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A LOOK BACK AT INAUGURATION WEEK
In preparation for Dr. Gary B. Crosby’s inauguration ceremony, Saint Elizabeth University hosted a week of events to showcase the University’s academic rigor, Catholic identity and student-focused programming. Some of these events are highlighted below.
Academic Showcase
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The academic showcase offered a brief glimpse into research projects that both students and faculty are working on in their respective disciplines.
HUB Fest
Akin to a block party, HUB Fest featured good music, even better food and several family-friendly activities. Guests could rock climb, bull ride, learn to paint, arrange flowers, throw plastic axes, play target soccer and enjoy spending time with their colleagues, classmates and friends.
STEM Tour
The SEU community was invited to an experiential, informative tour that explored both the STEM facilities and programs offered at SEU. Attendees had meals prepared in the food labs by students and spoke with members of SEU’s physician assistant, nursing, biology and chemistry programs.
Spiritual Music Concert
A spiritual music concert paired the likes of U2, Debussy and Gospel Choir Music to joyfully celebrate Dr. Crosby’s inauguration.
Art Gallery Opening
According to Dr. Laura Winters, chair of the English department, “the arts is the heart of the University.” To show our deep appreciation and respect for artistic talent, SEU hosted the showing “New/Jersey/Visions” in the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery on campus.
Open Classrooms
To provide an insight into what students are learning, the University held three days of open classrooms, where members of the community could observe classes of their choosing.
SUPPORT SEU’S FUTURE
Building upon the University’s rich history, Dr. Crosby will lead SEU into an innovative, bold future. He will accomplish this by stabilizing and growing enrollment, increasing awareness of the University throughout the nation and by faithfully serving our students.
Dr. Crosby has ambitious goals for Saint Elizabeth, but they cannot be met without your assistance. Show your support for Dr. Crosby’s leadership by making a gift to the Annual Fund in honor of his presidency.
Student Lunch
To become better acquainted with the community, Dr. Crosby shared a meal with students. They were able to ask him questions about the University and develop a deeper relationship with each other.
Mass in the Holy Family Chapel
As an institution of higher learning in the Catholic liberal arts tradition, no celebration would be complete without Mass in the Holy Family Chapel.
Visit steu.edu/crosbyvision to make a gift or learn more about his vision for the future of SEU. e need a vanity link for this)
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
When Taxes are Not Taxing
Spending months working on taxes would be most people’s worst nightmare. However, TIMOTHY “TIM” QUERCIA, ‘23, has always been fascinated by financial information. As a child, Tim would frequently try to understand how large companies utilized their finances.
This innate curiosity strengthened Tim’s penchant for business and led him to enroll in SEU’s dual B.S. in Business Administration and M.S. in Accounting program. [Students earn their undergraduate degree from Saint Elizabeth University and their master’s from neighboring Fairleigh Dickinson University.] While at SEU, Tim earned a paid internship with the nonprofit business management newspaper, The Nonprofit Times.
In this role, Tim witnessed the hierarchy of command that dictated information flow and gained invaluable experience with managing due dates on large-scale projects. He was responsible for importing financial data, compiling 990 tax forms into worksheets and organizing candid data based on individual nonprofit organizations.
“The classes I took at SEU helped me in my internship because I was working with financial statements, balance sheets and information from tax forms” explains Tim. “If I didn’t know my way around financial forms, I could not have done this job.”
Both an accomplished student and athlete, Tim received an academic scholarship to attend SEU and was further recruited to play for the University’s baseball team. Once on campus, Tim couldn’t help but fall in love with SEU’s culture of community and support.
“In high school, I didn’t feel like an individual, but at SEU I know that my professors know me by name and all of them have my back,” says Tim. “My advisor, Wendy Hahn, is actually the reason I got my internship in the first place. She heard about the opening and thought it would be a great opportunity for me.”
Living the American Dream
“Being from Africa, I never thought I’d get the chance to live the American dream,” says AUGUSTA ADAMU-KOTO, ’22. “But here I am, in my last year of nursing school, ready to make a difference in the world.”
Prior to immigrating to the United States, Augusta earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at an institution in Ghana. However, after arriving in the states, Augusta decided to start over completely. Instead of pursuing a law degree, she began working as a home health aide and developed a deep passion for the healthcare field.
“Nurses are the eyes and the ears of the hospital,” says Augusta. “They make lonely patients smile, ensure every medication is administered correctly and keep patients healthy.”
Each time Augusta would have to take a patient to the doctor’s office or the emergency room, her admiration for nurses grew. Eventually, she decided to join the profession herself. Unfortunately, this was complicated by the fact that she lived alone and lacked the ability to both work full time and attend school full time.
It became difficult for Augusta to afford both her bills and the cost of tuition. After being awarded the Class of 1960 Scholarship, Augusta was able to attend SEU without the overwhelming dread of financial insecurity.
“My proudest accomplishment is the fact that I’m earning my degree in nursing,” says Augusta. “And it would not be possible without the generous support of donors.”
