George Williams College of Aurora University honors alum Aurellia Sobczyk of Clemson at Coming Home Reunion

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Aurellia Sobczyk of Clemson, S.C., gets up to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from George Williams College of Aurora University on Sept. 24 at the fifth annual Coming Home Reunion.

AURORA, IL (10/13/2011)(readMedia)-- George Williams College of Aurora University honored alumna Aurellia Wyrzykowski Sobczyk of Clemson, S.C., at the fifth annual Coming Home Reunion dinner on Sept. 24.

Sobczyk, a 1937 graduate of GWC, was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award during the alumni reunion weekend on the Williams Bay, Wis., campus. Teri Tomaszkiewicz, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, presented Sobczyk's award.

"For her impact as a social worker for almost 30 years, for her commitment to serving others during her retirement, and for her adherence to the values of GWC, the Alumni Association of Aurora University and George Williams College honors Aurellia W. Sobczyk with the Distinguished Alumna Award," Tomaszkiewicz said.

In 1933, Sobczyk arrived at George Williams College on the original Hyde Park campus in Chicago. She was not the traditional college-bound student, but GWC was not a traditional college. Sobczyk came the same year that GWC was chartered and expanded its academic mission beyond training leaders for the YMCA, the school's original purpose.

Sobczyk enrolled at GWC after completing secretarial school and working for the director of the Jane Addams Hull House Association in Chicago. There, Sobczyk was inspired by the interactions she observed between the group workers and the children, which led to her decision to study at GWC.

As a student, Sobczyk was influenced by professors who were committed to their subjects and students. Almost eight decades later, Sobczyk still credits those professors and her GWC experience with shaping the person she became.

"GWC was the foundation for my life," Sobczyk said. "I became more tolerant. I gained an understanding of different cultures. I was a better parent because of GWC; I was able to see the differences in my children and encourage their individual gifts and talents."

After graduating in 1937 with a degree in group work education, Sobczyk began her career with Russell Square Park in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago, which offered recreational and social activities year-round, as well as English lessons and educational programs.

Her marriage to noted mathematician Andrew Sobczyk expanded her world as his career involved work at the Los Alamos National Lab, MIT and several other universities. In South Carolina, where they settled, Aurellia Sobczyk resumed her professional career as a social worker with the South Carolina Oconee Department of Social Services. There, she assisted women and children in accessing much-needed benefits throughout her 23-year career.

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Approximately 4,400 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university's Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels.

The 133-acre George Williams College campus offers 18 academic programs, year-round conference facilities, and is home to Music by the Lake and other educational and enrichment programs. Originally founded as a training school for YMCA leaders in the late 19th century, GWC today prepares students for lives of service through a number of degree programs. Aurora University and George Williams College merged in 2000.

For more information on George Williams College, visit aurora.edu/gwc or call 262-245-5531