USD Magazine, Winter/Spring 1997

A bout two years ago, Stanley M. "Skip" Walsh '83 (M.R.E.) cleared out of USD's Missions B residence hall and moved to Pacific Beach. After 22 years of liv– ing among freshman students, he was ready to experi– ence a different life outside of work. The director of res– idence life didn't stray far, though. Walsh is settled comfortably in the San Diego beach community that is home to scores of USD sopho– mores, juniors and seniors. When Walsh came to Alcala Park in 1973, straight out of grad– uate school at Creighton University, his first job as resident direc–

weekend retreat program and founder of the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process. "The wonderful part about working at USD is that you have all this flexibility," Walsh says. "You're able to have multiple opportu– nities to develop professionally." In the midst of directing a residential program that has grown from 450 on-campus residents in 1973 to more than 1,900 today, Walsh took on other responsibilities that allowed him to explore different aspects of working with college students. As residence life director and assistant dean of students, he spends much of his time

tor of DeSales Hall (now Maher Hall) and assis- tant to Dean Tom Burke, required that he call the campus home. By 1977 his position evolved into director of housing and in 1980 Walsh was named director of residence life. The requirement to live with the students had long since expired. "It was not a requirement for him to live on campus during the past 20 years," said President Alice B. Hayes at a Homecoming weekend award ceremony. "He did so because he believed that the presence of role models in the student living areas is very important." But his understanding of what USD is all about kept Walsh living happily with 18-year-

handling discipline problems and counseling his five resident directors, an area coordinator and 42 resident assistants, who are on the front lines in the halls. But Walsh's role as adviser to the Vista student newspaper and a previous job as liaison to fraternities gave him a different perspective on the people who round out the student population at USD. Friends and co-workers at USD have had the chance in the past couple of years to return the sense of loyalty and compassion Walsh brings to all his relationships. Medical complications from diabetes landed Walsh in the hospital 11 times between 1993 and 1995. In the fall of 1995 he underwent four surgeries to remove infected bone from both feet. Then for six months Walsh was confined to home while undergoing I. V. therapy to

olds for more than two decades.

Stanley M. "Skip" Walsh 'B3 (M.RE.]

"It is said that Bishop Buddy wanted to make

a Notre Dame of the West," Walsh says. "The Catholic Church holds certain views of the world that USD says it represents and chooses to explore. As far as I'm concerned it does a pretty good job of doing that." The Office of Student Affairs, which residence life falls under, aims to carry out the teachings of the church such as respect for human life and taking responsibility for others. Walsh believes there is no better way to teach those values than to live them. Walsh's devotion to USD as more than a place to work earned him the 1996 Mother Rosalie Hill Award, presented each year on Homecoming Weekend to an alumnus or alumna in recognition for extraordinary commitment and service to the university. Indeed, as an employee, student, resident and volunteer, Walsh has helped shape the University of San Diego. He joined the administrative staff a year after the merger that formed a coed uni– versity. He was one of the first students to enroll in the master's of religious education program launched in 1976 by the Department of Theological and Religious Studies. And he spent many years vol– unteering with the Office of University Ministry, as part of the

clear out the infection.

Family and friends stayed close, but much of the day in those recovery months was spent alone, giving Walsh the chance to face God in a way he hadn't yet experienced. Although he grew up in Boise, Idaho, attending Catholic schools, Walsh admits he never really examined his religion until coming to USD. During a Mass at The Immaculata one Sunday morning, the pastor mentioned C.S. Lewis' book The Screwtape Letters. Walsh, an avid reader, devoured it and his wonder for Catholicism was awakened. When he was healthy, looking for God was primarily an intel– lectual exercise, Walsh says. But when he became ill, he suddenly needed support in a different way, which opened a whole new avenue to God. "I realized spiritual development is a profound thing and it's going to take the rest of my life to figure out," he says. "The won– der just gets bigger. It never contracts. It's never resolved. The more you find out, the more there is to find out." - Jill Wagner '91

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