Class Notes By Gayle Dobbs
Gateway Vincentian Volunteers. The mission of the Gateway Vincentian Volunteers program is to provide young adults with an experience of living in community and working with the poor in the spirit of St. Vincent DePaul, whose life’s work was dedicated to serving the poor and needy.
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Amy Shash ’05 is enrolled in grad school in Naperville, IL and about half way through with her studies in Business leadership and finance. She has been with the Kellogg’s company, snack division, for about a year and works in their finance department. Stephanie Garcia ’06 was back on campus for a visit to catch up with her friends. She is happy to inform us that she has completed her Masters of Liberal Arts from Alvernia College in PA where she is now a full time admissions counselor. After working in the plant for 20 years, Yolanda Lineberger ’06 of Gastonia, NC has been promoted to Personnel Technician in the Human Resource Department at Freightliner in Mount Holly, NC.
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Marcus McKinney ’06 of Gastonia, NC has accepted a new position/promotion with Freightliner in Mount Holly, NC. Marcus has 14 years of service with the company. He is also the proud father of a new daughter, Lauren Faith McKinney, born November 10, 2006. Congratulations! Christine (Bendza ’06) Sulentic and Brad have moved to on-post housing in Savannah, GA. She says the move was only four miles down the road, but
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Annual Ring Ceremony
The Belmont Abbey College Ring and annual Ring Ceremony are an important part of Belmont Abbey tradition. Students must complete at least 60 semester hours to be eligible to order their ring, which is blessed by Abbot Placid and presented by President Thierfelder, during a program ceremony held in the Basilica. The Official ring symbolizes the uniqueness of Belmont Abbey College and designates the wearer as a loyal member of the Abbey family. At the core of the Abbey’s values lies an intangible link between past, present and future. Those qualified to wear the ring reflect the traditional and lasting values of excellence and virtue that are Belmont Abbey College. The 2008 ring recipients, accompanied by their families and friends, attended a beautiful ceremony in the Abbey Basilica on Saturday, February 16. Gayle Butterfield ’02, member of the National Alumni Association, was on hand to emcee this special event. Dr. Thierfelder offered welcoming remarks to our 74 Crossroads
The Magazine of Belmont Abbey College
now they have a “fishable” lake, a playground, tons of kids for Anthony to play with, and the most secured housing in the country.
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Stephen Williams ’06 and Lindsay Megill ’06 exchanged their wedding vows on September 1, 2007. Congratulations!
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Michelle Pazzula ’07 spent 9 days at St. Anne’s Bay, Jamaica, West Indies with the Catholic Heartwork Camps. This rewarding mission brought adults and youth groups together from Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Michigan and Minnesota. While working alongside the many volunteers, Michelle ran into the attending physician, Brian McCormick of Yorktown, VA a 1985 graduate from the Abbey. Each day was used to repair and paint the primary school in the mountain region; many did yard work and painting to the Catholic church in St. Anne’s; individuals spent time visiting the infirmary which is a shelter for the elderly, mentally, and physically challenged; they read with local children at the community center (the center was founded by an American woman, who as young adult learned of her Jamaican heritage and move to St. Anne’s to help the people there). guests and talked about the significance and symbolism of the rings. Fr. Agostino Fernandez, O.S.B., expressed gratitude to the soon-to-be graduates for their commitment to this difficult task of completing a college education. Fr. Agostino blessed the rings and each recipient was called forward by Mike Keever ’03, president of the alumni association, to receive his or her ring. A reception followed the ceremony on this spring-like day in Holy Grounds where students and their loved ones met to celebrate and talk about graduation. It was a beautiful day in every way.
Spring 2008