Inspire, Winter 2007

Inspire 9 Feature October 6, when approximately 125 members of the Class of ’92 (along with their families) came together to reminisce and renew friendships. Gia was especially pleased at the outcomes of the children’s activities. She remarked, “We had some really fun children’s events planned by Heather Guthrie Morgan ’92. We had magician Terry Miller ’65, a bottle toss, toss across, pin the nose on the clown, and fake tattoos by Katie Farrar ’08. The children’s activities freed parents to talk with classmates, and Dr. Dixon entertained us with his dandelion speech and stayed to have lunch with us.” Some personal excitement came just before the reunion, when Gia and husband Ralph ’92 realized that their son, Alex (3), was sporting dots that looked suspiciously like chicken pox. Ralph, who had yet to be able to attend one of Gia’s alumni events because of schedule conflicts, was forced to whisk Alex home before the reunion began. He and Alex were disappointed to miss the long-awaited reunion, but Gia and sons Nicolas (12) and Anthony (7) were able to stay and later gave Ralph and Alex a good report. Family is, of course, important to Gia. Supporting Cedarville alumni activities is something she does in addition to her primary roles of wife and mother and her secondary roles of community volunteer and writer. Gia volunteers at her children’s school and serves as parent-teacher organization president. She also attends Bible Study Fellowship and is a member of the women’s ministry leadership team at her church. An author of short stories, poems, and religious dramas, her dream is to someday write a book and speak in chapel about it! With so much going on, how and why does Gia make time for Cedarville alumni groups? For Gia, the “how” question is easy to answer. “The chapter leadership team only meets twice a year to plan the events,” she explained. “We stay in touch via e-mail. It’s a great group of people who really work together to make the Columbus Chapter happen and have super events.” “The homecoming committee has been great fun,” she continued. “It’s been awesome to work with the alumni office. I love to do anything I can with them. There’s tons of support. They are so kind and so helpful. They always drop notes to let you know you are in their prayers, and they’ve become friends. I would do anything for them!” The “why” of Gia’s involvement is somewhat self-evident, but two special factors seem to emerge: Cedarville friends and the Cedarville focus. While at Cedarville, Gia majored in English and technical and professional writing, was a member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and was a student worker at the CDR Radio Network. She made lifelong friends with fellow students and professors as she journeyed through her years of studies and activities, and she continued at CU as a secretary for the Department of Communication Arts for a time after she graduated. Gia looks back on Cedarville years overflowing with precious, godly friendships and wants to sustain those relationships. Cedarville’s focus on Jesus Christ is the other reason Gia strives to stay connected. “I feel Cedarville meets a real need for people heading off to college,” she said. “It stands on the truth of the Bible. It’s a great place to prepare for your future while staying grounded in the Word of God.” She recalled, “I loved chapel — I miss that time of the day. The Bible classes taught me how to study the Word of God. My major classes taught me what I need to be successful. It was a great environment.” Perhaps Gia will be signing up for a third alumni volunteer opportunity in the future. Or maybe before we know it, her dream book will be published and she’ll be gracing the chapel platform to share about it. One thing is for certain: Gia plans on staying connected with CU and encouraging others to do the same. “I think sometimes we get so busy in our current lives, as well as in our kids’ activities, that we don’t really think about college much anymore,” she remarked. “However, I think there’s a real support system out there in alumni. I’d encourage all Cedarville grads to find their closest alumni event and give it a try. You may be surprised who you might find and how much fun you (and your kids) will have.” Ralph ’92 and Gia Wood Ciotola ’92 live in Marysville, Ohio, with their sons, Nicolas (12), Anthony (7), and Alex (3). Ralph is a logistics supervisor for CEVA Logistics at the Honda plant in Marysville. The Ciotolas attend Marysville Grace Brethren Church, which is pastored by Clancy Cruise ’87. Gia volunteers on the women’s ministry leadership team at the church alongside Clancy’s wife, Sandy O’Boyle Cruise ’87. Contact the Ciotolas at rciotola@columbus.rr.com . Kara Steinman DeMusz ’02 resides in Springfield, Ohio with her husband, Emil. She may be contacted at kdemusz@alumni.cedarville.edu . Gia looks back on Cedarville years overflowing with precious, godly friendships and wants to sustain those relationships. I