Five Honored at 2019 Alumni Awards

Madison, Wis. (October 9, 2019) – Five distinguished graduates were honored recently at the 2019 Alumni Awards Ceremony, held on campus in October. 

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are Diane Ballweg ’75, MA ’07 and Eileen (Dhooghe) McIltrot ’78. The Distinguished Alumni Award acknowledges the accomplishments of an alumnus who has achieved excellence in his or her professional career and has demonstrated a commitment to ethical leadership, service, and the search for truth.

Ms. Ballweg has served all corners of Greater Madison through engagement on more than 30 nonprofit boards—organizations ranging from those advancing support for women, to serving local arts and culture programs, to educational initiatives.  At Edgewood College, she has made her mark most notably the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. She has served our communities and Edgewood College for decades through her generous heart, impacting the lives of students through scholarship support and providing spaces on campus for students to learn, grow, and inspire each other.  She was previously honored at Edgewood College benefactors and friends named the “Diane Ballweg Theatre” in her honor for her leadership and generosity to so many cultural and arts organizations across Madison.

Ms. McIltrot’s professional life has been marked by her devotion to compassionate care and social justice. She helped introduce early ideas of hospice care to nursing home settings in Wisconsin and in Minnesota. Her ministry led her throughout the eastern half of the United States, and ultimately to Florida where her work with immigrant populations brought Catholic Charities to the community, a new multi-dimensional social services center, and established innovative programs for advocacy, education, community collaboration, and direct services. She is in private practice as a licensed psychotherapist, serves on numerous nonprofit boards, works with families in high conflict divorce cases, and is a health care proxy for the Lee Health System in Fort Myers, Florida. Her work in leadership, administration, ministry, direct service, education, and outreach has been recognized through numerous local and national awards.

Dominican Mission Award recipients are Martha Rohde, O.P. ‘69 and Elizabeth Dunn, O.P. ’70. The Dominican Mission Award recognizes an alumnus who has shown a commitment to social justice or a history of extraordinary volunteer service in the community, country, or the world. Sr. Rohde and Sr. Dunn have committed their vocation and lives to the education of children of migrant and service industry labor in Florida. Together, in partnership, they put their strengths to tremendous benefit at Hope Rural School in Indiantown, Florida; Sr. Rohde serves as Director of the school, Sr. Elizabeth as Principal. As lifelong educators, they have also started an endowment fund for their graduates to afford to attend a local community college. The fund generates enough each year to support students seeking help with tuition, books, and room and board. They have each said it is a treasured gift to learn from families from all over the world, and while they are not preaching from the pulpit, they hope they are effectively preaching by their way of life.

The Promise Award recipient is Darian Senn-Carter, Ed.D. ’17. The Promise Award recognizes an alumnus, 40 years of age or younger, who is an emerging leader and has achieved a high level of success through professional accomplishments and service to his or her alma mater or community. Dr. Senn-Carter is a Professor of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice at Anne Arundel Community College, and serves as a Councilmember of the City of Bowie, Maryland. He is a nationally recognized leader with more over 15 years of comprehensive experience including K-12 education, higher education, and public and private sector work.  He serves as an advisor, volunteer, and mentor, and is the founder of three scholarship awards. More recently, he is the recipient of the League of Innovations Excellence Award for academic leadership and innovation, given by the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment.
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