Class Notes—Fall 2018

Notables:

Two Siena Heights graduates celebrated their 100th birthdays over the past year:

Sister Ann Seraphim Schenk, O.P. ’47, ’70/MA celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 25, 2017, with a Mass in St. Catherine Chapel on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Sister Ann received tributes and congratulations from around the country, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and a papal blessing from Pope Francis. She was also presented with the City of Adrian’s Mayor’s Community Service Award. She entered the Adrian Dominican congregation in 1936 and was an elementary school teacher in Michigan, Illinois and Arizona. She retired in 1991 and has lived at the Dominican Life Center since 2004. She passed away June 24, 2018.

Sister Cecelia Vandeberg ’41 turned 100 years old on June 26, 2018. According to a recent article in the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune, Sister Cecelia is currently living in a retirement home in Davenport, Iowa, and is a member of the Congregation of the Humility of Mary. After earning her degree in music from Siena Heights, she taught music and directed choirs in Illinois and Montana and was a columnist and a music and book reviewer for “Modern Liturgy” and “Worship Times.” She also volunteered at hospitals, health care centers and literacy centers, according to the article.

From The Sites:

Battle Creek

1998
Tim Bourgeios retired as the chief of the Kalamazoo Township (Mich.) Police Department on Dec. 31, 2017, after nearly 15 years. He accepted a position as executive director of the Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards. MCOLES sets professional standards in education, selection, employment, licensing, license revocation and funding in law enforcement and criminal justice in the public and private sectors.

Diane Thompson has been serving as president and CEO of the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Mich., since 2012.

Rising Stars

“Rising Stars” is a regular feature in Reflections. It profiles Siena Heights alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years and who excel in their careers, occupations or community service accomplishments. To be considered for “Rising Stars” in an upcoming issue of Reflections, fill out the online form at www.sienaheights.edu/risingstars. Those who are selected to be included in an upcoming issue of the magazine will be contacted by the Reflections staff.

Heather Goupil

Graduation year (from SHU): 2013, Lansing.

Current title/position: Purchasing Specialist, Capital Area District Libraries, Lansing, Mich.

What Heather is doing: After graduating, she took on a new role as purchasing specialist for the Capital Area District Libraries. She is the public purchasing agent for CADL, a public library district of 13 branches serving Ingham County, Mich. She facilitates the purchase of supplies and equipment, manages contracts, solicits bids and evaluates vendors and suppliers among many other tasks related to public procurement. She has worked in public libraries for 14 years, and her goal is to eventually become a librarian. Immediately after graduation from Siena, she entered the MLIS program at Wayne State University and was awarded a master’s degree in Library and Information Science in 2016..

My favorite moment/story while a student at Siena Heights was: I received so much support from my instructors whenever I mentioned my goal of becoming a librarian. Many shared stories about the importance of the field or the personal impact libraries had on their lives, and this feedback really encouraged me to move right into the master’s program and see it through!.

Taking Ownership

Anita-Marie Quillen Works
Non-Stop to Lead Jackson’s
Diversified Engineering and Plastics

By Doug Goodnough

So you want to be a business owner?

If the answer to that question is “Yes,” then Anita-Marie Quillen ’05 has some advice for you: Be ready to sacrifice, get your education, work long hours, deal constantly with personnel and personalities, continually plan, be the ultimate decision-maker and learn quickly from your mistakes.

“It’s not meant for everyone,” said Quillen, owner of Diversified Engineering and Plastics, an auto parts manufacturing and engineering company of about 80 employees in Jackson, Mich. “One of the best luxuries I have is obviously I have significant flexibility. But the unfortunate part is my work never stops. I don’t have any downtime. … It never turns off.”

Despite those sometimes-chilling terms, the 36-year-old said the career path she has chosen is the right one for her.

And she did have a choice.