alvernia-alumni

[alvernia-alumni]

Suffering from an incurable kidney disease, Alvernia grad Trevor DeHaas ’12 is making the best of what time he has left by traveling across the United States with his rescue dog, Kahula.

His story and breathtaking photos have been highlighted on several news outlets including the Daily Mail and The Weather Channel.

> Check out Trevor’s blog

> See Trevor’s photos and read more on The Weather Channel.

#TrevorTakesPhotos #Weather Channel #Daily Mail #travel #adventure #Alvernia alumni

[alvernia-alumni]

#Graduation #Congratulations #Career #Networking #Tips #Thanks #2016 #Classof2016 #Jobs #SocialMedia #Resume

Pre-Graduation Checklist

First and foremost, Congratulations to all those about to Graduate.  To those who already have jobs lined up, even more Congratulations!  To those beginning and continuing their career search, keep your head up!

As you may have heard, a lot of of jobs are obtained because of who you know.  Far more often it’s who you know than what you know when landing a dream job (though many like to act as though this is not the case).  And it’s fine, we have all been there and landed at least one job through a friend, a colleague, or a great reference to a 3rd person.  So with that knowledge, there are some things you can do to prepare yourself leading up to Graduation with regards to networking.  And there are some things you can do to prepare yourself just for the next chapter of life – Adulting 101.

I have made a checklist, a checklist I have found to be beneficial in my early career and one I hope can be beneficial in yours:

1.  Remember to thank all of those who supported you during College.  Whether it’s family members, professors, classmates, coaches, bosses.  Just make sure they know they are appreciated.  This type of networking can go a long way.

2.  Follow up with former bosses and professors to keep them up to date.  Every time a big change in my life occurs, I make sure to e-mail and/or call former bosses and former professors to keep them up to date.  This ongoing networking is great to keep positive relationships going.  And, trust me, so far it has paid dividends in some aspects of my career.

3.  Celebrate!  You did it, you accomplished a great task!  And yes, at times, you partied instead of studied.  You got a little help from all-nighters, you may have used your buddy’s notes, you may have skated through an easy assignment.  But, nonetheless, you did it!  It’s time to take some “ME” time and celebrate alone or with your friends and family.

4.  Update you Resume.  If it’s not updated, update it!  Your resume becomes the one document that you’ll be known by more than anything else in the world of employers.  Seek out career counselors at school, seek out classmates, seek out other bosses.  Having an accurate and up-to-date Resume will pay dividends.

5.  Pass that Resume.  Pass it out to friends and family and co-workers.  Pass it out to professors and former bosses.  Let them know your available.  You’d be surprised how many people got a job because they gave their resume to someone who passed that resume to someone else.  

6.  Update you LinkedIn Account, Twitter Account, Facebook Account, Instagram Account, Tinder, Grindr, PlentyOfFish, Harmony, Tumblr…ALL OF IT.  Make sure there aren’t any “unmentionables.”  Consider it spring cleaning, but while in your PJs on a couch while binging on Netflix eating a tub of ice cream or drinking a bottle of wine.  It’s the Purge, it’s time to Purge your youth and prepare for Adulthood.  Yuck, Gross, and Time consuming.  But, there’s stories left and right about people not getting their dream job because of that photo from Cancun where they did that thing…Don’t be that person.

7.  Reflect – Reflect on where you are and how you got there.  Remember, for most of you, you are only about 22-23.  Think of all you accomplished in the short years after you stopped going in your diaper and when you finally were able to be independent in the potty.  Think about all the great things you did.  Then realize, that you’ll have about one or two more 22-23 years of living as a professional.  Think of all you’ll accomplish in the next 22-46 years, incredible!

So, with that, I wish the graduating class of 2016 well!  I wish you all success.  I hope you are able to take the time necessary for yourself and prepare yourself for the next chapter of your life.

[alvernia-alumni]

Take a Trip to Africa

“At Alvernia, I learned how much of an impact service can have on an entire community or a single individual.”

Kate Roesch ‘12 always felt she should have done more to serve and help others. As a result, she joined the Peace Corps and headed off to help communities in Africa. When she arrived in Uganda, she soon realized that she could not single handedly rebuild a community. Instead, she learned she had to empower them and help them be a part of the change.

Read more about Kate’s journey here.

#Alvernia #PeaceCorps #Community #Engagement #Service #Africa

[alvernia-alumni]

Why I Voted For...

Let me preface this with the fact that I am not 100% satisfied with any of the options for the Republican Party and that my vote was made with some reluctancy.  Nonetheless, I spent last evening discussing my vote and this election with Dr. Williams and alumnus Sean Cullen.  After my conversations with both, I decided to post an explanation as why I voted for Donald Trump in the Florida Primary yesterday.

I did not vote for Ted Cruz because I have read the Federalist Papers, I have studied the Constitution, and I firmly believe Ted Cruz, a Canadian, cannot legally run for President because he is not a “natural-born” United States citizen.  I would gladly debate this issue with anyone on any day, but this post need not go into more detail about this specific area regarding Ted Cruz.  In addition, and regardless of the latter, I think Ted Cruz is horrible and is horrible for the country.  He is not presidential nor is he someone that can unite the Republican Party or unite the Country.  And, as I have said before, for the record if Cruz is the nominee then I will vote for Hillary in the general election based on my longstanding constitutional interpretations and fundamental belief that Cruz cannot legally run for President.

I did not vote for John Kasich because I do not think he is a viable option for president.  I think he has come on strong lately, but too little too late.  Furthermore, I was not a fan of his in the beginning of the election cycle.  With that said, and as last night proved, Kasich can and did win Ohio.  Ohio, for many past elections, is the key to a presidential victory.  Therefore, I believe whoever because the eventual nominee should strongly consider picking Kasich for VP and let him bring the Republicans to victory in Ohio in the general election.  

I did not vote for Marco Rubio.  He lost my support over the last month or so when he played into the tactics of bullying done by Trump and Cruz.  He has not handled it well and his attacks seem so uncomfortable to him that over the last month his actions have been unbecoming of him and shows that he has not stayed true to his character or himself.  I understand that some politicians use dirty tactics (Trump and Cruz and Clinton and sometimes the Bern), but when its expected it does not sting as bad and does not feel as uncomfortable for us to watch and listen to.  However, Rubio is not that type of politician and it showed over the past month.  He lost my support over the past month because he changed just to get the vote and I am not a fan of sell-outs.  Though, despite all this, and as I said in 2012 and still say in 2016, Rubio should’ve been (in 2012) and should be (in 2016) the VP choice for the Republican nominee.  He could have been the 2012 darling and groomed perfectly for President so that when the time did come he would’ve won without opposition from Republicans.  I still say to this day that had Romney chose Rubio that the election would have had a much bigger outcome.

I did vote for Donald Trump.  Not because I’m a bigot or white supremacist or racist or of the 1%.  I voted for him because I truly believe he is more moderate than he comes off  during the debates/campaign rallies.  I truly believe he would have some of the best people be in his cabinet because his success has always been based on surrounding himself with the best of the best.  Also, Trump is a natural salesman so he pitches to the voters what they want to hear.  He knows what is selling, he’s mastered that, and so he sells the issues and his stances based on the buyer’s responses.  I am not the biggest Trump fan and I did not truly see this lasting as long as it has.  Now, Trump is looking like the Republican nominee.  But, I think President Trump would be a lot different than candidate Trump.

I still stay true to my Lincoln-Republican roots of Country before Party mantra.  However, I voted for Trump because I think right now he is the best option for the Republican party and that who we see during the primary is not who we would see as President – and that may be the best move for America.  I may end up regretting my vote for Trump someday but at this point I am neither happy nor upset that I voted for Trump.  We shall see what the election brings us in November…

[alvernia-alumni]

There's No Place Like Home by Alvernia alumna - Jessica Heller

In 2015, Sigma Tau Delta convention goers posted stories of their experiences. Alvernia alumna Jessica Heller’s experience in Albuquerque anticipated the "Finding Home" theme of the 2016 Minneapolis convention.

>> Read Jessica’s story

#Alvernia #sigma tau delta #communication #English #Alvernia Alumni

[alvernia-alumni]

18 is Enough 

The year was 1976. As the nation celebrated its Bicentennial and unveiled its first space shuttle, Apple Computer was just beginning, the VHS tape was invented, and the nation tuned in to Happy Days as Rocky hit the theaters. Only four buildings made up Alvernia’s campus: Francis Hall, Bernardine Hall, and Veronica Hall, and a small staff office. Were you one of the students who graduated from Alvernia in 1976?

Have comments? Know who’s in the elevator? Click ‘comments’ below!

Have a flashback photo to share? Click “Submit your Photos!”

No scanner? Send prints to Alvernia Magazine, 540 Upland Ave Reading, PA 19611.

#Alvernia flashback #Alvernia alumni #Alvernia Magazine

[alvernia-alumni]

peacingoutinafrica - Kate Roesch ’12 is an Alvernia Alum serving in the Peace Corps in Uganda:

IT’S FREAKING HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY HECK!!! I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!! Not too long ago I had to submit a concept note about National Camp GLOW for this year. I found out this morning that my note met the requirements and is able to move forward in the process!!

Where I stand to be able to get internet at my house I have to hold my computer with one hand. When I read the email saying that my camp was accepted it took an insane amount of self-control to not jump up and down and celebrate because I might have dropped my computer. That would have been bad news bears. I did however do a huge happy dance once my computer was in a safe place in my house. I think I would have gotten some strange looks from my neighbors if they were here. Now I have a lot of work to do before the grant deadline on March 4th.

It’s really nice to be able to sleep in my house and in my own bed again. I missed my neighbor Sam and my neighbor kids. Last night, I played all sorts of games with them. We must have played Candyland for like an hour. I think this was the first time that my neighbor kids had ever played a board game. I think my Candyland game will be getting a lot of usage this next year. It’s really fun to watch for their reactions when they pull a card that puts them way ahead or way behind. They were not however a fan of BINGO. Tony however did really like playing with the subtraction flashcards that I have. Joan is very interested in learning how to shuffle cards. So we spent some time practicing together. She actually got it a few times and the smile on her face was beautiful!

It’s nice to be home again!

#alvernia alumni #Peace Corps #service #gotserviceAU #Uganda #Africa #Alvernia #Alvernia University

[alvernia-alumni]

Alvernia Alumni have a ton of events coming up - some might even be just beyond your back door! Visit alumni.alvernia.edu for upcoming events, news, and other goodies. While you’re there, tell us what you’re up to in our “Class Notes” section (Under the “Get Involved” tab.)

[alvernia-alumni]

Alvernia Magazine Feature: “On the Border" explores the life of a Border Patrol Agent with Criminal Justice alumna Katie Griffith ’05.

#CJ #criminal justice #borders #border patrol #alvernia university #Alvernia #alvernia alumni

[alvernia-alumni]

Yesterday at Georgia Tech University, President Obama announced his new “Student Aid Bill of Rights.” According to President Obama, “Every borrower has the right to quality customer service, reliable information, and fair treatment, even if they struggle to repay their loans.” Well, Mr. President...

[alvernia-alumni]

Healing Touch

Speaking by phone from a small, cement building at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Capt. Ashley Welsh ’10 tries to explain why she fought to be deployed as an occupational therapist to the nation’s longest-running war at a time when troops were starting to come home.

“We all know we’re going home soon. I’m going to be the last occupational therapist in theater during this conflict,” Welsh says. “This is the last shot I had. A lot of civilians don’t understand that, but if you join the Army, a lot of us want to deploy.”

The reason, Welsh says, is the special bond shared by those who choose to serve in the military.

“In my world here, we’re all wearing the same uniform,” she says. “I know this sounds strange, and I never really got it before I joined the Army, but there’s definitely a sense of family. You signed up for this voluntary Army as well. You wear the same uniform as me, so I feel closer to you. And my patients feel like I understand more, I understand some of the things they’re going through because I’m also in that same Army.”

Welsh got her first glimpse of that world as a junior at Alvernia, during a trip to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for a daylong symposium. The trip was led by her professor and mentor, Dr. Karen Cameron, associate professor of occupational therapy, and it changed Welsh’s life.

While visiting the hospital’s occupational therapy (OT) facilities, Welsh was struck by how motivated the wounded soldiers were to get back to what they do and how hard they worked. “It was very liberating to me,” Welsh recalls.

As soon as she got back to Alvernia, she began researching what it would take to be an Army OT. Along with her classmates, she went back to Walter Reed three or four more times with Dr. Cameron, and also went down a couple of times on her own to shadow Army OTs to get a real sense of what they do.

After graduating from Alvernia’s five-year OT program with her master’s degree, Welsh — with recommendations and support from Dr. Cameron and other Alvernia faculty and staff — was one of just 10 applicants accepted into the highly competitive U.S. Army Doctor of Science in Occupational Therapy Program created by the Army at Baylor University. The active duty program has a heavy research component and focuses on areas of importance to the Army, including amputee care, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Welsh was commissioned into the Army when she entered the program in March 2011, and graduated with her doctorate 18 months later at the age of 25. She was deployed first to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and put in for deployment to Afghanistan the following year.

At Bagram Airfield, Welsh is a member of the combat occupational stress unit, which also includes a social worker, psychologist and psychiatrist.

“What we do here is work with soldiers or service members experiencing some sort of stressors that are impeding their work, impeding them in completing their mission,” she says.

Welsh runs a four-day program that teaches coping skills, such as stress management, anger management, communications and goal setting. “My staff and I are doing what we can to make sure they are functionally able to complete their job,” she says.

When her Afghanistan deployment ends, Welsh’s duty will continue. She will serve her remaining year and a half of active duty in Germany, likely followed by another three years in the Reserves. But Welsh is focused on her current task, and will explore all of her future options once her commitment concludes.

In caring for wounded warriors, Welsh has been able to employ the “holistic approach” — treating a person’s emotional as well as physical needs — that first attracted her to the field of occupational therapy as a high school student.

Welsh became Alvernia’s first OT graduate to be commissioned as an Army OT, and recently helped guide Erin Stone ’13 through the process to become the second.

And she has remained in close contact with Dr. Cameron over the years. In the fall, Welsh Skyped into Dr. Cameron’s classroom to share her experiences with today’s OT students and help teach the section on treating wounded warriors.

“I definitely attribute all my success up to this point to Alvernia and the OT faculty there, specifically Dr. Cameron,” Welsh says.

PHOTO: Ashley Welsh is flanked by Major Eden — the 528th Combat Operational Stress Control Unit’s therapy dog. Major Eden is the only therapy dog in Afghanistan. Her job is to boost morale and decrease stress for service members.

#alvernia #alverniauniversity #alumni

[alvernia-alumni]

Attending the viewing of a former student this week was a remarkably sad event.  As I watched his wife (also a former student) and his friends, many of them former students of mine, grieve his death and celebrate his life, I was struck by the bond of the Alvernia family.  Several years had passed since that group of students started here at Alvernia—yet I still have a picture of some of them from that year on my shelf in my office.  Smiling freshmen—who could ever imagine they would so soon say goodbye to one of their own?    To see them back on campus it was like a homecoming not just for them, but for those of us who taught them and worked with them, too.  When I saw their faces on campus again this week, for a moment it was as if they were still all here and I was just bumping in to them.  I was surprised to feel that way until I realized that it’s that, really, they still ‘belong’ here.  They are a part of Alvernia’s history, its legacy, its community, its family.  The family at Alvernia is ever-expanding.  New people are added every semester—but those who leave are still in our hearts and still a part of us.  And when one is taken away, we all hurt from that loss, because he still ‘belongs here,’ too.  Even in the sadness of the occasion, it was beautiful to see how the Alvernia family remains—even after graduation and years apart.  And it was beautiful to know that this university was what brought those wonderful souls together and providing opportunities for them to become friends for life—no matter how long it lasts.  

Dr. Victoria Williams, Alvernia University

#Alvernia #Alvernia University #college #Alvernia Alumni #Bryan Otruba #Cancer sucks

[alvernia-alumni]

Alvernia Theatre Professor Brings New Life to "Uncle Vanya"

Dr. Nathan Thomas, associate professor of theatre at Alvernia University, has written a new translation of Anton Chekhov’s great tragicomedy “Uncle Vanya,” to be performed at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) in Baltimore, Md., Feb. 13 through March 1. Thomas will also play the role of Alexander Silver for the show.

“Uncle Vanya” is a bittersweet comedy about love, and how it makes life worth living. Originally debuting in 1898, this masterpiece by Anton Chekhov helped define today’s comedy. The storyline revolves around a beautiful, young woman who arrives in a country village populated by lonely hearts — bringing with her a hilarious, hopeless, and breathtaking reason to live.

Directed by CSC’s Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar, this new translation was written by Nathan Thomas — a CSC Company Member and theatre professor at Alvernia University whose specialty is Russian theater history.

The Performance will run Feb.13 - March 1, Thursdays through Sundays at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, 7 South Calvert Street in Baltimore, Md. Call 410-244-8570 or order tickets online at www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com.

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is grateful to funders and partners, including the Howard County Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Howard County Government, The William G. Baker Jr. Memorial Fund, WTMD, and Maryland Public Television.

#alvernia #alverniauniversity #alumni #theatre

[alvernia-alumni]

Remembering Brian Otruba

Bryan Otruba, a much beloved graduate of Alvernia, lost his battle with leukemia on Feb. 5, 2015.

A double graduate, Bryan earned his bachelor’s degree from Alvernia in 2008 and his master’s in 2013. In between, he married fellow alum Camille (Cloutier) at Sacred Heart Chapel in 2010.

Active in Campus Ministry, Bryan participated in an alternative break trip to the Dominican Republic, and later became one of the first candidates in the Bernardine Franciscan Sister’s “Volunteers in Mission" program, for which he served three months at the school run by the sisters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  

Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe account to help offset some of the associated costs. Click here to join the crowd, A viewing will be held today in the Sacred Heart Chapel at the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Convent on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 5 to 8 p.m.

[alvernia-alumni]

Arizona, a state notoriously against immigration and the handling of illegal immigration, did something that will give an appreciation for the process of naturalization Thursday (though I do not believe this was the original intent of the state legislature). Nonetheless, Arizona passed a law...

[alvernia-alumni]

Learn more at AU By the Numbers

#AUblogs #Alvernia #Alvernia outcomes #college outcomes #colleges in PA #Alvernia University #college life #college

[alvernia-alumni]

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Michael Jordan (via matthewjgalvin)