Summer 2015 Alvernia Magazine

Believe!Angels are all around us

You will

alverniamagazine

Summer 2015

INSIDEOn CampusBarrett joins board 7Bog Turtle is back 8Surf’s up for AU students 11

PeriscopeFaculty making a difference 12

FeaturesYou will believe 20Unthinkable 28Diamonds are forever 36

Alumni Class Notes 46Alumni flashback 48

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Summer 2015

Freshman Laura Shuman takes advantage of the Bernardine Hall student lounge to catch up on her studies.


It is especially wonderful that this visit is part of the World Meeting of Families, for which the Pope is planning to celebrate a public Mass for an estimated 1 million people on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The city’s Archbishop Charles J. Chaput shared a sentiment felt by many when he predicted that Pope Francis’ “charisma, presence and voice will electrify the gathering.”

I couldn’t agree more. The pope’s “voice” is distinctive and compelling. Both his substance and his style have energized women and men of all faiths as well as Catholics. His is an affirming voice of encouragement and Christ-like charity, with a compassionate heart that certainly echoes his papal patron saint, Francis of Assisi. This modern-day Francis has been an inspirational presence at a time when religion too often is (mis)used to divide, even polarize, rather than unify people of good will.

People of all ages yearn to be near Pope Francis. Even reporters are captivated by him. He is a good interview. And so, I find myself wishing for more, hoping to learn more about his vision for the Church and his related perspective on critical social and global issues. I want to be on the Papal plane, part of the media entourage that gets to know our Pope up close and personal — unguarded and unvarnished.

Recently I imagined myself with the opportunity for an exclusive conversation. If I had three questions, what would I ask him?

Pope Francis, you’ve painted a poetic image of the Church as a “field hospital.” Why did you pick an image so vividly different from what most people would have expected? How do you see this image shaping the work of today’s Catholic hospitals, parishes, community organizations, even universities? I imagine our Holy Father might suggest the Church should not sit back and pronounce morality from on high, but must go out to help “heal society’s wounds” by engaging directly and honestly with those deserving solace and support. I wonder if he might envision a kind of MASH unit, a place of healing on the front lines, where the need is greatest and those in need are among the most vulnerable among us — wounded emotionally and spiritually, even if not physically: single mothers; social outcasts; children trapped in poverty; those battling the disease of addiction; those imprisoned, including on death row, especially those unjustly confined; those who feel alienated from the

Church yet hunger for Christ. This idea of the Church as a “field hospital” speaks

to the very nature of our Bernardine Sisters’ and our university’s Franciscan charism, dedicated to serving the underserved. It is why we established the Holleran Center and the O’Pake Institute, and regularly commit resources toward ambitious efforts like the South Reading Youth Initiative and the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program. It is why our students are leaders in community service, both in Reading and well beyond. It is why we feature academic degree programs in social work, in behavioral health (formerly addiction studies), in counseling, in nursing, occupational therapy and the healthcare sciences, and why we have launched a doctorate in physical therapy. It is why we share with other worthy organizations a deep commitment to our community’s well-being and are partnering with healthcare services to bring free medical aid into the poorest areas of our city. It is why we strive to prepare our graduates to be “engaged citizens … and ethical leaders with moral courage.”

Your Holiness, your widely quoted comment — “who am I to judge?” — has stayed with me for quite some time. Can you say more about what you had in mind? I imagine Pope Francis would look intently at me and perhaps say, kindly but directly, well what do YOU think I meant? He might then remind me of biblical passages where Christ embraces Samaritans, lepers, public sinners, even as he chastises the Pharisees for preoccupation with “the law,” and instead preaches a counter-culturally provocative, embracing and inclusive gospel. I think the Pope might say that Catholics, other believers and even Church leaders like himself should leave judgment to God. We might then focus more on being better people ourselves, embracing our brothers and sisters in love, and celebrating the diverse talents, contributions and spiritualties of those around us, including those with whom we differ, even those with whom we disagree profoundly on important matters.

Finally, with a mischievous smile, I would ask: So, tell me, Holy Father, what should a kid from the streets of Boston, and president of an East Coast Catholic university, make of your comment that “our leaders should smell like sheep?” I suspect that in his answer I would see

Thomas F. FlynnPresident

Three questions for the PopeWhen Pope Francis confirmed his plans to visit Philadelphia this September, I unleashed

a joyful if silent Hallelujah! It’s been 36 years since we’ve had a papal presence in

Pennsylvania, the last time occurring when St. Pope John Paul II visited the area in 1979.

(I was a first-year faculty member, fresh out of graduate school, teaching in Maryland, and

took my Freshman Seminar to his Mass on the Washington Mall!)

The pope’s

“voice” is

distinctive and

compelling.

Both his

substance and

his style have

energized

women and

men of all

faiths …

Introducing Learning made easy

online.alvernia.edu

Online certification & degree programs

some of the well-known wit and humor of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as well as glimpsing the impact of his Argentinian background. Perhaps he might ask me if I recall the presence of humble shepherds at the nativity or the biblical image of God as the Good Shepherd. I suspect he might also note that today’s leaders should be “servant-leaders” — not imperial figures. He might cite someone like Bishop Sean O’Malley of my hometown in Boston (originally from Reading), who sold lavish archdiocesan properties and is living simply, not grandly.

He might say that leaders should know well those whom they serve and ask if, at Alvernia, faculty and staff (and the deans and executives) really care about their students. He might ask me if Alvernia educates people of modest or limited means, not just the children of privilege and wealth. And I would be able to say that, at Alvernia, inspired by our Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, our students are first and foremost in all that we are and all that we do. And that, today in 2015, as in our earliest years, Alvernia is passionately committed to being a place of opportunity for deserving students of all ages, all faiths, all backgrounds.

Perhaps, even without an interview, Pope Francis has already spurred my thinking, more than I realized. So now you know my questions. What would you ask?

Peace and all good,

Tom Flynn

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On CampusAU HOSTS VISTAS

The Corporation for National and

Community Service and Pennsylvania

Campus Compact named Alvernia to

host two PACC*VISTA members for

projects focused on college access

and success, and nutritious food ac-

cess and education. The PACC*VISTA

program is geared to strengthen

campus-community efforts to eradi-

cate poverty, develop partnerships

between campus and community

organizations, and foster emerging

leaders in the fields of community

development and civic engagement.

WInTerS receIVe WeITzmAn AWArd

Two of the area’s most respected com-

munity members, Chester and Rose-

Marie Winters, were presented with the

Rabbi Alan Weitzman Award in April.

Lifelong residents of Berks County with

a history of service to the community,

the Winters have been extremely active

in the region, serving more than 20

nonprofit organizations, including Al-

vernia, Saint Joseph’s Medical Center

Foundation and the Children’s Home

of Reading, among others. The award

recognizes civic-mindedness, draws

attention to the importance of civic

engagement and encourages others

to give of themselves through com-

munity service. It is given in honor of

Rabbi Weitzman’s remarkable lifelong

commitment to addressing the needs

of others, as well as his service as

the longtime Director of the Alvernia

Seniors College.

Chester and RoseMarie Winters


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The Carnegie Foundation selected Alvernia as one of only 23 institutions in Pennsylvania and 361 across the nation to receive its newest Community Engagement Classification. Other schools receiving the national recognition included Duke, Emory, Villanova and Notre Dame universities.

“We are proud to have our community and civic engagement programs once again recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as among the very best examples within higher education. Through the Holleran Center for Community Engagement and O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service, Alvernia continues to integrate community service and civic engagement throughout our university. These efforts ensure our students are well trained to make a positive difference in the world after they graduate,” said Alvernia University President Thomas F. Flynn.

The Carnegie 10-year classification acknowledges a commitment to community engagement in higher education and reaffirms an institutional commitment to deepen the practice of service and to further strengthen bonds between campus and community.

Carnegie labeled several of Alvernia’s endeavors as “excellent,” including alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement. The foundation also said that the university showed “exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement.”

Carnegie Foundation Recognizes Alvernia

Anchors away!

Alvernia University Magazine 7

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BArreTT jOInS BOArd

Alvernia’s Board of Trustees recently

welcomed Paula Barrett as a new

member. The department head for

Reinsel Kuntz Lesher’s Business Con-

sulting Services Group and Consulting

Services Functional Leader, Barrett’s

areas of expertise include assisting

clients with the acquisition or sale of

businesses and providing business

planning services. She specializes in

tax-exempt bond financing, includ-

ing bond verifications and arbitrage

rebate computations. Barrett has been

the recipient of the Greater Reading

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

ATHENA Award, the Lehigh Valley

Business Women of Influence Award

and Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in

in Business Award.

rUn fOr A BrIgHTer fUTUre

Runners of all ages came out in sup-

port of a worthy cause for the Brighter

than the Sun 5K and Fun Run, held on

Alvernia’s campus. Proceeds benefit-

ted Alvernia’s Reading Collegiate

Scholars Program launched last year

in partnership with the Olivet Boys &

Girls Club. Through the program, high

school students living in Reading and

active as Olivet members receive four

years of “college readiness” support

so they can set their sights on enroll-

ing at, attending and graduating from

the college of their choice.

for more news, visit alvernia.edu/news

nO PlAce lIke HOmeNiche.com’s Best Colleges poll recently ranked Alvernia’s stu-dent residence halls sixth best in Pennsylvania, a testament to the university’s ongo-ing investments in residential fa-cilities. Niche also ranked Alvernia’s campus as one of the 20 best in the Keystone state, af-firming what many already know — that Alvernia is a great place to live and learn!

Building on its nationally recognized commitment to civic leadership, Alvernia is working to identify ways the organization can serve as a major community “anchor institution,” helping mobilize efforts to address challenges facing the area. Through the university’s O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service, the university aims to leverage its talent, purchasing power, facilities and investments to address community needs and organizational goals.

The O’Pake Institute is also helping other local organizations committed to community revitalization. Dave Myers, the O’Pake Institute’s director, and key Alvernia faculty have been helping Reading Health explore its own role as an anchor institution and how it can further leverage its resources to add value to the Greater Reading community. “Institutions like Alvernia and Reading Health and other potential community partners are committed to contributing their expertise to improve the city’s economy and are focused on influencing success that reaches beyond the institutional walls and into the neighboring areas,” said Alvernia President Thomas F. Flynn. “We at Alvernia are ready to work closely with others in this worthy endeavor that is vital to the long term wellbeing of Reading and Berks County.”

Building on its nationally recognized commitment to civic leadership, Alvernia is working to iden-tify ways the organization can serve as a major

community “anchor institution,” helping mobilize efforts to address challenges facing the area.


On CampusneW OnlIne PrOgrAmS

Alvernia Online continues to grow, add-

ing in-demand, fully online programs

for working professionals on the go. In

addition to the programs currently being

offered — an RN to BSN completion

degree, MBA and a master’s certifica-

tion in special education — new offer-

ings available beginning this fall include

bachelor’s degrees in healthcare sci-

ence, business and behavioral health.

Visit online.alvernia.edu for more details.

mAc ScHOlAr ATHleTeS

Students Joshua Wollaston, Kaitlyn Yoh,

and Katie Fitzharris received the Middle

Atlantic Athletic Conference’s highest

honor: the distinction of Scholar Athlete.

Candidates are chosen on athletic and

academic achievement with awards

given to one outstanding conference

senior from each men’s and women’s

MAC-sponsored sport. Wollaston is an

accounting major and standout mid-

fielder for the men’s soccer team. Yoh is

an athletic training major and member of

the women’s basketball team. Fitzharris,

a member of the women’s golf team, is

a biology/pre-veterinarian major.

dPT deBUT

Alvernia’s Doctor of Physical Therapy pro-

gram is welcoming its inaugural class this

August. The program is attracting interest

from prospective students seeking to

develop as graduates who are prepared

to assume leadership roles in addressing

community-based health concerns. The

program is offered in a traditional (4+3)

and accelerated format (3+3) that allows

Alvernia students who are admitted as

undergraduate freshmen into one of four

majors (biochemistry, biology, healthcare

science or psychology) to begin the pro-

fessional phase of the curriculum in their

senior year. After achieving the necessary

GPA and completing all requirements,

these students are guaranteed admission

and can expect to complete their under-

graduate training and doctoral degrees

within six years.

Baseball, women’s tennis claim conference crownsChampionship Most Valuable Player Louis

Marotta nailed down a five-out save as top-seeded Alvernia won its second Commonwealth Conference Baseball Championship with a 6-1 victory over Widener University.

Conference Player of the Year Ben Sawyer went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Joe Iacobellis’ pinch hit in the ninth drove in two runs. Ryan Sheekey earned the win (in relief going six innings allowing a run on seven hits,) and Marotta went 1.2 innings to earn his first save of the year. The win gave Alvernia a ticket to the NCAA Regional Tournament for the sixth time in the last seven years.

The second-seeded Alvernia women’s tennis team defeated top-seeded Lebanon

Valley College 5-1 to claim its first ever Commonwealth Conference Women’s Tennis title. Less than a week after earning Conference Player of the Year honors, senior Julie Seidel added the Championship MVP title to her credits. She teamed with Jennifer Petrilla to win 9-7 at No. 1 doubles then earning a second point with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles. Cassandra Noray also earned a pair of points teaming with Becca Perkins to a 9-7 win at No. 2 doubles then taking the No. 4 singles match, 6-2, 6-1. Alyssa Boyd bounced back form an 8-6 defeat at No. 3 doubles to claim a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles.

With the title, the Crusaders qualified for the NCAA Championships for the team’s first time.

Robert Waller, left, works with students at Bog Turtle Creek Farm.


neW SI PrOgrAm UnVeIled

Students helping students is the

key to an innovative peer-assisted

academic support initiative designed

to help Alvernia students with difficult

courses. Called the Supplemental

Instruction (SI) Program, the initiative

uses student leaders to conduct

informal study sessions each week

for peers enrolled in the course. And

while students are able to take ad-

vantage of formal one-on-one tutoring

sessions in the university’s Learning

Center, these study sessions offer

an interactive peer-to-peer setting in

which students can compare notes,

discuss readings and classwork, as

well as study for tests.

neWmAn ScHOlAr nAmed

Campus Compact named Alvernia’s

Robert Waller, an accounting major

from Center Moriches, N.Y., as a

Newman Civic Fellow. The award

recognizes promising student leaders

across the country who have demon-

strated a significant commitment to

their community. Waller, a U.S. Army

veteran formerly stationed in Iraq, has

shown the depth of this commitment

through involvement in many service-

related initiatives both on campus and

in the Greater Reading community. He

joins other past Alvernia recipients,

including Jennifer Kingman, Brandi

Loga and Kevin Shainline.

cUrTAIn cAll

Alvernia’s Theatre ensemble was invited

to present its production of “Low Level

Panic” at the 47th annual Kennedy Cen-

ter American College Theater Festival

in Cleveland. Led by Professors Nathan

Thomas and Brian Prather, the perfor-

mance featured the talents of students

Jaliza Cruz-Hererra, Katie Evans and

Chiara Marone, who were well-prepared

for the unique challenges of a regional

performance. The production was one

of eight from the region to be featured in

this year’s festival.


Baseball, women’s tennis claim conference crowns

Bog turtle is back!

Bog Turtle Creek Farm, that is. This in-

novative initiative is entering its second

year of growing organic produce at the

university’s Cumru-based Sports Park.

The garden is a student-led response to

help address affordable healthy food op-

tions for low-income families.

“The farm responds to the societal is-

sue of food security by growing produce

and selling it in an area of Reading that

lacks adequate access to healthy food,”

explains Holleran Center for Community

Engagement volunteer and Newman

Scholar Robert Waller.

“I see community service (like work

being done at Bog Turtle Creek Farm) as

a learning tool that can be implemented

in the future to fix social problems …”

Produce grown at Bog Turtle Creek

Farm is sold at the Penn Street Farm-

er’s Market in Reading. The market is

open to the public and participates in

SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition As-

sistance Program), a federal nutrition

assistance effort that provides vouch-

ers to eligible, low-income individuals

and families to supplement their diets

with (locally grown) produce. The pro-

duce is also used in Alvernia’s Student

Center Cafeteria.

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Alvernia is rolling out a pair of

new academic majors this fall

in high-growth fields that have

strong employment opportunities.

The business department has

designed a new finance major to

prepare students for opportunities

in financial analysis, banking,

insurance and investments. Also

new is an innovative major in

environmental biochemistry for

students interested in careers within

the burgeoning pharmaceutical,

health science and environmental

fields. The major includes a

community and environmental

sustainability component integrated

throughout the curriculum. mOOre HeAdlInIng

Author, youth advocate, combat veter-

an and social entrepreneur Wes Moore

is headlining this year’s First Year

Seminar Lecture in the fall. The host of

“Beyond Belief” on the Oprah Winfrey

Network, Moore will discuss his New

York Times and Wall Street Journal

best-seller, “The Other Wes Moore.”

Designed specifically for Alvernia’s

new students, the First Year Seminar

promotes academic success, personal

growth and community engagement.

gOOd cOmPAny

Distributed Systems Services (DSS)

and Alvernia have joined forces

through the university’s Pathways

Partnership. The program provides

professional development and

training for regional and national

organizations like Penske Truck

Leasing and Reading Health System.

DSS President Jim Sweeney and his

leadership team will work with Don

Schalk, Alvernia’s director of busi-

ness & corporate development, to

develop strategic planning initiatives

that will support revenue growth for

the company. Recognized as one of

the fastest-growing managed service

providers in North America, DSS is

headquartered in Wyomissing, Pa.

On Campus

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THREEPEATERSCoach Mike Miller and

the men’s basketball team earned another

trip to the NCAA Divi-sion III Championship

Tournament this season, fresh off their impressive

three-peat Commonwealth Conference Champion-

ship performance and their fourth title win in the last five years. Miller also

picked up his 200th career win, making him just the second men’s basketball

coach at Alvernia to reach this milestone, placing him one spot behind Jack Mc-

Closkey for the school’s all-time win record.

This spring, the South Reading Youth Initiative served an average of 50 first and second graders daily at the Millmont Elementary School located less than a mile from Alvernia’s Reading campus. With the help of university transportation, students from St. Peter’s Parochial School in downtown Reading were also able to participate in the program, receiving homework help as well as other educational enrichment activities from volunteers.

Alvernia’s transcultural nursing class offered additional enrichment to SRYI students through presentations on different subjects such as nutrition, dental health, preventive health and health careers.

“We’re creating a much more directed and substantial education intervention,” said Jay Worrall, director of the Holleran Center for Community Engagement. “We’re hoping to offer that to students from other places in South Reading, not just students at Millmont.”

The South Reading Youth Initiative was created in 2006 to provide a positive environment for young people and promote continued education.

“I think it’s what we had envisioned when we started,” said Jessica Umbenhauer, assistant director of the Holleran Center. “That students would find their purpose in life, and their time with us would somehow stick with them and make a difference.”

Reading youth initiative growing



cOUnSelIng kUdOS

Alvernia’s Behavioral Health program

recently landed at No. 14 on the

list of “Top 25 Small Colleges for

a Counseling Degree.” The unique

program, designed for individuals

seeking expertise and employment

in social service agencies support-

ing the areas of behavioral health,

prepares students to enter into pro-

fessions providing prevention, inter-

vention and treatment in addiction,

mental health and child welfare. The

poll’s ranking methodology is based

on size, accreditation, graduation,

and retention rates and price.

fOUnderS dAy SPeAker

Alvernia will bring to a close its

multi-year commemoration of the

50th anniversary of the Second

Vatican Council during its annual

Founders Day celebration on Sept.

17 with a presentation on “Theol-

ogy of Baptism” from guest speaker

Angela Carmella. A professor of law

at Seton Hall University, Carmella is

known for her intellectual focus on

the intersection of law and religion,

specifically the First Amendment’s

religion clauses, religious land use

and Catholic social thinking.

WOlfOrd HOnOred

Kate Wolford, president

of The McKnight Founda-

tion, a Minnesota-based

foundation supporting a

wide range of endeavors

including the arts, edu-

cation and energy, was

awarded an honorary

doctorate of humane let-

ters degree at Alvernia’s

May commencement

ceremony. She was also the featured

commencement speaker. More than

350 graduates walked across the

stage at the Santander Arena to re-

ceive their hard-earned degrees dur-

ing the ceremony that also featured

student speaker Andrew Kaucher.

Millmont Elementary School students Analise Viera, left, and her sister Genesis

get help with homework from Alvernia’s Megan Whary.

It’s not often you hear the cry of “surf’s up!” on a landlocked campus. But that’s exactly what’s happening at Alvernia this summer, thanks to the new Student Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program that is debuting. Funded in part through a generous gift from Board Chair Joanne Judge and her husband Rick Oppenheimer, the initiative is designed to provide students with valuable, hands-on research experience in their major areas of study in collaboration with faculty scholars.

“Many Alvernia students come to campus armed with the hearts of great scholars and minds of great researchers,” said Provost Shirley Williams. “The SURF program is giving them the fuel they need to act on their intellectual passions.”

Research topics cut across an array of fields and include efforts such as Examining the Neuroprotective Effects of Glycyl-prolyglutamic Acid and Analyzing Benefits of Incorporating Playful Activities into Elderly Lifestyles.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity,“ said Williams, “to expand collaborative student and faculty research, and increase opportunities for our students to get hands-on experience in real-world projects.”

Surf’s up for aU students


PeriscopeAlvernia’s faculty making a difference

Caroline Fitzpatrick,

Ph.D.

aSSociate profeSSor

of commUnication and

enGliSH

Adam Heinze, Ph.D.

aSSiStant profeSSor

of BioloGy

drs. fitzpatrick and Heinze

co-led a group of alvernia

undergraduate students in

a short-term study abroad

and missionary experience

exploring water filtration

solutions for los tres Brazos

— a poverty-stricken area of

Santo domingo, dominican

republic.

Spencer S. Stober, Ed.D.

profeSSor of BioloGy and

edUcational leaderSHip

dr. Stober and david Hum-

phreys (open University, U.K.)

coedited a volume titled,

“transitions to Sustainability:

theoretical debates for a

changing planet,” published

by common Ground publish-

ing llc, 2014. the book was

recognized at a book launch

and reception in the copen-

hagen city Hall, denmark, on

Jan. 21, 2015.

Adam Heinze, Ph.D.

aSSiStant profeSSor

of BioloGy

Ryan Lange, Ph.D.

aSSiStant profeSSor

of commUnication

Peter Rampson

aSSiStant profeSSor

of GrapHic artS

Erin Way, Ph.D.

aSSiStant profeSSor

of pSycHoloGy

drs. ryan lange, erin way,

peter rampson and adam

Heinze published “write club:

the formation of Junior fac-

ulty in the franciscan intellec-

tual tradition” in the Journal of

the association of franciscan

colleges and Universities.

Neil Penny, Ed.D.

cHair, occUpational

tHerapy

aSSociate profeSSor

of occUpational tHerapy

dr. penny published “an

investigation of moral distress

experienced by occupa-

tional therapists.” the moral

distress Scale-revised (mdS-

r-oHpa.) was distributed to a

nationwide sample of occupa-

tional therapists. the results

found that occupational

therapists reported moderate

levels of moral distress and

that occupational therapists

who were considering leaving

their current position reported

the highest levels of moral

distress.

Vera Brancato, Ed.D.,

MSN, RN, CNE

profeSSor of nUrSinG

dr. Brancato earned the

designation certified nurse

educator (cne) after meeting

strict eligibility criteria, and

successfully completing a rig-

orous certification examination

developed and administered

by the national league for

nursing.

Peggy Bowen-Hartung,

Ph.D., CTS

cHair, pSycHoloGy

and coUnSelinG

aSSociate profeSSor

of criminal JUStice

dr. Bowen-Hartung co-

presented “the death

penalty: effective or not?”

with alvernia criminal justice

student Jonathneal peña at

the academy of criminal Jus-

tice Sciences annual meeting

in orlando, fla. She also

copresented “victims: a trek

through Juarez and the Sea”

at the same event with alver-

nia student michael Syrylo.

Bongrae Seok, Ph.D.

aSSociate profeSSor

of pHiloSopHy

dr. Seok published a series

of essays about mindfulness

meditation and its philosophi-

cal and cognitive neuro-scien-

tific implications in Buddhism

and culture — a South

Korean Buddhist magazine.

Dolores B. Bertoti, DPT

cHair, allied HealtH

and HUman ServiceS

profeSSor of pHySical

tHerapy

Kimberly J. Stoudt,

Ed.D., LAT, ATC, EMT

atHletic traininG

proGram director

aSSiStant profeSSor,

aSSiStant atHletic trainer

drs. Bertoti and Stoudt

presented their research titled

“Student-driven learning:

Utilization of a capstone

project to transition Students

from Undergraduate Study to

professional practice; the role

of professors as Guideposts

in crossing that Bridge” at

the international conference

on education and new devel-

opments, madrid, Spain, June

2014. adopting innovative

instructional techniques guid-

ing students as autonomous,

collaborative learners fosters

lifelong professional learning.

education compels educators

not to “pour in” content but

to literally “lead learners out,”

engaging in active discovery,

critical thinking and concrete

knowledge application. their

research focused on capstone

course processes resulting in

student-driven learning.

Rosemarie Chinni, Ph.D.

cHair, Science and

matHematicS

aSSociate profeSSor

of cHemiStry/forenSic

Science

dr. chinni coauthored “High

pressure liquid chromatog-

raphy (Hplc) determination

of additives in various drinks”

with two students — daniel

Kwasniewski and ryan cupo

— focusing on quantifying

caffeine, riboflavin, niacina-

mide, d-pantothenic acid and

pyridoxine•Hcl in carbon-

ated beverages, enhanced

water and energy drinks using

Hplc. it was published in

the Journal of Undergraduate

chemistry research, 2014.

Bongrae Seok

Rosemarie Chinni

Neil Penny

Notable

Several alvernia faculty members were recognized at the annual Honors convocation this spring. • nominated by students and alumni, Scott Ballantyne, Ed.D., PRSBA (associ-

ate professor of business) earned the teaching excellence award for excellence and innovation in teaching among full-time faculty at alvernia. • Carol Schwanger, MM (associate

professor of music) received the Sister mary donatilla award for long service to the university in teaching, advising, service and support as a full-time faculty member. • receiving the

Saint Bernardine faculty award for excellence in part-time teaching were behavioral health instructor Kathleen Noll and mathematics intructor Michael DeSantis (posthumously).

in a

blin

kDuring the summer of

2013, Jodi Radosh,

associate professor

of English and

communication, was

thriving, balancing her role

as successful mom, wife

and scholar. Her life was

about to change, in the

blink of an eye.


July 17, 2013, was a date I will never forget.

It was in the middle of a summer heat wave. I was doing

18 things at once, including working on a summer research grant with a colleague in my department. A new refrigerator had just been delivered to my house. I was giving my old one a good thorough cleaning since it was going into the garage; I wasn’t even thinking as I stood up quickly.

Then, it happened in a blink of an eye. BANG!

I hit my head REALLY HARD — on the open top freezer door. My vision went black. I started seeing stars and felt sick. I was crying because it hurt so badly.

My daughters called my husband, Lee, a family physician. He told me to ice the injury and stay still. The rest of the day it was just a headache.

BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!! I felt like someone was smashing my head with a hammer, and it would not stop! I woke up the next morning in unbelievable pain. I could hardly get out of bed. I couldn’t stand up, let alone walk. The room was spinning. I felt like I just got off a roller coaster. The slightest bit of light was excruciating. I was disoriented; my whole body ached.

I was tired and had no energy. The sound of any voice now seemed loud and irritating. The pounding in my head kept getting worse. I needed to walk so slowly and lean on my husband for support. I felt like a 90-year-old woman as he helped me into the car.

The journey beginsDriving to the hospital was

horrendous. Despite closed eyes and sunglasses, I thought I was going to be sick. The traffic, the honking, even the birds chirping outside — they were all driving me insane. What was happening to me? I realized

By Jodi Radosh

something was very wrong and I was scared.

After several medical evaluations and a string of tests including CT scans and MRIs, it was determined I had a bad concussion. My entire life came to a screeching halt. From that horrible day to the present, nothing would be the same. My symptoms continued. I was so fatigued, practically in bed all the time sleeping the days away.

I had no energy and constant horrible migraines. Even with all the shades drawn, I was extremely sensitive to noise and light. I would suffer bad bouts of vertigo when trying to do the smallest activity like walking outside to get the mail. For any relief I had to stay isolated with little or no contact with people. I kept hoping all of this would go away, and I would

miraculously wake up fine. I wanted my life to return

to normal. However, I was now unable to start my new semester at Alvernia. I could not drive a car, use a computer, look at my iPhone or even read a book. It was horrible and extremely depressing.

Lee now had a huge burden placed upon him. He had to do everything from grocery shopping, preparing meals and helping the girls with homework to carpooling and doing the laundry. I was not capable of doing much of anything.

A diagnosis and plan

It took nearly two months after my initial injury before I was strong enough to begin therapy at Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital in Malvern. Here the reasons for

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What should you do?

Ever sustain a blow to your head

from an accident or jolt that left

you feeling light-headed? You may

have a mild traumatic brain injury or

concussion. What should you do? Here

are helpful tips from brainline.org.

Get prompt medical attention. If you

think you may have a concussion,

go see a doctor and tell him

how you are feeling. Many

people may have a headache

or dizziness for a day or so and

then recover fully, but a small

number who sustain a concussion

develop bleeding or a blood clot that

can be life-threatening.

Get the proper test. Depending on

symptoms, age and severity of injury,

you may need specialized testing. Here

are some of the most common:

A neurological test assesses

motor and sensory skills,

functioning of cranial nerves,

hearing, speech, vision and

balance. A CT scan provides

X-ray images of the brain to help look

for bleeding or swelling. An MRI provides

detailed pictures of the brain using

magnetic energy instead of radiation.

Rest. Simple as it sounds, rest is the

best treatment for a concussion.

At least initially, rest means

not reading, not listening to

music and not watching TV.

It means no texting, no email

and no cell phone! Rest is

cognitive as well as physical rest.

If symptoms persist after you

have gotten medical care, call your

healthcare provider again. Be persistent,

and find a provider who specializes in

treating traumatic brain injury.

my disabilities were finally explained to me. When I hit my head, my brain was rattled and possibly shifted inside my skull. Damage was on a microscopic, cellular level. This affected my vestibular system, causing my eyes to have difficulty processing motion.

In addition, my brain’s cells were having trouble producing energy, which is why I was very fatigued. I learned a concussion is really a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can take a very long time to heal. Victims may look fine on the outside but can be completely incapacitated. It’s difficult to fathom because other injuries — like a broken arm — may only take weeks or months to heal.

In the months after my concussion, I learned of others in Berks County suffering from traumatic brain injuries like mine. This was reassuring; many are aware of athletes with concussions, but others are afflicted as well. I was able to reach out to them and form a support group. Today, there are about seven of us, and we have become close friends. I am also trying to start a support group at the university. Many post-concussive students have come to me for assistance and advice.

I feel very fortunate to have the support and understanding from the Alvernia community,

especially Dr. Flynn, Dr. Shirley Williams, Dr. Beth Aracena, Jay Worrall, the Holleran Center for Community Engagement, Beth DeMeo, my department chair and Human Resources. The administration, faculty, staff and students have all been so wonderful! I really appreciate their kindness!

Back to schoolAfter being away from

teaching full time for more than a year, I was finally able to return to the classroom last fall on a part-time basis.

But I still suffer some effects from the TBI. I carry earplugs and sunglasses at all times because I remain somewhat sensitive to light and noise. On occasion, I get fatigued and dizzy, and headaches are still an ongoing part of the condition.

However, I am well on my way to recovery and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I taught one course in the fall, and during the spring semester I taught two. I am even getting out with my family and can go to the mall for a bit. It seems I am now on a slow, steady road to recovery.

A new missionLife teaches us all many

lessons; some are more painful

Jodi Radosh works with students in Alvernia’s

media suite.

Continued on page 50

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With preseason speculation centering

on the loss of all-american forward Brian

parker and career assist leader Chris

Davis, double-digit wins in ’14-’15 seemed

to be in question. that certainly would have

put an end to recent postseason success

— alvernia was 6-0 in Commonwealth

Conference tournament games since joining

the league for the 2009-10 season.

“i thought the same thing,” said Harrison

Deyo of the preseason prognostication.

“Before the season started, people were

asking, ‘how are you going to be this year?’

it’s the same answer all the time. if we can just

make the playoffs and win a few games, you

never know what can happen.”

the Crusaders made it in on the final day of the

regular season — with a big win over crosstown

rival albright — to finish third in a four-way tie

for second. they survived a scare from arcadia in

the first-round game, then destroyed top-seeded

Lycoming in the semifinal to set up a league

championship rematch at nemesis stevenson.

Deyo was a major factor in alvernia’s success all

season and especially in the win streak down the home

stretch, with strong scoring and consistent defense

keying crucial victories. and now, with three rings to his

name, he is ready to move on without regret.

“My body has taken the toll,” said the 6’6” center.

“i want to continue my education. i graduated in

May with a degree in criminal justice administration,

and now i’m applying to law school.”

Deyo has family in texas and California, and has

been looking at schools there. of the three seniors

— all of whom hailed from within an hour of campus

— he seems the most likely to spread his wings

and fly to another part of the country to continue

pursuing his passions.

“i’m leaning toward criminal law,” said Deyo. “i

want to be in a courtroom somewhere defending

people.”

it makes total sense for a guy who spent the

better part of the last four years defending Jack

McCloskey Court.


The lAwyer

Crusaders

Kirby Turner

Crusaders

Harrison Deyo

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Lamont Clark was the insurance policy head coach Mike

Miller cashed in on time and again to ensure his team’s

success.

it was Clark who lit a fire under his teammates with an

impassioned halftime speech during the Commonwealth

Championship at stevenson this spring, with his Crusaders

facing a 33-17 halftime deficit. Clark scored 14 of his team-

high 22 points in the second half, and alvernia walked off the

floor with its third straight conference crown and fourth in the

last five years.

ironically, the Lamont Clark known by most on campus is

quite different from the red-faced maniac emblazoned with the

number 21 jersey that ruled the hardwood. in the classroom,

and on campus, Clark is demure and reserved. Yes, sir. no, sir.

in his own words: quiet, shy and laid back.

But inside the locker room, Clark became pure, unreserved

motivation. “i’ve never seen anything like that in the history of

the program,” said fellow senior Deyo of Clark’s impassioned

plea during the stevenson game.

“it’s serious when he gets serious,” continued Deyo. “You’re

so scared of the result that you change the behavior.”

Clark, the college graduate, plans to continue to lead by

example, and wants to cash in on his entrepreneurial spirit

by opening his own business in a field he made famous as a

player … the insurance industry.

and if sport imitates life and past performance is any

indicator of future success, then expect to find him somewhere

within earshot of his home in parkesburg, pa., taking care

of his own. it’s what he’s done for the last four years as a

member of the men’s basketball program.

“the first MaC Championship i was pretty spoiled,” said Kirby

turner, the resilient member of the trio that graduated with three

Commonwealth titles and an ECaC Crown. “this year it was relief. We

came back again. i didn’t want to be the senior class that stopped it.”

an Elizabethtown, pa., native, turner secured a spot on the 2015

Middle atlantic Conference academic Honor Roll with a 3.9 gpa in his

major of biochemistry. But his aspirations include a much bolder vision

— becoming a medical doctor.

turner plans to take a year off from school before shopping for a

med school, hoping to first land a job at Lancaster Labs so he can get

some relevant real-world experience.

“i took my MCats and did pretty well,” said turner. “With my gpa

and some letters of recommendation, if i can get my test scores up

just a little bit, and with some job experience, i think i can get into

the upper-tier schools.”

He would really like to get into vanderbilt. “that’s the game plan,”

continued turner. “Hopefully by a year from this fall, i’ll be enrolling

at vanderbilt.” if there’s anything he’s learned from his days as a

Crusader, it’s that his passion and hard work have led to the success

he’s enjoyed.

But it was success that almost never was. turner had an offer on

the table to be a preferred walk-on for baseball at Bucknell, but turned

it down to pursue a passion for basketball at alvernia.

“i’m a pretty analytical guy,” admitted turner. “Baseball is such

a reactionary sport, and i like to think a lot. Basketball is more of a

chess match. You have to be in the right position, and you have to

be thinking all the time. Baseball was just what i did when basketball

season was over. i’d grab my glove and hit in the open gym.”

The enTrepreneur

The docTor

Crusaders

Lamont Clark


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Believe!angels are all around us

You will


Young George Bailey was balancing on the edge of a bridge, two toes away from a jump, when he had his first angelic encounter with Clarence Oddbody, AS2. “Hey, what’s an AS2?” wondered Bailey aloud. “Angel Second Class,” quipped Clarence. “I haven’t won my wings, yet. That’s why I’m called an Angel Second Class.”

Wingless but lovable, Oddbody made his screen debut in Frank Capra’s

“It’s a Wonderful Life,” leading a generation to ponder angels and their

presence all around us … and leading Bailey to reconsider his fatal plunge.

Nearly 70 years later, angelic interest has hit a fervor pitch. A 2011

Associated Press poll showed nearly eight in 10 Americans believe in angels.

That belief is often linked to religion, with 88 percent of Christians, 95

percent of evangelical Christians and 94 percent of those who attend weekly

religious services of any sort saying they believe in angels. But most non-

Christians think angels exist too, as do more than four in 10 of those who

never even attend religious services.None of this comes as a surprise to Frederick Mannella, Ph.D., who spoke on all things angelic

to a riveted audience of Alvernians and area residents at the Reading-based McGlinn Conference Center of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters earlier this year. The former parish minister and instructor at both St. Thomas University and Catholic University said God and angels are very much alive and working in the world.

Mannella says angels are all around us, despite claims from skeptics who discount them because they can’t be seen or scientifically proven. We only need to be attentive to their presence to know they are there. “God’s providence is real. There’s an invisible world behind the scenes that’s really operative in our lives,” Mannella says.

While angels are more prevalent in the Catholic tradition than in many other faiths, people of


By Susan Shelly


any religion can touch the invisible world as they draw nearer to God, according to Mannella. In fact, many faithful believe angels are sent from God to help those in need. It is a commonly held belief that in times of turmoil, life-threatening situations or even death, God will send them if He desires and if we seek their intercession.

Father Richard Brensinger ’86 is well acquainted with angels, both theologically and personally.

An Alvernia alumnus who serves as Catholic chaplain for Kutztown University and Albright College, Fr. Brensinger recalled an experience of being saved from serious injury by his guardian angel after taking a tumble off a ladder. Sister Roberta Agnes McKelvie, assistant to the president for mission integration and education at Alvernia, also has had firsthand experience with her guardian angel. “I’ve had four or five experiences

throughout my lifetime where I believe my guardian angel has protected me,” she said, noting that some were even lifesaving events.

Some actually see and communicate with angels, like Lorna Byrne, whose book “Angels in My Hair” is an international best-seller. “I see angels every day and always have … I cannot remember a time when I have not seen angels,” she said in her book. “I see them as physically as I see my daughter sitting across the dinner table from me and I talk with them as I talk with other people, although I can also communicate with them without words.”

Byrne says every person has a guardian angel, regardless of his or her religion, nationality or belief in God. “Your guardian angel is trying to help you. It is a gift from God and it never leaves you for one moment, from before your birth to after your death,” she said. to

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Hollywood has had its share of angelic

superstars but none more endearing

than Clarence Oddbody, angel

second class (left). Portrayed by Henry

Travers, Oddbody earned his wings by

helping a despon-dent George Bailey,

right, played by Jimmy Stewart, in

the film classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,”

released on Dec. 25, 1946.


“I see guardian angels as a light about three steps behind each person,” writes Byrne on her website lornabyrne.com. “Sometimes, a guardian angel will open this light up for me and will show me a very beautiful, perfect human appearance. Although angels are neither male nor female, they will sometimes take on the appearance of a man or a woman. Sometimes, the guardian angels I am shown have wings, sometimes they don’t.”

In the beginning, there were...angels

According to Catholic theology, angels are spiritual creatures superior to human beings and often

commissioned by God for work on earth. Perhaps the most significant activity of good angels (yes, there are bad angels commonly known as demons) is to be agents of God’s particular providence for mankind.

Thus, the Catholic Church teaches that everyone has a guardian angel, a notion that is grounded in Biblical accounts. (A 2013 Harris poll showed that slightly more than half of Americans believe they have been saved from harm by a guardian angel.) “I am a big believer in angels because I have experienced their good work firsthand in many life situations,” said Sister Christen Shukwit, who is not alone in giving her guardian angel a name. “Years ago, I named my guardian angel Carlotta Henrietta, Charlie Hank for short. It just came to me out of the blue … heaven sent.”

Angels have been present since creation, and their presence in the Bible is frequent. It was an angel who brought Elijah bread and water while fleeing from Jezebel after his victory on Mt. Carmel

(1 Kings 19:5-6). An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him to take Mary as his wife and name her baby Jesus (Matthew 1:20-21).

It was an angel who instructed Philip where to go in his travels so that he could meet the Ethiopian eunuch and lead him to Christ (Acts 8:26). When Paul and his shipmates were caught in a horrible storm, an angel appeared to him, assured him that no life would be lost, and that he would live to stand trial before Caesar (Acts 27:23). Daniel Chapter 6 tells the story of how an angel shut the mouths of the lions when Daniel was thrown into their den.

It was an angel — if not the Angel of the Lord, who joined Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego in the fiery furnace, rescuing them from the flames (Daniel 3).

And it was Jesus himself who said, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven,” (Matthew 18:10). (Jesus was no stranger to angelic help — they protected him in his infancy, served him in the desert and strengthened him during his agony in the garden.)

Angels in America

Angels are no strangers to Americans and are more than a passing phenomenon. There are retail stores and websites devoted

to them. They are the subjects of movies, art and television shows. Frequent best-selling books are written about them. More than 2 million copies of “Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife” were sold after the novel, which describes in detail a beautiful guardian angel

Alvernia Professor Jerry Vigna believes people look to angels

because of their discontentment with science and the secular.


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who the author claims to have encountered during a visit to heaven, was released in 2012.

Websites contain thousands of similar stories posted by people from all walks of life and all religious backgrounds. A woman is saved from a fatal car accident without explanation. A man is pulled from harm’s way by an invisible presence. A young child recovers from a severe illness and recalls conversations with his angel.

Maureen Sweeney-Kyle, of Lorain County, Ohio, has been receiving visions, apparitions and messages from angels, saints, Jesus and the Blessed Mother almost daily since 1985. She shares them on her website HolyLove.org, as a means to call the world back to the Ten Commandments. Her visions include encounters with the angels Michael (“he came as all light except for his blue eyes”), Gabriel and Raphael, whom she described as having “large wings, dark hair and features and dressed in green.”

So how is it that in a world of rapid scientific and technological advances, many Americans are fascinated with other-worldly beings that cannot be seen or proven to exist? How do angels not only remain relevant in 2015, but shape the beliefs and lives of so many science-age Americans?

James F. Gontis, director of religious education for the Diocese of Harrisburg, has no problem reconciling his belief in angels with modern science. “You cannot find empirical evidence that angels exist, but there’s no scientific means of disproving them,” Gontis said. “If you believe in God and believe that God is all-powerful, why wouldn’t you believe that God has created angels?”

Empirical evidence — information acquired by observation or experimentation — is not the only

valid form of proof, he argues. “Just because certain things cannot be empirically proven doesn’t mean that those things are not true,” said Gontis, who has done extensive extensive research on angels and often speaks about them.

Dr. Gerald Vigna, associate professor of theology at Alvernia, suggested that people look to angels because they are not content with science and the secular. “Clearly, human beings want something more than what science can provide,” Vigna said. “It might help to remember that science concerns itself with what has happened, and how, but religion also asks ‘why’ and ‘who.’ Science might respond that asking ‘who’ is unnecessary, but the question of meaning — the why — is not in science’s arena.”

Angels for the unbeliever

With increasing violence and ever-present threats globally, belief that angels are looking out for us can be extremely comforting. Angels

become even more important, Father Brensinger said, to people who are not strongly connected to a faith tradition.

“What I have seen is that many who are not regularly practicing their faith have turned to these spiritual beings as their connection with God,” Brensinger said. “These other-than-human creatures give a sense of peace to those who are missing that closeness with God. They (angels) are not judgmental, but rather comforting.”

Eben Alexander, the neurosurgeon and author of “Proof of Heaven,” had no belief in heaven, God or the soul before a rare illness caused him to fall into a coma, in which he remained for seven days.

only three angels have names known to us through

Biblical accounts: the archangels Michael, gabriel

and Raphael. their feast day in the Catholic Church is

sept. 29, although each is recognized by several faiths

including islam and Judaism.

gabriel is well known as the angel who announced

prophecy to Daniel in the old testament, and foretold

Mary she would be the mother of the Messiah. He

also appeared to zachariah and foretold the birth of

John the Baptist. He is the patron of messengers,

communications professionals, postal workers, clerics,

diplomats and philatelists (stamp collectors).

Michael is best known as the angelic leader of god’s

army in triumph over the powers of hell. He is also

viewed as a model for the virtues of the spiritual warrior

and the angel of death, carrying deceased souls to

heaven. He is especially invoked as a protector and

defender supreme. st. Michael is the patron of grocers,

mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness.

Raphael is well known as a healing angel. He

appears only in the Biblical Book of tobit where he

makes himself known as “the angel Raphael, one of

the seven, who stand before the Lord.” Raphael is a

patron of travelers, the blind, happy meetings, nurses,

physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian

marriage and Catholic studies.

there is also a name for another angel; a fallen angel

often known as Lucifer or satan (from the Hebrew for

“adversary”). He is best referred to as Beelzebub (“lord

of the flies”).

An angel by any name

During that time, he claims to have traveled with an angel on the wing of a butterfly, and to have conversed with the Creator. He was enveloped in peace and experienced the most profound love he’d ever encountered.

He told his story after healing, and stands by what he experienced. He wrote of the angels, the light and of God. “Communicating with God is the most extraordinary experience imaginable, yet at the same time it’s the most natural one of all, because God is present in us at all times,” wrote the former atheist. “Omniscient, omnipotent, personal — and loving us without conditions. We are connected as One through our divine link with God.”

Alexander’s sense of humans’ divine link to God is not unique, Sister Roberta said. Humans have a deep longing to be close to God, and angels can serve as a bridge between humans and the Creator.

“If you believe humans are created by God and destined to return to God, then there is a gap between those things and our human lifespan,” Sister Roberta said. “One of the ways we can navigate that is by a belief in an angel who takes care of us while we’re here.”

Although they are revered, guardian angels exist in the lowest of nine “choirs,” according to the Bible. The hierarchy of angels from lowest to highest is: angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities, dominations, thrones, cherubim and seraphim.

Angels within these groups are very different from one another and serve various purposes. They often intervene or intercede on behalf of humans and some angels, such as the one in 2 Samuel 24:16 who “stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it.”

In an ironic act of role reversal, sometimes humans can help or care for angels, the example of George Bailey helping Clarence Oddbody earn his wings notwithstanding. In the book of Hebrews (13:2), it says: “Forget not to show love unto strangers:

“ What I have seen is that many who are not regularly practicing their faith have turned to these spiritual beings as their connection with God.”

Fr. Richard Brensinger ’86


Shortly after Lori Hagy ‘95 first became a wealth advisor, one of her clients asked to meet with her because he had just sold his family’s

farm. “He brought me the proceeds of the sale,”

recalls Hagy. “He took my hand and told me that he trusted me enough to take control of the rest of his family’s legacy. The experience was extremely humbling, and right then, I simply knew that I’d found my calling.”

Since that day, Hagy has been recognized for making a mark on her clients and her profession. As a vice president with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management based in Lancaster, Pa., she looks forward to occasions to share ideas and grow professionally — such as Barron’s Top Women Advisors Summit in Palm Beach, Fla., — a conference for financial advisors that she has now been invited to attend twice.

Hosted by Barron’s magazine, the summit

is designed to promote best practices and generate new ideas across the industry.

“This is the premier event of the year where the nation’s top women financial advisors gather for an exclusive chance to share ideas, grow professionally and network among our peers,” says Hagy.

From this year’s conference, Hagy discovered one message that really resonated with her — to be authentic.

“All too often, we find ourselves trying to be what other people want us to be,” Hagy notes. “My advice to clients, friends, parents, children and siblings is to never lose sight of who you are and where you came from. Never deviate from that.”

In fact, authenticity is an idea that she’s proud to have built her professional success around. It’s something she attributes to growing up in what she describes as a

By Karen L. Miller

“He took my hand and told me that he trusted me enough to take control of the rest of his family’s legacy … right then,

I simply knew that I’d found my calling.”



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Immaculée Ilibagiza

knows more than most about

genocide and man’s ability to do the

unthinkable to his brothers. The best-

selling author and rwandan holocaust

survivor shared her shocking story

at Alvernia this spring.

“… people are not evil. people do evil things.”

That’s how Jan Egeland, former United Nations humanitarian chief and now head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, describes the war and genocide occurring in Syria.

Syria’s government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, has targeted Sunnis, even as the Islamic State has launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against non-Arab and non-Sunni Muslims in northern Iraq. The world is “not even close to grasping the magnitude” of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, a top aid official said ahead of the fourth anniversary of the peaceful protests that marked the start of the devastating conflict.

“We may live with the aftermath of the Syrian conflict for generations,” Egeland told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Statistics are staggering, and grim: 200,000 dead, 3.9 million refugees created, 7.6 million displaced within Syria alone, according to the United Nations. Figures from UNICEF indicate 14 million children have been affected by the Syrian conflict, with millions more ensnared in places cut off from aid due to fighting.

It’s a terrible tale that is eerily familiar, having been played out again and again over the last 25 years and beyond.

■ Twenty years ago, when Hutu tribesmen viciously attacked their Tutsi neighbors with machetes and more in Rwanda, the world witnessed epic atrocities rooted in ethnic or religious differences.

■ During the Kosovo War from 1998 to 1999, Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic waged a brutal campaign against the region’s ethnic Albanians, resulting in the massacre of thousands and the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands more.

■ Since 2003 and continuing to this day, hundreds of thousands of Darfuri men, women and children have faced mass slaughter at the hands of the Sudanese government.

Despite the heinousness of these acts, Immaculée Ilibagiza would say that those

who did the killing, raping and maiming of the victims of such atrocities are essentially good people. Yes, good people, who have gone horribly astray.

“The main thing to understand is that people are not evil. People do evil things,” the 45-year-old motivational speaker and author originally from Rwanda says during an interview. A few days earlier, Ilibagiza spoke to a captivated crowd in Alvernia University’s Bernardine Lecture Hall and delivered a moving, inspirational message to more than 200 in attendance.

“Even me,” she says. “I hurt people with my words and actions. Then later, I wish I hadn’t done this. If I can change, if today I can be angry and tomorrow say I should have said it better, if I can change, then the others can change too. Who am I to say my sin is smaller, theirs is bigger and they cannot change?

“We are made of the same material,” she adds in English laced with the cadence of her native land. “We have the same soul.”

Ilibagiza, perhaps more than most, has thought long and hard about genocide and man’s ability to do the unthinkable. She is a Tutsi survivor of Rwanda’s three-month holocaust in 1994, when Hutu killed 800,000 Tutsi, often neighbors and friends. In a matter of weeks, when she was 24 years old, she lost her mother, father, two of her three brothers, many extended family members and countless friends, a story she chronicled with writer Steve Erwin in her moving 2006 book “Left to Tell.”

Alvernia’s Director of Campus Ministry Kelly Caddy says her office sponsored Ilibagiza’s appearance because of the unifying message she offers. “We forget about the human dignity God created each of us to have and acknowledge in one another,” she says. “We’re people. There are people behind each of those atrocities.”

Ilibagiza’s talk brought that message home to Jessica Newcomer, a senior political science and communication major from Dillsburg, Pa. “It’s so easy to distance ourselves from these tragedies when we study them or hear about them on the news,” she says. “Listening to Immaculée made it personal.

By Lini S. Kadaba Th

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“…biggest humanitarian crisis in a generation.”


Events like the Rwandan genocide happen to real people, people with families and dreams and ambition.

“I also loved her message about forgiveness,” Newcomer adds. “Forgiveness, like hate, spreads, and if we promote forgiveness, it can triumph over hate. If we want to heal our world, we have to learn to forgive.”

Ilibagiza, a devout Catholic, says she survived the genocide because of a faith in God that during the horror grew stronger by the day. In that way, she uncovered a way to let go of anger and move forward through forgiveness and ultimately hope. A Hutu pastor hid her and seven other Tutsi women in a 4-foot-by-3-foot bathroom at his house for 91 terrifying days. In that prison-like space, Ilibagiza says she found freedom.

At first she spent the hours and days plotting plans for revenge against the Hutus who killed her family members and friends.

“All that consumed me to the point where my head was aching, my body was aching, my stomach was aching,” she says. “But the thing is, the angrier I was, the more of a prisoner I was.”

Through unrelenting prayer, she says she grew closer to God and her heart opened to another possibility. “Forgiveness was a key to freedom,” says Ilibagiza, who now makes her home in New York City with her husband and two children. “It was like somebody opened the door. … Instead of hating them and wanting them to die and their families to die, why cannot I see them as people who are doing evil but capable of change? You hating them does not change one thing.”

Certainly, Rwanda as a country has changed through reconciliation as its once ethnic rift, as raw as an open wound, has healed. “Rwanda has made astonishing strides,” says Victoria C. Williams,

Ilibagiza, above during her appearance at Alvernia, says that getting past genocide begins with forgiveness. “It’s not about punishing people,” she says, “but about getting to the truth of what happened …”


Alvernia Occupational

Therapy major Elizabeth Blosky poses for a can-

did photo with Ilibagiza during her

visit to campus.

an associate professor of political science at Alvernia who also directs the Honors Program. She points, in particular, to its Gacaca court, lower tribunals at the community level that helped reconciliation throughout the country.

While the world has not learned how to prevent genocide since the evils of 1994 — consider the mass acts of brutality occurring today in Syria — Rwanda has provided a model for dealing with the aftermath, Williams says.

It begins with forgiveness. “It’s not about punishing people,” she says, “but about getting to the truth of what happened — and getting to the point where you’re reconciling the past with a more promising future.”

Since the genocide, Ilibagiza has returned often to the lush, rolling green hills of Rwanda, leading what she calls pilgrimages. The groups visit Rwandan families, genocide memorials and local leaders to learn about the progress of the country. She even gives a

tour of the bathroom that was her safe haven. “It is amazing in Rwanda,” Ilibagiza says.

For those who experienced the country before, during and after the genocide, “things have changed 150 percent.”

Before, even though Hutu and Tutsi lived side by side, they carried identity cards that listed tribal affiliations. At Ilibagiza’s school during roll call, the Hutu teacher would force students to identify themselves by tribe, an experience that she found humiliating. Even without the cards, Tutsi were singled out because of physical features: Like Ilibagiza, many are very tall and have narrow noses.

Tutsi often faced discrimination. Most of the government posts and seats at the best schools and colleges were reserved for Hutu. Distrust and resentment, on both sides, was simmering just under the surface — and exploded in 1994.

To understand an inkling of how that could happen, consider the country’s history. “You can’t understand contemporary

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Alvernia’s Director of Campus Ministry Kelly Caddy, left, shares a lighter moment with Immaculée Ilibagiza. “We forget about the human dignity God created each of us to have and acknowledge in one another,” Caddy says.

Africa without understanding the historical relationship of the colonies,” says Williams, who teaches the honors class “Africa: Colonialism to Independence” that covers events from 1865 to 1965. She attended Ilibagiza’s talk with Newcomer and other students in the class.

In Rwanda, Tutsi and Hutu coexisted. When the Belgian colonizers arrived, they favored the Tutsi, supposedly because of their more European features. Tutsi gained control of the country. As landowners, they lorded over the often poorer Hutu. But between 1959 and 1962, the majority of Hutu people rebelled and overthrew the Tutsi government, and that led to poor treatment of Tutsi in return.

In 1990, a mostly Tutsi rebel group based in Uganda invaded northern Rwanda. The ensuing civil war only increased tensions and led to a propaganda war against Tutsi. On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying the Hutu Rwandan president was shot down. Then the genocide began.

In “Left to Tell,” Ilibagiza writes about the early days in the bathroom hideaway. She could hear bands of Hutus chanting, “Kill them, kill them, kill them all; kill them big and kill them small! … Let none escape!”

She goes on to say that the whooping, crazed mob was not made up of government soldiers or militiamen who had threatened her family. “No, these were my neighbors, people I’d grown up and gone to school with — some had even been to our house for dinner,” she wrote.

But despite that, Ilibagiza — and ultimately Rwanda — found a way out. In 2007, she won the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace. In Rwanda, identification by tribe is now forbidden. The government, rather than favoring one tribe over another, is more evenly mixed. “People have tried to let go, to forgive,” she says.

For Caddy, that message resonates. “The people who are able to find it in their hearts to forgive, that’s a way of gifting someone who has wronged you,” she says. “It’s a way to help them find a path of redemption. … Forgiveness is about the vulnerability of the moment, when you can accept the mystery that I am not perfect and you are not perfect.”

Soon after the genocide stopped, Ilibagiza met the man responsible for killing her mother and one of her brothers. At the prison, the once successful Hutu businessman whose children had played with Ilibagiza was dragged in front of her. He was a shell of a man.

“I forgive you,” Ilibagiza said to him to the shock of the prison warden.

“I wanted to free him,” she says. “I saw him as a child who is lost. I felt me offering this forgiveness can just let him know, `Don’t think about the past but what you

can do now.’”Ilibagiza, clearly, is a voice of hope and,

ultimately, peace, and perhaps offers a way to break a cycle of hate that seems, for now, to have no end. “How can we get together and see the best in people?” Williams asks. “If we all chose that path, the world would be a better place. It’s a powerful message that we don’t hear enough today.”

Lini S. Kadaba, a journalist based in Newtown Square, Pa., is a frequent contributor to Alvernia Magazine.

julia @juliasavidis Mar 28

the show my big fat american gypsy wedding

is a gift sent from Jesus

Marissa Faith Curley @MarissaCurley Mar 26

I wish I wasn’t addicted to watching “My Big Fat

American Gypsy Wedding” - but I am. And, it’s a

problem.

Kelly Cannistra @Kelly_Cannistra Mar 19

my big fat american gypsy wedding is the dumbest

show ever.. but I won’t stop watching it

Insignificant Funds @4SLars 21h21 hours agoMy tweets today will be narrated by the Long Island

Medium. I think that will lend them an air of gravitas &

splendor.

Andrea Lavinthal @andilavs 3h3 hours ago#LongIslandMedium @Theresacaputo contacted my

grandma who said it’s ok if I turn her ring into earrings.

#beautybuds

kurriah cruz @kurriahcruz Mar 29Long Island Medium seems like a great idea until half

way through when I’m bawling my eyes out

Long Island Medium

My Big Fat

American Gypsy Wedding


How do you make a TV show a smash hit that trends hot and heavy on Twitter?

The answer can often be found in the marketing mix: commercials hinting at a major plot twist in the next episode, billboards teasing an exciting season, consumer promotions that drive rabid fans into a frenzy for a must-win prize.

“It’s really about reaching your audience, cutting through the clutter and showing them why they want to watch this,” explains Emily Rabadi ’12, a project manager on TLC’s marketing strategy team. Rabadi should know. She is determined to convince you and the rest of America to tune into the next episode of TLC shows like “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.”

Among her latest projects is managing a major national promotion for fans of “Long Island Medium” to win a reading with the show’s star, psychic medium Theresa Caputo.

But the former Alvernian standout didn’t always have her sights set on network television. In fact, at first Rabadi thought she would become a magazine writer. Before finishing high school, she even interned at a local magazine near her home in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C.

At Alvernia, she saw an opportunity to bloom as a person, develop important skills she would need to launch her career and build close relationships with faculty. One of her mentors became Dr. Jodi Radosh, associate professor of English and communication, whose background included a successful stint in TV news.

“She was one of those students who I could tell, from day one, was going to do well,” Radosh says of her former advisee. “She was so excited to be in class and wanted to soak up as much as she could.”

When Rabadi saw the world of print journalism turning

upside down, she decided to reinvent her dream. She stepped out of her comfort zone in a broadcasting class with Radosh and found she loved the atmosphere of BCTV’s Reading studio. Marketing was a great way to combine that love with her writing skills.

By the time Rabadi collected her degree in communication, she had landed internships for the E! Network in London and the National Geographic Channel in Washington.

“I’d always had my foot in the real world, and it was hard for me not to at college,” she says.

In London, she found another mentor, Rubi Chavez Horst, who directed marketing for Europe, Africa and the Middle East for NBC Universal, parent company of E!. Horst says Rabadi had an international viewpoint and understood why certain shows were more successful in different countries.

“She asked lots of questions, and she was very curious about why everything was the way it was,” says Horst, now executive director of marketing for NBC/Universal International Television.

Rabadi started working for TLC’s parent company, Discovery Communications, in 2013. One bonus is that her offices are in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring, Md., not far from Potomac, where she attended high school.

She understands that several of TLC’s subjects come with their share of controversy. But viewers don’t have to agree with what they see, Rabadi says, and that’s okay. TV is a platform to share all kinds of stories, she says.

“We really are a no-judgment zone because you see all different walks of life on our network,” she says. And America would have it no other way!

By Rebecca VanderMeulen

Ratings gameFor one AlverniA grAduAte, getting AmericA to tune into tlc shows, And tune out the competition, is A dAily reAlity show.

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Diamonds are forever

Diamonds are forever

After 20 years in

the business of baseball,

Kevin Sklenarik is proof …

By Karen L. Miller


Most Little Leaguers dream of graduating from the local sandlot to the big city stadium. They fantasize about crashing into the Green Monster, rounding bases at Wrigley and crushing it at Candlestick.

But then reality sets in. They settle for watching the great American pastime on their jumbo flat screens, and stealing second base from the comfort of an overstuffed couch.

Kevin Sklenarik wasn’t one to settle. While the former Crusader all-star didn’t quite make it to The Show (his heart was set on

starting as shortstop for the New York Yankees), he’s likely had a bigger impact on the sport, albeit from a very different vantage point — as a front-office executive for the jewel of MLB’s minor league system, the Reading Fightin Phils.

In December, the Alvernia ’96 grad was named Executive Director of Baseball Operations and Merchandise, adding to the other responsibilities he has had in his 20-year career with

the highly acclaimed minor league team. In his role, Sklenarik oversees the Reading team’s merchandise and team store. He also works directly with the Philadelphia Phillies organization to handle travel and logistical plans when players are called up to the majors from the Fightin Phils.

Last season, while playing golf with Fightin Phils catcher Logan Moore, he got a call announcing teammate Aaron Altherr was being pulled up to the big leagues. He said Moore was surprised and happy to hear the news. “When you go to the big leagues,” Sklenarik said, “it is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Sklenarik also arranges travel for the Reading team, which journeys by bus as far west as Akron, Ohio, and as far north as Portland, Maine. And while working for the Philadelphia Phillies organization is a dream come true, he is the first to say that it’s not all popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jacks.

Between April and August, the schedule is “pretty much 24/7 every week, always on call,”

Sklenarik at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Fightin Phils.

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Sklenarik said. “The rest of the year is pretty busy too,” he said. But it does have perks — like the time A Rod came to town in 2013.

“When we found out he was rehabbing, we were looking at the schedule, kidding around and saying that we might get the chance for Alex Rodriguez to play here,” said Sklenarik, explaining the Florida State League and AAA were on an all-star break at the time.

“We were the only team playing at the time. Sure enough we got a call from one of the Yankees strength coaches who told us that Alex was

going to be in Reading for a few days. “It was a neat experience to get to

meet him. My son got to be the batboy that day and see how A Rod goes about his business. Whether you like him or not, he’s still Alex Rodriguez.”

Sklenarik credited his wife, Georgeiann (Sheaman), a ’95 Alvernia alumna and teacher at Royersford’s Spring-Ford School District, with being the rock holding the family together. They are the parents of Nicholas, 15, and Abigail, 11.

“I’m fortunate,” Sklenarik said. “A lot of people get up to go to work. I get up and go to work I enjoy.” But Sklenarik notes that he sometimes spends more time with his co-workers than he does his own family during the season.

“Whatever you want to do in life, put your heart and soul into it. You have to enjoy it, and you have to like it. I don’t look at it as work. I look at it as something I really enjoy. Just don’t let my bosses know that.”

At 42, Sklenarik reflected about what it takes to work in minor league baseball: “I tell young kids to do sports internships to get a feel for what it is like. It’s not all glory. It’s hard work and long hours. I didn’t start out as an executive director. I started at the bottom and worked up. I’m proud of the last 20 years.”

During games, Sklenarik says it’s all business. “No two games are ever the same. When the game starts, I make sure I’m around the players and see if they need anything. I look over the team store and make sure everything’s okay.

“During games we do promotions on the field, like using the T-shirt slingshot or the sumo wrestlers (a crowd favorite). Every game offers great entertainment for the fans. We never stop trying to impress the crowd.”

At Alvernia, he got direction from Beth DeMeo, chair of the English and communication department, who shepherded the green horn communication major.

“My courses at Alvernia provided me with an important foundation and afforded me the opportunity to get a foot in the door,” said Sklenarik, who started as a college senior at the Phils farm team. “My sports internship through Alvernia was the beginning of my career. You’ll make mistakes. Just don’t make them again. You’ll learn from them and be better because of it.”

Sklenarik was promoted to executive director of baseball operations and merchandise for the Fightin Phils last spring. Below, Sklenarik spends a moment in the clubhouse before the season begins.


Put a pair of dark shades on Kyle Covington ‘15 and he is practically a ringer for Joel Goodsen, the budding if misguided entrepreneur

made famous by a then young Tom Cruise in the film “Risky Business.” While the well-spoken Covington would cringe at the comparison and blush at the thought of sliding across the hallway in his skivvies (the oft-replayed scene from the movie), the go-getter in him knows the similarity is spot on.

A self-starter who is into “everything business,” Covington hails from West Grove, Pa., and is majoring in accounting and business management at Alvernia. He loves his field of study and its entrepreneurial spirit. But he especially likes understanding what makes complicated business operations tick and entertains visions of greatness in his future.

“Being chief operations officer at Delta Airlines would be great, because there are so many puzzle pieces that are constantly shifting and moving,” imagines Covington out loud. “I want to be able to figure out the puzzle.”

Which is why after working for Giant Foods for three years, he arranged to take a sophomore year summer internship at the organization. “It was a great opportunity, because food stores are big (logistical) operations. I was able to tailor my experience to get a clear picture of the whole organization.”

Though he’s interested in logistics and operations, his focus is now clearly on finance and banking, something that will get honed in the real world this summer through an extremely competitive internship at Wells Fargo in commercial banking. “It will allow me to combine my

Kyle Covington ’15 has his sights set on conquering the financial world after he graduates next fall.

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No More Risky

Businessoperational knowledge with my financial background.”

Never one to sit still, Covington will also be studying in the nation’s capitol this fall, thanks to Alvernia’s Washington Center program. “I’ll be focusing on risk management and governmental compliance, with an emphasis on international trade and global business,” he said. “I plan on interning at a governmental organization like the treasury department or the international trade commission.”

After graduation, Covington is happy to go wherever the job calls — even into the global marketplace. Since he wasn’t able to fit a semester-long study abroad trip into his ambitious plans, Covington jumped at the chance to be a two-week Alvernia ambassador to China over last summer, networking with other schools and learning about the global marketplace.

And when he returned, he brought back ideas to share with the Business Advisory Council, on which he is an active member. “Things in business are going international, so we need to teach people how

to compete and interact globally,” he explained. In addition to serving on the council, Covington is an active

member of the Institute for Management Accountants, the Society for Human Resource Management, Delta Mu Delta and Phi Beta Lambda — for which he currently serves as president.

“Through these organizations, I go to a lot of professional networking meetings where we talk about current issues that will be important after graduation,” he says. Last year, Covington placed third in a marketing competition for the Phi Beta Lambda state conference, and he hopes to compete in a different area when the competition comes around again next year.

An honors student and Peer Mentor (who works with the freshmen honor class), Covington has even had a hand in sustainability efforts at Alvernia. He was part of an effort to bring



ProfiLeS in coUrAge

Living a

New Normal

By elizabeth Shimer-Bowers


ProfiLeS in coUrAge

“ This is me now, and I need to get over what happened and move forward.”

Ryan Weber

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At age 14, Ryan Weber went through something usually only experienced by people four times his age, an event that has

left him wise beyond his years. “I remember waking up with severe

head pain. I went into my parents’ room and collapsed,” Ryan says. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I was in the middle of a massive stroke.”

A few days later, as their son lay unconscious, Weber’s parents learned he had aplastic anemia, a rare and serious condition in which the body fails to produce enough new blood cells, increasing risk for uncontrolled bleeding. In Weber’s case, bleeding caused a hemorrhagic stroke that left him with permanent vision problems, partial paralysis on his left side and epilepsy.

Although Weber and his parents had some clues he was sick, such as recurring illnesses and bruises, they certainly weren’t prepared for what was to come. It was a stubborn blood blister on his lip that finally sent them to the doctor. As he underwent additional tests and prepared for a possible diagnosis of leukemia, Weber had the stroke.

Weber remembers the first few weeks in the hospital as being the worst, as he grappled with the transition from an athletic, happy-go-lucky 14-year-old to fighting for his life. “The sensation of being on a ventilator is something I will never forget,” he says.

Doctors had to remove part of Weber’s skull to relieve the brain swelling, and he spent months in the hospital and in rehab. He missed all of eighth grade.

At first, Weber says he was mad at the world. Feeling like a mere shadow of his old self, he self-isolated. “The most awkward time was when I finally got back to high school. I was so nervous and afraid the other kids would mock me.” His only friends at school became the faculty members. Looking back, he realizes he was only hurting himself.

So when the Temple, Pa., native started college at Alvernia, Weber made a fresh start. “I thought, these kids don’t know what I was like before the stroke. This is me now, and I need to get over what happened and move forward.”

Once Weber embraced his new normal, others accepted him as well. “I opened up to my classmates and made friends. I’m no longer hesitant to speak up in class,” he says.

In addition to accepting himself, Weber has learned to be more optimistic. “Your outlook on life is truly your biggest asset,” he says. “When the stroke first happened, I was miserable, and I felt sorry for myself. It was only when I made it a point to look on the bright side and get in a good mood that things got a lot easier for me.”

Another part of making things easier has meant preparing himself to live with disabilities while simultaneously

studying for a career with a major in communication. Although he started out in 2012 as a secondary education major and soon made the Dean’s list, Weber shifted academic gears. He now entertains visions of being a professional journalist, and has had several pieces published, including a personal account about overcoming his health challenges.

He knows his life will never be like others his age, but he’s ready. “With the help of a 24-hour driving service and maybe a seizure dog, I hope to be able to commute to a job and live on my own,” he says.

As he continues to adapt, Weber gets by in part by laughing. He watches old comedies and tries to find humor in situations that may otherwise frustrate him. “My father taught me the power of laughter, and he encouraged me to watch the movie ‘Patch Adams,’” he says.

Patch Adams tells the true story of a medical doctor who often donned clown attire to cheer up patients and believed laughter, joy and creativity were integral parts of the healing process. In Weber’s case, laughter has indeed been healing. “I am in remission with my anemia, and I’ve learned to do everything pretty well with one arm.

Weber says laughter has truly been the best medicine. “It is the philosophy I try to follow in life to keep a positive attitude, and I recommend it to everyone.”


Long before sunup, well before students start streaming into lecture halls and wet labs on Alvernia’s bucolic campus, Professor Leon Neiman starts his first job.

In the still of the morning, he pulls on his worn John Deere hat and plain clothes, as he calls them, and heads outside. With sunbeams breaking across the horizon, the 40-year veteran of the classroom makes sure everything is in order at his family’s farm in nearby Fleetwood.

“Remember the ‘Green Acres’ TV show? That’s what I always dreamed of having,” he says, chuckling. “I love farming. The ability to be able to put seeds in the ground and watch something grow, or the ability to help birth a newborn calf, is amazing. You can see your accomplishments every morning. It’s a neat way of seeing the world.”

When he’s not tilling the soil or harvesting hay, he can be found on Alvernia’s main campus teaching human anatomy or at the Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences teaching physiology classes to nursing students enrolled in the Alvernia RN to BSN completion program there.

However, it wasn’t all that long ago that Neiman worked three jobs to save money for a down payment on his farm to bale hay and grow grains until his heart’s content. Winter months are like mini-vacations since his farm tasks lighten. However, days become longer as warm weather returns and he again adds beef cows to the farm, he says. He’s also harvesting honey (from his bees,) experimenting with a vineyard and maintaining a large garden.

His entire family has helped out on the farm at one time or another, including his wife, Linda, and four children: Jennifer, a high school chemistry teacher; Michael, who works in financial services; Jill, who is completing her M.D., Ph.D. residency program; and David, a recent Alvernia grad who landed an accounting job at Herbein + Company, Inc. “Farming is a good life, but it’s a tough life,” he says. “They (my kids) learned responsibility and hard work.”

On campus, Neiman enjoys watching the seeds of his real-world lessons take root with students. For him, that means skipping long lectures in favor of open discussions. Rather than relying on a textbook, he prefers to show students real brain tissue of zoology specimens or a fresh pig heart during his biology courses.

“I’ve taught courses in the biological curriculum for over 40 years, including stints at Reading Area Community College and Kutztown University,” Neiman said. “It’s always been important to find ways to engage students in lessons that aren’t limited to textbooks or lectures, especially in the biological sciences.

“I like giving a realistic view of science,” says Neiman, who joined the Alvernia faculty in 2011. “I want to help students build careers in the science fields and give them a good foundation.” His research work helps him do just that. “My research and pedagogical interest are

actually very similar. I am trying to develop techniques that would improve processing information from short-term to long-term memory in the classroom setting,” he said. His earlier research dealt with small-fish feeding behaviors and determining whether the feeding was opportunistic or selective.

His new passion, he says, is working hands-on at Alvernia’s student-led Bog Turtle Creek Farm, where he feels right at home. There, he’s able to use plots of land — and all that sprouts from them — to instill the university’s service learning mission, engage students and provide healthy produce for Reading families who lack access to affordable fresh vegetables.

This year, volunteers are planting new crops like cilantro, peppers and tomatoes to appeal to the customer base, he says. “We also hope to provide opportunities for students to design and conduct biological research related to agriculture and sustainability gardening.

“Some people don’t realize what goes into their food. If you can help people understand sustainability and (the importance of) fresh vegetables, it has such value,” he says. “It’s about education. Once you do that, they’ll want much more because they’ll know they have options. It’s encouraging to be a part of that.”

By Kristin Boyd

Above, Leon Neiman on the farm with Emily Lytle, Alvernia’s Sustainable

Food Access VISTA member.

Teaching with

toUchA farmer’s

Biology professor Leon Neiman’s teaching roots run deep, four decades worth, but his passion for planting seeds doesn’t stop with ideas germinated by students in his classroom. r

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Sr. Mary Carlanita Jones ’62 passed

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Sr. Clare Chabot, OSF

’68, and her

fellow Bernardine

Franciscan Sis-

ters, celebrated

120 years of ser-

vice to God and man with

their annual fundraiser

in February. During the

event, Sr. Clare shared

her story of becoming

a nun with the Reading

Eagle.

Valetta (Painter) Eshbach ’68 was

inducted into the Muhlen-

berg School District Hall

of Fame. Valetta was a

high school math teacher

for 29 years, served as

math department chair

and adviser to Students

Against Drunk Driving,

Youth-to-Youth and

commencement. She

also taught at Penn State

Berks for 16 years.

Dr. Patricia (Werner) Savage ’71

received a lifetime

achievement

award from Lead-

ingAge PA for service to

seniors and received the

Wise Woman award for

encouraging women in

leadership.

Franklin J. Spohn

’78 passed away on

March 17, 2015.

Deanna (Wether-hold) Reuben ’79

has been successful

in her dual career as a

professional singer and

real estate agent. She is

now embarking on a new

adventure as the owner

and creator of DLR Cos-

metics.

Liz Symons, R.N. ’79 has accepted a

position in the Virtual

Critical Care Center of

Carolinas Health System

in Charlotte, NC.

Dr. Benjamin Schlechter ’82 has

started a new division of

his practice called the

Spring Ridge Hand Cen-

ter, in the Spring Ridge

Plastic Surgery building.

Dr. Schlechter

wants to begin

a process of

educating both

family physicians

and the general

public about the

hand center.

Darlene (Bieber) Rusk ’84 passed away

on Nov. 8, 2014.

William L. Minnich Jr. ’86 passed away on

Nov. 14, 2014.

Jeff Smith ’86 was

reelected President of

the Board of Directors

for Habitat for Humanity

Berks County.

Deidre (Beiler) Bowers ’87 passed

away on Nov. 3, 2014.

Stanley Niedrowski ’89 passed away on

Jan. 17, 2015.

Lori (McIntosh) DiGuardi ’90

completed her Master of

Science of Organizational

and Strategic Leader-

ship degree at Neumann

University, Aston, Pa.

Scott Carl Sr. ’93

is the vice president of

water & wastewater ser-

vices for SSM Group, Inc.

He will direct the water

and wastewater services

for the firm, including all

aspects of water and

wastewater engineering

services, municipality and

authority representation,

water and wastewater

treatment operations,

treatment plant design,

construction phase en-

gineering and regulatory

compliance assistance.

Thomas Endy ’93

researched and worked

on a book to commemo-

rate the 100th anniversary

of the Wyomissing Police

Department. The book

includes photographs,

statistics on calls for

service, arrests, traffic

citations, accidents and

other incidents, as well as

information on each officer

hired, awards won, pro-

motions and other tidbits

about the police

department.

Lori (Reedy) Hagy ’94,

’95, associate

vice president for

Morgan Stanley,

was one of approximately

550 financial advisors

who were selected by

their firms to attend the

ninth annual Barron’s Top

Women Advisors Summit,

hosted by Barron’s mag-

azine to promote best

practices in the industry

and the value of advice to

the investing public. The

invitation-only conference

was held at The Break-

ers in Palm Beach, Fla.,

Dec. 3-5. This exclusive

conference is designed to

promote best practices

and generate new ideas

across the industry.

Amy Schoch ’95

relocated to Nashville to

work for the Nashville

Sounds — the Triple-A

affiliate of the Oakland

A’s — as director of guest

services.

Holly (Sibley) Lamont ’96, M’01

passed away on Nov. 7,

2014. She is survived by

her husband, Greg, and

children, Colin, Amelia

and Calvin.

Shannon (Scott) Wechsler ’96 was

featured in the Reading

Eagle for turning her love

of roller skating into an

exercise routine. Shan-

non was excited to learn

how much roller skating

could positively impact

her overall health.

Kevin Bieber ’99

has been promoted to

Senior Vice President for

National Penn Banc-

shares, Inc., where he is

responsible for develop-

ing and maintaining

commercial relationships

throughout National

Penn’s central region and

agricultural lending in

Berks County.

Deana (Camilli) Barcz ’00 was a

speaker at a Greater

Reading Chamber of

Commerce & Industry’s

Women2Women lun-

cheon, where she gave

advice on managing time

and the importance of

planning.

Jose Medina ’00

was named Bethlehem

Catholic’s girls basketball

coach.

Carol Aulenbach

’01 retired from Carpen-

ter Technology Corp.,

in January 2015. She

handled the marketing

communications planning

and execution for the

Specialty Alloys Opera-

tions division.

196

0s

1970

s

Lauren Kurek ’11 and Scott Francik ’11 were married on Oct. 17, 2014.

Kyle Levengood ’08 was promoted to manager in the accounting and auditing department at Herbein + Company, Inc.

Bryan Otruba ’08, M’13, above with his wife Camille (Cloutier) Otruba ’09, lost his battle with leukemia on Feb. 5.

Jonathan Encarnacion M’01 was selected to serve a three-year term on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Health Equity Council.

20

10s

20

00

s


Alum

ni C

las

s N

ote

s

Jonathan Encar-nacion M’01 has

been selected to serve

a three-year term on the

Mid-Atlantic Regional

Health Equity Council.

The organization is dedi-

cated to ending health

disparities in Pennsylva-

nia, Delaware, Maryland,

Virginia and West

Virginia.

Michael Hinkle ’04 was

hired as the Court

Fiscal Investigator

for Cumberland County,

Pa., where he will be

working on ways to col-

lect criminal payments

and restitution fees owed

by offenders.

Zak Keifer ’04 is

engaged to Julie Henry.

Anne Douglas-Minnich ’04 passed

away on Jan. 21, 2015.

Sr. Dativa Muke-bita ’05 is returning

to her home country of

Tanzania to take care of

elderly people. Sr. Dativa

shared that elderly in Tan-

zania do not have nursing

homes or any type of

health insurance, so

families take care of the

elderly. She will also be

teaching young people

to care for the elderly, as

well as teaching them

skills like sewing, garden-

ing and crafts.

Steve Rowe ’05 and

Jamie Rowe welcomed

their second child, Jacob

William, on June 30,

2014.

Kelly (Yountz) Wendler ’05 was

featured in the Reading

Eagle’s “In Our Schools”

section for her work as

an English language

acquisition resource

teacher at 10th & Green

Elementary in the Read-

ing School District.

Conor Delaney

’07 started Good Life

Advisors, an advisor-

owned company with

LPL Financial this past

year to complement their

services company. His

company has grown from

a two-person operation

to over 20 offices in 18

states and over a billion

dollars in assets. It has

also created 11 full-time

jobs in Berks County, and

over 60 jobs throughout

the United States.

Patrice DiCarne

’07 passed away on

Oct. 22, 2014.

Benjamin Reifs-nyder ’07 and Nicole

Humphreys were married

on Sept. 6, 2014, at Bear

Creek Mountain Resort.

Nicole Kantor ’08

was featured in the Read-

ing Eagle about her daily

battle with psoriasis and

psoriatic arthritis. She is

also a spokeswoman for

the National Psoriasis

Foundation. Nicole wants

people to know what

the condition is and the

symptoms and problems

it can cause for people

that have it.

Kyle Levengood

’08 has been promoted

to manager in the ac-

counting and auditing

department at Herbein +

Company, Inc. Kyle will

be responsible for over-

her work as an English

teacher at Governor Mif-

flin High School.

Kayla Oliver ’10

was married on Feb. 14,

2015, to Chad Kressler,

in Alvernia’s Francis Hall

Chapel.

Stacey Sears ’10

and Ryan Babula were

married on July 12,

2014, at The Inn at

Leola Village, Lancaster

County, Pa.

Richard Dabney

’11, M’14 passed

away on Jan. 18, 2015.

Courtney Fretz

M’11 and Kevin Noll

were married on May

24, 2014, at Bally Spring

Inn. A reception at Bally

Spring Inn was followed

by a bus tour of Europe.

The couple will reside in

Bloomsburg.

Alberta Green ’11

became a Certi-

fied Psychiatric

Rehabilitation

Practitioner on

June 30, 2014. She

currently works for the

Northeast Community

Center.

Michelle Jensen ’11 and Nathan Pi-

otrowski were married on

Dec. 13, 2014.

Lauren Kurek ’11

and Scott Francik ’11

were married on Oct. 17,

2014, in Alvernia’s campus

at Sacred Heart Convent.

Ashley Becker ’12

is engaged to Michael

Wertz.

Jessica Slavin ’12

and Matthew Gore were

married on Nov. 1, 2014.

Douglas Weaver

’12 is engaged to Hilary

Ohlinger.

Gregory Creswell M’13 was named Direc-

tor for Environmental

Health and Safety for

Cambridge-Lee Indus-

tries, LLC. Gregory will be

responsible for the cor-

porate management of

environmental, health and

safety policies, programs,

systems and processes,

including workers com-

pensation management

and security.

Ashley Dautrich

M’13 and Shawn Cie-

niewicz were married on

Oct. 11, 2014, in Trudy’s

Garden at the Reading

Museum.

Timothy Kershner

’13 and Sarah Harris

were married on Aug. 23,

2014.

James Michaud

M’14 and Lauren

DeMoss were mar-

ried on July 4, 2014

at the Farm at Eagles

Ridge, Lancaster, Pa. A

reception at the Farm at

Eagles Ridge was fol-

lowed by a wedding trip

to Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Sara West ’14 mar-

ried Joshua Hoffert on

Aug. 31, 2014.

seeing multiple firm audit

engagements. He works

primarily within the dairy,

food, employee benefit

plans and manufactur-

ing industries throughout

several states.

Bryan Otruba ’08,

M’13 — who married

Camille (Cloutier) Otruba ’09 in Sacred

Heart Chapel in 2010

— lost his battle with leu-

kemia on Feb. 5, 2015.

Active in Campus Min-

istry, Bryan participated

in an alternative break

trip to the Dominican

Republic as a student,

and later became one of

the first candidates in the

Bernardine Franciscan

Sisters’ Volunteers in

Mission program, for

which he served three

months at the sisters’

school in Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic.

Mallory (Bressler) Sweitzer ’08 and

her husband, Brad,

welcomed baby Karter

into the world on Jan. 25,

2015. Karter weighed 7

pounds, 12 ounces, and

was 20 1/4 inches long.

Danelle (Kres-sirer) Matlack M’09 recently became

a first-time author, releas-

ing her children’s book

“Alfie the Allergic Alligator

Goes to School.” The

book, inspired by her son

who lives with multiple

life-threatening food

allergies, is about food

allergy awareness and

acceptance.

Alison Clark ’10,

M’13 was featured in

the Reading Eagle’s “In

Our Schools” section for


Alu

mn

i Fla

sH

Ba

CK Do you

remember?

Nearly 40 years ago,

Alvernia students

learned that 18 people

really didn’t fit into

the Bernardine Hall

elevator. Help us put

some names to these

fun faces!

Visit alvernia-alumni.

tumblr.com and tell

us where you were

in 1976.

Have great Alvernia flashback pictures to share? Visit alvernia-alumni.tumblr.com blog and click “Submit Your Photos!”


See special alumni events at alumni.alvernia.edu

June 26

Alumni Night at the Reading Fightin Phils

July 11

Alvernia Day at Knoebels

August 2

Alumni Day at the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs

August 20

Freshmen Move-in Day

September 17

Founders Day Lecture: Angela Carmella

October 6

Lit Fest Author: Lisa Scottoline

October 16-17

Homecoming & Family Weekend

November 10

First-Year Seminar Lecture: Wes Moore

Mark your Calendar!

Change a student’s life today

Each year, gifts to the Alvernia Fund change the lives of students as they mature into the

next generation of Alvernia graduates. Your gift provides for student scholarships, community

service initiatives, alternative break trips, student and faculty research, and other life-changing experiences that go beyond the classroom.

Please make your gift today online at alumni.alvernia.edu/donations or by contacting

Mark Piekarski, director of annual giving, at 610-790-1901 or [email protected].

On behalf of the students whose lives are changed by your generosity,

thank you for your gift!

alumni.alvernia.edu/donations

Married?

New job?

Family addition?

Have info for Class Notes? Submit it to:

[email protected]

Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pa.

President Thomas F. Flynn, Ph.D.

Publisher and editor in Chief Brad Drexler

Creative Director Steve Thomas

Contributing editor Carey Manzolillo ’06, M’07 Contributing Writers Elizabeth Shimer Bowers; Kristin Boyd; Dr. Thomas F. Flynn; Kevin Gray; Lini Kadaba; Jon King; Carey Manzolillo ’06, M’07; Karen L. Miller; Laurie Muschick; Amy Music; Jodi Radosh; Susan Shelly; Rebecca VanderMeulen

Contributing Photographers Theo Anderson; Jon King; John Shetron; Alicia Sprow

Alvernia Magazine is a publication of Alvernia University. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Correspondence should be addressed to 540 Upland Avenue, Reading, PA 19611, or email: [email protected].

RISKY BuSINESS | Continued from page 41

BELIEVE | Continued from page 25

IN A BLINK | Continued from page 15AuTHENTIC | Continued from page 27

special water bottle fountains to construction projects on campus, and

is proud of his work to get recycling bins in all areas of the O’Pake

Center.

Once his work with that project was completed, he handed it over

to the Environmental Club and turned his attention elsewhere — like

tax preparation for senior citizens at Berks Encore, as part of a class

taught by Dr. Mary Ellen Wells.

“That was a great way for me to give back to the community,” says

Covington. “Alvernia’s commitment to community service was one of

the reasons I picked the university, and the Berks Encore tax project

was a way for me to do it with something I do best. It was revolutionary

for me because I didn’t see community service as something like that —

something that wasn’t cleaning up a park or roadside.”

Though he originally considered attending Bucknell and Lehigh

Universities, Covington immediately found his home at Alvernia

during his first visit and never looked back.

“I was really impressed by how welcoming everyone was,” he

explained. And he certainly models the university’s “do well and do

good” mantra. As President Flynn would say, students like Covington

are “why we do what we do.”

“humble” household with

extremely hardworking,

entrepreneurial parents.

“I watched and learned

through their numerous failures

and successes,” Hagy says. “I

learned that success is not always

about the end result, but it is a

culmination of the experiences

on the journey.

“I know that my ability to

listen and understand where

clients have been and where

they are headed is ultimately a

result of my varied, sometimes

difficult, childhood experiences.

I’m thankful for all of these

lessons as they helped me

become strong, steadfast, honest,

compassionate and driven.”

A testament to Hagy’s

determination hangs framed on

her wall — a college degree that

she earned as an adult student.

Hagy juggled a full-time job as

a controller for a local company,

a part-time job handling the

paperwork from her husband’s

plumbing business and classes at

Alvernia. As a wife and mother,

she also cared for her two young

sons. Yet she graduated magna

cum laude in 1995 with a double

major in accounting and finance.

“My personal and academic

experiences have influenced the

importance of careful planning,

and living life fully and with

meaning every day,” she says.

“Organization and discipline

were the only way I survived the

six years it took me to complete

my degree. I learned that the

value of purpose is to share these

values with my clients.”


for thereby some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Lorna Byrne says angels rely on human help often to accomplish

good. “As adults, we have to be aware that when a thought comes

into our heads to do something for someone, even a stranger, we

need to just go and do it. We are the angels’ messengers and at times

it can be hard for the angels to deliver messages or give signs …”

Whether you believe or do not believe in the winged seraphim,

it appears that, to many Americans in the 21st century, they are as

real and important as they were in the ancient days of the Bible. And

that, according to Gontis, is not surprising.

“Faith and reason can’t be in contradiction, because they both

come from God,” Gontis said. “The God that creates the laws of

science also gives us the faith to see beyond science. You see, it all

hangs together. One teaching so easily leads to another, because they

all come from God.”

than others. For me, from my experience with TBI, I realized I now

have a new mission. I want to be an advocate for traumatic brain

injuries. I hope that my experience will be helpful to others in

understanding concussion-related issues.

It has even become a research interest of mine. My physical

therapist and I have discussed working together on a project to help

promote concussion education. A concussion can unexpectedly

happen to anyone in the blink of an eye, whether an athlete or even

a college professor.

I don’t think people realize how debilitating and devastating these

injuries can be. Throughout this entire ordeal, I learned not to take

the little things for granted. I am happy to have my life returning and

especially to be back on campus.

doctor of

Physical Therapy

Turn your passion into

practice with a Doctor of

Physical Therapy degree

from Alvernia University.

Our program will prepare

you for today’s complex

healthcare environment.

leaRN MoRealvernia.edu/academics/graduate/dpt/

Following the EvidenceA forensic scientist turned teacher discovers a path to happiness.

By Karen L. Miller

One of the things you learn about working in forensic science is that dead people don’t talk back, but what they leave behind does.

It’s a lesson “Freddie” (Cope) Haumesser ’09 was well versed in as a forensic scientist at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. As a member of the state’s official crime lab she regularly used cutting-edge technology to process bodily fluids and analyze DNA evidence to solve law enforcement cases and bring criminals to justice.

While that role kept Haumesser humming along in a field that was challenging, it didn’t address the yearnings she had years earlier when she was a budding young college co-ed

on Alvernia’s campus. “I always wanted to be a teacher, but my family pushed me to pursue science because teaching doesn’t usually pay as well,” she said. “In

my heart, I always wanted to be more involved with the community and young people.”

Understanding her work with forensic evidence was never going to provide that, she put the process in motion to become a switch hitter, swapping time-tested expertise in forensic science for a vision to teach young people in the classroom. To help make her dream come true, she applied for a Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship.

The highly competitive fellowship seeks to attract talented, committed individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — into teaching at high-need Ohio secondary schools.

It proved to be a wise move. Haumesser became one of 79 candidates to win the prestigious fellowship and a $30,000 stipend to help her complete a master’s degree program and earn a teaching license. No novice to the college environment, she already had three degrees in hand: an associates degree in general studies from Reading Area Community

College, a bachelor’s degree in chemistry/forensic science from Alvernia (where Dr. Rosemarie Chinni, chair of the mathematics and science department, mentored her) and a master’s degree in forensic science from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa.

Thanks to the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, she is on her way to earn a second master’s degree, this time in secondary education from the University of Akron. As part of the Wilson Fellowship, she is participating in a yearlong experience teaching eighth-grade mathematics in an urban environment. It’s an experience that is already paying the type of dividends that Haumesser had hoped, recalling a recent conversation she had with a student.

“Mrs. H.,” asked one of her students, “Can we stay and do more math problems?” For an eighth-grade student to want to do math over chatting in the hall was nothing short of amazing to Haumesser, 29.

“That’s what the fellowship taught us; how to engage the student,” Haumesser said.

Haumesser, who also previously worked as a chemist at Lancaster Labs, Lancaster, Pa., is applying for a job at a high-needs school to complete her degree requirement. She loves teaching math, but is qualified to teach chemistry and forensics, sometimes offered as an elective, she said. In addition, she is being trained in subjects important to her students and their lives, such as diversity and discrimination.

When the former Fredericka Cope first went to Ohio, she knew no one. She signed up for a Habitat for Humanity event, an activity that drew on her Alvernia community service experience, where she met her future husband, Greg Haumesser. Together, they have a son, Cole.

If she and her young family hadn’t settled in Brunswick, Ohio, the Reading School District would be exactly the kind of school she would hope to teach in. “The influence I have with eighth-grade students is amazing,” Haumesser said. “The thing is some people don’t want to work in high-need schools, but the impact you can have on students is life changing.”

And while her current “subjects” do talk back (a clear contrast to her previous job), for this forensic scientist turned teacher, they are words to live for!

When Freddie Haumesser ’09 was named a

prestigious Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellow,

she didn’t expect to be the one learning

lessons she would never forget.

“ … some people don’t want to work in high-need schools, but the impact you can have on students is life changing.”

Freddie Haumesser ’09



Sweet feet

When she straps on her running

shoes, Heather Wanner feels powerful.

Unstoppable. Confident.

She has what some call “sweet feet,”

and she believes they will do well by her

wherever they take her.

And so far, those amazing feet have

led her to accomplish some astonishing

feats, taking the 19-year-old sophomore

to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field

Championship last March in Winston-

Salem, N.C., where she finished 10th in

the nation.

She missed winning by just two-tenths

of a second.

Wanner loves the idea of bringing

national attention to Alvernia, showing

others they could attend the small

school and succeed as she has. The

fast-moving athlete knocked down one

school record after another in several

different events last spring, including 60

and 200 meter indoor and 100 and 200

meter outdoor dashes.

Along the way, Wanner improved her

personal best practically on a weekly basis.

All this comes from a young athlete

who only began running track as a

sophomore at nearby Fleetwood High

School. She followed in the footsteps of

her aunt, Tina Rathje, who ran on the

same Fleetwood track and encouraged

her to try out.

Her coach, Eric J. Bennett, is glad she

did. “Heather is very fast, and she’s a

great person,” said Bennett, who coached

at Elizabethtown College and the

University of Rochester before Alvernia.

“I look at more than the athlete. I look

at the whole person and she’s pretty well

balanced. She spends a lot of time with

her family who are nearby and she does

things on and off campus, like helping

put together dinner for the Ronald

McDonald House. She really does live

Alvernia’s mission.”

Bennett added that Wanner worked

hard to get to nationals and had never

before won county or college races,

until now.

“I think what drives me most is my

family, my friends, my team, my love

of Alvernia and getting the name of our

school out there,” she said. Wanner,

who switched majors from occupational

therapy to healthcare science, was

always fleet on her feet. Part of her

process includes surrounding herself

with other track athletes. Her roommate,

Alicia Lesneski and Wanner’s boyfriend,

Seth Bellott, are on Alvernia’s track

team, too.

“When I was little, it was nice to be

faster than a lot of other people,” she

said. “It was definitely an advantage in

tag. I was not caught as easily as others.”

And at Alvernia, Wanner is still not

easily caught. “One thing that helps me to

do well is to believe in myself,” Wanner

said. “I tell myself: ‘Don’t be intimidated

or nervous. Don’t worry about other

people.’ I do the best I can do.” And so

far, Wanner’s best is pretty darn good!

— By Karen L. Miller

Heather Wanner has knocked down one school record after another in several differ-ent events this spring, thanks to a multifaceted training program.

alvernia.edu

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Summer 2015 Alvernia Magazine