26 minute read
Campus Scene
KEITH NORDSTROM PHOTOS
Commencement keynote speaker Deogratias “Deo” Niyizonkiza; President Michaele Whelan (right, top); Barbara Kwong, daughter of honorary degree recipient the late Momo Nagano ’47; and honorary degree recipient Dennis Hanno, former Wheaton president
In the face of the most daunting challenges, the strength of community and our shared humanity are crucial to our survival and a bright future, Deogratias “Deo” Niyizonkiza, the founder and CEO of Village Health Works, told graduating seniors during Wheaton College’s 187th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 21.
“As we gather today in celebration— particularly after the unusual years that have shaped your time here—I am sure that many of you are reflecting on the challenges, both expected and unexpected, that you have navigated to get to this point,” Niyizonkiza said.
“On your graduation day, my collective wish for us is that we each do our part to reduce what makes us strangers—and that we grant ourselves permission to be as ambitious as the problems in front of us demand that we are.”
“However you choose to use your own talents and interests, I wish you the joy and the struggle of doing hard things with friends,” Niyizonkiza said. “And I wish for you to know that a simple act of kindness, however small it seems in the moment, can ripple out over space and time in ways that are hard to guess.”
Wheaton’s ceremony was held in its pre-pandemic location in the Dimple. Family, friends, faculty, staff members and about 400 alumni from as far away as India relished the opportunity to shower the 393 members of the Class of 2022 with joy, pride and plenty of applause.
KEITH NORDSTROM
KEITH NORDSTROM
In opening remarks, President Michaele Whelan noted the exceptional times through which we have all lived: “Commencement is always a memorable occasion, but this year, for the entire community to be gathered in person for the first time since 2019, is truly special,” she said.
“Congratulations on your accomplishments,” she told the class. “Each of you should be proud of what you have achieved as students, scholars, athletes, activists, artists and members of this community, persisting, growing, becoming who you were meant to be.” —Sandy Coleman
KEITH NORDSTROM
KEITH NORDSTROM
Lots of smiles all around, including on the face of Dale Merriman ’22 (above), who earned her degree 47 years after her first enrollment
NICKI PARDO
Transformative major
By Sandy Coleman
Wheaton has approved several new programs that will provide students with fresh interdisciplinary approaches to preparing for careers in nursing, design and criminal justice. Grounded in the liberal arts, each mission-driven, marketinformed initiative contributes to strengthening the college’s future through targeted academic growth while helping to build a global community of innovators who care about the world in which we live.
initiatives, impact
KEITH NORDSTROM
Bachelor of science in nursing focuses on health care equity
The college’s new four-year bachelor of science in nursing degree program aspires to fill the increasing demand for nurses and address widespread inequities in health care.
In keeping with Wheaton’s historical commitment to social justice and desire to better meet the needs of underserved populations locally and globally, the new program will provide students with a collaborative, interdisciplinary liberal arts education that emphasizes the strength of diversity, equity and inclusion in health care, and equips them to become problem-solving leaders.
“Wheaton’s program is dedicated to preparing future nurses to take on the modern-day challenges of patient-centered care across practices, cultures and different settings,” said Colette Dieujuste, Wheaton’s inaugural dean of nursing who led the development of the program, curriculum and learning spaces.
“Everyone deserves equal health care services; when we can provide health care in an equitable way, that is social justice,” she said.
The program, which will have its first class of students in fall 2023, includes nursing and non-nursing courses, and students will be able to pursue an elective concentration in global health, health justice or health care administration. The concentrations will introduce students to health care management, statistics and intervention issues to improve care and gain perspective on the most empathetic and effective nursing.
Students also will develop clinical skills through hands-on practice as well as critical thinking around the larger sociocultural issues of delivering medical care. The nursing program is being added to the more than 100 majors and minors at Wheaton.
“Wheaton’s nursing program draws upon our curricular strengths in the sciences, and on existing courses in anthropology, economics, sociology, languages, and business and management,” said President Michaele Whelan.
“With a focus on global health and health equity, our program will train nurses to be skilled practitioners with a deep understanding of social justice, and global health connections and threats. Understanding race- and gender-based treatment disparities will enable Wheaton’s nurses to change health care and meet the needs of all patients and their families,” Whelan said.
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed health professionals trying to keep up with safely caring for patients, demand for nurses was high, with indications that it would grow even more.
Employment of registered nurses is projected to increase 15 percent by 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to research by Jeff Cutting, Wheaton associate vice president for enrollment and strategic analyst.
Growth will occur for a number of reasons, including an aging population;
Simulation center ICU Pediatrics Labor and delivery Medical surgical Community room
Skills lab
Six beds
KEITH NORDSTROM PHOTOS
Dean of Nursing Colette Dieujuste (left) shows members of the Pre-Health Society equipment in the new nursing program suite in the Diana Davis Spencer Discovery Center Dedicated to Free Speech and Innovation. The suite has a skills lab, simulation rooms and high-tech mannequins for clinical training.
the need to not only care for patients but also educate and help people with chronic conditions; and demand for health care services to replace workers who will retire during the coming decade, Cutting’s research shows.
Building upon Wheaton’s foundation
Since its founding, Wheaton has sought to provide a liberal arts education that gives students the opportunity and flexibility to create the most abundant life, noted Provost Touba Ghadessi.
“Wheaton’s nursing program not only upholds this core principle for our students, but it extends abundance to the diverse communities to whom our graduates will provide excellent and compassionate health care,” Ghadessi said.
Solving big problems and acting on them also is key to Wheaton’s mission, so the program fits in perfectly with that vision, said Dieujuste.
At Wheaton, she has been involved since the start in overseeing the philosophy and curriculum for the nursing program.
Dieujuste also has led the design of the new nursing suite that is located in the Diana Davis Spencer Discovery Center Dedicated to Free Speech and Innovation, where students will learn and receive clinical training in concert with
Alumni nurses say their liberal arts education prepared
Thomas Bruemmer ’12
Majors: Political science and economics Job: Nurse practitioner, emergency department/surgical ICU, UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass.
“At Wheaton, I double majored in political science and economics. I was really interested in politics at the time, and wanted to learn more about the economy. After college, I worked in the Admission Office recruiting for Wheaton. I loved the dayto-day variety that job offered, and knew that I wanted to pursue a career outside the confinement of a cubicle.
“I became interested in the medical field after taking an EMT course at Wheaton. At the time I was the only non-pre-med student in the course, but it sparked an interest in me that turned out to be the foundation of my future career. I became a paramedic, then a nurse, and then a nurse practitioner. Nursing was the natural intersection between my love for interprofessional work as an admission counselor and my interest in medicine.
“The liberal arts are fundamental to the art of healing. You have to consider the full breadth of factors that contribute to health such as policy, socioeconomic factors and cultural factors, in addition to evidence-based medicine. I think the diversity of the liberal arts experience is what builds a strong practitioner. For example, experience with music helps train the ear to listen to the subtle differences in heart and lung sounds. Being comfortable learning about different cultures helps keep one open-minded and curious when working with diverse populations. We face major challenges in the health care field, and I don’t think they can be solved without the diversity and skills that a liberal arts education provides.”
Thomas Bruemmer ’12
Natalie Bycenski ’01
Major: Philosophy Job: Nurse manager at Community Health Center, Inc., in Meriden, Conn.
“While at Wheaton I took all of the courses required for pre-med and initially planned to major in biology. However, I found that many of the courses that were relevant to medicine were actually part of the philosophy major. This led me to then declare philosophy as my major and this helped prepare me for the complexities involved in patient care.
“I have been with the center for nearly 18 years and started off as a staff nurse, moved into the nurse manager position and then senior nurse manager, and immunizations and infection control specialist.
“Philosophy has taught me the importance of looking at the big picture, not just the moving parts. I often have to remind staff that I am ‘playing devil’s advocate’ because we need to look at the issue from all angles and not just what we feel is the right thing to do. We can do more good for our patients and our staff when we have examined the issue from all sides.
“How can we possibly improve hypertension control with patients if our
KEITH NORDSTROM NURSING, continued from Page 21
off-campus experiential learning through community health partners.
The nursing program suite spans 8,800 square feet and includes seven offices, a workroom, a six-bed skills lab, several state-of-the-art simulation rooms, control rooms and debriefing rooms, where students will be able to go through clinical practice scenarios, using high-tech mannequins, to simulate clinical experience.
Faculty will review with students after the experience and that will help them to better develop their critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills, Dieujuste said.
Sitting at a table in one of the conference rooms during an interview, her face lit up as she recalled how she got interested in the nursing profession.
She first became enthralled with nursing while working as a volunteer in a Medford, Mass., hospital when she was in ninth grade. She enjoyed the interactions with patients but could hear her true calling when she was assigned to work in the nursery and got to hold babies.
“That was, like, wow. I felt like, ‘I belong here,’ and I just loved it. Since then I’ve been interested in the nursing field,” said Dieujuste.
them for the complexity of the profession
Natalie Bycenski ’01
patients don’t even know or really understand what high blood pressure means? What are the cultural beliefs that may, on certain levels, conflict with the medical doctrine? How can we assist our patients who celebrate Ramadan and are diabetic?
“And then on a more daily level, what is the ethical thing to do for the patient’s situation?” Gay Packard Wilson ’80
Major: Psychology Job: Registered nurse, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Mass.
Gay Packard Wilson ’80 sees the need for more professionals in her field firsthand. She is a registered nurse at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Mass., where she has served for 17 years, and, for the past two years, has been working on the COVID-19 unit.
“When I heard there might be a program at Wheaton, it was just so exciting because we’re losing nurses. We need nurses. We need nurse practitioners. We can use nurse educators. It’s just an amazing profession to go into,” said Wilson.
“I am a nursing preceptor, training new grads and new hires to our floor. … The liberal arts education I received at Wheaton was just outstanding for everything that life has thrown at me. The psych degree, especially in nursing, is so important,” she said. “There are many
Gay Packard Wilson ’80
different personalities that you deal with at the bedside.”
Wilson originally pursued a career in teaching after graduation and then later entered a two-year associate degree program to go into nursing.
She followed her passion into the area of labor and delivery, and developed clinical expertise in perinatal and obstetrical nursing. She has more than 30 years of experience as a registered nurse and more than 20 years as a nurse educator.
“I’m excited about Wheaton’s nursing program,” she said. “Our rigorous curriculum with supportive faculty will help students develop the foundational knowledge needed to succeed as nurses, to be skillful clinicians and successfully serve locally and abroad.”
During the 2022 spring semester, a few members of Wheaton’s Pre-Health Society (Nicole Toppses ’23, Paige Tagg ’23, Abigail Gangl ’23, Tyler Thornton ’23 and Alexa Leary ’24) got a tour of the nursing program suite from Dieujuste and shared in her excitement. The student organization, which has 120 members, is a resource for the academic, social and professional development of students pursuing careers in health care.
“As we walk through the nursing suite hallways in the Discovery Center, we see career opportunities,” said Toppses, a biochemistry major and Pre-Health Society social media manager. “We see this program as an opportunity to also improve the education of Wheaton’s other pre-health students and connect students to resources off campus as well.”
Wheaton has been granted initial approval status through the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing for the operation of its baccalaureate degree in nursing program. —Sandy Coleman
KEITH NORDSTROM
Distinctive design major leverages college’s strengths
With the start of the fall 2022 semester, Wheaton students now have the opportunity to major in design. This new major is distinctive as it is both interdisciplinary and grounded in the liberal arts. The new offering leverages the strengths of the college’s close-knit community and its dedication to prepare students holistically for careers in the world of design.
“The world of design increasingly cares about the things that Wheaton cares about like innovation, community, social and environmental responsibility and more. We are well-positioned to offer a curriculum that prepares students, in concrete ways, for futures in design,” said Associate Professor of Visual Art Kelly Goff, who serves as co-chair of the design major initiative team.
The new design major reflects Wheaton’s ongoing commitment to responding to the needs and interests of students through the targeted growth of academic programs. With an emphasis on active learning, the program will balance theory and practice through coursework and experiences that will equip graduates with a broadly adaptable education and in-demand skills for postgraduate success. The new design major is one of a number of new academic programs at Wheaton in recent years, including business and management, digital humanities, film and new media studies, and public health.
Students who pursue this major will enroll in a foundational core of courses in visual studies, digital tools for art and design, design methodologies, and history and theory of design. The major will offer two areas of concentration: graphic and visual communication (e.g., graphic design, web design, illustration) and objects and spaces (architecture, physical and digital environments, industrial design).
In addition to Goff, the design major initiative team includes: Associate Director of Arts Events and Publicity (co-chair) Jessica Kuszaj; Professor of Practice C.C. Chapman (business and management); Assistant Professor of Visual Art Leah Dyjak; Professor of Art Claudia Fieo; Associate Professor of Art History Leah Niederstadt; and Marketing and Communications Division Graphic Designer Errick Nunnally.
The team points out that a design major is a natural next step for Wheaton, which already has a robust, design-related curriculum in place. Courses in visual art, history of art, theater and dance, film and new media, computer science and the Innovation Spaces programs enhance a design pedagogy that is infused throughout the Wheaton curriculum in numerous other departments and courses—from the study of aesthetics to designing electronic circuits.
Criminal justice major will prepare students for holistic approach
Deepening its commitment to equity and social justice, Wheaton is launching the new academic program criminal justice, restorative justice, and criminology. The major aims to prepare students to tackle some of the most challenging questions in the field by applying knowledge and perspectives from many disciplines.
In early May 2022, the faculty approved the major, which builds on existing courses in sociology, psychology and philosophy, to name a few. Students will be able to pursue it beginning in fall 2023.
The major, which focuses on critical thinking around criminalization, crime causation and prevention, will equip students to pursue many possible professional positions, including as judges, attorneys, victim advocates, educators, and parole and corrections officers.
“The criminal justice system is large and includes many different roles that have to work together effectively. I am thrilled that we were able to design this major in a way that provides meaningful education and experience for students interested in any of those diverse roles— from advocacy and policy to policing and assessment and treatment of individuals within the system,” said Associate Professor of Psychology Christina Riggs Romaine, who is a member of the team that developed the program.
As part of the new major and in keeping with the goals of the Compass curriculum, which encourages students to connect academics to career interests, experiential learning opportunities will be offered.
“I’m excited about the way that the criminal justice, restorative justice, and criminology program brings together the scholarship and practice of these fields in one major,” said Associate Provost Karen McCormack, who is a member of the team that developed the major and also was co-chair of the Curriculum Design Team and the Curriculum Implementation Team for Compass.
“Students will gain an understanding of social systems and how they operate, how to evaluate their effectiveness and equity, and how to work in these systems and work to make them better and fairer,” McCormack said.
The name for the new major was deliberately chosen because it consolidates three knowledge areas that make the major unique, noted Professor of Sociology Javier Trevino, who also is a member of the program development team.
“First, the ‘criminal justice’ component informs students about the organization and workings of the police, the courts and the prisons,” Trevino said. “Once informed, the students can then discuss the potential reform of these institutions that comprise the criminal justice system. Second, the ‘criminology’ component provides an interdisciplinary orientation to explaining the causes of crime and criminal behavior from biological, psychological and sociological perspectives,” Trevino said. “Finally, the ‘restorative justice’ component offers an alternative to the traditional, largely punitive and ineffective responses to crime. It deals with a reconciliatory attitude that involves the offender, victim and community,” he said. “I’m most excited by the fact that the major will critically examine pressing problems that are of interest to many students, such as mass incarceration, gun violence, police brutality, wrongful convictions, cybercrimes and hate crimes, among others,” said Trevino. “With the new major, my hope is that students will cultivate a critical awareness—informed by a social justice orientation—of the causes of crime and society’s responses to it.”
The other team members who researched, developed and brought forth the major include: philosophy professors John Partridge and M. Teresa Celada; as well as Jeff Cutting, associate vice president for enrollment and strategic analyst, Shaya Gregory Poku, former associate vice president of the Office for Institutional Equity and Belonging, and Anda Brown, a member of the Class of 2024. —Sandy Coleman
Keeping small fishing fleets afloat
Shelley Edmundson ’03 leads effort to support Martha’s Vineyard fishermen
By Laura Pedulli
Shelley Edmundson ’03 is on a mission to preserve Martha’s Vineyard’s distinctive fishing heritage—and safeguard its future.
A variety of factors, including high prices of fishing permits and restrictive quotas, threaten the viability of smallboat fishing fleets on the island. In 2011, Edmundson helped establish the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust to protect fishing as a way of life for generations to come.
“A group of us were concerned about losing our local commercial fishermen, working waterfronts, local seafood access—the very culture that has defined our small, working harbors for centuries,” said Edmundson, who majored in biology at Wheaton.
In the beginning, the organization researched ideas and solicited feedback from local fishermen. In 2016, Edmundson joined as executive director to act on these ideas, including leasing sea scallop quotas to fishermen at subsidized
BROOKE M. BARTLETTA
Shelley Edmundson ’03 strives to preserve Martha’s Vineyard’s fishing heritage as executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.
rates, securing valuable fishing permits and selling them over time, and creating loan programs. More recently, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the economy and access to food, the organization piloted the Community Seafood Program to donate fresh sea scallops to local food insecurity organizations.
“The success of the pilot program allowed us to receive additional grants to purchase more seafood and process it into meals—including black sea bass and scup stew and chowder, lobster mac and cheese and other meals,” she said. To date, the trust has distributed more than 300,000 meals and plans to continue to provide high-quality protein meals.
The trust also established the Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative at the end of 2020, when a major local wholesale seafood market decided to permanently shut its doors. The organization launched a successful $500,000 capital investment fundraising campaign that allowed for the reopening of the wholesale service as a nonprofit.
Edmundson’s favorite part of the job is talking with members of the fishing community about concerns, ideas and what they are observing on the water. “I enjoy being a part of our projects that help keep valuable fishing permits in the community—in the hands of local fishermen, working on ways to fish more sustainably, and collecting data to understand species behavior or trends—and I love any chance to get out on the water,” she said.
John Keene, president of the board of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, describes Edmundson as a kind and gracious professional who is highly respected in the community.
“She is the perfect person to do what she does. She is very empathetic but also can have a thick skin if she needs to,” he said.
Edmundson’s work on the Community Seafood Program was particularly noteworthy, as she managed a complicated grant process while connecting with a facility in Boston to process local seafood for healthy meals, Keene said.
She has an ability to talk about the fishing industry from multiple lenses— whether environmental, economic or sociological—and gain support from fishermen for her ideas, he noted.
The project ended up enabling fishermen to work later in the season, allowing them to earn more and gain a better price for their seafood, thanks to the grant. She also is key to the organization’s successful fundraising efforts, Keene said.
“She is really good at articulating why fishing is a good, viable source of protein while also understanding the science and the importance of how to combat overfishing,” he said.
Edmundson, who originally is from Florida, said her interest in the natural world stems from her many opportunities to explore different habitats at a young age.
“From the wetlands and prairies to the mangroves and beaches, each place had its own unique world to understand. As a family, we would spend time hiking on trails, camping or visiting my grandparents on the Gulf Coast,” she said.
As a child, she visited her mother’s family on Martha’s Vineyard and felt a connection to its rich natural beauty.
Her interest in the environment spurred her to major in biology at Wheaton, where she enjoyed a well-rounded liberal arts education, she said.
Professor of Biology John Kricher’s ornithology course was her favorite. “I loved learning about bird behavior, identification and the skill of finding and correctly identifying birds in the field. On lab days we traveled to different habitats throughout the state to look for birds— Mount Auburn Cemetery, Plum Island, or even just to the Norton Reservoir. We always saw new species, had fun and learned a lot.” After earning her master’s degree, she volunteered for a fishermen’s organization on Martha’s Vineyard and conducted research on the biology of channeled whelk. Her research resulted in a Martha’s
Vineyard Vision Fellowship, which allowed her to continue her research and eventually earn her Ph.D. at the
University of New Hampshire. As part of her dissertation, she tagged more than 14,000 whelks to better understand their growth rates, movements and behavior. Her expertise and local connections with the fishing industry not only led to her appointment as head of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, but resulted in her October 2020 appointment to the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, which represents recreational and commercial fishing interests from various parts of the Massachusetts coast. She is the first person from Martha’s Vineyard to serve on the nine-member commission in at least 40 years.
“The experience has been very informative on the extensive processes, councils in and out of state, committees, and staff needed to carefully manage our fisheries,” she said. “Lately, the commission has been forced to make difficult decisions that balance the need to reduce right whale risks and the need to keep fishermen fishing. It has been complicated, but I hope that my involvement can be helpful to not only fishermen on Martha’s Vineyard, but to others across the state.”
The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust distributes fish stew and chowder through its Community Seafood Program. Edmundson says black sea bass in a stew or chowder is delicious and healthy, and often underappreciated.
PETER LAMBOS
Alumni recognized for contributions and commitment
By Laura Pedulli
The Wheaton Alumni Association honored several alumni for their contributions to society as well as their steadfast support of the college during Commencement Reunion Weekend in May. Khadim Niang ’15 received an Alumni Achievement Award for his positive impact on the world. Hope Gallagher Ogletree ’75 and Oneda Horne ’07 received the Sharon M. Howard ’87, P’09 Outstanding Wheaton Service Award and the Heather J. Corbett ’86 Fostering Wheaton Community Award, respectively, for their work as champions of the college.
Niang was recognized for his efforts to amplify the voices of others, particularly immigrants and young people.
The alum, who moved to the U.S. from Senegal, West Africa, when he was 4 years old, had worked in numerous roles in support of others. In his current position as senior communities liaison for the Office of Comptroller in New York City, he connects African immigrants with vital services and advances gender equity work in local communities.
Niang also partnered with the organization African Communities Together to organize the City of Refuge campaign. He led its annual Refugee Day march and educated immigrants about U.S. policies impacting them. In other roles demonstrating his service mindset, Niang was a youth advocate and writing specialist at the Harlem Children’s Zone. In this capacity, he supported high school students and helped them with college preparation and career planning.
“The Awards and Recognition Committee was greatly impressed with not only Khadim’s professional achievements, but also his volunteerism. He went to Turkey to aid Syrian families facing extremely difficult situations,” said Chase Armstrong ’14, Wheaton alumni board of directors memberat-large and chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee.
Ogletree received the Sharon M. Howard ’87, P’09 Outstanding Wheaton Service Award for making a significant and sustained contribution or service to Wheaton.
Ogletree has devoted her career to philanthropy and developing philanthropic leadership opportunities for women. She serves as the interim executive director of development at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and senior director of Fordham’s Women’s Philanthropy Initiative.
At Wheaton, she has shared her insight and expertise in multiple volunteer roles, including 25 years as a class fund agent, five years as class president, three years as a member of the Alumni Board of Directors and 25th Reunion chair. She also served as her class’s 45th Reunion chair. That year, her class received an award for having the most participation among Reunion classes.
“Hope’s many contributions and ongoing service to Wheaton are more than worthy of recognition. Hope has volunteered for Wheaton too many times to list and her service is always extraordinary and positive. Through her continued efforts, Hope has made significant and sustained contributions to Wheaton and this award is well-deserved,” said Armstrong.
Horne was recognized with the Heather J. Corbett ’86 Fostering Wheaton Community Award for her “unsung” contributions that have brought the Wheaton community together.
NICKI PARDO
Alumni Association President Kathryn “Katie” Leiby Schneider ‘06 addresses the crowd at the annual meeting of the alumni on Saturday, May 21, where awards were presented during Reunion Weekend.
Khadim Niang ’15 Hope Gallagher Ogletree ’75 Oneda Horne ’07
As an alumni leader, she served as the co-chair of Wheaton’s 2018 Alumni of Color conference, “Reflection and Renewal: Remembering Our Past, Shaping Our Future: A Celebration of Our Alumni of Color.” Her work on this event, along with the rest of the committee, set the groundwork and foundation for more meaningful events and discussions around engaging current students, faculty and alumni of color at Wheaton.
Through this endeavor, Horne brought her passion for helping students—particularly those first in their families to attend college—develop robust academic and social skills for postsecondary success. Her current role is executive director of the nonprofit Room to Grow, which provides comprehensive services for low-income families in Boston and New York City.
“Oneda’s actions celebrated Wheaton alumni of color through the recognition of their accomplishments, facilitated meaningful and sincere discussions and created greater inclusivity among members of the Wheaton community. Oneda’s efforts fostered deeper Wheaton-focused connections and have greatly improved Wheaton’s community,” Armstrong said.
