Meet Elyse Donnelly, MA, Class of 2015 and hear about her experience in the MFT Program at Chapman University and her time in the Frances Smith Center . . . "As a recent graduate of the MFT program at Chapman, I can honestly say that the experience was a worthwhile investment in myself and my future. I started my career path in the world of education, but I soon realized that my true passion was marriage and family therapy. Through the MFT program curriculum, I learned how to conceptualize cases and articulate systemically-oriented treatment plans through the lens of family systems theories. The most preparation and training I gained was from my one-year experience in the Frances Smith Center for Individual and Family Therapy. There I was finally able to apply my knowledge into clinical practice. This valuable experience helped me to become a more competent and ethically-minded therapist. In addition, I became connected with amazing colleagues, from supervisors to professors, as well as my cohort and other MFT students."

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It is with mixed feelings that we announce that Angel Vazquez-Ramos, our beloved Director of Choral Music Education, will be leaving Chapman University this August to join the faculty at California State University, Bakersfield. At CSUB, Dr. Vazquez-Ramos will have the opportunity to be both the Director of Choral Studies and Music Education, and we are eternally grateful for his contributions to the #ChapmanU family over the past five years. Dr. Vazquez-Ramos has been instrumental to our students and faculty, spearheading further organization in our choral music libraries, designing and directing the Summer Choral Music Camp (now in its 4th year), mentoring/guiding students through Master's theses, and, most recently, starting a partnership with Fletcher Elementary School in Orange where he helped them design a K-6 music program. Please join us in extending our thanks and appreciation to Dr. Vazquez-Ramos, for everything he's done for our programs, as well as our very best wishes to him and his family in his new position at CSUB!!

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Meet Ria Tirona (Class of 2017) and hear about her experience in the Marriage & Family Therapy Program at Chapman University ... "Growing up, I knew I wanted to be someone that would make a difference in people's lives. As a teenager, I became curious about the complexities and depth of the realm of psychology and knew that I wanted to cultivate this interest into a career that would allow me to pursue my goal of helping others and making a positive contribution to my community. This interest developed into a passion that brought me to Chapman's Marriage and Family Therapy Program. During my first session at the Frances Smith Center as a trainee, I had an immediate sense of belonging. I felt that I was exactly where I was meant to be. As I reflect back on my journey through the program, I realize how instrumental my professors, supervisors, fellow students, and trainees have been in helping me to arrive at this moment. I am immensely grateful for their support, encouragement, and guidance and know that the knowledge and friendships I have gained will be invaluable as I continue to learn and grow as both a therapist and an individual. My first semester in the Frances Smith Center has been a challenging and exhilarating experience, and I look forward to my final year in the program and life after graduation with hope, gratitude, and excitement."

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Chapman University’s new Hilbert Museum of California Art is really taking shape! Located at 167 N. Atchison Street in Orange – right across from Ruby’s and the train station – this museum will focus on California Scene painting, a movement that began around the 1920s in which artists depicted the everyday life of people in California, on farms, ranches and docks; in the open countryside, cities, towns and on the road. This is all thanks to the generosity of Mark and Janet Hilbert, the amazing couple who have collected this art and are now donating their spectacular collection to Chapman so our students and the public can enjoy and learn from it. Mark your calendar now for the two-day Grand Opening event, on Friday, February 26 (right after my State of the University address) from noon to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, February 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. It’s free admission – so come and enjoy the paintings, great food courtesy of Ruby’s, and learn more about this fascinating and engaging style of art. JLD

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What a great night it was being at Paul’s and his twin brother, Anthony’s, 90th birthday party. We all know and love Paul and his lovely wife, Marybelle, for all they do for Chapman and our community. But it was a special thrill getting to know Anthony. He’s a guy who spent most of his career in the military. He flew combat missions in WWII and the Korean War and even saw action in the Vietnam War. Anthony is also the oldest serving little league umpire in the nation as well as the longest serving at 70 years!!! He’s been invited to throw out the opening pitch at this year’s Little League World Series in Williamsport. Daniele Struppa and I also announced the naming of The Lucia and Carmelo Musco Ensemble Room in the new Musco Center in honor of Paul’s and Anthony’s mom and dad. A plaque at the entrance to this room will read: The Lucia and Carmelo Musco Ensemble Room Dedicated to the parents of Sebastian Paul Musco, who despite humble beginnings and the need to provide for ten children, inspired in him a lifelong passion for the arts. Paul still remembers a childhood spent listening to the metropolitan opera every Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. It is in their nurturing environment that his love of opera first began, and thanks to them, he now inspires the next generation at Chapman University. Check out the photos JLD

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Meet Sara Quint (Class of 2017) and hear about her time in the MFT Program at Chapman University . . . "The MFT program at Chapman has been a profound, life-changing experience for me! I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities I have been given and the connections that I have made. Something unique about this program that I am deeply appreciative of, is the fact that my peers/future colleagues, professors, and program staff are supportive and invested in my development (both as a human and as a therapist). As I begin my work in the Frances Smith Center for Individual and Family Therapy, and look ahead to graduation, I am excited by the lessons I will learn here in the clinic and by the clients that I will have the privilege to work with. I am overjoyed to be heading into a field and career where helping others is the main focus. I cannot wait to see what amazing things my colleagues and I will do!"

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Meet Kristen Fowler (Class of 2017) and hear about her experience in the MFT Program at Chapman University ... "When I left a prospective career in music performance, I felt certain I would never find another field to be so passionate about, but now, as I quickly approach the end of my time at Chapman, I can look back with surprise and delight at how wrong I was. The professors in the MFT program are invested and passionate, cultivating an eager curiosity in me and my peers, preparing us for practice. I have been stretched and supported, questioned and confirmed. Through the guidance and mentorship of my supervisors in the Frances Smith Center, and through the relationships forged with the remarkable individuals with whom I’m lucky enough to work, I have learned that therapy is a gift for both client and therapist. Each new person I have the opportunity to know gives rise to exhilaration, an excitement rooted in the chance to be connected, to be creative, to be challenged, and to change. This is an endless field, with endless discovery, endless gifts, and endless occasion for finding passion.”

https://facebook.com/227725253948761/posts/1033384033382875

Meet Marni Muenzer (Class of 2018) and hear about her experience in the MFT Program at Chapman University . . . "Since beginning the MFT program at Chapman last fall, I have never doubted that it is the right fit for me. I am so grateful for all the enriching opportunities the program has provided. From the engaging classroom dynamics to the relationships I have developed with my cohort and professors, I have continually been provided with a nurturing environment to learn and grow as an individual and a future therapist. I know the connections I am creating with the people in the program will last for a long time. Serving as one of the student representatives has allowed me the chance to give back to a program that has already given me so much. I am looking forward to starting my practicum in the onsite clinic, where I will gain valuable experience working with clients and receiving supervision from licensed MFTs. I am confident this program is preparing me well for my road to licensure and for a rewarding career in the MFT field."

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Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at Memorial Hall at Chapman University on December 10, 1961? 1961 was the year of the Freedom Rides, in which a group of 13 African-American and white civil rights activists launched a series of bus trips through the American South to protest segregation in interstate bus terminals. The group encountered tremendous violence, but also drew international attention to their cause. Fifty five years ago Dr. King spoke as part of the Artists Lecture Series. His speech focused on racial justice and nonviolent resistance. In his speech, Dr. King said: “The extreme optimist says 'do nothing' because integration is inevitable. The extreme pessimist says 'do nothing' because integration is impossible. But there is a third position that can be taken, namely, the realistic position. The realist in the area of race relations seeks to combine the truths of two opposites while avoiding the extremes of both. And so he would agree with the optimist that we have come a long, long way. But he would seek to balance this by agreeing with the pessimist that we have a long, long way to go." Just days after speaking at Chapman College, Dr. King was arrested in Georgia along with hundreds of protesters striving to end racial segregation as part of the Albany Movement.

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