“Be the Change” introduced some new faces this month — green advocate “Lea” Foley, literacy champion Leah Rosenwasser, Baird Center director Brandon Schultz, communication sciences and disorders professor Brenda Seal, and Benedictine Sister Glenna Smith.
Each world changer has decided to make a difference in his or her own special way; read their stories and be inspired.
Steve Smith (‘71), Associate VP, JMU Constituent Relations, sent me an e-mail this week. One of his friends, Jim Sheldrake (‘72) is at Disney. “Occasionally I take advantage of my role as a manager at Disney University by reviewing our College Program arrivals for any JMU students, greet them on their first day of training at DU, and offer ongoing support or mentoring during their term. This term we have seven,” he says. Way to go, Jim. JMU people have a way of looking out for each other.
The alumni association is asking for votes on the biggest JMU story of 2008. At the moment, it seems to be a tight race between JMU football, Obama’s campaign visit and the JMU Centennial.
Have your say, vote today!
I recently received a message from JMU world changer Sarita Hartz who appealed to supporters for help and prayers as conditions in Uganda deteriorated due to the offensive against the LRA. As is often the case, women and children become innocent victims of war and military action.
For more on the complexities of the situation, Zion Project and Hartz’ work in the region visit www.zionproject.com.
Lansana Juana from West Africa nominated Ginny Mooy: “Ginny Mooy is an anthropologist from the University of Amsterdam who traveled to Sierra Leone in 2006/2007 to do her Masters research on the topic of ex-child soldiers. She did the research for four (4) months, based on her findings, upon her return to the Netherlands, she decided to develop an initiative called Mind to Change.”
We were saddened to receive the news of Elizabeth Gauldin’s (‘50) passing. She was truly a Madison original.
Gauldin had a long and distinguished career including work with NASA. In 1970, when the Apollo 13 mission developed problems, she played an instrumental role in engineering the solution that saved the astronauts’ lives.
As one of my colleagues remarked upon hearing the news: “alas, we will all die; what matters is how we live.” And Gauldin’s was a life well lived.
In a tribute to her mother, Catherine Gauldin wrote of her mother’s commitment to try to make a difference in the world. “She had a great heart for the forgotten of the world, the downtrodden, the lost, the shattered, the desperate. Her first contact as a volunteer was with the Open Door Mission, a shelter for the homeless where she acted as a tutor, helping and encouraging people to work towards their GED and from there to eventual liberation from a hopeless life on the street. Next she volunteered as a tutor for elementary age school children, then became involved with the volunteer program at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and eventually found the way to Crossroads, and through them acted as a mentor at both the Krause Children’s Center and at the Harris County Boot Camp. She willingly offered herself in the hard places of the world because she knew those were the places where compassion can make the most impact.”
Elizabeth Gauldin will be missed; her friends, colleagues and the Madison community will continue to remember this remarkable woman who truly exemplified “Be the Change.”
