51°µÍø’s Radiography Program celebrated 50 years of graduates at a reunion program, “Decades of Excellence,” on Friday, May 31.
Attendees from those five decades reminisced over displays from the College and program archives with past pinning ceremony programs, newspaper clippings and framed photos. Radiography Program Head Susan Nolley led tours to show alumni who remembered Anderson Hall what the program’s classroom and laboratory space looks like in the Fralin Center for Science and Health Professions.
A common thread among speakers and attendees was praise for the bedrock of the program, its succession of directors: John Lamanca from 1971-1976; the late Rita David from 1976-1994; Shirl Lamanca from 1994-2012; Mary Loritsch from 2012-2015; and Nolley, from 2016 to the present.
“I have come back to honor John and his work in establishing this program, and Ms. David, who has since passed on. They were great role models,” said Don Lowe, a member of the first graduating class, that of 1974. Lowe went on to a long career in radiography and education in Southwest Virginia, culminating in his role as director of the Southwest Virginia Community College Radiography Program from 2001 to 2016. That role oversaw the program for students from four of the colleges in the Virginia Community College System: Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, Wytheville Community College in Wytheville; and Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap. “It was rewarding,” he said of his career.
Lowe noted the lineage of the program and how those involved in its early days had an impact on a wide geographic area. Among his classmates, Mary Loritsch was program director at 51°µÍø at the same time Lowe was program director at Southwest Virginia, and Eddie Haynes was the director at Central Virginia Community College. Eddie Haynes is married to Susan Haynes, who is a current faculty member at 51°µÍø.
Attendees from that first class also were able to see one of their faculty members: Jeff Rakes, who John Lamanca hired as one of the original instructors. Rakes taught at 51°µÍø for 37 years, retiring in 2010.
“It’s been an exemplary program since the time I’ve been here,” Dr. Robert Sandel, president of 51°µÍø, told the reunion attendees. “I’m proud of everyone here, and I’m proud of these faculty members. A program is only good if it’s got good faculty members. Faculty are the key,” he said.
Alumni also heard words of encouragement from Nolley, Shirl Lamanca, and a written message from Loritsch.
“The time you spent learning and perfecting your craft cannot be reduced to a mere certification or credential. Although that is necessary to work, your education and experience has afforded you the opportunity to make a vital difference to your patients’ lives and your own,” Nolley told the alumni. “Take pride in your profession and pass it along. We have come a long way, and it is not time to coast. We must continue to push forward for our patients’ health and well-being. As we understand more and more about radiation dose and its short- and long-term effects, having a qualified, well-trained radiographer is vital.”
Shirl Lamanca spoke “with reverence” of John Lamanca and Rita David. “We have lived through an unparalleled and amazing fifty years. And I was here 38 of those years. Fifty years in which our profession has experienced nothing short of unprecedented technological advancements. Right, Jeff?” she said, with a nod to Rakes. “These technological advancements have changed the practice of medicine. They’ve saved lives, increased access to health care, and improved the quality of lives for our patients and for us.”
Nolley read remembrances from Loritsch, who was not able to attend. “The biggest joy was seeing the students, and watching the light bulb turn on. I loved it,” Loritsch wrote.
Nolley gave special words to the Class of 2024: the 50th graduating class, who have joined the ranks of hundreds of Radiography Program alumni. “You are just beginning. Look around the room,” she exhorted them. “See the legacy that they have left and created. What will you do with your opportunity? How will you make a difference? How will you change the imaging world?”
One of those new alumni, Zach Cregger, said his experience in the program was “overwhelming with joy.” He is beginning cross-training to enter the MRI field. “My time in radiography school taught me to see beyond the surface and find clarity in every challenge,” Cregger said.
Classmates lingered over refreshments, laughing and chatting. In strong evidence was the collegiality between alumni and current and former faculty members who are also alumni. Shirl Lamanca spoke to this in her remarks. “The Radiography Program’s gift to its alumni is so much more than a rich education and a rigorous intellectual preparation for your profession,” she said. “It’s also the circle of friends with whom we continue life’s journey long after our Radiography Program years are behind us.”
