Departmental alums Elizabeth George Ivers and MaryEllen Swartzenberg Elia, classmates in the graduating class of 1970, were recently honored by the Daemen College/Rosary Hill College Alumni Association. The blog post below includes profiles of Ivers and Elia and photos from their visits to campus in 2017 and 2018.
by Penny Messinger
The Distinguished Alumni Award
In November 2017, Elizabeth George Ivers (History & Government, '70) received Daemen's Distinguished Alumni Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor that Daemen College confers upon its alumni. Ms. Ivers was the 34th person to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award since it was established in 1986.
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| Elizabeth George Ivers during her semester in England |
Ivers graduated from the History and Political Science Department (then known as History & Government Department) in 1970, when Daemen was named Rosary Hill College. Ivers began her career in corporate America on the strength of her History & Government degree and two courses in accounting. She later earned an MBA from the University at Buffalo as she climbed the corporate ladder at Twin Fair (based in Buffalo), where she held the position of corporate accounting manager. Relocating to Texas, Ivers had a 17-year career with Houston-based Browning-Ferris Industries, where she reached the position of vice president, investor relations. She also worked with Houston-based EOG Resources, one of the largest oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States. Ivers was director, investor relations, when she retired in 2013.
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| Ivers with Ann Richards (Governor of Texas, 1991-93) |
In her acceptance speech, Ivers recalled her time at the college and in the department with fondness and enthusiasm, emphasizing that her education provided her with "the solid foundation for my life's journey." She emphasized the impact of the semester-long study-abroad experience she shared in England with several History & Government classmates, three of whom attended the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony (more below).
The versatile History & Political Science degree
Ivers described her experiences as a student in our department in her acceptance speech:
I loved the History and Government program and felt it gave me a fantastic, informed base for my future career....Daemen gave me a liberal arts education that encouraged me to think for myself, to write well, to gain perspective, to critically analyze, to ask the right questions, to think logically and to make ethically sound choices, skills I used and refined throughout my 43-year career in corporate America.
We had personal contact with our outstanding professors -- Dr. Cuddy, Dr. Starkey, Mr. Predmore, Sr. Georgia Dunn, Sr. Jeanne File, Sr. Aline, Mr. Pack, to name just a few. Interaction with real people in a small class environment. What a blessing that was to have...
I am thankful for a college experience that gave me a fantastic base to pursue a distinguished career, which I loved, and encouraged me to give back and be involved in the communities in which I have lived.
Ivers concluded by urging the audience--including many students--to recognize the ways that their education at Daemen could create future success:
We have resided in Houston for almost 30 years...and there is an old Texas expression that I loved when I first heard it and have tried to embrace: "You should never forget who brought you to the dance." It has been my pleasure to remember the times during my college years and how Daemen shaped my life and helped me become the person that I am today. I feel blessed to have been able to support Daemen over the years to help continue its mission to prepare students for life and leadership in an increasingly diverse and complex world. I certainly encourage all of you to support, in whatever manner and amount that you can, those institutions, those organizations, and those people that have helped you to become who you are on your life's journey. It's your choice. Don't ever forget who brought you to the Dance!
Classmates in the History & Government Department
Elizabeth George Ivers, Mary Ellen Swartzenberg Elia, Nora Wren Kerr, and Mary Jo Carroll Kenna were friends and classmates in the History & Government Department (graduating class of 1970). The four studied abroad together at Wroxton College, near London. All have gone on to have successful careers; Elia is the current New York Commissioner of Education; Kerr has worked as an architect, and Kenna as a speech therapist. The classmates fondly recalled their time together in the History & Government Department at Daemen. Discussing the student culture of the late 1960s, Elia noted that students in the department became politically active in the community. The classmates drew connections between their education at Daemen and the careers they pursued after graduating. For Elia, this included her years as a social studies teacher followed by a career in educational administration.
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| History & Government alumnae from the class of 1970: MaryEllen Swartzenberg Elia, Elizabeth George Ivers, Nora Wren Kerr, & Mary Jo Carroll Kenna. The four were classmates in the department and also participated in a study-abroad trip to Oxford University's Wroxton College. (November 2017) |
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MaryEllen Swartzenberg Elia: Advancement in Career Award (October 2018)
In October 2018, MaryEllen Swartzenberg Elia received the Advancement in Career Award from the Daemen College/Rosary Hill College Alumni Association. Elia, currently New York's Commissioner of Education, was recognized for her success as a career educator. After her 1970 graduation from Rosary Hill College, Elia worked as a social studies teacher at Sweet Home High School before becoming a school administrator in Florida. In her comments, Elia thanked her classmates, noting her closeness with those who traveled to Wroxton:
It [the trip to Europe] was one of the best things that I did in my life, particularly in my career here at Daemen.
I think it opens your eyes when you travel to other places. You see things that need to be done in the world; you see things that are doing really well here, and you also get the idea of things that need to change in your life....Interestingly enough, the people that I went to Europe with are the people that I see most often from Daemen.
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| Ivers, Elia, and classmates embark on their journey to Wroxton |
Elia continued, describing the continuity between her years at Daemen and the College today:
I think that one of the things that helped me so much, when I came to Daemen, was the quality of the staff here...but also the dedication of people to really thing about community, and what we need to do to support all of our communities. The work that is being in New York by our teachers is the work that needs to be done across this country. The work that we have here in the Daemen Education Department, the History Department, the Math Department--we're really creating the people who can make our communities great.
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| New York Education Commissioner MaryEllen Swartzenberg Elia & Daemen College President Gary Olson |
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| Students, alumni, and faculty from the History & Political Science Department attending the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Ceremony. From L-R: Maddie Ruger (HST major), Gabby Sinnott (H&P major), Tori Newmann-Campbell (PSC major), Damian Desbordes (PSC '08), Dr. Penny Messinger, MaryEllen Swartzenberg Elia, Elizabeth George Ivers, Dr. Lisa Parshall, & Mary Jo Carroll Kenna. |
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| Elia, Ivers, and Kenna at the 2018 Distinguished Alunni Awards ceremony, October 2018 |
Connecting with current students
The
History & Political Science Department held receptions (in 2017 and 2018) to introduce our current majors to Ivers
and classmate Mary Jo Carroll Kenna, and to allow students to talk about their current educational interests and their plans for life after graduation.
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| Departmental faculty & students pose with Ivers and Kenna, Oct. 2018 |
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| Elizabeth George Ivers and Mary Jo Carroll Kenna, October 2018 |
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| Maddie Ruger & Gabby Sinnott at the Distinguished Alumni Dinner |
