Beyond the Arch: July 2021

July 2021

BEYOND THE ARCH T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N F O R B U E N A V I S T A U N I V E R S I T Y

TEXAN FINDS HIS WAY with BVU support

THE FOUNDRY OPENS in downtown Storm Lake

CORTEVA LEADER REFLECTS on three BVU roles

Beyond the Arch is produced by University Marketing & Communications: Kelsey Clausen M.A. ’19, Senior Director of Communications Tim Gallagher ’90, Assistant Director of Communications Ryan Harder ’99, Assistant Director of Marketing Ashley Hunter, Marketing and Communications Specialist Amy Kinney ’09, Graphic Designer Megan Ogren, Senior Director of Marketing Morgan Walker, Graphic Designer Josh Weitzel ’05, Web and Social Media Manager

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IN THIS ISSUE:

BVU Agronomist at center of national study - page -

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Senior Director for Diversity & Inclusion shares vision - page -

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Historic Commencement weekend times three - page -

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FROM THE

PRESIDENT READY TO WRITE BVU’S NEXT CHAPTER Greetings from Storm Lake! The three months of summer provide a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past academic year and to plan for the future.

In May, I met in small groups with every faculty and staff member to reflect on the 15 past months. I asked each employee to describe one thing they were most proud of accomplishing during the pandemic.

What I heard was inspiring, solidifying my view that BVU is a remarkably resilient place.

We had an athletic training staff of four employees that, for one two-week window, supported 17 sports teams in official competition simultaneously. We had a faculty member recording video lessons for students while hospitalized with COVID-19, and a staff member who provided critical services to students while working at the bedside of a teen-aged child who was hospitalized with COVID-19. We had custodial staff working overtime, every day, to keep our campus clean and safe.

We had a nursing staff working nights and weekends contact-tracing. I could go on and on…

While this exercise was cathartic in many ways, it was also helpful in solidifying three important principles as I look forward in my presidency: First, generating quality outcomes and experiences for our students, our programs, our employees, and our community is critical. We will strive for excellence in all we do. Second, financial stability for the institution, our students (affordability), and our employees (wages and benefits) must be at the forefront of decisions we make. Our people remain our greatest resource. Third, BVU must develop a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. While we should celebrate our rich history, we must not be afraid to evolve to meet the everchanging needs of our students and our communities.

I look forward to engaging with you in the coming months and years as together we write the next chapter in BVU’s great history!

Go Beavers!

BUENAFICATION DAY 2021

Brian A. Lenzmeier, Ph.D. President

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ACHIEVEMENTS

Barnes Honored as Senior of the Year

Teague wins BV County Pork Producer Scholarship

Psychology Major Completes Internship, Accepted to Grad School

Grad Student’s Essay Wins National Attention

Mary Barnes ’21 was recognized as BVU’s Senior of the Year. This honor is given by the BVU National Alumni Association to an outstanding senior who has demonstrated, throughout his or her college career, exceptional academic achievement, impressive leadership characteristics both in and out of the classroom, and the ability to set personal and career goals that have impacted not only their own lives, but also those around them. The marketing major from Peterson was active in BVU’s new Rodeo Team and Women’s Basketball and was also a recipient of the Clifford A. Rae Academic Achievement Award.

Samuel Loerts, a 2021 psychology graduate, completed a human resources internship with Cultural Vistas through the Washington Center in Washington, D.C. The Humboldt native received multiple graduate school offers and will attend the University of Minnesota, Mankato in pursuit of a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology this fall.

Janet Berry 4

Emeritus

Each year the Buena Vista County Pork Producers award one BVU student who has a high GPA and an interest in agriculture with the BV County Pork Producer Scholarship. This year’s recipient was Jacie Teague, a senior from Sac City. Teague, an accounting and agriculture business double-major who holds a 4.0 GPA, received the award at an event held on March 23 at Zimmy’s in Storm Lake.

Kellie Lewis, a graduate student in the professional school counseling master’s program from Guthrie, received an Honorable Mention for her submission to the American Counseling Association’s Future School Counselor essay competition. The competition recognizes graduate counseling students with exceptional insight and understanding about the school counseling profession and the work of professional school counselors who interact with elementary, middle school, or high school students.

Dr. Nasser Dastrange Emeritus, Order of Cumberland and Tollefson

Dr. Mary Gill

Emeritus, Order of Cumberland and Tollefson

PR Major Lands Hall of Fame Internship

Fitzke Accepts Internship with Division I School

Strategic public relations major Jordyn Daggs-Olson ’21 was selected as a summer intern with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. She will spend her summer as one of only 10 interns with the Gold Jacket Relations Department which plans and coordinates the activities and ceremonies for the Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021 inductees and their guests.

Reed Fitzke, a senior from Fremont, Neb. accepted a summer internship with Boise State University in Idaho. Fitzke, who is doublemajoring in kinesiology and exercise science and rehabilitation health sciences, is working in the strength and conditioning department for the Boise State University Division I football team.

ROTC Cadet Earns Governor’s Cup

Brayden Collins, a 2021 chemistry graduate, is a recipient of the 2021 Governor’s Cup Award. The Governor’s Cup Award is an annual award recognizing the top cadet in each ROTC program across the state based on their outstanding leadership and academic and military achievements.

He is pictured here at the Commissioning ceremony that followed the 2021 BVU Commencement in May where his parents, Ben and Melissa Collins, pinned the Second Lieutenant rank on his shoulders, per tradition.

URMED Scholars Recognized

Yurika “Lily” Matsuda, a senior from Sidney, and Molly Barten, a senior from Zearing, were recognized by Buena Vista Regional Medical Center and BVU as the Undergraduate Rural Medicine Education Development (URMED) Fellows for May 2021. The two biomedical sciences majors participated in a three-week internship in May and earned a $3,000 stipend to defray the costs associated with applying to medical school. URMED fellows are selected from a pool of applicants through a competitive process by a committee of four local physicians and a hospital administrator, with the assistance of two BVU faculty.

FACULTY RECOGNITION

Dr. David Klee Emeritus, Order of Cumberland and Tollefson

Dr. Bethany Larson Emeritus, Order of Cumberland and Tollefson

David Walker Emeritus

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“I had this feeling in my chest that I was stuck in Texas. I wanted to come back. My mom wanted me to return; she’s proud of what I’m able to do on my own.

Being at BVU makes me happy.”

–Diego Escarcega 6

WRESTLER KEEPS MOVING AHEAD DESPITE CHALLENGES

Student Emergency Fund, Center for Criminal Justice Studies, wrestling team all points of pride for Texan Diego Escarcega marks his high school tenure in a unique manner, wins and losses. The four-year period coincided with the four years his mother, Maria Soile Pina, worked to get her documents in order to apply for and earn U.S. citizenship.

“My mom is doing great,” he says. “She had surgery and didn’t have to go through chemotherapy. Her leg swells and she has some side effects, but she’s fighting. She’s working. She is supporting our family.”

The first two years of Escarcega’s college tenure at Buena Vista University have been marked in another series of wins and losses, the time in which his mother has battled cancer.

Doctors told the family that the cancer could recur, but the chances are minimal.

Escarcega completed his freshman year at home in Amarillo, Texas, as BVU’s campus closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He took courses virtually and worked construction full-time all summer, earning money to help his family remain in its two-bedroom apartment.

He didn’t return to BVU for the Fall Semester, opting to enroll at a college closer to home. Transferring schools kept him closer to his siblings as their mother battled cancer.

“There was pressure on me,” Escarcega says. “I didn’t know if my mom would be OK. I didn’t know if my three younger siblings would be OK. I kept working, and I put everything on God.” The semester in Texas didn’t sit well with Escarcega, who had previously taken to the growing Criminal Justice/Criminology program within BVU’s School of Liberal Arts. His heart, he says, remained heavy for his BVU friends, professors, coaches, and teammates.

“I had this feeling in my chest that I was stuck in Texas. I wanted to come back,” he says. “My mom wanted me to return; she’s proud of what I’m able to do on my own. Being at BVU makes me happy.”

The good news has Escarcega continuing to focus on his BVU path. He returned home this summer to work in construction while remaining close to his family. The work, and his workout regimen, have him excited about his future on the mat and in law enforcement.

“As a coach, I admire the way Diego has come back with a positive attitude,” says Head Wrestling Coach Mark Rial. “You can tell when he has challenges, he doesn’t get discouraged. Diego keeps going forward. He works and figures out a way to get things done.”

“My dream job right now is to be with the Texas State Patrol,” Escarcega says. “If I could keep going even further, I’d like to one day end up in the FBI. I am motivated now to be the best officer I can be.”

Escarcega’s maturity and even-keel approach, one he’s developed while emerging through a series of challenges, is going to work to his advantage, Riner contends.

“In our simulator in class, Diego considers what he can and cannot do in high-pressure situations,” Riner says. “He takes a more reasoned approach and that’s going to serve him well in this profession.”

Escarcega transferred back to BVU, back to his Beaver wrestling program, back to Dr. Richard Riner, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies.

“Diego goes quietly about his business and is always in class with us,” Riner says. “He is a student we’re rooting for at BVU.” Escarcega can’t say enough about BVU. He’ll always remember how the University assisted him in a time of tragedy during his freshman year. Escarcega’s grandmother died at her home in Mexico. Through the Student Emergency Fund, a fund fueled by gifts from benefactors, Escarcega was able to purchase a round-trip airline ticket for a flight to and from El Paso, Tex. An uncle met Escarcega and drove him to join many, but not all, of his family members in Mexico for the funeral.

“We have some family members who could not get to Mexico for my grandmother’s funeral, because they feared they might not be able to re-enter the U.S.,” he says. “I am thankful to BVU for being able to get to her funeral and help support my family.”

Escarcega, who had kept in shape while working in construction last summer, earned two pins for the Beavers in his first weekend back in action. He let his mother know of his successes as she did the same.

DR. RICHARD RINER

Assistant Professor of Criminology/Criminal Justice

A leading charge in establishing the Center for Criminal Justice Studies, Dr. Richard Riner helps students bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world experiences. Riner uses his 10-year history as a former police officer to implement experiential learning for students—going beyond what’s typically taught in a classroom.

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Dr. Geoffrey Ecker, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, extends the classroom to the Agricultural Experiment Station in leading an agronomy research project.

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FIELD STUDY YIELDS MULTIPLE OUTCOMES FOR AG STUDENTS Cris Miller, a senior agronomy major, smiles when thinking about his Crop Sciences class in Fall 2020. Heading into a field of corn to take stalk nitrate samples put him in the center of a nationwide study.

“We cut 10 stalks per test row and could witness the differences certain nitrogen stabilizers had on crops, even within one field,” says Miller, whose passion is farming. “An experience like that helps set me up for my future work in agriculture.”

Not only did students help with the corn harvest at the University’s Agricultural Experiment Station, several ag majors took part in a variety of activities at the site, ranging from livestock care and herdsmanship to field-scale trials that tested performance of nitrogen stabilizer products from companies such as Corteva, Koch, and Biodyne.

The field study was part of a larger data set collected from 54 such trials across eight Midwest states. The local effort, part of a USDA/NRCS-funded Conservation Innovation Grant awarded to Ohio-based Brookside Labs, Inc., is directed by Dr. Geoffrey Ecker, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, who works to merge real-world practices with academic study in his courses.

Ecker’s participation in the three-year grant program bears fruits for both his students and grain producers across the country as agronomists, such as Ecker, seek to discover how a nitrogenstabilizing product, in this case, Anvol, performs.

“I’ve been working with this program as a research scientist for five years,” says Ecker, who came to BVU and its Institute for Agriculture in 2020. “We had a grant to run trials, and I thought it would be synergistic to expose the trials to this part of Northwest Iowa while giving students the chance to gather data in a federally funded agronomy research project.”

Mike Christen, Land Unit Manager at the Agricultural Experiment Station, incorporated Anvol in a side-dress application to his corn.

Some applications featured Anvol, while others did not. Students took samples of corn stalks across the field and sent samples on for elemental analysis.

“Students cut a section from the corn stalk at a specified height, which would then show whether the plant was nitrogen starved or had excess nitrogen,” Ecker says. “This is something an agronomist serving a local cooperative might do. The study helps expose our students to a different side of agronomy.”

Ecker and his students seek to learn more about other variables, such as rainfall amounts and how close precipitation occurs to an application date. Ultimately, the study will help growers learn how and how well nitrogen stabilizers perform agronomically.

“We seek to learn if a grower can achieve more yield by actually using less nitrogen,” Ecker says. “And, economically, does a stabilizer enhance growth and yield enough to justify the money spent on it?”

“I’m very grateful to have real-world experiences like this on the BVU farm,” says Miller, a Spencer native who also plays soccer for the Beavers. “Agriculture is something I’ve always had a strong interest in, and Ecker works hard to connect students like me with practices and roles in agriculture, setting me up for a career I know I’ll enjoy once I graduate.”

Ecker’s long-term goals involve protecting growers and soil health while researching ways to feed a growing world. Additionally, he’s exposing students to the possibilities of a wealth of careers within the ag industry.

“I’m deliberately marrying real-world work with academic study in the thinking that it’s best for everybody,” he says. “One student turned to me while we were in the field and said, ‘I didn’t ever think of becoming a crop consultant.’

“Some students we will help train to work the land,” Ecker concludes. “Many others will work with the people to work the land. They’ll play the support and the analytical roles, putting into practice the concepts we’re learning here at BVU.”

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BVU AT THE CENTER OF SEA CHANGE IN STORM LAKE In June 2020, Buena Vista County topped the New York Times’ “hotspot” list for COVID-19 cases. Schools had closed, as had the Buena Vista University campus, and businesses across Storm Lake.

One year later, a sea change occurred amid the lakeside community with BVU at the center of a summer of recovery.

Dr. Stacey (Weaver) Cole ’96, Storm Lake Superintendent of Schools, examined the Storm Lake Elementary School as it teemed with activity, a portion of the 500 students K-12 attending summer school in June 2021 raising hands, high-fiving, and celebrating creative solutions to scenarios presented by studentteachers from BVU. “There’s no way we could do this without BVU,” Cole said.

“The University is a phenomenal partner for our schools and community.”

Cole initially believed 60 students could receive the benefits of a summer school program overseen by school district staff members. But something happened on the way to her planning: BVU stepped in.

Drs. Lucas DeWitt, Program Director for Master of Education, and Brittany Garling, Dean of the School of Education, joined Cole in devising a plan involving 20-plus students in BVU’s School of Education and School of Liberal Arts. Rather than rely solely on certified teachers from the Storm Lake Community School District, Cole could employ BVU students to lead smaller classrooms of learners eager to stay in contact with peers as they worked to erase academic gaps, a residual effect of COVID-19.

Beyond classroom instructors, four BVU social work majors completed internships in the summer school program by offering small- and large-group sessions that address the needs of students of all ages and backgrounds. Students also assisted Storm Lake Community School District (SLCSD) staff members in distributing lunches to children throughout the community, then playing with select groups of students in the parks on designated afternoons.

“The biggest piece contributing to mental health challenges among our children is isolation, particularly the isolation and uncertainty that came with fear during the pandemic,” Cole says.

“We’re working to remove isolation barriers as we emerge from the pandemic. The added benefit is what’s happening academically as children dive into STEM activities while enjoying being around their friends during the summer.”

“The University is a phenomenal partner for our schools and community.”

“So many of our teachers in Storm Lake needed a break this summer,” Cole said. “They were worn out by a long year of change and adjustment in the schools because of COVID-19.

They needed this time to recharge.”

BVU students were anxious for the opportunity. A benefactor put an exclamation point on the plan by underwriting students’ stays in the residence halls. Students, ultimately, can stay for free on campus this summer while teaching in a program funded by the Federal CARES Act for communities fighting back from COVID-19.

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“Students are so grateful to be able to stay for free on campus thanks to the benefactor support in value-added funding,” says Garling. “Our students are getting the added benefit of being able to teach smaller groups of students in a less-formal setting than they might have as student-teachers and teachers in the regular academic year. It will certainly help our students transition into those student-teaching roles as seniors.”

Some 250 students in grades K-7 participated in classes and activities each Monday through Thursday at Storm Lake Elementary School. Nearly 170 students in grades 8-12 took part in classes and credit-recovery exercises at Storm Lake High School.

Weeklong camps in July saw 200 students rotating among activities in STEM areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.

“BVU students will have a head-start when they go to teach or student-teach next year or the year after,” Cole says. “We are exploring ways we can make this a permanent program each summer in our school district.”

“If our participation helps children and families close any gaps caused by COVID-19, then it’s well worth the effort,” Garling says.

“We also know this experience is preparing BVU’s future teachers and social workers to be the best they can be.”

Yuselin Vazquez, one of nearly two-dozen BVU education majors teaching summer school, works with elementary students in a classroom at Storm Lake Middle School.

Garling Named Dean, School of Education Dr. Brittany Garling was recently named Dean of the BVU School of Education. Garling, a seven-year BVU veteran, is a native of Wilton and a second-generation teacher. Her mother, Lori Petersen, concluded a 31year teaching career this spring with her retirement.

Garling’s family ties to education added another level this spring as she “hooded” her younger sister, presenting a diploma to Melissa (Petersen) Peterson M.Ed. ’21, who earned a BVU master’s degree in special education.

“At BVU, I have found a close-knit group of colleagues who are here to help students grow into being the best educators they can be,” Garling says. “I knew no one when I came to BVU, and it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve grown personally and professionally. And this is the place where my husband, Shane, and I want to raise our three children.”

Garling, who teaches three classes in English as a Second Language (her endorsement area), helps direct a staff that works with 120 education majors on the Storm Lake campus, and 265 majors in online, hybrid, and graduate programs.

STRENGTHENING TIES WITH STORM LAKE SCHOOLS BVU was at the heart of other developments within the Storm Lake Community School District during the academic year.

Facing a shortfall of substitute teachers, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, BVU offered the Board of Educational Examiners’ approved Substitute Authorization course, a 17-hour self-paced online class that allowed 80 BVU students to become substitute teachers, many of whom then served in that capacity in Storm Lake and throughout Iowa, alleviating a shortage that approached crisis level.

Storm Lake also embarked on a dual-language program in kindergarten during the fall, just the seventh Iowa school district to do so. Brian Gomez ’17 taught students on the Spanish side in a project-based program that allows students to engage in Spanish instruction for half the school day. The program will continue as students advance through elementary and into middle school and high school.

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THE FOUNDRY: Where BVU forges, grows innovation The Donald F. and Charlene K. Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship fuels a revival through The Foundry in the heart of downtown Storm Lake.

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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds joined Buena Vista University administrators, faculty, staff, benefactors, and guests in a ribboncutting ceremony to celebrate the establishment of The Foundry in downtown Storm Lake on June 2.

“This is a very exciting day for the City of Storm Lake as it starts down a truly innovative path to transform itself into a rural hub for innovation and entrepreneurship,” Reynolds said. “Projects like this don’t just happen without active and engaged leadership with a very strong vision.”

The site at 524 Lake Avenue, in the heart of the Storm Lake business district, is an incubator and co-working space for start-up companies, a key component of BVU’s Strategic Plan and a central theme in The Donald F. and Charlene K. Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship (LCRE), an initiative encouraging economic development through support for entrepreneurs in the region.

“We’re thankful for what Don and Charlene Lamberti have done for people and communities across the state and throughout the Midwest in building Casey’s General Stores from scratch, a business staple synonymous with Iowa quality and taste,” said President Brian Lenzmeier. “Through their shared vision and generosity, Don and Charlene have strengthened Buena

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Vista University programming as well, in efforts such as the Lamberti Recreation Center and the Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, which seeks to link existing business owners with our students, the next generation of problem-solvers across Iowa.”

The Foundry, which stands less than one mile from BVU’s Storm Lake campus, allows easy access for students, staff, and faculty while enhancing the consumer experience in a downtown sector mere blocks from the beauty of Iowa’s “walleye capital,” Storm Lake. The site provides space to incubate start-up firms while providing co-working spaces for local and visiting persons in business. The Foundry will also host educational and community events in the future.

Levity, an enterprise owned and operated by 2020 BVU graduates Bazyl Horsey and Michael Martin (above right), is the first startup to begin business operations within The Foundry. The custom software development firm occupies a portion of The Foundry’s spacious first floor, allowing room for additional start-ups to operate and expand within a site that grants visionaries access

PHASE II SECOND FLOOR: RURAL REVITALIZATION CONFERENCE SPACE | OFFICES | CO-WORKING SPACE | GUEST SUITE

to a variety of BVU resources in the way of advisors, mentors, physical materials, and more.

& Savings Bank in Storm Lake, is a longtime member of the BVU Board of Trustees.

“It is wonderful to see recent BVU graduates taking their dreams for business and putting them into action in the center of downtown Storm Lake,” said Don Lamberti, a longtime BVU Board of Trustees member who founded Casey’s in 1968 and built the organization into a publicly traded enterprise that employs more than 15,000 people who serve more than 2,000 stores. “As a family, we remain grateful to be in a position to do all we can to encourage the kind of growth that’s essential for a prosperous future in communities across Iowa and the Midwest.”

“We are grateful to the Dvergsten family for making this wonderful downtown location available for BVU to lease with funding generously provided by the Lambertis, who share in the University’s mission to strengthen rural communities through entrepreneurship, innovation, business succession, and more,” said Gary Sterling, Instructor of Management and Director of the Lamberti Center for Rural Entrepreneurship.

Reynolds joined the Lamberti family, Lenzmeier, Storm Lake and BVU officials, and others in touring the facility while learning about the site’s unique history in a community that has grown in concert with dozens of start-up businesses emanating from Lake Avenue in all directions.

for entrepreneurship, and for opportunity,”

BVU leases the building from Storm Lakers David and Barbara Dvergsten. David Dvergsten, Chairman & CEO of Security Trust

“The heartland is the place for innovation, Reynolds concluded. “You don’t have to leave Iowa to launch your career. You can make a difference in your community, or even have a global impact. It’s all right here.”

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INDEPENDENCE DAY TAKES ON ADDITIONAL MEANING FOR GRADUATE Family leader takes the advice of a BVU pro, and shares in success As the United States celebrated Independence Day on July 4, Cayli (Newton) Harrod ’21 toasted herself as she reached a milestone in her academic and personal journey, that of a Buena Vista University graduate.

Her celebration was a quiet one, an evening spent watching fireworks where she and husband Zakry Harrod relocated this spring, in Hawaii!

“My degree is in psychology and human services,” Harrod says.

“I’m doing an internship in Hawaii while Zakry works for eBikes Hawaii. We’re loving it here!”

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As Harrod joined the number of BVU alumni in Hawaii (there are Beavers in all 50 states), she reflected on a complicated path in achieving her bachelor’s degree, one marked by family tragedy, determination, and a key member of the BVU’s extensive support network.

After graduating from Estherville-Lincoln Central High School in 2015, Harrod studied art at Iowa Lakes Community College.

She also worked full-time as an emergency room registration specialist at Lakes Regional Hospital in Spirit Lake. In 2017, she enrolled at BVU and took classes online through the University’s site in Spencer. She also switched jobs and began working at Seasons Center in the behavioral health area.

“My mom, Kristen Newton, got breast cancer in 2017 and was sick for a year or so,” Harrod remembers. “The disease was very aggressive. Mom was only 48 when she died in 2018.”

Cayli gathers for a photo with several of her younger sisters, from left: Lindey, Hannah, Cayli, Elizabeth, and Addie.

Harrod, one of 10 siblings in her blended family, helped her parents during her mother’s bout with cancer by caring for younger brothers and sisters as they headed to and from practices and activities in Lake Park and the Iowa Great Lakes.

When Kristen’s fight necessitated a stay in a Sioux Falls hospital, Harrod drove to and from Sioux Falls multiple times per week, sometimes on a daily basis. She kept working and helping their father manage the household.

“I was burning the candle at both ends,” says Harrod, explaining how she, as a straight-A student, failed a pair of classes.

“Emotionally, I wasn’t there for my classes. Physically, I wasn’t either.”

Even though Harrod was close to completing her bachelor’s degree at that point, she decided to take time away from BVU while focusing on her family.

“I knew something was wrong based on Cayli’s midterm grades in a couple of courses, so I had her stop by and asked her how she was doing,” says Peggy Bates, Assistant Director of Student Success. “She came in and told me about all that she was trying to manage. I admired her as she had so much responsibility. I loved that she was the person her brothers and sisters needed. I also knew she needed to focus on her family and herself. I let her know it was OK to step away from classes for a period of time.”

Bates’ mother died when Bates was nine years old. She reflected on the absence of a support system as she grew up. She continued to offer encouragement to Harrod.

“I felt I knew something about what Cayli was going through,” says Bates. “I wanted her to know that BVU, as well as I, would be there for her in whatever way she needed us. I also knew she really needed to take some time for herself.”

As Harrod focused on her family and her needs for a year or so, Bates kept in touch, offering encouragement. She repeatedly said, “Everyone deserves a break. Take care of yourself. We’re here when you’re ready to return.”

In March 2019, Harrod returned to class. She resumed her straight-A academic tradition and continued working, attending classes that aligned flexibly with her work schedule. She and Zakry wed in September 2020.

“Those two classes I failed earlier were classes I passed with flying colors the second time around,” she says. “BVU professors and Peggy were great, especially Peggy, who has been right there with anything I needed.”

Harrod transitioned from the Seasons Center to a job as a dispatcher for the City of Spencer. She used her training and personal experience in staying calm as people dialed 911 in a state of panic. Her dream job involves working for a crisis intervention team. She’ll explore those opportunities later this summer as a graduate of BVU. Until that time, however, there was something else: a party to plan.

“My mom didn’t throw me a graduation party when I finished high school,” Harrod says. “She told me we’d have a big party when I graduated from college.”

That party, one might say, coincided with the country’s birthday bash, a day of celebration featuring parades, feasts, and fireworks at dusk. As Harrod talked about watching the rockets’ red glare, she considered where she’d been and where she was about to go.

“I’d love to work for a crisis intervention team, serving people in the crisis area of psychology,” she says. “My mom and I were very close. So, maybe in a way, she was helping me to prepare for my career.”

Bates, the confidante in the office serving BVU, smiles and forecasts greatness for one of the University’s most recent graduates.

“Cayli continued to be there for her siblings when they needed her most,” Bates says. “They will tell her someday how lucky they were to have her strength, her determination, and her heart. She will now begin her career helping others in need. She’ll love doing it.”

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Diversity & Inclusion Director pledges to build on BVU’s ‘beautiful view’ Dr. Joel Berrien, Jr. grew up in a small Georgia town, a sanctioned home to a nearby Ku Klux Klan chapter that often marched, rallied, burned crosses, and harassed and threatened residents of color.

His community was adjacent to two “sundown towns.”

A sundown town?

“It’s a town that, if you were Black and caught there after sundown, anything could happen to you,” Berrien says matter-of-factly. “You knew that to travel through a ‘sundown town,’ you did so during the daytime.”

Berrien’s mother, grandmother, and other adult relatives each carried a Green Book, too.

“A Green Book was a publication that told Black people what restaurants they could eat in across the South. It told Black people where they could stay and couldn’t stay,” Berrien says. “It was a part of our lives.”

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Thankfully, he says, Green Books have dropped from circulation as the U.S. continues to address and learn from a past intensely divided along racial and socioeconomic lines. Berrien admits he didn’t know much about the formal term “diversity” as a young man. And the man who earned an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M University now serves as BVU Senior Director of Diversity & Inclusion.

“I didn’t fully understand what diversity meant while I was growing up,” Berrien says. “As I got older, I began to comprehend. I ended up working 16 years as a therapist. I then received a job offer to teach as a special education teacher in a psychoeducational setting for 10 years, and I also taught psychology courses in the evenings for the last seven of those years.”

Along the way, Berrien taught on the community college level.

He met and wed Dr. Tasha C. Toy, who served as the Director of the Multicultural and International Student Programs at that time, someone who taught him even more about diverse ideas, diverse responses, and more.

“I learned that equity is not the same as equality,” Berrien says. “I learned that inclusion means to feel welcomed and appreciated.”

Berrien, who served as a Student Success Coach and an Adjunct Instructor at Dixie State University before becoming Director of the Center for Diversity & Inclusion at Southern Utah University, is the first male on both sides of his family to graduate from college.

He seeks to help others who, like him, blaze a trail for their families.

He seeks to help others who, unlike him, haven’t experienced much in the way of diversity in their formative years.

“It is both relevant and urgent we continue to grow in a climate of inclusiveness at BVU,” Berrien says from his office within BVU’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI). “And that’s not just because of the social, political, and religious reckoning. If we’re truly going to not only live up to the University’s mission statement and our name, Buena Vista—’beautiful view’—but eventually transcend that level to become not just a ‘beautiful view’ but also a beacon of diversity, equity, and inclusion, then we must do this, especially as we educate one another here in Storm Lake, the most diverse city in all of Northwest Iowa.”

Berrien seeks to establish a four-tier program model for the Center for Diversity & Inclusion, focusing on the following: personal development, professional development, academic development, and cultural/community development. BVU’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion, with Berrien at the helm, he pledges, will work to acclimate underrepresented high school students to the college experience through a summer bridge program on campus.

“I also seek to join community, regional, state, and national leaders in working to establish a Dream Center, where services for undocumented, DACAmented, and mixed-status family students, as well as their families can be accessed,” he says.

“There are other initiatives that I would like to implement and bring to fruition to best serve the CDI, our students, faculty, staff, and the Storm Lake community,” he says with a smile, hinting at some three pages of initiatives.

“I want us to help students step into their lives’ purpose,” he continues. “In doing so, BVU can become even more than a ‘beautiful view.’ It can be a beacon of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

KHAMEDRIAH GRIMES Senior

Setting her sights on becoming a bilingual therapist, Khamedriah Grimes, a senior psychology and Spanish double-major from Kansas City, Mo., is a member of multiple student organizations and helps organize and lead CDI events. “I am growing here. I’m proud to be African-American. I’m proud to be female and a Christian. I am proud to be who I am going to be while being comfortable in my own skin.”

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Students take in a sunset at the BVU Rec House on campus.

Alaina Ellington ‘17 M.S.Ed. ‘21 (center) joined members of her clinical mental health counseling cohort at Commencement, from left: Christina Schmidt M.S.Ed. ‘21, Autumn Kramer ’18 M.S.Ed. ‘21, Ellington, and Coco Bryant M.S.Ed. ‘21.

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GRADUATE CREATES MEANING FROM PAST STRUGGLES, TRIUMPHS One of the seminal moments in the life of Alaina Ellington ’17 M.S.Ed. ’21 came on May 9, Mother’s Day. She walked to the stage on Peterson Field at the Buena Vista University Commencement for her fellow graduate students. She nearly cried while stepping to the microphone for the class address.

Why tears? Because her mind flashed to another key juncture of her life, the point that made all this possible.

“I was the mother of a two-year-old, and I was homeless, sitting in the Muscatine Public Library checking email,” Ellington says. “And that’s when a message from Renee Davis showed up. She said God directed her to send me an email, to ask how I was doing, and to ask me to call her.”

Ellington called. During their conversation, Davis asked Ellington to come live with their family.

Ellington, a foster child, was in and out of various treatment programs as a teen, a child who often ran away. The first “project” she finished, she says, was the treatment program at Christamore Family Treatment Center in Mt. Pleasant. Counselor Michelle Skubal was influential, a force who kept her pushing toward healing from her past. Ellington resided with Skubal for a time as she finished her high school education at Wisdom Quest, the alternative high school in town.

Following high school, Ellington entered an independent living program and earned a job. After losing that job, however, she took her daughter to her mother and tried to make ends meet. She ended up jobless and homeless.

“Renee, whom I call my ‘adoptive mom,’ had met me in a parenting class two years earlier and wondered what had become of me,” she says, reflecting on the email and call that changed her life.

From miles away in Mt. Pleasant, Davis arranged for Ellington to get food and into a motel for the night. The next morning, she picked up Ellington and took her home, where she and husband Steve Davis continue working to serve young adults in need.

“I started my own cleaning business with Renee’s help, and I enrolled in Southeastern Community College in Burlington,” Ellington says. “I earned my Associate of Arts, I got married to Michael (Ellington), earned the custody of my daughter, then enrolled at BVU full-time.”

Ellington earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at BVU in 2017. She entered BVU’s graduate program in clinical mental health counseling and kept working full-time, taking courses online except for the face-to-face instructional retreat that occurred on the BVU campus in Storm Lake one week each summer.

“BVU instructors are so supportive,” she says. “Drs. (Elisa) Woodruff (Assistant Professor of Counselor Education), (Kathleen) Ruscitto (Assistant Professor of Counselor Education), and (Casey) Baker, (former Program Director, Master of Science in Education—Clinical Mental Health Counseling) respond to emails almost immediately.

They’ve all given me great feedback and challenged me to promote my growth in the counseling world.”

“Alaina is a perfect storm of a student. She’s bright as can be, brimming with curiosity, a scholar of the highest caliber, deeply reflective, and a model leader and encourager of her peers,” says Woodruff. “The counseling profession hit a jackpot the day she decided to join our ranks. I am so excited to watch her transition into professional practice and feel absolutely honored to have been part of her journey.”

Ellington completed assignments and group tasks on evenings and weekends. She grew close to her cohort through weekly, if not daily, communication and a pair of weeklong face-to-face residencies on the BVU campus in Storm Lake, a clear highlight of her time as a BVU Beaver, the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree, let alone a master’s.

She and her husband welcomed the birth of a son in 2007, and worked to raise two children as Alaina served as Supervisor, then Mental Health Coordinator for habilitation services offered through a community-based mental health agency. She became program director for a community-based mental health services provider, serving those with chronic mental illness or intellectual disabilities.

She now works to reduce methamphetamine overdoses in Keokuk County through the Strategic Initiative to Prevent Drug Overdoses, a grant funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse.

“We seek to reduce the stigma around people with substancemisuse disorder,” she says. “We’re working to increase surveillance among law enforcement and joining with the local housing authorities to address the issue of abandoned homes, which often become meth manufacturing bases.”

She took the time in that busy schedule to celebrate Commencement by driving five hours to Storm Lake to visit BVU’s campus again, joined by her children, husband, mother, and stepfather. Adoptive mother Renee Davis watched in Mt. Pleasant via Facebook. She texted the graduate immediately after she confidently closed her address and walked from the stage.

Ellington read the text, heart pumping, tears forming. “It is so fitting you that you gave this speech on Mother’s Day,” Davis wrote. “You chose and fought to overcome the obstacles that blocked your path to motherhood…You did it. Love you.”

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OMAR ALCORTA ‘21 & GUY TANNENBAUM ‘21 JOIN DR. ANDREA FRANTZ, PROFESSOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA

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BVU MAKES HISTORY WITH THREE COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATIONS Buena Vista University celebrated history in early May with three Commencement ceremonies spaced across two days on Peterson Field at J. Leslie Rollins Stadium.

Some 1,082 graduates joined the ever-growing den of BVU alumni:

• 366 bachelor’s degrees were awarded to the Class of 2021 on May 8.

• 309 master’s degrees were awarded to graduate school Classes of 2020 and 2021 on the morning of May 9.

• 407 bachelor’s degrees were awarded to the Class of 2020 on the afternoon of May 9.

“You did it!” exclaimed President Brian Lenzmeier to the Class of 2021 on a blustery May day, one highlighted with a 90-minute respite from rain that allowed Commencement to take place on the shores of Storm Lake. “And you did it under extraordinary circumstances. What you have accomplished in graduating in the midst of a pandemic is nothing short of remarkable.”

Keynote speaker Adrienne B. Haynes ’10, an attorney/ entrepreneur and the founder of three nonprofit entities in Kansas City, Mo., challenged graduates to continue serving others while growing as BVU alumni.

“You’ve studied, you’ve been consistent, hopefully you’ve had a little fun and you’ve shown yourselves and the world that you have stick-to-itiveness to do so in the midst of a pandemic,” Haynes said. “Those are the skills that will put you ahead as you advance.”

Mother’s Day memories One of Whitney (VanScoy) Cue’s ’19 M.S.Ed. ’21 best BVU memories was made on the Mother’s Day morning of her master’s Commencement ceremony. Cue, of Coon Rapids, walked through the Victory Arch then spotted a sign being held by daughter, Brooklyn Cue, 11.

“The sign made everything worthwhile,” Whitney Cue said, stopping momentarily to gather her emotions. “When I realized this celebration would occur on Mother’s Day, it was just an awesome feeling.”

Lenzmeier shared a fact that only 13 percent of students go on to earn their master’s degree. He lauded their perseverance in saying, “Many of you have taken care of your kids, or your parents, and kept teaching, or kept working with patients and serving others in a pandemic. What you’ve done is inspiring.”

Rachel (Peterson) Pettigrew M.Ed. ’20, of Fort Dodge, earned a master’s degree in Teacher Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction. Pettigrew, who teaches middle school and high school in Fort Dodge, joined her husband, Tierre, in the celebration of their son Benaiah’s birth in May 2020. Her first Mother’s Day as a mom coincided with her Commencement.

“It’s a special day, one made even more special by my family and the fact four other Fort Dodge teachers are here being presented their master’s degree today,” she said.

Bibiana Elena Lemus ’21, of Council Bluffs, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. The daughter of Alicia and Ernesto Lemus represented the first in her family to attend college. Her voice shook a bit as she recalled seeing her mother’s reaction as they entered Storm Lake for Commencement an hour or so earlier.

“My mom cried as we got to Storm Lake,” said Lemus, who aspires to become a pediatric psychiatrist. “For us, this day is a dream come true.”

Stacey Brown ’10 M.Ed. ’20, of Mapleton, kept her master’s degree pursuit a family secret for more than three years. She unveiled the surprise as her daughter, Shayla Brown ’20, stood clad in cap and gown beneath the Victory Arch on the morning of Mother’s Day. Stacey and husband, Ben Brown, had asked the family to gather for a family portrait on the day to celebrate Shayla’s graduation. As they assembled, Stacey pulled her own cap and gown from a carry-all bag and dropped the news that she had earned her BVU master’s degree and waited nearly a year to let everyone know.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Shayla, who cried tears of joy at the sight of her mother joining her on the day as a BVU graduate. “I’m very proud of Mom for reaching for something she’s been longing for.”

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Speakers show resilience

Ethan Ankrum ’21, Alaina Ellington ’17 M.S.Ed. ’21, and Joshua Cole ’20 shared personal insights while offering challenges to their peers as speakers selected by their respective classes.

“Whether you are walking across this stage as a legacy to the family that has come before you, or you come across as a first-generation student who will walk this stage as the first in their family’s history, it should be known that we have all taken steps, no matter how big or small, that have allowed us to be prepared to face challenge and change,” Ankrum said.

“The past year and the pandemic have been a challenge, a huge barrier, but we all chose to keep going. We are here. We chose to push past,” Ellington said. “We have the opportunity to continue to stand and be a part of what our world will look like after we lay this pandemic to rest. Many people look at today as the finish line, but we are not finished, we are just getting started.”

Cole, who traveled from New Mexico for Commencement, scrapped the speech he’d planned in advance of the pandemic.

Instead, he focused on the journey he and many others experienced during COVID-19, a time testing faith and resilience.

Citing a verse from Philippians, he said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.” The phrase “with thanksgiving” remains key, he noted, as it’s counterintuitive.

“It shifts from the lack of control to God’s provision in my life,” Cole said as he reminded classmates to remain grateful for their abundant blessings. “Share your gratitude with others. You might find that even right now you can have a transforming effect on those around you.”

Key word: Closure For several members of the Class of 2020, movement ahead, at least on this weekend, came with a step back in time, a rewind while joining classmates for a celebration that was supposed to happen 351 days prior.

Jorge Ceballos ’20, came from his “next chapter,” the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, where he’s a student.

“It’s an historic moment,” said Ceballos, who was born in Cuba. “I have many good memories of BVU and my friends here. I love this place.”

“I had to see my friends; I had to say, ‘Goodbye,’ to my professors.

I had to get closure,” said Dernisha Hoover ’20, an Area Coordinator for Woodlands Academy, and a resident of Bellwood, Ill. “I wanted to be set free, to start the next chapter of my life.”

“I’m here today to walk through the Victory Arch,” said Andrew Boell ’20, who works for John Deere Financial in Johnston. “I never walked through the Arch after my first day on campus as a freshman. I didn’t want to risk it.”

“I put all the good memories on my shoes,” said Kassidy Chandler ’20, who drove five hours for Commencement. “I had finished all my classes just before COVID-19 hit and I took a job at Hope Haven in Storm Lake to be close to campus as I planned on celebrating Commencement here in the spring of 2020.

Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.”

Chandler, who subsequently landed a job in Fairfield, returned to campus to celebrate with peers she hadn’t seen in months, friends like Olivia Wieseler ’20, who serves as a newspaper editor in Gering, Neb. Friends like this, Chandler said, enjoyed BVU traditions like playing cards in their dorm room, and venturing to La Juanita on Lake Avenue for authentic Mexican food. They connected in campus groups like Impact.

“All the good memories are here on my shoes,” Chandler said with a laugh.

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Cap, gown, mortgage

Commencement week was merely the start of something big for Faith (Bolen) Betts ’20, a graphic design and art management major who began working for Mid-American Publishing in November 2020.

“My husband, John, and I close on our first home next week in Livermore,” she said, smiling. “You could say this is a big week!”

BVTV chronicles four events

Students joined Jerry Johnson ’85, Assistant Professor of Digital Media, in televising and recording Baccalaureate as well as all three Commencement exercises during the weekend. Students braved the elements on Saturday, working to keep themselves and their equipment dry as a Northwest Iowa “Nor’easter” swept in off the lake.

“This is such an important part of BVU and we want to be a part of it,” said Johnson. “We had 16 to 18 students working each ceremony over the weekend. The venue was new for us, at least when it comes to Commencement, and gave students a great taste of how they must prepare for work like this in the future.”

Round-trippers punctuate roundtrip

Digital media major Guy Tannenbaum ’21 trekked 1,400 miles to return to Storm Lake for Commencement. Tannenbaum, who earned a prestigious J. Leslie Rollins Fellowship, joined his parents in flying from Las Vegas, where he finished his collegiate career virtually over the past academic year.

“I wasn’t going to miss graduation,” said Tannenbaum, who enjoyed the extra thrill of calling BVU baseball the following day.

The Beavers rewarded their former baseball-teammate-turnedbroadcaster by belting three home runs to turn a likely loss into a comeback walk-off victory over the visiting Central College Dutch.

“You honestly could not have written a better script for me this weekend,” said Tannenbaum. “What an incredible end to a wonderful four-year BVU experience. I’ll never forget it.”

A trip 56 years in the making And while hundreds of graduates returned to soak in the sights and sounds of their idyllic lakeside campus, one alum approached the celebration from a slightly different perspective. Cornelius “Corky” Pigott IV ’65 graduated from BVU at mid-term that December 56 years ago. Rather than stay in Storm Lake, or return for his Commencement ceremony the following spring, Pigott drove west to California in search of a career. The English major found one in the financial industry with Pacific Life.

“I showed pretty quickly that I could modify the descriptive 17-word sections of text they needed in policies,” Pigott said. His success led to growth in the industry and his founding of Pigott Financial, a firm he oversees.

Still, being unable to afford the return to campus for his Commencement ceremony always left a little void, a gap nostalgia couldn’t fill.

That changed on May 8 as Pigott’s daughter, Kindra (Pigott) Franzen ’21 led the family in a trip east to BVU for her Commencement exercise. Franzen, of Clovis, Calif., earned a bachelor’s degree in human services. She was determined to have her father in the crowd to cheer her on as she walked across the stage fresh diploma in-hand.

The occasion grew in stature as President Lenzmeier had members of the Class of 2021 turn their attention to Cornelius Pigott, who watched the proceedings in J. Leslie Rollins Stadium.

“Cornelius was not able to make the trip back to Storm Lake to his Spring Commencement after graduating in

December some 56 years ago,” Lenzmeier said. “We are so excited to finally welcome him back to campus to celebrate not only his daughter’s graduation, but his as well.”

Pigott stood and waved, smiling ear to ear as the crowd joined BVU’s newest class in a round of applause for a Beaver who, like those who sat before him, won’t forget the lessons he learned and the ways in which his life was shaped through his beloved alma mater.

“It has always been a wonderful place,” he said.

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BEAVERS USE COVID-19 PAUSE TO BUILD BODIES, BOOST CHEMISTRY

NIKKI SCHUPPAN Junior, Women’s Soccer

JOHN CORCORAN Senior, Football

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“As far as practice was concerned, it began to feel like spring ball in the fall. We were focusing on player development and ensuring every player got reps and gained experience. We had a lot of fun and grew really close as a group, which was good for us. Everything we did was with the focus of having a successful spring and, eventually, a successful Fall 2021.”

When a pandemic postponed BVU Athletics, pushing fall sports to the spring season, Beaver student-athletes bonded, trained, and kept their focus on their health, one another, and their shared future.

Moments before pulling out of her driveway to embark on a drive to Buena Vista University last August, junior Nikki Schuppan checked her email. She had a note from Coach Benton Frayne, as did the rest of the Women’s Soccer team. The team, along with the rest of the American Rivers Conference, had its season postponed because of COVID-19.

Across the league, and throughout the country, student-athletes dealt with similar communications and postponements, facing an uncertain future in their athletic pursuit.

“I was tired of being at home,” Schuppan says, recalling how she and the rest of the student-body left campus in March 2020, the result of the virus’ spread. “I wanted so badly to be back on campus and be with my friends. I wanted to play soccer, too. I hadn’t played in so long.”

Schuppan drove from Glenwood to Storm Lake. She immediately met with teammates Madison Field and Hannah Wuebker. Frayne called a team meeting, but did so in groups as the Centers for Disease Control advised teams to convene in smaller pods.

The typical autumn season for football, soccer, and volleyball didn’t start until the second semester. March, for example, was a month in which every BVU sport, except for cross country, competed. That’s 17 Beaver athletic teams in competition.

“We had nearly every student-athlete in official competition in March,” says Amy Maier, Assistant Athletic Director. “We tested for COVID-19 regularly, and our students and coaches worked hard to protect themselves and each other as we got through a very memorable time period.”

All students were tested upon their return to campus to begin the second semester in January. Members of the women’s soccer team were tested every other week from that point forward. All told, Schuppan was tested for COVID-19 on 10 occasions. She never tested positive.

“We had some struggles in practicing in small groups during the fall, unsure of whether or not we would have a season,” says Schuppan, a secondary math education major who carries a 3.7 GPA. “I really felt relieved when the announcement came that we would have a season, even if it was going to be limited to conference games. I was just so happy to be playing with my teammates.”

SYDNEY M c LAREN Junior, Volleyball

“I was extremely thankful we did get a season, even though it was rather short. I learned a lot about myself, my teammates, and coaches, as well as how to handle adversity and come out the other side better when faced with a challenge.”

The downside of playing collegiate spring soccer this year, at least for Schuppan, involved lost revenue. The BVU forward is climbing the ranks among referees adjudicating Iowa high school and club contests and tournaments.

“Normally, in late March and early April, I referee up to four nights per week in high school soccer,” Schuppan says. “With my Beavers team competing at that time, I was involved in practice and BVU games, so I couldn’t referee.”

All told, Schuppan estimates the schedule conflict cost her $1,500 to $2,000 in lost wages.

“I lost my part-time job in the spring and summer of 2020, too, because there wasn’t soccer to officiate,” she says.

Thankfully, she was able to land a part-time job at the Mills County Fair and conducted youth camps over the summer at Glenwood.

She worked as a tutor at the Center for Academic Excellence at BVU in the fall and took substitute teaching jobs in the math departments at Glenwood (in early January) and Alta-Aurelia.

During the spring, she resumed her officiating schedule, earned a state tournament assignment, and looked to work her way into regional, perhaps national tournaments, at the club level. That drive kept her working out and allowed her to grow even closer to the sport she helps lead as a captain at BVU. “I can’t wait for this fall,” Schuppan concludes. “I’m excited we won’t be practicing or playing with masks. I’m wanting to get the virus behind us as I fully focus on our team.”

COLE DRUMMOND Freshman, Men’s Soccer

“Once I committed to play soccer at BVU, I knew it was go-time. I had to be ready to play and I had high goals for what I wanted for myself. I wanted to start as a freshman (which I did). I knew I had to get stronger and better in every way to be successful.”

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KEVIN WILLEY ’99 SEES BVU GROWTH THROUGH THREE PERSPECTIVES: ALUM, PARENT, BOOSTER Kevin Willey ’99 participated in a Zoom session long before there were Zoom sessions as we know them today.

Willey was a senior at Buena Vista University in 1999 when he conducted market research for Growmark FS for his capstone project.

“I remember standing in front of a camera in a classroom at BVU and presenting my research to Growmark’s Board of Directors in Illinois,” Willey says.

Willey graduated a few weeks later. He earned a position as Sales Support Specialist with Pioneer Hi-Bred in Johnston. Twenty-two years later, Willey remains with the company, now serving as Global Sales Effectiveness Leader with Corteva Agriscience, a creation from a merger of Dow Chemical, and DuPont and Pioneer.

Between then and now, Willey has served the corporation as Finance Analyst, Key Account Manager, District Sales Manager, and Director of U.S. Territory Planning, among other roles. He currently coordinates sales effectiveness efforts such as routeto-market optimization, sales training and development, and sales services across six regions: U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa/Middle East.

“I couldn’t tell you if the grass is greener on the other side,” Willey says while referencing the saying about testing employment winds. “I’ve been with one company for 22 years, and I love our purpose: ‘to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume for generations to come.’”

Willey grew up on a farm between tiny Yale and Panora in Guthrie County, working with his parents who raised corn, soybeans, and a cow-calf herd. He came to BVU in the fall of 1995 intent on playing football for the Beavers when not studying marketing, or ag business. He injured his knee for the second time (the first was in high school) as a BVU freshman, which ended his playing career.

As a student, Willey served with the Buena Vista Marketing

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Association (BVMA). He worked under Dr. Scott Anderson, Professor of Marketing, and took trips with fellow students to Phoenix and Puerto Rico. He served a marketing internship under David Dvergsten, Chairman and CEO of Security Trust & Savings Bank in Storm Lake.

The experiences built a foundation for a student whose interest in agriculture, like many in his generation, was moving one step from the farm. His parents, he remarks, got out of cattle shortly after he left for BVU. Corteva was created following a merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont, each of which spun off their ag-business sides to create the new enterprise.

“Corteva is a two-year-old company with 200 years of experience,” Willey says. “The culture and the purpose of the company are all new and it’s energizing that we get to build it from the ground up.”

Willey introduced his company during a “15 Minutes with a Leader” Zoom session during the Spring Semester, one of 29 such sessions organized across BVU’s four schools by Rich Crow, Director of the Institute of Agriculture, nearly half of which featured BVU alumni.

Willey shared tips with students that ranged from excelling at one’s current job, to remaining intentional about networking, and to a point he called, “take the trip.”

“My point in saying ‘take the trip’ was for students to practice experiential learning you find in trips,” he says. “Dr. James Hampton and Dr. Charles Slagle ’60 (BVU Professors Emeritus) took us to Puerto Rico, and we stayed at a coral research station.

We counted coral and measured its circumference, experiences I’ll never forget.”

Willey stressed the importance of giving back, something he and his wife, Mandy, have done for BVU. Willey notes his stay at BVU was underwritten in part by benefactors, people like David and Barbara Dvergsten, in fact, whose annual contributions help fund

scholarships and grants that consistently make BVU one of the “Best Value” among Midwest Universities, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“It doesn’t have to be money,” Willey says. “You can give of your time, through something like the ‘15 Minutes’ program, by just sharing your advice and experiences with students, allowing them to hear how networking works, or how an extra internship might really be a good idea.

“The students attending the Zoom I did were very prepared,” he says. “They asked amazing questions.”

One student on the call knew he had inside knowledge of the guest’s backstory. Tyler Willey is a BVU junior ag business major. The younger Willey, Secretary of the BVU Ag Club, has recently completed work to become a certified commercial drone operator. He’s playing a key role and completing an internship in BVU’s emerging student-run business, Beaver Drone Services, which specializes in serving grain growers in Buena Vista County and beyond through mapping crops, studying water flow, tracking pest infestation, and more.

“Tyler was set to attend college somewhere else, and then I had him join Mandy and me in the spring of 2019 as we drove to BVU to visit about the Institute for Agriculture getting started,” Kevin says. “Tyler sat in on a couple of classes while we were there, and by the time we returned home, he said, ‘I’m going to BVU.’” It has given Kevin Willey yet another vantage point, that of a legacy parent. And leads to this humorous observation: “I’ve been on the lake more as a parent than I was a student,” he says. “We have a lakeside campus for crying out loud.”

15 Minutes with a Leader

Twenty-nine business leaders from a wide variety of corporations, organizations, and small businesses took the time during the past academic year to Zoom with students through the “15 Minutes with a Leader” series, an initiative created by Rich Crow, Director of the Institute for Agriculture. Here are the BVU faculty and alumni who gave of their time and expertise: • Jeff Anderson ’03, Vice President, Strategic and Corporate Communications for the Minnesota Vikings

• Dr. Lucas DeWitt, Assistant Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Leadership, Curriculum, & Instruction and Special Education Graduate Programs for Buena Vista University • Steve Edwards ’88, CEO and Founder for Steve Edwards Inc

• Steph Gronau ’98, Finance Manager for Corteva Agriscience

• Tyler Hogrefe ’07, Dealer Development Manager for John Deere • Aaron Irlbeck ’98, Senior Vice President - Digital Commerce for Fareway Stores • Al Joens ’85, News Anchor for KTIV

• Lucas Kline ’11, Location Manager for Ag Partners

• Travis Munn ’16, Sales Manager for Tyson Fresh Meats • Mike Naig ’00, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture

• Dr. Scott Radke ’12, Veterinarian and Clinical Assistant Professor for Iowa State University • Jeriann Ritter ’99, Meteorologist for WHO 13

• Andrew Traeger ’94, Chief Risk Officer and Senior Vice President, International Business for John Deere Financial • Kevin Willey ’99, Global Sales Effectiveness Lead for Corteva Agriscience

DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCES YOU CAN SHARE WITH BVU STUDENTS?

Contact Rich Crow, Director of the Institute for Agriculture at crowr@bvu.edu for information about the “15 Minutes with a Leader” program in Fall 2021.

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Admissions Earns Transfer Honor Roll Distinction Buena Vista University was named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2021 Transfer Honor Roll, recognizing excellence in the development and support of innovative transfer paths for community college students.

Savannah Davis, a senior digital media major from Council Bluffs, believes the honor is merited. She should know; Davis transferred to BVU from Iowa Western Community College. One-hundredpercent of her community college credits transferred through BVU’s 2-plus-2 agreement with Iowa Western that all but guarantees a transfer student can earn their bachelor’s degree within two years.

“When my transcript arrived at BVU, I got a call immediately,” Davis says. “I was told I’d been admitted. I started crying.”

Davis received a robust financial aid package, as does every student who seeks one while attending BVU’s Storm Lake campus.

She earned a mix of grants and scholarships, which don’t have to be repaid.

She found professors easily accessible, as it took her just one week to find co-curricular roles within her major at BVTV, KBVU, and The Tack.

“Savannah’s story is replicated across campus,” says Conner Ellinghuysen, Director of Admissions. “We’re proud to have been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2021 Transfer Honor Roll and to be recognized for our Transfer Friendly Rating. What makes us even happier is how our hard work in making the transfer process seamless allows students like Savannah to immediately become involved and feel at home as they pursue their dreams.”

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A NEW MODEL VISITS INCREASED BY 228% FROM 2019 TO 2020.

With the shift to a virtual world during the COVID-19 pandemic, Admissions was quick to pivot to an online visit experience for prospective students. Between the new interactive, virtual touring model created with YouVisit, as well as the return of safe, in-person tours beginning in July 2020, our Storm Lake campus saw more visits than ever last year. The trend is looking bright for 2021, with visits up 25 percent from this time last year.

GROWING OUR REACH

This past year, BVU adapted to the online trend and implemented many new resources for incoming students and their families including: • Video resources on bvu.edu and YouTube

• Live chat that connects prospective students with current Beavers • Test-optional application policy

BVU POISED FOR GROWTH WITH MULTICULTURAL ENROLLMENT ADVISOR Jenelle Martin’s career goal is twofold: she seeks to use her skills as a dual-language speaker while giving something back to the greater community.

At Buena Vista University Admissions, she’s meeting both goals as the University’s first Multicultural Enrollment Advisor.

“I’ve always wanted to do something with my life that somehow makes an impact or has a higher outcome, making a positive change for people,” Martin says. “Being bilingual and able to navigate the journey toward higher education, I think I’m helping include parents and families in the process of higher education.”

For some families, a language barrier proves to be isolating. Martin explains it’s difficult for a student to receive the full experience of a campus visit if they must multi-task, focusing intently on interpreting for their parents. Martin helps fill that interpreter role beyond just the campus tour.

“Jenelle has been instrumental in helping our students and their families make their way through the college visit and application process,” says Conner Ellinghuysen, Director of Admissions.

“Our goal is to answer any question or concern for students and their parents during the admission process and when students continue their academic journey here. Jenelle’s background, empathy, and knowledge of language, diversity, and higher education makes her an invaluable member of our BVU family, guiding us in meeting the needs of current and future students as our demographics continue to change. Jenelle is a key member of the BVU team as we strive to best serve a diverse population of students—through communication, programming, and more— now and into the future.”

“This is such a rewarding role, recruiting students domestically while helping to advocate for current BVU students.”

The path to BVU has been long and rewarding for the Elkader native who worked for Walt Disney Co. in Florida for three years before majoring in business management and Spanish at the University of Northern Iowa. A nine-month study abroad program in Chile and a capstone class experience in Nicaragua piqued her interest in international study and introduced her to Julio Zeledón Gonzales, of Nicaragua, who would eventually become her husband in 2017.

“Storm Lake is so diverse as a community, the kind of city Julio and I were seeking as we returned to Iowa,” Martin says. “There are all kinds of opportunities to interact with people from a wide variety of cultures, which we’ve both found stimulating and enjoyable. I’m eager to visit dozens more high schools and create more inclusive programming, as Julio and I look forward to becoming even more active within our new community. We’re extremely optimistic about the continued growth of Storm Lake, of BVU, and our student body, and we’re excited to play our part in it.”

“I had planned to live and work abroad in my attempts to fine-tune my Spanish and cultural competency,” says Martin.

“A nonprofit opportunity came up through Global Brigades in Central America. Julio and I were still talking at the time, and he was only two hours away from where I would work in Nicaragua.”

The couple wed in Nicaragua, where Julio worked as a civil engineer. Civil unrest across Nicaragua forced the couple to return to Martin’s native Northeast Iowa, where she worked for a dairy farm processing H-2A non-immigrant visas for temporary farm workers.

A desire to serve under-represented students and families while working with college students attracted Martin to BVU. She works with incoming and current students–many who represent the first generation to attend college in their family.

“This is such a rewarding role, recruiting students domestically while helping to advocate for current students,” she says. “I love working with students and their parents and guardians through everything from navigating the FAFSA to making all of our processes more accessible to, and inclusive of, underrepresented families for whom English might not be their first language as well as those identifying as black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC), among others.”

COLIN IMHOFF Junior

As a member of the Orientation Team, Colin Imhoff dedicates his time to showing future Beavers how BVU supports its students. The digital media major from Ames is involved in a host of organizations including KBVU radio, BVTV, and the Student Activities Board, where he serves as VP of Social Media. He’s also a member of Track & Field and Cross Country.

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BECAUSE WE’RE BEAVERS. AND BEAVERS BUILD. On April 7, alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff joined together for International Beaver Day to Build the Den. We hit record numbers, showcasing the generosity of Beavers everywhere. The impact of our Build the Den campaign resonates around the world as our students become alumni, making an impact in their communities.

$32,950 RAISED

154 DONORS

AVERAGE GIFT OF $142

15% NEW DONORS

DONATIONS FROM 20 STATES, THE U.K., AND CANADA

EVERY GIFT MATTERS Your generosity makes a difference in the lives of our students.

Discover how making a gift or donating your time can influence the future at bvu.edu/give.

JOAN CANTY

Vice President for University Development & Alumni Engagement

Joining BVU in June, Joan Canty brings more than 30 years of experience in university advancement and development. Canty, who comes from Irving, Tex., where she served as the Director of the National Eagle Scout Association and Supervisor of Alumni Development for Boy Scouts of America, was drawn to BVU for its student-focused atmosphere and integrative role in growing and strengthening the community.

Canty, who grew up in small towns in Maine and Vermont, reflects on the journey she and her husband John have made in coming to Storm Lake.

“While we’ve only been in Storm Lake for a brief time now, the community and the campus have welcomed us with open arms, and we feel right at home.”

In her role as Vice President, she’s looking forward to connecting with alumni, students, her colleagues, and the community to deepen her understanding of what makes BVU and Storm Lake so unique.

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ELL Team Lead Earns Education Honor

Nora (Seda) Krieger ‘14 was named Educator of the Year by the Rotary Club of Des Moines.

Krieger teaches English Language Learners (ELL) at Capitol View Elementary School in Des Moines. Her principal nominated her for the award because of her leadership in implementing the co-teaching model and BeGLAD strategies schoolwide.

PR/Marketing Professional Named VP

Principal Earned Statewide Recognition

CPA Promoted to Director

’02 Alum Opens Law Firm

Grad Accepts Post-Doctoral Fellowship

Vet Expands Clinic

RING THE BELL

Rocell (Melohn) Viniard ’92 joined Madison Marquette as the Vice President of Marketing.

Madison Marquette is a leading private real estate services provider, investment manager, developer, and operator headquartered in Washington, D.C., that delivers integrated leasing and management services in 24 states and manages an investment portfolio valued at more than $6 billion.

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Mikaela (Barth) Davis ’09, a certified public accountant, was promoted to Director at HBE LLP, a leading provider of professional accounting and consulting services in Nebraska.

She previously served in the manager role. Davis also currently serves as treasurer of the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska.

Erika Garcia-Rocha ’14 accepted a post-doctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Colorado in pediatric primary care. She recently earned her Doctor of Psychology in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and participated in a pre-doctoral psychology internship at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

Zach Dillavou ’95 was named the 2021 Iowa Middle Level Principal of the Year by School Administrators of Iowa. Dillavou, who was chosen by a committee of Iowa middle level principals, is the Principal at Forest City Middle School. He will be recognized at the association’s Annual Conference in August.

Elizabeth (Pomeroy) Stanley ’02 graduated from the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law in December 2020. Following her graduation, she opened Stanley Law Firm, LLC in Sioux City. Her practice will serve clients in the areas of family law, juvenile law, and mediation services for pro se litigants.

Dr. Aubrey (Hauswirth) Cordray ’10 expanded the Humboldt Veterinary Clinic, which she had purchased in 2017. Her clinic currently employs 19 individuals, including six practicing veterinarians. The 18-month project involved around 60 local contractors. The expansion saw a new main entrance, remodeled companion clinic, and a new large animal building.

Alum Earns Promotion

Grant Wright ’18 was promoted from Sales Associate to Senior Associate at CBRE | Hubbell Commercial, a leader in real estate services.

Wright’s role is to develop business and negotiate the selling, leasing, and marketing of commercial real estate properties for clients.

Recent Grad Named Chamber Director

Jessica Pierce ’19 was named Director of the Chamber-Main Street in Sac City. Pierce will continue to serve as the children’s librarian at the Sac City Public Library as well. The Sac City native will be working closely with local businesses and community members in this role.

Alum Secures New Role

Taylor Burgraff ’13 was promoted to Associate Director of Data & Processing at North Central University, a Christian university located in the heart of Minneapolis, Minn. He previously served in the role of Lead Admissions Counselor.

Banker Appointed to Chairman

Verlin “Gus” Barker ’85 was appointed as Chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America’s Ag-Rural America Committee as well as a member of the Federal Delegate Board. Barker is President/CEO of First Community Bank of Newell, Fonda, Pomeroy, and Rockwell City.

BVU BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADDITIONS ANNOUNCED HYUN KIM, M.D.

Chief of Staff, Mayo Clinic Health System

Dr. Hyun Kim, a native of South Korea, serves as Chief of Staff for Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, Minn. He and wife, Peggy, view BVU from the vantage point of parents, as daughters Elizabeth ’17 and Emily ’19 have gone from the University to medical school, flourishing with the advantages of BVU’s one-on-one attention from professors and a host of co-curricular, leadership, and experiential learning opportunities.

“My service to the Board of Trustees is one way in which I can help repay BVU for the many benefits our family has received,” Kim says. “Our daughters traveled the world during their time at BVU. They served others, grew academically, and discovered they could compete with students from colleges across the country. It is an honor to continue our family’s involvement at BVU, working to ensure those kinds of opportunities continue.”

MIKE NAIG ’00

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture

As a BVU undergraduate, Mike Naig ’00 studied biology and political science, a rare combination. He served an internship in the White House Travel Office. He helped his family plant and harvest crops on the family farm at Cylinder. He still helps plant and harvest every year.

After spending the early portion of his career in agribusiness, Naig was appointed to serve as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2018. He won the general election that fall. He now travels all 99 counties in Iowa when not conducting domestic or international trade missions. He champions efforts to keep young people in agriculture and is keenly aware of BVU’s role in the future of rural Iowa.

“This is where problems involving food, medicine, and technology will be solved,” he says. “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a part of BVU.”

JULIE QUIRIN ’87

Chief Operating Officer, Saint Luke’s Health System

Julie Quirin ’87 is a BVU Athletics Hall of Fame member, inducted in 1998 for her success in softball and women’s basketball. She was a member of the 1984 NCAA Division III National Championship softball team, earning AllAmerican, Academic All-American, and Player of the Year accolades as a senior.

Dr. John Madsen, then BVU Professor of Corporate Communications, advised Quirin to attend graduate school as she hadn’t defined her career path. “Dr. Madsen is why I went to graduate school; he paved the way for me to become a teaching assistant,” she says.

Quirin earned her master’s, landed a job in the Department of Health and Human Services, then transitioned into hospitals.

“I’ve come to really appreciate the liberal arts experience,” says Quirin, a Storm Lake native. “Students I meet from BVU are prepared, smart, and inquisitive. BVU continues to prepare them extremely well.”

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JANE’S CLOSET SERVES FOSTER CARE CHILDREN AND FOSTER FAMILIES Student Association of Social Workers connects classroom learning to community needs

Riner shared thoughts about a clothing closet she helped operate for foster care families in a community school district she previously served.

A trip to Chicago in Fall 2019 ignited a passion for service among Buena Vista University’s Student Association of Social Workers (SASW). The result: Jane’s Closet at BVU, which opened this spring.

“The idea spurred on our students as they began forming ideas to design and implement a program to serve people in our community through a social work lens,” Riner continues. “Jane’s Closet would benefit the community as there hasn’t been a foster care resource closet in Storm Lake. There was one in Newell, but it closed, and the folks there said they would share material (donated clothing) with us.”

Jane’s Closet is a Swope Hall site that contains thousands of pieces of clothing as well as personal care items for foster care children in Buena Vista County. Foster care families in need of items for their children may obtain items from Jane’s Closet free of charge. Visits to Jane’s Closet are by appointment only, as arranged by the Department of Human Services or Lutheran Services of Iowa.

“We took a service trip to Chicago last year, and 12 of our students volunteered at an urban garden mission, a Veterans Administration home, and we helped serve 600 people dinner,” says Marian Riner, Assistant Professor of Social Work. “Our SASW students were on fire, excited to figure out ways in which they could serve and volunteer back in Storm Lake. Knowing what service looked like really inspired them.”

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Students raised funds on their own. Administrators designated space for the site on the second floor of Swope Hall. BVU committed funding for shelving, while the Student Senate contributed money for the purchase of totes.

“We figured out ways to make the space most effective for students and foster families using the space,” says Katie Gruhn, a junior from Omaha. “Getting it all in place has been a bit exhausting; seeing it help those in need has been very rewarding.”

Riner’s experience across 24 years in social work has shown that foster parents may not have the exact resources they need for every child placed in their home.

“A foster home might not have clothing for a teen entrusted to their care,” Riner says. “Or, they might not have a crib on hand, or bottles, or diapers. Jane’s Closet is our attempt to reduce stress on foster children and foster families, allowing them a way to find resources that will support the child.”

In many cases, Riner says, children come to a foster family with one change of clothing.

“Foster parents must care for the child’s safety, address the child’s health and emotional issues,” she says. “They must then quickly work to establish enrollment in a school. It can be a very stressful time. If we can remove at least one of those worries by providing a place for clothing and supplies, we want to do that.”

Foster parents Ryan and Kristine Brandenberger, of Storm Lake, are extremely impressed with the site and how BVU’s initiative supports the foster care community.

“It is so well organized and orderly,” Ryan Brandenberger says. “Beyond that, we can see how much thought has gone into it. You can see how BVU students, professors, and staff members regard the dignity of a person and the value they have by how everything in Jane’s Closet is presented. It is warm, welcoming, a feeling of acceptance that is so important.”

Gruhn was contacted shortly before the site’s official opening to assist a foster family in need after the placement of a child in their care.

“This is where our social work values and education comes into play in a real-life setting,” says Gruhn. “I did my best to be calm and supportive. Getting down on our hands and knees and talking to younger kids, that’s how we put classroom lessons into practice. We work to become effective communicators in a social work setting.”

“There is no other foster care clothing closet on a campus anywhere else in Iowa,” Riner says. “This is unique to BVU. It’s also unique to the region, as the closest foster care clothing closets we have are in Sioux City, Cherokee, and Spirit Lake.”

“There is no other foster care clothing closet on a campus anywhere else in Iowa.”

“I can see a child being excited about coming here,” Kristine Brandenberger adds. “You can use the items that come from here right away. Even the way in which children will carry items out, the people at Jane’s Closet thought about the child and how they will think, ‘These are my new things.’”

The name Jane’s Closet is derived from Jane Addams, who, in 1889, established Hull House, one of the first settlement houses in the U.S., a Chicago site seen by BVU students and Riner last year. Addams, the first U.S. woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1931), was a pioneer in social reforms, an international peace activist, and a feminist. She was also the sister-in-law of BVU President John M. Linn, whose term of service went from 1892-94.

For information on Jane’s Closet, or for those wishing to donate clothing items or make contributions, see the organization’s Facebook page.

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We’ re excited to welcome you back to campus for

610 West 4th St. Storm Lake, IA 50588

ELECTRONIC SERVICES REQUESTED

Oct. 15-17 Keep an eye on your mail for the full schedule of events.

bvu.edu/Homecoming

JOIN US AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR If you plan to visit the Iowa State Fair, stop by the BVU Booth (No. 313) in the Varied Industries Building! Snap a photo and let booth staff know that you’re an alum for a special gift.

Help us spread the word by telling your friends and family to stop by!