Women at Carroll — Meet Teresa (Terri) Lewandowski
Today is a very special nod to a Woman at Carroll. Terri and her husband George (’78) met at John Carroll while undergraduate students on this date 45 years ago!
Following her graduation in 1978 she has participated in Alumni-in-Admissions events, personal career mentoring and promotion of the school in ways too numerous to count. In 2010, as her son Chris (JCU ’10) graduated, Terri looked for ways to continue to give back. From the Alumni Board, to its presidency, to the JCU Board of Trustees to leadership of its Mission & Identity Committee and The Board’s Executive committee, and including the “hard-work” committees quiet reward searches for Provost (Dr. Colleran), Boler COB Dean (Dr. Miciak) and President (Dr. Johnson), Terri has quietly demonstrated what it means to be a “Woman for others.”
As George told us, “The number of pre-health students that address her by my teasing moniker — ‘The Queen’ — and those that have joined us on medical immersions in Honduras for the past 4 years — know how blessed I have been to meet this wonderful person at the JCU Freshman picnic in 1974…leading to a wonderful life that I in no way deserve. We met on 9/8/74. Would September 8 be an appropriate day?”
We are honored to share this story and this wonderful Woman at Carroll with you on this very special day! Thank you, Terri, for all you have done and continue to do for our John Carroll University family.
How are you adding value to the JCU community?
Alumni, Parent of a Grad, Board Member — Chair of Mission & Identity Committee
How many years have you been at JCU?
45
What is special about JCU?
The spirit and caring of the people involved with the school — faculty, staff, administration, students, alumni — living the values of St. Ignatius.
What was your happiest moment at JCU?
Freshman picnic when I met my spouse of now 40+ years! Graduation of our son from JCU in 2010. Trips to Honduras with our students on medical mission trips. Can’t pick just one.
If you had a magic wand, how would you improve the JCU experience?
Increase our diversity so that even more of all the people associated with JCU could learn to live in comfort, familiarity, and acceptance with those different from themselves and could be examples of that behavior throughout their communities.
Fun fact about you:
When asking my husband for this one he said, ‘Don’t bother’ — so I guess you can blend them — or not! I would have said, “When we were undergrads we played catch on the quad, folks would tease, ‘The family that plays together stays together’.
