Magnets: Creative Writing, Theatre

In high school, there are lots of students who dabble in a variety of sports, academic, and extra-curricular programs. It’s rare, however, to meet a student who excels in every endeavor attempted. Valinda Buedel-Herrman is one of those rare gems. Valinda immersed herself in all that Stivers had to offer, from sports to theatrical productions to student leadership programs. Her quick wit, outgoing personality, and non-nonsense sensibility made her a friend to many.

Valinda earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton, where she studied in the Urban Teacher Academy, a specialized program to prepare teachers to work in urban settings with high-poverty and high-needs student populations. While in college, Valinda served as student teacher at Stivers in the classroom of her high-school English teacher, Rachael Murdock.

After UD, Valinda took a teaching position at Miamisburg High School. In addition to teaching Language Arts, Valinda has helped coach the high school volleyball team, has taught the Acting and Theater class, and, in 2011, earned a Master’s Degree in teaching from Miami University. Although she already has one graduate degree under her belt, Valinda is considering pursuing a Master's Degree in library science.

When asked how Stivers helped prepare her for her career, Valinda said that “being exposed to the various forms of art has really enhanced my teaching. I use a lot of art work and music when I’m teaching a novel or specific literary genre. I also think being surrounded by such diversity (racial, socio-economical, etc.) helps me understand my diverse student population better.”

Valinda and her husband Tony have been married for nearly five years and live in Oakwood. They love traveling together, especially to places that have a significance in Valinda's teaching. Most recently they went to Salem, Massachusetts, where Valinda took pictures she later used in the classroom when studying The Crucible. In February, Valinda and Tony joyfully welcomed their first son, Nolan.

Magnet: Visual Arts

I would venture to guess that most graduates from the Classes of 2000 and 2001 – and some graduates beyond – will never forget a character like Mike Harm. Maybe you remember his gregarious laugh or his ability to make strangers feel like friends… or maybe you just remember his towering stature hovering over you. Either way, I think you’ll enjoy reading about Mike’s journey since Stivers.

As a talented visual artist, Mike enrolled in the Visual Communications program at Sinclair Community College after high school. To help cover college expenses, Mike took a side job at Entex Information Systems in Cincinnati a week after taking Sinclair’s entrance exams. Because the pay was good and his course load was light, Mike took on the job full-time and decided to start art school the following quarter. Mike’s plans for college shifted when his starting salary at Entex exceeded what most graphic artists earn after 10 years on the job. “My business career had already developed,” said Mike. “I was promoted twice within my first two months with the company, and I haven’t looked back.” Mike has since enrolled in technical and management courses and earned 10 industry certifications in those arenas. Mike speaks about his educational choices with a word of caution: “I want to emphasize that this isn’t a ‘devaluation’ story on education – self education is a difficult and time-consuming process, and being afforded the opportunity to learn hands-on isn’t something that happens to everyone.” Mike says that his journey has been one of education by “alternative means – learning the inside of business through the struggles and victories of a company that’s been very good to me, and through the support of many mentors and educators in my personal and professional life.”

Since Mike began at Entex, the company has experienced many acquisitions and mergers. As the company expanded, Mike found himself taking on a supervisory role in his division and serving as a Subject Matter Expert to the entire North American Service Desk operation. In his three-year stint as Operations Manager for Process Management for all North American operations, Mike worked out of the Toronto, Ontario, office, and traveled to locations across Europe, including customer and internal offices in the United Kingdom and Germany. “My global experience was further leveraged as my role changed and my Process and Knowledge Management experience involved me in global projects across regions,” said Mike, “assisting in the design of the tools and software that our employees now use worldwide to track customer events and manage workloads.” Mike’s company is now known as Atos, where Mike has worked his way up to an executive-level position that reports directly to the Chief Technical Officer. “I am our Product Manager for all services related to Workplace and User Services. This job takes me everywhere from the front lines of tech support through advanced service design, right into contract negotiations in the boardroom with our highest profile clients. It’s challenging, but rewarding, both in compensation and in excitement.” Mike says that his career has afforded him some amazing opportunities that he could not have otherwise experienced: “Have you ever seen a wind turbine assembly plant up close?” teases Mike. “Do you ever wonder what’s behind the closed doors at Nike Shoe Design? Ever tasted the “flavor formula” that goes into every bottle and can of Coca-Cola?” Although Mike’s job sounds intense, it has its perks!

On a personal note, Mike married his wife, Amanda, in the fall of 2006. The next autumn, they welcomed their first daughter, Abigail Elizabeth, and two years later they were blessed with Nora Grace. This proud papa says that “the best part about creating a family is seeing your spouse and yourself in your children… little hands and feet, little faces, but SO MUCH PERSONALITY!” Mike and his family currently reside in the Southeast Cincinnati area, but plan to move back to Dayton when the housing market rebounds.

When asked how Stivers help shape Mike into the person he is today, he says he walked away from high school with two very important principles. First, “creativity is everywhere,” says Mike. “The true leaders of tomorrow need to recognize that old ideas aren’t going to win anymore. We need to apply the same principles of imagination and looking outside the boundaries to every decision we make.” Secondly, Stivers afforded Mike the freedom to self-motivated and manage his own commitments. “I was given a great deal of latitude as far as time management goes,” Mike said. “Knowing your limits and knowing how and what needs to be done is a life skill that very few college programs teach directly.”