What A Gift
When Sarah Locke (MA ’20) and Itamar Lewin-Arundale (’18, MA ’21) got married in Colorado in July 2023, the two communication grad students made the registry pretty simple for their guests: Give opportunities to other people by contributing to the master’s program at Wake Forest.
Sarah and Itamar both received financial aid to attend the master’s of communication program at Wake Forest. And they met – and eventually married – because they were on campus and in the program at the same time.
“When I saw Sarah, I was absolutely struck,” said Itamar. “I think I made that kind of clear. She was in the office next to me, and I spent most of my time in her office.”
They both came to Wake Forest because they loved the academic environment, enjoyed Division I athletics and received financial assistance to earn their graduate degrees. What they found when they arrived was a supportive, challenging and inspiring faculty and staff who wanted to help them become leaders and contributors in their community.
Their education was shaped by the faculty and staff that characterize the deeply personal experience at Wake Forest. Sarah’s thesis explored the interpersonal communication barriers of women with Hashimoto’s disease. She credits Marina Krcmar, professor of communication, and Mollie Rose Canzona, associate professor in the department of communication, as being two of her strongest allies and encouragers. She also mentioned Candice Burris, the academic coordinator, and Janice Jennings, an administrative assistant who has since retired, as being strong supporters day in and day out. “They were on our side,” said Sarah. “They made a big difference.” And there was also Allan Louden, a well known communication professor, who often invited the two to his home.
Itamar spent his final year investigating the political ramifications of U.S. presidents’ support for Israel. He credits Monique O’Connell, professor of history, for having a significant influence on him and providing an amazing educational experience. Michael Hyde, now retired, served as the distinguished professor of communication ethics and drew Itamar into the field of communication, and Randall Rogan, professor of communication, made a lasting impression.
“Sarah and I really had a rock star trio for each of our thesis committees,” explained Itamar. “They all made lasting impressions on us.”
They also had opportunities that enriched their education. Sarah traveled to London courtesy of the Richter Scholarship and conducted research on the nag factor of children at grocery stores – or the communication marketing aspects that drive children to nag their parents to buy something that looks appealing. And Itamar and Sarah also helped with the Wake Speaks event, designed to improve the public speaking skills of those in the community.
The love for learning and carrying out a spirit of Pro Humanitate certainly sunk in. Sarah now teaches communication at Red Rocks Community College, passing her positive experiences on to her students. And Itamar, when not pursuing his entrepreneurial ideas, assists at the Denver Rescue Mission working with individuals transitioning from homelessness to careers.
On the day that the two were united in marriage, surrounded by family, friends and several Wake Foresters, they chose to celebrate what united them in the first place – Wake Forest University. In lieu of gifts, the couple invited guests and friends to share in their gratitude and give to the program that meant so much to them. “The greatest gift to us would be being able to give back to the master’s program we went to,” the two shared with their guests. “With this funding, we are hoping to be able to fund a few students to have opportunities to attend conferences, conduct research, present at conferences, etc.”
“We wanted to give back to Wake Forest in some way because we got funding to go to the graduate program,” said Itamar. “It was one of the reasons why we were able to get that education at that time in our life. And we wouldn’t have met one another without the opportunity. We thought it was meaningful to give more people a similar opportunity.”
“We didn’t know how much money it would raise,” said Sarah, “but anything is better than nothing, especially when it comes to helping grad students. Wake Forest has an opportunity for everybody, and it’s such a special place.”
After their wedding, Sarah and Itamar – along with their guests – contributed more than $6,000 to the communication program to assist other graduate students and enhance their educational experience. What a gift.