Reflections Magazine Issue #69 - Spring 2009 | Page 2

Column

from the president
Many of our students graduate from Siena
Heights and enter the professional or business
field – which is outstanding. Our job is to prepare our students for any kind of career path they
may choose, and give them the tools to succeed.
However, what I find unique about this year’s
class of alumni award winners was their common
link to higher education. Four of the five awardwinners is or has been a faculty member at an
institution of higher education, meaning they
have used their Siena Heights education to “pass
it on” to the next generations of college students.
It’s amazing to think of how many young minds
they have touched!

Alumni Award Winners Reach
The Top of Higher Education
I once again had the pleasure of participating
in this year’s Alumni Awards Day, which was
March 19. As always, it is inspiring to see our
graduates return to campus to share their
experiences both past and present—as well as
a little bit of their wisdom – with our current
students, faculty, staff and administration.
Higher education is ultimately about outcomes,
and to have some of our most successful graduates on campus is a powerful testimonial to the
lasting impact a Siena Heights degree can make.

Gabrielle Davis, our Sister Ann Joachim Award
winner, is now a distinguished law professor at
the University of Toledo. However, when she
was ready to graduate from Siena, law school was
not even on her radar until her advisor, the late
Sister Pat Hogan, gave her a “gentle” push in the
direction she needed to go. Now, she is shaping
young minds and is a champion for victims of
domestic violence in the Toledo area.
Tod Marshall, one of our Outstanding Alumni
Award winners, didn’t even like college when
he entered Siena Heights as a wayward soccer
player from Kansas. However, Siena helped him
reach his intellectual potential, and now he is
an award-winning poet and faculty member at
Gonzaga University.
Dr. Jacob Chi and fellow Adrian Dominican
Sister Mary Beaubien have made comparable
impacts as faculty members at their respective
institutions of higher education. And while our
other alumni award winner, Anthony Butler, is
not currently in higher education, the work he is
doing with youth involved with the Dominican
Volunteers of America is significantly similar.

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Reflections Spring ’09

Each of these honorees has carved out remarkable careers, and I would like to hope Siena
Heights provided that “spark” that ignited their
love of learning and teaching. In Dominican
circles it is called “sharing the fruits of your
contemplation.” Using their Siena Heights
education and mission as their foundation,
they are now shaping the next generations of
college students.
I probably am sounding like a proud parent,
but for a small institution to turn out such an
illustrious group of teachers and mentors is a
testament to Siena Heights’ academic tradition.
And we are certainly proud of that tradition.
As President of Siena Heights University, I see
our current students daily trying to ascend that
intellectual mountain toward the ultimate goal
of a college degree. For some, that sometimes
can be a very steep climb. That’s why it is heartening for all of us to occasionally hear from some
of our graduates who have already “reached
the top.” They are the examples that it can be
done—and in the process are blazing the trail
for others to follow!
Peace,

Sister Peg Albert, OP, PhD
President