The Online Reflector

Scott Lawrance and John S. Erwin received distinguished alumni awards last month.

Lawrance is an assistant professor and assistant athletic trainer  at the University of Indianapolis. Erwin is president of Illinois Central College.

Lawrance was nominated by his wife.

“My wife is a graduate, and we met here,” Lawrance said.

Lawrance graduated with his master’s in physical therapy in 2003, when his wife graduated with her bachelor’s degree. In 2010, Lawrance graduated with his doctorate in physical therapy.

“I was certainly surprised [to win the award]. It is quite the honor,” Lawrance said.

Along with winning the Distinguished  Young Alumnus Award, Lawrance has been elected to serve as President of the Indiana State Athletic Training Association beginning in March of 2012.

Lawrance said that his colleagues and the peers he graduated with also have achieved great things in their careers.

He said that the friends he graduated with are now accomplished medical doctors and professionals in other prestigious fields and knowing this added to the surprise and appreciation he felt about receiving the award.

Lawrance said his parents told him “always make time for something important to you,” and this quote motivated him to keep striving to serve the community and accomplish greater things.

However, he also said that the position he now has is due to being in the right place at the right time.

“It kind of fell into my lap,” he said.

Lawrance was appointed by the governor to serve as one of seven on the Indiana State Athletic Training Licensing Board, which he has actively served on since 2009.

Lawrance also coordinates the UIndy Athletic Training speaker series each year and has been an invited speaker at national conferences. He said he believes that seizing this opportunity and taking part in his community got him where he is now.

“I think that volunteerism is something that goes underappreciated,” he said.

Besides volunteering and seizing job opportunities later in his career, Lawrance’s career also was influenced in high school and college. He had originally planned to attend Butler, but the university only had an athletic training program.

He does not regret the path he took.

“The road you take shapes you into who you are,” Lawrance said.

Lawrance believes that anybody can accomplish these kinds of achievements, as long he or she is willing to take initiative.

“Get involved,” he said. “Volunteer. Be the person who answers the call, not the person that sits on the sidelines. Make it happen.”

The other Distingushed Alumus Award winner, Erwin, is not only President of Illinois Central College, but also an ordained Methodist minister.

“I never stopped being a minister… I just changed my focus a bit,” Erwin said.

Erwin’s wife, brother and executive assistant all contributed to his nomination for the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

“I was honored [that] I was nominated, and I was surprised to win the award,” Erwin said.

Erwin would like to be considered a role model for students through receiving this award.

“For me, it is about service and giving back,” he said.

Erwin works as a volunteer for the Work Force Network, the Economic Development Counsel, the Urban League Board and the Methodist Hospital Board, among other organizations.

“It’s really important to see that we are impacting the quality of life for all people,” Erwin said.

For this reason, not only is volunteer service important to Erwin, but diversity plays a key role as well.

“Diversity means inclusion, it means making sure that students who have a difference have a place. It is making sure that everyone has a place,” he said.

Since Erwin became President at his college,  it has seen an increase in the number of Hispanic and African-American students.

The college has made an effort to be more receptive to all students’ needs, for example having staff that is  bilingual and of different racial backgrounds.

“We can learn more about life and about ourselves,” Erwin said.

Erwin said that he learned his values through the University of Indianapolis and that attending UIndy was the base that helped him go on to pursue his dreams. He said the faculty at UIndy treated him as someone who was valued.

“I am honored to receive the award,” Erwin said. “Because I had the highest respect for UIndy.”