Spring 2010 - Arizona Daily Wildcat - University of Arizona

By Kathy Adams Riester, r,
M.S. M. M.S. S. EEd
Ed
Assistant Dean of Students &
Director, UA Parents & Family y
Association
Greetings UA Parents &
Family Members and supporters! po port rter ers! s!
Here is your spring 2010 update on our
PFA Committees.
Committee Updates
▷ Th e Public Aff airs Committee, Co-
Chaired by Beatrice Perry and Katherine
Harmeyer, has once again had
a busy fall and early spring! Th ey are
focusing on making sure the voice of
UA parents is being heard at the State
Capitol in Phoenix! A group of UA parents,
alumni and friends attended the
CATS at the Capitol event on January
27, 2010. During this event UA parents
attended meetings with key Legislators
to thank them for their work and
to encourage their support of Higher
PARENTS & FAMILY ASSOCIATION
Spring Update
Education. Ed Edu Th e Committee is working
on plans for the “Meet Your Maricopa
County Cou Legislator Night” which will be
held hel in Phoenix this spring. Th e committee
mit continues to partner with the
Arizona Ari Students Association (ASA)
to work w together on these important
issues. issu
▷ Th e Recruitment and Retention
Committee Co-Chaired by Liz and
Hunter Richardson and Josie Perez has
been working UA Admissions to get UA
parents to sign up for PAWS – (Parents
and Alumni Working with Students).
Th is interactive UA recruitment website
is a great way for parents to get
involved in helping to recruit the best
and brightest students to UA. If you
are interested in signing up as a PAWS
volunteer – please visit their website
http://admissions.arizona.edu/paws/
to volunteer.
▷ Th e Ad-Hoc Phoenix Summer
Send Off Committee, Co-Chaired by
Patti Teter and Charlene Duff hosted
a fabulous send off for more than 800
new students and their parents in the
Phoenix metropolitan area in August
2009. Planning is under way for the
2010 Phoenix Summer Send Off which
will be held on August 1 from 2-4 pm at
the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. We would
love to have some more parents help
in planning this event so please let us
know if you are interested in joining
the committee!!
▷ Th e Campaign Committee Co-
Chaired by Angelica Villarruel and
Guillermo Uribe is preparing to review
the annual PFA grants submissions
which are due on April 2, 2010. In
addition, they are evaluating several
options for additional fundraisers to
help support the PFA grant program.
If you would like to get involved in any
of these committees please let me know at
uafamily@email.arizona.edu or by calling
520-621-0884.
The Partnership of Parents – People Just Like You – Proud Parent Volunteers
What is your partnership?
Parents Making a Diff erence
Dick and Mary Roney ’81 are among
the many University of Arizona parents
working to sustain and enhance the UA
experience. For over a year and a half, the
Roneys have been Parents Plus Members
and active supporters of the Parents &
Family Association. Th eir eff orts play an
integral part in its success.
“Parents are the keystone to the success
of the Parents & Family Association,”
says Mary Roney. “Th e PFA is a great
network to meet other parents in the UA
community and is the tie that binds us
together to support the most important
needs of our students on campus.”
“I felt so comfortable knowing the
community was there for the whole family,”
Mary said. “It is hard to send your
children away to college, but satisfying to
know that as a result of the parental support
from the PFA, your child’s needs are
fi rst and foremost. Th e PFA gives all students
opportunities and families comfort
knowing there is a support system.”
Th e Roneys faced the emotional and
diffi cult task of sending their children off
to college. Th eir eldest daughter Chelsea
is a junior majoring in Deaf Science at the
UA while their youngest MK is a freshman
at John Hopkins University.
Dick and Mary Roney support the
Parents & Family Association because of
its infl uence on student activities involving
safety, health and education support.
Being involved with their children’s
education has been part of their lives for
many years. Th ey have instilled into their
daughters the value of giving back to the
community through volunteerism.
“Our main enjoyment is knowing
that we are making a diff erence for our
students,” Mary said.
Dick and Mary Roney, Parents of Chelsea,
UA Junior, majoring in Deaf Science
For more information about how you
can help create success in the lives of UA
students contact 520.621.0884 or visit
us on the web at http://www.uafamily.
arizona.edu/.
In 2009-2010, the collective partnership of the Parents & Family Association touched over 37,000 students’ lives
by enhancing student safety, leadership programs, career services and faculty interaction/mentoring programs.
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