Notre Dame de Namur University MAGAZINE I Summer 2006V O L U M E 6 | N U M B E R 3

“The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it.”

Mack R. Douglas

“The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it.”

Mack R. Douglas

inside:The First Generation Challenge

inside:The First Generation Challenge

NDNU Board of Trustees 2005 – 2006Cressey Nakagawa, Esq., Chair

Don Carroll, Esq., Vice Chair

Sr. Sharon McMillan ’73,* SLD, Secretary

Sr. Ann Bernadette Barnes* ’59

Marie Batton ’37

Peter Brusati

Jeffrey Bullis ’81

Sheila O’Connor Burns

Dr. Lois Callahan

Andrew Cresci

Marc Desautels

Tom Diridon

Margaret Duflock

John Ferrari

Frank Hannig

Anne Hannigan** ’70, ’72

Rich Huetteman

Sr. Donna Jurick, Ph.D.*

George Keller

Dorothy Kitt ’56

Donald Langendorf

Sr. Mary Laxague* ’58

Victor LoBue ’85

Carol Simsarian-Loughlin

John Oblak, Ph.D.

Mary Lou Putnam ’79

Gretchen Ocampo Recto ’84

William Spencer

Sr. Jean Stoner* ’66, ’72

Sr. Barbara Thiella* ’64

Raymond Tolles III

Carla Repetto Webster ’70, ’71, ’73

Kris Crowe Zavoli ’68, ’73

**Sister of Notre Dame de Namur**SND Associate; SND Representative on the Board

President’s Gala .......................3

Campus News.............................4

Faculty News...............................5

Feature.....................................6-9

Alumni News.......................10-11

Class Notes..........................12-13

Athletics ....................................14

Student News ...........................15

C O N T E N T S

We are pleased to bring you this “First Generation” issue of NDNU Magazine. I think you will enjoy the articles.

As a first generation college graduate myself, I am sensitiveto the challenges facing students who are adventuresome andwilling to be the first ones in their families to attend college. My mother was accepted at one of the branches of the StateUniversity of New York but her mother, who was widowed at an early age with four children to raise, could not afford the tuition, books, and related expenses of room and board.

Nonetheless, my mother raised four children, worked outside the home for manyyears, served her community as a volunteer, and is still feisty at eighty-seven.

My late father, who was salutatorian of his graduating class, was the son ofSlovenian immigrants. His parents had lived through the depression; because theyfeared another, they would not finance his college expenses. He served in WorldWar II and then returned as a manager for Univac. He enjoyed a productive lifebut always regretted that he had not been able to attend college. As the son ofimmigrants, he wanted to partake of the full experience, and he was always proudof my accomplishments.

The issue of immigrants is very much in the news today, and it is an importantone for us to embrace. The missions of both the Sisters of Notre Dame and NDNUfocus on three themes relevant to immigration, both legal and illegal.

We need to teach people what they must know to live in today’s world. We need to nurture commitment to social justice. We need to work for world peace.As alumni, parents, and friends of the University, I hope that all of us can and

will support our students’ understanding of these aspects of our mission. All ofour students, and especially first generation college students, can and do make a difference; we see evidence of that every day on campus.

In order to educate first generation students, NDNU needs your help in theform of scholarship support, whether to our NDNU Fund, to annual scholarships,or to an endowed scholarship. Our mission is clear, our direction is set, and our goals are achievable with your help.

Thank you. Enjoy the magazine, come see us on campus, and join me in congratulating all of our first generation college students.

Sincerely,

John B. Oblak, Ph.D.,PresidentNotre Dame de Namur University

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

NDNU Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 3

CLASS NOTESJanet Giannini ’00, ’04

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERScott Braley

PRODUCTIONJeanene Denegri-Nielsen

Jeanne GomezForte Press

SPECIAL THANKSto all who contributed

to this magazine.

PUBLISHERRichard Rossi

MANAGING EDITORKaren Plesur

ASSOCIATE EDITORLeslie Baikie-Khavari

COPY EDITOR Mary Beech

CONTRIBUTING WRITERMickey Ellinger

2 NDNU I 2006

President Oblak announced the newlynamed Sister Veronica Skillin garden in

honor of Sister Veronica at the President’sGala. The garden is adjacent to Ralston Hall Mansion and contains the Buffano

statue of St. Francis of Assisi.

Adding more sparkle to an already dazzling night, L to R: Mary Bosque ’53,Mary Lou Putnam ’79, and Joe Putnam.

Belmont Mayor Phillip Mathewsonpresents Peter Brusati with a proclamation from the City ofBelmont.

Previous recipients of theCommunity Spirit Award posewith Peter, L to R: HonoreePeter Brusati, Pamela Clarke,and Dennis Pettinelli.

Walter Gleason Center was magically transformed for “Razzle

Dazzle,” the 5th annual NDNU President’s Gala. The night

sparkled with laughter, music, and fun for the nearly 300 guests

at the dinner-dance and auction.

NDNU Board of Trustee member Peter Brusati was honored

in two ways: first with a Distinguished Service Medallion for his

20 years as a member of the Board of Trustees, and second as the

recipient of the Community Spirit Award for his lifetime of “exem-

plary service to others and for ref lecting the vision and values of

NDNU.” The festivities netted over $100,000 for the Community

Spirit Scholarship Fund.

Celebrating with Peter are family members, L to R:Sandy and Peter Brusati, honoree Peter Brusati, daughterChristine Brusati, son-in-law Steve Vandenbusch, anddaughter Victoria Vandenbusch.

L to R: Janiece Bacon Oblak, Cressey Nakagawa;Chairman of the Board, Peggy Adeboi, andPresident Oblak welcome and greet guests.

Emeriti faculty members join President Oblak, L to R: DianaFee, Robert Titlow, Mark Sullivan, President Oblak, ElaineCohen, and Susan Rowland.

Evening!A

2006 I NDNU 3

4 NDNU I 2006

C A M P U S N E W S

Community Collaborations Daypproximately 250 students, faculty,and staff from NDNU closed theirbooks, left their classrooms, and

placed duties on hold for an entire day tohelp those in need during the University’ssixth annual Community CollaborationsDay, March 16.

The event demonstrated the Univer-sity’s “bridges” to its communities. Since2001, NDNU has dedicated a day eachspring to promoting community service,social justice, and global peace. Classes are cancelled for that day and faculty, staff, and students collectively participatein community-based learning and commu-nity development projects throughout theSan Francisco Bay Area.

The entire University joined together in teams on such projects as a “ReadersTheatre” for youth in East Palo Alto, visitsto local senior citizens, and soccer clinicsfor Special Olympic athletes.

Organizers see NDNU’s CommunityCollaborations Day as an integral com-ponent in demonstrating the school’scommitment to active civic engagement.“The day allows students to engage theUniversity’s mission not just with theirminds but with their hands and hearts,”said Kathryn Racine-Jones, NDNU’sDirector of Campus Ministry andCommunity Based Learning. “Whetherplanting a garden with disabled people

or making a meal for homeless people, Community Collab-orations Day allows students to stretch themselves and to encounter the commu-nity and themselves in new ways.”

Indeed, the Center for the Independence of the Disabled (CID) in Belmont can’t wait for NDNU students to volunteer again next year and help replant the center’s vegetable garden.

“I think the students were really sur-prised by how much they embraced theproject,” said Marta Florez, CID’s Housingand Information Referral Specialist. “Theyhelped plant seeds in the sloshy mud andrain, and it was a great experience for ourdisabled consumers and the students.Several students have come back to seehow their garden’s growing. I think theirexperience was more than they expected.”

NDNU offers a number of community-based learning courses and student leader-ship opportunities, ranging from MBAstudents preparing business models fornon-profits to a Summer Immersion

Project in Guadalajara, Mexico. “It’s the idea of linking a University to its community,” said NDNU President Dr. John B. Oblak. “Our mission at NDNUis to encourage students to develop theirpotential in a supportive environment and challenge them to share what theyhave learned through service and the pro-motion of social justice and global peace.This one-day event demonstrates thatthere is no reason why education shouldbe isolated from the community that surrounds it.”

A

NDNU students entertain seniors at a local senior residential communityduring Community Collaborations Day.

Insightful WASC VisitIn March, NDNU was visited by the WesternAssociation of Schoolsand Colleges (WASC),one of six regional asso-ciations that accreditpublic and privateschools, colleges, anduniversities in theUnited States. The WASCteam evaluated NDNUon various levels, mak-ing observations andrecommendations toimprove the University.“The feedback was fitting and described the University I know and love,” said NDNU Provost JudithMaxwell Greig. “The things they said were reasonable and described our progress. They also pin-pointed issues about sustainability, which was helpful.”

Viva Mozart!iva La Musica!, the exciting 60-member campus-community choirof NDNU honored Mozart’s 250th

birthday with a collection of Mozart’sgreatest gifts at their “Celebrate!” concertin April at Cunningham Memorial Chapel.The Bay Area choir and orchestra, knownfor their distinctive multi-cultural pro-gramming and onstage dynamism, alsoperformed the concert in conjunction with the choir’s own fifth birthday.

NDNU senior Claire Spencer, whoreceived a master’s in pedagogy and pianoperformance this May, has sung tenor withthe community choir for three years, andinsists there’s something for every musiclover in Viva’s sparkling and diverse pro-grams. “The selection of music is very cultural, very ethnic,” Spencer said. “It istruly a unique experience. We’re sold-outalmost every season.”

V

2006 I NDNU 5

FA C U LT Y N E W S

Faculty Corner50 Years for a Performance NDNU music professor Daniel Glover,who teaches piano and piano history,played the world premiere of Eric Zeisl’sPiano Concerto in C Major (1952) with theSaratoga Symphony to rave reviews. Themassive 40-minute score was written 53years ago by Zeisl, a composer who fledthe Nazis for California and died suddenlyin 1959. His barely readable manuscriptwas found years later in a drawer in LosAngeles. A Stanford student and professortranscribed the work to computer nota-tion so the melodic work could be played.Glover’s performance was named by theSan Jose Mercury News as one of the “Top 10Best Classical Music Concerts in the BayArea for 2005.”

Combining Language with Science NDNU English professor Dr. AnnFathman has co-authored a book “Science

for English Language Learners,” which integrates the different but complimen-tary fields of science education andEnglish language teaching. The book fills a needed void in science education andcontent area language teaching.

“There are no books, written collabora-tively by science and language experts,that provide background and practicalstrategies to educators who teach scienceto English learners,” Fathman said.

Fathman has taught in Europe and Asiaas a teacher trainer and Fulbright scholar.Her research interests focus on second-language acquisition and language loss.

In Other NewsDr. Arnell Etherington, associate arttherapy psychology professor, has won the Sister Catharine Julie CunninghamMemorial Teaching Project Award for the2006-2007 academic year. The award was

established in the 1980s to recognize out-standing teaching, and innovative projectsand ideas.

Kim Tolley, Interim Chair of AdvancedStudies, has an upcoming essay review“Learning in a Consumers’ Republic” in the History of Education Quarterly, Volume 3(Summer 2006). She has also been invitedto serve as the program chair for theAmerican Educational Research Associa-tion’s Division of History and Historio-graphy for their 2008 annual meeting.

Recently, Gretchen Wehrle, AssociateProfessor, Department of Psychology andSociology, was invited to present at the20th Annual Conference on Undergrad-uate Teaching of Psychology in Monti-cello, New York, to talk about the workthat has been done at NDNU.

elene Laroche Davis was more than eager to lace up her toe shoes when she accepted a position as a dance and choreography instructor at NDNU in 1965.

Having recently completed a year of study in theStates as a Fulbright Scholar, and having earned a degree inEnglish and American Literature and Culture from the University of Paris and an M.A. from the Sorbonne, she wanted desperatelyto get back to her first love – dance.

“I’ve been a dancer all my life, and at that point I was tired of academia. Teaching dance and choreography was somethingthat I needed to return to,” explained Laroche Davis, who hadbeen hired as a professional ballerina at age 15 and had gone on to teach ballet, jazz, and creative dance in France.

She had no idea when she wrote a letter seeking employmentto then Academic Dean, Sister Rosemarie Julie Gavin, that shewould begin a fruitful 40-year relationship with NDNU. “I’ve discovered that the mission of the University fits my own missionin life,” she said. “I really always wanted to help others and helpin the development of the mind and body of students. You canonly do that well in a small institution such as NDNU.”

Indeed, the dynamic teacher of dance and choreography soontransformed herself into an equally dynamic and popular full-timeinstructor of French literature and language. Helene was acceptedinto the Ph.D. program in French at Stanford University, all thewhile continuing her work at then CND. With her doctorate com-pleted, she rejoined the faculty full-time and brought to her classes

wide-ranging iinterests in art,music, literature, and dance. TheFrench program at CND flourished.A master’s degree was establishedin French, and today there areteachers of French all over the Bay Area who pay tribute to her inspiration as a teacher and mentor as they began theircareers under her guidance.

Helene brought wide-ranging interests in other cultures and apassion for film. Her creativity resulted in new courses in literature,art, music, and film from many different countries, particularlyfrom France, French-speaking Africa and the West Indies, leadingto her creation of a minor in Film Studies.

With the objective of broadening students’ cultural awarenesslong before it became commonplace, Helene was instrumental in institutionalizing the vision of exposing all NDNU students tocultures other than their own, either through general educationrequirements or study abroad. She also became Chair of theDepartment of Modern Languages and has held that positionintermittently now for a total of almost twenty-five years. In addition, she is currently director of and advisor to students in the Intensive Evening Program in Liberal Studies and has taughtculture and language courses in the evening intensive programwith great success for many years.

“I love NDNU,” Laroche Davis added. “It’s my family. I’m verymuch at home.”

Helene Laroche Davis

HA Passion for Dance

6 NDNU I 2006

ationwide, about one college student in four at a

four-year college or university is a first generation

student. That’s also true at NDNU, where first

generation students are about 25 percent of the student

body. Government statistics show that half of first generation

students come from low-income families. Compared with

students whose parents attended college, they are less well

prepared. For example, first generations are about half as

likely to have taken advanced math classes in high school

as students whose parents graduated from college. They are

likely to be somewhat older than other students and to have

dependent children. They are less likely to live on campus,

more likely to get financial aid, and more likely to be work-

ing. They report lower levels of feeling integrated into the

academic and social environment than students whose par-

ents had some college or were college graduates. And, not

surprisingly, these challenges add up to twice as many first

generation students dropping out without finishing college

as their peers whose parents had some college education.

For colleges like NDNU (private, not-for-profit, four-year

colleges), 84 percent of first-year students who weren’t first

generation students graduated or were still enrolled five

years later, compared to only 71 percent of the first genera-

tion students.

We talked to a few first generation students and alums

and found that, while no two had the same experiences, they

share a view that NDNU opened the window to a wider

world for them, and they have suggestions for other first

generations.

Emmy Gandeza felt at home from the minute she came

to campus from St. Lawrence Academy, her Sunnyvale, CA

high school. “Everyone was so warm and welcoming.” Emmy

threw herself into activities – the campus ministry, the

Filipino Club, Viva la Musica! – and says, “I think it’s impor-

tant to get involved, because then you know people are out

there for you.” Emmy grew up speaking both English and

Tagalog – “Taglish,” she says. She took French in high school,

is learning Spanish now, and aspires to learn seven languages.

An only child (though her parents are from families of 11 and

MAKING COLLEGE ACCESSIBLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

a part of the struggle for equality and civil

rights: opening colleges to women, to people

of color, to people from working-class back-

grounds. College students whose parents did

not go to college have come to campus in

waves: farmers’ kids to the land grant colleges

in the 19th century, workers’ kids on the GI Bill

after World War II, students of color thanks to

the civil rights movement of the 1960s, children

of immigrants in the 1990s.

What special challenges face first generation

students and how do they handle them? How

can other students and the school make NDNU

more welcoming? We asked Dr. Raymond Jones,

Vice President for Campus Life, chair of the

campus-wide Retention Committee, and

himself a first generation student. He sees

N

First generation students (L to R): Jose Pablo Rivera ’08, Edgexperiences at NDNU.

T h e F i r s t G

2006 I NDNU 7

13 children), she is also helping her mother battle cancer and

feels stretched between her family and school responsibili-

ties. “I worry about her, about both of them.”

Jose Pablo Rivera, a forward on the soccer team, says that

playing sports got him involved in the NDNU community.

Pablo’s from a small town in El Salvador and came to the U.S.

when he was 12 years old, not knowing one word of English.

He went to middle school and high school in Palo Alto, CA.

So, even though his parents did not go to college, for him

coming to college was “normal, what I expected to do.” His

parents are back in El Salvador now. He hopes his younger

brother, who’s working this year, will go to college next year.

Pablo also works two jobs, so his time is pretty filled up, but

he did participate in Latinos Unidos last year.

Edgar Rivera, also on the soccer team, transferred to

NDNU after three years at Cal State Fullerton, the only place

he applied after high school because it was where his friends

were going. He comes from a “huge family.” His dad works

10-hour days in the construction business, and his mom

works for an insurance company. His older brother went to

Stanford and is studying to be a doctor. He says his family

pushed him to take the soccer scholarship and come to

NDNU. “The college experience is awesome,” he says, com-

paring his life to that of his cousins, who are already working

all day, every day, at jobs not very different from his dad’s.

Emmy chimes in that she’s the first of all her cousins to

go to college and that her success has set up a competition

in the family. “Some of my cousins’ parents are saying that

they’ll send their kids to a better school to get better grades.

I’m glad I inspired them I guess, but all the competition

doesn’t feel so great,” she says, holding up her hands in a

balancing motion.

Crystal Lowry came to campus from Portland, Oregon,

where she spent eight years bouncing around the foster care

systems in Oregon and Humboldt County, California. She’s

not only the first person in her family to go to college, she

says she’s the first girl in her family to “get past age 16

without a kid.”

today’s first generation students facing the same

issues he faced: making the transition to a new

environment, finding the information they need,

understanding new styles of communication,

mastering classroom dynamics, and interacting

with students who may never have met a peer

from outside their ethnicity or background.

“First generation students are not homoge-

neous. Like all incoming students, the transition

to college is easier for some than others. New

college students have to find their space in an

environment that’s physically, academically, emo-

tionally, and sometimes even spiritually different

than the world they come from. And for first

generation students, especially if they are from

racial or ethnic minorities, this transition can be

very rough. They may not have the information

they need to get or keep their financial aid.

gar Rivera ’09, and Emmy Gandeza ’08 discuss their

G e n e r a t i o n

FPO

8 NDNU I 2006

he always did well in school and was determined

to go to college. She narrowed it down to schools

that met the standards of an 18-year-old from win-

ter rain country: “It had to be sunny; and it had to be small.

Notre Dame was the first to send me a financial aid package.

I got accepted with high honors at entrance – I had a 3.9

coming in – and the acceptance packet had confetti that

sprang out when you opened it up. For an 18-year-old girl

that was the coolest thing on earth. It really symbolized

something for me."

Getting her education has been a financial struggle for

Crystal. She worked as many as 80 hours a week until her

junior year, when she got a Cal Grant and a Chafee Grant

(for current or former foster youth). She made friends slowly:

“I was either in class or working. And I stuck out like a sore

thumb. I wore my hair and makeup differently. I talked differ-

ently. People used to ask me if I was from the South. I didn’t

have money to go out to the clubs or go dancing.” Still, she

feels she was destined to come to NDNU and go through the

culture shock: “I needed to realize who I was, not where I

was from – and that’s what NDNU did for me.”

Crystal’s still working full-time and going to school,

getting her master’s in public administration while serving

as the Student Coordinator for the Student Finance Office.

When she finishes, she’s headed back to Oregon to organize a

non-profit called LOVE (Lowering Obstacles Via Education)

to help foster youth get to college, and to give her 8-year-old

sister a big sister to look up to.

Jose Pablo is majoring in international business and

minoring in Spanish. Although he’s not sure exactly what he

wants to do with his degree, he figures it will be a way to pay

his parents back for bringing him to the U.S. and making it

possible for him to get a college education. “Even though they

aren’t helping me financially, I owe them everything,” he says.

Edgar is majoring in psychology and says he’s not sure

what he’s going to do – “one month I think therapy, the next

one law enforcement” – but has a big supportive family that’s

proud of him.

They may need to learn to live at close quarters

with people from different ethnic and cultural

backgrounds. They may need to learn different

styles of communication. Especially if they came

from high schools where they were in the major-

ity, they may not have much experience interact-

ing with majority culture students, just as those

majority culture students may never have dealt

with someone from their background in a peer

relationship.

“We’re looking at these issues very closely at

NDNU, both from the Campus Life perspective

and as part of the work of the Office of Mission

and Diversity. We want to identify our first gen-

eration students and to be more helpful in

assisting with the transition to the college envi-

ronment. We’re studying the best practices from

other institutions to see how we can improve.

Crystal Lowry ’05, ’07 shares the results of her hard work.

S

“It ’s an Opportunity

FPO

2006 I NDNU 9

Emmy’s not sure of her career goals either, but she’s major-

ing in sociology and religious studies. She’s very involved in

her parish at home and in the campus ministry at NDNU. She

feels that the youth ministry in her parish was important to

her decision to go to college and wants to find ways to give

back to youth.

What would help first generation college students feel

more comfortable on campus? Everyone agrees that living

on campus and getting involved in campus activities is key

to becoming part of the Notre Dame community.

The first generations acknowledge that they face barriers,

even if they stress that those barriers can be overcome.

Crystal remembers how hard it was to be around students

who “had everything.” She remembers overhearing a conver-

sation among other girls at NDNU when she had $316 for the

rest of the semester and was eating Top Ramen for breakfast

and lunch: “I’m so mad at my dad. He got me a ’97 Honda

instead of a 2000.”

Jose Pablo stresses self-confidence. “Sometimes we think

we’re being treated differently, but we aren’t. We have to be

open-minded to people from other nationalities and cul-

tures.” On the soccer team he gets to be with people of all

nationalities. He echoes Dr. Jones’ ideas (see accompanying

article) of basing support for first generation students in the

student clubs, suggesting that the school encourage students

even more to join clubs and get involved in campus life.

“People don’t want to make a big deal out of being a first

generation student; they don’t want to be segregated,”

he warns.

It’s smiling Emmy who sums it up: “We’re born into our

own biases, have our own perspective about the world.”

She thinks about it a minute, then says, “People stay in their

comfort zone. I wish they’d step one foot out of it. There are

48 countries represented on the campus; it’s an opportunity

no one should miss.”

One idea we have is to work closely with the

student clubs, which we know are key elements

of the informal support network that students

have developed for themselves. Ideally, we’d like

to facilitate the creation of mentoring relation-

ships, where established students can help their

younger colleagues with the trials and tribula-

tions of their transition to

the college environment.

“NDNU is committed to pro-

moting social justice. Making

the college experience of

first generation students a

successful one is part of our

mission.”

Dr. Raymond Jones, VicePresident for Campus Life

No One Should Miss .”

Alexander AgopovichConsultant; BS Biology ’92, MBA ’01; President,NDNU Alumni Association ’06-’08

I am on the boardbecause I loveNDNU/CND andwant to see it suc-ceed in the future.

Our alumni are animportant part of theUniversity. I wouldlike to see increasedalumni participation

in the annual fund, the development ofregional (domestic and international) anddegree-specific chapters that will helppromote and support the University, andmore community service projects withcurrent students and alumni working side by side.

Annie Chmielewski (Ossentjuk)Human Resources Generalist; BS ’98 Biology,MPA ’00; regular board member

I am on the board tohelp the Universityget the word outabout what a greatinstitution NDNU is and to give back to the school I feel I received so muchfrom.

I hope to help the large population ofalumni in the South Bay get more involvedin alumni activities and events. My visionfor NDNU is that it continues to be aninstitution where the professors and stafftruly care about the students. To me, thatis the most important thing to preserve asthe University grows and changes.

Greg KenzlerCost/Schedule Analyst; BS ’02, MBA ’03 BusinessManagement, Business Administration andMarketing

I have always had aspecial connectionwith NDNU becausethis is where mymother received herundergrad and grad-uate degrees, and the brother of mybest friend of 21 years currently

serves on the board of trustees.

My ultimate goal being on the board is to develop and continue building relation-ships with an institution that I trust andwhere I spent five years learning who Iwas and what I wanted in life.

My vision is to add value and contributein promoting the University to returningand new students.

Lisa TonelliHuman Resource Consultant; BS ’03 HumanServices Counseling and Administration, magnacum laude

I joined the boardbecause I believe this is a great Uni-versity in which to be involved. Aftergraduation, I wantedto continue in acapacity other thanstudent. My experi-ence with NDNU

has always been such a positive one, and I thought being involved on the alumniboard would be a nice way to give back to the school.

I am hoping that we can enhance alumnipresence at different events, especiallysince it’s always nice to see familiar faces.

My vision for NDNU is that the Univer-sity not only continues to guide studentsto be more socially aware, but that it also continues to expand the curriculum in order to prepare students for meaningfulemployment. It is important to keep upwith the rapidly changing technology inthe Bay Area and global companies.

The Class of 1960 celebrated part of their weekend-long 45th reunion with an elegant brunch in theWiegand Gallery. Mickey Hogan, Barbara Donnelly, Diane Bader, and Sally Debono were the event organ-izers. A designated class gift raised $2,200 for the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Library and $1,625toward new chairs for Wiegand Gallery.

Class of ’60 Celebrates

Meet Your Alumni Board Some of our alumni board members recently shared their vision for the University

NDNU Alumni AssociationBoard of DirectorsPresident, Alexander Agopovich, BS ’92, MBA ’01Vice President, Anne Navach, BS ’81Secretary, Gary Krippendorf, MSM ’03 Annie Chmielewski, BS ’98, MPA ’00Rosario Fernandez, MPA ’04Byron Hill, BS ’02Greg Kenzler, BS ’02, MBA ’03Joe LaMariana, MBA ’89Kristen McDonnell, MPA ’00Anthony Miller, BS ’03Patrice Ragona, MBA ’02Karen L. B. Stevens, BA ’91, MA ’97Lisa Tonelli, BS ’03Carla Repetto Webster, BA ’70, Cred. ’71, MA ’73Robert Webster, Honorary MemberDirector of Alumni RelationsJanet Giannini, BA ’00, MA ’04If you are interested in becoming a member of the Board, call Janet Giannini at (650) 508-3515.

A L U M N I N E W S

10 NDNU I 2006

Friday, September 29 2-6 p.m. Check-in; Ralston Hall

6 p.m. Welcome reception with NDNU President John B.Oblak for alumni, families and students; Ralston Hall Dining Room

7:30 p.m. Jazz Night with Wesla Whitfield and NDNU student performers; Ralston Hall Ballroom; $15 per person*

Saturday, September 30 Belmont Festival Begins at Twin Pines Park

9 a.m. Breakfast with President Oblak NDNU Student Cafe

11 a.m. Faculty roundtable discussion Financial Management workshop Ralston Hall Docent Tour Campus Tours

Noon Reunion lunch – Class of ’66** Taube Conference Center

3:30 p.m. Alumni Association General Meeting

3:30 p.m. Parents’ Association General Meeting

8 p.m. Dancing with the NDNU Stars

Taube Center; $10 per person*

Sunday, October 1- Sr. Veronica Day Belmont Festival Continues at Twin Pines Park

10:30 a.m. Mass; Cunningham Chapel

11:30 a.m. Dedication of Sr. Veronica Skillin Garden

12:30 p.m. Picnic lunch on the lawn for alumni, families, and friends; $10 per person*

Monday, October 2 9 a.m. Alumni/Family Golf Event; Crystal Springs

Golf Course in Burlingame

*Reservations requested. Call (650) 508-3515 for details. **Opportunities for class/program reunions available. Please contact the Alumni Office for details:

(650) 508-3515, e-mail jgiannini@ndnu.edu, or register online at: www.ndnu.edu/alumni

2006 I NDNU 11

2006 Alumni & Family Weekend

Special weekend rates for NDNU Reunion weekend available at the following hotels:Hyatt Summerfield Suites (Belmont), call (650) 591-8600 for reservationsHoliday Inn Express (Belmont, call (650) 654-4000 for reservations

C L A S S N OT E S

12 NDNU I 2006

Keep your fellow alums up-to-date! Send your news to the AlumniOffice, Notre Dame de Namur University, 1500 Ralston Ave., Belmont, CA94002, or the Alumni Homepage at www.ndnu.edu. Please include yourname at the time of graduation, your graduation year, your degree, andyour phone number. You can also help us keep our records current byincluding your occupation and title, your work and home street addresses,and your work and home e-mail addresses.

Give Us Your Class Notes

’66 Theresa Marrion, BA in Music,

was class president of her year.“Terry” works with 40 volunteersin the local chapter of the ChristChild Society, servicing Catholicelementary schools in Phoenix. Shehas designed a much acclaimed“Book Buddies” reading compre-hension program, which ensuresthat each child receives six newbooks a year.

Jan Orme Driscoll, BA in SocialScience, writes, “Are we all ready for our big 40th reunion in Octo-ber? (Oh no, tell me it can’t be!)”Please send Jan your e-mail and any address or telephone numberchanges to: cnd66_2001@yahoo.com.

’67, ’68 Helen Young, BS in Chemistry and

Single Subject Credential, reportsthat son Stuart is a Ph.D. candidateat Princeton University. He is writ-ing his thesis on Buddhism.

’68 Victoria Trafton, BA, has most

recently founded People in Charge,using her business experience andtraining in behavior, values analysisand accelerated learning technolo-gy, to help small business ownersand entrepreneurs improve theirsales. Now based in Arizona,Victoria is on the Advisory Councilfor ASU’s Communications Assess-ment Learning Lab.

’75 Greg Armbruster, BM in Music,

returned to the Bay Area recentlyfor the premiere of his String Suite #2at a special concert at Pony TracksRanch in Los Altos in April. Thepiece was performed by the SorrelloString Quartet. Greg is based inNew York State, where he is admis-sions director for Bard College.

’76, ’78 Chuck Major, MPA, was recently

appointed vice president ofSeniority Inc., a Pleasanton-basedmanagement, sales and marketing consulting firm.

’80 Dr. Lee Berman Pierce, BS in

Behavioral Science, recentlyreceived her license in clinical psychology from the CaliforniaBoard of Psychology. “At long last!”she says.

’81 Linda Caughlin Byrne, BA in

Sociology, received her master’sdegree in theology from the FullerSeminary. Now an accomplishedartist, Linda has two exhibitionsplanned for this spring. Her workwith the Chaparral Studio, whichcan be viewed at www.chaparral-studioartists.com, will be on dis-play at the Scottsdale Civic Center.

’86, ’87 Jessica A. Silva Clary, BA in

English, CRE., is now in her 18thyear of teaching at La Gloria Schoolin Salinas. She has earned an MS Ed.degree and works as a master/men-tor. She has two children: Matthew,11 and Amanda, 8.

’88 Judith Hayes Letourneau is

program coordinator for theProvidence Service Corporation,an adoption and foster home place-ment company, based in Phoenix,Arizona. She and husband Darren’88, are also busy raising their fivechildren, ages 2-16.

eroy Moore moved CDs and t-shirts from DancingTree Productions to make room for us to sit on thecouch of his Berkeley apartment. Moore, B.A. ’95,was working on an upcoming performance piece

on disability and sexuality, Sins Invalid.Moore’s a busy man: poet, lecturer on disability and

social justice, member of the Pushing Limits collective and co-host of the bi-weekly show at KPFA-FM radio in Berkeley,columnist for Poor Magazine and the San Francisco Bay View. He’s always been busy. Moore says, “I was born an activist.” His father was a Black Panther in New York and Connecticut. He started writing poetry in high school.

After two years of college in Connecticut, Moore movedto the San Francisco Bay Area in 1991 but couldn’t get intothe state schools because of an enrollment freeze. His sisterwas working at a café on Potrero Hill, where she came to know Professor Don Stannard-Friel of the SociologyDepartment. Stannard-Friel encouraged Moore to considerNDNU and took him on a tour of the campus.

The small class size, with the opportunity for one-on-onerelationships with faculty members, appealed very much toMoore, and he enrolled as a political science major, sociologyminor. He praises NDNU for accommodating his disability,

cerebral palsy, by giving him extratime to complete assignments, allow-ing him to use his computer on exams, and so on. He lived on campus.

Moore was active on campus, as a member of the Black StudentsUnion, a founding member of a clubfor students with disabilities, and pres-ident of the student government in hissenior year.

In the ten years since he graduated from NDNU with aB.A. in political science, Moore has continued his work as anactivist and artist. He published his first chapbook and spokenword CD, Black Disabled Man with a Big Mouth and a HighIQ. He performs with Molotov Mouths Outspoken WordTroupe and contributed to their 2003 publication, MolotovMouths.

Moore is an advocate for people of color with disabilities,particularly in their dealings with the police. He belongs toCopwatch, a police watch organization in Berkeley, and is on the board of the Idriss Stelley Foundation, a San Franciscoorganization founded by a mother who lost her son at thehands of the police.

Moore is this year’s Julie Billiart Award recipient. Theaward was presented to him at NDNU’s commencement thisMay for his work on disability issues in the community.

Leroy Moore

Ahead of the Game

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Katherine Raye-Wong, BA in English, prac-tices estate law with Raye-Wong & Associatesin San Carlos. “Kitty” visited the campus inJanuary to present an informative and timely“financial seminar for women.”

’96 Sherilyn “Sheri” Fisher, BS in Business Admin-

istration, spoke to NDNU’s Financial Manage-ment Association recently on the realities ofstarting a business. Sherilyn and her husbandco-founded Fisher Investments in 1973.

Claudia Novak, Intensive Program Manage-ment, is a realtor these days with Keller Realtyin Tempe, Arizona. In her spare time, Claudiavolunteers in an orphanage on the US/Mexicoborder.

’01 Jill Ferguson, MAE, recently published her

first novel, Sometimes Art Can’t Save You. She hasbeen writing for publication since she was 12, and over 600 of her articles, essays, and poemshave appeared in print. Currently, she teachesevening classes at NDNU in Children’s Lit-erature, Writing for the Media, CorporateCommunication, and Women in Management.Since January 2000, Jill has taught at the SFConservatory of Music as Chair of General Ed and a professor of literature, writing andcommunication.

’03 Karen Sturm, MA in Marital and Family

Therapy, recently accepted a job as MentalHealth Clinician at EHC Life-BuildersTransitional Housing Program in San Jose. She provides individual and group therapy to once homeless individuals using the arttherapy techniques she learned at NDNU. Read more of Karen’s class notes at the Online Community at www.ndnu.ed/alumni.

’04 Phyllis Outzen, BS in Intensive Human

Services Counseling, is looking forward to atrip to Israel this spring. Her son is an attachéwith the U.S. Army and is there with his wifeand three children. Phyllis is a self-employed realtor/property manager.

In MemoriamJulie Clayton ’64

Linda Jensen Steigerwald ’66

Eliza Houston McDonnell ’70

George Payne ’77

Kimberly Krekel ’94

ineteen-year-old Susana criedevery night for a month whenshe left her extended Mexicanfamily in Los Angeles to come

to NDNU. Fifteen years later, she’s back at her old high school, supporting kids incrisis, volunteering on the city-wide CrisisResponse Team, and mentoring girls whoremind her of herself, helping them seethe world that college opened to her.

The middle child of seven in a close-knit Mexican family, she earned goodgrades at Roosevelt High, and got athleticscholarship offers but her dad said no toleaving home. She went to Pasadena CityCollege, ran cross-country and track andfield, and worked at the Jet PropulsionLab. When the Notre Dame track coachrecruited her, she was ready to try newthings.

No one in Reynoso’s family had fin-ished college. Her older sisters married at 18. “An unmarried daughter goingaway to college was out of my parents’comfort zone. They were afraid I’d getinto drugs, get pregnant or get out ofcontrol,” Reynoso recalls. “Finally I toldthem, ‘You raised me to be the person Iam. You did a great job. I would like yourblessings, but either way, I’m going to col-lege.’ My mom relented sooner than myfather, but when I graduated, they werethe proudest parents there.

”The campus was a culture shock.There weren’t many Latinos from the barrio.” Even though a scholarship sheexpected didn’t materialize, Reynoso stuckit out. She borrowed, worked breaks atJPL, worked at the University, babysat,cleaned houses, and graduated in 1990with a double major in Spanish andbehavioral sciences.

Brain surgery that cost the vision in herright eye took three years out of her life;Susana returned to Notre Dame for a master’s degree in counseling psychologyin January 1994. She graduated in 1995and went to a former teacher at Rooseveltfor career advice. The teacher sent her tothe principal, and “There I was, teaching

Spanish at my oldhigh school. SisterRoseanne Murphy advised me during myundergraduate years that I should considerteaching. My response was always thesame: I do not want to be a teacher – Iwant to be a psychologist! Now I tell mystudents that they should ’never say never’because you never know what the futurehas in store for you. Sometimes others seein us what we can’t see in ourselves.”

Before long she also put her counsel-ing degree to work as the Coordinator for the TUPE (Tobacco Use PreventionEducation) and IMPACT Programs, supportgroups for students with difficulties thatinterfere with their academics.

Last year she joined Mayor AntonioVillaraigosa’s Crisis Response Team. Sheprovides on-scene crisis interventionbetween victims and emergency person-nel and referrals and resources to victimsand their families.

Susana and her mother teach FirstCommunion and Confirmation classes at the juvenile detention center. They and several students prepare dinner oncea month for Proyecto Guadalupano atMission Dolores. She and her brotherGustavo lead the Social Awareness Leader-ship and Education Academy (SALEA), oneof Roosevelt’s small learning communities.Through a UCLA program, Latinas GuidingLatinas, she mentors high school girls whoremind her of her younger self. “I wasnever encouraged to go to college. I didn’thave role models or mentors. Through LGL I am able to make a difference andexpose the girls to a world outside ofBoyle Heights.“

Susana was with her students at thehuge march for immigrant rights in LosAngeles in March and tells them that, ifthey want to change their lives and thelives of their families, they have to go tocollege. She always encourages her stu-dents to attend colleges far away from LosAngeles. ”I tell them that they can alwaysreturn to their community, but first theyhave to get educated.”

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Susana ReynosoBA ’90 Spanish and Behavioral Sciences; MCP ’95

Paving the Way for Others

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14 NDNU I 2006

AT H L E T I C S

hen Tamsen Lee began the 2005-06 basketball season as startingguard for NDNU she had no idea

she would be making school history.But before the season was over the 5-11

senior had rewritten the school’s recordbooks, accumulating 1,152 points and 180three-point goals, both the most in schoolhistory. In addition, she set the single sea-son record for three pointers with 59. Shealso finished her career with 381 reboundsand 59 blocks.

Lee will no doubt be remembered asone of the best basketball players, male or female, to put on an NDNU uniform.She leaves as the leading point scorer formen or women basketball players.

The NDNU women’s basketball teamwill honor Lee by retiring her #21 jersey.

When the season began, Women’sBasketball Coach Stephanie Duke and the other coaches knew that Lee was likely to break the NDNU scoring recordbut kept quiet about it. “I had no idea atthe start of the season that I was likely tobreak the scoring record,” said the SanJose native. “It happened in the gameagainst Hayward (Cal State East Bay).

The coaches didn’t tell me how close I wasbefore the game, but they told my mom.She was in the stands the night I set therecord, but then she’s been at all mygames.”

Not that it made any difference. Shebroke the record with her first basket andwent on to score 29 points. The next dayshe broke the three point record.

“We didn’t want to put any more pres-sure on Tamsen, who was already carryinga big load for the team, so we downplayedthe record,” said Coach Duke, who wasn’tsurprised that Lee had become such a prolific scorer in her career. “When werecruited Tamsen she was a pure shooter.But she has developed into a completeplayer and, more importantly, a teamleader in her four years.”

Actually, for Lee it was more like threeand a half years. She graduated in Decem-ber 2005 with a 3.9 grade point averageand immediately started on her MBA atNDNU. She’s not sure exactly what shewill do when she completes her degreebut hopes it will be something related to sports.

W

he sport of lacrosse is the fastest growing sport at all levelsin the state of California and one of the fastest growing inthe country, but nowhere is its popularity soaring more than

at NDNU.The NDNU lacrosse program is just three years old and has

been improving each and every year, compiling an overall recordof 26-12. The team has just completed another successful seasonunder the guidance of head coach Joe Romano.

“What this team has accomplished in just three years is trulyamazing,” says Romano. “The rate that this program has founditself on the radar in terms of NCAA lacrosse nationally is aston-ishing, I couldn’t be prouder.”

After a 7-6 campaign in 2004, the team’s first year, NDNU wasan impressive 14-3 in 2005, finishing the season ranked 12th in thenation. During those first two seasons, NDNU was still a memberof the NAIA but has since moved to the much tougher NCAADivision II.

The team’s first year in the NCAA got off to a rocky start withthree straight losses, all coming during a tough 0-3 trip to LongIsland, New York. They lost close games to some of the best teamsin the country, including the number one team in the nation, NewYork Tech, by only three points, and in overtime to MolloyCollege, currently ranked 7th nationally.

“The losses weretough on us, butthe experience dida lot for our team’sconfidence,” saidCoach Romano.“We proved wecould hold our ownagainst the tough-est competition inthe NCAA.”

The east coastswing accountedfor the team’s only three losses of the year. The Argos reboundedwith five straight wins over Colorado State (12-8), Oregon State(22-5), Oregon (16-8), Claremont (13-5), and Whittier (15-10).The game against Whittier was particularly satisfying for CoachRomano because he graduated from Whittier and coached therebefore coming to NDNU.

Romano is optimistic about the team’s future, in part becauseonly one player (the second in NDNU lacrosse history) will graduate.

Lacrosse Putting NDNU on the Athletic Map

T

Tamsen Lee Has Record-Setting Senior Season

2006 I NDNU 15

S T U D E N T N E W S

Reaching Out With Heart and Soulor Heidi Olson it’s time to give back,and she’s going to be spending hersummer and fall doing just that.

An ’04 NDNU graduate with a doublemajor in French and vocal performance,Heidi recently departed for South Americato begin a six-month stay as a volunteerwith the Fundacifin Jesus Divino Preso inEcuador, a foundation that takes in chil-dren whose parents are in jail and whohave no one to care for them.

“My parents were missionaries for 25years and always instilled in me the beliefthat I had to give something back to theworld,” she said. “Some of these childrenare forced to follow their parents intoprison because there is no one to care forthem, and some are orphans,” she said.

For Heidi traveling around the world is old hat and something she loves; she’slived half her life abroad and traveledextensively. The second of five children,she was born in New Zealand but spentthe first 10 years of her life growing up in Latin America—Chile, Colombia, and Mexico—before moving to Californiawhere she attended middle school, highschool and, eventually, NDNU. She’s visited China, Holland, England, Spain,

and Italy and, while she wasa student at NDNU, studiedin France for a semester.

Her experiences atNDNU have helped fosterher love of both music andtravel, and she intends tocontinue her music educa-tion when she returns fromEcuador.

“Because of the wonderfulstudents, teachers and musi-cal community NDNUoffered, music, languages,and travel will forever bepart of my life,” she said inan interview before leaving.“I’ve never seen so much passion and dedi-cation as I did in my language and musicprofessors. I truly believe that our teach-ers and professors directly contribute toour life’s path.”

Her teachers think as highly of her asshe does of them. “Heidi was the first pri-vate voice student I taught when I joinedNDNU in 2000,” recalls Debra Lambert,Director of Opera/Musical Theatre. “Shewalked in the door a painfully shy littlegirl, with a voice the size of a mouse. She

explored and dared to tryanything we asked of her,and then last year she per-formed a featured role inthe NDNU/Pocket Operaproduction of Genevieve inSan Francisco, the NapaOpera House, and NDNU.Her energy, dedication, and enthusiasm have beena vital part of the NDNUvocal programs, and wecan’t wait to have herback!”

Olson said her experi-ences at NDNU opened her eyes to the wonder

and excitement of opera in a way that shehad never experienced before. “Opera tapsinto an almost forgotten ancient worldwhich somehow refuses to disappear,” shesaid. “I believe that opera has a way ofsneaking into our hearts and imaginationslike no other art form can. There is moredepth, warmth, and emotion than you canfind anywhere else. Without NDNU, Inever would have discovered this world.NDNU has shaped the person I am today.”

F

Kudos to The Argonauten statewide awards, eight of them firstplace, were won by The Argonaut, NDNU’sstudent newspaper, and its staff at the

annual convention of the California College Media Association March 2-5 in Los Angeles.

The Argonaut was honored among all Californiafour-year college newspapers which publish lessthan weekly. The Bohemian, NDNU’s literary jour-nal, also took first place in the magazine categoryfor four-year schools of all sizes.

“I continue to be amazed at the quality of jour-nalism this tiny newspaper’s staff is capable ofdoing,” said Argonaut adviser and communicationscore faculty member Michelle Carter, who workedat the San Mateo Times as managing editor until 1995. “I ask no less of them than I asked of mydaily newspaper staff of professional writers, editors, and photographers in my previous life.They seldom disappoint.”

The Argonaut won first place in Best OverallDesign and second in General Excellence.

TWhen in Rome…

DNU Junior, Julia Hosack ’07, was one of 50 talented individuals selected from a

series of internationalauditions, to earn aspot performing in the Summer 2006Rome Opera Festival. Hosack, a BFA Musi-cal Theatre major, will perform in the festival’s productions of The Merry Widow, Suor Angelica, and as a soloist in a vocal recital presented by the festi-val in Rome.

In addition to per-forming, Hosack will receive vocaland musical coaching, and classesin conversational Italian and Italian

diction. She will also have theextraordinary opportunity tospend three weeks in Rome.

“Julia’s summer inRome, working withthe Opera Festival, will be a life-changingexperience for her,” said Debra Lambert,NDNU’s Director ofOpera and MusicalTheater. “Living andworking with singersfrom around the world,in the heart of Italy’sopera culture, will giveher an exceptionalinsight into the lan-

guage, life, and history of opera, the parent of American musicaltheater.”

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Heidi Olson

Julia Hosack

Wrong address? Receiving two copies? Please help us streamline by contacting mnungaray@ndnu.edu

She knows how she’ll do it—by teaching kids. Victoria is a

freshman this year in the liberal studies program. Her passions are

early childhood development and theatre. Her dad’s a teacher; her

mom’s a nurse. She spent her high school years helping out in her

aunt’s pre-school classroom.

Her family helped shape her dream. You can help her realize it.

A contribution to the NDNU Annual Fund helps provide

scholarships, books, computers—all the things Victoria and her

classmates need to change the world.

Write a check. Change the world. What could be easier?

....one of the many faces of the Notre Dame Fund

Victoria Chavez ‘09, Liberal Studies

Help Victoria Change the World...

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