BRINGING SMILES TO OTHERS: Natalie Johnson Willman '89 became involved with The Smiles Foundation when she heard a speaker give a talk about the organization at her church three years ago. The Smiles Foundation, a charitable organization founded in 1997, is a faith-based organization that seeks to relieve poverty, promote education and provide hope and opportunity for Romanians through many projects, including food distribution, medical support, social assistance, education and housing provisions.

In 2004 Natalie, her husband Robb, and their two oldest children, Rachel and Jeremy, went on their first mission to Romania. The level of conditions in which many Romanians live astounded her. Poverty is so prevalent and the feeling of hopelessness so great that many families abandon their babies and young children to state hospitals and orphanages where, even though the food and care is inadequate, this act of love provides the children with some chance at life. During their subsequent visits to Romania, Natalie and her family helped with in the construction of two children's centers, distributed food and provided much needed interaction with the children and babies in the orphanage.

Since her first trip to Romania, Natalie has become a strong voice for The Smiles Foundation in the Frederick community. She and her family have raised money and shared their mission experiences with other churches and organizations and plan to return to Romania in the future. "It changed our lives," Natalie said. "We came back with a whole different perspective on life. We left feeling like we were the ones who were blessed."

For more information about The Smiles Foundation, click here or contact Natalie Johnson Willman '89 at rnwillman@msn.com.

MAKING AN IMPACT ON OUR YOUTH: Lauren Davies '04 was compelled to get involved with the b4Students Foundation when she learned that in Baltimore City schools only 50 percent of incoming freshmen go on to graduate, and only a handful of those consider pursuing a four-year degree program beyond high school. The foundation pairs associates from Baltimore-based businesses with students from city high schools in an effort to retain high school attendance and raise graduation rates.

Through Lauren’s employer, DAP, Inc., she and her colleagues mentor 11 sophomores from Patterson High School. Lauren mentors Yokarina, a 14-year-old girl whose family emigrated from the Dominican Republic. Lauren helps Yokarina set goals, assists her with challenging school work and provides support and advice for things that affect Yokarina every day, including peer pressure, acclimating to a new country and, of course, boys!

As mentors, their goal is to expose the students to inspiring community leaders and to offer opportunities to discuss hot issues. This past November, Lauren planned a seminar for three of the b4Students' city schools on gang prevention and education. Guest speaker Juan Pacheco, an ex-gang member who now volunteers with Barrios Unidos, a community-based peace movement targeting at-risk youth involved in gangs, was a true inspiration to many of the students. Now a pre-med student at George Mason University, Pacheco spoke firsthand about his gang experiences and, more importantly, why he chose to leave the gang.

Because of her experience with b4students, Lauren feels more appreciative of the high-quality education she received in high school and at Hood. By sharing her positive experiences, Lauren hopes Yokarina and the other youths in the program become aware of the many opportunities available to them, and how to make the best of each one.

For more information on the b4Students Foundation click here.

FOLLOWING HER HEART: Anne Ricciuti '79 was returning from a weekend with friends when Hurricane Katrina began to unfold. By the time she arrived home in Frederick, she remembers thinking that she "had to do something." As a licensed clinical social worker with a background in mental health, she knew her skills could be used in the aftermath of the devastated region. She contacted the local Red Cross and was immediately placed in a training program, ending up in Gautier, Miss., several days later.

Anne was awestruck when she first arrived in the region. She had never seen such widespread devastation. Everything was affected by the hurricane; she even saw squirrels that had lost all their fur. "Not only did people lose everything, but they were also dealing with the trauma of the experience," she said. She met people who had hung onto the sides of buildings during the storm and families that had been separated from each other in the flood waters.

For the volunteer mental health workers, it was very stressful work. The infrastructure on which they had relied and to which they had referred their clients had been lost. Many people had not been able to take their medications and were having difficulty coping. But despite many heartbreaking experiences, Anne was uplifted by the sheer determination of the human spirit. She witnessed everyone helping one another. One shelter resident who had a car offered to drive others around in exchange for help in cleaning up her home. Because of the unusual circumstances, everyone had to be resourceful.

Anne plans to return to the region and will continue to work with the Red Cross locally. Volunteering has always been a part of Anne's life but this was the first time she responded to a need so large. She feels honored and fortunate to have been a part of restoring the lives of those so devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

For more information on the American Red Cross click here.

To R.S.V.P. or for information on the upcoming events, e-mail us at alumoffice@hood.edu, or call (800) 707-5280, option 2, or (301) 696-3900.

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Friday, Jan. 20, 2006, 5-7 p.m., at the home of Janet Hobbs Cotton '59. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College.

TUCSON, Ariz., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006, noon, luncheon for $19 per person, Skyline Country Club. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College.

WASHINGTON, D.C., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, noon, brown bag lunch at Amgen, Inc., 555 13th Street, NW, Suite 600 West, Washington, D.C. Please join area alums for an informal lunch get-together. The event is hosted by Donna Peterson '79 and Jewel Smith '96. R.S.V.P. to Jewel at (202) 585-9625 or jewels@amgen.com.

ATLANTA, Ga., Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006. Join area alums and welcome Peggy Bull Larsen, '74, M.S. '79, assistant vice president of alumnae and alumni programs, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College. More details to come.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Friday, March 3, 2006, Alaska Potlatch Dinner on the eve of the Iditarod. Please join area alums for this time-honored tradition. More details to come.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Saturday, March 11, 2006, luncheon. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College. Hostesses: Jane Atmore Brown '59 and Suzanne Norman '88. More details to come.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., Sunday, March 12, 2006, brunch. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College. Hostess: Elizabeth Rudulph Lustenader '69. More details to come.

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla., Thursday, March 16, 2006, luncheon, Sheraton Sand Key Resort. Please join area alums and welcome President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College. Hostess: Sally Foss Banwart '52. More details to come.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Sunday, April 23, 2006, 1-4 p.m., potluck luncheon and business meeting at the home of Kathie Zale Myhre '70, West Chester, Pa. Please join us in welcoming President Volpe, who will deliver greetings and share news of the College.

BALTIMORE, Md., Sunday, April 30, 2006, 4–6 p.m. Please join area alums and representatives from the College. More details to come.

Save The Date events are scheduled, and we will continue to keep you updated as plans become definite. If you have any questions about the upcoming events, e-mail us at alumoffice@hood.edu or call (800) 707-5280, option 2 or (301) 696-3900.

HOOD COLLEGE CAREER SERVICES: Take advantage of free lifetime services. We can help you with your résumé, give you advice on your job search, talk to you about career options and much more. Contact us at (301) 696-3583 or by e-mail at careers@hood.edu to schedule an appointment.

DARE TO PREPARE: Friday, Feb. 3, 2006, 2 p.m., Career Center. Be ready for the upcoming career fairs and job searches after graduation. Learn about résumé writing, interviewing and more.

YOU CAN BE A RESOURCE FOR HOOD STUDENTS AND FELLOW ALUMS: Lend your professional expertise and register for the Mentoring Network.  The Mentoring Network is a part of the College Center Network, which is the College's primary employment, internship and networking resource. Click here to enroll.

"KING’S DREAM" BY KEY ARTS PRODUCTION: Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006, 6:30 p.m., Rosenstock Hall Auditorium. Please join us for a live multimedia performance presentation about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the leader of the nation’s largest nonviolent movement for justice, equality and peace.

MINI-CONCERT FOR MOZART'S 250TH BIRTHDAY: Friday, Jan. 27, 2006, 12:30-1:15 p.m., Brodbeck Music Hall. Noel Lester will present a short, all-Mozart piano recital on the 250th birthday of the Austrian composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Click here for more information

UPCOMING ART EXHIBIT: "New York City Love Affair," Feb. 1-March 12, 2006, Hodson Art Gallery, Tatem Arts Center. Artist Kathy Kershner '87 presents portraits of New York City as experienced over a period of 35 years. The exhibit will showcase artwork comprised of multiple images on transparent film as well as photographs, including images of Times Square, Coney Island and views from the World Trade Center. A reception is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006, from 6-8 p.m., in the Hodson Art Gallery. Click here for more information.

THE COUNTESS, THE ABBESS AND THEIR BOOKS: PATTERNS OF TRANSMISSION IN A 15th-CENTURY GERMAN FAMILY: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006, 7:30-9 p.m., Tatem Arts Center. Sara S. Poor, professor of German at Princeton University, will discuss a particular manuscript transmission setting that she discovered while researching the later reception of Mechthild of Magdeburg, a 13th-century female mystic. Her lecture will also explore what this record of transmission might suggest about the relationship between gender, inheritance practices, the vernacular and book production in the context of pre-Reformation religious reform.

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Inter(net)actions, January 11, 2006: This edition of Inter(net)actions is also available on the Hood College Web site. Click here to view Inter(net)actions on the Web.