Jan. 2012Vol. 6, No. 5

IMPACT

Campus supports Angel Tree’s Ministry

Inspiring Students to Pursue Lives of Purpose

Since 1998, Dave Calvario, dean of

students and the director of the

Center for Service Leadership,

has encouraged Waynesburg University

students, faculty and staff to consider

a specific ministry during the holiday

season.

With more than 2.3 million Americans

behind bars, benevolence and a passion

for service can truly impact the lives of

children with incarcerated parents during

the holiday season.

This past December, Calvario organized

the University’s 14th consecutive

partnership with the Angel Tree

project to bring local children gifts for

Christmas. The Angel Tree project

allows an incarcerated parent to request a

specific gift for his or her child at home.

Angel Tree volunteers purchase, wrap

and deliver the gifts on behalf of the

incarcerated parent.

“Angel Tree is a wonderful ministry

because it allows us to use our resources

to show God’s love,” Calvario said.

“Sometimes I think we need to get back

to letting the church solve some of the

problems in our society.”

What began as a small residence-

life program has expanded to include

all students, faculty and staff at

Waynesburg University. According to

Calvario, campus organizations and

houses typically sponsor a child as

well as various academic or business

departments.

On a national level, Angel Tree

collected and distributed approximately

400,000 gifts to children last Christmas

through participating churches or

Christian institutions. The University

contributed and hand-delivered gifts to

more than ten families in the local area.

In addition to the wrapped gift, children

receive a word of scripture to encourage

and uplift them through the holiday

season. On every angel-shaped gift tag,

Angel Tree wishes a Merry Christmas and

lists Luke 2: 8-14, “This gift is sent to you

to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus

Christ,” as a message of inspiration.

Four students selected to receive prestigious scholarship

In 2012, four women will dedicate

their summers to continuing

Waynesburg University’s mission

of faith, serving and learning in faraway

cultures: one as an intern, two as young

teachers and all as students of new

experiences and cultural differences.

Waynesburg University has been

awarded four scholarships which will

afford the women the opportunity to

experience a journey unlike any other.

The scholarships offer the recipients a

combined total of $24,000 in scholarship

money.

Overseen by The Heinz Endowments

and administered through the University

of Pittsburgh’s Center for International

Studies, the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship

for Women in Global Leadership started

as one $1,000 check given each fall to a

junior woman at an area university. Today

the Vira I. Heinz Foundation offers several

$5,000 scholarships to women at 16 local

and regional colleges and universities in

Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

The four recipients of the 2012 Vira

I. Heinz Scholarship for Women in

Global Leadership include Jenna Griffith,

Angele Hagy, T’Erika Perry and Hannah

Szymanik. Through the scholarship, these

women will travel and study overseas

through three study abroad programs.

Griffith, a junior nursing major from

Cambridge, Ohio, will spend her summer

in San Ignacio, Belize. From June 2 to June

30, she will serve as an intern in the San

Ignacio Hospital to further the nursing

skills she has acquired at Waynesburg

University.

“Although Belize has many natural

beauties, the country still struggles

against poverty, inequality and a lack

of opportunity,” Griffith said. “This

scholarship will enable me to serve

and learn in a country where medical

assistance is needed and will help shape

my life as a nurse.”

Both Hagy, a sophomore early

childhood and special education major

from Pittsburgh, Pa., and Szymanik, a

sophomore early childhood and special

education major from Mount Holly

Springs, Pa., will spend the summer in

Cape Coast, Ghana, through ProWorld, an

international study program. The women

will volunteer as teaching assistants at an

elementary school for five weeks during

the months of May and June.

Through Seattle Central Community

College, both Hagy and Szymanik

will take courses in international

education. For Szymanik, the Vira I.

Heinz Scholarship for Women in Global

Leadership means a jump start to her

future.

“A long term goal of mine is to live

in Africa as a missionary, and this

scholarship allows me to begin that

journey,” Szymanik said. “I am excited

to start showing love to underprivileged

children in a part of the world that has

captured my heart.”

Perry, a sophomore international studies

major from Baltimore, Md., will study in

Barcelona, Spain, May 29 to July 27. She

will forever refer to this experience as a

cotillion of sorts due to an unfulfilled

family tradition.

“In my family we have a tradition of

holding a cotillion for the women in the

family as they come of age,” Perry said.

“During the senior year of high school,

the women are acknowledged as adults

and given the opportunity to travel to

surrounding states.”

Because her mother passed away during

her junior year of high school, Perry never

received her cotillion celebration.

“Vira I. Heinz is like a cotillion for me,”

Perry said. “It is my opportunity to forge

a bond as an adult with the women in my

family; this program is giving me a chance

to get an experience I thought I missed out

on.”

The four women were required to

submit an application, academic and

personal letters of reference and a proposal

for their intended plans. Applicants were

also required to explain how the trip

related to their academic areas of study

and future plans.

Each recipient is required to attend two

weekend retreats, one before traveling

and one upon return, as well as a

community engagement experience with

an international focus after traveling.

These requirements encourage the women

to think deeply about their study abroad

experience and apply the world lessons to

life at Waynesburg University.

The Vira I. Heinz Scholarship for Women in Global Leadership has awarded four Waynesburg University women the opportunity to fulfill dreams of learning and serving abroad.

IMPACT

NEWS & NOTES• Waynesburg University will host

its annual DeVito Lecture Series

featuring Makoto Fujimura Tuesday,

Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Fujimura’s lecture

“Generative Thinking – Towards

Culture

Care

Values”

will be held

in Alumni

Hall.

Admission

is free

and the public is invited to attend.

In addition to his evening lecture,

Fujimura will serve as the University’s

chapel speaker at 11 a.m. in Roberts

Chapel the same day.

• The Music Program’s first Collegium

Musicum will take place Friday, Feb. 3

at 4 p.m. in the Marsh Center inside

Roberts Chapel. Arts administration

(music) majors, music ministry majors

and music minors will present a variety

of soul-

lifting

melodies

for

audience

members.

The

concert

showcases

the

knowledge,

skills and techniques that music

students have learned at Waynesburg

University. Students will conduct a

question and answer session after each

presentation. Admission is free and the

public is cordially invited to attend.

• An opening reception will be held

Monday, Feb. 6 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. for

the art exhibition of Cecilia Cowger.

Cowger, a senior at Waynesburg

University, will display a number of

pieces created over her four years in

the Art Program at Waynesburg. The

exhibit will feature ceramics, charcoal

and pencil drawings, paintings and

photography pieces. Various works

will be available for purchase. The

exhibit will be held in the Benedum

Fine Arts Gallery through Friday, Feb.

24. Admission is free and the public is

cordially invited to attend.

• Who’s Your Neighbor Week will

take place Sunday, Feb. 12 through

Friday, Feb. 17, and will focus on

empowering the powerless through

the theme “Where is the Love?” Anne

Banister, a 2009 Waynesburg University

alumna, will serve as the Who’s Your

Neighbor Week speaker. Banister will

present “Three Sisters: Empowering

the Women of Nepal” Wednesday, Feb.

15 at 7 p.m. Her lecture will take place

in Buhl Hall’s McCance Auditorium.

Admission is free and the public is

cordially invited to attend.

Bonner Scholars host drive to support campus program

Students sacrifice break to serve communityEvery semester, students live out Waynesburg University’s mission of faith, learning and

serving, whether they travel to serve in a Third World country or at home in Pennsylvania. Some students even choose to spend time that could be spent with friends at home to serve over fall or winter breaks. In December 2011, 10 Waynesburg University students served in Greene County, Pa. through the University’s annual Greene County Immersion mission service trip.

Before the trip, the students were educated in four major social issues that currently affect those living in Greene County: poverty, homelessness, hunger and education. During the trip, the students assisted several local organizations including the Corner Cupboard Food Bank, the Salvation Army, St. Ann’s Good Neighbors Dinner and Produce to People.

Each day began with breakfast and devotions in the Prayer Chapel on the campus of Waynesburg University. From there, the students served at a different organization each day and late into the evening.

Kelley Hardie, assistant director of Student Activities at Waynesburg University and leader of the Greene County Immersion trip, says it was rewarding to experience serving her neighbors in Greene County.

“It was great to see how much hard work, effort and energy each person contributed in making amazing things possible,” said Hardie. “By ringing bells at Wal-Mart and Giant Eagle, we were able to raise over $1600 for the Salvation Army in four hours.”

Maya Angelou once said that

“Any book that helps a child

form a habit of reading,

to make reading one of his deep and

continuing needs, is good for him.”

Without encouragement to read, some

children may grow up never knowing

the joy of becoming lost in a good

book. To foster this growth, the senior

Waynesburg University Bonner Scholars

recently donated 400 contemporary

children’s books to the Reading Clinic,

an annual spring event hosted by the

Department of Education for local

children.

To complete the project required by

each Bonner Scholar class, students

must identify a need in the community

by impacting and educating the

members. For Leeann Danley, a senior

Bonner Scholar and elementary special

education major, the need was obvious.

Observing how empty the shelves

were in the Reading Clinic, Danley

proposed that for their project, the senior

Bonner Scholars should raise money

and purchase books to contribute to the

cause. Her classmates were quick to

agree, due to the impact of the donation.

“I was astonished by the response

that I received for this project,” Danley

said. “So many of the senior Bonners

understood the need and took action.”

For several weekends in October and

November 2011, the senior Bonner

Scholars collected monetary donations

from patrons at Walmart and Giant

Eagle. As they were collecting the gifts,

they were able to tell the community

members about the need for a literacy

program and the need for the books.

Through their efforts, more than

$1,000 was raised. With this money, the

group scattered to different libraries and

book stores in the area to purchase a

variety of books. They attempted to find

multiple copies to give to children who

participate in the clinic. In total, 400

books were added to the Reading Clinic

library.

Dr. Fran Boyd, associate professor of

education and director of the Reading

Clinic, appreciates the additional books

and the continued support of her dream.

“At the clinic, we give the children

tutorial skills, but we also teach them to

learn to love it,” Boyd said. “In a world

of distractions, we want them to pick up

a book.”

Each book is marked with a label

indicating that it belongs to the Reading

Clinic, but an additional insert was

included to honor the students that

worked diligently to provide for the

community. A thank you to the senior

Bonner class is visible to all who read the

donated books.

Debra Clarke, chair of the department

of education, thanked the students

profusely for their generous support.

“Their generous donation of many,

many new books for the clinic is a

wonderful gift and legacy,” Clarke said.

“Long after they leave Waynesburg

University, children in this community

will be reading the books that they have

donated. The gifts will help others learn

to teach and will help others learn to

love to read.”

After wrapping up stellar athletic

careers at Waynesburg University,

defensive tackle Darryl Moore,

Jr. and cornerback Sean Hunt were both

recognized as two of the top players in

all of Division III. Moore was lauded by

D3football.com as a third-team selection on

its annual All-America Team. He was also

selected a 2011 preseason All-American by

Beyond Sports Network and was eligible for

the D3football.com team after earning first-

team laurels on the website’s All South

Region Squad.

The Boardman, Ohio, native was tabbed

with the national honor following another

outstanding season in which he racked

up 60 total tackles, 36 of which were solo

stops, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

He also broke up a pass, forced a fumble

and recovered a fumble.

Hunt was listed as a third-team

Division III All-American at defensive

back by D3Proday.com. The Coraopolis

native picked up the award after leading

Waynesburg in interceptions for the second-

straight year. His five pickoffs also tied him

for second place in the Presidents’ Athletic

Conference (PAC) and helped earn him a

second-straight first-team All-PAC nod and

a second-straight third-team showing on

D3football.com’s All South Region Team.

Hunt ended his Waynesburg career with

16 total interceptions, which tied him for

the program record. After dealing with

some early-season injury problems, Hunt

rebounded with all five of his senior-season

interceptions over the final four games of

the year, including two picks each against

Saint Vincent and against Widener in the

ECAC South Atlantic Bowl.

Moore and Hunt named All-American