Antonia “Toni” Dosik ’67/ Photo courtesy of The Dayton Foundation.
On January 10th the “world” and 2022 will begin again as students return to campus! However some students DID stay over break to work on getting the Wellness Center (a truly upgraded version of the Old Gym and pool) ready and open for the public for the first time since the pandemic so up-ended what seemed to be our own “normal”. So, students using their break to help get the Wellness Center in fine form, show that “Antioch Works”, in many ways, as many of us know, year round. There are some great new faces around with great new energies so despite the shape that the world is in, Antioch College is more than just holding its own. One of those faces that you might not yet know is really not totally a new face as she has had deep involvement and experiences in between her own various adventurous “big-co-ops-in-the-sky”. Toni Dosik ‘67 has stepped up to be the President of the Alumni Board of Directors. She has great positive energy and lives close to the center of the universe, Yellow Springs. I asked her to tell everyone a little bit about herself. So here is the tip of that iceberg. She also still works at The Dayton Foundation.
“I became the President of the Alumni Board/Association in October. It’s not that far out from my experience — I worked for the College from 1993-1995 as a Major Gifts Officer and then as Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving — the position was combined. I sat on the Alumni Board from 1987 to 1993 and loved coming back to campus and working with my fellow alums.
I was born in LA where my parents had moved in the early 1940s. My dad was a playwright and then screenwriter and my mom also wrote for the Children’s Theatre of the Federal Theatre Project and then worked with my dad on scripts. I am what is known as a “red diaper baby” — the child of ‘30s leftists who was also a 60’s leftist (and still am.)
I don’t know how I heard about Antioch. I actually made up a story on my application that I heard about it from a friend who went to Oberlin. It might actually be true. I was one of three students in my high school graduating class of 620 who left California. One went to U of Arizona, one went to Harvard (the conductor Michael Tilson Thomas who I knew as Mike Thomas) and me.
I didn’t know much about Antioch actually, but the minute I arrived on campus, literally within the first minutes, I felt at home. It was October, the leaves were turning, the campus looked just like I thought a campus should look and I actually felt something viscerally. And the actual experience of the next 5 years only reinforced that this was the place for me.
My natural inclination to be adventurous and curious was reinforced at Antioch and the opportunities of going on co-op and spending 18 months in Europe, studying at an English university and traveling around, on my own, and with friends, has left a life long legacy. I’m even more curious about things than I was as a 20 something and I am still going on adventures. I spent two years on an island, “Chuck”, formerly “True” in the middle of the Pacific, for instance.
Antiochians are special — no other group of alumni, maybe with the exception of Yale (Yalies) actually share a name. I think that says a lot. That we are uniquely connected to each other, no matter our year or era. We share something — we are curious, adventuresome, energetic, dynamic, and effective which is why we have been so successful in life in whatever we set out to do.
I see my role as President as similar to how I saw my role as the executive director of the organizations I led during my professional career— leading a team of leaders — giving folks a bit of an organizing “push” and then letting them go. We are hoping to be able to continue to connect with the College in a positive way — ask what we can do to help — what do you need from us — and then meet those needs. We have already done some of this. We, the Alumni Board, are providing some of the leadership around the Advancement Office’s Planned Giving Campaign and we joined the Trustees in the recent Phonathon. These are examples of having been asked to help by Advancement and saying, “yes, we will help.” It’s a good feeling and we will look for other opportunities, as appropriate.
I would love to hear from each and every alum. antoniadosik315@gmail.com”
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Having been near Toni on campus when she was assisting Admissions (before the Pandemic) this Buffalo knows that she always resonates fresh energy when you meet her whether it is in-person or in one of these era’s “virtual” events. She intends to keep people briefed at intervals.
She has a natural ability to pull out and nurture other peoples’ good energy. She can help people “soar” to get what feels like positive results from their passions. Among her many skills is a knowledge of using SOAR techniques, maybe even subliminally.
“A strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results (SOAR) analysis is a strategic planning tool that focuses an organization on its current strengths and vision of the future for developing its strategic goals. … SOAR engages all levels and functional areas of an organization. “
So the Alumni Board may very well be a site for SOAR eyes and positive leadership. And perhaps that positivity will spread. Undoubtedly no Alumni Board has ever done what the Antioch College Board of Directors has done. They helped a College rise from the ashes and now will help it soar. And we all know the world sorely needs a place like Antioch College.
As always please stay in touch with the College and each other. The College, the Village and the extended alumni community, when added up, have infinite potential and the current students are more like many of you than you are. Wishing you all the best for 2022, and maybe even an in-person gathering (reunion) in the summer.
– Duffy ’77