AAMI Military
Newsletter
Issue #2 March 2017
This issue includes:
 News Headlines from AAMI
 Ask the President – Ms. Meg Dunn
 Bill Ellerman of JMAC tells of his
experience in Funeral Service and
Mortuary Affairs
AAMI Military
Newsletter
 Meet members of the AAMI faculty:
Issue #2 March 2017
 Tracy Lentz
 Bill Flooks
 Elissa DeBenedictis




AAMI Virtual Information Days
Facts about AAMI
A guide to joining AAMI
Conclusion
Alan Loveder Director of Admissions and Military Affairs
American Academy McAllister Institute Of Funeral Service Inc.
619 West 54th Street. New York., NY 10019 Tel: 212 757 1190
1
Welcome to the second issue of the
AAMI Military Newsletter
AAMI releases its military video: go to
www.aami.edu and click on our video link.
AAMI launches its virtual information days: visit
www.aami.edu for dates and times. See page
17 for more details.
AAMI will be at the Fort Lee College Fair on
Wednesday, 8 March 2017 from 1100 to 1300
hours in the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club
(SAMC), on the second floor of the Army
Logistics University (ALU), United States.
AAMI will at the NCOA Job Fair Fort Lee, VA –
on Wednesday, 29 March 2017, 900 to 1400
hours in the Fort Lee Regimental Club, 2609 C
Ave, Fort Lee, VA, 23801, United States.
AAMI receives the 2nd place award in the
Private Vocational Military Friendly® Schools
category for 2017.
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MS. MEG DUNN, PRESIDENT AND CEO
Would you tell our readers a bit about yourself, your career and how
you became the President of AAMI?
My name is Meg Dunn and I am a third generation Funeral
Director, licensed in the state of New York, and a Certified Funeral
Service Practitioner (CFSP).
I graduated, cum laude, from St. Francis College in Brooklyn,
N.Y. with a Bachelor of Science Degree and was inducted into the
National Science Honor Fraternity. After graduating from St. Francis, I
was awarded a full grant to pursue my graduate studies in Health
Science at Long Island University where I received a Master of
Science Degree with Distinction.
I decided to pursue my dream to become a Licensed Funeral
Director and follow in my grandfather’s, father’s and brother’s
footsteps and enrolled in American Academy McAllister Institute of
Funeral Service where I graduated summa cum laude.
I was asked to join the teaching staff at AAMI in 1984,
appointed Dean of Students in 1988, Academic Dean in 1991 and
Executive Vice President in 1993. In 1994, I proudly became the first
female and the youngest President in AAMI’s history.
Please give our readers an overview of the primary courses you
teach at AAMI?
Over the years, I have taught the following courses on campus:
Introduction to Science, Anatomy I, II, and III, Introduction to
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Chemistry, Chemistry for Embalming, Introduction to Pathology,
Pathology for Embalmers and Restorative Art.
Currently I teach the following online courses: Anatomy II and
III, Introduction to Pathology, Comprehensive Review and the
Introduction to Blackboard course. I have also taught Anatomy I
and Pathology for Embalmers online.
What makes the AAMI program a great fit for a military person
considering an education in Funeral Service?
I believe that AAMI is a great fit for both active and retired
military because our program has been designed to provide the
access and flexibility needed to pursue their education anytime and
anywhere, wherever the Internet is available. AAMI has always been
dedicated to putting the student first and that is absolutely the case
with our service men and women, from the assistance we provide
our new applicants, to the dedicated support of our Academic
Advisors, to the dedication of our faculty, staff and Board of Trustees.
AAMI is committed to building on its 90-year heritage and reputation
as the leading funeral service school and to providing the best
funeral service education to all past and present military service
members wishing to enter the funeral service profession. You will
read in this newsletter that AAMI has recently been selected as one
of the Top Ten Military Schools and everyone at AAMI is honored to
receive this recognition. It is our privilege to continue to serve and
educate our military service members.
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As you consider funeral service, what would you say are the
strongest character traits required in a person to be a successful
Funeral Director?
As a Funeral Director, you will meet with families during the
worst times in their lives so you must be sensitive to the needs and
feelings of others. Funeral Directors must keep their own emotions in
check, controlling anger and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in
the most difficult situations. One must also possess a good-natured,
cooperative attitude and truly enjoy helping others.
Funeral Directors must be reliable, responsible and dependable
and able to fulfill obligations in a timely manner. All of this requires
focus and attention to detail. A good Funeral Director must be both
honest and ethical.
What is your best advice for prospective online students to ensure
success in their studies?
The best advice I can offer anyone who wants to be successful
in their studies is to work on your courses each day. Do not wait until
the 11th hour to cram for your tests and final exams. Active studying
is by far the best way to learn. So, you may be asking, what is active
studying? It is you, the student, engaging in the studying process.
Merely re-reading your notes is not studying. Studying out loud is a
great way to learn as it utilizes your auditory and verbal senses. Try
becoming the teacher. Say the information aloud in your own words
as if you are the instructor, teaching the concepts to a class. The
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more senses you use, the more likely the information will go into your
long-term memory. And, finally, review, review, review!
Could you tell us about a couple of memorable moments that truly
stand out during your time as President of AAMI?
After September 11, 2001, I led and coordinated the initiative
for AAMI faculty, staff and students to volunteer in various city, state
and federal agencies. The tasks performed by members of the AAMI
community included: organizing statistical information, assisting the
airlines in compiling information on the victims, volunteering at the
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s morgue and working as
members of the FEMA team.
Another memorable moment was working with the China
Funeral Association, the 101 Institute (China’s Funeral School) and
the Institute of Civil Affairs to establish a Funeral Service Educational
Program in the People’s Republic of China. As a result of ongoing
discussions, I have had the opportunity to travel to China twice.
AAMI has also hosted numerous delegations from the Beijing Funeral
Service and Interment Administration.
Last, but not least, is seeing how our students grow and mature
from the time they start at AAMI until they complete the program,
graduate, pass the National Board Exam and go on to be successful
Funeral Directors!
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DIRECTOR OF THE JOINT MORTUARY AFFAIRS
CENTER (JMAC) FT. LEE, VIRGINIA
I joined the Army as a Graves Registration Specialist in January
1984. Prior to joining, I had worked at a local Funeral Home in rural
Kansas. When the Recruiter asked me what job I wanted in the
military I responded “Funeral Home”. He was taken aback and said
that he doubted such a job existed in the Army. After opening his
job book, he found Graves Registration.
He informed me that I
would be sent to embalming school and work only in Army hospitals
and mortuaries; he would even throw in Jump School so I would be
able to get an additional $55 a month! At that time I was married,
with 2 children and only working 20 hours a week, so this was just
what I was looking for. The ink had barely enough time to dry on the
enlistment papers before I was off for my new profession.
After going through Basic Training, I went to Fort Lee, VA for
Graves Registration training. During our first few days I asked the
Instructor when we would start our embalming. I will never forget
him looking over his shoulder at one of the other instructors and
saying “Looks like they got another one”. Only after signing a 3-year
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enlistment contract did I learn I was not to be trained as an
Embalmer. The training I did receive for Graves Registration was how
to properly recover, store, safeguard, tentatively identify, package
and ship fatalities and personal effects from the battlefield back to
the continental United States.
During my training, I received my assignment orders to the 82nd
Airborne Division at Fort Bragg upon completion of Airborne School.
Again I was misinformed, it was not a hospital or mortuary I was
going to, but a Field Unit. My Instructors informed me that once I
arrived at my permanent duty station I could apply for tuition
assistance (TA) as there was a Funeral Science program at
Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) nearby Fort Bragg.
Once again, I had hope.
I moved my family and signed into my new duty station. Once
I completed the requirements to be eligible for TA, I went to the
Education Center to sign up for classes at FTCC.
TA could only be
used for classes during non-duty hours, so this limited me to night or
weekend classes.
I discovered that night or weekend Funeral
Science classes were limited. Nonetheless, I signed up for “Mortuary
Law” and off I went.
In being assigned to a Field unit, I spent quite a bit of time in the
field. Between deployments, field exercises and other military duties,
I was only able to complete that class and no other. When I was
finally reassigned to another base, I realized that the course credit
would not transfer.
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I do not want anyone to think I begrudge my military career; it
is just the opposite. While the statements of the Recruiter did not
come to fruition, I found both pride and honor in my duty. When
America sends her Sons and Daughters to conflict, it does so with a
solemn promise: If they fall, we will bring them home.
When I served it was called Graves Registration; it is now called
Mortuary Affairs. Today, those 92Ms serve the role of returning the
Fallen. AAMI provides a Funeral Service education opportunity to
these men and women that is like no other. The vast majority of the
Funeral Service Institutes still provide limited opportunity to use the
benefit of TA to attend classes during off-duty hours.
However,
AAMI’s curriculum, schedule and availability allows Mortuary Affairs
Soldiers, Marines and other Service members to complete classes
anytime, anywhere.
I am older now, settled in my ways and looking forward to
retirement in a few years. Being older I sometimes wonder “what if”;
what if anywhere, anytime Funeral Service education had been
available to me during my career? Today’s Military does not have to
wonder “what if” anymore as AAMI has answered that question for
them; they only need to apply and persevere.
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Meet some of the AAMI faculty!
– DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES AND DIVISION
CHAIR; COORDINATOR OF CLINICAL EMBALMING
My name is Tracy Lentz and I have worked in the Funeral
Service profession for the past 20 years. After graduating with a BA
from the State University at Stony Brook in Multidisciplinary Sciences in
1995, I earned a Diploma in Funeral Service from American
Academy McAllister Institute (AAMI) in 1996. For 20 years I specialized
as a Funeral Director/Manager in a large funeral home.
I began working at AAMI as an adjunct professor in 2008. I
teach Sociology of Funeral Service, Ethics, Color and Cosmetics,
Crematory and Cemetery Operations and the Comprehensive
Review Course. In 2016, I left the funeral home take on several
additional roles at AAMI. I am the Director of Student Services, the
Division Chair of General Education and Social Sciences, the
Coordinator of Clinical Embalming and the Students with Disabilities
Officer. I also oversee the Student Grievance process, addressing
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student grievances within 48 hours of notification and taking
appropriate action.
As the Director of Student Services, I meet with and advise
students, in person or by phone, who are experiencing personal
difficulties or issues interfering with their studies. I administer all
aspects of academic probation and dismissal. I also manage AAMI’s
online bookstore, coordinate the Capstone experience and inform
graduating students of graduation requirements and the importance
of taking the National Board Exam (NBE) upon graduation.
As an advocate for student success, my best advice to
students is to study hard and often, take the NBE right after
completion of the program and, if you don’t pass the 1st time, get
right back on the horse and take the test again. Pay very close
attention during the Capstone Review course that is given during
your last semester.
When asked by students what I liked best about being a
Funeral Director, I tell them how much I enjoyed the advanced
planning or preneed department. I spent most of my day making
funeral arrangements and speaking in the community and did a
great deal of networking with eldercare attorneys and social
workers.
The most rewarding part of my job was when a family hugged
me at the conclusion of prayers at the cemetery. It is nice to know
that I can help families through the worse times in their lives. I like
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sharing my 20 years of funeral directing experiences with the
students, be it night removals, first calls, cremations or burials.
One memorable moment that stands out in my career was
being asked to be the Director of Student Services, Division Chair
and Coordinator of Clinical Embalming at AAMI. I had such a great
respect for the professors who had taught me and for the
administration when I had attended, I was honored to be thought of
on that level and happy to make it full circle to be part of the
teaching/learning process once again, after so many years in the
field.
– DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL EMBALMING
I am a second-generation funeral director who graduated from
AAMI. in September of 1978. After a one-year Residency program, I
received my New York State Funeral Director’s License. I have been
licensed for 38 years and do enjoy my chosen profession. My father
taught me a lot and I ran a very successful trade service for 25 years.
In 2004, I had the opportunity to purchase The Beecher Funeral
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Home, one of my trade accounts. The past thirteen years I have
been able to increase our business and make improvements; my son
joined me as a licensed funeral Director in 2010.
The Beecher Flooks Funeral Home will now have a third
generation legacy to hold on to. In 1994 I was invited to teach
Clinical Embalming at AAMI following in the footsteps of my father
who taught Clinical Embalming for 30 years at AAMI. In 2001, I
became the Director of Clinical Embalming, a position I still hold.
Since I am the Director of Clinical Embalming, I teach only the
practical application of Embalming, educating the students in an art
form not generally thought as that, yet a very important aspect of
the Funeral Services we offer as professionals. We create a lasting
legacy for families and we want it to be memorable.
I gain great personal satisfaction when a family thanks me for
making the best of a bad situation. When they are in such a state of
grief, there are many emotions that must be dealt with, making for a
difficult time to communicate and help them through this period.
When you are done with the funeral service and they can’t thank
you enough, well that is good enough for me!
The Funeral Profession is in a way, a Ministry. It can be
considered a calling because of the good work we do day in and
day out. One must consider what they feel they are capable of
when handling emotionally upset people. You sometimes can’t
avoid getting caught up in the emotions of a situation, but we must
be the professionals. It is important for any individual who thinks of
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becoming a Funeral Director to spend time working in a Funeral
Home, observing what goes on daily.
The key traits of a Funeral Director are understanding,
compassion, patience and the appreciation that you can help
these families but not cure them. Time will help to cure but we must
start the healing process the minute they come into your funeral
home.
There are so many things I have seen and done in my 38 years:
The 9/11 tragedy, Flight 800, the Lockerbie crash, fallen Police and
Fire Fighters, infants and the old and infirm. But the one that will
always be the one I remember most is when we were able to restore
the features of a young mother who was ravaged by cancer. When
the father brought in their 2 young children and the youngest says,
“Now that is the mommy I remember!” That is all you need!
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–
DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND
DIVISION CHAIR, PUBLIC HEALTH AND TECHNICAL
My name is Dr. Elissa DeBenedictis and I have been an
instructor at American Academy McAllister Institute for 19 years. I
earned my Bachelor of Science Degree from Manhattan College in
1992, then continued my education and earned a doctorate in
Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College, in Seneca Falls,
NY.
After graduating in 1996, I started a chiropractic practice in Mt.
Vernon, N.Y. and continued until 2010. While in practice, I excitedly
accepted the challenge of teaching Introduction to Microbiology
and Microbiology for Embalmers at AAMI in January of 1998.
Currently I teach Anatomy I, II and III as well as Introduction to
Science both on campus and online.
In September 2010, President
Dunn offered me a full-time administrative position as Director of
Academic Support and Division Chair of Public and Technical, in
addition to my teaching responsibilities. As Director of Academic
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Support, I monitor students’ academics, advise in scheduling of
courses and credit hours and assist with a variety of strategies for
learning. As Division Chair of Pubic and Technical, I oversee faculty
in my Division and guide them according to the American Board of
Funeral Service Education standards. I especially enjoy working with
students, designing appropriate guides to enhance their learning. As
a member of the Academic Council, I participate in monthly
meetings to discuss academic changes needed, policy and
procedure adjustments and implementation of new ideas for
successful student learning.
AAMI is an exceptional school that prepares our students for
the funeral service profession. We have a well-rounded faculty
including seasoned Funeral Directors, an attorney, a clergyman,
pharmacist, chiropractor and several business-oriented professionals,
who have obtained bachelors, masters and/or doctoral degrees.
Our faculty provides students with their firsthand experiences,
relaying stories, giving examples and breathing life into the material
that they bring to their courses.
Many of the courses at AAMI focus on the human body,
professional and servicing laws, the dynamics of families and
religious traditions.
Our science curriculum encompasses the
circulatory system, microorganisms and diseases that cause death
and can be seen on death certificates.
Embalming, Color and
Cosmetics and Restorative Art courses concentrate on procedures in
properly preparing a body and using restorative techniques to
ensure that the physical features of the body resemble their loved
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ones in life. Furthermore, Funeral Home Directing, Management and
Merchandising, Sociology, Accounting and Mortuary Law, prepare
the students for the daily tasks and responsibilities of being a Funeral
Director.
Our students learn how to deal with different types of
families, make arrangements, suggest types of caskets and create
the proper religious services and ceremonies to send the family’s
loved one off with dignity and respect.
AAMI is noted for graduating well-prepared Funeral Service
professionals. In my years dealing with hundreds of students that
have succeeded in our program, my best advice is to study hard.
Organization,
punctuality,
dedication
qualities of our numerous graduates.
and
perseverance
are
Maintaining excellent notes
and performing well on examinations are the keys to success.
If I had to choose what I enjoy most and what makes my job
memorable, it is my relationships with the students that attend AAMI.
I enjoy hearing from past graduates, helping students of the present
and look forward to meeting the potential Funeral Directors of the
future.
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Each Virtual Information Day will be presented as an open
“GoToMeeting” online webinar; our website www.aami.edu will carry
the login and password information to allow online access to each
Virtual Information Day. The day will be divided into several specific
2-hour sessions and scheduled at various times across the day, listed
on our website. Each session will present the military video, followed
by an open Q&A session and then a set of specific activities such as
“Meet the President”, “Chat with a Faculty Member”, “Talk about
Tuition Assistance”, “Review the Admissions Process”, “Discuss AAMI
Courses” and “Funeral Service as a Profession”. These activities will
vary and will be delivered by a wide range of AAMI staff, alumni,
funeral directors and our faculty members.
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Founded in 1926, AAMI has a rich history as both a pioneer and a
leader in funeral service education. AAMI is the only funeral service
program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service
Education (ABFSE) that is also approved and authorized in 44 states.
AAMI is a not-for-profit, private, single-purpose academic institution
that is Veterans Administration and Military Career Advancement
Account approved and has an Memorandum of Understanding with
the Department of Defense that enables the institution to provide
special tuition rates for active duty service members, retired military
personnel, those serving in the National Guard, Reserves and military
spouses.
We offer our Associate Degree in Occupational Studies (AOS) in
Funeral Service both online and on campus. AAMI’s online program
is organized to provide instruction and student services WORLDWIDE.
AAMI’s objective is to educate students so that they may reach their
full potential and achieve success in their goal of having a career in
the funeral service profession.
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ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
 View our full presentation at
https://mail.funeraleducation.org/Military_Presentation_June_2
016.mp4
 www.aami.edu or
 Complete the application using our online form at
https://sonis.funeraleducation.org/studapp.cfm
Note 1: No application fee is required for service members:
 Schedule a one-on-one interview with one of our Admissions
team members, over the telephone or online via Webcam
 Provide an official high school transcript and an official
transcript from each college attended, if applicable
 Supply all additional supporting documentation, details of
which will be supplied with the application acknowledgement
receipt
Note 2: To support you through the admissions process, a
dedicated advisor will be assigned to you.
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TUITION FUNDING
 For those on active duty using Tuition Assistance, a copy of your
most recent orders must be provided.
 For retired service members using the GI Bill, you will need to
supply a copy of your DD214 and a copy of your letter of
eligibility from the VA.
 Spouses entering under the GI Bill benefit program will need to
supply a copy of the service member’s most recent DD214 and
the applicable letter of eligibility from the VA.
 Financial Aid is also available for those that qualify.
REQUIREMENTS TO BE AN ONLINE STUDENT
 Access to a computer 24/7 with internet capability
 An appropriate email address to communicate with faculty,
students and staff
 Further information about browser and computer requirements
can be found at www.aami.edu Click on Online Program,
then Associate Degree-Get Started!, then Technical
Requirements.
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Everyone at AAMI looks forward to our continued relationship
with all military service members, active duty, veterans and spouses
of those serving in our armed forces.
We welcome recommendations for articles that would be of
interest to our readers for inclusion in our subsequent issues.
It is
hoped that all of you reading this newsletter will recognize its value
and be proactive in forwarding it to others across our military
community. Your assistance in doing this will give AAMI the best
opportunity to help others who wish to consider a career in the
Funeral Service profession.
Alan Loveder, Director of Admissions and Military Affairs.
American Academy McAllister Institute Of Funeral Service Inc.
619 West 54th Street, 2nd Floor. New York, NY 10019
Phone 212-757-1190 Mobile 646-634-22015 Fax 212-765-5923
Email [email protected] www.aami.edu
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this second issue.
American Academy McAllister Institute
Newsletter Issue #2
March 2017