“I CALL THIS PLACE HOME NOW. WHEN I’M TALKING ABOUT HOME, I MEAN SAINT MARY’S.”
Rock and Roll Belle
Senior Mickey Gruscinski's summer was all about rock and roll. The Cleveland, Ohio native spent her time working at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. “It is the happiest place in the state of Ohio, and fun people are constantly coming through,” says Gruscinski, who worked in the gift shop. “I’m in my element surrounded by what I consider the greatest music of all time. I’m lucky enough to have it situated in my hometown. The view of Cleveland’s skyline and the Museum’s location on Lake Erie makes it an ideal destination for anyone.”
Gruscinski is a history major, minoring in women’s studies . She says that all of her professors have impacted her life at Saint Mary’s, but credits the history and women’s studies professors with helping her to “learn to think critically about current events.” It’s a toss up as to her favorite class: her independent study with Dr. Dave Stefancic or her senior seminar with Dr. Bill Svelmoe. “I like these classes because I’m working on major research papers on topics of my interests.” Gruscinski’s independent study is on the origin of Dracula and other vampire stories and finding historical facts in the Romanian General Vlad Tepes. Her senior seminar paper is on what she calls her “inspirational muse,” Elvis Presley. “I hope to find the truth behind what made him such a cultural force and analyze if he deserves all the respect he has been given,” says Gruscinski.
Gruscinski is not the first in her family to attend Saint Mary’s. Her mother, Kelly McLaughlin Gruscinski ’83, came before her. “I think that it’s a positive reflection on the Saint Mary’s tradition, and my mom,” adds Gruscinski. “When you fall in love with a place, it is definitely hard to sever the ties, and I did not want to do that.”
Gruscinski’s post graduation plans include graduate school studies in history, government, or entertainment. “Saint Mary’s has allowed me to become the woman I want to be, and it has given me the proper tools to live in this world,” asserts Gruscinski. “It has prepared me to handle whatever challenges that will enter my life and to appreciate the daily blessings.”