American

F-990 OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
PO Box 500
Rio Grande, OH 45674-0500
www.rio.edu
Non-Profit
Organization
PAID
Permit No.200
Chillicothe,
OH 45601
Rio Grande Graduates Continue Their Educations
While hundreds of new graduates from the University
of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community
College are moving onto careers in the
community and around the world, many are also continuing
their educations to work on their master’s or doctoral
degrees.
2009 graduates Amanda Lotycz and Emily Walker, for
example, are both continuing their educations in master’s
degree programs around Ohio.
Lotycz, who is from Plain City,
which is in the Columbus area, was
also named the Outstanding Psychology
Graduate at Rio Grande. In the
fall, she will be attending Miami University
and will begin working toward
earning her educational specialist
degree in school psychology. “My
future plans are to become a school
psychologist, and then eventually pursue
a doctorate degree and become a
professor,” Lotycz said. She hopes to
Amanda Lotycz
one day teach psychology at the collegiate level, and said
that Rio Grande has prepared her well for the next step in
her education.
“The professors and faculty have given helpful suggestions
for continuing in my educational pursuits. I have enjoyed
my time here and feel prepared for my future studies
thanks to the professors who have encouraged and helped
me throughout my collegiate career,” Lotycz said. She
especially pointed out all of the assistance she received
from the late Dr. Gerald W. “Jerry” Sparkman, who died in
2008.
“I had the majority of my psychology classes with him,
and I wish that her were still around to see me graduate,”
Lotycz said. “He was always willing to discuss future
plans and give advice to me. I am forever thankful to him
for that.”
Walker, who is from Thurman,
will be attending Ohio State
University and studying in the
master’s degree program in nursing
specializing in psychiatric
mental health.
After completing the threeyear
graduate program, she will
be a psychiatric mental health
nurse practitioner and will be able
to work in hospitals, private practices,
state hospitals or numerous
other health care facilities.
Emily Walker
During her years at Rio Grande, she enjoyed the small
classroom settings and the one-on-one instruction from the
professors.
“I am very excited to have that background, as I feel
it will very much prepare me for my nursing courses,”
Walker said. She added that she enjoyed her time at Rio
Grande, and is prepared for the adjustment for the much
larger campus at Ohio State University.
Associate Professor Janice Vidic said that she expects
Walker and Lotycz both to excel in both their academic
and professional careers.
“Emily and Amanda are two excellent students who will
do extremely well in graduate school. They’re bright and
hard working, and they each have professional attitudes
toward their education and work. It has been a pleasure for
me to work with them,” Vidic said. “I hope more prospective
students will read about their accomplishments and
decide that psychology is the major for them.”