Sun-drenched Homecoming weekend offers alumni room to reunite, reflect and celebrate

Held Oct. 3-5, Radford's Homecoming hosted a range of events, including the Women of Radford luncheon, the Golden Reunion Celebration, the Alumni Volunteer Leadership Business Lunch and Awards, the Highlander Hype athletic rally and the Alumni Village party on Moffett Lawn.

As Radford University's Homecoming 2024 hit its stride, one of its centerpieces shined brightly under clear autumn skies - the Alumni Village.

Starting mid-afternoon on Oct. 5 on Moffett Lawn, just a week after rains waterlogged the New River Valley, the event offered a picture-perfect environment in which alumni could reunite and celebrate together.

That Saturday was sunny and warm but not hot, and the village featured food trucks and beverage stations, games and information booths. The annual homecoming t-shirt was distributed and the TOGETHER campaign provided giveaways and key information about its impact on the campus community.

Across the lawn, a 10-car Ferris wheel offered rides, while tents and canopies gave shade to the crowds and a live local band, The Worx, kept them entertained.

"We've got generations of students here today, so we've got generations of music," band vocalist Jerry Wimmer told the audience as they served up hits from across the eras - from Montell Jordan's "This is How We Do It" to "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees.

One alum present was Brenda Heflin Lyddane, who earned her bachelor's degree in music education in 1974. A longtime grade school teacher, she came back for her first Homecoming so she could be inducted into the Golden Reunion Society.

Early in the band's performance, however, she got an unexpected reunion after The Worx's singer caught her eye.

"The announcer was trying to get my attention to look at the drummer," Lyddane said, and she soon recognized the man behind the kit.

"It was John Johnson, one of my former students from Madison County. I taught him from kindergarten through the fifth grade," she recalled, adding that even as a third grader, he'd performed on drums for the entire school.

That connection formed a fitting symmetry for a teacher celebrating a half-century in education, a long road that began at Radford.

"My goal is to teach every child and teach them to appreciate music," Lyddane concluded. "And who knows? You never know if somebody's going to become a famous person."

The Golden Reunion Celebration

Lyddane was a member of the Class of 1974 inducted into the Golden Reunion Society during a dinner reception at Kyle Hall on Oct. 3.

Previous Golden Reunion Society members helped welcome the new inductees, someone of whom traveled from as far as Washington state to attend.

Alumni are welcomed into that group upon the 50th anniversary of their Radford graduation, and the event gave them a space to reunite with classmates, trade stories and sing songs. They also received, from President Bret Danilowicz a medallion bearing the beehive from the university's seal.

"Returning to Radford University for your 50th class reunion gives you the opportunity to renew past friendships while seeing how much your alma mater is still a dynamic institution," Executive Director of Alumni Relations Laura Turk '87, M.S. '90, told them.

In her remarks, Turk walked the former students through cultural signposts that put their time on campus into the broader context of history: The Class of 1974 were undergraduates when President Richard M. Nixon resigned, when military conscription was abolished in the United States and when construction was underway on New York's World Trade Center.

Still designated Radford College in 1974, the school's student body totaled 4,000, of which only about 10% were male, she noted.

As she spoke, Turk urged the inductees to consider the tri-colored floral arrangements on their tables and to reflect on classmates no longer with them.

"The white flower honors their memory; the red flower represents enduring love and respect for each other and Radford," she explained. "And the golden flowers represent you, our newest members … who are renewing their bonds with their alma mater today.

"As you will see, each flower is beautiful on its own, but together, they make a breathtaking arrangement, and this is a wonderful way for you to think about the lasting impression that your class made on Radford University."

Highlander Hype: Celebrating success in the classroom and athletics

The morning of Oct. 4 saw the debut of Highlander Hype, which shined a light on the success stories within Radford's athletics program, currently celebrating 40 years of competition.

Held in Bondurant Auditorium, it featured remarks by Alumni Association Board of Directors and Radford Athletics Foundation Board Member Lara Ramsey '90, M.S. '92; head baseball coach Alex Guerra '11; Athletic Director Robert Lineburg; Assistant Director of Annual Giving Crystal Hubbard '00, MBA '08; and President Danilowicz.

Amid an overview of the accomplishments of the program, Lineburg also praised Highlander student-athletes as successful brand ambassadors.

"We are proud to have 269 student-athletes representing 33 states and multiple foreign counties," he exclaimed. "While success on the field and court is important, it is the broader impact in the classroom and community that sets the stage for our successful student-athletes."

"Radford was recently recognized by the Big South Conference for its outstanding accomplishments in the classroom. We had more than 85% of our athletes on the Presidential Honor Roll," Lineburg said.

"That level of academic achievement speaks to the dedication of our athletes, balancing both their rigorous training and academic commitments."

Ramsey also gave the Highlander Hero award to head baseball coach Alex Guerra '11, who, on Sept. 10, sprang to help senior Cody Duncan, who suffered an emergency while fishing on the New River.

"Thanks to the quick thinking and action of a member of our community … what could have been a tragic situation turned into a testament of courage, care and the Highlander spirit," Ramsey said. "His actions truly embody … what it means to be a Highlander."

Alumni volunteer leadership business lunch and awards

Midday on Oct. 4 marked the Alumni Volunteer Leadership Business Lunch and Awards, during which graduates and friends who have donated their time and energy gathered alongside others interested in contributing to the university.

It's also the ceremony at which Radford recognizes alumni who had a key impact on their alma mater.

Honorees for 2024 included:

• Wyatt Toehlke '18, recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which is given to graduates 35 or under who have made significant career achievements while being actively involved in university programs or civic and volunteer activities.

  Toehlke began his career as a campaign intern for congressional races around the state, ultimately prompting him to become the Southwest Virginia lead for "Youngkin for Governor." Most recently, he was named Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade.
  As an engaged Radford University alumnus, Toehlke serves as an Alumni Admissions Ambassador, an Inauguration Ambassador and a classroom speaker, and he's an alumni leader for Radford University Advocacy Day at the state capital.

• Debbie Sherman-Lee '73, a retired teacher and community leader, took the Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes an alum who has made exceptional contributions to furthering the mission of the university and who has demonstrated ways they can continue to support their community and Radford University through their time, talent and resources.

  Sherman-Lee's career as a teacher spanned 36 years in Montgomery County schools. Even in retirement, she remains a tireless advocate for education, social justice, and community engagement. She donates her time and expertise to expand educational access, dismantle racism and develop community engagement, as well as inspire the next generation of Highlanders.

• Denny Van Pelt '94 received the Outstanding Alumni Philanthropist Award, bestowed to salute exceptional generosity and civic responsibility demonstrated by financial contributions to organizations within the community, including the Radford University Foundation.

  A coach and teacher from New Jersey, Van Pelt initially came to Radford to study political science and play baseball. His talent on the field saw him set numerous baseball records and led to his drafting by the California Angels. His financial contributions and unwavering support have had a profound effect on Radford University as well as the community, and Van Pelt rallies others to give to Radford University, demonstrating how the collective alumni effort makes a big impact.

• Sean Peay '91 was named the winner of the Outstanding Alumni Award, denoting a graduate who has made remarkable contributions to society through their profession.

  He is the CEO and founder of Dynanet, the company he started in 1995, which provides state and federal agencies with information technology engineering and management services. With more than 100 employees, Dynanet has been named a top workplace by The Washington Post.

  Peay's exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to excellence have made a considerable impact in the IT and federal services sectors, and he also is a steadfast supporter and volunteer for Radford University.

Women of Radford

Upon entering the Women of Radford luncheon, held Oct. 5 at Kyle Hall, one of the first sights guests might have noticed was a large table heaped with dozens of handbags - useful accessories donated by the attendees, to be given to women in need through local charities.

Beyond that display, visitors would then likely have been struck by the tall columns of red and white balloons flanking scores of tables at which were seated about 160 celebrants - alumni, students, faculty, staff and administrators - brightly outfitted in enough stylish hats and fascinators to rival a crowded Kentucky Derby soiree.

Alumni in Action provided the theme for the celebration, which showcased the many ways our community contributes through such service highlights as Radford Gives Back, the Yarnmakers, Joy House RVA, Reel to Reel Connections and more. The handbag drive, conceived by Radford First Lady Kay Danilowicz, reinforced the theme of giving back.

Also well represented were several generations of Highlanders "from the class of 1958," host Laura Turk said, "to our current students from the class of 2028."

The lunchtime entertainment was a fashion show from the Radford University Design Department, with student models exhibiting about a dozen ensembles, each designed by alums.

Kay Danilowicz gave the keynote speech, updating the audience on the progress of Tartan Tails, the campus' animal therapy program that she spearheaded. Tartan Tails supports students, faculty and staff by providing them opportunities to interact with therapy animals during Yappy Hours at McConnell Library, the fountain and the Hurlburt Student Center.

Interactions with trained animals reduce homesickness, loneliness and anxiety and improve moods and a sense of satisfaction, Danilowicz said, and physically, they have been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rates and cortisol levels.

"We definitely work on providing therapy animals that are able to support our students," Danilowicz added. "The handlers … are trained to recognize signs of stress and discomfort and control the situation so that both the dog and the student experience a really positive interaction."

"During stressful times … we make sure that we are strategically placing teams around campus so that students run into them even more often," she explained. She also shared how the therapy animals are brought into the program, and there was a lively question and answer session as well as a visit by her dog Bainne.

Turk concluded the event with a round of awards for the best hats, by recognizing the vice-presidents and deans in the audience and by thanking the sponsor, Warm Hearth Village. The luncheon closed with the dozens of dozens of voices of attendees uniting in song by singing "Alma Mater."

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