GARY – Hundreds of students, alumni and supporters toasted Calumet College of St. Joseph for “making a difference” at its 60th Annual Board of Trustees’ Scholarship Gala last month at the Hard Rock Casino.
In welcoming guests to the fundraising dinner, especially alumni and past and present faculty and staff, college president Dr. Amy McCormack touched upon the Catholic college’s vision to be a place where students can “Be known, be successful and belong.”
Preparing the crowd for a video program that featured not only the night’s award winners, but also students and alumni, McCormack said, “I hope you not only hear (our) mission come through from the honorees and students, but that you can feel it.”
The video introduced special guests Dr. Juan Andrade Jr., recipient of the St. Joseph the Worker Award; Mark Kalwinski, CCSJ ’76 and ’77, recipient of the Brother Gerard Von Hagel Alumni Award; and Father David Kelly, C.PP.S. and Sister Donna Liette, C.PP.S., representing the Corporate Leadership Award honoree, the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation.
The St. Joseph the Worker Award winner is chosen by the CCSJ trustees based on three criteria: distinction in their profession, devotion to their community, country or family, and embodiment of the ideals of St. Joseph. Andrade has fought injustice his entire life, from leading a farm workers march to drafting legislation to recognize Hispanic rights.
Kalwinski, who received degrees in Sociology and Psychology from CCSJ, spans innovative social work initiatives, from leading a mobile intervention team that responded to psychiatric emergencies to pioneering mental health services inside the Lake County Jail.
The Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation is dedicated to restoring human dignity through hospitality, hope and healing, working with families in Chicago’s Back of the Yards/New City and Englewood neighborhoods impacted by violence, incarceration, poverty, racism and generational trauma. The ministry operates youth mentorship programs, case management for young adults and supportive services for mothers grieving the loss of a loved one. It also addresses the need for stable housing by hosting women affected by trauma at Sankofa Home and men returning from incarceration at Hospitality House.
Students were featured prominently in the evening’s program, not only escorting and honoring the award winners but explaining in the video how CCSJ has made a difference in their lives and acting as runners for the live fundraising bidding.
“Together we are strengthening our communities,” said McCormack of community service programs that have CCSJ partnering with its sponsoring Missionaries of the Precious Blood religious order and other nonprofit agencies to improve the local community, the country and the world that its alumni touch.
As it continues its Belonging and Becoming Campaign during this Jubilee Year of Hope proclaimed by the late Pope Francis, McCormack announced a new goal to commit to “5,000 hours of service this year to live out our values in tangible ways.”
Mitch Gaffigan, a CCSJ alumnus and trustee, said the “best thing guests heard tonight were the words of Amy (McCormack) and how she has made a difference. She’s a great administrator, and she knows what she is doing at our college,” he said.
For more information about the Belonging and Becoming Campaign and how to support student scholarships, contact the college at https://www.ccsj.edu/donate/.
Caption: Representing the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, Sister Donna Liette, C.PP.S. (second from left) and Father David Kelly, C.PP.S., are presented with the Calumet College of St. Joseph Corporate Leadership Award by student Josh Morris (left) and college president Dr. Amy McCormack. The honor was announced at the 60th Annual Board of Trustees' Scholarship Gala on April 11 at the Hard Rock Casino in Gary. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
