Alumni Service Award

recognizes alumni who have rendered outstanding service to the university.

Name:  Janyce Duesenberg
Major: Elementary Education
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Employer: Retired
Job Title: Reading Specialist and Teacher

Janyce (Schur ’73) Duesenberg has occupied a variety of roles with the VU Guild, the Valpo Admission Network, and the VU Parents Council.  As a member of the Guild, she served as a local chapter officer for more than 10 years and coordinated numerous events, including Summer Send-offs to help connect incoming students with Valpo families in the St. Louis area.  She also has been one of the VAN’s most active members, earning the second annual VAN Key Driver of the Year award in 2004.  As the mother of a Valpo alumnus and a current student, Duesenberg is in her second term on the VU Parents Council, currently serving as co-chair with her husband, Brent, a 1971 Valpo graduate.  Janyce and Brent also recently served as volunteer leaders at the "Our Valpo, Our Time" St. Louis Area Round Table. Duesenberg received her bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Valparaiso University, and a master of education degree from the University of Missouri.  In 2006, she retired from her position of reading specialist and teacher at Christ Community Lutheran School in Webster Groves, Mo.

On receiving the VU Alumni Association Alumni Service Award, Duesenberg says, “What an honor it is to be recognized in this way.  Thanks so much to those who nominated and selected me.  I have loved working with all of the Valpo administration, faculty and staff, and it has been a pleasure to share my Valpo pride wherever I go.  I truly admire all the people and students I try to support.”

When asked to share her feelings about Valparaiso University, Duesenberg says, “My father died when I was a child.  How blessed I was when scholarships, work-study grants, and campus employment allowed me to attend Valpo.  My church and my faith life were so important to me.  Attending Valpo allowed me to continue to grow spiritually as I developed academically and socially.  I remember warm and caring faculty members who challenged my thinking and helped me develop greater self-confidence.  I made lifelong friends, the best of whom is my husband of 34 years, Brent.  As I share my college stories among my friends, I know Valpo is definitely unique and that Valpo pride amongst alumni is certainly unbeatable."