Fall 2024 / Alumni News

In June, Wilson family and friends joined President Fugate and Cody Ward in New York City for an amazing once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience. The ‘Wilson on Broadway’ group learned choreography from “The Who’s Tommy Musical” before seeing the show, had a private performance and sing-along with Jeremy Stolle who played the Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera,” learned about the Business of Broadway from Tony and Grammy award-winning producer Sue Gilad, and saw “The Outsiders Musical” the day before it won the Tony Award for Best Musical! Needless to say, this exclusive Wilson-only event received rave reviews!

Those in attendance included Judy Gorrell Harper ’72, Marion Moore Kendall ’72, Sandy McNair ’73, Theresa Tsai ’73, Heidi Eiwen ’99, Assistant Professor of Nursing Ginger Peterson and her husband Todd, and Former Trustee Jim Orsini and his wife Toni, along with a few other friends of the College.

Live Longer. Volunteer for Campus Crew.

Research has shown that volunteering is beneficial, not just for the entity receiving the help, but also for the volunteer. It improves physical and mental health, increases life satisfaction by giving you a sense of purpose, and grows new and existing relationships. Data has even established that people who volunteer have lower mortality rates.

This is good news for those who came to Wilson College at the end of July as part of Campus Crew. Each year, the College invites members of the Wilson community to lend a hand on campus doing various tasks, from painting to weed pulling to stuffing envelopes. We always appreciate the extra pairs of hands from members of the Wilson community, no matter how small the job is.

“Participating in Campus Crew is a great way to get involved and have a real impact on the day-to-day lives of Wilson students. Seeing alums, parents, and trustees come together for the common goal of strengthening our community is very powerful. It’s amazing what a difference a fresh coat of paint makes! We appreciate everyone who volunteered their time and look forward to continuing this tradition,” shared Andrea McCauley, director of Alumni Relations.

This year, Campus Crew gave the hallways of Prentis an updated look with coats of paint and filled goody bags for families bringing students to campus on move-in day. Members of the Campus Crew chatted and laughed across campus as the work was being carried out.

“I joined the Campus Crew this summer because I enjoy giving back to the college that means so much to me. As a local alum, I love that I have the opportunity to come back and stay involved on campus. It was great to work with other alums and help beautify spaces for current students. I look forward to helping next year!” said Leah Good ’06.

Would you like to make a difference at Wilson College and possibly live longer? Volunteer for the next Campus Crew! Watch for save-the-date information on the Wilson College alumni Facebook group and Wilson College Facebook page.

Warm greetings from your Alumni Association, figuratively and literally! You’ll read this sometime after the Autumnal Equinox, but now the August temperature is pushing 93 degrees: hot times.

“Hot times” also describes our June Reunion. You applauded the ghost stories, Hankey Center offerings, and the Sunday memorial chapel service. The wine tasting proved a “happy hour” indeed. We’re conscious of Reunion improvements needed: better golf cart coordination and more time between offerings among the suggestions. And we’re very aware that lengthy meetings do not a happy audience make.

As summer advanced, we made ready to welcome the Class of 2028. During Campus Crew Week (July 29 – August 2), a number of us volunteered for beautification projects, and served as class mailing facilitators and Move-In Day bag stuffers. Alums tackled needful campus tasks like weeding, painting, and generally acting as extra hands making work light. The invitation to join them is always open.

That’s where we’ve been. Let me tell you about where we hope to be heading.

To build a stronger community with students, the Alumni Board is working toward seating a student observer at AAWC Board meetings. The AR Office and Matthew McBride, assistant professor of interdisciplinary practice, are also exploring several media options that will facilitate students’ familiarity with the Alumni Association and our workings.

Our commitment to student outreach is self-explanatory. Without student awareness of alumni, there will be no future alums; clearly the way to nurture future alums is to support current students.

As alums buttress student welfare, we further bolster the College. To be a Wilson alum (al is the stem of the Latin “alere”: “to nourish, support”) means, literally, feeding our alma mater with our time, treasure, and talent.

In 1999, the documentarian Ken Burns released “Not for Ourselves Alone,” a film about the 50-year friendship between the pioneers of the Women’s Movement: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The title is fitting. Anthony and Stanton and their heirs nurtured the cause of women’s suffrage that in all, encompassed 80 years, beginning in 1840. Both died before the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. Women—and men—benefit from their efforts to this day.

The AAWC is the present. We represent a collective sharing by inviting every alum to help us secure Wilson’s future. The work is not for ourselves alone.

Best wishes,

Patricia W. Bennett ’68

President, AAWC

The 2024 AAWC Alumni Award Recipients

The AAWC honored the following alumni for their accomplishments during an annual awards ceremony held on June 1.

Tift Award: Julia Solleveld Osborne ’64

The Tift Award is given to an alumna/us who has demonstrated exemplary efforts to promote the continuing growth of Wilson College.

Julia Solleveld Osborne ’64 has found many ways to give back to Wilson. As an alumna, she served as class president and treasurer and has been a past officer of the Connecticut Wilson College Club. To assist Wilson’s new student recruitment efforts, she has hosted gatherings of prospective students, organized bus trips for them to visit campus, and wrote countless notes to newly admitted students. And, to support Wilson’s future endeavors, she established the Julia Solleveld Osborne ’64 Endowed Scholarship fund; served on the We Rise campaign steering committee; the We Rise Odds and Evens subcommittee; and, inspired her classmates to give the first six-figure class gift to the College in 2014, which the class of 1964 continues to support with philanthropic gifts.

Osborne said, “I am accepting this award on behalf of my entire class and for all those people at the College who inspired me…supported me, giving me the data, and documentation I needed to reach out and get more for the College.”

Outstanding Young Alumna Award: Ligmie Preval ’09

This award honors an alumna/us who has attended the school within the last 20 years and who has brought honor to her/ himself and to Wilson College through her/his intellectual and professional growth and contributions to her/his communities through professional and/or volunteer activities.

Ligmie Preval ’09 dreamed of working for a high-tech company, but as a single mother, this posed challenges as she tried to juggle parenthood, a job, and classes at a community college. When she applied for a spot in Wilson’s Single Parent Scholar Program, then called the Women with Children Program, things changed. This program gave her the opportunity to be a full-time student while spending more time with her daughter, Sunaii. She said, “Wilson was a place that accepted us as one of its own and enveloped us.”

Preval graduated from Wilson with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and a mathematics minor, and then earned a master’s in instructional technology and media from Columbia University. She worked as a strategic and organizational design professional for over 18 years and is currently the director of UX Research Operations for Fidelity Investments in Boston.

Distinguished Alumna Award: Linda Krach ’74

Presented to an alumna/us who has had a distinguished professional/volunteer career and who has shown continuing service, interest, and support in the growth and quality of Wilson College for a minimum of five years.

Linda E. Krach, M.D. ’74 was a first-generation student at Wilson College, where she became a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude in three years with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Hahnemann University (now Drexel University School of Medicine) and board certification in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), with a pediatric rehabilitation medicine sub-specialty. She became an esteemed clinician, and her contributions to the field of PM&R, particularly with those diagnosed with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, have been significant. She earned recognition by leading rehabilitation institutions, residency programs, and research teams, and, in 2021, she received the Gabriella E. Molnar-Swafford Pediatric PM&R Lifetime Achievement Award from the Foundation for PM&R.

She joined the Wilson College Board of Trustees in 2018 and said she considers Wilson a special place where she always received support. “Wilson was the first place outside of my family where I was treated as someone intelligent, with something to offer the world.”

Distinguished Adult Degree Program (ADP) Award: Robert Ziobrowski ’02

Presented to an alumna/us who has had a distinguished professional/volunteer career and who has shown continuing service, interest, and support in the growth and quality of Wilson College for a minimum of five years.

Robert “Bob” Ziobrowski ’02 is a Chambersburg native and the son of the late Lois Bergbom ’66. He first took courses at Wilson in 1971 after a brief stint at Brown University but discontinued his education to start his career. He returned to Wilson as an adult student and earned a bachelor’s degree in business and economics in 2002. Ziobrowski expressed his passion for lifelong learning and his community when he said, “I love what I do, and I love helping other people, and I love Wilson College.”

He has been a real estate appraiser in Chambersburg for over 30 years and has served as one of three Franklin County Commissioners since 2008, winning his fifth term in 2023. His experience includes working for the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation and Letterkenny Industrial Development Authority. He served two terms on the Chambersburg Area School District Board of Directors, with the last two years as president, and nine years on the Chambersburg Hospital Board of Directors, with the last year as chairman.

Honor the Past… Embrace the Future

The theme for the Reunion Weekend 2024 invited participants to “Honor the Past … Embrace the Future” and there were plenty of activities to make that happen.

Starting on Friday, May 31, activities included an overview of admissions strategies with the vice president of enrollment management, book discussions, a wine pairing event, a welcome picnic under the Big Tent, and a daisy wine bottle painting session hosted by Katie Shank ’19, ’21M, ’22M.

Saturday was just as busy and kicked off with the annual State of the College address by President Wes Fugate and the general meeting of the Alumni Association of Wilson College (AAWC). Classes then joined for the All-Alum Luncheon, where the annual processional recognized reunion milestones for classes ending in fours and nines. In the afternoon, the AAWC presented awards, and in the evening, attendees enjoyed class dinners, music, and conversation under the Big Tent. The night ended with Wilson ghost stories, narrated by Athena Varounis ’76, and some lively golf cart karaoke.

The final day focused on remembrance as Ann “Evie” Keeler Evans ’74 as presiding minister and Faye Wilson ’77 as song leader, led a moving Memorial Chapel Service titled “Walking Each Other Back Home” that not only honored those members of the community who passed away during the year, but also gave time for reflection, gratitude, and inspiration. To close the service, the alumnae choir led everyone in a hope-filled rendition of Carol King’s song, “You’ve Got a Friend.”

The AAWC Faculty Award

Presented to a faculty member who has given a minimum of 10 years of dedicated service to Wilson College.

Julie Raulli, Ph.D., professor of sociology, arrived at Wilson in 2005 for a one-year job and luckily for the College she has been here ever since. She said, “I stayed because of my remarkable colleagues and some really fabulous students.” For her, the freedom to incorporate film, podcasts, field trips, community action, and much more into her curriculum is what sets Wilson apart from other colleges and universities.

Meet the 2024 Author’s Hall of Fame Inductee Ellen Yeomans ’84

The Wilson College Author’s Hall of Fame celebrates members of the Wilson community who have made significant contributions to the literary tradition and culture of the College. Their names are added to the honorary plaque in the John Stewart Memorial Library and their books become part of the library’s special Author’s Wall collection.

Ellen Yeomans ’84 is an author who primarily writes stories for children that she hopes will help young readers understand some of life’s challenges, both large and small. Her books include Lost and Found: Remembering A Sister (2000), about the loss of a sibling, Jubilee (2004), that shares a celebratory vision of heaven, The Other Ducks (2018), a story of friendship, Some Snow Is… (2019), a lyrical tale about winter adventures, and Rubber Houses (2007), a young adult novel on love and loss. “People who write for children and young adults don’t set out to teach readers what to do about these problems. Instead, we show them another who has gone through something similar and we hold out hope for the reader that they too will get through whatever comes their way,” said Yeomans.

In 1997, Yeomans helped establish Paige’s Butterfly Run, Inc., an organization to honor her oldest daughter Paige Yeomans Arnold, who died from complications of a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia. The organization raises money by hosting a variety of events throughout the year, including an annual 5k run. To date, it has raised over $5 million to benefit pediatric cancer care and research, as well as provide financial support for families.

Besides writing, she has taught writing courses at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, served as a regional adviser emeritus for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and taught English to Czechs, Ukrainians, and Russians while living in the Czech Republic. She earned a degree in English from Wilson and holds a Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College.