乐播传媒 has once again been recognized by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its deep level of commitment to community engagement, an honor the college first achieved in 2008 and again in 2015. Recently 乐播传媒 was also lauded  by ACE and Carnegie for its success in providing paths for graduates to earn competitive wages. 

Last week, ACE and Carnegie announced that 乐播传媒 had been designated with the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. Community engagement constitutes 鈥渃ollaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.鈥�

At 乐播传媒, inspiration for that work comes from the diverse and rich opportunities for student learning, skill building, and collaboration offered by the college鈥檚 location, explained Darby Ray, director of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. 

鈥淭he Carnegie recognition is a wonderful affirmation of the college’s dual commitment to high impact student learning and community well-being, as well as the off-campus community’s investment in our students, 鈥� said Ray, who is also the Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement.

Mutual respect between college and community, along with desire for collaboration, is a key part of the success, Ray said. 鈥淭he result of it is that 乐播传媒 students have meaningful opportunities to work alongside community leaders to develop and apply knowledge and skills to address real-world challenges like public health, affordable housing, and arts-based economic development.鈥� 

乐播传媒 was one of approximately 230 institutions nationwide to receive the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, and the only Maine institution of higher education on the list. This designation, which 乐播传媒 must apply for cyclically, is valid until 2032.

鈥淵our institution鈥檚 application documented excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement,鈥� ACE and Carnegie wrote in a letter to 乐播传媒, lauding the college鈥檚 鈥渆xemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement.” 

乐播传媒 has advanced the work of deepening partnerships, leveraging community assets, and addressing urgent societal challenges with 鈥渃larity and distinction,鈥� the award letter said. The accomplishment 鈥渋s especially noteworthy amid significant federal policy and funding shifts shaping the future of higher education.鈥� 

In addition, in 2025, 乐播传媒 was identified for its success in a relatively new classification that ACE and Carnegie began using in 2022, the Student Access and Earnings Classification (an earlier version was known as the Social and Economic Mobility Classification), which prioritizes student success. The classification is intended to identify which American colleges and universities are providing access to students from lower socioeconomic and historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds to higher education and paths to earning competitive wages.

乐播传媒 ranked high in terms of its return on investment. Eight years after a student first enrolled at 乐播传媒 鈥� so typically, four years into being in the workplace 鈥� data shows that their median earnings are 68 percent above the median earnings of a comparison group of similar institutions. 

鈥淏oth these designations speak to the deep and rewarding experiences 乐播传媒 has to offer to students,鈥� said President Garry W. Jenkins. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to our community and we鈥檙e giving our undergraduates meaningful educational experiences not just on our campus, but within the Lewiston-Auburn region we care about so much. They鈥檙e volunteering in public schools and museums. They鈥檙e consulting and conducting research in a wide range of areas, from sustainability to water quality and asbestos remediation, and studying the history and culture of this community.”

These community connections are not fleeting, Jenkins noted. “We see this reflected in how many 乐播传媒 graduates stay in the state 鈥� a little more than 12 percent 鈥� or how they develop the habit of building community connections in their future neighborhoods and communities across the country and the world.鈥�

鈥淎t 乐播传媒, we believe that students from all backgrounds should have access to the transformative power of education,鈥� Jenkins added. 鈥淭hat is and always has been part of our mission. To know that their 乐播传媒 education is helping graduates thrive in their careers is reason to celebrate.鈥�

乐播传媒 College has announced the election of four new trustees, effective July 1, 2025:

• Jeanmarie Hester Cooper 鈥�85, P鈥�19 is a nonprofit leader who has served in multiple board and development roles in Connecticut;
• Peter J. Friedman 鈥�92, P鈥�24, P鈥�26 is managing partner and founder of Five by Five Capital LLC;
• Sarah E. Norris P鈥�26 leads the Midwest office of BBR Partners, where she is a partner and a director of portfolio and wealth advisory;
• Jennifer VanBelle 鈥�90 is an independent board director who served in senior leadership for more than 25 years at General Electric Co.

鈥淥n behalf of the board, I want to express how grateful we are to Jeanmarie, Peter, Sarah, and Jen for their willingness to share their impressive expertise with 乐播传媒 and to commit a significant amount of time to supporting the board鈥檚 work,鈥� said Gregory A. Ehret 鈥�91, P鈥�23, chair of the 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees. 鈥淭hey join a dedicated group of trustees that helps ensure 乐播传媒 is fulfilling its mission, and I know their varied experience and perspectives will be incredibly valuable to the college. I look forward to working with them.鈥澛�

The new trustees will serve five-year terms that extend to June 30, 2030.

Jeanmarie Hester Cooper 鈥�85, P鈥�19

Jeanmarie Hester Cooper is a nonprofit leader who has served in multiple board and development roles for several charitable organizations over the last two decades, including The Village for Families and Children Inc., Connecticut鈥檚 largest nonprofit mental health and community support organization. With an annual budget of $60 million, its 500 employees serve 20,000 individuals a year. Cooper has also worked with the Junior League of Hartford Inc., the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls Giving Circle in Hartford and served on the local board of A Better Chance in Glastonbury, Conn. The Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies recognized her as a Family Champion in 2015. 

Cooper began her career in investment banking, working for both Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. and G.E. Capital’s Corporate Finance business, providing growth and acquisition financing to middle market companies.

While at 乐播传媒, Cooper majored in biology, was on the dean鈥檚 list and played varsity soccer all four years. She was also on the indoor track team and served as a junior advisor. Cooper went on to earn a M.B.A from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She鈥檚 been a dedicated member of the alumni community particularly through the Hartford 乐播传媒 Network, and served on multiple Reunion Gift Committees, including co-chairing her 35th. As a 乐播传媒 parent, she served on the Parents Fund Committee and was Parents Leadership Circle Chair, 2017鈥�19, receiving a 乐播传媒’ Best Award for volunteer service in 2018.

Cooper lives in Guilford, Conn. with her husband Colin Cooper P鈥�19. They have two adult children, Ashley and Eli. Eli 鈥�19 majored in economics at 乐播传媒 and will attend The Sloan School at MIT in the fall.

Peter J. Friedman 鈥�92, P鈥�24, P鈥�26

Peter J. Friedman is the managing partner and founder of Five by Five Capital LLC, a private equity firm focused on a broad range of industries, including financial services, aerospace, and defense. He is also a principal at AgileCap, a boutique commercial lender specializing in solutions for the insurance industry. Prior to founding Five By Five Capital LLC, Friedman managed mergers and acquisitions as the vice president of corporate development for Loews Corporation.

 Earlier, Peter was a director in the Corporate Strategy and Development Group at United Technologies Corporation, managing mergers and acquisitions across the company. His responsibilities included sourcing, managing, and negotiating all aspects of mergers and acquisitions. 

Friedman was a geology major at 乐播传媒. Early in his career he was a pilot for US Airways. In 2003 he received a M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He served on the advisory board at Tuck, and in May 2025 returned to 乐播传媒 to teach a new Short Term course called 鈥淭uck Business Essentials,鈥� which he taught alongside faculty from Tuck and other 乐播传媒/Tuck alumni. 

Friedman and his wife, Kitty Northrop Friedman 鈥�95, P鈥�24, P鈥�26, a 乐播传媒 trustee emerita, are deeply engaged alumni, and were both members of The Campaign for 乐播传媒: Endowing Our Values campaign committee. Friedman鈥檚 service to his class is extensive and includes serving as chair of his 30th Reunion Gift Committee and co-chair for his 10th and 25th Reunions.

The Friedmans live in Park City, Utah, and have three adult children, Ned, Lindley, and Molly. Ned 鈥�24 majored in politics, was a co-chief of 乐播传媒 Emergency Medical Services, and is now working as a firefighter in the Denver area.聽Lindley 鈥�26 is majoring in biology and is a captain of 乐播传媒 Emergency Medical Services.聽

Sarah E. Norris P鈥�26

Sarah E. Norris is a partner and a director of portfolio and wealth advisory at BBR Partners, and leads the company鈥檚 Midwest office. She joined the company in 2015 and works with clients to develop their overall financial strategy, manage their investments, and integrate their investment, tax and estate planning into a cohesive wealth management plan. Before joining BBR, Norris was an executive director in the Private Bank at JP Morgan. Earlier in her career, she was selected as a First Chicago First Scholar.

Norris is a graduate of Brown University, where she majored in international relations and economics and played varsity field hockey. She received a M.B.A. from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. Her community work includes serving on the board of trustees and senior advisory council for the Latin School of Chicago. She is a member of the investment committee of Jewish United Fund of Chicago and was recently elected to the board of trustees of Steppenwolf Theatre Co. 

Norris lives in Chicago with her husband, Clifford “Cliff” Norris P鈥�26. They have four adult children, Molly, Sophie, Max, and Lucy 鈥�26, who is majoring in biology at 乐播传媒 with a minor in theater. Lucy is also a member of the field hockey team. 

Jennifer VanBelle 鈥�90

Jennifer VanBelle 鈥�90 is an independent board director and a retired senior executive at General Electric Co. Between 1998 and 2024 she held multiple roles at General Electric, most recently serving as senior vice president and treasurer, as well as CEO and treasurer of GE Capital, the financial services arm of General Electric. As treasurer, VanBelle was responsible for global funding and liquidity, capital structure, cash management, and treasury services globally. She also served as a member of the Advisory Board of GE Women鈥檚 Network and as an Executive Sponsor of GE鈥檚 Disability Advocacy Network.聽She had previously worked for Banque Indosuez, ING Barings, and Chemical Bank.

VanBelle currently sits on the board at AerCap, the world鈥檚 largest aviation leasing firm and owner of commercial aircraft. She also serves as a board member at buildOn, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education. She previously served as a board member of the Child Guidance Center.

At 乐播传媒, VanBelle majored in economics. She was a member of house council and the economics club, and participated in the 乐播传媒 Blood Program. She earned a M.S. in finance from the London Business School. As an alumna, VanBelle served as a volunteer career counselor for 乐播传媒 students for more than a decade. 

VanBelle and her husband, Andy Brode, live in Old Greenwich, Conn. She has two adult sons, Nick and Thomas, as well as four stepchildren, Rhyan, Alex, Turner, and Campbell. 

Supported by a $10,000 grant from the Davis Projects for Peace program, Axelle Tougouma 鈥�27 of Fada N’Gourma, Burkina Faso, will pursue a solar-powered irrigation system and deliver agricultural training for Burkinab茅 women refugees in Ivory Coast, aiming to combat food insecurity and foster economic independence.

Each year, Projects for Peace provides funding to 125 or more student leaders to implement innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world鈥檚 most pressing issues.

Tougouma鈥檚 project supports women refugees living in Ouangolodougou, an Ivory Coast city 18 miles from the border of Burkina Faso, a conflict-ridden country in recent years.

Millions of Burkinab猫, mostly women and children, have been displaced within their country, and nearly 190,000 people have sought refuge in neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Tougouma鈥檚 own father, who owns a business selling agricultural inputs, had to relocate his farm due to the conflict.

Tougouma鈥檚 irrigation project seeks to support and empower Burkinab茅 women in Ouangolodougou as they deal with economic hardship and food insecurity. But, she says, 鈥測ou cannot just build an irrigation system. You need to study the soil so that you implement the best system that works with the kind of culture they have and also the kind of crops they are willing to have in the future.鈥�

Once installed, the system will provide the women of Ouangolodougou with access to water and the ability to more efficiently grow food, both as a means of subsistence and a source of revenue. 鈥淎 system of irrigation provides the opportunity to those women to have constant activities going on instead of waiting for the rainy season,鈥� says Tougouma.

Working remotely over the summer, Tougouma will guide her project partners in the region, including an agricultural engineer based in Burkina Faso who is leading the irrigation system build-out, scheduled to be completed by August. 

鈥淢y way to contribute to peace is through humanitarian action.鈥�

Ultimately, Tougouma hopes her project creates a more resilient community. 鈥淢y vision is just empowering the whole community and giving that financial autonomy to those women so that they can thrive, the family can thrive, the children can thrive.鈥�

At 乐播传媒, Tougouma, who is a double major in mathematics and economics, has learned to combine her analytical skills with her passion for community service and engagement. In Assistant Professor of Economics Kyle Coombs鈥� 鈥淒ata Science for Economists鈥� course, for example, Tougouma learned to apply her economical knowledge to a real-world community engagement project completed in conjunction with the city of Lewiston.

鈥溊植ゴ� gives you that opportunity to explore community services through your major,鈥� Tougouma says. 

In 2023, through a United World College GoMakeADifference grant, Tougouma worked with an organization that employs internally-displaced women in Burkina Faso in soap-making jobs. In 2022, she co-led a project that provided displaced women and children with essential goods, mental health activities, and skills training, such as crocheting and soap-making.

鈥淢y way to contribute to peace is through humanitarian action.鈥�

An inscription at the 乐播传媒 Veterans Plaza invites 鈥渞eflection on the impact of war on the lives of everyone it touches.鈥�

Among those lives is Joe Castonguay, a U.S. Army combat veteran and member of the Facility Services team that keeps the campus beautiful and safe year-round.

Castonguay, who served for 15 months in Iraq, joined a gathering Monday morning at the 乐播传媒 Veterans Plaza to observe Veterans Day. 鈥淚 learned the value of human life in combat,鈥� he said.  

The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf guided the day鈥檚 observance, which included reflective readings and interfaith prayers, the observing of silence, and the ritual of laying flowers to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans.

Castonguay, 41, grew up in downtown Lewiston and, after graduating from Lewiston High School, joined the Army as a way to start a career through the G.I. Bill. 

As a veteran, he鈥檚 a member of the American Legion and the VFW and supports various veterans鈥� charities, such as the Travis Mills Foundation. At 乐播传媒, he鈥檚 contributed to Human Resources staff-engagement programming.

We caught up with Castonguay after Veterans Day, on a sunny morning when he and his team were working outside Rand Hall. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful view of campus here,鈥� he said, looking toward Gomes Chapel and the Historic Quad.

We asked him about his service and his thoughts about Veterans Day at 乐播传媒.

Jay Burns: What prompted you to join the military?

Joe Castonguay: There鈥檚 a bunch of things that go into a decision like that. The biggest one is I wanted to go to college for art. I loved drawing and painting growing up. One of my high school teachers went to art school, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but I knew I couldn鈥檛 afford the tuition. I come from a really poor family, so the GI Bill was a way to continue my art education. 

I also wanted to have a family eventually, so I needed to get started with a career. Growing up in downtown Lewiston, there weren’t a lot of people who were doing career things where I was living. I didn鈥檛 know what to do, so I figured, 鈥淚 can join the military.鈥� 

JB: How did the experience impact you, then and now, as a 14-year colleague on this campus? How did you adjust to civilian life?

JC: I got through it by talking to other veterans and going to groups. Talking with them about readjusting and feeling comfortable really helped.

You have a lot of ideas about how the world works when you’re young and you have these fantasies of what you can do or what the world is going to do for you.

I lost some really close friends in combat, and it took a long time to process that and find ways to move on. I ended up using them as motivation to be who I am, at least on a personal level and on pretty much every level. I try to do the best I can because they don’t have the opportunity.

Perspective is a big thing 鈥� in life, in art, and the military. A lot of things are easier when you鈥檝e faced harder things. If I鈥檓 having a bad day at work, it鈥檚 still better than any day at war.

JB: When 乐播传媒 Veterans Plaza was created, one of the project committee members was Dan Sands of Facility Services, who retired in 2019 as manager of carpentry, painting, and masonry. He meant a lot to you, right?

JC: He鈥檚 a mentor. Dan is a Vietnam veteran who taught me a lot about being a great veteran on this campus 鈥� powerful, friendly, funny, kind, and passionate about veterans鈥� issues, and connected to the community. He had a different experience coming back, but similar experiences while deployed. 

When I鈥檓 at the plaza, I鈥檓 thinking about what I learned from Dan added into my own personal experiences, and it means a lot. 

JB: Do you still create art?

JC: Yes, more through woodworking and metalworking. It still gives me that same feeling of creation I had when working with charcoals or oils on canvas.

JB: What was your rank in the military?

JC: I was a private first class. Losing friends made me realize the military wasn鈥檛 for me. It takes a special kind of person to do that and continue to do that.

JB: What are your thoughts on the meaning of Veterans Day?

JC: There’s a lot of building blocks under everything we see, and one of the building blocks under our society and our country are those military veterans. Honoring them 鈥� even in small ways 鈥� is crucial. Memorial Day acknowledges those who have passed, but any effort to recognize veterans, I鈥檒l take it. 

During the summer after her first year at 乐播传媒, Paige Magid 鈥�24 of Washington, D.C., was on vacation in New Orleans with her dad when they passed a restaurant just as an employee ran outside yelling for help. 

The hostess was having a seizure and the staff didn鈥檛 know what to do. Creighton Magid simply pointed at his daughter and said: 鈥淪he鈥檚 an EMT.鈥�

鈥淭hey had me come into the restaurant, and I saw this lady on the floor with her eyes open and her lips turning blue,鈥� Paige Magid recalls. 鈥淚 went over and took her pulse. Her jaw was clenched and people tried to open it and I told them, 鈥楴o, no, no. You鈥檙e going to injure her. You need to go about this in a different way.鈥欌��

Magid鈥檚 quick action helped to keep the woman in stable condition until paramedics arrived. She relied on training she鈥檇 just received at 乐播传媒 during her first Short Term, after which she became nationally certified as an emergency medical technician.

Last spring, after graduating with a double major in biology and theater, and with three years of practical experience with 乐播传媒 Emergency Medical Services, Magid headed to Yale to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in public health in chronic disease epidemiology.

Such is the impact of 乐播传媒 EMS, the college鈥檚 all-volunteer, student-run, state-certified emergency medical service, which was founded by four 乐播传媒 students in 1995. Since then, the service has become an integral part of supporting the well-being of 乐播传媒 people while simultaneously training and inspiring students, hundreds of them over the decades, to provide life-saving medical care.

At its core, say BEMS alumni, the service is about fostering a life philosophy grounded in caring for one鈥檚 community. In addition to medical know-how, BEMS teaches such powerful life skills as listening carefully to others, responding with empathy, slowing down to take note of your surroundings, and, fundamentally, how to harness the kind of rock-solid courage needed in emergencies, and not just medical ones.

鈥淥ne of the best things it taught me was how to listen to people, through looking and listening to your patient. We do not do that very well as humans,鈥� says Madeline Bruno 鈥�17, who is now a geologist but kept and used her EMT certification when she served on a volunteer ambulance crew just after college.

Today, there are more than 250 college and university EMS services across the country, and most are student-run, according to the National Collegiate EMS Foundation. But not all are state-licensed like BEMS, which means it adheres to the regulatory procedures and policies of state-certified ambulance crews, a distinction that makes it unique in Maine.

At any given time, BEMS numbers around 30 members, many of whom also work part time on local ambulance crews such as United Ambulance in Lewiston, near the 乐播传媒 campus on Russell Street, and others in surrounding towns like Lisbon, Turner, Monmouth, and Durham 鈥� adding another layer of learning as they form connections in local communities.

鈥淭he way you get to know your community is really, really unique,鈥� says David Kingdon 鈥�98 of Wailuku, Hawaii, one of the four founders of BEMS 29 years ago. Now a paramedic on the island of Maui, he served as a first responder coordinating medical care during the wildfires of August 2023.

鈥淚t builds confidence in handling stress and crisis. It鈥檚 also about just having one鈥檚 worldview opened up a bit, even for those who don鈥檛 go into a related field. It鈥檚 a great way to know your town at a deeper level.鈥�

It鈥檚 also a way to know your college on a deeper level, says Magid. 鈥淏EMS has shaped a lot of the way that I see 乐播传媒. It was a lot of fun, but it also was sort of a leadership role. I鈥檝e had to be in some really serious situations. I鈥檝e shown up at a call early in the morning where someone was unresponsive. It turned out to be fine. But that was definitely scary.鈥�

Magid didn鈥檛 come to 乐播传媒 planning to study medicine, and she took 乐播传媒鈥� Short Term EMT course on a whim. But after responding to about 30 EMS calls on the 乐播传媒 campus, she鈥檚 been imbued with a can-do sense of civic duty that has helped her discover a purposeful career path.

Nearly 30 years after it was founded, BEMS continues to evolve and offer students more. Most recently, there has been a significant shift in making BEMS more accessible to students, regardless of their ability to pay for training.

Three years ago, a donor came forward to fund the Short Term EMT class to make it free for all 16 students taking the intensive, 40-hour, three-week course, which previously cost $1,500 to $3,000 per participant. 乐播传媒 hopes to continue to underwrite the cost of the course.

In addition, students now receive academic credit for taking the EMT course, like all other Short Term courses, removing another barrier to access.

乐播传媒 donors have noted how BEMS impacts the community in other ways. After three members of 乐播传媒 EMS, in their part-time work with United Ambulance, were among the first medical responders to the mass shootings in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023, a 乐播传媒 alumni family established a $100,000 endowment to support BEMS operations, including the cost of training.

And in April, donors again came to the rescue, as a 乐播传媒 family offset the $62,000 cost of a new 乐播传媒 vehicle. The 2022 Ford SUV, similar to a Ford Explorer, replaces an aging 2007 Toyota Highlander, affectionately known as 鈥淗eidi the Highlander,鈥� used by generations of 乐播传媒 students.

鈥淭his family has an appreciation for what these students do for our community, and in their communities as 乐播传媒 alumni,鈥� says Geoff Swift, vice president for finance and administration and treasurer, who oversaw the purchase. 鈥淎nd we were thrilled that they were interested in supporting this vehicle for the students.鈥�

While the BEMS vehicle doesn鈥檛 transport patients to the hospital, it does need to arrive quickly on the scene, carrying all the gear typically needed to aid victims of medical emergencies, from backboards and medications to equipment that provides breathing assistance.

鈥淭his car has increased space to carry gear, and we plan to design the trunk in a way that will make it easier to access our gear on a call,鈥� says Ned Friedman 鈥�24 of Park City, Utah, who served as BEMS co-chief this past academic year. 鈥淭hat will reduce wait times.鈥�

BEMS was started in the 1995鈥�96 academic year by four students who all earned their EMT certification in high school and wished to continue as EMTs in college. Its beginnings were modest. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 even have a basic vehicle the whole three years that I was there. Most of us were on foot or on bicycle,鈥� says Kingdon.

Since then, all four founders have remained devoted to a life in medical and community service.

Kingdon, who spearheaded the founding effort, is currently a special operations and flight paramedic with Maui County EMS and is also a professor of emergency medical services with the University of Hawaii. He has hosted several Purposeful Work interns in the past, including Friedman this spring.

Another BEMS co-founder, Michael Schlechter 鈥�99, went into business after 乐播传媒 and now volunteers his time as chief of his Connecticut hometown鈥檚 EMS, which earned state 鈥淰olunteer Agency of the Year鈥� honors in 2023.

Peter Tilney 鈥�99 earned a medical degree from the University of New England and is now an emergency-room physician in Lewiston as well as the medical director of LifeFlight of Maine, the state鈥檚 air-ambulance service.

And Pete Linkroum 鈥�99 of Baltimore is an acute nurse practitioner in the Department of Palliative Medicine at MedStar Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore.

BEMS could have remained a private service, similar to what many other colleges and universities offer. But the four founders wanted it recognized by the state of Maine, even though as a non-transporting service it would primarily serve the 乐播传媒 campus community.

鈥淗ere we are over 25 years later, and it鈥檚 still an active service and a vibrant organization,鈥� Kingdon says. 鈥淭hese may be young people, but they鈥檙e very mature and very responsible, and totally capable of serving and, frankly, running a small EMS service. I think it鈥檚 important that everyone acknowledge that.鈥�

Since its inception, BEMS has been run by student co-chiefs with programmatic support from Student Affairs. This spring, co-chiefs Friedman and Noah Bachner 鈥�25 of Weston, Conn., met weekly professional staff in the college’s Office of Residence Life and Health Education to develop leadership and training opportunities.聽

In addition, the co-chiefs also now check in with Dennis Russell, United鈥檚 education manager and paramedic program director, who came on as a 乐播传媒 advisor in 2016 to help monitor the service鈥檚 compliance with constantly changing state protocols.

Each year, about 30 BEMS volunteers commit to a minimum of five 24-hour shifts a month, including one weekend shift. During those days on duty, they remain on campus and carry radios and medical gear with them while going about their normal routines of attending class, dining in Commons, and sleeping in their residence hall.

Dispatched through Campus Safety, most of the calls students respond to are minor health issues. But they have responded to car accidents on the roads around campus, helped administer bandages to stop bleeding, and cared for head injuries. In one instance, they provided CPR when a student had a seizure and stopped breathing.

Their response time to the roughly 120 calls they answer during the school year averages just three minutes. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 excellent,鈥� says Paul Menice, director of 乐播传媒 Campus Safety, and is the reason he can direct the campus community to call Campus Safety for a medical emergency. 鈥淵ou will get a quicker response calling Campus Safety than calling 911. Especially with BEMS, they have a quick response time.鈥� 

鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 been great having them as a partner. They鈥檙e showing up, and they鈥檙e doing it.鈥� 鈥� Director of 乐播传媒 Campus Safety Paul Menice

BEMS also works at campus events, from Puddle Jump to Commencement. On May 4, they assisted Campus Safety to provide support at President Garry W. Jenkins鈥� inauguration.

鈥淭hey add another layer of (campus) safety and another first responder in an emergency situation,鈥� says Menice, a 35-year member of the 乐播传媒 staff who has observed BEMS since its infancy. 鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 been great having them as a partner. They鈥檙e showing up, and they鈥檙e doing it.鈥�

Once a month, the students train with Campus Safety in mock scenarios to stay sharp for an actual emergency. The co-chiefs meet regularly with 乐播传媒 staff and David Russell at United Ambulance to plan training sessions, simulations, and events, like one held last February when BEMS partnered with Campus Safety to showcase the work done by Maine first responders. The event featured a LifeFlight of Maine helicopter landing on Bardwell Field.

“One of my greatest takeaways is the skill to be able to talk to people, any person, in their time of need.” 鈥� Jillian Sheltra 鈥�19

About 70 percent of the BEMS students go on to work in a medical field, according to Student Affairs. The exposure to emergency medicine is top shelf. But many BEMS alums say the life skills they learned are applicable in ways beyond the walls of a hospital.

鈥淚n my career up to this point, one of my greatest takeaways is the skill to be able to talk to people, any person, in their time of need,鈥� says Jillian Sheltra 鈥�19 of Portland, Maine, a BEMS alumna who is a paramedic for LifeFlight, a nonprofit and Maine鈥檚 only air ambulance service. 鈥淲ithout that, I don鈥檛 think I would have ever developed personally. For that, I definitely credit BEMS.鈥�

After she joined BEMS, Sheltra went on to work part time for United Ambulance, assisting veteran EMTs of 20 and 30 years. The medical care she witnessed those seasoned EMTs provide left an impression not just for its medical dimension, but in how it offered an intimate view of humanity seldom seen by modern medical practitioners.

鈥淵ou go into people鈥檚 homes. That is an incredibly unique perspective. I absolutely loved that piece of it,鈥� Sheltra says.

This fall, after caring for more than 350 LifeFlight patients and traveling more than 20,000 miles aboard LifeFlight helicopters, Sheltra has begun medical studies at Tufts School of Medicine.

Sophie Love-Webb 鈥�24 of Lewiston, a former co-chief who worked part time for United, says working on the local ambulance was invaluable for getting her outside the 鈥溊植ゴ� bubble.鈥�

鈥淚t made me feel a lot more balanced as a student at 乐播传媒. I felt like I had a community in Lewiston. I had friends in Lewiston. I felt like I understood the Lewiston community a lot better. I left campus often,鈥� says Love-Webb, now a full-time EMT at United.

BEMS was a big reason Aleisha Martinez Sandoval 鈥�26 chose to come to 乐播传媒. Sandoval moved away from her family in Mexico City at age 15 so that she could attend a Texas vocational school where she could serve on an ambulance and get her EMT certification. As a high school senior she already had the goal of pursuing a career in medicine as a physician.

鈥淚 really like that it鈥檚 something that we have here. People feel that they can call us. Most of the people in the service genuinely care about what they do. It gives you a good connection with people who are passionate about something you like,鈥� Sandoval says. 鈥淚鈥檝e known that this is my thing for a long time.鈥�

“The value that I see in BEMS is the educational component. You can apply that level of commitment and growth and learning to anything else you do in life.” 鈥� Ned Friedman ’24

Many BEMS students who went on to careers in medicine didn鈥檛 know when they came to 乐播传媒 what their path would be. But the service effectively serves as a broad funnel helping to guide students toward different pursuits in medicine, health, and wellness.

鈥淲e all come from different majors: environment, politics, biology, pre-med,鈥� says Ethan Baker 鈥�24 of Jackson, N.H.

For Friedman, who majored in politics, EMT service has been a powerful source of finding purposeful work, including working as a part-time advanced EMT with United and at Durham Fire & Rescue. This spring, Friedman also job-shadowed Kingdon, the paramedic in Maui. He is now firefighter recruit with West Metro Fire Rescue in Lakewood, Colo.

BEMS has provided Friedman a path to gain practical skills, 鈥渢he intricate world of emergency medicine, which teaches you, quite literally, how to save someone鈥檚 life.鈥� He also values its transferable skills like leadership and how to commit to something you care about.

鈥淭he value that I see in BEMS is the educational component, putting in time and effort to learn and grow your skill set,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can apply that level of commitment and growth and learning to anything else you do in life, even if you put your license aside after 乐播传媒.鈥�

His co-chief Bachner agrees. 鈥淓ven for someone who just drops into BEMS for a short time, it teaches great life lessons. It teaches you how to interact with people, how to stay calm, what you have in common with other people 鈥� just generally making yourself a useful human being.鈥�

There are also BEMS veterans who pursue fields of work or study unrelated to public health and safety. The service helped them find their way, too.

After she graduated from 乐播传媒 with a geology major in 2017, Madeline Bruno volunteered on a local ambulance crew during a two-year fellowship for the Island Institute, which helps support the public health and wellness and the sustainability of island communities along the Maine coast. Bruno says the experience of giving back to a community on Islesboro in that way was invaluable.

鈥淚 really got to know the community and, I think, some really vulnerable parts of the community,鈥� she says.

Bruno lives in Augusta now and works for the engineering firm WSP in environmental remediation in remote parts of Maine, where commanding the skills of an EMT brings added value to her team.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really nice to have 38 subcontractors on a job site in a remote area and if something happens I can say: 鈥楥all 911, obviously, but call me, too. I can help,鈥欌�� Bruno says.

Mike Schlechter, a BEMS co-founder and an EMT since age 16, initially planned to become a rabbi to serve his community in a meaningful way. He ended up going into management consulting with a focus on employee experience design and digital transformation 鈥� but never stopped being an EMT.

Today Schlechter is the volunteer chief of service of Weston (Conn.) Volunteer EMS, where he oversees a crew of 77 volunteer EMTs, one of whom is Noah Bachner, the current BEMS co-chief. 鈥淏eing a rabbi ended up not being the path for me, for myriad reasons. Being a volunteer EMT was 鈥� and is,鈥� Schlechter says. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 always been about community service. That鈥檚 still true. Since I was a teenager, it鈥檚 been a big part of me and my identity.鈥�

Fellow BEMS founder Pete Tilney wasn鈥檛 sure when he arrived at 乐播传媒 if he wanted to go into medicine, or even if he was cut out for it. Helping to get BEMS off the ground and doing EMT work as a student proved to him he had what it took.

Some 25 years later, Tilney then proved how well-suited he was for the life of an emergency room physician. On the evening of Oct. 25, 2023, when a gunman brought unthinkable horror to Lewiston, Tilney got the news on his commute home to Kennebunkport, Maine.

He turned around and returned to Central Maine Medical Center, where he quarterbacked the LifeFlight response and the EMS crews that called from as far away as Boston to offer assistance in the triage effort.

Professionals like Tilney know that there鈥檚 no such thing as 鈥渋t can鈥檛 happen here.鈥�

鈥淥ct. 25 was awful, but it鈥檚 what we train for,鈥� Tilney says. 鈥淭he amazing thing is that people鈥檚 training and awareness really came together, and so we were able to take care of the community at large. We are sort of a big-small community. We are a really tight-knit community. So we were able to work cohesively, which was lovely.鈥�

He added that the fact he works in Lewiston is directly related to the experience he had working for BEMS. 

鈥淏EMS gave me that foundation and appreciation for emergency medicine. I wouldn鈥檛 be doing this 25 years later if I hadn鈥檛 discovered at 乐播传媒 that I really enjoy doing it,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I wouldn鈥檛 still be working in Lewiston if I didn鈥檛 care about the community.鈥�

Joe Hall, an associate professor of history at 乐播传媒 whose course offerings include Native American history broadly and also specifically 鈥� that of the Indigenous people of Maine 鈥� got a call for help in early August. His expertise was needed to correct, or deepen, the record about how two Maine landmarks came to be.

Both stories covered the history of places as they related to European settlers. And that caused concern for members of a group Hall belongs to, the Pejepscot Portage Mapping Project, which has been working to record the history of the Brunswick area as home to Indigenous people.

Concerned that the stories recounted history within a vacuum, leaving out the stories of the Wabanaki people, they asked Hall to write to the papers鈥� editors to provide more context. 

Two stories about the development of Brunswick had just appeared in the Portland Press Herald and Times Record, intriguing pieces explaining how a Brunswick swamp had been developed in the early 19th century, and why one of the town鈥檚 other claims to local fame, its (according to the author, to create a buffer 鈥渋n case of an ambush鈥�).

Hall, the volunteer historian of the group, quickly wrote two responses and within days of the first story (the one about the Brunswick Mall, as the town green is known), his guest column, “,” appeared on the papers鈥� sites. (His second response, about the origins of Maine Street, has not yet run.) 

For starters, the colonists found that swampy area unsightly and inconvenient 鈥� the cattle they had sold at the market on the shores of the Androscoggin River and were taking to Maquoit Bay to be loaded on ships for trade kept getting bogged down in the mud. Plus, mosquitos abounded. But for the people who came before them, who had walked the route of Maine Street before it became a street, that swamp had true benefits, Hall wrote:

In the centuries before Brunswick, Wabanaki lived in the area, fishing at Pejepscot Falls, farming along the banks of the Androscoggin, gathering blueberries on the pine barrens, and digging clams at Maquoit.

The swamp also provided for these residents and travelers. It fed a reliable stream of water that saved thirsty Wabanaki the trouble of a steep descent to the Androscoggin. It grew cattails, which have edible roots, leaves that can be woven into mats or bags and downy seed pods that can wrap infants for warmth. It grew fiddleheads, which are the spring shoots of ostrich ferns, providing food at the end of long winters. To be sure, it also bred swarms of mosquitoes that plagued Wabanaki as well as later colonists, but a swamp is more than its nuisances.

The Pejepscot Portage Mapping Project is working to create a digital map of the Brunswick area as the Wabanaki people used it.  For the last three years, Hall has been contributing his historical perspective to the group effort and finding it deeply rewarding. The group includes non-Indigenous and Wabanaki people from the Brunswick area who are interested in highlighting the Wabanaki history of the area.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really interesting mix of people,鈥� Hall says. 鈥淲hich is a fun way to do scholarship. To be involved is really gratifying. I feel like I鈥檓 doing something that is not going to end up on a shelf. You won鈥檛 find it in a library. It鈥檚 not some big scholarly thing, but I hope people are going to read it and think, 鈥極h I didn鈥檛 realize that was part of the story.鈥欌��

These places, including Maine Street itself, are 鈥渇undamentally defined by Native history,鈥� Hall says. It鈥檚 true that Maine Street was built 鈥渢welve rods鈥� wide to avoid ambushes by Native people. But they were being blocked from using their traditional fishing grounds by settlers, who built a fort there to claim it.

Moreover, Maine Street also travels the same path the indigenous people used as a portage, walking from the falls to the waters of Casco Bay carrying their canoes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a Wabanaki foundation to all of this.鈥� (On Oct. 6, Hall will participate in a historical walking tour centered around that portage with , which is in the process of completing seven guided walks of old Native areas in Maine this year.)

Because the Pejepscot Portage Mapping Project seeks to highlight Wabanaki history of the region, the group has also consulted with a variety of Wabanaki educators over the years. Hall and his partners have found the conversations vital for framing their work. They have learned important information, and they have also gained a sense of which lessons Wabanaki find most meaningful.

The project is educational, but who knows where raising awareness might lead. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little humbling to feel like my partners and I are part of something with an unknown destination or end-point. Wabanaki history is interesting, sure, but what does it mean? Reparations in the form of giving land back? This work raises hard questions, fundamental questions. There鈥檚 a reason why it鈥檚 a lot easier if colonial peoples like me don鈥檛 know that Maine Street was a portage, and that an old swamp was actually a place of sustenance, as opposed to just an eyesore where cows got stuck in the mud. Which is what a newspaper article I read from 1853 was saying. Basically, 鈥榩oor cows.鈥欌�� 

Earlier: In 2019, during the celebration of Auburn鈥檚 150th birthday, Hall , addressing Native history within a commemoration of the era of settlers.

Six 乐播传媒 alumni were recognized for their contributions to 乐播传媒 and the wider world 鈥� in fields and endeavors including emergency medicine, applied psychology, and financial services 鈥� during the Annual Gathering of the 乐播传媒 College Alumni Association on June 8 during Reunion.

鈥淲e are incredibly proud to honor these outstanding alumni for their distinct accomplishments and important work for 乐播传媒 and beyond,鈥� said Kevin Moore 鈥�93, president of the 乐播传媒 Alumni Association. 鈥淭heir commitment to service, excellence, and social responsibility embodies the spirit of 乐播传媒, and we are grateful for their continued dedication to the 乐播传媒 community.”

During the gathering, President Garry W. Jenkins offered the traditional Presidential Address, his first as president, to the Reunion alumni, who gathered in Merrill Gymnasium following the 110th Alumni Parade.

“Thank you for being here and listening,” he said in his conclusion. “Thanks for your warm welcome into the 乐播传媒 community. And thanks for your engagement, your generosity, and your loyal support of 乐播传媒.”

Alumni Community Service Award: Michael Schlechter 鈥�99

Schlechter received the Alumni Community Service Award for his steadfast and nearly lifelong volunteer commitment to the field of emergency medical services, currently as volunteer chief of the Weston (Conn.) Volunteer EMS; his countless hours of dedicated service has safeguarded the well-being of others, saved lives, enhanced public safety, and inspired his home community of Weston.

Alumni Professional Recognition Award: Robin Hodgskin 鈥�76

Hodgskin received the Alumni Professional Recognition Award for her remarkable success as a senior vice president in the financial-services industry, including an influential role in guiding ultra-high-net-worth families towards impactful philanthropy, and her unwavering dedication to community service and social responsibility through extensive involvement in organizations like Safe Passage and the Maine Women鈥檚 Fund.

Alumni Professional Recognition Award: David Wilcox 鈥�74

David Wilcox 鈥�74 received the Alumni Professional Recognition Award for his distinguished 45-year career in medicine, his academic contributions at institutions like Brown University Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, his leadership in leading medical organizations, and his unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare, patient-centered care, and mentoring future generations, reflecting the service and community engagement ideals of 乐播传媒.

Bruce Stangle 鈥�70 Award for Distinguished Service: Ira Waldman 鈥�73

Waldman 鈥�73 received the Bruce Stangle 鈥�70 Award for Distinguished Service for his extraordinary dedication and engagement as a 乐播传媒 alumnus, providing valuable expertise to many 乐播传媒 programs and initiative, including impactful advocacy for 乐播传媒 Athletics and skillful efforts as a Reunion volunteer, Alumni Council member, 乐播传媒 Admission representative, and leader of the John Jenkins Scholarship Committee.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award: Alexandria Onuoha 鈥�20

Alexandria Onuoha 鈥�20 received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award for her exceptional dedication to 乐播传媒 and remarkable early-career achievements as a doctoral candidate in applied developmental psychology, including publishing peer-reviewed articles, presenting on critical societal issues, and advocating for social change through psychology, all while actively engaging with broader audiences to amplify her voice and drive informed civic action.

Helen A. Papaioanou 鈥�49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award: Jennifer Bouchard 鈥�99.

Bouchard received the Helen A. Papaioanou 鈥�49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her exceptional dedication and impactful roles as a 乐播传媒 volunteer, demonstrated through her leadership on the Alumni Council and 乐播传媒 Fund Executive Committee; her active work to support 乐播传媒 Admission recruiting, career advising, and event coordination; and her tireless service as a liaison between alumni, students, and the college community.

When Alan Wang 鈥�24 studied abroad in Kyoto, Japan, as a junior, he relished the seamless transportation options 鈥� bicycle, bus, train 鈥� that delivered him to classes at Doshisha University. 

But when Wang worked for the Maine Secretary of State鈥檚 Office last summer, he had to drive from Lewiston to Augusta, and it was a different experience. 鈥淓xhausting,鈥� he said.

The following semester, Wang read Better Buses, Better Cities. 鈥淥ne of the takeaways is people don’t use buses because buses don’t make themselves known to people,鈥� said Wang. 鈥淎 lot of students don’t even know the bus stop at 乐播传媒 exists. Building a bus shelter is the best way to remind them.鈥�

Those experiences sparked an interest in public transportation advocacy, so he went to work, doing research and turning to the college鈥檚 Green Innovation Grant program, which awards funds to 乐播传媒 community members for projects that make 乐播传媒 and the community more environmentally sustainable.

In the spring, Wang received a $2,000 Green Grant 鈥� one of four grants totalling $8,000 dispersed from the program this year 鈥� to help fund the construction of a more prominent and welcoming bus stop for the new Portland鈥揕ewiston commuter bus line . The project was one of four Green Grant projects funded this year.

The enclosed bus stop will be built near Gomes Chapel by the Maine Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee. While the $2,000 grant will pay for a fraction of the final cost 鈥� around $40,000 to $50,000 鈥� of the new 乐播传媒 bus stop, the private funding from the college also will help secure other matching state or federal transportation funds.  

Wang has met with community leaders in Lewiston and Auburn in his effort to bring an attractive public bus stop to campus, one of several new enclosed bus shelters in the two cities. 

鈥滺is advocacy for transit is strong,鈥� said Larry Allen, the Lewiston-Auburn Transit Committee director. 鈥淎lan espoused the benefits of consolidating transit activities between the two lines at one location on campus. This eliminates confusion and allows for the bundling of resources, such as infrastructure and capital resources.鈥�

With a 乐播传媒 politics degree now in hand, Wang, who is from Jiaozuo, China, will test his new interest in urban planning this summer in the Lincoln (Maine) County Regional Planning Department as a transportation planning assistant. 鈥淭his internship will give me a great lens on if I actually want to pursue this as my career,鈥� he said.

A second funded proposal from Gianluca Yornet de Rosas 鈥�24 of Mendoza, Argentina, who used his Green Grant to team up with Facility Services to add the first bird-safe window treatment at 乐播传媒. The idea came after he witnessed bird fatalities from strikes on the windows of his residence. 

Yornet, who hopes to go into environmental conservation work, grew up in the South American region around the Andes Mountains, where he was fascinated by the Andean Condor, the largest raptor in the world. The environmental studies major also knew that bird strikes on windows are a leading cause of avian mortality 鈥� resulting in up to an estimated 1 billion bird fatalities annually, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.聽

Because of the reflective and mirror qualities of window panes, birds often can鈥檛 detect the glass barrier. Yornet鈥檚 $2,000 grant funded the purchase and installation of several adhesive bird-safe window treatments that use tiny patterns to alert birds to the window.

He hopes it鈥檚 a good start. 鈥淢aybe if it stops the birds from colliding with the windows and dying, other students might continue the project, or this will be adopted into other buildings. I wanted to make sure it got done, even if it doesn鈥檛 solve the whole issue.鈥�

Another Green Grant grant will fund the installation of signage aimed at lessening contamination in recycling in residences. The idea was the brainchild of Caroline Mayer 鈥�26 of Wolfeboro, N.H., and Sarah Smith 鈥�26 of Severna Park, Md., two EcoReps who worked the past year on improving recycling habits around campus.

The signage will be placed right where students live: their rooms. 鈥淲e have good signage in all of the trash and recycling rooms, but the sorting is happening in the dorm room, not once you’re down in the trash room,鈥� said Tom Twist, assistant director of sustainability at 乐播传媒. 鈥淏y then, it’s already done.鈥�

The signs, affixed to the back doors of rooms, spell out the recyclable material 鈥� cardboard, plastic, paper containers, glass, and metal 鈥� and that all other items should go to the landfill. 鈥淲hen in doubt, throw it out,鈥� say the signs designed by Smith and Mayer, who plan to target first-year residences to instill good recycling practices at the start of their time at 乐播传媒.

Liza Bell 鈥�26 of Putney, Vt., won a GIG to resupply tools for the 乐播传媒 bike shop, a much needed purchase after a theft last summer depleted the supply.

The grant helped fund 30 new tools as well as a new lock system for the nine loaner bikes available to students. In addition, Bell said the grant helped keep those loaners in the Ladd Library gear library in good working order. As a result, usage increased this spring, with all nine bikes checked out much of the time.

鈥淭his project will contribute to the school’s green bike share program which makes biking on campus more accessible. By having the necessary tools and locks we will be able to continue to expand and improve the program,鈥� Bell explained in her proposal.

This story was updated on November 3, 2025 to reflect more recent information on the number of birds killed each year from window strikes.

Anthony Phillips 鈥�10 recalls taking the bus as a child from North Philadelphia to an elementary school in a predominantly white community and noticing how the streets were cleaner in that neighborhood, the homes had lawns.

Phillips said there were clear indicators back then of housing redlining and racism at work. The corner of Philadelphia where he grew up, Phillips said, was rife with violence, undesirable homes, and drug deals taking place out in the open. The stark contrast made Phillips wonder on those bus rides in his childhood how two areas in such close proximity could be so different. 

鈥淚 always wondered why my neighborhood did not look as beautiful as other neighborhoods when it came to resources. I was always concerned about why this was happening in my neighborhood. So that made me think about the inequity, right? In my own city, one neighborhood looked beautiful, and another neighborhood looked like it needed a lot of support. But what I did love about my neighborhood at the time: It was full of love,鈥� Phillips said.

鈥淲e had neighbors who looked after each other. We had neighbors who loved to chat and laugh with one another. We had great block parties and festivities. But we didn’t have the same resources as other neighborhoods when it came to making sure that crime and other nuisance things didn’t take place.鈥�

From an early age, Phillips鈥� mother and grandmother taught him that values like kindness, integrity, and hard work could lead to a better life. They served as living examples of the joy found in helping others 鈥� offering a roadmap Phillips trusted. He also admired the industry, grit, and determination embodied by their tireless work and unremitting commitment to education. He has followed their example to this day

So in 2022, when Phillips was encouraged by his community to run for a seat on the 17-member Philadelphia City Council to serve the northwest section of Philadelphia where he grew up, he answered the call. With no electoral experience 鈥� but a hefty collection of degrees that led the Philadelphia Inquirer to dub him 鈥渁n academic wunderkind鈥� 鈥� Phillips won a seat at the table in Philadelphia City Hall in a special election at age 33. Then he won the regular election a year later, earning the right to continue serving the people of the 9th district. And in just his first 15 months in office, Phillips proved his commitment to serving those in need.

For Anthony Phillips, what it took to overcome financial obstacles, redlining, and urban decay and find a life journey worth pursuing was the hard work, love, resolve, and faith his mother and grandmother passed on to him.

鈥淢y grandmother was my second parent. I never even met my father until I was 21 years old,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淏ut my mom always surrounded me with people that could be impactful in my life. She always said to me, 鈥楬ey, I want you to hang out with Mr. Cleave and Mr. James. Mr. Cleave and Mr. James ended up being these 70-year-old men who were my mentors, who taught me how to play checkers, but also encouraged me. They鈥檇 be like, 鈥楬ey, I like the way you speak. I like the way you dress. I liked the way you treat your family.鈥� They gave me positive affirmations.

鈥淕rowing up we didn’t have much materially. But I forgot sometimes that we were poor because we were rich in so many other ways. Ever since third grade, I was this person who was immensely concerned about: How can we make other people鈥檚 lives better?鈥�

Phillips鈥� maternal grandmother, Evelyn Phillips, started her life working as a sharecropper picking cotton in Marion, S.C., in the 1940s. His mother, Ann Phillips, worked full time as a case worker and office manager for the Philadelphia Department of Public Works, then at night and on weekends, she added a second part-time job at Walmart and Caldor. Together they provided the means to move from North Philadelphia to a very desirable home in the northwest section of the city. And in the brick row house where the two women together raised Anthony and his sister, Latrisha, they filled their home with academic rigor, life lessons, and love. 

Latrisha earned a doctorate and is an executive at an elite private school. At the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Anthony is currently completing his doctoral dissertation on whether the Black church is still serving the needs of citizens of Philadelphia.

Phillips recalls how his mother first taught him about the realities of being a Black man in America after he went on a field trip in third grade to Baltimore鈥檚 Black Wax Museum. He walked into the replica of a slave ship hull and saw the wax representations of Black slaves, and went home confused. 

鈥淚 said, 鈥楳om, I saw the craziest thing ever: Black people were enslaved. Did you know they were in chains?鈥� My mom said, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 the way things were. And, in some ways, that鈥檚 the way things still are today.鈥� And I said, 鈥榃ell, we鈥檝e got to do something about that.鈥� So my journey to action came from what I call this African American history moment in my life,鈥� Phillips said.  

Soon after, at his mother鈥檚 suggestion, Phillips became a junior deacon at his church, Triumph Baptist Church. While he was in middle school, he started a nonprofit called Youth Action with two friends to help youth get involved in social activism to encourage positive change in their neighborhood. All the while, he researched and read about the Civil Rights Movement. When he read how Martin Luther King Jr鈥檚 mentor at Morehouse College went to 乐播传媒, Phillips decided to apply. 

At 乐播传媒, he double majored in philosophy and African American studies (now Africana) and was a Benjamin Mays Scholar. During his junior year, he joined a 乐播传媒 exchange program to study at Morehouse College. As a senior, he completed a 乐播传媒 honors thesis detailing the conflict within the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee between Black integrationists and Black nationalists.

Along the way, he sought out and found other mentors at 乐播传媒, such as Professor Emeritus of History Hilmar Jensen, and Charles Nero, the Benjamin E. Mays Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies.

Nero said Phillips was intellectually very curious. He attended and helped at many of the events hosted by the Multicultural Affairs office that existed at the time. It was no surprise to Nero when Phillips chose to double major in African-American studies and philosophy.

鈥淚 thought for him that was a really good choice because he wanted to know not only about the specific experiences of Black people and African-American people, but he also wanted to have an understanding about what it is that appeals to people about power,鈥� Nero said. 鈥淚 think that combination of studies allows him, at a personal level, to think about how to engage in power and how to use power for the benefit of Black people.鈥�

After graduating in 2010, Phillips headed to Yale for a master鈥檚 in Black religion in the African diaspora. Just as he was getting started, his mother died unexpectedly from complications during an asthma attack. Phillips was just 21. Still, he forged ahead. 

鈥淚 think about the fact my grandmother was a sharecropper from South Carolina where she had to pick cotton in the fields. And my mom sacrificed with basically no money to provide food and resources for her kids. That inspiration helps push me forward,鈥� he said. 

Their example kept Phillips focused on service. As he began doctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he joined the university program Student Bridges to help provide education and access to underrepresented students in western Massachusetts. In 2018, Phillips joined TeenSHARP, based in Wilmington, Del., to help prepare talented Black, Latino, and low-income students for success at selective colleges and universities.

And in hard times, he also found inspiration in his faith. 

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 down and when I feel as if things are not going well, I also get my inspiration from God. The church is what gives me purpose every Sunday,鈥� said Phillips, who worships at Salem Baptist Church, a historically Black church in Abington, Pa. 

鈥淲hen I drive the church bus for the seniors, they are always encouraging me, saying, 鈥榊ou’re doing a good job, keep it going.鈥� Those seniors on that church bus, they inspire me, too.鈥�

Nero pointed out that Philips is both a political leader today, as well as a leader in his Black church, which historically has been a significant, supportive community to Black people and African-American people in the United States.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a church goer, a religious person, a spiritual person, and he鈥檚 also made decisions to be in a majority Black religious situation. So I think that鈥檚 also about his commitment to Black people and recognizing the church as a site of power,鈥� Nero said. 鈥淭he church is a place that is empowering. It celebrates the community, and especially in the context of white supremacy, Black churches have been a place where Black people celebrate themselves.鈥� 

In 2020, when Cherelle Parker announced she would vacate her city council seat to run for mayor, she encouraged Phillips to run for her seat representing the 9th district, where he grew up. Parker went on to win the mayoral race to become the first woman to lead Philadelphia in 341 years.

When Phillips won the 9th-district seat in 2022, it galvanized him. He vowed to improve education, neighborhood vitalization, and infrastructure 鈥� promises that yielded results. 

Immediately, he worked to improve the livability of the district by introducing legislation to ban tractor trailers from parking in residential areas in the city. When the ordinance passed, he introduced legislation to bypass the time-consuming studies needed to install speed bumps around schools, to slow traffic near schoolyards. That passed.

鈥淢y colleagues on the city council loved it so much, they asked about the rec centers, libraries, senior centers, and areas with vulnerable populations,鈥� Phillips said with a booming laugh. 鈥淲hen you work with children, you have to have a whatever-it-takes approach to getting things done.鈥�

This January, Phillips introduced legislation to ban ski masks so residents would feel safer in an area with high crime. It drew criticism on social media and was ridiculed for being a waste and unnecessary. That ordinance passed.  

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to keep moving. I鈥檓 always looking for the next big piece of legislation,鈥� Phillips said.

Having grown up in North Philly, Phillips said he knows intimately the kind of inequality that exists, even between neighborhoods a few miles apart. Step by step, he hopes to tip the scale toward those in need. 

Philips鈥� Instagram account 鈥� @phillipsdist9 鈥� is full of the programs and the kind of change he seeks. One video from last January shows him at night out on a street in North Philly during a snowstorm looking for roads that need to be plowed. In it, he asks residents to call and report any. 

Another post shows him working with a group offering a free recycle drop-off for old electronics. Wearing a poncho while working in the rain, Phillips cheers in the post, 鈥淲e get stuff done!鈥�

At the end of November, 顿谩苍颈别濒 Karsai will travel from his home in Budapest, Hungary, to Strasbourg, France, where he expects to have a few days of great fun.

He will see old friends, watch a soccer match between Strasbourg and Marseilles, and dine on good Alsatian food. 

And while there, Karsai, who is a human rights lawyer, will argue a case before the European Court for Human Rights 鈥� with help from a 乐播传媒 faculty member 鈥� that is literally about life and death: whether Karsai has the legal right to end his own life. 

Even that part of his trip 鈥� arguing the case Karsai v. Hungary for his right to die 鈥� will be fun to Karsai, because it means he still can feel alive, still can do what he loves to do.

Karsai has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, an incurable, progressive, and fatal neurological disease that is slowly robbing him of his ability to control his muscles, including his ability to speak. He wants the right to die before he becomes completely incapacitated, stripped of his dignity.

In Hungary, assisted death is a crime, so Karsai is appealing to the ECHR, which will hold a hearing Nov. 27鈥�28. The hearing will be conducted in English, one of the court鈥檚 two official languages, French being the other, so Karsai knew he needed help to deliver his personal statement, both with English words that are difficult for a Hungarian to pronounce and help to contend with how the disease is ravaging his speaking ability.

So he turned to a fellow Hungarian who is a 乐播传媒 faculty member: Kati Vecsey, a senior lecturer in theater, vocal director for all 乐播传媒 theater productions, and a noted speech and language pathologist and therapist. 

A member of the 乐播传媒 faculty since 1996 and currently chair of the Department of Theater and Dance, Vecsey earned a doctorate in developmental and educational psychology from E枚tv枚s L贸r谩nd University in Budapest. 

At 乐播传媒, Vecsey teaches courses, has served as vocal director for well over 100 theater productions, was the long-time adviser of the student Robinson Players theater club, and is widely published in her field. Well known in Hungary for her voice work, she was awarded the Farkas Kempelen Plaque Award from the Hungarian Association of Phonetics, Phoniatrics and Logopedics for research and professional contributions to her field.

Sometimes, the goal of Vecsey鈥檚 voice teaching is to train someone鈥檚 voice toward something different, whether helping a theater student adopt a British accent or helping someone transform their very identity. In the early 2000s, for example, she worked with author and then-Colby professor Jenny Boylan in her transition to becoming a woman by helping Boyle achieve an optimal pitch and varied inflection.

With Karsai, the goal is to help him be the best Daniel Karsai possible, vocally speaking, for as long as possible. 鈥淢y work with Daniel is not different from what I do during voice coaching with actors,鈥� Vecsey says. 鈥淚 work to nurture the confidence and self-reliance 鈥� so vital to create the optimum conditions for spontaneous, truthful, and healthy expression.鈥�

Karsai is no stranger to the European court, having worked there for four years in the mid-2000s, helping to prepare more than 1,000 draft decisions in English and in French. Since 2011, he has run his own law office in Budapest dealing with constitutional law and human rights issues.

For now, Karsai uses a wheelchair but is still able to go to work at his law firm each day. Before his illness, his English was already quite good, in terms of his vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. But his speech is now slower and slurred due to an ALS-related condition known as dysarthria that Vecsey studied during her training. 

鈥淭he muscles become weak and tight, limiting tongue and/or jaw movement,鈥� she explains. Swallowing is difficult, leading to a build-up of saliva in the mouth, and 鈥渉e has developed hoarseness and sounds more nasal than before his illness.鈥�

As an example of Karsai鈥檚 very good English, here鈥檚 a nearly verbatim text of how Karsai describes the first few months after receiving his ALS diagnosis in August 2021.

鈥淎fter the death sentence, I needed four months to take my s–t together. I’m sorry. Really, the first four months after I received the diagnosis, 25 August last year, I suffer from depression and anxiety, I mean in a medical sense. And with the help of amazing psychiatrist, and the medicines that were necessary, by the end of December, I find back to the light. And then I could restart to live, not just fighting with this situation.鈥�

Neither Vecsey nor Karsai is particularly worried about his accent. 鈥淲e Hungarians have a terrible accent, even if we are not ill,鈥� he jokes. And, he adds, few people who speak before the ECHR are native English speakers. 鈥淵ou hear many accents. So it’s not strange.鈥�

For Hungarians, difficult sounds to pronounce in English words include the W sound in 鈥渨hat鈥� or the TH sound in 鈥渢eeth鈥� or 鈥渢hree,鈥� 鈥渨here you put your tongue between bottom and upper teeth, that鈥檚 a lisp in Hungarian, and you get sent to speech therapy.鈥�

Overcoming an accent is a great challenge, she says, because an accent is integral to a person鈥檚 physiology. Getting rid of one is not the same as putting one on, like Meryl Streep using a Polish accent in Sophie鈥檚 Choice. 

鈥淵our entire mouth develops around the formation of sounds for your primary language,鈥� Vecsey says. 鈥淪o when you learn a second language, you will have difficulty.鈥�

Knowing Karsai鈥檚 voice before ALS is a key concept, says Vecsey. 鈥淭he knowledge of a 鈥榟ealthy voice鈥� is very important because you are not trying to teach a person something new, but what they know but are having difficulty doing.鈥� 

Appearing on a Hungarian talk show four years ago, looking fit, relaxed, and strong, Karsai speaks in a measured and calm voice with subtle inflections. Now, Vecsey is helping him manage pitch, tone, rhythm, and volume. 鈥淵ou can hear that his voice is already strained.鈥�

Using her theatrical chops, Vecsey is also coaching Karsai on his performance. He has appeared before the court several times, and will be reading from a prepared text. 鈥淪o it’s not alien for me,鈥� he says.

鈥淕enerally it’s much harder to think and speak at the same time in a foreign language in a high-tension situation. This hearing is really like in the movies: full courtroom, big media attention,鈥� including a documentary film team from Hungary that is capturing his story. 鈥淎nd so I would say the psychological part is the most difficult one.鈥�

During our interview, Karsai jokes about wearing his jiu jitsu robe to the hearing. Vecsey ran with it, thinking theatrically: Maybe not the robe, she said, but perhaps he could wear his brown belt around his neck.

顿谩苍颈别濒 Karsai appears on a Hungarian talk show four years ago, prior to his ALS diagnosis.

His approach is 鈥減ractice, practice, practice. My sensei, my master, always said that if you can do something with 130 percent perfection in practice, in real-life situation that will be 80 or 100 percent. So this is what I try to achieve, practice as much as possible, and then I can perform well.鈥�

And if he makes a mistake, 鈥淲ho cares? So what? I correct myself and go on. So I should not be afraid of making mistakes. Everybody will think that this is the illness, not my weak English that made the error.鈥� 

To which Vecsey quickly interjects a friendly jab: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e telling me that you’re hiding behind your illness now when it comes to English?!鈥� Indeed, the warmth between the two Hungarians comes through. 鈥淒aniel is a genuinely fine human being: charismatic, compassionate, and great character and integrity. And a fantastic sense of humor.鈥�

Vecsey and Karsai have been meeting on Zoom weekly since summer. (He is also working with two other speech and language pathologists in Hungary.) 鈥淲e have fun conversations, and I try to evaluate his speaking skills, ask questions about what he feels when he speaks, and give him feedback and suggestions.鈥�

鈥淭his public fight gives me strength because I enjoy it. I enjoy this conversation because we are discussing an issue which intellectually gives me passion and strength.”

顿谩苍颈别濒 Karsai

鈥淔un鈥� might not be anyone鈥檚 idea of what Karsai is having these days, but the word comes up more than a few times during our interview. For Karsai, the capacity to still have fun 鈥� to do what he loves doing, to have dignity, to feel purposeful 鈥� is what it means to have a life still worth living. The capacity to have fun is one measuring stick for being human.

And for Karsai the human rights lawyer, mounting a major legal battle against what he feels is an unjust law is a blast. 鈥淭his public fight gives me strength because I enjoy it. I enjoy this conversation because we are discussing an issue which intellectually gives me passion and strength,鈥� he says over Zoom. 鈥淚 even feel much less tired than one hour ago.鈥�

Published on Nov. 20, 2023, this brief video shows 顿谩苍颈别濒 Karsai two years ago during his jiu-jitsu training and brown belt ceremony, and recently as he tries to get up from the ground.

The European Court for Human Rights hears cases brought against its 46 member states for alleged human rights violations, and its rulings are binding and are considered to have a significant impact on the interpretation and application of human rights law in Europe. 

The case Karsai v. Hungary is not complicated. In Hungary, it is a criminal offense to help someone end their life. (In the U.S., 10 states and the District of Columbia allow assisted death, including Maine.) Karsai is asking the court to consider this a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, on which the court bases its rulings. (Currently the 鈥渞ight to a death in dignity .)

What is complex is the court鈥檚 potential judgment. 鈥淎 positive judgment could have different levels,鈥� he explains, since the court is looking at three ways Hungarian law might violate the European Convention. 鈥淗ow far the court goes in the very complex issue of end of life decisions, we don’t know. We will see, and then the Hungarian state has to execute it somehow.鈥� (A decision date is not known; however, the court has thus far granted the case priority.)

Speaking for himself, Karsai says that he would 鈥渂e very happy if we could talk about the concrete measures that the Hungarian state must do after a positive judgment. That would be a huge victory for us. And especially because it is almost sure that there will be other applicants from Hungary, people who are dying but don’t have the time and energy to go to the court because they can barely go to the bathroom.鈥�

Though he will be supported during the hearing by legal colleagues who will help him present the case, Karsai鈥檚 participation is much more than ceremonial. 

“And my firm view is that in this situation, flowing from the right to dignity, everybody should have a right to finish their life in a dignified manner.鈥�

顿谩苍颈别濒 Karsai

鈥淓ven if I’m terminally ill, I can show up and I can give real context to this question. It won’t be a theoretical issue for the court. It will be a living issue,鈥� he says.

鈥淚 always say that this human rights issue concerns 8 billion people on the planet. My personal story shows it very well because two years ago I was a semi-professional sportsman. I did jiu jitsu at a high level; I reached brown belt, which is something, believe me. Now, I can barely go out to the toilet alone, which is five meters from here. 

鈥淚t’s everybody’s problem 鈥� everybody will pass away one day, and it can happen. It can be the situation that happens after an undignified phase of life, which can last even for years. And my firm view is that in this situation, flowing from the right to dignity, everybody should have a right to finish their life in a dignified manner.鈥�

He is clear that he knows where he is now and where he is headed. 鈥淔or the time being I have a happy life, but with big f—ing difficulties,鈥� he says. 

鈥淏ut I have a happy life. But it can disappear. Now I can speak. Maybe in a year I won’t be able to speak at all and I won’t be able to go to a football game because I will be stuck to a bed. I can eat now, but maybe in a year I won’t be able to eat, just through a feeding tube. This is not fun. For the time being, I have a good life and I’m lucky because of that. This is why I say I am not a hero. I receive strength for this and I’m lucky.鈥�