Spring 2009:Vistas Fall 2008 - Villa Maria College

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T W O PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A Message from Villa Maria College President Sister Marcella Marie Garus ▲V ▲W eritas, Unitas, and Caritas are the words that appear on the seal of Villa Maria College. The Latin inscription translates as Truth, Unity, and Charity. These are the ideals of the College expressed in core values which engender knowledge, respect, Veritas, Unitas, Caritas V I L L A M A R I A C O L L E G E and service and are the foundation for the Mission of Villa Maria College. To promote the College Mission, the Mission Integration Program was developed. The primary focus of the program is to provide greater understanding and education regarding the ideals and core values as well as the educational components of the mission. Over the next five years the College intends to expand the program. In addition to providing quality educational experiences,-- the activities to continue the promotion of ideals and core values of the mission will include presentations, opportunities for shared vision and reflection, and service projects. Villa Maria College will give recognition to “mission in action” through implementation of the Blessed Mary Angela Award. Any member of the college community who demonstrates living the core values may be nominated for the award. The first Blessed Mary Angela Award will be conferred at the May 20, 2009 commencement. Please email or call me if you would like information on the guidelines of the award and wish to nominate a trustee, administrator, faculty, or staff member for the honor. ALUMNI DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE ith the busy holidays behind us and the focus of a new year leading us in 2009, I can’t help but be energized by the positive energy here at Villa. New programs driving us to a baccalaureate culture, a new housing project up and functioning, and constant streams of exciting events happening on or around campus are drawing many interested students from far and wide. This is a time when you as alumni can join the excitement, showing your support and being supported by Villa. Not only are there opportunities to mentor students, become a guest lecturer or host an intern, there are several ways Villa can help you. Our Career Development Office is available for resumé and cover letter review, online job postings and assistance with interviewing skills. The Workforce Development and Life Long Learning Center hosts workshops and development programs. For more information check out our website at www.villa.edu or call me at 716-961-1852. Be a part of Villa again!! The College is successfully carrying out the educational elements of the mission as evidenced in meeting enrollment goals for 2008-09, preparing proposals for baccalaureate programs in Graphic Communications and Photography, establishing several committees to promote recruitment, marketing and retention, and developing additional associate and baccalaureate programs. Thank you for your prayers and financial support that allows us to advance the Mission of Villa Maria College. I urge all alumni, benefactors, and friends to continue active support now more than even because of the economic challenges facing our entire community. I invite all to visit our web site, send me an email, or visit the College soon. May God bless you and shower you with his abundant blessings during this New Year 2009. Sister Marcella Marie Garus President ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN ▲T he Villa Maria College Annual Giving Campaign is well underway. With the new programs of study requiring more equipment and increased student body seeking grants and scholarships, your support is more vital than ever. During December we reached out to our Alumni and Benefactors with a written pledge request. You may have also received a phone call from a Villa volunteer asking you to support the college with a donation to the Annual Giving Campaign. We greatly appreciate your generosity and support of the Villa Maria College mission which provides a quality education to our students. If you have not yet sent in your tax deductible donation to the College, but would like to at this time, please contact the Development office at 716-961-1825 or send it to Villa Maria College Development Office 240 Pine Ridge Road Buffalo NY 14225. Your donations, at any level, help support our students in many ways. Thank You ▲
C A M P U S N E W S PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: BENEFITS TO ESTATE PLANNING ▲E veryone can benefit from an estate plan, regardless of net worth or financial ▲Villa Maria Caring and Serving is a situation. Many people believe that estate planning is only about tax issues. Actually, it covers much more. It can help protect an inheritance, keep taxes to a minimum, and ensure care of your family when you are no longer able to do so yourself. Estate planning is a process that can help you pass on your assets in a way that reflects your values, dreams and the full life you have lived. Despite the benefits of estate planning, about 60% of U.S. citizens do not have one. That’s a mistake, according to investment professionals and attorneys who see estate planning as wise and necessary. Some goals of estate planning include: Managing your assets in a manner that benefits you during your lifetime Managing your financial and legal affairs should you become disabled Helping protect your assets against the high cost of long-term care Expressing your wishes with regards to medical care and designating an individual to make medical decisions for you when you cannot Providing for your family if you become disabled or die Minimizing delays and frustrations of estate settlement Helping your family avoid unnecessary estate taxability Benefitting a charity Controlling the distribution of you assets Your estate includes all of your assets, including those held in your name alone or jointly with others, such as bank accounts, real estate stocks, bonds, furniture, vehicles, jewelry, life insurance proceeds, and retirement accounts. The value of your estate is important in determining whether your estate will be subject to estate taxes after your death and whether your beneficiaries could later be subject to capital gains taxes. Ensuring that there will be sufficient resources to pay such taxes is another important part of the estate planning process. Federal Estate taxes are imposed upon estates that have a net value of above $3.5 million in 2009. In 2010 that amount will disappear completely. Then, unless Congress passes an extension, the exemption will revert back to $1 million in 2011. In addition, New York State requires taxation on estates that meet certain criteria. Through your estate plan you will designate someone to manage your assets and make health care and personal care decisions for you if you ever become unable to do so. If your estate is small, you may simply focus on who will receive your assets after your death, who should manage your estate, pay your last debts and handle the distribution of your assets. If your estate is large, your lawyer or financial planner can discuss various ways of preserving your assets for your beneficiaries and of reducing or postponing the amount of estate tax which might be payable after your death. By including the College in financial and estate plans, donors can increase their current income and provide additional retirement time, while reducing income and estate taxes. Many friends of Villa Maria College have found that through proper planning they can support Villa in a meaningful way while maximizing tax benefits for themselves. Visit our website www.villa.edu/ development/planned giving/ for more details. ▲ VILLA MARIA COLLEGE PARTICIPATES IN BONARESPONDS T H R E E new initiative at the college bringing together our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to serve the community and put into practice the core values of Villa Maria College. The groups’ first activity was a partnering day with fellow Franciscan college St. Bonaventure University’s BonaResponds (a service group that volunteers for local service days and travels to assist at disaster relief sites throughout the country.) Front Row (l-r): Laurie Lachuisa, Lauren Contreras, Pat Halliman-Hay, Sharod Smith, Ebonie Evans Back Row (l-r): Don Monnin, Angelina Lim, Jamila Jemes, Julia Rummel, Jessica Witkowski, Alison Hess, Lloyd Mitchell On Saturday October 4, 2008, thirteen Villa students, faculty, and staff traveled to St. Bonaventure University (SBU) to participate in a local service day. Villa Caring and Serving volunteers and the BonaResponds group worked on a variety of projects near the Cattaraugus county campus including scraping and repainting signs in the city of Olean; volunteering at the SPCA spending their day walking dogs, feeding newborn kittens, and prepping the outdoor kennels for painting; others built a house for a man who had lost his home (and dog) to a fire in January; rebuilding of a porch on an elderly woman’s home; working in “Bob’s Woods”, a wooded area on the St. Bonaventure campus, clearing the existing hiking trails and forging a new trail through some waist high brush. Following a busy workday, the Villa Caring and Serving team joined the SBU community in celebrating the College’s 150th Anniversary with a Mass, dinner, and New Orleans Jazz Concert. Our Villa volunteers returned, tired from a productive day, and glad for the experience to help out in so many different ways. On Saturday, March 28 Villa Maria College will host a Western New York day of service. Villa’s Caring and Sharing Team invites all members of the college community to join in with guests from BonaResponds to volunteer their time for projects to help local non-profit organizations and enhance the quality of life in Western New York. Volunteers will make new friends and have fun while serving the community. The day will culminate with a debriefing session followed by dinner and entertainment at Villa Maria College. Volunteers will work on projects at the following organizations: Moving Miracles Dance Studio- a dance studio for children and adults with exceptional needs Felician Sisters Mother House- painting and setting up their library Cheektowaga Historical Association- cleaning the basement and preparing it for painting Sr. Mary Josette Food Pantry- cleaning and defrosting freezers SIFE Club of VMC- assist in their carnival for children from a local Big Brothers/Big Sisters program The Bob Lanier Center for Educational, Physical and Cultural Development St. Columba-Brigid Youth Center CHC Learning Center For more information or to join us in service to our community, sharing a meal and friendship, contact Kim Kotz at kkotz@villa.edu. V I L L A M A R I A C O L L E G E
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Spring 2009:Vistas Fall 2008 - Villa Maria College

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