Feature Article
Cochran Family
Legacy names: Lynn (Gaylord) Harrison
‘81 (first cousin), Lisa (Shegos) Cochran ’89 (first
cousin), Maria Hernandez ’19 (daughter of Lisa).
Our Siena Heights legacy: from Lisa
Cochran—My cousin Lynn attended Siena for
Fashion Merchandising and that was the field I
also wanted to pursue. The experience she had
sounded so great and I visited her at Siena and
knew it was for me also. A quote from Lynn ...
“Siena was the best! Great memories. I cried
all the way back to Jackson, after graduation”...
I attended Siena fall of 1984, and graduated
in 1989, leaving with so many memories, great
friends and more love for the campus. When my
daughter Maria was looking into what college she
wanted to attend, she’d heard all about it from
us and then loved Siena herself after visiting the
campus. Maria graduated this May 2019.
child, took mostly classroom classes. Amy earned
a BA in Art with a minor in Psychology in 2012,
a BFA in Art in 2013, and a MA in Clinical Mental
Health Counseling in 2017. Dan earned a MA in
Organizational Leadership in 2006 and a Special-
ist Degree in Educational Leadership in 2008.
Mary earned a BS in Health Studies with a minor
in Health Care Management in 2016. Brittanee
earned a BS in Business with a minor in Spanish
in 2017. Siena Heights’ legacy lives on in the
Garno family by providing a strong foundation
for our success!
Keller Family
Pictured from left: Amy (Garno) Anderson,
Mary (Garno) Gano and Brittanee Toth.
Thompson Family
Pictured from left: Lynn (Gaylord) Harrison
and Lisa (Shegos) Cochran.
Garno Family
Legacy names: Amy (Garno) Anderson
(sister) ’12, ’13, ’17MA (sister); Dan Garno
’06MA, ‘08 Spec. (brother); Mary (Garno) Gano
’16 (sister); Brittanee Toth (Mary’s daughter) ’17.
Our Siena Heights legacy: from Amy
Anderson—Siena Heights is a strong liberal arts
University that has helped our family develop our
skills and talents and be active members in our
community. Our mother, Bev Garno, was the first
in our family to go to Siena Heights in 1959 to
study English shortly after she and our dad, Ken,
were married. They then started growing their
large family and ended up with 15. They enrolled
many of us kids in music, art, and drama at Si-
ena Heights throughout the years. They strongly
believed the arts helped us develop our minds to
think creatively and critically in all areas of life.
As young adults we were still encouraged to en-
roll in Siena Heights. Our mom often said, “Siena
Heights is an extension of our family!” Amy, Dan,
and Mary, numbers four, six, and nine in the
Garno family took classes years ago in the class-
room and returned to take classes online as well
as classroom classes. Brittanee Toth, Mary’s oldest
Pictured from left: Bridgid Thompson,
Elizabeth (Thompson) Davis, Ken Thompson, Mary
(Fitzpatrick) Thompson, Ian Thompson.
Legacy names: Beverly (Mapes) Thompson
(grandmother) ’45; Kenneth Thompson (father)
’77; Mary (Fitzpatrick) Thompson (mother) ’76;
Elizabeth (Thompson) Davis (daughter) ’00;
Bridgid Thompson (daughter) ’03; Ian Thomp-
son (son) ’11.
Our Siena Heights legacy: from Kenneth
Thompson—The legacy of Siena Heights Univer-
sity runs deep in the Thompson family. It actually
began with my grandmother, Marcella Mapes,
when she worked in the dorms as a “house moth-
er” during the 1930s. Then my mother, Beverly
Mapes Thompson, attended Siena during WWII,
graduating in 1945. During the late 1960s, my
sister, Mary Joellen Thompson, attended. In 1973,
I came to Siena at the wonderment of the male
to female ratio and graduated in 1977. It is at
Siena where I met my wife of 44 years, Mary
Fitzpatrick Thompson, class of 1976. To continue
the legacy, we’ve had three children, all of whom
attended Siena. Our daughter, Elizabeth Thomp-
son Davis, graduated in 2000 and is an Assistant
Professor of Social Work at her alma mater. Her
twin sister, Bridgid Thompson, graduated in 2003.
Then our son, Ian Thompson, completed his sec-
ond degree at Siena in 2011. We patiently await
the next generation of Siena alums out of our
pool of four grandchildren.
Legacy names: Deborah (Carrington) Keller
(mother) ’74, ’75MA, ’02 Spec.; David Keller
(father) ’75; Matthew Keller (son) ’02; Priscilla
(Burch) Keller (daughter-in-law) ’08.
Our Siena Heights legacy: from Deb
Keller—Saintly family! After arriving from New
Jersey in 1970, I met David (a student at SHC in
1973) during my junior year. We were married
after graduation in Lumen Chapel in May 1975.
Matthew is our oldest son who graduated with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002, the same year
I received my Specialist of Arts degree, the first
earned and presented at SHU. Then Priscilla,
who was dating Matthew at the time, earned
her teacher certification at Siena Heights after
having graduated from Calvin College. Adam, our
youngest son, graduated from the other “Saints”:
Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. After 38 years
at St Joseph Academy as a teacher and then prin-
cipal, I am beginning my 12th year as the Execu-
tive Assistant to the President at Siena Heights
University. Truly a Saintly family.
Pictured from left: David Keller, Priscilla
(Burch) Keller, Matthew Keller, Deb Keller. u
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