Alumni Features

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Lewis University’s Aviation and Transportation Department experienced a “blast from the past!”   Roger Hougham, who turned 95 years old in August, returned to campus to revisit his aviation roots.   Hougham attended Lewis from 1954 to 1955 and served as a flight instructor at Lewis from 1955 to 1956.   He and his friends, Bill Arbogast (who also attended Lewis and served as a Certified Flight Instructor in the 50’s), and Doug Reeves, all with the Prairie Aviation Museum in Bloomington, Illinois, made the trip to Lewis in honor of Roger’s upcoming birthday. Roger Hougham served in the United States Marines Corps in air traffic control in the early 50’s. He earned single-engine certification during that time.   He then spent a year as an aviation student at Lewis, and then a year as a flight instructor. In 1956, he joined Delta Airlines.   Upon his retirement from Delta in 1989, he had flown more than 27,000 hours both domestically and internationally.   Duri

Lights, curtains, action! Traci Gaydos ’02 came to Lewis University to study Theatre and Music. While pursuing her BA in Theatre, she stumbled upon Stage Management. Stage Management was the springboard for her successful career in event production because it provided her with a transferable skillset. “My Lewis Experience was exactly what I needed for that time in my life: highly connected instructors who met my individual learning style and needs, and a department full of folks cheering each other on to success on and off the stage,” explains Gaydos. After graduating from Lewis and interning at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, Traci applied to the University of Illinois’ MFA program in Stage Management.   After completing her MFA, she continued in opera and theatre production roles until she landed the Production Manager and Marketing Director role for the University of Northern Iowa’s Theatre Department. Traci stayed in Cedar Rapids for three years before being selected to serve as

Fostering community through service has been part of Lewis University’s mission since its inception. Lewis alum, Garret A. Eisin MSN, RN ‘68 ’93, exemplifies these values through his vocation as a Registered Nurse whose passion is to help our nation’s heroes.  Garret’s story began in 1968 when he graduated from Lewis University with his Sociology degree. By 1969, Garret had enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a medic at Letterman Army Medical Center, San Francisco. After serving as a medic, he enrolled at Saint Xavier University School of Nursing and graduated with a BSN in 1974. Eisen then began his nursing career as a Registered Nurse at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, where impacted the lives of his patients through his dedicated service. He later returned to Lewis and graduated in 1993 with a Master’s in Nursing. Eisin acknowledged the important role Lewis played in his life in better preparing him to live out his calling as a nurse. Garret stated, “My education at Lewis Univer

Tatiana Machado-Griffin '14 was inspired to pursue her studies at Lewis University when a dear friend recommended the Organizational Leadership M.A. program. Knowing she wanted to expand her expertise and further her career, Tatiana reviewed the program and settled on studying three concentrations. She was especially grateful for this opportunity as an international student to advance her studies abroad, finding it deeply meaningful in creating experiences that allowed her to pivot her career and pursue new roles. She credits, “The M.A. in Organizational Leadership program not only helped me in establishing a career but also helped me become more deeply connected with people in my growing community as an immigrant in the United States.”  Her time as a Graduate Assistant in the offices of University Advancement and International Students offered hands-on experience which helped her further her skills in interpersonal relationships and communication with people from all over the wo

As a little girl, Areli Delgado ‘12 was always a bit shy but always had large dreams. However, the shyness went away when she started her studies at Lewis University, and her dreams were within reach. The moment Areli stepped foot on campus for her campus tour, she was immediately attracted to the layout thinking “it wasn’t too big, nor too small - it was just right.”  Delgado was a first-generation student at Lewis University who sought higher education with much excitement. Delgado stated, “It was a huge accomplishment for my family to see me get a bachelor’s degree. My mom was a single parent, and she was obviously overwhelmed seeing her only child get a degree.” Originally from Mexico, Delgado and her mother moved to the United States when she was just a year old. Her heritage always has been a part of her; she participated in LASO, Latin American Student Organization, during her time at Lewis. She credits the confidence she gained in her involvement with LASO and the University’s

  Imagine pulling up to Starbucks, putting in your order and learning that someone surprised you and covered the cost of your order in the drive thru. The question then crosses your mind about if you should pass it on, in hopes that many people continue to do so after you. How many people would that touch? How many days were brightened? How many lives were impacted? For Bridget Terrones ’12, giving back to her alma mater is similar to this exciting concept.     When Bridget (Folliard) Terrones reads the words of the Lewis University Mission, she sees things that are also a part of her own personal mission. It’s those connections that have inspired her to establish an annual scholarship and ignite a change in the lives of future Flyers.   “Just as Lewis seeks to provide to a diverse student population through programs for a professional education, I too desire to support diverse students in their educational pursuits, specifically women. According to the Wall Street Journal , i