John Hedbavny ’68, G’70 - Tarbell Medallion
John Hedbavny ’68, G’70 - Tarbell Medallion.
John Hedbavny ’68, G’70 - Tarbell Medallion
John Hedbavny ’68, G’70, is a dedicated educator and youth development leader whose journey was deeply shaped by his time at Springfield College. Hedbavny earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology, while completing his master’s degree in Education. A lifelong advocate for the YMCA, Hedbavny’s Springfield College education instilled in him the values of leadership, service, and community. Principles he has lived out daily as part of his work with youth and families.
Staying true to our Humanics philosophy, Hedbavny has maintained a strong connection with the College, continuously giving back through a variety of different platforms. Since 1999, he has served as co-president for the Connecticut Alumni Association. In addition, Hedbavny served on the Alumni Council for six years, and he is a member of the David Allen Reed Society for his generous philanthropic support of the College. For 37 years, he has made a financial gift to Springfield College.
A proud member of the Class of 1968 Reunion Committee, Hedbavny is a frequent participant in student-alumni career networking programs, and he is a regular volunteer at accepted student open house events. Each summer, he writes “Welcome to SC” notes to incoming students, and he drafts congratulatory letters to graduates that are displayed with their diplomas on graduation day. In 2013, Hedbavny supported the Springfield College Office of YMCA Relations by connecting with students participating in the YMCA Europe Youth Conference held in Prague, Czech Republic. During one of his early trips to Spain, he visited with Springfield College alumni living in Madrid.
Following his time as a student on Alden Street, Hedbavny began his professional career at the College serving as assistant to the dean of students for three years. Next, he was promoted to assistant dean of students from 1971 through 1980. He would spend the next two years as associate dean of students where he would serve as director of Camp Massasoit at East Campus. Hedbavny would be the first Camp Massasoit director to achieve American Camp Accreditation before eventually fulfilling his childhood dream of starting a career in the YMCA network.
For the next 12 years, Hedbavny would take on a variety of branch executive roles at YMCA locations throughout Pennsylvania before eventually returning to his childhood camp, Camp Sloane in Lakeville, Conn.
Hedbavny’s affinity for Camp Sloane started at a young age when he began his camping experiences as an 8-year-old. As time went on and he developed into his young adult and adult years, he would guide Camp Sloane leadership training, direct the junior counselor program, and eventually become boys camp director for four years. Spending the summers at Camp Sloane motivated Hedbavny to select a college that would help him pursue a career within the YMCA foundation.
Hedbavny would go on to serve as executive director of Camp Sloane from 1995 through 2006 and lead more than 1000 resident campers during his tenure. Following his time at Camp Sloane, Hedbavny was named assistant director of the International YMCA in New York City. Hedbavny’s impressive YMCA career included professional affiliations with the YMCA of the USA, YMCA Europe, and YMCA Espana.
Hedbavny currently resides in Lakeville, Conn. with his wife Ann. Hedbavny has three children, Adam, John Paul, and Katie.
Response from John Hedbavny '68, G'70
Born and raised in Queens, NYC, as a young child I always wanted to be a doctor, until seventh grade when a teacher told me, "You'll never be a doctor; you don't have the grades for it."
By that time, I had spent my summers at YMCA day and resident camps and had learned to swim on Saturdays at the Flushing (NYC) YMCA. My "Y" time continued through high school as a Saturday group Leader and by the time I was a senior, I had become a young summer staff member at Camp Sloane YMCA in Connecticut. By then, I had decided to pursue a career in the Y and learned that George Williams College and Springfield offered such programs of study.
Like so many who attend Springfield because of an SC alum who was their coach or a teacher, I was influenced by Dick Crawley '61, G’65, who directed Sloane's Nature Lodge and was "Doc" Brainerd's teaching fellow in Biology while getting his master's degree. I spent the year following high school graduation working in New York City at the Vocational Services Branch of the YMCA of Greater New York in order to make enough money to attend Springfield and did so in the fall of 1964.
My undergraduate years at SC included roles as a New Student Orientation Leader, working at the Beveridge Center, and three years as a dorm counselor, the latter leading to three years as a resident director and joining the Student Personnel staff as Dean Costello's assistant in fall of 1970. My interests shifted, so much that I enrolled as a doctoral student at UMass to pursue a career in higher education.
In the fall of 1981, I was invited by the former CEO of Camp Sloane to speak at a luncheon in East Longmeadow for retired Y executives living in the northeast and this led to being offered a position in Pennsylvania as executive director at a 500-acre Y camp. Wow! Fourteen years after graduating, I finally left SC in 1982, then as associate dean of Students and director of Camp Massasoit, to enter the field that motivated me to attend Springfield in the first place!
Being able "to do" Y work, here as well as in the U.K., Europe, and South America, along with my community involvements, has provided me with a sense of pride and satisfaction and a greater appreciation of Springfield and its mission to educate and prepare me for leadership roles to serve others. I am honored and grateful to be a Tarbell Medallion recipient, and a life-long member of the Springfield College family.
