AStater Winter 2020

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winter 2020 the magazine of adams state university

The Year of

Adams State

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VOL. 60, NO. 3 • WINTER 2020

Published by Adams State University Foundation Adams State University • Alamosa, CO 81101 719-587-7011 • 800-824-6494, ext 8 email: alumni@adams.edu Digital magazine: adams.edu/alumni/astater/

EDITOR

Chris Lopez ’84

DESIGNER

Amy Kucera ’05

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Linda Relyea ’96, ’10, Amy Kucera ’05

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sarah Kuta • Linda Relyea ’96, ’10 • Peggy Spear • Emily Osburn ’17 Kaitlyn Kelley • Jade Winton • Chris Burtschi

PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY Dr. Cheryl D. Lovell

BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY

Michele Lueck Chair Donna Griego ’03, ’12 Vice Chair Pam Bricker ’03 • Reeves Brown • Jonathan N. Marquez ’13 Wendell L. Pryor • John Singletary • David Tandberg ’02 • Randy Wright ’84 Dr. Penny Sanders Faculty Trustee Courtney Hocking Student Trustee

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

Lori Lee Laske ’91, ’01 Executive Director of Alumni & Donor Relations Sandy Ortega ’74 President Delzia Worley ’97 Vice President Olga Montano ’06 Secretary Jacqueline Archuleta ’11 • Reyna Martinez-Ramirez ’10 Lynn Michalke ’77 • Robert Oringdulph ’71 • Carol Osborn ’84 Chris Page ’02, ’03 • Kasey Russell ’03 • Richard Scanga ’75 Marcus Shawcroft ’15 • Jeremy Wilder ’96 • Loren Wright ’08

ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION BOARD

Ron Howard ’98 President Dr. John McDaniel Vice President Jeni Jack Goodwin ’85 Secretary Joe Martinez ’99, ’12 Treasurer Fred Bunch ’77 • Glenn Burnham • Duane Bussey ’82 Keith Cerny • Jennifer Chavez ’00 • Jenny Cooper • Ed Crowther Bill Fassett • Chuck Houser ’62 • Dorothy Lucero ’61 Liane “Buffie” McFadyen ’91, ’93 • Cathy Mullens ’82 Chuck Owsley ’68 • Richard Scanga ’75 • Jesse Torres ’97 • Kathy Woods

FOUNDATION HONORARY/EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS

Stephen Bokat ’68 • Marguerite Salazar ’75, ’76 • Michael Ware ’69 Harold Kelloff • John Marvel Jr. ’70 Izora Southway ’66 • J. Byron Uhrich • R. Paul Wagner

FOUNDATION EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Dr. Cheryl D. Lovell ASU President Tammy Lopez ’91, ’00 Executive Director of the Foundation Pam Bricker ’03 Trustee Liason

GRIZZLY CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ron DeSautell ’76 President Hoyt Anderson ’97 Vice President Keith Cerny • Dante Gonzalez • Jeni Jack Goodwin ’85 Chris Lopez ’84 • Lisa Martinez ’81 Ted Morrison ’69 • Donna Wehe ’12

ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT

Adams State University’s driving purpose is to provide equitable access to education for all. We promote successful and engaged lives by caring for, connecting with, and challenging our students, campus, and community.

As Colorado’s premier Hispanic Serving Institution, Adams State University draws on its rural location in the San Luis Valley, to serve and empower all students, especially those from historically underserved populations.

VISION STATEMENT

To become the university community of choice for diverse, historically underserved groups, and all who value quality education and inclusivity.

adams.edu • facebook.com/adamsalumni

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President’s Letter: Lindsey Sandoval, pictured left, understandably was nervous. It would be her first time administering a COVID-19 nasal swab test, and, like her fellow students in the Adams State Nursing program, she was focused on the task at hand.

Her training at Adams State had prepared her for this moment and she was poised to act on her calling to serve the community when Adams State hosted two community mass testing events this fall. To witness our nursing students aptly administer the test to hundreds of people stands as one of the proudest moments in my tenure to date at Adams State.

It speaks too of the importance and value a college degree has at this moment in history – when innovation, adaptability, tenacity, and resiliency are hallmarks of what it takes to make it in today’s tumultuous world.

While much of the attention rightly has been placed on health degrees like Adams State’s Bachelor of Science in nursing, students in other fields of study are also experiencing success with their degree from Adams State.

Alejandro Tovar ’20, whose own great story you can read about on page 15 of the magazine, found equally meaningful work less than six months after graduating from Adams State.

As Alejandro tells it, when he first moved from Mexico with his mother and siblings to work in the farming fields in Center, he spoke very little English and never thought much about college. Now he’s helping fellow migrant and seasonal farmwork students achieve a college education – just like he did – with a new job at Salisbury University in Maryland. He credits Adams State’s College Assistance Migrant Program with his own transformation and is determined now to help others like him.

“Without this (CAMP) program, I would have been lost and maybe within two or three weeks, I would have dropped out,” Alejandro says. “The program helped me stay, it provided me those tools that made me successful in my first year and for my whole career.”

Providing students with the “tools” to make them successful, as Alejandro puts it, is the essence of Adams State as it enters its 100th year since its founding in 1921. To graduate students into a world of political unrest, during the height of a deadly global pandemic, when fact can be replaced with fiction, is the ultimate challenge for institutions of higher education.

The moment provides us with the opportunity to engage our students on the meaty topics of today, and to provide them both with practical experience and the critical thinking skills they need to navigate a changing society.

We think we’re doing it right at Adams State. Why do we think so? Because our students tell us the education they are receiving is making a difference in their lives. This is important because our students are entering a world of disarray and confusion unlike any time in our modern society, and for them to be able to rely on their degree at Adams State for gainful employment in their field of study means everything to the University.

“We always see the huge impact that nurses make each and every day; I felt like I made a small difference in my community (as a nursing student) by being part of these events,” said Lindsey of her recent experience supporting the mass COVID-19 testing events. “I think it was a great opportunity for all of us and I admire our nursing faculty for providing us with these kinds of opportunities.”

Contents Sign up for our campus e-newsletter.

It will provide ongoing updates and news about Adams State and all the events and activities being held on campus.

Re-Engage and Re-Connect.

Take a trip down memory lane as alumni share memories of their time at Adams State.

Read more on page 4.

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Commencement Speaker Rosalie Martinez ’86

Renee Valdez ’91, ’96 overcomes to help others

Billy Adams Award Winner Tom Gilmore ’67, ’68

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Memories and sponsors

15 Great Alumni Story

Alejandro Tovar ’20

18 Donor Recognition Adams State Foundation & Grizzly Club

26 Staying in Touch Class notes from alumni 28 Adams Family Album Lori Laske retires

To sign up send an email to publicrelations@adams.edu and you’ll get Adams State e-news delivered to your email inbox.

30 Final Chapters Remembering those no longer with us

20 Nursing Program Highlight

Adams State does not tolerate discrimination in any form. Go to adams.edu/ads for the full anti-discrimination statement.

ON THE COVER: Join Adams State in the new year, 2021, as we celebrate Adams100 activities.

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Adams State celebrates

100 years

of making a difference G

rowing up in Pueblo, Lori Barringer knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was just 5 years old.

She often convinced her two brothers to play school with her, doling out assignments and grading them on their performance.

So when it came time to think about college, Barringer set her sights on Adams State, a natural fit with its rich history as a teaching college and its affordability. After graduating in 1989, Barringer spent the next 30 years making a difference in the lives of countless high school juniors and seniors as a teacher in western New Mexico.

Adams State has played a role in nearly every aspect of Barringer’s life and, she said, her education afforded her opportunities her parents never had.

As a senior at Adams State, Barringer (then Lori Moore) lived across the hall from the man who later became her husband, Shawn Barringer. He, too, became a teacher and taught for more than 25 years. Their daughter Kaitlyn Barringer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Adams State, where she now works as an academic adviser.

“My dad never graduated from high school, so in his mind, education was everything,” Barringer said. “So I went and became a teacher, and met my husband who became a teacher. It was just a natural fit.”

Over the course of the last 100 years, Adams State has made a positive impact on the lives of thousands of faculty, staff and students just like Barringer.

Since its founding in 1921, the University has helped launch into the world thousands of bright new teachers, nurses, school administrators, business leaders and, above all else, life-long learners.

The campus has been the site of many romances that led to marriages and families. It’s witnessed athletic triumphs in cross-country and track and field. It’s helped transform nervous young students into community leaders, confident professionals and curious researchers. It’s a place where all students – no matter their background, income level or family’s college status – can start to level the playing field.

Carol Alire-Pastore ’76 shares a memory:

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“My fondest memories were of my six older brothers (Clifford, Lester, Duane, Larry) and sisters (Diane, Jackie) attending Adams State College.

Some receiving their B.A. degree, some receiving a B.A. and M.A. degree.

I received my M.A degree. My daughter Olivia received her B.A. and M.A. degree. My son Marc and youngest daughter Milena took classes at Adams State College, now University. In the summer of 1976 my family received a special recognition from Adams State College for our accomplishments.”

Randall Smith ’00 shares a memory:

“

CARING TEACHERS WHO PUT STUDENTS FIRST During his tenure at Adams State – first as an undergraduate, then as a professor, the business dean and, later, as the University’s president from 1995 to 2002 – Tom Gilmore witnessed the University’s student-centric approach firsthand and tried to help strengthen that culture with every new faculty member he hired.

“That was the essence of Adams State, where people took that personal interest in encouraging and helping students achieve what they were capable of achieving,” said Gilmore, who still lives across the street from the business school.

“I started at Adams State College in 1995 as a mathematics major. I met the woman who became my wife in band on the first day of classes. Two of our children were born while we were living in the Houtchens and McCurry apartments. Our family literally started at Adams State. I remember one night after we were married. We were hanging out with friends in the pool at Plachy Hall. It was nearly 9 p.m. when we decided we needed to make a run to Denny’s ... in Pueblo.

After a great late night breakfast, we made it back to Alamosa very early in the morning. Unfortunately, my wife and I had an early wake up call because we had to be ready to march in the Homecoming parade the next morning. Between that and the game that afternoon, it made for a long day!”

It always struck me that, after graduation, it was a common feeling among faculty that you saw four or five students go across that stage and you said to yourself, ‘I made a difference in their life.’”

After graduating from Adams State in 1963, Emmett O’Leary had a long, successful teaching career that included 33 years in Colorado State University Pueblo’s speech communication and theatre department. He helped train hundreds of college students how to help people with speech and hearing problems, a rewarding profession that all started at Adams State.

Though O’Leary retired in 2005, many of his former students stay in touch with him. He credits the many mentors he had at Adams State – among them, Fred Plachy, Budge Threlkeld and John Anderson – with helping him develop a compassionate teaching style.

“Along the way, I ran into some hard-nosed people – I never had any of that at Adams State – and I told myself, ‘I will never be hard-nosed to my students,’” said O’Leary, now 84. “They will learn, it’ll be a friendly environment, they’ll remember it fondly and they’ll carry on with their speech and hearing therapy as I love it and taught it to them. That all started with an attitude at Adams State.”

Darlene Derbigny ’06 shares a memory: “I obtained my master’s at Adams. Then my husband and I began travelling with the alumni trips. I truly loved the cruises. I hope to be able to take another trip. I enjoy the local lunches with the alumni ladies.

Great fun. Thank you Adams State University.”

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Lori Barringer ’89 shares a memory: “I attended a 38 Special concert in Plachy Gym with my then boyfriend, now husband Shawn Barringer ’92 and his roommate Ray Atencio ’89 in 1989. We couldn’t believe our good fortune! A free concert and a great time had by all! My daughter, Kaitlyn Barringer ’17, ’19 is jealous and Ray was a groomsman in our wedding. We have all moved on to careers in education and business. Shawn and I will retire after 25 and 30 years as high school History teachers.

Ray is retired and just had a successful kidney transplant and is doing well. Our daughter Kaitlyn works at ASU.” SENSE OF COMMUNITY Over the years, Adams State has maintained a true sense of community among its students, faculty and staff. That intimate, caring environment extended even to Adams State’s most notable figures.

When Jack “Doc” Cotton was first hired as the Adams State basketball coach in 1960, he moved his young family from Omaha, Nebraska, to Alamosa, where he purchased a 160acre property north of town and built a custom home.

“All of the coaches came out and helped us build fences and put the siding on the house and the roof and everything,” said his son, Todd Cotton ’80, ’81, who was just four years old at the time. “They put up a little basketball court.

Our lives all revolved around Adams State and it really was a family atmosphere.”

Throughout his three-decade career, Cotton – who died in 2016 – held many other roles, including athletic director, golf coach, tennis coach, football coach, teacher and athletic bus driver.

But his love for Adams State and the San Luis Valley went far beyond his assigned duties.

He loved the landscape itself, as well as the people who made Alamosa feel like home, and he passed those feelings along to his children.

“People who aren’t involved come to the valley and say, ‘This is sort of a dumpy little place,’ and those of us who live here and were raised here just see it as gold,” said Todd Cotton, who now works as communications director for Trinidad State Junior College.

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The dust of the valley never leaves your feet.”

OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL As Colorado’s premier four-year Hispanic-serving institution, Adams State is a leading example of diversity and inclusion on a college campus. But the university’s mission to serve all students extends well beyond Latino, Chicano and Mexican-American Grizzlies and encompasses a wide swath of underserved and underrepresented groups.

Among them: busy parents, working professionals and people who never felt like college was meant for them.

All her life, Donna Griego heard from her parents about the importance of a college education, but it wasn’t until much later in life that she acted upon their advice. Griego grew up on the Adams State campus, living in a tiny apartment above the steam plant in Richardson Hall while her father, Joe Gonzalez, served as a jack-of-all-trades for the campus.

“Adams State was my first home, which it truly and literally was,” said Griego. “The grassy areas and the sidewalks were my playgrounds. When I was old enough, I used to walk around with my dad when he closed up buildings at night.”

Adams State continued to feel like home for Griego when she started her career on campus, holding roles in different departments over the years.

While working in the psychology and counselor education office in the early 1990s, she met and befriended Lena Samora, now an emeritus professor of psychology, who encouraged her to enroll in classes.

Griego took that advice to heart and began taking classes while working full time and raising four children. It took her nearly 10 years, but Griego earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and management in 2003.

Later, while still working on campus, she earned a master’s degree in higher education administration and leadership, a two-year program that helped prepare her for the next step in her journey after retirement: serving as an Adams State trustee.

“My experience at Adams State has prepared me for this position and my education at Adams State has also contributed to this,” she said. “I have reached my highest ambition, my goal, and I feel very fortunate to be able to continue to serve my university, my home, in a different capacity.”

by Sarah Kuta

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Re-Engage. Re-Connect. Re-Commit.

Beverly Scanga shares a memory: “I grew up in Alamosa living about four blocks from the college. Adams State holds many memories for me as my family was very involved with activities at the college. However some of our favorite things as kids were riding our bikes around the campus, participating with the marching band at half time during football games and going to basketball games at the old Rex Gym where the games were loud, exciting and fun to attend. Many of our high school graduations were held there before the “new high school” was built in 1966. I attended Adams State after high school from the years 1967 to 1970 and loved every minute of my time there.”

Please continue to share your memories or nominate an influential Adams Stater.

• Email us: publicrelations@adams.edu or alumni@adams.edu • Send us a letter: Adams State University, 208 Edgemont Blvd., Suite 3010, Alamosa, CO 81101 • Fill out online form: adams.edu/adams100

Adams100 2021 Events May

February

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2nd Annual Adams State Gives Day Telethon & Talent Show

September

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Spring Commencement

October

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Homecoming of the Century Celebration

Adams100 Run of the Century

December Fall 2021

Winter Gala Masquerade Ball

Adams100 Documentary Red Carpet Premiere Adams100 History Book Release AStater 7

Billy Adams Sponsorship helps Adams State Celebrate its 100th Anniversary Alamosa State Bank, more than just a local business, donates $100,000 to Adams State Alamosa State Bank, its owners, officers and employees have supported the success of Adams State University throughout the shared histories of the two major institutions. Prominent community members are recorded in the annals of both institutions as the bank has always recognized the importance of Adams State in the San Luis Valley and its role as a regional educational provider.

That’s why it seemed appropriate that Alamosa State Bank Chief Executive Officer Russell Achatz recently presented the latest gift of $100,000 to Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell. Joining Achatz in the presentation were members of the Alamosa State Bank Board of Directors.

The gift will support the 100-year celebration of Adams State in 2021 and makes Alamosa State Bank a Billy Adams Sponsor for the year-long celebration.

“Adams State will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021,” President Lovell said. “This generous gift will help ensure the success of many of our projects already in the works and gives us all the sense of belonging to this incredible community.”

“Alamosa State Bank is pleased to continue the long tradition of supporting Adams State, which has been a priority of the bank for decades,” said Achatz, who himself graduated from Adams State in 1985.

“ The bank recognizes the positive impact Adams State has on its students, who might not have access to a college education otherwise.”

Alamosa State Bank has always participated in Adams State projects, both long-term and special occasions. The bank has been a corporate sponsor of the Grizzly Club since its inception, and funds four scholarships per year.

The bank also contributes to special one-time projects, the most recent including the North Campus Capital Campaign; the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center; the 50-Year Olympic Trials anniversary; the purchase of softball uniforms; video boards in Plachy Hall; partnering on the Rex Field scoreboard; the purchase of HD cameras for streaming athletics and new helmets; and the purchase of six of the Old Mose bronze sculptures during a fundraiser for the Grizzly courtyard, among other contributions.

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Alamosa State Bank Board of Directors and officers present Adams State University with a $100,000 donation for the 100th anniversary celebration, which begins in 2021. Pictured, left to right, Rock I. Southway, ASB BOD; Chas Moeller, ASB president; Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell; Russell S. Achatz, ASB BOD and CEO; Holly Ribaudo, ASB senior vice president; Leroy Martinez, ASB BOD; and Jeff I. Martinez, ASB BOD. Not pictured ASB Board of Directors Jamie Cox and Deborah Ford.

Adams State. Alamosa State Bank has several employees who are graduates, including Chas Moeller, president, and several other officers, management members and employees. The staff serves on boards and committees at Adams State. In fact, Achatz served on the Adams State University Foundation Board from 2007 to 2017, and Moeller was recently appointed to the Grizzly Club Board.

From Henry Zacheis, one of the ASB’s first presidents, to current owners, the vested interest in the support of the university continues. Alamosa State Bank is locally owned by the Estate of Henry “Butch” and Izora ’66 Southway; the Estate of Tom and Donna Ford; the Estate of Paul “Bud” and Pat Nielsen; Leroy and Rosalie ’86 Martinez, and Achatz. A smaller percentage is held by children of the above owners and officers of the bank. Bank directors include chairperson Jamie (Nielsen) Cox, Leroy Martinez, Rocky Southway, Jeff Martinez, Debbie Ford, Achatz and Moeller.

The Southways have contributed to Adams State everything from landscaping materials to scholarships, the latest a memorial scholarship to honor Butch Southway. Izora Southway and Rosalie Martinez served on several boards and foundations, and Rosalie was a professor and later vice president at Adams State. She and Leroy have contributed materials from their businesses as well as established scholarships. Rosalie received the 2004 Outstanding Alumna Award and the Southways received the 2008 Billy Adams Award.

The Adams State Nielsen Library is named in honor of the Nielsens for their generosity. Ford was instrumental in establishing scholarships through the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee and other national potato councils.

“We all value Adams State and understand the significance of a well-educated community and the financial impact the University has on the Valley,” Achatz said.

Thank you to our other Adams100 Sponsors, San Luis Valley Federal Bank, Alamosa County, and Adams State Office of Title V Initiatives.

is a Proud Partner of Adams100 Celebrations Billy Adams Sponsor AStater 9

For commencement speaker Rosalie Martinez ’86, it’s never too late to try something new

Rosalie Martinez inspired the 2020 graduates

Throughout her life, Rosalie Martinez has encountered many challenges and obstacles. But rather than get discouraged, she draws on a childhood memory of the “The Little Engine That Could.”

As a girl growing up in La Jara, she remembers reading the popular children’s book many times. To this day, she repeats the train’s mantra to herself whenever she faces adversity:

“ I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

That phrase helped Martinez when she enrolled in college classes at Adams State for the first time, at age 40, while running a business and raising four children. It helped her when she began teaching Adams State business classes, without any teaching experience, and when she earned her MBA from Colorado State University.

And, it helped her when she became the first woman in the Adams State president’s cabinet as associate vice president of administration, a responsibility-laden role in which she managed campus construction projects and an array of departments ranging from IT to human resources.

“A lot of people say, ‘Well, gee, you’ve been so lucky, look at all you’ve done,’” said Martinez. “But luck, I’ve always maintained, is when preparation and opportunity meet.

Every time I had an opportunity, I seemed to have just enough luck to get in there and, boy, you have to work like crazy to get it done, but you do.”

Born and raised in La Jara, Martinez was the third of nine children in her family. Her father was a sheep rancher and her mother was a homemaker. As a child, she loved to read and she always excelled in school, two themes that continued throughout her life.

She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and earned a four-year scholarship to Adams State, but could not afford to attend. Instead, she moved to Albuquerque and got a job doing office work at Sandia Corporation (now Sandia National Laboratories). She married her high school sweetheart, Leroy, who later joined her in Albuquerque.

The pair moved back to Colorado to try their hand at farming, but ultimately opened an auto body shop in Alamosa – her husband did the bodywork while Martinez did the bookkeeping.

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Over time, however, she felt she needed to learn more about accounting, so she enrolled in a few classes at Adams State.

“Well, I got to Adams State and I just loved the learning and I just kept going and going and going,” she said.

While attending classes, she continued to keep the books for the shop and cared for the couple’s four children. She eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in 1986.

Not long after graduating, she got a job offer to teach business classes at Adams State, with the caveat that she needed to earn a master’s degree. While teaching, she enrolled in a hybrid remote MBA program offered through Colorado State University and administered by Adams State. She earned her MBA in management in 1992.

Soon, she found herself traveling down yet another career path when she became the Adams State associate vice president for administration. In her five years in that role, she managed facilities, technology, resource development and human resources, and she oversaw several campus design and construction projects, including a new science building and a new art building.

Looking back on her unconventional path, Martinez said she simply took things one day at a time and faced every new opportunity head-on.

“It happened so gradually and it seemed like it didn’t matter what the next challenge was, I always seemed to be able to get it done,” she said. “There were times when it got very, very busy, but for the most part it went smoothly.”

She retired from the University in 1999 to return full-time to running the many businesses she owns with her husband, including Sierra Vista Lumber & Steel Company, Rio Vega Ranch, Ace Hardware of Alamosa and L&M Auto Inc. and Auto Sales.

In addition to her educational and career accomplishments, Martinez has a long history of community involvement in the San Luis Valley. Over the years, she has served on boards for organizations including Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley, San Luis Valley Health Foundation, San Luis Valley Health, Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce, Hope for Kids Like Me, Farm Credit of Southern Colorado, Trinidad State Junior College, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Honorary Board and the Adams State University Foundation.

s to accomplish their goals and never give up.

Her passion for helping young people succeed is the thread that ties all of her community involvement together. She hopes to help young people have better health, better social skills, better education and better mentoring so that they may be successful in life, no matter their path.

“Very early, I realized that education is going to be the key to move people forward and, a lot of times, that doesn’t come very easily,” she said. “In my case, where, really under necessity, I waited until I was 40 to attend college … but look at what I could’ve done all those years if I could’ve gone to school earlier. How might that have been different? I don’t know. But I do think that education is really, really key.”

by Sarah Kuta

Prompted by Adams State Vice President of Academic Affairs Kent Buchanan, all graduates participating virtually, and student speaker Erika Steenburg, switch their cap tassels from right to left to signify their new academic status.

Erika Steenburg praised her fellow graduates for accomplishing their academic goal despite all the difficulties and the added impact of a world-wide pandemic.

2020 Virtual Fall Commencement was produced in-house. Pictured, Mari Centeno, Ph.D. and professor of political science, reads the names of the graduates which were displayed on screen.

The most recent graduates from Adams State University received heartfelt congratulations and inspiring words of wisdom during the 2020 Fall Virtual Commencement Ceremony held on Saturday, Dec. 5.

“We’ve accomplished something that would have been difficult, pandemic or not,” said Erika Steenburg, who earned a bachelor’s degree in geosciences and served as the student commencement speaker. “We are without a doubt part of the history being written this extraordinary year. But the speech isn’t just thanks and congratulations. It’s about who we are, where we’re going and who we will be when we get there.”

Steenburg, a native of Alamosa, was joined on the commencement stage by Rosalie Martinez, the first female executive in Adams State’s history who served as the fall commencement speaker. Martinez relayed a story of how Adams State helped her overcome her own fears and taught her how teamwork and trust can be empowering.

“I think fear is a big part of the formula for success,” Martinez told the graduates. ‘If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, you’re never going to find out how much more you might have accomplished.

“So never doubt yourself. Get out there and give it a try. And when you get there, I want you to remember one thing - pay it forward. For it is only in your generosity and willingness to help others that you’ll find the true successes of your life.”

There is no comparing the atmosphere of the staged virtual event in Richardson Hall Auditorium to a typical in-person ceremony, which is filled with excited graduates and proud family and friends.

However, as Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell said, despite unpredictable and unusual circumstances over the last several months, the graduating class stayed on task and pushed through difficulties. “Now here we are, maybe not in person, but definitely in the true spirit of honoring our newest graduates.”

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Spotlight on Graduates

Fall 2020

Anfernee Juwan Jordan Romero Elementary Education

Joslin Gilleland Nursing Cum Laude

Hometown: Monte Vista, CO

Hometown: Alamosa, CO

“I have made the best of this all and when I look in the mirror, I love what I see. I have learned from my mistakes and have grown from them. I would consider myself a lifelong learner.”

Dominik Klein Business Administration and Accounting Magna Cum Laude

“I was devastated when I broke my leg right before my final semester, just months away from graduation. Thankfully, I was able to complete the lecture portion of my classes in the spring.

When I returned this fall semester, I had 180 clinical hours I needed to complete. I overcame this obstacle through the support and encouragement of family, friends, and the Nursing Department.

As difficult as some of these challenges were, they made obtaining my degree that much more meaningful.”

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Tariq Bitson Business Marketing

“My major professors and advisor have been invaluable to my success as a student and the ambitions that I have for my future. Not only have they been educating us in their classes about the class content, but they also pushed us to achieve more than we think we could and provided us with great resources to succeed post-graduation.”

Vanessa Thong Psychology with Sociology Minor Cum Laude Hometown: Alamosa, CO

“My professors and advisors made sure I was on track to graduate and to succeed. Not only did they care about my academic standing and future, they cared about me as an individual which meant so much to me. I also learned that I will fall no matter what, but it all depends on how I react to it.

I learned that it is important to have a voice and to use it with a purpose.”

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Hometown: Tulsa, OK

“My professors always made sure I was learning the materials I needed to be successful. As a first-generation student it changes the expectation for future generations.”

Fall 2020 Graduate Breakdown

233

Associate and Bachelor degrees awarded

46%

55%

Identify as minority

Colorado residents

33%

18%

Identify as first generation

From low-income families

Adams State, GOAL High School to begin concurrent enrollment partnership Starting this spring, students at Colorado’s GOAL High School can enroll in concurrent classes at Adams State, setting them on an affordable pathway to college.

GOAL is a free online public charter school that offers Colorado students flexibility as they work toward a high school diploma. The curriculum is delivered online, and students can visit one of 36 drop-in centers around the state for additional tutoring and support.

Through the dual enrollment agreement, GOAL students will be able to take Adams State courses in-person or online; the classes count as both college and high school credits.

It’s a fitting partnership between two organizations that share several core values, including the idea that all students – including those who are traditionally underserved – deserve access to high-quality education.

On top of that, several members of GOAL’s leadership team are graduates of Adams State, creating an even deeper connection between the high school and the University.

Elizabeth Wiggins, who earned her master’s degree in 2012 and a doctorate in 2018 from Adams State, serves as GOAL’s statewide counseling coordinator. Gunnison “Gunny” Pagnotta, who earned his master’s degree from Adams State in 2015, serves as GOAL’s statewide communications manager.

“Adams State has always been a very supportive university helping students from all kinds of backgrounds be successful – and that’s what we’re about at GOAL, too,” said Wiggins.

“We know that Adams State is going to match us in terms of that level of support when our students come to campus.”

Concurrent enrollment classes can help high school students save time and money while at the same time providing a steady flow of new students to Adams State.

Concurrent enrollment plays an important role in the University’s recruitment and retention efforts. Roughly 300 high school students from 14 school districts in the San Luis Valley take concurrent classes at Adams State each semester, participating on-campus, online or in their high schools.

These classes introduce some students to Adams State for the first time and help others become more familiar with the University, which can make a big difference when it comes time to choose a college or university.

“What we’ve found in recent years is that 25 percent of our freshman class had taken concurrent courses with Adams State,” said Renae Haslett, who oversees the concurrent enrollment program at Adams State. “It’s a great feeder program that our concurrent students end up becoming full-time students.”

In Colorado, concurrent enrollment classes are free for students, with school districts chipping in to cover tuition.

Students who enroll in enough concurrent enrollment classes are earning an associate degree free of charge, all before graduating from high school. Even students with just one or two college classes completed as they graduate from high school have a head start on their college education.

For some students, concurrent enrollment offers an opportunity to test out college while they still have the support of their high school teachers. These classes can also help boost students’ self-confidence by showing them that they are college material, even if they had doubts or had never seriously considered college before.

“Sometimes we see students go into college without ever taking a college class and they don’t always have success – they don’t know what it is to take a college class or what the expectations are,” said Claire Lara, a social emotional generalist who helped launch GOAL in Alamosa. “We can help assist those kids in that transition of getting their feet wet with what it’s like to write a college paper, what it’s like to only have class on Monday and Wednesday, what it’s like to get onto Blackboard. We’re releasing them into the world while still having a safety net of sorts with concurrent enrollment.”

The concurrent enrollment partnership will also give GOAL students in the San Luis Valley an opportunity to challenge and push themselves while deepening their studies.

It may serve as just the spark some students need to ignite their passion for education and become lifelong learners.

“We’ve had so many students who just really weren’t motivated and then as soon as they hit the sidewalk and manicured grass of a college campus, it’s a whole different feel for them,” said Pagnotta. “The sooner we can get a student in a college class, the sooner they’re going to be successful.”

by Sarah Kuta

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Great Alumni Stories Despite blindness, Renee Valdez ’91, ’96 sees the way to helping others Throughout her successful career in counseling, public health and education, Adams State alum Renee Valdez has been an advocate for teen moms, low-income college students, people with addictions, and those in other vulnerable groups.

Now, after grappling with a rare illness that left her severely visually impaired, Valdez is finding strength in advocating for herself and other people experiencing blindness.

Valdez saw her entire life change when she began losing her eyesight in December 2013. She was later diagnosed with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, a rare illness that can cause hearing loss, eye pain and inflammation, skin conditions, hair loss and other life-altering conditions.

For the first few years of living with the disease, Valdez had a hard time accepting her new normal and rarely left her home in Alexandria, Virginia. But, over time and with help from some influential mentors, Valdez began to focus more on the positives and realized she could use her unique background to help others.

“When I lost my vision, I really thought my life was over,” says Valdez, 55. “But I slowly learned that I had to let people into my life who could show me what I could do as a blind person. It was always hard for me to ask for help, but that’s one thing I’ve learned being blind. There are times in our lives when we all need help.”

Valdez’s journey to helping others began in Antonito, the small town south of Alamosa where she grew up. As a high school student, she participated in Adams State’s Upward Bound program, the federally funded initiative that helps low-income, first-generation students who have the potential to succeed in college.

Those early on-campus experiences led Valdez to enroll at Adams State after she graduated from high school. She attended classes while working full-time as a counselor for programs in alcohol, mental health and adolescent health, and later earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1991.

After a brief stint in Albuquerque, where she continued her counseling work with adolescents, Valdez returned to Alamosa and enrolled in graduate school at Adams State. She earned her master’s degree in counseling in 1996.

When she returned to Adams State, Valdez discovered her love of teaching. While she was still in graduate school, she began teaching a handful of psychology courses to undergraduates, then continued teaching full-time after she completed her degree.

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After 10 years back at Adams State, it was time for a new adventure. Valdez moved to Alexandria, Virginia to work for the Council for Opportunity in Education and, later, for the American Psychological Association.

She had started her own education consulting company when she first began to notice symptoms of Vogt-KoyanagiHarada disease. And while the illness has caused Valdez to put her career mostly on hold, she said she hopes to begin consulting again in the near future. In the meantime, she plans to continue volunteering for an array of causes and organizations for people with visual impairments.

Today, she serves on the board of the local chapter of the National Federation for the Blind. She’s coordinating a new program to encourage students who are blind to pursue careers in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — and she’ll soon begin mentoring blind students in high school and early college. She also serves on a regional human rights committee for the state of Virginia.

“I’m happy and I’m plugged in again,” she says. “I’m now involved as a blind person.”

Throughout her illness, Valdez continues to draw on lessons she learned at Adams State many years ago. She often reflects on words of wisdom from her mentor Lena Samora, now an emeritus professor of psychology, who reminded her to stay open to new opportunities, to look for the positives in every situation and to be confident in herself.

“I talked to her when I lost my vision and I cried and she would tell me, ‘You can do it, just like you did when you were that little shy Spanish girl at Adams State who was afraid to speak up in class. You need to speak up as a blind person,’” Valdez says. “So I did. And now it’s a positive thing.”

by Sarah Kuta

At Adams State, once a CAMPer, always a CAMPer When Alejandro Tovar ’20, pictured far right, first moved from Mexico with his mother and siblings to work in the fields in Center, Colorado, he spoke very little English and never thought much about college.

Now, less than six months after graduating from Adams State, he’s helping fellow migrant and seasonal farmwork students achieve a college education – just like he did – with a new job at Salisbury University in Maryland.

Tovar’s transformation occurred largely because of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Adams State, an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education that seeks to support migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their children.

More specifically, CAMP helps pay for their first year of college. In addition to supporting them financially, the program also provides students with the social, emotional and academic support they need to persist in college, with the overarching goal of helping them earn a degree.

“They believed in me,” said Tovar. “CAMP provides hope to students who are marginalized, that, ‘Yes, you’re college material. Yes, you can graduate.’ Without this program, I would have been lost and maybe within two or three weeks, I would’ve dropped out. The program helped me stay, it provided me those tools that made me successful in my first year and for my whole career.”

Like Tovar, many CAMP participants are the first in their families to attend college. The students and their parents may lack a basic understanding of how college works – everything from applying for financial aid to attending their professors’ office hours. They often speak little or no English. They’ve moved around a lot, which meant switching schools and starting over. Many are immigrants; some are refugees. For many, living in a dorm room is the first time they’ve ever had a private space to call their own. Above all else, they may struggle with self-confidence and feeling like they don’t belong on a college campus.

But with the support of Adams State faculty and staff, migrant and seasonal farmwork students can overcome these and other barriers. The campus supports roughly 30 new firstyear students through the CAMP program each year.

“A big part of our mission here at ASU is serving underserved students and providing access to students who may not otherwise be able to attend college,” said Jasmine Camponeschi, project director for CAMP at Adams State. “It really aligns with what we’re all about at ASU. We’re in a small, rural agricultural area and we have a large population of seasonal farmworkers – it just makes sense that we would be providing that support.”

Adams State, and the entire southwestern region of Colorado,

has a long history of supporting seasonal and migrant farm workers and their children. ASU was Siblings, Alyssa (also a CAMP graduate) and Alejandro one of the original Tovar with younger sister, Anel, and mother, Patricia four campuses that Sosa, celebrating completion of their Adams State participated in the undergraduate degrees in the spring of 2020. new federal CAMP program when it launched in 1972.

ASU’s CAMP program is bolstered by the Migrant Education Program (MEP), another federally funded education initiative that supports migrant children from birth through age 21.

Students may first be identified through the Migrant Education Program, which supports them through high school, then recruited to Adams State to continue their education in college. The Southwest Region Migrant Education Program is located on the Adams State campus, which has forged a strong bridge from high school to college for migrant students in the area.

As students enroll at ASU, campus staffers help them at every step along the way, from registering to classes to securing financial aid. They also connect with the students’ parents, who play an integral role in student success. Students and parents attend a special CAMP orientation that takes place a few days before the start of the fall semester.

Once classes are underway, CAMP students must attend a weekly study session, which often includes guest speakers or workshops on topics like how to write an email or how to ask professors for help. CAMP hosts various cultural events throughout the year, often partnering with other campus groups and offices like the Cultural Awareness and Student Achievement Center (CASA).

“We make sure we give them that sense of belonging and they know they have a place here and that they’re surrounded by people who are cheering them on,” Camponeschi said.

Once students successfully complete their first year at ASU, their CAMP funding ends but they’re invited to continue participating in programming as upperclassmen (and many continue receiving scholarships and other financial aid); six CAMP students are hired back to serve as mentors each year.

This robust community helps students feel connected to the University and to each other, and gives them friendly faces to turn to if they’re ever feeling lost, confused or just need a little extra help.

“Our students understand that once you’re a CAMPer, you’re always a CAMPer,” said Camponeschi.

by Sarah Kuta

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Homecoming 2020 Grizzlies of the Year Nab $500 Scholarships for their Work and Dedication

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The best thing Vanessa Thong, pictured left, has done while at Adams State University is take advantage of events, organizations and clubs on campus.

“I feel as if I’ve built many connections, memories and friendships that way,” she says. “I took advantage of many of the opportunities ASU offered and I’m so grateful.”

She says that ASU has given her purpose, inspiration, motivation, support, and “endless amounts of opportunities.” “With a full ride to ASU, I knew they were a university that believed in me and my dreams to be a school or mental health counselor. They cared about me as a person, not just a student.

I wouldn’t be where I am without ASU.” Jaqueline Palacios-Molinar, pictured right, agrees.

“I feel appreciated and supported by my university and fellow campus members,” she says. “It is an honor to represent Adams State as a Hispanic student in an HSI. Now that I have received this award, I am able to continue my journey in higher education and continue striving for my career path. This scholarship motivates me to continue my work ethic and to continue to do much more. Not only for myself, but for my college as well.”

It was the enthusiasm of those two students that earned them the title 2020 Grizzlies of the Year.

Each will receive a $500 scholarship for their leadership, engagement, achievement and dedication to Adams State.

The two are part of Adams State’s Co-Curricular Recreation and Engagement GrizzLEADs program. Each student involved earns points toward the four areas of the scholarship for their participation before and during Homecoming Week.

Besides the scholarship, the two were featured in the local newspaper, in Adams State news, on @Adamsstatecore social media, and will speak at the Leadership Banquet in March about their time as Grizzly of the Year.

far away but still together homecoming 2020

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Students enjoyed a week of homecoming activites including “Bear With It” stuffed bear building, bingo and an outdoor carnival

Billy Adams Award Winner Announced It is quite fitting that the 50th recipient of the Adams State University Billy Adams Award is J. Thomas “Tom” Gilmore, Ph.D. and emeritus professor of business, past president of the institution, and Class of 1967 and 1968 graduate.

“I deeply appreciate the award and feel lucky to have spent my whole professional life at Adams State. It was a long and happy career,” Gilmore said.

The Billy Adams Award recognizes those who exhibit dedication to education shown by the University’s founder and namesake. Gilmore has been a true advocate of higher learning throughout his career at Adams State and into retirement.

The major focus of this award acknowledges someone who has given a great deal to Adams State. Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell believes Gilmore exemplifies the criteria through his work at Adams State over three decades with contributions to the business school, to college administration, and by leading the entire University as president. “He is beloved by many and has the respect of the campus and the Valley,” Lovell said.

Gilmore started his professional career as a faculty member in the School of Business in 1973, and retired as president in 2003. He still contributes to Adams State by serving on the Adams100 Commission and is a major advocate for the University.

“He played a certain role in securing resources for our Nursing Program through his leadership on the El Pomar Foundation Regional Council and continues to financially support the University through his personal contributions,” Lovell added.

On December 2, President Lovell presented Tom Gilmore with a signed William Moyers print as part of the Billy Adams Award.

A San Luis Valley native, Gilmore said: “Adams State has been a major cultural, educational, and academic part of the San Luis Valley and will continue to be in years to come. No rural place is quite the same without a higher education institution.”

He and his wife, Pat ’68, established the Erin Gilmore Memorial Endowment, in honor of their late daughter and created an endowment in honor of his parents and one in memory of Pat’s father through the Adams State University Foundation. The scholarships are based on need and academic achievement.

“I can’t think of anything better than an education to help someone better their life,” Gilmore added. He continues to teach a couple of courses in the Adams State MBA program.

The Adams State University Foundation honored Tom and Pat Gilmore with the 2006 Adams State University Willis Fassett Jr. Award. Tom Gilmore has served on numerous local boards, including the El Pomar Regional Council and Alamosa Ranch Advisory Board. He is a past chairman of the Board of the San Luis Valley Federal Bank.

The Gilmores’ two sons, Jeff and Mark, graduated from Adams State and currently their granddaughter, Emma, is pursuing a pre-med degree.

Billy Adams Award Recepients 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

J. Leslie Kittle Luther Bean Glennys Rugg Donald Gulley ’72 William Meyer Willis Fassett, Jr. Dr. James Craft Dale Thomas John Reason Margaret Plachy Charlotte Kavanaugh Dr. Littleton J. Bunch Mary Hennessey ’75 Roy B. Heilman Charles and Beryl Woodard Dr. John A. Marvel George Woodard Harry U. Hull John W. Price William Moyers ’39 Ralph H. Outcalt William O. DeSouchet Ignacio “Nacho” Martinez Cliff Hartman John Roybal ’51 Robert Foote Joe Maestas ’67 Ray & Ruth McGee ’50 Ted & Janet Morrison ’69 Keith Cerny Don & Gloria Wuckert Tim Walters ’73 Dr. Joe I. Vigil ’53, ’59 Billy J. Bond, Jr. William A. Porter ’51 Dr. Marv Motz ’58, ’59 Dr. Glenn M. Burnham Izora ’66 & Butch Southway Glen Bean ’36 Dr. John McDaniel Don Stegman ’61, ’64 Robert Oringdulph ’71 Erik van de Boogaard Charles Scoggin Steve Valdez ’87 Joseph A. Garcia Camila Alire ’70 Dr. Millie Hamner ’87 Carlos F. Lucero ’61

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Recognition of Donors by Adams State Foundation and Grizzly Club T

he month of October is a special time at Adams State. We recognize our outstanding donors, we pay tribute to our amazing students, and we pause to celebrate the University through traditions like Homecoming.

While we were unable to get together in person for many of these events in 2020, we moved forward with our recognitions.

Adams State is fortunate to have tremendous supporters – individuals and businesses who take the mission of the University to heart and are there for Adams State year after year.

We hope all of our alumni and friends of Adams State will stay in touch with us throughout 2021 as we celebrate our 100th Birthday, and we hope everyone will plan to join us on campus in October 2021 for our Centennial Celebrations.

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Alcon Construction named Grizzly Club Corporate Partner of the Year

The late Don Stegman named Grizzly Club Individual Partner of the Year

Alcon Construction is the 2020 recipient of the Grizzly Club Corporate Partner of the Year. Alcon Construction has been a Grizzly Club member since 2008 and has a long-standing tradition of helping Alamosa and the San Luis Valley. Allan and David Cook founded Alcon Construction, Inc. in 1974. The business is still family owned and operated

by David Cook and his son, Brian Cook and was officially incorporated in 1980.

“Being part of a small community, we think it’s very important to give back to our local establishments. We feel like the partnership between local businesses and ASU creates a true win/win,” said Alicia Cook, who along with her husband Brian, run Alcon Construction. “We are able to help support ASU Athletics which provides student athletes the opportunity to play and it also provides families with a positive activity to be able to spend time together. In turn, we are able to reach those families through the advertising that is done at each of the games/events.”

Alcon Construction has been an integral part of the growth at Adams State. “We have worked on nearly every area of the ASU campus, including the football field, baseball field, the pool and the High Altitude Events Center, even down to the dorms where the athletes live,” said Cook. “It is very rewarding to attend sporting events and see the results of something we had a part in creating.”

The Adams State University Athletic Department honored Don Stegman as the Grizzly Club Individual Partner of the Year. He earned the award posthumously.

Stegman, who passed away in March, put in 28 years of service into the institution as an English, speech, and theatre educator at Adams State. “There is no question dad loved Adams State University. He was also a huge fan of sports in general, so he always seemed excited and ready to attend any local sporting event,” said Kara Nye, Stegman’s daughter.

“Dad had a great fondness of students that would give their time and commitment in both the classroom and a competitive sport,” she said. “I think he felt the future of Adams State University was evident in the students and student-athletes and being involved in Grizzly Club was a chance to give back to them and the University.”

Stegman was a big advocate for Adams State, who according to Nye, would always extend an open invitation to Grizzly events and loved when his grandkids and close friends went with him. If he couldn’t attend the game, he would be hiding in his room with the radio on, listening to the event. His beaming smile and welcoming personality will be missed in the Grizzly Club seating at home events.

“I remember back in the ‘90s Adams hired a new basketball coach from a neighboring college and when Dad introduced himself, the coach smiled and told him ‘I remember you from the crowd.’” Nye said.

ASU Foundation recognizes Mangums and The Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation with 2020 Willis Fassett Jr. Award Willis Fassett, Jr. Award Recipients 1978 Gordon Rowe 1979 Elizabeth Conour 1980 Donald Eden 1981 Sharon Carter 1982 William Moyers ’39 1983 Leonard McLean 1984 William Fulkerson, Jr. 1985 George Woodard 1986 Willis Fassett, Jr. 1987 Phillip Lorton 1987 John Kirby ’49 1988 Judith Richardson 1989 John Reason 1990 Colorado Potato Administrative Committee 1991 Paul Hall Family 1991 AT&T Corporation 1992 Harold Kelloff 1993 SLV Federal Savings & Loan Association 1994 Dr. Littleton J. Bunch Family 1995 Butch & Izora Southway ’66 1996 Dr. John McDaniel 1996 Rio Grande Savings & Loan 1997 Wall Smith Bateman & Associates 1998 Dr. H. Dean Hopper 1999 Carlos ’61 & Dorothy ’61 Lucero 2000 Roy & Yoshiko Inouye 2001 Bank of Monte Vista 2002 L.B. Waters Estate 2003 Eldo Wall 2004 Alice B. Acheson ’67, ’68 2005 Larry ’59 & Sharon Wright 2006 Tom ’67, ’68 & Pat ’68 Gilmore 2007 William ’51 & Joan Porter, Jr. 2008 Alamosa State Bank 2009 Dr. John A. & Frances J. Marvel, Sr. 2010 SLV Rural Electric Cooperative 2011 Patsy Spier ’91 2012 First Southwest Bank 2013 Ron ’65 & Marilyn ’86, ’87 Loser 2014 Floyd ’55 & Cordelia Higel 2015 El Pomar Foundation 2016 Daniels Fund 2016 Rich ’59 & De Gehlbach 2017 San Luis Valley Health 2017 Elwyn “Al” ’73 & Virginia Wehe 2018 PEO Chapter V (Monte Vista) 2018 Wayne ’62 & Ellen Evans 2019 Dr. William J. Crain ’60, ’62 2020 Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation 2020 Janet ’63 & Jasper Mangum

The Adams State University Foundation values individuals and organizations that provide financial assistance for Adams State students as they achieve their academic goals.

Established by Robert Hoag Rawlings Sr., the Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation has been a strong supporter of Adams State for decades and is the recipient of the 2020 Willis Fassett Jr. Corporate Award.

For years, the Rawlings Hoag Foundation contributed to other scholarships before they established their own scholarship for Adams State students in 2007.

Since the beginning of the foundation, education was of major importance to the board and it has continued for over 30 years.

“The opportunities that higher education can offer individuals are among our biggest priorities and will continue to be,” said Foundation Executive Director Andrea Aragon. “Higher education is especially critical to those living in rural areas.”

Through their scholarship, the Rawlings Hoag Foundation helps students begin a path of self-sufficiency and an overall better quality of life. “Education is the big equalizer that can have a positive impact on our scholarship recipients, their families, and their children for generations to come,” Aragon said.

Recipients of the scholarship must be a journalism or business major, which is a tribute to the Pueblo Chieftain that helped create the Foundation. The Rawlings Family believes cultivating students interested in journalism and business will help attract and retain talented professionals to the industry.

“The RHR Foundation is very honored to be recognized with the Willis Fasset Jr. Award,” Aragon added. “We feel grateful to be a partner with Adams State University to provide students from the Valley and all over the country with higher education opportunities at a quality institution.”

John W. Rawlings, father to Robert Hoag Rawlings Sr. was a native of the San Luis Valley and attended Monte Vista High School. According to Aragon, the Valley holds a special place in the heart of the RHR Foundation. “This is a way to give back to those communities that made the Chieftain one of the strongest newspapers in the nation.”

Through the generosity of donors like Janet and Jasper Mangum, Adams State University students can concentrate on their studies and academic goals rather than worry about paying college expenses or accruing long-term debt.

In recognition of their long-time support through gifts and a scholarship, the Adams State University Foundation presented Janet ’63 and Jasper Mangum with the 2020 Willis Fassett Jr. Award.

The Mangums established a nursing scholarship in 2011. “My husband and I are impressed by the quality of the Adams State nursing program.” The majority of nursing students are from southern Colorado, filling a much-needed niche in the rural health care industry.

Janet’s sister, Mary Beaver, was a nurse, giving the Mangums an added appreciation for the profession. “I feel students who have to work a little harder are more invested in their education. Those are the kind of students I want to help,” Janet Mangum explained.

In 2006, Janet Mangum donated a Nursing Anne human simulator in order to help replicate real life situations for the nursing students. The donation by the Mangums was the start of the nursing department simulation lab.

Named in honor of the late Willis Fassett Jr., a long-time president of the Adams State University Foundation Board of Directors, the award is given yearly to strong supporters of the University.

After graduating from Adams State, Janet Mangum spent five years teaching physical education to junior high students, followed by another five teaching fifth graders. After 10 years of teaching under her belt, she branched out and spent the next 40 years as a co-owner of an auto body collision shop in Albuquerque, N.M. In 2021, Adams State will celebrate 100 years and Janet Mangum encourages others to support Adams State as it continues to offer affordable education and opportunities for students to succeed.

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Inside a Thriving Nursing Program With Intelligence and a real-world curriculum, the Adams State Nursing program is making a national name for itself saving lives and spirits.

W

esley Cizeski accidentally killed Sim-Man. During a simulation with the training dummy, the Adams State nursing student’s “patient” had a GI bleed, stated he was in pain and needed pain medication. Following the doctor’s orders, Cizeski gave the patient morphine. “Sim-man,” as the dummy was affectionally known, proceeded to bleed out internally, then pass away.

Cizeski was horrified. “In a real-world situation this is where the nurse should question the provider’s order. This was a valuable lesson for me in the role that nurses play in patient safety.”

The 2017 graduate of Adams State University’s nursing program is now a trauma nurse in the Denver area. He says despite poor Sim-Man’s demise, he really appreciates the Sim-Lab portion of the nursing curriculum and education, and he says it’s because of the work of Dr. Melissa Milner, the director of ASU’s nursing program.

“Dr. Milner really took the opportunity to build an amazing learning environment that allowed us as student nurses to experience the bedside without putting real patients at risk,” he says. “The simulations allowed us to really test our clinical and practical knowledge and prepare for real-world situations.”

That sentiment is echoed by fellow ASU nursing graduate Sydney Nelson, now a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix.

“A portion of our requirements were simulations,” says the 2018 ASU graduate. “Those simulations made you think on a deeper level and gave us real world examples. In clinicals you didn’t always get to see things that directly related to course work. Simulations really ensured we had a wellrounded education.”

She says it helped her break down the disease process, research drugs, and generally helped her learn how to help.

And to keep learning.

“This is something I have taken with me to my own practice,” she says. “When I see something I am not familiar 20 AStater

with, I start from the beginning and break it down.”

These are just two of Dr. Milner’s success stories, embodying her philosophy of “always keep learning.”

Dr. Milner, who took over as director of the program during the 2016-17 academic year, brought with her a philosophy that would help propel Adams State to one of the premiere nursing programs in the state, if not the country. Its small size, low faculty turnover and Dr. Milner’s dedication to critical thinking and evidence-based practice make it a popular choice for students who have a passion for helping others.

Probably one of the most impressive achievements has been the pass rate of her students in the difficult National Council Licensure examinations (NCLEX).

“In the last four years we’ve had an 87% pass rate,” Dr. Milner says. “While I’m very proud of that, I’m also aware that we need nurses not only with good skills, but who can go beyond the norm. They need to be forward-thinking, always trying to find out how they can do better.”

It’s not too surprising Dr. Milner has that attitude. She says she has the “trifecta” of helping others: She’s a nurse, a teacher and a mother of four.

“I grew up in the San Luis Valley, left for awhile to attend school in Kansas, but jumped at the chance to return here and teach,” she says. “It’s so important to bring healthcare to rural communities.”

However, she is the first to say the success of the program does not rest on her shoulders. She credits her five full-time co-professors for their help.

“ I have great colleagues,

and we implement changes as a team.”

That was never so apparent as it was last spring, when COVID-19 suddenly shut down in-person teaching and simulations. It was a critical time for the young students, as senior year is traditionally very challenging. Plus, they were preparing to take the NCLEX. But Dr. Milner and her staff quickly adjusted to distance learning. Because ASU uses the Blackboard program, students were already familiar with Internet-based lessons, and simulations were held on Google Meet or Zoom.

“It was kind of a shock when it happened,” Dr. Milner says. “We had to change our curriculum pretty fast. In fact, I spent all of spring break writing new lessons.”

But she insisted her staff and the students make the best of it, and to her surprise, they did. “It was not a negative experience,” she says. “It was even more effective for the students because they could listen to lectures on their own time, and really process the information.”

It wasn’t easy, though. Dr. Milner and her staff worked seven days a week to support the students. “We had to make adjustments to lesson plans on the fly. But it was never a ‘poor me’ attitude. We all said, ‘what can we do to make this easier for the students, and still teach them what they need to know?’”

Her colleague Assistant Professor Fallon Crowther agrees.

“I think there was a mutual understanding between faculty and students that there was nothing that we could do to change the circumstances,” she says. “So instead, we all changed our attitudes and decided that we were not going to let quarantine cause us and them to fail. We worked harder than ever before as faculty, and they worked harder than ever before as students.”

It worked. All 11 of the graduating nursing students passed the National Council Licensure examinations on the first try. That’s 100 percent of ASU nursing graduates who are now out in the field, helping others.

“It’s important that we teach the students that their patients are names, not numbers,” Dr. Milner says. “And it’s nice to see how our program is growing because of that philosophy.”

In 2021, ASU should graduate 15 cohorts, or students.

There are 20 students in their junior year, and a whopping 27 in their sophomore year.

It won’t be long until the students are entrenched in their own careers, as are Cizeski and Nelson, and 2015 ASU graduate Brittany Ogle, an oncology nurse at Pouder Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

Ogle was 15 when her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. After watching her suffering and death, Ogle knew she wanted to help others – not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

“I want to give back to oncology patients,” she says.

That desire thrived under Dr. Milner’s leadership, Ogle says. “She became director my second semester and helped shape the program into what it is today. The study groups, simulations and meetings with professors helped me become a much stronger student.” She goes on to say that case studies, patient scenarios and how a nurse would intervene in emergencies all aided her and other students to become not just nurses, but better nurses.

“ASU’s program was phenomenal,” she says.

But it isn’t easy. “Nursing school is hard,” Crowther says.

“You will feel like giving up more than one time. You will begin to doubt yourself more than one time. Don’t let giving up be an option. Don’t let one bad test stop you from believing in yourself.

“Life is hard in general,” Crowther says. “Look for the moments that make it all worth it and cling to those.”

And the ASU nursing program wants to make sure that its students’ future patients also never give up.

by Peggy Spear

Bachelor of Science in Nursing • Accepts students into the nursing program every spring • Is ideal for transfer students seeking a baccalaureate degree in nursing • Prepares students to practice professionally in a variety of settings • Accredited through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) For more information:

719-587-8171 • nursing@adams.edu

adams.edu/nursing

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Grant Central Adams State Student Support Services receives federal grant Adams State will be able to help even more students overcome hurdles on their quest to earn a college degree with a new $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Under the grant, Adams State will receive $294,722 per year for the next five years. The funding supports ongoing Student Support Services programs for low-income and firstgeneration students, as well as students with disabilities.

Student Support Services launched nationwide in 1968 and seeks to help students graduate from college with the lowest possible debt. There are 1,131 federally funded Student Support Services programs at campuses across the country.

“This funding will allow us to continue services we have been able to provide to students in the past, such as tutoring, mentoring, academic and career counseling and our Summer Scholars program,” said Melinda Viescas, director of Student Support Services at Adams State.

Already, Student Support Services programs and initiatives have helped hundreds of Grizzlies overcome challenges,

persist in their studies and thrive at Adams State.

The program supports the University’s mission of educating, serving and inspiring diverse populations of students, including many from the San Luis Valley. Nearly 55 percent of undergraduates at Adams State are eligible for Student Support Services programs because of their disability status, income and family education levels.

With these and other programs, the campus hopes to level the playing field and ensure equal educational opportunities for disadvantaged students.

To learn more about Student Support Services at Adams State, visit www.adams.edu/students/student-support-services/.

El Pomar Foundation grant launches “Movement for the Mind” effort In October, Adams State began its “Movement for the Mind” activities for middle and high school students thanks to a $100,000 grant from El Pomar Foundation. The activities included soccer, ultimate frisbee, spike ball or a walk around Alamosa’s Cole Park.

A multi-departmental project at Adams State, the goal of the program is to foster healthy mental health in children and adolescents through physical activity and togetherness, especially during the pandemic when mental health issues have been on the rise for all ages.

Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell approached the El Pomar Foundation with the idea for the Movement for the Mind project. She compiled a multidisciplinary team from departments across campus including kinesiology, counselor education, sociology, psychology, business and outdoor education and stewardship. Each department drew on their own strengths to contribute to the overall success of the project through research, marketing, social media, physical activities and hosting a COVID-19 Summit for San Luis Valley educators.

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Sara Erdner, Ph.D., CMPC, assistant professor of kinesiology and Movement for the Mind principal investigator, says future impacts of the program are bright and hopeful. “We hope that by implementing this type of project we will help the San Luis Valley youth feel the positive effects of physical activity.”

The Movement for the Mind initiative will be back in the spring, starting March 12, 2021. The spring sessions will happen once a week for six weeks. Contact Erdner at serdner@adams.edu for more information.

by Kaitlyn Kelley, class of 2021

Giving Back Two new scholarships were established in November 2020 to assist Adams State students reaching their academic goals

The Brody Geiser Memorial Scholarship

The Claudette Morin Fisher Scholarship

Emeritus Professor of Exercise Physiology and Leisure Science Jeff Geiser and his wife, Nancy, have established a scholarship to honor their late son, Brody Geiser.

Jeff Geiser was inducted into the Adams State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 for his record as the winningest football coach, a position he accepted in 1984. He and Nancy Geiser adopted Brody as a baby in 1985.

As a young boy, Coach Geiser would take Brody to football practice with him, and Brody Geiser soon became a fixture on the football field. He loved assisting his dad with everything from passing out footballs to moving cones around the field.

During football games the coaches used headsets and phones to communicate, and Brody Geiser would help hold his dad’s headset cord. “He began to know the game so well, he would offer his own input on some of the plays called,” Jeff Geiser said.

The constant involvement in the football team created a deep love from the University for the Geiser family.

Along with football, Brody Geiser loved hearing stories about his grandfather’s service in the U.S. Army during WWII. Once completing his high school education, Brody Geiser joined the Navy, and in May 2004, he attended basic training in Great Lakes, Ill. After completing basic training Brody attended school in San Diego to become a cryptotechnologist. He received certification to be a CT, and he earned the rank of Petty Officer and served aboard the USS Essex based in Sasebo, Japan. He was honorably discharged in 2008.

“Nancy and I love Adams State. We are grateful for this outstanding institution and we are proud and thankful for the opportunity to establish a scholarship to honor our son, Brody,” Jeff Geiser added.

Claudette Morin Fisher ’63, ’77 would not have been able to finish her college career without scholarships. In appreciation for her alma mater and her career in education, she recently established the Claudette Morin Fisher Scholarship for Adams State University non-traditional students.

Fisher was the first in her family to earn a college degree. “I had started a family with my husband, Keith ’57, ’58. If Adams State hadn’t been here, I would not have been able to earn my degree.”

After graduating, Fisher began her career as a physical education teacher in local elementary and middle schools. After receiving her master’s in counseling, she finished her career as an elementary counselor. “I really liked working with young children.”

She still has former students give her a hug when they see her. “Alamosa and Adams State have been good to us. It feels good to give back.”

She and Keith have been active in the Grizzly Club since 2009. “Grizzly volleyball is one of my favorite sports to watch.”

They have enjoyed attending alumni events since 1998 and for over 10 years have donated to the Adams State University Foundation.

Along with setting up the scholarship on November 16, 2020, a planned estate gift will continue to fund the scholarship. Adams State President Cheryl D. Lovell presented her with a Legacy Plate on December 2, 2020, in the Adams State Luther Bean Museum.

AStater 23

News Adams State hosts virtual Model UN event Building on its international success as a Model United Nations team, Adams State University expanded its influence through the establishment of the Southern Colorado Model United Nations Conference (SOCOMUN) for high school students and hosted a virtual conference on Oct. 16 and 17, which featured more than 116 students from across Colorado and New Mexico.

“I am so proud of the seven Adams State students who worked so hard to make this event successful,” said faculty advisor Mari Centeno, Ph.D., professor of political science.

“They began the planning stage in the spring of 2020 and met, virtually, once a week through the summer to stay on track.”

Adams State Model United Nations (MUN) team members included Zoe Serrano, SOCOMUN Secretary General and current MUN president, Ben Key, Makayla Huffman, Elizabeth Serna, Sandra Hernandez Gonzalez, Aaliyah Garcia, web and social media master, and Courtney Hocking.

In 2008, three years after Centeno became the Adams State MUN advisor, she began taking the team to international conferences. They have attended one every year until 2020, when the conference was canceled due to COVID-19. She has traveled with the team to the Netherlands, Venezuela, Greece, Italy, Switzerland (at the actual United Nations), the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Scotland, Spain, and London. In 2021 they will participate in the virtual Canadian Conference in March.

The October SOCOMUN conference included five different committees from beginner to advanced. The competitions covered COVID and Race; the situation in Lebanon; Water Scarcity; Cyber Terrorism; and Drones.

Applications to Adams State trending up Two new ways Adams State Enrollment Management is working to increase the number of students who apply is by participating on Colorado’s Free App day and by enlisting the support of alumni who can recommend a student to Adams State.

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U.S. Senator Michael Bennet visits campus and talks with President Lovell on October 13, 2020.

Strive for College recognizes ASU for making significant progress in attracting first-generation students Adams State University is making significant progress in attracting first-generation students to the campus. Because of its success, it was recognized by the nonprofit Strive for College for Excellence in Inclusion, Diversity, and Affordability for low-income and students who are first in their family to pursue a higher education.

Despite high aspirations, low-income and first-generation students continue to be underrepresented on college campuses. While over 80 percent of such students have expectations of attending college, only 20 percent will earn a bachelor’s degree by the age of 25.

Adams State is one of the top universities in the country working to change this trend.

Strive for College’s “Strive Five” distinctions are a set of data-based measures of actual performance in five key areas that demonstrate a tangible commitment to students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. The Strive Five areas are inclusion, diversity, affordability, completion and outcomes.

October 13 The second annual Colorado Free Application Day

942

applications to Adams State this year (2020)

725

applications to Adams State last year (2019)

Did you know that a gift of long-term appreciated securities is a quick and easy way to maximize your giving?

Why Consider This Gift?

• It is quick and easy. You simply instruct your broker to transfer a number of shares from your account to Adams State University’s account. Please contact our office for information on how to make a stock transfer.

• Your gift qualifies for a charitable income tax deduction and you avoid paying capital gains tax.

Make your gift go twice as far!

Did you know many employers match donations made by employees, employees’ spouses, and retirees? A matching gift can double or triple your donation to Adams State University.

Check with your human resources department to learn if your company has a matching gift program.

• Even if you do not itemize, you benefit by avoiding the capital gains tax you would have paid had you sold the appreciated stock.

• You can make a bigger gift at a lower cost.

For more information on this and other taxwise year-end gift giving options, please contact Karen Wibrew at kwibrew@adams.edu or 719-587-7165.

It is wise to consult with your tax professionals if you are contemplating a charitable gift.

This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor.

Adams State alumni can continue the momentum by helping the University recruit even more students.

Alumni can nominate a student to become a future Grizzly by filling out the nomination form at

adams.edu/nomination Once you submit a form, the admissions team will personally reach out to each student nominated.

Alumni who nominate a student will be entered into a drawing.

Five winners will receive an Adams State gift bag full of very cool items.

The student(s) who our alumni nominate will receive a free application for admission and will be entered into a drawing for a book scholarship for their first semester at Adams State.

AStater 25

Staying in Touch •1950s Paul T. Houser ’59, lives in northern California and enjoys playing tennis and golf and stays busy at church and home. He has seven grandkids and four great granddaughters. “I stopped by the campus recently, it has changed a little bit! I enjoyed my conversation with Lori Laske.”

•1960s Carl D. Babb’s ’65, wife, Sharon, passed away on September 9th. “We would have celebrated 50 years in December.”

Peter S. Ciraolo ’66 is a professional big band leader, conductor, and trumpster.

Michael D. Amori’s ’69, wife, Sandra L. Amori remembers when they moved into a little rental house in 1968-1969. After Mike graduated, they moved to Denver. “Now we are retired and live in Texas, but we have such fond memories of that little house and the very kind and helpful way they treated us!”

•1970s Susan ’72 and Francis Duncanson ’73 are retired and enjoying life’s adventures!

Tonita M. Suazo ’78 is retired from Mental Health Advocacy. She was a member of WE-CAN Wellness Education Coalition Advocacy Network and Leadership Academy and also worked with two governors on the Mental Health Advisory Board. She has one daughter, one granddaughter, and one grandson. “I continue to do my advocacy work for the people of the San Luis Valley.”

•1990s Laura Unger ’90 was recently hired as the principal of the Otis School District. “I am excited to work in a PK-12 setting with great staff, students and community,” she said.

Unger is married, has three children and two small grandchildren and all of them are very involved in agriculture. In her leisure time, she enjoys most outdoor activites, spending time with her family and traveling.

Shane Healy ’93 took first place in the NCAA division 2 Championships as a student athlete. He was featured in the RTÉ Documentary On One “Shane Healy–

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Back on Track” which was also broadcasted on Radio 1 and is available as an RTÉ podcast.

The article was titled “The running life of Shane Healy, Ireland’s most daring Olympian.” Not simply a reflection on his running life, and some of the dark ties that came with it, it’s as much about how Healy continues to infuse the sport with his knowledge and experience by training and competing with the Dublin Track Club.

• 2000s Marcy L. Libeer ’00 is a mental health therapist with Community Reach Center in Adams County.

“My years at Adams State were some of the best in my life and I hope that my donation can help at least one student be able to further their education. It was a great help when I was a student there.”

Kim Ensey ’07 was hired as the girls head softball coach in Chino Hills High School. She has also coached at Cerritos, Edison and Santa Fe High Schools. She is the recruiting coordinator for the So Cal Choppers travel softball team, the regional event director for Southern California for College Sports Evaluations and the player liasion and coordinator for the Premier Girls Fastpitch High School All-American Game, which is televised nationally on ESPN. Luis Murillo ’07, ’08, principal of Skoglund Middle School in Center Consolidated School District, received a grant from Curriculum Associates to support his continuing education.Curriculum Associates has partnered with the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) to support the professional advancement of Latino administrators by helping them earn advanced degrees in education.

Amanda Hill ’08 became the new Rusk City manager in September.

“I have aspired to be a city manager for some time (and) I have had the privilege of working under a very strong and knowledgeable city manager, giving me the skills and knowledge to take that next step in my career,” she said. Hill is the mother of three children: two adult sons and a daughter who is a freshman at Sargent High School in Monte Vista, Colorado.

•2010s Shanda Mendoza ’12 is a second-grade teacher at Park View Elementary in Pueblo. She was featured in the D60 teacher profile. “I chose this career to help change the world for the better and challenge myself.

There is nothing more rewarding to me than to see a child succeed academically and/or socially. I also love that I get to teach my students that college is not just an option but a part of their future plan. Every day in this career has its challenges, such as behaviors and learning gaps. Those challenges only feed my fire to be even better. This career is not always an easy task but always a rewarding one.”

Arsenia Barksdale ’17 was recently named the new head wrestling coach for Northwestern Junior College. “I’ve always wanted to get on the head coaching scene,” he said. “I’ve been an assistant coach for the last 10 years so I felt this would be a good opportunity for me to show off my skills. When I found out this job was opening up I had a couple of other coaches reach out to me and say they thought this would be a good fit for me so I took advantage of the situation.”

Rebecca “Bec” Blitstein ’19 has joined LenderClose technology as a software engineer. Bec also spent two years as a freelance software engineer. Her freelance work included full-stack development of a local bike shop website and contributions to GitHub programs in multiple languages.

Alexandria Quintana ’19 is the new assistant coach for the Otero Junior college softball.

After graduating from Adams State she continued her passion for softball as a coach and umpire.

What have you been up to since graduation?

Your classmates want to know.

Email your update and photo to alumni@adams.edu.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for friends and relatives?

“The Geology, Ecology, and Human History of the San Luis Valley” provides a comprehensive view of the San Luis Valley. Adams State University Associate Professor of History Charles Nicholas “Nick” Saenz, Ph.D. edited the book along with two former professors, Jared Maxwell Beeton, Ph.D., and Benjamin James Waddell, Ph.D. “This project was definitely a joint effort on part of Jared, Ben, and myself,” said Saenz.

“It was a fascinating exploration of the San Luis Valley from its early geology as a large lakebed to the contemporary culture.

My favorite aspect was the collaboration of so many persons who appreciate this unique land and the people who have always called it home.”

With contributions from Adams State professors, staff and alumni, as well as community members, this book includes every aspect of the beautiful San Luis Valley.

The book is divided into three sections. “The Geology and Ecology of the San Luis Valley” describes the geological and ecological aspects of the land. The history of the people, from indigenous to Spanish explorers, to Japanese settlers to religious groups is in the second section, “Human History in the San Luis Valley.” The final section of the book, “Travel Itineraries,” discusses the many different types of activities that are offered in the San Luis Valley.

Saenz serves as president of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area and has published work in the “Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies” and “The San Luis Valley Historian.” In addition to his published work, he has appeared on Rocky Mountain PBS and has been an exhibition consultant for History Colorado.

Adams State contributors include Timothy Armstrong, Ph.D., professor of biology; Jeff Elison, Ph.D., professor of psychology; Richard D. Loosbrock, Ph.D., professor of history; Rio de la Vista, director of the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center; Adams State alumni: Deacon Aspinwall, Bessie Konishi, Victoria Martinez, Andrew Valdez; former professors: the late Robert Benson, Ph.D., emeritus professor of earth science; Kristy Duran, Ph.D., R. Nathan Pipitone, Ph.D.; and A.W. Magee. The following community members also contributed: Robert M. Kirkham, Benjamin Armstrong, Lorrie Crawford, Eric Harmon, Devin Jenkins, Bradley G. Johnson and Richard Madole.

The book is currently available at the Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative in downtown Alamosa, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers.

by Kaitlyn Kelley, class of 2021

Say “goodbye” to 2020...

Order your 2021 Adams100 Commemorative Calendar

adams.edu/adams100/calendar/

“Chasing Excellence: The Remarkable Life and Inspiring Vigilosophy of Coach Joe I. Vigil” is available for purchase online at soulsticepublishing.com.

A portion of the book’s proceeds will go to the Joe I. Vigil Scholarship Fund for cross country and track and field athletes at Adams State.

The scholarship is administered by the Adams State University Foundation.

The publisher and author are grateful for this partnership.

AStater 27

Adams Family Album Staying connected via email, virtual events, and social media.

1980s Zoom Reunion participants enjoyed breakout rooms to chat about memories

1970s Zoom Reunion

1990s Zoom Reunion attendees included President Lovell, Lori Laske, Uriah Valdez, Michale Scarbrough, Carrie Digironimo, Rachal Velasquez, Robyn Upton, Sandra Barney, Andrew Smith, Ernest Cienfuegos-Baca, Roger Mack, Claire L Miller, Rodney Green, Michael Scarbrough, Karen Teal, Denise Ogden, Beneranda Chacon, Sheila Offutt, Jeff Guntle, Gary Hubbell, Tammy Lopez, Melanie Fritzsche, Christine Vick, Shahriar Ali, David Hydock, Eric Weedin, Michael Glass

< Adams State Music Department presents a concert, “Black Lives Matter: A Movement for Change” on October 16, 2020 Students on campus get their photo taken with Ben

Editor’s Note - corrected caption from AStater Autumn 2020 issue: The late Gigi Darricades with retired Athletic Director Larry Mortensen, Adam Roberts, and President Lovell.

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Virtual New Grad Brunch attendees included Kristofer Dracht, Azeneth Heredia, Kate Hudacsko, Trary LaMee, Zarin Santos,Sarah Miner, Vanessa Thong, Mark Cleaton, Lexi Garcia

Lori Laske Retires Lori Lee Laske’s passion for Adams State is as genuine as it gets. With energetic drive, vision and ambition she served her alma mater for almost 30 years and retires this month as Executive Director of Alumni and Donor Relations.

W

hile earning her bachelor’s degree, Laske held a work study position in the records office. “I started as a work study and worked my way up to executive director.

Along the way, I learned skills to use in the next position.”

After completing her first degree, Laske ’91, ’01 started in the Talent Search Office, moved to financial aid a year later, then to the Office of Admissions, where she traveled to high schools recruiting prospective students with her enthusiasm for Adams State and following up with the freshmen once they began their Adams State great story.

It was 2003 that Laske’s star shone the brightest after taking on the role as executive director of Alumni and Donor Relations. She started that year just before homecoming, which at that time was a small banquet, usually less than a dozen tables decorated with a centerpiece of balloons tied to a candy dish. The award winners did ride in the parade the next day and were invited to attend the game but it was a very modest low-key celebration.

By the next year, Laske had transformed this important alumni event into what it is today.

Reaching out to the local community, she sold corporate tables, planned reunion groups and invited friends or family members to introduce the honorees in a room filled to capacity, often close to 150 people. Laske, and long-time coworker/friend Gaylene Horning ’92, transformed the functional, bland banquet rooms into an atmosphere of charm and festivity.

She enhanced the tailgate party geared towards fun and building excitement for the upcoming football game. Award winners were feted for the entire weekend and made to feel outstanding and exceptional as their honor implied.

Laske also started a new award for those who had graduated within the last 10 years, to showcase the talents of up-and-coming professionals who earned their degree from Adams State.

Through the years, Lori has built and sustained lasting relationships with alumni, coworkers, community members, and shared her zeal for Adams State. Through her guidance, the Alumni Relations Office has traveled across the nation

hosting reunions in areas with at least 200 plus alumni within a 30-mile radius. The annual Alumni Cruise has sailed the waters of the Pacific, the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and Mediterranean.

Her sincere and caring nature has Laske taking calls from alumni at all hours when they reach out with news or just to connect and she donates to every memorial scholarship established at Adams State.

Boots on the ground On a personal note, Laske is a true cowgirl. She can hitch up a horse trailer on a dark and stormy night, load livestock and drive up Wolf Creek pass to meet her husband at his mountain guide location.

When her older sister suddenly and unexpectedly passed, she took in her preteen nephew through his school years. She volunteers her time with several well-established community organizations including the GFWC and Optimist Club.

Her love of Adams State is only surpassed by her love of her family including husband, Aaron, their children: Britany, Jordan, and Sam, and nephew Dante.

Alumni Impressions When the esteemed Marv Motz, Ph.D., emeritus professor of psychology, was close to his end, he requested her presence, as did other late alumni including Don Stegman and Bill Waters.

••• Laske Legacy ••• Has been promoting Adams State for 8250 days.

Helped establish 79 scholarships.

As part of a team, including the ASU Foundation Executive Director Tammy Lopez, helped raise more than $14 million for Adams State.

Since 2004, alumni relations has hosted 360 events (excluding

homecoming and alumni cruises) in 29 different Colorado towns and in 13 states nationwide, connecting with over 10,360 alumni.

In 2009, started the annual alumni cruise with travels to Alaska and

13 countries entertaining over 544 participants.

AStater 29

In Memoriam After a strong and courageous battle, Rob Benson, Ph.D. emeritus professor of geosciences, passed away on Sept. 20, 2020, from sarcoma cancer.

His bright smile and positive energy spread across campus from the classroom to the board room. He possessed an abundance of energy and an undeniable passion for his students and the field of geosciences. When sorting through Adams State photos over the last couple of decades, it is quite common to come across this lively man, including the cover of the Spring 2007 AStater, as he made a lasting impression on so many.

Rob shared his zest for living and for science with young elementary students to retirees. He organized field schools for high school students to the Great Sand Dunes National Park for hands-on learning; rode the Cumbres-Toltec Railroad with volunteer docents to teach about the geology of the train route; and beamed lasers through calcite in the Ryan Museum to excite elementary students about the specimens.

He was the type of professor who treated his students as equals and they responded to his encouragement by following successful paths in their careers and spreading the passion for science.

In 2012, Benson received the Presidential Teaching Award and the Associated Students and Faculty Award for Excellence in Advising, in 2013.

Benson was promoted to full professor of geology and earth sciences in 2011. Since its founding in 2005, he was

the director of the Edward M. Ryan Geological Museum.

He began his tenure in 1996 and held the position of chair of the geology and earth sciences department from 1998 through 2004.

Benson served as faculty trustee for the Adams State Board of Trustees from 2013 until 2019. He authored and co-authored several published articles. Condolences can be made at Rogers Family Mortuary in Alamosa at www.rogersfunerals.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the ASU Foundation Migrant STEAM Academy, a program near and dear to Rob’s heart. Checks may be sent to 208 Edgemont Blvd., Alamosa, CO 81101; credit card contributions may be made by calling 719-587-7122.

Emeritus Professor Clarence Milton Parks passed on November 9 due to complications from emergency surgery.

Clarence taught sociology at Adams State University for 28 years, retiring in 2011. He was 75.

He was fond of blues music and was the author of “The Man Who Knew the Blues.” He was a founding member of a group called the “Last Chance Band.” It is described as “a diverse group of professors, friends, and vagabonds who would meet monthly to recreate rock-n-roll classics.” Clarence played a mean lead guitar.

Clarence earned his bachelor’s degree in 1969 from Sam Houston State University, his master’s from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1976, and his Ph.D. from Texas A & M in 1983.

Clarence is survived by his wife of 49 years, Vicki Fant Parks, and two children, Aaron Parks and Elizabeth Parks Best, and four grandchildren.

Those wishing to make donations in lieu of flowers may do so in Clarence’s name either to North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at Friends of the NCLBPH, 1841 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh, N. C., 27635 or Colorado Talking Books Library, 180 Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, CO, 80226-8101. Clements Funeral Home in Durham is in charge of arrangements and will handle online condolences at www.clementsfunderalservice.com.

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Final Chapters Helen L. Snyder ’44 (Albuqerque, NM) passed away Jun 25 at the age of 101.

Robert G. Gallegos ’65, ’69 (Sun City, CA) passed away Aug 2 at the age of 80.

Rene V. Gonzalez ’75 (Tucson, AZ) passed away Oct 2 at the age of 75.

Charles C. Steward ’50 (Longmont, CO) passed away Jun 20 at the age of 92.

Natale R. Girgenti ’66 (Cherry Hill, NJ) passed away Jul 18 at the age of 79.

Janis E. Calhoun ’76 (Aurora, CO) passed away Sep 10 at the age of 86.

Epi E. Jaramillo ’53 (Fort Garland, CO) passed away Jul 28 at the age of 93.

Ronald Y. Yamamoto ’67 (Oak Grove, MS) passed away Jun 7 at the age of 75.

Michael C. Hannon ’76 (Wichita, KS) passed away Oct 7 at the age of 69.

Andrew A. May ’54 (Denver, CO) passed away Sep 30 at the age of 89.

Larry W. Arp ’68 (Evansville, IN) passed away Jun 29 at the age of 82.

Charles A. Hill ’76 (Sanford, NC) passed away Jul 7 at the age of 74.

Bob L. Smith ’54 (Starkville, MS) passed away Jul 19 at the age of 87.

Loretta N. Cranford ’68, ’79 (Walsh, CO) passed away Nov 8 at the age of 79.

Sharon K. Beck ’77, ’82 (Pueblo, CO) passed away Jul 14 at the age of 65.

Donald J. Stimack ’54 (Canon City, CO) passed away Nov 7 at the age of 88.

Dwight E. Ready ’68, ’71 (Broomfield, CO) passed away Jul 19 at the age of 78.

Elie B. Daniels ’77 (Colorado Springs, CO) passed away Aug 18 at the age of 66.

Anita Jaramillo ’55 (Santa Fe, NM) passed away Sep 1 at the age of 91.

Robert O. Wilcock ’68 (Orem, UT) passed away Dec 31 at the age of 84.

Raymond G. Harriman ’78 (Cortez, CO) passed away Jun 6 at the age of 61.

Frances E. Hammond ’56 (Arvada, CO) passed away Apr 2 at the age of 86.

William “Bill” McMosley ’69, ’72 (Williamsburg, IA) passed away Jun 23 at the age of 73.

Katherine L. Schlapp ’78 (Bloomfield, NM) passed away Jul 7 at the age of 71.

Mary A. Boss ’57 (Northglenn, CO) passed away Mar 15 at the age of 89.

Francis M. Shoban ’69 (Sarasota, FL) passed away Feb 1 at the age of 74.

Ted R. Guzman ’79 (La Junta, Co) passed away Apr 3 at the age of 60.

Elvera H. Archuletta ’59 (Longmont, CO) passed away Sep 29 at the age of 84.

Ruth E. Danielsen ’70 (Fresno, CA) passed away Jun 19 at the age of 73.

Roberta J. Cox ’83 (Trinidad, CO) passed away Jun 12 at the age of 79.

Georgia L. House ’59 (Pagosa Springs, CO) passed away Sep 23 at the age of 83.

Martin E. Gonzales ’70 (Pueblo, CO) passed away Sep 3 at the age of 84.

Judith A. Gerhart ’83 (Colorado Springs, CO) passed away Apr 21 at the age of 60.

Frank J. Ricotta ’61 (Pueblo, CO) passed away Oct 6 at the age of 84.

Michael J. Scott ’70 (Alamosa, CO) passed away Aug 15 at the age of 72.

Betty J. Tomlinson ’83 (Ocala, FL) passed away Sep 28 at the age of 90.

Alice M. Sanchez ’61 (Commerce City, CO) passed away Oct 28 at the age of 80.

Michael E. Trent ’70 (Manassa, CO) passed away Aug 12 at the age of 78.

Mary E. Sierra ’84 (Arvada, CO) passed away Jul 20 at the age of 58.

David C. Sheesley ’61 (Laramie, WY) passed away Oct 15 at the age of 84.

Harold L. Benson ’71 (Del Norte, CO) passed away Sep 20 at the age of 91.

Robert L. Walker ’86 (Stuarts Draft, VA) passed away Jun 7 at the age of 81.

George P. Vaternick ’61 (Portland, OR) passed away Sep 18 at the age of 82.

Jan C. Cokenour ’71 (Nashville, TN) passed away Aug 19 at the age of 72.

Gregory L. Millard ’89, ’71 (Pueblo, CO) passed away Feb 7 at the age of 70.

Alan Beatty ’62 (Fort Collins, CO) passed away Sep 14 at the age of 80.

Phillip L. Early ’72 (Dayton, NV) passed away Mar 22 at the age of 72.

Ralph E. Olivas ’94 (Carlsbad, NM) passed away Jun 20 at the age of 58.

Robert O. Coombs ’62 (Englewood, CO) passed away Apr 26 at the age of 80.

Sharon K. Hipsher ’72 (Longmont, CO) passed away Feb 18 at the age of 73.

Kelli Steinkirchner ’94 (Grand Junction, CO) passed away Mar 25 at the age of 60.

Larry Curtis ’62 (Long Beach, CA) passed away Jun 13 at the age of 82.

James F. Jones ’72 (Alamosa, CO) passed away Nov 5 at the age of 71.

Tanner L. Bagwell ’99 (Manassa, CO) passed away Oct 31 at the age of 47.

Charles P. Fowler ’62, ’69 (Buena Vista, CO) passed away Jun 16 at the age of 87.

John J. Stevenson ’72 (Golden, CO) passed away Jul 1 at the age of 79.

Robert W. Henriksen ’08 (Taos, NM) passed away Aug 22 at the age of 35.

Carrol J. Martin ’62, ’63 (Kenai, AK) passed away Mar 26 at the age of 80.

Pam J. Dean ’73 (Tulsa, OK) passed away Jun 21 at the age of 69.

Reina Montez ’08 (Pueblo, CO) passed away Sep 9 at the age of 40.

Ruth E. McMurtry ’62 (Raton, NM) passed away Sep 25 at the age of 80.

Ramona Kirby ’73 (Toponas, CO) passed away Oct 6 at the age of 92.

Elizabeth A. Gallina ’63 (Pueblo, CO) passed away Nov 5 at the age of 85.

Juliette J. Letourneau ’73 (Canon City, CO) passed away Oct 1 at the age of 89.

Linda A. Rimmer ’63 (Amarillo, TX) passed away Oct 14 at the age of 80.

Allan D. Porter ’73 (Colorado Springs, CO) passed away Jul 14 at the age of 80.

Beverly A. Westberg ’64 (Lancaster, CA) passed away Jul 4 at the age of 78.

Ron J. Brennan ’74 (Grand Junction, CO) passed away Jul 22 at the age of 74.

Joan M. Craig ’65 (Sturgis, SD) passed away Nov 6 at the age of 100.

Richard B. McCallister ’74, ’75 (Woodstock, IL) passed away Aug 13 at the age of 73.

Ralph A. Gagliardi ’65 (Trinidad, CO) passed away Oct 13 at the age of 79.

Normandy Montano ’74, ’76 (Albuqerque, NM) passed away Jul 7 at the age of 78.

friends

Gigi Darricades ASU Friend (Alamosa, CO) passed away Apr 22 at the age of 67.

Larry Vigil ASU Employee (Alamosa, CO) passed away Sep 16 at the age of 62.

Dr. Robert “Rob” G. Benson ASU Professor (Alamosa, CO) passed away Sep 20 at the age of 62.

Brodrick J. Geiser ASU Friend (Alamosa, CO) passed away Nov 3 at the age of 34.

Dr. Clarence M. Parks ASU Professor (Durham, NC) passed away Nov 9 at the age of 75.

AStater 31

A-Stater Adams State University Alamosa, CO 81101

2nd Annual

new acts and old favorites Guest appearances: ASU Chamber Choir The elusive ringtail cat Featuring:

Our talented alumni

Colleagues in Carts Getting Coffee

Tune in for Chemistry magic, amazing music, and much more

watch it live on adams.edu/live

6 p.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Monday February 15, 2021