Thiel Happenings

Thiel College counselor publishes article about creative coping strategies during the pandemic

The Director of Thiel College’s Counseling Center, Melanie Broadwater ’98, was recently published in a leading counseling magazine.

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Thiel College Learning Commons recognizes last Extraordinary Effort students of spring

Alrick Francis ’22, Charlie Lichtenwalter ’22, and Zach Lyons ’22 were awarded the Thiel Learning Commons Extraordinary Effort awards for the month of April.

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Thiel College English faculty member has book chapter published

Thiel College Professor of English Jared Johnson, Ph.D. published a book chapter in the essay collection Performativity of Villainy and Evil in Anglophone Literature and Media.

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Professor of English Mary Theresa Hall named inaugural DHI Professor of the Year

The Thiel College Dietrich Honors Institute Student Advisory Board recently named Mary Theresa Hall, Ph.D., as the recipient of the inaugural DHI Professor of the Year Award.

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Warm weather and sunshine bring out community for Farewell Fest

• View photos from the event.
• Watch students “shake it out” at a Farewell Fest game.

Student News

Scarpitti shares his Thiel story

Joe Scarpitti ’80 was the featured speaker at the April 27th Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar, which was the final class of the year. Joe is a Senior Vice President with the American Funds, which is the second-largest mutual fund company in the world. 

“Joe Scarpitti graduated from Thiel College in 1980 with majors in mathematics and business. Joe originally came to Thiel for basketball but always returned to his alma mater out of gratitude, respect, and love that the college had opened pathways for him.” Owen Sa ’22

“The night started with Professor Miller announcing that Joe will be inducted into the Thiel College Athletic Hall of Fame. When Scarpitti went to the podium, I could tell that receiving this honor meant a lot to him.” Kate Sollers ’22

“Mr. Scarpitti talked to us about when he was a student here, he loved having classes with Professor Miller because he would push him to do his best and to work hard. He talked about how on-campus he didn’t get to join a fraternity because they didn’t allow him, so he created his own with a group of friends and they dominated the intramural sports.” Alrick Francis ’22

“Joe’s presentation tonight was nothing short of unique and inspiring. He didn’t talk much about his current job or upbringing at all, which I thought was very interesting and different. His reasoning for this was that he was not there to talk about himself, he was more focused on us.” Dan Myers ’22

“Joe had a unique presentation where he chose not to focus on his time at Thiel College, rather, his experiences in life and incorporating faith into his speech.” John Ganiear ’22

“His presentation was unique in the sense that he talked more spiritually than anybody else. I believe this showed great character of him because, in today’s world, this may not be the best or easiest thing to do.” Maddison Neely ’22

“This in my opinion was the most powerful and heartfelt presentation I have ever listened to. Joe isn’t just an amazing businessman, but he is truly a great man, husband, friend, father, and has the power of God in him.” Logan Long ’22

“He was given a wonderful introduction by Professor Miller, touching on all his accolades and achievements and what he has done for Thiel. Joe however did not leave it at that, he talked about what Thiel has given to him, even saying it has been one of the best decisions of his life. Joe wanted to share three things with us: his journey, his life compass, and what his eighth wonder of the world was.” Madeline DePalma ’22

“He explained that PRAYER is the eighth wonder of the world and stands for Plan/Prepare, Read, Attitude, Yes, Enthusiasm, Respect/Repay. With each letter of prayer, he went into detail with steps and advice for us to craft our hearts in life.” Brycen Dorfmeister ’23

“Joe Scarpitti delivered an intense and enthusiastic presentation that focused on the following topics – “Your Journey,” “Life Compass,” and “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” The journey is where you find out what your likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses are. The life compass is where you plan and prepare. The eighth wonder of the world is prayer. Joe advised us to wrap our hearts with prayer.” Angela Sorg ’23

“He then proceeded to talk about how he loves individuals that go to liberal art schools because they are well-rounded, know how to talk to people, and have great problem-solving skills.” Alrick Francis ’22

“More importantly though, Joe found that liberal arts graduates were always curious, searched for the truth, and were always open to learning more.” Owen Sa ’22

“He talked to us about failing to succeed. He said, ‘I believe that you need to fall down seven times and get up eight. This will show you how failure tastes and you will learn to succeed. If you are handed everything you will never learn and will never succeed.’” John Retton ’22

“This relates to us because his family is going on a journey and our life is a journey which requires us to do some planning in order to be prepared. He also said that preparation meets opportunity, meaning if we are prepared for things then we can expect to receive more opportunities, whether that’s in the work field or not.” Adonis Scriven ’22

“One thing that was evident to me was his use of quotes. Scarpitti would tell us something about life and have a quote that resembled what he was discussing. I really liked this.” Kate Sollers ’22

“Joe has impacted my life and I feel he has spoken to my heart. I will remember this presentation for the rest of my life.” Logan Long ’22

“Give back, think big, just be yourself, but be your best self and don’t be afraid to be happy.” Jacob Zylka ’22

“Joe also espoused the great comradery he has with Professor Witosky and the cordial relationship he has with Professor Miller. He explained that these are the kinds of relationships that do not come often and should be guarded carefully with love and care.” Owen Sa ’22

“He was such an inspiration and after hearing his presentation and seeing the relationships he still cherishes with his Thiel friends and professors was very sentimental. It let me look at my fellow classmates and professors and hope I have a relationship with them in the future. He truly exemplified the impact a small college has on individuals and the relationships they make.” Maddison Neely ’22

“Scarpitti was the last speaker we had for this class, and I feel that it was a good way to end on a high note. He offered us great advice as we are set to graduate in less than two weeks. It was an honor to meet such a wonderful person and a pleasure to listen to him speak. We had amazing speakers all semester and I am very grateful for the experience!” Kate Sollers ’22

“I am so glad I decided to take this course, I learned so many different lessons from a lot of great and successful people. I am also glad I decided to come to Thiel, the connections you make here run deep and I will always cherish them.” Emily Sears ’22

“I really enjoyed this class this year and AVI did a tremendous job each week during our dinners.” John Retton ’22

Lessons Learned

• “Humble yourself.” Jacob Zylka ’22
• “Do not be afraid to embrace your faith.” Maddison Neely ’22
• “The world does not owe you anything, you must earn it.” Angela Sorg ’23
• “You were not born to fail.” John Ganiear ’22
• “If you fall seven times, get up eight times.” Brycen Dorfmeister ’23
• “Plan your tomorrow today, start every day on offense.” Madeline DePalma ’22
• “Make every day your masterpiece.” Dan Myers ’22
• “Enthusiasm is contagious, making it the electricity of life.” Brycen Dorfmeister ’23
• “Service to others should come from the heart and humility, not from the need for attention and fame.” Owen Sa ’22
• “Stay humble and kind to achieve true success.” Logan Long ’22
• “The fulfilling part of some journeys is sometimes the process and not the rewards at the end.” Owen Sa ’22
• “Stay curious. Be a lifelong learner.” Kate Sollers ’22
• “Save 10% of your earnings.” Jacob Zylka ’22

Dinner Dishing

• “Dinner was wonderful as always as AVI has done an excellent job the entire duration of this class. I was able to share this last meal with Professor Witosky, Terri Eddy, Maddy Neely, and Logan Long. I always enjoy the conversations shared and especially enjoyed getting to sit with two outstanding alumni. I would like to give a special thanks to those who have endowed this program and make the Ruth A. Miller Senior Seminar possible. It has been one of my favorite and best Thiel experiences and I thank everyone who has made it happen.” Madeline DePalma ’22
• “My final dinner with the class was one that did not disappoint. Shrimp cocktail, salad, beef, with a very interesting potato, and a fantastic strawberry dessert was just the finale the class deserved. I am thankful to all of AVI and to the faculty/staff that made this possible.” John Ganiear ’22
• “It was so much fun to have our final meal and discuss final plans upon graduation next week. The meal was amazing, and we had great conversations about our time here at Thiel. We talked about everything from classes to truly funny stories I will remember forever. We had a great meal, with great people and some great music.” Logan Long ’22
• “For dessert we had strawberry panna cotta, which I had never eaten before; it was very interesting. I am grateful for AVI making us wonderful meals each week and for being able to try so many different foods this semester.” Emily Sears ’22
• “AVI never disappoints and chose a great meal as our last.” Maddison Neely ’22

Epilogue

• “Success does not happen by accident; a significant amount of planning, communication, and coordination needed to occur to make this class work effectively. I am especially appreciative and grateful for the efforts, contributions, and support of College Advancement, President Traverso and Dean Frombgen, Monica Adametz, AVI, Dominick DiRienzo M.A.’22 and T-Notes, Amy Jackson ’23 (photographer extraordinaire), Michael Illes ’25 (IT support specialist extraordinaire), Prof. David Miller ’61, H’20 and Dr. Ruth A. Miller H’20, our many guests from across campus, the students in the class, and, most importantly, our speakers. Thank you all for making this a great and memorable semester!”  Prof. Gary Witosky ’79   

Sigma Tau Delta inducts members

The Alpha Iota Kappa chapter of the International English honor society Sigma Tau Delta initiated eight new members and installed four officers during its annual induction ceremony on April 9, 2022

Sigma Tau Delta is an elite honor society open to students from all disciplines who have completed a minimum of two college courses in English beyond the first-year English requirements. Membership candidates must have completed at least three semesters of college coursework, earning a 3.0 grade point average in both English courses and general scholarship.

Tess Cadman ’24, Taylor Clayborn ’25, Dylan Evans ’25, Alexander Henry ’23, Hailey McClain ’23, Taylor Pearce ’25, Mark Permigiani ’25, and Allison Walsh ’25 were honored at the ceremony, becoming the chapter’s newest members.

In addition to inducting new members, the local chapter also installed its 2022-2023 chapter leaders. Officers for next year’s term include Tess Cadman (President), Allison Walsh (Vice President), Hailey McClain (Secretary), and Taylor Pearce (Treasurer and SGA Representative)

Sean Oros ’15, Thiel College alumnus and former Sigma Tau Delta chapter member, gave the keynote address. He stressed the student’s role as custodians of words, as they write their own life stories and define themselves, rather than being defined by GPAs or otherwise.

Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University and now has over 850 chapters, the largest in English studies. The Alpha Iota Kappa was established in 2000 and recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary at Thiel College.