|
Recent
Alumni Events
Connecting-the-dots
On Wednesday evening
April 23, 2008 there took place a special event entitled
Connecting-the-Dots. It was co-sponsored
by the Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement. Held in
Grace Roper Lounge (Burpee Center), the event was designed
to bring students and Alumni in contact with each other
for social and professional networking.
More than 80 individuals, including 45 students, 17 invited
Alumni representing a variety of professional disciplines,
and 20 faculty and staff attended this event which began
at 5:30 and concluded at 7:00. The evening began with the
Alumni presenting brief biographical comments on their lives
and experiences. After the introductions, for about an hour,
the students, faculty and staff mingled informally to make
connections with the Alumni.
If you think you would like to relate to our current students
in this meaningful way, please contact the Alumni office
at Alumni@rockford.edu
or call (815) 226-3370.
Illinois Teacher
of the Year
 “We
Are a Reflection of Who We Want Our Students to Be”
Illinois
Teacher of the Year, Ruth Meissen ’98 Masters
of Art in Teaching, spoke to her peers, mentors,
and Rockford College students of Education on Monday afternoon
April 21, 2008. There were approximately 50 individuals
who attended this phenomenal event. Ruth Meissen is the
second Illinois Teacher of the Year in the past three that
holds an MAT from RC. As Mrs. Meissen delivered her speech
Teaching with Greater Purpose, the crowd was immensely quiet
and listened as she presented her “journey”
as a teacher, which began with a video clip Shift Happens.
Ruth related the video to her theme by informing everyone
that as a teacher, their presence in the classroom is valuable
because he/she is what connects this generation to the future.
Other vital points that were addressed were being positive,
the ability to approach every class with a positive attitude,
and how the teacher’s attitude has an affect on students.
She stresses that “the journey” is not about
the destination but how one reaches that point. She thought
it was imperative that teachers uniquely engage his/her
students in “the journey” because one will never
know the ways one can affect a person’s life.
As her speech came to a close, she announced that Dr. Debra
Dew was an inspiration and someone who told her “she
would be a great teacher.” As she said those words,
many individuals in the crowd wiped their eyes as she announced
that she was giving Dr. Dew a replica pin of honor.
Ruth
Meissen’s closing words……
And remember to……
“Make Every Place Better Because You Were
There”
To view the video clip Shift Happens please visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhnWKg9B2-8&feature=related
Vocal
Collective
On
Sunday, March 2, 2008, the Rockford College Vocal Collective
performed for an assembled group of Alumni and friends of
that college at the University Club of St. Paul in Minnesota,
during their Spring Break Tour. The Vocal Collective is
a select, mixed choral ensemble of 17 student singers.
They performed a wide variety of choral styles, featuring
a selection of early works, spirituals, American folk songs,
and jazz standards. The tour program included songs by Palestrina,
Stephen Paulus, Eric Whitacre, and the Beatles. Some of
the songs performed were Sicut Cervus, You Are the New Day,
Autumn Leaves and Soon Ah Will Be Done.
The hosts for this extravaganza were Bettyann Pappenfus
’81, and John F. McNamara, VP for College Development.
The event was held from 1:00 to 3:00 and was an exciting
day as they joined together for fun, conversation, desserts,
coffee and news.
Student
participants:
Erin Connor ‘08, Naomi Byars ‘09, Cayla Solsberg
‘11, Cassie Henwood ‘11,
Elin Gustafuson ‘10, Maggie Damisch ‘10, Stephanie
Souza ‘08, Becca Rossol ‘08,
Lori Christensen ‘10, Brian Duncan ‘11, Chris
Brady ‘09, Kyle Adams ‘09,
Scott Roberts ‘09, Mike Bloom ‘10, Andy Pollock
‘11, Charlie Rasmann ‘08,
Brain Doering ‘08
Alumni
and friends in attendance:
John McNamara, Barbara McNamara, Joe Hognander, Phyllis
Letendre ‘52,
Gene Letendre, Gretchen (Von Loewe) Kreuter ‘55,
Becky (Olson) Stannard ‘64,
Lael
(Cranmer) Gatewood ‘59, Bettyann
Pappenfus ‘81, Mary Ellen Lynch ‘70, Anne (Yeager)
Melendez ‘81,Mikayla Melendez , Eli
Melendez ‘81, Dorothy (Cramer) Guilford ‘37,
Marilyn (Tator) Rehnberg ‘56, Nancy Bloom,
Mark Bloom, LouAnn Duncan, Jon Jackels, Deb Jackels, Timm
Adams, Brad Knotts
|
