Amy Lopez
2007 Recipient of the Lackner Award
Acceptance Speech
When Fr. Paul set up a meeting on my lotus notes calendar, I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach…I thought he was going to ask me to step down from a role I have on a committee. Sometimes, my big mouth or my “bossiness” gets in the way of what I want to accomplish (my sister can attest to that!)…when Johnetta Cole was here for our annual Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast, she talked about the responsibility we have to be agitators at times – I’ve always taken that role quite seriously. Obviously, by me standing here tonight, that’s not what was on Fr. Paul’s agenda that afternoon. He asked me to put my binder away – that he had good news for me.
I was, and still am, overwhelmed. Excited? Yes. Amazed to see all of you? Yes. But overwhelmed? Still yes – extremely. And so I want to begin by thanking Fr. Paul, Dr. Curran, the Rector’s Council, and the Vowed Marianists for this wonderful experience.
I want to thank my family who is here tonight – my parents, Bonnie and Mel Lopez, my sister (who is also my roommate) Anita, my brother, Mike, UD grad, and my sister-in-law, Linda, also UD grad. I have two more brothers who are not here tonight – Joe and his wife, Mara live in Cuyahoga Falls (Bro. Ray’s hometown), and my brother Matt lives in Chicago. The newest member of our clan, and the other reason 2007 is going to be the most miraculous year of my life (yes, I said miraculous) is this man to my right, Craig Matthews…my fiancé. Yes, we’re planning the wedding. No, I don’t have all of the details organized – I’ll get to that!
I also want to thank the staff I work with here in Kennedy Union. It’s an amazing group of professionals and I’m proud to be a part of their work every day. Mark, Brandy, Amy, Yemi, Daria, Sam, Dan…and –did you see her? The RETURN of Annie Thornton! Welcome back, Annie and Grady – we miss you. And my predecessor, the former director of Kennedy Union – Ellie Kurtz. Welcome, Ellie. The KU Crew is made up of people who I depend on, people who I care about, and people who make me laugh when I most need to. What more could you want in a staff?
And all of you – who make up this amazing place we call the UD community, or the UD family. The previous Lackner Award recipients, and the students, faculty, and staff who embody what it means to be Marianist. We sometimes have trouble defining it, but we can see it in one another. Thank you for being here tonight, and thank you for your support, friendship, and inspiration.
And last but not least, I want to thank my co-recipient this year, Steve Mueller. I’ve had the privilege of knowing Steve and working with him for more than 18 years. If you look up “good guy” in the dictionary, you’ll see Steve’s picture (right next to my honey’s, of course!). I’m honored to be receiving this award – and even more so to be included in the company of Steve Mueller – he’s a consummate professional, and a real model of what it means to live out the Marianist ideals, both personally and in his work. Steve and I are in the division of Student Development together, and it’s a testimony to Dr. Schuerman that we are both seated up here tonight. We’ve been given the freedom and the encouragement to bring the Marianist charism into our work, and we’ve been given the opportunity to be more fully engaged in the mission of the University through a variety of experiences. In all of that, Dr. Schuerman never said, “wait a minute” or “shouldn’t you be working on something else?” For that, I ask you to join me in thanking Dr. Schuerman, in his last year as Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students.
And a special welcome and thank you to Sr. Schmelling, the incoming Vice President for Student Development – I’m honored that you were able to change your travel plans to be here tonight with me and Steve and 350 of our closest friends. Truly – this is a special occasion that has always helped us feel connected to our Marianist roots. The spirits of Adele, Marie Therese, and Fr. Chaminade are with us tonight.
I mentioned the words “opportunity” and “inspiration” earlier. It is these two words that have come together in my life and bring me, I think, to this point today.
My family. My parents provided me with an opportunity to attend this wonderful university as an undergrad (ok – back when you’re 17 years old, it’s kind of a threat, too – “you WILL go to college”), and they have been a constant inspiration in my life and in the lives of my siblings to do good work, to treat others with respect, and to thank God for our many blessings. My brothers, my sister, and all of our family have been a constant source of support – but mostly humor – in my life. We’re a bit clannish in how we stick together, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. And Craig. We’ve found love a little later in life than most, but it’s the forever kind…the transformative kind…the kind that makes you feel like God had someone special in mind for you.
My mentors. When a student came to my office a few weeks ago to interview me about the Lackner Award, she asked me who my mentors were. When I think about the people in my life –beyond my family – who have had an affect on me, my work, and my faith, I know that I am truly blessed. Most of us would feel quite fortunate to have had one of these people there to make a difference. I experience gifts from so many mentors, colleagues, and friends. And it is because of these relationships that I have this wonderful opportunity tonight. Nothing I’ve done has ever been on my own – it’s always been with – and I hope, for – others.
I’ve received much more than I’ve given. From my days at Chaminade-Julienne High School and now at UD, I’m touched by the relationships I’ve had with the Marianists brothers and sisters. They’ve brought a great deal of humor (Bro. Tom Oldenski, Fr. Gene Contadino, Fr. Jerry Chinchar, and the late Bro. Ed Prochaska to name JUST a few) and inspiration (Sr. Laura Leming, Bro. Ray Fitz, and the late Bro. Jack Lucier) into my life. And as far as opportunities go, they have opened up experiences and challenges that I never dreamed of when I started working here at the age of 23.
There have been lay Marianists who have provided opportunities and inspiration also – most notably my friend, Joan McGuinness Wagner. She and her husband, A.J., open up their lives and their home to students, faculty, and staff in a way I could never imagine. I have depended upon Joan’s friendship, honesty, clarity, and sense of mission to be a guide in my life.
There are colleagues who are also my friends – people like Kathy Watters, Lisa Rismiller, Vernellia Randall, Therese Lysaught, Pat Palermo, and Dick Ferguson – who have given me opportunities by inviting me to participate, to agitate (who, this group?), and to formulate – plans, ideas, strategies…whatever it takes. I learn something about people, grace, or myself every time I talk with them. And I am always inspired by them.
There are friends. Judy Caruso. My friend for 18 years…who’s seen me at my best AND my worst. Who’s cautioned me, “hey – you’d better think about that first.” Chris Schramm. My friend for what – 16 years? My friend with whom I share a long-standing rivalry over which one of us is Pat Palermo’s “favorite.” Melissa Flanagan. A friend who is always there for you – whatever it is you need, she’ll come through for you. People who know most of what there is to know about you and who still think you deserve all of this.
And there was my friend and mentor, Joe Belle. Joe received this award in February of 2000, and died that summer from a brain tumor. He gave me my first opportunity here when he was instrumental in my hiring. Joe developed amazing personal relationships with everyone he came in contact with. He knew you, your family, your interests, and what you were capable of. He knew what I was capable of before I did – and offered me the opportunity to advance and take on responsibilities that truly formed me as a student development professional. I remember one conversation we had in his office many years ago…the University was having some conversations about what it meant to be a lay Marianist. He told me that the priests and the brothers and sisters were the Marianists. Who were these “lay Marianists?” I just looked at him and said, “You, Joe. People like you. People who are committed to the mission of the institution and who live it out in their daily lives.” He kind of cocked his head and just said, “oh.” Like he’d never thought of himself that way…but obviously many of us did. He’s been gone almost seven years and I still miss him…and he still guides me…I often think, “what would Joe Belle do?” I’m honored that his daughter Laura is here with us tonight.
The students. Talk about inspired. I’m inspired by the commitment of our student staff in Kennedy Union and during the summer – working with conferences – each day. They feel a great deal of ownership and responsibility for what happens here, and we rely on them to portray the Marianist sense of hospitality in their work. They do that better than the rest of us do, most days. When I was asked during my interview about this award what I did that was related to the Marianist spirit when I was a student here, I had to pause…I was involved in mass choirs and the LIFE group in high school, but I have to admit that my time as an undergraduate at UD was not so directed as many of our students today. I was doing some growing up over those years, and – while I had a wonderful experience – it was not something that you would point to on my path that was “intentional.” It was not exactly an intentional time in my life. Perhaps I wasn’t quite ready for that when I was 20. That is one of the reasons I am so amazed by what our students do. Maureen O’Rourke, who now works in the Rector’s Office, came onto this campus as a student and infused our community with her commitment, passion, and understanding of what it means to live out the mission. She changed what we do here.
I’ve had the very inspiring opportunity to mentor a house of women students who have chosen to live in the neighborhood as a Marianist student community – opening their homes to other students and living their lives, as students, with real intentionality. Joe Saliba and I have spent some time getting to know them, and to understand their commitment and support them in that.
So while I am grateful to be recognized today, this recognition is also for those who have inspired and supported me by giving me the many opportunities I’ve had to be involved in the Catholic and Marianist mission and identity of the University of Dayton. I know that it is a unique and valuable experience, and I am grateful, humbled, and so blessed in my life.
And as I think of ways to honor this experience and enliven the mission, I have decided to divide up the $5,000 into several areas:
- In honor of my friend and mentor, Joe Belle, I am giving $1,000 to the fund for Serenity Pines, our spiritual garden on campus. May it continue to be a place of peace and reflection for our community.
- In support of our students who are living intentional experiences rooted in Marianist community values, I would like to designate $1,000 to the Marianist Student Community program to use as they see fit. It’s a wonderful, inspiring model that I would like to support.
- Many of us here tonight are aware of a student, Ashley Kessler, who is recovering from surgery due to a brain tumor. While I do not know Ashley, I have been touched by the stories about her strength and her faith. I am designating $1,000 to a new fund that will be available to students in financial need who experience a catastrophic illness while attending UD. It is my hope that the Ashley Kessler Fund will grow, and that it will be available not only to Ashley but to future students in need.
- Finally, I have had an amazing experience this semester in my conflict management class. In preparation for a visit by the performer Jean Paul Samputu, who is a musician from Rwanda and who also speaks about the process of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation, we watched the movie Hotel Rwanda. Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who saved over 1,000 lives during the Rwandan genocide in 1994, will also be speaking on campus this semester. In an effort to educate the students in my class, I was educated and moved by the stories I heard and by the papers the students wrote.
When I was a student at UD in the mid-80s, our issues were South African Apartheid and nuclear disarmament. Whether the social justice issues of the day are in a far away land, or closer to home – issues like discrimination and hate based on sexual orientation, homelessness, racial bigotry, capital punishment, gender equity, universal health care, or support for those living with AIDS – we have a responsibility as members of a Catholic and Marianist community to name what’s wrong, and to do what we can – as an individual or as a community – to make an impact.
The Center for Social Concern offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to practice social justice and the Center challenges us to be people of service. I am designating $2,000 to the Center for Social Concern to use in making an impact – wherever the need is greatest.
I want to thank Fr. Paul, Sue, Kate, Joan, and Maureen from the Office of the Rector, the Catering Staff, and my friends and colleagues in KU for all of their work toward making this evening such a lovely experience. I’ve been on the “working end” of this event before and know all of the hands that have to be involved to make this happen.
Thank you all again for being here to share this very special night.