50 Years - 50 Stories

Ron D'Amore, Class of 1968

Making Every Penny Count

One day I was in my family doctor's office for a checkup and he started asking me a lot of questions about where I wanted to go to school and what my plans were for the future. I told him that because my dad had been very sick, and he was in and out of hospitals all year, my parents‚ couldn't afford to send me to college this year..

Maria Crookston, Class of 2010

Divine Intervention at Freshman Orientation

I remember the first Mass of Walsh’s new Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel in 2006. There were so many priests there from local churches. It was pretty big deal for the school because Masses had previously been held in the David Center Atrium. I was an altar server for the Mass that day. I remember Monsignor Lew Gaetano repeatedly warning all of the servers not to spill the oil because it would stain the brand new altar. Luckily, I did not spill any!

Brian Hopkins, Class of 2007

The First Walsh Discover Retreat

We finished up our first Discover retreat in the basement of the Timken Natural Science Center, but we’d still call it a huge success. A bad snowstorm was predicted for our area in February 2006, and the other team leaders and I decided that the retreat must go on. So we packed our gear and everyone else’s into the vans to spend Friday night at Camp Nuhop in Perrysville, and returned to campus the following afternoon.

Terie Frank Jusseaume, Class of 1974

Mud Tug

Some of my best Walsh memories are splattered with mud. Not in a figurative way, but literally. I attended Walsh from 1970 to 1974. There were many Walsh rites of passage during that time but the one that sticks out in my mind was the Mud Tug. It was part of the freshmen first week festivities on campus.

Sherry Bossart

Great Minds Think Alike

Every Friday we had a tradition. Golf coach Brother James Lacasse and I would meet for lunch for one hour to talk about recent events, including comparing notes on the students we were recruiting for our respective sports, tennis and golf. Often times our Friday lunches were spent comparing notes about the difficulties we faced with securing the commitment of potential Walsh athletes.

Jason Reed, Class of 1999

When I was a student at Walsh, we didn't have the amenities that are there now. There was no shopping center across the street nor was there a student center. We didn't have a wellness center, and there certainly wasn't an on-campus movie theater. Our recreation options were basically going out to dinner, watching movies, talking with friends on campus or shopping. I spent a lot of time at Belden Village Mall.

Julianne Buynak, Class of 2000

Although I was involved in several activities at Walsh, including cheerleading and student government, what I gained the most from was my experience as an intern in the Alumni Office. That experience helped shape my whole college career. What I learned there carried with me to my internship at the Timken Company, into grad school and to this day still. Everyone in the Office of Advancement (which houses the Alumni Office) played a huge part in helping me become who I am today.

Christopher & Jessica Matthews

And They Lived Happily Ever After

When I began as a student at Walsh University, I didn't necessarily expect to meet the woman I'd someday marry. And I certainly didn't expect that woman to be the first female student I met on campus. Yet, there she was. Jessi sat in directly in front of me in my very first class. She and I both lived in the freshman dorms and got to know each other during our freshman year at Walsh.

Anna Wilson

My Office is My Dorm Room

Some people build companies in garages; I started mine in my dorm room. Last year, as a junior marketing major at Walsh, I formed my independent marketing firm, SkipStone Marketing, LLC, to assist companies in promoting their products and services in new and creative ways.

Jim Dennison, 1993 to Present

And Then Came Football...

I remember walking on the field and thinking that it was the perfect day for fall football with a beautiful sunny sky and crisp weather. I think there were close to 5,000 attendees – the tailgate alone I’m told pulled about 450 Walsh fans! They were cheering in the stands and it seemed like everywhere we looked from the field we saw maroon and gold. It was a great way to start our first season of Walsh University.