Second Century

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE P A I D UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS

The USF Centennial Campaign Newsletter

500 Wilcox Street Joliet, Illinois 60435

The USF Centennial Campaign Newsletter Dear Alumni and Friends,

ISSUE 1 | JUNE 2019

As the University of St. Francis embarks upon its 100-year anniversary celebration, we reflect on our past, honor our rich history and make plans for the future. USF students come to the university with hopes and dreams of becoming teachers, nurses, doctors, accountants, business leaders, and more. Our mission is to strive for academic excellence in all of our programs, preparing women and men to contribute to the world through service and leadership, and ultimately, make the world a better place. This newsletter is the first in a series to share with you, news on the Centennial Campaign and its progress. As you receive each issue, we hope you will share our excitement for our Centennial Campaign plans and the impact it will have on the lives of our students. Through the Centennial Campaign, we are raising funds for three key initiatives. The first is to raise at least $1 million in additional scholarship funding for our students, most of whom remain the first in their families to attend college. The second is to establish a Centennial Quad with new gathering areas and open spaces in the space being vacated by St. Albert Hall. The third is to establish a Centennial Gateway on the northern edge of campus – complete with a welcoming sign, a statue of Saint Francis with a Saint Bernard and a stone patio with the names of 100 alumni and friends who support this initiative. All three initiatives are critical to achieving our mission and preparing for next 100 years. Many deserving students would not be able to afford a USF education without the support of scholarship funds. The Centennial Quad will provide places for student to enjoy camaraderie and collaborative learning. The Centennial Gateway will provide a beautiful, welcoming entry to campus and help with our recruitment efforts.

Local Artists Commissioned to Create Statue of Saint Francis for Gateway The prominent component of the Centennial Gateway that will be created at the northern edge of the main campus in Joliet will be a life-sized, six-foot bronze statue of Saint Francis of Assisi with a Saint Bernard at his side. Artists Kathleen Farrell (at left in photo) and Kathleen Scarboro (at right), who have been commissioned to create the piece, will begin their work in September of 2019. “We love doing figurative sculpture and we love doing sculpture that is life-sized,” Farrell said. “Being challenged to take on creating a piece that represents someone who has done so much good for humanity is certainly an added blessing.” To find inspiration for the piece, Farrell and Scarboro are looking to many sources. “There is a wealth of research required for sculpture,” Farrell said. “We look at a variety of images, we look at other works, and we look at historical items such as clothing to come up with a vision that will accurately represent our subject.” The artists plan to also look to the work of another artist, Sr. Kay Francis, OSF, whose works of art inspired by Saint Francis carry a very special significance to USF because she was a member of the university’s founding order, the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate. For the first time in their history of working

together, Farrell and Scarboro will create a piece of art outside of the familiar confines of their studio. The team will create the piece onsite at USF’s St. Bonaventure Campus in downtown Joliet. “This is an exciting challenge to add to the creative process,” Farrell said. “Creating the sculpture on campus can serve as an educational experience that invites people to come by and see the project progress.” Farrell added that one of the important aspects of the sculpture will be its pose. “We are trained to look at the smallest of details when it comes to the pose a sculpture has. We look at how the body is positioned, how the arms and hands are placed, and the positioning of the hips, legs and feet. We look at if and how the head is tilted. Our goal is to come up with the most dramatic pose that expresses the warmth of humanity and that is beautiful to look at from all angles,” she said. “The model is also significant. We are looking for a model that possesses the physical traits of St. Francis. We are looking for a male with an Italian look and an evocative, handsome face with a prominent nose,” she said. Once a model and pose are identified, the artists will begin finalizing the piece through the selection of appropriate clothing before

actually assembling an armature to begin their actual hands-on work for the sculpture. The entire process of creating the oil clay version of the sculpture that will be cast by a foundry will take approximately eight weeks. Once the piece is shipped to the foundry for casting, the process will take three additional months before the piece is complete and ready for delivery to campus. “Creating a bronze sculpture is a long and detailed process,” Farrell explained, “but the end result will be a beautiful representation of Saint Francis and everything he embodied.”

We are taking the Centennial Campaign on the road and hope to visit a city near you. So far, we have visited Philadelphia, Sarasota and the Western suburbs of Chicago, and are currently planning gatherings in Chicago, Joliet, Madison, Albuquerque and more. Between these special events off campus, as well as those we will be planning on campus, we want make sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in Centennial celebrations and this exciting campaign. We are so grateful for all our loyal supporters for their vision, foresight and generosity as they continue to partner with us to transform these strategic initiatives into realities. If you have not yet made a gift to the Centennial Campaign, please contact me at 815-740-3613 or kshort@stfrancis.edu. We can discuss areas in which your generosity can have the greatest impact. Gratefully,

Kristin Short, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

TO VIEW MORE WORK BY THE ARTISTS: kathleenfarrell.org kathleenscarboro.fr

BUILDING A FRANCISCAN FUTURE... TOGETHER, IN OUR SECOND CENTURY!

Statue in Centennial Gateway Offers Warm Welcome to All

Campaign Giving

One big component of the University of St. Francis’ Centennial Campaign is the addition of a gorgeous gateway to the USF campus, to be located near the corner of Wilcox Street and Plainfield Road. Featured as part of the “Centennial Gateway” will be a bronze statue of Saint Francis of Assisi that will welcome students, staff and visitors to campus. According to donor James Sefcik, however, the statue will serve a much more important purpose. “This statue is going to let people know that the University of St. Francis is on the map, that we are here, that we are a Catholic institution, and most importantly, that we believe in God,” Sefcik said. “It will serve as a motivator to let people know what the University is all about.” Sefcik’s support of the USF Centennial Campaign was the result of a visit last year that he shared with USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D. “Arvid invited me to campus and we toured the grounds on a golf cart. During that tour, he shared his vision for the project, brought me to the site where the gateway will be constructed and asked for my support. It was as simple as that,” Sefcik said.

There are many recognition and naming opportunities available in the Centennial Campaign that will transform students’ lives for the better. A priority is to offer scholarships to offset the cost of higher education for deserving students.

Sefcik, who himself feels blessed for the lifetime of Catholic education he has experienced, cites God as the inspiration for his generosity. “I am nothing without God,” he said. “I give back because I believe in Catholic education. It is my hope that this helps to motivate people with whom I went to school over the years and other people who know me to also jump on the bandwagon. It’s rewarding to help people. You don’t think of yourself first; you think of others and you do so with serenity and joy.” “I do it for the students, not myself,” Sefcik added. “That’s what motivates me. And I try to do the will of God each day, and I think by helping others, that is what I am accomplishing.” As for the next 100 years, Sefcik said that he hopes that USF continues to accomplish what it has already successfully accomplished. “I pray the university continues to serve as an example... we are here first for the students. They are most important; without them, we would not be here. Seeing them walk around campus, I can’t help but embrace that each one of them is important. Remember, though, that they are only here for a short time and then they go out into the world. While they are here, we want them to learn by example that people are important and that they should dedicate their lives to helping others— regardless of what their major area is. Whatever they learn here at USF is invaluable, of course, and it is important that they have a job, but it’s more important that we help them focus on what’s ahead, and that is entering the Kingdom of God,” Sefcik concluded.

Campaign donors can name an endowed scholarship for gifts of $50,000 and above. Donors can also add investments to the Centennial Scholarship, or you can support new initiative scholarships like the Gordie Gillespie Service and Leadership Scholarship or the Shawn Green Scholarship. With a $5,000 investment, you will help build the Centennial Gateway and have your name on the donor wall. There are many other naming opportunities for the Quad, water feature, and more. Please contact Kristin Short at 815-740-3613 for a listing of opportunities.

SCHOLARSHIPS Endowed Scholarships – $50,000 each Centennial Scholarships – Varied

CENTENNIAL GATEWAY Seating Commons – $100,000 Centennial Gateway Sponsorship – $5,000

Centennial Campaign Committee CHAIRS Gloria & Ed Dollinger Diane & Bill Habiger COMMITTEE Jayne Airola Jo Ann Barber Margaret & Bill Benoit Chuck Beutel Mary Kay Blake Rick Cronholm Jeanette D’Arcy Judy & Tom DeMint Jo Ann & Tony Delgado Arlene Finkle Rebecca Fry Jeremy Grachan Annette Jelinek Sr. MaryAnn Jerkofsky, OSF Arvid & Anne Johnson Maria Jevitz Patterson Dolores Kenney Laurie Knick Aubrey Knight Dave Laketa Rosemary Lux Natalie Manley Bill Manner Sue & John Manner

Carol McCafferty Vincent McGirr Patrick McGuire Raquel Montoya Anthony Mravle Michael Mravle Carolyn Murphy Marianne Murphy Frances Naal Margaret* & John Peifer Caroline Portlock Steph & Tyler Qualio Ann & Steven Randich Mary Roa Jodi Schager Keith Schomig James Sefcik Brian Sharp Elaine Smith Katie Sullivan Sr. Rose Marie Surwilo, OSF Willie & Jay Vidmar Jason Whiteside Colleen Wyse Nancy & Tony Zordan *The committee would like to express sympathy for the recent loss of member Margaret Peifer.

Saint Francis Statue – Named

CENTENNIAL QUAD Quad – $500,000 Seating Commons – Named Water Feature – $50,000

HERITAGE University Seal on Flooring – $100,000 Centennial Collage – $50,000 Founders’ Bell – $50,000

The Centennial Campaign Committee

Campaign Initiative 1

Campaign Initiative 2

Campaign Initiative 3

Scholarships

Centennial Gateway

Centennial Quad

Goal $1,000,000

Goal $500,000/100 Donors

Goal $500,000

Student support is the university’s highest priority. By raising $1 million in new scholarship support by 2020, the Centennial Campaign demonstrates USF’s commitment to affordable excellence and will ensure a USF education remains within reach for bright, hard-working students and families. USF is emphasizing two scholarship support areas.

The new Centennial Gateway will honor USF’s 100-year heritage, recognize USF supporters and provide a warm welcome to campus. It will feature a stone gateway and sign, a patio and seating area, a bronze statue of Saint Francis of Assisi and thriving plants and trees. Not only will the statue and the area surrounding it communicate heritage, pride and tradition, but USF believes it will help bolster recruitment efforts. USF also believes the charm, color, and beauty of the landscaping will be a fitting remembrance of USF’s patron, who was known for his love of nature and creation.

The Quad on the main campus will be transformed into an attractive outdoor gathering area and walkable pathway between USF’s LaVerne and Dorothy Brown Science Hall, Tower Hall, the Pat Sullivan Recreation Center and the Motherhouse. With the removal of St. Albert Hall, the Quad will be opened up, making it a peaceful setting for students. Illinois native plants and gardens will be incorporated into the landscaping as well as a beautiful new water feature. Ths area of the Quad will provide space for students to study, enjoy fellowship, dine and collaborate.

Need-based Scholarships: While 96 percent (1,240 out of 1,291) of traditional, full-time, undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance and 40 percent (520 out of 1,291) qualify for Federal Pell Grants, the university is only able to meet a fraction of the growing student financial need that exists. This is the university’s greatest need. Merit-based Scholarships: USF aims to strengthen its ability to attract the best and brightest students from Illinois, the region and the country through competitive scholarships.

Please visit the Centennial Campaign website for information, ways you can support the campaign and more! stfrancis.edu/giving/centennial-campaign Centennial preview party with alumni and friends in Chicago’s western suburbs.

Centennial preview party with alumni and friends in Florida.