Truly Transformed
It is with sadness that I just read that President Rothkopf will be stepping down after this academic year. I am happy to have had the honor of meeting and speaking with him at several alumni events in San Francisco.

Often I find the praise awarded to one at the end of
a career appears unjustified, or at least hyperbolic. This is certainly not the case with Art Rothkopf—and in a very personal way, not for me. When I attended Lafayette, I was blessed to receive an extraordinarily good education—one that more than prepared me for an excellent graduate school career and beyond. Unfortunately, at that time the College was still a terribly homogeneous place where I, as a lower middle class woman, frequently felt painfully an outcast socially. Pay no attention to the fact that I was a sorority member and all that—the pecking order was well defined. I left the College never to look back, feeling academically enhanced but emotionally scarred.

Well, somewhere along the line, Lafayette found me and
I began, somewhat unwillingly at first, to read the alumni magazine. I noted scores of changes from my day, especially increased diversity, routing of rogue fraternities, championing of volunteerism. So much of this occurred under President Rothkopf’s watch. I see a college truly transformed, retaining its best aspects, while changing those that kept it from being the most it could be.

So I say a resounding “thank you” to all my teachers for all that you taught and instilled in me, and to President Rothkopf, his administration, and others who have recreated the institution that is Lafayette in my eyes. As a token of my appreciation here is my first donation to Lafayette. In tremendous gratitude for the work that the financial aid office did in my behalf, I hope, if possible, that it be placed in a fund intended to defray costs for female engineering students, but I am certain that one way or another, the College will use it wisely.

Kathleen A. Dadley ’81
Oakland, Ca.

The Right Place
Lafayette has turned out to be everything that we had hoped for—plain and simple. The professors are incredible—and have rekindled the learning fire that had been dormant in Ben for a number of years. The other kids have become great friends and support for him. Ben is a very happy young man—and so is his dad. Thanks for all
you have done for us. We are looking forward to another
3 years—or longer if Maggie decides she likes the place!

John A. Gardner P’08
Lewisburg, Pa.

Externship Promise
I just wanted to thank Ms. Dayna De Simone, Marketing Coordinator, Scholastic Inc., New York, N.Y. for being
such a fantastic externship host. Even though neither of us had any previous experience with the wonderful world
of externships, I’d say we succeeded in achieving what Lafayette has always promised the program to be. I can certainly say that all of the expectations that I had going in to the externship were not only met, but far exceeded.

I learned so much. Having little professional experience myself, it was quite the eye-opener (in the best possible sense). I am now more concretely convinced that a career in the publishing world is for me, if not in marketing, then perhaps editorial or copywriting.

The externship has really given me the confidence to push forward as I begin my job search. Thanks.

Michael Bruno ’05
Massapequa Park, N.Y.