Centralight

Have you changed the world lately? By Marcie Otteman Grawburg, '87 Executive director of alumni relations My mother's dream was always to become a history teacher. But after graduating high school in the early '60s, there wasn't enough money to send her to college. She ended up going to nursing school instead – it was what her family could afford. Her gift to me was doing whatever she could to help me achieve my dreams, even when it meant working two jobs to help me afford to go to college. I've been thinking a lot lately about how we – especially women – are privileged to have the chance to pay it forward to younger generations. Not too long ago, the opportunities available to us were fairly limited. Now I see the seeds of my mother's generation blossoming in the spirit of our youngest graduates, who are going out and becoming doctors, lawyers and engineers, every bit as capable as their male colleagues. I see the sparks of confidence flashing in the eyes of the elementary students in our local Girls on the Run program lacing up their running shoes to pound the pavement. This past spring, the CMU American Council on Education celebrated the achievements of women who have taken this task of paying it forward to heart. I was honored to be recognized with my colleague, Holly Hoffman, as CMU Women of Excellence, along with Joan Schmidt, who was named the CMU-ACE Woman of the Year. But our work is far from complete. As investment banker-turned-documentarian Thomas Morgan reminds me, the world is constantly asking us to keep our eyes open and look for opportunities to lend a hand. In this issue of Centralight, we take a look at some of the ways that you, our alumni, are rolling up your sleeves and making a difference in your communities and across the world. The stories have been inspiring – from a fashion designer in Flint who is working to help young people to dream beyond their circumstances, to a former football player who is researching cancer. "Changing the world" sometimes seems like a lofty ideal mainly reserved for bright-eyed graduates, but as the generations who have come before have taught us, sometimes changing the world starts with the small, quiet act of listening to someone's story. Sometimes creating a revolution means being a role model or sharing a piece of advice. Planting the seed. My mother did end up going to college – she graduated with her bachelor's degree in nursing the same year I graduated with my degree. With each other's help, what seems impossible becomes possible. Marcie wedding bells rang at Warriner I always love celebrating with the couples who meet and marry on CMU's campus. So I'm thrilled to share the news that this spring Larry Grawburg, '79, and I exchanged vows of our own, right in front of the CMU seal on Warriner Mall. Here's to many happy years ahead! centralight summer '13 3

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