Community News

Brazil, Costa Rica, Romania, Russia, Tanzania, Samoa, Thailand

By JoAnna Haugen on Saturday, February 26th, 2011

BRAZIL

Susan (Corry) Luz (72-75) has released her book The Nightingale of Mosul, a Nurse’s Journey of Service, Struggle and War. Luz was the highest-ranking soldier in the Army Reserve’s 399th Combat Support Hospital when she was called to serve as a nurse in Mosul, Iraq. She was awarded the Bronze Star in 2007. Luz was a public health nurse with certification as a psychiatric nurse in Iraq, and she was charged with helping soldiers with emotional trauma and providing comfort to dying soldiers. Though she retired from the military in May, Luz still works full time at Gateway Health Care and volunteers at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Providence. Her book is about her commitment to give herself to others, which began when she served in the Peace Corps.

COSTA RICA

Sandra Bailey is the new principal of the South County Career Center in Ruskin, Florida. The center, which is an alternative high school with 300 students, allows students to graduate with a performance-based diploma. Prior to this position, Bailey was the assistant principal at Burnett Middle School in Seffner, and, before that, she spent 27 years at Eisenhower Elementary School in Gibsonton as a teacher, science department head and assistant principal. She has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree from the University of South Florida.

ROMANIA

Craig Dreves is the mastermind behind VolunTravel, a nonprofit organization specializing in volunteer and cross-cultural learning opportunities. The first trip, being launched this spring to Cusco, Peru, will allow people to help with daily chores with local people as well as visit significant landmarks such as Machu Picchu.

RUSSIA

Ric Burnley teaches English to at-risk high school students at Virginia Beach’s Renaissance Academy by day but has a passion for fishing in his free time. He recently spoke at the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series at the Virginia Beach convention center, and he is the regional editor for Salt Water Sportsman.

TANZANIA

Erik “Boots” Christensen (08-10) is one of four men preparing to begin a thru-hike trek of the Appalachian Trail, which will begin in March. Known as the Hospital Hike, the 2,175-mile trek is being used as a fundraising vehicle for The Mufindi Highlands Orphans Project, an effort based in rural Tanzania to help orphans, vulnerable children, people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Christensen and the rest of the Hospital Hike team hope to raise $25,000 for the construction of Mdabulo General Hospital in Mufindi, Tanzania.

TANZANIA, SAMOA, SOLOMON ISLANDS

Wesley Mukoyama (Tanzania 65-67, Samoa 79-82, Solomon Islands 98-01) was recently presented an Asian American Hero Award by Santa Clara County. Mukoyama worked as a licensed clinical social worker for 36 years at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto then served as the executive director at Yu-Ai Kai/Japanese American Senior Community Center. He is active with the Red Cross and belongs to the Northern California Japanese American Senior Center, where he has served as president and vice president for the past four years. Mukoyama was also responsible for forming the Minority Consortium in the area.

THAILAND

University at Buffalo Law School professor David M. Engel (68-71) received an honorary degree of doctor of laws from Chiang Mai University in Thailand. Engel has studied and written about Thai law for more than 30 years. He has also taken law students to Chiang Mai for a course on the legal culture of Thailand for many years.

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