Fall 2018

Student Spotlight

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Student Spotlight Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Brittany Christian, ’20

November 1, 2018

John Winters

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Brittany Christian, ’20, has big dreams. They’re not focused on climbing a corporate ladder or founding a successful startup. They involve helping others.

The Boston native, boasting a strong record of service while at BSU, hopes upon graduation to start an international nonprofit organization to help young people in Belize.

A political science major, Brittany credits service trips to Cambodia and Belize with sharpening her focus on a career devoted to helping others. She’s also worked on campus as a peer counselor and served as a legislative and community affairs intern in the office of State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz.

In February, Brittany participated in the 2018 Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy & Leadership Conference (just 73 students out of 800 applicants from across the country were chosen). That experience helped her decide to pursue a joint law-public policy degree in the future and to become a civil rights attorney.

We caught up with this busy junior to talk about her time at BSU and to find out what drives her.

Can you talk about those formative service trips?

I traveled to Cambodia this past March, and we had the opportunity to build water filters in rural villages alongside students attending a local university. They told us that despite their community service, they didn’t receive any government aid to attend school. It’s all personal funds. I thought there should be more effort by the government and outside sources to promote educational opportunities both there and in Belize. In Belize, where I traveled to three months prior, we worked in a primary school, which is unfortunately surrounded by gangs and other dangers to the youth attempting to get their education. We were under the leadership of Dean Lisa Battaglino, who has led this trip for several years. I fed off her passion and realized that I want to help kids obtain educational equality.

How did you become concerned about social justice?

My passion was born when I was in 10th grade. Trayvon Martin was killed, and the Black Lives Matter movement was gaining momentum. I felt there needed to be more advocates of color out there. At first, I wanted to be a journalist, because I thought it was a good opportunity to go into the field and tell stories about socioeconomically marginalized individuals. Then I met a teacher at Belmont High School, and she was a former lawyer herself who was now teaching. She taught me that if I was passionate about making change in this world that I could effectively do it as a lawyer. I said, ‘That’s the career for me.’

Did your family influence you, too?

Both of my parents’ families emigrated here from the Caribbean; my mother’s side from Barbados and my father’s side from Dominica. Both taught me about the importance of hard work and the American Dream. Neither obtained a four-year college degree, but my mother was often told over the years that she would make an amazing attorney, so when I shared with my family that being an attorney was, coincidentally, my dream career, I believe it made my mother the proudest. Holding on to the dream of my mother is something that keeps me going.

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Holding on to the dream of my mother is something that keeps me going.

Brittany Christian '20

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Student Spotlight

Fall 2018

Still blooming

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Still blooming Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Violet Santamaria, ’38, BSU’s oldest alumna, looks back over a full and eventful life

November 1, 2018

Brian Benson

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Violet Kundzicz Santamaria fits the definition of perseverance to a T.

When many of her high school friends in Brockton took jobs working in the city’s shoe factories in the 1930s, Ms. Santamaria sought a better career than one involving the monotony of manufacturing. “I didn’t want to go into the factory to work,” recalled Ms. Santamaria, 102, the oldest living Bridgewater State graduate. “Oh, I dreaded the factories, and Brockton was full of factories.”

So, she set her sights on what was then called Bridgewater State Teachers College and a career as an educator. However, attending college – even back then – cost money that Ms. Santamaria did not have. There was the $25 application fee, a gym outfit that cost more than $25, and a variety of other expenses.

Undeterred, she secured a loan from a relative, carpooled with other students to cut down on transportation costs and held jobs, such as assisting Bridgewater State Physical Education Professor Lois Decker. Ms. Santamaria also benefited from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration program.

At Bridgewater State, she especially enjoyed her history and art classes, and she recalls fondly some of her professors, including Gordon Reynolds and Priscilla Nye, who both taught art.

Outside of class, Ms. Santamaria participated in the glee club and modern dancing, and served as financial secretary of the Women’s Athletic Association, according to her 1938 yearbook entry (which, by the way, spells her last name Kundiz; she said she dropped some of the letters to make it easier for children to pronounce). She’s described as “arty” and “musical” with “an hysterical giggle” and “a mop of rebellious curls.”

Ms. Santamaria recalled a train ride to Boston when the glee club was invited to sing at a college in the city. “What a thrill that was,” she said. “We dressed up in our best clothes and had our picture taken. Oh, it was marvelous.”

Then there was the tea party for new students. “We were required to dress as though we were going to a big party. We had to be careful how we sat and drank our tea,” she said.

While today’s BSU students will have different memories, many can likely relate to Ms. Santamaria’s thoughts as she graduated on the Boyden Quadrangle 80 years ago.

“I was proud and happy, but I was more interested in what I was going to do for work,” she recalled.

Her employment took a unique turn when, after serving as a substitute teacher in Brockton but being unable to find a permanent job, she accepted a full-time position at Soper School, a one-room schoolhouse near Lisbon Falls, Maine. There she taught students from preschool through junior high for one academic year. Ms. Santamaria then returned to Brockton where school officials were impressed with her teaching and offered her a job.

She spent the rest of her working years imparting wisdom to the children of Brockton and Lowell.

She married Albert Santamaria, who was from Revere, served in the Army and worked at Mass Electric Company. The couple had three children and enjoyed going on camping trips during their 56 years of marriage. Mr. Santamaria died in 2002.

Ms. Santamaria had the pleasure of teaching her own children, although they weren’t so fond of having mom at the head of the classroom. “We couldn’t get away with not doing our homework,” said daughter Charlotte Browne.

Ms. Santamaria also kept up her singing, performing around the world with Lowell’s Immaculate Conception Church choir. She loved to paint, draw, garden and sew, and she is proud of her Polish heritage.

Reflecting on her 102 years, Ms. Santamaria attributed her longevity to God’s will and to those around her.

“I am so lucky,” she said. “I am so fortunate in many, many ways – a wonderful family, a wonderful home, a wonderful husband.”

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I am so fortunate in many, many ways – a wonderful family, a wonderful home, a wonderful husband.

Violet Kundzicz Santamaria

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Fall 2018

Winning big

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Winning big Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Losing father propels alumnus to greater heights

November 1, 2018

Heather Harris Michonski

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Sitting in an overstuffed chair inside the Red Auerbach conference room at Boston Celtics headquarters, Tyler Marcotte, ’15, smiled. He had a message for his fellow Bears.

“I want students at BSU to know it is possible,” Mr. Marcotte said. “I want students to look at me and say, if he’s able to do it, so can I.”

This past January, the Plymouth native was hired to work with the Celtics organization as a member experience executive. Just like the professional athletes who play on the parquet floor, Mr. Marcotte’s road to the Celtics required hard work, dedication and perseverance.

At 9 years old, Mr. Marcotte was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Because of this, he’s struggled with social interactions. “I was often on the outside looking in,” he said.

Sports is where he found comfort and began to build confidence. For his third birthday, he received a red plastic baseball bat that quickly became his favorite toy. He often used it to hit fallen peaches in his backyard.

As Mr. Marcotte’s love of baseball grew, his father, Stephen, introduced him to the Boston Red Sox. Together they watched the games, the elder Marcotte passing on his knowledge of baseball to his son.

In 2006, Mr. Marcotte’s father took him to his first home Celtics game. Spending that day with his dad and watching Paul Pierce, his then-favorite player, made a lasting impression. “My first Celtics game is a day I will remember for the rest of my life,” he said.

Early on, Mr. Marcotte was encouraged by his father to consider a career in sports when they went together to a college job fair hosted by the Celtics in 2010. Aside from posing with the 2008 championship trophy at the event, Mr. Marcotte claims that is when he learned of the possibilities within the sporting industry. The seed was planted.

After graduating from Plymouth North High School in 2011, Mr. Marcotte admits he struggled upon entering college. 51�Թ�� were not always his top priority. That all changed when his father suddenly passed away in 2012, causing Mr. Marcotte to re-evaluate his life.

“My dad was the hardest-working individual. When he passed, I looked at myself in the mirror and told myself I wanted to be a better person. I wanted to become someone my dad would be proud of,” he said.

BSU Learning Disability Specialist Pam Spillane helped guide Mr. Marcotte and paired him with Stephen Hill, ’12, through the university’s Peer Mentoring Program. Mr. Hill introduced him to new people, including study partners, and also exposed him to activities outside of the classroom. “He really helped me figure out college life,” Mr. Marcotte said.

During his sophomore year, Mr. Marcotte landed an internship with the Plymouth Pilgrims, a local collegiate summer baseball team. His responsibilities as an intern forced him to interact with many people, helping to strengthen his interpersonal skills. “I was always book smart, but I wasn’t people smart,” Mr. Marcotte said.

While at BSU, he continued to seek out opportunities in the sports industry. As a senior, he obtained a sales internship with the Pawtucket Red Sox. There, he interacted with the public, answered fans’ questions and talked baseball.

Upon graduating in 2015 with a degree in business administration, management and operations, Mr. Marcotte’s search for full-time employment led him to Frisco, Texas, where he found a job in sales for the Frisco RoughRiders, a minor league baseball team and Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

“Because of my disability, many thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. Some people didn’t want me to go. But I wanted to grow as a person,” Mr. Marcotte said.

He proved the naysayers wrong and for two years lived and worked in Texas. His time with the RoughRiders helped him grow both professionally and personally. With more experience under his belt, Mr. Marcotte looked to expand his horizons and used networking to open the next door.

He reached out to fellow BSU alumnus David Cohen, ’06. As Boston Celtics director of member experience and retention, Mr. Marcotte knew Mr. Cohen would be a good resource and point him in the right direction. He learned of the member experience executive opening and applied. After nailing the interview, he was hired and began working for the Celtics in mid-January 2017.

His responsibilities involve creating lasting memories for season ticket holders, and include ticket sales, in-game and other special events, draft parties, meet and greets, and pre-game shootarounds. He is at every home game ensuring fans enjoy themselves. While the goal is to build fan retention and sell tickets, Mr. Marcotte also has a personal agenda. “I want to create those experiences I had with my dad for other people,” he said.

Mr. Marcotte’s father is never far from his thoughts, and he continues to rely on the lessons his dad passed on as he navigates his way through life.

“In spirit I think he’s here with me every day, every game,” Mr. Marcotte said.

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

My dad was the hardest-working individual. When he passed, I looked at myself in the mirror and told myself I wanted to be a better person. I wanted to become someone my dad would be proud of.

Tyler Marcotte

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Fall 2018

Dressing for success

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Dressing for success Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

From Broadway to Boston and beyond, Emily Baldwin, ’05, makes sure the stars look their best in the footlights

November 1, 2018

John Winters

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Emily Baldwin didn’t realize when Bridgewater State Theater Professor Henry Shaffer called her backstage one day during her sophomore year that her life was about to take an exciting turn.

“I was in the costume shop because something needed an alteration,” the Northampton native recalled. “I told him, ‘I can do that myself.’”

And so she did.

Seeing this previously unknown skill set in Ms. Baldwin, Professor Shaffer not longer after made an important connection for the fledgling seamstress, helping her land a temporary job with a summer theater in Montana. “I learned a lot in a short period of time,” Ms. Baldwin said.

That job, and many that have followed over the past 13 years, have made her a much-sought-after star dresser and wardrobe manager in the world of professional theater.

Sadly, Professor Shaffer, who served as both a faculty member and chairperson of the Department of Theatre and Dance, died in 2008, but his legacy lives on in the many students whose passion for performance arts he helped convert into lifelong pursuits and careers. Ms. Baldwin is among those fortunate ones. “He was just amazing,” she said. “He saw things in people.”

During a Saturday morning last spring backstage at the Boston Opera House, where she was serving as the star dresser for the touring production of On Your Feet!, Ms. Baldwin recounted how she has worked on Broadway and backstage at theaters around the country. Her list of credits includes wardrobe supervisor for A Christmas Story: The Musical Tour, wig supervisor for The Music Man and Cabaret at The Cape Playhouse in her native Massachusetts, and hair and makeup supervisor for a nine-month national tour of West Side Story. She’s also worked in and managed various costume shops attached to productions in Massachusetts, Nebraska, Connecticut and Florida.

It’s the kind of profession that’s often learned on the job from experienced colleagues, and by watching and doing. “In the smaller shops, you really get to try different things,” Ms. Baldwin said.

Networking is key. When On Your Feet! was on Broadway, she was hired on as one of the show’s dressers. The job came by way of an acquaintance already working on the Great White Way who needed help one day doing the cast’s laundry. One thing led to another, a connection was made, and just like that, Ms. Baldwin was heading for a Broadway gig herself.

It’s an itinerant life – she’s worked in every state except Hawaii and Alaska – but it suits the outgoing and multi-talented Ms. Baldwin, who maintains a “home base” in Northampton and sublets a place in New York. “These are just the things you have to do,” she said. “Anyway, I enjoy the traveling.”

On Your Feet! is what’s known as a “jukebox musical,” a presentation featuring previously released popular songs. The Tony-nominated show tells the story of husband-and-wife team Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Ms. Estefan is a pop star famous for the Afro-Cuban hits “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Get on Your Feet” and “Conga.”

When the touring company took the show on the road, Ms. Baldwin was promoted from dresser to star dresser. This meant being responsible for dressing each of the three women who appeared in the role of Gloria Estefan.

The job entails everything from making sure the wardrobe is cleaned after each performance to being certain that every part of each “Gloria” outfit is put in place for quick costume changes (sometimes onstage or just offstage in the wings). Ms. Baldwin is also responsible for repairs and touch-ups to costumes: painting shoes, gluing on rhinestones, and sewing up rips and split seams, to name a few.

The main character in this show changes into dozens of costumes along with matching shoes and accessories. To those whose exposure to theater is restricted to audience member, hearing about all the pieces a dresser has to keep track of and have ready for quick changes can be overwhelming. Even Ms. Baldwin gets uptight sometimes. “Every once in a while I’ll think, ‘Did I do this or that?’ ‘Did I forget something?’” she said.

Clearly, not much gets by her, otherwise, she wouldn’t be enjoying the level of success she’s achieved. As for working on Broadway, Ms. Baldwin is nonplussed. “It wasn’t that I said I had to get there, but I loved it,” she said.

In fact, one of her more memorable jobs was with a touring production of A Christmas Carol in the small town of Batesville, Indiana. One day, the troupe performed at a local middle school, and the audience members’ faces lit up after the show. “That really stayed with me; you could tell it really meant something to them,” Ms. Baldwin said.

Perhaps the biggest performance she’s been part of was in December 2017 when On Your Feet! was featured during the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. The cast performed a medley of Gloria Estefan’s hits, and the event was carried on national television. That was more than just another show.

While all this is exciting, Ms. Baldwin’s most ardent passion is creating costumes from scratch, which she has done for many productions. That’s when she gets to use her imagination to the fullest and incorporate all that she’s learned.

By the time she landed in Boston last spring, Ms. Baldwin had been with On Your Feet! for more than a year, which meant more than 240 performances. Whenever that job ends, she knows her vast experience will allow her to move quickly to the next assignment, doing work that she loves.

“If you’re good at what you do, people will recommend you,” she said. “And everywhere I go is an opportunity to teach something and to learn something new myself.”

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Everywhere I go is an opportunity to teach something and to learn something new myself.

Emily Baldwin

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Fall 2018

Forging connections

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Forging connections Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

BSU art professor not only hires current and former students, he founded a company with one

November 1, 2018

John Winters

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

The industrial workshop off Riverside Drive in Somerset is busier than ever these days. On an overcast and breezy morning in mid-September, the 5,700-square-foot space was filled with a number of versatile artisans with no less than a dozen projects in progress.

This is where BSU Art Professor Rob Lorenson can be found when he’s not in the classroom, home with his family, or somewhere across the country installing one of his large and in-demand sculptures. It is here he designs and creates new work.

For the past half-dozen years, the workshop has also been home to a new business, Concentric Fabrication LLC, a custom architectural and sculpture metal firm Professor Lorenson founded with one of his former students, Derek Riley, ’03. Bringing in business has not been an issue for the new enterprise – the challenge has instead been keeping up with the demand for the company’s custom and niche creations. “We’ve been lucky to work with people who love these high-end projects,” Professor Lorenson said.

But first, the sculpture. After all, that’s where it began. Professor Lorenson’s career at Bridgewater State dates to 1999. A popular professor, he has been a mentor to many students; he can count more than a half dozen who have worked for him over the years, including a handful at present. He has also taken on student interns who learned about the profession under his watchful eye.

At the same time, Professor Lorenson has been actively producing his art. His distinctive sculptures range in size from small enough for a tabletop to public-art-sized works that stand 16-feet tall. These larger pieces populate parks and open spaces from Chicago to Providence. Meanwhile, his sculptures can be found in more than 250 private collections. Last year, he exhibited some of his smaller pieces at a gallery in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Professor Lorenson’s partner, Mr. Riley, earned a John Heller Memorial Scholarship while at Bridgewater State. The award is named for the late art professor who specialized in ceramics and metals. Knowing he needed a hand bringing to fruition some of the sculptures he had in mind, Mr. Riley turned to a faculty member with the necessary expertise and experience. “The projects I wanted to create I couldn’t do on my own, so I asked Rob for some help and never left,” he said.

However, he did take a hiatus beginning in 2005, working for an architectural firm. When the company went bankrupt in 2011, Mr. Riley, who caught the bug for building things from his father and grandfather, rejoined his mentor from Bridgewater State.

A connection was forged, and the following year Professor Lorenson and Mr. Riley founded Concentric Fabrication LLC. From the first, they’ve specialized in creating pieces that often begin in the imaginations of their clients. The client or an architect will scribble down the design, and from there, Mr. Riley turns it into a workable blueprint.

“He has this talent for bridging the gap between what the architect envisions and a way to make it a reality,” Professor Lorenson said of his former student.

Of the dozen or so projects underway in the workshop on this September morning, there were parts for a Jurassic Park ride in Beijing, two staircases, three handrails, three sets of doors and some large medicine cabinets. All of them custom designed. Some of the pieces are so specialized the processes necessary to make them had to be created or improvised. “Yeah, it’s not traditional stuff we’re making, so we have to figure out how to make it,” Mr. Riley said.

Some of the Concentric Fabrication pieces end up in houses that can be described as far above “high-end.” In fact, Professor Lorenson and Mr. Riley frequently have to sign nondisclosure agreements ensuring they won’t discuss some of their customers or their homes. No wonder. The products showcased in the company’s brochures and photo displays are strikingly beautiful and highly original.

It’s easy to see how working side-by-side with this creative duo could provide valuable experience for BSU students, past, present and future.

“It’s important that students see this,” Professor Lorenson said of the variety of projects created at the Somerset studio. “This is the world they’re going out into.” He looked around at the collection of large tools and machinery, outsize pieces of metal, scraps of this and that, and busy employees welding and drilling. “Everyone here gets educated every day, including me,” he added.

One of the most recent BSU graduates hired by the partners is Cody Lyne, ’15, of Swansea. An anomaly around here, since he majored in business and not art, he handles accounting, project management and human resources. He’s in good company, surrounded by fellow Bears. “Rob and I did connect over the fact that I was an alumnus,” Mr. Lyne said. “It’s good to know that the efforts we put in at Bridgewater paid off.”

It’s clear that Professor Lorenson is creating more than just beautiful work. He’s turning students into artisans, and alumni into creative professionals. “This is the kind of place where they learn about the process of making things,” he said. “And these are the skills they’re going to need out in the world.”

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

“The projects I wanted to create I couldn’t do on my own, so I asked Rob for some help and never left.”

Derek Riley

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Fall 2018

Facing the facts

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Facing the facts Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Recent alumna’s photos tell the stories of her native Haiti

November 1, 2018

John Winters

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Valerie Anselme, ’18, grew weary of people telling her she “didn’t look Haitian.” So, she decided to demonstrate the great diversity found in the faces of her fellow countrymen and women.

And she did it with her trusty Nikon.

The result is a collection of photographs titled Faces of Haiti. The series was displayed in Hunt Hall during the spring semester.

“Haiti became a great melting pot of different cultures,” said the Boston native, who graduated from BSU in May with a dual degree in graphic design and photography. Her work demonstrates this fact.

Ms. Anselme also used photography to examine the history of her native land. Another grouping of images, titled Origins, depicts hands bound variously with rope, chain and rosary beads. They represent elements of Haiti’s past, from slavery to Catholicism. A third series, Les Anselmes, features members of her family dressed as key historical figures in Haiti’s history. The photographs are as striking as they are poignant.

Ms. Anselme’s work has also been exhibited in Boston, Providence and elsewhere. See more of her work at www.anselmephotography.com.

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Haiti became a great melting pot of different cultures.

Valerie Anselme

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Fall 2018

Spreading sunshine

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Spreading sunshine Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Michael Katz, ’84, relishes bringing joy to children engaged in the battles of their lives

November 1, 2018

John Winters

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

To get Michael Katz to discuss the most rewarding parts of his job as executive director of Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, just ask him to share some stories.

There’s the one about the young man suffering from a brain tumor who, with the help of camp staffers, landed a date to the prom with Miss Maine. Or, the seriously ill boy who during the camp’s weekly talent show earned a standing ovation by overcoming his physical challenges, climbing onstage and singing “Fight Song.” Or the youngster from Maryland who wanted to meet his idol, a star of television’s North Woods Law, and camp officials made it happen. “These stories make me appreciate all that happens here,” Mr. Katz said.

Such magical moments happen all the time at Camp Sunshine.

The camp was founded in 1984 on the shore of Sebago Lake by Larry and Anna Gould, with a mission of providing week-long getaways, free of charge, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Each session provides a full slate of recreational activities, as well as support and medical services as needed. The camp’s 24 acres feature just about every form of sport and activity imaginable, from basketball to cooking classes and a volleyball court that turns into an ice rink each winter. Visiting families can also enjoy bonfires, karaoke, outdoor movies, archery, horseshoes, fitness challenges, mini golf and skiing, as well as indoor activities such as various arts and crafts, music making, and quieter pursuits, including board games and reading.

And, of course, there’s always loads of fun to be had by all on Maine’s second-largest lake, which abuts the camp.

Parents find plenty to do during their visit, including one night each session when the cafeteria is turned into a candlelit dining room so they can enjoy a quiet dinner. After all, a primary goal of Camp Sunshine is to give moms and dads a break from the multitude of challenges that come with caring for a ill child.

Mr. Katz (pronounced kaytz) said he sees it all the time – families and children arrive on the campus of Camp Sunshine frazzled and looking worried, only to leave a week later with broad smiles.

“Being a part of this is really a privilege, seeing these families and children, what they’re going through and seeing their courage. … We’re creating happy moments for them,” he said. “You really can’t beat the mission of Camp Sunshine.”

Mr. Katz graduated from what was then Bridgewater State College in 1984, staying on an extra year to earn his teaching certificate. “I couldn’t find a way to stay longer, or I would have,” he said.

He first found his way to the woods of central Maine in 1983 via a summer internship arranged through his alma mater. He spent that break working at Point Sebago Resort, owned by the Goulds. Back then, the couple regularly opened the property to groups of sick children and their families. In 1984, Mr. Katz, a Natick native, returned, and it was around this time that the Goulds became more fully engaged with the mission of helping sick children and their families and established Camp Sunshine.

After graduation, Mr. Katz took a job as a schoolteacher in Newton, while also working at Point Sebago in the summers. When Camp Sunshine went year-round in 2001, he had to make a choice between the classroom and the camp. He moved to Maine, and other than leaving for a few years to open a pub, he’s been working as a top executive at the camp.

Mrs. Gould, during a recent visit to the camp, stopped and talked with Mr. Katz for a minute. Afterward, she confided to a guest, “He’s a star.”

The camp’s main campus, which includes an activity center, a cafeteria and rooms for indoor fun, was built in 2001. Since then, dormitories for families and volunteers have been added, as well as a new recreation building that’s home to a basketball court and fitness center. Guests at the camp can also enjoy a serenity garden, soccer field, yoga yurt, outdoor amphitheater, gazebo and a family clubhouse.

From 23-27 weeks each year, Camp Sunshine hosts 40 families, along with 80-100 volunteers, aged 16-80, who address the families’ every need. (Some volunteers and interns over the years have been Bridgewater State students.) Since 1984, 50,000 family members from 50 states and 27 countries have been guests of the camp.

On a July afternoon, with the temperature nearing 90, the camp was hopping. An outdoor cooking class was going on; children and families were down at the lake swimming, sunning and boating; and inside the camp’s main building, guests of all ages were scattered about playing games, rehearsing for that week’s talent show or just chilling with new friends they’d made.

The camp regularly serves families of children dealing with cancer, renal disease, hematologic conditions, brain tumors and other life-threatening conditions. But no matter the illness, the staff and volunteers, “treat everyone the same,” Mr. Katz said. The goal is to allow, as much as possible, for the children and their families to enjoy an escape from the hospitalizations, fear and all else that serious illnesses bring.

The camp has been a great success, expanding its campus over the years and increasing the number of families it serves. Corporate sponsors and private parties who hold fundraisers, along with the continued support of the Gould family, allow all this to happen.

Mr. Katz, who lives with his wife, Lori, (and has a daughter, Maegan, now 26, who has also volunteered at the camp over the years) has found at Camp Sunshine his own oasis. “The job brings with it both inspiration and a real sense of accomplishment,” he said.

For more information about Camp Sunshine, to make a donation, or to learn how to apply as a volunteer, log on to www.campsunshine.org.

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

The job brings with it both inspiration and a real sense of accomplishment.

Michael Katz

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Fall 2018

All in

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

All in Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Roy Noepel, ’92, adds to a life of giving

November 1, 2018

John Winters

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Roy Noepel is one of those people who can be counted on when help is needed. From volunteering with a conservation site, aiding a food pantry and a theater group, to regularly traveling to Boston to donate platelets, the Norwood resident is always ready to lend a hand.

“Everyone has challenges, and if I can make someone’s life less challenging, why not help out?” Mr. Noepel said.

As for his greatest act of giving – donating a kidney last year to a total stranger – he didn’t have to look far for inspiration. First, he’d read an online news story in the summer of 2016 about an area woman in desperate need of a new kidney. Meanwhile, his son Eric '19, has for 17 years lived with Type 1 diabetes, a disease known to adversely affect kidney function, and all that time Mr. Noepel has watched his son test his blood sugar multiple times a day and inject himself with insulin.

“I thought, if he can do that, why can’t I do this?” he said.

“This” – donating a kidney – was something only close friends and relatives usually do. In fact, too few people do it. There are 123,000 Americans currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant; more than 101,000 need a kidney, but only 17,000 people receive one each year. The stark upshot of these statistics is that 12 people die each day in this country waiting for a kidney.

It’s clear the world could use more people like Mr. Noepel.

Though he was originally slated to donate his kidney to the woman he’d read about online, it turned out that doctors found her a better match. So, he waited. During this time, he never told his family about his plans. “I didn’t want them trying to talk me out of it,” he said with a smile.

At last, Mr. Noepel was matched with a transplant patient, and in February 2017, surgeons at Tufts Medical Center in Boston removed one of his kidneys to transplant into a woman whose kidneys were failing, saving her life.

On a late summer afternoon sitting at a picnic table with his son at Adams Farm in Walpole, where he serves as president of the citizen’s group that supports the 700-acre conservation site, Mr. Noepel talked about his days at what was then Bridgewater State College. A management science major, he was influenced by the late Paul Prescott, a special education professor who was a noted advocate for children with developmental disabilities and an Army veteran with 30 years of decorated service, including the Legion of Merit award, presented for his “dedication and exceptional leadership.” “He was a great influence on me,” Mr. Noepel said. “I’m just carrying it on.”

Mr. Noepel, in turn, is now influencing his son.

“I was surprised when he told me what he was going to do,” the young man said, “but I know my dad. He takes leaps. It just tells you what a nice person he is.”

Mr. Noepel is sharing his story for one reason: He hopes to inspire others to follow his lead. “Hey, if I can do it, anyone can,” he said.

Modesty is another of his traits.

“I’m not trying to prove anything,” he said. “I just wanted to help someone in need.”

Statistics above courtesy of the National Kidney Foundation. More information at www.kidney.org

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

Everyone has challenges, and if I can make someone’s life less challenging, why not help out?

Roy Noepel

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Fall 2018

Chicago hope

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Chicago hope Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Alumna works to create a synthetic ovary

November 1, 2018

Heather Harris Michonski

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

Children who undergo harsh cancer treatments often experience side effects that may not manifest for years, including long-term fertility problems.

Dr. Monica M. Laronda, ’04, is researching ways to help address these issues.

The Freetown native is director of basic and translational research for the Fertility and Hormone Preservation and Restoration program at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Through her research, she has helped develop a 3-D printed bio-scaffold containing ovarian follicles. Using mice, Dr. Laronda has successfully tested the scaffold and proven it’s possible to create a synthetic ovary that mimics and functions as a healthy one.

The overall goal is to use these results to support systemic endocrine function and fertility in women and girls with premature ovarian failure as a result of cancer treatment or those who have disorders of sex development.

Often when parents are presented with a plan to treat their children diagnosed with cancer, reproductive health is not considered. But when talking to adult cancer survivors, some suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms because of fertility issues.

“They are healthy, and everything is falling back into place, but they can’t have biological children. … That’s what resonates with me and motivates me,” Dr. Laronda said.

Her work doesn’t just address reproductive health, but also has the potential to restore hormone function to help ward off premature menopause. Studies show that girls who experience early menopause develop cardiovascular issues, osteoporosis, a decrease in muscle strength and in overall health.

“It is not standard clinical care yet, but for those who opt to preserve their tissue, we do offer a procedure to take one ovary out for children at high risk,” Dr. Laronda said.

There have been reports of more than 130 children born after transplanting cryopreserved ovarian tissue back into the same patient. “However, many of our patients would not qualify for this procedure, as they may have cancer cells inside their ovary tissue,” Dr. Laronda said. “This is why we need to create a better way to restore function. Hopefully we can provide better options for these patients when they are ready for it.”

Dr. Laronda is also the Warren and Eloise Batts Scholar at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute and the Department of Surgery at Lurie Children’s Hospital, and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

She became inspired to study this emerging field after taking part in a reproduction course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole while an undergraduate at Bridgewater State. It was Dr. Jeffery Bowen, a professor in BSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, who introduced her to the opportunity.

In order to work as an assistant in the course, Dr. Laronda completed her senior-year finals early. “It was a really great, intense course, and I was happy to be part of the support staff,” Dr. Laronda said.

During her six weeks at Woods Hole, she was introduced to and networked with 70-80 scientists, all professors who taught classes in both lecture halls and labs.

Prior to this summer job, Dr. Merideth Krevosky, chairperson of the Department of Biological Sciences at BSU, suggested Dr. Laronda consider Northwestern University for her graduate degree. Through her connections at Northwestern, Dr. Krevosky set up interviews there for Dr. Laronda.

“She had done her postdoc there and thought I should investigate the school … it was obviously a good fit,” Dr. Laronda said.

She’s come a long way since working as a bank teller while being a full-time student at Bridgewater State. Today, Dr. Laronda is considered a leader in her field and was recently featured in the May 2018 Modern Luxury Chicago Social Magazine’s “Dynamic Women” issue. Her research was also ranked 36 in Discover magazine’s “Top 100 Stories of 2017.”

Dr. Laronda and her husband, Aaron Brown, a high school astronomy and physics teacher, have made Chicago their home. She plans to continue her research at Lurie Children’s Hospital and hopes it one day will make a difference.

For BSU students struggling to find their path in life, Dr. Laronda encourages them to reach out to the campus community and to make connections. If she hadn’t been exposed to the fertility course at Woods Hole, she might never have found her passion.

“Talking to Dr. Bowen and Dr. Krevosky really helped me, and they were very influential mentors. It’s important to find mentors, make your career goals known and to talk to different people about it,” said Dr. Laronda. “They may be able to offer insight or put you in contact with someone who has had similar experiences. Be open to different experiences; it could lead to surprising connections.”

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

They are healthy, and everything is falling back into place, but they can’t have biological children. … That’s what resonates with me and motivates me.

Dr. Monica M. Laronda, ’04

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Fall 2018

Teachable moments

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:35:58 +0000

Teachable moments Anonymous Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:35

Recent alumni work in area schools while serving with City Year Boston AmeriCorps

November 1, 2018

Brian Benson

Story Series

Bridgewater Magazine

It was another busy May afternoon at East Boston’s Donald McKay School. Hawa Ture, ’17, spent time playing the card game Uno with students at the K-8 school. It seems Ms. Ture’s efforts earned her better than a passing grade.

“Today, one of my students said ‘Ms. Ture, I wish you were a teacher,’” she said, during a break in the game.

Meanwhile, across the city at Dorchester’s Jeremiah Burke High School, Shay Morton, ’17, worked with a group of sophomores. He enjoyed helping students hone their post-high school plans, a process to which he can relate. It wasn’t long ago that he was going through this himself. “We’re near-peer mentors,” Mr. Morton said. “We’re not classmates. We’re not as authoritative as a teacher or another adult.”

Indeed, these recent graduates are something else: participants with the City Year Boston AmeriCorps program. City Year Boston embeds young adults in schools across the city in an effort to change children’s attitudes about education. Last school year, the program placed 289 people, ages 18-24, in 23 Boston schools such as McKay. The group included five 51�Թ�� graduates.

City Year Boston members do more than lead games. They also help teachers prepare classrooms for lessons, aid children with homework and mentor students. They focus on pupils showing early warning signs such as poor attendance or difficulties with math and English, freeing up teachers to help those who are struggling the most.

The program seeks to keep Boston students in school and on track to graduate, and statistics show it is working. Eighty-one percent of children supported by City Year Boston members in the 2016-2017 academic year improved their performance on district reading and writing assessments. Almost 700 students increased their average daily attendance rates, resulting in more than 21,000 hours of recovered learning, according to a City Year impact report.

City Year Boston participants build valuable leadership and other skills. They receive a living stipend and funding to put toward further education and paying off student loans.

BSU graduate Gary Chow, ’16, learned how to create lesson plans and what resources are needed for each one.

“Through my service, I gained significant insight of what it’s like to be in a classroom full time,” said Mr. Chow, who, while at BSU, mentored younger students through programs such as the Bridge Partnership, which is designed to advance the educational potential of underserved youth from Brockton and New Bedford by providing summer academic enrichment, as well as year-round individual educational case management and support.

Fellow Bear Ellen Contini, ’17, put to use her BSU social work studies while participating in the City Year Boston program. “I support my students in a variety of ways. I encourage them to ask questions, try their best and never give up. I also assist them with their schoolwork, social- emotional behavior and attendance,” Ms. Contini said.

BSU graduates said they learn from those they serve.

“Both my partner teacher and my students have taught me so much,” Ms. Contini said. “They have provided me with invaluable experiences I will take with me for the rest of my life. I feel confident that teaching is the right path for me, and, with their help, I hope to one day become an educator that can help make a difference in my students’ lives.”

Students at Chittick Elementary School taught Lorenz Marcellus, ’17, to be patient and live in the moment. “Every day is truly a new day,” Mr. Marcellus said. “I learn as much from them as I try to teach them.”

Paths to City Year

While growing up, Mr. Marcellus recalled having a variety of mentors, including his grandfather and a neighbor. As a student at Brockton High School, he faced adversity when his father lost his job and the family became homeless. He initially lived in a motel in Somerset but transferred to a shelter in Brockton to be closer to school.

After high school, he attended Massasoit Community College and then BSU, where he earned a degree in communication studies with a minor in film studies. He was also part of the Bridgewater Scholars program, which financially supports students who have experienced homelessness.

Mr. Marcellus took full advantage of the opportunities BSU provided. He mentored grade school students and traveled on service trips to Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Belize. He met supportive faculty, such as Professor James Moore of communication studies and Dr. Michele Wakin of sociology.

Upon graduating, he saw City Year service as a way to continue inspiring the next generation. “The way I see it is I had people that mentored me when I was little,” he said. “My plan was to give back.”

Mr. Morton began his higher education journey in Northeastern University’s pharmacy program, but it wasn’t the right fit. He moved on to Massasoit Community College where he earned an associate degree and then transferred to 51�Թ�� to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in health promotion.

BSU offered a high-quality education with small class sizes close to his home in Rockland. And, City Year was a natural path to continue his love of giving back and serving others, he said.

City Year Boston was a perfect fit for Ms. Ture, who always wanted to work with young people. And, with many siblings, she brought personal experience to her service.

A first-generation college graduate who grew up in New York City and now lives in Malden, Ms. Ture first attended Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and then transferred to BSU.

“It feels great,” she said of being the first in her family to graduate from college. “It was a proud moment to have that accomplishment.”

Planning their futures

BSU graduates said their City Year and 51�Թ�� experiences helped shape their future aspirations. Ms. Ture, who studied sociology at BSU, hopes to help high school students who want to be the first in their families to earn a college degree.

Mr. Marcellus, who participated in the Campus MovieFest program at BSU, plans to write and direct films, particularly dramas, through the lens of social justice.

Mr. Morton would like to keep giving back by working for a nonprofit in development and fundraising.

“I’ve always felt the pull of service and volunteering,” he said. “If I’m able to incorporate that into my career and job, then that’s awesome.”

Do you have a BSU story you’d like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I feel confident that teaching is the right path for me, and, with their help, I hope to one day become an educator that can help make a difference in my students’ lives.

Ellen Contini, ’17

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Fall 2018