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Butler University: A place of possibilities.
Melody Austin
Melody Austin didn’t go to Las Vegas to gamble, but she came away a big winner anyway. That’s where scouts from Butler saw her in a national club volleyball tournament and invited her to come play for the Bulldogs. “Volleyball changed my life,” said the New Orleans native. “Butler coaches saw potential in me and here I am.” She credits those same coaches with helping her see the sport as part of a bigger picture. “I never really looked at volleyball as some piece of life that I was going to take into the real world, but the coaches put it in our heads that this is life — hard work and seeing the same people each day…and getting along with those people.” The 18-year-old freshman has been learning a lot of life lessons lately. While still in New Orleans, she evacuated with her family, just hours before Hurricane Katrina submerged their neighborhood. She recalls the strange way floodwaters can rearrange a home full of memories and personal belongings, “When we got back (weeks later) it looked like someone took our house and shook it.” Even though the floodwaters brought great hardships to her family, they didn’t dampen Melody’s dreams. She envisions herself playing pro-ball in Europe when she graduates. “After that I want my own talk show,” says the media arts major. “Someday Ryan Seacrest’s hair is going to fall out and somebody is going to have to take his place. Why not me?” Before coming to Indianapolis, she didn’t know much about the city. She got a hint it was different from her hometown as she was packing her bags and family advised her to “take your own hot sauce.” And, though the Circle City and Crescent City are culturally worlds apart, Melody credits Midwestern hospitality and a good dose of curiosity for making it an easy transition. “People here strive for diversity — they really want to know about other people and other cultures.” That is one of the things she finds most appealing about Butler. “You can be really random here and people seem to like it. I can walk up to people I don’t know and have a great conversation.”
Andrew
B.
Jones
At the ripe old age of 17, Andrew scrapped his plans to run for mayor of South Bend, Ind. Instead, the young politico mounted a rather sophisticated charge for the South Bend city council that included fundraising, endorsements, yard signs and bumper stickers. He ran again two years later as a Butler freshman. When not pursuing office himself, he can often be found supporting others in their quests. A veteran of three congressional campaigns, Andrew estimates he has worked on approximately 15 campaigns in differing capacities. His extracurricular activities are definitely reflected in his academic life. Andrew majors in political science and philosophy. He is very active in Butler’s Student Government Association (serving as vice president of diversity), College Democrats and the Center for Citizenship and Community. He is also working on an honors thesis to support his nomination for a Truman Foundation Scholarship. The mission of the Harry S. Truman Foundation is to find and recognize college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service. If it sounds like Andrew carries a heavy workload, he comes by it honestly. “My mother completed a hundred hours toward her law degree in one school year and two summer sessions. At the same time she was working a full-time job and raising my sister and me,” he states. “I am busy, but I only take on responsibilities I enjoy. That’s the great thing about Butler. You can be involved as much, or as little, as you want.” Andrew chose Butler after passing up a chance to attend acting school in New York City. A former high school thespian, he decided that course in life was not for him. He may still end up in New York someday, but more likely for graduate school studying philosophy or public policy.
Ena Dean
of
the
Shelley
College
of
Education
Ena Shelley doesn’t hesitate when considering what has kept her at Butler for 24 years. “I have the best job in the world. This is a place that constantly changes and evolves. That’s exciting — it never gets dull. And, I absolutely love the students. I still keep in touch with many students who were in my first class,” said the dean of the College of Education. “The sad part of that is they contact me now because their children are thinking about coming to Butler…Ouch!” This former kindergarten teacher, who now heads up one of the most respected education programs in the nation, sees it as a “privilege to be involved with students at a point in their lives when they are preparing to go out into the world and do great things.” So committed is Ena to that notion, she only accepted the position of dean on the condition she be allowed to continue to teach. This was something of a radical notion considering the fact that at many universities the role of dean is strictly administrative, many layers removed from students. She claims in no uncertain terms, “Teaching keeps me rooted in the student — focused on what we’re here for.” To Ena Shelley, ready access to the professors is the biggest and most important advantage Butler can offer a student. “At many schools a professor’s focus is on research,” she says. “They have their assistants teaching the class. Not at Butler — our primary focus is on education. We teach our own classes. We know our students.” Ena says personal attention is part of the “Butler Way.” That means no shortcuts. “I see it over and over again here. The faculty really does try to get to know the individual in order to determine their needs as students.”
John
Lopez
John is on the five-year plan at Butler. That doesn’t mean he’s taking his time to get a degree. Just the opposite. John is enrolled in Butler’s Engineering Dual Degree Program and will graduate with two degrees when he finishes in 2011. One of those degrees will be in biomedical engineering and take him a step closer to medical school. The future doctor jokes that he loves to watch the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy,” “not for the drama — only for the surgery.” Growing up in Phoenix, Ariz., and attending school in Indianapolis means John is a long way from home. However, he doesn’t have to go far to be reminded he made the right decision coming to Butler. One phone call to his identical twin brother is all it takes. “He’s at a big school out West. Every time I talk to him he complains he doesn’t know anyone. That’s not a problem here.” The Butler freshman says this is the first time in his life he has been apart from his twin. From the moment he stepped on campus he felt he would fit in, but admits to feeling a little nervous at first. Ironically, it turned out his new roommate was also one of a set of identical twins. Having that in common, John’s feelings of apprehension quickly evaporated. With his class work, participation in various student groups including the Multicultural Recruitment Team, Freshman Events Team and Latino Awareness Student Organization, along with the small size of the Butler community, John has found it easy to meet new people. “The key,” he says, “is to just be yourself.” “In high school people are always trying to fit in with certain types of people or groups. One of the things coming to Butler taught me is to let go of the pretense and just be who I am.” John’s time at Butler has meant more than just academic knowledge. “Growing up I always had my brother by my side. Now I’m learning how to be more independent.” In a surprising twist, he says the separation from his brother has actually brought them closer. “I don’t think I appreciated him as much then as I do now.”
Jessica
Sims
This former media arts and political science double major’s biggest surprise during her time at Butler came when she was suddenly overcome by the revelation that “this is exactly where I am supposed to be.” The ex-Gary, Ind., resident knew she liked it here but was not prepared for such a strong affirmation of her decision to come to Indianapolis. “I had to choose between four or five schools. I can emphatically say that no other university would have given me the opportunities that Butler gave me. It is a place of opportunities,” said the 2006 graduate. It was one of those Butler opportunities — The Washington, D.C., Semester Internship Program — that helped her land a job after graduation at NBC News in Washington, D.C. As a student, Jessica spent a semester in the nation’s capital working on “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” where she learned the TV news landscape and made valuable connections. During her senior year, those connections led to an interview
“For students who have questions about what they want to study and about how they can study everything they’re interested in, Butler is the perfect place.”
at the network, where her star began to rise. Jessica got much out of her time at Butler, but she also gave a great deal. Faced with the question “How do we want to see Butler when we leave it?” she became actively involved in numerous organizations including Student Government Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Gospel Choir, Black Student Union, Ambassadors for Change and others as a way to move the university forward. Her good works also spilled over into the surrounding community. As part of Ambassadors for Change, Jessica was frequently engaged in service learning — academics linked to community service. These projects meant that she and many other Butler students were often busy fixing up houses or performing any number of worthwhile deeds for people in need. Looking back, Jessica fondly recalls a close-knit campus community filled with many familiar faces — faces she will never forget. Those friends probably won’t forget Jessica’s face either. In fact, someday they may see it just by turning on their televisions.
Duane and Linnea Leatherman Faculty-in-Residence
“I never thought when I graduated I’d grow up and be living in a dorm again,” jokes Linnea Leatherman, who, along with her husband Duane, is part of Butler’s Faculty-inResidence (FIR) program. “Including my time as an undergraduate I’ve got 20 years here. That has to be some kind of record.” Duane explains that the facultyin-residence concept “goes all the way back to England in the Middle Ages” where professors lived among their students to encourage interaction and foster learning outside the classroom. Every year the couple, along with former students from their residence hall, take a group ski trip where they all share a house on the slopes. “We pick a destination. We
the
Leathermans
ski together. We eat together. It’s just a great time,” says Duane.
The Leathermans have no children of their own. Instead, they see the students
actress. They keep in constant contact with her. They go so far as to schedule some of
as family. Duane and Linnea relate the story of a phone call they received in
their vacations around her shows — even if it
the middle of the night. It was from the mother of a student who lived in the
might put them a little out of their element.
residence hall. The girl’s father had unexpectedly passed away and since the
Linnea laughs, “Us — a couple with no
mother was unable to get to campus she asked the Leathermans to break the news
children on a Disney cruise. But [the young
to her daughter. A heartbreaking experience for everyone but it was better for
woman] was performing on the ship and she
the news to come from good friends in person rather than over the telephone.
has become like a daughter to us.”
Duane and Linnea have become even closer to the young woman, now an aspiring
Susanna Foxworthy
Of all her activities, Susanna rates volunteering as her most important. Working trips to impoverished areas of our country as part of Fall Alternative Break have widened her perspective on the world. She is impressed that “even though the classroom experience at Butler is of such a high quality, the university stresses something even more valuable.” She’s referring to community involvement and says there are ample organized opportunities for volunteering. Looking at her list of activities, one could easily wonder when Susanna finds time to sleep: sophomore class president, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies, Student Science Advisory Board, writer for DawgNet, the online student newspaper, academic co-chair for the Council on Presidential Affairs, National Society for Collegiate Scholars, Butler University Student Foundation, numerous volunteer activities. Oh, then there is her schoolwork as a journalism major and biology minor. Even with such a full schedule, this busy sophomore finds time for reading, biking and social activities, starting with Butler basketball. She and the rest of her fellow students in the Dawg Pound support both men’s and women’s teams at games. “Go Dawgs!” In addition, Susanna attends concerts and shows at Clowes Hall and events at various sororities and fraternities. As a journalism major and aspiring scribe, she sees the Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers Series, featuring nationally recognized authors, as not just a fun social event, but also a chance to gain valuable insight into her chosen field. Susanna’s dream job is to become a writer for National Geographic. The magazine’s offices are located in the nation’s capital, and Butler’s Washington, D.C., Semester Internship Program has become an important stepping stone toward her goal. Susanna chose Butler over two other in-state rivals and, after comparing notes with friends at the larger universities, is sure she made the right choice. “When I stepped on this campus I just loved the atmosphere.”
Melissa
Stewart
Originally from Evansville, Ind., Melissa believes that Butler prepared her well for her job at Harvard University, where most of her co-workers are Ivy League graduates. Moving to Boston after completing a degree in arts administration, she landed a position at the Harvard Initiative for Global Health. During high school, Melissa was unsure where to attend college. She was going through what she describes as an “interesting time” in her life and was leaning toward a small, nurturing university environment. A musician from an early age, Melissa liked Butler for its solid music program, plus “it was a school that would let me explore my other interests. I like that flexibility. There were a lot of opportunities to create my own experience.” Even with a crowded performing schedule, she took advantage of any opportunity she could. Through the university’s Center for Global Education — “Butler is world renowned for its study abroad program,” she interjects — Melissa traveled to Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic to learn first-hand about the music business in those countries. She then backpacked across Europe to study in Paris before heading back to Indy for the fall semester. Melissa gives high praise to all of her professors who went above and beyond to help her at Butler. “No matter what I needed, they were there,” she said. “Letters of recommendations, whatever. They were so very helpful when I was applying for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships.” Of her violin professor, Larry Shapiro, she says, “I can’t begin to describe the difference he made in my life.”
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