Greetings from Mercyhurst University -
Happy New Year! In this month's Alumni Newsletter, we bring you our Winter Event Series, filled with several virtual event options from Bingo, to Trivia, to a Zoom session with President Kathy Getz - your chance to get to know her!
We are also looking ahead to some warmer weather and our annual Reunion Weekend event set for June. We have postponed the event for two years, making this year's reunion the biggest ever! If you're celebrating a reunion this year or missed out over the past two years, we cannot wait to celebrate with you this June.
Thank you for reading, as always, please reach out, or be sure to stop by the 2nd floor of Egan Hall to say hello if you're ever passing by!
Carpe Diem,
Lindsay Frank '12
Director of Alumni Engagement
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Set A New Year’s Resolution You Can Achieve
Become a Loyal Laker and support Mercyhurst University with a recurring monthly gift! As a Loyal Laker you will receive special perks all year long – like our Mercyhurst 2022 T-shirt, Homecoming Tailgate Tickets, and more. Support your alma mater today at mercyhurst.edu/give.
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We have a couple upcoming events for you! Check out the list below of the individual events or visit mercyhurst.edu/alumni/events for a full listing!
NOTE: Mercyhurst University’s Jan. 12 spectator policy update states home athletic events will be held with limited spectators until further notice. We are hopeful that the policy will adjust prior to our upcoming events. If you are interested in attending, we recommend that you complete the registration form(s). We will keep registered guests informed of the spectator policy prior to the upcoming scheduled events.
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Alumni and family of all ages are invited to join for Virtual Bingo. Several games and layouts will be played, and prizes will be mailed to the winners!
Thursday, February 3
7:00 pm
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Alumni are invited to gather as the Lakers take on cross-town rivals, the Gannon Knights in a double header at the newly renovated Mercyhurst Athletic Center. (MAC) Join us for happy hour drinks and snacks at The Roost from 5:30-7 p.m. Your registration will also cover tickets to the game and access to VIP seating in the MAC.
Wednesday, February 9
5:30 pm
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Join us for a "Question and Answer” session with President Kathleen Getz – it’s your chance to get to know her! Guests are invited to submit a question while registering for the event.
Thursday, February 10
7:00 pm
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Mercyhurst Alumni and their families are invited to a pre-game happy hour at The Roost. Guests who pre-register will also receive game tickets to the 7:05 p.m. hockey game against American International College at the Mercyhurst Ice Rink.
Friday, February 18
5:30 pm
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Alumni from the Men's Basketball program and Cheerleading alumni are invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Men's Basketball at Mercyhurst.
Saturday, February 19
5:30 pm
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The Mercyhurst Education Alumni and Student Networking Night is a “teacher talk” night for Mercyhurst education majors and Mercyhurst alumni who are current or retired educators. The evening will give alumni teachers and future teachers a chance to connect over their shared passion for education.
Wednesday, February 23
6:00 pm
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Alumni from the Women's Basketball program are invited for Alumni Appreciation Day as Mercyhurst takes on Slippery Rock.
Saturday, February 26
1:00 pm
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Join the Office of Alumni Relations for a Virtual Trivia event – the game will be played on Kahoot! Guests can join the trivia over Zoom and play the game from a smart phone or device connected to the Kahoot website.
Tuesday, March 8
7:00 pm
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Join the Office of Alumni Relations and the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice for a “Women in Criminal Justice” virtual panel featuring alumni panelists who will share about their experiences and careers. This timely topic is in celebration of March being Women’s History Month!
Tuesday, March 15
7:00 pm
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Reunion Weekend 2022 will be celebrated this June 9-12, on campus at Mercyhurst University! Due to the event being cancelled in 2020 and 2021, classes who were meant to previously celebrate, are invited to join this year!
Landmark celebrations include:
60th Reunion: Classes of 1960, 1961, 1962
55th Reunion: Classes of 1965, 1966, 1976
50th Reunion: Classes of 1970, 1971, 1972
40th Reunion: Classes of 1980, 1981, 1982
25th Reunion: Classes of 1995, 1996, 1997
10th Reunion: Classes of 2010, 2011, 2012
5th Reunion: Classes of 2015, 2016, 2017
Registration for Reunion Weekend will open in early March!
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Congratulations to this year's Distinguished Alumni Award recipients and Athletics Hall of Fame inductees - we look forward to celebrating this June at Reunion Weekend.
All are welcome to join and honor these special award winners!
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In early December, Mercyhurst alumni and their children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews attended the Mercyhurst Santa Experience (a temporary replacement for the annual Breakfast with Santa). Children visited Santa and received crafts and treats to take home. Santa was played by our very own former faculty member, Barry McAndrew.
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THANK YOU to our recent volunteers - giving back to Mercyhurst and our students is much appreciated! If you're interested in volunteering or connecting with students, please reach out to Lindsay Frank '12, director of alumni engagement at lfrank@mercyhurst.edu.
Art alumni assisted the Graphic Design Department in offering a professional review of senior students' portfolios. Volunteers included:
Kyle Bogucki '08, Gina Christoffersen '07, Katie Diley '08, Caitlin Ewing ‘14, Ashley Favata '16, Jeremy Hewitt ‘07, Burim Loshaj '11, Kelsey Mader '17, Jade Mitchell '16, Luke Pieczynski '03, Megan Steele '16, and Michael Wagner 17.
Each semester, Education alumni volunteer to serve as mentors for students completing their student teaching. Mentors serve as an additional contact for our students to learn from. Fall semester volunteers included:
Holly Villella '79, Kelli Trenga '06, Sarah Palm '06, Meghan Thompson '06, Meg Milligan '83, Marion Young '67, Mariana Mathewson '18, Gina Guttoso '01, Sonya Schmeider '94, Rachel Lewis '15 '16, Carla Wyrsch '05 '06, and Ryan Cassidy '07.
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The Education Graduate Program Alumni Panel was held in November and featured alumni panelists:
Taylor Cavaretta '19 '20, Rachel Costlow '16 '18, Kim Damcott '04, Dave Gerard 10, Herb Gilroy '22, Dina Hathaway '99, and Casey Main 21.
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Alumni also participated as speakers for several of our student clubs and organizations.
Judge David Schroeder '77 spoke to the Alpha Phi Sigma students from the Criminal Justice major.
The Laker Asset Management club hosted guest speaker Jason Staley '05.
Accounting Association presenters included: Sara Jaecks '05, Jesse Sworden '16, and Mark Long '77.
THANK YOU, ALL!
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Mercyhurst alumni can benefit from several great opportunities - check out the list below to learn more!
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Connect with Lakers near and far!
Alumni Chapters are available all over the country and are continuing to gather and form. Take a look at the full list to the right for an Alumni Chapter in your area.
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Career News
Matthew LaPaglia '20 was named a Tax Services Associate by DKB, a leading regional business advisory and CPA firm in Rochester, N.Y.
Jule Gardner Banville '95, a tenured professor of journalism at the University Montana, reported, hosted, and produced the narrative podcast, "An Absurd Result." Over seven episodes, she told the deeply reported story of Linda Glantz, who was raped in 1987 by a stranger who broke into her house when she was 8. The crime led to a wrongful conviction, an exoneration, and highlighted problems in the law when it comes to prosecuting older sexual assaults. Jule reported the story while on an academic year sabbatical and it released internationally via Mopac Audio in October and November of 2021, charting in the top 100 of true-crime podcasts.
Marriages and Engagements
Alysha Martini '14 married Tyler Rushton on Oct. 23, 2021 in Rochester, MN. Alysha works as a Pathologists' assistant and Tyler works as a revenue analyst, both at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
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Awards and Achievements
Katie (Clark) Krasa '07 and husband Nick, are the owners of Krasa's Kove in Findley Lake, N.Y. Krasa's Kove recently received national recognition at the North American Ice Cream Convention, winning a White Ribbon for their Holy Chocolate Flavor.
Births
Margaret (Peggy) Harold-Rauch '06 and her husband Jeremiah Rauch celebrated the birth of their daughter Wilhelmina Louise on Nov. 9, 2021. They currently reside in Clarence, N.Y. and Mina joins her older sister Cora.
Kristen McCarty '06 and her husband Yuriy Chernets announce the, birth of their daughter, Emma Chernets, born November 14, 2021 in New, York, NY.
Alumni Deaths
Marilyn (Garden) Seach '52
Virginia (Kelly) Kreydt '54
Jane (Canada) McNierney '60
Janis (Bodnar) Hall '65
Sara (Borrelli) Frederick '65
Mary Sheridan "Sherrie" Auth '67
Cheryl (Shutts) Albert '70
Jean Marie Bojalad '71
Teresa (Dennison) Burgess '06
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