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Campus News
First-gen programming through Cardinal First gains additional support
A $100,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations will fund five new first-generation initiatives beginning in 2020-2021.
These include expanded leadership development for Cardinal First Ambassadors (student leaders in the program); outreach to future firstgeneration college students at 10 Illinois area high schools; a series of educational webinars designed for parents of first-generation students; the inaugural Cardinal First Alumni Academy; and further development of first-gen students by faculty in discipline-specific groups. The funding will also go toward the hiring of a temporary, part-time coordinator for these initiatives.
Director of First-Generation Programs Julie Carballo says this grant is the culmination of longtime goals to further expand Cardinal First. “This funding will allow us to engage first-gen alumni and parents of our first-gen students in ways we’ve always wanted to, but not had the capacity or funding to do,” she said.
Among the outcomes of the grant will be extending the reach of Cardinal First mentoring into 10 high schools. Carballo says the expanded program will make shared experiences that much richer. “This is truly win-win because the high school students benefit more from a mentor who is a couple years ahead of them on the journey to a college degree rather than an ‘expert,’” Carballo said. “And it’s a tremendous opportunity for growth and leadership development for our first-gen students.” The Cardinal First Alumni Academy will push the boundaries of first-generation guidance in another direction. “It will be in the format of a professional conference with concurrent sessions and a networking dinner that will incorporate professional dining etiquette instruction,” said Carballo. “Twenty (North Central) first-gen alumni will facilitate workshops and presentations related to their career fields. Our current first-gen students will select from among sessions of interest to them.”
The academy is tentatively scheduled for March 2021. “I’ve wanted to do an alumni academy and am thankful to have the funding through this generous grant,” said Carballo.
OUR FIRST-GEN STUDENTS.”
FREDLYN PIERRE LOUIS ’23 EXPANDED HIS OUTLOOK AND CAREER SKILLS THROUGH A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT GLACIER NATIONAL PARK IN MONTANA.
He learned about the opportunity through a recruiting effort at the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. “I gained multiple experiences such as customer service, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, the ability to work without a supervisor and how to work in a very unfamiliar place,” said Pierre Louis. “These skills are useful for any field, including those outside o the hospitality and tourism industry.”
She is grateful for the work of Director of Grants Michelle Porcellino ’05 Galasso and graduate assistant Angie Menefee ’20—a first-gen alumna—in securing the grant. Carballo isn’t ready to stop here, either. “We have a growing list of ideas to improve experiences and outcomes for our first-generation students,” Carballo said. “(This grant) brings more energy and enthusiasm to the growing initiatives on our campus. And the initiatives that we’ve planned will provide a replicable model for other institutions looking to better serve their own first-generation students.”
ARE YOU A FIRST-GEN GRADUATE?
The Office of First Generation Programs is building a database and is asking all alumni who are first-generation to complete a form at northcentralcollege.edu/firstgen-alumni-network.
Connect online:
NorthCentralCollege.CardinalFirst
@firstgencardinals
FACULTY SHARE PERSPECTIVES ON COVID-19 IN WEBINAR SERIES
A free summer webinar series about COVID-19 addressed the many effects of the pandemic and offered a broader cultural and historical context. The talks are available on the College’s website and YouTube channel. Faculty from 13 different academic programs recorded 16 in-depth presentations, covering a range of subject areas from journalism to chemistry, then engaged in live, online question-and-answer sessions with viewers. More than 1,700 YouTube viewers watched the videos over 228 hours.
Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of political science, saw the idea as a dual response to the campus shutdown caused by COVID-19.
“Faculty were eager to find ways to connect with our students over the summer—especially after campus closed early and suddenly,” he said. “As I reflected on the vast expertise of the North Central faculty, I thought it made sense to package something that would pull them together around this public health emergency.”
The webinar series was a true collaboration across campus. The Office of Marketing and Communications coordinated promotion of the series, and Instructional Designer Scott Standifer set up technology for the live Q&As and served as moderator. These combined efforts created a modern take on North Central’s wellregarded teaching and catered to a broad audience.
“Our aim was to offer the community what North Central students experience regularly, but in a more digestible and more widely accessible form,” said Caliendo. “Collectively, these (webinars) serve as a poignant marker of the way we engaged intellectually with the pandemic.”
The faculty were excited that the series sparked a new wave of engagement with information about the health crisis.
“My hope is that this series will continue to be a resource for interested persons from around the world, as we continue to learn more about the virus and its effects,” Caliendo said. “As high school teachers and college instructors look for ways to engage students in the various elements of COVID-19, they can reliably lean on these videos to spark careful consideration and robust discussion among their students.
“The pandemic will fundamentally change the way we live in a variety of ways, and these professors offer us early exploration into what that might ultimately look like.”
“IT’S EASY TO TELL HOW MUCH WORK YOU PUT IN FROM THE FINAL PRODUCT.”-YOUTUBE COMMENTER
“THANK YOU FOR THIS INCREDIBLE WEBINAR.” -DONNA LIMPER, LEADERSHIP TEAMREPRESENTUS DUPAGE COUNTY
“THANKS FOR HOSTING THE Q & A WEBINARS. YOU’RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. WE LOVE THAT NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE IS OFFERING THESE WEBINARS.” -LESLIE KASINGER-WEBER
FROM THE COMMENT SECTION
NORTH CENTRAL STUDENTS CREATE UNIQUE AND SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS JEWELRY COMPANY
During a trip to Medellín, Colombia, Maria Clara Ospina ’21 fell in love with the bright and bold handmade earrings sold there. Not long after she returned, she received several questions about the vibrant jewelry she wore. After brainstorming with Marco Antonio Dávila ’21, the pair decided to introduce the earrings to the greater Chicago area. In May 2019, Kawami Jewelry was born.
Ospina and Dávila describe Kawami as “unique, ethical and beautiful.” These words summarize the company’s mission to enhance their customers’ beauty and confidence while providing a fair wage to the artisans who make jewelry. After a year in business, they’ve encountered a variety of challenges, as well as rewarding experiences. “When you start a business, you put in an obscene number of hours that nobody knows about. Balancing our time has been a challenge,” Dávila explained. The two work hard to find time for their studies, on-campus jobs, personal lives and extra time commitments. Ospina is pursuing theatre and global studies while Dávila is a student-athlete and majoring in small business management and entrepreneurship. The pair hopes to expand their market after graduation. “We’ve truly fallen in love with the beauty of it! It’s worth it when we walk around and see someone wearing Kawami, and they’re shining with a smile from ear-toear,” said Dávila.
F A L L S P O R T S P O S T P O N E D B Y C C I W
In July, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced the postponement of all fall conference competition and championships in response to the ongoing public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, North Central College is not participating in intercollegiate athletics in the sports of cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, triathlon or women's volleyball this fall. CCIW staff is developing opportunities for competition in cross country, football, soccer and volleyball in the spring, while maintaining conference competition for all spring sports including golf and tennis. USA Triathlon (USAT) is evaluating options for a possible spring season. Student-athletes in the affected sports will not be charged with using a season of participation, as a blanket waiver has already been approved by the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee.
AL CARIUS MOVES TO ASSISTANT ROLE FOR MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
For the first time since 1966, the men’s cross country program will be under the direction of a head coach other than Al Carius (H)’16.
The College’s athletic department announced in July that Carius was transitioning to an assistant coaching role within the program. Frank Gramarosso, head men’s track and and field coach, has been promoted to the head coaching position for cross country, as well. He’s been a member of the coaching staff since 1983.
“You evolve into what your strengths are,” Carius said. “I firmly believe my strengths are in the interactions personally with individuals and with the teams. I love that, and I want the time to be able to do that. I am going to be in a stronger position to help our program and help Frank the way I’m best capable. I feel very, very good about it.”
Gramarosso, a five-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coach of the Year, envisions a continued team approach to coaching. “Al designed our coaching staff to be a team. He’s been the heart of the program since the ’60s. No matter what your title is, our staff is a team and we want to be the best we can be, wherever that gets us.”
The two coaches will experience a very different season in fall 2020, as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced it was postponing all fall conference competition and championships in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (See left)
Carius plans to stay very involved in the team, however the altered season progresses. “I love being a part of our staff. We’re a team amongst ourselves working for the betterment of the program, and it’s an advantage for me to focus on what I know I do best.”
