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Viterbo Class of 2020 honored in unique ways
The Class of 2020, the newest members of Viterbo University's alumni family, got a graduation sendoff unlike any that has come before. Members of the Viterbo community assembled 410 grad kits to send candidates for graduation so they could celebrate their accomplishments with some of the trappings of the traditional commencement ceremony.
On May 9, the graduates were saluted in virtual Marking the Milestone ceremonies, with six sessions featuring remarks from President Glena Temple, comments from deans/chairs, and congratulatory messages from faculty and Viterbo community members, and another video features congratulatory messages from alumni. This year's graduates will be celebrated in a more traditional face-to-face ceremony when larger gatherings can be held safely.
Many graduates took part in a cap decorating challenge, turning their mortarboards into works of art. A collection of decorated caps can be found on Viterbo's Flickr page.
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Web Page Aims to Keep Viterbo Moving Forward
A new page on the Viterbo University website was recently launched to handy place to find a wide variety of online resources for alumni, students, and others in the Viterbo community. The Moving Forward @ Viterbo page was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic but will be useful long after we have moved beyond it.
The page is a portal to a virtual relaxation room with recordings of meditations and contemplative music, links to media reports involving the Viterbo community, a comprehensive list of community resources, online spiritual resources, and links to an assortment of videos, from Marking the Milestone graduation recognition to virtual musical collaborations to year-end messages from members of the Viterbo community..
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For Grocery Industry, There Was No Playbook for a Pandemic
Mark Skogen ’92, president and CEO of Festival Foods, reflects on how grocery stores have adapted and become a lifeline for people in these troubled times, and how the employees who work in the stores have won newfound respect and appreciation.
Check out the story
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Counselors Find New Strategies to Help |
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Mental health counselors Tara Allert ’16, ’18, and Amanda Falkers ’11, ’15, are dealing with new methods of helping people at a time when their clients are faced with an unprecedented situation while facing new challenges themselves. Both are working on doctoral degrees at Viterbo.
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Michelle (Fellenz) Powell '10, who teaches at Spence Elementary in La Crosse, got a surprise parade of well-wishers to help her celebrate winning a Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship. |
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Education Alumni Earn High Marks for Work |
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Teachers who have gained and sharpened their education skills at Viterbo are being honored this spring as masters of their craft.
Megan (Hellman) Bauer ’17, a teacher at Blessed Sacrament Elementary School in La Crosse, and Michelle (Fellenz) Powell ’10, a preschool teacher at Spence Elementary in La Crosse, were named Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Teacher Fellows this year.
In addition, Donna Drescher '97 was named Blue Earth Area Teacher of the Year for her work as an English language development teacher in Blue Earth, Minn.
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 Viterbo alumni Joseph Madary '17 and Jake Engel '15 created a video of a vocal duet in honor of retiring Professor Daniel Johnson-Wilmot |
Retiree Tributes Include Song for Johnson-Wilmot
Viterbo music Professor Daniel Johnson-Wilmot retired this spring after 47 years at the university. Among the tributes to him was a virtual duet by alumni Joseph Madary ’17 and Jake Engel ’15. Madary, a tenor, and Engel, a baritone, sang a duet from Georges Bizet's 1863 opera, The Pearl Fishers, accompanied by pianist David Richardson.
In addition, a video was created honoring this year’s retirees, which in addition to Johnson-Wilmot include Carol Klitzke, Susie Hughes, Marlene Fisher, Lisa Schoenfielder, and Jo Ann Marson.
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Nurses Go to Front Lines in COVID-19 War
Viterbo University graduate Brandyn Domnie ’18 and a co-worker at Gundersen Health System recently left their jobs in La Crosse to work as nurses in the epicenter of the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic, New York City. They were hired to work three months at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, a hospital where 95 percent of the patients had tested positive for COVID-19. Domnie expects to return by the end of July. Watch the local news report.
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FSPA Prayer Garden Starting to Blossom |
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Construction on the FSPA Prayer Garden is progressing nicely with a scheduled completion date of mid-June. The garden, located between the Student Development Center and the Dancing Francis statue, will include multiple flower beds (one in the shape of the San Damiano Cross), benches, lighting, and shrubbery to provide a sense of privacy for quiet reflection. The intention is to have a formal dedication sometime in late summer or early fall.
If you would like to participate by making a gift, visit our online giving page and designate your gift to FSPA Prayer Garden. |
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Share Your Stories with Us
Do you have a story to tell about your life since graduating from Viterbo or perspectives on how your time here shaped your life and set your course? Maybe you've received a great honor, achieved a lifelong goal, or had an experience people should know about. We have a dedicated email account just for such stories, and we'd love to hear from you. KEEPING UP: The Viterbo University alumni email newsletter is published monthly. To keep up on the latest news, visit websites for Viterbo alumni, Fine Arts Center, and V-Hawks athletics. |
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GETTING IN TOUCH
Kathy Duerwachter |
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