Mapping out the Future - Community

mapping out the future:

partnerships & community

In 1857, six Painesville, Ohio, businessmen purchased 13 acres of land, and with the help of Painesville residents, Lake Erie Female Seminary came to life. Modeled after Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts, the all-women seminary opened in 1859 with a mixed curriculum of liberal arts and domestic activities. By 1898, the curriculum switched to a collegiate rather than seminary degree. The school officially became Lake Erie College in 1908, and by 1985, the college became a coed institution with approximately 1,100 students.

Today, the campus sits on 52 acres with a total of 18 buildings. Many of these date back to the early days of the school, including the Morley Music Building. The hall’s elegant, Greek architectural style adds a distinguished flair to Painesville’s Mentor Avenue, and in 1978, the Ohio Supreme Court held its sessions in Morley, giving the building, the College, and the city of Painesville additional historic significance.

College Hall, the most recognizable of the campus buildings, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2019, Lake Erie College participated in the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Program competition to win a share of $2 million dollars from American Express. Then Vice President of Advancement Tony Fulgenzio pointed out “this was truly a community effort through our partnership with the Downtown Painesville Organization. Members of the community and our loyal LEC alumni joined forces to vote each day and secure the support needed to qualify for these generous grant funds from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Express Foundation.” history. LEC President Dr. Brian Posler points out, “We are incredibly proud of our long relationship here in Painesville. Many of our alumni live in the city, and we work hard to attract Painesville residents to select Lake Erie College for their higher education needs. Whether it be our traditional undergraduate programs, our competitive graduate programs, or our recent HVACR program, we work hard to build programs that meet Painesville’s needs.” In the spring of 2021, the College rolled out Painesville Promise, a scholarship program for Painesville’s high schools. Qualified students who apply and are accepted to Lake Erie College can earn a full-tuition scholarship plus fees. The City of Painesville recently agreed to fund 20 of the scholarships, increasing the reach of the program and number of students helped.

One of LEC’s long-standing traditions, Mountain Day, has historically included a surprise day off from classes, bagpipes as a morning wake-up call, and a campus-wide scavenger hunt. This year’s event adds a new dimension to the festivities Director of Career Services Eric Evans says, “For 127 years, Lake Erie College has held its annual Mountain Day celebrating our community and involving our students in positive activities. Our Mountain Day was inspired by Mount Holyoke College’s day of the same name, which includes students climbing an actual mountain. The mountain we encourage students to climb this year is making a positive impact in our local and campus community.” Community service projects included Project Hope for the Homeless, where students packaged dinners for the shelter in Painesville, and End 68 Hours of Hunger, a program that helps feed the hungry in Lake County, Ohio.

Throughout the year LEC students work to assist the community in other valuable ways, including an annual tax clinic held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Painesville. For the past 18 years, accounting students have put their skills and class curriculum to use to help locals file their taxes. Julie Ziemak is an assistant professor of accounting at LEC. She and Staff Accountant Justine Barnum work together to head up the project, which allows current students in Ziemak’s accounting class to practice their

Press Conference event announcing the Painesville Promise initiative (L-R) Painesville City Councilman Jim Fodor, City Manager Doug Lewis, President Posler and Superintendent of Painesville City Local Schools Josh Englehart announced the launch of the Painesville Promise during a press conference

skills. “I love teaching the class because it’s more like the real world. The classroom can be such a controlled environment versus the real world where anything can happen.” Ziemak has been with the program since its inception. “I find it so gratifying because I’ve watched these community members grow up over the years. This year, the tax clinic helped bring in $40,040 in federal refunds for the clients.”

The school’s herd of 50 school horses at the George M. Humphrey Equestrian Center features prominently in LEC’s community involvement. In 2019, the College’s therapeutic horsemanship program opened its community lesson program. Current students in the school’s therapeutic horsemanship major help run the lesson program and gain valuable experience in the field before they graduate. Dr. Pam Hess is the dean of the School of Equine Studies. “This summer, our

Lake Erie College Therapeutic Riding Center was able to provide over 50 lessons to local children with physical or cognitive differences. Most of these children came from families in Lake or Ashtabula Counties. Approximately fifty volunteers generously donated their time and efforts in support of that summer riding program.”

Not all of the community participants ride though. This summer, the School of Education and the School of Equine Studies collaborated with Painesville City Local Schools to offer Horse Powered Tutoring. The nine-week program offered local elementary school students the opportunity to improve their reading confidence. With support from LEC double alumna Suzanne Schoedinger Ellis ’59 ’87, students spent part of their week at the College’s Garfield Center working on literacy tutoring and the rest of the week at the Equestrian Center. Students read to a handful of the College’s horses. With horse-friends who can help eliminate the pressure of judgement, students relaxed into the experience, learning to enjoy their equine pals while gaining confidence in their own skills. “The relationship between the students and their horse is sacred and special,” says Dr. Delavan. “It did not take long for the students to identify their horse and make a connection.”

Visiting Instructor of Equine Studies and PATH Intl. CTRI Sarah Dwyer ’18 ’20 concurs. “I chose six of our school horses that I thought would be friendly and safe to use for this program. I tried to pick the attention hogs, and they seemed to really be really enjoying this time with the kids. A lot of the students had never pet a horse before and now they get to spend the whole summer with them. Watching the kids get more comfortable around the horses and enjoying the barn has been so fun.”

“We are incredibly proud of our long relationship here in Painesville. Many of our alumni live in the city, and we work hard to attract Painesville residents to select Lake Erie College for their higher education needs. Whether it be our traditional undergraduate programs, our competitive graduate programs, or our recent HVACR program, we work hard to build programs that meet Painesville’s needs.”

Lake Erie College’s commitment to educating students with real-world, applied experiences in the context of a broad-based liberal arts curriculum sets the school apart in the world of institutions of higher education. This special and distinctive learning program thrives thanks to the support of Painesville. Creating and nurturing a symbiotic relationship with the community allows LEC students to grow and learn in a way that enhances their professional and personal fulfillment. From rewarding internships in the business community, to jobs for current students, and a whole host of community service options, Painesville helps Lake Erie College create successful, empowered students, prepared for the post-collegiate world.