A 30-year-old Jamaican-born single mother from Canada comes to Viterbo University in the late 1970s to study medical records administration and goes on to become CEO of an organization responsible for 170-plus health care providers,a social change agent, and a major force in driving the ethics, equity, and quality of care agendas in Canada. How does something like that happen?

When Jed Barton ’17 came to Viterbo University, he planned to go on to medical school. During his time at Viterbo, though, he realized medical school was not the path he was meant to pursue, but he wasn’t quite sure how to discern his true path. So he did something that he hopes a lot more fresh college graduates will do. He committed to a volunteer year.

Meredith (Zondag) Hink ’01 grew up convinced of the importance of giving back to the community and helping those less fortunate. So when it came time to pursue her dream of becoming a dietitian, Viterbo University felt like home. Viterbo had at its core an emphasis on serving the community. “There always was an encouragement to give back, whether it was distributing bread to neighbors or working at Place of Grace,” she says.

Viterbo University honored eight graduates Friday, Oct. 9, at its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony, an online event part of the annual Viterbo Days alumni weekend. Those honored included Malinda Gerke, FSPA '60, Colleen Walsh '63, Samantha Pauly '12, Julianne Brienza '99, Amanda Vetsch '17, Naomi (Hemesath) Harm '99, Angela Mensink '12, and Lisa Skemp '77.

Brenna Grotegut '19 came back from serving in a Detroit COVID-19 unit, only to find too many people still don't take the virus seriously. She started to question her career choice, but a biking incident got her back on track.

Viterbo University alumni are tapping into the core values they learned here with a new project, making hundreds of face masks to give to students. “They’re kind of a hug, a hug from an alum,” Theresa Smerud '80 said. “It’s just what you do at Viterbo."

The new Viterbo Alumni Virtual Book Club's first session will feature a discussion—led by Professor Apryl Denny—of Julie Otsuka's "When the Emperor Was Divine," two days after the Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership presents a webinar with the author.

Amy Bishop graduated from the St. Francis School of Nursing in 1917 into a world at war and soon to be gripped by a pandemic. She did her alma mater proud, stepping up to join the Army Nurse Corps, despite the dangers.

On Oct. 5–7, 2020, the Viterbo University School of Nursing will host a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) virtual accreditation review and evaluation of our baccalaureate (traditional 4-year BSN and BSN Completion) and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.