Years
of Educating for Service

Housed in a temperature-controlled room on the lower level of the High Library, the Earl H. and Anita F. Hess Archives and Special Collections holds over 2,500 linear feet of shelving filled with printed materials and artifacts that offer a tactile telling of Elizabethtown College’s rich history.

Rare items include minutes from the first Board of Trustees meeting and printed programs from the Nov. 13, 1900 opening exercises and the first Commencement ceremony. Many historical pieces from the Archives were featured across campus during the anniversary year to offer a glimpse at the earliest beginnings of the College, including Etown’s original hand-written charter from the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas.

“The Hess Archives provides a tangible connection to the College’s past,” Elizabethtown College Archivist Rachel Grove Rohrbaugh said. “The 125th anniversary has been a great opportunity to showcase our efforts to preserve and make available information about Etown’s history with students, alumni, and others.”

A Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is helping the College safeguard and share its history.

In addition to Etown-specific artifacts, the Hess Archives serves as a leading repository on Anabaptist and Pietist groups, housing more than 530 rare books and unique materials published before 1850. However, the College had never conducted a rare book needs assessment until March 2025, when a professional conservator evaluated the collection. Based on recommendations, the grant provided housing supplies for 500 of the more than 4,200 volumes.

“This grant provides essential resources to ensure these important books are preserved for future generations,” Grove Rohrbaugh said.

Sharing Etown’s History Through Student Research

Much of the historical work in the Hess Archives and throughout campus during the anniversary year serves as an experiential learning opportunity for current Blue Jays. Jordyn Dutko ’26, a History and Political Science major, and Kalen Tendo ’27, a Legal Studies major, have worked with Grove Rohrbaugh to preserve and tell the stories of Etown students and alumni of color through archival research and interviews.

“The College’s 125th anniversary offered a chance to have these conversations, recognize those who came before us, and help determine how we can create an even more inclusive environment at Etown,” Dutko said.

Their research was showcased in a High Library IDEA Lab exhibit where visitors could gain a better understanding of the full Etown narrative by listening to the first-hand stories of alumni of color through oral history interviews.

“Unearthing these stories helps us understand and share the College’s past,” Tendo said. “It is essential to acknowledge the College’s positive transformation over the years as well as the challenges that we may not have realized existed. This work teaches lessons that help shape a stronger, more inclusive future for Etown.”

Both students uncovered interesting insights about Etown’s history during their research. Tendo even came across an unexpected, albeit familiar face when digging through decades-old admissions brochures - his father, alumnus Kenneth Tendo ’95, P’27, who attended the College as an international student from Cameroon.

“My father often raves about his time at Etown, especially since it was his first experience in America,” Tendo said. “Seeing how well the people at the College treated him and the opportunities he had, he wanted his son to have the same experience.”

Beyond telling the stories of the students, faculty, and staff who have walked the campus since 1899, there are stories to be told of Etown’s buildings and the individuals they are named after.

“We set out to make the history of the College more broadly understood among the student body, and more accessible to those interested.”

– Ava Barton ’27

As part of the 2024 Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP), students Ava Barton ’27, a Business Administration, Political Science & Journalism major, and Shawn Gipe ’27, a Legal Studies major, worked with the Director of Prestigious Scholarships and Public Heritage Studies Jean-Paul Benowitz to develop a digital walking tour of campus buildings and the stories behind their namesakes. Posters summarizing their research were displayed in each building.

Bringing Etown’s History Into The Classroom

The Hess Archives also serves as a rich resource for enhancing learning opportunities within the classroom.

Students in Horace E. Raffensperger Professor of History David Brown’s Western Civilization II course collaborated with the Hess Archives to examine handwritten letters that offered a historical glimpse into the experiences of former Etown students on the frontlines of World War II. The letters were written to Ira R. Herr, a longtime coach, teacher, and athletic director at Etown, who served as an Army First Lieutenant in World War I and showcased the strong bond he held with students.

Associate Professor of English Tara Moore ’01, P’25 has fond memories of attending the College’s centennial as a student in 1999. This time, Moore is contributing significantly to Etown’s latest celebration as co-chair of the 125th Anniversary Committee.

Moore hosted a weekly 125th Anniversary Speaker Series in the fall where experts lectured on topics including Etown’s tradition of peacemaking, its Brethren heritage, and the impact of historical events like the Vietnam War and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident on campus life.

The speaker series was part of Moore’s course, Stories of Etown, which included students, staff, and members of the Masonic Village retirement community. Inspired by the lectures, students further examined topics that interested them through a creative project. Collaborating with the Hess Archives, students identified artifacts tied to their topic’s time period and then used art, writing, and other creative skills to design a multimodal response to a period of Central Pennsylvania history using that artifact. Topics included early campus buildings, Vietnam-era student protests, and journalism in the first issues of Etown’s student newspaper.

“Etown is a place of innovation, so it feels meaningful to pause to reflect on how the College came to be what it is, and how our current campus community and alumni represent the newest chapter in a rich history,” Moore said.

Elizabethtown College’s Million Dollar Match, the most significant matching funds initiative in the College’s history, successfully concluded this spring as 20 new endowed scholarships were established to open doors to higher education for future generations of Etown students.

Utilizing a $500,000 challenge fund provided by Bob Dolan; Dave Hosler ’71, H’10; Jan Lane ’75; Ed Lovelidge ’82; Jim Shreiner ’73, H’24, G’24; and the estate of Martin Heilman ’63, the Million Dollar Match campaign matched new $25,000 scholarship commitments, dollar for dollar, to create 20 $50,000 endowments. The campaign resulted in a total of $1 million in funding to support student scholarships.

“We are so thankful to the donors who created the challenge fund and to the first-time scholarship donors for increasing access to the Etown experience. We hope their generosity will inspire others to support scholarships and financial aid for our amazing students.”

– Brian Falck ’95

Vice President For Institutional Advancement

An endowed scholarship is a permanent fund that grows over time and is awarded annually. Donors can select preferred criteria for recipients and support the area of Etown about which they are most passionate. Million Dollar Match donors established scholarships that support financial need, first-generation students, the School of Business, the School of Sciences & Health, and academic programs such as Exercise Science, Accounting, Engineering, Chemistry, and Physician Assistant Studies.

“The Million Dollar Match is very exciting in part because it is the first endowed scholarship for each of these donors,” Vice President for Institutional Advancement Brian Falck ’95 said. “Most importantly, we now have 20 new scholarships to award to students.”

S. DALE HIGH ’63, H’93, P’86

---

“We’re not here for ourselves, it’s what we can do to make the world a better place… for our customers, for our communities,” S. Dale High ’63, H’93, P’86 shared as inspiration for the mission of The S. Dale High Leadership Center.

From a young age, Dale learned that one of the most powerful ways we can make a positive impact in the world is by serving others. Born and raised in Lancaster County, Pa., Dale grew up in a loving and supportive family. In his formidable years, Dale quickly learned that his father, a welding business owner, worked hard to provide for his family and community. Sanford was the ideal model div who prepared Dale for what was yet to come — a career spanning 60-plus years and crafting an extraordinary vision. After graduating in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College, Dale joined the family business.

That led to Dale being appointed CEO of High in 1977, which he transformed into 12 separate companies. Today, High companies employ nearly 2,000 people and operate 38 facilities in six states. In 2017, The S. Dale High Leadership Center opened in Greenfield in Lancaster County, and in 2022, Dale completed his transfer of ownership of High Industries, Inc. and ownership of High Real Estate Group LLC to High Foundation, directing all dividends to community needs. Supporting his coworkers, elevating community needs, and creating a lasting impact are all essential priorities that were instilled in Dale from a young age.

“People need to know that they’re valuable, and that they can make contributions that are valuable,” High said.

Those values have stayed with Dale. In 1995, Dale and a group of visionary local business leaders opened The High Center for Family Business, located on Elizabethtown College’s campus. Now operating as a nonprofit of its own, The High Center is one of the nation’s first and largest centers dedicated to family and privately held businesses. Today, the Center serves and supports hundreds of businesses and non-profits across six regions in Central Pennsylvania and has become the premier resource for executive peer groups, best practice education, leadership development, and legacy planning.

“The more we can do together, the more we can become,” High once stated, emphasizing the critical importance of collaboration and sharing of best practices to create a strong and sustainable community.

In addition to earning his bachelor’s degree from Etown, Dale served on the College’s Board of Trustees from 1972 to 1998 and continues to offer his advisement and governance as an Elizabethtown College Board of Trustee Emeritus. He is an Honorary degree recipient from the College, having received a Doctor of Humane Letters in 1993. In addition, he was honored with a Distinguished Business Alumni Award and later the Centennial Medal for outstanding service. Over the years, he has generously dedicated his time and resources to countless College projects, including The High Library and the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being.

A changemaker in the region, Dale has been honored as a statewide leader as well, receiving The Pennsylvania Society’s Distinguished Citizen of the Commonwealth in 2023. “Service to our organization, our customers, and our community is what it means to be a leader,” High said. A servant leader who has touched countless lives, transformed communities, and enhanced society for the better.

JUDY S. WARE ’68

---

Nobel Peace Prize winners, influential journalists, and bestselling authors have been among the notable speakers to take the stage in Elizabethtown College’s Leffler Chapel and Performance Center as part of the Judy S. ’68 and Paul W. Ware Lecture on Peacemaking since being established in 2007.

Alumna Judy Ware and her husband, Paul, made the lecture series possible with a generous gift to support bringing international speakers to campus to discuss global issues.

“We hope the lecture series spurs meaningful conversations about fostering peace in the world,” Judy said. “We want these lectures to create important questions for students to think about before entering the workforce and embarking on a new chapter in life.”

Each lecture has been memorable to Judy, but the 2019 presentation by Silkroad Ensemble, a Grammy Award-winning musical organization founded by famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma to promote cross-cultural understanding and peacemaking, stands out the most. Judy connected instantly with tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das.

“He was trying to teach me how to play the tabla, which didn’t go well,” Judy said. “But we connected at this unexplainable level, and still maintain a close relationship.”

The Wares have long been champions for the arts and were fundamental in the construction of the Ware Center along Gallery Row in Lancaster. The venue is Lancaster’s premier performing arts center and a hub of cultural activity.

The couple has served as active volunteers, leaders, and philanthropists, actively supporting many local organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, and LancasterHistory. For Judy, the importance of civic engagement dates back to her upbringing in Gilbertsville, Pa., where her family volunteered with their church and fire company.

Judy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Etown, beginning her career teaching third grade in the Hershey School District after a student-teacher placement. She went on to work many years as an art teacher at Lancaster Country Day School, retiring in 1997 and later becoming a fellow and honorary alumna of the school.

“I learned how to become a good teacher at Etown,” Judy said. “All of the professors within the department helped to shape me as an educator by sharing their real-world experiences in the classroom.”

Judy served 15 years on the Elizabethtown College Board of Trustees, holding various roles, including Secretary to the Board and Chair of the Enrollment and Marketing Committee. The Wares have supported the Elizabethtown College Fund and capital projects including the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being, the Bollman Fabrication Laboratory, and the renovation of Gibble Auditorium.

“Etown is where I grew up,” Judy said. “I learned a lot here. The College played a large role in my life and continues to play a large role.”

BOB RIGG ’74

---

Early into their marriage, Bob ’74 and Karen Rigg adopted two biological brothers with special needs — a life-changing decision that grew their desire to make a difference in the lives of those in marginalized communities.

Motivated by this experience, the couple recognized a pressing need to get involved in their local community. This led to their work with the Chester County Futures (CCF) program, which supports and connects Chester County students with opportunities, resources, and mentorship to empower success in school and post-secondary life.

“Karen and I firmly feel that the future of our country is in how we educate and treat our children,” Bob said.

Applying that belief to his alma mater, Bob and Karen created the Robert ’74 and Karen Rigg Chester County Futures Scholarship at Etown. It is the largest single gift from a living donor in College history.

Established in 2018, the scholarship provides full room, board, and tuition for up to eight semesters to underrepresented or first-generation students from either Chester or Berks counties each year who attend Elizabethtown College. Scholarship recipients also are expected to participate in Etown’s Momentum program, which introduces incoming students to the College’s robust curriculum through real-world learning opportunities and helps them acclimate to the college environment.

“As we became more involved in CCF and as we saw what the Momentum program was doing, it became apparent that we needed to do more than just write some checks,” Bob said. “That’s pretty easy for folks as blessed as we are to do, but we needed to do more.”

The Riggs saw parallels between Chester County Futures and Etown’s Momentum program in their shared mission to support talented students who needed opportunities. Bob also recognized how students could benefit from an Etown education, much like he did.

“We saw Etown as a great environment for students of diverse backgrounds being able to get together and express their opinions and learn from each other just as I had,” Bob said. “Giving our Chester County Futures kids an opportunity to stay close to home and a nurturing environment at Etown where they could thrive through the Momentum program was key.”

Coming from a small town that Bob describes as consisting of 250 people and 25,000 chickens, he felt overwhelmed when he first arrived at Elizabethtown College in the early 1970s among a class of more than 400 fellow first-year students. He was quickly exposed to the diverse thoughts and opinions of students from backgrounds much different than those from his hometown.

Bob has served as a director on more than a dozen nonprofits, including serving as chair of the board and now director emeritus of the Chester County Community Foundation. He retired in 2022 as president of the nationally honored insurance and risk management brokerage firm The Rigg Darlington Group.

“This environment helped me form my own thoughts and express them,” Bob said. “It’s a large part of what I took away from my college experience and has kept my involvement to this day.”

Bob further contributed his time and expertise as chair and member of the Elizabethtown College Board of Trustees from 2008-17. Bob and Mary Ann’s support extended to many capital initiatives, including the new Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) Classroom and Laboratory, dedicated in November 2024. Located in the Lyet Wing of the Masters Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering, this collaborative active-learning space supports the College’s health-related programs. “Spaces like this

“Spaces like this help Etown stand out and provide a high-quality education that will help students enter the medical professions,” Bob said.

DUSTY PUTNAM ’72

---

For Dusty Putnam ’72, her community is her lifeblood.

With her father serving as a U.S. Army career officer, Dusty grew up living all over the world. That nomadic upbringing made it difficult for her to put down roots and find a place to belong. All of that changed when she stepped foot on the Elizabethtown College campus.

“When I arrived at Etown, I finally found a place where I felt the same as everyone else,” Dusty said. “Everyone had the same start date that I had as a freshman on campus. We were all the same. I became captivated with Etown and the wonderful people I met there.”

She went on to earn her bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Sociology and began her teaching career at Rock Hall Elementary School on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She later moved to Schoharie, N.Y. with her husband, Thomas, where she spent a decade teaching remedial reading.

In Schoharie, Dusty found her next community and a growing passion for civic leadership. She left teaching when her husband started a financial management business, where her skills as a wordsmith proved invaluable in crafting the covenants and bylaws needed to launch the company.

The couple soon became deeply involved in their local community and quickly developed a reputation for lending not only their financial support but their might as well. They stepped up when Hurricane Irene devastated Schoharie in 2011, helping to uplift the town. Leaving wasn’t an option. Instead, they chose to be part of the solution, including financing the reconstruction of the local YMCA.

“I put down a taproot so deep, you couldn’t pull me from this town,” Dusty said.

Dusty continued to thrive in community leadership, serving as chair of the village planning board for more than 20 years and as a trustee for her local church. Her background in financial management gave her extensive knowledge of land use laws, and when people sought help to right a wrong, she was quick to write a letter or attend a meeting.

“I’m passionate about my village,” Dusty said. “I would give my right arm for my community.”

That passion has come full circle back to Etown — the community that gave Dusty her start. Her leadership skills proved invaluable during her more than two decades of dedicated service on Elizabethtown College’s Board of Trustees, where she recently retired as one of its longest-standing members.

During her tenure as a Trustee, Dusty held several impactful roles, serving as the first chair of the Information Technology Committee. She later applied her sociology background to her work on the Student Life Committee, helping shape policies and initiatives that enriched the student experience.

The connection she developed early in her Etown experience has also grown into a lifelong passion for giving back to her alma mater through campus initiatives that significantly impacted student life such as the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being.

LINDA CASTAGNA ’67, H’03

---

Carrying on her family’s legacy is important to Linda Castagna ’67, H’03, who, along with her husband, Patrick, has been a tireless supporter of Elizabethtown College.

Linda’s parents, the late Carlos R. H’89 and Georgiana E. Leffler P’67, P’70, are synonymous with Etown as the namesakes of Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. Passionate about enriching the College and the surrounding community, Carlos, a longtime Trustee of the College and prominent businessman, led the capital campaign that funded the building’s construction in 1994.

Carlos passed away before the project’s completion, but Linda believes her father would have been so happy to see the building’s active use as a hub for artistic and community events.

“I’ve always been grateful and proud that the venue has become such an important place on campus,” Linda said. “It was wonderful having to recently replace the fabrics inside the chapel, indicating it’s been a well-used space.”

Linda and Patrick have contributed greatly to the building’s popular programming that led to the chapel’s well-used pews. They established and endowed the annual Leffler Lecture, which is named in honor of Linda’s parents. The program brings renowned speakers to campus to foster meaningful dialogue on societal issues.

“I’m always happy to see so many community members attend these lectures and enjoy hearing the thoughtful questions from students,” Linda said. “I hope these speakers help people consider new perspectives. It’s a truly unique resource in our region.”

Beyond the lecture series, the Castagnas have supported Etown through scholarships, capital projects like the chapel’s renovation and construction of Brossman Commons, and various other initiatives.

Linda proudly followed in her father’s footsteps as a member of the Elizabethtown College Board of Trustees. She served on the Board for nearly two decades, holding roles as Secretary and Assistant Secretary before being named Emerita Trustee in 2013.

As a student, Linda majored in Elementary Education. She grew up wanting to teach since she was in the third grade with a play classroom set up in her parents’ basement. The first in her immediate family to graduate from college, Linda fulfilled her dream of becoming an educator before stepping away from her career to raise her children, Carla and Steven.

She also devoted herself to civic leadership, dedicated to the interests of vital organizations within the Lancaster community. In addition to serving as a volunteer and philanthropist, Linda took on leadership roles with organizations such as Lancaster General Women and Babies Hospital, Lancaster’s Fulton Theatre, Gretna Theatre, the Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council, and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra.

Through a passion for improving her community, Linda continues her family’s enduring legacy while embodying the values of an Etown education.

ROBERT O. KERR ’64, H’23

---

Becoming a medical doctor was the only pursuit that Robert (Bob) O. Kerr ’64, H’23 could ever imagine for himself. However, as the son of a steelworker and the first in his family to attend college, that goal initially felt out of reach. It was at Elizabethtown College, where he enrolled as a Chemistry student in the early 1960s, where his dream began to take shape.

“The faculty in Etown’s Chemistry Department were so encouraging,” Bob said. “Oscar Stambaugh (former longtime professor and chair of the Chemistry Department) was an amazing guy and the teachers were all fantastic. The dream to become a doctor became possible.”

Bob went on to spend more than 50 years as an international researcher and renowned oncologist. He was chief of the medical staff at two hospitals, including the largest private cancer treatment center in Central Texas.

Through his coursework at Etown, Bob was equipped with the tools to thrive in life and his career.

“The most important part of undergraduate education is learning how to communicate and how to think and solve problems,” Bob said. “And the solving problems part is what I learned at Etown. Those two skills make you successful in life.”

Although it took decades for Bob to fully appreciate the impact of those skills on his life and career, the moment that defined his Etown experience came much earlier. On his first night at college, Bob sat down at the same dining hall table as the future love of his life, his late wife, Mary Ann ’64. They quickly formed a bond that grew into a lifelong partnership and 57 years of marriage rooted in shared values and a commitment to service.

The pair of Blue Jays embraced Etown’s Educate for Service ethos and generously supported the College that shaped their lives. Through their philanthropy, they created the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence Endowment, as well as the Dr. Robert O. ’64 and Mary Ann ’64 Kerr Distinguished Student Achievement Endowment Fund, Faculty-Student Research Fund, and School of Human & Health Professionals and School of Sciences Scholarship, providing opportunities for future generations of students to pursue their dreams.

Athletics at Elizabethtown College has grown from humble beginnings since the College’s first official intercollegiate competition in 1928 to become a cornerstone of the campus community. Our Blue Jays, past and present, have consistently displayed excellence both in their area of competition and in the classroom. Grounded in a tradition of strong determination, sportsmanship, and community impact, Etown athletics has shaped student-athletes into well-rounded leaders who positively contribute to the world.

The Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being spans an impressive 81,900 square feet, but its greatest influence extends far beyond its two spacious floors.

“Our goal has always been to cultivate a centralized hub of health and well-being through the Bowers Center and our programming,” Elizabethtown College Senior Director for Student Involvement and Well-Being Whitney Crull said.

“We have worked hard over the last five years to offer a welcoming space for students and employees, as well as provide a sense of comfort and community, whether that’s through our cooking classes, fitness activities, intramural sports, or social areas.”

The Bowers Center’s holistic approach to wellness has made it a central hub for members of the campus community searching for connections, community, and well-being. An expansive and diverse range of programming provides opportunities for students to build relationships.

One of the close-knit communities fostered through the Bowers Center is intramural sports. The program offers a variety of options, including basketball and soccer, as well as newer sports like pickleball and disc golf. This variety has driven student participation, with nearly 3,800 participants in five years — an impressive feat given the nearly two years of limited programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Bowers Center fosters a tight-knit community between employees and students.”

– EJ Dennison ’25

Dennison helps manage a team of intramural referees who interact with student participants and work together to uphold the relaxing and entertaining atmosphere of intramurals.

Another expansive offering of the Bowers Center is group fitness classes, unique for their blend of certified professional and student instructors, allowing students to explore and build on their passion for fitness while at Etown. The assortment of popular classes, which are free for students, includes spin, yoga, and Zumba.

“Group fitness classes create a safe and welcoming environment where students can come together to improve both their physical and mental well-being,” Group Fitness Cycling Instructor Merzadee Buys ’25 said. “The program stands out for its inclusivity, creating a welcoming space for everyone to participate and thrive, regardless of their fitness level or background.”

Buys began her journey in group fitness as a first-year student. After taking a cycling course, Buys was urged by the student instructor to pursue teaching a class. Ever since, she’s found community and a creative outlet through both instructing and participating in classes.

In addition to her role as a group fitness instructor, Buys also is part of the Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG), a student organization that promotes healthy living on campus. SWAG members host programs that foster creativity and focus on health, including sessions in the Bowers Center’s Demonstration Kitchen.

“The kitchen is more than a space to learn about food; it’s a space for our students to share parts of themselves with their fellow Blue Jay community members.”

– Joni Eisenhauer

Offering a live food prep space and often used for learning sessions, the Demonstration Kitchen also hosts events such as the annual international student dinner, where students share cultural dishes.

“Through live demos, career workshops, labs, and many other programs, students can develop a multitude of skills through hands-on techniques,” Elizabethtown College Assistant Director of Health Promotion Joni Eisenhauer said. “More importantly, the space has become an area where students share memories, experience each other’s cultures, and connect with one another in ways we could not have predicted.”

Eisenhauer focuses on health promotion as the Bowers Center has offered more than 450 wellness programs throughout its existence, with more than 12,000 participants taking advantage of those opportunities. Key offerings include financial and mental wellness sessions, as well as CPR and First Aid certification opportunities.

The health programming goes hand in hand with other important events the Bowers Center is proud to host, including welcoming the incoming class at Convocation and celebrating graduates at the Champagne Dinner, along with the annual Social Justice Fair, which brings together campus and community organizations to inspire change through meaningful conversations. The Bowers Center collaborates with the Office of Student Activities (OSA) for events like the Clubs and Organizations Fair, which helps students find a sense of belonging on campus.

More than 4,500 future Blue Jays have walked through the Bowers Center’s doors during admissions events such as Open Houses and Accepted Student Days, getting a firsthand look at the vast opportunities an Etown experience offers for personal and professional growth.

“The Bowers Center has delivered opportunities to our students that extend beyond sports and fitness,” Crull said. “The building and services provided are essential to the overall health and well-being of our campus community. There truly is something for everyone here!”

Students also use the Bowers Center as a popular meeting spot to relax or study. Sunlight brightens the space through the building’s high windows as students gather at tables or lounge on beanbag chairs or couches. Student groups often meet outside at night around the fire pit, roasting s’mores or warming up.

The Bowers Center also builds student leaders, employing more than 250 students in its five years. Opportunities include roles in intramurals and group fitness, working at desks to greet patrons, and becoming personal trainers who educate and motivate campus clients.

“My position at the Bowers Center has allowed me to grow and develop my leadership skills,” Fitness Center Attendant Madison Drumheller ’24, OTD ’26 said. “My role has allowed me to improve my ability to think quickly and be prepared to handle anything that comes my way.”

In its first five years, the Bowers Center has become more than a state-of-the-art facility on campus. It’s a dynamic, inspiring space where students find the motivation to spark real change in their lives and the lives of others. Its wide range of programming ensures something for everyone while fostering connection and community at Etown.

I nternational bestselling author Brianna Wiest ’13, H’24 shares inspiring wisdom from her 2024 Elizabethtown College Commencement address in her latest book, “The Life That’s Waiting,” published in February 2025.

Wiest describes this book as the one she’s been striving to write since she was 19, offering guidance for readers who find themselves at a crossroads on their path to a purposeful life.

In her memorable address, “The 9 Things Every New Graduate Should Know,” Wiest offered heartfelt advice to the Class of 2024 that she wishes she could have given her younger self as a soon-to-be graduate.

“I hope you will begin to realize the power you’ve always had inside,” Wiest said in her address. “And I hope you will come to discover that the life you’ve always wanted has always been waiting for you – waiting for you to just start walking toward it.”

The speech and the book both reflect Wiest’s enduring belief in self-empowerment and personal transformation — a message that continues to resonate with graduates and readers alike.