Wilmington College alumni recognized for service, distinguished and promising careers

Wilmington College recognized a quartet of alumni who are distinguishing themselves in lives of service and success at the Alumni Awards Brunch held during Homecoming (Sept. 27). 

Tammy Shadley ’90, vice president, chief advancement and alumni officer, lauded such a gathering as special “because it brought us together to celebrate what it means to be a part of the Wilmington College family.”

Honored were Lara Elcook Hamilton ’93, Alumni Citation for Distinguished Contributions to Education; Dale Molnar, Class of ’75, Alumni Citation for Distinguished Professional Achievement; Fadi Al-Ghawi ‘80, The John Frazier Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service; and Shelby Guthrie ‘19, Young Alumni Award.

For more than three decades, Lara Elcook Hamilton has been a dedicated and inspiring educator, spending more than 30 years at Lynchburg-Clay High School. She has shared her passion for science through teaching chemistry, physical science, biology and environmental science. An Ohio Master Teacher, she has led her school's Envirothon team for 29 years, coaching nearly 300 students, with 17 teams advancing to the state tournament. Her 2024 team won the state title and represented Ohio in the North American competition. Envirothon is an outdoor competition in which teams of five students are tested on their knowledge of aquatics, forestry, soil and land use, wildlife and environmental topics.

“I absolutely love Wilmington College,” Hamilton said in accepting the award. “It felt like home from the first moment I stepped foot on campus.” She’s recommended to many of her students WC’s “small school feel” and opportunities for personal attention. Hamilton came to WC as a transfer student who double majored in biology and secondary education.

“My parents instilled in me a desire to always do my best,” she added, noting her association with Envirothon stems from a lifelong love for the outdoors, which was informed by her family’s annual two-week vacation to the western United States, camping in state and national parks. “I learned a deep appreciation for nature, conservation and sustainability of our natural resources.”

Dale Molnar is an ecclesiastical artist from Marietta, Ga., specializing in “painting with light,” the use of colored glass in windows and installations designed to tell stories when located in churches and other sacred spaces. His career as a working artist spans more than half a century.

“My whole life, I have consumed knowledge, not necessarily with a directed outcome in mind, but just accumulation, Molnar said. “This mindset has served me well since, from time to time, obscure information enhances my projects. Wilmington College offered me great resources. This small college with a very diverse student body and faculty, located in a small town, suited my learning trajectory by offering insights and experiences. For a small-town midwestern kid, there were students from different regions and countries, religions and viewpoints — I grew.”

Several years ago, a former WC classmate approached Molnar about enlisting his artistic talents in designing what would become the College’s Quaker Testimony Gardens, which were dedicated at Homecoming. “This is the first time in years of designing sacred spaces that I got to work with my own faith community (Quakers),” he said.

Fadi Al-Ghawi has remained in the Wilmington area since his graduation, enjoying a career at Ahresty, the local aluminum die-casting manufacturer. He possesses the heart of a servant leader. Over 31 years, he has donated 181 units of blood and personally helped save more than 500 lives. He has organized blood drives at Ahresty that resulted in coworkers donating some 2,685 units — in turn impacting more than 8,000 lives. Also, he is an active volunteer with the Clinton County Homeless Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, United Way and Relay for Life.

Al-Ghawi was described as an “exemplar” of the spirit of the award named in memory of John Frazier ‘71.

“We as humans are unique in our creation,” he said. “We grew up following certain paths and certain beliefs. We live our lives until the end of our journeys. Our world is full of important, interesting things and amazing wonders. Race, religion, cultural beliefs and other things are what make us special in this universe.” 

Al-Ghawi added that we are in this world to lead by example. “Volunteering is a noble pursuit. It is not defined by people or awards. It is found in the pursuit of purpose,” he said. “In your self-determination. The courage to dream. The help you provide. The hope that you create and the willingness to learn from every triumph and mistake that you make along the way. Failure for not volunteering is not an option; volunteering should be one objective of your goals.”

Shelby Guthrie is an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Greenfield Middle School, where she brought WC’s hallmark for hands-on learning to her own teaching. The school’s FFA chapter has thrived under her guidance. In a single year, the chapter earned 60 FFA degrees, completed 137 supervised agricultural experiences, served 1,300 community members and earned a multitude of top individual and group placements at FFA competitions throughout the region. 

“This college means so much to me, not just because it gave me an education, but because it gave me an identity,” Guthrie said in lauding the academic opportunities and real-world experiences she enjoyed at WC. “Wilmington helped shape me into who I am today, not only as a middle school agriculture teacher but also as a lifelong learner, a conservationist and someone who proudly wears many hats in their daily life.”

Guthrie also gave a shout-out to WC Theatre as “one of the most unexpected and impactful parts of my Wilmington journey.” She has continued her passion for the performing arts through involvement in 17 plays and musicals since graduating.

Also, Guthrie cited President Corey Cockerill as the then-faculty member “who saw potential in me long before I did and reminded me that curiosity is one of the most valuable things we can carry into any field.”