Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24 will serve a three-year term as Youth Trustee, joining Megan Curling ’23 and Elizabeth “Liz” Kwon L’23 in youth leadership roles for the university’s governing body.

The Board of Trustees has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for ������Ƶ. It oversees ������Ƶ’s long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university’s mission.

Dahdal was active on campus as a student advisor, tutor, teaching assistant, intern in the Center for Organizational Analytics, Graduate Advisory Board representative, and student worker in the university’s mail center. His academic work focused on the intersection of AI and business intelligence.

Dahdal today serves as a division business analyst at in Raleigh, N.C., and aspires to attend medical school, where he hopes to apply data-driven insights to improve patient outcomes and clinic operations.

“Being selected for this position is not just an honor, it’s an opportunity to represent student voices at the highest level,” Dahdal said. “It’s not just a title. It’s a platform.”

Building on his experience as a student leader at ������Ƶ, Dahdal said he looks forward to engaging broadly with peers and serving as a voice for the student body in the boardroom.

Born in Syria, Dahdal moved to Raleigh in 2012 and is the oldest of four siblings, including Rony Dahdal ’26. He graduated from in Raleigh where he pursued multiple internship and learning opportunities that he described as honoring the sacrifices his parents made for him.

A later recipient of the Leon and Lorraine Watson Scholarship through ������Ƶ’s Odyssey Program, and a graduate of the Accelerated 3+1 Business Dual-Degree Program in Business Analytics, Rafi Dahdal credits his campus mentors for helping him find a sense of purpose.

Dahdal said he always attempts to bring a thoughtful, data-informed mindset to leadership. “Meaningful change starts with listening and leading with intention,” he said. “My goal is to build bridges between students and leadership—to make sure every voice is heard.

“I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective grounded in collaboration and innovation with a deep commitment to making a lasting impact.”

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. ������Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

������Ƶ’s academic divisions include ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Since the campaign entered the public phase in 2019, donors have built on ������Ƶ’s position as a leader in higher education by investing in graduates the world needs, engaged learning, mentors who matter and the university’s iconic learning environment. Members of the greater ������Ƶ community are invited to come hear an update on the campaign’s progress at events in ������Ƶ and Raleigh.

Both events will feature a reception with a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres followed by a program with remarks by President Connie Book and special guests. More details on each event, including links to register, are below.

������Ƶ LEADS in the Triad

Thursday, April 28, 2022
The Inn at ������Ƶ

A celebration of leadership and philanthropy with President Connie Book. Located at The Inn at ������Ƶ at 605 North O’Kelly Ave. Business attire is the dress code for the event. Please RSVP by April 14 here:

6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Remarks by President Book

—

������Ƶ LEADS in Raleigh

Thursday, May 5, 2022
The Pavilion at the Angus Barn

Located at 9401-1 Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh, N.C., the event will be a celebration of leadership and philanthropy with President Connie Book. There will be a reception at 6:30 p.m. and remarks by President Book at 7:30 p.m. Business attire is the dress code and please RSVP by April 21 at this website: 

Contact Jill Hollis ’13 G’17 at jhollis@elon.edu with any questions.

As summer kicks into high gear, things are heating up for our regional alumni chapters and ������Ƶ in the Ballpark is back. Take your family out to the ball game and mingle with other alumni!  Select cities and regional alumni chapters will be hosting a baseball outing in your city. Check out the list below to see how you can snag your tickets just in time to join alumni, friends and family at the game.

• 
  July 30
  Burlington Sock Puppets
• 
  Aug. 5
  Greensboro Grasshoppers
• 
  Aug. 6
  Durham Bulls
• 
  Aug. 7
  New York Yankees
• 
  Aug. 27
  Atlanta Braves
• 
  September 19
  Boston Red Sox

We’re laser-focused on keeping our alumni and their guests safe by following social distancing guidelines. Certain areas may have reduced capacity, so register sooner than later to make sure you can join us at the game.

We hope to see you there.

Speakers for the program included President Connie Ledoux Book, Vice President for University Advancement Jim Piatt and Campaign Chair Chris Martin ’78 P’13, as well as other faculty, staff and alumni leaders. Attendees learned more about important university initiatives including scholarships in the Odyssey Program, the new Innovation Quad that will house expanded STEM initiatives, two new nursing degree programs that will offer students a focus on health equity, and spring admissions data.

The entire ������Ƶ community is now able to view the latest version of the update on-demand to learn more about these initiatives.

“This special university update on the ������Ƶ LEADS Campaign amplifies the campaign’s far-reaching impact on our students,” says Piatt. “The university community remains grateful for the alumni, parents and friends who are dedicated to our mission and vision and provide philanthropic support of our strategic priorities.”

>> to participate in the update. 

The on-demand video will begin automatically once you complete the registration process.

While at ������Ƶ, Caroline McSwain Ryskiewich ’14 G’15 discovered a love for assisting and bonding with senior citizens, a passion that she didn’t imagine could spark a career. Ryskiewich spent time with senior citizens throughout her time as a student during multiple practicums, internships and also as the president of ������Ƶ’s “Linking Generations” Club that paired students with senior citizens at the local assisted living community.

While pursuing a degree in media arts and entertainment – broadcast, she kept her passion close by also pursuing a minor in human service studies with a focus on senior services. Following graduation, Ryskiewich stayed an extra year to participate in the Master of Arts in Interactive Media  program. She then set off to start a career in marketing, until she later realized her true calling was working with seniors.

Ryskiewich now works as a life enrichment associate at a senior living community in Durham, North Carolina, where she makes connections that are not only meaningful for the residents, but for her as well. She recently shared a tweet sharing the connection she has made with another ������Ƶ alumna, Jane Johnson ’51:

Hey @elonuniversity! It’s so fun becoming friends with other @elonalumni like my fellow Phoenix — Jane Johnson ‘51. We met at the retirement community where she lives and I work! #PhoenixForever We tell everyone “we went to college together!”

Read below as Ryskiewich shares her experience working with senior citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q: What is your job title? What do you typically do in this position?

A: I have the absolute joy and pleasure of working as a “Life Enrichment Associate” at a senior living community in Durham, N.C. It’s so incredible to see how things have come full-circle for me: I spent countless hours as an undergraduate student volunteering in the activities department at Blakey Hall Assisted Living in ������Ƶ, and now I get to spend time with seniors as my full-time job. As the department title “Life Enrichment” suggests, I’m there to help enrich the lives of the residents… whatever that may look like! I do everything from helping my residents learn how to use Facebook, to leading them in rounds of “Mental Aerobics,” to interviewing them for my in-house talk show. This week I even hosted a resident bake-off competition! Every day is different, and every day is so much fun. Although my role is to enrich their lives, it has truly been my life that has been so wildly enriched. It’s the most fulfilling and rewarding role, and every day I think to myself “I get paid to do this?!”

Q: How has working in a retirement community changed due to COVID-19? How has your role changed?

A: COVID has changed everyone’s lives; there’s not a person on the planet who hasn’t been affected by the incredible challenges caused by this pandemic. My senior friends are no exception. In fact, the way the virus has altered their lives is probably one of the more extreme examples one can fathom. The potential for isolation and loneliness (which are already serious concerns for this population!) are drastically increased. Look at the residents in my community, for example: They can’t gather in large groups for activities. They can’t visit with their loved ones. They can’t eat meals together. It’s gut-wrenching for them, their families, and everyone on staff. We are working extra hard to help our friends feel connected, loved, and hopeful. We’re teaching them how to communicate with loved ones using social media and email. We’re visiting them one-on-one to check in. We’re finding safe ways for small groups to gather in socially-distanced spaces. We’re setting up Zooms between residents and their families. And we’re making sure to ask each of our 700+ residents how they’re really doing — mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically — and to always ask “What can I do for you?” Our programming has had to dramatically shift. But the heart of what we do, loving and caring for the residents, is as strong a driving force as ever.

Q: How did you and Jane Johnson ’51 discover you shared an alma mater?

A: Ms. Johnson — or “JJ” as I call her — came up to me soon after I started my role at the senior living community. I’d been introduced on the daily administrative broadcast, which plays on TV in the residents’ apartments. JJ came up to me after it aired and said “We have something special in common.” When I couldn’t guess, she said “I’m an ������Ƶ College girl, too!”  We were so thrilled to make the connection and compare our experiences as Phoenix. We tell everyone now that we “went to college together!” A lot changed at ������Ƶ in the time between each of our experiences, but it’s a timeless bond that we cherish. I know if we had gone to school at the same time, we would’ve been close friends then just like we are now.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share to help share your story? 

A: Seniors like my JJ are so incredibly special, and they need to feel our love and care now more than ever. I’d urge anyone reading this to take some time to reach out to an elderly loved one in your life. Tell them you’re thinking of them, you love them, and that you know this year has been especially hard. Ask how they’re doing. And then — most importantly — listen, really listen.

About this series: The ������Ƶ Alumni in Action series explores the stories of university graduates who are doing important and uplifting work in their careers and their communities. To share the names of alumni you think should be considered for this series, please fill out the Alumni in Action nomination form.

***

It was a relatively rare sight in Raleigh.

On a morning in early May, the most powerful lawmakers in North Carolina – three Democrats, including Governor Roy Cooper, and the two Republicans who lead their majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly – stood together at a news conference to share details of bipartisan legislation prompted by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The relief package, passed unanimously by both chambers of the General Assembly, contained $1.6 billion in measures for expenditures related to public health and safety, education, small business assistance, and state government operations.

Like all significant pieces of legislation, there were many people whose work in the preceding weeks made it possible, including ������Ƶ Law alumni Luke Gillenwater L’11 and Jeremy Ray L’11.

Their roles are largely invisible. Confidentiality is key. Gillenwater, an attorney in the bill drafting division, assists lawmakers who request his expertise in writing legislation. They’ll bring to him their ideas before he researches and drafts legislation on their behalf.

“I love being behind the curtain,” said Gillenwater, who typically assists with drafting bills that affect the criminal justice system. “We try to make sure their ideas, their decisions, are reflected in the legislation they introduce. And we try to make sure everything runs smoothly, that it’s drafted correctly, and that we provide sound legal advice.”

If Gillenwater is one of the legislative ghostwriters for members of the General Assembly, that makes Ray one of their editors.

A legislative analyst for both chambers, Ray is among those who help lawmakers rewrite legislation debated in committee. He is primarily assigned to committees that handle legislation affecting insurance, administrative law, and unemployment in North Carolina.

Ray’s work on COVID-19 included another facet that remains largely hidden from the public. As a legislative analyst, lawmakers turn to him with questions they’ve fielded from their own constituents. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits? How do I access particular services? What are my rights under federal and state laws?

“People are dealing with an unprecedented time in their lives that is very scary,” Ray said. “The greatest satisfaction I get is providing meaningful feedback to individual constituent requests where a business owner is seriously concerned about whether his or her business will be able to continue to operate, or if someone may be eligible for a particular form of unemployment insurance benefit that will help weather the storm.”

Ray worked for a few years at the Division of Employment Security before moving in 2016 to the General Assembly. The native of Buncombe County in western North Carolina was the first in his family to attend graduate school, and he and his wife, a pediatric critical care physician, are the parents of young twins. One of his biggest passions is riding a 2015 Harley-Davidson on backroads around the Triangle.

Gillenwater, who grew up in Winston-Salem, briefly practiced at an insurance defense firm in Charlotte before moving to the General Assembly in 2012. Married to Laura Lee Howell Gillenwater L’11, an attorney for the global health care company Grifols with offices in Research Triangle Park, the father of two spends what free time he can find enjoying UNC basketball and the U.S. and French national soccer teams.

Gillenwater and Ray say that the relative anonymity of their roles in the North Carolina General Assembly is part of the appeal to their work. So is the nonpartisan nature of their positions.

And it never fails to surprise people to learn of the vast support staff that helps a lawmaking body function with elected leaders who rely on their expertise.

“Most people don’t understand we exist. I was guilty of that myself!”Gillenwater said. “They have the same assumptions I did! That members will draft bills themselves… or they have their office staff that draft it. Most don’t understand there’s a nonpartisan division that handles this work.”

So how do both men view their roles in helping draft historic COVID-19 relief legislation and providing lawmakers with answers to constituent requests? Modestly. Or, as Gillenwater describes it, as “just another day at the office.”

As almost every lawyer knows, in every court, at every level of government, there are particular rules and practices that judges expect attorneys to follow.

There are dockets to be organized. There are staffers to be trained and managed. There are behind-the-bench mechanizations crucial to the administration of justice. And that is where ������Ƶ Law alum Grant Buckner L’13 has found a calling with the .

Buckner oversees a small team of lawyers who bring order to a court celebrating its 200th anniversary. The collective responsibilities of his relatively new office fall into five broad areas: rulemaking, opinion review, docket management, institutional training, and general counsel.

The Supreme Court is responsible for more than a dozen rule sets, from the Rules of Appellate Procedure to the Code of Judicial Conduct to the Rules of Mediation for Farm Nuisance Disputes. If a rule amendment is needed, Buckner’s team in the Office of Administrative Counsel will study the issue and draft proposed language.

“Procedure matters, and rules of procedure need to be clear so that people know how to interact with the courts,” he said. “Being able to write rules that are plain, clear, and usable promotes the administration of justice in our state. And there has been so much room for improvement in this area that we have seen a great deal of progress in a very short period of time.”

The team also reviews every opinion before it is issued by the Supreme Court and offers editorial advice to the authoring justice to ensure that the opinion is clear, consistent, and supported with accurate citations. One of the team’s newest duties is helping to manage a court docket that has doubled in size within the past year. A state law that took effect in 2019 requires all cases involving the termination of parental rights to be appealed directly to the Supreme Court.

Then there is the training that Buckner’s office provides new court employees, as well as counsel offered to the Supreme Court when interacting with the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts. Since justices come and go with elections and mandatory retirements, and law clerks do the same, Buckner likens his team to the keeper of the Supreme Court’s institutional memory.

North Carolina’s top jurist has nothing but praise for Buckner and his team’s contributions to the Supreme Court. “Grant has been an invaluable advisor for the court and we appreciate his dedication and hard work. He and his team do so much for us,” said Chief Justice Cheri L. Beasley of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. “They make sure that every opinion has been proofread and cite-checked and, with his leadership, we are updating the many rule sets that our court is responsible for and improving access to the courts by making them available online.”

Buckner, 35, has strong Greensboro roots. He grew up in the southern part of the city, earned a degree in psychology from UNC Greensboro, and started his professional career at the , a global leadership development company headquartered in Greensboro.

At the Center for Creative Leadership, he discovered a passion for learning about how procedures and processes affect the way individuals interact with institutions. That led him to a master’s program in industrial-organizational psychology at Appalachian State University and then to ������Ƶ Law.

He was hired out of ������Ƶ Law to clerk for the Hon. Robert N. Hunter Jr. at the North Carolina Court of Appeals. What caught Hunter’s attention was Buckner’s educational background in industrial-organizational psychology.

“I’m one of those people who believes that structural changes are more important than individual personnel changes and a behavioral psychologist watches how people respond in systems,” Hunter said. “He’s a very charming person who takes his work very seriously, but he can do it with a sense of humor that people find appealing. He has a good sense of irony, and that gets you through a lot of bureaucracy and serves you well in a government position.”

Buckner so impressed Hunter, and then-Chief Justice Mark Martin, that Martin recruited Buckner to clerk for him and then stay in Raleigh to build Buckner’s current office over the course of a three-year pilot program. At the end of that three-year pilot phase, the Supreme Court named Buckner its Administrative Counsel and formally established the office that Buckner now leads.

Buckner lives today with his wife, a teacher, and two young daughters in Cary, where he also serves as an elder in his local Presbyterian church.

Buckner said his greatest professional thrill is making an impact on systems that benefit all people. “I am able to make a tremendous impact because there simply hasn’t been a position like mine in the past,” he said. “The court has entrusted me with a lot of responsibility, and I carry the weight of that responsibility in everything that I do.”

The Angus Barn has deep roots in ������Ƶ’s history, as it was founded by the Eure family, including the late Thad Eure. Eure was an ������Ƶ trustee and coined the phrase “Long Live ������Ƶ!” which now stands as a charge to ������Ƶ graduates as they enter the ranks of alumni.

The Evening for ������Ƶ brought members of the ������Ƶ community together and encouraged attendees to find their role in the life-changing campaign, which calls for supporters to raise $250 million by May 31, 2022.
President Connie Ledoux Book welcomed the Raleigh crowd, sharing that donors have an impact on current and future students as their ������Ƶ education prepares them to be graduates the world needs. “We educate leaders who share their talents and their hearts with the world, and we know that leadership, vision, and hard work are critical ingredients in advancing change,” Book said.

Attendees also heard from two students who shared their own stories of how ������Ƶ donors have changed their lives, Joe Paturzo ’20 and Jada Graves ’20.

As the recipient of the Georgeo Scholarship in ������Ƶ’s Odyssey Program, Paturzo shared his dream of attending college despite the financial challenges his family faced.

“For me, attending a four-year university was more than a financial difficulty,” he said. “It was a huge obstacle, a hurdle that my family and I had no clue how we would get over.”

Paturzo spoke about his gratitude for the donors who have made his ������Ƶ education possible. During his time at ������Ƶ, Paturzo has explored his heritage in Florence, Italy, and worked with inspiring faculty mentors. He also completed an internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he worked alongside world-renowned doctors and leaders in health care.

Following his graduation next May, Paturzo will rejoin his team at Johns Hopkins to continue their important work.

Jada Graves ’20 plays on the ������Ƶ women’s basketball team. During her first two years at ������Ƶ, the team won back-to-back CAA Championships and advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Following these successes, Graves suffered an injury that prevented her from stepping foot onto the court during her junior year. Graves overcame adversity and is captain of the team this year.

Graves spoke about an important mentor in her life, Coach Charlotte Smith. “Coach Smith not only coaches me but also mentors me and plays a mother role in my life,” Graves said. “She is genuine and loving. And she has molded me into becoming a leader.”

Graves notes that she is grateful for the scholarships that made her ������Ƶ education and experiences possible.

������Ƶ Trustee Kebbler Williams ’98 shared why she chooses to partner with, advocate for and invest in ������Ƶ. “I could talk about how a stronger university ultimately makes my degree have more value,” Williams said. “I could talk about the wonderful life-changing experiences at ������Ƶ that a poor girl from a single-parent home in rural N.C. didn’t even know existed. I could talk about how my professors challenged me to be better than or bigger than.”

However, while these reasons have impacted Williams, she notes nine primary reasons she supports an ������Ƶ education: her three nephews, two nieces, two godsons, one goddaughter and her 15-month-old son. “I recognize that there are those who came before me who paved the way for me, and since there really is no way I can pay them back, I must be the example set for them and pay it forward,” Williams said.

Attendees also heard from Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement, and enjoyed a moving performance by junior music theatre major Sidney Wilson ’21.

Prior to the event, campaign donors and volunteers attended a pre-reception with President Book and others. The evening concluded with a Loyal Alumni Celebration honoring current alumni donors and the university’s most active alumni volunteers.

This Evening for ������Ƶ was the last of six special events across the country this fall celebrating the launch of ������Ƶ LEADS. Spring Evening for ������Ƶ events will be held in Baltimore (March 23) and Tampa (March 31). Additional dates and locations will be announced soon.

To date, donors have contributed $178 million toward the $250 million campaign goal.

Visit the ������Ƶ LEADS website to learn more about the campaign and how you can play a role in its success.

Through the campaign, donors will build on ������Ƶ’s position as a leader in higher education by investing in graduates the world needs, engaged learning, mentors who matter and the university’s iconic learning environment.

The event will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at The Pavilion at the Angus Barn. A reception including a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres will begin at 6:30 p.m., immediately followed by a program featuring remarks by President Connie Book and special guests.

������Ƶ LEADS in Raleigh
A celebration of the leadership and philanthropy with President Connie Book

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019
6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Remarks by President Book

The Pavilion at the Angus Barn
9401-1 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, North Carolina 27617

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

Contact Jill Hollis ’13 G’17 at jhollis@elon.edu with any questions.

Tuesday, Sept. 24
6-8:30 p.m.
Lynnwood Brewing Concern's Barrel Room
1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd
Raleigh, NC 27604

Join fellow alumni and friends to welcome new alumni to the area! We will be providing appetizers and ������Ƶ swag. All alumni, guests and friends are welcome.

Please contact alumni@elon.edu with any questions.