Georgian Court University Magazine

Joe gave back by participating
in one of the university’s
photo shoots—and even
wound up on the cover of the
GCU Centennial Calendar with
three of his fellow students.
Sandrine—the confident,
polished WILD woman—
speaks at an event her
senior year.
Teresa, shown here
during a training
exercise, worked
primarily with the
geriatric population
as an EMT.
Teresa Giammarino ’09 started as
a biology major, but showed no fear of
change when she switched to Georgian
Court’s new exercise science, wellness, and
sports major. Placing her faith in GCU’s
tradition of preparing students for work
in the sciences, Teresa became the first
student to earn a B.S. in the program.
“The exercise science major at GCU
is nothing short of fantastic. At GCU,
transformation is all about where the
student wants to go. All my professors
made the effort to ensure that I was able to
draw correlations to my major, regardless of
the subject. That kind of dedication is not
something that you’ll find at most colleges.”
GCU helped transform Teresa, a parttime
EMT, into a therapeutic professional
by providing her with what she calls
“limitless opportunities” to gain experience.
A former intern in GCU’s athletic training
department, Teresa is now navigating
graduate study in occupational therapy
at Temple University in Philadelphia.
A Georgian Court education was also
a stepping stone to advanced study for
Joe Dobis ’09, whose love of history was
carefully nurtured at Georgian Court. Joe
came to GCU because he was impressed
by the warm and friendly reception he
got whenever he came to campus.
“I felt like I belonged at Georgian
Court. All of my professors really cared
about my future and wanted to help me
realize my goals,” says Joe.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in
history and education in May, he scored
a position as a high school social studies
teacher. Not only is he a first-year teacher,
but he is also a first-year graduate student,
pursuing a Master of Arts in History.
“My professors at GCU were passionate
about teaching and history and they instilled
the same in me. I grew so much, both
personally and professionally. I am
convinced that without GCU, I wouldn't
be where I am today.”
Although each of these students
has chosen different paths, they all share
some common ground. Each has been
transformed by their Georgian Court
education, a transformation that they
couldn’t envision happening anywhere
else. Passions have been discovered,
leadership skills cultivated, perseverance
strengthened, and innate talents have
risen to the surface. When asked what
made their transformation possible, each
pointed to the same key features of a GCU
education—a strong commitment to the
Mercy core values, the dedication of faculty
members, the warm and friendly culture,
and limitless opportunities.
Teresa, our aspiring occupational
therapist, sums it up best.
“At most universities, they know you
by your student number,” she says. “At
Georgian Court, they know you by what
you hope to be in the future and the tools
they need to provide to help you get there.”
GEORGIAN COURT UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | 5