“Good Luck, Freshmen!”

Words of Wisdom and Welcome

Last spring, members of the 2014 reunion classes—graduates in years ending in “4” or “9”—were invited to jot an encouraging message on a post-it note that would be given to an incoming freshman. When the mailing went out, we wondered: Would anyone respond? The answer was yes—and every note received was posted on a first-year student’s residence hall door. The responses were enthusiastic and heartwarming, and came from alumni ranging from the Class of ’59 to new graduates of 2014.

With thanks to all contributors, here is a brief sampling of alumni advice:

• “You’ve chosen the best!”—Dolores Slosar, OP ’59
• “Good luck—and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!”—Christine Hardy ’14
• “Be your authentic self as you nourish your mind and spirit.”—Rene Boey ’89
• “Don’t let not knowing what you’re doing hold you back. Learn as you go.”—Angela Bidlack ’64
• “Work hard and never give up.”—Charles Frey ’14
• “Do more than belong; participate.”—Karen Johnson ’04
• “Professors will challenge you to succeed, not to fail. Everything has a purpose.”—Karin Schroer ’94
• “Explore beyond what is expected of you.”—Lorenzo Cristaudo ’14
• “Welcome to a great University!”—Jeanne Mosley ’59

Read more . . .

Nationally Recognized Counselor Carol Boulanger Daniels Carves Out
A Creative Career Path

Carol Boulanger Daniels ’93/MA, LPC is known for brewing an “amazing” pot of coffee, her gluten-free blueberry muffin recipe and “can keep up with the best of them while shoveling snow.”

And she just happens to be a nationally recognized counselor. The product of the Siena Heights University Graduate College received the Counselor of the Year Award from the American Mental Health Counseling Association in 2011. For more than 20 years, she has worked for Pines Behavioral Health Services, a small community mental health agency in Coldwater, Mich., as an outpatient therapist. She said the relationships she has developed with the people she works with is the best part of her job.

“Over the years people create their own styles and strengths as counselors,” Daniels said. “I have been very thankful for the series of trainings I have been able to attend. The trainings have been supported by the agency I work for and they have been very effective in providing the needed training so we can do our jobs.”

Her career in counseling did not take a traditional path. Daniels was waitressing at an Italian restaurant in Hillsdale, Mich., when she decided “if I could master the restaurant industry, I could do many things, even go to college.”

Read more . . .

Forensic Scientist Amy Harlukowicz-Proctor Is a Key Part of Michigan State Police’s Crime-Fighting Unit

To say that Amy Harlukowicz-Proctor ’93 is in a results-driven profession would be an understatement. She has dedicated most of her professional career to forensic science. The supervisor/manager for the Biology Unit of the Michigan State Police’s Lansing lab helps law enforcement process crime scene evidence that is often the difference in deciding guilt or innocence. It’s a responsibility she embraces—and doesn’t take lightly.

“We literally hold people’s lives in our hands,” said Proctor, who has worked as a civilian member of the MSP since 2001. “There is a lot of pressure to produce the highest quality of work possible with a very fast turn-around time. With that said, the sense of satisfaction that comes from completing a case and testifying to the results in court can be great.”

Proctor has testified in court 52 times during her 19-year forensic science career. After completing her Master of Science degree in criminal justice with a forensic science concentration from Michigan State University, she started as a serologist/DNA analyst with the Hamilton (Ohio) County Coroner’s Office near Cincinnati in 1995.

For many years she processed blood and DNA evidence as a bench analyst on cases ranging from criminal sexual assault, homicides, aggravated felonious assaults, kidnappings, robberies and arson.

“Pretty much any type of evidence that could possibly contain someone’s biological material has been submitted to the laboratory,” Proctor said.

And that included finding DNA off a submarine sandwich.

Read more . . .