In March 1965, ground is broken on a new twelve-story dormitory, Holy Cross Hall, that will house 400 students. It is dedicated the following year on September 6.
“No crane, no gain!”
When alumni return to campus, I love hearing tales of their favorite encounters with faculty and staff, the friendships that have lasted a lifetime, and the impact of a King’s education in their professional and personal lives. I’m also taken by their fascination with the growth of the campus. Whether a Golden Monarch celebrating their 50th anniversary since graduation or a very recent graduate, I sense pride and, at times, a bit of jealousy regarding the way the campus has developed. While some are jealous that the present campus was not theirs to enjoy, all are proud of what they see.
Alumni from the 1950s ask about Manley’s Gas Station and Garage on the corner of Jackson and North Franklin. Alumni from the 1960s are perplexed and overjoyed by the two Chapels of Christ the King that adorn our campus having worshipped in make-shift classrooms and lounges. Alumni from the 1980s comment on the way that the closing of sections of North Franklin Street near Hessel Hall created a “campus feel.” Business majors and NCAA athletes who graduated prior to 1992 are amazed when they tour the McGowan School of Business or step onto Betzer Fields. Physician assistants who graduated before 2014 are dazzled by the Alley Center.
I daresay, students who graduated in May 2024 will be struck by major renovations and innovations to the campus they recently left behind. In October, the College dedicated the Frank and Caroyln Kowalski Center for Advanced Healthcare Education that houses our new doctoral program in Occupational Therapy and supports all our health sciences programs. It is an amazing and visionary facility! By April 2025, the first floor of the Corgan Library will be transformed into a Student Success Center, providing a comprehensive and innovative support service experience for all students. It will be a game changer!
The continual renovation and carefully discerned expansion of our campus is a sign of the resiliency and strength of King’s. It’s said of college campuses, “no crane, no gain.” The secret, of course, is maintaining what is unique and life-giving for students as cranes produce change.
Whether campus consisted of a single building on Northampton Street (1946), the Administration Building (1953) and Hafey-Marian Hall (1956) on North River and North Franklin, respectively, or our downtown presence at the Alley Center (2014) or Mulligan Center for Engineering (2019), and uptown presence at the Chapel of Christ the King (2019), our alumni testify to the same powerful experience of community that has characterized King’s from the beginning.
Alumni consistently remark on the close personal relationships with faculty, staff, and fellow students that were the hallmark of their experience. They too consistently remark on the quality of their academic preparation for career paths and further study. In this edition of King’s Magazine, you’ll learn about such amazing encounters. Permit me to describe another.
Following an afternoon rehearsal with Martin Sheen, our students were asked to describe what it was like to be on stage with a world-renowned actor. Our students spoke eloquently of Martin’s down-to-earth engagement with them and the blessing of this opportunity. From the back of the theatre, an alumnus’ voice rang out. “Wait a minute,” he said. “Yes, it has been amazing to be here with Martin Sheen, but I want you to know that when I was a student, King’s Theatre saved my life.” You could have heard a pin drop.
Yes, it’s true on a college campus, “no crane, no gain,” but the real transformations of mind and heart happen every day, whether in the theatre, classroom, chapel, residence hall, playing field, or an open green space. Great spaces are necessary to serve as places of real encounter. I am so grateful to our many alumni and friends whose generosity and support enable us to build and renew spaces where real encounters take place, where the lives of our students are transformed.
KING’S
CREATIVE TEAM
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Gregory Morgan
Editor in Chief
Brandi George Davis ’12
Alumni Editor
Elizabeth Doherty ’18
Faculty Editor
Michael Little, Ph.D.
Creative Director & Designer
Carol Simonovich Scholl
Faculty & Staff Contributors
Bill Bolan, Ph.D
Jamie Costello '14
Brandi George Davis ’12
Tiffany Harm ’04
Brother Jimmy Henke, C.S.C.
Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D.
Jennifer McClinton-Temple, Ph.D.
Jeremey Simington, M.S., LAT, ATC
Sara Pokorny ’08
Will Skaggs
Bridget Walsh
Student Contributors
Sasha Seiwell ’25
Alumni Contributors
Ryan Bisgard ’24
Matthew S. Hinton ’05
HOW TO REACH US
King’s Magazine is published by the Office of College Marketing and Communications for King’s College alumni and friends. We welcome your feedback and story suggestions by emailing alumni@kings.edu or calling (570) 208-8380.
Copyright 2024 by King’s College. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited.
ABOVE: Patti Thomas '87 and Leo discuss the Lady Monarchs' strategy.
CONTRIBUTORS
Ryan Elizabeth Bisgard '24 received a B.A. In Business Administration - Management with a minor in Political Science. She served as Class President, a member of the Honors Program and Honors Program Student Advisory Committee, member of the Pre-Law Society, Vice President for Model UN, and competed on the Women’s Ice Hockey team. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Ryan is pursuing her career in Sports Law and working as Operations Director for the North American Hockey League’s Watertown Shamrocks in South Dakota.
Tiffany Harm ’04 serves as the Director of Annual Giving at King’s. She earned her B.S. in Marketing from King’s College in 2004 and her M.S. in Education from the University of Scranton in 2008. Before joining King’s in the fall of 2023, Tiffany was the Development Director for the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh.
Brother Jimmy Henke, C.S.C., serves as a Campus Minister at King’s and works for Residence Life as a Resident Counselor. He earned his M.Div. from the University of Notre Dame in 2021. Prior to joining King’s in the fall of 2022, he spent a year serving in Bangladesh.
Sasha Seiwell '25 is a senior double major in Professional Writing and Spanish. During her time at King's, she has worked as an intern for the College’s Office of College Marketing and Communications and the Scranton Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves as the Assistant Editor for The Crown and is a writing tutor. Her post-graduation plans are still very open and unknown, but she is hopeful and excited for where her writing may take her.
Bill Bolan, Ph.D., is the Director of King’s College Shoval Center for Community Engagement and Learning. He holds a doctorate in Christian Ethics from Notre Dame, where he taught briefly before coming to King’s, and is former president of Ruth’s Place Women’s Shelter. He is currently a Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Matthew S. Hinton ’05 earned his B.A. in English and a certificate in Secondary Education from King’s, and his M.A. and M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. He teaches writing and literature at Misericordia University.
Jeremy Simington, M.S., LAT, ATC, is the founding Director of the King’s College Master of Science in Athletic Training Program and a Clinical Professor of Athletic Training. He has been teaching at King’s since 2000 and was the Rev. Frank J. O’Hara Distinguished Service Professor from 2015 to 2020.
Brandi George Davis ’12 is the Director of College Marketing and Communications. She earned double B.A.s in both Communications and Theatre from King’s, her M.A. in Communications from Marywood University, and digital marketing certification from the AMA. In addition to her work in higher education, she spent five years working in business development for a national architecture firm.
Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., is the President of King's College. He has served King’s for 35 years and in various roles in Campus Ministry, Academic Affairs, and Academic Success. Father Looney earned his Bachelor of Arts from Stonehill College, a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, Ontario, and a Doctorate in Theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Will Skaggs is the Public Relations and College Communications Manager. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Ramapo College of New Jersey in 2006 and his M.S. in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from NYU in 2015.
Beth Doherty ’18 serves as the Associate Director of Grants and Prospect Research for the Office of Institutional Advancement. She previously served the IA team as the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement. She earned her B.A. in History from the University of Florida in 1993 and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from King’s in 2018.
Jennifer McClinton-Temple, Ph.D., is a Professor of English who has taught writing and literature at King’s since 2001. She has served as Chair of the English Department, Faculty Council Chair, and as the Herve LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor.
Sara Pokorny ’08 serves as a Gift Officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement. She earned her B.A. in Communications with a minor in Marketing from King’s in 2008. Before joining the College in the summer of 2024, Sara worked in the marketing field of various industries.
Bridget Walsh is the Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications. She earned her B.A. from DeSales University in 2019 and her M.S. from Canisius College in 2021 and has worked in the Sports Information Department at King’s since 2019.
Leo, Jim "Spider" O'Hara, and the Gonzalez Twins with the University of Scranton's mascot, Eleanor the Goat.
the the the
Story
The almost-complete history of Leo the Lion
AsKing’s College found its footing as a new institution in 1946, so did the symbol that represented the College’s fighting spirit. Athletic teams began intercollegiate competition on October 19 of that year and were using various monikers like the “Lions,” as well as “Kingsmen” and “Warriors” (for football) and “Cagers” (for basketball).
A few weeks later, The Crown staff published their recommendation for using “the Monarchs,” and reminded students that the name must endure, “for to change nicknames of ball teams is a sure sign of ‘bad luck.’” While the Kingsmen name continued to be widely used, “Monarchs” quickly took hold across the College.
by Brandi George Davis ’12, Director of College Marketing and Communications Research by Jamie Costello ’14, Circulation Specialist, D. Leonard Corgan Library continued on next page
Then, on October 25, 1947, The Crown published an article featuring the very first appearance of the now beloved and iconic illustration of a lion leaning on a monogram “K.” It appeared alongside an announcement that Father Jones, a religion professor, had arranged for a lion costume to be shipped to the College, on loan, from a Philadelphia-based costuming firm. A challenge was given to the students: raise the needed $400 (the equivalent of $5,600 today and the amount of a year’s tuition in 1947) to purchase the costume and the lion would become the permanent symbol of the Monarchs. Among the 600 students in attendance at the time, Crown writers urged each to pony up $0.50.
“Remember Kingsmen,” the article noted, “if you want college life or spirit brought to King’s, you must be willing to sacrifice a little for the cause.”
One week later, the costume arrived, but worse for wear. The Crown again reported on the effort to adopt the lion in a piece titled, “‘Leo’ the Lion Resents Captivity.” This is the first mention of the lion’s name but no reference to its origins. Upon seeing the “distorted specimen,” faculty and students refused to pay and noted the “animal trainer can find the animal on its way back to from whence it came.”
The hunt for a lion continued.
Throughout the following year, “Little Leo” (as he was affectionately called) started appearing on band equipment, as patches on letter jackets, and in issues of The Crown, where he is found depicted in various artistic styles and in all manner of scenarios through political style cartoons.
The concept of a mascot costume didn’t resurface until 1956, when Leo is photographed at a pep rally for an upcoming game against the University of Scranton. This rivalry proved heated as King’s students were reported to have stolen the U’s mascot, Eleanor the Goat, for the event (regrettably supported by photographic evidence). Two years later, King’s students and Leo would also steal the U’s banner in advance of a 1958 game (also humorously documented). This costume was allegedly borrowed from, and rarely returned to, a barber on Main Street who seemingly rescinded his generosity.
So, in October of 1962, Student Council set its sights on securing a permanent lion suit from a theatrical costumer. This kicks off a winding continued on next page
1947
The first time Leo is illustrated appears in an issue of The Crown.
Leo starts appearing accross campus more.
1978
1958
Leo steals the University of Scranton's banner and poses in front of Hafey-Marian Hall.
1956
The first lion costume is borrowed from a downtown barber; Leo with football coach Jim Moran.
1979
King’s is once again without a lion costume.
After almost a decade, the costume is allegedly destroyed after a playoff game loss to Albright. Pictured: Father Sheerer.
1940
1964
King’s finally owns its own lion costume!
1971
A new Leo emerges to kick off the 1970s.
1980
Is it a gorilla? Is it a lion? This Leo only shows up in photos at this Homecoming basketball game win against Scranton.
made” costume from Chenko’s Studios in New York. Pictured: Tom Ninestine '83.
1986
Leo frequently appears at basketball games.
1988
Leo is going strong, even if he lost a few whiskers and found a new crown.
history of feline fabric frenzy, loosely traced across seven decades of The Crown and The Regis publications. From 1956 to 2023, six costumes are repeatedly documented, each with their own unique designs and hallmarks. Incredibly, the same costume is believed to have been used from 1981 through 1999—a remarkable 18-year run. Although Leo has evolved, each of his eras has been marked by courage and grit (which coincidently often marks the end of that era and much needed repairs and improvements). His leaning stance has been immortalized on campus by the College’s very first graduating cohort, the Class of 1950, who commissioned the statue that resides outside Parente Life Sciences Center. Carved by artist Joseph Faul from a 9,000-pound block of granite, the statue was transported all the way from Albany when it was installed in 1979.
In 2015, the athletic logo was designed, cementing Leo as the representation of the fierce pride, energy, and competitive zeal of the College and our student athletes. If you look closely, you’ll see that Leo’s half grin in the athletic logo is deliberately carried over from the original character. It was only fitting then that this year the costume in use since 2011 was updated as well. With a refreshed sneer and mane that now mirrors the athletic mark, and borrowed elements from the previous suit, the costume links together the institution’s branding and history.
Leo’s journey from a simple lion cartoon to an enduring symbol of King’s College is a testament to the spirit and resilience of our community; a representation of our collective determination and pride. As we celebrate Leo’s evolution, we are reminded that he is more than just a mascot; he is the original Monarch. ■
1994
Leo turns a new decade, stronger than ever at Homecoming.
1999
Time to hang up this costume; the last evidence of this nearly 20-year run concludes at a reunion event. Pictured: Nicole (Wetzel) Pagoda '00.
A new century, a new Leo!
2024
1995
2011
BIRTHDAY: October 25, 1947
SPECIES: Panthera leo
Leo
LINEAGE: Sub-Saharan Africa
PERSONALITY: Energetic, courageous, kind, and mischievous curious
FAVORITE FOODS: Snickerdoodles in King’s Court
FRIENDS: The squirrels in O’Connor Park
2015
The Athletic logo is designed, inspired by the original illustration and Leo's grin.
2015 2020
2024
SPIRIT: Compared to other big cats, lions are the most sociable, which is why they live in groups called prides. It’s appropriate then that the lion is the symbol of King’s College, representing our strength in numbers, academic and athletic confidence, and caring community.
The newest iteration of the lion costume is revealed.
Leo celebrates the College’s semicentennial with Father Lackenmier.
The next era of Leo prowled around campus until 2024.
Tiffany, as Leo, is photographed with her nephew in 2003. They recreated the picture this year.
Hear Me ROAR
LOOKING BACK ON MY TIME AS LEO
By Tiffany Harm '04, Director of Annual Giving
What are your favorite memories with Leo throughout the years?
Do you have any pictures to share? We’d love to see and share them! Email yours to socialmedia@kings.edu.
Stepping back on campus after not living in Northeastern Pennsylvania for almost a decade, I was in awe with how so much can change and yet stay the same. The campus footprint grew, expanding to Public Square, but the heart of King’s was also more present, more visible, at least in my eyes. The campus continues to grow and transform, and at a time when everything these days is getting a reboot, it seems only fitting that our beloved mascot Leo gets his own rebirth as well.
It was a little more than 20 years ago that I walked the campus as a student. As a transfer student and a commuter to boot, I knew I needed to get involved to make sure I was getting the full college experience. I remember approaching Sean Cryan (affectionately known to Monarchs as “Dude”) about wanting to be Leo. “Sure! When are you free?” he said. I remember thinking, “boy he seems eager, what am I getting myself into?”
For the next year and a half, I learned dance moves with the cheerleaders; rallied the fans at football, basketball, and volleyball games; hugged fans; took pictures with future Monarchs (yes, I did smile under the mask); and attended a plethora of on-campus, non-sporting events as Leo. I would be lying if I didn’t admit I loved every minute of it. It was fun connecting with fans and being a part of the game-day experience and helping to create memories and camaraderie on and off the field.
College mascots date back to the late nineteenth century when teams adopted animal mascots to represent their schools. Leo the Lion was introduced to the Monarch community for the first time in the Fall of 1947. Over the years, Leo has had several glow ups: he’s worn a crown, he’s leaned on a K, and he’s been the embodiment of a fierce symbol for our beloved sports teams.
Today, I am proud to work at King’s College, and I love bringing my daughters back to campus. I was equally excited to retake a photo with my nephew, recreating a core memory for both of us. As the Director of Annual Giving, I love that I get to connect with alumni and hear their favorite memories of campus and with Leo. ■
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend 2023
By Beth Doherty ’18, Associate Director of Grants and Prospect Research
Last September, King’s held our annual—and always greatly anticipated—Homecoming/Reunion Weekend. This was the tenth year we celebrated as an alumni family since the College revamped the event in 2014.
The weekend’s events combined the celebrations of alumni whose class years ended in 3s and 8s and included the annual Alumni Golf Tournament at Wilkes-Barre Golf Club; the Alumni Awards program and reception; the Homecoming Celebration during the Homecoming Football game; and milestone reunions.
A special Golden Monarchs dinner was held at The Westmoreland Club in Downtown Wilkes-Barre for the Class of 1973 to recognize 50 years since their graduation.
On Saturday evening, the College celebrated the successes of the Send Us Forth Campaign with the renaming of Alumni Hall in honor of King’s former President, Rev. John Ryan, C.S.C. After the Hall was named, the community celebrated together at a reception in Regina Court. A pinning ceremony for the Golden Monarchs Class of 1973 took place during the Homecoming Mass in the Chapel of Christ the King, followed by a farewell reception for all alumni and friends.
We’re excited to evolve Homecoming/Reunion again this year as we combine alumni festivities with the College’s Family and Friends Weekend, which invites family and friends of current students to campus for three days of events and activities. What better way to celebrate the Red and Gold than with our entire King’s family, past and present. ■
Homecoming weekend always includes special alumni games that bring together Monarchs from past and present.
In addition to the reunions we plan, faithful donors are invited to special events, like last year's Pillars, Presidents, and Pints!
The Homecoming Game tent is always full of Monarch spirit.
GOLDEN MONARCHS RECEIVE THEIR PINS AT HOMECOMING MASS.
Martin Sheen Eclipses King’s College
By Matthew S. Hinton ’05
Students, staff, and faculty gathered into groups and pockets scattered all over King’s College. It was Monday, April 8, 2024, the day of the solar eclipse, and I got to campus as everyone was gathering in pockets and patches, chatting with excitement between bouts of catching a glimpse of the eclipse through the clouds.
Theatre students were bunched by the fountain next to the Parente Life Sciences Center.
Faculty and staff handed out special glasses to students who took breaks from straining their eyes to take a few selfies.
As an alumnus of King’s and a regular contributor in NEPA’s theatre scene, it wasn’t unusual for me be among these budding thespians, but I was there for more than a solar event and friendly faces. The sun wasn’t the only star of campus that week. Legendary actor, filmmaker, and celebrity activist Martin Sheen visited King’s to connect with the community and hold a play reading.
By the end of the eclipse’s totality that early spring afternoon, Sheen—known for his roles in Apocalypse Now, Wall Street, and The West Wing—was quickly spotted across the quad shaking hands, smiling, and obliging a barrage of cell phone photos.
A short while later inside the George P. Maffei II Theatre, Sheen sat down at a long table with some 20 or more members of the King’s Theatre community—mostly students—to begin their first rehearsal together. The play, entitled 8, written by Dustin Lance Black and selected by Sheen, recounts the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal trial that led to the overturn of Proposition 8. Black wrote the piece using courtroom transcripts when video of the proceedings would not be released. In the spring performance, Sheen read the role of Judge Vaughn Walker, and student actors and others from around campus filled in as the trial’s lawyers, witnesses, and talking-heads.
Jahmeel Powers, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre at King’s, was one of those actors who took to the witness stand. He played the role of David Blankenhorn, an expert witness and notable figurehead whose testimony and position change by the end of the trial. He reflected on building his character by turning the original depositions into drama.
“It’s really funny—kind of a comedic take on. . . the definition of an ‘expert witness’,” said Powers. “It was really great to be able to kind of look this guy up—not only look up who he is and what he represents, and what he does for a living, but I was actually able to see footage of the trial when he was giving the original testimony.”
Later, during a private rehearsal with the actor, director Dave Reynolds recounted how Sheen’s visit to campus was born out of a surprise meeting earlier in the academic year. Reynolds, who is also the Theatre Department Chair, recalled that Sheen was in town during the fall semester to visit his attorney and friend, Joe Cosgrove, who also teaches at King’s, and wondered if any of the students and staff would enjoy taking a photo together.
“And so, he came, and we did the picture,” said Reynolds. “But honestly before we even did the picture, Martin just sat down by the Virgin Mary statue, and the kids all sat at his feet. . . and then it was two hours of addressing each one of them, by name. ‘What’s a favorite role of yours?’ and then sharing stories about his time in the theatre. It was an amazing experience for us. It was the night of our readthrough for Antony & Cleopatra, so that kicked off our Shakespeare production season. And then somewhere, I think, right before Christmas, Joe Cosgrove said this was something Martin wanted to do.”
to personal stories from the actor’s long career. It was friendly, collegial, with Sheen’s ease and generosity making a comfortable atmosphere for personal questions and storytelling answers; and the subjects included everything from how Sheen’s arrest record compares to that of George Clooney; to one of his favorite projects in working with son Emilio Estevez on the film The Way; to how Sheen’s faith intersects with his work; and even ventured into the actor’s admiration for James Dean. For well over an hour after the rehearsal ends, Sheen regaled the students with answers, advice, and inspiration.
In one particularly insightful and generous moment, the actor offered his thoughts on the very act of performing onstage.
“It just means you have to be present. Presente. And I think that that’s what brings me here,” Sheen said.
At a press conference for the reading the next afternoon, Sheen sat in the play’s witness chair, flanked by student-actors strewn across the stage in various poses somewhere between lounging and languishing. If one didn’t already know the show they were staging, a stranger to the audience risers would assume they were witnessing a non-dress run of Jesus Christ Superstar (performed earlier in the season). It was clear that the entire company had become comfortable—a veteran cohort of talent that had been doing this show for years at this point. Sheen and Cosgrove led some Q&A with the media, and a student, Finch Plaspohl, shared how the actor came to that Sunday’s Mass, and together they sang Sheen’s favorite hymn, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” Almost as soon as Plaspohl finished their story, Sheen’s voice rang out to lead the troupe in an impromptu recital—a moment of faith intersecting with his work.
Meanwhile, back at the long rehearsal table, Sheen and Cosgrove sat among the young thespians, holding court to discuss the content of the play and listen
When the singing ended, Sheen offered a final reminder that the original trial was initially withheld in judicial procedure, saying, “The plaintiffs moved to have it (the trial) broadcast and the defendants said ‘no’—because they realized that it would be ludicrous. . .their testimony was so ludicrous and prejudiced. And they lost.”
Both performances of 8 scheduled for that Wednesday sold out within minutes of the announcement going live on the King’s social media accounts, but anyone still interested can stream them by visiting the King’s College, PA Theatre Facebook page. ■
Hinton interviewing Sheen during the final dress rehearsal Tuesday evening.
Sheen arrives at the table reading of the script for 8 by Dustin Lance Black on Monday afternoon.
Donegal The Wonder of
Donegal
KING’S COLLEGE CONNECTIONS TO THE WEST OF IRELAND
By Jennifer McClinton-Temple, Ph.D., Professor of English
In May of 2022, I walked down the sand-covered ramp toward the Atlantic Ocean in the village of Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland, chatting with our group’s guide. We kept getting distracted by what seemed initially to be a seal moving around several hundred yards from shore, but eventually revealed itself to be a swimmer.
In May, in Gweedore, the ocean temperature is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so an evening dip seemed extraordinary. I finally wondered aloud what the swimming fool thought he was doing, and my companion replied, “That’s one of yours.”
“Impossible!” I responded. “It’s freezing! They got up at the crack of dawn and have been on a bus all day from Dublin. There’s no way…”
continued on next page
I’m sure you can guess where this is going. The swimmer was indeed a Monarch: swim team member Austin Morris ’24, who assured me when I got down to the beach that he knew just what he was doing. The experience came back to me a few days later, when I went to pick up our students from their kayaking experience. As I approached, I saw ten wet-suited figures launch themselves off the pier back into the freezing water. What was it about Donegal that was compelling our students to fling themselves into the water?
I (of course) was not jumping into the ocean, but I felt it, too. Donegal seems to exist at the edge of the world. The Wi-Fi is shaky, the roads are narrow and often full of sheep, but the scenery is breathtaking, Irish Gaelic is being spoken all around you, and history— from ancient ruins to famine cottages — is everywhere you turn. The result is that Donegal is obviously, palpably different from your everyday existence every single day you wake up in it. It does exactly what the best of study abroad experiences should inspire students to do: to embrace fully cultures other than your own, to attempt new things and move out of your comfort zone, and to learn in a deep, engaging way that will stick with you forever (and perhaps even follow you home).
Our time in Donegal, on a short-term study abroad program with 15 students and two faculty members, was remarkable for many reasons, but our Donegal connection, Professor Breandán MacSuibhne of the University of Galway, was perhaps the most important as it has resulted in a desire to strengthen and sustain the ties between King’s and the region.
What was it about Donegal that was compelling our students to fling themselves into the water?
ABOVE: Students getting ready to kayak off the coast of Donegal in Gweedore. RIGHT: Marissa Jason ’24, Dana Sebastianelli ’23, Kriten Ortiz ’25, and Dr. Jennifer McClintonTemple, halfway up Slieve Liag.
“I feel like he so easily bridged the gap between our group and the culture of Ireland,” said Marissa Jason ’24, one of the students who participated in the study abroad program. "He integrated himself so well by taking a genuine interest in our lives and taking an active role in experiencing these new things with us.”
Ireland is an extremely popular destination for Americans, both students and tourists alike. The cultural significance of Dublin, from perspectives that are historical, literary, and economic, draws educators seeking subjects that will thereby draw in young people, while its vibrant pub scene offers the lighter, social experience sought by many. Donegal, however, is different.
“It has a rich culture—some of Ireland’s best-known musicians and writers are from the county, and it boasts some of the most extensive Gaelic-speaking districts in the country” Breandán said. “Ireland has changed a lot in recent decades, as small farming has declined. But in Donegal one still gets to see older aspects of life alongside the modern. It is not overrun with tourists, and people are interested in visitors and take time to get to know them.”
continued on next page
Looking out over the ocean as the water hits the rock banks right beneath you just presented
a moment of peace.
Everyone you encounter in Donegal speaks both English and Gaelic, and most of them prefer to converse in the latter. The constant reminder that this language is far from a dead one, but rather that it still drives the everyday rhythms and experience of the region, drives home the point that Irish culture is decidedly not English culture. Gaelic is a difficult language to learn, and the pronunciation piece can be the biggest obstacle. By the time we left, however, we were all saying “go raibh maith agat” instead of “thank you” to our hosts.
The physical landscape, too, is impossible to ignore. Sea cliffs, including Slieve League, the highest one in Europe, jut from the shore in breathtaking juxtaposition. The terrain, especially along the coast, seems to at once embody both the rolling green hills one imagines when one thinks of Ireland and the verdant, dramatic peaks more immediately associated with places like Hawaii and the Caribbean.
“When we arrived in Donegal there was just something about the silence it brought," said Devland Heffron ’24, another student on the trip. “I’ll never forget the drive we had as we left the heavily populated city of Dublin to find our destination on the west coast. The air was just so pure and so refreshing. It’s so hard to describe but the air just feels different. Looking out over the ocean as the water hits the rock banks right beneath you just presented a moment of peace. For as loud as the waves were crashing against the shoreline, it was silent. It was almost this peaceful and cleansing hypnosis that the setting gave off.”
TOP: Sean Murphy ’23, Aidan Temple ’24, Devland Heffron ’24, Kaylee Serbin ’23, Hunter Landon ’23, Emma Hart ’23, and Hannah Farr ’23 at the Silver Strand beach in Donegal. RIGHT: Megan Small '23, Aidan Temple ’24, Kaylee Servin ’23, Hannah Farr '23, Emma Hart '23, and Hunter Landon '23 ride a ferry from Gweedore to Toraigh Island. FACING
PAGE: Professor Breandán MacSuibhne of the University of Galway presents his lecture "From the Potato Patch to the Mine Patch" last January to packed house in the Burke Auditorium.
When we returned from Ireland, the students and I brainstormed many different scenarios whereby we could bring Breandán to Pennsylvania. As a social historian, Breandán understands deeply the long-standing, deeply felt connections between our part of the world and his, specifically Donegal and other counties in the West of Ireland. In the United States, 9.1% of the population claim Irish heritage, but in our area, that percentage is much higher. Luzerne County, for example, has a percentage of Irish Americans almost double the national figure, standing at 17.4%, and Lackawanna County is even higher at 25%, making it one of the most Irish counties in the country.
It was fortunate then, with help from the region’s Anthracite Heritage Foundation and Tom Mackaman, Ph.D., Chair of the King’s College History Department, we were able to bring Breandán to campus on January 25, 2024. “From the Potato Patch to the Mine Patch: The Irish of Northeastern Pennsylvania 1820-1920,” served as the annual Monsignor J.J. Curran Lecture sponsored by the Anthracite Heritage Foundation.
That night, almost 300 people experienced that gap-bridging talent Marissa spoke of. Every single seat in the Burke Auditorium was filled, extra chairs and their occupants lined the walls on each side, and more eager guests stood in open spaces in the aisles. Few topics could pack in such a crowd on a weeknight, but Breandán’s subject was dear to the hearts of many at King’s and in Northeastern Pennsylvania: our own Irish heritage.
Those in the crowd, many of whom were native Northeastern Pennsylvanians with Irish grandparents and great-grandparents, likely already knew about these important ties. What they may not have known is that there was an extremely high rate of migration from the Northwest of Ireland, including Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry, to the anthracite coal fields of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Breandán made his point about the connections between these two regions come alive by talking about his own family’s migration patterns. When he spoke of a great uncle who lived in Plymouth, murmurs were audible from the crowd.
“On a personal level, it was very moving to come to King’s as people from Donegal, the place where I was born in the
From the early nineteenth century through the early twentieth century, young men were leaving Donegal for places like WilkesBarre, Plymouth, and Hazleton to dig coal and the canals that took the coal to Philadelphia and New York.
Northwest of Ireland, had a long connection with Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Breandán noted. “From the early nineteenth century through the early twentieth century, young men were leaving Donegal for places like Wilkes-Barre, Plymouth, and Hazleton to dig coal and the canals that took the coal to Philadelphia and New York. Generations of my own forbears were coal miners in Pennsylvania, including one James Sweeney, who died young in 1909 in Plymouth; he was an uncle of my father’s, one of my grandfather’s elder brothers—a brother whom he never met.”
Just as he did with our students, Breandán knew that making connections to people and places that matter to your audience is one of the best ways to get and keep their attention.
“Those West Donegal people left their mark on the region—the old Irish district in Hazleton was called Donegal Hill and there was a famous store in Jim Thorpe called Shtor Unric, the Gaelic for ‘an honest store,’ from the 1880s through the 1950s,” he said. “As a historian, I have long been interested in the culture and politics of the ‘mine patches’ of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and it is striking how many people centrally involved in the great Molly Maguire controversy of the 1870s—those hanged and those who betrayed them—were either born in West Donegal or were the sons of immigrants from there. And so for students from Northeastern Pennsylvania, when they visit Donegal, they get to see the landscape—in all its harsh beauty—that the Irish of the coal region had left behind for the mines and the breakers in what was in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries one of the heartlands of industrial America.”
Imprinting the King’s and Northeastern Pennsylvania connection to the remarkable landscape of Northwestern Ireland will hopefully keep our collaboration alive for years to come. This past spring, the Office of Alumni & Engagement traveled with 22 Monarchs and friends to Donegal. And in 2025, another short-term study abroad program with Breandán is in the works. There is no doubt that these groups will be just as taken in by the beauty of County Donegal and its link to King’s College. ■
AN SWERING THE CALL
Greg Morgan, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at King’s College sat down with this year’s Rev. James Lackenmier, C.S.C., Award for Achievement and Leadership recipient, Robert Ciaruffoli ’75, to discuss how King’s College shaped his career success.
By Brandi George Davis ’12, Director of College Marketing and Communications
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Greg Morgan: You served in the Marine Corps in the early 1970s before going to college. What made you choose King’s after coming back from serving our country?
Robert Ciaruffoli: I guess it was really a matter of family. I have nine siblings, and everybody lived in the region. My wife, who I met while I was in the Marine Corps, was born and raised in Pittston. She wanted to live in Northeastern Pennsylvania and a lot of my high school classmates were going there, so it was an easy decision.
Did your parents go to college? My parents did not. My mother was a nurse, and my father was a truck driver. So, I was the first. The reputation of the accounting program at King’s was a major contributor to that decision. One of my closest friends, Bob Bustin—who passed recently—graduated from King’s in 1973. We had a lot of conversations about the accounting program, and it seemed like a great move aligned with my interests. The rest is history.
Robert Ciaruffoli ’75
How do you think your military service shaped your experience at King’s? You know, that’s a really interesting question. First of all, when I was in the military, I learned a lot about different cultures. I was fortunate to have traveled to a number of different countries. I took the opportunity
to learn about how other people lived and their values. And certainly, from my Marine Corps training, I learned a lot about teamwork and leadership. So, there was a work ethic that I clearly had coming to King’s.
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...if you don’t continue to learn, you’re just going to die in the profession; you’re going to be left behind.
You credited the College’s reputation for the accounting program as being one of the factors. Do any professors stand out to you? I had a lot of outstanding professors. John Davis stuck out for several reasons. He was a very good instructor and got me my first accounting job while I was going to school. The other was Rabbi Shevlin, who taught a Jewish theology course. And that was extremely beneficial to me. I mentioned earlier about traveling the world and experiencing many cultures. Learning about another religion—and there’s a lot of history that I enjoy very much combined in that religion—helped me quite a bit in my career because I dealt with many Jewish businesspeople and businesses over the years. I am extremely grateful that I took that course.
Were you prepared to enter the workforce as an accountant? Do you think that King’s prepared you well? There is no doubt about it. Was I prepared mentally? Yes. Did I know everything? Absolutely not. I mean, it’s a learning experience. Every step of my career was a learning experience. But King’s College gave me the basic skill sets and tools I needed to learn. Every day you’re learning something new.
I found myself over the years telling people, “Your graduation from college is just the beginning of your learning experience. It’s a continuous learning process, and if you don’t continue to learn, you’re just going to die in the profession; you’re going to be left behind.”
Could you walk us through your career and how you climbed the ladder? I graduated from King’s in 1975 and went to Touche Ross [now Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited] in Newark, New Jersey. I spent four years there. Our son was born in New Jersey, and it was just my wife and myself. Our entire support system was in Northeastern Pennsylvania. My friend Bob Bustin, who was also at Touche Ross, had moved back to Northeastern Pennsylvania. He called me one day and said, “Hey Bob, you know I work for Parente Randolph. We’re looking for accountants, and I think you’d fit the bill.” I went up, I interviewed, and I was offered the position.
It was a different experience for me because I had worked on a lot of large clients, and, suddenly, I was working on smaller to medium-sized clients. There were a lot of things that I had to learn.
I can’t remember the timetable off the top of my head, but Chuck
In 2015, Bob met Pope Francis when he served as President and Chair of the 8th World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
Parente retired from the firm. John Randolph took over. After Chuck left, I became the partner in charge of the Wilkes-Barre office, which was the biggest office in the practice at the time.
Eventually one thing led to another, and I became the CEO of the firm. We had approximately $30 million in revenue and 200 employees. We undertook a significant strategic planning process, and we concluded that for every dollar we spent in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we were getting a diminishing return on our investment because the firm was so large, and the region wasn’t growing. And there were a lot of opportunities outside the area, so we started looking at Philly, New York City, and we decided on Philadelphia. Early 2000, we acquired a small firm and built off that.
I commuted to Philly a couple days a week for about three years and finally moved there. We started expanding. We had a Pittsburgh operation, several sites in New Jersey, and eventually acquired a practice in New York City. We did a significant merger with Beard Miller in 2009. In 2014, we merged with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause to create the 12th largest U.S. accounting firm Baker Tilly. At the time of the merger, Parente Beard was a $200 million firm, and we had over 1,000 employees.
So, when you became CEO, you grew a company with $30 million in revenue and 200 employees into a $200 million firm with over 1,000 employees? Yes. Me and my team of course. I had an excellent board and leadership team working with me.
That’s an impressive 35-year career with Parente Randolph. What came next? In 2015 I retired and wanted to do something else. I wasn’t sure what that something else was. As it turned out, I very quickly realized I wanted to get involved in the entrepreneurial world, working with companies, investing in companies, and supporting the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. In 2016, I became one of the cofounders of Broad Street Angels, which is the largest entrepreneurial angel investor network in Philadelphia.
I was invited to join the board of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, which is a big player in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. I
Bob presented Amy Gutmann, then President of Penn, with the Gold Medal Award at the Pennsylvania Society Dinner.
still sit on the board there. The other thing that I wanted to do is get very engaged in the Union League Legacy Foundation, which is now called Founding Forward, and its mission is to promote and provide civics education nationally.
I also did a lot of work with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. After 10 years [on the board of directors], I took a break, but I’m still involved with the strategic planning process there. The rest of my time is spent with my grandkids, wife, son, and daughter-in-law.
I was going to ask you what you do with your spare time, but I think you’ve answered it! I never used the word "retire" around my wife—and I encourage everybody else not to use that word— because I do keep busy. I enjoy the things that I just mentioned, and it’s definitely not like work to me; it’s enjoyable.
Could you tell me how you got involved with serving as the President and Chair for the 8th World Meeting of Families when Pope Francis visited Philadelphia? I think I was in the wrong place at the right time! I was asked to join the board of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2010. Archbishop Chaput came on board in 2011, and at the same time there was a new CFO, Tim O’Shaughnessy, who is a wonderful gentleman and a brilliant guy. He and the Archbishop got along pretty well, and Tim and I got along pretty well.
So, I was sitting in the green room at WVIA getting ready to do a live interview—they did a program where they select different businesspeople in or from Northeastern Pennsylvania. I forgot to turn my phone off in the green room and it rang. I answered and said, “How are you doing Tim? What’s going on?” And he said, “The Archbishop wants to meet with you.” I asked what he wanted to meet with me about. He said, “He would like you to head up the Pope’s visit.” And I said, “OK. I can’t talk any further now. I’ll follow up.”
Now, I’m doing this interview and half of my mind is on the interview and the other half is on what the heck did I just got myself into! But I’ll tell you, outside of family, I wouldn’t trade that opportunity for anything. The experience was unbelievable; it was hard work, enjoyable, and frustrating at times. I worked with some amazing people. It’s been a gift that keeps on giving; not a single continued on next page
It has always been important to me to give back to the communities where I worked and lived.
day goes by without having a flashback of something that took place leading up to or during the Pope’s visit.
Is there a particular highlight from the planning process or when Pope Francis arrived that sticks with you? There were so many but one really sticks out. Saturday evening there were approximately 1 million people on the Parkway for the Festival of Families with Pope Francis and many global entertainers. We had a hiccup with our timetable, and we had a time slot to fill. We took a 14-year-old boy, Bobby Hill, from one of the choirs that performed earlier and had Andrea Bocelli warm him up backstage. Bobby sang “Pie Jesu,” and it was the highlight of the evening. Bobby Hill’s performance can be found on YouTube.
You’ve mentioned a few of the nonprofit boards you serve on. What draws you to that work? I’ve been on nonprofit boards since 1983. I guess at the end of the day, the reason is that growing up in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, with 10 kids, the Catholic Church and the parish we belonged to were very helpful in a number of different ways. I never forgot their help to our family, and that’s why I’ve been involved with many Catholic organizations over the years. It has always been important to me to give back to the communities where I worked and lived. I served a laundry list of
LEFT: Bob celebrates at a family wedding with his wife, Kathy. ABOVE: Bob celebrates his grandson Harry's birthday.
nonprofits over the years, like the United Way, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and everything else in between.
You’ve been a very loyal benefactor to the College—30 years of significant giving. Why do you believe in giving back to King’s? Without King’s, I’m not sure what I would be or where I would be; it’s just simple as that. I mean, education wise, I owe it to the Marine Corps and King’s College. I obviously learned totally different things from both, but they were both life experiences and helped me through my life.
Thinking of today’s college students, what advice or recommendations would you give to them? I would broaden my horizons. When I went to school, all my electives outside of required courses were in the business world. I wish I took more philosophy or psychology courses because any type of professional career is all about communication. And whatever you can do to enhance your communication skills will pay dividends over and over again throughout life. That is, without a doubt, the biggest advice. And the other thing is to remember that life and a career are learning experiences...you’re always going to be learning, so prepare yourself. ■
Social Media HIGHLIGHTS
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Going the Distance
How a new set of wheels can give children with disabilities their first taste of freedom.
By Will Skaggs, Public Relations and College Communications Manager
When we think of children, the word ‘limitless’ comes to mind. Limitless imagination. Limitless energy. Limitless potential.
Unfortunately for some children, their journey is all too often defined by limits. Serious medical conditions like arthrogryposis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and congenital heart defects do more than challenge them physically: they diminish their ability to socialize and play with others, which is crucial to the development of a healthy and happy young mind.
Overcoming those limits is exactly what inspired Dr. James Cole Galloway of the University of Delaware to launch Go Baby Go (GBG) in 2012.
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Form Follows Function
GBG shows that a little ingenuity and a dedicated group of volunteers can go a long way in nurturing physical, cognitive, and social development in children with mobility issues. Because power wheelchairs are expensive and less accessible to younger children, GBG instead involves modifying battery-powered ride-on vehicles that are available in most toy stores.
Not only can the controls be made more accessible— such as swapping power from a foot pedal to a large button that can be activated by hand—but PVC piping, swimming kickboards, and other support materials can also be added to keep children comfortable and safe while they ride.
The end result is a fun and enriching experience for children who can now traverse the world on their own terms. It’s also a rewarding opportunity for faculty and students in occupational therapy, engineering, and other fields who can use their expertise to help those in need.
As such, GBG has since expanded to dozens of communities around the world. And thanks to King’s College students and faculty, that effort made its way to Northeastern Pennsylvania for the first time in November 2023.
The Pit Crew
Leading the effort is occupational therapy doctoral candidate Erika Golik, who worked with King’s College faculty advisors Jennifer Dessoye, Marie Patterson, and Elizabeth A. Dixon to create a local GBG chapter as part of her capstone project. The idea was first sparked in her sophomore year when she learned about GBG in Dessoye’s pediatric intervention course.
“The ability to crawl and walk is a part of natural development that happens at a very young age and research has shown that there’s a whole bunch of developmental benefits—emotional, physical, social, visual, cognitive—that are associated with independent movement,” said Golik. “However, wheelchairs and adaptive seating are often not covered by insurance because kids just grow so rapidly.”
“On top of that, we really didn’t have any programming like Go Baby Go in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” she continued. “With the closest chapters being in New York or Delaware, this seemed like a great opportunity to help an underserved population in this area.”
The opportunity was so great in fact, the team was able to attract the support of the Moses Taylor Foundation, a long-time supporter of innovative health initiatives in Northeastern Pennsylvania. After the foundation provided a generous $20,000 donation to purchase the necessary vehicles and modification materials, this new GBG chapter was finally ready to roll.
Ready, Set, Go!
NEPA Go Baby Go officially launched on November 4, 2023, when more than 50 volunteers came to the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center to modify two dozen toy vehicles for children with disabilities. Volunteers included occupational therapy and engineering students from King’s College, as well as students from surrounding universities. Occupational therapy and engineering faculty served as on-site inspectors to ensure each vehicle was safe and adapted to the children’s unique needs.
King's Occupational Therapy and Engineering students and faculty work together to build and inspect vehicles.
All they needed was a star test driver. Enter Stella Sutton, of Shavertown, Pennsylvania, a six-year-old who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Taking the wheel of a modified pink jeep for the very first time, Stella quickly adapted to the custom controls and gleefully raced around an obstacle course with over half a dozen other children. Meanwhile, volunteers working on cars around the room saw firsthand the kind of joy their efforts would bring to other clients.
“It’s been great to see her flourish in her independence and finally get to keep up with the other kids,” said Lindsey Sutton, Stella’s mother. “She’s experiencing life from her own perspective. She can be in control.”
Victory Lap
Now, the King’s College GBG team is focused on maintaining the momentum from the launch event.
“Everything has been moving relatively quickly, and we’ve gotten a lot done over the first couple of years, especially with all the buy-in from the community,” said Dessoye, who also serves as Chair of the Occupational Therapy Department. “Just after launching our website, we had parents and therapists for eight children reach out, and that’s even before we tapped our own professional networks in the area.”
She's experiencing life from her own perspective. She can be in control.
The team plans to organize play groups with modified vehicles throughout the year. They’re also exploring strategic partnerships with the Shoval Center for Community Engagement and Learning, which coordinates much of the campus community service events, and with professional writing faculty, who can recruit students to write user-friendly assembly guides for volunteers without engineering and occupational therapy backgrounds.
Meanwhile, discussions have begun with education faculty to see if teaching candidates can get valuable experience by supporting GBG play groups and lesson plans. And the role of engineering students and faculty continues to grow as the GBG team considers vehicles with tighter turn radiuses for indoor use and tracking tools that measure the impact of each vehicle over time.
“It’s not just getting them a customized car,” said Dessoye. “It’s also about evaluating their mobility as the children grow, and whether we need to further modify their ride or produce a new one when they get older. There’s still so much potential to explore.”
It’s clear that potential will undoubtedly help even more children feel what Stella did for the first time: limitless. ■
Good Things Do Not Come to Those Who Wait
By Ryan Bisgard ’24
Asthe President of the Class of 2024, I was honored to stand before my peers at this year’s Commencement as a proud representative of our class.
Each person who was there that day undoubtedly contributed to our success. We would not have made it if it weren’t for the unwavering support of our families and friends. From helping us with our math homework at the kitchen table on a late night to encouraging us to pursue our higher education to all those small passing moments that went unnoticed, it could not go unsaid that we are eternally grateful.
It was hard to curate a speech about life post-graduation when I have just as much experience as the rest of my classmates: absolutely none. However, I am a firm believer that the lessons we have learned throughout our youth are sure to transcend our college years and even our lifetime.
A popular piece of advice that I’m sure we have all heard before is, “Good things come to those who wait” …and I couldn’t disagree more. Good things do not come to those who wait, good things come to those who work for it.
Patience is indeed a virtue, but it must be accompanied by action. We cannot simply sit back, relax, and wait for “big kid” life to hit us because it will knock the wind right out of you. We cannot just hope for the best outcome if we are not actively seeking out the answers or at least asking the important questions.
So, for most of us at graduation, that question is, “what now?”
Frankly, the answer doesn’t matter, what’s important is the work we are willing to put in to get there. I cannot stress enough that no matter what we do in life, we must make sure that we do what we love and do it to our full ability. In the words of King’s founding president, Rev. James Connerton, C.S.C., “King’s teaches its students not only how to make a living, but how to live.” Whatever journey we embark on, whether it is starting a new job, furthering our education, or just figuring things out, do it with passion and determination.
Good things might not always come to those who wait, but they will come to those who deserve it and honor its timing.
So, here’s to us, the Class of 2024, may we embrace what lies ahead with open arms and open hearts and lead a life worth living. ■
BRIDGES AMONG WALLS
KING’S COLLEGE SUMMERSERVE TRIP TO THE U.S./MEXICO BORDER
By Bill Bolan, Ph.D., Director of the Shoval Center for Community Engagement and Learning
“Could I just have some water for my daughter?”
The translated question came from a newly arrived refugee to King’s College students volunteering at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas. He and his family had just traveled hundreds of miles from Honduras to escape violence and poverty, and his children lay sleeping on a gym mat with dozens of others in a large room.
His request touched everyone who heard it.
Understanding his reality and how to help others like him was the focus of this year’s Holy Cross SummerSERVE trip to the U.S./Mexico border.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Holy Cross Mission Center, seven King’s students and two staff got to work for a week at the Respite Center where hundreds of refugees come for food, clothes, and shelter after legally crossing the border. The King’s team prepared lunches, served dinner, and relieved tired parents by playing games with their children. The kids never tired of doing puzzles, coloring, playing Hungry Hungry Hippo, or hitting balloons in the air—at least until they got caught in the vents.
Our students were struck by the cheer of the children and the humble gratitude of the families.
“Everyone we encountered were kind people doing what they needed to do in order to provide a good life for their families,” said Political Science major Cassidy Crawford.
Their good nature was even more striking given the tremendous hardships that the families faced on their journeys. The volunteers heard stories of food and shelter shortages, extreme heat, robbery, and even assault. In nightly reflections, the King’s group considered how bad the home situation must be for immigrants to take this dangerous journey north.
THE POWER OF OBSERVATION
The team also learned about procedural obstacles to immigration by speaking with Center staffers, immigration attorneys, and volunteers at a regional Catholic parish that assists refugees.
“I learned so much about the process behind immigration,” said senior Kaliyah Brown. “We really need to become more knowledgeable in this subject. These are good people who journeyed near and far looking for help and a place to call home.”
The organizations King’s partnered with are advocating for increased paths to citizenship and making the asylum process less burdensome. The King’s team was struck by the orderly process that played out in McAllen each day. Though everyone agreed that immigration remains a crisis, they didn’t see chaos at the border.
“The border town we were in wasn’t in a state of siege,” said Kelly Gibbons, who serves as Community Outreach Coordinator at the Shoval Center. “On the contrary, it was rather peaceful, charming, and culturally rich.”
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Everyone we encountered were kind people doing what they needed to do in order to provide a good life for their families
The families at the shelter had all secured advance asylum appointments with the new U.S. Border Patrol phone app and were brought quietly to the Center by the government after crossing. They took buses from Texas to family or friends all over the country.
HOMEWARD BOUND
At the end of our time in McAllen, we travelled across the border by bus to Monterrey, Mexico, to deepen ties with the Holy Cross community at La Luz parish. There, the group attended the final vows of a Holy Cross sister and a parish quinceañera, celebrated in the church’s patron festival, and lodged with the Holy Cross religious at their community house.
They also visited the immigration center Casanicolás, where many refugees stay while waiting for a chance to travel to the United States. Our students saw and spoke with children just like the ones they played with in Texas. By chance, one girl from the Respite Center again encountered senior Nate Cook at the bus stop in McAllen, en route with her family to her new home in America.
“She recognized me and came over to show me the toy she was bringing with her,” Cook said. “That moment was such a fulfilling one for me on the trip.”
The entire experience made the students aware of the blessings we have in this country, and the bond we should feel with all refugees. Senior Henri Avila said that he is “grateful for my parents immigrating to this country like all the people we met, in order to provide a better life for their families.”
The SERVE program hopes to continue deepening this sense of solidarity in more border trips for years to come. ■
TOP: The Holy Cross Chapel, a satellite church of Holy Cross’s larger “La Luz” parish in Guadalupe, Mexico. From left to right, Jayline Cruz, Nate Cook, Cassidy Crawford on the grounds of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in San Juan, Texas.
MIDDLE: Celebrating the final vows of Sister Nieves Galvan, C.S.C., at the parish of Nuestra Madre Santísima de La Luz in Guadalupe, Mexico.
BOTTOM: Enjoying a meal in Monterrey, Mexico. Clockwise, from bottom left: Bill Bolan, Kimberly Munoz-Jimenez, Cassidy Crawford, Jayline Cruz, Nate Cook, Kaliyah Brown, Henri Avila, Kelly Gibbons, Johendry Puerie.
Train and Gain
King’s College Athletic Training celebrates their 25th anniversary and the years ahead.
By Jeremy Simington, M.S., LAT, ATC, Clinical Professor of Athletic Training and Director of the Athletic Training Program
Inthe 2023-24 academic year, King’s College proudly commemorated 25 years of its Athletic Training program. The culmination of our celebration was a heartwarming reception held at the Richard Abbas Alley Center for Health Sciences on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Alumni, current students, faculty, and staff came together to honor this significant milestone.
Our journey began in 1998 when the Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training Program was established. This program quickly gained recognition, earning initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs in 2001. The first cohort of graduates proudly received their degrees in May 2000, marking the beginning of a legacy.
Adapting to the evolving needs of our profession, in 2020, the program transitioned to a Master of Science in Athletic Training, aligning with national standards. We are proud that our master’s
program received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education the same year.
Today, our program boasts seven dedicated faculty members and five supportive staff. With 246 graduates to date, our alumni are making significant impacts across all levels of athletics, from professional to high school. Notably, most athletic trainers in Northeastern Pennsylvania proudly call King’s College their alma mater.
As we reflect on 25 years of excellence, we extend our deepest gratitude to all who have contributed to our program’s success. Here’s to another 25 years of shaping the future of athletic training at King’s College! ■
Kate Cunningham ’21; Emily Bove ’21; Ryanne Ziobro, faculty; and Peter Deeb ’20 at the Athletic Training anniversary celebration.
THERE’S NOTHING MINOR ABOUT BEING MANAGER
THE RAPID RISE OF KATIE BEEKMAN ’00 IN THE MINOR LEAGUES, FROM INTERN TO GENERAL MANAGER AND ALL THINGS IN BETWEEN.
By Sasha Seiwell ’25
Asea of baseball caps floods into the stadium gates from April through September. As you step onto the concourse of PNC Field, an inconspicuous woman collects your ticket. She’s the same woman who sold you the ticket; she sold all the tickets for the game. She also coordinated the date of the game, its marketing strategies, and the bobblehead you received on entrance. And she cleaned the field. She’s well disguised, hidden under casual apparel and RailRiders hat, but her actions do not go unnoticed. She is the reason PNC Field has been hosting baseball games season after season for almost a decade.
“I wear a lot of different hats,” says Katie Beekman ’00.
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TO LEARN SPORTS MARKETING, SHE SAID, “YOU HAVE TO FAIL AND SUCCEED—YOU HAVE TO EXPERIMENT."
Yes, you may see her wear the occasional baseball cap during the season, overseeing the behind-the-scenes work to produce a seamless baseball game experience, but the hats she refers to are the many, many responsibilities and requirements it takes to be the General Manager for the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Beekman graduated from King’s College with a degree in English Literature. Since then, she has been working in minor league sports, the last 14 years of which she’s been working with the RailRiders.
“I wasn’t involved in a ton in college,” Beekman said. “I just focused on academics.”
She applied for an internship with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and like many college students, didn’t realize it would be an anchor in her career; she thought of it more as a stepping stone.
“It was the most entry level position you could get,” Beekman said. “It was a paycheck.”
Soon after starting, the Penguins were hiring a position in merchandising, and Beekman thought it could be a great opportunity to transition into marketing and business with graduation on the horizon. Without the initial intention of professionally working in the sports
WHILE SHE IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD THE TITLE OF GM AT THE RAILRIDERS, SHE DOES NOT ATTRIBUTE HER SUCCESSES TO BEING A WOMAN.
industry, Beekman was hired and took the job.
“I did not have an ambition to be in sports,” Beekman reminisced on her time at King’s. “If you had told me then that I’d be working in sports now, I would’ve said, ‘You’re crazy!’”
As her senior year at King’s began, Beekman applied to graduate school but quickly paused the process to continue her job with the Penguins. And she hasn’t left sports since.
With the Pens, Beekman became a model for success, experiencing plenty of promotions, from a young intern to an experienced Vice President of Business Operations. In 2010, and after a decade with the Pens, Beekman joined the RailRiders as the Vice President of Partnership Fulfillment, where she handled marketing, business management, and merchandising contracts and relationships. In 2017, she was promoted to Assistant General Manager, and, in just two years’ time, was promoted to General Manager in 2019.
So . . . What Does a General Manager Do?
“Everything,” Beekman said candidly. That “everything” is managing 30 full-time and 200 part-time employees as well as the facilities; she is responsible for budgeting, developing ticket prices, and determining how many tickets need to be sold.
“There are a lot of prongs and facets to [managing a baseball team],” Beekman explained. To learn sports marketing, she said, “You have to fail and succeed—you have to experiment.”
During the off-season Katie is experimenting by finding shows—external productions like concerts, carnivals, craft shows, and weddings—to fill the unused stadium and working with the Yankees on player development. During the season, however, 100-hour work weeks are nothing short of standard for Beekman and her team.
Opening the season brings Beekman’s definition of a GM—a person who does everything—a whole new meaning. Her office door is open and filled with people.
“I like it loud and busy during the season,” Beekman said. “I’m suspicious if it’s quiet.”
From being responsible for selling tickets to partnerships, it’s her job to ensure everything runs smoothly. And when it comes time to prep the field, Beekman does not just sit inside, staring out of her window at her employees doing the work. Pulling a puddle-filled blue tarp off the bases, with April winds whipping her face, Beekman is outside with her colleagues no matter the weather (even if it is a brisk 30 degrees outside) and no matter the labor. Because the only thing that Beekman and her team can’t do: control the weather.
After all is said and almost done, “All I do is hold my breath,” she said, “and hope for an 80-degree opening day.”
Along with work ethic, inclusivity and equality is what drives Beekman’s managerial successes. While she is the first woman to hold the title of GM at the RailRiders, she does not attribute her successes to being a woman.
“I’m a person,” she said. “I don’t put a lot of thought into being a woman.”
Still, there are social obstacles in the sports industry for women. Beekman noted that she often tries to remember what it was like being that young, intimidated person walking into staff meetings with older men who presented themselves as seasoned sports experts. She remembers in her earlier days she could count the number of women in the office on one hand. Now she can count them on two, but her sentiment remains.
“I deserve work just the same as the person sitting next to me,” Beekman said. “I want to be recognized for my work rather than me being a woman. I’m judged on the success of the events I hold, and my concern is if my staff is in a good place.”
This importance of facilitating a safe working environment is a top priority for Beekman. And though that responsibility is solely hers, she attributes her ethics to the ones who served as great mentors before her and who helped get her to where she is today.
She predicts sales and creates them; she provides work for others while working with them. It takes a village to run a baseball team, and Beekman does all she can to make the season seamless, perfect, smooth. She shows dedication to herself, her family, her work, and her employees. Beekman hosts camaraderie, not just a workforce. She dually acts as a leader and an equal, and the healthy work environment she facilitates inevitably continues to build a strong community. She embodies one of King’s College’s many missions: using her success to nurture a community as a guiding leader.
When asked what makes successful work, Beekman reflected, “Working hard, teamwork, not sitting above everyone else, and most importantly. . . loving what you do.” ■
WHY I GIVE JIM DERWIN ’64
By Sarah Pokorny ’08, Gift Officer
Itwasn’t until he stopped working that Jim Derwin ’64 traced his career path back and considered what put him in the position he’s in today: retired, having traveled the world while working for the same company his entire professional life, and able to strengthen the roots of his own foundation through philanthropy.
Derwin’s education is the line that runs through all of it, with King’s College playing a pivotal role due to the institution’s stance on a well-rounded education. His time at King’s allowed Derwin to indulge his love of English while also gaining practical skills in economics. His education began at Calvert Hall in Baltimore and ended at the University of New Hampshire.
“I owe all these institutions a great deal, because if it weren’t for them, I don’t think I’d be in a position to give back,” Derwin said.
And if it wasn’t for one King’s professor, Derwin would have had to forgo graduate school for a stint in the army. Though Derwin loved language, he found himself failing miserably at French during his second semester of senior year. The language credit was a requirement for graduation, and a failed course would stop him from getting a degree.
Then Rev. James Boyle, C.S.C., Derwin’s French professor, stepped in.
“He was very business-like and matter of fact, so when he asked me to meet him in his office one day in May after class, I thought, ‘Oh boy,’” Derwin said.
Father Boyle let Derwin know he was doing poorly, and Derwin humbly acknowledged his shortcomings. He told Father Boyle about his love of English and how that clearly wasn’t translating to French, but he was doing the best he could.
“We got done talking and he just said, ‘Ok, thank you for stopping in.’”
Derwin thought all was lost until final grades were posted, and there was Father Boyle’s gift to him: a D. He could graduate and pursue the master’s program at UNH.
After graduate school, as it turned out, Derwin did spend three years in the Army Transportation Corps. After his military service, he worked at freight railroad company CSX Transportation his entire career, retiring as its Assistant Vice President of Finance.
“If it weren’t for King’s, in general, and Father Boyle in particular, I wouldn’t be able to support King’s,” he said. “My sense of debt, of gratitude, is what leads me to give.”
For almost 40 years, Derwin has given back to King’s in many ways. He has supported the Presidential Hope Fund and KC Fund; contributed to the Rev. Patrick J. Sullivan and Class of 1964 Scholarships; and has given to the Washington Alumni Club.
But, most meaningful of all, he has established a fund in Father Boyle’s name and is currently determining where the money will go. To Derwin, it was the least he could do.
“I never did get to thank him for that D.” ■
MONARCHS Magnificent
A NEW STUDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM SHEDS LIGHT ON ACCOMPLISHMENTS BOTH BIG AND SMALL.
By Brother Jimmy Henke, C.S.C.
King’s College students take on the mission of the institution and make it come alive for us both on campus and in their larger communities. Some of these students are visible leaders on campus that everybody sees and celebrates—those that lead student government, speak at awards banquets, or are featured in commercials.
But many students contribute to the living of the mission of the College in ways that are not so readily seen. Some give themselves to the operating of a club, connecting their studies with service, or engaging in service opportunities through the Shoval Center. Many are the first in their families to pursue a college degree and advocate for greater access to higher education for others. All of these contribute to the building of the common good, but often their work goes unnoticed beyond their circle of influence. Enter the Magnificent Monarchs recognition program.
Recognizing the varied nature of work by our students, the Division of Student Affairs wanted to find some way of drawing out and celebrating their stories. Since the initiative began last April, we have celebrated two students as our Magnificent Monarchs for each month the College is in session. What has been beautiful to see is how the number of nominations has grown as more and more of our community become familiar with the program and want to highlight their friends, students, classmates, club members, residents, and work studies. So far, we have celebrated students who have engaged in local and international service, published their own writings, served in the military and continue to give back to their community, and so many more.
All King’s students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit nominations for students who they think deserve recognition in this way. To make the nomination, the nominator shares a bit of the student’s story: what they are involved in, how they contribute to the building of the common good, and how they embody the mission of King’s College. A small committee composed of members from a variety of departments reads through all the submissions and confers on who they would like to bring forward before the whole King’s community for recognition that month.
As the program grows, making selections becomes more and more difficult, and, at the same time, the work becomes more and more inspiring. We knew that our students were making an incredible impact in ways that were not always seen or celebrated, but as familiarity with the program spreads, we have been floored by just how many of our students are making our King’s community and the world a better place in ways both big and small. ■
The Ever-Ready Priest
THE HALF-CENTURY-LONG TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT OF REV. CHARLES J. KOCIOLEK, C.S.C.
By Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., President
How long is temporary? Well, if you ask Rev. Charles J. Kociolek, C.S.C., temporary can be quite a long time. In 1981, Father Charles received a temporary assignment to King’s College to serve in the Office of Campus Ministry, and he has been ministering at King’s ever since.
As a spry 96-year-old, he navigates campus with the best of us, though at a slightly slower pace than when he was nicknamed the “ever-ready” priest for the energy he exuded and the speed with which he moved across campus.
“Ever ready” could also be applied to his willingness to take on new opportunities at the College and in the local Holy Cross religious community. After a short stint in Campus Ministry, Father Charles became a member of the Accounting Department, using skills learned at Pace and the University of Notre Dame. He loved teaching accounting but demanded that his students be prepared and ready to answer questions in class—he wanted his students to be ready for fruitful careers.
After 10 years in the classroom, he became the Director of the Office of Academic Advisement, where he developed the summer advisement program for first-year students and had a reputation for no-nonsense advising. If a student was not going to class or performing up to their potential, Father Charles would call them to his office and lay it on the line. He had an intuitive sense of what a student needed to hear and to be held accountable to be successful. With a sense of gratitude and surprise, he often shares stories of students from 20 or 30 years ago who called or wrote to thank him for believing in them and the “tough love” and guidance that he provided.
When the College needed an Alumni and Staff Chaplain, Father Charles was ever ready once again to step in and serve. In his current role and as a member of the Institutional Advancement team, Father Charles reaches out to alumni and friends in moments of grief, attends wakes and funeral liturgies, and sends Mass cards with personalized messages of prayer and consolation.
Throughout his time at King’s, the ever-ready priest has cared for his brothers in Holy Cross and his colleagues. In Holy Cross, he has served as the local superior and as the superior of a house for young men interested in joining the Congregation. In both, his call to be faithful to prayer was the mantra of his leadership. His care for his colleagues at King’s extended beyond assurances of prayer to the baking of homemade apple pies, a highly coveted and delicious sign of friendship.
And “ever-ready” is also applied to his willingness to go the extra mile for so many people. Over the years, he has performed an emergency baptism and an emergency First Holy Communion in the hospital for the children of King’s employees.
While less dramatic, I’ve been privileged to be a recipient of his “going the extra mile” attitude. When I was a struggling doctoral student in Washington, D.C., Father Charles would meet me for dinner halfway between Wilkes-Barre and Washington. He took great pleasure when the host would call out, “the Looney party of two, your table is ready,” and the others waiting to be seated chuckled out loud and turned their heads to see who we were. His visits lifted my spirits and helped me to persevere and complete my degree.
Indeed, temporary can be quite a long time, especially when there is generosity, gratitude, and a sense of God’s providence guiding all things. King’s is honored to recognize the “ever-ready” priest for his generous, gracious, and faithful service by naming the Office of Academic Advisement in his honor. ■
Father Charles’ Legacy is Commemorated in the new Student Success Center
In February of this year, the King’s College Board of Directors voted to name the Office of Academic Advisement after Rev. Charles J. Kociolek, C.S.C., who has served the College for more than 40 years.
The Rev. Charles J. Kociolek, C.S.C., Office of Academic Advisement will operate within a new, comprehensive Student Success Center, opening Spring 2025. The project is part of a first-floor renovation to the D. Leonard Corgan Library, where the College’s various student support services will be consolidated. In addition to academic advisement, offices for tutoring, academic skills, and first-generation and international student support will move into the state-of-the-art location. In co-locating these critical services in a central campus location, students will have improved access and exposure to academic support.
MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK... AND A THEATRE COMPANY
GASLIGHT THEATRE COMPANY’S SUCCESSFUL SPIN-OFF FROM KING’S COLLEGE THEATRE
By Brandi George Davis ’12, Director of College Marketing and Communications
Inlast year’s magazine, we featured a moving eulogy written by Dave Reynolds ’00 for Brother Jim Miller, C.S.C., beloved King’s professor, mentor, and friend who helmed King’s College Theatre for three decades.
From Bro’s early days as a King’s Theatre student to his year’s leading the department, Bro’s love for theatre was woven into the fabric of the program. As Dave wrote in his eulogy, Bro’s concept of “theatre magic” was giving ownership to the students who would diligently work alongside one another—from actors and stage crew to designers and dressers—to pull a show together by whatever means necessary. He would often say, “Many hands make light work,” to rally students to the finish line before opening night. The collaboration and camaraderie were infectious, and his philosophy was embedded into the work ethic of every graduate he taught until he retired in 2014.
This passion was particularly motivating for a group of students from the late 1990s. Not wanting the experience to end, six King’s Theatre alumni, including Reynolds, made a wild idea a reality. In late 2003, they—along with nine other friends—started a nonprofit community theatre derived from the creative vision of King’s Theatre. Gaslight Theatre Company’s mission was to produce classical and underproduced works, an approach they saw not represented in the market and something the group felt wellprepared for from their education at King’s, especially since they also had Bro’s guidance as a founding board member.
“Bro was a mentor to all of us, and we wanted his expertise,” Reynolds said. “And he liked making theatre with us just as much as we liked making it with him.”
Gaslight’s first production was Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream followed by Moliere’s Tartuffe. The group did not shy away from difficult pieces: Shakespeare’s MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet, Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, and Marivaux’s Triumph of Love were all among the company’s productions in the first two years.
“Our first productions were received quite well, especially Shakespeare,” Reynolds remarked. “It was helpful that we had the pedigree of coming through the King’s Theatre Department. Audiences knew they could trust the quality, and very quickly the community wanted to work with us.”
Another hallmark of Gaslight productions was transforming found spaces—gymnasiums, defunct store fronts, and church basements
and sanctuaries—into theaters as well as presenting shows at colleges and universities. With many productions presented on the King’s Theatre stage, along the way, King’s students and faculty would collaborate with alumni and the community to create memorable works, further blending and influencing the local amateur theatre scene.
And 21 years later, Gaslight continues to deliver on their unique mission, having presented 40 classical and underproduced works as well as an impressive 62 original full-length and one-act pieces by local playwrights. Even with a couple hiatuses on the books to get married, start families, creatively recharge, and to navigate a pandemic, Gaslight has been a consistent theatrical juggernaut in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It only felt appropriate to bring Gaslight home to King’s Theatre, where the company currently serves as Artist in Residence and co-presents two productions during the academic year and leads summer programming.
Students build a network and connections with other venues and can fill their CV with variety, which theatre companies are always looking for.
“It’s always been a benefit to have King’s students work with really talented members of the community who bring expertise that differs from how they’d interact with faculty and staff,” Reynolds said. “Students build a network and connections with other venues and can fill their CV with variety, which theatre companies are always looking for.”
Gaslight’s portfolio and professional reputation is unmatched in the region, and a testament to the work ethic and zeal for educational and thought-provoking theatre. Since joining the Northeastern Pennsylvania Theatre Alliance in 2017, Gaslight has acquired 63 nominations and 26 award wins, including 11 this past year and the most of any company.
As a member of the board of directors since 2012—the year I graduated as a King’s Theatre major—I am so proud to be a part of this heritage and to know that the theatre education I, and so many other graduates, received sets a high standard locally and in the many theatre companies and organizations other graduates work at professionally. ■
King’s students, graduates, and faculty make up a large part of Gaslight’s board, production teams, and company members. From bottom left to right, first row: Brandi George Davis ’12 and Jennifer McClinton-Temple; second row: Colin Walsh ’11, Steph Gawlas ’11, and Stephanie Burke ’14; third row, Dave Reynolds ’00 (founding board member), Christina Reynolds ’00 (founding board member), and A.J. Bonk ’16; last row, Matt Hinton ’05 (founding board member) and Wendy Hinton.
Monarch Mayhem Fuels Competitive Spirit Among Athletics
The annual crowdfunding campaign provides opportunity for teams to compete while fundraising.
By Bridget Walsh, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications
It’s a crisp fall morning on campus, and the academic year is in full swing. Students travel to their next class, lunch with their friends, or any other stop on their daily journey; but when the clock strikes noon, the mayhem begins. A flurry of social media posts, email reminders, and texts from student-athletes, coaches, and staff to anyone in their address book generates excitement for the start of the annual Monarch Mayhem.
Monarch Mayhem, a crowdfunding campaign, was introduced in 2019 in partnership between the Athletic Department and the Office of Institutional Advancement and has grown substantially through its four years. The event challenges varsity athletic programs to creatively generate donations through online initiatives. The first three years, the fundraiser ran for just 24 hours, but last year’s campaign was extended to 32 hours and helped increase the opportunity to bring in donations.
Teams create exciting and engaging content to post on their social media accounts to build anticipation in the weeks leading up to Monarch Mayhem before unleashing their best posts across the 32-hour window. Inflated costumes, hair dying, and comedy skits all draw attention to team’s pages and encourage family, friends, alumni, and the campus community to donate to their favorite teams.
Each year, programs identify areas of need and items they specifically want to use these donations toward, such as team clothing, travel, equipment, and upgrades to keep up with the competition across their sport. Men’s basketball fundraised for winter jackets in 2022 and made a thank you post on their Instagram that winter with the entire team sporting their new gear in front of the skyline prior to their game at MAC Freedom opponent Stevens. Baseball and softball use funds to defray costs for their annual spring training trips so each student-athlete can gain that extra experience and prepare for the remainder of their schedule up north.
In the spirit of competition, Monarch Mayhem pits programs against one another in three categories—men’s, women’s, and coed—to challenge teams to bring in the most unique donors for a grand prize. With the level of excitement in the first three years, the 2022 fundraiser introduced a new prize awarded to the overall team that brought in the highest dollar total during the 32-hour period.
Each year, the overall donations raised have grown as Monarch Nation prepares for the crowdfunding campaign. The 2023 initiative brought in almost $75,000, which was celebrated at the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)’s annual Team Carol Night that benefits Toys for Tots. Bringing these two events together, a new tradition began to formally celebrate the success of Monarch Mayhem and present the prize winners with
The men’s basketball program posted on their Instagram in 2023, thanking their donors for helping raise funds for their winter coats on the campus of MAC Freedom foe Stevens.
The wrestling team has had tremendous success the past two years, winning both their division and the overall award. The captains accepted their checks at the 8th annual SAAC Carol Night last December.
giant foam checks prior to the performances of classic Christmas carols. A night that brings the entire King’s community together to help a worthy cause generates just an extra buzz of excitement as the fall semester winds down and the countdown to the holidays commences.
This year's Monarch Mayhem 5, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, has shaped up to be the most thrilling installment of the annual crowdfunding campaign yet. Teams have their thinking caps on to create new and exciting content with the help of current trends and quirky ideas to join in on the Mayhem and fundraise for their programs. ■
Safety, health, and wellness has been a focal point in college athletics. The football program used their funds from Monarch Mayhem 4 to purchase Guardian Caps for the team to help prevent concussions and other traumatic brain injuries.
Spring teams like softball and baseball use funds raised for their annual spring training trip to help prepare for the remainder of their season up north.
Radio Home Visitor Celebrates 50 Years
By Will Skaggs, Public Relations and College Communications Manager
Theoldest radio reading service of its kind in the country, "The Radio Home Visitor" on WRKC celebrated 50 years of serving the blind, visually impaired, and homebound community of Wyoming Valley since its debut on September 2, 1974.
“The Radio Home Visitor” is a daily reading of Wyoming Valley newspapers that is broadcast daily on WRKC at 88.5 FM from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Rev. Thomas F. Carten, C.S.C., ’78 not only created the program as a student to obtain college credit, but he also wanted to reach residents that he felt were underserved by other radio stations. He originally told classmates and his instructor the endeavor might last a year.
However, Father Carten’s affiliation with the show continued after he became a Holy Cross priest and eventually a King’s College faculty member in 1979. He retired to the University of Notre Dame in 2013 and died on Christmas Eve in 2020 at the age of 78.
David Yonki ’77 recalled that his classmates who managed what was a “progressive rock” station at the time were skeptical of a show that appealed to an older group, but Father Carten won them over.
“He persuaded them that radio was not only about jazz, Mott the Hoople, and Jethro Tull, but also about community,” said Yonki.
Pat Fadden ’75 was affiliated with WRKC as a student and remembered the enthusiasm Father Carten created for the program.
“Once one of us got involved, we all got involved,” he said. “It was great. Tom encouraged it and got people interested.”
Father Carten was celebrated for his ministry as well.
“He was a priest, and he never thought he was better than anybody,” said Fadden. “He was open and honest. He was just the kind of person we needed at the station.”
“He gave the most sensible homilies I ever heard in my lifetime,” said Yonki. “He would give a three-minute sermon and would knock it out of the park.”
Sue Henry, WRKC’s General Manager, also remembered Father Carten’s devotion to the program, and the care he took bringing local news and information to thousands of residents over the years.
“He was a consistent voice in the lives of many,” she said. “He brought comfort to countless people who were able to feel connected to the community through his efforts.”
Scott Alexander ’22 currently hosts the show with support from staff, students, and other King’s alumni. ■
King’s Secures Largest FacultyInitiated Grant in College History
THE $1.45 MILLION GRANT ADDRESSES A MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN UNDERSERVED NEPA COMMUNITIES.
By Will Skaggs, Public Relations and College Communications Manager
The program—named Preparing and Retaining Inclusive and Mentored Educators in STEM (PRIMES)—is supported by NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship, which funds innovative efforts that address the national shortage of elementary and secondary STEM teachers.
PRIMES will target high-need areas like the Hazleton Area School District, which needs more STEM teachers and serves a large population of minority and economically disadvantaged students.
King’s College is partnering with Hazleton Area School District, Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, Luzerne County Community College (LCCC), and Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18 (LIU-18) to recruit a minimum of 20 STEM educators over a five-year period. Applicants will include current King’s College students, high school students interested in STEM teaching, LCCC graduates, and professionals employed by LIU-18 and its servicing districts.
The grant covers two years of tuition, fees, books, and other costs for program participants. PRIMES prioritizes the recruitment of diverse candidates and includes annual salary stipends upon successful employment.
The award was secured by a team of the College’s education, chemistry, and mathematics faculty, including Dr. Elise Heiss, Dr. Karen McCready, Dr. Andrew Wojcik, and Dr. Dara Soljaga, Associate Dean of Education, as well as Michelle Giovagnoli, Director of Institutional and Academic Grants.
“This project empowers candidates with training in both STEM content expertise and culturally responsive practices, as well as
The National Science Foundation (NSF) just awarded King’s College $1.45 million to operate a new recruitment, training, and mentorship program that will bring more K-12 math and science teachers to underserved communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
ongoing financial grant support and mentorship from our extensive network of local partners,” said Dr. Soljaga. “I am so proud of the concerted efforts of our team and look forward to supporting high-need schools in our community with STEM graduates who champion the inherent dignity of every person in their classrooms.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity to make a profound and lasting impact on both a new generation of NEPA educators and the diverse communities they serve,” said Rev. Thomas P. Looney, C.S.C., Ph.D., President. “We’re grateful for this support from NSF and all those who worked diligently to secure the funding.”
PRIMES expands the Education Department’s efforts to make STEM education more accessible. In April 2024, more than 60 grade school students came to campus for a series of fun workshops developed by the first 20 local educators to complete the College’s STEM Endorsement program. Those candidates had their tuition, laptops, and STEM instructional materials covered by a $295,000 PAsmart grant. The College also sponsors the “Kids at King’s” initiative, which brings local grade school students to campus each spring for a series of STEM learning modules run by undergraduate teaching students. ■
CLASS NOTES
Rev. Tom O’Hara ’71 received the George E. Martin Leadership Award, which is conferred by the Holy Cross Institute to recognize exceptional individuals whose vision has not only enriched the lives of students but also inspired them to enrich the lives of others.
A native of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Father Tom has served as Provincial Superior of the U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers, as a trustee at the University of Notre Dame, Stonehill College, St. Edward’s University, and numerous other boards, and of course as President of King’s College for 12 transformative years.
Father Tom lives and breathes the spirit of education in the Holy Cross tradition. When the son of a coal miner, graduates from—and later becomes the president of a—college founded for the sons of coal miners, God’s providence is clearly at work. His success in transforming hearts and minds at King’s is echoed in the testimony of numerous students, faculty, and staff, past and present.
I cannot imagine a more beloved member of the King’s College community or a more worthy recipient of this prestigious award. Join me in congratulating him on this momentous and well-deserved achievement.
— Father Looney
50s
Robert S. Kovalchik ’59 received an honor in March 2024 from the American Astronomical Society—the Sally Ride Education Prize—named after the first female American Astronaut.
60s
John M. Holmes ’69 had his fourth thriller novel No Good Will Come of It published, and it is now available on Amazon. All his thrillers take place in a fictional town along the Susquehanna River.
George W. Ambrose ’69 has been active with Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center in Philadelphia—where he serves as Coordinator of Environmental Science— since retiring from public school teaching. He is also on the Steering Committee of the Alliance for Watershed Education as well as its DEIJ work group. His 2023 Fellow from Swarthmore College presented his work on the analysis of a 20-year-old manmade wetland at the national convention of the Society of Freshwater Scientists in Philadelphia in June. Finally, George was recently appointed to the Citizens Advisory Council of the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
70s
Robert F. Fortsch ’77 celebrated 45 years with Prudential Insurance in Paramus, New Jersey. Although technically retired, Bob continues to work with a team of young agents. Bob and his wife Pat live in River Vale, New Jersey, where Bob has served as chairman of the Zoning Board and vice chairman of the Joint Planning Board.
80s
Paula A. Holoviak ’85 had their book Pennsylvania Government Politics: Understanding Public Policy in the Keystone State published with Penn State University Press. The book was co-authored with Thomas Baldino, Professor Emeritus, Wilkes University.
Father O'Hara accepts the George E. Martin Leadership Award with members from the Holy Cross Institute at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas.
00s
Kelly A. Bray, Esq. ’02 was promoted to Director, Business Development at Pennsylvania American Water Company.
Daniel M. Johnson ’09 has been appointed by Urban Land Institute (ULI) Northern New Jersey to serve as District Council Co-Chair alongside Elizabeth Limbrick, Director of Brownfields and Sustainable Systems at New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), for FY25-FY27. Dan leads the commercial real estate practice for R&J Strategic Communications, where he serves as a trusted counselor to some of the region’s most prominent commercial real estate and professional service businesses. Dan has also served as PR Chair for the ULI NNJ District Council Advisory Board, and as an UrbanPlan volunteer and city council member with the organization’s East Brunswick High School program since its inception. Dan’s leadership, talent, and hard work have earned him the respect of top industry leaders.
Diane E. (Lucas) Manser ’06 is a current 18-year veteran high school English teacher. Her book I Didn’t Sign Up For This: One Classroom Teacher’s Journey Through Emotional Fatigue to Personal Empowerment was recently published; it is available on Amazon. Diane is married to Shane Manser and lives in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, with their two children, Leah (11) and Eric (9).
10s
Katie Spencer (Moore) ’11 has returned to her “home away from home:” WRKC Radio. Having not been on the airwaves of WRKC for over a decade, Katie requested a time slot again to return to her hobby of radio broadcasting. She can be heard on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. on 88.5 FM or wrkc.kings.edu.
Brittany Cilento Kopycienski ’14 opened her psychotherapy private practice this year, Glow Counseling Solutions. Brittany is a nationally certified counselor, a certified and licensed alcohol and drug counselor, a certified trauma professional, a licensed professional counselor in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and an approved clinical supervisor. Brittany provides individual therapy for adults,
Alumni Meet up in Saint Louis!
Andrew J. Klein ’73, Ph.D. and Jennie Jean-Jacques ’15 recently met at a local restaurant in Missouri. Jennie works at Washington University, and both she and Drew would be pleased to meet any King’s engineering students completing King’s 3+2 dual-degree program with the university. If alumni are in the area, reach out to alumni@kings.edu!!
college aged, and older. She specializes in treating depression, anxiety, life transitions, burnout, identity struggles, and trauma. She is an expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Brittany is currently providing virtual therapy to individuals residing anywhere in the states of New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Brittany is a proud Monarch alumna and attributes much of her success to the support and knowledge she received while attending King's.
Brianna DiMaggio ’18: A Rising Star in Sports Media
Since graduating from King’s College in 2018, Brianna DiMaggio has made a remarkable impact in the world of sports media, earning recognition and awards for her exceptional work behind the scenes. Her career began at MLB Network, where she quickly made a name for herself by producing her own show in 2019, titled “Best Bat Flips of the Season.” In addition, she created the popular weekly segment “Sandlot to the Show” and contributed to numerous MLB Network shows, including “Quick Pitch,” “MLB Tonight,” “MLB Central,” and “Intentional Talk.” Her work extended to creating engaging social media content for all 30 Major League Baseball teams. DiMaggio’s talent for cutting real-time highlights and writing shot sheets for on-air talent earned her industry-wide recognition, culminating in an Emmy Award in 2019 for Outstanding Studio Show Daily for “MLB Tonight.”
Matt Henry ’13 was brought on as the Social Media Director for Joel Corry— an 11x Platinum recording artist and international touring DJ—in 2024. He is a freelance producer, videographer, and editor working with dozens of musical acts, brands, and events. In the last year, his work was shared by Theo Von, Bruce Springsteen, Red Bull, Luke Bryan, Diplo, Shaboozey, F1 México Grand Prix, Meghan Trainor, Stagecoach, Lollapalooza, Jared Leto, Kygo, Live Nation, and more. Since 2017, his work—including music videos, social media content, and advertisements— has been viewed hundreds of millions of times across every major social media platform. Matt is also producing a truecrime documentary based in Northwest Montana where he runs a real estate project with his wife, Nicole.
DiMaggio’s career continued to soar when she transitioned to ESPN, where she started on Baseball Tonight and worked closely with talent to produce and execute the show, including cutting highlights and segments. In 2022, she produced the entire Gold Glove Award show on her own, which led to a special invitation to the prestigious Gold Glove Award ceremony. Her versatility shone through as she produced and edited five-minute feature stories for SportsCenter, covering a wide range of sports. She even segmentproduced interviews for Stephen A’s World, including one with Craig Robinson.
DiMaggio’s impressive achievements at ESPN include winning an Emmy Award for her contributions to SportsCenter in the same category she previously won at MLB Network, highlighting her consistent work. Most recently, she worked on the NHL playoffs for the 2023-2024 season, creating feature stories that captivated millions of viewers before each game. Now back on SportsCenter, Brianna is responsible for producing daily teases for the highly viewed 6 p.m. show.
DiMaggio’s journey from King’s College graduate to Emmy-winning producer at MLB Network and ESPN is a testament to her dedication, creativity, and passion for sports broadcasting. Her outstanding work continues to be inspired by her time as a dual-sport athlete at King’s, where she played both Field Hockey and Softball. ■
Nicole Henry ’15, a graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law and a seventh-year associate at Richards, Layton, & Finger, P.A. in Wilmington, Delaware, was accepted as a fellow in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 2024 Fellows Program. Nicole focuses her legal practice primarily on litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Delaware Supreme Court involving corporate governance, corporate control, fiduciary duties, contractual disputes, and other commercial disputes. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Charities, Dioceses of Wilmington; a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware; and a former judicial clerk for the Honorable Morgan T. Zurn of the Delaware Court of Chancery.
20s
Anthony J. Macko ’23 earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Cum Laude, and served as class president. He was a member of campus ministry, the men’s swim team, and the Shoval Center Community Service Honor Roll. Anthony earned his Commission as an Officer in the United States Army from the Royal Warrior Battalion, Army ROTC, at the rank of Second Lieutenant. He is a recipient of the Department of the Army ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate Award. Anthony commissioned into the Aviation Branch and attends the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Novosel, Alabama.
Matt and Nicole Henry with their daughters, Esmeralda (born October 3, 2022) and Maribelle (born May 16, 2024) at Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana.
MARRIAGES
Alexander A. Choman ’73 and his wife, Patricia, celebrated 50 years of marriage in August 2024. He was working at Temple University when he met her. She was a librarian.
Juliette ’18 and Kyle ’17 Wilk were married on April 26, 2024, in Avalon, New Jersey. They met at King’s College through lacrosse and began dating in October 2015. They have been together for almost nine years and have been through two graduations; living in Center City Philadelphia; COVID-19; traveling; moving to Denver, Colorado; adopting their first puppy; and getting married. They are so excited for what their future holds and are thankful for King’s College for providing them with the community to meet each other.
Leo’s Love Story
Annemarie ’14 and Ryan ’13 Powers were married in October 2023 by Father Russ McDougall at the Chapel of Christ the King. Annemarie writes of their proposal: In 2011, I was in the second semester of my freshman year at King’s College when I befriended a transfer student in my Athletic Training program. After a study session one day, he asked me and my friend if we wanted to grab a bite to eat with him and his roommate, Ryan, who had also recently transferred to King’s to study Business Management. My friend and I were getting some cash from the ATM that used to be in front of Esseff, when Ryan and his roommate met up with us. After making introductions, we walked down to the Square and went to Rodano’s for dinner. Three months later, we started dating.
In 2019, Ryan planned a trip to the Mohegan Sun Casino for my birthday. On the way, he parked by campus saying that he wanted to swing by Senuna’s—in reality, he just wanted to walk me across campus to Leo’s statue, so that he could surprise me by proposing.
As a previous member of Cantores Christi Regis, it was such a blessing to have Rob and Rachel Yenkowski play the music at their wedding Mass (along with a few current members of CCR!). It was an absolutely beautiful day, and Ryan and I were beyond excited to share King’s with our family and friends. King’s will forever have a special place in our hearts! ■
IN MEMORIAM
Our prayers and condolences are extended to the families of the following alumni and friends who passed away recently.
James T. Conroy
Michael J. Hudacek Sr.
John Joseph Slavoski
Philip Joseph Gallagher
James "Jim" T. McGeehin
Jerome Joseph Perez
William (Bill) P. Slavoski
Michael W. Boback
Leon L. Kuchinski
Leonard Edward Forrence
Father Tom Sarnecki
Robert J. Bachman
James John Bozlinski
Andrew Francis McKelvey
James "Jim" Edward Toole
Edward C. Warakomski
Matthew "Matty" Joseph Papka
Joseph J. Sharaba
Lawrence "Yogi"/"Larry" Wroblewski
Joseph John Chukinas
Eugene F. Gallagher
Peter P. Kalac
W. Francis Keating
Henry F. Nardone
Robert Schelich
Joseph B. Clark Sr.
John C. Gaudio
Donald A. Panciello
James Aloysius Gilmartin
Dennis Klein
Carl John Kubek Jr.
Frank Vincent Reilly
Jerome "Jay" Joseph Gorrick
John M. Benz
John P. Cahill
Robert T. Edgerton
Kevin Richard Murphy Sr.
John Joseph Sod
George W. Volpetti Jr.
Peter J. Wendrychowicz
Dennis Ralph Lazorcheck
Nicholas J. Punko
Dale "Butch" Richards
Francis E. Zaleski
Richard Martin Lukesh
Ronald F. Owazany
August "Gus" Joseph Weidner
John "Jack" R. Nordell Jr.
Michael J. Camasso
Dennis Grogan
Joseph Matthew Hester
Edward "Ed" E. Rafalski
Edward "Ned" R. Walsh
Lawrence D. Westawski
James F. Devlin
William "Bill" Gannon
Robert Edward Myefski
Michael "Mike" Budjnoski
Thomas Healey
James "Jim" Francis Murrison Sr.
Leonard D. Scupski
Ed Sichler
Thomas Zanowicz
Robert "Bob" Elston
William J. Lohman
William A. McGlynn
Charles A. Salvo
David James Usavage
Michael Robert Koslap
Raymond Smith
James E. Schappert
William "Billy" Frank Marcinkowski Jr.
Jeanne K. Brozena
Christopher P. Decker Sr.
Edward "Ed" Dorang
Vincent K. Mirigliani
Joseph "Joe" Parker Potelunas
Mark Yefko
John T. Griffin
Kevin Michael Halligan
Vincent J. Mazzotta
Robert Lee Wolfe
John A. Vojick
Alice A. Engleman
Francine B. Miller
Joseph Rembis Jr.
Sandra Maria Singer
Mark S. Yanus
Neil J. George Jr.
Mary Ann "Mare" McGrane Martillotti
Maureen Gerarda Nye
Christopher N. Walukas
Daniel W. Maciolek
Eric John Kowalewski
Annemarie Crilly Infante
Alice Bratlee
Donna Marie Ziegler Ushinski
Lynette M. Hazeltine Davis
Joseph D. Lacina
Joseph Samuel Smiles
Chad M. Ames
Janine Bly Horro
Joseph R. Kulesza
Codey Allen Prindle
Faculty, Staff, Students, and Friends
Jamie Lynn Balut
Jay Berry
Philomena Bridget Ann Cassidy
Conrad
Daniel J. Curran
Benjamin Peter Dragan
Anita Gregor
Walter Laibinis
Richard Maslow
Rita McCabe
Mary Ellen McGinley
Petronella (Pat) Michaels
Trudy Nevolas
Robert "Botcho" M. O'Hara
Patrick George Oliver
Rev. Laurence M. Olszewski, C.S.C.
Rita J. Pugliese
Roger J. Purcell Jr.
Richard A. Rose,Sr.
Wilma "Peach" Alberta Schierer
Rev. Patrick J. Sullivan, C.S.C.
Richard A. Voke
Rev. Patrick Sullivan, C.S.C.
On February 10, 2024, the Lord called Rev. Patrick Sullivan, C.S.C., from this life to eternal life. Father Sullivan served at King’s College from 1958 to 1965 as an Assistant Professor, Chair of Sociology, and Dean of Students. He returned to King’s from 2000 to 2009 to teach in the Sociology Department and served as Assistant Superior.
To most, he was known simply as “Sully”; his charismatic personality defined him. His voice was immediately recognizable; his words were often challenging and provocative. Throughout his life he championed the cause of hardworking men and women and fought for fair treatment of working families.
In 2014, the Reverend Patrick J. Sullivan, C.S.C., Award was created in his honor through the efforts of former King’s football players, primarily from the Class of 1964, many of whom lived in Hafey-Marian Hall during Father Sullivan’s tenure. The award has been presented to an outstanding junior or senior member of the football team before each Homecoming Game since its inception and has become a muchanticipated tradition at King’s College.
An endowed scholarship was also established in his name by alumni and friends, The Rev. Patrick J. Sullivan, C.S.C., Scholarship, to honor his years of friendship, mentorship, and service to the College. Donations to this scholarship are always accepted and can be made by visiting alumni.kings.edu.
Rest in Peace, Sully.
As a proud alumnus/alumna, you have an exclusive and important perspective on the transformational education offered through the King’s College experience. If you know a future student—relative, friend, or neighbor— who would thrive in our environment, we encourage you to Recommend a Monarch! As a thank you, alumni who refer students are eligible to receive special perks from King's. Our Admission and Alumni teams would love to hear from you. If you want to learn more, email admissions@kings.edu.
