In Memoriam

I first met Judy Scalin on the phone during the summer of 2016. Then the Associate Dean for the College of Communication and Fine Arts at LMU, she called me quite a few times to ensure my schedule for my first semester would put me on the right track. She personally registered me for my dance and honors courses, and she explained how to add my second major once I arrived at campus in the fall. 

I formally met Judy on campus a few weeks later for orientation. Straight out of Catholic high school uniforms, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the warm Los Angeles weather and the lack of clothing on my newfound fellow students. My Bermuda-length shorts that nearly touched my knees were not the style. Still, Judy's kindness assured me I would find my place at LMU. 

Throughout my four years at LMU, I would frequently see Judy around campus. She always addressed me by name and with a smile. She sat in the front row of every dance performance. She edited my first research abstract I ever wrote, and every one after that. And I am only one of hundreds of students she supported.

Before becoming Associate Dean, Judy was instrumental in the founding and development of the Dance Department at LMU. She believed that everyone deserves to dance, and her spirit of inclusivity resounds in the studio spaces on campus. Judy perfectly embodied the Jesuit mission of the school, wrapping choreography and policy with love and kindness.

Judy passed away at the end of January, and we have felt her loss in the dance studios and around campus. The Dance Department honored her at a memorial service this weekend, and I was so honored to lead the community in song, the smallest way I can give back to her legacy. Sacred Heart Chapel was packed with hundreds of dancers, professors, alumni, faculty, students, friends, and family who came to honor Judy.

Though Judy retired in the spring of 2019, she was present on campus even after her retirement. I wrote a bit about her here last fall, when she continued to email me to make sure I would graduate on time. When I assured her I was on track to graduate and thanked her for her continued support, she responded instantly with an email that read, "This is an act of love not an act of duty."

I will never forget that sentence. It will shape the course of my life, as I continue to honor Judy's legacy in my career as a dancer and teacher, in my pursuit of love, in my determination to live life with kindness. Judy lives on in the dance of all the people whose lives she touched.