COMO | Education Issue 2022 by The COMO Companies Magazines | COMO Magazine

The

THE EDUCATION ISSUE | A PUBLICATION OF THE BUSINESS TIMES HOLDINGS

Education Issue Elizabeth Herrera Executive Director, Mission Promise Kept

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Teaching and learning remains a passion of mine to this day whether it is volunteering at Job Point to ensure other at-risk students are able to graduate and elevate their opportunities or it’s talking to other business owners about how to nurture great cultures.

ducation has always been an incredibly important part of my life, whether it’s been learning or teaching.

THE EDUCATION ISSUE A PUBLICATION OF THE BUSINESS TIMES HOLDINGS Education Issue

Photo by Anthony Jinson

The Elizabeth Herrera Executive Director, Mission Promise Kept ON THE COVER Elizabeth Herrera, executive director of Mission Promise Kept.

“Through a series of bad decisions, I ultimately dropped out of high school in the middle of my junior year.”

Letter from the Publisher Knowledge is Power

my 23-year career in marketing and business. And most importantly, I graduated from college with my bachelors degree in business management with an emphasis in marketing and communications.

Every year we have an issue of COMO committed to all things education. Additionally, we love interns at COMO Magazine and Columbia Marketing Group and ensure they are learning what they really need to know to be successful. Lastly, I myself continue to learn. You’ll often catch me with a new book or taking in a webinar.

When I was in school I had a 4.0 g.p.a., was a member of the honor society, and was involved in many extracurricular activities such as band (concert, marching, and jazz), cheerleading, speech and debate, and drama. However, my educational path took a very unexpected and non-traditional path in my junior year of high school. My home life wasn’t stable. I managed to move ve times between my parents’ homes from my freshman to junior year. My extracurricular activities began to include less wholesome activities. rough a series of bad decisions, I ultimately dropped out of high school in the middle of my junior year, taking everyone (including myself) by complete surprise. I was a burnt out, a rmationseeking kid with little to no support looking for reprieve, and I found it in unhealthy places. It was only a matter of months before I decided to get my GED and head to college. However, I once again left school a couple of years later at the age of 20 to have my rst child. I would, over the next couple of decades, toy with the idea of going back to school taking a class here or there but was never able to fully devote myself to it as a mother of ve and the breadwinner of our family. However, it remained a goal I had for myself — less because I needed it to be successful at this point in my career, but more so because I wanted to teach at the collegiate level. In my mind, I wanted to be able to show my kids that regardless of your age, you can have big dreams and make things happen. In 2019, both of my big goals for myself came true. I began teaching as an adjunct professor at Stephens College based on the resume I built during

ERICA PUBLISHERPEFFERMAN

I encourage everyone to put your time and e ort into making sure all of our children have a great chance at their futures regardless of circumstances. ere are easily a dozen nonpro ts in Columbia committed to helping at-risk youth. You can volunteer or donate resources to these organizations. If you’re a business owner, nd out how you can become a Partner in Education with CPS. If you prefer to work one on one with a child, call Big Brothers and Big Sisters and become a Big. Our kids need us, and education and opportunity comes in many forms. You could be that for them.

COMOMAG.COM 11 E

Jon Class, Treasurer Member, Williams-Keepers LLC

Kathi Betz, Past President Owner, Betz Jewelers

DIRECTORS Nancy Allison Shelter Insurance Agent, Retired Dr. Courtney Barnes, MD, MPH Associate Professor of Clinical OB/GYN

Jeri Doty MU Health Care Chief Planning Officer, Retired Glen Ehrhardt Attorney, Rogers | Ehrhardt Angie Gentry Senior VP Consumer Banking, Central Bank of Boone County Chad Gooch Lieutenant, Columbia Police Department Amy Greenwood REALTOR, RE/MAX Boone Realty

OFFICE: 573-875-0503 • HOTLINE: 1-800-548-2480 TRUENORTHOFCOLUMBIA.ORG

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If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic or sexual violence, please call our 24/7 hotline at 1-800-548-2480.

Mike Middleton University of Missouri, Retired Laura Schemel Director, Brand Management & Marketing, MU Health Care

It's our mission to provide safety, shelter, education and transitional support for those who have been affected by domestic and sexual violence and to empower all to create a safer community. Every dollar you give makes a real difference in the lives of those we serve. Any donation, no matter the size, can make a impact in our community.

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Wendy Wiederhold, Vice President Vice President Field Operations, Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc.

Imagine a Safer Community... free from domestic and sexual violence, where healthy relationships thrive.

OFFICERS Dr. Ashley Emel, President Owner & Chiropractor, Compass Chiropractic & Wellness

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COMOMAG.COM 13 Letter from the Editor “Oh, The Places You’ll Go ...”

KIM EDITORAMBRA XO,

’m not sure what this says about me, but one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” by the one and only Dr. Seuss. Most importantly this quote - “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go ...” I am a product of Columbia Public Schools, and I am proud of that statement. From Blue Ridge Elementary to Oakland Junior High, a brief 1-year stint at Je erson Junior High School, and concluding with graduating from Hickman High School in 1999. I have so many memories of my own, from teachers to eld trips and everything in between. What made education really become a passion of mine was becoming a mom. It is a completely di erent ballgame when it is your own children whose education you are invested in. My kids attended Shepard Boulevard Elementary, and I wish I could put that school in a time capsule and keep it in my heart forever. So many amazing educators there shaped my childrens’ young brains that I could never name them all, but would like to speci cally shout out Mrs. Snyder, Mrs. Guillory, Mrs. ompson, and Mrs. Irwin. ese ladies will never know just how much they meant to my kids and to me. I was fortunate to be able to be very involved when my kids were young, and I was a regular xture at all school events. ose three little ones that started at Shepard Elementary are now in their second year of grad school in the occupational therapy program at Missouri State University, sophomore year (but technically only three semesters away from graduating) also at Missouri State University, and sophomore year at Hallsville High School. Time ies!

I think my proudest moment in life has been watching my oldest daughter walk across the stage cum laude at Missouri State. She was the rst person in our family to graduate from a 4-year university, and I am literally tearing up again just typing that!

I did not take the traditional route in college. I was a young mom facing a world of opportunity but not sure how to get there. I was blessed with great role models, mostly in the form of my mother, Sherry Colwell. at woman would move heaven and Earth for me. I was once told we are all given the same opportunity, and it is all in what you do with it. Everyone’s education and path to get there looks di erent, and no one is better than the next. We are so fortunate to live in a town of opportunity. A 4-year university de nitely isn’t for everyone! Trade schools, hands on learning experiences, the Columbia Career Center, scholarships and alternative funding, to name a few — it really is a land of opportunity.ankyou, thank you, thank you to our local educators. You are the real MVPs. I wish there was more I could do to show my appreciation for all of you, but what I do have is this public platform to stand on and say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. As always, this magazine is for you, COMO! I would love to hear from you. What should we talk about in upcoming issues? What faces and places do you want to see? My email is always open — Kim@comomag.com.

On page 56 of our May 2022 issue, it was incorrectly stated that “One person dies from suicide in Missouri every seven minutes.” The correct statistic is every seven hours.

Reproduction

Director

President Erica Erica@comomag.comPefferman of Operations Amy@comomag.comFerrari

Dr. Jennifer Sutherland DC, FASA, Webster Certified Dr. Ashley Emel DC, CACCP, Webster Certified 2516 Forum Blvd. #102 (573) compass-chiropractic.com445-4444 ADJUSTING YOUR HEALTH IN THE DIRECTION.RIGHT EDITORIAL Publisher | Erica Erica@comomag.comPefferman Editor | Kim Kim@comomag.comAmbra Copy Editor | Josh Mosley DESIGN Creative Director | Kate Kate@comomag.comMorrow Photo Director | Sadie Sadie@comomag.comThibodeaux Senior Designer | Jordan Jordan@comomag.comWatts CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jaedyn Colvin, Lana Eklund Anthony Jinson, ZachChrisJohnson,Padgett CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jaedyn Colvin, Lauren Sable Freiman, Jessica Jainchill, Teagan King, Amanda Long, Molly Rhodes, Hannah Robertson, Michelle Terhune, Jennifer Truesdale MARKETING Account Executive | Charles Bruce Charles@comomag.com OUR MISSION To inspire, educate, and entertain the citizens of Columbia with quality, relevant content that reﬂects Columbia’s business environment, lifestyle, and community spirit. CONTACT Business Times Holdings, LLC 18 S. Ninth St. Ste 201, Columbia, MO 65201 (573) comomag.com499-1830/wearecomomag@wearecomomag SUBSCRIPTIONS Magazines are $5.95 an issue. Subscription rate is $39 for 12 issues for one year or $69 for 24 issues for two years. Subscribe at comomag.com or by phone.

graphic

editorial

express

CORRECTION

Amy

prohibited. WILD, WILD Travel THEISSUE The Outdoor THE ISSUE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR RECENT ISSUES AT LOCAL STOCKISTS AROUND TOWN!

COMOMAG.COM 15 BoardAdvisory Representing Voices from All Different Walks of Life. We take pride in representing our community well and we couldn’t do what we do without our COMO Magazine advisory board. Thank You! Beth Bramstedt Associate Pastor Christian Fellowship Church Heather Brown Strategic Partnership Officer Harry S Truman VA Hospital Chris Cottle Walk Manager Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter Nickie Davis Executive Director The District, Downtown CID Alex George Owner Skylark Bookshop Executive Director Unbound Book Festival Author Chris Horn Reinsurance Manager Shelter Insurance Barbra Horrell Consultant Horrell Associates Jeremiah Hunter Assistant Police Chief InvestigationsCommander Bureau Columbia Police Department Kris Husted Senior Content Editor NPR Midwest Newsroom Amanda Jacobs Owner Jacobs Property Management Darren Morton Program Director Turning Point David Nivens, Chief Executive Officer Midwest Computech Suzanne Rothwell Vice President Advancement Division Columbia College Megan Steen Vice President Burrell Behavioral Health La Toya Stevens Director of Communications for the Division of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity University of Missouri-Columbia Nathan Todd Business Services Specialist First State Community Bank Wende Wagner Director of Philanthropy The Missouri Symphony

16 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 Loan Production Office 2415 Carter Lane, Ste 1, Columbia, MO 65201 573-615-2343 | midambk.com By Appointment Only Bloomington, IL 2101368 Phyllis Nichols, Agent 1006 West Boulevard N | Columbia, MO 65203 573-443-8727 | phyllis.nichols.g15k@statefarm.com Let me help you insure the things that matter most. Our rates are competitive and designed to fit any budget. Big or small, don’t hesitate to call! Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® Individual premiums and budgets will vary by customer. All applicants subject to State Farm® underwriting requirements. Loan Production Office 2415 Carter Lane, Ste 1, Columbia, MO 65201 573-615-2343 | midambk.com By Appointment Only

13 Editor's Letter 15 Meet COMO's Advisory Board LIVING 20 YEARBOOK SchoolThrowbackPhotos 23 ART & CULTURE Discovering your Creative Side 25 PET FRIENDLY MUles! 31 GUEST VOICES A Will to Thrive 49 FRIENDS & FAMILY Little Libraries, Big Beneﬁts WORKING 67 CLOSER LOOK 68 BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS 71 &MOVERSSHAKERS 78 NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT Rocking People's Lives 81 BUSINESS UPDATE New Possibilities 84 PERSON YOU SHOULD KNOW Dr. Helen Porter 98 THE LAST WORD FEATURES 40 THE TRUMAN TAILS Discover what goes on 55 MISSION POSSIBLE Mission Promise Kept is keeping America’s promise to women who served. 84 OPENING PATHWAYS TOWARD THE FUTURE A new CPSfocusesdevelopmentworkforceprogramontrainingeducators. 92 TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS The Columbia Chamber of Commerce helps support a thriving business community.

THE CHANGE University

A WILL TO THRIVE LaDonna Crusby experienced horriﬁc trauma but refuses to let that deﬁne who she is today.

THE TRUMAN TAILS

How much do we really know about Columbia’s favorite tiger? what goes on behind the scenes to make the Truman the lovable icon he is.

BEING PART OF Hospital’s internal surgical technologist’s program nears its ﬁrst anniversary.

Discover

20 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 Throwing it back to our younger years. WAYCOMOgoes Kim Ambra, editor MOST LIKELY TO BE LATE TO GRADUATION Nathan Todd,advisory board AmandaadvisoryJacobs,board Kate creativeMorrow,directorBESTSTORYTELLER Sarah MOSTaccountHempelmann,managerLIKELYTOBECOMEINTERNETFAMOUS EricaPefferman,presidentandpublisherMOSTLIKELYTOBEONAREALITYSHOW SadiephotoThibodeaux,directorNEATESTCUBBY Charles Bruce, account executive BEST BEARD

COMOMAG.COM 21 J.J. directorCarlson,ofwebdevelopmentBESTLISTENER Jeremiah Hunter,advisory board Megan advisorySteen,board advisoryChrisCottle,board Jordan Watts, senior designer BEST ATTITUDE Hannah executiveRobertson,assistantBESTNOTETAKER Amanda Melton, director of account services MOST OUTSPOKEN Nickie directoradvisoryDavis,boardAmyFerrari,ofoperationsBESTALL-AROUNDEVERYTHING

SEASON #28 CONCERT SCHEDULE* All evening shows begin at 7 p.m. Matinee shows at Murry's begin at 3:30 p.m. Doors open one hour prior unless otherwise indicated. Thursday, September 22, 2022 • Rose Music Park PAT BIANCHI ORGAN TRIO — SEASON OPENER! AMINA FIGAROVA SEXTET Saturday, October 15, 2022 • First Baptist Church TERELL STAFFORD ALL-STAR QUINTET Sunday, October 30, 2022 • Murry's BILL CHARLAP TRIO Sunday, November 13, 2022 • Murry's ÉTIENNE CHARLES' CREOLE CHRISTMAS Sunday, December 4, 2022 • The Blue Note Dr. Carlos & Laura Perez-Mesa Memorial Concert ELIO VILLAFRANCA & FRIENDS: CHICK COREA AFRO-CARIBBEAN EXPERIENCE Saturday, January 28, 2023 • Missouri Theatre HERMON MEHARI QUARTET Sunday, February 19, 2023 • Murry's RYAN COHAN QUARTET Sunday, March 12, 2023 • Murry's JOEL ROSS "GOOD VIBES" QUARTET Tuesday, April 18, 2023 • Whitmore Recital Hall TIA FULLER ENSEMBLE Sunday, April 23, 2023 • Murry's SAMARA JOY GROUP , May 7, 2023 • Murry's SUNDAYS @ MURRY’S TICKETS ALL CONCERTS NOW ON SALE SEASON TICKETS [All 11 Shows] “SUNDAYS @ MURRY’S” [6 Shows] 4-TICKET “DISTRICT SAMPLER”* [5 Shows] [*Save $5 Per Ticket With “Sampler”] JAZZ SERIES BOX OFFICE INFO: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 573/449-3009 21 N. Tenth St., Columbia, MO 65201 info@wealwaysswing.org | WeAlwaysSwing.org [*As of September 1, 2022. Artists, Personnel, Dates Subject To Change.] • [PATRON SAFETY: Please check WeAlwaysSwing.org for up-to-date Jazz Series COVID Protocol.] S E A SO N E V E N T E D U C ATIO N M E DI A S P EC IAL A SSI S TAN C E THANKS TO OUR 2022/2023 SPONSORS** [**As of September 1, 2022] Smith CharitableNaTrustncy& John David School of Music University of Missouri 11 CONCERTS. 50+ MUSICIANS. MULTIPLE GRAMMY® WINNERS.

T he Mud Room is a locally owned, fully equipped, do-it-yourself ceramic painting studio opened by Cindy Watkins-Hansen in 1998. e studio was the result of a trip Cindy took to the east coast with her sons where she says they spent all their time at the beach and at a pottery shop. She loved it so much that she brought one to COMO. In 2008, Luna Hawk was asked to take over and has been the owner ever since. At the Mud Room, you are able to walk in and paint any time it is open. e space provides you with written and verbal instructions on what to do, and after it goes into the kiln, your creation is ready for you to take home and use. e studio relocated to their current space on Ninth Street about three years ago, and Hawk says that because of COVID, "we really haven't been able to schedule many group classes. With this fall coming up, we are going to try and get some on.” e Mud Room provides a variety of classes for sorority gatherings, birthday parties, o ce groups, and more. You can take a class on painting pottery step by step or even learn how to make your own pottery. It is a great way to connect with your group and bring out your creative side. Hawk takes notice of this frequently. “You have a mix of genders, backgrounds, and some people who always say, 'I’m not artistic.’ ose are the people who are sitting here for an hourand-a-half after everyone is done and just really getting into their details. " ey also o er 1-on-1 classes to learn pottery-wheel throwing. Your own pottery bowls can be created using the pottery wheel, which will be demonstrated to you by a knowledgeable instructor. ese are just a few of the classes you can take inside the studio, but e Mud Room also provides take home kits and a mobile studio. e Mud Room mobile studio can come to your daycare, school, church, retirement home, or business for events; you can take pieces home to paint and return them to be red and glossed. Additionally, Hawk says their downtown location enables her to display more work in the gallery area at the front of the store. Prints by various local artists cycle in and out on a regular basis; currently, Bini Sebation's work is on display. roughout the studio, you can also nd numerous works featured and for sale, along with crystals, plants, and jewelry. Hawk mentions hopes of making the studio into a sort of community artist space in the future. So, whether you are looking for a class to take or just to come in and paint, e Mud Room o ers all of that and more.

The Mud Room invites visitors to escape into the colorful, whimsical world of pottery.

ART & CULTURELiving

Discovering Your Creative Side

BY JAEDYN COLVIN

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John R. Dodam, the Mule Club’s current advisor, says, “ e club was started as an opportunity for students to get more hands-on experience with animals. [Kahrs] chose the Missouri mule because of their history with the state.” e group has achieved and continued its original goal to the present day. In the club, MU veterinary students learn how to care for and handle mules, gaining valuable experience in animal husbandry with large animals. ey also get communication experience when they show the mules to the public at di erent events that spread awareness of the Missouri mule’s history and relevance to the state.

When newly recruited mules arrive, the club trains them for their life as part of the club’s education program. John added thatthe club makes sure that the mules only walk on pavement to prevent wear on their bodies and minimizeHowever,stress. eventually, some of the club’s mules must retire.“e mules are pretty adept at telling us when they are ready to retire,” John says. “For example, Tim and Terri, 29-year-old mules, are retired now, but we used them until they were about 26.”

In educating the public about the Missouri mule’s historical and cultural relevance, the club members make sure to go over the animal’s importance in opening the gate to the west. In the 1800s, as Americans traveled into western states, they inevitably needed Missouri’s bigger mules to complete the di cult trek into the west. e mules became economically important to Missouri and also ensured Missouri’s place in the history books as the “Gateway to theJohnWest.”says, “Missouri mules had a tremendous in uence on the economic development of our state, so it’s kind of cool that the Missouri mule’s heritage has been preserved through this program.”

BY JESSICA JAINCHILL

A Missouri mule is an instantly recognizable symbol of the state’s culture and history. Big-boned, hardy, persistent and intelligent, these animals embody Missouri’s reputation as the “Show-Me” state. At the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, the Missouri Mule Club is working to preserve this animal’s important symbol in the state.

To be admitted, new mules must be Missouri mules, which is a cross between a draft horse and a donkey. Second, as John says, “We look for teams of mules that are experienced and physically sound. ey have an a nity for people and have a quiet temperament. We’re looking for a big, strong, even-tempered team of mules.”

Started in the 1980s, the Mule Club was founded by Robert Kahrs, a former dean of the university, as a way for students to partake in continuing the Missouri mule’s legacy.

COMOMAG.COM 25

The Mule Club educates Missourians on their culture and past.

MUles!

To qualify for the program, applicants must have at least six months of employment with the hospital. ey go through an interview panel which determines if the applicant is in good standing with the department they are currently in, and it also ensures they have good references, solid attendance, and no disciplinary citation on their record. “ ere was an abundance of applicants when we put word out for the internal surgical tech program,” Karla said. e rst set of graduates started as a class of six, while the most recent one had 10 people. In October, another set of applicants will apply for admittance into the program. e hospital pays for the college classes needed for the program while still working at the hospital. Once students nish classes, they move on to clinicals with Karla that last roughly seven to nine months.. “Classes are taken at Columbia College, and we use an online program so that they can work during the day and do the classes in the evening,” Karla said.

BY MOLLY RHODES | PHOTOS BY ANTHONY JINSON

A bout a year ago, due to the growing demand in operating rooms, University Hospital established a internal program designed to train current hospital employees interested in becoming surgical technologists. “ e programs that are in Columbia, Rolla, and Lake of the Ozarks have changed their programs to be an associate degree,” says Karla Bleything, the instructor and coordinator for the University's surgical technologist program. “We had a gap from getting students for a while, and we could really tell a difference. And, also, traveling nurses seem to be more popular with the traveling, and they tend to get better pay.”

Being Part of the Change

26 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

WELLNESSLiving

University Hospital’s internal surgical technologist’s program nears its first anniversary.

Andrea Swartz saw the opportunity the program presents — she applied for the program and was among the rst to graduate.

KARLA BLEYTHING Instructor and Coordinator for the Internal Surgical Technologist Program e curriculum includes classes on medical terminology, physiology, and anatomy while the clinical aspect is used to gain hands-on experience.

“I wanted to be involved in the change for the patients and actually do something, and after being a patient once myself, I also had an empathic connection to the patients,” Andrea said. Andrea started in the surgical supply clerk area and later moved up to coordinator for that department. She was responsible for maintaining and ordering supplies and other components for all of the operating rooms’ di erent service lines.

“It changed my life and saved my life, and [I] wanted to be part of the change and a part of giving back to people in my community like someone did for me,” Andrea said.

WELLNESSLiving

For Andrea, the hardest part was not the program itself, but rather juggling the classes on top of a 40-hour work week and being a single mom of four.

“ e classes weren’t the hardest for me but knowing how profoundly important a scrub is in the operating room and knowing that what you are doing is an essential for the outcome of the patient,” Andrea said. For her, the best part on the other side of the program is knowing she's helping people.

“We, as a team, get to give outcomes to people,” Andrea said. “[We] also give hope to them and others, and we just give people their lives back. I was never supposed to be here because my outcome was very dismal when I was a patient, but I had great medical professionals that stuck with me and that’s why I am here today.”

“First,knowyourwhy;thewhyyouwanttodoit.Ifyouhavethepassiontoserveandwanttomakeadirectimpactonthelivesofthepeopleyouareservingbeingasurgicaltechnologistisaprofoundlyuniquepositiontobein."

“Being the impact and knowing I am there for the betterment of someone else, in their most vulnerable state and when they are asleep putting their entire life in our hands,” Andrea said. “We are helping them and providing them the opportunity to have a di erent quality of life.”

For those hesitant about adding the program to their already full-time job and busy lives, Andrea has some words of advice.

“First, know your why; the why you want to do it. If you have the passion to serve and want to make a direct impact on the lives of the people you are serving, being a surgical technologist is a profoundly unique position to be in,” Andrea shared. is program gives employees of the hospital an opportunity that they never knew they could have.

28 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

ANDREA SWARTZ ANDREA SWARTZ, one of the First Graduates from the Internal Surgical Technologist Program Photo provided by Andrea Swartz.

“My favorite part about the program is getting people that are so indebted for this opportunity and who have never gone to school for it because they could not a ord it. ey tend to take this seriously and do not want to screw it up,” Karla said.

WELLNESSLiving

Once a patient herself, Andrea likes to reect on the journey she took to becoming a hospital surgical technologist.

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BY MICHELLE TERHUNE

LaDonna Crusby experienced horrific trauma at age 14 after being kidnapped from her home in Columbia. But she refuses to let that define who she is today.

Will to Thrive

Sharing Her Story In 2008, LaDonna wrote a book, “Faith and the God Fairy: e Story of a Survivor.”

32 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 I n 1993, then-14-year-old LaDonna Crusby was at home alone while her mom and aunt ran to the grocery store. ey had spent most of the day with family following a cousin’s death. Tired and wanting to avoid going to the grocery store, LaDonna begged her mom to let her stay home. It was the rst time she was allowed to stay home alone. What happened to LaDonna that evening and into the next day was a nightmare. Her life threatened, LaDonna was kidnapped and sexually assaulted before escaping the house she was being held in the next day. A woman driving by picked up the barely clothed LaDonna and drove her home to a frantic mom who had reported her daughter missing the night before. LaDonna had just become one of thousands of girls who have experienced sexual violence. Not a Statistic e statistics for sexual assault of adolescents are frightening. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), 1 in 5 U.S. women have been raped or sexually assaulted. For 1 in 3 of those women, the rst time occurred when they were between the ages of 11 and 17. Males are victims as well. Roughly 25% of all males have experienced some form of sexual violence. And for 1 in 4 of them, they were between the ages of 11 and 17 the rst time it Manyhappened.ofthemgo unreported, but in LaDonna’s case, her mom called the Columbia Police as soon as she returned home from the grocery store. LaDonna was gone, some items were missing, and things were broken. LaDonna was questioned by the police and driven around town to the two places she had been held. She was then subjected to a sexual assault examination kit or “rape” kit. As is the case in nearly 41% of sexual assaults against girls and women, LaDonna’s kidnapper was an acquaintance. Her mom knew who the man was. LaDonna had spent time with his children. Advocacy and Support LaDonna says the police o cers handling the case were kind to her and that thenBoone County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Crane was supportive. But LaDonna said the greatest help she received at the time was from Ruby Marsden. Ruby was a victim’s advocate employed by the Prosecuting Attorney’s O ce to help victims understand their rights, connect with resources, and remain beside victims every time they are questioned, inside the courtroom and out. Ruby was there when LaDonna submitted to the rape kit. She was there when police questioned her. She was there when her kidnapper’s attorneys attempted to paint LaDonna as a rebellious teen who wanted to run away and do drugs. “Just having her there beside me as a quiet and neutral presence, especially because my mom was traumatized as well, was extremely important,” LaDonna says.

“ at’s how I felt when I was with him, trapped in that room,” LaDonna says. “I just wanted to go home and be with my mom. at’s what kept me alive. at’s what kept me from feeling what he was doing to me.”

“I can’t put the actual details in a children’s book, because it’s terrifying,” LaDonna says. “So, I went about it a di erent way, and I use it at the end of my talks to tell survivors how therapeutic writing can be.”

“Writing can be therapeutic and healing,” LaDonna says. “It has helped me cope with my trauma.”

“Faith and the God Fairy” is a children’s book, re ecting the dissociative thoughts LaDonna had while being held captive. It tells the story of two young girls who take a shortcut home they have been warned not to take. One girl escapes, and the other is taken to a house in the woods where she is visited by an ethereal creature who says she is looking out for her and takes her to heaven. In the end, the girl wakes up in a hospital bed, surrounded by her parents.

Recently, the Center for Community Solutions gave LaDonna its annual Courage Award for sharing her journey with other survivors to inspire them.

LaDonna has been giving these “talks” for more than a decade for San Diego-based organization Center for Community Solutions. e nonpro t’s mission is focusing on ending sexual violence.

LaDonna also speaks with San Diego police o cers training to work in special victims units. She hopes her story helps

Content Warning: Please be advised, the following story references topics including sexual assault and physical violence.

Center for Missing and Exploited Children missingkids.org/home True North of Columbia truenorthofcolumbia.org RAINN Anti-Sexual Violence Organization rainn.org National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-HOPE (4673) National Sexual Violence Resource Center nsvrc.org Boone County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Victim Response Team showmeboone.com/pa/victim-services Missouri Coalition for Domestic and Sexual Violence mocadsv.org/how-to-get-help Central Missouri Stop Human Traffic Coalition stophumantraffickingmo.com DeafLEAD Victim Advocacy For Hearing Impaired deaflead.com Missouri Department of Safety Crime Victim Services Unit dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvsu TRAUMA RESOURCES

COMOMAG.COM 33 them be better, more compassionate ocers when dealing with survivors. And San Diego State University invited LaDonna to talk to a fraternity about sexual violence.

National

“ ey asked good questions and were respectful,” LaDonna says. “Some of them have experienced sexual violence and others know people who have.”

Reaching for Help It’s not surprising that LaDonna regrets not doing some things back then, like not keeping the door closed to a family friend. But she wishes that she and her mom would have taken advantage of some resources that might have helped them both heal. “I wish I had known about the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” LaDonna says. “ ey have so many resources that might have helped me with the kidnapping part of the trauma. e sexual trauma is one thing but having someone threaten to kill me and take me violently from my home is another terrifying trauma.” Not long ago, LaDonna met the Columbia woman who picked her up that day on the street and got to hug her. She hasn’t reconnected with Ruby but thinks about the role she played in those hours and months after June 18-19, 1993. e perpetrator, Winston Redmond, was found guilty on multiple charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison where he died in 2006.

LaDonna graduated from Hickman High School in 1997, earned an associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Diego in 1999, and a bachelor’s degree from Stephens College in fashion marketing and management in 2004. She’s currently the manager of a large retail store in San Diego. A mom herself to two daughters, ages 21 and 6, LaDonna worries about them like her mom used to worry about her. But life goes on and LaDonna lives it fully. As she says, she’s “not just a survivor, but a thriver.”

LaDonna confronts her past trauma and grows from it.

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GOURMETLiving

uring the worst years of the Great Depression, food was in short supply and work even more so. As a part of his New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt procured surplus food from farmers and hired thousands of out-of-work women to cook and serve the food to hungry public school students. e program was so successful that by 1941 every state had a Today, school lunch looks a bit di erent and is often an essential element in the daily lives of many young people. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “School meals are a powerful tool for ghting food insecurity while protecting the future of our nation's children by getting them the nutrition they need.”

CPS provides students delicious and nutritious dining options.

GOURMETLiving

“For some children, school meals are the healthiest they receive each day,” says Laina Fullum, who for the last 15 years has served as the Director of Nutrition Service for Columbia e Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, supported by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2012, changed nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program by requiring schools to serve more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and/ or low-fat milk more frequently, and scale back the serving of less starchy vegetables or foods high in sodium and trans-fat. School nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program are set by the USDA. Menu items are categorized into ve food components: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and milk. Each day, students are o ered a variety of items from each food component. e selections focus on meeting the set standards for sodium, calories, saturated fat, and trans-fat. e Program requires schools to serve one dark green vegetable; legumes; and red, yellow, or orange vegetables at least once a week. Schools also have to monitor sodium, saturated fat, and calorie requirements set for breakfast and lunch.

BY AMANDA LONG | PHOTOS BY ANTHONY JINSON

PROCUREMENT

Satisfying

Columbia Public Schools Nutrition Services has a $9 million budget to feed approximately 20,000 students in 36 schools including 23 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. Around 40% of the budget is used for the food itself, with another 40% going toward labor cost and the remaining 20% to equipment service costs. Laina says a higher number of students ate school-o ered meals during the last school year because they were free through June 30, 2022 due to the USDA’s COVID-19 relief efforts. “We were serving a lot more breakfasts and lunches as nearly 40% of the school population was eating reduced or free meals.”efederal government provides approximately $650,000 in commodities, which are U.S. foods purchased by the USDA and provided to schools at minimal cost. ese funds allow the district to purchase food at reduced rates based on product and season. “We get pricing for and then purchase on the open-market things our students will eat and like and t into the budget. Whenever there is an item, like a hamburger, it has a child nutrition label that we use to calculate our nutritional limits for the week,” says Laina.

STANDARDS

GOURMETLiving

Laina says that the number is usually closer to 165 total, but since the pandemic they have been very short-handed and struggle to ll the vacancies. COVID-19 also caused product and shipment shortages which her team worked hard to manage.

“We serve chicken tenders every single week on Tuesday – it is our most popular lunch item,” says Laina. Approximately calculated, if 7,500 students eat three chicken tenders once per week for 36 weeks that is 810,000 chicken tenders per school year. Pizza comes in second on the list of student favorites. “It’s a home-bake pizza that comes in a little personal box and

THE TEAM Nutrition services currently employees approximately 145 people across 35 school. Positions include lunch personnel such as cooks, cashiers, and managers; warehouse personnel who deliver food across the district; couriers to pick up and deposit monies collected and maintenance sta to service equipment.

COMOMAG.COM 39

SERVING THE STUDENTS

– Laina Fullum, Director of Nutrition Service for Columbia Public Schools

A recent honoree of the Columbia Fund for Academic Excellence, Laina was selected from nominations submitted by parents and peers for their outstanding teaching, leadership, and support for students.

When a student checks out with their lunch, the computer alerts the cashier who then lets the student know if they have something on their tray they cannot have.”

Laina says they have processes in place to manage students with dietary restrictions and allergies. “ e student must have a physician’s order stating what foods are excluded and what can be substituted – it must be speci c so we are not unduly restricting a child or giving them what they can’t have.”

e CPS website o ers lists of nutrition labels for all foods served, as well as an extensive food allergy list categorized by allergy and the foods o ered that fall in that category.

“ e number of students with allergies is growing,” says Laina. “We keep a record of each student’s allergies in our system and copious lists of ingredients.

the students really love it,” says Laina. For breakfast, students prefer mu ns and cereal. Laina says, “We try to serve eggs and they are not having it.” e least popular items, according to Laina, is “anything green.” As far as the entrees, she says pulled pork is surprisingly low on the list. “Only a handful of kids like BBQ pulled pork. It is so good!”

“We have a lunch person who has been here for 35 years and one who recently retired after 27 years,” says Laina. “Our department is great, and our employees are amazing. During COVID, they rose to the occasion and took care of kids when families were struggling. ey are hardworking caring individuals.”

A team of eld supervisors plan the menus on a three-week rotating cycle for lunch and a weekly rotation for the breakfast menu. “It keeps the chaos down, essentially,” laughs Laina. “ en, we can substitute in new things that we think the students will like.”

“Our department is great, and our employees are amazing. During the pandemic, they really rose to the occasion and took care of kids when families caringarestruggling.wereeyhardworkingindividuals.”

GOURMETLiving

TAILS THE TRUMAN

TAILS much do we really know about Columbia’s favorite tiger? what goes on behind the scenes to make Truman the lovable icon he is.

COMOMAG.COM 41

Discover

BY HANNAH ROBERTSON PHOTOS BY ANTHONY JINSON

How

BECOMING TRUMAN

42 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 T here is only one being that encompasses the heart of all Mizzou sports. For so many who grow up in and around COMO, interacting with him — whether it be a high- ve, dancing, or anything in between — is a rite of passage. e black-and-gold tiger doesn’t just represent Mizzou; he is Mizzou. At over six feet tall and still growing according to his Mizzou roster biography, he leaves big shoes — or rather paws — to ll. Besides that, who else is dedicated enough to make it to literally. every. single. MU athletics game?! To know him is to love him. He is Truman the Tiger.

It’s hard to imagine a time before Truman, but the truth is the mascot didn’t earn his o cial name until 1984. His origin story dates back much further than that; it goes all the way back to the 1890s when MU’s rst football team chose its name. e name “Tigers” refers to and honors a militia unit of the same nickname comprised of locals who defended COMO from guerrilla bands during the Civil War. Students have been portraying tiger mascots at MU since the 1940s. At that time, members of the Tiger Claws pep squad were behind the mask. e bodies of the early costumes were made of yellow cloth with stripes painted on and the head was made of papier-mâché. Back then, there were two tiger mascots, a female (Lil’ Tiger) and a male (Big Tiger). In the 1950s, the school’s mascot entered pop culture in a big way, appearing on posters, clothing, publications, and more. One example is the St. Louis Post Dispatch, whose “Weatherbird” cartoon artist from

FAN#1 TRUMAN MIZZOU’SIS - CYNTHIA METZ, MU HEAD CHEERLEADING COACH AND MASCOT COORDINATOR(Story Continued on Page 47)

1932 to 1981, Amadee Wohlschlaeger, drew covers for many of Mizzou's football game programs from 1959 until theAnothermid-1990s.example of the mascot’s growing popularity was when Peanuts creator Charles Schulz joined the fun and created his own Peanuts version of a football game program cover for the 1956 Homecoming edition of e Maneater. In 1981, Lil' Tiger and Big Tiger merged together and became one singular mascot. e new mascot went nameless for three years until the MU cheerleaders held a “Name the Tiger” contest in 1984. e contest was meant to raise money for a carrying case for the mascot. e winner, as we all know, was Truman, an homage to the 33rd U.S. president and Missouri native, Harry S. FormerTruman.Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione roped in Festus native Joe Turnbough and his team to assist with the design of Truman’s costume and development of his overall personality. Two years later, the Truman the Tiger we know and love today made his rst appearance at the Missouri-Utah State Football game on September 13, 1986. is date is now considered Truman’s birthday and celebrated each year by fans in honor of his rst appearance. In 2004 and 2014, Truman was named “Best Mascot in the Nation.” Truman makes more than 400 appearances a year, including MU football and basketball games, as well as at hospitals, schools, community events and campus gatherings. Recently, Truman won “Most Collegiate Mascot” at the National Cheer Association’s Cheer Camp, which secured him a bid to the national competition. Cynthia Metz, MU’s head cheerleading coach and mascot coordinator works closely with the big cat and had this to say about our favorite Tiger: “Truman is Mizzou’s No. 1 fan. He is the face of the university and the athletic department and brings so much joy to the kids and fans who are watching. It’s so fun to see him interact with people at games and the way their faces light up. It’s a privilege to be a part of that.”

44 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

WENDLING

1977-1978. I was never Truman, because there was no Truman yet!

We pretty much all know each other and stay together. It’s a different type of camaraderie; a pretty small, special club.

At that time, we were in the Big Eight Conference, and we played a basketball tournament in Kansas City FORMER MASCOT

The physical part, especially being inside that suit when it’s 100 degrees out. At that time, the helmet was full of ﬁberglass and supports. Then, it was allowed and even encouraged to remove the head. Not only because of the materials, but the tiger head looked ferocious and would sometimes scare kids. Taking it off made me more approachable.

byprovidedpagethisonPhotos

WHAT YEARS WERE YOU THE MIZZOU MASCOT?

I always loved athletics. Being the mascot gave me the opportunity to go to every game, and be right on the sidelines. But when I was a cheerleader (the year prior to becoming mascot), I met my future wife, Sherry, on a bus trip to a football game at Ohio State. Shortly after we came back, we started dating. I tried out for her; to go on trips together, to partake in dances with her during games, and to just be around her.

TWO FORMER MIZZOU MASCOTS GIVE THE INSIDE SCOOP ABOUT BEING COMO’S FAVORITE BIG CAT

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO AUDITION?

ARE THERE ANY INSIDER SECRETS YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT BEING THE MU MASCOT?

STEVE

WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BEING A MASCOT?

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE YOU HAD AS THE MASCOT?

WHAT DID BEING THE MIZZOU MASCOT MEAN TO YOU?

every year. Running up the middle of the KU crowd as the Tiger was quite an experience! KU fans would throw fruit - bananas, apples, you name it. I would describe it as a “fun-hate.” We had such a great rivalry that everyone looked forward to it.

I knew from the start it was going to be a blast. The ability to relate to kids meant a lot. To be able to relate to the kids, and to be able to talk about what the tiger mascot does as far as motivate the team. Being able to be a part of what was going on at the university at the time and being a part of something bigger than myself was everything.

WendlingSteve

46 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

WHAT WAS THE AUDITION PROCESS LIKE?

I met a girl! Which is okay because I ended up marrying her! Molly was a cheerleader, and my friends were in a band playing in the bar we met. I grew up in COMO, and my mom always wanted me to be the mascot at Rock Bridge. I always thought, “those guys are dorks,” but when I met the men behind Truman through Molly, I realized how cool it was, and she convinced me to do it.

It was the same time as cheer tryouts. We went through an interview process focused on us understanding that it’s a yearlong commitment where we needed to have drop-ofthe-hat, same-day availability. Being Truman supersedes everything short of class. We put the suit on, the ﬁght song started, and we had to run out and be Truman for the song. A lot of being a mascot is improv, making stuff up as you go along, so they dumped out trash bags with hula hoops, Hawaiian skirts, etc., and started playing Hawaiian music. It’s a test, to see if you can you take those items and make people laugh.

HOW MUCH OF A TIME COMMITMENT WAS IT? It varied. We met with coach Monday nights where we would get the rundown of where Truman needed to be that week. When I was Truman, we were responsible for ﬁnding our replacement for any event we couldn't make.

WHAT DOES TRUMAN REPRESENT TO YOU? Everyone knows of the studentathletes, but if one of them walked by you on the street would you recognize them and know who they are? When Truman walks down the street, you know. There’s no mistaking who Truman is, you know what he’s about and what he’s doing. That’s the embodiment of Mizzou athletics. Different athletes switch through, but Truman’s always there. MASCOT JOHN LYMAN

FORMER

CAN YOU TELL ME THE STORY OF HOW YOU BECAME THE MASCOT?

Photos on this page provided by John Lyman

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE YOU HAD AS THE MASCOT? Riding in the ﬁre truck, especially after growing up in COMO and watching it as a child. Everyone’s watching the ﬁeld, everyone’s waiting for Truman. Knowing there are 60,000 people watching you — that’s pretty dope. I get goosebumps just thinking about it! Another one of my favorite experiences that I still can’t believe they let me do is when we went to Whiteman Air Force Base for a family day. Truman, the cheerleaders, and the golden girls went. At one point, I was asked to do photos by the B-2 bomber. They asked if I wanted to go inside, and I said “Are you kidding me?! Of course I do”! So, I went in, and I have a picture of Truman looking out the window of a B-2! We all have those crazy, one-off stories. When you’re Truman, everyone knows you, loves you, and wants to see what you can do.

WHAT YEARS WERE YOU TRUMAN? 2004-2007

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Despite the disappointing end to her family’s Little Free Library, Denise said it was a great activity during the pandemic.

“When we all felt kind of disconnected from even neighbors, it was a good opportunity to still feel included,” she said. After her library was ruined, two of her neighbors put up versions of their own. While she had been thinking about starting a library again, this made her reconsider as she now believed that putting up a new library would not meet any need in her neighborhood.Now,Denise is thinking about creating what she calls a “nature box,” which she plans to ll with the fairies she makes with her daughter. Visitors can take one for themselves and add their own crafts and nature-themed items.

Little Libraries, Big Beneﬁts COMO’s Little Free Libraries make reading fun and accessible for residents.

T oday, it is not uncommon to spot small, wooden libraries of all shapes and sizes popping up across lawns in many COMO neighborhoods. Known as Little Free Libraries, these boxes of books bring access to reading closer to home for Columbia residents of all ages.

“It’s been fun because I see people of all ages stop by,” Rachel said. “ e FedEx person will make a stop and get out of his truck and have a book.” Rachel said she restocks her library without ordering books because being a teacher means she has many copies of used books. Sometimes, visitors will also contribute their own books, and Rachel now has what she says is a good problem: too many books, rather than not enough.During the pandemic, Rachel also saw many families who would go on weekend bike rides speci cally to visit her library. She and Tricia both said they enjoy seeing all the visitors who speci cally make a point to get out in the neighborhood and come to their libraries. While Tricia and Rachel have had very positive experiences with their libraries, Denise Black, a homeschool mom active in the COMO community, has had a somewhat di erent experience. Denise and her family used to have a Little Free Library at her home, though they took it down and abandoned the idea after the library’s registration tag was stolen and the library was ruined in a storm.

Tricia Price, the library media specialist at Derby Ridge Elementary School, is one of several who started a Little Free Library during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. When her school closed, she wished there was a way for her to continue supplying books to her students, and her free library solved this problem.

BY TEAGAN KING | PHOTOS BY JAEDYN COLVIN

Rachel Howard teaches rst grade at Rock Bridge Elementary School and, like Tricia, was looking for creative solutions in the early days of the pandemic. In early March 2020, she read “Little Libraries, Big Heroes” to her class, which is the true story of the organization’s founding. When schools closed just a few short weeks later, the book helped keep the idea for a library fresh in Rachel’s mind. She began putting boxes of books on her porch for her students, and she asked her family for a Little Free Library for her birthday in August 2020. Her son and husband got one for her, and after they assembled it and painted it bright red, it became a neighborhood hit.

“It’s just fun to see people come up and get excited about nding books in [the library],” she said.

Little Free Library is a nonpro t founded in Wisconsin in 2012 with the goal of being “a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all.” Each library is volunteer-led and provides 24/7 access to books. Little Free Libraries are available in more than 100 countries. Each library is installed in neighborhoods and o ers unique reading programs, especially for people in high-need areas who are otherwise isolated from books or public libraries. People can build their own library or buy one through the Little Free Library website, then purchase a registration tag so the library will appear on the organization’s map. Library owners can stock their library themselves with books from their home or donations, or they can order more o of the Little Free Library website.Tricia said her dad built her library for her in August 2020, which she then registered on the Little Free Library website. She said her library essentially keeps itself stocked, as visitors usually bring a book to the library to replace the one they borrowed. She said her friends often drop o their own used books to contribute.

As a homeschool teacher with seven children, Denise said her house is constantly

COMOMAG.COM 49

63 70 EastBroadway Nifong ScottBlvd ProvidenceStadium123 4 6 7 8 9 5 10 11 12 1314 15 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 2625 27 “The best book that somebody is going to want to read is the book that they get to choose, and it’s like that for all ages.” RACHEL HOWARD FRIENDS & FAMILYLiving

“ e best book that somebody is going to want to read is the book that they get to choose, and it’s like that for all ages,” she said. Even as schools have returned to in-person learning, Rachel and Tricia have continued to see the mark these libraries leave on readers of all ages. “For a kid to be able to just walk down their neighborhood and nd a new book to read… I think that’s important,” Tricia said. At the beginning of the school year, Rachel has her students share a fun fact about themselves so they can get to know each other. Now, Rachel’s fun fact she shares is that she has a library in her yard because she knows her students nd something special in visiting their teacher’s house and connecting with her through her library. “It’s a nice way to pass on that love of reading but also the importance of why we need to read and why we need to have books available to choose from,” she said. 1. Rachel’s Reading Nook 400 Dustin Dr. 2. Three Chihuahua Library 3413 Godfrey Dr. Stevens’ Little Library 3180 South Countrywoods Rd. Katy Lane

“I just really love fostering independent learning in children,” Denise said. “I think it opens the world to their interests and helps them to kind of take o and nd out who they are and what things they really love.”

Little Library 2213 Katy Ln. 5. Denise Black 1506 Waterford Dr. 6. Don Spiers 1605 Limerick Ln. 6. Ariel Buback 2001 Hatton Ct. 7. Ty’s Little Free Library 1011 Bourn Ave. 8. Rebecca Smith 1021 Crestland Ave. 9. Westwinds Little Free Library 900 Westwinds Dr. 10. Eva Ranly Memorial Library S. Glenwood Ave. 11. The Jim MemorialBadenBook Nook 10N Memorial Union Basement 12. Cokie Blake 2322 Meadow Lark Ln. 13. Troop 70846 Silver Award Service Project 1020 El Chaparral Ave. 14. Scott Dye 2222 Blu Blvd. 15. Broadway Diner 22 S 4th St. 16. Kate’s Heart 505 E. Ash 17. Judi Schoonover 1509 Hinkson Ave. 18. John & Alexis Nichols/ Malone 511 Hickman Ave. 19. N Ann St Little Free Library 805 N. Ann St. 20. The Language TreeAn Immersion Preschool 2311 E. Walnut St, Columbia, MO 21. Lions Club Hanover Rd. 1601 Hanover Blvd. 22. Overeem Little Free Library 106 W. Phyllis Ave. 23. Debbie Lacy Anderson 3500 Snow Leopard Dr. 24. Rachel Nelson Memorial Sharing Library 3801 Armadillo Dr. 25. Kimberly’s Books to Explore 106 Wallaby Way 26. Rebekah Robertson 309 St. Joseph St. 27. Tricia Price 1517 Tidewater Dr. COMO’S LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES Map provided for illustration purposes only. Please reference littlefreelibrary.org/map for the most current information.

Despite the highlights and drawbacks of having a Little Free Library, all three women have seen positive impacts they have on the community. e libraries provide an important opportunity to help kids read when they lack access or transportation to public libraries. Additionally, Rachel said her students feel proud when they can take ownership and an active role in their reading activities.

COMOMAG.COM 51 FRIENDS & FAMILY full of books. Now, her family uses their endless supply of books to help stock Little Free Libraries around town that are almost always empty.

52 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 Big Enough to Serve Small Enough to Care! (573) 355-4368 RAVEHOMESMISSOURI.COMRaveHomesisafamilyownedbusinessthathasbeenbuildingthroughouttheMidwestforover35years. CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTIONRESIDENTIALCUSTOMCOMMERCIALLANDDEVELOPMENT Optimized office. Optimized team. Optimized ability to help your business! CFO Services • Controller Services Optimized Accounting Solutions 3601 Endeavor Ave., Suite 121 • (573) 447-8400 optimizedcfo.com

Sept. 9-30 | Free Admission | Stephens College, Mezzanine Fashion Gallery, Lela Raney Wood Hall SPONSORED CONTENT

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The Burrell Foundation, in collaboration with artist Randy Bacon, is proud to present the Art of Being ME. This exhibit showcases portraits and videos of personal stories of more than 20 individuals who have lived experience with mental health conditions or diagnoses. This project ignites important conversations with the idea that mental health issues do not need to be discussed in a hushed voice, but rather, amplifies the message that mental health is part of the human experience and not something to feel ashamed of.

Mental health is part of all of our lives.

This is your brother, your sister, your child, your parents, your best friend...this is ME.

54 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 HIRE OUR JOB SEEKERS VOLUNTEER AT JOB POINT MAKE A DONATION EOE THE MISSOURI SYMPHONY CONSERVATORY SEMESTER SEPTEMBERSTARTS 18 SCAN573-875-0600EDUCATION@THEMOSY.ORGFORMOREINFO PROGRAMS INCLUDE: • Missouri Youth Symphony • Junior Symphony • Prelude Strings • Chamber Music • Musical Skills & Knowledge Courses Cultivating passion in young musicians through immersive and diverse symphonic experiences in Mid-Missouri’s #1 Youth Symphony Program.

Stephens College is committed to helping women become the very best versions of themselves. Mission Promise Kept is keeping America’s promise to women who served.

PHOTOS BY ANTHONY JINSON

Mission Possible

BY MICHELLE TERHUNE |

WOMEN VETERANS FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES Elizabeth Herrera is the executive director of Mission Promise Kept. An Air Force veteran and former executive director of True North, Elizabeth’s background appears as well-quali ed to lead this revolutionary program as Stephens is to develop it. “Who better to answer the call and answer the need that women veterans are facing? When we talk about equity and justice, we often think about speci c groups which rightfully are deserving of equity and justice,” Elizabeth says. “However, women veterans don’t get the opportunity to be served properly as a critically underserved population.”Ifyouwant to know what makes them a singular group, consider the statistics that inspired Stephens College President Diane Lynch’s impetus for the program. Women veterans are more likely than male veterans to experience depression and isolation. ey su er PTSD at twice the rate of men, primarily because they experience sexual harassment and assault at much greater rates than their male colleagues. ey are more likely than men to be single parents with primary custody of their children. Women veterans are also twice as likely to become homeless than women who are not veterans. “Being a women’s institution, Stephens College has historically answered the call for women in every generation they’ve been a part of since its beginning,” Elizabeth says. “We are a leader in serving women and the needs that women have at the place that they are in time, and we are ful lling what this generation needs.”

ccording to Pew Research Center, 11% of United States veterans are women. at may not sound like many compared to the 89% who are men, but that’s roughly 2 million women who have served — and their numbers are growing. e calculus can be confusing. e number of total veterans is expected to decrease by 2046, but the number of women veterans is predicted to grow to 2.2 million during that period. By then, 18% of all veterans will be women, and they will continue to face challenges after their military service that their male counterparts do not. In fact, from enlistment to duty to reintegration in civilian society, women face unique challenges. But a program at Stephens College, Mission Promise Kept, aims to deliver on the promise the country makes to all those who served by addressing the distinctive trials women veterans confront when they leave active duty.

Women struggle with the transition from their military experience to college, especially when what they have done isn’t recognized as a distinctly valuable asset to their education. “Women wonder why: I’ve done all these things. I was good enough to be in charge or be responsible for nuclear weapons, be in an aircraft that is worth close to a billion dollars, or lead troops into battle. But my experiences are not good enough to be considered for admission into the academic setting,” Elizabeth says. “So, am I less than? Am I not smart

College.StephensportraitsatElizabethAirtimeElizabeth’sfromPhotosCenter:intheForce;foraat

NOT YOUR AVERAGE COLLEGE STUDENTS

According to the Veterans Education Project, “Women [v]eterans are often overlooked, forgotten, or even invisible after service due to cultural bias, both within and outside the military, making them an at-risk (in some circumstances) underrepresented group on and o Nontraditional-campus.” students (i.e., those ages 24 and older) often have a di cult time navigating higher education. Many of them take classes while working full-time jobs to support a family. Moreover, the age disparity makes it di cult for them to “ t in” with their classmates. Considering the di erences in life experience between women veterans and recent high school graduates, there can be little common ground.But fellow students aren’t the only barriers. Colleges themselves are often part of the problem. “Lack of exibility in college admissions often create barriers,” Elizabeth says. “ e credit you get from the military education or military continuing educations isn’t always transferable. Most colleges are not very generous, understanding, or accepting of those credits, and that’s problematic.”

56 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

“Being a women’s institution, Stephens College has historically answered the call for women in every generation they’ve been a part of since its beginning. We are a leader in serving women and the needs that women have at the place that they are in time, and we are fulﬁlling what this generation needs.”

ELIZABETH HERRERA

THE EDUCATION

Mission Promise Kept recognizes and honors the rich experience, worldview, leadership, commitment, resolve, and discipline women veterans bring to higher education. Additionally, the program removes the unique barriers they face to earning a degree. Stephens has created a research-informed, living-learning community with all the support women veterans may need to be successful.ecollege has renovated one oor of Columbia Hall to include fully furnished 1- and 2-bedroom apartments women admitted to the program can live in year-round, even if they aren’t taking classes. Two other spaces in the hall are dedicated to wellness activities and meeting with external support services, mentors, and a case manager whose role is to ensure these students are receiving all the services they need to be Childrensuccessful.ofthese women can not only live with them, but Stephens will admit them to the on-campus Children’s School, facilitate transportation to neighborhood Columbia Public Schools, and assist with childcare needs. And of course, since Stephens promotes itself as the most pet-friendly campus in the country, pets are also welcome.eprogram builds a network of academic, mental and physical healthcare, legal, and social services to support those needs. For example, some women may need help with child custody and support issues. Others have received less-than-honorable discharges from the military because they were whistleblowers, victims of military sexual trauma, or su ered mental health issues such as PTSD. Although these can be upgraded to honorable discharges, the women seeking it must have legal representation by a civilian attorney ghting against the military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice. Until the veteran prevails, she is denied VA bene ts, such as access to healthcare and educational bene ts from the GI Bill, as well as her military pension. Mission Promise Kept works with a host of partners to assist women veterans and keep them from falling through the proverbial cracks in the system. Elizabeth says they have built partnerships and expect to work closely with the Harry S. Truman Veterans’ Hospital, Mizzou Veterans Clinic, Missouri Veterans Commission, and Mid-Missouri Legal Services. e Stephens campus counseling program will provide services with a wellness focus to support the mental and emotional well-being of womenMissionveterans.Promise Kept also o ers a built-in community of mentors, friends, and peers. e community fosters interaction among peers who share the good, the bad, and the ugly of their military experience, and share goals for an education that can give these women warriors and their families the opportunity to regain control of their lives and their“Missiondestinies.Promise Kept was developed to allow women veterans to bene t from Stephens College’s strong reputation of being a leader in higher education for improving and enhancing the women’s lives,” Elizabeth says. “Our program’s framework involves implementing a holistic, person-centered approach that is data-driven and research-informed. Its focus is on preparing, mentoring, and empowering veteran students to achieve academic success, personal growth, graduate, and lead lives that are meaningful to them, based on their own terms.”

10 STUDENTS, 10 IDEALS

58 ISSUE 2022 enough or good enough? Do I not t in? ose sorts of things contribute to women veterans’ continuous feelings of isolation and make it much more challenging for them to integrate into civilian life. And it does not need to be this way,” she says.

admits that there’s much work to be done. To paraphrase Robert Frost, Stephens knows it has a promise to keep, and miles to go before it sleeps. If you’re interested in learning more about Stephen’s College Mission Promise Kept program, visit their website: life-at-stephens/mission-promise-kept/stephens.edu/ Stephens holds to a tradition of 10 andINTELLIGENCE,CREATIVITY,BELIEF,RESPONSIBILITY,SENSITIVITY,SUPPORT,INDEPENDENCE,COURAGE,RESPECT,ideals:LEADERSHIP.

Stephens holds to a tradition of 10 ideals, including respect, courage, independence, support, sensitivity, responsibility, belief, creativity, intelligence, and leadership which sound remarkably like those characteristics women who served in the U.S. military wouldElizabeth,possess.who was only hired in April 2022, is diligently working to recruit Stephens’ rst women veterans for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. She hopes that by the spring 2023 semester, all 10 spaces for the program will be Elizabethlled.

ANSWERING THE CALL

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOWSHAUNHENRY ATKINS ANNE TUCKLEY ANNE TUCKLEY HOME JAKE BAUMGARTNER BAUMGARTNER’S FURNITURE JEREMY SPILLMAN LOMBARDO HOMES

Prized by plant lovers for its unique bark and structure, this maple has papery bark that peels to reveal a cinnamon-brown bark underneath. It is another smaller variety of maple only reaching to approximately 20feet tall and wide. This maple can take sun or part shade. Because of this, it can easily be incorporated into most gardens for a focal point. Like other maples, the Paperbark will have a nice fall color.

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This is a great selection for a focal point or specimen planting. Reaching around 25-feet tall and wide, this maple really shines in fall with colors of yellow/orange. It can take some shade and it is one of the few trees to dependably develop good fall color when planted in shadier spots, although it will be less showy than it would be if planted in a sunny exposure.

Trident Maple Named after its trident shaped leaf, this is another variety of maple that works well in smaller areas. It is very low maintenance and will rarely, if ever, require pruning. They are typically taller than they are wide and reach around 25-30-feet tall by 20-25-feet wide. Trident maples leaves will turn to shades of yellow and orange in fall.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when considering maples or other plants for your garden. Talking to the staff at Superior Garden Center or hiring a qualified designer is a great way to get guidance on your plant selections.

Paperbark Maple

Nate Anderson has been a resident of Columbia for seven years, and he has been working in the landscape industry for just as long. Nate is a designer and estimator for Rost Inc. While working on his degree in plant science and landscape design, he also worked as a foreman at Rost Landscaping, where he oversaw landscape construction projects. He credits much of his inspiration to his “early years” where he got to be a part of the construction of many beautiful landscapes.

KNOW

Amur Maple This is a great choice if you want to incorporate a maple in a smaller area as this variety only gets around 15-20-feet tall and wide. Amur maples have a sprawling habit and come in single- or multi-stem varieties, making it a versatile option. Putting both single and multi-stem trees into a landscape adds a lot of interest, so this tree gives you lots of options. This is a faster growing variety, so you won’t have to wait too long for it to mature.

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W hen it comes time to think about which trees you are going to incorporate into your upcoming landscape project, you may be surprised at the number of available options. Even within the maple tree category, there are multiple options. Red maples are by far the most popular type of maple we see being used, but there are numerous lesser-known maple varieties than can add interest and fill different niches in the landscape. Utilizing these other types can give your landscape that little touch of something unique to help set it apart from every other house.

MAPLEUNDERUTILIZED&TREES PROS

Three-Flowered Maple

Snakebark Maple This is a unique variety of maple that most would not even recognize as being a maple at first glance. The bark on a snake bark maple is highly striped with shades of green and white adding interest even in winter, when other plants have dropped their leaves. This vase shaped maple reaches around 25-feet tall and wide, and can take a lot of shade filling a niche that most other maples cannot.

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HAPPY DESIGNING! USING WORDS IN YOUR HOME DECOR DESIGNING WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW

• Add words to your doors. You can go the functional route and simply label the rooms, or add words or phrases that are meaningful to you.

Languagewords.is

• Have a leftover piece of beautiful reclaimed wood? Paint a word or phrase on it, and use it on your bed with your throw pillows.

• Add a meaningful quote to your ceiling! You can lay it out artistically around lighting fixtures, and it adds an additional decorative element without overtaking the room.

W ords are powerful. They hold a dramatic influence over our emotions. A simple phrase can make you feel loved, lost, hurt, angered, empowered, inspired, thoughtful, intrigued, happy, or depressed.Inmyopinion, words are art. They impact our emotions, and their manipulation by the creator of the phrase is always intended to evoke a certain reaction. Because of this, I frequently use words in my design. Whether that be a framed picture of a word, a word painted across a wall, a careful display of books, or incorporating language into clothing, pillows, and blankets, I love to work in limitless and as a designer, I don’t think we are limited to using one language.

• Let your kids paint (with washable paints, of course) on your windows and glass doors. This is a great project for the holidays.

The following are a few ways you can incorporate words in your design:

Anne has been in the interior design industry for more than 20 years and has resided in metropolitan cities ranging from NYC to Houston while honing her skills. Her specialties are interior design and home staging with a focus on unique perception. Anne graduated with a BFA in fine arts with a concentration in design and illustration. She has extensive experience in designing new construction as well as remodeling and conceptualizing out-of-the-box ideas. She ensures cutting-edge design and superb customer service. 4250 E. BROADWAY SUITE COLUMBIA,1043 MO, 65201 (573) ANNETUCKLEYHOME.COM639-1989 Anne Tuckley

L earn the names of your landscape plants. With a little research, you’ll get to know what needs and issues they often have. M ow often. The rule of thumb is to remove 1/3 or less of the grass leaf blade. This will reduce stress on the turf and improve density. This rule applies all year long. N eighbors. Join forces with your neighbors or with a professional turf-andtree care firm.

ATKINSINC.COM573-874-5100

Don’t forget to remove wires, ropes, and ties when planting new trees. Later on, remove any other supports you installed. E xpertise may be required. If you want to get the most out of renovating your lawn and landscape, you may need to call on an expert for assistance.

Q uality is the goal. Take your time and pay attention to the details so you wind up with a great finished product.

S harpen those mower blades. Tattered grass tips lose water faster and leave the lawn with a dull brown cast. T iming is everything. Plan ahead so you can get projects done at the right time. Fall will fly by, and the winter will be here before you know it! U nwanted debris and dead plants all need to be removed. This can help to keep pests at bay while also making things look neat and tidy.

Be prepared to water. Water is the most important thing to a new tree or shrub as it is trying to generate new roots and recover from transplant stress.

Now we know our ABC’s, next time won’t you let Atkins take care of your turf and trees! Seriously, though, we are quickly approaching the best time of year to renovate your lawn and landscape. The weather tends to be a bit more forgiving, so get out there and take advantage. And as usual, don’t hesitate to ask for help or simply for advice. We’re here to help. It’s what we do.

P ull weeds anytime. They compete with your landscape plants for resources and can spoil the appearance of your beds. Get out as much of the root as possible to reduce the chance the weeds come back.

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW

Continue to mow tall into the early fall as the summer stress lingers. Once cool temps and rain return, you can mow a bit shorter.

By Shaun Henry Find more at AtkinsInc.com

SHAUN HENRY ATKINS

Has the summer’s wrath wreaked havoc on your lawn and landscape? For many of us, the answer would be “yes,” meaning there’s work to do this fall to get things back in order. Here are some tips to help you get there: A erate and overseed. Core aerating and then spreading seed over the lawn does a fantastic job in increasing turf density. Note that the seeds will only germinate inside the aeration holes, so more holes equal more new grass.

A Columbia native, Shaun Henry found a home at Atkins in 2000 when he started his career as a turf technician. Shaun holds a commercial applicator’s license through the Missouri Department of Agriculture and is a member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Mid-America Green Industry Council, and the Missouri Green Industry Alliance. Shaun strongly believes in the importance of a great customer experience where the Atkins staff knows their clients and anticipates their needs accordingly. Shaun is an MU alumnus and has a degree in plant science.

Z oysia anyone? This warm season grass takes the heat while others do not!

F ertilize this fall. For our cool season turf, the fall is the best time to fertilize to help it recover from the summer’s stress. If you’re seeding, you’ll want to promote new root development and overall health with a fertilizer.”“starter G decrease,andsoilspecies.dependingdaysrangesoferminationgrassseedfrom3to3weeksontheAsbothtemperaturesdaylightlengththelength of time for your grass seed to come up increases.

I,too, plan to seed this fall. Our “new house” is still a work-inprogress and the lawn and landscape are no exception. We will seed, lime, fertilize, and aerate.

The blossoms usually don’t come back once eaten, but the leaves can. Water when needed, but don’t fertilize past midAugust as it may cause issue with hardening off for the winter. Plan to fertilize in the spring to promote new growth. K eep your dauber up. No one said it would be easy and this summer was rough!

THE ABC’S OF TURF AND TREE

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V erti-slice or verti-cut. This is the process of using a machine to cut shallow lines into your lawn where seed will settle and have good contact with soil. This works great for filling in bare spots or a complete lawn renovation. Cut in two directions for more new plants per square foot. W ater deep and less often to help drive down roots. Keeping the soil moist around the root system without Thesaturatingcompletelyitisideal.strongeryour root system, the more likely your lawn and plants will survive next summer’s stress. X eriscape. maintenance.orverymaterialsmethodlandscapingThisutilizesthatrequirelittleirrigationotherregular Y ou should also mulch around that new tree. Mulch will help to retain moisture and protect your tree trunk from weed eater and mower damage. As the tree grows, you can widen your mulch ring.

R ead the directions for the materials you plan to use. Whether it’s seed, fertilizer, or a herbicide, be sure you understand what you’re using, how to use it, and what expectations you should have.

H ave fun with it. Maybe this is the year you tear out all of the outdated landscape plants and install fresh new plants that make your heart throb.

O rder your fallbesomebutcompanieslandscapetheknowservicesrenovationfallsoon.Idon’taboutsomeofotherlawncareandmanagementoutthere,webookupfastandprojectsneedtodoneearlierinthethanothers.

W hen you think of memory foam mattresses, chances are you think of Tempur-Pedic. Tempur-Pedic was the first significant memory foam mattress to hit the market, and the one-of-akind comfort they provide has kept their brand at the forefront. In fact, Tempur-Pedic has been recognized by J.D. Power for having the highest customer satisfaction rating for retail mattresses and has ranked #1 for support, durability, comfort, and value of the price paid. Despite its stellar reputation, some customers are hesitant to purchase a Tempur-Pedic because of its high price tag. While there are cheaper hybrid and all-foam mattresses available, none compare to the comfort and quality of a

JAKE BAUMGARTNER FURNITUREBAUMGARTNER’S

THE

ISDIFFERENCETEMPUR-PEDIC-ITWORTHIT?

WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOW Jake essentially grew up in the furniture industry, as he is the fourth generation involved in Baumgartner’s Furniture. Working very closely with his father, Alan, Jake has been devoted to the stores full-time since 2004. His greatest enjoyment, however, still comes from working closely with the customers. He is married to Sarah, and they have two active boys, Noah and Laine. Jake received his degree in finance from Saint Louis University.

(573) BAUMGARTNERS.COM256-6288

The Tempur-Pedic mattress works for all types of sleepers, thanks to its unique technology. For side sleepers, the mattress will dip and soften at the shoulders and hips more than it will at the lower back, which helps keep the spine aligned. For back sleepers, the mattress will fill the small of the back which helps keep the hips straight. It will accommodate your shifting positions (or your partners!) throughout the night quickly before you lose a wink of sleep.

Tempur-Pedic offers various mattress models, so there is one to match every sleep style! You don’t have to take our word for it; visit Baumgartner’s Furniture to feel the difference between TempurPedic and other memory foam mattresses firsthand.

By Jake Baumgartner

Find more at baumgartners.com

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ThisTempur-Pedic.isbecauseof the brand’s proprietary TEMPUR® foam, which is exclusive to Tempur-Pedic products. Originally, the viscoelastic foam material was developed by NASA to cushion aircraft seats and increase survivability in the case of an accident. TEMPUR® material is highly adaptable and will contour to your weight, shape, and body heat (the latter of which most other memory foams don’t address). The second you lie down on a Tempur-Pedic, the TEMPUR® foam will begin to conform to your body, providing support and comfort while also alleviating pressure points.

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Purchasing a new construction home is a major investment, where one-sizefits-all solutions do not apply. One of the most important decisions you will make as a homebuyer has nothing to do with choosing a floor plan or picking out color palettes, and everything to do with choosing the right homebuilder.

2. Locked pricing at the time of contract. Many homebuilders work off building allowances for different phases of construction. Allowances can often lead to budget overages and make it impossible for a client to know the final price of their home until they close on that home. Not knowing a final purchase price until the last minute can be frustrating and uncomfortable for the client. Lombardo Homes provides upfront pricing and lock in your price at the time of contract. What does that mean for you? Fixed cost. No allowances needed. No variables. No stress.

4. See your desired floor plan (or similar plan) in person. Many people struggle to visualize their new home when looking at a floor plan on a piece of paper. It’s hard to see where your furniture would go in a space, understand the true dimensions of a room, or visualize how much sunlight the windows let in. Lombardo Homes has several decorated models in the St. Louis and Columbia markets so you have the ability to walk the same floor plans (or similar) that you’re considering. You can see and touch every nook and cranny so you’re not left wondering what you’re home will really look like when it’s complete.

1. The Discovery Event™ Lombardo Homes has a primary goal in mind when it comes to our customerfocused approach: We want you to be more satisfied with your home one year from closing than you were on the day that you moved in. We achieve this high level of satisfaction through our new, trademarked DiscoveryThroughEvent™.theDiscovery Event™, our team will identify your unique needs and build a home that not only complements your lifestyle, but also will continue to serve your needs as your family continues to grow. The nature of our Discovery Event™ is to do such a thorough job of discovery that we go beyond questions that are general in nature. By investing the time up front to go from general to in-depth questions that uncover your unique lifestyle and needs, the Lombardo Homes team will be in a better position to deliver upon our goal of longafter satisfaction to you in your new home.

With a fascination of architectural design and his own knack for design, a young Jeremy Spillman started Spillman Contracting to focus on smaller projects and remodels. Fourteen years later, Spillman Homes was born, allowing Jeremy to expand his team and his knowledge of remodels and new home builds. Thanks to expert design and craftsmanship, business grew exponentially, and Spillman Homes caught the attention of regional homebuilders. Jeremy joined forces with a regional partner in 2021. Now, Jeremy is the division president of Lombardo Homes Columbia, where he oversees the sales and construction of luxury, custom homes in the Columbia market.

By Jeremy Spillman Find more at lombardohomes.com TO BUILD WITH LOMBARDO HOMES WHAT THE HOME PROS KNOWJEREMY SPILLMAN LOMBARDO HOMES

FIVE REASONS

3. Total customization.home

Every homeowner is different, which means that each home should have the capability to be just a little bit different. At Lombardo Homes, we have an in-house architecture team to bring your needs and wants to life in your new home. Our team can customize our floor plans to any level. Your home will be the perfect fit for your family and you will incur no costly delays dealing with independent architects.

5. We involve our clients throughout the process. Between the homesite walk, preconstruction meeting, electrical walk, and regular updates, you’re involved throughout the build of your new dream home. After all, this is your home and your thoughts, concerns, and feelings are an integral part of your homebuilding experience.

OPENING PATHWAYS TOWARD THE FUTURE

PEOPLE’SROCKINGLIVES

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce helps support a thriving business community.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Columbia nonproﬁt group is helping the community with food assistance, workforce needs, and other areas. 86

A new workforce development program focuses on training CPS educators. 92

Working 78

66 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 Rod Casey, D.Min. • office@teimissouri.org • teimissouri.org Lifelong Learning For Ministry Leaders LIBRARY The providesLibraryqualitytheological,philosophical,andpracticalresources. LECTURES Hear and interact with top scholars at lectures and seminars on various fields of theology and Biblical studies. SEMINARY We assist with finding and funding accredited andseminaryunaccreditedlevelcourses. INSTITUTE The ChurchEmergingLeadershipInstitute(ECLI)providessix different courses taught by TEI faculty.

Owned by Billie Stock and Zach Johnson, Golden Aura Boutique + Intimates will open this summer at Crossroads Shopping Plaza. e boutique o ers a variety of self-care essentials and is mainly focused on lingerie and intimate apparel for women. “We champion self-love and celebrate diversity: all sizes, shapes, and shades are welcome within,” Billie said.

Golden BoutiqueAura+Intimates

Located next door to the owners’ photography studios, Boudoir by Billie and ZK Imagery, Golden Aura Boutique + Intimates hopes to support women in their creative endeavors “in one collective space” and o ers items from women-owned businesses around the world.

Mersadie Root opened Trifecta Massage and Bodyworks in COMO in early June. e new massage facility is known for its structural assessment and deep tissue work, and it also o ers other services such as cupping, hot stones, and trigger point therapy. Mersadie said she loves working with the local community and helping “them decipher what bad habits they may have established, and I inform them of the steps that they should take to correct these habits.” Mersadie brings 16 years of experience in this eld to her new business, and she hopes to create a safe and positive work environment for her sta and to “better serve the community and help people feel and live their best lives.”

Located in downtown COMO across from e Blue Note, Krustaceans Seafood is “a fast-casual, counter service restaurant specializing in fresh, carefully prepared seafood meals served with a smile.” e restaurant opened in May and is known for its low-country seafood boil --- including snow crab, shrimp and lobster --- as well as seafood mac and cheese and fried lobster tail on a red velvet wa e. Krustaceans Seafood is owned by Paulitta Smith; Darrell Brown; Les and Kennette Maginely; Dionne Vaughn; Nichole Lucas, and mother and son pair and MU alumni Monique and Marcus Lucas. All the owners wanted to contribute to the COMO community and leave a mark on a town special to them. e group said they o er “a restaurant that brings diversity to downtown Columbia’s array of eateries,” and they look forward to connecting with the town through school and athletics partnerships, sponsorships, and promotions.

2101 W BROADWAY AVE., STE. #208 (573) GOLDENAURACOMO.COM445-5342 Trifecta Massage and Bodyworks

When Billie and Zach rst met ve years ago, they felt the city was missing something that their inclusive store could ll. Billie said she is excited to learn and grow with the new business and remind customers of “how beautiful and powerful they are as they are – without giving into the pressures of societal ‘norms’ of beauty.”

1511 CHAPEL HILL RD., STE 103 660-537-3370/TRIFECTAMASSAGEANDBODYWORKS Krustaceans Seafood COMO

22 N. NINTH KRUSTACEANSCOMO.COM573-507-6623ST.

COMOMAG.COM 67 CLOSER LOOKWorking

e Missouri Bicentennial Mural, painted by 16,116 citizens across the state, was dedicated on June 23 at the Harry S. Truman State O ce Building. e mural features 19 state symbols to commemorate Missouri’s 200th anniversary. Cape Girardeau artists Aaron Horrell and Barb Bailey traveled across parts of the state for several years with canvas and supplies to create a 15-panel mural. Measuring 12 feet tall and 30 feet wide, the public was invited to paint within a small triangle of the mural. e oldest painter was 102 years old, while the youngest painter, with help from a family member, was 12 days old. e project began in 2019, and it features painters from 358 Missouri towns, 30 states, Washington, D.C., and 17 countries. Completed in 2021, the artists donated the mural as a gift to the people of Missouri. e Bicentennial Mural is an endorsed project of Missouri 2021, a statewide initiative of the State Historical Society of Missouri to commemorate the bicentennial and promote a better understanding of Missouri's regions, communities, and citizens.

68 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

NewsinBrieflythe Artists Aaron Horrell and Barb Bailey showing off the Missouri Bicentennial Mural.

COMMUNITY Missouri Dedicated Bicentennial Mural Painted by 16,116 Citizens

EDUCATION CPSF Celebrates 25th Anniversary With $100,000 Grant to Boone County Nature School e Columbia Public Schools Foundation (CPSF) celebrated its 25th anniversary by awarding the Boone County Nature School with a $100,000 grant. e foundation announced the donation during an event at the school in May. e funds will be used for furniture and equipment for the classrooms and lab space at the Nature School. “We’re celebrating 25 years of being rooted in the community, so it’s only appropriate that we celebrate the importance of place-based education today,” said Cindy Mustard, president of the Foundation’s board of directors. “ e foundation is proud to be a part of the Nature School’s mission of giving students a chance to explore and learn from nature right here in Boone County.”

DeafLEAD is pleased to be awarded a contract with Vibrant Emotional Health to serve as a core crisis center for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant), the nonpro t administrator of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline), has announced more than 40 contracts awarded to local crisis centers across the country to strengthen the Lifeline's national services. Vibrant's awarded contracts are a crucial step forward in a transformative and historic time for crisis care. ey were made possible through an infusion of $152 million in November 2021 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to Vibrant Emotional Health in preparation for 988, the new 3-digit number assigned by the FCC to the Lifeline to assist all people in mental health or suicidal crisis. e new 988 Lifeline number became accessible in the United States and its territories on July 16.

HEALTH Boone Health Presents Newly CardiacRenovatedCathLab

More than 160 library workers at Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL) have overwhelmingly voted to form a union with AFSCME Council 61. e union election was conducted by the Missouri State Board of Mediation in May, when workers voted 101-55 in favor of the union. e new bargaining unit will consist of sta , librarians, and facility workers throughout Boone and Callaway counties at Columbia Public Library (CPL), Callaway County Public Library, Holts Summit Public Library, and Southern Boone County Public Library. Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United (DBRLWU) rst announced intentions to unionize back in early February. Workers began organizing to build a safe and inclusive workplace and address sta issues such as fair and equitable pay, safety, equitable access to information, materials and buildings, and a voice in decisions that a ect the library. roughout the organizing process, workers received an incredible showing of support from library workers around the community and the country.

COMOMAG.COM 69 BRIEFLY IN THE NEWSWorking HEALTH

Boone Hospital Center’s Cardiac Cath Lab is open after an extensive $8.7 million renovation and expansion aimed at better meeting the needs of the patients and community in the present and future. Changes include a new lobby and waiting area, an additional procedure room, 15 patient holding rooms, and new nursing areas with increased visibility between nurses and patients. ese changes o er our patients more space, privacy, and safety, and will allow the Cardiology Service Line to continue to support Mid-Missouri's health care needs. e Cath Lab lobby features a large canvas of a photo by photographer Henry Domke titled “Passing Storm.”

DeafLEAD Joins Forces With the National TextCrisisPreventionSuicideLifelineChatandCenter

COMMUNITY Daniel UnionWorkersRegionalBooneLibraryWinHistoricElection

COMMUNITY Functional Zero Task Force is Now the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness e Functional Zero Task Force is a coalition of organizations focused on ending homelessness in Boone County through collaboration, data collection, and resource provision and coordination. After gathering stakeholder input, it was determined that a name change would help others better understand their work and goals. e coalition is pleased to announce their new name, the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness. Beginning in the 1990s, the Columbia-Boone County Basic Needs Coalition worked to address homelessness in our community. To implement the strategies identi ed in the City of Columbia's 2015 Homelessness Summit, the Basic Needs Coalition formed the Functional Zero Task Force. Since then, the task force has grown and evolved into its own entity, focused solely on ending homelessness in our community. Currently, nearly 25 community organizations meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month to share local resources, review current homelessness data, discuss challenges, learn about the latest programs, and match resources to those on our prioritizationcommunity'slist.Asthe rst action under their new name, the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness is launching a Housing Stability Program to combat our community's lack of a ordable housing.

70 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 Small businesses fuel our local economy, create jobs, and keep Columbia the vibrant place we all love. discoverthedistrict.com The Bank of Missouri welcomes Jon Ihler, Gina Rende and Nathan Jones to the bank’s Central Region Advisory Board. Their commitment to serving and meeting the needs of the local community is admirable and we’re grateful to have their experience available to us at the Withbank.130 years of community focused financial security, The Bank of Missouri helps you Live Well, Bank Well. WELCOME TO THE BANK OF MISSOURI!

SURETYBONDS.COM Jordan Day has joined the SuretyBonds.com team as the content and SEO strategist. Jordan will be in charge of a variety of internet marketing initiatives, including the development of organic search campaigns, search engine optimization, on-page optimization, and maintaining the brand's visibility across all media channels. Jordan has an associate degree in business and is currently studying business administration and minoring in marketing at MU. He also volunteers at Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue once a week. As another recent addition to SuretyBonds.com, Seth Lyons joins the operations team as a transaction coordinator. He will be issuing bonds, submitting applications, creating and reviewing bond documents, and shipping and emailing bond documents to clients. MICHELE BATYE Dave Griggs’ Flooring America would like to announce the appointment of owner and president Michele Batye as the 2022-2023 Chairperson of the Board for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Since 1905, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce has been a voluntary, COMOtogetheraboutnonprofitforhealthymaintainingdeveloping,peopleindustrial,organizationmember-supportedofbusiness,andprofessionalwhoarededicatedtopromoting,andasoundandeconomicclimateCOMO.Thechamberisaorganizationwith1,000membersworkingtoenhancethebusinesscommunity.

MARISSA HOLLOWED A familiar face will be returning to Mid-Missouri’s news leader as KMIZ-TV announced today that Marissa Hollowed is re-joining its ranks as evening co-anchor for ABC 17 News. Hollowed returns to the station whose newscasts she led from 2014 to 2017 before leaving for KMOVTV in St. Louis. Hollowed will join ABC 17 News weeknights at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. in early September. She’ll co-anchor in the evenings with anchor/reporter Lucas Geisler and contribute to the station’s investigative unit. She is an Illinois native who graduated with a bachelor’s in journalism from MU. She is a two-time winner of the Missouri Broadcasters Association award for Best News Anchor.

HOLLOWEDBATYEDAYCLAYTONLYONSHOLZ MOVERS & SHAKERSWorking

EDWARD J. CLAYTON Boone Health is proud to announce Edward J. Clayton, CPA, MBA as its next chief financial officer. Ed most recently served as the President and CEO of Phelps Health in Rolla, MO., where he also previously served as the company’s COO and CFO. Ed received his bachelor’s in accounting from Southern Illinois University and his MBA from Webster University in Rolla. “My family and I are thrilled to join the Columbia community and experience all it has to offer,” says Ed. “For me personally, I couldn’t be more excited to be part of the Boone Health family, working with great colleagues to improve the health of people in Mid-Missouri. I can’t wait to get started!”

COMOMAG.COM 71

MICHELLE HOLZ

The Columbia Board of Education recommended Michelle Holz as the interim chief human resources officer for the 2022-23 school year. Michelle will take over for Jennifer Rukstad, who is leaving the district to become the executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). Michelle has been the director of certificated and salaried personnel for Columbia Public Schools since 2018 and has nearly 15 years of teaching and school leadership experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s degrees in teaching and administration and supervision from National Louis University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in education in educational leadership and policy analysis from MU.

We believe that learning at City Garden nourishes our student’s entire well-being, a love of learning and a deep connection to their community and the natural world. We reach beyond content to free the human spirit. for throughKindergarten6thgrade! The new kindergarten program is designed as a youngandoffoundationscultivatingwithinallworldwhatchildrenenvironmentsensory-richfortodiscoverliesintheandtogrowthecapacitiesthemselves,theforlivessustainedlearningpurposeinchildren. ENROLL NOW citygardencolumbia.org | 573-326-9268 | director@citygardencolumbia.org | 606 Ridgeway Ave., Columbia, MO 65203 Schedule a tour today!

StOcKyArDs Step Into the From its industrial history to current creative developments, this COMO neighborhood has always been an area to behold.

BY HANNAH ROBERTSON | BY CHRIS PADGETT Tanner co-ownerOtt,Alley A Realty

PHOTOS

I f you’re looking for a neighborhood in COMO where you can complete a few errands, catch a delicious bite, and sip on a craft beer, look no further than COMO’s latest up-and-coming business district, e Stockyards. e Stockyards came together as a collective through informal meetings between the area’s property owners and businesses that wanted to unify everyone in the neighborhood, not only for marketing purposes but also to combine their improvement e orts. Agreeing on and working toward infrastructural/ aesthetic changes collaboratively such as getting rid of overhead electrical/ communication lines, adding sidewalks, etc. serves to increase tra c and bene t everyone in the community.

e three buildings currently occupied by Logboat, Ozark Mountain Biscuit & Bar, and Woodru at the corner of Hinkson Avenue and Fay Street were used to process, pack, and sell meat. From 1930

OZARK MOUNTAIN BISCUIT & BAR 1204 HINKSON OZARKBISCUITS.COMAVE.

PASTALAFATA.NET until 2005, Logboat’s current building housed a meatpacking factory — rst as Radar Packing Co., then as Diggs Packing Co. beginning in 1970. Cattle would be brought in via the railroad, then slaughtered, processed, and packaged.

e name “ e Stockyards” was decided upon by the business and property owners in the area after multiple brainstorming sessions and consulting with local historian and Columbia Historic Preservation Commission member StephenBybeeBybee.helped the business and property owners dive deeper into the area’s history, nding proof of its storied past in maps dating back to 1898 and a photograph depicting a stockyard from the 1870s. From there, it became a meatpacking district.

PASTA LA FATA 1207 ROGERS ST. SUITE 106

74 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

COMOMAG.COM 75 CELEBRATIONSWorking A brief history of businessesStockyardscurrent & when they were founded: 1908 Atkins Inc. 1967 Walt’s Bike Shop 1992 Woodruff 2001 Root Cellar 2013 BrewingLogboat Co. 2013 Ozark BiscuitMountain&Bar 2015 Gravity 2016 Pasta La Fata 2021 Party Perfectly *It should be noted that this list is not inclusive of all business, past or present, located in The Stockyards. Other industries previously housed in e Stockyards include brickmaking, shoe manufacturing, livery barns, and propellerLogboatmanufacturing.BrewingCo.co-founder

Father/son duo and co-owners of Alley A Realty John and Tanner Ott own a few buildings in the area, including those currently occupied by Root Cellar

Since acquiring, remodeling, and opening the building, the cofounders have witnessed commerce in e Stockyards grow rsthand. is includes the rst food truck they ever had at Logboat, Ozark Biscuit, opening its brick-and-mortar store right across the street. e connection these two businesses have, between their own past and present and that of the buildings they occupy, speaks volumes about the importance of history in e Stockyards and how neighborly it is.

Andrew Sharp vividly remembers the rst time he and fellow cofounders Tyson Hunt and Judson Ball visited the old Diggs Packing Co. building with Dale Diggs. “ e building was in utter ruin. ere were still some blood stains, and tons of pigeons and pigeon waste. It was dirty…and it seemed perfect to us!” he joked. “Our imaginations went bonkers there, envisioning what we could do, dream, and scheme. We just had to have the building.”

504 FAY LOGBOATBREWING.COMST.

76 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 ors its history, teaches others about its past, and helps encourage citizens to preserve and protect the historic buildings housed in e Stockyards. Businesses like Walt’s Bike Shop are area staples. Others are exciting new brick-and-mortar additions, such as Pasta La Fata and Party Perfectly. According to John Ott, a nail salon and barbecue restaurant will also be opening in the future. Additionally, Logboat is expanding its brewery, adding around 19,000 square feet of production and warehouse space to the building’s east side. e collection of businesses and the variety they o er is one thing that makes e Stockyards so unique. “ ere’s a lot of young entrepreneurs doing very clever things (in e Stockyards). In each case, they are rst-rate o erings of products and services.” John states. ough the neighborhood is not formalized through the city, you can nd black-and-white signage as you walk and Ozark Mountain Biscuit & Bar. John describes the name “ e Stockyards” as “a nod not only to (the area’s) history but also to the Diggs family that operated business in the area for years.” Naming the neighborhood “ e Stockyards” honLOGBOAT BREWING COMPANY

CELEBRATIONSWorking

LogBoat Brewing co-founders, Tyson Hunt, Judson Ball, Andrew Sharp

COMOMAG.COM 77 through the area promoting the new name. ose currently involved in the development of e Stockyards hope to expand and involve more people in the future so there is better connectivity and smoother transport between business areas and neighborhoods. ere have also been hints of future block parties and other events. So be sure to keep an eye and ear out on all things related to e Stockyards and stop by when you have the chance!

78 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

Rocking People’s Lives

Established in 2010, the 501(c)(3) organization is geared toward inner-city youth and provides the community with food giveaways, job readiness, and nancial literacy courses. Not only does the organization provide services, but it also hosts events to gather people together in an entertaining manner that bridges the gap between COMO’s local government and its Everyresidents.year,Rock the Community hosts a back-to-school event at Douglass Park. e group gives away around 500 backpacks and assorted school supplies to the community while also providing city residents a positive atmosphere. is year’s event featured vendors from all over the city. ey set up tents to explain what they are and how they can help. Rock the Community Director Rita Renee explained how fun the event is and what a time it is to be a part of the event. “It’s just a time to have just a festival in the park,” Rita said. Rock the Community has received much recognition throughout the years. e group received a resolution from the City of St. Louis and COMO, the latter of which proclaimed June 2 as Rock the Com-

BY MOLLY RHODES | PHOTOS BY ZACH JOHNSON Rita Renee and Rodney March

F or COMO families in need of stability, Rock the Community is a nonprofit that lives up to its name.

Columbia nonprofit group is helping the community with food assistance, workforce needs, and other areas.

munity Day. Additionally, MU awarded the organization e Excellence in Engagement & Outreach award in 2022, as well.

Rock the Community aids the city and its residents in multiple aspects of their everyday lives. One major service provided is food security supplying supplemental meals to families or individuals that are in need. Another service it o ers is rental assistance. With this service, families that meet certain criteria, including being 30 or more days behind in rent, can receive rent assistance. Rock the Workforce, a Rock the Community program, gives individuals employment skills and support to help with resume building, -

ROCK THE COMMUNITY 310 Tiger 314-651-8735rocthecommunity.comLane

“When the pandemic hit, there were many families that didn’t know where their next meal was going to come from or if they could pay their next month’s rent and it made a huge di erence making those people feel like they had a place to turn to and a place to not judge them.” Rita said.

And Rita’s favorite part about working with the organization? “ e impact we have on our youth, or the family dynamics is my favorite part about working with Rock the Community,” she said.

COMOMAG.COM 79 NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHTWorking nancial literacy, and other various employment skills. Rock the Community is able to o er all of these services to anyone in need with no costs to them. ose in need are able to utilize Rock the Community’s services via their online booking.

Every month, the group hosts a drive-thru pantry providing food and supplies to everyone in the community; attendees can even grab treats and foods for their fur babies. e drive-thru events are usually posted on Rock the Community’s social media platforms for the community to share with others to get the word out about the event ahead of time. is organization is volunteer-based and always looking for volunteers to help out in any way they can. Rock the Community receives its funding from private citizens that make donations, while the rental assistance program is organized through Boone County. Donations made on the website can be one-time or can be scheduled on a monthly basis. Every dollar counts toward the organization’s 2022 goal of reaching $10,000 in COVID-19donations.hit many people hardnancially. Rita looked back on the organization’s impact on the community during the virus’ initial onset.

Rock Communitythe Mission Empower Families and help build dowelcome,donationslikecommunities.sustainableIfyouwouldtosupportourwork,arealwaysandtheyreallymakeadifference! Founded March 2010 Board Members • Rita Renee • Rodney March • David Prior • Toni Lowe • Miya Cunningham • Pastor Latasha Jordan

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A good education is a way to open doors for any child’s desired future. Unfortunately, when children don’t have access to a good education, don’t receive su cient educational instruction, or aren’t in an environment where they can reach their full potential, problems arise. is is where the Columbia Academy for Learning and Enrichment (CALE) comes in. CALE began two years ago as the brainchild of Columbia teachers Jill Dunlap Brown, Susan Deakins, and Kaytee Jones. Having focused most of their careers in public schools, this trio of teachers have been able to see the pros and cons in public schools and know that all children have di erent learning needs and a one-size- ts-all conventional public school approach can actually limit a child’s learning abilities. is is why Jill, Susan, and Kaytee kickstarted CALE as an attractive and viable alternative to public education. “I don’t think children know how great they are until there are goals that are set that they can achieve. To us, this means keeping learning expectations high and sca olding intentional academic support so that all students achieve at high levels,” Susan says. “I think our mission was to be able to support all students and use best instructional practices and philosophical beliefs. We really believe that educating a whole child is really important. Social-emotional support combined with strong foundational skills in reading, writing, and math are the cornerstones on which CALE was built.” e trio use a variety of di erent methods at CALE to help children reach these goals. e rst thing people might notice when a person enters the building is that children are allowed to remove their shoes, which allows an extra degree of comfort in their environment. Plus, each class has 10 students assigned to it, a downsize from the standard 25-person classes seen in public schools. ese smaller classes allow the teacher to manage and keep all students included in the lesson. But CALE’s best method for helping children is that they work to meet children at all levels of learning.

BY JESSICA JAINCHILL

Austin Palmero, Leo Horn, Isabelle Longenecker, and Emi Carpenter participate in a scavenger hunt with parent Amy Longenecker during a school party.

Josie Deakins, Juliet Horn, Isabelle Longenecker, Adilynn Dixon, Blake Diekmann, Avery Dixon, Emi Carpenter, and Alaina Stoll celebrating International Women's Day.

“My son had an assessment to see what foundational skills were missing, such as uency, comprehensions, the core areas of reading,” Kaytee said. She adds that CALE educators methodically searched for and discovered the things her son needed to work on, then successfully taught and monitored those skills.

COMOMAG.COM 81 BUSINESS UPDATEWorking

“My son attends CALE, and he came in as a very struggling reader and was able to receive instruction where he was at,” Kaytee said. “As a parent, it is very comforting to see your child receive instruction where they are at.”

And at CALE, one of the core philosophies is that strong math and reading skills are essential to positive learning outcomes because of the impact they have on a child's self-esteem as a learner. When a student comes to CALE, the educators’ rst goal is to pinpoint where the child may be lacking in each area, then they focus on building those weaknesses into strengths.

Maddox Brown at CALE's First Annual Holidays Around the World celebration last December. Alaina Stoll and Leo Horn work together on a laptop.

New Possibilities

CALE is providing new educational possibilities for Columbia’s children by bringing family and education to the forefront.

nity is somewhat hindered. ey are currently trying to start a scholarship program that will allow children from all socioeconomic backgrounds to enjoy the educational opportunities CALE o ers. “To bolster our scholarship fund,” Jill says, “we are actively looking for people who also believe in the idea that some kids need a di erent setting or need di erent help or attention, or maybe they need to be challenged. Really, that comes down to getting donors who would like to fund scholarship opportunities.”

But CALE’s biggest goal is to reach out to the community at large.

However, since CALE has no public funding, its desire to reach the commu-

“It’s about partnering with public school students, homeschoolers, tutoring any child who walks through the door, and elevating any student’s learning.”

“We will o er workshops to all educators so that they can come learn about the reading practices in place. We also run a tutoring center,” Kaytee says.

Jill says that, besides the parents who have paid tuition or donated, “we just have no funding. We’ve done all of this on our own. ere’s no big foundation behind it; no big loan. We just took our passion into practice and do our best with the tuition that comes in.” is is where the COMO community has a chance to step in and make a difference in many young peoples’ futures.

CALE is a rare institution that has the bene t of passionate educators who are armed with decades of experience and specialized doctorates.

82 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

From the feedback and research Susan has gotten, she is convinced that many parents would like to put their children in CALE but do not have the means to do so right now. Susan explains, “Students are under-represented and under-served— students who are in poverty, foster care, refugee families. We have lots of folks who would love to be here, and we have to nd people who would love to support them.”

Dr. Jill Dunlap-Brown and Dr. Susan Deakins Co-Founders CALE (photo by Jackie Byas)

BUSINESS UPDATEWorking

Susan adds, “ e three of us are just very passionate about all children having access to the best instructional resources. It’s about partnering with public school students, homeschoolers, tutoring any child who walks through the door and elevating any student’s learning.”

COLUMBIA ACADEMY FOR LEARNING AND ENRICHMENT 2201 W NIFONG COMOCALE@GMAIL.COMCOMOCALE.COMBLVD.|573.777.1300 “I

Leo IsabelleOwenGrahamHornGilbane,Diekmann,LongeneckerMs.

“We’veneed.provided a space that is great for [students]. Our families are amazing and very involved,” Jill says. “It is our hope that we can remove any barrier from a family to give kids the education they need. We don’t want money to be a barrier to children who need a loving educational environment. If we could nd a way to remove that and say ‘yes’ to families who are looking for a way to give education to their kids, that would just be amazing!” don’t cansetgoalstheretheyhowchildrenthinkknowgreatareuntilarethatarethattheyachieve.”

Eli

However, CALE needs the support of the community to fund scholarships for prospective students. e educators’ hope for CALE is that the community will see the importance of an educational institution that can provide instruction that helps all children reach their highest potential and connects to families that may not have the educational options they

As Susan says, “I do think our backgrounds allow us to truly take everyone.”

Juliet Horn and Josie Deakins Hawkins, Reagan Jones, Dr. Susan Deakins Kaytee Jones, Dr. Jill Dunlap-Brown, Dr. Susan Deakins

COMOMAG.COM 83 BUSINESS UPDATEWorking

PorterHelenDr.

JOB DESCRIPTION

PHOTO BY LANA EKLUND Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, Columbia Public Schools

I am responsible for all middle and high schools in CPS. I am accountable for making sure the Board of Education’s mission and vision are implemented in all secondary schools, as well as communicating with administrators and assisting with the implementation of academics, curriculum, instruction, assessment, and leadership.

PROFESSIONALBACKGROUND

I have spent my entire career in Columbia Public Schools, starting in 1997 as an English Language Arts teacher at Oakland Middle School. While at Oakland, I was a teaching

THE NEXT CHALLENGE FACING YOUR INDUSTRY

CPS graduates who are well-educated, communicative employees who are able to think creatively and have a strong work-ethic. GREATEST STRENGTH I love collaboration and really strive to create a culture and community of “we’re all in this together” and mutual support for CPS. I’m a big fan of showing up. I show up when people need me and see what I can do to help.

WHY YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR JOB I love kids. I know each one can succeed and live their best life. It is my absolute honor to get to support our scholars through their teachers and administrators.

ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF I was honored and humbled to be named CPS Teacher of the Year in 2009. I am proud of my work as a classroom teacher and love Columbia Public Schools’ educators and everything they do to support our students, every day!

WHY YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY

I’ve been with Columbia Public Schools my entire career. I am a product of Columbia Public Schools (West Junior High and Hickman). I believe in public education as the best foundation for our children. It is so impressive to now have a parent perspective of CPS – our daughter, Lucy, is a CPS 5th grader, and she continues to receive an excellent education.

COMOMAG.COM 85 PERSON YOU SHOULD KNOWWorking fellowship mentor, administrative assistant, assistant principal and, eventually, principal. I was also an adjunct professor at MU’s College of Education and a summer school administrator at Hickman and Rock Bridge high schools. HOMETOWN I was born in the United Kingdom near Liverpool, but my family immigrated to America when I was 3.

WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION Education is constantly changing. ere is so much learning we do as a teachers and administrators to keep up with what is best for our scholars.

We are still coming out of the pandemic and trying to support our students’ emotional and academic needs. Our next challenge is to focus on growth and continuous improvement in our students’ reading and math learning.

GREATEST WEAKNESS I am very impatient. Just ask my family or any of my principals!

YOUR NEXT PROFESSIONAL GOAL I am currently taking classes for my superintendent’s certi cate, and hope to take the exam this fall.

WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN I love to upcycle the unusual things my husband nds at garage sales and auctions. I think he brings things home to try and stump me, but I typically say, “I can make that work!”

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT I am pretty silly and have been known to break out into song and dance if the mood strikes me (or someone mentions lyrics from an ‘80’s song). I often embarrass my family in public spaces because of this!

FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA Our home. I am a homebody and enjoy being at home with my family, whether it is crafting with my daughter or having family and friends over to hang out — I am happiest at home.

FAMILY Husband, Je , and daughter Lucy (10).

BIGGEST LEARNEDLESSONINBUSINESS I’ve learned the COMO community, especially those represented by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, are in nitely supportive of Columbia Public Schools. As a principal, I was often insulated in my building; my current job has a orded me a much larger picture of how the COMO community supports CPS in so many generous and imaginative ways.

HOW YOU WANT TO IMPACT THE COLUMBIA COMMUNITY I want COMO businesses to receive QUOTE YOU LIVE BY “We all pick up the broom.”

I enjoy being a part of the Gri ths Leadership Society through the Mizzou Alumni Association. FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT is year in CPS has been about reestablishing relationships, connecting students and teachers, and supporting our community after the COVID pandemic. I have enjoyed coming together with colleagues to chart a course to support all scholars and educators. A COLUMBIA BUSINESSPERSON YOU ADMIRE AND WHY Dr. Jen Rukstad. Jen and I were principals together, then she became our assistant superintendent for secondary education (and my boss!). She went to lead the CPS Human Resources Department and entrusted me with her position. Jen is kind, brilliantly smart, and has a unique and profound perspective on life. I admire her eloquence, sense of humor, and servant leadership. We are immensely proud of her as she starts her rst year as MSHSAA executive director.

IF YOU WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING, YOU WOULD Be a professional organizer!

YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA 38 FAVORITE COMMUNITYVOLUNTEER/ACTIVITY

Opening

FuturePathways

BY JENNIFER TRUESDALE to the

86 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022A new workforce development program focuses on training CPS educators.

Y ou may have heard that Missouri’s unemployment rate hit a historic low in June. According to the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, Missouri unemployment was 2.8% in June, down three percentage points from May and the lowest since the state began tracking unemployment in 1976. While this is excellent news, many industries continue to struggle to rebound following the COVID-19 pandemic. And that’s on top of a national skilled worker shortage that’s been increasing in this country for more than a decade. A September 2021 Forbes article reported that “Attracting and retaining skilled workers has rarely been more challenging as 54% of companies globally report talent shortages — the highest in over a decade. According to a ManpowerGroup survey, talent shortages in the U.S. have more than tripled in the last 10 years, with 69% of employers struggling to ll positions, up from just 14% in 2010.” “Workforce development is the No. 1 concern [that] we hear from our business community — hiring and keeping a workforce,” says Matt McCormick, president of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. “ is is a long-range process. is is why the Chamber exists — to help our local businesses.”eShow-Me Careers Educators Experience will be a new partnership between the Chamber and Columbia Public Schools which will attempt to bolster area workforce development by teaching our public school educators about di erent industries and how they can prepare students to enter them. “ e idea is to make sure our classroom teachers, school counselors, and administrators are up-to-date on industry needs to better support students’ career aspirations as well as meet local labor needs,” Matt says. “It’s not necessarily ‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ But, [rather], if a student is showing an interest in certain elds, we can foster that, so there’s that stair-step that starts in elementary school and follows them through high school. We call them ‘Pathways to Prosperity.’ ere are multiple pathways: Your traditional four-year university is one of those pathways, but there are also others such as certi cate courses, or an associate degree, or courses through the

COMOMAG.COM 89 Hardest-Hit Industries by the COVID -19 Pandemic: WorkersService 34% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED43% Arts, &Entertainment,Design,MediaWorkers 25% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED48% SmallOwnersBusiness 18% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED64% Construction, or Mining Workers 18% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED38% WorkersSales 18% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED46% TransportationWorkers 17% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED46% ManufacturingorProductionWorkers 15% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED36% Maintenance,Installation,orRepairWorkers 14% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED32% HealthWorkersCare 13% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED32% Clerical or O ce Workers 13% LAID OFF PAYBYREDUCED32%

90 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

“The program provides a unique, hands-on learning experience inside local companies. Through these externship experiences, education professionals gain a more robust understanding of the technical skills, behaviors, and mindsets students need [in order] to be successful in professional environments.”

- Teresa Maledy, president and CEO of Commerce Bank

“I believe the Show-Me Careers Educators Experience can energize, and provide needed resources, to help our educators more fully engage and excite our students about their futures,” Teresa says. “I think the Show-Me Careers experience ultimately translates into real life opportunity pathways for the students; keeping more in school….resulting in higher attendance and graduation rates, which is a positive indicator of future success.”

While you are likely aware of enrichment programs for students that introduce them to di erent career opportunities, Matt says sometimes those students lack the support outside of school to follow through on that enrichment. “It’s great to get your students involved in this process, but if there isn’t a support system to help them, there’s a gap. at’s why we decided to start rst with the educators to build that support,” Matt says. “ ere’s a part two to this as well–the Connector Series,” Matt explains. “It’s bringing those [educators] back four times a year to follow up with them about how they're incorporating this information into their curriculum. It also helps build a network between our educators and local businesses so they can work together [to connect students].”

More Connections to be Made

Susan is equally excited about the future of this program. “I love Columbia and want to make sure the Chamber and business community are working with local educators to connect CPS students to careers in all di erent local businesses and industries,” she says. “We are stronger as a community when we work together. It was ful lling for me to see the connections occur and am excited to see what will result from this program in the future.”

Every fall, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce takes a delegation of several dozen local business representatives from all sectors, elected o cials, educators, and community leaders to an “aspirational” city --- a city that has things in common with COMO and that could provide a blueprint for our city’s growth --- for an in-depth idea exchange with the delegates’ counterparts in that city. In 2019, the leadership visited Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a college city with a similar population size and median age to COMO's. At the end of the visit, the delegates overwhelmingly agreed that the key takeaway of the visit was workforce development. West AlabamaWorks (WAW) is, according to its website, “a network of interconnected providers of workforce services, including all of the governmental, educational, and private sector components that train, prepare, and match job seekers with employers.” Coming home to COMO armed with new ideas, the Chamber's board of directors asked sta to create an action committee to assess the feasibility of a regional workforce development collaborative within the chamber that could emulate WAW. A committee formed and began meeting in November 2019. Waylaid for a year by the pandemic, the Chamber launched its Workforce Development Division in January 2021 — e Show-Me Careers Educator Experience is the champion of this new“Wedivision.pitched the idea to CPS Superintendent Dr. Yearwood, who loved the idea, and to Randy Gooch, COO for CPS,” Matt says. “We met with them, set a subcommittee, and started brainstorming how this would work. e Missouri Chamber of Commerce already had something like this in the works with an established curriculum, so we sat down with them and decided their curriculum was a great place to start.” e curriculum has been implemented successfully in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Cape Girardeau. The First Educator Experience Teresa Maledy, president and CEO of Commerce Bank, along with Susan Hart, vice president for Reinhardt Construction LLC, co-chaired the committee to get the Educator Experience o the ground. ey worked on securing host sites and sponsors. e rst cohort of 18 CPS educators went through the Educator Experience over ve days in June.

e Educator Experience plans to expand the cohort to 40-50 educators in 2023.

“ e program provides a unique, handson learning experience inside local companies,” Teresa says. “ rough these externship experiences, education professionals gain a more robust understanding of the technical skills, behaviors, and mindsets students need [in order] to be successful in professional environments.”

COMOMAG.COM 91 Columbia Area Career Center. is gave us the opportunity to bring some of our teachers, counselors, and administrators together to learn about what all goes into di erent career elds.”

“For the rst year of our program, we wanted to stay with a smaller number of participants. CPS Administration opened the program to educators at Blue Ridge Elementary, Oakland Middle School and Battle High School,” Susan explains. Blue Ridge Elementary and Oakland Middle Schools are “feeder” schools to Battle High, so this cohort represented the stair-step process through school that Matt described. Among the industries the educators learned about included construction, health care, manufacturing, and the MU Research Reactor. e cohort visited Columbia Regional Airport's new terminal being built to learn about construction. ey learned about di erent construction positions, what kind of training is required for them, and how to get there. “University Hospital [was also a part of the experience], which was fantastic because [the educators] got to see all the levels that go into health care–it’s not always a doctor–it’s a number of things from working in the cafeteria, in technology or the administration side,” says Matt.

Inspiration from Alabama

Liz Bird, Women's Network chair; Michele Batye, the Chamber’s board chair; Krista Kippenberger, Ambassadors chair; and Wende Wagner, EPIC chair. Not pictured: Jeff Lashley, Chair of Workforce Development.

rough legislative advocacy group Columbia Community Partnership, the Chamber also works to champion the interests of the business community on the state level.

With a new board chair and division chairs in place, the Chamber is poised for much growth and excitement in the coming years.

“Our community is made up of a strong city, a strong educational system, and a strong business community,” Matt says. “We work on making sure we continue to have that strong business community, and business-friendly community. It is important to have a strong chamber to support our business community as a whole, so businesses can grow here and people can have jobs here. Without a strong business community, you don’t have a place where people can work, where people and businesses can thrive, and it becomes detrimental to other areas.”

I n 1905, the Columbia Commercial Club launched to support businesses around COMO. Today, 117 years later, the organization — now known as the Columbia Chamber of Commerce — is still going strong and woven deeply into the fabric of the community.

COMOMAG.COM 93

e Chamber is active in government a airs at the local, state, and federal levels, and it focuses on issues that a ect businesses. One of the main goals of the Chamber’s advocacy e orts is that laws that are passed do not negatively a ect the business community.

“We are a business association, and our focus is on the betterment of business, working with them in a multitude of areas to help them be successful,” says Matt McCormick, Chamber president. “ rough educational programs, advocacy and network building, we are supporting businesses.”

A 501(c)(6) nonpro t organization, the Chamber is a nonpro t organization, but it is not a charitable organization. With nine employees, the organization supports about 1,000 business members representing 50,000 employees.

SUPPORTING BUSINESS THROUGH ADVOCACY

“Because so many goods cross that bridge, and because so many people who work in Columbia live on the other side of the river, we got very involved with the issue,” Matt says.

SUPPORTING BUSINESS THROUGH EDUCATION

BY LAUREN SABLE FREIMAN | PHOTOS BY LANA EKLUND

OF BUSINESS

“While I am appreciative of all our Chamber leadership, as a past Women’s Network Chair and only the ninth female board chair, it is signi cant to not only see women stepping up and volunteering for these roles but also to have the support and conscious e ort of an organization in promoting and growing all members,” Michele says.

Michele says this is an especially exciting time at the Chamber, as many volunteer leadership positions are held by women.

“ e Columbia Chamber of Commerce as an organization has a strong commitment to grow leaders,” says Michele Batye, president of Dave Griggs’ Flooring America and the Chamber’s board chair. “I’m excited for the energy that this year’s division chairs bring to their roles. Je Lashley leads the Workforce Development Team and works at overcoming the opportunities our businesses are facing with hiring and retention and the future challenges for a strong workforce.

Recently, the Chamber became very involved in issues surrounding the Rocheport Bridge construction.

e Chamber has many initiatives in place to support business, and when looking at a new program or initiative, Matt says it uses a simple litmus test to decide whether to move forward.

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce helps support a thriving business community.

“ e Columbia Chamber of Commerce has a strong membership of hardworking employees and volunteers who effectively advocate for pro-business policies, while collaborating with community partners for a growing and vibrant community for all citizens,” Michele says.

Our other three divisions, the Ambassadors, Women’s Network and EPIC, are all being led by strong and passionate women who will each bring their own unique vibrancy that will not only ful ll the mission of their Division but will help move the entire organization forward.”

“ is group is a partnership between the Chamber, City of Columbia, Boone County, Columbia Public Schools, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Moberly Area Community College and University of Missouri,” Matt says. “It is working on state issues that are good for Columbia and Boone County. e group identi es four to six priorities going into the new legislative session that would bene t our community as a whole.”

Krista KIPPENBERGER Michele BATYE Wende WAGNERLiz BIRD Je

94 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022

ﬀLASHLEY

“We usually go to a university town similar to ours to spend time learning with them,” Matt says. “Our early college program came out of a trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has bene ts for Columbia and our workforce. I think it is one you will continue to see growing.” e early college program is a collaboration between Columbia Public Schools and Moberly Area Community College. It allows students to graduate from high school with an associate degree and without debt and acts a pathway to prosperity for a business community that is looking to hire talent. “Students can then join the workforce or go on to a traditional four year institution,” Matt says. “About 150 students went through the program last semester, and a handful graduated with an Associates degree, debt free.”

e Chamber’s largest division, Women’s Network has more than 500 members who come together for networking, leadership opportunities, and other events. Emerging Professional in Columbia focuses on supporting business professionals between the ages of 22 and 40 as they build their networks and enhance their leadership skills. EPIC hosts a quarterly professional development luncheon as well as breakfast, lunch and evening programs, which allows emerging professionals to gain valuable insight into the community and gain leadership skills that they can take back to their company. Chamber Ambassadors, the welcoming arm of the Columbia Chamber, attend groundbreaking ceremonies and ribbon cuttings with large scissors and ribbon in hand.

e Small Business Committee hosts a quarterly Small Business Development Breakfast that brings in di erent speakers who speak on pertinent small business topics. ese events are generally for companies with 25 employees or less, but Matt says there is no hard-and-fast cuto . e Chamber is receptive to feedback from members about what it's interested in learning about, and topics can range anywhere from HR issues to QuickBooks, and everything in between.

“We bring in elected o cials like Mayor (Barbara) Bu aloe or a community leader like Dr. Mun Choi, and the speaker will take questions,” Matt says. “It’s a pretty relaxed format, more of a relaxed informational atmosphere, where members can speak and have conversation.”

Even with the robust schedule of programming, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce also provides access to virtual education programs through partnerships with state and federal partners, as available. ese opportunities are shared with chamber members through social media and an email newsletter. As he looks toward the future, Matt says he knows the Chamber will continue to nd innovative ways to support the business community and its ever-changing“Weneeds.continue to look at how we can grow and change and make sure we are working with our business community to make them successful and help them have pathways to success,” Matt says.

COMOMAG.COM 95

e Chamber also supports a wide range of professional development and networking programs. Showcase COMO is a large business expo that gives area businesses the opportunity to get their products in front of a large audience. “Showcase COMO gives businesses the opportunity to showcase goods and wares, and it shows people that just about anything you need is right here in Boone County,” Matt says.

“Sometimes our small business community might not have the resources to send their team to a professional development opportunity outside of our community, or they can’t spare someone to be gone to a conference for a week,” Matt says. “ ese are held here in Columbia and over an hour or an hour and a half, this gives the professional development these employees may need.”

SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENTLEADERSHIP

e Chamber’s newest division is the workforce development division, led by sta member Mark Bauer. Bauer has 30 years of workforce development experience with the State of Missouri, which has proven invaluable to COMO’s business“Markcommunity.doesagreat job counseling and working with businesses and working to build partnerships. We will be adding a multitude of things as we enter the new year,” Matt says. “Programs will range from working with our students and our school district, to helping our businesses get people trained for various positions.”

“We help businesses do business, so when we are looking at new programs or initiatives, we evaluate how that will help our businesses do business,” he says.

e Chamber also runs Leadership Columbia, a program where professionals can learn valuable information about how communities operate. Sessions cover things like public safety, state government, education, and media. Participants also receive twice-a-month leadership coaching classes.

“It is important to have a strong chamber to support our business community as a whole, so businesses can grow here and people can have jobs here."

— MATT MCCORMICK

e annual Leadership Visit is another Chamber event with a big impact. During Leadership Visit, chamber members and elected o cials travel to a community similar to COMO, where they spend two-and-a-half days learning and exploring best practices. An idea from a recent Leadership Visit has been implemented in COMO, with much success.

Educational opportunities like Lunch with a Leader allow chamber members to connect with elected o cials or other community leaders 4-5 times each year.

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COMOMAG.COM 97 A Secret Place Events/Cleaning Service 34 A1 Foundation Solutions 2 Accounting Plus 99 Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter 9 Anne Tuckley Home 61 Anthony Jinson Photography 18 Atkins Inc. 62 Baumgartner’s Furniture & Carpet 63 Boone Health 3 Burrell Behavioral Health 53 Central Missouri Foster Care 8 City Garden School 72 Columbia Independent School 66 Commerce Bank 30 Compass Chiropractic 14 Hawthorn Bank 100 Job Point 54 Jones & Ueligger Law 34 Liberty Family Medicine 80 Lizzi and Rocco’s Natural Pet Market 24 Lombardo Homes 64 Mediacom 4 Mid America Bank 16 Moberly Area Community College 72 Optimized CFO & Controller Services, LLC 52 Polished 97 Rave Homes 52 Shelter Insurance - Mike Messer 48 Shiloh Bar and Grill 5 Small Business Fest - Chamber 10 State Farm - Phyllis Nichols 16 Superior Garden Center/Rost Landscape 30 & 60 The Bank of Missouri 70 The Blue Note 6 The Broadway Hotel 48 The District 70 The Missouri Symphony 54 The Theological Education Initiative 66 The Trust Company 7 Tiger Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center 29 True/False Film Fest 96 True North 12 We Always Swing Jazz Series 22 Woodhaven 35 ADVERTISER INDEX in CoMo

THE LAST WORDWorking

HAPPY 9 YEAR WORK-IVERSARY TO OUR FEARLESS LEADER!

- Kate “I’ve only been here for a short while, but I could tell from my rst day how passionate you are about everything. Here’s to you, the boss lady, being one year away from double digits!” - Sarah “ ank you for 9 years of unwavering loyalty, erce leadership, and a burning passion that lights the way for our whole team. Cheers to our best years to come!”

- Becky “To express gratitude for the blessings you’ve given me is hardly enough. It’s been blessings from the start. Not only are you the lighthouse of the company, but you also encourage each of us to be a lighthouse standing with you. We shine brighter because of your leadership. Congrats on now and the future!”

- Hannah “We may not have known each other long, but I’ve learned enough to know you are a pretty amazing human. Congrats on 9 years and thank you for taking a chance on me so I can be a part of the years to come.”

- J. J.

And here's to so much more to come!

- Amy “ ese past nine years have been an adventure for sure. anks for being our fearless leader, thanks for ALWAYS taking care of the team, and thanks for being you. I’m so proud to be a part of this work fam!”

- Jordan “I don’t know how you’ve managed to not lose your s%!# over the last 9 years!!! You’re a badass boss and friend, and I know we’ll be cheers-ing another 9 before we know it.”

“Another year has gone by... another gray hair has appeared! Wouldn’t have wanted to gain all this gray hair with anyone else. I love you to death, old friend.”

- Amanda “ ank you for taking a chance on me, thank you for being our fearless leader, and cheers to 9 years and a lifetime of memories to come! Love you friend!” - Kim “ ank you for always jumping into battle for this company and its people. You courageously stare into the unknown and go charging into it with barely a ashlight. Here’s to 9 more workiversaries!!” - Sadie “9 years! Before you know it, your work baby will be a teenager. I am forever grateful you took a chance on me! It’s been a crazy two years but I can not wait to see what the next 10 hold.” - Charles “Congratulations on 9 wonderful years Erica! From the beginning at Stephens, you have always been a teacher and mentor to me. ank you, Professor Pe , for exemplifying strong women in business. Here’s to many more years with you at the reins!”

98 THE EDUCATION ISSUE 2022 years of... DISCOVERY + PASSION LEADERSHIP + LOYALTY EXCITEMENT + GREATNESS INSPIRATION + FRIENDSHIP

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