caldwell-magazine-spring-2015

CALDWELLSPOTLIGHT
continued from page 5
SISTER KATHLEEN TUITE
As she reflects on these past 25 years as a sister, she is grateful to
the other sisters in her community—“the women who have gone
before me, the women I journey with right now and those yet to
come, who inspire me and show me how to be faithful and give
me hope.”
Sister Kathleen is also a fan of Saint Catherine of Siena, who
said, “If you are who you are meant to be you will set the world
on fire.” And she hopes that Caldwell University is inspiring
students with that sentiment—that they “find the true gift and
beauty of themselves … their talents, abilities, skills … which in
turn allow them to go out and set the world on fire.”
In between her busy schedule, Sister Kathleen finds time for a
few passions—like watching her all-time favorite team, the Mets.
“My father was a huge Mets fan,” she says. She loves music,
including Katy Perry and country music, and plays the guitar.
And a little-known fact is that she has dreamed about getting
behind the wheel of a race car, but admits if she ever did try she
would “probably freeze.”
But all her outside interests point back to what she cherishes
most, the thing that gives her the most joy—“people … people
are my real passion … it really is a great passion to bring God’s
love to the world, to bring his presence to this world.” n
— Colette M. Liddy
THOMSON
LING:
LESSONS LEARNED
ON THE CLIFF
A PASSION FOR INSPIRING STUDENTS,
A PASSION FOR ROCK CLIMBING
Rock climbing is not for the faint of heart—not unlike teaching
at the university level. Thomson Ling knows that. Rock climbing,
like teaching, requires one to pay attention, focus , make critical
decisions, tenaciously face fear and trust others—all to get to the
next level and to keep moving forward.
Dr. Ling, a seasoned rock climber who is the New Jersey
coordinator for the national rock climbing organization Access
Fund, has found “lessons on the cliff” that are applicable to life—
“like knowing that you may encounter obstacles and challenges but
that you need to hang on to get to the next goal,” he says.
As an associate professor of counseling and psychology, he
certainly sets goals for himself and his students. His interests lie in
psychology research and crisis counseling and teaching students
how to excel in those fields. Dr. Ling chose teaching because it
was where he believed he could have the most impact—affecting
students who would train as counselors and then go out and “make
a difference … and be on the front lines.”
6 CALDWELLMAGAZINE