MEDAILLE COLLEGE alumni association
May 2009 Volume lll, Issue VI
ALUM MARK YOUR
CALENDAR
Although the weather presented a challenge, everyone had a great time at the
AMHERST open house
Young Alums... It’s time for your fun in the sun!
gold
Alumni member’s children had the chance to spend some time in the bounce house set up on the back lawn during the open house.
(left to right): Lauren Kranz ’09 MA PSY, Sarah Miechurski ’09 MA PSY, Megan Saddleson ’09 MA PSY, and Travis Loughran ’09 MA PSY battled it out during ‘who wants to be a Medaillionaire.’
raduates f the ast ecade medaille College
Young Alumni: plan to join us on Saturday, June 27, 2009 for the third annual GOLD (Graduate Of the Last Decade) Tent Party. The GOLD Tent Party is a Medaille tradition that always promises a good time. There will be a live DJ, beer, wine coolers, soft drinks and all the best bar food as GOLD alumni welcome the summer season and re-connect with fellow graduates. Guests are welcome to attend. Cost is $5 per person and proper ID is required. Register now at http://alumni.medaille.edu/events.
Andrew Schmidt ’09 MOL (seated) talks with guests. Bill Weeks, clinical associate professor and chair, Management and Leadership Program talks with ALP alums while Bob Nesslin, clinical assistant professor, talks with Tom DiLuzio ’08 BA, Amherst Campus alumni board member and his father-in-law.
On Saturday, May 9, 2009 Medaille College’s Amherst Campus hosted an Open House Party presented by the Amherst Campus Alumni Board. The board worked tirelessly to plan an event that would unite graduates and current students. “The Alumni Board wanted to put on this event, so that families could see where their family members have been spending their time. Also, we wanted to show the community more of what Medaille has to offer,” said LaTarcia Kenner-Daniels ’08 MOL, vice president of the Amherst Campus Alumni Board. “Events like this help strengthen alumni bonds, which is very beneficial to the campus community,” says Judith Horowitz, associate vice president for enrollment management/dean, SAGE. “The Accelerated Learning Program is very proud of its graduates, and very excited to welcome them back to see how they’ve grown and to show them how we’ve changed.”
Register Online at http://alumni.medaille.edu
SPOTLIGHT BUSINESS Seeking Justice Helps Victims
ACHIEVE CLOSURE Lisa Brucato ’89 BS and Cris Cruz ’05 BS
Brucato and Cruz Have Powerful Healing Impact
CLASS NOTES • • • PAGE 2 • • •
1979
1998
Karen Christie ’79 BS is the Vice President of the Buffalo Urban League in Buffalo, NY.
1989 Donald Bartus ’89 BRD and Debi Bartus just returned from a vacation in St. Thomas (U.S.V.I.) where they went to celebrate their 5th Wedding Anniversary on March 7, 2009. They were married on the sunny sands at Bluebeard’s Beach Club in the township of Limetree Beach on the island of St. Thomas in 2004 when they were in port while taking a Carribean cruise. Don and Deb decided to return to the resort to celebrate “the big five.” Lisa Brucato ’89 BS is Program Coordinator for Northwest Buffalo Community Center.
1991
Daniel E. Frontera ’98 BS has been named Director of Development at The Roycroft Campus Corporation. Frontera is responsible for corporate sponsorships, grant management, and increasing membership and community support for the historic Campus. Teresa Martin ’98 BS is a Special Education Teacher at Anson County Schools in Wadesboro, North Carolina.
2001
Eleanor White ’91 BS has been chosen and approved for 2009-10 membership in the National Association of Professional Women. She founded Alternative Care Services of WNY Inc., and has served as its Executive Director for 20 years.
1995 Kimberly Reed ’95 BS is a Training Developer at Haas Automation.
Update your information and keep in touch! alumni@medaille.edu
Tanisha Stephens ’01 BS started a business in Austin, TX. Stylz 4 a DIVA is an online retail store that sells handbags, accessories and sunglasses.
2002 Paul Hardaway ’02 BBA is Manufacturing Manager/Cell Leader for Raytheon in North Andover, MA.
New! twitter @medaille
• • • PAGE 3 • • •
WE’D LIKE TO KNOW. . . where you are, who you married, where you’re working now! Send your class note to alumni@medaille.edu
My Message State of the College
Dayna Crenshaw ’07 BS is an Advertising Consultant at AT&T Advertising Solutions.
2006
Mike Hominuck, Jr. ’07 MSED received the H.L. Cudney Sportsman of the Year Award. He plays for the Edmonton Rush of the Canadian National Lacrosse League, and teaches in the Niagara Catholic District School Board. Flor D. Hernandez ’06 BS currently holds the title Mrs. West Central Florida 2009. This May, she will compete for the title of Mrs. Florida United States 2009. Flor’s platform is H.O.P.E. “Helping Others Persevere By Educating.”
Lisa Ann Meegan ’07 BS was listed in the Buffalo Business First Who’s Who of Education. She is Principal at St. Vincent de Paul School in Springbrook, New York.
2008
2007 Donald Bouchard ’07 MBA is the Senior Financial Consultant/Owner of Bouchard Financial Services, LLC in Batavia, NY. Ryan Fisher ’07 BS is a police officer with the Rochester Police Department. Mary Jane Kozlowski-Sledz ’85 BS is a Manager of Patient Customer Service at Kaleida Health in Buffalo, NY.
Katie McClelland ’08 BS is Assistant Manager/Marketer at Fastpitch Nation Sports Arena in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Shannon O’Brien ’08 BS is a Women’s Marketing Administration Intern for the Buffalo Bulls.
Michelle Peruzzini ’07 ED is a Kindergarten Teacher and a Long Term Substitute Teacher. She received her Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Buffalo State College.
For extended stories on those featured in these pages please visit our
online community
http://alumni.medaille.edu
STRAIGHTTALK Dr. Richard T. Jurasek, President Our Medaille publications have “departments” in which the President of the College has a chance to speak to the state of our College. I expect that upcoming messages from me will highlight a host of terrific developments here at the College – your Medaille has never been more ambitious, more robust, more futureready. Before these more detailed reports go out to you I take this opportunity to talk about strategic restructuring changes the College has been implementing this winter and spring. By design we have been reducing our workforce. “By design” means we are not simply responding to the winds of economic and financial tempest beyond the campus. Rather, for nearly a year we have been scrutinizing the way we spend student tuition and alumni gifts. Our conclusion? The College can and will do a better job with fewer employees. We are being very attentive to the need to preserve teaching and learning processes and are privileging and protecting everything that has to do with the classroom. In fact, in the midst of all these changes we are running searches for additional faculty members. In this letter I cannot provide much detail but I can assure you that this effort is part of the New Medaille – more ambitious, more strategic than ever before. And I can assure you that this is all about our readiness for the 2nd and 3rd (and every single succeeding) decade in the 21st Century. Your College will be ready and will do everything it can to make you proud of your alma mater. y,
Rochester Campus Moving Medaille College has received approval allowing construction to begin on a new Rochester Campus, with a move to a South Winton Road location in mid-June 2009. The new campus will contain nine classrooms, each with a capacity of 24 students, and each with its own technology package. A 700-square foot library will include computer workstations, and a multi-purpose room will provide space for meetings and workshops of up to 60 people. “Like our current site, the Brighton location will be close to Rochester’s Outer Loop (Rtes. 390/590), keeping it convenient for current and future students who travel to class after work,” says Dr. Jenifer Bavifard, executive director for the Accelerated Learning Program. To view construction progress visit www. medaille.edu/tour/rochester.
Medaille College ALUM
KRISTIN STIN MAJERONI Managing naging Editor KARA RA KANE Contributor LISA MURPHY Graphic Design AlumNews is published every other month. For submissions please email alumni@medaille.edu.
• • • PAGE 4 • • • Don’t wait! Start enjoying the benefits of a lifetime membership in Medaille College Alumni Association today.
It’s easy to join. All you have to do is register for the online community at http://alumni.medaille.edu. Our office will send membership cards to you through the mail. If you’re already registered, make sure your mailing address is up-to-date in the online alumni community. We will begin to mail cards later this spring. Your membership card will give you access to campus facilities and services.
Joel Walrath Honored by Athletic Department
Alums Share At
SUPPORT MEDAILLE
RAMAN Event
Featuring Job Search Info On Friday, March 13, 2009, RAMAN (Rochester Area Medaille Alumni Network) guest speaker JoAnne Sims, Director of Lifespan, discussed Job Search Strategies and provided tips on updating résumés. Sims stressed the importance of keeping a current résumé and how branding can differentiate you from everyone else to a potential employer. Ask yourself, “What can you deliver to an employer?” She also talked about using a functional résumé versus a chronological order résumé. And finally, Sims emphasized the importance of networking groups and using on-line networking groups such as LinkedIn. This networking event was well attended by alumni, staff, adjuncts, as well as Medaille President, Dr. Richard T. Jurasek.
3
981 members in the Online Alumni Community As the year comes to a close, our last RAMAN event will be held Tuesday, May 19, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. A light breakfast will be served. Please take a moment and sign up at http://alumni.medaille.edu/events. RAMAN will start again in the fall of 2009 so stay tuned for future dates and guest speakers on various topics and networking opportunities.
684 friends on Medaille College-Alumni’s Facebook page 84 members in the LinkedIn group for Medaille College Alumni
JOIN US TODAY!
On May 4, 2009 at the Maverick Awards Night, Joel Walrath ’07 BS, ’09 MOL was presented with the Maverick Award. This award is given annually to individuals who go above and beyond in service and support of the Medaille Athletics program. Walrath has spent six years as a part of Medaille College Athletics and he has contributed to its success and growth. Mike Carbery, assistant athletic director, sat with Walrath and his family at the accepted student dinner in 2003. “He was a very shy kid from Canada who came to Medaille in hopes of playing soccer and basketball,” Carbery recalls. “Joel began with a brief stint on the soccer team but would later find that he could have a larger impact on the athletic department with his mind, creativity, and work ethic.” Walrath slowly came out of his shell. He initiated and implemented the entire video recording capabilities of the Athletics Department, first as a student worker and then through his efforts as a graduate assistant. “Our entire video process is a result of Joel’s hard work. He has implemented everything from game day recording to highlight videos.” says Carbery. Walrath is also a huge part of the photography and promotion of all things related to the Mavericks. He has worked tirelessly in every aspect of the Medaille Athletic Department and his hard work and dedication have had a ripple effect on its growth. Congratulations to Joel for receiving this honor!
• • • PAGE 5 • • •
Local Business Leaders
SPOTLIGHT ALUM
This Medaille Grad Makes
GOING GLOBAL
His Second Nature
Joel Shaw ’02 LS
SHARE KNOWLEDGE Charles J. Wonch ’07 MBA
On Friday, April 3, 2009, nine alumni participated as panelists for Medaille College’s Business Symposium: Building a Sustainable Future for the Buffalo-Niagara Region and Beyond. Undergraduate students, faculty and alumni contributed to open discussion about critical topics they will face in the business world. “The intent of this symposium was to help students learn beyond the classroom and to give students the inspiration that can help turn individual and communal aspirations into realities.” said Michael P. Lillis, MBA, Ph.D., chair of the Business Department. David Schnettler ’08 MBA encouraged students “not to ask what’s in it for me but rather what can I do?” as he addressed the Stimulating Community Revitalization session. The symposium ended with keynote speaker James R. Kaskie, president and chief executive officer of Kaleida Health and a member of the Medaille College board of trustees. Students, faculty and panelists joined for lunch immediately following the keynote.
” In December 2008, Joel Shaw ’02 LS exchanged the brittle winters of New York for the sun-soaked sites of Cartagena, Colombia. “I focused on four subject areas at Medaille: languages, new media, writing and computer sciences,” explains Shaw. “Having this potpourri of skills has qualified me for a lot of different types of positions.” “My first job out of college was as a legislative assistant with the New York State Senate in Syracuse,” remembers Shaw. After two years in that position, Shaw worked as a graphic designer for agencies in Miami and New York City. He turned a passion for teaching into his next career by spending two months in an intensive English as a Second Language certification course in Vancouver, BC, Canada. “I’ve travelled to over 15 countries, each unique and different in its own way,” says Shaw. “I kept coming back to Colombia on account of the astonishing beauty, rich culture and unsurpassable hospitality.” “I had been to Colombia four times previously, and I had a lot of close friends who live here,” he continues. “Once I arrived, I was promptly hired by a local high school, where I teach English, graphic arts and social studies.” While there, he also continues to work as a graphic and web designer. As for a typical day in Cartagena, Shaw starts off as “Professor Joel,” teaching grades 6-11 at Cartagena International School. He offers additional help to students in the afternoon, and spends evenings and weekends as a creative director contractor, providing affordable solutions to clients around the world. “I would like to grow my contracting to include more North American clients,” Shaw says. “It’s a tough economy right now, and jobs are scarce,” he continues. “Don’t narrow your job search to just your local market – expand it to include the whole world.”
Spring Jam On Friday, March 20, 2009, the lights Jamie Gregorio ’05 ED, ’06 MSED were turned low, and Jessica Colvenback ’05 SM palm trees swayed, fish swam and the Sullivan Center transformed into an island oasis. Alumni and local friends partied to the tunes of Pirate Dreams at Medaille’s first Spring Jam Concert. Dancing, leis, a friendly game of beach volley and bountiful margaritas made an enjoyable time for all. This Spring Jam Concert presented by the Buffalo Campus Alumni Board was a great success! Send band suggestions for next year’s Spring Jam to alumni@medaille.edu.
18 Agassiz Circle Buffalo, NY
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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Check the Events Calendar For Our Golf Tourney
EVENTS CALENDAR Buffalo Campus
Mental Health Counseling Picnic
• Alumni & Donor Recognition Reception
Amherst Campus Sunday, June 14, 2009 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Reunion 2009
Register For Alumni Events Online http://alumni.medaille.edu Call 716.880.2099 Questions? Email: alumni@medaille.edu Call: 716.880.3368
Friday, June 26, 2009 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• GOLD Tent Party Kevin I. Sullivan Campus Center Saturday, June 27, 2009 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE! Alumni Open Golf Tournament to benefit the Allen Lee Downing Memorial Scholarship on Monday, August 10, 2009 at Arrowhead Golf Club in Akron. Visit http://alumni.medaille.edu/event/AlumniOpen09
Buffalo Bisons Baseball Game Coca-Cola Field, Buffalo Friday, July 31, 2009 6:30 p.m. - pre-game picnic 7:35 p.m. - game time