A Lifetime of Personal and Athletic Excellence: Dr. Dorothy Burdeshaw
In the fall of 2020, Dr. Teresa Thompson, special projects coordinator, shared an idea with her longtime mentor and friend, Dr. Dorothy Burdeshaw, most affectionally known as Dr. B. The idea was to create an athletic fund for excellence to provide support for student-athletes to help them grow athletically, personally, academically and professionally for their careers. Burdeshaw, a dedicated legend in W Athletics, was very enthusiastic in her desire to develop a fund that would continue to provide valuable life experiences for studentathletes. As plans to develop this fund were set in motion, Burdeshaw expressed her passion for the opportunity:
“From 1973 until 1994, I had the privilege of being a teacher, coach and administrator in the Department of Health and Kinesiology and Athletics. For this reason, you can understand my interest in the reopening of the intercollegiate athletic program which occurred in 2017. The W now fields athletic teams for women and men under the guidelines of NCAA Division III, a non-athletic scholarship division. In addition to excellence in athletics, The W’s program stresses the core values of academic integrity, community service and personal and professional development.
“I am sure that you desire, as I do, for today’s student athletes to have a meaningful experience in athletic participation such as many of you experienced at The W. Not all of you who were Health and Kinesiology majors were student-athletes. However, the athletic program was helpful in your professional preparation. It served as a laboratory where you gained practical experience in officiating, treatment and care of athletic injuries, tournament/sports event management, interpersonal skills and communication. Thus, the intercollegiate athletic program is valuable to a university in multiple aspects. I urge you to contribute to the Athletic Fund for Excellence (AFFE). We have the opportunity to have an important role in providing the funding needed for coaches and student-athletes to strive for excellence as they represent The W.”
Burdeshaw’s wise words were the initial appeal for the AFFE. Since that time, more than $170,000 has been raised. These dollars helped set up the endowed Samye Johnson Leadership Scholarship and provide funding for the volleyball/basketball court naming in Johnson’s honor.
This fall, one of the most important contributions and investments in The W’s future through the AFFE will be supporting incoming golf student-athlete Lindsey Reimsnyder, to participate as a Professional Development Scholar.
The Career Services and Professional Development Center launched a Professional Development Scholarship Program to provide training as recommended by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The scholarship program is a multi-year pathway and offers students the opportunity to obtain the Professional Development Certification by completing workshops that address NACE’s career readiness competencies: career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, global and intercultural fluency, leadership, professionalism, teamwork and technology. In addition to this career prep training, Professional Development Scholars receive a $5,000/year scholarship and access to preferred internships.
“We are so excited to have someone of Lindsey’s character join The W’s Long Blue Line and participate as a Professional Development Scholar, as we know she will make us proud and will be a wise investment for our AFFE,” said Thompson.
As Burdeshaw envisioned, the AFFE is providing an outstanding opportunity for a student-athlete to participate in life-changing programming that will help them be successful in all aspects of their lives.
In recognition of Burdeshaw’s lifelong desire to help others and continuous work to support women’s athletics the fund has been renamed The Dr. Dorothy Burdeshaw Fund for Athletic Excellence.
Longtime colleague and friend Dr. Martha Wells said, “Dot was a superb and outstanding leader in women’s athletics and exemplified the essence of smart, common sense leadership. I cannot think of anyone more deserving than Dot of this honor for her many dedicated years of service to the student-athletes at The W.”
Samye Johnson offered these comments on her mentor and friend: “After graduating from The W, I had hoped that one day I would have the opportunity to come back to The W to teach and coach. Dr. B gave me that opportunity. For the next 17 years, she became my boss, my mentor and, most of all, my dear friend. I am thankful every day for the many wonderful and special people that have been a big part of my life. Dr. B is one of those people. I have been abundantly blessed by having her in my life. She is truly a wonderful lady that has dedicated her entire professional life to educating the young people of today.”
Thompson said, “We have an opportunity to honor and continue Burdeshaw’s caring and professional legacy by contributing to the Athletic Fund for Excellence to provide our student-athletes experiences that will prepare them for life and for service to others.”
“Dr. Dot Burdeshaw has always led the way in her leadership and service roles, not only in her career but also in retirement. Her thoughtful and deliberate leadership style impressed me as a student and then as a young professional working with and learning from her. She has always been so supportive of all of my endeavors. The naming of this fund for Dot is truly significant as it will now be linked to a person whose passion is for students to thrive through opportunities,” said Dr. Jayne Perkins Brown.
MUW national champion coach Jill Upton added, “Dr. Burdeshaw was one of a kind! We were a pretty boisterous, confident, professional teaching staff in the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance who had been accustomed to having a lot of autonomy. We got along great; we also had loved our previous department head, Dr. Miller. It was going to be difficult to find someone who we loved as much as we did Dr. Miller. Dr. Burdeshaw came in, quieter than Dr. Miller, with a totally different personality. She didn’t try to replace Dr. Miller; she had her own soft personality and totally professional confidence. She had great organizational ability, a great work ethic and she let us continue to do our jobs, encouraging and supporting us. It took no time to welcome her with open arms and adapt to her leadership style. We still missed Dr. Miller, but we fell in love with Dr. Burdeshaw. She was the consummate professional and is very deserving of this honor.”
Thompson said, “So many of us have benefited from our W education and the leadership of Burdeshaw as well as the many great W administrators who supported us. The newly named Dr. Dorothy Burdeshaw Athletic Fund for Excellence provides a wonderful opportunity to honor an incredible leader, mentor and friend.
“We have the privilege to pay forward so future W athletes have the opportunity to reach their goals in athletics and in life. We former athletes, students, mentees and friends of Burdeshaw have an opportunity to show in a tangible way what her caring and hard work meant to us. I believe she will take great pride in knowing that she taught us that paying forward and providing opportunities for student-athletes is the ultimate success of a leader.”
If you would like to contribute to the Dr. Dorothy Burdeshaw Athletic Fund for Excellence you can donate online at give.muw.edu and designate your gift for the Dr. Dorothy Burdeshaw Athletic Fund For Excellence.
As legendary and beloved W professor Dr. Bridget Pieschel said of this naming, “What a wonderful idea! She is one of my heroes.”