Jenks Leadership Program
Sandy Jenks 鈥47 had a vision of a student leadership program that would help shape future leaders in the service of others. Jenks is that vision, named for the BC alumnus and administrator that worked tirelessly for the students.听
About the Program
The Jenks Leadership Program (JLP) is the signature student leadership program of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics and the Boston College community. JLP, named for听Weston 鈥淪andy鈥 Jenks 鈥47, identifies and prepares undergraduate men and women to take up leadership roles in the service of others and the common good. Strongly influenced by Robert Greenleaf鈥檚 work on Servant Leadership, JLP provides a solid foundation to enable its graduates to become responsible leaders in a global society. This complements Sandy Jenks鈥檚 original vision and fits the motto he developed, 鈥淟earning for Leadership, Leadership for Service.鈥
Semester Modules
Individual Leadership (Spring Semester I)
Module one will consist of a series of听workshops that work on developing participants鈥 individual leadership skills.
Team Leadership听(Fall Semester I)
Module two鈥檚 workshops will focus on the dynamics of team leadership with participants being grouped into small teams (4-5 members) and each team planning a service project.
Service Project听(Spring Semester II)
During module three, the teams will execute their听service projects.
Class of 2026
Module II
Wednesday, September 3
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Fulton 515
Welcome Back Mixer
Saturday, September 13
10:00 AM 鈥 2:00 PM, Fulton 515
Leadership Improvisation
Saturday, October 4
10:00 AM 鈥 5:15 PM, Fulton 515
Build With Impact
Sunday,听October 19
8:00 AM 鈥 2:00 PM, Moraine Farm
Ropes Course Team Building
Saturday,听October 25
10:00 AM 鈥 12:00 PM, Fulton 515
Project Planning
Sunday, November 2
1:00 PM 鈥 4:00 PM, Fulton 515
Conflict Resolution
Thursday, November 14
5:30 PM 鈥 7:30 PM, Fulton 515
Crisis Management
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Jenks 2025
Operation Thank You:听To support veterans and active-duty military personnel by organizing care packages, letter-writing campaigns, and raising awareness about mental health, veteran suicide, and homelessness.
BC Builders:听To build a sustainable and enriching garden space at the Boston Renaissance Charter Public School, promoting hands-on learning, environmental stewardship, and community connection.
Menstrual Rights for Incarcerated Women:听To restore self-respect and dignity to incarcerated women by providing care packages of menstrual products to support them during their periods.
Admission Academy:听To help make college more accessible for students at The English High School by offering current juniors a crash course guide to the Common Application and college essay writing process.
CuraCare Kits:听To raise awareness about the challenges of caregiving and advocate for more inclusive support systems at the BC 今日大瓜 School by providing self-care baskets that nurture the holistic well-being of families.
This program is open to all Boston College freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. The next application period will be in fall 2025.
Selection Criteria:
- Commitment to and potential for leadership
- Strong commitment to service for others
- Ability to contribute to group learning
- Commitment to attend and participate in all program events

Meet the Jenks Class

Owen Amir-Arjomand听鈥28
Owen is studying Finance and Accounting at the Carroll School of Management. Originally听from Chicago, he attended Northside College听Preparatory High School, where he served as听varsity basketball captain and president of the Investment Club. Owen attributes much of his strong work ethic to his experience working as a dishwasher and food runner at a local restaurant throughout high school. At Boston College, Owen is involved in several organizations, including the Business Analytics Academy (where he is co-president) and the VIP Latin Dance Team. He joined Jenks to deepen his involvement in community service, strengthen his leadership abilities, and take part in engaging workshops alongside like-minded peers. When free, Owen likes to spend his time working out, watching the Chicago Bulls, or eating听Mediterranean food.
Olivia听Azevedo听鈥27
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Natalie Bly '28
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Santiago Cervantes听鈥26
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Bronwyn Chesner听鈥26
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Casey Clark听鈥28
Casey is studying Economics and English on the pre-law track. She is from Chatham, New Jersey, where she swam on the varsity swim team, played in her high school鈥檚 wind ensemble, served on the executive board of her high school鈥檚 peer leadership council, and discovered her passion for service through volunteering as a swimming instructor for children with special needs. At BC, Casey is involved in the Mixed Asian Student Association, BC Splash, BC Economics Association, and is a volunteer at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. Casey joined the Jenks Leadership Program to grow as a values-driven leader and develop the skills to lead with purpose, integrity, and collaboration through community service efforts.
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Jigmey Dorgee听鈥28
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Sem听Ferguson听鈥28
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Claire听Fontenot听鈥27
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Ania Gradzki 鈥26
Ania is pursuing a degree in Political Science with minors in Applied Psychology and International Studies, on the pre-law track. She is from Cromwell, Connecticut, where she found her passion for service and community, particularly through her work with a small non-profit that raises money for children with brain cancer. Currently, she is dedicated to advocating for refugee and immigrant听communities through her work at Elena's Light, where she provides legal support to asylum seekers. At Boston College, she is involved with Slavic Club, the Bellarmine Law Society, and the Student Admissions Program. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, playing tennis, and traveling. Ania looks forward to developing her leadership skills and making an impact on the community through her participation in the Jenks Leadership Program.听

Effie听Hatzopoulos 鈥28
Effie was born in the suburbs of Chicago, where she developed a love for cooking,听spending time experiencing and learning about听nature, and finding ways to be creative. Overall, she strives for personal growth, a sentiment whose seeds were sown in middle school. The discipline and transformation demanded by various experiences, from concert band to a competitive robotics team, positively influenced her outlook on individual development and proved to herself that any of her attributes can be improved upon with persistence and hard work. Her growth mindset and aforementioned interests are channeled into the study of biochemistry on the pre-med track. Aside from Jenks, she involves herself in Chi Alpha and in the University Wind Ensemble as a clarinet player. Jenks is an opportunity for her to grow as a community member through collaboration with and service of others.
Madison听Herrero 鈥28
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James Keenan听鈥28
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Alexander听Lehman 鈥27
Alex is studying Finance and Computer Science and minoring in Mathematics. He is from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and attended high听school at Loomis Chaffee, where he served as a Peer Tutor Leader at the quantitative resource center, founded The Account, a finance, business, and politics on-paper publication, and contributed to the soccer program as a player and official assistant coach. At BC, Alex has enjoyed being involved in the听Outdoor Adventures club as a trip leader, the investment club, and various intramural sports. He values working closely with others, vulnerability, empathy, and supporting those around him, principles he has found to be deeply emphasized in the Jenks Leadership Program. In his free time, he likes to spend time outside, exercise through sports and the gym, try different听cuisines, and learn about STEM.
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Cara听McKenna 鈥28
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Zayn Moselhy 鈥28
Zayn is currently studying Economics and Finance. He is passionate about helping the community as well as developing personal growth through service. Zayn values working with others, meaningful conversations, and building connections with those around him. In his spare time, he enjoys playing pick-up basketball, bowling, as well as trying different kinds of food. Zayn is excited to continue his personal growth as a leader and benefit from the people around him in the communities听that he is part听of.
Andrew Nester听鈥28
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Sanjana听Pillai 鈥27
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Skip Rizzo听鈥28
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Andrew Sears听鈥26
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Yash Shah 鈥28
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Lauren Thomas听鈥28
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Fabian听Ugalde听鈥28
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Grace听Vengco听鈥28
Grace is studying Finance and Business Analytics at the Carroll School of Management. She is from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where she played varsity soccer and was a part of her high听school's jazz band, Women in STEM Club, and Girls Who Code Club. Grace also found her love for service here through her school's Key Club and her church's volunteer program, where she taught music lessons to underprivileged elementary school students. Grace accredits her passion for service, hard听work, and dedication to her father, whose work in data inspired her to pursue her current majors. At Boston College, Grace is involved in BC bOp!, The Emerging Leaders Program, BC Bigs, Ever To Excel's AMDG Program, and The Philippine Society of Boston College (in which she takes an executive role as the club's secretary). In her free time, Grace enjoys skiing, snowboarding, spending time with friends and family, and playing music, whether that involves听playing the drums, guitar, or piano. Grace joined Jenks to continue fulfilling her passion for service while strengthening her skills as a leader and community servant, hoping to follow in her parents' footsteps who are both BC and Jenks alumni.
Griffin Weiss听鈥28
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Angie Wu '28
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Class of 2025
Lynn Benali 鈥26
Jason Dominguez听鈥27
Gavin Evans '25
Andre Ferreira听鈥26
Natalie Garayeva听鈥27
Curtis听Idemudia听鈥26
Casey Johnston听鈥26
Laila听Kiwanuka听鈥27
Cami Kulbieda听鈥27
Brianna Liu 鈥27
Cristina Marban 鈥27
Dan Nguyen 鈥27
Christine听Onyia听鈥27
Angelina Ordu帽a 鈥25
Pratham Patel 鈥27
Veronica Pierce 鈥27
Ella Ramchand听鈥27
Jonah Renz 鈥27
Emma Rooney听鈥27
Allison Sen听鈥27
Camille Shepherd 鈥25
Lennox听Silvestro-Dias听鈥27
Brett听Stievater听鈥25
Connor Toronto听鈥27
Natalie Westermann '27
Student Directors
Katherine Garrigan 鈥25
Nicholas McDonald '25
Alexis Thomas 鈥25
Class of 2024
George Andary '26
Lillian Beagan '26
Elizabeth Birmingham '26
Michael Bowen 鈥24
Kyle Butler 鈥26
Dylan Carollo 鈥25
Peter Coquillette 鈥26
Luis Cordon 鈥26
Sinead Doyle 鈥26
Matthew Fioretti 鈥25
Julia Franco 鈥26
Elizaveta Frolova 鈥26
Katherine Garrigan 鈥25
Luke Gueriera 鈥26
Anna Jee '24
Andrew Kamionek '25
Caroline Kane '26
Terrence King '26
William Knowles '26
Brooke Leeman '24
Kelly Mach '25
Anthony Marie '26
Jordan Paul '26
Jessica Rose '24
Suhana Singh听鈥24
Akhil Vennam 鈥26
Student Directors
Dylan Breen听鈥24
Meghan Heckelman听鈥25
Class of 2023
Panayoti Athineos 鈥25
Dylan Breen听鈥24
Chloe Chen 鈥24
Ryan Childs听鈥24
Carter Crocker听鈥25
Margot Curry听鈥25
Matthew Danik听鈥23
Akshay Desai听鈥23
Antonio Ferre听鈥23
Abigail Gallant 鈥24
Daniel Garcia 鈥24
Meghan Heckelman听鈥25
Megan Henehan 鈥25
Lauren Kenny听鈥25
Selim Kolat 鈥25
Nicholas McDonald 鈥25
Mary Moriarty 鈥23
Jack Quigley听鈥23
Lily Roughneen 鈥25
Addison听Schmidt听鈥25
Isabella听Sepulveda听鈥25
Alexis Thomas听鈥25
Sonia Toloczko听鈥23
Leah Trichon听鈥25
Gordon Wayne听鈥23
Wenqing Xue听鈥25
Student Directors
Sarah Flynn, '23
Christopher Strohman, '23
Class of 2022
Mabel Bassi 鈥23
Emily Browder 鈥22
Jack Carroll 鈥24
Tyler Doornweerd 鈥24
Jack Fenlon 鈥23
Sarah Flynn 鈥23
Chloe Garber 鈥23
Colin Hall 鈥22
Sydney Harpole 鈥24
Isabela James 鈥24
Sarah Johnson 鈥23
Mehdi Kayi 鈥24
Zarah Lakhani '24
Courtenay Lutz 鈥24
Victor Moisescu 鈥23
Claire Perez 鈥22
Kevin Petriello 鈥23
Aidan Prior 鈥24
Liam Rogan 鈥22
Kristine Simmons 鈥24
Tyler Smith 鈥24
Timothy Smyth 鈥22
Nicholas Steele 鈥22
Nicholas Stratigakis 鈥22
Xingmi (Charlotte) Wang '23
Nicholas Yustin '24
Student Directors
Tyler Williams, '22
Victoria Wittgen, '22
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Class of 2021
Meaghan Downey 鈥21
Charlie Fackler 鈥23
Jack Gambello 鈥23
Megan Harder 鈥23
Kayla Hernandez 鈥23
Sydney Hill 鈥23
Corey Ippolito 鈥22
Rhea Jajoo 鈥23
Christina Lee 鈥23
Stephanie Li 鈥21
Xinyu (Annie) Li 鈥23
Olivia McDonald 鈥23
Shane Mullen '23
Salvador Norton de Matos 鈥21
Mikayla Sanchez 鈥23
Anthony Schreder 鈥23
Yan (Stella) Si 鈥23
Christopher Strohman 鈥23
Stephanie Wang 鈥22
Tyler Williams 鈥22
Erin Wordelman 鈥22
Andrew Yang 鈥21
Lila Zarrella 鈥23
Megan Zona 鈥21
Student Directors
Marcello Garber, '21
Claire Greydanus, '21
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Class of 2020
Macy Amos '22
Sheri Astorino '20
Anna Cartasegna '20
Troy Ciccarelli '21
Elizabeth Coughlin '20
John Dempsey '22
Gianna DePalma '20
Max Figura '22
Marcello Garber '21
Olivia Hermanspan '22
Jason Kauper '21
Caitlin Kirschbaum '21
Julia Landwehr '22
Steven LeGere '21
Zhipei (Matt) Liu '21
Connor Oxenhorn '22
Natalie Repole '22
Julia Sandquist '20
Bijoy Shah '22
Lauren Wachtel '22
Abigail White '22
Ivana Wijedasa '22
Victoria Wittgen '22
Larry Zhang '22
Student Directors
Matthew Davis, '20
Morgan Gamble, '20
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The Student Advisory and Networking Council
The Student Advisory and Networking Council was created for Jenks alumni who are still enrolled at Boston College. This is an opportunity for students to remain engaged in the Jenks program through graduation. Members of the council serve as ambassadors for the program and promote it to new students, serve as unofficial mentors to current Jenks students, and contribute overall to the program development.
Lily Beagan '26听(Alumni & Networking co-director)
Carroll School of Management
Sinead Doyle '26
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
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Caroline Kane '26
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
Anthony Marie '26
Carroll School of Management
Ella Ramchand 鈥27听(Alumni & Networking co-director)
Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences
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Margaret Andersen, MCAS '19
Andrew Cappel, CSOM 鈥21
Jack Carroll, MCAS '24
Chloe Chen, CSOM '24
Ryan Childs, CSOM '24
Jeesoo Chung, MCAS 鈥20
Aiden Clarke, MCAS 鈥19
Philip Collins, CSOM 鈥19
John Dempsey, MCAS '22
Tom DiBella, CSOM '18
Patrick Dunne, MCAS '18
Charlie Fackler, CSOM '23
Caitlin Ferris, CSOM '19
Meaghan Gallagher, MCAS '18
Ashton Gillespie, CSOM '18
Claire Greydanus, MCAS '21
Megan Harder, MCAS '23
Megan Henehan, MCAS '25
Kayla Hernandez, MCAS '23
Patrick Hunter, CSOM 鈥19
Jason Kauper, MCAS '21
Michael Kim, CSOM '18
Julia Landwehr, MCAS '22
Annie Li, CSOM '23
Megan Li, MCAS '19
Daniel Martin, CSOM '19
Jeeval Mehta, MCAS '21
Maria Meyer, CSON '19
Shane Mullen, MCAS '23
Thomas O'Hare, CSOM 鈥20
Kevin Petriello, CSOM '23
Mikayla Sanchez, MCAS '23
Addison Schmidt, CSOM '25
Czar Sepe, MCAS '21
Isabella Sepulveda, MCAS 鈥25
Bijoy Shah, CSOM '22
Jasleen Singh, CSOM 鈥20
Tyler Smith, MCAS '20
James Tallis, MCAS '19
Lauren Wachtel, MCAS '22
Abigail White, MCAS '22
Elizabeth Wollan, MCAS '19NIck Yustin, CSOM '24
Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award
The听Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award听is presented to a Jenks graduating student who is unanimously selected by the student directors as the person who best exemplifies the Jenks program's motto 鈥渓earning for leadership and leadership for service.鈥

Joe Bonito
Joe Bonito '79 is the Senior Vice President, Learning & Leadership Development Executive at Bank of America. He holds a BA from Boston College, an MS from the University of Pennsylvania, and an Executive Masters in Human Resource Leadership from Rutgers University. Joe also holds a DBA from Temple University. As an undergraduate student, Joe participated in what was then the Paraprofessional Leader Group (PLG) and later served as a student director. Dubbed by Sandy Jenks as a "rough gem," Joe admired and emulated Sandy and, since he graduated from BC, has continued to give back to the program by leading workshops year after year. In the words of one student who benefited from Joe's tutelage, "Joe has been an invaluable foundation and glue to Jenks and the PLG before that. His unselfish commitment and service to this organization have been exemplary and in the true spirit of Sandy Jenks." Joe has given more than four decades of service to the Jenks Leadership Program, and when we marked the 50th anniversary of the Jenks program, the Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award was created in his honor.
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Emma Rooney '27 (left) and director, Katie Garrigan '25
2025 Recipient
Emma Rooney '27
Speech by Katie Garrigan 鈥25, Jenks Student Director
Every year, the Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award is presented to a graduating member of the Jenks Leadership Program who best exemplifies the Jenks motto of 鈥渓earning for leadership and leadership for service.鈥 It is an honor to present this year鈥檚 award to someone who embodies these values through every action, conversation, and commitment she makes鈥擡mma Rooney.
Nick, Alexis, and I have recognized Emma鈥檚 commitment from the moment she joined the program. Emma has shown up fully, authentically, and consistently as a leader in Jenks. She is always the first one there in Fulton 515 and has been an active participant in every workshop throughout the program. That dedication speaks volumes, but Emma鈥檚 impact goes far beyond her attendance.
She was a cornerstone of her Jenks service project group, offering structure, clarity, and steady support that helped bring the group鈥檚 vision for 鈥淏C Builders鈥 to life. She approaches teamwork with a selfless mindset, asking,听How can I support others? What does the community need?听That mindset reflects not just her leadership, but her heart.
Emma brings that same passion and purpose to everything she does, especially when it comes to preparing for her future. She is driven by a love for learning and a deep desire to help others, with plans to pursue a career in dentistry or orthodontics. Whether it is here at Boston College or back home in New York, Emma鈥檚 commitment to serving her community shines through. She is thoughtful, intelligent, and grounded in values that will carry her far, making a real difference along the way.听
Emma represents the very best of Jenks. She is curious, compassionate, and committed to becoming a leader who serves with integrity. She reminds us that leadership does not always have to be loud to be powerful and that often, the strongest leaders are those who lead by example, with humility and quiet conviction.
Emma, thank you for all the ways you have shown up, not just for your group, but for this program, and for everyone lucky enough to learn from you. It is my joy to present the 2025 Joseph G. Bonito Servant Leadership Award to you. Congratulations!
2024: Dylan Carollo '25
2023: Isabella Sepulveda '25
2022: Mehdi Kayi '24
2021: Kayla Hernandez '23
2020: Jason Kauper '21
2019: Claire Greydanus '21
2018: Susan Kurtis '18
2017: Ashton Gillespie '18
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Photo Gallery
Weston M. "Sandy" Jenks
Weston M. "Sandy" Jenks founded the Leadership Training Group in 1967 to prepare students for leadership roles in groups and organizations. This group was soon rebranded as the Paraprofessional Leader Group (PLG). Jenks was strongly influenced by the work of Robert Greenleaf (Servant Leadership) and John Gardner (author, presidential advisor, and founder of Common Cause). In 1992, on the occasion of the PLG's 25th anniversary, the program was renamed the Jenks Leadership Program in his honor. The focus today continues to be on leadership in service to others.
Jenks founded the Office of Counseling Services at Boston College and served as its Director for 21 years. He was a counselor and confidante to scores of Boston College students during a career that spanned 47 years, beginning when he arrived as a freshman at age 16, in 1941.
Farewell to a BC legend
Jack Thomas,The Boston Globe
June 2, 1988
The most passionate event is death, and the least emotional writing, ironically, is the obituary, so that when Weston Jenks died in his sleep of cancer a few weeks ago at 64, it was reported matter-of-factly that he was a native of Waterbury, Conn., that his 40-year career at Boston College had begun as a freshman at age 16, that he had earned three degrees, commanded an attack boat in the South Pacific during World War II, and returned to BC, where he taught poetry and composition and founded the College Writer's Workshop and a counseling office of 10 psychologists who help thousands of students each year.
But there was more to Jenks, or "Sandy," as he was known to friends and colleagues who gathered after his funeral at St. Ignatius Church, and than again a few days later to dedicate a library in his name at Gasson Hall, for he was, by unanimous agreement, an exceptional teacher of intellect, imagination, energy and, above all, compassion. He devoted most of his attention to students learning to write - among them George V. Higgins and Ed Hannibal - or those who were troubled emotionally. Oddly, he never wrote for publication, for although devoted to the written word, he found creative writing, even the composing of a memo, to be devilishly difficult. "He was so acutely aware of the weight of each word and the need to craft it," said a friend, Dr. David John Smith, "that he was sometimes not able to sit down and write a letter."
He loved literature, conversation, political cartoons, Noel Coward and E.B. White. He enjoyed the funny pages, vacations at Boothbay Harbor, browsing in bookstores or antique shops, and puns, which he considered a clever use of the language. He was a swimmer, sailor and sports fan, with season tickets to BC football, basketball and hockey. He was partial to Rob Roys, backyard barbecues and Athens Olympia restaurant.
In clothing, he was traditional, and, at Symphony Hall or a Celtics game, favored suits. In the '60s, when neckties were thought of as politically hostile, Sandy resisted a temptation to win the favor of students by dressing down, and it was common, even in rebellious years, to see him in a three-piece suit in conversation with a campus radical in hippie dress. Sandy was not a man to blow with the wind, and students buffeted by confusion and contradiction saw him as an anchor, particularly during the social hurricanes of the '60s.
He was never on time, and students who saw him racing across campus would laugh in knowledge Sandy was late again. Alumni who invited him home learned it was imprudent to begin cooking until he arrived. He lived longer than doctors expected, not as long as his friends hoped. He was a man of deep faith, and from diagnosis until death in May, he went through the denial, anger, and finally an acceptance of death, although never resignation. Told there was no point in further treatment, that it was time to go home and die, he said he was prepared, but not in a hurry, and when it came, it would be OK, because he had lived a full life.
Next September, students will have to find someone else to ease homesickness, interpret Yeats, explain Vivaldi, define gerunds and teach Midwesterners how to eat lobster. Someone else will have to straighten out resumes and applications for grad school, and students on drugs will have to look elsewhere for help, which is too bad, for Sandy Jenks would have made it easier.