Clinton Community Schools well represented for SHU Distinguished Alumni Awards

Clinton Community Schools was well represented at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony during Siena Heights University’s homecoming weekend. Two of the alumni award recipients are, from left, current Clinton High School teacher Tyler George and Clinton alumnus Nate Adams. They are pictured alongside Clinton High School Class of 2012 graduate Aaron Treadwell (r) who attended the university’s ceremony in support of his Clinton schools members.

By BRAD HEINEMAN

Clinton Local

ADRIAN — In its final year as a university of higher learning, many of the same customs and traditions that one would expect to see throughout the school year are being held as scheduled across Siena Heights University.

This past weekend, SHU’s Adrian campus was bustling with four consecutive days of homecoming happenings spanning from Thursday, Oct. 2 to Sunday, Oct. 5. Within those celebratory days, the university gathered with current and former students to hand out its Distinguished Alumni Awards during the Friday, Oct. 3 slate of events.

Dating as far back as 1977, alumni award recipients have been recognized annually at Siena Heights University. Through the years, and starting with the Outstanding Alumni Award in ’77, additional award categories to honor SHU students have been formed, the most recent of which being the Honorary Alumni Award in 2011.

Five alumni were bestowed as “Distinguished” Friday afternoon including two SHU grads with ties to Clinton Community Schools.

Nate Adams, a 2017 SHU grad, and Tyler George, a 2008 SHU grad, were among the five distinguished alumni honored Friday. Adams, who received the Recent Graduate Award, is a Clinton High School alumnus. George, having received the Saint Dominic Alumni Award, is currently a teacher at Clinton High School.

Equally unique to the story is the fact that Adams’ class at Clinton schools was among the first of George’s teaching career at Clinton High School nearly 17 years ago. They both shared the classroom at Clinton High School and on Friday they shared the alumni spotlight.

“It really does paint everything to be full circle here from Siena Heights to extending outwards into the community and where life ultimately will take you,” George commented.

On June 30 Siena Heights announced it will close at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. Senior leadership, at the time, said it assessed the financial situation, operational challenges and long-term sustainability. Despite the dedication of its board, faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters, “continuing operations beyond the coming academic year is no longer feasible,” the university said in its June announcement.

The selections for this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards were encouraged to share how their Siena Heights degree has worked for them and for the greater good during Friday’s awards ceremony, which was held on campus in the Rueckert Auditorium. A general theme from each of the awardees was service; service to others, service to community and service to a greater calling.

The university’s alumni board of directors and its alumni association has a committee that selects each year’s award recipients, who are then ultimately voted on by the entire board.

“After this year, the alumni board is working hard right now to develop a foundation that will be built to carry on the legacy of Siena Heights,” said Siena Heights alumni board president Delynne Miller, a graduate from the Class of 1991. “And it will be not just for alumni but for anyone who Siena Heights has made an impact on their lives. It could be alumni, it could be faculty, it could be community members. Honoring alumni is something that we will be able to continue to do.”

A centralized theme of this year at Siena Heights is “What’s Your Story?” This theme, according to new Siena Heights University President Cheri Betz, “was purposefully designed to tie in with the concept of sustaining Siena’s legacy.”

With a degree in theater, speech and communications, Adams is now a nationally quoted film critic who has interviewed some of the most popular celebrities in the country including Mark Hamill, Adam Sandler, Francis Ford Coppola, Gary Oldman, Meryl Streep, Ben Affleck and many others. He has appeared several times on television as a critic, and has been featured in online and print publications and on the radio. He is the founder of The Only Critic, which serves as a platform for thoughtful, accessible and insightful entertainment reviews.

In 2018, Adams was nominated for Rookie Writer of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. He can be found online at theonlycritic.com, as well as in weekly editions of The Clinton Local.

“Everyone who knows me understands that Siena Heights is ingrained in my DNA,” Adams said. “My grandmother went to school here back when men were just barely allowed on campus, and it was also here where I began to redefine who I was and what I wanted to accomplish.”

As a recipient of the Recent Graduate Award, Adams was introduced by Professor of Theater Mark DiPietro, who called Adams “one of the finest, most successful and pro-Siena alumni I’ve known in my 32 years here.”

The Recent Graduate Award recognizes alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years and whose professional achievement, community involvement and/or civic commitment demonstrates dedication to Christian values and the spirit of Siena Heights University.

“This honor for me is a reminder to keep caring for the legacy of the university and what it instills in all of us; to live with a purpose and to lead with compassion and to make room for others on the stage, whether that stage is in a theater, on a red carpet or in our daily lives,” Adams said. “Siena Heights will always be with us no matter where we go.”

Robert Nydza, a Siena Heights grad from the Class of 2007, introduced George to receive the Saint Dominic Alumni Award, which recognizes an alumna or alumnus for commitment to Christian education in family, school or community. The award is named for the 12th century Spanish nobleman who founded the Dominican order and it honors persons who embody the Dominican philosophy and the spirit of Siena, and who promote pride in Christian ethics and education.

One thing Nydza said he always remembers fondly about George is his ability to brighten a room with his smile.

“He’s always happy, he’s jolly,” Nydza said. “And you can see that from across the room and it really draws people to him.”

Lessons of discipline, perseverance, teamwork, commitment and resilience helped George become a better teacher and an even greater husband, father and friend, he said during his award acceptance. Additional traits that were strengthened during his time at Siena Heights included service, compassion and a sense of community.

The Dominican values of study, prayer, service, compassion, integrity and community became regular habits of the heart, George said.

For the past 17 years, I’ve carried those values with me into my vocation as a teacher at Clinton High School right here in Lenawee County,” he said. “I cannot imagine a more meaningful calling. Every day I walk into my classroom knowing that I have the chance not just to teach history or government or geography, but to help young people discover who they are and what they can become.”

For three years, George also served as an instructor for Siena Heights University. His educational influence reaches beyond the classroom, though. He has coached track and football for more than a decade, served as an adviser for the National Honor Society and student government, and invested countless hours into the personal growth of his students, many of whom have described his classes as among the most engaging and impactful of their academic careers because of George’s ability to challenge them intellectually while fostering confidence, curiosity and joy in learning.

Earning the award recognition is not an end point, George said. Instead, it represents a challenge to continue living out the ideals of Saint Dominic and the mission of Siena Heights University.

“I pray that I can honor the award not only with words tonight, but actions tomorrow and in all days ahead,” he said.

Julius Nagy, associate professor of chemistry, received the university’s Honorary Alumni Award, which recognizes non-alumni who demonstrate exceptional commitment to and support for the mission and spirit of the university. The Saint Catherine of Siena Alumni Award was bestowed to longtime Lenawee County resident Tony Gonzales, a 1982 Siena Heights alumnus who was born and raised in Adrian’s Latino community. The Saint Catherine of Siena Alumni Award recognizes alumni whose significant professional achievements and/or volunteer contributions promote Siena Heights University positively to the community.

Lastly, Lonnie E. Shipe, an alumnus with the Class of 1982, earned the Sister Ann Joachim Award, which is presented in memory of the legendary Adrian Dominican faculty member. The award recognizes significant contributions to the university and/or community through activities that demonstrate strong leadership, the ability to get things done and the capacity to confront challenging issues head-on while maintaining the image and spirit of the university.

Born with cerebral palsy, Shipe faced daily challenges navigating Siena’s campus at a time when accessibility was limited, “yet he never allowed those obstacles to define him,” the university said.