12 minute read
Alumni for Life
Alumni for Life
Envision the adventure!
More than 300 Dukes from 24 different states and three countries laced up their hiking boots for the inaugural Dukes Hike, held June 4–13. Hikers picked a location and distance that fit with their lifestyles and then headed outside to enjoy the great outdoors. Collectively, hikers logged more than 430 miles over the course of 10 days.
From the event proceeds and hike donations, we raised $9,424 for the Madison Vision Fund, which provides flexible dollars that support programs throughout the university. In the past, Madison Vision Fund dollars have been used to develop new programs, retain exceptional talent, build strategic partnerships, enhance safety and security around campus, and so much more. Thank you for supporting Dukes!
With #FlatDukeDog in her backpack, Jordan Perlish (’17) says “Go Dukes!” from Douthat State Park in Millboro, Virginia.
Shelley Allen Leader (’75) logs nearly 10 miles with her dog Bear. The pair hiked the Cascade Creek Trail in San Juan National Forest, Colorado.
Laura West (’17) treks around the Pyramid of the Moon (Pirámide de la Luna) in Teotihuacán, Mexico. (Left):
Cyndy Scholz (’83) takes in the view from the Flat Tops Wilderness Area from Upper Stillwater Reservoir in Colorado. She went there to fly fish for trout at a nearby (and very colorful) lake at the Cold Springs Campground and caught nine rainbow trout!
Grant Bigman (’12), Sarah Rourke (’13) and Russell Zeltner (’13) take a hike to Buzzards Rock in Roanoke, Virginia. It was a new hike with old friends!
Win (’81) and Debbie (’82) Davis pause for a picture with #FlatDukeDog in front of the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
It was a great day for a hike with the family at Blue Ridge Tunnel in Afton, Virginia. (L-R): Teresa (’14P) and Ken (’14P) Savoie, Jessica Savoie (’14, ’20M) and Toby (aspiring Duke Dog).
Aleixka Block Macfie (’17) feels “life is better in hiking boots” at Kuliouou Ridge Trail in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jennifer Snell (’90) shows JMU spirit in Pretoria, South Africa.
Robbie Whitehead (’94), left, hikes with daughter Grace (now a sophomore at JMU). The mother-daughter duo pose at the most photographed spot on the Appalachian Trail in Roanoke, Virginia.
Remembering Cynthia Coolbaugh
BY BRITTANY BELL (’21)
At Madison College, Cindy Coolbaugh (’70) was involved in many student organizations. She was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and the Honors Council, and was vice president of the Student Government Association her senior year. Originally a home economics major, Coolbaugh was known for her cooking skills. Even after switching to psychology, Coolbaugh continued to cook for anyone and everyone.
“My memories of her are mostly just happy memories of dorm life, her cooking for us, and then as we got to be grownups, still cooking for us when we would get together for minireunions,” said Barbara Benham (’70), Coolbaugh’s friend and former roommate.
Beyond her involvement with school organizations and her passion for cooking, Coolbaugh was also known for her fighting spirit. The Class of 1970 was witness to the Vietnam War, and Coolbaugh, like many college students at that time, protested the war. Having grown up in a military family, her stance shocked her friends and loved ones—even more so when she took it to the next level.
Cindy Coolbaugh (’70) was involved in many student organizations at Madison College. (Above, seated in front): She served on the legislative branch of the Student Government Association in 1968.
Toward the end of her senior year, Coolbaugh took part in a demonstration in which she and a group of students chained themselves to chairs in Wilson Hall. According to Benham, state troopers had to take the protestors away, and Coolbaugh wasn’t allowed to walk at graduation. Despite the severity of the situation, her friends and classmates couldn’t help but be impressed with her commitment to fight for what she believed in.
“She was sort of inyourface about it,” Benham said. “In some ways, as her friend, I really admired that. I didn’t have the guts, the hutzpah, to do that sort of thing, even though I, along with our other friends, agreed with her. But she put herself out there. And then down the line as an adult, she parlayed that into a real big peace initiative.”
Coolbaugh spent 15 years with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Originally created by the United Nations, the organization works to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and encourages peaceful applications of nuclear science to fight poverty and disease. As an events coordinator, Coolbaugh set up international conferences and gatherings for IAEA.
Coolbaugh’s 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, which her son donated to JMU.
Despite her title, Coolbaugh admitted to Benham there were times when she would climb inside missile siloes in Iran to check for compliance with nuclear treaties. “This idea of her just being the hostess for this group … I think it was more of a cover for some other, very intensive work,” Benham said.
In December 2005, Coolbaugh’s team, led by Mohamed ElBaradei, won a Nobel Peace Prize. Her award is on display in Wilson Hall. It was donated by her son, David Doane (’97), and family as a way to honor her love for the school and her achievements in atomic energy.
Her candid senior yearbook photograph.
Coolbaugh, who died in August 2017, lived her life in pursuit of peace. She believed in fighting for what’s right and doing whatever possible to make it known.
Benham said if Coolbaugh could give advice to young people today, she would say, “Learn how to cook a simple meal for yourself,” but then, “I think she’d tell the kids, more in a philosophical way, don’t be afraid to do the right thing.”
MY JMU STORY
BY CHARLES MAY (’83) JMU Alumni Association Board of Directors
My route to JMU was not a typical one. Growing up in inner-city Norfolk, Virginia, everyone in my community was African American, lower-income and subject to the trappings of drugs, teen pregnancies and trouble with the law. However, being a good athlete and a decent student provided options for me, which is how I arrived at JMU.
What I did not anticipate was how different my view of the world seemed to be from that of my coaches, professors and fellow students. These differences left me angry and confused about how I could make it at a predominantly white university. But three individuals, Coach Challace McMillin and Drs. Eileen and Richard Nelson, saw something special in me. Coach McMillin and I engaged in many after-practice conversations, and the Nelsons took charge of my class schedule to ensure I learned valuable life lessons in the classroom that could be applied to life as I understood it. And because I fell a bit short in the discipline area, Eileen Nelson steered me to the ROTC program. Together, these people formed my earliest and most valued mentorship network and helped me unlock my full potential.
Beyond being one of the first scholarship football players at JMU, and being elected captain of the team, I was a four-year letter winner and recipient of the Bob Yetzer Leadership Award, which is given annually to the player who best exemplifies determination, dedication and leadership. My successes continued in the classroom, and I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications and was commissioned as an officer in the Army.
CHARLES MAY (’83), JMU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
My early JMU story is reflective of the majority of African American Dukes. Back then, our numbers were small—around 200 out of 8,000 students. As a result, we were a very close-knit group, and we remain so to this day. In 2003, we decided to re-engage with JMU as a group to help inspire greater African American student recruitment and retention, which we felt had not grown with the rest of the student population. Accordingly, the Ole School Alumni Scholarship Group was formed with the goal of providing annual scholarships to African American students. As the group’s first president, I helped formalize our membership to become force multipliers in recruitment, mentorship and student and faculty engagement at JMU. Personally, I want to give back to these students in the same way Coach McMillin and and Dick Nelson gave to me.
Fast forward to 2019 when I joined the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Now twice retired (NCIS/USAR) and able to focus on giving back personally and professionally as a businessman, mentor, alumnus and family man, I am grateful to finally have time to do what I have always dreamed of. I have found the Alumni Association a great way to engage, both internally and externally, in one of my passions—mentorship.
I am hopeful that my 40-year association with JMU and the Ole School Group might help illuminate the value of group giving and engagement. We are proud to have awarded 39 scholarships, built a $100,000 endowment and developed corporate sponsorships that provide internships and employment opportunities for African American students at JMU. JMU Athletics Hall of Famer Derek Steele, our current president, is one of our newest Alumni Board members.
In addition to our giving, the Ole School Group populates various JMU boards and task forces, and we serve as guest lecturers, mentors and advisors. The group and its members have also been recognized with the Inez Graybeal Roop Award (2018), the Compass Group Award for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (2020), the National Mentorship Award (2019) and the Compass Catalyst Award (2021).
In the end, I hope that whatever I might do individually, or we might do collectively, we do for the students and a better JMU!
Chapter spotlight: Triangle Dukes
BY BRITTANY BELL (’21)
North Carolina’s Research Triangle is a rapidly growing area encompassing the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill. These localities are home to many JMU alumni, who come together to form the Triangle Dukes.
When Patrick Gotimer (’14) moved to the Triangle from the Washington, D.C., area last year, there were just four active members in the local alumni chapter. Having come from the MetroDukes, he was determined to help Triangle Dukes increase its membership and their involvement.
Patrick Gotimer (’14) displays JMU swag to share with Triangle Dukes.
Working alongside Heather Holston (’13), Corey Davis (’07), Chad Hanna (’12) and Taylor Gustafson (’14), Gotimer has helped the chapter grow, despite COVID19.
One of the key reasons the chapter has been able to stay active during the pandemic is the individual approach its leadership team takes with members. The chapter hosts monthly coffeehour Zoom calls to talk about their needs.
“By being personal with them and offering love and support and making sure that simple stuff is known, we’ve been able to build out this network that says, ‘Hey, we’re here,’” Gotimer said.
This personal connection has made a huge positive impact. At a time when COVID19 is separating people, the Triangle Dukes are finding ways to bring them together. One of the many things the chapter’s leadership team does is facilitate conversations between members so they can help each other out.
—Patrick Gotimer (’14)
Another of the chapter’s approaches is to cater to the diverse demographics of its members. Alumni in the Triangle region are in different stages of life. According to Gotimer, many members have children, so the chapter tries to cater to that generation by hosting kid-friendly events. COVID19 has also spurred a lot of virtual events, which are more accessible to parents with little ones as well as those who might have to travel for inperson events. The chapter also hosts a variety of events for all ages, including beer tastings and watch parties.
Beyond helping their members, Gotimer has expressed an interest in wanting to help other chapters as well.
The leadership team has created Google files based on the work they are doing. Each leader chooses events or projects to facilitate and manage on their own, and the others jump in when needed. Once they solidify a process, they hope to share their work with any struggling chapter to help them boost their engagement.
Despite the uncertainty of the times, the Triangle Dukes are finding ways to keep the ball rolling. Thanks to the initiative of Gotimer and the leadership team, more members are able to participate in a variety of events. They hope to keep this trend up as the pandemic lessens and sporting events draw more people to the area.
“When we finally get to a position when we’re able to host people again for events, we want to be the chapter that is welcoming people to the Triangle area,” Gotimer said.
Chapter members gather for a local event.
Living the dream
BY KHALIL GARRIOTT (’04)
It’s one thing to long for a life you’ve always wanted to live, and another thing to actualize that dream.
Kaitlin Porter (’06) actually did what many of us dream about. She quit her job at top-tier consulting firm Deloitte, left the drudgery and structure of an Outlook calendar-driven daily routine behind, and tackled a bucket-list item: traveling the country. She and her wife, Jennifer Bateman, sold their 4,000-square-foot home, bought a 170-square-foot school bus dubbed “Someday the Bus,” converted it and painted it pink, and embarked on an epic crosscountry adventure with their now 14-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter for 15 months.
“We had to make so many bold decisions, and nothing about it felt insignificant,” said Porter, who majored in international affairs. “We had to uproot our entire lives, including selling our home, quitting a great job, pulling our kids out of school and putting all of our furniture in storage.”
Kaitlin Porter (’06), right, got back to the basics by traveling for more than a year on a school bus her family renovated and painted pink.
Living tiny means getting back to the basics and being supremely attuned to what you need and what you don’t. The family of four had more meals together in more than a year on the bus than they had in the previous eight years.
“I will admit, it took me a few months to adjust to days with no agendas, but when you strip all of the busyness away, there is a lot of time to be in the moment and enjoy the small things—especially around a campfire,” she said.
They visited 33 states, including dozens of national parks. They also parked the bus and left the country, backpacking through Southeast Asia (before COVID19) and spending a month in Guatemala.
Becky (Porter) Jackson (’03), a fellow College of Arts and Letters alumna, said her sister’s bold move “turned out to be the best decision anyone could make ahead of 2020.”
In a hotpink script, the words “darling, no regrets” emanates from the back of the bus. A kitchen sign reads, “Follow your envy—it shows you what you want.”
Porter’s love of travel and adventure was influenced by her study abroad experience in Salamanca, Spain, while at JMU. She feels most alive when she’s taken out of her comfort zone and forced to adapt to a new way of being.
—Kaitlin Porter (’06)
“Studying abroad in Salamanca was my first taste of that kind of experience,” she said, “and I was hooked. Similar to Spain and learning from my host family, I’ve loved traveling around the country and learning from others who are also nomadic. We spent a week in a desert in Arizona with a family that was living on a bus with six kids and a snake!
Porter and her family moved back to Atlanta this summer, as her oldest is set to start high school and her youngest is set to start kindergarten.
Porter and Bateman are proof that even if you’re living tiny, you can live large with more quality time as a family.
Porter with her daughter
