Looking Back on50 Years of EducatingOutstanding Nurses

Did you ever wish that you had expressed appreciation forsomething or to someone but failed to do so? With today’s busyand hectic pace of life events, it’s easy to put off “thank-yous” forwhat seem to be more pressing matters. If you’re like me, yousometimes wonder how best to express appreciation or even if

gratitude is the appropriate feeling for the situation.

A well-known artist once wrote, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” From thevantage point of art, literature and science, we all know that the heart is critical toour physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. To have a grateful heart…to feelgratitude… and not express it is like having a boiling teapot but not letting thesteam escape. Gratitude can (and should) be expressed in so many differentways, each an expression of thankfulness and appreciation, a gesture meant totouch the heart.

In other words, gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be a simple, heartfelt verbal “thank you,” a shorthand-written note of appreciation, a simple e-mail message, or an unexpected phone call. Other times, it might besomething slightly more tangible, e.g., candy, a gift card, dinner for two. One of the valued qualities associatedwith the expression of gratitude is its multiplier impact. Those who express gratitude fill the hearts of those whounderstand the joy of giving.

Sometimes gratitude has no material manifestation but it, nevertheless, touches the heart. I, for one, am notthankful for ALL the experiences of my life, but I am grateful for the life lessons that have unfolded as a result ofthese events. When I think of gratitude’s impact on the human heart, I am drawn to the lyrics of Tracy Chapman’sRemember the Tinman:

Remember the tinmanFound he had what he thought he lackedRemember the tinmanGo find your heart and take it back

In this issue, you will meet individuals filled with grateful hearts…some who are appreciative students, others whoare grateful benefactors…and one who is both. In these pages, you will meet Frances “Frannie” M. Maguire, classof ’55, who speaks appreciatively of her Mercy-influenced education at Gwynedd-Mercy College, and even morefondly about the many Sisters of Mercy who played a role in her education. Frannie’s gratitude, articulated jointlywith her husband, James “Jim” J. Maguire, has been expressed in many ways over the years, but most recentlywith a $5 million gift to establish the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing at Gwynedd-Mercy College. On behalfof the entire GMC community, I express our gratitude for this extraordinary gift. It reflects the impact of Mercy onFrannie’s heart.

To all our loyal friends and benefactors, I offer my gratitude – a simple, heartfelt “thank you” for your prayers,support and gifts. Your generosity enables us to prepare distinctive Mercy graduates who will exhibit those habitsof mind and heart that will enable them to meet the great challenges of their day.

Heartfelt blessings.

Kathleen Owens, PhDPresident

President’s Message Winter 2010

Gratitude

Gwynedd-Mercy CollegeToday is published twice ayear for the alumni andfriends of the College. Yourcomments and suggestionsare welcome.

Gerald T. McLaughlinVice President for InstitutionalAdvancement

Charlene DiSarloDirector of Public Relations& Marketing

Editor:Megan Gilmore

Assistant Editor:Meghan Decker

Creative Director andProduction Manager:Donna Smyrl

Contributors:Meghan DeckerCharlene DiSarloMegan GilmoreChris Panter

Design:Kim Austin Graphic Design

Photography:Shannon BrunoCharlene DiSarloMegan GilmoreHunter MartinChris PanterJim RoeseDonna Smyrl

On the Cover:From past to present: Whilestudying a photo of the firstgraduating class in theSchool of Nursing, studentsRachele Scevola, PaulHoffman and StevenBocchese reflect on theCollege’s 50 years of nursingexcellence.

ContentsTimes Have Changed,

But a Legacy Continues 2

The School of Nursing Celebrates 50 Years

A World Without Borders 6

A Student’s Expanding Perspective on International Justice

and Equality

New Dean, New School 10

The School of Business and CLL combine while welcoming

Dean Mohamed Latib, PhD

PLUS

President’s Message Inside Cover

Campus News 2

Sports 12

Alumni ProfilesLiving in Sync: An alumni love story 14(Ann Szalwinski ’05, Shawn O’Brien ’06)

Global Caring: Alumni volunteer in impoverished countries 16(Sister Mary Jo McGinley, RSM, ’72, Sister Karen Scheer, RSM,MD ’88, Sean McMahon ’93/’97/’00)

Hit the Road: An alumnus’ journey in the right direction 19(John Curry ’07)

GMC – A Family Affair 22(Mariam Chakalyil ’85, Haifa and Samar Alabdulla ’95,Joe (Florkowski) Tyler ’95 and Tom Froman ’95)

Class Notes 25

6

10

2

THE SCHOOL OF NURSING CELEBRATES50 YEARS

As competition among colleges and universities in the region grows, Gwynedd-Mercy College

remains a staple of quality education, widely recognized in nursing. To celebrate its 50 years of

growth, success and achievements, the School of Nursing held an anniversary weekend in October.

The College community gathered to remember the roots of the nursing program, and to

collectively look forward to the dynamic future it holds.

THE SPARKThe Sisters of Mercy were founded to servethe sick and the disadvantaged and havedone so since arriving in Philadelphia in1861. They began by caring for woundedCivil War soldiers and went on to establishnursing programs at Misericordia Hospitaland Fitzgerald-Mercy Hospital. The Sistersfounded Gwynedd-Mercy College in 1948,and established a well-known, well-respectednursing program, preparing compassionate,skilled nurses.

UNIQUE SINCE THE BEGINNINGEleven students enrolled to obtain theirAssociate of Science in Nursing in 1959, theprogram’s inaugural year. It was the firstASN program established under Catholicauspices in the United States, and the firstassociate degree nursing program in theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Unlike other institutions, nursing studentshave been immediately immersed into thenursing curriculum, while also receivingthe benefits of a liberal arts education.Students graduate after two years of studyand are prepared to pass the licensingexamination to become a registered nurse.They then have the option of working fulltime upon graduation and receipt of theirRN license, or they can continue to study inthe BSN program.

NURSING 50THANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONNursing alumni, students, former andcurrent faculty and area colleaguesparticipated in the School of Nursing 50thAnniversary celebration on October 16-18.On Friday, professionals in the nursingfield, including a number of alumni,presented contemporary issues in nursingpractice during a Nursing Symposium.After the Symposium’s presentations andbreakout sessions, a Cocktail Receptionwas held. The festivities continued at anelegant Black Tie Gala on Saturday, withdinner and dancing. Sunday’s eventsincluded campus tours and presentations,along with a Mass offered by His EminenceCardinal Justin Rigali which provided apoignant conclusion to the weekend’s events.

Today 3

Left: First graduating class of the School of Nursingin 1961.

Top right: (Left to right) Andrea Hollingsworth, PhD,dean of the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing,introduces panelists for the Nursing Symposium.

Center: Donors, nursing students, alumni, faculty, staffand area nurses under the Black Tie Gala tent.

Bottom: His Eminence Cardinal Justin Rigali saysMass during the Nursing 50th Anniversary Celebrationweekend.

4 Today

students than ever to recognize the potentialthat lies within them and experience all thatGwynedd-Mercy College’s nursing facultyand facilities have to offer. But mostimportantly, your generosity will enable ourprofessors to continue teaching withexcellence and compassion.”

The gift will form an endowment for theSchool, as well as meet some immediatepriorities for nursing students and faculty.Three important areas that the gift will helpaddress are scholarships, faculty support,

and best-practice technology andequipment. During summer 2009, thenursing skills laboratory was completelyrenovated with state-of-the-art equipmentthrough funds provided by Mrs. Maguire,her husband, James J. Maguire, Sr., and theMaguire Foundation.

The Maguire Foundation has a mission toinvest in education where there is a highprobability of good return, andGwynedd-Mercy College is well known forits high graduation rates and excellent careerpreparation for students. “Gwynedd-MercyCollege would never give up on a student,”Mrs. Maguire says. “Its faculty and staffalways encourage students to move forward,ask for help and follow their dreams!”

Dean Andrea Hollingsworth, PhD, believesthis gift will not only enhance the School’squality, but also bring additional honor andprestige. “A named School is the dream ofevery dean,” she says. “This gift recognizesthe excellence of our School and enables usto continue development of outstandingnurses to serve our community.”

$5 MILLION GIFTTRANSFORMSNURSING PROGRAMParallel to the 50th anniversary of theSchool of Nursing, Gwynedd-Mercy Collegeannounced a gift of $5 million to name theSchool as the Frances M. Maguire School ofNursing. The contribution is the largest-everalumni gift in the history of the College.

Mrs. Frances M. Maguire, of Wyndmoor,Pa., graduated from GMC in 1955, and laterreturned to study nursing in the mid-1970s.The health care field has been close to Mrs.Maguire’s heart her entire life. As a child,she observed her mother and father in themedical profession and eventually enrolledat Gwynedd-Mercy College to studynursing. Later, health care played a newrole in her life as she was a patient at theHospital of the University of Pennsylvania.“Quality health care is something that Ihave been fortunate to receive and do nottake for granted,” says Mrs. Maguire, whois the mother of eight children and 21grandchildren.

Upon the gift announcement during the50th Anniversary Gala, nursing studentRachele Scevola said in a speech to Mrs.Maguire, “My biggest hope for yourgenerous gift is that it will allow more

Above: James J. and Frances M. Maguire helped launchthe public phase of the Capital Campaign when Mrs.Maguire donated $5 million to the School of Nursing,now named the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing.

Left: James J. and Frances M. Maguire surrounded byfamily at the Black Tie Gala. (Front row) DaughtersFranny Glomb, Colleen Maguire and Susie Maguire.(Back row) Daughters Meghan Nicoletti, with husbandMark, and Tara Maguire. Also in the back row are RobGraham and Mr. Maguire’s sister, Dr. Joan Maguire.

To view photos of theNursing 50th Anniversary Celebration

visit gmc.edu/alumni/events

Today 5

Above: William J. Avery, campaign chair, announces the launch of Gwynedd-Mercy College’s Capital Campaign.

Below: Andrea Hollingsworth, PhD, Kathleen Owens, PhD and Frances M. Maguire ’55 with nursing students at theBlack Tie Gala after the announcement of the naming of the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing.

LAUNCH OF THEGWYNEDD-MERCYCOLLEGE FUTURESCAMPAIGNThe Maguire gift launched the public phaseof Gwynedd-Mercy College’s $20 millionCapital Campaign, the College’s firstcomprehensive campaign and its largest inhistory. All contributions during a five-yearperiod are counted towards the goal. Thecampaign funds will be geared toward morestudent scholarships, endowedprofessorships, program support includingresearch, international experience andstudent internship funds, projects forstudent life on campus, technologyenhancements and annual giving.

The College has already raised nearly $11million since the silent phase began inJanuary 2008. William J. Avery, formerChairman and Chief Executive Officer ofCrown Cork & Seal Company, is serving ascampaign chair. “It is vital at this moment inthe history of the College that we create aculture of philanthropy that will enable apromising opportunity for a new generation

of teachers, continue the criticalcontribution of employees for the healthcare industry and generate businessleaders with an appreciation for globalchallenges and cultural diversity.”

Avery has served as chair of 11 previouscampaigns, one being for Gwynedd-MercyCollege’s health and science building.Although he’s a native of Chicago, Averyhas been a visible leader in the Philadelphiaarea for many years. He played an activerole in a number of civic and charitableorganizations, including the board ofdirectors of the Greater PhiladelphiaChamber of Commerce and GreaterPhiladelphia First Corporation. Not onlydoes he serve on the Board of Trustees ofGwynedd-Mercy College, Avery was alsoelected to membership of the board fororganizations such as the YMCA, FoxChase Cancer Center and The ConnellyFoundation. �

6 Today

A World Without

A Student’s Expanding Perspectiveon International Justice and Equality

Today 7

Every Wednesday, sophomore StevenRufe steps onto internationalterritory for his internship. Dressedin suit and tie, he walks through asecurity check, and beams with

sudden importance each time he flashes hisUnited Nations badge to enter areasrestricted to the public.

The education major has taken an interestin global issues since he visited the U.N.during a conference last spring. “When Iwas chosen by the College to attend theMercy Meets the U.N. conference in May,I was so inspired that I really wanted tolearn more.”

Steven came upon the opportunity to internwith the Partnership for Global Justice, anon-governmental organization (NGO) thatserves under committees of the U.N., andcouldn’t pass it up. “I had an interest in thetopics the U.N. addresses, especiallyeducation,” he says, pointing out the U.N.’sconcern for the 121 million children who don’thave access to education in the world today.

The connection between Steven’s one-yearinternship at the U.N. and his major inspecial, elementary and early childhoodeducation is not immediately apparent.“There are so many career opportunitiesthat I’d love to explore, but wherever I endup, I will always be a teacher,” Steven says.“The main purpose of coming here is tolearn so that I can teach.” He also admitsthat he has a really hard time saying “no” tonew experiences, which is a characteristicthat lands him these once-in-a-lifetimeopportunities.

Steven’s commute is an experience in itself,especially for him, since he had never takenpublic transportation before the fallsemester. Upon arriving at Penn Station inManhattan, he quickly strides to thesubway among a flurry of people going inevery direction during their morningcommute. He takes the subway, then theshuttle to Grand Central, then walks severalblocks before taking the elevator to theseventh-floor office.

The Partnership for Global Justice has twostaff members. Sister Lucianne Siers, OP,the executive director, began her work withthe Partnership in 2001, when her officewas merely her briefcase. Eventually, thePartnership found office space, and SylviaPicard Schmitt joined Sister Lucianne asprogram director. Together, they exudesuch dedication to their work that themagnetism of it draws you to understandand support their cause.

Both religious and lay organizations rely onthe Partnership to be their eyes and ears atthe U.N. NGOs represent civil society byraising questions and issues for ourconstituents, Sister Lucianne says. “We arethe voice of the most vulnerable.”

The Partnership works in collaborationwith as many groups as possible fordifferent causes, all promoting justice,sustainability, smarter economic processesand equity. Currently, they are raisingconcern about a violence issue inGuatemala to different governments, inhopes that they can find and agree on asolution.

“The U.N. is an epicenterfor looking at theworld in a peacefulway,” SisterLucianneexplains.

So far, thisinternship hasreally openedSteven’s eyes.Although he hasimmersed himselfin service activitiesat the College, hewasn’t exposed tosocietal needs past thelocal level. Until this point, hehas been mostly involvedwith justice concerns oncampus and in thesurrounding Philadelphiaarea, especially as aScholar in Service forGMC’s Mercy Works.Now, Steven understandsthe U.N.’s MillenniumDevelopment Goals andtheir correlation with theCritical Concerns of theSisters of Mercy, and hascome to see the bigger picture.

“People look at the world througha U.S. lens, but when they opentheir vision, they see it really doesmatter what’s happening on the otherside of the world,” Sylvia says.

Steven has also become aware of thedifferences in collaborative efforts at theU.N. “At school, we serve local non-profits,but don’t always see the end result orimpact. Although service can be verygratifying, it can often feel one-sided,” heexplains. “But this is a partnership, wherepeople work together for a common good.”

While at the U.N., Steven attends sessions,conferences and orientations, contributes tomonthly reports, and helps with otheroffice duties. He set up a Facebook page forthe Partnership and joined Goodsearch.com,which is a charitable search engine thatcontributes a small amount of money tonon-profit organizations. He also sat in onthe committee on funding for developmentand heard Secretary of State Hillary Clintonspeak in October, when she came to the U.N.to talk about children and women’s rights.

He recalls his greatest challenge thus far,which was to give a tour of Wall Street to

a group of about 30 people whohad attended a global

economics workshop.“Ididn’t even know how

to get to WallStreet,” helaughs, “letalone give atour of it!” Asalways, Steven

“The Partnership for Global Justice provides

educational programming to promote global

citizenship and global spirituality, both at UN

Headquarters in New York and reaching out to

the world community,” according to its Web

site. Learn more about the Partnership at

www.partnershipforglobaljustice.com.

Left: Sophomore Steven Rufe with the United Nationsflag and emblem.

Above: Sister Lucianne Siers, OP, Sylvia Picard Schmittand Steven Rufe in the Partnership for Global Justice’soffice.

8 Today

had a positive attitude about theexperience, knowing he’d learn from it. Heresearched Wall Street and maps of NewYork City to prepare. The tourists didn’trealize Steven’s expertise, or lack thereof,until he admitted at the conclusion of thetour that he himself had just learnedeverything he taught the group.

Another challenge he continually faces isthe many acronyms used in U.N. lingo,which warrants an entire reference bookfor deciphering the letters.

“You never know what to expect here,”Steven says after sitting in on a Decembersession, where kids presented about childrights using artistic elements like song,dance and poetry. Initially, the meetingroom emanated authority, with fivecommittee members sitting at an elevatedtable facing a ripple of horseshoe-shapedseating for hundreds of people. However,the student-presenters from New York Cityhigh schools and youth groups slicedthrough the intimidating atmosphere,playing instruments, doing interpretivedance up and down the aisles and capturingthe attention of everyone in the room. Theirstories of violence, abuse and how theyovercame these experiences were heard,sympathized with, and noted by the

committee members and observers. It wasas if the students created an umbrella underwhich anyone and everyone in the room feltconnected.

It comes as no surprise that Steven’sexperience at the U.N., with thePartnership for Global Justice, hassolidified what he wants to do with his life.“I can do international things in small-townGwynedd Valley,” he says, “especially byteaching my future students how to seethings through the global lens.” �

For the first time, Steven Rufe sees the U.N.’s GeneralAssembly Hall, in which representatives from 192member nations convene.

Today 9

Changing studentnight life

Recently, students have had more optionsfor activities on Thursday, Friday andSaturday nights. “GMC Late Night” offersstudents on-campus programs everyweekend from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Events includemovie nights, intuitive entertainment,dances, comedians, bingo, coffeehouses,Rock Band® competitions, and sportingkick-off parties.

The space previously known as WaldronLittle Theater was refurbished to provide arelaxed environment for the activities. There,students have access to HD flat screentelevisions, a Blu-ray Disc™ player, surroundsound andWii™ videogame consoles. A contestwas held to name the new student hot spot,which became the “Late Night Lounge.”

Former Board of Trustees member JerryHoltz funded the project. His enthusiasmabout it stemmed from attending VillanovaUniversity, where a student center acted asthe hub of all student activities. “I wondered,‘Where did people go before this was built?’”Holtz says of VU’s building. “The LateNight Lounge at Gwynedd-Mercy Collegecould be the genesis for a transformation ofthe Waldron Center to be a similar hub ofactivities, exclusively for students.”

The idea originated from a programmingtask force. “We researched differentinstitutions and discovered that the biggestprogramming piece we were missing was alate night, weekend program,” says MarissaTurchi, former assistant director of studentactivities. Thus, GMC Late Night wasdeveloped by the Student ActivitiesCommittee (SAC) with the intention ofcreating consistent programming for students.

Several students were major contributors tothe project, including junior Chase Hall,who served on the programming task force.He thinks that the program stirs up an evengreater sense of community at the College.It gives other campus organizations theopportunity to sponsor programs, he says,creating the sense that everyone can beinvolved. Senior Kelly Day, president ofSAC, propelled the programming and ledstudents through the naming of the new space.

“Students are beginning to expect weekendevents and we have had high attendance atmany of the late night events,” Turchi says.“The program is still developing and willtake a year or two to fully work out all thekinks and learn which programs are mostattended.” �

SAC students andJerry Holtz during the

dedication ceremony ofthe Late Night Lounge.

10 Today

Center for Lifelong LearningOpens New Doors

Due to enrollment growth, Gwynedd-Mercy College’s Center for

Lifelong Learning (CLL) moved its Fort Washington location to a

larger, upgraded facility in January. The official blessing and

dedication of the Plymouth Meeting Campus in East Norriton

occurred on February 9.

“Enrollment is up 60 percent from the past year because adults

feel a greater sense of job security after earning a higher degree,”

Dean Mohamed Latib, PhD, says.

CLL caters to working adults, offering associate, bachelor’s and

master’s degrees, as well as certifications. Classes are accelerated

to recognize the work experience and maturity of working adults,

allowing students to graduate in about two years.

Programs offered at CLL Plymouth Meeting are: Associate of

Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in

Business Administration with options of focus in Health

Administration or Organizational Management, Master of Science

in Management, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of

Science in Reading with Reading Certification, and Master of

Science in Educational Administration with K-12 Principal

Certification.

The new location for CLL is 480 East Germantown Pike, at the

intersection of Germantown Pike and Arch Road. The Center City

Philadelphia CLL campus remains in the Public Ledger Building. �

New Dean,New School

Mohamed Latib, PhD, was welcomed last fall asprofessor and dean of the newly restructured Schoolof Business and Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL).

Computer Information Sciences was moved to the School ofArts & Sciences and CLL is now considered part of the fiveSchools at GMC.

Some of Dr. Latib’s initiatives are to expand onlineinstruction, gain accreditation from the Association ofCollegiate Business Schools and Programs, develop a MBAprogram, open a new Center for Lifelong Learning locationin Bensalem, and globalize our curriculum by conductingstudy tours for students to India, Romania and Peru.

Most recently, Dr. Latib served as vice president forProgram and Strategic Development and director of theMBA program at DeSales University. While there, hedirected and developed the Lifelong Learning Programs,Instructional Technology Department, Center forProfessional Development and Institutional Marketing, andoversaw programs on several campuses, including a highlyinnovative MBA program in Bucharest, Romania.

For more than 25 years, he taught college-level courses atinstitutions such as Universidad de Salvador in Argentina,Romanian American University in Bucharest andPhiladelphia University. Dr. Latib was an associate professorat DeSales University from 1990-2000, earning tenure.

Dr. Latib earned his Doctor of Philosophy in BusinessAdministration from the Fox School of Business andManagement at Temple University and a MBA in humanresources administration from Temple University.

Dr. Latib looks forward to connecting with alumni, andencourages regular campus visits. �

Brett Gauntlett, Jeremy Fleeger, Frank Lisk and Tom Gauntlett from Payne Printery, Inc. won best low gross foursome.

Frank C. Palopoli, amember of the GMCBoard of Trusteesobserves as RickStys lines uphis putt.

New TrusteesGwynedd-Mercy College recently appointed three new members to the Board of Trustees

Mary Flannery is thesenior vice president ofcommunications for theGreater PhiladelphiaChamber of Commerce,a position she has heldsince 2006. Among her

many tasks, Flannery is responsiblefor creating and maintaining strongties to the media, directing advertisingplacements and content, and editingthe Web site. She serves as a memberof the Executive Team that reports tothe CEO.

Flannery is a veteran in the Philadelphiamedia market, previously working forThe Philadelphia Inquirer, PhiladelphiaDaily News and NBC Sports.

She is an alumna of Gwynedd MercyAcademy High School, and went onto earn her Bachelor of Science inForeign Service from GeorgetownUniversity.

Jerry Maginnis is theoffice managing partnerfor the Philadelphiaoffice of KPMG, LLP, aworldwide companyoffering audit, tax andadvisory services. In his

role, Maginnis coordinates KPMG’scommunity involvement activities andadvocates the firm’s diversityinitiatives in Philadelphia. He has 30years of public accountingexperience, is a member of both theAICPA and PICPA and is a certifiedpublic accountant in Pennsylvania.

Maginnis graduated from SaintJoseph’s University with a bachelor’sdegree in accounting.

Joseph Palmer has 35years of experience thatspans the public, privateand non-profit service andmanufacturing sectors.Since 1990, he has servedas president of the

ASH-STE Company, a consulting firmfounded by Palmer, with emphasis oneducation and training, businessplanning, product development,marketing, mergers and acquisitions,and franchise development.

He served on the Board of Trusteesof Montgomery County CommunityCollege for six years and waspresident of the Katharine GibbsSchools as part of Phillips Colleges, Inc.

Palmer earned his bachelor’s degreein materials engineering from DrexelUniversity and his Master of BusinessAdministration in MarketingManagement from Widener University.

Today 11

GOLFTournamentThe Gwynedd-Mercy College 23rd Annual Golf Tournament was held on October 12, 2009at Manufacturers’ Golf and Country Club in Fort Washington, Pa. The event raised morethan $75,000 in scholarship support for students.

This year’s tournament was sponsored by Peter Carlino, Keystone Mercy Health Plan andTurner Construction and organized by committee members Mark Craney and Jay Haenn(co-chairs), John Collins, CSsR, Regina Lowrie, Helen Nelson, Donna Smyrl and Richard Stys.

To view photos from the golf tournament visit the GMCWeb site at: gmc.edu/giving/events.php

12 Today Sports

Women’s TennisHead Coach Jim Holt once again guided histeam to an undefeated conference recordand second-straight Colonial States AthleticConference (CSAC) Team Championship,along with setting a program record with 17wins. The Griffins will play in the NCAADivision III Team Tournament this Mayand will look to cap the careers of two of themost memorable players in the program’shistory. Seniors Davida Phillips and ErinFallon combined to win nearly 200 matchesin their four-year career and were namedall-conference in each season at both singlesand doubles. Freshman Chelsea Jones wasnamed the CSAC Rookie of the Year andjoined Phillips and Fallon in garneringall-conference awards. JuniorsHeatherMorganand Chelsea Donde, along with sophomoreJessica Scarpello and freshman Cori Wessnerwere also named all-league champions.

Men’sCross CountryThe men’s cross country team won itssecond-consecutive conference title at theCSAC Championships while senior R.J.Every became the second individualchampion in College history. The teamqualified for the NCAA Mid-East Regionalsand had their best showing ever, finishing12 out of 36 schools. Every was one ofseven athletes named all-conference. SeniorDan Geary, junior John Watts, sophomoresBrendan Sharp, Matt VanDenHengel, MarkZiegler, and freshman Joey Embleton allfinished in the top 14 of the conferencechampionship to earn all-league status.

Women’sCross CountrySenior Alycia Tranchitella won her secondCSAC Championship to help lead thewomen’s cross country team to its first-everteam title. Joining her on the all-conferenceteam were sophomores Katherine Klinges,Regina Sellman and Erica Matticola.Tranchitella and Klinges were then namedall-region as they placed within the top 35runners at the NCAA Mid-East Regional.Tranchitella also earned an award for herwork in the classroom, as she was selectedthe 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer All-AreaAcademic Women’s Cross CountryPerformer of the Year.

Today 13

Men’s SoccerThe men’s soccer team saw its share offirsts in 2009. They used the new AthleticComplex this season, qualified for theconference tournament for the first time inthe program’s history and also won theirfirst-ever playoff game. A total of five playerswere named all-conference. Senior TimMumford earned a spot on the first team,while junior Matt Meier and sophomoreTom Petroski were selected for the secondteam. Senior Bob Nelms and sophomoregoalie Mike Leonard garnered spots on thehonorable mention list as the team postedan 8-10-3 overall record with trips to centralPennsylvania for an early season tournament.

Women’s SoccerWomen’s soccer also used the new AthleticComplex this season. A total of six Griffinswere chosen all-conference as the teamwent 10-10 with a 7-3 league record. Theteam enjoyed a road trip to Washington,D.C., in September for a tournament atCatholic University. Sophomore GwenConte was selected First-Team All-CSAC,along with senior Kerin Doran andsophomore Kasey Reid. Junior MariaBailey, sophomore Melissa Maguire andfreshman Meghan Howe were all honorablemention selections. Conte led the team inscoring for the second-straight season asthe forward was also chosen to the ECACSouth Region All-Star Team. The teamadvanced to the conference playoffsemifinal round before falling to eventualchampion Marywood University.

VolleyballThe 2009 season was a bit of a struggle asinjuries played a key role in the team finishing5-24 on the season. Freshman Nicole Burkewas honored by the conference as she wasnamed to the all-sportsmanship team. InSeptember, the team traveled to theVirginia Beach area to play in a two-daytournament at Virginia Wesleyan College.

FALLSEASON WRAP-UP

Field HockeyThe 2009 field hockey season heralded many team and individual highlights, includingplaying on the field of the new Athletic Complex. Sophomore Dottie O’Neil was selected asthe CSAC Player of the Year. She also earned two other honors, being named all-region bythe National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) and a regional all-star from theEastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). Early in the season, head coach Laura-AnnLane earned her 100th victory in her coaching career when the Griffins beat Cedar CrestCollege, 5-1. As a team, they posted an 11-9 and 6-2 league mark and were selected to theECAC Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Tournament, their first postseason game since 1999.

SALUTE GMC ALUMNI AND ATHLETES THROUGHTHE BRICK PROGRAM

Alumni, parents and friends – You’re invited to create a uniqueand everlasting tribute to GMC athletes and alumni at theCollege’s new outdoor Athletic Complex featuring a turf field,eight-lane track, 1,000-seat grandstand with a press box, and afield house with home and visiting locker rooms. Each engravedbrick will feature the athlete’s name, class year and sport and beset into the walkway surrounding the flagpole at the stadium.

The cost is $250 for a 4”x 8” brick.

Athletes and spectators gathering to watch women’s fieldhockey, men’s and women’s track and field, soccer andlacrosse will view the legacy of current and former GMCathletes when they enter the stadium.

To place an order for an engraved brick please call215-641-5550 or go to the Salute GMC Athletes BrickProgram link at gmc.edu/giving/annualfund.php.

�

14 Today Alumni Profiles

Ann Szalwinski ’05 andShawn O’Brien ’06 are inthe midst of planning theirdream wedding in June.“We’re looking for our first

home and can’t wait to start the nextchapter of our lives together,” O’Brien says.

They’re a couple who have a lot in common.Both love science fiction, fantasy andclassic literature. Both listen to rock andpunk. They also teach, though O’Brienteaches high school and Szalwinski workswith elementary school students.

Their love story begins much earlier thantheir days together at GMC. They weredating for nearly a year when O’Brien droveSzalwinski to her first day of classes in herjunior year. She was excited about the newsemester and it was contagious.

“He saw how much I loved it there, andonce he was on campus he found Dr. CarolBreslin and asked her how to sign up forclasses,” Szalwinski, an English major andHonors Program student, says.

“Shawn was and still is a very motivatedand competitive person so he wanted to bein the Honors Program with meimmediately, even without his transcripts orany proof that he would do well in theprogram,” she adds.

Having met all of the criteria, O’Brien wasadmitted into the Honors Program. “I’d like

to think that it was my recommendationthat got him in,” Szalwinski jokes, “but I’msure Dr. Breslin considered a lot of factors.It’s just something I get to remind him offrom time to time.”

Shortly after, O’Brien followed inSzalwinski’s footsteps and enrolled as anEnglish (secondary education) major. Thecouple took as many courses as they couldtogether, and studied and supported eachother along the way. “It was a big help,”O’Brien says.

For him, this was a chanceto start his college careerover and finally pursue hispassion for literature.When O’Brien graduatedhigh school he enrolled atPenn State, Ogontz (nowAbington) campus. Hesang and played bassguitar in a band, intriguedby the idea of pursuing acareer in the musicindustry. After onesemester he left school tofocus on his music.

Six years had passed until his first semesterat GMC in fall 2003. O’Brien knew if hewere to become an English teacher hecould share his love of reading and writingwith his students, not to mention guidethem toward good futures, he says.

“I want to challenge students to be theirbest. I want to show them what they’recapable of,” says O’Brien, who now teaches11th grade literature at PlymouthWhitemarsh High School.

“I have a unique perspective on theimportance of college, having initiallydropped out and attempting unsuccessfullyto make my way without it. I can share thelesson I learned the hard way with mystudents so that hopefully they can make a

better decision the firsttime. I got lucky. Annpushed me in the rightdirection and openeddoors in my mind,” headds. “I thought, ‘I’m notwasting any more time.’ Ineeded to catch up and Idid,” says O’Brien, whoexperienced working fulltime at a grocery storebefore enrolling at GMC.

Though not an educationmajor herself, Szalwinskiknew that she, too,eventually wanted toteach. “I chose to be an

English major mainly because I had alwaysloved literature and writing and, yes, I’lladmit it, good grammar,” she explains.

Her plan was to earn a master’s degreeafter graduation so she enrolled in ArcadiaUniversity’s graduate English program.

Livingin SyncAn alumnilove story

Today 15

While there, she posted her résumé onGMC’s College Central Web site in hopes offinding her first job. The plan worked andshe was contacted through the site for aposition at Germantown Academy in FortWashington. Shortly after receiving herdegree in 2007, Szalwinski became anafter-school tutor for the Academy’s SPARK“Homework Help” program.

“Working with other teachers, I get tomanage a class of about 30 students afterschool every day, helping them with anyacademic questions they may have. It’s afantastic learning opportunity for mebecause I get to see what teaching full timewould be like and I’m given the chance tointeract with children from so manydifferent grades,” explains Szalwinski, whoteaches students grades first through fifth.

Szalwinski also fills in for other positions atthe school, working at the child care center(with children 6 weeks to 4 years old),bookstore and summer programs.

“I couldn’t ask for a better place to start mylife in the working world because I get ataste of what it would be like to have acareer in so many different jobs,” she says.

Keeping up with Szalwinski, O’Brien laterenrolled in Arcadia University’s graduateEnglish program and added something elseto his already hectic schedule. “It’s excitingand exhilarating. I enjoy being busy whenwhat I’m doing is inspiring. The juggling isworth it because I’ve found that one thingenriches another,” says O’Brien, who plansto graduate in 2011.

One thing that continues to play a majorrole in his life is his music. “For me, it’s aform of expression and a creative outlet,”explains O’Brien, who sings, plays bass,guitar, piano and trumpet.

He’s played in a few bands over the last 12years and music is actually how he and

Szalwinski first met. In2002, O’Brien wasplaying in a band calledJealousy Faction.Szalwinski explains,“My friend wasengaged to his friendso meeting wasinevitable. Iattended a concertthat he and hisfriend put on andwe just keptmeeting until hecalled and askedme to go tocoffee with him.”

Last June, O’Brien’s current band, TheKiera Plan, released their first album titled“Dedication.” He provides lead vocals,guitar, bass, keys and trumpet on thetracks, along with writing all original lyricsand music. Even Szalwinski got in on themix and provided back-up vocals on thetrack, “Cross My Heart.”

O’Brien is looking forward to moreopportunities with the band (in 2009 theyperformed live on 104.5 FM and at the VansWarped Tour ’09 in Camden) andcontinuing to teach and take Englishcourses. Szalwinski hopes to work on herdoctorate soon so she can one day becomea college professor. “But I have to giveShawn a chance to catch up with me!” �

Above: Shawn and Ann take time to pose withDr. Carol Breslin at Shawn’s graduation.

Opposite page: Shawn performing with The Kiera Planat the Vans Warped Tour, July 2009.

16 Today

Every year, hundreds of volunteerswork with Global Health Ministry(GHM) to provide primary care

services and health education to LatinAmerican and Caribbean natives with littleor no access to health care. Mission trips toremote villages and distressed urban areasin Peru, Guatemala, Haiti and Jamaicainsure health care development in theseareas. GHM Executive Director SisterMary Jo McGinley, RSM, ’72, who hastraveled to these locations several times,understands the meaningful impact a triplike this can have on a volunteer’s life.

“Volunteers always say they get so muchmore out of the experience than they putinto it. Everybody says it’s the best thingthey’ve ever done, a truly life changingexperience, and that they have becomebetter global citizens. It also gives the

volunteers confidence in themselvesbecause they depend on basic personalskills,” she says.

Missions last 10 days to two weeks andvolunteers are selected through aninterview process and mutual agreementbetween Sister Mary Jo and the applicant.Before their trip, volunteers are expected togather supplies from health care facilitiesand buy additional supplies, if need be.Over-the-counter multivitamins and painrelievers are essential, as well as parasitemedication purchased on arrival.

Orientations occur before and during thetrip so that volunteers fully understandtheir responsibilities. A retreat after themission completes their experience andprovides a way for volunteers to processwhat they’ve learned, Sister Mary Jo says.

GHM volunteers include physicians andnurses, in addition to pharmacy clerks,supply coordinators and Spanish translators.Nearly anyone who wants to participatewith GHM can volunteer, and they’ve hadeveryone from lawyers and CEOs to nunslend a helping hand.

“Volunteers usually are people who have beenhelped and want to give back in the spirit ofgenerosity. They want to use their skills tohelp others,” she explains. “We look foropen-minded, energetic, good team players.”

Right: Last November, Sister Mary Jo McGinley, RSM,’72, executive director of Global Health Ministry, and agroup of volunteers traveled to Chulucanas, Peru,where they presented Jamito, a 13-year-old boy withmuscular dystrophy, with a new wheelchair. Jamitowas suffering from pressure sores caused by hisprevious wheelchair, which he had used for 10 years.

Alumni volunteer in impoverished countries

Today 17

July 2009, PeruSean McMahon, RN ’93/’97/’00Trekking the mountains of northernPeru, Sean McMahon and his teamof 30 GHM volunteers searched fornatives in need of medical care.

McMahon, a home health nursefor Mercy Health System ofPhiladelphia, traveled last July through theChulucanas village and its surroundingmountains to treat more than 3,000 patientsin 10 days. As part of the GHM mountainteam, McMahon went to the far reaches ofthe most remote villages to care for thevillagers, many of whom have neverreceived medical care.

Though he is a trained wound care nurse,McMahon picked up the roles ofpharmacist, triage nurse and team leaderduring the trip to meet the vast needs of thePeruvian people. “Along with basic care,many needed treatment for malnutrition,parasites and even depression,” he says.

Accompanying him on his seventh GHMmission was his daughter, Bridget, and hisnephew, Rich. Bridget, a nursing student,assisted with various health care dutieswhile Rich served as a Spanish translator.They both learned a lot in their differentroles and had a great first experience inmissionary work, McMahon says.

His sister, Sister Kati McMahon, RSM ’71,introduced him to GHM, knowing that hewould enjoy the opportunity to travelaround the world to help people in need. “Ihad always wanted to volunteer in thePeace Corps when I retired. Then I realizedhow physically demanding that would beand decided to do something now,” explainsMcMahon, who, prior to becoming aregistered nurse, was an Army medic andthen had a long career in constructionmanagement.

“I like taking care of people; I’m good at it,”McMahon adds, who plans on traveling toJamaica on his next mission.

Top: Sean McMahon, RN ’93/’97/’00 treated patients of all ages, including this Peruvian toddler.

Bottom: Peruvian volunteers look on as Sean and his daughter, Bridget, pose next to a tree they planted at themission’s opening ceremony at the Pastoral Center clinic.

18 Today

Heat was a visiblesmoky haze over thecity of Port-au-Princein Haiti when SisterKaren Scheer,

RSM, MD, and 14 otherGHM volunteers stepped off the plane.

Haiti, the second largest island in theCaribbean, is known for suffering its shareof poverty, destructive natural disasters andlack of medical resources. But it’s alsoknown for the inspiring resilience of itspeople, determined to overcome the manyobstacles they face every day, Dr. Scheerlearned on her trip to the island last October.

Her team (which consisted of nurses,health administrators, respiratorytherapists, nurse practitioners and aneurosurgeon) brought 1,500 pounds ofmedicine, medical supplies and equipmentto treat the Haitians’ abundant medicalissues. They arrived at the airport inPort-au-Prince, then took a seven-hour busride to their base camp in Gros Morne.

The group traveled on unpaved dirt roadsrutted by heavy rains, passing the manyHaitians who travel by foot carrying heavyloads of food and water atop theirhead.“Hurricanes and punishing tropicalstorms over the years have wreaked havocon the road system, reducing it to dirt rutsand fallen rocks,” Dr. Scheer explains.

Gros Morne is home to approximately 25,000people and a hospital that has to provideservices to 125,000 people. Dr. Scheer’s teamsaw more than 800 Haitians dealing withailments mainly brought on by poverty andenvironment – hypertension, diabetes, malaria,dysentery, HIV, and back and neck painfrom hernias due to daily hard manual labor.

Malaria runs rampant because many Haitiansdo not have mosquito nets. Dysentery occurs

because they’re regularly drinkingunpurified water from the rivers, neverboiling the water because fuel to heat thewater is too expensive, Dr. Scheer explains.

“The level of poverty was unlike anything Ihave ever seen. The lack of access to cleanwater, passable roads, sewage and sanitationsystems, and health care defies description.”

Every child Dr. Scheer saw complained of

October 2009, Haiti, Sister Karen Scheer, RSM, MD ’88

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Opposite page, top: Sister Karen Scheer, RSM, MD ’88(second from right), and her fellow volunteers on theirway to the clinic.

Opposite page, bottom: Dr. Scheer treating one of hermany female patients in need of medical care (and alistening ear).

decreased appetite, weight loss, and abloated and painful belly, classic signs ofparasites. Many children also suffered fromsevere malnutrition, displaying the painfuleffects with their bloated bellies and faces,low weight and bleeding gums, she says.

For four days, Dr. Scheer and her team sawpatients at a Catholic church dispensaryabout an hour from their base camp. Theytraveled to the clinic on the back of aflatbed truck with bags of medicine andsupplies. Upon arrival, they made their waythrough the crowds of people that werelined up since dawn to see them. SomeHaitians would walk three to four hoursfrom their homes in the surroundingmountains to get there, she says.

Community leaders established a $1 fee foreach person’s clinical visit, a sign of theHaitians’ appreciative nature. “The Haitianpeople are proud and want to pay for theservice – not wanting to display a sense ofentitlement when assistance comes fromabroad,” Dr. Scheer explains. The money isput into a fund and later used for emergencymedical help for members of the community.

The team’s final day was spent visiting an areacalled Irish Village, where student volunteersfrom Ireland come every year to buildhomes for the poorest families in the region.

Dr. Scheer’s biggest impact, she hopes, washer overall presence with the people. As aSister of Mercy, she professed a vow toserve the poor, sick and uneducated,especially poor women and children. Notonly did she treat their medical issues, butshe strove to empower the many strongwomen and men she encountered and shewill never forget the “incredible resiliencyof the Haitian people, the beauty of themountains and the land.” �

In response to January’s devastating earthquake,GMC has set up the Haiti Relief Fund. If you’dlike to make a donation to the Fund, sendchecks payable to Gwynedd-Mercy Collegeand include “Haiti Relief Fund” in the memo.Checks should be sent to the attention ofCampus Ministry. For more information, visitgmc.edu/students/campusministry/HaitiRelief.

An alumnus’ journey in the right direction

When the weather is nice you can catch John Curry ’07 riding his Triumphmotorcycle around the back roads of New Hope, taking in the scenery with his“crew.” They all have different day jobs (teacher, printer, computerprogrammer, avionics technician), but when they're out on the open roadthey're just The Captain, Mickey Bones, Germany and D-Baby.

Curry, 42, is the teacher, or, as he likes to call it, “presenter of information.” Tohim, learning is a personal journey, and students must put forth the effort anddedication to responsibly educate themselves. He says that he facilitates thelearning process by inspiring students to care about education through hislessons. Teaching literature and grammar at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Currygets to do what he loves best – teaching others so that they can do great things.

In 1987, Curry dropped out of Temple University. He was a sophomore politicalscience major with dreams of becoming a lawyer. But too much of a social lifeand not enough focus left him feeling uninspired and ready for a break. He wasyoung and not completely convinced that he would be happy pursuing a careerin law where defending the guilty would be required. So Curry began workingin retail management and was eventually employed by CVS, where he managedstores and trained new employees. He married his wife, Jill, in 1990, and theywent on to have three children: Marshall, 13, Celia, 10 and Grace, 9.

Typical work weeks for Curry were 60 hours or more, and the exhaustingschedule left him restless and ready for the career change he knew he needed.His desire to “do more” led him to take the plunge into the life of an adultstudent. Jill, a registered nurse, went from working part time to full time, and

John Curry ’07 aka “The Captain” (left) and his “boys” on a ride through Bucks County.

20 Today

Curry made the commitment to go back tocollege and earn a degree; this time insomething that really interested him.

In 2002, he took his first class atMontgomery County Community Collegeand began the gradual transition intobalancing the roles of student, dad andhusband. Though he wasn’t quite sure whathis major would be, he knew one aspect ofhis position in the retail world that heenjoyed so much was training employees.

Being a student this time around wascertainly a different experience, Currysays, first being an adult, and second havingto learn and utilize today’s technology.Using a computer for PowerPoint®presentations as well as for research andwriting papers did take getting used to, buthe knew that if he wanted to re-enter theworkforce in a new career he would have tobe as tech-savvy as possible.

Two years later, Curry graduated from thecommunity college summa cum laude.Accepting a scholarship at Gwynedd-MercyCollege, he continued his education as asecondary education major and HonorsProgram student. “The Honors Programwas the best part of being a student atGwynedd-Mercy College,” Curry says. Itallowed him to further develop his solidacademic writing abilities and explorecreative writing as an academic disciplinefor the first time.

As a writing, philosophy and English tutorin the Academic Resource Center, Curryhad the chance to hone his teaching skillsand gain confidence in the teaching role.“As a tutor I was not an editor. Studentsdon’t learn from that. I talked with themabout how their paper could improve andhelped them to realize how to go aboutrevising,” he says. Teaching English in theUpward Bound program, as well ascontributing articles to the College’sliterary journal and student newspaper, TheGriffin and The Gwynmercian, also providedCurry with valuable teaching and writingexperiences.

Curry couldn’t wait to get first-handexperience in the classroom, so hecontacted his son’s teacher (he was in firstgrade at the time) and asked if he couldobserve their classroom. She agreed and

he soaked up the experience. “Watchingyoung children apply new ideas andconcepts which they had just learned, andthe sense of confidence and satisfaction itgave them, was inspirational to me,” hesays. His decision to become a teacher wassolidified.

Towards the end of his college career,Curry needed to decide where he wouldstudent-teach. He chose his wife’s almamater, Mount Saint Joseph Academy inFlourtown, for his practicum. Submitting arequest letter to Sister Pat Mensing, SSJ,then English department chair, he wasaccepted by the Catholic, all-girls, collegepreparatory high school.

His experiences at the Mount wereprofound under Sister Pat’s mentorship. Itwas then that Curry decided that he wantedto teach in the private sector. Aftercompleting his practicum, he began studentteaching at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High

School and gained experience teaching avariety of sophomore and senior literatureclasses.

Upon graduating, the Mount offered Currya long-term substitute position, and thefollowing year there was an opening for afull-time ninth and 10th grade teachingposition. For many of the students this wasthe first time they had ever had a maleteacher, and he made a point (as a father oftwo daughters) to make them feelcomfortable.

“Some girls were quiet around me becausethey had never had a male teacher before,but they soon realized that there was nodifference and that they would have to getused to male professors after high school,”he says.

Today, he teaches American and classicalliterature, grammar and writing. Histeaching style consists of weaving history,

A family vacation at the Grand Canyon last summer. Left to right: John, Marshall, Grace, Celia and Jill.

Today 21

philosophy, religion and contemporaryissues into his lessons to show his studentsthe interrelationship among these topics aspresented through literature.

“Literature is the human experience. Youhave to draw out the relevance in literature,or else it’s a waste of educational time,” heexplains. Curry uses a differentiatedapproach to his lessons, believing that thelearning process is unique to each student.He also teaches his students theimportance of being good communicatorsboth verbally and in their writing.

“These girls are motivated, focused, highachievers. They are philanthropic andservice-oriented young ladies who trulybelieve in helping their neighbors both athome and abroad,” Curry says of hisstudents.

Curry not only teaches, but he alsopartakes in the numerous activities theMount has throughout the year andappreciates the close-knit group of faculty,students and parents, he says.

Now in his third year at the Mount, Curryis formulating his teaching philosophy andunderstanding the impact he has in theclassroom. “Teachers learn from studentsjust as much as students learn from them.I’ve learned that teaching is definitely atwo-way street.”

The lifestyle of a teacher now allows moretime for his other interests, he says.Summers are spent running “Camp Curry,”managing his hectic household of kids andtheir friends. He has time to take morefamily vacations to the Jersey Shore, travelthrough the southwestern United States,and camp and fish in national parks. Currycan also catch up on reading his favoritecontemporary fiction and beat poetry, oftentimes sending books to his youngerbrother, David, who is currently serving inthe Air Force Reserve overseas. And, ofcourse, he always makes sure that there’stime to hit the road. �

Mr. Curry in the classroom, Mount Saint Joseph Academy.

“Teachers learn fromstudents just as muchas students learn fromthem. I’ve learned thatteaching is definitely a

two-way street.”

22 Today

THE EARLY YEARS: MARIAM AND AHMEDMariam Chakalyil was just 19 years oldwhen she made the move from Kerala,India, to Saudi Arabia’s Arabian AmericanOil Company (ARAMCO) in search of agood-paying job. She had just finishednursing school and was looking forward toa promising future in the Middle East inorder to send money home to her family.

It was the early 60s and Ahmed Alabdullawas a young file clerk in ARAMCO’soffices. He spotted the beautiful new nursewhile making his rounds with the officemail. A crush immediately formed and soonAhmed would come by several times a dayto ask Mariam for cups of cold water fromher refrigerator (a rarity in sweltering SaudiArabia). Their friendship blossomed andone day he asked Mariam to visit his hometo minister to his 11 siblings and mother.His family was poor and very appreciativeof the care she provided. After her visit,Ahmed’s family declared her a “doktoora,”meaning “doctor” in Arabic and an admirationfor Mariam granted her their approval.

The couple married in 1966 and had theirfirst daughter, Samar, threeyears later. They had ason, Hatem, the followingyear, and then a daughter,Haifa, a year later. Theystruggled to get by. Mariamcontinued to work as a nursewhile Ahmed, who had anelementary school education,worked a few jobs beforetraining to become afirefighter in ARAMCO’s oilfields.

Mariam was a devout Christian at an earlyage. Her unfaltering faith in God and herdaily prayers sustained her and sheardently believed her prayers wereanswered in her dreams. One night, shehad a very telling dream, Haifa recalls,where she saw a bald eagle take flight off acliff. Unaware that the eagle was anAmerican symbol, Mariam interpreted thedream to mean that she and her familyneeded to soar and fly away to make achange. Strengthened by her faith, thefamily took a risk. They sold their home,gathered all their money and moved toAmerica in 1977.

THE AMERICAN YEARS: PART IThe Alabdullas arrived in New York Cityand made their way to Philadelphia, whereMariam had some friends and family. Theymoved into an apartment and slowlyadjusted to American life. It was yet anotherchallenging time in Mariam and Ahmed’smarriage. Surrounded by absolute freedomfor the first time in his life, Ahmedstruggled to control his impulses and spentmany nights carousing

with other Arab men, buying expensivedinners. The money the family had savedfor their trip to America was dwindling.Haifa remembers many nights her motherprepared dinners of hamburger meat,because it was all they could afford.

Mariam again relied on her faith andprayers to seek guidance on how the familywas to prosper in their new life in America.She had a dream in which she saw herhusband return to Saudi Arabia to meet aman from Saudi royalty on her birthday,June 25. Unbeknownst to her, this wasduring the three-day Eid celebration afterthe fasting month of Ramadan, when thePrince of the Eastern Province in SaudiArabia opens his doors to the community,listens to their requests and assists. Ahmedhad passed his GED and was attendingsummer courses at a community collegewhen he dropped out to make this importanttrip back home. “My father believed in ourmother and her faith. He believed in herconnection to God,” Haifa says.

Mariam’s vision came true when shereceived a long-distance phone call onher birthday from Ahmed with goodnews. The Prince had grantedcollege scholarships for himself andMariam. It was uncommon at thetime for women to be grantedscholarships, but because Mariamalready held a nursing degree itwas deemed permissible.

The family eventually settled inMontgomeryville, Pa., and,

A Family Affair

Left: (clockwise from top) Ahmed, Hatem,Samar, Mariam, Hayat and Haifa.

If you were a student in the early 90s you may remember Haifa and Samar Alabdulla ’95. Or, you mayremember their husbands, Joe (Florkowski) Tyler ’95 and Tom Froman ’95. If you were a student a decadeearlier you may remember their mother, Mariam Chakalyil ’85. All attended Gwynedd-Mercy College fortheir own reasons and came together to form a memorable family story uniquely their own.

Today 23

financed with their scholarships and livingstipend, Mariam and Ahmed were able toattend college and provide for theirchildren for the next eight years. Mariamenrolled at GMC for health administration.While there, she met Sister Helen Cahill,RSM, the international student advisor.Sister Helen became a meaningful friend tothe family, a friendship that would provecrucial later on.

Ahmed attended community college, thengraduated from Spring Garden College witha degree in mechanical engineering. In fall1981, the family welcomed a new additionwhen Mariam gave birth to a daughter shenamed Hayat, which means “life” in Arabic.Samar, Hatem and Haifa adjusted to goingto American public schools then private,notably Gwynedd-Mercy AcademyElementary School, before they had to makeanother major move a few short years away.

BACK TO THE MIDDLE EASTBecause Mariam and Ahmed receivedsupport from Saudi Arabia, they wereobligated to return upon completing theirdegrees. When the family returned in 1985,there were many unexpected changes.

To ensure that their children received anAmerican-based education for a smoothertransition, Ahmed and Mariam made theheartbreaking decision to move their threeeldest children into their own apartment toattend the Universal American School ofKuwait, six hours away from home. “Ourmother did it because she knew that shecould trust us to go to school and do whatwe were supposed to do,” Haifa says of hermother’s difficult decision.

An uncle who lived nearby was supposed tocheck in on them and buy groceries, but he

had a family of his own and soon provedunreliable. As young teenagers, Samar,Hatem and Haifa did their best to adapt tothe Arab customs and lifestyle, despitefeeling very American. “All three of us feltalone in our own way. All of us felt isolatedin Kuwait and with each other,” Samar says.“We still needed our parents. We neededtheir guidance,” Haifa adds.

Their parents could onlymanage to visit once amonth, but each visitshowed how self-relianttheir children hadbecome. “We made a lifeour mother could beproud of,” Haifa says. Thisarrangement went on fortwo years until Mariamfound the InternationalSchool of Bahrain, just ashort car ride from SaudiArabia over a newly builtcauseway.

Samar, Hatem and Haifathen graduated fromhigh school. Samarwent on to attend the

University of Bahrain, Hatem went towork at ARAMCO and Haifa dreamtabout returning to the United States assoon as possible. “I loved everythingabout America. I thought, ‘I can’t live inthe Middle East. I need to live inAmerica,” says Haifa, who describedfeeling like an American trapped in anArab-Indian body.

Samar graduated with an associatedegree in medical technology andwent on to work in a diagnostic lab atARAMCO. “When Samar wasworking in ARAMCO, it was a startand it utilized her medicalbackground,” Haifa says. Unwillingto settle into a life in the MiddleEast, Haifa yearned to attend anAmerican college. “I did everything Icould in high school to pave the way for meto go to an American college. What I didn’tconsider is that my father wouldn’t let me.”She tried to make the best of her situationby attending the University of Bahrain forone semester, but she could not get a graspon her classes and dropped out. Heroptions were to return to school, getmarried or move in with her parents. Shechose the latter and stayed home for a year.Mariam prayed for her daughters to findtheir way.

Ahmed, who was open-minded while livingin the United States, reverted to a moreconservative mentality so his childrencould be reminded of their Saudi Arabianheritage. “He went through histransformation and he couldn’t bear to havehis children return to an American life,”says Haifa of her traditional, restrictive Arabfather. He pursued Saudi Arabian universitiesfor his daughters so they could take on thetypical role of a Middle Eastern woman.

Then, in August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.Relatives fled as fast as they could and noone was ready, Haifa remembers. “Kuwaitwas not prepared. There were incidences ofwomen being raped, men tortured. This iswhen my mother reached out to SisterHelen,” she says. Mariam told Sister Helenthat she needed to get Haifa and Samar outof Saudi Arabia as quickly as possible andsoon plans were in motion to have the girlsenroll in GMC the following semester. Inlate 1990, Sister Helen sent acceptanceletters and I-20 visas. Now, the next stepwas convincing Ahmed to let his daughtersgo abroad.

THE AMERICAN YEARS: PART IIAllowing Haifa and Samar to leave forAmerica was difficult for Ahmed, who wasworking long hours overseeing ARAMCO’soil plants. He finally agreed to let hisdaughters attend the college under theassumption that his daughters wouldeventually return home.

Haifa and Samar arrived in January 1991,two weeks before their spring semester.

Top, left: On their way to America, 1977.Above: Haifa and Joe in her dorm room.

24 Today

Mariam Hatem and Hayat moved them intothe dorms and said their goodbyes. Theyreturned to Saudi Arabia the day the GulfWar began. “We were listening in the dorm[to the radio] and we just cried because weknew the sacrifice that our family had madefor us,” Haifa says. A candlelight vigil forthe war was later held in the dorm and thisproved a touching way to begin Haifa andSamar’s experience atthe college whichwas so special fortheir mother thedecade before.

With a sharedinterest in scienceand research, thesisters majored inmedical technologyas a stepping stoneinto the medicalfield. Theyscheduled thesemester’s classestogether andfocused on makingthe most of their opportunity.

In the first class of their first semester Haifamet Joe. Back then, there were very fewmale students, she recalls, and Joe stoodout with his spiky hair and American goodlooks. “Day one, Introduction to Statistics,there was Haifa. It was love at firstsight…for her,” Joe jokingly recalls.

A few months into the semester, a localpaper ran a story about the sisters’ journeyfrom the Middle East to America and thewar conditions in which their family wasliving. Joe read the article and it struck himthat they could be vulnerable to anyAmerican against the war who could seekthem out on campus and cause harm.

“The Gulf War had started in January 1991and a local newspaper put out a story onHaifa and Samar and how they werestudying at Gwynedd-Mercy College withfamily back home. It had their picture andtold everyone they were living in thedorms, which at that time there was onlyone dorm. I didn’t think that was smart andalmost negligent of the paper. You neverknow whether there may be those lesssympathetic to the war and might have agrudge against Arab countries. So, fromthat time on, I basically appointed myself as

their protector, whether they liked it or not.I didn’t want these girls harmed or takenadvantage of in any way,” Joe says.

Haifa and Joe began dating and he wasdedicated to being there for her and hersister with anything they needed. He woulddrive them places, bring food to the dormwhen Haifa and

Samar lived there over holidaybreaks, and offer his family’s phone to calltheir family in Saudi Arabia. They alsoscheduled all of their medical technologyclasses and study sessions together.Around the same time Samar met Joe’slong-time friend, Tom, a math andsecondary education major. Samar neverimagined that she would date an Americanwhen she began college, but theirfriendship soon began to grow.

By senior year, Joe proposed to Haifa. Heunderstood that marrying Haifa meant that

he would have to honor the strong bondshe had to her family and in doing so hewanted to reach out to her father in SaudiArabia. So he wrote him a letter explaininghow he intended to care for Haifa and giveher a good life in America. The gesture wasfutile because Ahmed could not bear theidea of one of his daughters marrying anAmerican. In one of their last phoneconversations, Haifa’s father told her thathe was not interested in ever meeting Joeand she would be disowned if she chose sucha life. The couple married in October 1995.Samar and Tom married in the same year.

BEYOND GRADUATIONMeanwhile, Mariam was faced with adifficult decision. Ahmed wanted a divorceand went to the Islamic Courts. For the firsttime in her life, Mariam did not knowwhere she would go and what she would doto support both herself and her youngestdaughter, Hayat. Haifa and Joe had recentlybought a house in Vero Beach, Fla., andoffered to have Mariam and Hayat live withthem.

The move from Saudi Arabia to Florida wastough for them. Hayat, 18, was a senior inhigh school and had to quickly adjust to awestern curriculum while being a teenagerin a foreign country. Mariam, who had dealtwith Type II diabetes since her pregnancywith Hayat, had to rely on her children totake care of her in what would be her finalyears of life.

“Caring for her mother was just anotherchallenge,” Joe says. “We were very youngand I think we did the best we could at the

Top: Haifa, Hatem, Samar and Hayat.Right: (back) Tom (holding son, David), Samar and Lucas.(front) Haifa (holding daughter, Genevieve) and Joe(holding son, Henry).

1968Fernande K. Davis, ofGwynedd Valley, Pa., was aguest speaker to GrayslakeNorth High School socialstudies students last fall, inGrayslake, Ill. She spoke about herexperience living in Belgium during theGerman occupation in WWII.

Sandra Erschen Hopkins, of Walnutport,Pa., ran for Lehigh County supervisor inlast fall’s election. She previously served onthe NLEA (as president) and the PALeadership Committee.

1973Patricia (Dwyer) Dura, of Norristown, Pa.,retired last spring from her position asprincipal of Holy Family School inPhoenixville, Pa., after 16 years in the position.

Gail A. (Rickerson) Egan,of Media, Pa., was recentlyelected to the InglisFoundation Board ofDirectors. Egan is aregistered nurse, former health careexecutive and former member of the GMCBoard of Trustees.

1982Marguerite (Pankoe) Stendal, ofLansdale, Pa., was recognized in the TownTalk newspaper, Central Delaware County,last summer for her outstanding work inher position as technology specialist forGlenolden School. For the last 13 years,Stendal has implemented the school’s useof technology with students in first througheighth grade.

1984Lori J. Williams, of Ivyland, Pa., recentlywon the Teacher of the Year Award fromKeystone STARS, an initiative of the Officeof Child Development and Early Learning.She currently teaches kindergarten at thePlay & Learn center in Fort Washington, Pa.

1990Frank Ball, of Harleysville, Pa., wasrecently chosen as supervisor of operationsfor Souderton Area School District.

Kay (Attenborou) Fox, of Spring City, Pa., isthe regional faculty instructor for the SouthsideRegional Medical Center School of Nursing,Petersburg, Va., working in a nursing educationprogram that is addressing the nationalshortage of nurses with its online courses.

1991Linda Ann Roth ’89/’91, of Morrisville,Pa., was awarded Employee of the Month(April 2009) at Underwood-MemorialHospital in Woodbury, N.J., where sheworks as a registered cardiac sonographer.

1999Thomas A. Schillow, of Lansdale, Pa.,recently joined RE/MAX Central’s BlueBell office. He is a member of theMontgomery County Board of Realtors andworks as a guidance counselor for theMontgomery County Intermediate Unit.

Class Notes Today 25

time. There were definite culturaldifferences that I had to adjust to. Icouldn’t understand or come to gripswith the fact that Haifa’s dad basicallydisowned his family and his wife and putthe burden on his children to care fortheir mother.”

While Hayat finished high school andmoved on to community college,Mariam’s days were filled with doctor’svisits, surgeries and controlling herblood sugar levels. Haifa and Joe wereworking for Novo Nordisk Inc., theworld’s largest provider of diabetictherapeutic drugs and devices, and usedtheir knowledge of the latest diabetestreatments and connections to physiciansto give her the best possible care.

Mariam passed away in 2001, but notbefore making sure that Hayat attainedher own college scholarship from theSaudi Arabian government. Hayatgraduated from the University of CentralFlorida, Orlando then earned hermaster’s degree from Nova SoutheasternUniversity, Fort Lauderdale. Today, shelives just minutes from Haifa and Joewith her husband, Kevin.

Haifa now works as a project manager forQuintiles Inc., the world’s largestpharmaceutical services company, whileJoe continues to manage field operationsfor Novo Nordisk Inc. Their positions arehome-based, but they travel often,balancing their schedules so one stayshome with their children, Henry, 5, andGenevieve, 3. Samar and Tom settled inPottstown, Pa. where Hatem and hisfamily reside nearby. Samar works inpharmaceutical research at Merck andTom works as an IT project manager forVanguard, Inc. They have two sons,Lucas, 11, and David, 2.

America was once a place so far awayfrom the familiarity of the Middle East –now it’s exactly where they need to be. �

Class Notes

26 Today

2000Cynthia G. Lewis, of Royersford, Pa., wasappointed last summer as lead principal ofPerkiomen Valley High School.

Katherine H. White, of Garnet Valley, Pa.,recently accepted the position of assistantprincipal at Springton Lake Middle Schoolin Media, Pa.

2002Donna M. Gribbin, of Perkasie, Pa., recentlyjoined the faculty as a nursing instructor atCedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa.

Kathleen Kenney, ofJamison, Pa., recentlyreceived the SoutheasternPennsylvania Middle SchoolPhysical Education Teacher ofthe Year Award last spring and the overallPennsylvania Middle School PhysicalEducation of the Year Award. She currentlyteaches at Maple Point Middle School inthe Neshaminy School District.

2004Margaret A. Bardar, of Sellersville, Pa.,was elected to the Sellersville Council in thefall 2009 election. She will serve a four-yearterm in the position.

Tammy L. Bertel, ofHarleysville, Pa., was the 2009recipient of the Annie SullivanAward, which recognizes aneducator who exemplifiescaring involvement with disabled students.Bertel currently works as thespeech/language support class teacher atWhitemarsh Elementary School inLafayette Hill, Pa.

2005Perry W. Doan, Jr., ofOsceola, Pa., received hisDoctor of OsteopathicMedicine degree fromPhiladelphia College ofOsteopathic Medicine last May.

William R. McCafferty III,of Philadelphia, Pa., receivedhis Doctor of OsteopathicMedicine degree fromPhiladelphia College ofOsteopathic Medicine last May.

2007Charles Brenner, of Richboro, Pa., wasappointed last summer as vice principal ofNorristown Area High School.

Vanessa Rae Schumacher, of FairlessHills, Pa., graduated from The PennsylvaniaState University last May with a Bachelor ofScience in Nursing. She intends to pursuean advanced degree in nursing at theUniversity of Pennsylvania.

Class Notes PolicyGwynedd-Mercy College welcomes updatesfrom alumni to include in this section ofToday. We make every effort to ensure theaccuracy of this information. If there is anerror or omission of any kind, please acceptour apology and notify the Office of AlumniRelations of the mistake immediately. ClassNotes have been edited for space and clarity.

How to Submit Class Notes• Submit the “Update Your Information”

form at gmc.edu/alumni. It may take twoissues of Today for your update to appear.If you submitted an update that has notbeen published after two issues, please callthe alumni office to ensure that it will beincluded in a future issue.

• You can also send your update to ShannonBruno, director of alumni relations, atalumni@gmc.edu or 215-641-5554.

• Photos (digital images preferred) are alsowelcomed. Photos submitted by mailcannot be returned.

Check us out onFacebook and Twitter

(www.twitter.com/gwyneddmercycoland www.twitter.com/gmcathletics)

We want to hearfrom you!

HOMECOMINGWEEKEND2010September 24-26, 2010

Mark your calendar for Homecoming WeekendWe are continuing the activities of this past year’s Homecoming with a cocktail, casino and comedy night,sporting events, school reunions, FallFest and an alumni reception.

Plans are underway to make the 2010 Homecoming Weekend even better! A special tribute will be held tohonor the 10-year anniversary of our 2000 champions in baseball and women’s basketball. For updates, visitgmc.edu/alumni.

Lauren M. Benninghoff ’08, of Hatboro, Pa.,married Robert Carber on November 7, 2009.

Christina N. Braccio ’06, of Blue Bell, Pa.,married Jeffrey Caruso on September 20, 2008.

Jamie Leigh Claus ’07, of Montrose, Pa.,is engaged to Frank A. Bedford V. AnAugust 2010 wedding is planned.

Justine Crompton ’08, of Warminster, Pa.,is engaged to Chad Towarnicki. A summer2010 wedding is planned.

Erin E. Hill ’07, of Collegeville, Pa., isengaged to Jay Greco. A June 19, 2010wedding is planned.

Amber M. Kern ’08, of Leesport, Pa.,married Stephen Rausch on June 6, 2009.

David M. McDonald ’03/’05 and LeannR. Wenger ’03, of Akron, Pa., married onAugust 11, 2007.

Colleen M. Perry ’02, of Levittown, Pa.,married Nicholas Luchko in June 2009.

Chelsey L. Smith ’07, of Horsham, Pa., isengaged to Ryan Staub. An August 2010wedding is planned.

Kimberly A. Stanley ’08, of Telford, Pa., isengaged to Eric Pettit. A July 10, 2010wedding is planned.

Stefanie E. Torrens ’04/’06, of RidleyPark, Pa., is engaged to Kevin Davis. AnApril 17, 2010 wedding is planned.

Congratulations!Engagements, Marriages

and Anniversaries

Jamie Leigh Claus and Frank A. Bedford V

Kimberly A. Stanley and Eric Pettit

Stefanie E. Torrens and Kevin Davis

David M. McDonaldand Leann R.Wenger

Today 27

2008Dave Clark, of Glenside, Pa., wasrecently elected as the 67thpresident of The Rotary Club ofHatboro. He also works as officemanager for Custom Ultrasonics,Inc. in Ivyland, Pa.

JeNell C. LaRue ’04/’08, ofPhiladelphia, Pa., is a memberof the National MultipleSclerosis Society, GreaterDelaware Valley Chapter’s MSLeadership Class of 2009.

Alumni AssociationBoard Nominations

The Office of Alumni Relations is currentlyaccepting nominations for the 2010-2011Alumni Association Board. Nominees mustbe an active member of the GMC AlumniAssociation, able to attend quarterlymeetings, willing to participate on asubcommittee, and interested in enhancingand promoting activities for alumni. Pleasesubmit nominations to Shannon Bruno,director of alumni relations, atbruno.s@gmc.edu or 215-641-5554. Allnominations will be reviewed and decidedupon by the current Alumni AssociationBoard and its governance.

AttentionClass of 1958!

The next Class of 1958 luncheon will beheld on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at theWilliam Penn Inn. If you are able to attend,please contact Marcia Folcke Dunphy atmarciadunphy@verizon.net, Ellen FrancellaMoore at rxmoore@aol.com, or BetsyO’Connell at baoconnell112@hotmail.com.If you cannot attend, but would like to shareinformation about yourself with yourclassmates, feel free to e-mail us. We lookforward to hearing from you!

Gwynedd-Mercy College invites families, businessesand organizations to host events on campus.

GMC welcomes you to its beautiful 160-acre Montgomery County campusfeaturing facilities for conferences, meetings, events and wedding photos. Weoffer banquet rooms, classrooms, conference rooms and auditoriums. Ouron-campus caterer offers a variety of menu options.

During the summer, overnight accommodations are available in our residencehalls, as well as rentals of our recreational facilities including softball and soccerfields, basketball, tennis and racquetball courts, and our aerobic studio.

For more information, visit gmc.edu/about/facilities, or contact Robin Oster,facilities coordinator, at oster.r@gmc.edu or 215-641-5575.

28 Today

Elsie M. (Stocchi) Branco ’83, of EastNorriton, Pa., passed away on August 1, 2009.

Sister Elizabeth Coury,RSM, of Merion Station, Pa.,passed away on September25, 2009. She taught socialstudies at GMC from 1972-73.

Judith A. (Matthews)Cronmiller ’65, of EastLansdowne, Pa., passed awayon September 26, 2009.

Rachel E. (Gamza) Engle ’05, ofErdenheim, Pa., passed away on July 24, 2009.

Jennifer L. Fry ’87/’02, of Skippack, Pa.,passed away on August 11, 2009.

Martha A. “Pat” Maloney ’71, of Aston,Pa., passed away on June 6, 2009.

Theresa M. (Healy) Miller ’76,of Doylestown, Pa., passedaway on November 5, 2009.

Katherine C. (Landry) Moore ’79, of BlueBell, Pa., passed away on October 20, 2009.

Wendy (Studenmund) Parkany ’94, ofNorth Wales, Pa., passed away on July 25,2009.

Marion E. Hutchins Reavey-Cantwell’86, of Buckingham, Pa., passed away onOctober 6, 2009.

Judith M. Dillon Wilkins ’82,of Somers Point, NJ, passedaway on December 3, 2009.

Anna Marie Worthington “Anne”(Nolan) Scott ’52, of Elkins Park, Pa.,passed away on September 24, 2009.

In Memoriam Class of 1959 Reunion Luncheon

Members of the Class of 1959 gathered for a reunion lunch in Assumption Hall on Sunday, November 22.Back: Elizabeth A. (Walker) Breslin; Mary Lou Paolini; Barbara Sue Maloney; Regina PhalanFront: Anita (Holt) McFadden; Eileen Williams McNeill; Terri Rossi; Marie (O’Hagan) Connor; Margo (Wellhofer)Mazzotta ’59/’89

Nearly every facet of campus life is supported by the Annual Fund, including financial aid to each studentwho needs it. Last year, more than 90 percent of our students were granted institutional aid totalingnearly 12 million dollars. Your gift to the Annual Fund allows students to look forward to fulfilling and

productive futures while fostering a passion for knowledge as confident, lifelong learners.

Support Gwynedd-Mercy College studentswith a gift to the 2009-10 Annual Fund today.

215-641-5550gmc.edu/giving

LindsayEducation, Class of 2011

AmirBusiness Administration, Class of 2011

KirstynRadiologic Technology, Class of 2012

CHANGING

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Thinking aboutadvancing yourcareer in teachingor nursing?800-205-5900gmc.edu/workingadultsgraduate@gmc.edu

Master of Science in Education:

� Master Teacher Program(certification in elementary education,secondary education, special education,or business, computers andinformational technology)

� Reading

� School Counseling

� Special Education

Master of Science in Nursing:

� Nurse Educator

� Clinical Nurse Specialist(gerontology or oncology)

� Nurse Practitioner(pediatric or adult health)

� Post-MSN Certification(pediatric or adult health)

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