Annual Alumni Council Award Winners Announced

Seven Inductees in Class of 2015

December 22, 2015

Seven members of the Lyndon State College community were named the Annual Alumni Award winners this fall at homecoming weekend. Joe Benning ’79, Miranda (Dwyer) Fox ’11, Stu Farina, Cheri Goldrick, Bob McCabe, Sidney Patridge ’59, and Adam Vigue ’03 were this year’s award recipients.

Joe Benning received the Distinguished Alumni Award, an honor presented to an alumnus who has achieved excellence in his or her profession and who has served his or her state and community. Benning is probably most well-known as a Vermont State Senator for the Caledonia/Orange district, a post he has held since 2010. Aside from his political career, Benning has also been practicing law in Vermont after graduating from Vermont Law School in 1983. His community service work includes work with the Lyndonville Rotary and Passumpsic River Clean-Up Initiative. Benning also served as a member of the Lyndon State College Alumni Council, and as president of the Lyndon State College Foundation.

Miranda Dwyer Fox, the registrar at Lyndon State College, was one of the two recipients of the Award of Special Merit. This award is given to alumni who are or have been employed by the College and are recognized for their deep interest in and faithful service and unusual devotion to Lyndon. Fox started her work in the registrar’s office as assistant registrar in 2011, soon after graduating with her degree in psychology. After serving as the acting registrar from late 2014 to mid-2015, Fox was promoted to registrar in July 2015. She graduated with her master’s degree in education with a concentration in education technology in 2015.

The third award was presented to Stu Farina, the Loyalty Award, given to alumni and volunteers in recognition of their exceptional loyalty and faithful service to the College. While Farina is not an alumnus, he has been a member of the Lyndon community for 25 years. Farina started in the dining hall, first as a stock boy before eventually becoming an administrative assistant. He also spent time teaching kayaking courses as a member of the Mountain Recreation Department for nine years. Farina was also actively involved in Lyndon athletics, first with the baseball team, then the softball team, as well as some volunteer work with the Track and Field Club. Finally, Farina works actively with student veterans in the Gary Moore Student Veterans Center.

Longtime Lyndon staple Cheri Goldrick received one of the Faculty and Staff Recognition awards, given to a current or past faculty member who has made a significant impact on the lives of alumni. Goldrick has been at Lyndon since 1998, first as the administrative assistant to the associate academic dean, and is now a member of the Admissions Department. Goldrick is usually the first person that prospective students and families see when they arrive at Admissions. She has touched the lives of many students, by working closely with peer leaders, student ambassadors, tour guides, and many other student workers. Goldrick is the go-to person for all things admissions. Her infectious laugh can be heard ringing through the hallways of Vail. Her friendly, eager-to-help demeanor is what helps make Lyndon’s admissions department what it is.

The second recipient of the Faculty and Staff Recognition award was Bob McCabe. McCabe initially came to Lyndon in 1987 as the director of the Upward Bound program. In 2004 he was named the director of student support services, where he worked with low-income and first-generation students as well as students with disabilities. McCabe is possibly most well-known around campus for his “dog-days” and wearing Hawaiian shirts. In addition to his on-campus contributions, McCabe and his wife are long-time financial supporters, donating to the Mary Negron Student Emergency Fund, Faculty/Staff Scholarship fund, and the athletic program. McCabe retired June 30, 2015, but is still a regular fixture on campus.

Sidney Patridge was the second honoree for the Loyalty Award. Patridge graduated from Lyndon Teachers College with a degree in education, where he was a well-known student. He was involved in many on-campus activities during this time, most notably the theater, as he was inducted into the Delta Psi Omega Dramatics Society. Patridge went on to teach at the Main Street Middle School in Montpelier, where he was a beloved teacher. He has always been an active alumnus, helping with reunions, and even making and hanging the banner that welcomed his class back for their 25th reunion. Lastly, Patridge established the Class of 1959 Scholarship Endowment in 2014. This endowment provides scholarships to Vermont high school graduates attending Lyndon State College who demonstrate financial need and are pursuing a career in education or nursing.

The second award of special merit was presented to Adam Vigue. Vigue graduated with two degrees, one in business administration and the other in small business management. His working career at Lyndon started when he was still a student, as Vigue worked for ARAMARK during his first year of college. After graduation, he was ultimately named food services director from 2010 to 2012. After a brief stint away from the College, Vigue returned to Lyndon to as the general manager with Sodexho. He was recently named the Sodexo Manager of the Year for the Vermont and Upstate New York districts.