This Year’s Recipients Were Honored Oct. 5 During Homecoming Weekend

Saint Dominic Award

Beth McCullough ’86
Adrian, MI

Beth McCullough ’86 serves as Homeless Coordinator at Adrian Public Schools as well as Lenawee County. Each year she helps improve the lives and educational opportunities of countless homeless youth in Lenawee County. Because of her efforts, she has received national acclaim and been recognized by the White House. For her work and leadership in our community and beyond, we recognize her with the Saint Dominic Award.

 

 

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Saint Dominic Award

Sean Jorgensen ’95
Monroe, MI

Sean Jorgensen serves as President of St. Mary Catholic Central High School in Monroe, MI. He is a tireless advocate for Catholic Education and has been instrumental in his work to ensure that financial barriers do not keep students from attending his school. He instills the Dominican values of education, preaching, and community into everything he does with his students. A recent graduating class celebrated 100% college acceptance and over 9,000 hours of Christian service under his leadership. His heart for mission and living the gospel is evident in his leading faculty and students on multiple mission trips to Guatemala.

 

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Outstanding Alumni Award

Michael Kirk Lane ’05
Astoria, NY

Michael Kirk Lane works professionally in theater in New York City. He focuses his time in the Cabaret community and is a two-time nominee for the MAC Award. His love of theater has been a springboard for many related good works. He is an associate producer for No Strings Productions creating puppet films for children in troubled regions. Michael is known for his creative generosity to SHU and spends countless hours of his time back in Adrian assisting with theater productions such as Laramie Project Ten Years Later. As former President of the Alumni Board, he continues to give of himself freely for Siena events and is very dedicated to this University.

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Recent Graduate Award

Thomas Thompson ’09
Burlington, KY

Thomas ‘Tommy’ Thompson serves as Director of Emergency Communications in Kenton Co., KY. In this role, he works to improve 911 emergency communications to ensure the safety of the residents of his county. In addition to his work life, Tommy in known for playing bagpipes with the 35th Indian Pipes and Drums. He loves to use this talent for good and often honors our veterans by playing after their Honor Flight home. Local elementary students know him as ‘Tommy the Piper’ as he volunteers every year at multicultural night where he arrives in full Scottish gear and plays his pipes to their delight.

 

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Sister Ann Joachim Award

Paula Zimmer ’69
Madison Heights, MI

Paula worked as a legal aid attorney and executive director at Oakland-Livingston Legal Aid and also worked at the Michigan Poverty Law Project in Ann Arbor. Like Sister Ann Joachim, Paula’s determination to minister to those in need stayed with her throughout long years of providing legal advice and guidance to others. She worked with pregnant teens, teaching them about their rights. She educated law students hired as legal aid interns in her agency, and she assisted the elderly by helping them to understand their rights and to gain access to legal services to which they were entitled. Paula advocated always for the people she served including young and old, the underprivileged and the poor and suffering in the State of Michigan.

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Honorary Alumni Award

Dr. Robert Gordon
Tecumseh, Mich.

Bob Gordon’s three-plus decades of service to Siena Heights reflect a deep commitment to student learning, a consistent openness to new ideas and new technology, and an unwavering embrace of Siena’s Adrian Dominican roots. Even now, some years into his retirement, he remains engaged with the people, programs and values of the institution. He is a true embodiment of the mission and spirit of Siena Heights making him an excellent choice for an Honorary Alumni.

To see more photos from Homecoming 2018, visit our online web album.