Wendy Zufelt-Baxter, Cohort 15

He always comforted me at the final banquet when it was time to leave all of our classmates. This past summer Tim came to me to see if I was okay. He never judged and you never needed to apologize for expressing emotion. It was not a weakness. After he asked if I was okay, I told him, I just hate goodbyes. He replied, "It is not goodbye Wendy, it is "See you next summer." Well Tim, I won't see you this summer and I will miss your passion and compassion. I will miss your open mind and enthusiasm for all that is ethical. I will remember your story to me about my hero Martin Luther King and your march. I will remember that we both had a love of motorcyles. I will remember the day in typical Wendy fashion I stated that I thought consultants were "parasites" before knowing you were a consultant and had a consulting firm. I will remember your response even more. You were not angry, you listened to me and asked me to explain. You helped me qualify my assertion to a more grey statement not so black. You did not attack me, you listened and learned and heard my passion and conviction. You taught me a great deal through this incident. You cried when reading my philanthropic autobiography and were not afraid to tell me that. You fanned my flame for philanthropy and helped me see the spitituality of my profession. It was you that I knew would be at our graduation. It was you I wanted to see in the crowd. It was you I wanted to acknowledge and introduce to my family. I hope to still feel your presence at my Capstone presentation and my graduation. I have cried and continue to mourn your passing AND not unlike you, am not afraid to admit that knowing you and losing you has had a profound affect on my life. With love and kindness, Wendy

Wendy Zufelt-Baxter, Cohort 15