Consequential Interactions: Staff empower student success

Our supportive staff believe in our students’ potential to Do Great Work and lead lives of meaning and consequence after graduation.

“The people make the place, and the people are what make Gettysburg Great,” said Mike Iodice ’22, an environmental scientist at AKRF based in New York City.

Situated within our consequential place and guiding students through our unique approach to education are faculty, staff, and alumni who believe in our students and what they can achieve in their lives beyond Gettysburg. From the dining hall to Glatfelter Hall to the College Union Building, students encounter a diverse group of eager, caring people providing insight, guidance, and a “Gettysburg hello” as they inspire our students to Do Great Work.

These meaningful interactions are impactful, setting students on their path through college and providing the foundation for A Consequential Education.

Headshot image of Regina Tyree
Servo employee Regina Tyree was awarded the Encouragement Award from Gettysburg College in May 2024.

As a student at Gettysburg College, Iodice would walk over to the dining hall with his wrestling teammates for dinner, ready to unwind after a long day of classes, labs, meetings, and practices. Every day like clockwork, longtime Servo employee Regina Tyree was there at the cash register, greeting each and every student who walked into the building.

“I was impressed and flattered that after only a few weeks on campus, Regina, who probably sees nearly 2,000 faces every day, had made the conscious effort to remember my name,” recalled the former environmental studies major. “It’s the little things that make the biggest difference.”

During the fall of his senior year, Walter Smoloski ’17, a football student-athlete and political science major, connected with College maintenance mechanic Stephen Coldsmith through a shared interest in the outdoors. Not long after their chance meeting near Smoloski’s apartment, Coldsmith invited Smoloski to visit his property outside of town.

“Steve’s generosity in letting me fish, hunt, and shoot clay pigeons on the property for the remainder of my time at Gettysburg meant a lot,” recalled Smoloski, who is an account executive at ATHOS PR. “To this day, we stay in touch and I even occasionally make my way back to the farm when visiting campus.

Students from the Class of 2028 meet Gettysburg President Bob Iuliano
Students from the Class of 2028 meet Gettysburg President Bob Iuliano at a Welcome Gathering during the summer of 2024 (Photo by Abbey Frisco).

Dan Yates, a major gifts officer, doesn’t typically engage with a large number of students during his daily responsibilities as part of the College Advancement Division. However, as the coach of the club climbing program, Yates helps students like Colin Goodwin ’26 from Haverford, Pennsylvania, realize their potential as leaders by sharing his own knowledge and experiences.

“Over the past few years, I’ve spent countless hours route setting, learning, working with, and climbing with Dan,” said Goodwin, a philosophy and psychology double major. “He has guided me a lot in my role as climbing coordinator at the Den and helped me with managing that space.”

Operating out of the Garthwait Leadership Center (GLC), Executive Director Andy Hughes and Director Paul Miller provide students immersive experiences that build skills like teamwork and leadership and serve as a sounding board for life’s daily problems. For health sciences major Emily Lyons ’26 from Andover, Massachusetts, Miller helped her develop and finetune her senior capstone project.

“Paul knows my abilities, strengths, and weaknesses in a way that only someone who’s seen you succeed and fail a thousand times over can,” Lyons stated. “Even more so, he knows how to turn ideas into plans and make confusing things make sense. I think it’s a unique privilege to know and trust someone who’s so good at what they do.”

Paul Miller guided Emily Lyons ’26 and fellow students on a sea kayaking trip to Baja, Mexico
Garthwait Leadership Center Director Paul Miller guided Emily Lyons ’26 and fellow students on a sea kayaking trip to Baja, Mexico, last January (Photo provided by Paul Miller).

With help from Hughes to find suitable housing, economics and Spanish major Ana Carolina Cury ’26 immersed herself in an internship with Young Professionals of Color, a nonprofit organization in Harrisburg. It was a turning point in her personal and professional growth and led Cury, who is from São Paulo, Brazil, to acquiring consequential real-world experience.

“I gained skills in communication, project management, and community engagement, and I also developed a stronger cultural perspective that continues to shape how I approach my work,” Cury said. “His guidance has been invaluable, and I am excited to build on these experiences and contribute more meaningfully to both Gettysburg College and the broader community.”

Natalie Vancura ’25, a health sciences and public policy double major from Mercy High School in Baltimore, Maryland, received similar empowerment from Associate Director of Catholic Campus Ministry Marie Hopkins. The two met when Vancura was a first-year student and have developed a close bond through conversations about faith and life, Sunday dinners, and field trips around the community.

“She has supported me in my academic, emotional, and spiritual growth, going above and beyond for me and countless others,” Vancura said. “I am incredibly lucky to have had Marie as a mentor—she has truly made Gettysburg College feel like home, and I know this consequential relationship will continue well beyond my time here.”

Join our community of consequential people and discover how you can make an impact on the lives of our students.

This story is part of a series portraying the unique and passionate people who make Gettysburg College a consequential place to live and learn. Find out more about our approach to education and the people who make it possible below.

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By Corey Jewart
Photos courtesy of Shawna Sherrell, Paul Miller, Abbey Frisco, Natalie Vancura ’25
Posted: 12/19/24