IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Relatives of our faculty, staff, administration, and trustees who will cross the stage today: Don Dorsey II, Catherine Easterday, Michael Bell, Robert Holthause, Julia Jackson, Hillary Keating, Beatrice Ochieng’, Stefanie McCole, Jennifer Penn, Gregory Pfeiffer, Caroline Gannon, and Mathew Ward.
OF HILLS AND CHILLS
Sociology major Dana Morini is heading home to New York City, but not without memories such as the one from sophomore year when an ice storm shut down the campus for several days, resulting in hours of fun slip-sliding down the golf course.
‘MAIS OUI!’ FOR THREE
It’s a case of double role reversals for three McDaniel College French majors who will spend the coming year as French lecturers at schools in France. In the fall, seniors Mary Beth Bounds, Laura Descher and Greg Dubicki will go from being students to being teachers, and from learning French on an English-speaking campus to teaching English to French-speaking students. Mary Beth has been assigned to the Stasbourg area. Laura is going to Grenoble. And Greg will teach in the Lille area. The French government will pay them salaries and cover the cost of university courses.
JUST CALL THEM ‘SIR’
Class of 2009 graduates commissioned this morning as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army are Sean Fraser, Armor; Benjamin Glass, Military Police; Daniel Gonski, Medical Services; Robert Silva, Military Police; Daniel Spurrier, Infantry; and John Stewart, Military Intelligence.
SHARED HISTORY, BRIGHT FUTURE
History major Kim Staub plans to spend a year as volunteer with AmeriCorps before heading off to graduate school, while History major Laura Kurrle is angling for a job with the National Park Service and plans to go to graduate school.
A POWERFUL PLAN
Before he embarks upon a career in the publishing or film industry, Daniel Lebost plans to spend the summer in his hometown of Gardiner, N.Y., helping his father build a hydroelectric plant on the family’s property.
WITH A SONG IN HIS HEART
With eight semesters’ experience singing with the McDaniel College Choir, English major Jacob McCurry is sure to bring an added dimension to his work as a minister of the Lutheran Church. He begins his studies toward that goal in July at the Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
SOUNDS GOOD
Sociology major Daniel Klau, who minored in Music and played with the College’s Electric Bass Ensemble, plans to start his AmeriCorps assignment next month in his hometown of New York City. He aims to teach elementary school.
IN SEARCH OF HIS NEXT SCOOP
He caught the journalism bug by poking around campus as a reporter for the campus newspaper, The McDaniel Free Press. Now Greg Pfeiffer is investigating a job with ESPN.
IT ALL ADDS UP
A Jan-Term trip to Poland taught Salini Jayamuni about herself and the value of friendships made on and off the Hill. Equipped with a dual major in Business Administration and Economics and Accounting Economics, Salini’s next stop will be at a job with Salter & Company, an accounting firm in Bethesda.
SCHOLARS AMONG STUDENTS
Nicole Harris, a Sociology major with minors in Deaf Studies and Elementary Education, is going to be student-teaching this fall at Eldersburg Elementary in the Carroll County public school system. Jen Noel, an English major, will also student teach in the fall, and hopes to pursue a job in writing after attending graduate school for technical writing.
BACK FOR THE FUTURE
Music major Christina Johnson returns to McDaniel in the fall to finish her student teaching. In the meantime, she’s applying to Towson University and possibly the University of Maryland for grad school with a focus on Music/Music Education.
IN TUNE WITH THE WORLD
At the top of Biology major Annastasia Zenner’s best memories is singing with the college choir – in 14 different languages over her four years on the Hill. She traveled to Poland, Israel and the Bahamas for her studies and, after a master’s in Environmental Science, plans to join the Peace Corps to help underdeveloped villages with water sanitation, agriculture and conservation efforts.
MENTORING IN MOTION
Countless hours spent by McDaniel Head Athletic Trainer Gregg Nibbelink’s side have served Adrian Pettaway well. This summer, the Exercise Science and Physical Education major begins studying for an M.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Athletic Training at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Adrian, who has minors in Athletic Training and Sport Coaching, says his mentor taught him everything he knows – and he only hopes to make him proud.
CLASSROOM TIME-OUT
Sociology major Matthew Daley plans to work as a substitute teacher and coach at middle schools in his hometown of Wilmington, Del., before taking on graduate school – possibly returning to the Hill for that advanced degree.
MASTERING GOOD WORKS
Toni Tagliareni, a Political Science and Social Work dual major, and Thorne Rintel, a Social Work major, are off to University of Pennsylvania and Boston University, respectively, to pursue graduate degrees in Social Work.
DRIVEN TO BE GREEN
Three years ago Environmental Policy and Science major Ember Fleming gave up driving to help make the Earth a healthier place and also to show that life-without-driving was possible. Now she’s off to tackle new challenges by either getting hands- on experience working on a farm before applying to the Peace Corps or focusing on environmental education to help the next generation understand how their actions impact the planet.
OF LIT & LOBSTAH
Honors and Phi Beta Kappa graduate Rachel Pyles is shopping for a heavy parka – and some warm mittens, hat, scarf and boots would be much appreciated, too. Putting aside her aversion to snow, she’s headed for graduate studies in English Literature with a concentration in Gender Studies at the University of Maine. Her roommate of almost four years, Kris Breeden, a Spanish major with an English Literature minor, earned her degree in December. Kris, a former writing tutor, works as a communications assistant for the National Shoe Retailers Association in Columbia, Md., where she edits and proofs, writes for the magazine, heads the advertising department and handles membership accounts.
PIED PIPER
Westminster East Middle School instrumental music teacher Scott D’Orazio earns his M.S. today after being named the 2009 Carroll County Teacher of the Year. He’s the first music teacher to win in the 22-year history of the award. Since D’Orazio arrived at East Middle seven years ago, the number of students taking instrumental music classes has doubled.
LADY TERRORS RETURN
Sally Grace takes her double major in Business Administration and Exercise Science and Physical Education (EPE) back to the court – the basketball court – for one more season of eligibility next year as she studies for her master’s in EPE. Business Administration major Erinn Hopkins will finish her master’s in Human Resources Development while playing her final season of lacrosse for the Lady Terror.
HEAD OF THE CLASS
Sociology major Jennifer Penn is going to teach elementary students for the Baltimore City public school system and pursue her master’s degree through a teachers’ residency program at The Johns Hopkins University.
STRONG VISION
Each with a dual major in Exercise Chemistry, Kyle Levers and Corey Briggs sprint off to graduate school at George Washington U. in D.C. and Methodist College in South Carolina, respectively. Kyle will teach undergrad anatomy and physiology lab classes while working toward his master’s in Exercise Science with a specialization in strength and conditioning. Corey’s goal is to become a physician assistant.
HELPING OUT AT HOME
Dual Sociology-Psychology major Genai Moore will be a caseworker for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services. She wants to work with youth who have gotten into trouble because of social influences and help them turn their lives around.
HEALTHY AMBITIONS
Exercise Science and Physical Education majors Ashley Dickinson, Jenna Filipone and Danielle Fraider will dash in different directions after graduation. Danielle is student teaching here in Carroll County while Jenna hopes to teach health and physical education across the border in Pennsylvania next fall. Ashley is crossing the bay to the Eastern Shore to study Cardiac Rehabilitation at Salisbury University.
THE WHITEFORD WAY
For Danielle Milton, dual Psychology and Sociology major, bonds formed during late nights on the second floor of Whiteford Hall during freshman year are the stuff of lifelong friendships.
CULTURE SHOCK OVERCOME
Clayton Rosa remembers wanting to flee home to Boston his first week on campus. As a Dominican teenager from a big city, he felt completely out of place. Clayton’s high school mentor encouraged him to stay so others would have the opportunity to get to know someone like him. He founded the Spoken Word performance group on campus and forged strong relationships with students and faculty. With a self-designed major in Afro-Latino Studies, Clayton has been accepted to several graduate school programs, including the American Studies Program at George Washington University. Meanwhile, he was selected for a competitive summer internship with the Arts & Business Council of New York to assist with community outreach and development.
FIRST ACTION ITEM
Business Administration major Justin Daniels will pursue his M.B.A. at Salisbury University.
TO PROTECT AND SERVE
Derek Smith, a Sociology major with a concentration in Criminal Justice, is planning to become a police officer for the city of York, Pa.
LIFE-CHANGING LEGACY
Today’s Legacy graduates – graduates with parents or grandparents who are alumni – are Ryan Barnett, Sarah Brackbill, Ryan Chell, Justin Daniels, Joseph Delenick, Catherine Easterday, Michael Bruce Bell, Caroline Gannon, Eva Ghitelman, Zachary Hetrick, Hillary Keating, Jason Koontz, Amber Maurer, Ryan Rowe, Rebecca Sager, Kristen Simmler, Dennis Stydinger and Haley Zincon.
SEA WHAT’S NEXT
Biology major Kaitlyn Parkins has been busy sampling different areas of biology before picking one to study in grad school. She studied invasive plant species for her capstone project and dove into animal programs during her internship with the National Aquarium in Baltimore. This summer she’ll do marine research in Florida while deciding what’s next.
FINDING HER GROOVE
During her four years at McDaniel, Music Theory and Composition major Justine Koontz sang with the McDaniel College Choir in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, played with an African percussion ensemble and had her compositions and arrangements performed at the McDaniel College Choir concert, the student composers’ recital, and at her own senior recital. She’s taking next year “off” to play classical guitar at various gigs, study composition with Judah Adashi at Peabody Conservatory, and publish some of her arrangements.
TALENT TIMES THREE
While continuing to exercise the talents she fine-tuned in her Studio Art major, choir member Amber Maurer will pursue a career in graphic design as will Studio Art major Chase Wolf, who designed the McDaniel student intranet. Classmate Samantha Schneeman will put her Art History major to use at a museum. Top of her list? The National Women’s Gallery.
GO NAVY
If it all goes as planned, Scott Pusateri and Dan White will get help from the Navy to go to graduate school. Chemistry major Scott and Exercise-Chemistry major Dan have their sights set on becoming a physician assistant and pharmacist, respectively, and both are applying for Navy Health Professions scholarships.
COUNTDOWN TO Ph.D.
After completing her second internship with NASA this summer, Erin Balsamo will pursue her Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall.
WAIT, COME BACK
As new alumni, you are invited back for Homecoming on Saturday, October 24, and your first-year reunion on April 30-May 2, 2010. Keep your address up-to-date with us to receive The Hill magazine.
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