Paul Peterson receives Marina Christensen Justice Award

Paul Peterson, a senior metro-urban studies major, was selected as the 2003 recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award.

Each year, this award is presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies Augsburg's motto "Education for Service." The student must have demonstrated a dedication to community involvement as characterized by the personal and professional life of Marina Christensen Justice, who courageously and effectively reached out to disadvantaged people and communities.

Peterson, from Minneapolis, has carried out a wide range of activities that led to his being selected for this award. Among them are internships with both the Lyndale Neighborhood Association and the Higher Education Consortium of Urban Affairs' Metro Urban Studies program. He has been an active member of MPIRG (Minnesota Public Interest Research Group) and the Coalition for Student Activism. In addition, he spent this past spring break on the Lilly grant "Community Development and Civil Service Exploration" trip to Washington, D.C.

As one of his professors commented, "Paul represents the kinds of commitments to social and community building that Marina lived for."

ABC News correspondent John McWethy and elder care advocate Laurie Duncan-McWethy deliver keynote speeches

ABC News correspondent John F. McWethy and his wife, Laurie Duncan-McWethy, were the keynote speakers at the Commencement ceremony Sunday, May 4. The 2003 graduating class included their son, Adam (pictured in Auggie Thoughts with his fiancee, Christin R. Crabtree ’03). Their other son, Ian, is a student at Fordham University in New York City.

"We greatly admire Augsburg College and its StepUP program, in particular," Laurie commented upon accepting Augsburg's invitation to speak at this year's ceremony. "Not only has the school been an asset to our son and family, but we find the College's role in education unique and filled with an exceptional mission. We are pleased to be part of the graduation exercises and a support to the Augsburg community."

Laurie Duncan-WcWethy is the owner and president of an elder care management company called Choices for Aging and its affiliated daily money management company Paperwork Solutions for Seniors. She founded the company in 1991 when she saw the need for assistance by older adults struggling to remain in their homes or deal with a care crisis. She graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., and received her master's degree in health care administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In addition to her health care background, Laurie is a certified public accountant specializing in long-term care counseling and retirement planning.

John F. McWethy is chief national security and Pentagon correspondent, Washington Bureau, for ABC News. An ABC correspondent since 1979, he reports on military and diplomatic aspects of U.S. foreign policy. Widely honored for his work, John received three Emmy Awards for his reporting on Ross Perot, the Persian Gulf War, and the Soviet military. He has also received the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award and the Overseas Press Club Award. He is also a graduate of DePauw University, and earned his master's degree from Columbia University's Pulitzer School of Journalism.

Augsburg's StepUP program, founded in 1997 by Don Warren, is a nation-wide model providing resources and support for students in recovery from drug and alcohol dependency. After five years of service to recovering college students, and a career dedicated to student-centered education, Don Warren retired in the spring of 2002, handing his duties to StepUP's current director, Patrice Salmeri.

Ceremony keynote speakers thank StepUP Program, advise grads to seek balance between work and family

I don't have any magic words or easy answers, but what I do know is that each of you will progress in a way that's perfect for you. Clearly, you are embarking on the next stage of your very interesting life—no one else's. ... I wish to thank and bless the students, staff, and administrators of StepUP, starting with Don Warren, the founder of the program, to the current staff and participants. Your unrelenting vision and energy are making a critical difference in people's lives. I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving our son [Adam] a safe, supportive, challenging, and demanding place to return to college. Thank you to Augsburg.
—Laurie Duncan-McWethy

So you're about to take this amazing journey called the rest of your life. Whatever you do, make a difference. You don't have to win a Nobel Peace Prize to make an impact. If you help someone else, you will help yourself. It's so simple, it's all right—and, in fact, it's wonderful—to have a passion for your job. But separate your job from your life. I'm one who has had a job that is very demanding, and have been gone a lot, but I have tried to separate those important parts of my life—the job which takes me from home a huge amount of time, and still pay attention to my kids and my wife. ... You cannot imagine how relevant the building blocks and knowledge and experiences you've gained here will be in the rest of your life. ... What you've learned at Augsburg may not be the answers, but you've been given the tools to start asking the right questions, and that is critical.
—John F. McWethy

The Augsburg College Class of 2003

534 Candidates for graduation

315 Day program graduates

148 Weekend College graduates

38 Graduate students (5 Master of Arts in Leadership, 26 Master of Social Work, 7 Master of Arts in Nursing)

32 Rochester Program graduates

1 United Hospital Program graduate

13 Countries of graduates (Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Lebanon, Somalia, Tibet, Uganda, Ukrainia, and Zimbabwe)

20-60 Age range of graduates in the Class of 2003