One of the College’s commencement day traditions, baccalaureate begins at 9:30 p.m. in Norton Chapel.

Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Washington earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from St. Francis College in Brooklyn. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, but received a Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary in Manhattan.

He was ordained an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and was a pastor in Harlem, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; Newark, N.J.; and Rochester. In addition to his work as a pastor, he served as chairman of the Orange (N.J.) Planning Board and a developer of affordable, lead-safe housing for the underprivileged in Providence and Newark.

In June 2010, Washington was asked to relocate from the Baber AME Church in Rochester to Queens but refused, citing his unwillingness “to start all over and reorganize my family” and desire to “see educational reform in this city passed.” He is a strong supporter of mayoral control of the city school district.

Washington founded Christ Community Church Oct. 24, 2010, and the congregation has grown to some 140 members.

He serves on 10 boards, including the YMCA, The Center for Youth, Community Place of Greater Rochester, and the Roberts Wesleyan College School of Social Work.  He is former chairman of the Rochester Education and Literacy Commission and teaches church leadership and urban ministry as an adjunct faculty member at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.

As part of Preston’s pop quiz, the students palpate their palms and observe the innate response of their fingers to the change in pressure. In addition to the natural study their own bodies provide for the class – Applied Anatomy – Preston passes out iPads for students to share and instructs them to open up an app called “Muscle and Bone Anatomy 3D.”

Sophomore Caleigh Alterio uses her fingertips to scroll from a muscular view of the body to a 360-degree rotation of the skeleton. Across the table, sophomore Nick Scherer scrolls through a similar screen image on his personal iPad, pointing out how it lets the viewer see multiple layers of muscle and bone, all of which can be rotated in 3-D. The download was just $7, he says.

Nick Scherer works with the iPad app in anatomy class

“It’s so cool just being able to actually see what we’re feeling,” sophomore Mackenzie Berger says as she mimics the movements of the arm, wrist and hand onscreen with her own appendage.

“I didn’t know the answer to [labeling] pictures on the lab exam, so this helps,” adds sophomore Taylor Szwec.  Indeed, the iPad app boasts video and even has an online quiz feature that Preston encourages students to work through.

“Eighteen out of 20 – bam!” Alterio boasts to Berger, moments later.

Alterio and Berger study a hand form during an OT quiz.

Preston is pleased with the app and how it gives students an interior view of the body, but it lacks just one element of focus, she says: the thumb. Perhaps that’s why Preston is so excited about another element of her biology classes – cadaver studies at the New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls.

Each semester, Preston’s classes make three or four trips to the cadaver lab during guest visit hours (when students are not in class). Given that cadaver labs are extremely expensive to maintain, she said, Keuka’s proximity to Seneca Falls means that students still receive the opportunity to study the human body up-close-and-personal.

“We simply go observe,” Preston says of the cadavers, which are already prepared for viewing.  “Students look at real muscle, real bone – nothing can replace the real thing. Of course, there’s a lot of apprehension before we go; we do a lot of questions about what to expect. But it’s amazing how [students] appreciate it, once they’re there. For a majority, it seems that they start off apprehensive, then start looking and then begin touching after a while.”

Preston stressed that respect for the dead is emphasized, and that she enforces a rule that genitals and heads remain covered while students examine major body joints.

“Definitely the shoulder – they really have to know the shoulder, the shoulder joint where the humerus fits into the scapula. That’s a big one. We also look at the carpal tunnel in the hand, and the students say, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so crazy and so cool,’” Preston said. “I love that the lab has a sign that says, ‘Here is where the dead teach the living’ – I think that’s great.”

Because occupational therapy is so focused on human movement, Preston said her goal is to provide multiple ways in which students will see clear visuals of the anatomy.

“I can stand up there and lecture and they can zone out, but when they can actually see the [plastic] models, or use the iPads, and then go see the real thing and come back and use the iPads again, we get those ‘aha’ moments,” she said.

This time, Miller will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

It will mark the third time she has been honored by her alma mater since graduating in 1956. Miller received the Keuka College Alumni Association’s Professional Achievement Award in 1974 and its Effective Use of Retirement Award in 2009.

Miller has given back to Keuka College in myriad ways, including membership on the Board of Trustees from 1984-1987 and 1988-1993, and continues to offer counsel to Keuka’s governing board as an emerita member.

But Keuka College isn’t alone in recognizing the Mystic, Conn., resident who exemplifies Keuka’s commitment to social responsibility.

Miller served with distinction during her 20-year career as a U.S. Navy nurse. She tended to wounded Marines in Japan at the start of the Vietnam War and was one of three nurses to care for the crew of the U.S. Navy intelligence ship Pueblo that was held captive for 11 months by North Korea. She also worked with veterans with spinal injuries and cared for amputees stationed in Philadelphia.

She retired in 1982 as a full commander and then began working in the nursing education department at Lawrence & Memorial Hospitals in New London, Conn. She also taught at the Pfizer Research & Development Center in Groton, Conn., before retiring from nursing education in 1999.

Miller served as volunteer director of the Naval Submarine Base New London’s Retired Activities Office in Groton and in 2008 was recognized for 14 years of service to the organization.

That same year she became the first woman inducted into the Connecticut Veterans’ Hall of Fame, joining many dignitaries, including George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States. She was also presented the Daughters of the American Revolution Award for Community Service (Melzingah Chapter) at the induction ceremony.

The Connecticut League for Nursing, American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and many other organizations have reaped benefits from her time and talents.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Do, rector, Vietnam National University—International School, Hanoi.

The inauguration of Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera as Keuka College’s 19th president May 4 was truly an international affair.

Delegates and guests from a number of foreign countries traveled to Keuka Park for the ceremony including Madame Hiam Sakr, president of the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Beirut, Lebanon.

“I was honored that Madame Sakr and Dr. Nabeel Haidar, vice president for academic affairs at AUST, joined us for the celebration,” said Díaz-Herrera. “I am particularly pleased to have the pleasure of welcoming Madame president to Keuka Park and the Lucina, where she was the guest of honor at a small, family-oriented reception. In a short time, I have developed a real affinity for her school and Lebanon; quite simply, Beirut is a most enchanting place.”

Earlier this year, Díaz-Herrera and Madame Sakr signed a memorandum of understanding that could lead to collaboration between the two schools.

Dr. Michael T.C. Hwang, administrative chancellor for China Campuses.

Keuka College boasts the largest enrollment of any American college or university operating in China, with some 3,000 Chinese students pursuing Keuka degrees at four partner universities. Michael T.C. Hwang, administrative chancellor for China Campuses and an architect of the Keuka China Program, took part in the inauguration as did Joseph Hwang, legal adviser to KCP.

Also making the trip from China was Prof. Dr. Shuxin Xiong, president of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, one of Keuka’s four partner schools.

Keuka also has partnerships with two universities in Vietnam, with more than 500 Vietnamese students working toward Keuka degrees at Vietnam National University (VNU) in Hanoi and VNU in Ho Chi Minh City. Dr. Nguyen Trong Do, rector of VNU’s International School in Hanoi, took part in the ceremony.

Díaz-Herrera is a native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and Venezuela was represented at the inauguration by:

H.E. Ambassador Jorge Valero, permanent representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations.

• H.E. Ambassador Jorge Valero, permanent representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations;

• Jesús A. Abreu-Anselmi, the president’s mentor who represented the Universidad Central de Venezuela;

• Exila Rivero (Universidad de Los Andes);

• Alirio Briceño (Universidad de Carabobo); and

• Maria Teresa Alejos-Cordido (Universidad Centro—Occidental Lisandro Alvarado).

“I was also thrilled that my dear classmates from Barquisimeto—Carlos Serra Blasini and Judith Bohorquez—attended the inauguration,” said Díaz-Herrera.

Keuka’s new president received his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Lancaster University in England. Although he did not attend the inauguration, Professor Mark E. Smith, vice chancellor of Lancaster, recorded a video message that was played during the ceremony.

The audience also heard a taped video message from one of the president’s children, son Alexander Díaz. The message was recorded in Japan, where he is studying.

Each year, one freshman and one upperclassman earns Experiential Learner of the Year honors for demonstrating initiative, development of a broad and varied portfolio of work, and personal reflection on the skills learned during the Field Period experience.

Marquart, seated, and Torres.

The six nominees for 2012 were nominated by academic advisers, created a portfolio of work in essays, photographs and other media, and were honored at a luncheon April 27. During the May 5 Honors Convocation ceremony, the winners were named: freshman Lelia Torres of Stockton and sophomore Sarah Marquart of Auburn.

Torres’s first-time Field Period experience was quite a coup, as she was the first freshman from any college or university to land a Field Period internship with the Chautauqua County Office of Probation (CCOP).

In Torres’ own words, she learned more than just procedures and rules of probation, she gleaned knowledge of the roles of related court systems, police and the district attorney. She also discovered a preference for work with adults, rather than juveniles.

The criminal justice major attended a number of court sessions; assisted officers in home, agency, office, and jail visits; participated in pre-sentencing investigations; and helped collect DNA. CCOP Officer Lisa Van Vlack, who supervised Torres on the job, praised Torres for her willingness to complete tasks that many people find uncomfortable, including collecting and testing urine samples and visiting homes in deplorable condition.

Nominated by Tim Bower, visiting assistant professor of sociology, Torres was praised for taking advantage of hands-on learning opportunities such as Field Period to enrich her understanding of academic content, and serving as a model student in adopting and adapting to an experiential method of learning.

At the Seward House Museum in Marquart’s hometown of Auburn, the sophomore English major used her January Field Period to rewrite the entire museum tour to reflect the voice of Fanny Seward, youngest daughter of William Seward, who served as secretary of state under President Lincoln.

Marquart found eight years of diary entries kept by Fanny from 1858-1865 documenting life growing up in Auburn, her father’s political career, Fanny’s beliefs and values, and her observations on everything from the Civil War, to the evils of slavery, and the assassination attempt on her father’s life. Marquart used the diaries as the basis of a new tour of the Seward House, one which would interest children as well as adults.

Rather than reciting details about artifacts in various rooms, Marquart said she “chose to use each room as a backdrop for what Fanny was writing about at the time in her diary.”

According to Jennie Joiner, assistant professor of English, who nominated Marquart for the honor, Marquart created an inventive and interesting way of meeting a need for the museum. It would appear others agree, since Marquart was also invited to share her experiences in a fifth grade classroom at Penn Yan Elementary School and informed that the Shakesperience Theatre Company in Syracuse wants to turn her rewritten tour into an off-Broadway play.

While Marquart gained skills in artifact preservation, organization and museum curating, she said she never expected her work “to result in opportunities on the stage, in the classroom, and in the museum itself.”

Saying that “we are obliged to reconsider a liberal arts education in a digital, connected world,” Keuka College President Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera today (May 4) set  the College on a path to become “the cradle for the next generation of scientists and humanists.”

In remarks after being invested as the College’s 19^th president, Dr. Díaz-Herrera encouraged the faculty of this “great institution to create the liberal arts curriculum for the 21^st century.

“What if we were to integrate computational methods seamlessly across the curriculum?” said the president, a native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela. “What if we were to produce criminal justice experts who solved cybercrime, nurses proficient in medical informatics, and English majors fluent in digital storytelling?”

Reaffirming the College’s historical commitment to the liberal arts, the president disagreed with those who question the value of a liberal arts education because graduates can’t find jobs.

“A liberal arts education provides its own rewards and combined with our Field Period innovation is a superb preparation for the world of work and service,” he said. “A liberal arts foundation is good for the economy and for democracy.”

Even highly technical jobs require a high degree of intellectual skills and contextual understanding, said the president, who pointed to Google, which is hiring 6,000 new employees this year, 5,000 from the liberal arts or humanities.

Dr. Melissa Brown '72, chair of the Board of Trustees, invests Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera as the 19th president of Keuka College.

“As the late Steve Jobs said, ‘Technical skills are not enough,’” said Díaz-Herrera, contrasting what Daniel Pink, chief speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore, calls conceptual workers vs. knowledge workers. “Conceptual workers are anchored in the liberal arts—strong in science, math, and humanities, plus technology.”

An education with a liberal arts base “allows us to be able to address difficult, global, complex issues by allowing us to place this knowledge in context without compartmentalization,” said Díaz-Herrera. “This is an education that unique places like Keuka can provide, and it’s one of the reasons that drew me to the job.”

Although the president has spent a good deal of time “ascertaining the hopes, dreams, and concerns” of the College community, he also spearheaded a campus-wide, long-range strategic planning effort. One of the first outcomes of that work is a new mission statement:

Keuka College exists to create citizens and leaders to serve the world in the 21st century.

Among the many topics being discussed during the on-going strategic planning process is the arts.

“We must bring the arts back to Keuka College,” said the president. “Conversations are under way with the Eastman School of Music to see what we can do together. Another exciting project is the potential reviving of the Sampson Theatre in downtown Penn Yan. We should be part of this effort and also participate wholeheartedly in the Penn Yan 20/20 planning effort. The Finger Lakes Museum is another project that plays in this arena.”

Díaz-Herrera pledged to “enthusiastically give my full dedication to the College in the only way I know: with passion and firmness. You can be sure that I will put my heart and soul toward moving this institution to the next level.”

But the president said a team effort is required to reach that level.

“Resilient academic institutions succeed because their faculty, staff, students, and friends are strongly committed to them,” he said. “I will need your total commitment, and I will work hard on building confidence and trust to achieve the solidarity needed to address difficult and changing times.”

In the discussions he has had with members of the College community during his 10 months on the job, Díaz-Herrera said one thing resonates loud and clear.

“Our community is passionate about this place,” he said, “and I must confess that the enthusiasm is contagious. I am fired up!”

To view a brief album of photos from the Inauguration, click HERE.

Nicole Groth and her senior art project.

Red, black and white clothing designs fashioned out of more recycled goods than just fabric. A giant animal cage adorned with photos and paintings of rescue dogs, with a door allowing a person to step inside. A bronzed sculpture of a hawk, wings stretched out before it takes flight.

All three art projects are the work of a trio of graduating seniors at Keuka College and can be seen as part of the student art show, which runs through May 30 in Lightner Gallery, and also features additional works by underclassmen.  And all three seniors are clear that their respective artwork makes a statement they want others to “hear.”

Cochell's designs, in 2D and 3D.

With her collection of red, black and white dresses, Crystal Cochell of Trumansburg is protesting in color and form the waste she observes in the environments around her, especially corporations. Nicole Groth of Henrietta showcases her work with humane societies through black and white photos of puppies playing in the yard of an animal shelter and color paintings of dogs adopted into families she knows, including her own. And Stephanie Lange of Apalachin is eager to invite interaction from the public — students, faculty and visiting community members — with the bronze installation she hopes might become the first of several sculptures to adorn the campus.

In Cochell’s six-gown collection, red Solo cups, familiar at parties and picnics, have been stitched together into a shawl and skirt. Black plastic garbage bags have been transformed into the pointelles of a skirt, laid over silk and fashioned together with the bodice Cochell altered from an old, red dress she was given. White strips of cardboard form the corset of another dress, from which hangs transluscent plastic sheeting.

“I’m kind of an angry person, but express myself through art,” Cochell said. “I wanted to use a variety of materials, but I did buy some [items] because I can’t find everything in a garbage dump.”

Cochell with her recycled gowns.

As with her inspiration, the late English designer, Alexander McQueen, Cochell also showcased her designs on the runway: displayed on the shoulders of student models at the annual Multicultural Student Association fashion show.

According to Melissa Newcomb, assistant professor of art, Cochell pushed herself night and day to complete the collection, and the dresses reflect a signature theme running through all of her art: the twists and turns of trees.

“You can see elements of her trees happening in the dresses exhibited,” Newcomb said. “The length, shape, repetition of lines, and textures through strong contrasting colors, are a reflection of her. She worked in her studio day and night with enthusiasm for creating something unique, but bold and dramatic. Someone with this kind of dedication is rare.”

For Groth, a shared dedication to art and to animals comes through in the wire “cage” built as display form – itself a statement – and an invitation to enter in to her personal passion.

To give viewers a positive perspective on shelter dogs, showing that they are happy, not aggressive, Groth adorned the inside walls of her “cage” display with black and white photographs of dogs in a North Carolina shelter playing happily before the breakfast hour. On the outside of the cage hang full-color acrylic paintings of dogs adopted into families Groth knows, with descriptions of each pet, including its name and personality.

Groth and her work close-up

“I wanted the person in the cage to feel uncomfortable, to show [them] that they are the ones in the cage, and if they were to adopt a dog in a shelter, they could bring color to their life,” Groth said.

“Nicole likes to tell stories in her work whether personal, related to family or her life. She shares her experiences and feelings with viewers, and brings you into a story,” Newcomb said, adding that Groth has been a student who “never settled, but took feedback and continually expanded on her work,” often building one piece into a series.

According to Newcomb, Groth’s senior project included visits to the humane society, meetings with faculty on the topic of her work and documentation through photos and paintings.

“She has built an installation in the entrance of the exhibit that you cannot miss,” Newcomb said.

That too, will be the case for the 50-pound bronze of a red-tailed hawk Lange crafted under the mentoring of sculptor Dexter Benedict, professor emeritus of art. Its talons grip the top of twisted pipe, and Lange said there is the illusion the bird could be settling in to perch, or perhaps about to lift off.

"Eagle eye" with Lange's bronze hawk.

“I wanted [to create] a feeling of uncertainty. I wanted [people] to go up and not just be intrigued, but to have an uneasy feeling. When you see the middle [of the post], it looks like the pipe has been warped and twisted—but it is welded securely,” Lange emphasized. “My intent was for [the hawk] to look like it’s about to take flight. It’s called Taking Flight. I think it’s me being nostalgic about graduation or something.”

She applied for, and received, a $500 grant to build the piece, which will also serve as the senior class gift this year. The bronze will be permanently installed along a walkway outside Allen Hall, the campus art building, later this month, and until then, a photo display in the gallery traces the steps Lange took to research, design and craft the creature.

On a nearby wall, an oversized portrait in multimedia of an eagle landing atop its nest reflects Lange’s interest in birds. Feathers extending almost outside the edge of the frame and other lifelike textured surfaces almost invite an observer to touch it.

“Stephanie is an explorer and experimenter when it comes to art. She is always trying something new or exploring a new idea,” Newcomb said, noting Lange has found inspiration in public art.

Indeed, Lange said one of her goals is to invite interaction from the public in the bronze, the way she observed the public interacting with installations along a “sculpture walk” in Spokanne, Wash., where she conducted a Field Period internship. Lange is hopeful that her work may serve to inspire other students in Keuka’s art program to consider contributing pieces of their own to the campus.

To that end, additional student art from underclassmen is on display in the gallery and on the fourth floor of Hegeman Hall through the end of the exhibit. A reception with light refreshments, free and open to the public, will be held for all student artists whose work is part of the show on Tuesday, May 8 from 4:15 – 6:30 p.m. at Lightner Gallery.

Keuka’s 104th commencement will begin at 12:30 p.m. on the Norton Chapel lawn.

Founder and president of Unconventional Wisdom LLC, a life planning consulting agency, Cohen is an experienced consultant, workshop facilitator, life coach, outplacement counselor, and creator of updated credentials. She has worked with more than 350 companies, universities, and government agencies in this country and abroad.With Career Systems International, she facilitates career development programs, career coaching for managers, retention/engagement, and mentoring processes. She certifies trainers and has delivered hundreds of customized programs in domestic and global settings, consulted with Fortune 500 clients, provided executive coaching, and facilitated retirement planning workshops.

Cohen has published newsletters on career/personal growth and writes a career/life planning blog for Hearst Connecticut Media Group titled Gameplans for Life & Work. She co-authored a chapter in The Talent Management Handbook 2010 and created Diving In To Living… My Way, a popular mid-life transition workshop that includes eight accompanying guides plus user-friendly tools “to assist adults in figuring out what’s next.”

Speaking on topics related to career development, job search, first job jitters, engaging generations, and mid-life transitions, she has delivered keynote addresses to governor’s conferences, professional associations, and conferences around the country.

Cohen, who teaches an online undergraduate course in lifework planning, was recognized by former Connecticut Governor William O’Neill for outstanding contributions to career education.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from Keuka and a master’s in education from the University of Pittsburgh.

A member of the Keuka Board of Trustees, Cohen frequently returns to her alma mater to lead career planning programs targeted at students. She received the Alumni Association’s Eleanor Judd Wilkes Service the Keuka Award in 2002.

Keuka's Class of 2012 Experiential Learner of the Year nominees are flanked by Eva Noberg-Sarver, interim Field Period counselor, and President Jorge L. Diaz-Herrera. The nominees, from left: Junelle King, Sarah Marquart, Kelsey Marquart, Lelia Torres, and Kelsey Tebo. Missing from photo: : Jenna Chapman.

Editor’s Note: The 2012 Experiential Learner of the Year award nominees were recognized at an April 27 luncheon. The freshman and upperclass winners will be announced at Honors Convocation, Saturday, May 5. Here is a capsule look at the nominees:

Jenna Chapman

Jenna Chapman of Gorham was nominated by Professor of Communication Anita Chirco for a combination of personal and professional experiences that enabled the junior organizational communication major to “move herself beyond her comfort zone.”

Professionally, Chapman has conducted internships with the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program and Lollypop Farm, where she promoted the welfare of animals. Her personal service to the community also includes a role as founder and president of Keuka’s Equestrian Club.

This January, Chapman conducted a two-part Field Period, assisting the manager of a Canandaigua restaurant, Peppers Deli and Pastas, with several marketing initiatives. She also conducted an internship at Buffalo Spree Publishing.

At Peppers, Chapman helped design coupons for a menu-mailer to drum up local business, created flyers for the new owner, and built a Facebook page for the restaurant, and launched a “like our page” promotion. At Buffalo Spree Publishing, she worked on revisions and fact-checking for the annual Performing Arts Guide handbook and wrote feature articles for the company’s Forever Young publication for those ages 50 and up, and for the mainstay publication, Buffalo Spree magazine.

According to Chapman, the experience at both sites was positive, but her time at Buffalo Spree Publishing enabled her to learn some of the intricacies of editorial work and she is now considering a career in that field.

Nominated by Tim  Bower, visiting assistant professor of sociology, Lelia Torres of Stockton was the first freshman from any college or university to land a Field Period internship with the Chautauqua County Office of Probation (CCOP).

According to CCOP Officer Lisa Van Vlack, who supervised Torres,the criminal justice major attended a number of court sessions; assisted officers  in home, agency, office, and jail visits; participated in pre-sentencing investigations; and helped collect DNA. Van Vlack praised Torres for her willingness to complete tasks that most people are not comfortable, including collecting and testing urine samples and visiting homes in deplorable condition.

Lelia Torres

In Torres’ own words, she learned more than just procedures and rules of probation, she gleaned knowledge of the roles of related court systems, police and the district attorney. She discovered that despite an earlier preference for working with juveniles, the work with adults was more to her liking.

According to Bower, Torres takes advantage of hands-on learning opportunities such as Field Period to enrich her understanding of academic content, and is “a model student in adopting and using this method of learning.”

Kelsey Marquart

Kelsey Marquart of Auburn spent her Field Period working for the Cayuga County Red Cross, developing a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the non-profit. In addition to assisting at Red Cross blood drives, the senior English major made more than 1,000 phone calls to potential blood donors prior to the drives, urging them to schedule an appointment to donate.

She also built upon writing skills she has honed as an English major, and branched out into journalism, writing three bylined articles on Red Cross blood donors that were published in Auburn’s local newspaper, The Citizen. Several smaller pieces Marquart wrote were also published in newsletters for the Red Cross and two related non-profits in the area.

Alexis Haynes, assistant professor of English, nominated Marquart and said the same intellectual curiosity and hardworking skills she exhibits in the classroom transfer to her Field Periods. (She previously conducted Field Periods at a community theater and a local SCPA animal shelter.)  Indeed, the Red Cross staff named Marquart Volunteer of the Month for January in recognition  for her many contributions.

Marquart’s Field Period with the Red Cross was her third internship with a non-profit organization and cemented her desire to pursue a career in that sector. Non-profit work has increased her optimism about the world despite the discouraging climate of the day, Marquart said.

“Not only have I learned many practical, applicable skills, but working in these places has made me more selfless and aware of the sacrifices people make in order to make the world a better place,” she said. “I hope to be able to impact my community and help others in the same way soon.”

According to Janine Bower, assistant professor of sociology and criminology/criminal justice, the core of experiential learning is the continuous, reflective process of acquiring knowledge and gaining first-hand experience while developing new understandings and putting them into action.

Kelsey Tebo

And sophomore Kelsey Tebo “has demonstrated a strong ability to design and engage in experiences outside the classroom in order to enhance her academic, professional, and personal growth,” said Bower.

After the experience Tebo gained during her January Field Period at Sunmount Developmental Disabilities Service Office (DDSO) in her hometown of Tupper Lake, Bower nominated the criminology/criminal justice and sociology major for the Experiential Learner of the Year award.

“Kelsey worked in Sunmount’s Center for Intensive Care (CIT), a high security facility that serves individuals with developmental disabilities who have committed serious, often violent crimes, including murder, rape, sex crimes against children, and arson,” said Bower.

“I worked with psychologist Lori Richardson, and I didn’t expect to be allowed to participate as much as I did,” said Tebo. “I thought I wouldn’t be allowed in the therapy sessions, but I was. I also thought the staff would try and shield me from the ‘bad influences.’ However, they took me under their wing and showed me all of the bad along with the good.”

Tebo says her Field Period “taught me coping skills to deal with situations that made me feel uncomfortable or threatened,” she said. “I learned how to handle myself around dangerous, unstable people, and how to dress, talk, and walk around the consumers to maintain my safety.”

Added Bower: “I was pleased that Kelsey sought out such a challenging placement. Her outstanding performance in my courses, and her advanced ability to apply, analyze, and integrate information makes her an excellent tutor for my deviance and social control course, and I have requested she serve as a tutor for my criminology course. I believe these experiences, along with those she is gaining through her Field Period work, will strengthen her candidacy for, and success in, a competitive graduate program.”

Sarah Marquart

During her January Field Period at the Seward House Museum in her hometown of Auburn, sophomore English major Sarah Marquart rewrote the entire museum tour to reflect the voice of Fanny Seward, the youngest daughter of William Seward, who served as secretary of state under President Lincoln.

Marquart found eight years of diary entries written by Fanny and thought they could be used as the basis of a new tour, which would interest children as well as adults.

“The first time I opened up one of Fanny’s diaries, smelled the yellowing paper, and saw the delicate handwriting, I never realized how much I had the ability to give to my community or how much I would inspire myself,” said Marquart. “During my research, I wore white gloves to protect the more than 150-year old diaries, which Fanny kept from 1858-1865.”

Her efforts landed her an Experiential Learner of the Year Award nomination from Jennie Joiner, assistant professor of English.

“I nominated Sarah because she took the initiative in creating a Field Period out of a summer job,” said Joiner. “It was inventive of her to recognize the need for a children’s tour of the Seward House and recognize that writing one from the perspective of Fanny Seward would be a fun and interesting way of filling this need.”

Marquart thought a new tour was needed after hearing the current tour—about the life of Seward and his family—where she found something lacking.

“Currently, the guide takes you into a room and points out artifacts that relate to the story and their purpose based on the room,” said Marquart. “Fanny isn’t represented much in the rooms, so I chose to use each room as a backdrop for what Fanny was writing about at the time in her diary.”

The diaries document Fanny’s life during her time growing up in Auburn, her father’s political career, her beliefs and values, and her observations on everything from the Civil War, seeing the evils of slavery, and the assassination attempt on her father’s life.

Since returning from her Field Period, Marquart was invited to discuss her experiences in a fifth grade classroom at Penn Yan Elementary School. In addition, the Shakesperience Theatre C0mpany in Syracuse wants to turn the rewritten tour into an off-Broadway play.

“I had the opportunity to learn many uncommon skills, such as the organization of artifacts both in and out of storage, and gained valuable experience about museum curating,” said Marquart. “I never expected my new tour about the life of Fanny Seward to result in opportunities on the stage, in the classroom, and in the museum itself.”

Junelle King

Through her January Field Period with Martha Robertson, chair of the Tompkins County Legislature, senior Junelle King solidified her interest in pursuing a career in local government.

She got a taste of political life when she helped Robertson, among others, lobby against hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Albany.

And, according to Valerie Webster, co-curricular transcript coordinator, being in local government is King’s niche. That is one reason Webster nominated King, an organizational communication major from Ithaca, for the Experiential Learner of the Year award.

“While we are on opposite sides of the fracking issue, I can appreciate her efforts, and we understand each other,” said Webster. “It was clear she was excited to be working in local government.”

King originally decided to pursue this Field Period because of her interest in community service, but it turned out to be much more.

“As well as learning more about community service, I learned about politics, local and state government, public service, community involvement, and environmental topics,” said King. “This experience involved everything I was interested in and for which I had a passion.”

King says “it was amazing how natural all of this came. I was not nervous or worried about talking to people, including state government officials.”

In order to create an in-depth report about local control and fracking, King researched fracking policies in several states.

“This was a complicated and timely topic, as our municipality of Dryden is one of two New York towns being sued by a gas company for its zoning ordinance barring hydraulic fracturing,” said Robertson. “Junelle quickly became an expert on the topic, which required an ability to delve into dense state websites and decipher legal language and complicated regulations. Her report is clear, well-documented, and easy to understand.”

Said King: “As a senior preparing to enter the workplace, I believe Keuka College has given me the knowledge and experience to excel. In addition to my coursework, I have achieved this ability through experiential, hands-on learning. My Field Period experiences, co-curricular activities, and community service have helped me solidify my career path.”

Dr. Gary Smith, vice president of the Center for Professional Studies and International Programs.

The Common Application is used for undergraduate admissions by more than 490 colleges and universities. It appeals to students who apply to multiple schools, said Dr. Gary Smith, vice president of the Center for Professional Studies and International Programs.

“The Common Application will allow students to apply to Keuka in a more simple and convenient way,” said Smith. “Given the complexities of searching for the right school and then filling out a variety of applications, we believe that the Common Application will streamline this process for those students interested in Keuka College.”

“With the Common Application, we expect that more prospective students will find Keuka College during their college search, and thus increase overall applications,” said Jack Farrell, acting director of enrollment management.

The Common Application membership association was established in 1975 by 15 private colleges seeking to provide a common, standardized first-year application form for use at any member institution.

The Common Application resembles most college applications, requesting personal and educational data, standardized test information, family information, academic honors, extracurricular activities, work and volunteer experiences, and other questions the member institutions have in common but used to ask independently.

Advocates say the four-page application is not only saves applicants time but allows them to channel their efforts into writing a single strong essay. The application may be submitted electronically or by mail.