U Magazine, Spring 1987

ALUMNI POTPOURRI

Buddy Award recipient stands out from the crowd T om Spencer '77 insists he isn't any different than your average person . The evidence. however, suggests otherwise. For starters , he and his wife , Michele (Oesterle '77), are the devoted parents of seven children. Their six sons and one daughter range in age from 12 years to six months. Then there's his commitment to his community. Spencer has devoted time and energy since graduation to organ izations such as Catholic Commun ity Services , the Golden Hill Mediation Center, Our Lady of Angels parish and the Diocesan Pastoral Council. Finally, here is man who loves teaching and sharing his insights on life with his students at University of San Diego High School. Those are a few of the reasons Spencer was selected to receive USD 's 1986 Bishop Buddy Award. The Alumni Association·s most prestigious honor, the award is pre– sented ann u ally to the a lumnus or alumna who has made a significant contribution to the field in which he or she works and has served the community and the University. Spencer credits his USD experience with playing a large role in shaping his charac– ter. "USD provided an environment where I saw people ofbelief act on their beliefs ," he recalls . "The professors I had really cared about students as people; they gave you a sense of worth as a person. " An undergraduate biology major , Spencer holds fond memories of his many of his professors. "Ross Dingman , Curt Spanis, Sr. Shaffer, John Swanke, Lou Burnett, Dessie Severson, Gerald Sper– razzo; there are so many I probably shou ldn't be naming them. Pat Traylor probably had the most influence on my life. She d id a lot to help me try to get into medi– cal school and then provided support when it didn ·t workout. " The caring teacher-student relationsh ip he experienced at USD has carried over to Spencer's own teaching. He says he tries to instill a sense ofself-worth in his students, and tells them that although they may receive an average grade in class they are still unique persons. Spencer especially enjoys teaching teen– agers. "I tell them the only reason I'm here is because I love teaching and I want to share my experiences with them. 1want them to capture a sense of wonder about science, to realize that I don't have all the answers but that together we can find the answers.

"I really believe that kids today aren·t that different from my day. I th ink that today we just spend too much time telling them what to believe instead of listening to them and sharing with them. I try to do that." He is similarly committed to serving his community. "I want to see people work together to solve their problems. And by becoming involved, people can shape the growth occurring around them ." Unselfish giving. It 's part of what makes Tom Spencer stand out from the crowd.• Another alumni benefit: discount Playhouse ducats lumni can receive a 25 percent iscount on tickets to upcoming a Jolla Playhouse productions , accord ing to Delle Willett Stattin '64, chair of the Alumni Association's benefits committee. The featured plays include "The Match– maker" by Thornton Wilder, May 26- June 27; the West Coast premiere of "AWalk in the Woods" by Lee Bless ing, July 14-August 15 ; and "The Tempest'' by William Shakespeare, August 25- September 26 . For more information and to obtain an order form , contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 260-4819 as soon as possible. The offer is subject to ticket avail– ability. •

"USD provided an environ– ment where I saw p eople of belief act on their be liefs, .. recalls Tom Spe ncer 77.

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