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| Speakers at the groundbreaking for the new Edgewood College residence hall stand near construction equipment with the college logo. Pictured from left: Chair of the Board of Trustees Gary Schaefer, Sr. Mary Ellen Gevelinger, Catherine Zdeblick, and President Scott Flanagan. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — Just several days after the end of another school year, Edgewood College looked to the future with the start of another building project.
As supporters and guests gathered on campus, Chair of the Board of Trustees Gary Schaefer welcomed everyone to what he called a “great occasion at Edgewood College.”
On Thursday, May 28, ground was broken on what will be the college’s newest residence hall.
The $13 million project will provide additional living space for more than 100 students.
As the speaking portion of the event got underway, Schaefer added that the groundbreaking was “a marker of the college’s strength and its relevance in meeting the needs of Madison and the greater state of Wisconsin.”
He hoped the new hall will “shape the lives of future leaders and enhance the college’s role in building a just and compassionate world for many generations.”
‘Untold impact’
Edgewood College President Scott Flanagan also spoke emphasizing the importance of on-campus housing. Flanagan said students who live on campus in their early college years stay in school, graduate more quickly, and are more likely to participate in college organizations that serve the community and sharpen leadership skills.
Flanagan thanked those in attendance who financially supported the building project, saying “your generosity will have untold impact on our students, their families, and our community for many years going forward.”
The ‘right decision’
The next speaker was Catherine Zdeblick, a major benefactor to the project whose gift was donated in memory of her son AJ, who died in 2008.
AJ was one of the first students in the college’s Cutting Edge program. Cutting Edge is an individualized approach to education and inclusion in college for students with intellectual developmental disabilities.
Zdeblick’s gift to the project ensures that three students in the Cutting Edge program will be able to live in the new hall each year.
“This is one of the rare times in life where you know you’re making the right decision and you never ever look back,” Zdeblick said.
“With this gift,” Zdeblick added, “it is my hope that not only the Cutting Edge students, but all students experience the same connection [that AJ had] with the Edgewood College community — [to] have faith in their dreams and the knowledge that one person can make a difference.”
Taking it ‘up a notch’
Following a blessing by Sr. Mary Ellen Gevelinger, prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, sponsors of the college, the official groundbreaking took place.
Rather than using traditional shovels, the college wanted to “take it up a notch,” according to Flanagan.
Using heavy construction equipment, project superintendent from J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. and Edgewood Campus School and Edgewood High School graduate, Greg Sweeney dug the first hole in the ground to start the building.
The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the fall 2016 semester.