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The University received a grant from the Ford Foundation during the 1960's to prepare people for careers in community colleges, then rapidly developing across the country. The two year program was structured as an "academy" for selected students who earned a Master's degree in an academic field (mine was botany) and a minor in Higher Ed. The program worked in tandem with the Junior College District of St. Louis providing internships in each aspect of community college administration and culminating in one semester teaching experience in St. Louis. The advisors were Chuck Hill and Don? and I attribute my career in community college work to this program. I would like to hear from other participants and also know how effective the program was considered by the University. Paul M Thomson, Ph.D. Founding President (Ret.) Blue River Community College Independence, MO

Paul Thomson
M.A. '71
Ph.D. '78

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  I got this SIU jacket from my roommate, Kathy Backer,
  in 1980 when we were working on our undergraduate
  degrees in Carbondale. I took it with me when I
  moved to Florida in 1989. In 1996, I gave it to my niece,
  Kristi West, when she started at SIU. In 2010, she moved
  to West Virginia. When I visited her this year, she gave it
  back to me. Now I'm mailing it back to Kath in Illinois to
  give back to Joanie who gave it to her. It's 30 + years
  old and going strong!

  LADONNA MORRIS
  B.A. Biology '81
  M.S. Health Education '83
  M.S. Educational Psychology '89

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I work at SUNY Sullivan, a two-year college in upstate NY and was recently promoted to Assistant Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.

VINCENT BOYD
B.S. Speech Communications '94

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Attended SIU (Health Care Administration) at Great Lakes, IL Navy Base while full-time military. It took me 3 years to complete my degree requirements after I retired from the military! I'm now a Manager with Our Global Vision in San Antonio, Texas. We help Profit and Non-Profit Businesses with Fund Raising on a global basis!

GENE MEINEN
B.S. Health Care Administration '90

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Little did I know that when I left SIU in 1975 my educational experiences would lead to over 30 years in the musuem field. As a textile conservator, curator, educator, and museum director my life has been enriched with travel, people, history, art, and architecture. I have toured behind the scenes at many of the world's best museums; met museum professionals from around the globe; and taught at the Museum Studies program at Harvard University. My sincere thanks to professors at SIU for teaching me more than just facts and figures, you taught me how to reach out for life and enjoy the ride.

VICKY KRUCKEBERG
B.S. '74 Clothing and Textiles
M.S. '75 Home Economics

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  I graduated from SIUC a year and a half ago, and since then,
  my life has changed considerably, but it has been positive
  changes.I majored in history and planned to teach high
  school social studies,and am someone who is fortunate to
  be able to say I'm doing exactly what I wanted to do. When I
  graduated college in December of 2008,I spent the spring
  semester subbing in local schools, and was fortunate
  enough to be hired that summer to teach high school
  social studies at Shawnee High in Wolf Lake, IL (only 22
  minutes from home). In fall of 2009 I began my career
  teaching two history classes, economics, government,
  world geography & cultures, and psychology. I was also
  the Jr. high softball coach, co-sponsor of the beta club,
  scholar bowl coach, and track coach. Also during this same time, I was busy planning my wedding (I got married to Kevin Mayberry), serving on the Little Egypt Search and Rescue team, and being a board member of the Inspiring Women's Program. Now my first year as a teacher is coming to a close, and I've really enjoyed it. I have a very supportive boss, and love my co-workers. I try to teach my students, especially those in my psychology class, to believe they can change the world. We spend the first part of our Fridays' working on our bucket lists. I also try to remind them to appreciate the simple things in life. I was recently named one of the Southern Illinoisan's Leaders Among Us for 2010. I'm proud and honored to be receiving this. I look forward to many more years of teaching...and I feel SIUC deserves a big "thank you" for helping me get my start.

JAMIE NASH-MAYBERRY
B.S. History '08

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At first I thought it was a very negative experience.I had good times,but I didn't always have fun.I went to class that was fine,I played Football that was fine,but when I got in the dorms it seemed like something was missing.I got chances to go off campus alot with family that was good and helpful.It was that something was always bothering me and I couldn't figure out what it was.I went to FCA and accepted the Lord,read my Bible and got baptised in the Holy Spirit.I learned patience,faith,and forgiveness and spiritual understanding.These were the best things in my life to learn then and now,along with an ongoing relationship with the Lord.I realize the things that I went through prepared me for life that I would lead and go into in the Lord and in the world.When I look back it was a very positive experience of where I am today and what I go through in life.If you look at the class notes you will see the Honors I achieved and the Nominates I received-such as Life Time Achievement Award.Thank You very much Southern Illinois University,for the hard lesson in life for what I had to go through and what was my lot in life or my calling. Sincerely,Donald B. Vinson.And thank Jehovah God,my father for calling me and bringing me through.God Bless you all and learn to walk in THE BLESSING.

DONALD VINSON
B.S. Accounting/Finance '81

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In the Winter of 1983, I returned home to Chicago after earning my Under-Graduate Degree at SUI in Journalism and began my career with Leo Burnett Advertising. I worked on a number of amazing accounts and was very proud to be a "Burnett-er". From there I worked at two other large Ad Agencies in Chicago, Marsteller Advertising and NW Ayer Advertising. My ad agency days laid the foundation for my move into corporate marketing and is where I learned the fundamentals of how to be a good client. I joined McDonald's Corporation in 1989 and worked in various roles over the next 21 years. McDonald's was a wonderful training ground and taught me much of what I know today about Brand Marketing and Retailing. My first 12 years with McDonald's was spent in Field Marketing. It was a wonderful adventure to work and live in a number of different US Cities helping to build sales in various Regional Business Units. In 2001 I returned home to Chicago and joined McDonald's US Marketing Department. For the next 7 years I lead the Sponsorship & Sports Marketing Group, did Strategic Planning, headed Promotions Development, and lead The Adult Marketing Calendar Team. During my days in US Marketing for McDonald's, I am proud to say that I completed my Graduate Degree and earned a Masters in Communications at DePaul University, Chicago. My time in US Marketing really rounded me as a marketer, but I had not yet done any Food Development work. So, in 2007 I joined McDonald's Global Menu Team and began traveling the world working on Menu Strategy and Product Development. It was an exciting time for me and prepared me for my first International Marketing Assignment. In 2008 I was promoted to Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer for McDonald's Canada. In this role I managed The Consumer Research Department, Strategic Planning, Menu Development, and Marketing for the Canadian Business. This was an absolutely amazing experience for me both professionally and personally. I found the Canadian people to be warm, welcoming, hard working, and most of all a lot of fun to be with. Recently I have made a move to return home to the US and begin the business and brand transformation of Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Shops. I am the Vice President of US Marketing and I have relocated to Boston, MA. I am thoroughly enjoying my new team, the people and the culture at Dunkin' Brands, and I am pleased to claim Boston as my new home town. I have been married for 25 years to my spouse Allison and we have two wonderful children. My daughter Elaine is a sophomore in Architecture at The University of Illinois and my son Neil will begin work on his Music degree in the fall at Illinois State University. Every Saluki Has a Story... and that's mine. Go Salukis!!!!

BRIAN O'MARA
B.S. Journalism '83

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  Finishing my B.S. before my husband retired from 
  his military career was my goal and SIU made it 
  possible - I finished core requirements of a B.S.I.T.
  degree as a 'Carbonite'. I had worked many years
  but was in a 'holding-pattern' to start work as a
  professional with a real career and my own retirement
  with benefits. In 1989 I was hired as an 'Upward
  Mobility Environmental Engineer' for the Department
  of Army. Next, I took a position with Air Force Space
  Command as a program manager where I received
  'Civilian', 'Team' and 'Manager' of the Year awards. 
  I went on to fill a position with the US Army Corps of
  Engineers (USACE) from which I will myself, retire, 
  unless another adventure looks too appealing to pass
  up. You see, I supported the USACE Chief of Engineers' Campaign Plan and deployed to Iraq on 4 January for six months - the 'Yankee Engineer' ran an article about my deployment - September 2009 - Adventures in Iraq...(a grandmother deploys- Yep, that was me!). I received the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Metal, Commander's Metals and the GRD Pin for Civilian Service in a Combat Zone. I now work at a Corps Resident Construction Office as a Project Engineer. So my story is simple, it's one of 'it's never too late' and one of 'continuing to enrich one's life each and every day'

SHEILA HOLT
B.S.I.T. '95

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After graduating from University of Mississippi with a BS in Math, I was not sure what to do. SIU awarded me an assistantship that gave me the opportunity to get a Master's degree in Math. In addition to my math focused course load, I was fortunate enough to take several graduate level Ed Psych classes where I learned a variety of skills that have helped form my career. Initially, I got started in my professional life doing some computer programming work for Merrill Lynch. After several years of learning about corporate America, I proceeded to the Pharmaceutical Industry to focus more seriously on data integration to perform various Statistical techniques. The Pharmaceutical Industry has some very interesting offerings for folks with Statistical exposure. My strong Math background coupled with the programming language and analytic techniques I learned in the Ed Psych classes at SIU put me on the road to many years of conducting multivariate Statistical analysis. It is a lovely feeling to use my education in my career.

DEVRON REIMER
M.S. '94 Mathematics

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  Im one of those referred to as Carbonites! I grew up in
  Carbondale and went to High school at CCHS. I began
  my journey at SIUC in 1992 as a freshman in Community
  Health Education. Not satisfied after finishing my BS
  degree in 1996, I went on to pursue my MS degree in
  Rehabilitaion Counseling. After graduating with my MS in
  1999, I decided to pursue my career in Higher Ed. I got my
  start as a student worker in Woody Hall working in Admission and Records. Ten years later im the Dean of Admissions for the Morris Graduate School of Management at Robert
  Morris University Illinois. August 15th, 2009, I married
  another Saluki, Brandon G. Sanders. While we originally met
  in 1990ish....it took a good 17 years before we would actually become a couple. I like to think of it as our own Saluki love story! It was as much as of a Saluki wedding as it could have been. Our dj was a friend we met at SIUC and we had many friends and family members that were SIU alums there celebrating with us as well! SIU has and always will hold a special place in my heart....I grew up there, I was educated there, I had my first born there, I met my husband there and some of my best friendships to this day were formed there. Thank you SIU for all that you have contributed to my life!

COURTNEY KOHN SANDERS
B.S. '96 Community Health Ed
M.S. '99 Rehabilitation Counseling

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Dr. Carl E. Anderson Received the coveted Laurel Wreath award of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., At their 79th Grand Chapter Meeting in Washington D.C. on August 4th, 2009. The laurel Wreath is the highest award given by the fraternity in recognition of outstanding achievement and meritorious service to the Fraternity and the community. Dr. Anderson, a native of St. louis, Missouri received the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and the Master of Science degree in COllege Student Personnel Administration from Southern Illinois University in  1956 abd 1958 respectively.  He received the Doctor of Education  degree in  Student Personnel Administration in  Higher Education from the Universtity of Maryland in 1969. He has been honored by bother institutions with their coveted Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. In his senior year at SIU Carl received the Service to Southern Award.He began his thirty-two(32) years professional career at Howard University where he served as Vice-President for Student Affairs; Acting Dean of Students; Associate Dean of Students for Administration and Student Life; Director of Student Activities, and Head Rsident Counselor. He also served concurrently as Vice President for Student Affairs for the Howard University Foundation.Following retirement from Howard Unicersity in 1990 he served as a memeber of the professional staff of the Post OFfice and Civil Service Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives until 1995. Dr. Anderson has received over 100 awards and citations for significant and meritorious contributions presented by community, educational, student, professional and fraternal organizations. Some of the awards include the Outstanding Service to Howard University Award, the Nelson Mandela Award for Leadership in Higher Education, the National Leadership Award in Education for the Decade, the John E. King Award for Outstanding Contributions and Service to Higher Educationg and the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean in 1990 from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrator. In 2002, he was selected by the University of Maryland as Outstanding Leader in Education. Dr. Anderson was a founding member of the Kappa Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc (KSEF), the charitable scholarship program of the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; serving as its President from 1994-2005. Since the establishment of KSEF in 1984, he has chaired it signature fund rasing event, The Annual Celebrity Auction and Soul Good Feast, which has attracted a sell-out audience of 700 guests for twenty-five (25)consecutive years. To-date, KSEF has awarded more than $1,000,000 in scholarship assistance to over 430 District of Columnia High School graduates. the endowed assets of the doundation currently exceed two million dollars. In February 2006, Dr. Anderson was honored at a White House Ceremoney in which President Bush present him with the PResidential Colunteer Service Award for his work with KSEF. He has been a member of Kappa Alpha Pso Fraternity since his initiation into the Gamme Upsilon Chapter at Southern Illinois University in 1953. He holds numerous professional affiliations, past and present. He is a founding member and formerly served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of University Administrators and the International Board on COundseling Services. He has held similar positions with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the American College Personnel Association, the American Association for Counseling and Development, the Higher Education Group of Washington,D.C., the Middle States Accrediting Association for Colleges and Univversities and the Peer Review Panel of the U.S. office of Education. Dr. Anderson has been invited speaker and presenter at many professional,fraternal and community meetings and conferences. He and his wife Ida Anderson have three adult children; all of whom are graduates of Howard university.

DR. CARL E. ANDERSON
B.A. '56
M.S. '58

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  My intention of earning my Bachelor's degree was long
  overdue. However, at the time, I was single and head of
  household, my earnings were decent, and felt that I did not
  need a to go back to school to acquire my Bachelor's degree.
  I had already graduated (back in the day) with my
  Associate degree and now I am working for a fortune 500
  company for last 15 years with great benefits, pay and
  incentives. Until one day, the company decided that there
  were going to follow the trend of all other major companies
  and downsize the company. Now, here I was without
  a degree, older and afraid. I knew out there in that jungle,
  I had to compete with younger recent college grads. Even
  though, I had the skills, knowledge and experience, it was a requirement that companies wanted you to have a Bachelor or higher. I had a few negative friends around me telling me I was too old and probably would not be successful. (whew), I am so glad I had a few other positive friends that pushed and supported my decision to return to school. One of my friends was a graduate from SIU. and recommended that I research their curriculum for a major/minor. I did, and found that I wanted to get a degree in Workforce Education, Training and Development. This program appeared to be the perfect fit for me to acquired my Bachelor's degree. My purpose of utilizing this degree program was to enhance my knowledge, years of experience, skills and training that I have accomplished over the years. I was at a critical point in my career and reaching that framework was through hard work and perseverance. I have earned opportunities to move-up, take on new challenges and increase my responsibility. BUT, without a Bachelor's degree, I had been looked over for a promotion, the better assignments went to my peers with more education. Earning my degree help me make an impact on my new job, achieved my career goal, boost my earning power, authenticated a commitment to my self-improvement, and emotional discipline. I graduated in 2005 with a GPA of 3.9. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, the reward enhanced my personal competency and it gave me a feeling of dignity and honor. There are many reasons people seek degrees in today’s day and age. As a grown adult, it may seem like an unrealistic goal, but it is achievable. You may be sick of your job, you may want more money, or you may just want to try something completely different from out of left field. All of these are justifiable reasons to seek out a higher education. Even if your reasons are not related to your job or potential career, getting an education is beneficial regardless if it is only for the sake of learning. After all, knowledge is power and the more you know, the easier time you will have in life. The only thing you really need when seeking out a degree or an education is a goal. A goal will keep you on track and prevent you from giving up. Set a goal and stick to it no matter what, you are the only person you need to impress.

LINDA A FOX
B.S. 05' WED (Workforce Education, Training and Development)

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I started my SIU journey at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1992. I was on my first shore duty and SIU ran a program where instructors came in and taught classes on Sat & Sun. I took all my upper division classes thru the program. I proudly displayed my "I am a Saluki" sticker, after first finding out what a Saluki was. I finished my classes and then was sent to Hawaii. I didn't complete my under grad classes during that tour. After retirement I wanted to go back to school but couldn't find the time. Then in 2001 I was laid off and decided to complete my degree. After talking to folks at the campus I determined what classes I needed, took them at my local college and graduated in 2005. I am proud to be a Saluki and I urge everyone who may have put their education on hold, go back and finish. It is a great feeling and it has let me pursue a career I love in tech training.

WALTER LETHIN
B.S. 05' Industrial Engineering

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My experience at SIUC, including my interaction with both faculty members and students, helped make me more of an independent thinker and a more open-minded and freer thinking individual and journalist. I was a graduate student in journalism at SIUC during the tumultuous period of student protest over the Vietnam War and a number of other important local and national issues. I have written a small book titled "SIUC's Days of Dissent: A Memoir of Student Protest." In it I recount some of the issues which were dealt with at SIUC in the late 1960s and early 1970s -- issues of war and peace, race, women's equality, civil liberties, law and justice and more. This was an incredible time and a time like no other before it or since!

ALLAN H. KEITH
M.S. '71  journalism

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I attended SIU-C for a year and a half, from 8/93-12/94, and I left before defending my Master's thesis. I'd
been offered a job as a researcher at Prevention Magazine, and I was excited about it; I was sure I could get
back to Carbondale to defend my thesis at some point in the near future. Months and then years passed, and
my dream of completing my thesis and obtaining that degree seemed less and less attainable; my new job and
new life, including a young marriage and then my first child, had become all encompassing. Years later, established as a freelance health writer, I decided to contact the Psychology Department to see if anything
could be done; I'd been so close, and not a week went by that I didn't regret not completing my degree requirements. Luckily, they provided me with an opportunity, and in 2006, after writing a comprehensive paper
on my thesis topic, I was granted my Master's degree. Since then, I've continued writing--writing health articles, yes, but also writing fiction. My debut novel, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, will be published by Random House (Shaye Areheart imprint) on October 13th of 2009. The novel took six years to write. I've come to learn that anything worth having is worth the struggle to try to obtain it.

THERESE WALSH
M.S. '06 Psychology

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I transferred to SIU from a Chicago City Junior College 1n 1966. I was a January graduate from High School at a time when most schoold did not admit students in mid year. I was a pre law student at a time when SIU had no law school. I completed my degree in December of 1968 and was accepted to three law schools when President Johnson revoked the draft graduate deferments. I never made it to my graduation because I was at Ft. Polk La. in the summer of 1969. In the Army during training there is no TV, radio, or newspaper so I vaguely heard about a man on the moon and a place called Woodstock. My future wife came to see me at SIU for the Spring Dance in 68 and I asked her to marry me while we were in my apartment at 806 College. I received a great education at SIU which afforded me the privledge of attending DePaul University College of Law. I am a life member of the Alumni Association and I am proud to say I went to SIU.

PAUL PLOTNICK
L.A.S. '69 History

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  I taught in southern California junior high schools, 1961-1995,
  with acad. year 1963-4 for Masters work.I Heard Sergent
  Schreiver speak in my senior year about Peace Corps. Felt my
  mission was working with early adolescents. I Retired after
  serving 34 years in education work. Worked three years in
  New Mexico with the historic steam railroad/ historic
  preservation work 2000-2003.

  HOWARD BUNTE
  B.S. '61  Education
  M.S. '64 Education

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Exactly 50 years ago today I came to Thompson Point, as a incoming Freshman. My mother and my brother unloaded by suitcases and I entered Pierce Hall, second floor, 4 man room, near Lenz Hall. What a view, lake and all. I went over to Lenz Hall for my first meal, and saw a young blonde, who also, was an incoming freshman,standing in line, picking up her food. I later learned she was staying at Stegall Hall two dorms down from where I was staying. Two years later, as Juniors, we married, a year and a half later, our first child, a daughter, was born in Carbondale. Now 48 years later, both my wife, who graduated in 1963, elementary education, are SIU Life Members of the alumni association. I was on campus last month and walked the same grounds and revisited by Thompson Point 2nd floor room, now, housing women. What a memory I shared with my wife, who was babysitting our grandchildren back here in Springfield, Virginia, where we have lived for the past 31 years. Thanks SIU for giving my wife and an education which provided the foundation for a long-lasting marriage and successful careers, i.e., I retired from the Air Force, 35 years, which started by my being commissioned by the SIU ROTC program in August 29, 1964. My wife, Mary, still substitutes gifted children here in Fairfax County Virginia. We have three grown children, and five grandchildren. Thanks for start.

RONALD BAKER
B.S. '64 Marketing

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STEVE SATTERFIELD
B.S. '62
M.S. '65 Forestry and Economics

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I worked as a student photographer at SIU from '61-65' and traded being a night-watchman at the photo service for a free room. An old bath tub was mine to use when it was not tied up with washing photos too large for the print washer. some evening I would return to find a note on the door to do some work, such as developing an important roll of film. One not asked me to pleae help the homecoming queen out of the bath tub, sadly not her, just a picture.

Charles Bertram

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I arrived at SIU in 1967. I completed all my course work in three years, taking up to 21 credits in a quarter.I finished long before my graduation date of 1971 (I majored in Black American Studies and to this day am the only person to major in this area from SIU! Why!) The three years I spent at SIU laid a foundation for what was to be my life experiences. I was already an athlete from an elite high school track team in New York (Boys High). I ran track and did football briefly at SIU. In track I trained with world record holder Ivory Crocket (9.1 100 yds) Chuck Benson (drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. In football, I trained with Jim Hart (St. Louis Cardinals) and Lionel Antoine (Bears, Cardinals). I had talent but I was more focused on my academics. I felt more like I was not at SIU to play games so I left the teams. I remember the team manager thought I was nuts because I was a walk on with a great chance of getting an athletic scholarship. The point here is that after leaving SIU I ended up running track and road races for 22 years! My closest friends in life right now are people I met at SIU from New York and Chicago. I continued my educational pursuits at Columbia University Teachers college getting an M.A.. ED.M. and Doctoral course completion for the ED.D.I published a manual entitled "Writing" for the Ocean Hill Brownsville School District in Brooklyn, New York and was commissioned by the Chancellor (Alvorado) of New York City Schools to put a writing program in place for the school system. I was very politically involved at SIU. My involvement continued in New York where I helped to get the first Black elected officials in office in the newly charted electoral districts in the history of Brooklyn politics. This included congress people, senators, city council people, assembly people and county committee people. I was a campaign manager in three of the campaigns. There was only one Black elected official when I started. He was Assemblyman Thomas Fortune, the father of SIU alumni Roger Fortune ('69). Another SIU Alumni Roger Green ('72) became an Assemblyman resulting in part from these endeavors. SIU was always noted for the educators it produced. The Viet Nam War was going on as I was about to leave college. I was drafted number seven out of the thousands of numbers given in the draft. I served in education because it was necessary for the national health, wealth and interest of our country. It was one of my obligations as a conscientious objector to war. I ended up in almost every facet of education imaginable including being a teacher, supervisor, Special Education Placement Officer, school Principal, district office and central board administrator. I worked in well over 100 schools and participated in every marked educational gain of the times. I saw a film when I attended SIU about how a teacher used affective qualities of students to motivate them to learn. The film location was Junior High School 57 in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. It's the same school where I began my teaching career! I retired after 32 years and built a new career as a Jazz composer, conga player, vocalist and recording artist. Yes, It all started at SIU! I participated in a drum and dance show at SIU. When everyone got paid for the show. I asked the head man, Jim Jones, if I could have a conga drum instead of the check. He agreed. Otis Gould, SIU alumni ('71) and later drummer for the famous Chicago group" The Chil-lites," taught me how to play in a band and my voyage into music began. My CD "In Your Own Time." became the number one Jazz CD aired on radio fall of 2006 by CMJ radio charts. My 7th and 8th CD's were recently released. Alumni at The SIU BAG Reunion July 2009 were the first to be exposed to the new release entitled "The Eric Frazier Quintet Live at Cecil's Jazz Club (two CD set)." Visit www.ericfraziermusic.com and find out what else I'm up to. That's my story! What's yours?

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  I arrived in Carbondale in 1998: an awkward, homesick
  18-year-old kid who'd never lived a day outside of California.
  My father flew out with me to SIU. He rented a car and moved
  me into my dorm. On the day he left he told me plain: It was a
  big world out there and people got lost in it all the time. But
  that didn't mean you kept out of it. I remember the awful
  sense of uncertainty as I stood on the curb of Schneider Hall
  and watched him drive away--the feeling that I'd entered into
  something I wasn't nearly prepared for. For the rest of that
  first year uncertainty would be my permanent condition.
  Gradually that condition would change. Uncertainty would
  fade to confidence, confidence to curiosity. Since that
  time I have lived in Italy, Ireland, Korea and Newfoundland.
  I have written stories about places and people I could never have imagined
  without first seeing them with my own eyes. After so many years and
  adventures it becomes important to find the beginning, the alpha, that point,
  place, and time from which all your journeys and adventures sprung. For me, SIU is less an institution than a genesis. It is the place where the world first unveiled itself promising and diverse, a large grand
  thing worth entering.

  TIMOTHY MARSH
  BA '02 Administration of Justice
  MFA '06 Creative Writing

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I was just visiting in Jordan in the Middle East and on Mt. Nebo, where Moses is said to have been buried, they had on display a Roman floor mosaic depicting slender dogs helping a hunter bring down deer and bears. I asked the guide what kind of dog it was (although I suspected I already knew the answer) and he confirmed my suspicion that it was an Egyptian Saluki. He added this dog was known as an excellent hunter because of its speed and intelligence.(click photo to review at the whole mosaic)

RONALD NAVERSEN
89' Speech Communication

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I attended SIUC through the Off Campus Degree Completion Program with my "home campus" located at the Dam Neck Navy Base in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As a young person, I was not prepared for nor encouraged to go to college, instead I ended up doing a 30 year career as a Sailor in the U.S. Navy. I spent many weekends at Dam Neck with a Professor who traveled all the way from Carbondale to teach the distant Salukis. Dr. Marsha Anderson comes to mind - what a fantastic professor to have. I finished up my program at Dam Neck, graduating in 2005 - nearly 29 years from when I had graduated from High School. I was fortunate to receive great encouragement from Dr. Bob Dotzler and his magnificent assistant, Sandee Barton (who I also had as my Physical Science Professor) - she's quite the rock lady and knows a lot about them. Thank you SIU for the great experience. Maybe someday I'll get to actually visit Carbondale.

BRIAN ASHPOLE
BS '05, Workforce Education

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  Coming from New Jersey and living in the mid west was a
  great change for me. Living at Thompson Point
  in the dorms was a thrill, the first football game at night, the
  first Saluki basketball game, walking around
  campus being one in the crowd. The first day pushing my
  wheelchair across campus myself, I knew then
  that I would make it at Carbondale I had unfair advantages but
  the third day I got my motorized chair and
  I was on my way. The first class was math at 8 am in the
  morning my last class five years later was 11 am
  in the morning.. What a difference 4 years makes.. cannot
  forget the many friends at Thompson Point,
  the Alpha and Kappa brothers that were friends, the risk games in Brown Hall and the wheelchair football
  games on sat mornings at the arena parking lot.

  GARY NORRIS GRAY
  BA '78, History

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Journalism School was the best! Working as Production Manager of the Daily Egyptian helped me with skills that gave me great opportunity over the years. Marcia Bullock of USA Weekend fame worked alongside me during those school days and I was part of the launch of that publication in later years. Her talent attests to the quality of education provided by our faculty then. After years of editing and publishing products, I am now finishing a career as a Special Education teacher in Virginia, telling my students the many stories I learned from Journalism professors like Cliff Lawhorn, Harlen Mendenhall and Lenny Granato. I also fondly remember Philosophy Professor Paul Schilp and Political Science Professor John Jackson. Both gave me knowledge about life that has made it so meaningful and fulfilling.

ROBERT SMITH
BS '73, Journalism

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PATRICK STALEY
BA '87, Radio-Television

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After leaving Illinois with a B.A. in French, I hit the road and studied in France. Then I moved to San Francisco where I got an M.A. in Education teaching Southeast Asian refugees ESL before moving to Tokyo, Japan. There I taught ESL for 25 years. In recent years I have morphed into writing travel feature articles and photo essays. My photo site and my photo blog links have samples of my work.

JOHN LANDER
BA '78, Special Major 

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Everything I have in my life I can pretty much trace back to going to SIU...my career, my wife, my friends. I work for WBEZ-FM (the NPR station in Chicago). I interviewed for a job as an engineer in 1986, a few months after graduation, and landed the gig because of the skills I acquired working for the Broadcasting Service. I met my wife because I played pickup volleyball with a friend from SIU. Most of my close friends are Salukis. We all got together working at Channel 8 and WSIU-FM and have remained close ever since. We see each other regularly through weddings, kid’s parties, Cubs games, trips to Memphis and elsewhere. Tell the same stores over and over and laugh every time. Loved the campus the first time I visited and still do.

STEVEN WARANAUSKAS
BA '86, Radio-Television

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  I remember the day my father left me outside Warren Hall. It
  was my first time away from home, and the campus seemed
  to extend to infinity. I was fortunate to settle into campus
  life, completing both a master's degree in Administration
  of Justice and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. I loved
  the Ed. Psych program because they allowed me to tailor
  my degree to gain the research and statistics tools that I
  wanted for a career in research. In 1984, I was hired to work
  in the Office of Institutional Research and Studies. Over the
  years, I held many positions at SIU, all employing the
  research and statistical skills acquired through my education.
  I decided to "rewire" in 2000. I quit the university and started
  my own small business. As an artist, the creative side of me
  needed more than pie charts to attain satisfaction. While I built my business, I also had
  the opportunity to teach Sociology at the Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida. Nearly ten years later, my small business, The Drum People, thrives, even in hard economic times. My husband, Keith Little Badger builds Native American drums, which I paint. We spent about six years traveling the country selling our artwork at Native American powwows and Art Festivals. Now we rely solely on the Internet for sales. I learned all of my computer skills "on the job" at SIU. These skills were invaluable in developing a web site, assessing my customer base and becoming an international company. You can find us at http://www.thedrumpeople.com. Both my education and my work experience at SIU have allowed me to pursue my dream of being an artist and actually making a living at it! Thank you, SIU, and hello to all my old friends.

CHERYL FARABAUGH
MS '82, Administration of Justice
Ph.D. '89, Education

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My first time at SIUC was a complete culture shock at first. It was my first time away from home. My best memories of SIUC was being apart of the SOAR Staff and living in the resident halls and experiencing everything that is Saluki.

BIANCA ADAMS
BS '06, Rehabilitation Services

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