Reflections Magazine Issue #79 - Fall 2013 | Page 43

Alumni Feature

Sister Ann Joachim Award

Outstanding Alumni Award

Outstanding Alumni Award

Honorary Alumni Award

Catherine Zick Robinson ’69
(Ypsilanti, Mich.)

Jason Sanderson ’92
(Toledo, Ohio)

Michael Morgan ’83
(Farmington, Conn.)

Jennifer Hamlin Church
(Petersburg, Mich.)

As a social worker serving the
homeless, the poor and those
struggling with addictions, Cathy
longed to meet the spiritual as
well as the practical needs of
those she served. And that is what
she has done for 23 years as executive director of Hope Medical
Clinic. Once a weekly half-day
clinic in borrowed space, Hope
today is a multifaceted ministry
operating fulltime medical and
dental clinics, a food pantry, baby
care program, Care and Share
Closet providing non-food necessities, a free laundry program,
free weekend meals, and occasional emergency assistance. In
addition to a 20,000-squarefoot
facility in Ypsilanti, Hope operates a satellite clinic in western
Wayne County. “It’s been exciting
and faith building to see where
God has taken us,” Cathy said.
Along the way, she has learned
some timeless lessons: “If I ask
God to lead and guide me, he
will do just that”— even making
course corrections and making
up for personal shortfalls. “God’s
call on each of our lives is somewhat different,”Cathy said; but
“I think that whatever that call
might be, Sister Ann Joachim—
a person very much committed
to social justice— would encourage us to have the Scripture
from Micah be our guide: ‘What
does God require of us but to
act justly, love mercy, and walk
humbly with our God.’” Cathy was
nominated by Melissa Burkhart
’11. Classmates Paula LaLonde
Dart ’69 and Marianne Patterson
Kroess also celebrated with her.

Jason is a dedicated artist and
educator who, in 20 years teaching at Michigan’s Bedford High
School, has transformed the BHS
art department, dramatically
expanding the curriculum and
faculty. Jason credits his accomplishments to the support of a
loving family, the enduring values
he first learned as a Boy Scout—
and the opportunities, encouragement and challenge he encountered at Siena Heights. Father
David Van Horn hooked Jason on
Siena’s art program; but it was
Sister Eileen Rice in education
who really got him on the right
path: She gave 100 percent, he
recalled, and made it clear Jason
needed to do the same. “The
teacher I am today is because of
Eileen,” he said. “I feel that it is
my calling to give 100 percent
to the job of teaching art to high
school students, encouraging
them, finding them artistic opportunities, developing their boundless talents, and guiding them on
a path to post-secondary study”
—then making sure they find
scholarship help to make it happen. Inspired by his mentoring,
Jason’s students often look at
Siena Heights, finding as he did
“a place where you are given the
tools to head down whatever path
you choose.” To celebrate Jason’s
Outstanding Alumni honor, SHU
art alumni who are also “his”
high school alums mounted an
exhibition of their work titled
“Progression” in Studio Angelico’s
Gallery 10. Jason was nominated
by Trudy McSorley ’70, who
hosted a party for him, wife Julie,
and friends—especially Jim ’91
and Tina DiGiorgio ’93 Forsythe.

A theater and speech-communication major at Siena, Michael
has built a career in the insurance
field — but he lives and breathes
creativity and service. Passionate
about the arts, he is a dancer,
actor, choreographer, drama
teacher, and cheer coach—in addition to his full-time job. He also
currently serves on the boards of
the West Hartford Community
Theater, St. Philip House, the
Imperial Sovereign Court of All
Connecticut, and the SHU Alumni Association. Possibly the best
known cheerleader in Saints
history, Michael was nicknamed
Flounder as an undergrad in the
early ’80s when his Flounder
Flops (as many as 25 consecutive
cartwheels) highlighted halftime
at Saints basketball games. “Siena
was such a good fit for me,” he
said, recalling the friendships and
support he found here in class,
in theater, in Student Senate and
cheerleading, and in his early
struggle to come to grips with
being a gay male. “Everything I
learned at Siena has been so helpful in what I’ve done with my life.”
Today, Michael is an innovative
leader in the LGBT community
and a dedicated volunteer and
fund raiser for cancer and HIV/
AIDS research, awareness and
support. Michael was nominated
by Kathy Cark ’82. He celebrated
Homecoming Weekend with
Kathy, Jared Flayer ’81, all returning members of the 30th reunion
class of ’83, and all alumni cheerleaders who returned to cheer on
the sidelines of the football came
with Michael and the current
cheer and dance students!

An enthusiastic promoter of the
mission and Dominican values
of Siena Heights, Jennifer has
shaped the University’s alumni
program for 18 years, initiating
new events and opportunities on
campus, across the country, and
(through alumni travel) around
the world. In her first eight years,
she also directed the communications office, editing Reflections
and writing class notes about
hundreds of graduates. Her
innovative programming, creative
communication, fascination with
Siena’s history and traditions,
and genuine affection for alumni
have inspired graduates of all ages
and SHU programs to serve and
support Siena Heights. “Alumni
Awards day has always been one
of my favorite events,” she said,
“because through it I’ve met such
amazing people. But it’s not just
those who win awards: There are
so many SHU alumni doing good
things in the world—how could I
not love this job?” Jennifer noted
that in prior years she had told
many alumni honorees how proud
the University was to call each
of them “one of ours.” “Today,”
she added, “I am so proud to