Franklin College honors women of distinction

Even though a pandemic has kept Franklin College from holding in-person classes, meetings and events, the college kept with its tradition of honoring women who have made impacts on the community and forged paths for other women.

For the fifth year in a row, the college honored on social media four women who stood out most—who have connections to Franklin College, have made an impact on their community and created opportunities for other women through leadership, volunteer work and civic and campus involvement, according to a Franklin College news release.

The awards recognized four women, separated into different categories: student, alumna, faculty or staff member, and community member.

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Women’s volleyball coach and assistant athletic director Mary Johnston, who was honored as a Franklin College staff member, started working at the college 10 years ago. Along with helping organize the athletic department’s operations, Johnston has also helped female athletes at the school by organizing fundraisers for trips the athletes take every other year, Johnston said.

Those fundraisers include silent auctions and a camp for middle school volleyball players that served 80 young athletes last summer, she said.

Although Franklin College’s athletes participating in winter and spring sports will not get to finish out their athletic seasons, Johnston is working together with the rest of the athletic department to make those athletes feel appreciated, she said.

“We want them to know they’re supported,” Johnston said. “It’s an extraordinary time. It’s a challenge for everyone in different ways. We’d love to do anything to support them in this kind of loss.”

Susan Crisafulli, an associate English professor at Franklin College, was nominated in the community category for her work with the Imagination Library of Johnson County, a nonprofit she created three years ago as a local branch of country music star Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. As part of the initiative, books were distributed to 1,250 local children in March, she said.

“I wanted to start the program to level the playing field,” Crisafulli said. “A lot of kids in this county can’t afford books, their parents can’t afford books. These books are free, delivered to their house. Parents don’t have to stress about getting books. Babies receive different books than four year olds. If a child signs up at birth, they get 60 books to their name. It makes a big difference in their chances of academic success later on.”

Parents can register their children at imaginationlibrary.com, she said.

Crisafulli also serves as a troop leader for the Girl Scouts, leading a troop in southern Johnson County. A former girl scout herself, she said the importance of the organization is transforming girls into explorers who pass the boundaries of what they thought was possible, she said.

“The beauty of being these girls’ leader for seven years now is I’m really able to see a lot of girls transform from not being able to try things to being fearless, learning new things and being excited about the world,” Crisafulli said.

Samantha Loyd was recognized in the student category. Loyd is involved in several student organizations. She is a mentor for the Launch program, which helps Franklin College freshmen who are planning the rest of their college careers. Loyd is also a member of Student Congress, the Black Student Union and a volunteer in Religious Life, according to the news release.

“I really don’t like being idle,” Loyd said. “I like doing something all the time. Being involved allows me to give back to campus and keep busy.”

Loyd, a junior, wants to use the remainder of her time at Franklin College to develop ties between current students and alumni, she said.

“I’d really like there to be stronger connection between the student body and alumni working with the alumni office for contacts of people who are in the career fields or in the positions they want,” Loyd said. “We emphasize community heavily, but there’s not that tie between the student body and alumni.”

Erin Davis, named a Woman of Distinction in the alumna category, started the Love More initiative in 2016, an attempt to make positive change in the community, Davis said.

“It was a reaction to negative and hateful messages at the time,” Davis said. “We started making signs and raising money to put back in the community.”

In four years, the organization has raised more than $10,000 for local nonprofit organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, Girls Inc., the Boys and Girls Clubs of Johnson County and Gleaners Food Bank, she said.

The organization is now partnering with Amanda Ott and Kimberly Spurling of Franklin Community Schools to distribute meals during the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis said.

Franklin College Director of Diversity and Inclusion Terri Roberts-Leonard created the Women of Distinction program four years ago, and said it’s key to recognize leading women who are an inspiration to future female leaders.

“They are still phenomenal women who have done great things for the community,” Roberts-Leonard said. “Even though they can’t converge in a large group to celebrate that, I still think it’s important they’re recognized.”