Alumna's Wish To Visit Alma Mater Comes True
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Weil, 62, said it has been her wish to visit her college. She has not been to the Grace College campus since graduating in 1977.
From ages 4 to 18 she lived in foster care in California and after that moved to Iowa with her grandmother who needed her help after a fall.
The pastor of the church she attended and her grandmother encouraged her to attend Grace College.
Weil attended school at Grace from 1971 to 1977, and transferred to Parkview School of Nursing to finish her degree in nursing.
She was in the first nursing program at Grace College.
She became ill and was hospitalized frequently, but her stays in the hospital helped her realize she did not want to be a nurse.
Weil had a bleeding ulcer and a ruptured appendix and gall bladder and was in the hospital for a month in 1974.
She returned to school at Grace College and became an education major. She received her master’s of science degree and a teaching certification when she graduated in 1977.
Avalon Village, a retirement community in Ligonier where she has been a resident for four years, granted her wish to visit Grace.
During her visit Friday afternoon she ate at Applebee’s in Warsaw, shopped in Winona Lake and received a tour of Grace College by Greg Weimer, college director of planned giving.
She also got to swim in the pool at the Kosciusko Community YMCA.
Weimer said it was an honor to provide Weil with a tour of the Ronald E. and Barbara J. Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College, Gordon Recreation Center and campus.
“It’s very special to have her here today and is special when all our alumni come back, but to have someone’s dream granted is great,” Weimer said. “I hope she comes away with being thankful for her time here and encouraged for the future of Grace.”
When asked what advice she would give to Grace College students today, she said, “Work hard and trust your professors.”
While she attended Grace she was a resident at Alpha Hall and also lived off-campus in an apartment.
“Where there are buildings on campus now used to be just grass,” Weil said.
Her first teaching job was at Cardinal Learning Center in Warsaw, preparing handicapped children for kindergarten. After a year, she took a position at the Jefferson Schools system in Elkhart.
While in Elkhart, Weil decided she wanted to be a foster mother. She fostered dozens of children, including a boy she would later adopt.
Weil said it was wonderful to return to Grace College.
“When I went to Grace I had really good professors and it was the happiest years of my life,” she said.
Weil said she always enjoyed her years at Grace College, and wanted to return to see the school’s progress.
Shannon Alexander, Avalon Village activities director, and Jessica Slone, Avalon Village executive director, also attended the activities with Weil.
Slone said Avalon Village does a Make A Wish program and every month likes to find something to brighten the day of their residents.
“Dottie is such a wonderful person and when I learned she wanted to come back to Grace College I wanted to do everything I could to make it possible,” Slone said.
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Weil, 62, said it has been her wish to visit her college. She has not been to the Grace College campus since graduating in 1977.
From ages 4 to 18 she lived in foster care in California and after that moved to Iowa with her grandmother who needed her help after a fall.
The pastor of the church she attended and her grandmother encouraged her to attend Grace College.
Weil attended school at Grace from 1971 to 1977, and transferred to Parkview School of Nursing to finish her degree in nursing.
She was in the first nursing program at Grace College.
She became ill and was hospitalized frequently, but her stays in the hospital helped her realize she did not want to be a nurse.
Weil had a bleeding ulcer and a ruptured appendix and gall bladder and was in the hospital for a month in 1974.
She returned to school at Grace College and became an education major. She received her master’s of science degree and a teaching certification when she graduated in 1977.
Avalon Village, a retirement community in Ligonier where she has been a resident for four years, granted her wish to visit Grace.
During her visit Friday afternoon she ate at Applebee’s in Warsaw, shopped in Winona Lake and received a tour of Grace College by Greg Weimer, college director of planned giving.
She also got to swim in the pool at the Kosciusko Community YMCA.
Weimer said it was an honor to provide Weil with a tour of the Ronald E. and Barbara J. Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College, Gordon Recreation Center and campus.
“It’s very special to have her here today and is special when all our alumni come back, but to have someone’s dream granted is great,” Weimer said. “I hope she comes away with being thankful for her time here and encouraged for the future of Grace.”
When asked what advice she would give to Grace College students today, she said, “Work hard and trust your professors.”
While she attended Grace she was a resident at Alpha Hall and also lived off-campus in an apartment.
“Where there are buildings on campus now used to be just grass,” Weil said.
Her first teaching job was at Cardinal Learning Center in Warsaw, preparing handicapped children for kindergarten. After a year, she took a position at the Jefferson Schools system in Elkhart.
While in Elkhart, Weil decided she wanted to be a foster mother. She fostered dozens of children, including a boy she would later adopt.
Weil said it was wonderful to return to Grace College.
“When I went to Grace I had really good professors and it was the happiest years of my life,” she said.
Weil said she always enjoyed her years at Grace College, and wanted to return to see the school’s progress.
Shannon Alexander, Avalon Village activities director, and Jessica Slone, Avalon Village executive director, also attended the activities with Weil.
Slone said Avalon Village does a Make A Wish program and every month likes to find something to brighten the day of their residents.
“Dottie is such a wonderful person and when I learned she wanted to come back to Grace College I wanted to do everything I could to make it possible,” Slone said.
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