Alumni Board Welcomes New Members

For me, it’s extremely hard to pick just one favorite about Wilkes. From my first day on campus reporting to football camp under Frank Sheptock in 2013 to my last day on campus, the camaraderie and sense of community were ever present. Of course, the best thing to come out of what I would consider a successful, well-earned education was marrying my wife, Emmie Lu (Gibson) Ammirato, who graduated from Wilkes in 2016!

The close-knit community is one of the most cherished features [of Wilkes], where the smaller campus size fosters strong, supportive relationships among students, faculty and staff. This sense of belonging made it easier for me to connect, participate in campus activities and feel like part of a family. Another highlight is the supportive faculty, known for their dedication to your success.

I’m looking forward to engaging with current students to hear how we, collectively, can top their current experience at Wilkes! Leaving it better than you found it is not only something that I’ve webbed into my business, but entire life, and it starts here. I also look forward to mentoring students as they take on the challenge of moving on from Wilkes into the workforce.

Like everything in life, you get what you give. Wilkes University can offer you so much, but only if you choose to leverage all it has to offer. From competitive athletics to various accreditations, campus involvement and a robust alumni network, it is all there for you to succeed.

As an alumna and newly elected alumni board member, I can confidently say that my favorite aspect of my Wilkes University experience was the camaraderie among students, particularly within clubs and extracurricular organizations. One of my most cherished memories is my time on The Beacon staff, especially serving as the editor of the newspaper. It was an incredibly enriching experience that honed my skills and allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the University community.

I have actively recruited students to attend Wilkes, sharing the unique opportunities and vibrant community that shaped my own experience. Additionally, I have served as an alumni mentor for several students in the ccommunication and media studies department, providing guidance, support and insights to help them navigate their academic and professional journeys.

I am thrilled to join the alumni board and look forward to fostering even stronger connections within the Wilkes community. Ultimately, I aim to give back to the University, ensuring that future generations have enriching experiences as I did.

I would tell a prospective student that Wilkes University is a place where you can truly thrive. The community is supportive which provides a genuine focus on helping you grow both academically and personally. With passionate faculty, diverse extracurriculars and plenty of opportunities to get involved, Wilkes is a place where your talents will be recognized and nurtured. It’s a place where you can find your path and make a real impact around the world.

The community and programs available for the students are my favorite things about Wilkes. So many events to get the students together to get to know each other, from casino nights, bingo, hockey games and ski nights at Montage. I still keep in touch with several classmates from Wilkes — one still does my taxes. The friendships developed through shared experiences like Winter Weekend and finals weeks are lifelong.

I still keep in touch with a few of my old professors and have participated in career and internship fairs. I’ve had Wilkes engineers for internships and have hired two for full-time positions. My wife (King’s College grad) and I love bringing our children down to Wilkes for the community events on Easter and Halloween, and always have a great time at Homecoming. I look forward to giving back to our community and helping create more opportunities to connect current and former students.

I would tell a prospective student considering Wilkes the same thing I told my oldest son when he graduated high school and chose Wilkes. It’s a small-town school with big school opportunities. The small class sizes mean one-on-one instruction and hands-on experience with your labs and projects. I’ve had students from other universities as hires and interns, and the Wilkes are the best prepared and motivated. The alumni connections can take you places you won’t believe. Campus clubs like AFROTC can open doors to go anywhere and do anything you can imagine.

As one can surmise from my maiden name, I have been connected to Wilkes College, now Wilkes University, my entire life. My earliest memories are of New Year’s Eve college parties and the entertaining of Lady Bird Johnson by my grandmother at 146 South River Street, now the Annette Evans Alumni House; the dedication of Stark Hall, the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts and the Farley Library; and a testimonial dinner to honor my grandfather. Even more memorable to a child were the college picnics held at Fair-Lea, my grandparents’ country home. So over time, the college was part of me, and in 1969, I arrived on campus from Tennessee, ready for adventure!

Wilkes provided me with an excellent education in the liberal arts and I am even more grateful for the friendships that I made and hope to rekindle as an alumni board member. A very special friendship that started in 1972 has endured. Next summer, Dr. George Gettinger, class of 1972, and I will celebrate 50 years of marriage! Together we have been to Wilkes for Homecomings, Golden Colonel Reunions, the Cohen Science Center building dedication, Founders Galas, presidential inaugurations, Boston alumni gatherings and cruised with Wilkes alumni to Bermuda. Support of our alma mater is important to both of us.

As I reminisce about over 70 years of involvement with Wilkes, I am absolutely amazed at the changes to the campus, the facilities, the educational offerings, the research and accomplishments of both staff and students. This is a university run by people who care about the school’s history but who look to the future. The opportunity for a person to create a successful future is there!

I was at Wilkes from 2013 to 2017. I enjoyed all aspects of the Wilkes experience. I lived in Waller North, served on Student Government, studied literature in Kirby Hall, worked in the admissions office and made lifelong friends, including meeting my husband, Nick Morrison ’15.

I enjoy visiting campus and acting as a resource for pre-law students and English majors. I am thrilled for Wilkes to expand opportunities for pre-law students through its 3+3 program with Widener law school.

I am thankful for the opportunity to work with fellow alumni who are dedicated to the success of our school and our students. I am forever indebted to Wilkes: three generations of my family benefited from a Wilkes education. My grandfather, Anthony Michael ’74, went to Wilkes on the G.I. bill and was one of countless students impacted by our beloved Dean George Ralston. My mom, Barbara Michael Giarratano ’89, attended Wilkes and lived in Waller South with my godmother and member of the Wilkes Athletics Hall of Fame, Lisa Kravitz Miller ’89. My sister, Brooke Giarratano Adair ’19, is the most recent Wilkes graduate in our family.

I would tell a prospective student that Wilkes is a special place where individualized attention and support are the norm. Members of the Wilkes community (faculty, alumni, donors and students) will be personally invested in your success.

Some memorable moments from my student years include: moving into Sturdevant Hall and being assigned to a lovely first-floor room with high ceilings, enormous windows, a fireplace and built-in china cabinet. How lucky were we? Another lucky event was meeting my future husband, John ’65, in one of Sturdevant’s beautiful living rooms. An unforgettable and tragic memory is of a mild, November day when I returned from class to find my dorm-mates stunned and silent, gathered around our housemother’s television set, the only one in the house — President Kennedy had just been shot. We remained glued to the set for that weekend’s sad and historic events.

My husband and I live 50 miles from campus and have attended many Wilkes events. As a retired Wyalusing Area School District teacher, I have encouraged hundreds of students to continue their educations in all types of schools and many different programs. Happily, some chose Wilkes. In fact, our local pharmacist is a Colonel!

I look forward to meeting fellow Wilkes Alumni Board members to share our Wilkes memories, to learn of its development in the 50+ years since my graduation and to see how I can contribute to its continued success.

To prospective students, I say education is critical. Wilkes opened doors for me. I learned something valuable from classmates, from staff and from every class I took, including those in which I struggled. Every day of my life since graduating from Wilkes proves I was one of the lucky ones. I was able to take advantage of our country’s vast educational opportunities and realize my parents’ vision for their children – a college education and more open doors than they had.