stark differences in ways of life and culture, while at the same time connecting with diverse groups of people. I have never seen such hardship (we would hear and feel the rumbles of gunfire and bombs in Syria on a daily basis), but have also never seen such perseverance of the human spirit (the thousands of people who have fled hardship to make better lives for themselves and family). I came out of this trip a more cultured, worldly, understanding and knowledgeable person. I would not change anything about it and only desire to return to Jordan in the future.
“The Research Fund has enabled us to fund 13 different students to pursue summer research in their fields and represents disciplines such as political science, sociology, english literature, biology and Spanish,” Hyde said. “As we continue to grow and expand, we hope to expand the resources we can provide to these Summer Scholars and allow them all of the tools that they need to gain the experiential learning that Aquinas College prides itself on,” he added. Hyde and his committee work with various faculty and administrators to review submitted proposals for student travel for poster presentations, conferences and research opportunities all over the world. Zachary Stepanovich ’16 received support from the SSRF for his summer 2014 studies and described his experience:
This past summer, I spent six weeks in the Middle East, predominantly in Jordan, working on an archaeological dig. The site itself was named Abila, after the ancient Roman city that was located there. Abila sits atop a natural freshwater spring, explaining its occupation of this traditionally arid land since the Bronze Age.
The SSRF offers support to the Summer Scholars program as well as funds research throughout the academic year. All research has faculty oversight and students must present their research upon its completion. The SSRF receives funding through the Student Senate each year and utilizes support from corporations and donors to Aquinas. The Student Senate hopes to endow this fund quickly in order to continue to provide resources for students and faculty in their various specialties. If you or your company is interested in furthering the research opportunities for our students, please contact senateresearch@aquinas.edu or the Aquinas Foundation via Kate Davis, Senior Director of Foundation Operations and Annual Giving, at (616) 632-2817 or daviskat@aquinas.edu. WINTER 2015::9
In the Spotlight: Dr. Nkechy Ezeh Supports Children in Grand Rapids by Veronica Burns ‘17 Faculty Accomplishments Fall Semester 2014 Brent Chesley, Ph.D., Professor of English Placed second in a literary contest held by the Great Lakes Commonwealth of Letters and the Cascade Writers’ Group. Brian J. DiVita, Associate Professor of Business Administration and Management; Director of Graduate Management Programs Awarded a research contract with the Van Andel Education Institute. Appointed to the Forest Hills Public Schools Business Advisory Council as a Committee Member for the 2014-2015 Academic Year. Jason Duncan, Ph.D., Professor of History Presented at Society for U.S. Intellectual History Conference “Reading John F. Kennedy’s Cold War: The Books that Shaped JFK’s Foreign Policy” Presented at Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal “Martin Van Buren and the Catholic Question in American Politics: An Introduction” Amy Dunham-Strand, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies; Director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center Speaker at Case Western Reserve’s English Department Fall Colloquia Series, “Fictions and Petitions: Gender and Genre in Mid-Nineteenth-Century U.S. Women’s Writings”
Aquinas College Associate Professor of Education Nkechy Ezeh, Ed.D. and alumna Tamara Belton ‘12 promote quality education for vulnerable children in the Grand Rapids community. In their unique roles, Ezeh and Belton support the United Methodist Community House (UMCH) of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC) in Grand Rapids, making a difference for young children and their families. Ezeh first became involved with the ELNC through her work with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in 2010, when she garnered a $6.5 million grant for the organization through her research of Grand Rapids children. Now, she is the ELNC’s chief executive officer. Belton, who was placed in the UMCH for the practicum of her Master in Education, was later awarded a position in the Child Development Center and currently serves as their director of records. Belton also serves as the co-chair of the ELNC’s partner advisory council, which is made up of two representatives from each of the organizations that the ELNC funds, including the UMCH. Ezeh and Belton’s work is vital in supporting the ELNC, an organization Tamara Belton ‘12 & Dr. Nkechy Ezeh
that, in addition to many other services, provides parent and caregiver education, parent leadership training and professional development, including teacher recruitment, training and retention. These services are particularly precious to the ELNC’s students, most of whom come from low income families and require scholarships to afford this age-appropriate programming. Without this financial assistance, these families would have sent their children to kindergarten before they were ready. “83% of the children in the ELNC targeted neighborhood—the core city of Grand Rapids—were not ready for kindergarten,” said Ezeh. Though getting parents to notice the importance of preschool can be difficult at times, Belton noted that by the time they finish kindergarten, “parents see how far the children have come.” Belton’s knowledge of the community and its families and Ezeh’s research and expertise make them key to the success of the program. Getting families involved and children into the program is helping make stronger leaders and community members for the future. Dr. Robert Marko
Nkechy Ezeh, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Education Selected as a Fellow for the W.K. Kellogg Foundations Community Leadership Network. Appointed by Michigan State Superintendent Mike Flanagan to become a member of the Michigan Department of Education-Office of Great Start Advisory Council Bryan Pilkington, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy Published “On Omissions and Artificial Hydration and Nutrition,” The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
In the Spotlight: Dr. Robert Marko Shines in Media & Academia by Veronica Burns ‘17 Robert Marko, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Theology Department, has been called upon as an expert on recent events in Ukraine and has been interviewed by WOOD TV, GVSU radio and other radio stations in the area. A faculty member at Aquinas since 1989, Marko also frequently speaks on topics such as “social justice issues, ecumenism between the East and West and the Catholic theological tradition,” he said.
Marko believes that the most important of his recent contributions has been the peer recommendation of international scholars to the Fulbright Academic Exchange Office in Ukraine, the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for final consideration of a Fulbright Award for fall of 2015.
Early College, Early Success: Aquinas’ Dual Enrollment Program Renewed by Mary Webster ’17 This generation’s high school students want to begin college early. To assist those who desire to earn college credit while still in high school, West Catholic High School and Aquinas College have entered into a dual enrollment agreement that makes college courses available to West Catholic students during the 2014-2015 school year. “We’ve received nothing but positive comments,” said Aquinas College Dean of Curriculum Kathy Kremer, Ph.D. of this unique way to approach dual enrollment. “We have previously had students from area Catholic high schools take courses on our campus, but this represents a shift with Aquinas faculty teaching our courses at the high school site. They have been incredibly inviting, setting aside a specific classroom decorated in AQ colors and photos. Our on-campus curriculum is taught by full-time professors at their site. It’s a way for high school students to receive college credit supported by state funding, without having to travel. Current [Aquinas] students can also attend these classes if the location works better for them,” she said. During the 2015-2016 academic year, Aquinas will also offer classes at Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School and Muskegon Catholic Central High School. After a successful first year, students and professors alike are excited by the continuation of a program that benefits the wider community, allowing for an early college experience for students with a hunger for learning.
AQ Transfer Agreements Attract Community College Students by Brittany Devon, ‘15
Gilda Gely, Ph.D., Aquinas College Provost, is leading the College’s effort to create new articulation agreements with local community colleges. Articulation agreements give transfer students assurance that the credits from their previous institutions will be valid at Aquinas. “Having a good transfer program that is as advantageous to the students as possible but at the same time keeping the standard of the institution is of the utmost importance here at Aquinas,” said Gely. The number of students who transfer varies from semester to semester, but averages around 60-70 students in the fall, mainly from Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). The goal of the articulation agreement is to increase the transfer numbers, as well as make the process easier on the students. The agreement also allows students to graduate within four years, a goal which is often unattainable with the difficulty of transferring credits to a four year institution. “This confirms that [the students’] Associates of Arts is valuable
to Aquinas,” said Angie Schlosser-Bacon ‘96, Director of Admissions, “and this helps keep their schooling on track.” The chance of the student graduating with a bachelor degree after transferring to Aquinas is the same as if the student started at Aquinas. As of now, Aquinas has signed an articulation agreement with GRCC and Montcalm Community College, and is working on an agreement with many other community colleges in the state of Michigan, including Muskegon Community College. These agreements could not be accomplished without the faculty members and department chairs who continually work to adapt classes to more easily align with transfer credits. With these efforts, more students find a home at Aquinas and graduate within their anticipated four-year window.
SENIOR STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHTS Women’s Soccer
by Michael Wojciakowski ‘97
Maggie Keiffer ‘15
“My parents are the ones who have shown me how to live life to the fullest. They have given me the tools to face life’s ups and downs with optimism and courage.”
Maggie “the last line of defense” Keiffer, a senior at Aquinas, has been the backbone of the women’s soccer program since she arrived on campus. As she looks forward to graduation, she will always remember the AQ community that supported her through athletic, educational and personal journeys. A kinesiology and biology major, Keiffer hopes to continue on to graduate school. “I am not quite sure of a career path, but I do know I want to help people,” she said. Ultimately, Keiffer just wants to be happy and raise a family of little soccer players. As Keiffer contemplates her career, she cites key moments at Aquinas that resonate in her heart. Memories of a Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) title her freshman year, a game tying goal during her junior season and a defeat of Davenport this past season bring a tear of joy to her eye. Keiffer refers to her senior season as “a gift from God” for which she will be forever thankful. Keiffer cites her mother and father as key mentors in her journey. “My parents are the ones who have shown me how to live life to the fullest. They have given me the tools to face life’s ups and downs with optimism and courage,” she said. Not all of Maggie’s time at Aquinas was spent on the soccer field. During her time at Aquinas, Keiffer also served on the student athlete advisory board, was a student ambassador and played an active role in the day-to-day operations within the Aquinas athletic department. She also held an internship at the University of Michigan Hospital.
“Saint Maggie” loves wearing the maroon and white of Aquinas College. Keiffer explained, “It means so much that I am a part of a community, both academically and athletically, who supports fellow Saints. Additionally, being part of a group of people who embody certain charisms (prayer, study, service and community) that push each of us to become better versions of ourselves each day.” As Maggie looks forward to new opportunities, “It truly is great to be a Saint!”
Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field AQ senior Stephen Glinski has been a key member of the cross country and the track & field teams since the fall of 2010. Glinski, who was recently named an NAIA All-American in cross country, spearheaded the Saints’ pack over the last four seasons. Stephen and his teammates captured four WHAC titles and had three consecutive top five finishes at cross country nationals. A biology major, Glinski credits his father for much of his success. “My father always taught us that you need to work for things you want. He was never given anything easy, and I will never be able to repay him for what he has given me, but I will always be grateful,” said Glinski. Along with his academic and athletic commitments, Stephen also worked at soccer games, basketball games, on the AQ housekeeping staff and held a summer job at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp as a health staff assistant. He also has volunteered each of the last three semesters at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.
Glinski is also thankful for the challenges and rewards of being a student athlete. “No matter how much more difficult it is to be a student-athlete—it is completely worth it. When I reflect upon the accomplishments and memories that I have made, it makes me thankful I was granted the opportunity to do this,” he said. Glinski also relished his time as a team member. “We have a group of alumni who were Saints before me, and they started and upheld an awesome tradition. The concept of sacrificing for the betterment of the team is ingrained. The ideal of ‘team first’ continues to define this program and being a part of it truly was an opportunity and a blessing,” he said.
Stephen Glinski ‘14
“We have a group of alumni who were Saints before me, and they started and upheld an awesome tradition. The concept of sacrificing for the betterment of the team is ingrained. The ideal of ‘team first’ continues to define this program and being a part of it truly was an opportunity and a blessing.”
KATIE O’BRIEN
INAUGURAL WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY COACH by Mike Wojciakowski ‘97
Aquinas College has hired Katie O’Brien to serve as the head coach of its inaugural women’s ice hockey program. Slated to begin play in the fall of 2015, the Saints will play in the highly competitive Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA), along with local league members Grand Valley State University and Davenport University.
During her playing career, O’Brien, an East Grand Rapids native, progressed through the levels of the Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association (GRAHA). She continued on to stops in the Detroit area with Belle Tire AAA and Honey Baked AAA, where she helped capture a state championship in 2004. O’Brien then capped off her competitive career at the NCAA D3 level with Finlandia University from 2004-2006. She returned to the Grand Rapids area and has been coaching in the Girls GRAHA ranks for the past eight years, which included a girls 16U AA State Championship in 2013. In addition to her head coaching duties, O’Brien attained a level four USA Hockey Coaching Certification and has served as a bench coach and head instructor at the regional and national levels with USA Hockey. “Our coaching search generated interest not only at the local level, but really from the around the state and beyond,” said Aquinas College Men’s Hockey Head Coach Mark VanVliet. “But from the very beginning, Katie stood out as both highly qualified, as well as someone who has a real understanding of women’s hockey state-wide,” he added. “We feel fortunate to have someone with Katie’s ability and determination to launch our women’s hockey program,” said VanVliet. 14::AQUINAS
Although the Lady Saints are not scheduled to begin play until the 2015-2016 school year, O’Brien will keep busy as she continues to serve as head coach of the girls GRAHA U16 AA and 19U AA programs, as well as ramping up her recruiting efforts for Aquinas. “It’s an honor to be named the first head coach of the Aquinas College Women’s Hockey Program, and I look forward to the challenge of building a program that represents the integrity and spirit of Aquinas College athletics,” said O’Brien. She also added, “The Aquinas College athletics and admissions departments have done a great job spreading the word about the addition of women’s hockey. The response has been very positive and the recruiting process has drawn attention from outside of Michigan and into Canada.” Athletic Director Terry Bocian said, “We are excited that Katie O’Brien is coming aboard as our women’s hockey coach. She has a great hockey background as a player and coach. She knows Aquinas College, the Grand Rapids area and the hockey arena in the Midwest.”
FALL SUPER SAINTS NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athletes Cross Country
Jessica Dippel ‘15, Krystin Dreyer ‘14 Emily Hazelbach ‘15, Brad Perschbacher ‘15 Taylor Pryde ‘16, Megan Skinner ‘17 Rachael Steil ‘15, Nick Whise ‘16
NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athletes Volleyball
Hannah Mahoney ‘14, Elle Sturgell ‘15, Sierra VanTil ‘16
NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athletes Women’s Soccer Lindsay Armstrong ‘16, Jackie Gipe ‘15 Claire Krohn ‘16
NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete Men’s Soccer Peter Brandenburg ‘16
NAIA All Americans Men’s Cross Country
Stephen Glinski ‘14, Jacob Towne ‘16
FALL 2014 SPORTS WRAP-UP MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
• 2014 WHAC Champions • 12th WHAC title in the last 15 years • Fifth place finish at NAIA National Championships • Third Straight Top Five Finish • Ranked in the NAIA Top 25 for 145 consecutive weeks
• 2014 WHAC Champions • Fourth WHAC title in the last six years • Ninth place finish at NAIA National Championships • S econd Highest Finish at Nationals in School History • # 4 All-Time Team Time (94:00) at WHAC Championships
MEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER
• 11-8-1 Overall Record, 4-5-1 WHAC Record • Fifth place finish in the WHAC • Three goalkeepers record WHAC Defensive Player of the Week honors • Signature victory: 1-0 victory on October 15 over the then ranked #1 and eventual National Champion, Davenport University
• 11-2-6 Overall Record, 5-1-3 WHAC Record • Third place finish in the WHAC • Recorded 12 shutouts and 0.49 goals against average • Signature victory: Last minute 1-0 victory over then ranked #14 Davenport University
VOLLEYBALL • 24-11 Overall Record, 15-7 WHAC Record • Fourth place finish in the WHAC • Season long ten match win streak between October 24 and November 14 • Serve percentage: .952 (School record), Reception percentage: .944 (#2 All-Time)
THE NEW
ALKSNIS ATHLETICS & RECREATION BUILDING
Named for Greg Alksnis ‘71 and family, who contributed $1.5 million to the project, the Alksnis Athletics & Recreation Building is 70,000 square feet, providing space for 25 sports and 450 student athletes. The $7 million facility, dedicated in October 2014, will operate 12 months per year, 7 days per week and reduce off-campus practice costs by $60,000 per year.
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NCAA-certified 200-meter indoor track for track & field and cross country teams drove the specs for the entire facility. Infield turf allows for off season indoor practice for softball, baseball, golf, soccer and lacrosse teams. Bleachers provide seating for 500 and standing area can comfortably fit 500-700 additional spectators.
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Specialized nets and curtains separate the track from the turf, allowing for three simultaneous practices. Drop-down netted cages allow for indoor baseball and softball practice, while a batting cage located on the turf has an additional net for golf practice.
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Aquinas College Financial Statement The College Financial Statement provides you a report on the College’s assets, liabilities, net assets, and other financial activities through fiscal year end June 30, 2014. This statement includes endowment revenue (all fundraising activities that are facilitated by the Aquinas College Foundation). The statement illustrates the College’s commitment to fiscal stewardship. Aquinas College is proud of its strategic stability and appreciative of all those on campus and in the community who contribute to our strength and viability.
FISCAL YEARS 2013 AND 2014 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
ASSETS 2013/2014 Cash and cash equivalents $918,770/$993,293 Accounts receivable $5,665,344/$7,993,838 Other assets $9,287,309/$10,197,481 Investments for long-term purposes $28,578,347/$31,998,704 Land, Buildings and equipment $40,730,447/$44,951,189 Total assets $85,180,217/$96,134,505
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES 2013/2014 Total Revenues, Gains, and Other Support $40,989,976/$45,148,162 Total Expenses $36,619,690/$35,773,811 Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets $4,370,286/$9,374,351 Net Assets - Beginning of year $52,634,884/$57,005,170 Net Assets - End of year $57,005,170/$66,379,521
LIABILITIES 2013/2014 Accounts Payable $3,126,239/$5,462,161 Bonds and notes payable $21,678,290/$22,223,552 Other liabilities $3,370,518/$2,069,271 Total liabilities $28,175,047/$29,754,984
NET ASSETS 2013/2014 Total net assets $57,005,170/$66,379,521 Total liabilities and net assets $85,180,217/$96,134,505
AQUINAS COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS 2013/2014 Net assets $35,278,793/$42,061,590
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OFFICERS DR. DONALD BURNS ‘64 CHAIR MATT WEY, MM ‘11 VICE CHAIR DEBRA BAILEY ‘83 SECRETARY MICHAEL LOWN ‘86 TREASURER
MAKE A PLANNED GIFT AND LEAVE A LEGACY Whatever inspires you, whatever drives you—you can make a difference by supporting Aquinas College with a bequest directed at any purpose, program or scholarship. Planned gifts provide creative and flexible strategies for estate and charitable planning. Some planned gifts provide you with income, while others can reduce your taxes. The greatest benefit is the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting the mission of Aquinas College. Planned giving allows you to leave a lasting investment that benefits our students and sustains the community. Options for planned giving include bequests, trusts and other life income plans. You can make a gift through your estate plan without giving any money right now. We are ready to work with you to design a plan that works for your entire family. Regardless of the method you choose, you may designate your gift to the programs that matter the most to you, leaving your legacy at Aquinas College. If you’ve already made a planned gift, please share your plans with us. If you’re considering or would like more information, we’d be happy to help you. Please contact a member of our Planned Giving Team at (616) 632-2809 or plannedgifts@aquinas.edu.
TRUSTEES RICHARD DURELL DENNIS ECHELBARGER ‘64 SR. MAUREEN GEARY, O.P. MARCIE HILLARY ‘97 BILL MANNS SR. NATHALIE MEYER, O.P. JOHN NOWAK ‘63 SR. MARY KAY OOSDYKE, O.P. ‘65 ROBERT C. WOODHOUSE, JR. ‘77, MM ‘92
Aquinas College 2014 Foundation Report The Aquinas College Foundation Report is an important component of the College’s Financial Statement. The Foundation Report includes an update on the endowment and other funds entrusted to the Foundation. The endowment has grown from $35,278,793 to $41,895,519 over the past year due to five new gifts that were earmarked for the College’s endowment. Totaling $3,445,652 in new gift dollars, the Foundation also gained $4,666,731 from investments. Both of these gains allowed the College to distribute over $1.4 million in scholarships and other funds to support student experiences at Aquinas. Endowment funds live in perpetuity, allowing future generations of students to benefit from these funds.
CAPITAL
TOTAL GIVING FOR FISCAL YEAR END JUNE 30, 2014 WAS $7,068,186.
12%
$826,683
Includes historical preservation of the campus, teaching and learning environments.
ENDOWMENT
48% $3,427,551
RESTRICTED
23%
Includes scholarships and support to College-wide programs promoting the Institution’s mission.
Includes programs, scholarships and efforts to increase funding to the College.
$1,606,166 Allows the College’s leadership and Board members to guide investments in ways that most broadly benefit the College.
UNRESTRICTED
15%
Includes our nationally recognized Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Aquinas and our Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center.
$1,083,173
INSTITUTE
2%
$124,658 FOUNDATION BOARD
PRESIDENT JUAN R. OLIVAREZ, PH.D. ‘71 CO-CHAIRS DENISE CHRISTY ‘82 JOHN JACKOBOICE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GREG MEYER
DIRECTORS GREG ALKSNIS ’71 MICKI BENZ SAM CUMMINGS SR. MAUREEN GEARY, O.P. ANDY HOLTGREIVE ‘94 NAZAR MASSOUH ‘95 FR. MARK PRZYBYSZ ‘83
KATE PEW WOLTERS ‘78 LISA WURST ‘85 TREASURER LEN KOGUT SECRETARY DEB O’DONNELL
GROWTH FAITH AND DEDICATION
JEANETTE PIERCE ::
Founder, Detroit Experience Factory
CLASS:: 2004, B.A. in Communication INDUSTRY:: Community Building QUOTE:: “Converts make the best evangelists.” “I think college is all about growth,” said Jeanette Pierce ‘04. The Detroit native, youngest of five siblings, and founder of Detroit Experience Factory, looks back on her education at Aquinas as a transformative time in which she discovered herself and her life’s mission.
Returning to Detroit after graduation, Pierce waited tables before finding a full-time job that inspired her. “I wanted to take the time to find a job” she said, and she “didn’t want to get caught in the American trap.” Eventually, she was hired as the special events coordinator for United Way, planning parties for a good cause and gaining experience for her later venture, Inside Detroit, which she founded in 2006.
Growing up in Detroit, Pierce relocated to West Michigan upon receiving the John E. Veneklasen Full-Tuition Scholarship from Aquinas. “It was a culture shock,” said Pierce, who for almost two decades was raised in a highly diverse urban environment. “The only thing over here was Wealthy Theatre,” she said playfully. However, as Pierce began to adapt to her new environment, her hunger for learning drove her to a variety of different subjects.
The goal of this nonprofit was to “educate people about Detroit from an insider’s perspective,” said Pierce. With tours of the bars, history and architecture of Detroit, visitors and locals alike were offered a unique view of the Motor City. After breaking out on her own in 2008 and renting office space on Woodward Avenue, Pierce “opened the first welcome center in the history of Detroit,” she said. The following years resulted in dynamic growth. In 2012, Pierce and company led 8,000 people on tours; in 2013, they led 10,000; and in 2014, 12,000. As her program continued, the nonprofit eventually became D:hive and then the Detroit Experience Factory, focused on attraction and retention in Detroit, and dedicated to educating residents about the thousands of attractions—including over 300 bars and restaurants—in the city.
“What am I really interested in?” Pierce asked herself, and discovered that she had a passion for international politics, history, communication, languages and even calculus. Pierce went on to major in communication, with minors in Spanish, English and history, and participated in the study abroad program in Spain during her junior year. “Spain changed my life,” she said. During her time there, she discovered, “I want Spain, but I want it in Detroit,” she said. In other words, she wanted to create the type of walkable, friendly, community living that exists in Europe, right in her own backyard.
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In the past decade, Pierce has proven her passion for Detroit, and the life-changing experiences and education that led her to support her hometown. Detroit, she said, is “big enough to matter in the world and small enough for you to matter in it. “You have to talk about successes,” said Pierce, for though Detroit has had its setbacks, she is determined to promote its many victories.
SIX ALUMNI
DISCUSS THEIR
JOURNEY
SINCE THE AQ
EXPERIENCE by Lauren F. Carlson ‘12
CINDY BROWN ::
Executive Director of Hello West Michigan
CLASS:: 1988, B.S. in Business Administration INDUSTRY:: Nonprofit Relocation Services QUOTE:: “Why wouldn’t you talk up the place you live in?”
“I didn’t want to go to college,” said Cindy Brown ‘88. “I thought there was a better way to do it.” However, after attending AQ, she discovered, “the liberal arts background fits me to a T.” After over twenty years in management, Brown looks back on her education and career with an appreciation and passion for the people and region that drew her in and consistently invite her to stay. Now contributing full-time to bringing talented professionals to Grand Rapids, Brown invests heart and soul in the town that she calls home.
West Michigan Strategic Alliance, which focused on assisting employers in the creation of useful college internships.
After relocating from her hometown of Saginaw, Michigan to the AQ campus for her undergraduate studies, Brown dove into a practical education. Attending night classes with continuing education students, Brown absorbed the knowledge and skills of full-time working men and women.”You could hear what it was like to be in a job,” she said. Utilizing this hands-on knowledge, Brown began a career with Enterprise Rent-A-Car after graduation, and worked for 16 years in talent acquisition on college campuses. Soon after, her work led her to the
A seasoned professional, who understands the value of a well-rounded experience, Brown sees the benefit of personal and professional growth. “When I look at growth, I look at a foundation,” she said. With her foundation of faith, family and career, Brown defines growth as asking the question, “What are you doing with what you’ve got and how are you getting better?”
In 2011, when Hello West Michigan was only one and a half years old, Brown joined the organization as their Executive Director. She explained that their goal is to “create awareness of the area.” Through helpful resources for employees relocating to Grand Rapids, including assisting in opportunities with their significant others and families, Hello West Michigan strives “to make sure it’s not just the one and done.” In this way, Brown and her colleagues ensure that Grand Rapids newcomers fall in love with the place, its culture and its people. “There are so many different things that we have,” said Brown. In addition, Hello West Michigan assists in enticing Grand Rapids natives to return to the city. “We would love for them to come home,” she said.
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RANDY OSMUN ::
Founder and Executive Director of The Source
CLASS:: 1996, B.A. in Communication; 2000, Master of Management INDUSTRY:: Nonprofit Employment Support Services QUOTE:: “I’ve been a volunteer in nonprofit organizations since I was 10 years old.”
“The Master of Management (M.M.) really served me well,” said Randy Osmun ‘00. After receiving an education in business needs, concepts and philosophies from Aquinas and combining that education with a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University in Ohio, Osmun dove into Grand Rapids’ nonprofit, The Source. Now moving into a new role there, he reflected on a career built on combining savvy business principles with an innate desire to support individuals and families in need. Unlike the average Master in Business Administration (M.B.A.) program, Osmun noted, the AQ M.M. program offered a well-rounded, deeper exploration of business and its responsibility to the community. “I always felt that AQ blended in a social responsibility aspect,” he said. With his M.M. in hand, Osmun spent several years in for-profit management, and later began the Leadership and Change Ph.D. program at Antioch University. At that point, he “really became motivated to move into nonprofit,” he said. In 2011, Osmun began working for The Source, a nonprofit organization with a “focus on post-hiring retention, training, and advancement,” he said. Founded by a group of eight CEOs, including Mark Peters of Butterball Farms, The Source sought to serve local companies and communities. Servicing 22 companies with a membership fee that covers all overhead, The Source supports their clients by facilitating healthy environments and personal lives for that company’s employees. “People come to work with messy lives,” said Osmun. Working with Department of Human Services caseworkers on site, The Source supports employees of local companies through issues such as childcare, foreclosures, divorce and addiction. “We will work with any employee, spouse or child with any issue,” he said. This inspiring model has caused other cities throughout the country to take notice. “We have replicated our model in four other communities throughout the country,” said Osmun. As he steps into his new role of Executive Director National Model, Osmun seeks to continue to effect positive change for working men and women in need. To him, growth is “always reaching a little bit further,” and “building off the foundation of what we’ve already done,” he said. 22::AQUINAS
BRIAN MICK ::
Associate Attorney at Im Law
CLASS:: 2009, B.A. in Community Leadership INDUSTRY:: Immigration Law QUOTE:: “I’m helping someone everyday.” Brian Mick ‘09, Associate Attorney at Im Law, built a career on unique experiences. Transitioning from homeschooling to the Aquinas campus, working part-time throughout college and finding his calling in employment immigration, Mick considered his education and career a constant effort to become a better person and serve his community. “Coming to college was cool and new,” said Mick, a Grand Rapids native whose mother homeschooled him and his siblings throughout high school. In light of this experience, “college itself was even bigger than for most people,” he said. Searching for direction, Mick soon found himself
REMI GONZALEZ :: Senior Vice President at PCI Communications
in a community leadership class that spoke to his personal experiences. Having volunteered for years with his family, Mick felt called to study service in that particular major. “I always had that service in me,” he said, and referenced the self-sacrificing nature of both of his parents. What happened next was described as a fluke, but became the most influential opportunity of his career. After receiving a recommendation for an assistant position with a local attorney, Susan Im, Mick applied for and was awarded the position. For the next four years, the two worked “out of her house most of the time,” said Mick jokingly, as Im grew her business, and he learned from her experience and tenacity. As the two worked together on a variety of employment and familybased immigration cases, Mick reflected on how they were “really affecting people’s lives,” he said, essentially “doing the paperwork to keep [families] together.” As his passion for his work grew, Mick decided to attend law school, and continued to work with his mentor. “She always stays with me,” he joked, as the two remained colleagues through various changes in firm and location. After passing the bar and being sworn in in 2012, Mick was formally hired as an Associate Attorney at Im Law, completing a six-year journey from a college freshman to a licensed practitioner of the law. A whirlwind of transformation, Mick continues to strive for continued growth and evolution. “I feel like I am growing as long as I am striving to become the best husband, father, son, brother, friend, lawyer and man I can be,” he said.
CLASS:: 1990, B.S.B.A. in Business Administration and Communication INDUSTRY:: Public Relations and Communication QUOTE:: “Evolve or die.”
“I wouldn’t say I had a plan,” said Remi Gonzalez ‘90, Senior Vice President at PCI Communications in Chicago. However, after pairing her natural communication skills with a desire for a practical business education, Gonzalez built a successful 25-year career that taught her the value of growth and personal change. During Gonzalez’s four years at Aquinas, the College began offering the dual business administration and communication major for the first time. “That’s perfect,” she thought. “That’s exactly what I want.” Pairing passion with practicality, and utilizing a natural talent for language in her two minors of Spanish and French, Gonzalez began to develop a long-term goal to work for an international corporation. In her current role, she utilizes her Spanish quite frequently. “We work with a lot of organizations that want to reach Hispanic communities,” said Gonzalez. “I have enough credibility with them because of that.”
Gonzalez also continues to see the value in her dual major, with helpful courses such as nonverbal communication. According to Gonzalez, that particular class provided “valuable grounding in picking up what people are needing, even if they’re not saying it.” The business administration major also provided necessary groundwork, teaching her the “importance of demonstrating your work in a very objective way,” she said. That is, showing the clients her hard work through hard facts and clear results. With her 25-year experience in promotions, marketing, public relations and now management, Gonzalez knows the value of stepping outside of one’s comfort zone in order to take advantage of each and every growth opportunity. “It’s been a wonderful life tool that I learned at Aquinas,” she said. In her personal journey to her current role as senior vice president, Gonzalez understands the value of consistent growth. “If you’re not growing, then you are getting left behind,” she said. Though this journey began with AQ professors challenging the young Gonzalez, “At the end of it, I was glad they did it,” she said. WINTER 2015::23
SKOT WELCH ::
Founder, Global Bridgebuilders
“I really liked the program,” said Skot Welch, who earned his Master of Management from Aquinas in 1993. “I liked what it represented.” Now the Founder and President of Global Bridgebuilders, Welch utilized his upbringing and education to focus on his passion for innovation, inclusion, and diversity.
CLASS:: 1993, Master of Management INDUSTRY:: Diversity Management QUOTE:: “My life has always been a life very rich in culture.” Welch, a Grand Rapids native who spent much of his childhood in Korea due to his father’s work, quickly learned to exist among diverse groups of people. “I had to get along with people,” he said. After returning to the U.S. and completing high school, Welch attended Albion College for his undergraduate work, and, after graduating in 1990, spent three years working in advertising before being laid off. Despite the seemingly unfavorable circumstance, Welch saw it as “a good way to use that situation as a catalyst,” he said. In that same year, Welch began his masters work at Aquinas, and was grateful for the hands-on education and helpful teachers. “I had some great professors there,” he said. After graduation, Welch spent the next eight years at a multinational organization and began to teach adult education courses. During this time, Welch also began his own company for diversity management, working with Fortune 500 companies in assisting them with the goal of “innovation through inclusion.” Under Welch’s advisement, companies were able to champion minority employees, discovering new talent and improving their workforce overall. In 2005, Welch began his current and most successful venture, Global Bridgebuilders, a Grand Rapids based global consulting firm that “uses diversity to produce innovative results,” said Welch. Through consulting tools such as diagnostics, focus groups, employee advisory councils and egalitarian structured innovation teams, Global Bridgebuilders seeks “inclusion of different voices in an organization,” said Welch.
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Groundbreaking Executive Mentoring Program a Success by Mary Webster ’17 “The success of Aquinas College and the Grand Rapids community are vital and linked,” said David Huhn ‘65, board member and former board chair for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Aquinas, and now facilitator of the Executive Mentoring Program at Aquinas. Huhn, together with Swithina Mboko, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Business Administration and Director of Undergraduate Business Programs and Cecilia Cunningham, Director of Major and Planned Gifts, recognized a gap in student mentorship in the business administration area, and felt the need to take action. Developing the Executive Mentoring Program at Aquinas, Huhn, Mboko and Cunningham work to ensure students receive hands-on education from successful professionals.
“Many define mentoring as the passing of wisdom from the elder to the youth, and mentorship is simply giving wisdom to a smart person,” said Huhn. Interested students completed applications to participate, and the program’s students met every other Wednesday evening in the fall of 2014 to participate in sessions facilitated by local executives, such as President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids Kathy Crosby. In the off-weeks, student leaders met with upcoming speakers and prepared background information and questions which they felt would benefit everyone.
The executive mentoring program success is measured by the students’ positive feedback. In addition to students planning every session, they indicated that the value of the program cannot be measured in credits, and opted for this to remain a co-curricular, rather than a credit bearing course. “We asked for commitment, and the current students have come through, as they will help organize next year’s program scheduled for fall of 2015,” said Assistant Professor of Business Administration Mark E. O’Toole, this year’s faculty coordinator.
Kathy Crosby, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids
Students Jenna Ambrose ’16 and Christopher Grote ’17 each voiced their positive experiences. Grote, found it very beneficial to “get the perspective of people who’ve found success and learned from their failures” while Ambrose appreciated “listening to the variety of executives who all had different backgrounds but all achieved success.” Overall, the program has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, and contributes to the Dominican charisms of study and community, allowing students to rub elbows with successful professionals, while learning more about their own educational and professional journeys.
A Place of Worship: On-Campus Chapel Research Continues by Mary Haarman
Aquinas College is currently researching the possibility of building a chapel on campus. This is an exciting venture for the College, as it will be the first time that a chapel will be designed and built as a stand-alone worship space. Throughout its history, the Aquinas community has worshiped regularly in various locations on campus. In earlier years, a third floor classroom in the Academic Building was designated for the celebration of Mass. In order to provide a space dedicated for the celebration of the liturgy and other worship services, the interior of the former Lowe stables was converted to a chapel in the 1970s. It was named in honor of Msgr. Arthur Bukowski, the first president of Aquinas College. Bukowski Chapel continues to serve as the chapel today. However, the College has since outgrown that space and, in light of the chapel’s location on the historically designated Lowe Estate, the College is limited to remodeling the interior of the structure only. To begin the chapel research process, the College formed a committee to oversee the initial phase. The College hired Duncan G. Stroik, an internationally accomplished architect and
liturgical consultant from the University of Notre Dame, to guide the campus community through an exploration process. Stroik facilitated four internal forums for students, faculty, staff and administration to voice their ideas or concerns. Alumni were also asked for input at the Homecoming Mass in September 2014. In addition, former Aquinas faculty member Father Gerard Austin, O.P., S.T.D., a renowned liturgical scholar with a doctorate in liturgical theology, offered two presentations titled “Building a Church: Worship, Celebration, and Church,” which ended the exploration phase. The College’s goal is to build a Catholic chapel designed to meet the growing worship and pastoral needs of its community today and for years to come. A sacred space which reflects the community’s Catholic faith and Dominican traditions—a place to celebrate the liturgy, silent meditation and adoration. A space where everyone can feel welcome. If you have questions about the chapel project, contact Director of Mission Relations Mary Haarman at mary.haarman@aquinas.edu. WINTER 2015::25
FASHION &
SUSTAINABILITY
AQ & Goodwill Partnership Benefits Campus & Community by Lauren F. Carlson ‘12
Aquinas students and staff are fostering good will on campus. With on-campus donation bins, popup shops and several on-campus fashion shows, Aquinas College and Goodwill Greater Grand Rapids’ partnership proves to be mutually beneficial for the College, the nonprofit and the community.
Alyssa Richards ‘17 Ruben Sholinyan ‘16
“Goodwill’s partnership with Aquinas College is instrumental in cultivating long-term sustainable donations of goods,” said Kathy Crosby, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids. In order to encourage Aquinas students to donate, Goodwill removes the guess work and hassle from the process, placing permanent donation bins in all AQ residence halls and on-campus apartment buildings, making Aquinas the only college in the area with this resource. Simple and convenient, these bins encourage students to donate items that might have otherwise gone ignored, or worse, straight into the trash bin.
create awareness and attendance, and securing the students who would serve as models for the show. Director of Career & Counseling Services Sharon Smith and Associate Director Annmarie Post also played vital roles, organizing planning meetings with Goodwill and offering ideas and organization for the event itself. Together, Sholinyan, Career Services, and Johnson created a successful event that has already recurred on campus. During the first on-campus fashion show in the spring of 2014 at the Moose Café, AQ students modeled a variety of professional wear available at local Goodwill stores. “It was absolutely
“While Goodwill has relationships with numerous organizations, they were eager to partner with Aquinas because of our Zero Waste Initiative,” said Jessica Eimer. “While Goodwill has relationships with numerous organizations, they were eager to partner with Aquinas because of our Zero Waste Initiative,” said Jessica Eimer, Aquinas Director of Sustainability. “Goodwill picks up [donated] items free of charge and even agreed to weigh all of our donated items. Having those weights is pretty key to our internal metrics, specifically our campus waste diversion rate,” she said.
wonderful,” said Johnson. Afterward, Johnson fielded “really intuitive questions” from students involving appropriate dress, hairstyle and overall appearance for entering the corporate world after college.
In addition to fostering sustainability, Goodwill also seeks to improve awareness of quality products in their stores. Through specifically tailored fashion shows on campus, Goodwill and AQ student leaders sought to create a full-circle relationship with student donors, who in kind utilize “Goodwill as a resource,” said Johnson, for “gently used items that are on trend.”
donation bins, education and now exciting fashion shows and pop-up shops, Goodwill and AQ seek to support a culture of donation and community. “This partnership is mutually beneficial, as students shop our stores, donate and continue to advocate on behalf of Goodwill,” said Crosby. With students armed with their stylish, affordable clothes and information about the many benefits of the organization, Goodwill and AQ continue to grow programs that benefit the entire community.
Goodwill pop-up shops also accompany the fashion shows. With trendy items specifically chosen for their professional style and priced between $3-$15, she sought “to give [students] an idea of what is available.” Demonstration, education, perusal and onPartnerships such as this also contribute to the decrease of site shopping made for a useful experience for students seeking overall waste in the community. Since Goodwill Greater Grand quality, affordable pieces for job interviews and, eventually, the Rapids began its recycling initiative in 2008, donations have workplace. “They can build their entire wardrobe [at Goodwill],” increased by 35% and waste has decreased by 45%, according said Johnson. From his business perspective, Sholinyan saw to Nick Carlson, Goodwill’s Vice President of Donated Goods Operations. This decrease in waste is doubly owed to a donation the benefits of these events as well. “Our students benefit from Goodwill’s involvement in that they are able to actually see system that accepts damaged or unusable items. With a focus on resourcefulness, Carlson noted that Goodwill accepts “a lot of low-cost opportunities that will allow them to better present things you may not think,” that can be broken down for materials themselves within the professional world. This event with such as plastic, metal and wood, and sold to wholesalers at their Goodwill created the steel frame in our bridge between the academic world and the professional world,” he said. local outlet center. “All items can be sent to Goodwill,” echoed Katie Johnson ‘05, Goodwill’s Donation Manager. Through a years-long partnership that includes on-campus
Senior and Business and Accounting League President Ruben Samvelovich Sholinyan ‘16 was instrumental in bringing these fashion shows to campus, leading the marketing efforts to
WINTER 2015::27
INSPIRATION
& MISSION
As founders of Aquinas College, the Dominican Sisters strive to be a source of faith, knowledge and inspiration for Aquinas College students, alumni and faculty.
Dominican Sisters “Set the World Ablaze” in 125th Year by Stacy Spitler Contemplation is an approach to life that changes the way we see the world. In essence, it is how one understands being in the world. For Dominicans, contemplation has been an essential part of their lives for nearly 800 years. This life is rooted in the four pillars of the Dominican Charism that they share with all in the Dominican family: prayer, study, service and common life (community). Aquinas College is a fruit of this contemplative spirit. It is the realization of a dream of a congregation of Sisters for a Catholic and Dominican liberal arts college that has grown to surpass what they could have imagined. The College has been the foundation of education that has prepared many of the Sisters for lives of contemplation. It has been a place where the Sisters have served and, through Aquinas, have seen the four pillars of the Dominican Charism live and thrive.
Just as Aquinas inspires the Sisters, the Sisters hope their lives of contemplation might provide inspiration for all who have called the College theirs, for community is essential to being Dominican. Everyone carries within them a piece of the truth–but only a piece. A measure of the wisdom toward which everyone strives lies in learning the language around them–in hearing the wisdom of the other. It is by absorbing the wisdom of others that an individual becomes wise. “If you are what you should be, you will set the world ablaze,” said St. Catherine of Siena. When everyone shares the fruits of our contemplative lives, the community begins to learn how to coexist in the world. A connection with the Dominican tradition allows the Sisters and the Aquinas community to hear the needs of God’s people, live with compassion, pursue justice, be bold and go where God leads them. This is the Dominican way of life. The Sisters appreciate the amazing blessing they have had over the past 125 years as the legacy holders of a way of thinking and praying that has blessed generations of leaders in pursuit of truth. They pray for all generations of Aquinas College students and graduates to discover the joy and abundance of faithfully and lovingly being in the world.
Aquinas College Receives $2.5 Million Grant from Wege Foundation by Meg Derrer Aquinas College and the Aquinas College Foundation recently announced a $2.5 million gift from the Wege Foundation to establish the first-ever economicology program at the collegiate level in the nation—a program that the late Peter Wege envisioned for Aquinas. Peter Wege coined the term economicology to define the balance necessary between the economy and ecology. He believed in the importance of educating the public about how a prosperous economy depends on maintaining a healthy environment. “The Wege Foundation has long been a generous friend and supporter of Aquinas College,” said Juan Olivarez ‘71, Aquinas President. “With this gift, Aquinas will honor Peter’s
memory by pursuing his vision of developing a comprehensive economicology program centered on educating the leaders of tomorrow and taking active steps to promote these concepts. We are extremely grateful to the Wege Foundation for supporting Aquinas College with this generous grant,” he said. The money from the Wege Foundation grant will establish and develop Aquinas’ economicology program through six major areas. The main focus will be creating and establishing a position for a Dean of Science and Sustainability. Once selected, the dean will develop and implement a program for economicology at Aquinas.
Other areas to be funded by the Wege Foundation grant include: • Maintaining an academic master plan that best responds to the College’s strategic plan • Planning improvements for existing science facilities, including development of the Institute for Economicology • Further refining a plan to save energy through new construction and retrofitting existing structures • Creating and endowing a discretionary leadership fund, which promotes and recognizes innovation • Establishing a self-reinforcing green revolving fund that will support changes made to campus buildings and facilities that save energy and generate cost savings
The main principles of economicology include economics, environment, ecology, ethics, empathy and education, and directly relate to Aquinas’ culture, curriculum and values.
Contemporary Writers Series Continues Its Successful 18th Season by Linda Nemec Foster ‘72 The Contemporary Writers Series (CWS) will conclude its 18th season by hosting two dynamic and culturally diverse authors this spring. Writer Peter Ho Davies will visit campus on Wednesday, March 18. He is the author of the novel The Welsh Girl and the short story collections The Ugliest House in the World and Equal Love. His work frequently appears in such prestigious publications as Harpers, The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, The Guardian, Independent, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Davies was born in Britain to Welsh and Chinese parents and has taught at the University of Oregon and Emory University. He is currently on the faculty of the MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) Program in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In collaboration with the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center, the CWS will host performance poet and educator Sarah Kay on Tuesday, April 14. Her unique talent for weaving words into poignant, funny and powerful performances is world-renowned. In 2006, she was the youngest poet to compete in the National Poetry Slam. Since then, Kay has shared her poetry in various venues on six continents. She holds degrees from Brown University and Grinnell College and is the author of the poetry books B and No Matter the
Wreckage. Kay is also a successful educator who co-directs Project VOICE, which encourages people to use spoken word poetry as a tool for world understanding and personal expression. Both events begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Wege Center Ballroom and are free and open to the public. For more information, visit aquinas.edu/cw.
HOMECOMING 2014: NEW, EXCITING, SUSTAINABLE by Brigid Avery ‘01 Homecoming 2014 was yet another grand and sustainable success! The Main Stage Tent saw record attendance and the College reached its zero waste goal of a 90% diversion rate. The Office of Alumni Engagement introduced new and exciting aspects to the festivities, including: Aerial Tactic, a breakdancing crew from Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities; kids activities such as planting lettuce seeds; an admissions/ambassador affinity reunion; a trolley trip to ArtPrize and Cathedral Square with our Golden Saints; and a real St. Bernard who posed for photos as part of the College’s United Way Campaign. All of this was topped off by picture perfect weather.
Save the date for 2015: September 24-27. The classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010 will be celebrating reunions. If you would like to be a class captain and encourage your classmates to attend, please contact Brigid Avery at bma001@aquinas.edu or (616) 632-2494 for more details. Please check aquinas.edu/alumni and update your email address to ensure you receive invitations and notifications from the alumni office. See you soon!
CLASS NOTES FRANCIS BAKER ‘40: A reception for veterans and their families was hosted by The Muskegon Chronicle this past October where Francis Baker ‘40 was recognized for his service in World War II. Thank you for your service, Frank! BRENDAN MOLONY ‘14: Congratulations to Brendan Molony ‘14 for his performance at the 2014 Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. Brendan finished first in the Marathon at 2 hours, 28 minutes, and 33 seconds! DARYL DELABBIO ‘75: Daryl Delabbio has recently been elected as a Regional Vice President of the International City/ County Management Association. His term began in October 2014 and runs for three years. Many peers within the Kent County offices agree that Daryl is a committed and effective leader. Congratulations, Daryl!
DIANE KRESLINS ‘92: Congratulations to Chaplain Diane Kreslins ‘92 who received the Dorothy Day Prize in Pastoral Care and Counseling from the Graduate Theological Foundation. The Graduate Theological Foundation provides advanced educational opportunities to practicing ministry professionals. Diane graduated with a Master of Pastoral Counseling in May of 2014. ROSALYN RISDON ‘97: Perrigo Company happily announced new hire and Aquinas graduate Rosalyn Risdon as Senior Associate Store Brand Marketing Manager in Allegan, Michigan in October 2014. Rosalyn is responsible for strategic leadership and marketing management. BIRTH: Paul Bee ‘06 and Krystal Bee, a daughter, Kennedy Morgan Bee, born December 13, 2014, weighing 7lbs, 7 oz., measuring 20.5 in. long, with a full head of hair!
IN MEMORIAM DONALD WULBRECHT ‘78, 6/12/2014
RICHARD SIMMONS ‘73, 9/11/2014
CHRISTINA BIVINS ‘95, 11/14/2014
DAVID KORSON ‘59, 6/15/2014
KENNETH KONESNY ‘65, 9/20/2014
LUCILLE VEENCAMP, ALUMNI NONGRADUATE, 7/7/2014
MATTHEW KOUKIOS ‘66, 9/29/2014
DR. MICHAEL DENTY, RETIREE OF AQUINAS COLLEGE - FACULTY, 11/22/2014
SHIRLEY BURNHAM ‘82, 8/8/2014
ALEXANDRA TASLER ‘64, 10/10/2014
MARY HILDA ADAMS ‘70, 8/9/2014 TERRENCE MCSWEENEY ‘56, 8/20/2014 RON SHERWOOD ‘73, 8/24/2014 THOMAS POBOJEWSKI ‘69, 8/29/2014 THEODORE FINDLAY ‘60, 9/3/2014
JOHN HAYES ‘76, 10/1/2014 MILDRED SMOLENSKI ‘51, 10/11/2014 RAYMOND CZERWINSKI, PH.D. ‘59, 10/20/2014
JULIANA VAN SOLKEMA ‘51, 11/28/2014 DAVID KURTZ ‘89, 11/28/2014 LARRY DEBOER ‘78, 12/6/2014 SR. ANN NORMAN ‘64, 12/15/2014
GREGORY KARP, FORMER EMPLOYEE, 10/20/2014
We want to celebrate the changes in your life and remember in prayer those who have passed. In order for the Class Notes and In Memoriam section to be as up-to-date as possible, we will be posting these on the alumni website and alerting you to new posts in our quarterly newsletter, the AQ Leaflet. To ensure you receive the Leaflet, update your email address at aquinas.edu/alumni.
Aquinas is printed on 100% recycled paper using soy-based inks and wind power. Please recycle.
THE MAGAZINE OF AQUINAS COLLEGE WINTER 2015 VOL. 14 NO. 1 EXECUTIVE EDITOR MEG DERRER
FSC and WIND ENERGY LOGOS BLCK AND WHITE
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING
MANAGING EDITOR LAUREN CARLSON ‘12 ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND PHOTOGRAPHY MANAGER KATY MCAVOY ‘01
Using 100% post consumer paper compared to 100% virgin fiber, we are saving:
COMMUNICATION MANAGER
CREATIVE DIRECTOR PHILIP MITRI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BRIGID AVERY ‘01 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
VERONICA BURNS ‘17
68 TREES
6,671 LBS OF WASTE
65,204 GAL. OF WATER
21,882 LBS OF CO2
LAUREN CARLSON ‘12 MANAGING EDITOR
TRISH CASTIGLIONE ‘92 DIRECTOR OF MAJOR & PLANNED GIFTS
MEG DERRER
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING
BRITTANY DEVON ‘15 MARY HAARMAN DIRECTOR OF MISSION RELATIONS
HEATHER HALL DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS LIFE
(Equivalent to 705 days of water consumption)
(Emissions of 3 cars per year)
REBECCA KURKOWSKI ‘18 LINDA NEMEC FOSTER ‘72 STACY SPITLER
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS DOMINICAN SISTERS GRAND RAPIDS
MARY WEBSTER ‘17 MIKE WOJCIAKOWSKI ‘97 SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR
56 MMBTU
(Equivalent to using 274,296 60W light bulbs for one hour)
PHOTOGRAPHERS ADAM BIRD LINDA CARRINGTON BRYAN ESLER ‘08 BRIAN KELLY BUD KIBBY BRI LUGINBILL ZACHARY STEPANOVICH ’16 JONATHAN TRAMONTANA ANDY VISOCKIS JOSH WEILAND ‘15 Aquinas is published twice a year by the Aquinas College Marketing and Communication Office. Copywrite ©2015 by Aquinas College. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the individual authors and subjects and do not necessarily reflect the views of Aquinas College. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted without express written consent of the executive editor. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Aquinas College Foundation, 1607 Robinson Road SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGES ON CAMPUS? NEED TO MAKE PLANS FOR THIS YEAR’S HOMECOMING? WANT TO CONNECT WITH AQ IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY? AQ’s Office of Alumni Engagement has you covered. With only your email address, you’ll stay up to date on all things Aquinas, including: • College updates • Messages from the President’s Office • News about your favorite staff or professors • On-campus events • and more Don’t miss out! Stay in the loop with AQ. Visit aquinas.edu/alumni/update.html to update your information.
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