Grad Launches Company to Support Homeless Veterans in LA

Justin Groza '04

"I hate veteran homelessness," Justin Groza '04, says simply. Groza's ten year military experience and desire to help others has spurred the launch of Logos, a business aiming to employ homeless veterans in a sustainable way. 

Groza was very involved  in campus activities during his time at BW as a brother of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, a member of the varsity soccer team and manager of the Student Activities Center. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Groza enlisted in the United States Army and became a commissioned officer. Following his military service, Groza continued his education at Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem in Budapest, where he earned an MBA.

Image from Groza's Logos crowd-funding campaign

After earning his master's degree, Groza developed and refined the concept for Logos and moved to Los Angeles. He recently launched a a crowd-funding campaign to support his idea and to educate the public about the prevalence of homeless veterans and the importance of long-term employment.

"I'm extremely proud of the project and have received excellent feedback from social workers at the VA and Salvation Army offices in Los Angeles," says Groza.

White House Initiative Recognizes Work of Alumnus

The work of Cleveland's nonprofit Esperanza Inc. and executive director Victor Ruiz '99 continues to gain praise, most recently winning recognition from The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.  Ruiz says Esperanza, which is dedicated to the educational needs of the Hispanic community, is humbled by the White House recognition. "Esperanza is honored to be included in such a prestigious list of organizations that work tirelessly to improve the academic achievements of this country’s Hispanic communities."

Victor Ruiz passes out bookbags at Esperanza's Back to School Event. 

Photo courtesy: Esperanzainc.org

Esperanza was highlighted among the White House Initiative's "Bright Spots in Hispanic Education, one of 230 nationwide programs dedicated to Hispanic education listed.

According to a Crain's Cleveland Business article, Esperanza, under Ruiz's leadership, has helped to raise the Hispanic graduation rate in Cleveland from 30% to 64.3%, more than doubling it within three years by 2014.

A Freshwater Cleveland article added, "While the numbers are still below the national average, Esperanza and Ruiz continue forward, with a mission to only improve further."

Ruiz is also a 2014 Baldwin Wallace Alumni Merit Award winner.

Communications Grad Teaches Musical Alternative to Violence

 Adrian Brooks (left) in the recording studio with students.
Courtesy CantonRep.con/Ray Stewart

Music producer and Baldwin Wallace University mass communications graduate, Adrian Brooks, is challenging young people to "Put Down the Gun, Pick up a Mic" in an innovative program in Canton, Ohio. The free instruction in music production at the Monroe Community Family Center gives local children and teens the opportunity to find positive alternatives to violence, to experience the power of music and to learn about different careers in the music industry.

Brooks demonstrates how to use sound boards and other equipment in his "Put Down the Gun, Pick up a Mic" classes which are an extension of the center's Boyz2Men mentoring program. The program provides access to a professional recording studio at no cost, something which would normally be an expensive experience.

Personally invested in the program, Brooks teaches every class and has donated some of the equipment. Brooks commented in an interview with CantonRep.com, “They’ll be learning everything,” he said. “It’s not just making beats. They’ll get hands-on experience.”

The Canton Police Department not only supports the program, working alongside the center regularly, but also donated some of the equipment for the studio as well. Police Sgt. D.L. Garren said that, "People out here, such as... Mr. Brooks, are good role models.”

A Not So Typical Summer Vacation Destination

McHale (left) and Gattis (right) 

The typical college student's summer vacation destination might consist of a beach, big city or other tourist destination. But senior public health major Mary McHale and sophomore arts management major Sarah Gattis are far from typical. They chose to spend their first month of summer vacation doing service work in Cape Coast, Ghana in Africa.

Their focus was on assisting teachers with their daily lessons in various schools around the Cape Coast area. Since it was the rainy season in Ghana, Gattis explained that "we would teach about personal hygiene and sanitation to prevent the children from getting sick and spreading diseases."

The women lived with a host family which helped to fully immerse them in the Ghanian culture. McHale, who has traveled to Ghana two times previously, said her host mother for this trip was a great cook.

Of course there were challenges to be faced along the way from illness to infrastructure. Hot water was only available by boiling it, and the power frequently went out. During the rainy season, flooding presented another challenge because on rainy days most of the city and surrounding areas would be shut down.

In spite of the challenges, both McHale and Gattis feel blessed to have had such an incredible experience. McHale explained her love for the country by saying that "the environment is very different from the U.S. and everyone is always looking out for me and making sure that I am safe. I think that the people are what I like most and their kindness is what I'll always remember." Both women vow to return to Cape Coast very soon.

High fives for all! 

Students “Leave it Behind” to Help People in Need

"Leave It Behind" co-chairs Ashley Porach ’17 (l) and Gwyn Dubel '18 (r)

As thousands of college students move out of residence halls each spring, they often toss usable items in the dumpster. At BW, students are encouraged to “Leave it Behind” to benefit the community. BW’s Office of Community Outreach (OCO) runs the annual “Leave it Behind” drive that combines sustainability with service.

“We hope to show students that used items are very important to others, and that helps us to appreciate all the things that we have,” said project co-chair Ashley Porach ’17, an industrial/organizational psychology major from Berea, Ohio. 

Donations of unopened non-perishable food items, gently used clothes, and other items collected in residence hall donation boxes will benefit Goodwill and Berea Welfare Assistance. The drive, which was featured in news stories on WKYC-TV Channel 3 and on cleveland.com/SUN News  usually fills half of a large box truck with donations.

Co-chair Gwyn Dubel ’18, a Greenville, Penn. native, said the effort provides “an accessible and easy way for students to give back to the local community.” The human resource management major, who served on OCO’s student leadership team this past year added, “It's small actions and simple donations to community partners that help make differences in people's lives.” 

Summer Camps Reach Out to the Next Generation

The BW Conservatory of Music has many a summer camp
for pre-college students to take advantage of!

There is more to Baldwin Wallace University than the education of current college students. Each summer, BW hosts camps and programs dedicated to academics, athletics, cheerleading, music, and more;  offering a younger generation of students to benefit from the expertise and mentoring of BW's faculty, coaches, staff and students.

A new Health Care Career Exploration Week is already wait-listing, but other camps continue to register students. The Experience Honors Summer Program is dedicated to smoothing the secondary school to post-secondary school transition process. The Gedanken Problem-Solving Institute, headed by BW Physics professor Dr. Edwin Meyer, seeks to teach students about the importance of problem solving, as well as assist them in developing their own generalized approach to problem solving.

The Gedanken-Problem Solving Institute leads
 students to successful problem solving.

The Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music also has its share of camps, bringing in school age and adult learners to aid them in music studies, workshops, camps, and institutes. String, Piano, Band, and Music Theater camp are all options for younger students. Available to high school students is the International Guitar Festival, CSI: Conservatory Summer Intensive, and Music Theater Overtures (this writer's personal favorite!).

All of these opportunities, however, barely scratch the surface of what the summer BW has to offer. For an extensive list of the camps, click here. And check back, as new enrichment opportunities continue to be added.

Fraternities, Sororities Collect Teddy Bears for Noble Cause

Marc West and William Anastasiadis '18 donating the bears

After marching to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital with over 1,000 stuffed animals, BW's Greek Council, the governing body of the ten fraternities and sororities on campus, say "job well done" to the BW fraternity and sorority chapters that collected the bears.

Under the direction of Greek Council's Vice Presidents of Scholarship and Service, William Anastasiadis '18 and Emmy Venner '16, "The March of the Teddy Bears," was a month-long stuffed animal drive for hospitalized, terminally-ill children. The organizing duo hoped to receive at least 500 stuffed animals from the drive, but ended up with 1,140 stuffed animals!

Anastasiadis believes that participating in service work helps improve the perception of Fraternity & Sorority Life nationwide, while also fulfilling the lives of those members through meaningful work. "Community service is a 'win-win' situation," he says. "Not only does a student benefit and make a difference in the society, they also receive in return an experience that is usually rewarding."

At the end of the drive, the chapters that came out on top for donating the most stuffed animals were Pi Lambda Phi and Phi Mu.

Another Successful Year of Building Walls

Building the framework of an entire home in one day may seem impossible; but for the third year in a row, BW's Habitat for Humanity did just that.

On a chilly Saturday in early spring, the Bonds Parking Lot was transformed into a construction site. In partnership with Crossroads Mission, more than 80 BW students, faculty, staff and alumni braved the cold weather and spent the day building the interior and exterior walls of a home. The home will be donated to a Lorain County family whose previous living conditions were declared unsafe.

The goal of the BW chapter of Habitat for Humanity is to put an end to poverty housing through community education and involvement. Projects such as Building Walls seek to do just that.

Dr. Andy Dohonas, one of Habitat for Humanity's faculty advisors, looks forward to the Building Walls project every year. "I love seeing the tangible results of our community coming together to help others. In a matter of hours we have taken a pile of lumber and turned it into a home. It's very satisfying."

BW Bach Fest to Feature Student Led Community 5k

The Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music is debuting a fun new addition to its long-standing and world renowned Bach Festival. Celebrating its 83rd year (and Bach's 330th birthday), this year's fest will include BW's first-ever 5k run/walk, "Das Rennen Bach," the brainchild of enterprising Conservatory students, including Josiah Bullach '15 and David Croglio '15.

The race, beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 18 (festival weekend), will start in front of Boesel Musical Arts Center and take runners around Coe Lake and back to the BW Conservatory. Awards will be given out to the top men and women racers in each graduating class and age group, with an additional award for Best Dressed Like J.S. Bach. 

One of the primary objectives for the new event is to "promote healthy living for musicians and community engagement by encouraging the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and the greater Berea community" and comes as a part of BW's effort to create new ways to appreciate the life of J.S. Bach, as noted in festival previews in The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Classical and "Faces of the SUNS" column.

Bullach, senior performance major and one of the student coordinators for the race, said the 5k is also a great way to bring the BW community together. "It is just as much intended for non-conservatory students, community members, and non-competitive walkers. It's a race, but also a fun community event," Bullach said.

Participants can register online and get more information on the Das Rennen Bach Facebook event page.

BW Circle K Wins Best Club in Ohio at State Convention

Gwyn Dubel, Lyndsey Marshall, Leslie Sheawalter, Maria Curcio, Maureen Giardina, Xaiver Seavers, Pat Hoang 

Another impressive year of honors and awards for BW’s Circle K International Service Club at the 58th annual Ohio District Circle K Convention. For the fourth consecutive year, BW received The Daniel J. Romanello Achievement Award, presented to the best Circle K club in the state! Club members were recognized with individual awards in nearly every other category.

Individual awards included: 1st Place Outstanding President to Maureen Giardina; 2nd Place for Outstanding Vice President to Sam Trapp; 2nd Place for Outstanding Secretary to Elizabeth Scozarro; 1st Place Outstanding Treasurer to Lyndsey Marshall; P.A.C.E. Setter Award to Molly Martin; 2nd Place for Outstanding Club Committee Chairperson to Jessie Feldman; 2nd Place for Outstanding Member to Shannon Fee; 1st Place Outstanding New Member to Anna Popa; and 2nd Place Award for Leadership to Leslie Sheawalter.

In addition, BW Circle K received the award for Most Improved Club and the Membership Award for attracting 20 new members since the 2013-2014 school year. Berea Kiwanis was awarded Outstanding Kiwanis Sponsors for their dedication and devotion to the BW organization. BW's thriving Circle K group is also mentored by two active advisors, BW biology professor Dr. Karen Munroe and director of student life Robin Gagnow.

OCO Members Venture to LA for the IMPACT Conference

Nuha Alshabani '15 and Keynoter Wendy Spencer

Service leaders from colleges and universities across the country recently gathered on the west coast and BW was well represented. BW's Office of Community Outreach (OCO) sent graduate intern, Katy Johnson '14, and student leaders, Bryan Powell '16, Nuha Alshabani '15, Kara Carpenter '17 and Vanessa Adu-Gyamfi '17 to the recent IMPACT Conference in Los Angeles. Alshabani '15 also was selected to participate in the conference planning committee.

The IMPACT Conference held at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), is the largest annual conference focused on the civic engagement of college students in community service, service-based research and advocacy. The focus of the conference aligns with BW OCO’s mission to empower students to become contributing, compassionate citizens.


Julie Bishop, assistant director of BW OCO describes the conference as, "a great way for BW students to connect and share ideas with students from campuses across the country doing similar service work."

BW students at the IMPACT conference in LA

Students heard inspiring keynote addresses from Wendy Spencer, the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service and Robert Egger, the President of the LA Kitchen founder of the Campus Kitchen Project, and attended seminars to discuss cultural awareness, societal privilege and methods to leverage the concepts learned from service in career building.

The students were also able to explore southwest LA and visit the beach. "It was super cool to see all the different 'stars' supporting various initiatives and bringing awareness to these issues," said Powell.

Students are expected to present their experiences and ideas at a team meeting later this year.

BW Alum Leads Esperanza to Success

The incredible success of a nonprofit effort to increase low Hispanic graduation rates in Cleveland has put BW alumnus Victor Ruiz '99, executive director of Esperanza,  in the media spotlight. As explained in Crain's Cleveland Business, and La Prensa, Esperanza is a nonprofit organization that focuses primarily on guiding Hispanic students toward graduation. Ruiz has played a key role in the program's success in addressing what the Cleveland Metropolitan School District declared "a crisis" in 2011. In just two years of ambitious programming, the Hispanic graduation rates in Cleveland doubled.

Esperanza provides test prep, one-on-one mentoring, tutoring and student scholarships to Hispanic high school students. Over the past six years, Esperanza's budget has greatly expanded and by next year, it is expected to reach $2 million. Down the road, Ruiz hopes that the program will expand and begin to work in elementary and middle schools in addition to high schools.

In an earlier interview with Crain's, Ruiz discussed how as a young Hispanic child in Cleveland, he was helped by nonprofit and public social service organizations. This made attending college at BW a possibility for Ruiz, who was awarded BW's Alumni Merit Award in 2014. Ruiz says it's his duty to give back to his community.

BW Professor Emeritus, Alumnus Earns Hospital Service Award

Through dedication and hard work, BW professor emeritus and alumnus Robert Ebert '65 recently earned Fairview Hospital's Community Service Award.

Following in the footsteps of his parents, who were involved with the fundraising campaign for the hospital, Ebert devoted his time and energy to the improvement of health care since he was asked to serve on the board of Fairview Enterprises in the 1980s, going to serve in various capacities including the Fairview Hospital Board of Trustees and the Community West Foundation.

"I am committed to excellence in health care," says Ebert, "as I believe it is vital to the well-being of the community."

The 1965 BW graduate completed a doctorate in economics at Case Western Reserve University and went on to teach the subject at BW for many years, earning many teaching and faculty awards. Ebert became a professor emeritus in 2010.

BW V.E.T.S Collect Donations for Troop Care Packages

Members of BW V.E.T.S. with donated supplies

Members of the BW V.E.T. S. organization (Veterans Engaged Through Service), a group that focuses on enhancing the lives of military veterans attending BW through engagement in volunteer opportunities, recently collected donations for troop care packages. Donation boxes were distributed around campus for the collection of baby wipes, foot powder, sunscreen, bug spray, cough drops, gum, candy, disposable razors, white tube socks, travel-size deodorant, and movies.

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Post 91 American Legion at Coe Lake was also involved in the operation, shipping the donated items to U.S troops stationed in Iraq, Germany, and the Veterans in Wade Park, Va.

Honors Students Mentor Middle Schoolers at Science Center

Baldwin Wallace University's Honors Program encourages participation in annual service opportunities in order to help students develop lasting relationships and give back to the community.

Recently, a group of BW Honors students volunteered at the Great Science Academy workshop hosted by the Great Lakes Science Center.  Students worked on a theoretical project, meaning that the purpose of their experimental work was unknown until the end.

The BW students report that they had a great time working with younger students to engage them in challenging but enjoyable activities.

Sustainability Major Supports Urban Farming and More at WCC

Like many BW students, Maria Curcio '15 has more than one passion... and major. The business accounting and sustainability major has spent the summer interning with the West Creek Conservancy where urban farming, watershed data collection and conference planning have all been part of the experience. WCC is a non profit organization that works for a "greener, greater Cleveland," conserving land within Greater Cleveland through a variety of programs.

Curcio has collected data for the the Mill Creek Watershed Action Plan, helped WCC prepare for the biannual Greater Cleveland Trails and Greenways Conference and assisted the farmers at Kinsman Farm, the WCC's urban farm project. At Kinsman Farm, "citizens are able to buy about a quarter acre of land for $250 a year," Curcio explains. "The farmers are required to create a business plan and then farm the land in accordance to their plan. They are then able to do whatever they wish with their produce."

A previous internship at Hyland Software gave Curcio solid experience for her accounting major, while this summer is devoted to sustainability. "Working with a nonprofit is something I ultimately would like to do upon graduation," Curcio also tells us. "The networking and experience I am gaining through my work with WCC will only benefit my future career upon graduation from BW."

Challenging Summer Camp Featured in Crain's Cleveland

The summer enrichment program started by BW's problem-solving champion and physics chair Edwin Meyer has caught the attention of Crain's Cleveland.

In a story profiling innovative pre-college summer programs for high school students, the weekly business magazine shines a light on Meyer's Gedanken Institute for Problem Solving, a day camp experience that challenges students ages 12 to 16 with real-world problem-solving exercises and games. “It's the week I look forward to all year,”  Meyer told Crain's. “It's exhausting, but the students have a blast. To work with young people, when you see the light go on, it's worth it.”

“This can be a life-changing event for a student,” Meyer said. “It's also an opportunity for them to develop social capital: to get to spend eight or nine hours a day with people who think like them.”

BW is welcoming students of all ages to campus this summer. For more information on the problem-solving camp and many others, visit the BW camp listing page online.

Student Service Takes Center Stage for Sociology Club

The spirit of service instilled in BW Yellow Jackets is alive and well in the Sociology, Criminal Justice & Forensic Science (SCF) Club. The organization launched three successful donation projects this past semester.

The first, "Donate a Can and a Piece of Your Heart," ran in February and involved hosting a donation table in the Union where students could donate canned goods and create a valentine to accompany them. All food and valentines were donated to the Cleveland Food Bank in hopes of warming many hearts.






The spring "University Settlement School Supply Drive" focused on collecting school supplies for University Settlement's annual Back to School Fair.

Lastly, the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children (ACBC) project is an ongoing fundraiser to help child burn victims. Aluminum cans are collected outside the computer lab in Malicky Center and taken to a local fire station where they are sold. The money raised is used by firefighters for summer camp tuition assistance for burned children and to purchase necessary equipment.

BW Summer Camps Prepare Younger Students for Success

Every summer, BW hosts camps for students of all ages to help them find success in different areas.

For a traditional summer camp experience, students can try the Youth Adventure Sport Camp and enjoy a variety of activities, from kayaking and survival skills to yoga and ultimate frisbee.

To boost brainpower over the summer, the Gedanken Problem-Solving Institute is a week long camp that uses fun activities to encourage tweens and teens to get creative and develop critical thinking skills. The new Experience Honors Summer Camp is designed for high school students to help empower them during the college application process and allow them to sample different academic subjects.
 

Students that want to focus on one sport, there are plenty of options to choose from: Football Camp, Boys and Girls Basketball Camps, a Girl's College Prep Soccer Camp, and even more options for different sports interests and skill levels. 

BW has an extensive list of Conservatory programs. Camps range from piano to percussion, with a Musical Theater program for high school juniors preparing to audition for colleges, to an adult camp for Music Teaching and Learning.

A complete list of Baldwin Wallace Summer camps can be found here.

BW Students Create Bowls for Fundraiser

BW students were among the artists who crafted and donated original ceramic bowls for the Kiwanis Club of Berea's fifth Empty Bowl Soup Fundraiser.  All of the funds raised at the event went to restocking the shelves of the community and outreach programs like Berea Community Outreach, SCAN, and Church Street Ministries.

You can read more about the cause in the Sun News.