Virginia Tech's motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), is a crystal-clear expression of the values that the university has always sought to instill in its students. Today, countless alumni live by those words; here are just a few of their stories.

Have a heart: Give a kidney
The United Network of Organ Sharing, a nonprofit organization that maintains the nation's organ-transplant waiting list, reports that in mid-2002, nearly 53,000 people were awaiting transplants. More than 2,000 new names are added to the waiting list each month, and nearly a dozen people needing transplants die every day. Over the years, several Hokies have heeded the urgency of this situation and have donated their organs so that others may live.

Harold Mintz (communication '80) recalls watching his father succumb to cancer and "feeling heartbroken over not being able to do anything to help him; medical technology just wasn't there yet." Even worse, he realized, "there were many families huddled around many beds, all saying the same prayer that my family had prayed."

Mintz, who lives in Arlington, Va., did something to combat that sense of helplessness. The first living donor to donate a kidney to the country's first community-based living donor registry (the Washington Regional Voluntary Living Donor Registry, established in mid-2000), Mintz made the decision to be an organ donor with full knowledge that the recipient would be a complete stranger. Although his reasons for donating are complex, they are essentially uncomplicated--and genuinely heartfelt. "I donated because I could. It's that simple," he says. "For me, it was an easy decision. I helped save someone's life. Not a statistic, not a piece of paper. A real person with a real family."

The real person whose life was saved by Mintz's kidney is Gennet Belay of Springfield, Va., a wife and mother whom Mintz finally met at a luncheon given in their honor by the registry. Since that first meeting, their two families have continued to share good times, along with good health.

Mintz, now an advocate for the registry, says the donation was years in the making. "Giving blood since high school bumped into platelet donations. Donating platelets bumped into signing up as a potential marrow donor. Signing up for the bone marrow program bumped into a movie I watched about a high school football player who donates a kidney to save his grandmother. The movie bumped into a newspaper article on a North Carolina teacher who gave one of her students a kidney. And then I slammed into the registry."

A similar instance of fate played out when Jerry Bischof (civil engineering '81, M.Eng. systems engineering '87), director of nuclear engineering for Dominion in Richmond, Va., was diagnosed with a kidney disease that necessitated a transplant. Co-worker Bryan Foster (mechanical engineering '81) of Williamsburg, Va., director of safety and licensing at Dominion's Surry Power Station, offered his kidney--well before tests revealed that Bischof's family had incompatible blood types.

Although the two men graduated from Tech on the same day, began work on the same day at what was then Vepco, and were twice promoted on the same day, they didn't become friends until 1996, when they worked together on several projects. But even this series of coincidences could not have predicted the donor-recipient compatibility between the two men, a match as close as between brothers.

The operations, performed in mid-2001 at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, were a success. In fact, this past summer, Bischof competed in team volleyball and singles tennis (advancing to the semifinals) and ran the 5K race with his wife at the U.S. Transplant Olympics at the Disney Wide World of Sports Center in Orlando, Fla.

Bischof admits that he continues to be "amazed at how humble Bryan is about the donation, almost embarrassed. He downplays the donation, but I'm constantly aware of what a huge deal it is and the great sacrifice that Bryan has made. The donation says so much about his character."

Most people can't conceive of needing a new kidney, much less two. In February 1980, David Kenyon, professor of marketing and price analysis in the Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, donated a kidney to his oldest son Brian (mechanical engineering '89), who was then 13. Because of the quality of anti-rejection medications at the time (which has since improved, now allowing a transplanted organ to last much longer), the Kenyons knew that another transplant would be required down the road. When the inevitable came to pass, Brian's younger brother Keith (business accounting '91, M.S. '98) donated his kidney--exactly 22 years to the day after Brian's initial transplant.

Kenyon confesses, "It was easier to donate than to watch my two sons go through [the surgeries]." Keith, just 12 when his father donated a kidney to his brother, remembered "contemplating doing the same thing my dad did. I was full of fear and wasn't sure I could." Now he feels differently. "I really appreciate that I had 22 years to figure out what I was going to do," he says. "I had such a peace about it."

Tom Caruso, a manager of program development in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, knows that peace firsthand. "The ability to donate a kidney made me feel good," he says.

Shortly after coming to Tech in 1996, Caruso, who guides life science and information technology faculty in pursuing research funding, learned that his new wife's 15-year-old son, Mika, had end-stage renal disease. Mika is a surviving twin, and doctors discovered that his kidneys had not grown since birth, apparently the result of a drug he had been given as a neonate.

When Mika's immediate family members were deemed incompatible, Caruso offered his kidney and was found to have a 50-percent match with his stepson's tissue antigens. The surgeries took place on Halloween at the University of Virginia Medical Center, where a foundation for kidney transplants paid for Mika's operation. Mika, now finishing his sophomore year at Radford University, celebrates the anniversary of the transplant with his family every year.

"One person came up to me after the transplant and said, You don't need to do anything else in your life because you will always know that you gave your kidney to someone who needed it,'" Caruso remembers. "So many people thanked me and hugged me for my gift, but just knowing that Mika is happy is my gift."

Though increasing in number, organ donations from the living are significantly fewer than those from the recently deceased. To learn more about organ donations and how you can help, visit the United Network of Organ Sharing at http://www.unos.org.
J.C.

Turning kids around
As founder and president of Richmond, Va.-based U-Turn Inc., a dynamic nonprofit organization that helps young people by way of athletics, character building, and spiritual guidance, Paul A. Manning (electrical engineering '92) has kept his aim true.

Manning laid the foundation for U-Turn in the summer of 1993, when he began an informal competitive tennis program to train talented inner-city youth. In the wake of the program's growing success, Manning left his position at Virginia Power in 1996 to direct U-Turn full-time and has since helped kids, families, and communities through a combination of superior athletic training in a strong moral context.

"We give youth moral and ethical lessons and the pillars of life: hope, faith, and love," Manning stresses. "We focus on goal-setting, discipline, achievement, things needed later in life for success."

To accomplish U-Turn's mission, Manning, a U.S. Professional Tennis Association member, is assisted by Tech alumni who possess relevant skills, including director of basketball Michael G. Davis (nutrition for human performance/exercise science '95), a registered dietician and certified strength-conditioning specialist who played on Tech's varsity basketball team from 1991 to 1994; and director of volleyball Laura Hanner (mathematics '97), who holds a CAP Level-I certification from USA Volleyball and was a member of Tech's volleyball team from 1993 to 1996. In addition, other Hokies serve as volunteers, consultants, and part-time employees, including registered dietician, counselor, and personal trainer Lisa C. Davis (dietetics '95), responsible for the sports nutrition curriculum; and consultant Josh Harwood (biology '94), U-Turn's former assistant director of the sport science department.

Last summer, a staff of 30 worked with nearly 550 youth per week at U-Turn's multipurpose 55,000-square-foot training facility, Peak Performance Academy. Ever mindful of the changing times, Manning plans to couple innovative technological programs with U-Turn's inner-city athletic outreach, including classes in popular computer programs--yet another way to push kids to maximize their performance in life.

For more information about U-Turn's mission and programs, visit http://www.u-turn.org.
J.C.

Volunteering on campus
Virginia Tech alumni are not the only Hokies helping others--current Tech students are involved in a number of altruistic activities both on campus and in the community. Two of these notable efforts are the establishment of an annual day of service in the New River Valley and the ongoing operation of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad.

Virginia Tech and Texas A&M have more in common than a corps of cadets and Division I football--last spring, both schools participated in a student-run community service day known as The Big Event. Founded more than 20 years ago by students at Texas A&M to thank the area around the university for its support, The Big Event has become the largest university-sponsored day of service in the country.

Tech's inaugural Big Event, held April 6, 2002, was initiated by the Student Government Association and led by its vice president, Christina Coukos. The event was especially significant for Tech, Coukos says, because the university is such a huge presence in Blacksburg. "Virginia Tech is Blacksburg, and residents are inconvenienced by students all the time," she says. "The Big Event is a way to say to the community, Thanks for putting up with us.'"

More than 500 student volunteers worked throughout the day on 90 service projects, which included painting houses, helping out at retirement centers, and doing yard work for senior citizens. Volunteer Kevin Goerger, a senior, was part of a group that picked up trash at a Montgomery County park. "The park looked really good when we left," Goerger says. "The event was a good way for students to give something back to the area since we live here most of the year."

Coukos reports that The Big Event received considerable support from Tech faculty and New River Valley residents alike. President Charles Steger was among them, noting that the event "really symbolizes our commitment to Ut Prosim in a very tangible way." Like Texas A&M, Tech plans to make this day of service a yearly tradition, and the second annual Big Event has been scheduled for March 29, 2003.

A day of voluntary service from 500 busy full-time students is certainly commendable; however, some Tech students volunteer up to 40 hours each week--specifically, the 28 members of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad (VTRS), a student-run organization that provides year-round emergency medical care to the Tech community.

The VTRS was founded in 1969 by four students who were refused membership in the Blacksburg Fire Department and First Aid Crew simply because they were students. Not to be deterred, they formed their own first-aid group to help the Blacksburg crew with on-campus emergencies. Today, the organization operates independently of the Blacksburg squad and is solely responsible for the emergency medical care of 35,000 students, faculty, and staff members on campus. The VTRS most often receives calls as a result of injuries at the gym and incidents involving alcohol.

Maintaining two advanced life-support ambulances and a first-response truck, the VTRS is located on campus, which allows the squad to arrive more quickly at emergencies. "It would be impossible for the campus to operate effectively without us," VTRS member Devin Sperling says. "Being on campus, we can respond much quicker than other groups, which is often critical to the people involved."

Although student volunteers are not required to have any previous medical training before joining the VTRS, new members are thoroughly trained by students already on the squad. "We teach them all the skills and information they need to ride on the ambulance," says Melissa Harrison, president of the VTRS. "We pride ourselves on our level of training."

Trained VTRS members fill duty schedules that ensure a crew is on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even during student breaks. Members work anywhere from 30 to 40 hours each week and are required to take both day and night shifts. The responsibility may seem too much for a full-time student to handle, but VTRS members are dedicated. "It is very rewarding to help those who are in need," says Harrison.

That dedication has not gone unrecognized--in 2000, the VTRS received the Governor's Award for outstanding EMS service in Virginia, honoring the squad's years of service as the second-oldest collegiate rescue squad in the country.
C.C.

This Hokie can fly
Using a favorite hobby to help others would bring anyone enjoyment and deep satisfaction, says Tom Gatewood, director of the education programs at Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center. As one of more than 500 volunteer pilots for Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, a nonprofit organization that transports financially needy patients and their families to medical facilities at no cost, Gatewood routinely uses his love of flying--and his personal plane--to serve others.

"I meet some wonderful people as I fly them to places that I normally wouldn't fly to on a routine basis," Gatewood says. "I receive great personal satisfaction in flying those with limited financial resources to treatment locations where their medical needs can be met."

Because of his exemplary record of service, Gatewood, who joined Angel Flight in 1999, has received the organization's Finest Pilot of the Year Award for the past three years. Volunteer pilots in the Mid-Atlantic region, which is comprised of 10 states, fly an average of two to three missions per year; Gatewood, however, had already flown 20 missions by October 2002. Collectively, this altruistic aviator has flown 120 Angel Flight missions, a commercial value of around $48,000.

But awards and recognition are not incentives for Gatewood's commitment to Angel Flight. "The expressions of gratitude from the wonderful people I fly, from hugs to notes to tears, are all the payment I need. And learning that an Angel Flight mission has been part of the treatment and healing process for a person is great, too."
C.C.

A haven for grieving children
Lynn Barribeau Hughes, wife of Kelly Hughes (finance '85, health and physical education M.Ed. '89), has experienced her share of grief. By age 12, she had lost both parents and felt that no one could understand her loneliness and confusion. To help kids deal with the overwhelming emotions that accompany loss, the Hugheses founded Comfort Zone Camp in May 1999.

Located in Rockville, Va., outside Richmond, Comfort Zone Camp is a nonprofit organization whose mission, the Hugheses say, is to "provide bereaved children the opportunity to remember their loved ones in a safe and healing camp environment and to realize that it is okay to grieve, to cry, to share their loss story with others, and to say goodbye."

Now the largest bereavement camp in the country, last year Comfort Zone hosted more than 400 kids aged seven to 17 from as far away as California, Nevada, and Texas. Led by a volunteer staff of grief therapists, chaplains, teachers, hospice workers, and others who have experienced loss, the weekend-long camp is free to all attendees. Grief counselors review every application, however, ensuring that the camp is the right choice at the right time for each child. Since November 2001, the Hugheses have organized mini-camps in several New York and New Jersey locations to assist those who suffered a loss in the Sept. 11 tragedy. They have committed to holding these special camps through 2005, and longer if necessary.

Comfort Zone Camp is not just about grieving, though; outdoor activities abound. But the fun times are interwoven with quieter times that allow kids to express their emotions with others who can understand--and will listen. Each camper is assigned a "Big Buddy" who stays solely with that camper for the entire weekend. And all activities are aimed toward helping the campers in the healing process. For instance, healing circles, led by licensed therapists, are held four times during the weekend.

By way of grants, individual donations, fundraising events, and corporate sponsorships (from, among many others, Target, the American Cancer Society, and Discover Financial Services), the Hugheses raise all the monies to operate Comfort Zone Camp--which requires renting camp space--and to pay all costs for campers, including transportation. Comfort Zone also pays for a guardian to make the trip with the child.

The Hugheses have started a capital campaign so they can build their own facility. Eventually, their goal is to become the nation's first full-time summer bereavement camp---and the first facility dedicated solely to bereaved children.

Kelly admits that the camp has "exceeded our wildest expectations. There's so much energy behind us now that Lynn and I both do it full-time. The need is much bigger than we ever anticipated. There are grieving children everywhere who need the type of environment that Comfort Zone offers."

For more information, visit the Comfort Zone Web site at http://www.comfortzonecamp.org.
J.C.

Serving the international community
In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush called on the Peace Corps to double its number of volunteers over the next five years--and Virginia Tech alumni are helping the organization do just that. In February, Tech earned a spot on the Peace Corps' "Top 25" list of U.S. colleges and universities with the most alumni actively serving. Currently, 40 Tech alumni are serving in the Peace Corps, and more than 400 alumni served in 90 different countries from 1961 to 2000.

Doug Appler (history '99, political science '99) served in Guatemala from 2000 until 2002 as an urban planner. Upon returning to the United States, Appler became Tech's Peace Corps campus recruiter to share his experience with students and show them how they can volunteer. "I think it's a good way to let people know what I've been doing for the past two years and that the Peace Corps is within their reach," Appler says. "It doesn't take superhumans to be Peace Corps volunteers--just normal people."

Many other former Peace Corps volunteers are now Tech faculty members. Clothing and textiles professor Marjorie Norton, who served in Columbia from 1971 to 1973, says her Corps experience allows to her to bring an international perspective to the classroom. Theo Dillaha, a biological systems engineering professor, says, "I came home confident in my abilities to handle most any situation, [with] an awareness all people are essentially the same, and the knowledge that I could comfortably survive with a lot fewer toys than I was accustomed to."