Saint Francis Magazine - Fall 2019

message from our president Dear alumni and friends, This fall carries special personal meaning as I enter my last academic year as University of Saint Francis president. I will certainly approach the usual landmarks of the school year with much appreciation of God’s blessing to be serving such a great institution.

Since 1993, I have been privileged to serve the university during an era of tremendous change and growth. We have collaborated on projects both large and small. We’ve teamed to cultivate growth in our academic programs, in athletics and the arts. We have seen the addition of several new academic facilities that have strengthened the university to meet the needs of today’s students, and we have seen the expansion of the campus and our programs here in Fort Wayne and elsewhere in the state. During this time, I am most grateful that we have not only remained faithful but have deepened our Catholic and Franciscan mission and values.

Saint Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:11, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.” I am eagerly looking forward to working with everyone to complete this “Season of Change” to which I was called by God and which I spoke about in my inaugural address in 1993.

This edition of the magazine contains some perfect examples of how the USF campus is a vibrant place for students and a launching point as they begin to make an impact in their communities.

It is inspiring to see the work of alumni such as Cameron Shackelford, who helps and guides Fort Wayne’s young people with his work in the Safe Place Program.

In this issue, you can also read about the lives and work of nurses (Shawn and Olivia Ryan, the first couple to be married in the St. Francis Chapel), doctors and accountants (Joey and Casey Dynako), music technicians and marketers (Wes Osborn and Erin Okeson), legal professionals (Cameron Smith) and pro sports social media specialists (Ryan Nix).

A fun glimpse into USF history is captured in a feature on the pioneers who were instrumental in building the foundation for women’s athletics. Don’t miss what our current students are doing, including opportunities in the renovated and expanded Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center, and the lifechanging growth of students who visited the Dominican Republic.

Thank you for your loyalty and support. USF alumni represent the best advertising possible for our values and mission.

God’s blessings,

Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF, President University of Saint Francis

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Magazine | Fall 2019

Office of Institutional Advancement Dr. Matt Smith

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Kathy Calvin

Administrative Assistant

Melissa Eastman

Director of Alumni Relations

Tammy Oakes

Senior Gift Officer

Sister Marilyn Oliver, BSE ’62 Planned Giving

Sandie Phalen

Director of Marketing and Development for USF Crown Point

Matthew Rowan

Director of Development

Tess Steffen

Annual Fund Coordinator

Mary Timm-Zimmerman Donor Relations Specialist

Tatiana Walzer, MBA ’13

Assistant Director of Advancement Services

Magazine Staff MARKETING AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Carla (Satchwell) Pyle, BA ’00

EDITOR AND FEATURE WRITER

Reggie Hayes

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

Melissa Eastman Sister Marilyn Oliver, BSE ’62 Mary Timm-Zimmerman SPORTS WRITER

Bill Scott

FEATURE WRITER

Yvonne Schroeder

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Rachel (Weaver) Brooks, BA ’16 PUBLISHER

University of Saint Francis 2701 Spring St., Fort Wayne, IN 46808 260-399-7999, sf.edu/magazine 2019-2020 FRANCISCAN VALUE

RESPECT CREATION

FALL 2019

The magazine of the University of Saint Francis is published twice annually by the USF Marketing Department and distributed without cost to alumni, faculty, staff and other friends of the university.

in this issue features 6

Top of the Class USF’s valedictorians forge ahead

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Safe Place Superhero Cameron Shackelford steers young people in the right direction

10 Coaching Life Rachel Pritz loves helping people live healthier lives

12 Good Times with Rhymes “Seussical” brings Dr. Seuss characters to life

14 Branding the Colts Ryan Nix stays on message with the Indianapolis Colts

16 Learning and Leading Thamay Paw built a new life for herself and her family

18 Love After First Sight Erin Okeson and Wes Osborn found love at USF

20 Celebrating 75 Years of USF in Fort Wayne

22 Picture Perfect

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Shawn and Olivia Ryan were first couple to marry at the St. Francis Chapel

24 Fresh Space Students benefit from the Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center

Whimsical musical. The Cat in the Hat came back, Horton heard a Who and a load of fun ensued as the cast of “Seussical” staged a musical to remember. The School of Creative Arts performance proved irresistible, even to the oldest Grinch.

26 Face-to-Face Lessons Dominican Republic trip generates new perspectives

28 Courting Success Cameron Smith found an unexpected, rewarding career

30 Living in Sync Joey and Casey Dynako produce a classic love story

32 Paving the Way A group of athletic women in 1975 relished their roles as pioneers of USF women’s athletics

sections

Athletics

34-36

Campus News

37-39

Alumni News

40-43

Artful love. Erin Okeson and Wes Osborn went to the same high school but didn’t become a couple until they both transferred from other colleges to USF. Now, they share a love of the Fort Wayne arts scene and, of course, each other.

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A coach for life. Rachel (Stauffer) Pritz loves helping people reach their full potential in all areas of their lives. She works with corporate teams and individuals to help them discover “work-life satisfaction.” She says USF’s nursing program set the foundation for her current success.

Life is too good to waste. A group of USF students learned about another culture and how they could bring positive changes home from the Dominican Republic. After experiencing an up-close look of daily Dominican Republic life, the students committed to cutting back on waste.

28 Holding court. Cameron Smith found an unexpected career path as a court reporter when he took over his fatherin-law’s business, Holm Court Reporting & Video. Smith now relishes his work with local attorneys while remaining connected to his family’s Smith Academy for Excellence.

On the cover: Shawn and Olivia (Hall) Ryan became the first couple to be married in the St. Francis Chapel, and their connection to USF made it the perfect locale. Both have now forged careers in nursing with Shawn at Lutheran Hospital and Olivia at Parkview Regional Hospital.

Photos by Mollie Shutt (BA ’19), Tim Brumbeloe, Jason Gaskins and Steve Vorderman. Cover photo by Stacey Harting Photography

TOP OF THE CLASS USF’S VALEDICTORIANS FORGE AHEAD AFTER MAKING THE MOST OF THEIR UNDERGRADUATE YEARS

Adam Hoffer

Jaclyn Hofstetter

Adam, son of Troy and Deb Hoffer, majored in business management. He was a four-year member of the USF football team and will stay in Fort Wayne and work for Raytheon after graduation. He credits the EPIC program and his internship opportunities as key factors in lining up a full-time job prior to graduation.

Jaclyn, daughter of Bryan and JoAnn Hofstetter, majored in pre-art therapy and psychology. She will pursue a Master of Science in Art Therapy at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wis., with a concentration in counseling. Jaclyn completed her two USF majors in three years of study, tackling an 18-hour class load with additional courses every summer.

She came to USF from Chicago after learning about the university at a portfolio review. She said her time at USF challenged her to be the best person she could be.

Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership

“I have nothing but good things to say about USF,” Hoffer said. “The EPIC program helped to land me internships at some of the best companies in Fort Wayne. The thing I valued most at USF was how the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi lives on in both the classroom and the people at USF. Being able to integrate my faith within my studies was something I will cherish, and it has genuinely helped to make me a better person. Winning back-to-back national championships with the football team was pretty great, too.”

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School of Creative Arts

“The past few years at the University of Saint Francis were very formative,” Hofstetter said. “I am so grateful for all the friendships I formed, opportunities I had and activities that made me feel a part of a great community. I feel so prepared and excited to continue my education and professional career because of this university.”

The University of Saint Francis Class of 2019 valedictorians excelled in their undergraduate majors and are moving forward quickly to their next steps in careers and education. In addition to their high academic achievements, the four USF valedictorians share a commitment to Franciscan values and aim to remain true to their USF roots as they make an impact in the world.

Kelsie Winebrenner

Melissa Witmer

Kelsie, daughter of Scott and Carla Winebrenner, majored in nutrition with a concentration in the coordinated dietetics program. Kelsie plans to stay in Fort Wayne and work in a clinical setting, with a long-term goal of working as a renal dietitian in a dialysis center.

Melissa, daughter of Donald and Brenda Witmer, majored in nursing. She is working full time as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Parkview Hospital Randallia. She also works part time for the Bellinger Law Office as a legal assistant and volunteers on the board of directors for Camp PossAbility, a non-profit Fort Wayne organization. Melissa finished her degree in December.

School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

“It has always been a goal of mine to work with people with eating disorders,” Winebrenner said. “That goal is what motivated me throughout my first few years of college. However, after I started doing my internships and being exposed to different avenues of the dietetics world, I slowly started to realize that my dream wasn’t exactly what I wanted anymore.

“Through completing an internship at DaVita Dialysis Center, I learned that I have a passion for renal nutrition,” Winebrenner said. “I am so thankful for all of the different internship experiences I was able to have through the university.”

PhotosbybyTim Tim Brumbeloe Photos Brumbeloe

School of Health Sciences

“I love Saint Francis and would definitely recommend the school,” Witmer said. “My experience was amazing. The nursing program was very hard but rewarding at the same time.

I knew the professors cared about me and truly wanted me to be the best nurse I could be. They took their jobs seriously and taught me to do the same. I am very proud to have graduated from Saint Francis and I want to thank everyone who made it possible, especially God. He held me together.” saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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SAFE PLACE

SUPERHERO FORMER USF FOOTBALL PLAYER CAMERON SHACKELFORD WORKS TO STEER YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Cameron Shackelford hears the crisis phone ring, dons his cape and leaps into action. The cape is figurative. The image fits.

“When I was a kid, I loved superheroes,” Shackelford said. “I loved reading comic books; I loved all that stuff. With the Safe Place program, you’re kind of like a superhero. That call on the crisis phone—it’s kind of like the Bat-Signal.

You go out and find these kids in trouble and try to figure out how to be their calm in the storm.”

arguing and they don’t know what to do about that. Or they’re thinking of running away. We try to sway them from running away. Human trafficking is a growing problem, and Indiana is one of the major areas.”

The weight of these young people’s situations can be heavy.

Shackelford also serves as a case facilitator for the Status Offender Court Alternative Program (SOCAP), which tries to steer troubled youth off a possible criminal path. Shackelford’s incentive for pursing social work comes a bit from his background. He grew up in Hawaii and some of his family members were involved in gangs, he said. He was not unlike the young people he tries to help.

Shackelford later moved to Fort Wayne and began playing football as a sophomore at South Side High School. Football led him to USF. He played on the 2016 NAIA national championship team.

“When I first looked into what I wanted to do at Saint Francis, I had no idea,” Shackelford said. “I just knew I had this burning urge to help somehow. I wanted to help someone.”

Shackelford explored psychology, secondary education, physical education and exercise science at USF before turning to social work after taking a social diversity class. That’s when he found his niche. His internship with the Youth Services Bureau confirmed his calling. After first working for SCAN after graduation, he returned to the Youth Service Bureau, where he has thrived. He often gives presentations in schools, laying out the options and pitfalls awaiting young people.

“Cameron does a great job connecting with young people at all the different levels we would want him to,” said Amy Dahm Just, Youth Service Bureau executive director. “God puts people in your life at the right time and God put Cameron in our lives. The Safe Place program is only three years old and to have him come along and help has been great.”

Shackelford maintains an even-keel demeanor, which is a necessity for handling the situations of the young people he deals with, whether it’s with Safe Place or SOCAP. Shackelford, a former USF football player who earned a Bachelor of Social Work in 2017, is the Allen County Safe Place coordinator for the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne’s Youth Service Bureau. It’s his job to assist children and young people who seek help in a Safe Place location (identified by the Safe Place logo).

The calls to the crisis phone can come any time, day or night.

It takes a mentally strong yet caring personality to deal with the physical and emotional issues facing those young people.

They could be tackling any number of traumatic issues.

Shackelford embraces the challenge.

“We deal with kids up to age 24 who are in crisis, which is defined as anything somebody can’t handle,” Shackelford said.

“Maybe they’re thinking about suicide or their parents are Photo by Jeffery Crane (’97)

“The small victories are what counts,” he said. “You’re trying to build confidence in the kids, letting them recognize the small wins they have in their steps. You have to show them, ‘You’ve done this and this and it’s huge.’ You probably won’t see the gratification until you’re walking down the street and someone comes up you don’t recognize and says, ‘Hey remember me.

You helped me out.’”

Shackelford is only 23, so he has a number of avenues yet to explore with his social work, which he says grew from the USF emphasis on Franciscan values.

“As of right now, I couldn’t tell you what success is or what that end goal is, but I’m in the process,” Shackelford said.

“Being in the process and being there on the field helping kids firsthand, that makes me happy.” saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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Coaching L

I

At first glance, Rachel (Stauffer) Pritz, ASN ’03, seems far removed from her start as a nursing student at USF in the early 2000s. Look a little closer and the connection between her early days as a bedside nurse to her career today as a life coach comes into focus. The goal—helping people achieve optimum health—remains the same.

“My personal mission is to grow and develop people to their full potential; that’s what really lights me up,” Pritz said. “I want to see them get unstuck from the rut they’re in, and then help them reach their full potential.”

Pritz has covered almost all angles of the healthcare world since she graduated with an ASN from USF in 2003. She progressed from a nurse to the chief nursing informatics officer at Community Health Network in Indianapolis, an organization where she worked for 14 years. That’s a condensed version of her climb up the corporate ladder, but like many executives, she reached a point where her work consumed her time and energy. She sought out a life coach, who helped her regain what she calls “work-life satisfaction.”

Pritz was soon struck with an epiphany: She felt the call to be a life coach. She started her own business, Rachel Pritz Coaching, and didn’t look back.

“I originally thought it was going to be a side hustle,” Pritz said.

“Then I started seeing the potential for a larger program. A lot of people are just not showing up as their best selves. They all need coaches. We can get to where we want to be if we can get out of our own way.”

Pritz recalls how she was consumed by her career as a healthcare executive, piling up the hours on the clock, and losing some precious time with her family, which includes husband Aaron and children Austin and Zoey. That’s when she sought a life coach.

“I stopped that run-run-run mentality,” she said. “I set some healthy boundaries around work. Family is very important to me, so I stopped working more than 40 hours a week. The 10

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team saw me as a mature leader, setting boundaries around what I was doing. Most people in that same level did not have that same balance. I felt I had something to give to other people and teach them how to have the life they want.”

Pritz started her practice and she said it grew organically very quickly. She works with corporate teams and with individuals, usually for a period of six to 12 months. She also speaks at businesses, corporate and community events.

On her website, RachelPritz.com, Pritz points out that “Our lives are like complex puzzles. Some people have all the pieces, but don’t know how they all fit together. Others are still searching for missing pieces. Coaching can help you find pieces of you and fit them together.” She helps clients in using the Enneagram personality assessment, which she says was enlightening to her when she took it.

One aspect of her knowledge that sets her apart from other life coaches is in her experience as both a hands-on nurse and an executive dealing with information technology. She understands and relates to both types of careers. She earned a Master of Leadership in Healthcare Systems, as well as a Nursing Informatics Certificate, from Indiana University, and completed Life Coach Training at the Martha Beck Institute.

She emphasizes the nursing training she received at USF put her foundation in place.

“I feel nursing really set me up for what I do today,” Pritz said.

“I can serve so many people by taking care of them and how they respond to stress. It’s not like I stopped being a nurse because I was having a bad experience. I love the profession of nursing. Had I not gone into nursing school, I would not be where I am today.

“I became a nurse because I knew I wanted to help people,” she said. “I’m still helping people and, in some ways, it’s much more direct. With nursing it was physical health, now it’s more emotional health.”

Photo by Jason Gaskins

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GOOD TIMES WITH

RHYMES USF production “Seussical” transformed Dr. Seuss characters to life in spectacle and song

LAYERS OF FUN propelled “Seussical the Musical” to a memorable run. Some of those layers were physical, as in the clever Dr. Seuss-themed backdrops which were designed, created and painted by talented School of Creative Arts faculty, staff and alumni. For adults paying close attention, other thought-provoking layers emerged within the musical’s themes.

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“As much as Dr. Seuss books are geared toward children, they are also very semi-sort-of political,” director Brad Beauchamp said. “It’s very subtle and very smart. As much as you think they’re cute little children’s stories, they are laced and laden with messages.”

“Seussical,” a two-act performance staged the last two weekends in March at the USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center, revolved around the character of Horton the elephant. Horton, played by Jordan Gameon, discovered the microscopic land of Whoville in a clover and worked to protect the Whos because “a person’s a person no matter how small.”

Leading the cast was the beloved Dr. Seuss character The Cat in the Hat, played by USF junior Louis Soria. The Cat served as rambunctious host of the proceedings, pouncing in and out of scenes as an “agent of chaos.” Beauchamp assembled a perfect blend of actors for the roles, including USF students Kennedy Lomont as Gertrude McFuzz and Tia Hackbush as Mayzie LaBird. USF alumnus Quentin C. Jenkins played Mr. Mayor. Several other USF students were part of the 35-member cast. Other familiar characters included the Sour Kangaroo (Emma Beauchamp-Leavell), the Wickersham Brothers (Connor Beer, Chancynn Giddens, Alex Leavell) and General Genghis Kahn Schmitz (Paul R. Faulkner).

The production was sponsored by USF alumna Toni Murray (’71, ’72).

“This musical is very clever,” Beauchamp said. “I was in Barnes & Noble flipping through ‘Horton Hears a Who’ and I open it up and I’m reading the words and hearing the lyrics to the musical.”

The cast embraced their roles with gusto. Soria made a number of public appearances as The Cat in the Hat, sometimes with another primary character, JoJo, played by Cassandra Smith, a St. Charles Borromeo School eighth grade student. Leslie Beauchamp served as assistant director/choreographer, Ben Wedler as musical director and Dr. Steven Kandow as orchestra director.

Children as young as 5 were in the cast.

“The cast was the most fun part of it,” Lomont said. “Everybody was really great.

I made a lot of friends through this.”

Beauchamp praised everyone involved in the production and said he loved how each set piece worked together to transform the USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center stage into the world of Dr. Seuss.

“This was challenging, creating all of these lands from Dr. Seuss’ imagination,” Beauchamp said. “You’re managing the expectations of the audience. The guys who built the set—Mr. (Rick) Cartwright, Jay (Herron) and Jon (Detweiler)—are serious, accomplished artists. They had so much fun building this wacky world of Seussical.”

The fun spilled over, much to the delight of appreciative audiences.

Photos by Tim Brumbeloe

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BRANDING THE COLTS From USF to Notre Dame to Syracuse to the Indianapolis Colts, Ryan Nix stays on message

Ryan Nix keeps his cool in a work environment that could easily throw others off their game. As Social Media Content Specialist with the Indianapolis Colts, Nix purposefully avoids acting like a star-struck fan. Nix, a 2017 USF alumnus and former football kicker, sports a view on the inside of the Colts organization; he’s part of the team. Still, some days can feel a little like walking through an NFL commercial.

“You get used to it, but I’ll work out in the facility and coach Frank Reich will be next to me on the treadmill,” Nix said. “Or I’ll pass Andrew Luck in the hallway. I don’t socially interact with the players unless a certain job requires it, but you come across people here and there. And some of the guys are a lot of fun.”

Colts defensive back Kenny Moore II occasionally pops into Nix’s office with a sketchbook and ideas. “Kenny knows football is not forever and he’s interested in graphic design,” Nix said. “I’ve helped some guys grow their personal brands. If they have a camp back home or something like that, I’ll create media and designs for them to share via social media.”

The No. 1 assignment for Nix is to generate a Colts social media buzz.

“I love creating content that excites fans,” Nix said.

“The whole goal is to produce engaging content so fans, players and news outlets want to pick it up and share it.”

Nix has found a knack for just that.

Upon earning his degree in communication arts and graphic design with a minor in sports management, Nix landed an internship with the University of Notre Dame football recruiting office. He jumped into the deep end without knowing the depth of the water.

“The guy who hired me left for Louisville two weeks before I got there,” Nix said. “They told me they would ‘have a new guy in here in a couple weeks, it should be fine.’ A couple weeks turned into three months. It was sink or swim, on my own, learning as much as I could.

I eventually got a great mentor in Chris Charizopoulos whom I’m still close with.”

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After blossoming in his role at Notre Dame, Nix heard Syracuse University was looking to fill a creative spot in its recruiting office. He applied for the job.

“I did this kind of Skype-like interview where I drove a robot through my computer and parked at the end of a large conference room table,” Nix said. “The interview went great and they offered me the job that night.”

Nix wanted to visit Syracuse before making a decision, but once he explored the campus, “I fell in love with the place,” he said. He became the creative director for the football team.

Nix planned to settle in for a long haul at Syracuse, but he heard the Colts were looking to expand their Content Department. Long story short, he landed another new gig.

“I had to make a very, very hard decision to leave Syracuse,” Nix said. “Working for the Colts is a completely different world, but it’s great. At the end of the day, it’s still football. You just don’t deal with recruiting anymore. You’re focusing on the brand entirely — pushing creative boundaries.”

Nix’s meteoric rise in the sports marketing world can be attributed to his significant talent and skill, and his background in sports helped. Nix was the kicker for USF’s first NAIA national championship in 2016. He holds or shares USF records for point after touchdown (PAT) kicks in a game, season and career, and previously held the record for longest field goal of 44 yards. Gavin Gardner broke that record with a 46-yarder in 2018.

Nix calls his USF experience invaluable and said his understanding of sports culture helped him land his positions with Notre Dame, Syracuse and the Colts.

“This is a booming industry,” Nix said. “NASCAR, The Masters—everybody’s hiring these types of jobs.

People are hiring creative thinkers. I have that in me where I see things a little differently. All in all, I’m having a blast being part of such a talented team and respected organization. The creative content we are producing is gaining considerable exposure league-wide and I foresee that continuing in 2019 and beyond.”

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LEARNING AND LEADING

THAMAY PAW (BS ’19) BUILT A NEW LIFE FOR HERSELF AND HER FAMILY THROUGH PERSEVERANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AT USF

BY YVONNE SCHROEDER

“God has not left us.”

With children in danger, it matters little what ideology drives nearly 60 years of armed conflict between the Karen people and the government of Burma, now Myanmar. Families like that of USF alumna Thamay Paw flee their villages to save their lives. That’s how Thamay and her family, forced from their home in 1997, became residents of Tham Hin refugee camp in Thailand. At age three months, Thamay existed in over-crowded, forced and dangerous confinement.

“Despite the hardships and all, God has not left us,” affirms Thamay, a 2019 graduate of USF’s educational studies program. “We heard about United Nations High Commission for Refugees that would provide safety and education opportunities. We completed the program within three years.

Then we were finally able to start our new lives in December 2006 in the state of Georgia in the United States.”

They eventually moved to Fort Wayne and as a Miami Middle School sixth grader, Thamay learned of the 21st Century Scholars program, which helps underprivileged students gain an education. “Since I wanted to further my education in college, I applied for the program,” she said.

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As a North Side High School student, she assumed multiple support roles for her family while maintaining her grades, participating in school programs and forming friendships.

It was a tough time, with responsibilities that sometimes caused her to quail. Through it all, her mother supported and inspired her.

“I do feel that I have a big responsibility with my family, my school and myself,” Thamay said. “But I love my family, especially my mother. She is the most inspirational and influential person in my life. Ever since high school, I decided to take over when I felt that everything was going downhill and that if I didn’t do something about it, we would be apart. Because I didn’t want to lose my family, I took over.

My mother trusted and encouraged me to complete higher education so that I could be a successful young adult who could support her family. Because she carries the weight with me and gives me freedom, trust and encouragement, I am able to do all the things that I have done since I came to the U.S.” Two other supporters helped throughout her journey: USF and God.

“My whole life I’ve lived with fear,” Thamay said. “Fear of failure. Fear of abandonment.

Fear of being unwanted. Fear of being unsafe.

I only started to feel love and respect toward myself when I started attending the university.

Having my voice heard at USF opened up a whole new journey. I became more confident and internally stronger. My faith and self-love became unwrapped. Therefore, my philosophy is not to be afraid to take a chance and create windows of opportunity, as in Proverbs 3:5-6: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’”

Thamay completed all of the applications to lead her family to U.S. citizenship and help her siblings gain 21st Century Scholar awards. During her final USF semester, Thamay worked in the Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) English Language Learner (ELL) department to learn how to advocate for students and their families by interpreting at case conferences, assisting teachers who teach English Language (EL) students, and furthering her understanding and skills in navigating community and school services for ELL students.

“Even though I was not fluent, I kept on pushing,” she said. “I believed that fear is an opportunity to overcome, and then achieve a wonder.”

She plans a life of student advocacy, and dreams of becoming a teacher. She is working as an interpreter for the Language Services Network and FWCS ELL, and as a playground and golf course staffer for Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation.

“USF has helped me to follow my dream,” she said. “Another dream, to become a school counselor, awakened during my ELL program internship, so I will get my master’s when the time comes. USF transformed my fear into passion, and one day, my career. I recommend it. My younger sister has already been accepted into the University of Saint Francis accounting program.”

Photo by Zack Kittaka (BA ’16)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

-PROVERBS 3:5-6 saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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LOVE AFTER FIRST SIGHT Erin Okeson and Wes Osborn took different routes to USF but they found a home—and love—in the School of Creative Arts Erin Okeson and her husband Wes Osborn went to the same high school. They weren’t high school sweethearts.

In fact, they barely knew each other.

“We were in different social groups in high school. He was friends with all the theater kids, while I was friends with all the athletes,” Erin said. “I remember always thinking he was very cool, but I didn’t know him at all.”

Their paths diverged further after graduation from Fort Wayne’s Blackhawk Christian High School. Wes, a year older than Erin, began studying at IPFW and Erin enrolled the following year at Taylor University. It wasn’t until they both transferred to the University of Saint Francis that fate—with a major assist from friendship— brought them together.

They were studying in the School of Creative Arts (SOCA)—Erin in communication, Wes in music tech— and shared some mutual friends. Those connections led them to a recreation league soccer team and into the same social circles.

“We hung out for six months and neither one would admit we liked each other,” Erin said. “We sat on different sides of the room when we hung out. Then we were going to watch a movie one day and he asked, ‘Can I sit on your side?’”

“Very romantic,” Wes said, lightheartedly.

They discovered they shared the same favorite band — Arcade Fire — and similar tastes in other music and movies. “We both enjoyed the growing arts scene in Fort Wayne and wanted to explore that together,” Wes said.

“That gave us a great list of things to do together.”

After dating for about 18 months, Wes proposed in front of Trinity English Lutheran Church. He told Erin they were heading to meet his mother for dinner. Instead, families from both sides gathered at a celebratory dinner shortly after Erin said yes.

The year 2016 proved monumental. They were engaged in March, they both graduated from USF in May and they married in November. Their careers have taken flight in concert along with their marriage. Erin is the Social Media & Digital Marketing Coordinator for Visit Fort Wayne and Wes is an Associate Category Manager of Pro Audio at Sweetwater. It’s hardly surprising they’re 18

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involved in Fort Wayne’s creative scene. Erin promotes many aspect of the arts through Visit Fort Wayne.

In addition to working at music mecca Sweetwater, Wes continues to pursue outside music projects. He mixed the EP “Thought of Man” by local band Secret Mezzanine. The band’s drummer, Jacob Sherfield, is friends with Wes and a fellow USF alumni. Erin and Wes credit the close-knit environment within SOCA as being a great launching pad for their successes.

“We both very much appreciate being part of SOCA,” Erin said. “It’s such a neat community that is very supportive of everyone.”

“It was a perfect combination of really good instruction and education and also a blank check on the creativity side,” Wes said.

Erin remembers the above-and-beyond help of Communication Program Director Jane Martin, who directed Erin onto her academic track after transferring to USF and changing her path from elementary education to communication. Wes had been leaning toward majoring in English or creative writing at IPFW but felt drawn to music technology, which became a bigger passion at USF. As they found their homes in the classroom, they also found each other.

“We have similar senses of humor and we’re both very introverted,” Erin said. “I like how we teach each other things. I like learning from him.”

Wes said their similar quiet and creative natures meshed well and led to the close bond they have as a couple.

“When you’re early in college, everyone has opinions about everything and everybody’s stepping over each other to get the last word,” Wes said. “We were both OK talking about whatever felt natural. It never felt like a competition.”

The more they talked, the more they found a conversation they’d love to continue for a lifetime.

“There wasn’t a movie-style, ‘This is the big scene’ moment,” Wes said. “We had a slow-burn build to a relationship that— day after day—continues to grow.”

Photo by Steve Vorderman

“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.�

- 1 C O R I N TH I A N S 1 3 : 7

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CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF USF IN FORT WAYNE

HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH THE YEARS

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the University of Saint Francis making Fort Wayne its home. The institution changed from a college to a university, more than doubling in size and enrollment, adding multiple facilities and athletic programs, and expanding to additional locations in downtown Fort Wayne and in Crown Point. We celebrate some of the landmark steps in USF’s continuing growth.

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1944

1970

Fort Wayne becomes home

1945 First Fort Wayne commencement honors five lay students and 11 sisters

Sister JoEllen Scheetz becomes president

1975 The Troubadours become the Cougars

1980

1948 Trinity Hall constructed

1952

Men’s golf team wins the college’s first NAIA title

1981 St. Joseph School of Nursing alumni become Saint Francis College alumni

Sister Evodine McGrath becomes first resident president

1990

1957 Saint Francis College receives its first national accreditation

Hutzell Athletic Center opens

1993

1959 Saint Francis College admits its first male students

Sister Elise Kriss becomes president

1997 Professor Sufi Ahmad sculpts the St. Francis statue

1962 Bonzel Hall welcomes its first students

1963 The Troubadour athletic program begins offering baseball, cross country, soccer and basketball

1968 Achatz Hall and Schouweiler Planetarium built

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1998 Saint Francis College becomes the University of Saint Francis

1998 Lutheran College of Health Professions students join the University of Saint Francis

1998

2012

USF football program plays its first game

1999 Campus Ministry Center opens

New online programs make USF available to more students

2012 USF acquires downtown location

2000 USF builds the Doermer Family Center for Health Science Education

2000 Mimi and Ian Rolland Art and Visual Communication Center opens

2014 Women’s basketball team goes undefeated and wins NAIA title

2016 USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center and Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership open downtown

2005 USF begins offering nursing programs in Crown Point, Ind.

2006 Pope John Paul II Center and Lee and Jim Vann Library built

2010 Bass Mansion reopens as Brookside after renovations

2010

2016 Football team wins first NAIA title

2017 Football team goes undefeated and repeats as NAIA champions

2018 St. Francis Chapel opens

2018-2019 Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center expanded and renovated

Men’s basketball team wins NAIA title

2011 Crown Point builds its own facility

2019 The Welcome Center opens

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PICTURE PERFECT

Shawn (BS ’17) and Olivia Ryan (BS ’17) celebrated their love for each other and for USF in becoming the first couple to be married at St. Francis Chapel.

Topping the University of Saint Francis romance of Shawn and Olivia (Hall) Ryan won’t be easy. It might even be impossible.

They met here, earned their nursing degrees here, fell in love here and— in a first for the new St. Francis Chapel—were married here.

“It feels corny to say, but I really do feel I got everything from Saint Francis,” Olivia said. “I got my dream job, I got my dream guy and my wedding was the most perfect ever, all from Saint Francis.”

Shawn and Olivia, both from Fort Wayne, met in 2015. There’s some dispute over exactly where they first connected. Olivia says it was during their first clinical at Parkview Hospital Randallia. Shawn, who played on the first USF national championship football team, believes it was microbiology class.

“It was the same semester,” Shawn said. “I just like the memories from microbiology class better.”

Once they started dating, the relationship blossomed. “I knew I wanted to marry Shawn the very first summer we started going out,” Olivia said.

They dated throughout their undergraduate years, with Olivia earning her degree in May 2017 and Shawn in December 2017. Both landed quality nursing jobs in Fort Wayne. Olivia works in the surgical trauma ICU at 22

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“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

Parkview Regional Hospital and Shawn in the cardiovascular ICU at Lutheran Hospital. “We’ve covered both bases,” Shawn said. Olivia is also continuing her USF education to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. The couple took a trip to Disney World in April 2018 and Shawn brought a ring along with him.

“I proposed in front of Cinderella Castle,” Shawn said. “Disney’s her favorite place on earth so everything worked out.”

Olivia might have had a slight suspicion before Shawn popped the question.

“I really wanted it to be there,” Olivia said, “but it still caught me off guard.”

Shawn proposed in the middle of the day, with a crowd around. “Everyone started clapping,” Olivia said. “It was really cool.”

As they moved ahead with plans for their wedding, the St. Francis Chapel was at the forefront of their preferred locations. Shawn, especially, was intrigued by the chapel early on.

“When I first saw the renderings of the chapel, I knew it was going to be a pretty special place,” Shawn said. “Going to school here and going to Mass in the old chapel every Sunday and seeing what the new chapel was going to be, I was really excited for it. When it finally came through how it was going to look, I thought we should have the wedding there. Saint Francis is where we met.”

Once they requested to have their June 8, 2019 wedding at the St. Francis Chapel, they waited to get the approval. As the time edged closer, they became a little nervous about having the approval in time to get the invitations out, but it all fell into place.

“Everything was awesome,” Olivia said. “The ceremony was amazing and then we got some great pictures all around campus.”

“Saint Francis is like a second home,” Shawn said. “To be able to get married on campus was really special.”

For information on renting a University of Saint Francis facility, contact Facilities & Events Manager Debra Bragg at 260-399-8006 or dbragg@sf.edu.

Photos by Stacey Harting Photography

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FRESH SPACE As the Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center project finishes, students will benefit from greater opportunities for learning.

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Expansion and renovation of Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center has altered the University of Saint Francis landscape in many ways. The new view couldn’t look better to Dr. Andrea Geyer, pictured left, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In addition to blossoming into an inviting building with a tremendous terrace view of campus, the completion of the project in 2019 ushers in growth in several programs.

Two prominent examples are Environmental Science and Computer Science.

The Biology program will change its name to Biology and Environmental Science.

“We’re emphasizing our environmental identity,” Geyer said. “As you look at the current state of science, changes are happening all around us. This is an opportunity for students to examine how we change, adjust and adapt to our environment.”

To that end, Achatz Hall has more amenities dedicated to supporting environmental science study, including specific equipment unique to environmental studies, and on-campus showers for use by students after they have explored the Lawson-Weidman Prairie, the Hurley-Tieben Woods or Mirror Lake.

“We have rooms dedicated to ecology and environmental science, where they have their own identity and own equipment,” Geyer said. “They have the space to do their own studies.”

As for computer science, the expansion and renovation of Achatz Hall opens up more opportunities to learn, thrive and land careers in the computer science industry. The new computer science lab will serve 20 students, nearly double the size of the previous lab.

“Indiana has a huge need for students with bachelor’s degrees in computer science who can go straight into the work force,” Geyer said. “We are partnering with that work force; our students are interning, getting job offers and being extraordinarily successful.

“This is going to allow that computer science program to soar,” Geyer said. “The students have a dedicated server to work with as they learn how to manage and support various technological Photos by Tim Brumbeloe, Mollie Shutt (BA ’19) and Emma Anger (BA ’17)

programs. They are exploring and embracing cybersecurity as they respond to the scenario of a system hack.”

Another area of growth in Achatz will be the medical labs and, specifically, the cadaver lab. The cadaver lab capacity will double to four cadavers.

“That will allow an increased use for our nursing classes, pre-medical and physician assistant programs,” Geyer said.

Students studying forensics will also have more opportunity to learn in an environment similar to the professional world.

“Our students will have a home for their independent research projects in chemistry and biology research labs that mimic the top labs in the nation,” Geyer said.

Fort Wayne Metals has invested in a working lab within Achatz.

This will allow for on-site student internship opportunities.

With increased study spaces and innovative learning areas, Achatz will be used by students across all disciplines. The natural sciences are an important element of USF’s San Damiano General Education Curriculum, Geyer said.

Expansion added 27,500 square feet onto the 46,000 square feet of renovated space, and the increased space in Achatz could also lead to more involvement with the Fort Wayne community.

In July, the expanded portion of the complex was named the John and Toni Murray Research Center in recognition of Toni Murray’s $3 million donation.

In addition to its everyday use, Achatz Hall could host a variety of single-use events within the community.

“With the Parkview Physicians Group Auditorium, there are great opportunities to bring in groups from the outside to use the facility,” Geyer said. “We have open spaces and collections of larger rooms people could potentially use.”

The STAR Bank Observation Terrace will be a prime place for observing the stars, as well as taking in a view of the campus from above.

“We also have an outdoor classroom right next to the lake,” Geyer said. “You can feel the breeze and live in the moment as you take the time to wonder, ‘Why are you here? Why are you here, at Saint Francis, sitting in this space?’ As you relax in that outdoor classroom you can treasure creation as you take it all in.” saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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Students who made a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic came back with new perspectives

FACE-TO-FACE

LESSONS

“I was thrilled to share this experience with our students. A lot of work went on behind the scenes for this opportunity. I just feel like we’ve gotten to know new friends now. I find myself praying for their needs and situations.”

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Sister Jacinta Krecek Assistant Professor, Ministry Program Director, Philosophy and Theology Department Chair saint francis magazine | winter 2017

A weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic spurred USF sophomore Carol Galicia into a one-woman campaign against careless waste. She bought a reusable straw and utensils and stopped purchasing plastic water bottles.

“Plastic” moved to the top of her list of dirty words.

“I think about waste a lot, and how wasteful our society is,” Galicia said. “I didn’t think about how much waste I produce and what I threw away until I went there. They didn’t have trash cans. You knew it went to the landfill and you saw it on the ground, and you saw the gravity of your decisions.”

Galicia wasn’t alone in the revelation.

“It’s so ingrained in American culture to use things and throw them away,” USF senior Georgia Lieb said.

Galicia and Lieb were part of a group of eight USF students who traveled to La Guama, Dominican Republic, with Sister Jacinta Krecek during spring break in March. The trip, part of New Community Project, was designed for social justice education, along with opportunities for service. The students served alongside the native workers with farming and other tasks, as well as spending time simply visiting and learning about the culture.

“We’re blessed in many ways here in the United States,” Lieb said. “They’re blessed in different ways. They have community and authentic relationships with each other. Here, people are distant, they live in separate houses. It’s a very different feel.”

USF senior Fatima Sandoval felt a sense of community and belonging among the people, even though they did not have a wealth of material possessions. Every home the USF students visited, the hosts invited them to sit down for bread and coffee, demonstrating the cultural importance of hospitality.

“There was so much more face-to-face communication,” Sandoval said. “Being there for a week made me realize how out of tune I am with people around me. We’re so attached to our phones and everything. To sit down and have a conversation was very refreshing.”

The group participated in a number of activities during their week, including peanut processing, digging swales, experiencing life in the batey (village where sugarcane workers of Haitian descent live) and painting a school.

Interactions and conversations sparked interest in trying to help and also generated reflection on how the students’ lives were so distinctly different at home.

“I don’t really like the rain, but now I realize how lucky we are to have it for vegetation and plants,” sophomore Taylor Stahl said. “It’s dry there and plants couldn’t grow because there’s no rain. Cows are so thin because there’s no grass. Some rivers have dried up. People can’t find water just to hydrate.”

Galicia described a day when the group went on a six-hour hike with a local farmer to the family’s plot of land. The farmer made the journey with a five-gallon jug for his animals twice a day. When they returned in the evening, the family fed the students. “You realize how grateful you should be for your life,” Galicia said.

Sister Jacinta credited Trina Boedeker with arranging the details and preparations for the trip, which included four students from Sister Jacinta’s course on Catholic social teaching. The class focused on a project about climate change and agriculture in the Dominican Republic. Other students who went on the trip were Kendra Siefring, Devin Morris, Peyton Yablonsky and Maddie Frasier. Debora Timmer, Student Success Secretary, also served as a chaperone.

“One of the things we focused on was validation for the work they do in the Dominican Republic,” Stahl said. “One of the workers there said, ‘When you bring in doctors, we realize we’re sick. When you bring in teachers, we realize we’re not smart. But when you bring in people to work among us, there’s validation for the work we’re doing.’”

The students were particularly struck by the contrast between the places they visited and the nearby vacation resort where many were oblivious to the everyday conditions.

“When we went to the resort, we had been through this whole life-changing experience and everyone there was just on vacation,” Lieb said. “I don’t understand how you can sit there, enjoying your time, when on the outside of the resort people are starving.” saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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COURTING

SUCCESS AFTER HELPING OUT HIS FATHERIN-LAW, CAMERON SMITH (BA ’06) ENDED UP IN AN UNEXPECTED BUT REWARDING CAREER

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Cameron Smith became a court reporter because he had a little extra time and an influential adviser. Little did he know a career was calling.

Smith had a window of available time in the summer of 2016 between academic years for Smith Academy for Excellence, the 4th through 12th grade academy he co-founded with father Thomas Smith and brother Corey Smith. Cameron’s influential adviser was his girlfriend Caty, who is now his wife.

Caty’s father, Charles D. Holm, the founder of Holm Court Reporting & Video, offered him an opportunity one day. Caty encouraged Cameron to jump in.

“They needed an extra court reporter,” Smith said. “I got certified and went through the process, taking some jobs in the summer and that led to taking jobs all the way to the beginning of the school year.”

Smith’s court reporting opportunities kept coming. He and Caty drew closer and became engaged. An unexpected new path emerged for Smith— an opportunity to purchase the company from his eventual father-in-law. Smith became Owner, President and CEO on Jan. 1, 2017. He and Caty married on June 24, 2017.

The move put Smith at a crossroads. Running the court reporting business, he wouldn’t have much time to devote to Smith Academy. Two family businesses were pulling him in separate directions. Smith contemplated trying to do both— run a company and help run a school — but there are only 24 hours in a day. So he stepped out of the daily operation of Smith Academy.

“It was an extremely tough decision,” Smith said. “I discussed it with my dad and my brother and I wanted to try to do both, but it wasn’t realistic to do that. I have a business background and I’ve always wanted to own my own company.”

Because he couldn’t see walking away completely, Smith remains on the Smith Academy board and tries to make time to volunteer with the young men at the all-boys school. Smith also works on fundraising for a new building and location for Smith Academy, currently located at 725 W. Washington Blvd.

“My goal is to get over there once a week for mentoring,” he said. “I want to keep my face visible and maintain relationships with the boys there.”

Photo by Tim Brumbeloe

Most of Smith’s daily time is devoted to Holm Court Reporting & Video, which Charles Holm started in 1986.

The business serves various litigation needs of attorneys, both local and national. Among the litigation services it provides are court reporting for depositions, examinations under oath, arbitrations, hearings, statements, video depositions, video conferences and exhibit hyperlinking for electronic legal transcripts.

“Working with local attorneys here on a day-to-day basis has been a great experience for me,” Smith said. “There are a lot of really great people who happen to be attorneys in Fort Wayne. It has opened up a lot of opportunities in developing relationships.”

Some of the attorneys he has worked with have contributed to Caty Smith’s foundation, The Brandon Foundation, an afterschool program for at-risk youth.

A commitment to serving was ingrained in Cameron Smith during his undergraduate years at USF, when he was also a member of the football team. He praises coach Kevin Donley as a mentor who inspired him to strive for excellence. Smith was part of the first Cougars team to play in an NAIA national championship game. Smith also played professional indoor football after graduation.

“Learning the Franciscan values and standards and expectations on campus for students went a long way for me,” Smith said.

“It’s refreshing to know it’s not just something they talk about, but live by. The professors speak on it; Coach Donley speaks on it. Following those values is an important thing for lifelong purposes. I’m deeply grateful for my experience at USF.” When he’s not focusing on his business today, he is brainstorming ways to help the causes nearest to his heart.

“A lot of conversations with Caty involve what we can do to make the Brandon Foundation better, and what we can do to contribute to the school,” Smith said. “Mentoring is a big deal to me and I want to do as much of that as I can.” saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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LIVING IN SYNC OPPOSITES MAY ATTRACT, BUT DR. JOEY (BS ’14) AND CASEY (LOSHE) DYNAKO (BS ’14) PROVE SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS AND BELIEFS CAN PRODUCE A CLASSIC LOVE STORY, TOO.

“I knew I was going to play football in college, and I wanted a job that satisfied three tenets for me: maximizing the potential God gave me, providing a better life for my family than I have had and helping people along the way.”

- D R. J O E Y D Y N A K O (BS ’14)

Joey and Casey (Loshe) Dynako were out on the town with a group of mutual University of Saint Francis friends one night when they first started talking. The conversation kept rolling.

“At the end of the night, I asked her out for 3 a.m. coffee at IHOP, and it went from there,” Joey said. “We lived in the same apartment complex, so we’d see each other in the afternoons after work. We’d go to Foster Park and take walks.”

As their friendship grew, they discovered similarities. They both grew up in Fort Wayne—Joey graduated from Homestead High School, Casey from Concordia Lutheran — and experienced similar Christian upbringings. They shared a passion for University of Notre Dame football. They were both talented USF athletes, too—Joey in football and Casey in softball.

“We talked about the big things early on—religion, politics, kids, finances,” Casey said. “As well as being attracted to each other, we had similar future aspirations.”

Romance blossomed. Joey’s idea for his marriage proposal was sparked by Casey’s interest in photography. As Casey worked on assignments in a photography class, they discussed having another person take a photo of them in Foster Park. Joey met secretly with the photographer earlier in the week, and wearing the same clothes he would wear in the shoot with Casey, posed for a photo while down on one knee.

During their couple’s photo shoot, Joey’s plan took hold.

“I had the photographer say, ‘Hey Casey, you should come over and take a look at the picture,’ ” Joey said. “What she saw was the photo of me on one knee from earlier in the week, and then she turned around and saw me there on one knee with the ring.”

“It was a surprise,” Casey said. “A good surprise.”

Joey and Casey also share an innate drive to excel in their professions. That’s reflected in how Joey successfully pursued medicine and Casey pursued accounting. Casey graduated in the spring of 2014, the couple were married Aug. 30, 2014, and Joey graduated in December of 2014, after his final

football season. Casey took a position with RSM in Elkhart as Joey studied medicine at Indiana University South Bend.

Both say their involvement in USF athletics helped them despite the heavy demands on their time.

“You learn how to manage your time,” Joey said. “In my transition to medical school, I was well prepared. There were people in my medical school class from Notre Dame and Penn and USC and UCLA, and I felt just as well prepared, if not better prepared, for medical school courses.”

Joey earned an MD from the IU School of Medicine this past spring, and is in orthopedic residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. The couple moved to Jackson last spring after 4½ years in Elkhart.

Casey had various avenues of study she could have pursued but chose accounting because of its strong employment market. “I wanted to make sure I could get a job after school if the economy was still struggling,” Casey said. “It was a little head-over-heart decision but it’s been a good decision.”

Casey’s ability to land a quality job in the spring of 2014 helped Joey stay on track in his medical field pursuit.

“The USF business program does an outstanding job of networking,” Casey said. “I had a job offer at the end of my junior year or early in my senior year, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my professors and Saint Francis as a whole.”

Joey said his interest in working with orthopedics first came from talking with his friend’s father, Dr. Jerry Cooper.

“I thought that was the greatest job, being a doctor and staying around sports and in the athletic realm,” Joey said. “I knew I was going to play football in college, and I wanted a job that satisfied three tenets for me: maximizing the potential God gave me, providing a better life for my family than I have had and helping people along the way.”

As they settle into their new home in Jackson, the Dynakos plan to dive back into volunteer work. That’s just one more area where this young couple remains in sync. saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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A group of athletic women in 1975 relished their roles as pioneers of USF women’s athletics

PAVING THE WAY Diane Karst (BS ’75, MS ’79) and Chris Parker (BSW ’77) suited up for the 1974 Saint Francis College baseball team — two women in a men’s sport — and didn’t think twice. They just yearned to play baseball.

“We knew most of the guys, and we went out and practiced and played and the coaches were very comfortable having enough players to practice,” Karst said. “It was good to finally get something going and do something athletic.”

Karst and Parker weren’t starters, but they appeared occasionally in games. Parker’s speed made her a valuable pinch runner. Mostly, the women savored being part of a team and engaging in their pure love of sports.

“I don’t remember it being such a big deal,” Parker said.

In the trajectory of University of Saint Francis sports, what came next was a bigger deal.

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Karst took her first taste of collegiate sports and ran with it.

She approached Saint Francis College President Sister M. JoEllen Scheetz and athletic director Dave Fulkerson and suggested it was time for women’s sports to take flight. “She said, ‘Write up some proposals and let’s see your ideas,’” Karst said. “She was for it. It wasn’t a battle. It was something they were already thinking about.”

Karst helped turn a women’s sports spark into a flame. By the 1974-75 school year, the women’s basketball program took its first tentative steps. Karst, Parker and nine others joined the roster.

“The friendships that developed are so important and the fact we are still friends today shows that.”

-Mary Pohlman, BS ’78, MS ’85

“We were really grateful,” Parker said. “Sister JoEllen could have said, ‘No, we’re going to wait,’ but she didn’t.”

Many women on that first basketball team have remained in touch. Many went into coaching at the middle school and high school levels. They retain a love for sports and a love for their alma mater. They take pride in blazing the trail, even if that wasn’t their primary intent. Seven of the players and Potts, who now lives in Texas, gathered for a photo at Brookside this summer.

“We were out to have fun more than anything else,” Mary (Schortgen) Nicholson (BA ’77) said. “At the time, we didn’t think of it as a pioneer thing.”

The program attracted like-minded women who relished the chance to make intercollegiate athletics part of their experience. Mary Pohlman (BS ’78, MS ’85) played basketball with her father and brothers growing up and remembers how many of her father’s friends were his former teammates. She saw a similar culture emerge at Saint Francis College.

“I wanted to be part of something that would be successful,” Pohlman said. “The friendships that developed are so important and the fact we are still friends today shows that.”

From left: Carlton Potts, Sandy (Jackson) Snyder, Mary (Schortgen) Nicholson, Diane Karst, Anna (Laux) McClain, Rhonda (Harter) Darley, Chris Parker and Mary Pohlman.

Fulkerson approached assistant athletic director Carlton Potts with an idea.

“He said, ‘We’re starting a women’s team. Would you coach it?’ ” Potts said. “I said yes, and he said, ‘Good. You have a game in three days at Fort Wayne Bible College.’”

Potts coached three games, winning two, as that group of women built the foundation of the USF women’s basketball program, which began official play the next season. A full commitment to women’s sports took hold in the 1975-76 academic year and the culture of athletics at the university changed forever.

Photo by Steve Vorderman

Pohlman was a freshman on that first women’s team, and the following season the players became the first female athletes at Saint Francis College to receive scholarship money. It doesn’t sound like much today—$100—but in the 1970s it was a nice boost. Volleyball and track and field followed basketball as women’s sports and many of the athletes competed in all three sports.

The growth of University of Saint Francis women’s athletics over the years remains a source of pride for the women who took those first steps.

“To see the fulfillment of some of the things we dreamed about is very rewarding,” Pohlman said.

Those early players share an affinity for the players of recent years, when the Cougars have competed at the highest level, including winning the NAIA national championship in 2014.

For the pioneers, the memories made turned into a lifetime reward.

“The love for your sport, the love for your teammates,” Parker said, “that stuff just doesn’t change.” saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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MULTIPLE ATHLETES EARN ALL LEAGUE All-America recognition Athletic achievement on the field and off the field continued to bring tremendous recognition to the University of Saint Francis in the winter of 2018 and spring of 2019.

Baseball Junior outfielder Noah Freimuth was an All-Crossroads League first-team selection while junior Jack Harris and sophomore Tyler Prince were All-Crossroads League honorable mention for first-year coach Dustin Butcher (BA ’01). Senior catcher Matt Vollmer led USF (13-40) in hitting with a .338 average in 32 games and Prince finished with a .326 average. Freimuth hit six homers and moved to No. 5 on the USF career list with 18.

Basketball—Men’s Freshman Jeff Reynolds was named to the Crossroads League All-Freshman Team and junior Connor Lautzenheiser was voted All-Crossroads League third team.

Lautzenheiser led USF with 14.1 points per game. Reynolds scored in double figures in 12 of the last 16 games. USF finished seventh in the Crossroads League (9-9), 16-15 overall, and did not make NAIA Tournament 32-team field for only the second time in the last 10 seasons.

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Basketball—Women’s Though the injury-riddled Lady Cougars were one-and-done in their 18th NAIA Championship appearance, they tied for fourth in the Crossroads League at 11-7 and finished 20-13 overall, reaching 20 wins for the 16th time in the last 24 seasons, and the first time since 2014-15.

Leading scorer Kara Gerka was voted to the first team of the 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America NAIA Women’s Basketball Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She was also an NAIA All-America for the second consecutive year (honorable mention) and an NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete, along with Savannah Buck and Shayna Temple. Gerka and Lauren McBryar were both All-Crossroads League second-team selections while Buck and sophomore Sidney Crowe were All-Crossroads League honorable mention selections.

Softball The Lady Cougars finished 27-24-1 overall, 1-1 in the rained-out Crossroads League Tournament, and 17-17-1 in the Crossroads League for fifth place. The 27 wins are the most for USF softball since 1998. Seniors Breanna Pryor and Lizzie Meyer were named All-Crossroads League first team after they finished 1-2 on the USF career hits list. Pryor, a four-time All-Crossroads League first-team selection, was an NAIA All-America honorable mention. Meyer was USF’s second Google Cloud Academic All-America NAIA Softball Team. Meyer led USF in RBI with 41, including 12 multi-RBI games. Pryor led USF in batting average (.415), which was No. 4 in the Crossroads League. Pryor’s 71 hits rank second on the USF single-season list behind Emily Kavanaugh, who racked up a USF-record 74 hits in 2004.

Track and Field

Golf—Men’s Brent Trela was the top USF finisher in the Crossroads League Tournament at Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend, Ind., finishing in a tie for 10th for the sixth-place Cougars. Trela shot 79-75 for 154 in the rain-shortened event. Bryce Turner, who tied for 23rd with a 161 (80-81), was voted to the AllCrossroads League team.

Golf—Women’s Sophomore Sydney Heinbaugh shot a 73 on the final day of the 2019 Crossroads League Championship to edge teammate two-time Crossroads League Championship medalist Marissa Singer for third place. USF finished second with a 958, 30 shots back of first-place Taylor University. It was USF’s highest team finish in seven Crossroads League Championships.

Clista Hellwarth finished a strong sophomore season with a 15th-place finish in the javelin at the NAIA Outdoor Women’s Championship. Her best effort of 39.29 meters came on her first throw. She finished first in the javelin in the Crossroads League Meet at Indiana Wesleyan University, setting a school record of 40.97 meters and improved that in a subsequent meet to 41.42 meters. Caren Hernandez closed out her career with All-Crossroads League worthy finish in the 1,500-meter run.

She used a strong kick to finish in 4 minutes, 46.40 seconds for third place. Samantha Wissel delivered a fifth-place effort in the 800-meter run (2:19.66) while sophomore Emily Bluhm finished fourth in the long jump (5.11 meters) and fifth in the triple jump (10.48 meters). Ericka Lathrop finished seventh in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a USF record of 12 minutes, 20.43 seconds.

The Lady Cougars’ 4x400 relay team of Taylor Cole, Grace Cooper, Wissel and Winifred Sceniak finished fifth with a time of 4:05.26 for four more points toward USF's seventh-place finish with 37 points.

For the men, Jordan Konstanty was the highest finisher with a sixth in the javelin at 45.41 meters. Jerico Harden finished seventh in the triple jump at 12.29 meters. saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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LADY COUGARS SHINE

HIT PARADE

Softball player Breanna Pryor ended her USF career with the most hits in school history.

Breanna Pryor had her sights on the University of Saint Francis softball career hits record for three years. Even when coach Ryan Bolyn (BA ’01) told her not to dwell on it, she kept up her pursuit.

“I think I do better under pressure,” Pryor said. “Coach always tried to hide statistics and I would always know them. For me, it was motivation. It pushed me.”

Pryor completed her senior season with school records in career hits (241), steals (131), singles (199) and runs (150). She recorded the second-best career batting average (.394). She finished second in all-time games played to senior teammate Lizzie Meyer. Meyer’s 226 career hits rank second all-time.

“One big thing we noticed was the amount of time Breanna put in working during the season and even in our off time,” Bolyn said. “She was never satisfied.”

Pryor was an All-Crossroad League first-team selection and a 2019 Daktronics-NAIA Softball Scholar-Athlete. She spent most of her career as a second baseman and leadoff hitter.

“Being a leadoff hitter, that first pitch is coming to you and it takes a different type of mindset going to the plate,” she said. “But I do kind of enjoy the pressure.”

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COURTING SUCCESS

Kara Gerka handles the challenge of NAIA basketball and rigorous academics in impressive fashion.

USF basketball player Kara Gerka posted some impressive numbers as a junior last season, averaging 15.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and shooting 52.9% from the field.

Those numbers look even better when paired with her 4.0 grade point average.

“Kara is the role model by which all student-athletes should be measured,” USF women’s basketball coach Jason Ridge said.

Gerka, who is in the Pre-PA program and majoring in biology, was named to the first-team Google Cloud Academic AllAmerica NAIA Women’s Basketball Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She is the first USF women’s player to earn a first-team honor. Her oncourt skills were additionally recognized when she was named NAIA All-America honorable mention. She finished No. 12 in the nation in shooting percentage and led USF in scoring, despite playing the final two months of the season with a shin splint injury.

Gerka also spent time working at Parkview Regional Medical Center, as well as Memory Care in her hometown of Fishers.

“If I reflect on who I was coming to Saint Francis and who I am now and hope to be when I finish, I’m much more oriented toward service of others,” Gerka said.

campus news THE EXPANDED PORTION OF ACHATZ HALL OF SCIENCE BECOMES THE JOHN AND TONI MURRAY RESEARCH CENTER

IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE

From the moment she cashed her first full-time paycheck, Toni Murray (BS ’71, MS ’72) began giving some of her money toward a greater good. Philanthropy was ingrained, and it became a lifelong commitment.

“I had two parents who believed in giving, and that’s how I learned it,” Murray said. “When I got my first paycheck, my mom said, ‘Give what you can,’ and so I did, and that was my first gift.”

Since learning those lessons from her late parents Alphonse and Wanda Ciemielewski, Murray has spent a lifetime giving to others. Retired as a school teacher after 39 years, she gives of her time, her love and her money. She has established scholarships at the University of Saint Francis and other institutions, and this summer made a commitment of $3 million to the USF Faith and Reason Campaign.

In recognition of Murray’s latest gift, the expanded portion of Achatz Hall of Science will be named the John and Toni Murray Research Center. Toni Murray’s husband John died in 2012.

Toni Murray earned a bachelor’s degree in education from USF in 1971 and a master’s in 1972. She funded an Education Photos by Tim Brumbeloe and Hannah Fowerbaugh (BA ’19)

lab for teacher candidates, has sponsored USF theatrical performances and served as honorary coach for football.

“Toni’s support for USF, both with her time and her financial gifts, has made a long-lasting impact on USF students,” USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss said. “We are pleased to honor her commitment with the naming of the John and Toni Murray Research Center.”

Murray said she feels a continuing connection to the university and, most importantly, its students.

“Getting to know the students is the best part,” she said.

The John and Toni Murray Research Center is a fitting location to honor her. In addition to her time promoting science as a teacher, Murray came from a science-oriented family. Her mother was a pharmacist and her father a mechanical engineer.

Her grandfather and uncles were architects.

Murray said she encourages science students to keep pushing, knowing degrees in the field are among the most challenging.

Her generosity helps ensure continued scientific discovery in the John and Toni Murray Research Center. “I want everybody to be successful,” she said. saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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campus news

Parkview Health renews and increases scholarship commitment Parkview Health will provide $200,000 per year in scholarships for University of Saint Francis School of Health Sciences students in a three-year agreement. The agreement, which starts in 2020, is an addendum to a current three-year agreement in which Parkview provides $175,000 per year for USF scholarships. Parkview Health Senior Vice President/CNO Judy Boerger said USF graduates fill a significant need in the healthcare field. “Parkview and Saint Francis have collaborated for many years to support the education of nurses in our community,” Boerger said.

STAR Bank Observation Terrace named in recognition of $120,000 donation STAR Bank presented a donation of $120,000 to the Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center in a ceremony on June 5, as the university unveiled the STAR Bank Observation Terrace. “STAR Bank has been a generous, longtime supporter of USF,” said USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss. “We value our relationship and are very grateful it will continue. In addition to working together with USF on student-focused endeavors, STAR Bank has employed many talented USF alumni at its successful organization over the years.” STAR Financial Group Chairman Tom Marcuccilli praised the relationship, too. “Education, economic development and the arts have long remained STAR’s philanthropic pillars,” Marcuccilli said. “USF aligns quite perfectly with all of these giving pillars.”

USF welcomes Sister Maria Gemma to campus Sister Maria Gemma Salyer, OSF has been assigned to the University of Saint Francis. Many may remember her from assisting in Campus Ministry in the spring of 2016. Originally from Newark, Ohio, Sister Maria Gemma has served on the Board of Trustees for USF. Her most recent assignment was to Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where she completed an M.A. in Philosophy. “I am looking forward to meeting people and learning from them—administrators, faculty and students—as well as sharing my own love for the Lord with them,” she said. “I am also excited to broaden my knowledge of the different aspects of higher education and better understand how our charism is lived out at USF in a variety of ways.”

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Formula for Life forges on for Haitian orphans More than 300 people registered for the Formula for Life 5K to raise money for Haitian orphans. Many of those braved an unseasonably cold and wet day to run in the race on April 14. The 11th annual event, which also included a silent auction, is staged to generate money for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Orphanage in Haiti, a place where many USF students have traveled to volunteer during school trips. The school did not send a contingent this year due to the U.S. government travel advisory, but sent a group of students to the border in the Dominican Republic.

USF Anesthesia Program extends community reach and receives grant The USF nurse anesthesia program added clinical rotations at several area health facilities within Lutheran Health Network and the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, expanding the training reach of the program. “Integrating additional clinical sites into the already rich USF clinical curriculum allows for diversification of the clinical experiences our students receive,” Nurse Anesthesia Program Director Dr. Lisa Osborne said.

The program was also awarded a $10,150 Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship (NAT) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

campus news

Fort Wayne Metals commits to continue relationship with USF An ongoing relationship between Fort Wayne Metals and USF was strengthened by Fort Wayne Metals’ recent major financial contribution to the campus renovation and expansion of the Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Toni Murray Research Center. Fort Wayne Metals’ commitment over the next five years emphasizes the long-term relationship between the business and the university. Fort Wayne Metals will operate a working laboratory in Achatz Hall and USF students are eligible to be part of internships with the company, giving students insight and experience in the professional realm and valuable work experience as they transition into their careers.

“We are extremely grateful to Fort Wayne Metals for its generous financial support and commitment to the University of Saint Francis and to our students,” USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss said. “We are honored to partner with this highly successful, international company to provide a strong presence on our campus.”

Dr. Angela Harrell named dean of School of Health Sciences Dr. Angela Harrell, a full-time faculty member since 2007, was named the new dean of the School of Health Sciences in August. She succeeds Dr. Mindy Yoder, who remains with USF as associate dean and chief nursing officer. Harrell has worked in medical imaging for the past 20 years and has held administrative positions in both the hospital and higher education settings. She has been the clinical coordinator for the Radiologic Technology program and the director of the MHA program.

“I am excited to support the work of our outstanding faculty and staff to continue the school’s history of providing high-quality educational experiences and preparing students for a successful career in a healthcare profession,” Harrell said. “USF’s long-standing commitment to professional excellence, leadership and service across all undergraduate and graduate healthcare programs is something I personally and professionally believe in and hope to expand further and enhance under my leadership.”

USF awarded Ball Venture Fund grant for creation of Animation Academy USF was one of four winners of the Ball Venture Fund competition, sponsored by the Ball Brothers Foundation of Muncie. USF was awarded $23,198 to help create the Animation Academy, a technology-driven mentoring and education program delivered to three student cohorts, developing the next generation of Fort Wayne’s storytellers and digital media artists.

The Animation Academy will connect high school students to a collegiate network of mentors while building their technology skills and enhancing their portfolios for college applications. It will be an experiential learning environment with no more than 15 students in a class and an artist-to-youth ratio of 1-to-5.

Collaboration with WBOI produces Act of Listening Students from the School of Creative Arts teamed with the staff of 89.1 WBOI to produce “Act of Listening” through an AARPfunded grant. The project’s goal was to alleviate loneliness and isolation in older, low-income adults. Students went out in teams and recorded conversations with older adults. The project was made available via podcast.

USF nursing program makes top 10 The nursing program at USF earned a Top 10 ranking as one of the best programs in the state by RegisteredNursing.org. The ratings were based on how well a program prepares students for RN licensure and the type of support the university provides during and after the process. USF was the only Fort Wayne nursing program in the Top 10. saint francis magazine | fall 2019

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class notes keeping connected with alumni and friends 1970s James Pickett (BSE ’72, MSE ’78) has written his second historical fiction adventure story novel about 1790s pre-Fort Wayne. “The March to Kekionga” includes General “Mad” Anthony Wayne’s military campaign and his adversaries in the Old Northwest Territory and the dedication of 1794 Fort Wayne. It is a sequel to “The Bones of Kekionga” (2017), www.bonesofkekionga.com.

1980s James Hamilton (MBS ’83) has written two books on healthcare issues, one on healthcare reform and the other on integrated care in rural care in medicine.

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2010s Eric LeCount (BSN ’11) is the Director of Health and Wellness at Northwoods Village at Inverness Lakes in Fort Wayne. Sarah (Arnett) LeCount (BSW ’12) works as the Social Service Director for Miller’s Merry Manor in Garrett, Ind. In March 2019 Sarah received the CDP (certified dementia practitioner) and the LBSW. Allen Vorndran (BS ’12) published his first children’s book, “The Adventures of Boogie McGee.” The book is intended to teach children life lessons and life skills with the help of an adorable, friendly booger. Each book will teach a life skill in a fun way. You can find him at Boogiemcgee.com. Kibwe Cooper (BS ’13) recently played in the Three Rivers Music Theatre production of “Once Upon an Island.” Zack Davidson (BS ’13) is a recording engineer and producer with Digitracks Recording Studios and Zack Davidson Music. Tara Petitt (BS ’13) is morning news anchor for Spectrum News in San Antonio, Texas, and Austin, Texas, and is co-founder of Soda City n

Tony Hudson (MFA ’99), executive director of Blue Jacket, has opened a second Blue Jacket Clothing Co. at Coldwater Crossing, Fort Wayne. Adam Swinford (BSE ’99), principal at South Side High School, was named Indiana PTA’s Outstanding Principal of the Year. n

2000s Jody Bradford (BS ’00) married Jeremy Havens. Amber (Booker) Warnick (BA ’01) left WFWA to work full time with her husband Steven’s business, Three Sons Sanitation.

Jenny Maldonado (BS ’04) won second place at the 2019 Germanfest bake-off. She baked an Elde Himbeer Sahne torte (raspberry cream torte). Neal Rush (BBA ’04) works as a n

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janitor for the John Glenn School Corporation in Walkerton, Ind. He enjoys being a janitor by day and a bartender by night. Brooke (Stauffer) McGee (BA ’05) accepted a Senior Designer position at Camia Health Solutions in Portland, Ore. Patrick O’Neil (BBA ’09) works at the Department of Homeland Security in Chantilly, Va. as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer. Patrick is married to Heather O’Neil.

Kristina Wise (BSW ’00) accepted a full-time faculty position with IU School of Social Work. She will be teaching at the Fort Wayne campus and online.

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HAVE A CLASS NOTE? To update information, simply go to alumni.sf.edu and click on “Stay Connected” or send information to alumni@sf.edu or mail it to the University of Saint Francis Alumni Office, 2701 Spring Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

Thanks for keeping in touch with your alma mater!

Photos by Jeffrey Crane (’97), Steve Vorderman and Tim Brumbeloe

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2010s, continued Productions. Emma Anger (BA ’17) accepted a position with Three Rivers Federal Credit Union as a concierge representative. Kaycee Bills (BSW ’13) was admitted into Hawaii Pacific University’s Master in Social Work (MSW) program and graduated with a master’s in 2015. She was then admitted into University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s PhD program and graduated with her doctorate in May of 2019.

She says, “Thank you USF for being the stepping stone to me earning the title of Dr. Bills!” Elizabeth (Faber) Ens (BS ’14) and her husband, Dominick, became parents to Isabelle Katherine, who was born Dec. 30, 2018 and was 7 pounds, 4 ounces and 22 inches long. Thea Smekens (BA ’14) is assistant director for residential communities at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Drake DeMuyt (BA ’17) is Regional Field Manager at Keter Environmental Services, Inc. Atticus Sorrell (BS ’17) and Jacob Terhune (BS ’17) are on tour with their band, The Be Colony. Eliese Kurtzweg (BSN ’18) will be entering the convent at Mount Alverno in Mishawaka with our Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in September. Elaine Wilson (MBA ’18) is the chief operation officer for Saint Anne Communities. 01 Landon Bailey (BS ’19), a health and exercise science major, was accepted into the Master of Kinesiology program at the University of Michigan. Grace Berg (BA ’19) will pursue her Master in Art Therapy at Adler University, Chicago.

02 Natalie Bussie (BS ’19) was selected for the Professional Development and Community Service Award. She will begin the DPT program at Trine University. Starr Compton (BA ’19) was accepted to USF’s Master of Arts in Teaching program. Eric Dunten (BS ’19) was named NAIA Scholar Athlete as a junior and senior and participated in Pro Day for NFL prospects at Ball State University. Cassidy Emenhiser (BS ’19) will teach secondary art education at Northwood High School in Nappanee, Ind. Hannah Fowerbaugh (BA ’19) accepted a position at the University of Saint Francis as a social media specialist. 03 Sydney Frater (BA ’19) will attend the University of Dublin. Samantha Freeman (BSW ’19) moved to Arizona to work as a social worker and explore graduate school. Vaughn Gallagher (BA ’19) accepted a graphic/web design position with Asher Agency.

04 Coleman Geiger (BA ’19) accepted a position with n

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VaynerMedia in Los Angeles. 05 Adam Hoffer (BS ’19) accepted a position with Raytheon. 06 Jaclyn Hofstetter (BA ’19) will begin a Master of Art Therapy program at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wis. 07 Laura Janssen (BS ’19) completed her senior practicum at Lutheran Social Services and accepted a position at Lutheran Social Services as an ECHO case manager. Audra LaRue (BS ’19) accepted a position with Parkview Regional Medical Center on the robotic team. Brittney Ley (BS ’19) was accepted into the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program at USF. 08 Elizabeth Meyer (BS ’19), was accepted into the USF Physician Assistant program, where she is in her second semester. 09 Peter Mitchell (BS ’19), a Roger Bacon Scholar and the first graduate of the USF computer science program, has a position in computer science at Do it Best. Ashleigh Morrow (BS ’19) accepted a position at Dupont Hospital on the robotic team. Matthew Payne (MAT ’19) accepted a teaching position with New Albany High School as a health and physical education teacher. Humberto (Pete) Pizana (BS ’19) accepted a position with Steppin’ Up Physical Therapy.

10 Cassidy Rammel (BA ’19) started a nursing position at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. 11 Malia Ross (BA ’19) accepted a graphic design and illustration position with Shindigz. Mercedes Sanchez (BS ’19) has a position in the photography department at Sweetwater. Sydney Shuherk (BS ’19) was accepted into graduate school in history at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. 12 Mollie Shutt (BA ’19) is a production assistant at BFA Commercial Photography.

13 Erin Skinner (BS ’19), a pre-med chemistry major, will pursue a master’s degree in the Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) cellular, molecular and structural biology program.

Tim Stotlar (BSN ’19) is working at Parkview Regional Medical Center and is married to Sarah Stotlar. Bailey Sutton (BS ’19) is working as a marketing specialist at 3Rivers Federal Credit Union. Lauren Thornsberry (BSW ’19) accepted a position with SCAN. 14 Trey Villagomez (BABS ’19) accepted a position as content specialist in marketing at Franklin Electric. 15 Kelsie Winebrenner (BS ’19) has a placement at Lutheran Health in nutrition.

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A night of fun and star gazing at Achatz Hall Alumni and friends met for a night of telescopes and camaraderie at the first Achatz Hall of Science Star Gaze on the STAR Bank Observation Terrace on July 18. Science faculty members Dr. Mike Bechill and Dr. Paul Schmidt offered illuminating insight as guests took time to explore the wonders of the night sky. The event included appetizers and a cash bar, and guests were invited to take a tour of the expanded and renovated science complex. The expanded portion, which houses the terrace, has been named the John and Toni Murray Research Center.

Celebrating CASPYs and Athletics Hall of Fame Friends and family of USF athletics gathered on April 27 for the annual CASPYs (Cougar Achievement in Sports Performance Yearly) and USF Athletics Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at the USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center. Athletes such as football player Piercen Harnish and basketball player Kara Gerka were honored along with the 2019 Hall of Fame Class. The 2019 inductees were men’s basketball player Q Owens, football player Luther Stroder, track and field athlete Nick Adams, women’s basketball coach Gary Andrews, and long-time athletics patrons Doug McKibben and the late Tom Jehl (accepted by Steve Jehl).

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Photos by Hannah Fowerbaugh (BA ’19), Emma Anger (BA ’17) and Mollie Shutt (BA ’19)

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USF students have benefited from this specialty license plate program since 2007, generating over $13,000 each year toward scholarships!

GET YOUR PLATE TODAY!

Order at myBMV.com or your local license branch. Call 260-399-8051 for more information.

St. Joseph alumnae reunite On April 26, the annual St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing reunion took place with photos at Brookside before the group headed over to the North Campus gymnasium for the reception and dinner. Many alumnae from various years returned for a great time of reminiscing and reconnecting. The reunion has become a highly anticipated event for the St. Joseph alumnae to catch up on each other’s latest activities and family news.

in memoriam 1950s Barbara (Vandervort) Stuart (’53)**

1960s RoseMary (Murphy) Sifferman (’63) Avon Crismore (’65, ’67) Donald Coleman (’66) Jeanne Nuechterlein (’68) Marilyn Masenthin (’69)

1970s Lowell Hickox (’70) Debra (Schuemann) Kunkle (’79)*

1980s Cheryl Rethlake (’80)

* From Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing— Lutheran College of Health Professions ** St. Joesph School of Nursing

Class of 1969 celebrates The spring season brought the rejuvenation of reunion to many University of Saint Francis alumni. The university celebrated the 50th reunion of the Class of 1969 with a brunch in Brookside prior to the 2019 Commencement on May 4 at Memorial Coliseum. The alumni were recognized during the commencement ceremony and continued the celebration at the reception afterward.

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TAKING FLIGHT

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EVENTS

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Sept. 27 Alumni Awards Nov. 30 USF Art Bazaar/Holly Trolley tour Sept. 28 Homecoming—USF Football vs. St. Ambrose Dec. 3 Lighting of the Lake Oct. 2 Grand opening, Achatz Hall of Science and the John and Dec. 5 Yuletide Gathering Toni Murray Research Center Dec. 7 Breakfast with St. Nicholas Oct. 12 USF Football vs. Concordia University Feb. 6 Network for Success Oct. 19 USF Football vs. Indiana Wesleyan University Feb. 21, 22 Murder Mystery Oct. 26 USF vs. Siena Heights University For event visit alumni.sf.edu/events.

April 24 information, St. Joseph School of Nursing Reunion