Jim Malinowski ’09 remembers how Sister Marcille McEntee, IHM, directed Cue and Curtain productions: “She trusted us to put on these characters, who may have been a little out of our comfort zones. But she had a gift for seeing the talents and traits that maybe we didn’t see in ourselves.”
Erin Rogers Malinowski ’10 had a similar experience when math and computer science professor M.E. Jones, Ph.D., invited her to help research and present about teaching animation programming to build students’ STEM skills and creative expression. “I realize what a confidence boost that was,” Erin remarks. It was also good preparation for Erin’s career as a high school math teacher.
“It was, and still is, very important to me that I support my alma mater as best I can.”
Jim uses his theology major as director of religious education at St. Pius X Parish. He has invited his former advisor, Sister Sheila Galligan, IHM, to speak at his parish. “She’s a great witness,” he commented.
Jim and Erin got to know each other when they were resident assistants, and Jim proposed at Carol Night in 2013. The couple has returned to the rotunda for IU’s beloved Christmas tradition many times since then, not only for caroling but for reconnecting with faculty, IHM Sisters and alumni.
When the Malinowskis were expecting their first child, one of their friends made a stuffed bear out of a residence life T-shirt. The family, now with two more children, sometimes visits Immaculata and meets up with other former RAs and their children. Erin called the campus “a hub” where their friends can gather.
Erin has attended various alumni events, served on the alumni board of governors and invited other alumni to donate to IU. She acknowledges the financial pressures she and other young alumni face in the early stages of their careers and families. But for her and Jim, who is now on the alumni board, volunteering and giving back are worthwhile. “It was, and still is, very important to me that I support my alma mater as best I can!” Erin said.
Reflecting on their time at IU, Jim and Erin voiced their appreciation for the Sisters’ ability to meet students where they were and help them grow. “They didn’t just take me as who I thought I was, but who I could be and should be,” Jim says.
