January 1, 2012 SPARK graduates its second class (Fox 28) Nine Michiana women graduated from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative’s SPARK program. The 11-week program helps under-resourced, high-potential women entrepreneurs “spark” or launch successful businesses. January 1, 2012 Don't Text and Drive, says Mom Whose Son Died (Fox 28) Diveeta Thompson, founder of Stop Texting AND Distracted Driving (STANDD), came to the College to speak about the dangers of texting and driving. Her son was killed in a car crash caused when he was reading a text. Morgan Carroll, a Saint Mary’s freshman, invited Thompson to come to Saint Mary's. She heard Thompson speak at her high school last year and thought students here needed to hear her message. January 1, 2012 2009 Alumna Develops Special Needs Initiative at High School (Today's ... Meg Ryan '09, who majored in education and minored in communicative disorders, implemented Pathways to Success at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne last year. The special needs program is designed to assist any student who has a working individual educational plan (IEP) for a diagnosed disability. Ryan, who spent a year teaching in Ghana at a Sisters of the Holy Cross mission school, says the program meets a need at the high school. January 1, 2012 Senior to Run in Sunday's Chicago Marathon (The Observer) While some students are traveling to Chicago this weekend to watch the Fighting Irish take on the Miami at Soldier Field, Alyssa Vinluan '13 is going to the city for her own athletic competition. She will run 26.2 miles Sunday when she runs in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. (Vinluan is majoring in Spanish with minors in secondary education and teaching English as a new language. She is also the student trustee on the College's Board of Trustees.) January 1, 2012 Students Help with "Rebuilding Together" (WNDU) For the 8th year in a row, Saint Mary's College students rolled up their sleeves to participate in Rebuilding Together, a community-driven effort to rehabilitate homes in South Bend. Volunteers spent a Saturday morning painting, cleaning and planting at a Saint Mary’s sponsored home. Olivia Critchlow, assistant director of the Office for Civic and Social Engagement, is interviewed. January 1, 2012 Between the Buns Fundraiser for Dance Marathon Visit the Between the Buns at 1803 South Bend Avenue (SR 23) in South Bend and, as long as you bring along the coupon, 15 percent of the sales will go towards the Dance Marathon total for Riley. Click to download the coupon. Each participating guest will receive a Team MVP card which may be used for future visits to continue to raise funds for the cause. January 1, 2012 Professor on 2014 2nd District Race (The Elkhart Truth) Brendan Mullen in 2014? After his narrow loss to Republican Jackie Walorski last week in the race for Indiana’s 2nd District seat in the U.S. House, that’s the hope of some Democratic leaders, presuming Mullen’s up to it. Political science professor Sean Savage weighs in on Mullen's prospects in 2014. January 1, 2012 Child Care Providers as Business Owners Focus of Latina Conference 201... The Saint Mary’s College Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI), in partnership with the Indiana Association for Child Care Resource and Referral (IACCRR), will host Latina Conference 2012: Developing a Better Future on Saturday, September 29. This year’s event will be presented in Spanish and is intended for Latina daycare providers. January 1, 2012 Title IX Turns 40; What It Has Meant to Women (Fox 28) June 23 was the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which forbids discrimination in educational activities, eventually including sports, on the basis of gender. What better place than the all-women’s Saint Mary’s College for this story? Athletic Director Julie Schroeder-Biek, a native of Mishawaka and a Saint Mary's alumna, was interviewed about how Title IX has impacted her life.