Suramek Resigns as Director of Alumni Relations

Dear Berea College Community,
 
Mae Suramek, who has served as Berea’s Alumni Director since 2004, has made the decision to end her work in the Alumni Office at the end of June.  Mae graduated from Berea College in 1995 and has been a genuine and passionate supporter of Berea’s mission for the past 20 years as a student, alumna, and employee.  If you’ve ever served on a committee, taskforce, or special project with Mae, you will have undoubtedly felt the positive energy that she radiates from within.  In her work, in her deeds, and in her personal life, Mae regularly reminds those around her of the goodness in all people, the brimming potential for an inclusive Berea community, and a greater hope for a Fee-inspired world.  Mae asked me not to follow standard operating procedure and list all of her “accomplishments” over the past nine years, because she believes that her real accomplishments can only be shared with each of you.  In the true spirit of Mae, she offers these parting words:
 
Friends, thank you for allowing me to serve Berea alongside each of you for the past nine years. It has been a life-changing journey and I will always carry with me my deep love for the values that Berea College embodies.  While I am thankful for having had the opportunity to  cross paths with each of you,  I am finding it more and more difficult to ignore the question that Parker Palmer posed to us during commencement, “How can I find the place where my deep gladness meets the world’s deep needs?”  I am therefore on a personal journey to seek to answer that question.  I am inspired by so many of you who exemplify the very best of Berea, and who have impacted, influenced, and humbled me greatly over the years.  Thank you for your commitment and dedication to my beloved alma mater.  I hope you never, ever underestimate the impact you’ve had on the lives of Berea students and alumni.  What a true honor to have shared this time with you.      ~ Mae Suramek, ‘95
 
Please join me in wishing Mae well as she embarks on this next part of her journey.
 
 
Michelle L. Janssen, CFRE
Vice President for Alumni and College Relations
Berea College
CPO 2216
Berea, KY 40404
Telephone: (859)985-3005
Fax: (859)985-3905