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Since our founding in 1887,
thousands of disadvantaged children have passed through Glenwood’s
doors and on to brighter futures. Glenwood’s history
is filled with success stories of children who came from challenging
family situations and were provided with the skills and values
needed to build better lives for themselves. Many of our alumni
have served or are serving in the military, and represent
a wide variety of professions from painting contractor to
university professor.
Bryan Samuels, the former Director of Illinois’ Department
of Child and Family Services, is an alum who spent 12 years
at Glenwood before being accepted at Notre Dame. We are proud
of our alumni for overcoming their challenges and becoming
contributing members of society.
For the past 50 years one name has become synonymous with
Glenwood School - Ray Borgia. When Glenwood celebrated its
120 year aniversary, Ray had walked the campus for more than
half that time. Ask alumni who had the greatest affect on
their lives, and many would say it was Ray. It is a legacy
he is proud of.
Ray was hired in 1957 as the assistant dean, assistant coach
and senior army instructor. “I am indebted to Glenwood.
They gave me a good education, taught me right from wrong
and helped me become an asset instead of a liability. I tryed
to do the same for the students during my watch."
An active member of the Alumni Association, Ray was involved
in creating the Veterans Memorial and most recently worked
with alumni to create the Glenwood Museum which opened for
the Flag Day Ceremony of 2003. Ray, himself a highly decorated
Korean War vet said, “The dedication of the Veterans
Memorial in 2000 was a truly emotional experience for me because
I knew every one of those students,”
“During the past 50 years Ray has inspired, guided,
counseled and mentored thousands of Glenwood students. He
has indeed made a difference and everyone at Glenwood is truly
grateful to him,“ said Glenwood President, John Irwin.
A perfect example of Glenwood’s “life-saving”
effect is the story of the late David B. Hill, Jr., Glenwood
alum, past Chairman of both the Board of Trustees and the
Executive Committee. He said: “As a boy on Chicago’s
south side, my life could be described as total chaos. Then
something happened…something great. I was placed at
Glenwood in 1940 and for the first time my life took a turn
for the better. I found myself surrounded by people who understood
my life and my problems and seemed eager to help me and share
my concerns. I owe much of my success to Glenwood.”
Active alums are involved in many ways, from participating
as board leaders and active donors, to working on campus and
at Glenwood’s Camp Getschow. The Alumni Association
also plans many activities with Glenwood students such as
pizza nights, movie outings and baseball games. It also publishes
“The ALUMinator,” a semi-annual newsletter sent
to more than 1000 alumni across the country.
While many students stay involved with Glenwood after graduation,
it is challenging for Glenwood to keep in touch with each
one. However, the school is committed to keeping an accurate
account of the students’ continued success and has begun
collecting and analyzing alumni data. If you are a Glenwood
alum and are not on the mailing list, please contact the school
at 708-754-0175.
Link
to The Glenwood School Alumni Association Home Page
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