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| Archives: Featured Alumni |
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| Featured Alumna: Kati Stutsman ‘08 |
| Story by Dan Treul '09 |
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As a communications major at Aquinas, Kati Stutsman ’08 developed the skills she needs to succeed at SXC Health Solutions in Chicago, but in writing letters and sending care packages to American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq she has employed her talents in furthering the College’s Dominican mission of service.
Shortly after graduating from Aquinas and moving to Chicago in 2008, Stutsman joined the ranks of Soldiers’ Angels, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting all branches of the armed forces, guided by the creed, “May no soldier go unloved.” To that effect, Soldiers’ |
| Angels aims to make soldiers and their families as comfortable as possible during and after overseas deployments. Each week, Stutsman sends hand-written letters and occasionally full care packages to soldiers in need, as in the case of one soldier she has individually sponsored under Soldiers’ Angels’ “Adopt-a-Soldier” program. |
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| “Over the past couple years,” said Stutsman, “I’ve had three or four friends ship out overseas. And these are people who actually have family and friends to send them letters, to send them care packages. And I realized, you know, not everyone has that.” |
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| Stutsman credits her volunteer activities at Aquinas with leading her to take the initiative in approaching Soldiers’ Angels. “It gave me the confidence to seek out projects on my own,” she said. “There is always a volunteer project for anybody.” |
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| After joining Soldiers’ Angels, Stutsman immediately set to work on the letter-writing campaign. “They leave it up to you as to what you want to say,” she said. “I always include a heart-felt thank-you and I always write the letters by hand. I think it’s important for people to see that you’ve taken the time and that they mean something to you.” |
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| Another aspect of Stutsman’s volunteering is corresponding with an “adopted” soldier. A long-term commitment, for several months she has written letters and mailed packages to a soldier beginning his fourth year of service in Iraq. A month after sending her first letter, Stutsman received a hand-written, two-page reply. “I can’t tell you how nice it felt,” she said. “He wrote, ‘If you’re happy reading this right now, then that is just a fraction of what guys like me feel when we hear from people back home.’” |
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| “It makes me realize that there are thousands of soldiers deployed that are just numbers to me,” said Stutsman. “And he’s fighting for millions of people whose names he doesn’t know... it’s amazing.” |
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| Stutsman credits Aquinas with developing her global perspective. Class work and volunteering alike taught her that “You don’t know the person standing next to you. You don’t know where they’ve come from, what they’ve sacrificed in order to stand where you are. We are sheltered,” she says. “So many of our lives are about self-improvement and advancement, while others are about mere survival.” |
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| “Volunteering isn’t just some feel-good activity. You must do it without expectation, without incentive. The only incentive you really need is the possibility of improving other people’s lives.” |
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| Featured Alumnus: Rob Antecki '07 |
| Story by Victoria Manion, Student Writer |
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The Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) Graduate Program is currently in its second year of leading students on the path to a career in biomedical research. Five students, three of whom started in 2007, make up the student body. “The Ph.D. program fills a niche which has been unmet in the West Michigan area,” said Dr. Treizenberg, dean of the graduate school. “It creates a place to play that compliments what other schools in the area are doing.”
Recent Aquinas graduate Rob Antecki ’07 is one of the graduate school students at VARI who started in the fall of 2008. As a
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| pioneer of the program, Antecki will be one of the first to obtain a Ph.D. from VARI. |
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| “Science has always been something I knew I wanted to pursue professionally,” he said. “It was in my sophomore year at Aquinas that I decided to concentrate on chemistry and biology with the goal of working in the biomedical research field.” |
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| Antecki first learned about plans for the VARI graduate program at Aquinas when they were discussing his interest in higher education. After hearing initial details and meeting with Dr. Treizenberg, Antecki applied to the VARI. “We look for inquisitiveness and students that are really curious about the way that things work,” said Treizenberg, who said he feels that Antecki’s intellectual strength makes him a valuable addition to the program. |
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| The newness of the program is not a hindrance. “So far the program has held up to its claim of uniquely focusing on translational approaches to research problems and aspects of professional development which might be overlooked at other schools,” said Antecki. |
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| “The superior, state of the art facilities offer a research experience which is certainly second to none.” Antecki said he chose Aquinas for his undergraduate work based on the beauty of the campus and the “relaxed and personal atmosphere.” He also noted the faculty’s concern with the professional and personal development of students, which was more prominent than at other schools he visited. |
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| “I feel Aquinas prepared me quite well for my current work at the VARI grad school,” Antecki said. “Thanks to my upper level classes in chemistry and biology and my time as a research technician at the institute’s cancer genetics lab, I already had a strong foundation in the basics by the time I started the
program.” |
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| Antecki makes time for extracurriculars as a member of a local band, the Backstrokes. “It seems that at the same time my science career has started we’ve also had some possibly substantial opportunities
come up with the Backstrokes.” Antecki has a couple more years as a graduate student and says he is going to focus on “simply finishing my classes” and thinking about which lab he will choose for his thesis research. |
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| “It will be intriguing to see how everything develops in the next few months and years,” Antecki said. “At least it’s never boring.” |
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| Featured Alumna: Carmen Waldron '06 |
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Carmen Waldron ’06 flew to Kenya in July 2006 to serve as a nurse through the Catholic Mission Board. After her eight-month term ended, she returned to the U.S. and is currently working at the Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s Health Care in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Waldron, who graduated under the cooperative nursing program established by Aquinas College, the University of Detroit Mercy and Saint Mary’s Health Center, said her time in Africa was powerful. |
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| “I learned so much about life,” she said. “The experience formed me as a person and as a nurse.” Being open to learning from those around her and realizing she could accomplish what needed to be done gave her a new confidence, she added. By the time she left, she’d been put in charge of the emergency room more than once. |
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| Waldron was located at St. Clare’s Mission Hospital in Kaplong when a hospital she had planned on working in lost funding. St. Clare’s had only five wards and less than 100 beds. Waldron worked primarily with the Kipsigis, a tribe known for “their welcoming spirit.” |
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| Would she recommend overseas mission work to others? “If I hear of anyone who is even remotely interested in mission work, I say, ‘talk to me, talk to me!’ People don’t realize how much they have to offer to those living in the extreme poverty of an under developed country,” Waldron noted. |
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| Featured Alumnus: John Ebers '04 |
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Because the sustainability movement is still young, some AQ graduates are finding themselves in newly created leadership positions. AQ alumnus John Ebers ’04 serves as the sustainable business officer for Metro Health Hospital, which recently constructed the Metro Health Village in Wyoming, Michigan.
Over the last three years, Ebers has worked in the areas of storm water management, recycling and energy conservation. He helped establish criteria for selecting fabrics and other materials for the new facility and worked with grant writers to secure funding for a |
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| 48,500-square-foot vegetated roof that reduces storm water run-off and creates an attractive view from the patient room windows. Since he’s been there, the hospital has received national awards for its healthy environment. Metro Health Hospital is the first full-service hospital in Michigan and one of only a handful in the nation to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. These days, Ebers is eagerly awaiting confirmation of LEED certification for the entire Metro Health Village. |
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| Ebers, who interned at Metro Health as a student, said the hospital hired him as its first Sustainable Business officer the day after he graduated. He quickly found his AQ education beneficial. “Probably the best thing was the liberal arts education,” he said. “I was exposed to so much learning at Aquinas. It definitely helped me when I came here, because now I work with different departments and am learning a lot of different things.” |
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| Featured Alumnus: Paul Bee '06 |
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Add Paul Bee’s ’06 name to the current list of graduates from Aquinas who have made it to the “Big Leagues” from the Business/Sports Management Program. Bee currently works for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers organization, home of NBA super star LeBron James. Bee joins Dean Cooper '99 ( Minnesota Timberwolves), Jason Carver ’02 (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Kyle Weaver ’05 (Phoenix Coyotes) as AQ alumni who have secured positions with professional sports organizations.
“I wanted to go to a school where I could get the most attention |
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| from professors,” said Bee, reflecting on the small class sizes at Aquinas College. Bee also attributes some of his decision to the scholarships he received and the basketball program at Aquinas. |
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| Upon graduation Bee had interviews with the Timberwolves, Portland Trailblazers, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies. Bee chose the Cavaliers partly because of family ties in the Cleveland area and because “I felt Cleveland offered the best opportunity for advancement.” Bee’s position with the Cavaliers is as an Account Executive in the Ticket Sales Department. |
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| Bee said that his internships with the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Detroit Tigers minor league baseball affiliate, and the Aquinas College Admissions Office were instrumental in helping him stand above the competition in securing a position with the Cavaliers. |
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| “You have to have an internship to get into the business and Career Services at Aquinas helped me to do that,” said Bee. He worked with Loretta Simpson, Associate Director of Career and Counseling Services to land his first internship with the Whitecaps. |
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| Bee feels that Aquinas prepared him well for his career with the NBA. “I was a student ambassador, part of the basketball team, participated in track and field, and worked with the Diversity Initiatives department,” said Bee. At Aquinas, Bee felt he was able to build a foundation to succeed and has only high hopes for the future. |
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| “If the opportunity exists I’d like to be a manager of season ticket sales, and I want to keep working with the NBA,” said Bee. |
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| Featured Alumna: Bridget Clark Whitney '03 |
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When Bridget Clark Whitney ’03 accepted a full-time internship position at Kids Food Basket in Grand Rapids during her last year at Aquinas, she never thought it would lead to her position as director of the nonprofit organization.
Whitney came to Aquinas feeling it was ‘the perfect fit.’ “Aquinas stresses service and making a difference in the community,” she said. Whitney also valued those things and that is why she decided the Community Leadership
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| program was perfect for her. The time came to fulfill the program requirements right when Kids Food Basket’s founder was in need of an intern. Whitney eagerly took the position not realizing what she was committing to. “I was a twenty-two year old college kid and I had to make sure 200 kids were going to get dinner every night,” Whitney said. |
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| The responsibility would be a heavy load for anyone but Whitney felt Aquinas had prepared her for it. “Through leadership roles at Aquinas and the support I received from the faculty I was able to do the job and help the organization to grow.” Aquinas continues to support the program. During the spring 2008 semester, paper bags were decorated by students in the Academic Building that Kids Food Basket used to package meals. Whitney also says she has student volunteers from Aquinas, and allows students to job shadow and intern with the organization. |
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| “Aquinas offers all students an opportunity for leadership roles,” Whitney said. In her own time at Aquinas she was president of Regina Hall and an officer on student senate. |
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| Under her leadership, Kids Food Basket has grown to serve “sack suppers” five days a week year-round to 1,217 students at ten elementary schools in the Grand Rapids area. Thirteen schools are on a waiting list. |
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| The organization was recently honored with the Governor’s 2007 Exemplary Community Service Award. “In the past two years, we’ve had over 25 requests for our services all over the state of Michigan,” Whitney said. “We’ve found there’s no other after-school dinner program out there like this.” |
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| As much as she looks to the future, Whitney also remains deeply rooted in her experience at Aquinas. “The passion that exists at Aquinas, I think, kind of gets in your bloodstream,” she said. When she joined Kids Food Basket, “It was such a huge idea, but it seemed actually possible because of the foundation I gained at Aquinas,” she added. |
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| “Volunteerism is a really important aspect of our agency. The program [at Aquinas] taught me that I am really truly able to make a difference.” |
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| Featured Alumnus: Nick Cooper '08 |
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In fall 2008, Nick Cooper ’08 begins attending Notre Dame on a full ride scholarship to gain a Masters in Sacred Music. During his time at Aquinas Cooper was able to take part in many extra- curricular activities including: Residential Housing Association, Tree Top Productions, Regina Hall Council, Orientation Leader, and was a member of the Bukowski Chapel Choir.
Cooper says he decided to attend Aquinas because he “fell in love with the small campus and community atmosphere.” Through all of his activities around Aquinas, Cooper met a lot of that
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| community and was crowned Homecoming King in 2007. |
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| Taking advantage of all that the Grand Rapids area has to offer, Cooper landed an internship with the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids, which was, at that time, under the direction of Mr. Larry Biser. Cooper conducted the choir on four pieces at the annual spring concert. “Learning choral conducting in such close proximity to Mr. Biser was one of the highlights of my collegiate musical career,” said Cooper of the internship experience. |
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| Cooper graduated after a lot of involvement at Aquinas and feels ready to take the next step to graduate school. “Aquinas has given me a foundation to do well in the future,” said Cooper. He was given the full tuition scholarship after an application, sending in a few recordings, and a phone interview. Cooper was chosen along with only seven other students for the scholarship. |
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| “Aquinas really took the skills I had and built upon them to make me successful,” said Cooper. As far as the future goes, Cooper hopes to one day pursue a career in higher education. |
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| Featured Alumnus: Curt Wozniak '97 |
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Curt Wozniak ’97 gained a love for writing at Aquinas College and is now putting it to good use in the Grand Rapids area as a writer for the design company, People Design.
“As a journalist, one thing you learn right away when you’re covering design is that designers - furniture designers, interior designers, graphic designers, interactive designers, etc. - are not stylists. They are problem solvers,” said Wozniak of his colleagues. He |
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| views his position at the company as a ‘copywriter/storyteller.’ |
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Wozniak transferred to Aquinas his sophomore year after visiting a friend who attended the College. “I loved its friendly student body, its helpful faculty, its beautiful wooded campus, its close proximity to a quirky neighborhood (Eastown) and its placement in the heart of West Michigan's diverse economy.” Wozniak began the semester a couple days late and is grateful to the Aquinas faculty that made it possible for him to enter classes that had already begun.
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Thinking about a secondary education major Wozniak was encouraged by faculty to consider writing during his first semester. He immediately began looking for opportunities to pursue it and landed at the Aquinas Times, now The Saint. After complaining to the editor about the quality of the paper, he was challenged to ‘give it a try.’ “By the end of that semester, I was the paper’s Features Editor,” he recalled. “Aquinas is the type of school where that can happen, and that changed my life’s trajectory,” said Wozniak.
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| After spending time at the Grand Rapids Magazine writing on the design industry, Wozniak was led to his career at People Design. He feels he was well prepared for a life of professional writing. “Over the past dozen years or so, several successful writers have come out of Aquinas College. I think that shows just what a great platform the student newspaper has been for aspiring writers to gain valuable experience.” |
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| Featured Alumnus: John Serba '96 |
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John Serba never really expected that he would get the opportunity to work as a film critic. Serba, who graduated from Aquinas in ’96, considered real newspaper work a vague hope for the future. By using his on-campus journalism experience to continue writing, however, he was able to obtain a full-time position with the Grand Rapids Press. Responsible for reviewing films for the Press, Serba is able to pursue the type of work he considers ideal. |
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| Wanting a smaller school where he could receive more attention from instructors, Serba decided to attend Aquinas College. Beginning as a contributing writer for the campus newspaper, then known as the Aquinas Times [now The Saint], he gradually worked his way up to editor-in-chief. |
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| “Such experience was invaluable for my career, because it gave me serious hands-on experience,” he said. “Working at the Times was like an internship - the first step in my career.” |
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| After graduating with an English major, Serba was less than certain on what career path to pursue. “I thought I might write for a newspaper someday, but had pretty much assumed, after graduation, I’d be a record-store counter boy for a while, then go to grad school.” Just a few months after graduating, however, he took advantage of an opportunity to work as a freelance writer for the Press. |
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| By continuing to write, Serba obtained a part-time position in 1998 and in 2006 was promoted to his current full-time position. Beginning by writing reviews of concerts, local bands, and other entertainment and pop-culture related pieces, he now focuses largely on film related articles. Serba reviews major Hollywood movies as well as some lesser-known, independent films and covers film festivals and local movie premieres. In addition, he writes the Cheap Eats restaurant column and handles several other responsibilities at the paper. |
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| “I’ve grown to love the field because it’s a communicative medium,” said Serba. “Whether I’m writing a newsy, informative story or an opinion column, I love creating or reacting to the dialogue within the community.” |
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| Serba describes his current position as ideal. “My dream job was to be a film critic,” he said. Although he did not obtain his job overnight, Serba’s persistent efforts in journalism, including his years with the Aquinas Times, gave him the experience necessary to pursue his ideal career today. “I can truly, honestly say that I’m doing what I love. My hobby became my career.” |
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