USD Magazine Spring 2007

W hen the Enron scandal hit the papers in 2001, Maureen (Gavron) Partynski ‘82, CEO of Hemlock Federal Bank in suburban Chica- go, wondered, “Where did these people go to college?” Partynski credits USD for helping solidify her own core values. She recalls, in particular, a senior retreat in the mountains of Julian, where she and her classmates felt inspired to build a better world.“I’ve always had a sense of spirituality,”she says. “But it certainly grew in me at USD, and I was motivated to reach out to others.”Over the years, she has donated her time and money to USD, as well as to charitable organi- ALUMNI UPDATE

PAYING IT FORWARD Community volunteering called incredibly rewarding by Carol Cujec [ i n s p i r a t i o n ]

Responding to the Alumni Association’s call for a “Day of Service,” on Nov. 4, Partynski put together an event with about 25 volunteers from the Chicago chapter. In conjunction with Victor Ramos ’91, who works at the Boys & Girls Club, the alums got togeth- er to paint and renovate a room at the inner city club. The 47x47 room was previously not being used by the Boys & Girls Club, which had neither the money nor the resources to renovate it. The group painted the room (in USD blue and white, no less) and wrote “USD”with their handprints. Says Partynski, “Instead of just getting together for pizza, we decided to reach out to the community. It was incredibly rewarding.” Partynski herself donated the

zations in her community. As a business leader, Partynski created a charitable foundation, which funded a new science lab at a local Catholic elementary school, grants for disabled children to attend summer camp and play- ground equipment for inner city kids. Her foundation even donated an entire bank building to become a daycare for homeless children. Recently retired, Partynski now calls herself a “professional volun- teer.”As president of USD’s Illinois alumni chapter, which she helped revitalize in the past two years, and member of the National Alumni Board, she regularly organizes alumni events.

furniture, which helped transform the once abandoned space into a first-rate teen center, complete with a TV, DVD player, Nintendo ALUMN I UPDATE ALUMN I UPDATE ALUMN I UPDATE ALUMN I UPDATE ALUMN I UPDATE ALUMN I UPDATE

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