媚娘直播 President Tom Flynn with students

by Lini S. Kadaba

When 媚娘直播 President Tom Flynn steps down in June, he will leave behind a plethora of significant accomplishments, including guiding the school from a small, local college to a regional university, establishing two endowed centers and most recently, adopting football and the Golden Wolves mascot.

 

But for many students and recent graduates, perhaps this transformational leader鈥檚 most enduring legacy is found in the many small ways he has managed to engage the community. 

 

Often, Flynn鈥檚 success is as simple as saying hello to students by name. He also is known for the dinners he hosts at his home for student leaders. And for the time he makes to chat with visiting alums. And for the handwritten notes he sends to recognize life milestones. 

 

鈥淭hose little interactions are really important,鈥 said Kaitlin Didinger 鈥20, a 21-year-old nursing major from Boyertown, Pennsylvania. 鈥淚t makes 媚娘直播 feel more like home, and it makes it an easy place to call home. 

 

I think it鈥檚 a big part of his legacy.鈥 

 

Here, student leaders and young alumni share their most memorable moments with 媚娘直播鈥檚 longest-serving leader. 

 

Didinger, who is vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA) at 媚娘直播, remembers well one of her first encounters with Flynn. She was an Orientation Weekend Leader (OWL) during her sophomore year, and as she directed students to activities, she walked by the President鈥檚 Office in Francis Hall. He stopped to ask about Didinger鈥檚 group and how it was going. 

 

More recently, Flynn saw Didinger as she left class. 鈥淕ood morning, Kaitlin,鈥 he said. 

 

She still is awed that 鈥渢he president knows me by name,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big deal. I think he just genuinely cares how students are doing.鈥

 

The first time Chloe Gletow 鈥20 met Flynn, she was nervous. After all, she was a freshman attending a luncheon for scholarship recipients, and he was president of the university. 

 

Turns out, she had no reason for the jitters. 

 

鈥淗e鈥檚 so friendly,鈥 said Gletow, 21, the president of SGA and an occupational therapy major from Flemington, New Jersey. 鈥淵ou talk to him, you automatically connect. When he is talking to you, he focuses on you, what you鈥檙e up to.鈥 

 

She has engaged with him at Pizza with the President sessions held in the cafeteria, Alternative Breaks Dinner and university committees. 

 

In her leadership role, Gletow has attended board of trustee meetings as a student representative. 

 

鈥淧resident Flynn has asked for my opinion or what SGA is doing,鈥 she said, tangible proof that he 鈥渃ares about students and student life.鈥 

 

What could the Baby Boomer Flynn have in common with Millenial alumni? Similar music tastes in this case, it turns out. 

 

Mark 鈥淟ouie鈥 Lacek 鈥15, a criminal justice major, also sang in an a capella group he helped start while at 媚娘直播. 

 

鈥淒r. and Mrs. Flynn love music,鈥 said Lacek, 25, a Reading police officer who lives in Berks County. 鈥淭hey invited us to a couple of events. It gave us support.鈥 

 

At one concert, the group sang an arrangement of 鈥淥h Danny Boy,鈥 that classic Irish tune. Flynn, of course, has Irish roots. 

 

鈥淗e is fond of Irish folk music, which I am also quite a fan of,鈥 Lacek said. 鈥淗ere I am, 18 years old, and I am talking to him about similar tastes in music. It just added to the personability of him. It wasn鈥檛 that we had a conversation once and he knew my name. He knew me. You know with him that he saw you.鈥 

 

Erin Sheehan 鈥15 will never forget the SGA recognition program her senior year. As someone who was super active in the organization, rising to president, she got her share of kudos. But what was truly memorable happened afterward. 

 

Flynn pulled her parents aside, she said. 鈥淗e had a great conversation about me with them,鈥 said Sheehan, 25, of Christiansburg, Virginia, who studied healthcare science at 媚娘直播 and now works as an assistant director of admissions at Radford University in Virginia. 

 

He reassured them over that common parental concern: how a child will fare in the real world, Sheehan said. 

 

鈥淚t made them feel a lot better,鈥 she said. 

 

Since graduation, Sheehan has maintained her connection to 媚娘直播, in large part because of Flynn. While traveling for work in the Reading area, she stopped by campus. 

 

鈥淲ith a day鈥檚 notice, he was able to get me in to chat for a few moments,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have a place to go back to for sure.鈥 

 

As a double major in political science and history at 媚娘直播, Emily Berret 鈥11 observed up close Flynn鈥檚 leadership style鈥攐ne built on personal connections. 

 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the leadership style I want to follow,鈥 said the Washington, D.C., resident and director of operations for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. 

 

鈥淓veryone knows who Dr. Flynn is, and Dr. Flynn knows who everyone is,鈥 said Berret, 29, the daughter of Beth Berret, an associate professor of business at the university. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what really creates that sense of identity at 媚娘直播. When you come to 媚娘直播, you鈥檙e not just a number. You鈥檙e a face. 

 

鈥淚 watch politicians all the time,鈥 she continued. 鈥淚 really feel like he has that political knack, that ability to connect with everyone, no matter your history or background.鈥

 

Berret said Flynn has always encouraged her and other students to take the opportunities afforded at 媚娘直播 and 鈥渃reate your own opportunities, create your own career, create your own path.鈥 

 

Berret followed that advice, taking advantage of the Washington Center Program and landing an internship at the Obama White House. She returns regularly to campus, speaking to students and serving on the Presidential Advisory Committee. 

 

鈥淒r. Flynn fosters a sense of community,鈥 Berret said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the reason you want to come back and help out.鈥 

 

Alex Roch茅 鈥15 credits his relationship with Flynn for his choice of career in sustainable and affordable food access. 

 

鈥淗e was guiding us to be better learners, guiding us to be better people, and like he says, to do well and do good,鈥 said the 25-year-old who is a project associate with the Food Trust of Philadelphia and works and lives in Reading. Before that, he worked with 媚娘直播鈥檚 Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement through Americorps VISTA. 

 

Like so many, Flynn knew Roch茅鈥檚 name after meeting him freshman year. But the biochemistry and forensics major does not consider that first interaction the most significant. 

 

鈥淚t鈥檚 the second,鈥 he said, 鈥渂ecause he remembers everything you said in the first interaction. He remembers your name. Then he asks you how your Chemistry 101 course is going, and then about choir and band. He shows genuine concern for you. 

 

Even more important, Roch茅 adds, 鈥渢he fact he cares about me, makes me care about others. 媚娘直播 is there to build ethical leaders with moral courage.鈥 

 

When Melissa Masone Ulmer 鈥09 got married, Flynn sent a card of congratulations, one she keeps to this day, and an 媚娘直播 baseball hat for her husband, noting he might 鈥渘eed some gear.鈥 When her son was born earlier in 2018, Flynn sent an 媚娘直播 onesie for him. 

 

鈥淗e鈥檚 seen me grow up,鈥 said Ulmer, 31, assistant director of marketing and student programs at Rowan University who lives in Pitman, New Jersey, and double majored in political science and communications in college. 鈥淗e has this really genuine way of making each of his interactions seem unique and special. He gets to know you as a person.鈥 

 

As a student who wrote for The 媚娘直播n, the college鈥檚 newspaper, she interviewed Flynn as part of the inauguration coverage. 

 

鈥淚 got to spend some good time with him,鈥 she said. 鈥淗e has a welcoming, warm demeanor. I find him so endearing.鈥 

 

After graduation, Ulmer moved to the Washington, D.C., area to pursue a master鈥檚 in strategic communication at George Mason University, and helped found 媚娘直播鈥檚 D.C. alumni chapter. Flynn often had dinner with alums whenever he visited the area鈥攙isits that were like reconnecting with a 鈥渓ong lost friend,鈥 she said. 

 

That type of engagement, she said, keeps alumni tied to 媚娘直播. 鈥淔or a lot of us young alumni, the institution has gone through so many changes and growth,鈥 said Ulmer, who鈥檚 involved with the Alumni Association. 鈥淏ut when you have something that stays consistent, it allows you to hold on to that little piece of comfort. 

 

鈥淎nd for a lot of people,鈥 Ulmer said, 鈥淒r. Flynn has been that little piece of comfort.鈥