Summer 2019 Volume 29 Issue 2
TOWER OF STRENGTH JOSIE FINCH ’19 USES SISTER’S
MEMORY TO SHINE IN CLASSROOM WITH NEW-FOUND CONFIDENCE
culver.edu 1
FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL
CHRONICLE CULVER- STOCKTON COLLEGE
Summer 2019
Vol. 29
Issue 2
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS Ronald W. Leftwich ’64, Chairman Larry W. Gorrell ’69, Vice Chairman H.B. Turner ’79, Treasurer Jason R. Stratton ’96, MBA ’17, Secretary
Chairman Ron Leftwich ’64, Tom Barry and President Kelly M. Thompson
Culver-Stockton continues to change lives every day. It doesn’t matter where you are in your walk of life. C-SC influences, touches, teaches. I am incredibly excited about this next year and having the opportunity to lead C-SC into a future of cutting edge experiential education resulting in exceptional leaders of our global society. I’m hoping my sixth year on “the Hill” will be our best year ever. At the end of the year in June 2020, I will begin enjoying retirement with my husband, Clarke, and a yet-to-be determined leader will take the helm of a very special college. Whether it is a current student learning the importance of service to others, graduates going out into the world to make their mark, alumni who are making Culver-Stockton proud, or alumni who are the absolute best example of what long-term commitment truly means, the lives that Culver-Stockton has touched and will touch are forever changed for the better. Indeed, Changing Lives! is a fitting name for our comprehensive campaign. I’m so grateful to our trustees, alumni, foundations, corporations and friends for their generous support. Since July 2014, we have raised almost $20 million toward our $25 million goal. Your generosity is supporting academics, facilities, annual scholarships and the endowment. It is through these transformational gifts that we are able to enhance the student experience and remain competitive in a fiercely competitive environment. So my sincere thanks to all those who make CulverStockton College a philanthropic priority. I’d also like to say a big THANK YOU to our alumni and friends who support C-SC with their time and talents. I am so grateful to those who have referred a student to “the Hill,” took time to speak in a class, offered an internship opportunity or mentored a student. Your service to the College is invaluable. In closing, I’d like to invite you to “the Hill” for Homecoming 2019 or any time that fits your schedule. I can guarantee you will have an amazing experience.
MEMBERS Larry Askew ’94, Overland Park, Kan. R. Kent Clow ’78, Olathe, Kan. Madison Cowell ’20, Havana, Ill. Caly Cramsey ’08, MBA ’14, Quincy, Ill. Anthony E. Crane ’74, Quincy, Ill. Sallie Jo Cunningham ’95, Madison, Wis. Dr. Jenkins Davis ’70, Barrington, Ill. Timothy L. Fischer ’89, Alpharetta, Ga. Susan E. Goderstad ’81, Apple Valley, Minn. Larry W. Gorrell ’69, Quincy, Ill. Robin A. Greger ’78, Columbia, Mo. Rev. Raymond Hankins ’76, Independence, Mo. Dr. Jay Hoffman, Canton, Mo. Mat Holt ’08, Canton, Mo. Dr. Timothy M. James ’74, Fishers, Ind., Scott A. Johnson ’71, New Albany, Ohio Maureen A. Kahn, Quincy, Ill. Jack V. Kanne ’71, Franklin, Tenn. Ronald W. Leftwich ’64, Houston, Texas Tory L. Lucas ’92, Lynchburg, Va. Michael G. McCay ’68, Bentonville, Ark. David L. McClintock ’71, New Lenox, Ill. David C. Mobley ’83, New London, Mo. Stacy Raith ’83, Shawnee, Kan. Paul Reitz, Quincy, Ill. Charles W. Scholz, Quincy, Ill. Robert F. Stone ’71, Hoffman Estates, Ill. Jason R. Stratton ’96, MBA ’17, Quincy, Ill. Dr. C. Clark Todd, Hannibal, Mo. Terry Traeder, Quincy, Ill. H.B. Turner ’79, Parkville, Mo. Dr. Kathy Turpin, Weatherby Lake, Mo. Rev. David J. Yonker ’00, W. Burlington, Iowa Nathan Zelinske ’99, St. Louis, Mo. TRUSTEES EMERITI Joseph T. Charles ’60, Jupiter, Fla. Elaine E. English ’67, South Padre, Texas Donald K. Gnuse ’56, Quincy, Ill. Leslie V. Kelsay ’73, Santa Clara, Calif. Jeffrey A. Stuerman ’82, St. Charles, Mo.
EDITORIAL STAFF Brian Kroeger Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator Stephanie Schmitz Lead Designer Cheyenne Blackorby ’17 Multimedia Designer David Adam Media Content Specialist John Schild Assistant Athletic Director/SID ADMINISTRATION Dr. Kelly M. Thompson President Dr. Lauren Schellenberger Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College ADVANCEMENT & ALUMNI Dr. Bill Sheehan Vice President for Advancement & Alumni Programs Marjorie Ellison ’90 Senior Director for Advancement & Alumni Programs Melissa DuBuque ’88 Director of Alumni Programs ALUMNI BOARD OFFICERS Mat Holt ‘08, President Steve Viorel ‘02, Vice President Deb Schoenfelt ‘78, Secretary Tom Sutton ‘81, Treasurer MEMBERS Kara Avis ‘00 Jill Arnold Blickhan ‘79 Lisa Bohan ‘14 Brent Hickenbottom ‘00 Jay Johnson ‘04 Leslie Johnson ‘02 Kevin Kain ‘73 Kim Larson ‘82 Chris Lee ‘07 Ben Martin III ‘75 Charlie Nager ‘84 Rev. Sam Pulliam ‘86
Office of Advancement & Alumni 800-755-CATS • alumni@culver.edu
Follow @CSCPresident on Twitter!
The Culver-Stockton Chronicle is published by the C-SC Office of Marketing & Public Relations for alumni and friends to inform readers of campus happenings and give insight into the mission and philosophy of the College and the expertise of its leaders.
CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
From the Top of the Hill
1
Happenings on the Hill
5
Academic Affairs
17
Victory Bell
29
From the Chaplain
37
Passing the Test
41
Post Grad
43
In Memoriam
45
Class Notes
45
Rise and Shine
Josie Finch ’19 lost her younger sister in a New Year’s Day murder in 2018. She has put memories of that night behind her and since has adopted her sister’s outlook on life as the 2019 graduate heads off to law school.
17
Experiential Learning
Culver-Stockton students are reaping the benefits of our hands-on way of developing knowledge.
ON THE COVER Josie Finch ’19 uses her sister’s memory to shine in the classroom with a new found confidence.
11
Summer 2019 Volume 29 Issue 2
TOWER OF STRENGTH JOSIE FINCH ’19 USES SISTER’S
MEMORY TO SHINE IN CLASSROOM WITH NEW-FOUND CONFIDENCE
MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Culver-Stockton College is to prepare students of promise for a dynamic world through our distinctive experiential curriculum within a supportive learning community founded upon the best values of faith and the human spirit.
31
It Takes a Team
Medical, dental mission trips to Jamaica have included C-SC students, trustees.
culver.edu 2
CULVER-STOCKTON BY THE NUMBERS (as of May 31, 2019)
OVERALL CAMPAIGN PROGRESS $25M
77% $19,253,612
CAMPAIGN PROGRESS $13M $9,791,649 $7M $5,168,425 $5M
$4,293,538
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
ACADEMICS & ENDOWMENT
CAMPUS & FACILITIES
CASH & PLEDGES CAMPAIGN GOAL
DONOR TYPE Alumni.................................................2,788 Churches................................................... 25 Corporations........................................... 251 Foundations............................................. 27 Parents.................................................... 396 Other...................................................1,469 Total Donors.........................................4,956
Culver-Stockton College does not accept federal or state grants to support its operation, capital and endowment growth. All operating costs, scholarship programs and campus improvements are funded by C-SC’s own revenue sources, including private donations.
N: CHANGING LIVES!
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
ACADEMICS & ENDOWMENT
CAMPUS & FACILITIES
Educating for Life and Securing Our Future
Providing the Learning Home
$13 million goal / $9.8 million raised*
$5 million goal / $5.1 million raised*
Academics are at the heart of our mission. Providing students of promise with the needed education for highdemand fields will enhance the student experience.
Ensuring Culver-Stockton College meets the needs of students in the classroom, the dining facilities, residence halls, the sports and fitness facilities, parking and through advanced technology and sustainability is important for the campus.
The endowment of Culver-Stockton College ensures financial funding for today and the future of the College. Thirty-seven new endowed scholarships have been established.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Supporting Students Annually
$7 million goal / $4.2 million raised* The Student Scholarship Fund at Culver-Stockton College supports the tuition funding needs of students. The cost to educate students is covered by tuition, endowed scholarships and annual donor gifts to the Student Scholarship Fund.
Recent additions and improvements include: • Carolyn L. and Robert W. Brown Residence Hall • Stone Residence Hall • Jo and Scott ’71 Johnson Esports Arena • Schwan Archway • Upgraded locker room for men’s basketball • New locker rooms for football, women’s volleyball and basketball • Numerous updates to classrooms throughout campus
* The figures represent what has been raised in cash and pledges as of May 31, 2019.
HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL
DONATIONS AT WORK 2nd Annual Day of Giving The Annual Day of Giving was held March 19. An anonymous donor provided a $25,000 challenge grant for gifts made that day. A total of 166 gifts were made totaling $52,035.28. The total for the day, $77,035.28, will support student scholarships.
Stone Hall Kitchen The kitchen in Stone Hall was renovated during Christmas break. The renovations, generously funded by Bob ’71 and Donna Stone, included LED lighting and kitchen cabinets and countertop.
Generous Donation Received for Library Rev. and Mrs. Raymond Hankins provided a generous of books and funding to update the rare book room in day 10 donation DAYS the archives. The funds will allow for adding new acid-free boxes giving for preservation 2019 storage, new furniture for workspaces for visitors UNTIL and painting #CSCDayOfGiving and new carpet. Below: Rev. Hankins ’76, Dr. Katie CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE Marney, Julie Wright ’07 and Amber Strub-Ley ’15 OF
MARCH 19
The Rat Pack Endowed Scholarship The Rat Pack Endowed Scholarship was established by Trent Platz ’06. The “Rat Pack” was an unofficial fraternity of eight students who became close friends during their time on “the Hill.” This group competed in intramural sports and participated in numerous other activities while students on campus. This scholarship has been created to celebrate the bond and lifelong friendships they created while at C-SC.
The Harold J. ’39 and Mildred L. ’39 Schaffer Endowed Scholarship
Carl Johann Memorial Library Classroom Renovation Funds were received from the Marion Community Foundation to renovate a classroom in Johann.
The Harold J. ’39 and Mildred L. ’39 Schaffer Endowed Scholarship was established in memory of Harold and Mildred Schaffer. The Schaffers both graduated from C-SC in 1939 and were active in campus organizations and Greek Life (Theta Kappa Nu and Phi Kappa Chi). They spent their entire married life in Lewis County Mo., raising three children while farming and Mildred teaching school. They were engaged alumni, both having served on the alumni association board at C-SC.
The Ken Logsdon ’60 Lewis County Endowed Scholarship The Ken Logsdon ’60 Lewis County Endowed Scholarship was established by Ken Logsdon ’60 based on the belief that some of the greatest talent lies in the smaller communities and when given a chance to receive a college education, a whole new world will open up for them. Logsdon was born and raised in Canton, Mo., and his time in Canton allowed him to make life-long friendships and enjoy everything that growing up in a small town entails. 5 Chronicle, Summer 2019
HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL
CONSTRUCTION ZONE
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
Dining Hall Renovation
Schellenberger Named Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
A major renovation of the Dining Hall in the Gladys Crown Student Center started the week after the commencement ceremony took place. More seating will be added, and an array of nine television sets will be installed on the south wall. Also planned is the streamlining of serving areas, including new cabinetry, lighting, equipment, vinyl flooring and vending machines.
President Kelly M. Thompson appointed Dr. Lauren Schellenberger the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College in May. Schellenberger was appointed Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Dean of the College in June 2018. She is only the second woman to be the Dean since the position was created in 1920.
Two Veteran Professors Retire
Carl Johann Memorial Library The north steps and the sidewalk in front of the Carl Johann Memorial Library are being replaced.
Dr. Ron Stormer, professor of English, and Dr. Gary Cochell, professor of mathematics, were recognized during a retirement reception on April 16. Stormer taught at CulverStockton for 25 years. He was the academic advisor for Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, and co-advisor for “Harmony,” the campus literary and art magazine. Cochell taught at C-SC for 39 years.
C-SC, Southwest Baptist Partner to Provide Athletic Training Education Culver-Stockton College and Southwest Baptist University of Bolivar, Mo., have created a partnership to begin in fall of 2019 to enhance opportunities for students who want to become athletic trainers. Students with a bachelor of science degree from Southwest Baptist’s newly developed sports medicine program can seamlessly matriculate into Culver-Stockton’s Master of Athletic Training program. Students in the MAT program will complete two years of graduate study, including a variety of clinical experiences in both athletic and hospital/clinical settings within the Canton, Hannibal, and Quincy, Ill. medical communities. culver.edu 6
HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL
FINE ARTS Guest Artist Production: Murder on the Orient Express Culver-Stockton College Department of Theatre presented Ken Ludwig’s adaption of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” in March. We were thrilled to welcome guest artist Tuck Milligan ’71 in the role of Hercule Poirot. Milligan’s credits include roles in “State of Play,” “Of Mice and Men” and “Person of Interest” to name a few.
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE Greek Week The main focus of this year’s Greek Week was Greek unity through philanthropy, events and teamwork while celebrating our pillars (Integrity, Leadership, Character, Scholarship and Service). There wasn’t an overall “winner” of Greek Week, but teams or houses did win specific events. The real winner was the Student Scholarship Fund! During the Penny Wars, the houses raised $743.35 in support of student scholarships.
Band & Choir Tour 2019
Choir performing in Lake Ozark, Mo.
Wind Ensemble performing in Kingdom City, Mo. 7 Chronicle, Summer 2019
Concert and Chamber Choirs, directed by Professor Scott Allison, joined Dr. Trent Hollinger’s Wind Ensemble and Dr. Aren Van Houzen’s Jazz Ensemble to offer music that showcased each group’s distinctive sound, but also allowed creative mixing and chamber possibilities. These groups spent a week in February touring in nine cities, seven schools and five churches. Watch for details coming about the band and choir tour next fall in the St. Louis area.
EVENT WINNERS Banner Competition Group Winner: Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha Psi, Tau Kappa Epsilon Penny Wars: Sorority - Sigma Kappa, Fraternity - Delta Upsilon, Group Winner - Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, Tri Sigma Trivia: Alpha Tau Omega, Sigma Kappa Lip Sync: Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha Psi, Tau Kappa Epsilon Flag Football: Chi Omega
HAPPENINGS ON THE HILL
ACCOLADES Cowell Elected President of SGA
Helsabeck Prize for Excellence
Madison Cowell, a political science major from Havana, Ill., was elected president of the Student Government Association for the 2019-20 academic year. She is the daughter of Scott ’91 and Miranda ’91 Cowell. Also elected were vice president KT Seth, a biology major from West Linn, Ore.; secretary Megan Erickson, a legal studies major from Port Byron, Ill.; parliamentarian Shelby Clinging, a legal studies and psychology major from Fowler, Ill.; and treasurer Kyle Edwards, an elementary education major from Fenton, Mo.
Dr. Andy Walsh, a professor of religion and philosophy, was the recipient of the Helsabeck Prize for Excellence in Teaching at CulverStockton College. He was recognized during the Honors Day Convocation on May 7. Walsh joined the Culver-Stockton faculty in 2001, and he serves as the chair of the department of religion. As Culver-Stockton is, above all things, a teaching institution, the Helsabeck Prize for Excellence in Teaching exemplifies the very heart of the college’s work. While definitions of excellent teaching will vary, the following qualities should be considered: knowledge and proficiency in the subject area; creative approaches to the subject matter; ability to nurture interest, enthusiasm and response in students; clarity of educational objectives and course expectations; maintenance of high expectations and standards; openness to other points of view; fairness; and effective timely feedback to students.
Gaither Chosen for Senior Leadership Academy Dr. Kimberly Gaither, Associate Dean for Student Success and Assessment, is one of 41 administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges to participate in the 2019-20 Senior Leadership Academy. People chosen for the year-long program are leaders in higher education who have been identified by their institutions as having the potential for more senior leadership positions. Gaither, a 1979 graduate of C-SC, has been a member of the College’s faculty since 2003, teaching finance courses.
Hoffman Receives Top IMA Scholarship Annie Hoffman has been named the National IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) recipient of the prestigious $5,000 Stuart Cameron Margaret McLeod Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is the top scholarship that the IMA awards, and Hoffman will be recognized at both the IMA Annual Conference in San Diego, CA and at the IMA Student Leadership Conference in Charlotte, NC. Hoffman is a finance major from Canton, Mo.
Walter S. Reuling Faculty Prize for Innovation John Reinhardt, a lecturer in accounting, was the recipient of the Walter S. Reuling Faculty Prize for Innovation in Student Learning. He was recognized during the Honors Day Convocation on May 7. Reinhardt joined the faculty at Culver-Stockton in 2016. The Walter S. Reuling Faculty Prize for Innovation in Student Learning is an annual award presented at Honors Day to a faculty member who has demonstrated significant pedagogical innovation resulting in enhanced student learning.
culver.edu 8
163 COMMENCEMENT • MAY 11, 2019 RD
1
2
3
4
1. President Kelly M. Thompson leads the procession during the 163rd Annual Commencement ceremony. 2. Ron Leftwich ’64, right, chairman of the Board of Trustees, laughs while listening to Sydney Stevens’ Student Challenge speech. President Kelly M. Thompson is to the left of Leftwich. 3. Amanda (Hanlin) Huber ’12, M.Ed. ’19 is hooded as one of the first four students to complete a Master of Education degree at C-SC. 4. Twins Cassie, left, and Kirsten Burris are all smiles as they wait to receive their diplomas. At right is Denzel Campbell. 5. One of 221 graduates, Lexcia Dumas walks off the stage after receiving her diploma. 5 9 Chronicle, Summer 2019
6
7
8
10
9
11
6. Jacy Gabriel sings “Hail, Culver-Stockton” as the commencement ceremony winds down. 7. From left, Tariq Aljadani, Abdulilah Alsalman, Taylor Baker, Jesse Arevalo and Rane Bateman head toward their seats for the start of the commencement ceremony. 8. From left, Kay Dyer, Bob Sadler, Seth McBride, Kathy Turpin, Dave McClintock ’71 and Timothy James ’74 applaud as students pass by. Faculty, staff and Board of Trustees members create the “gauntlet” at the end of commencement. 9. David McReynolds, a third generation C-SC graduate, grins as he looks at a classmate during the commencement ceremony. 10. Thomas R. Barry, retired chairman and chief executive officer of Mighty Distributing Systems of America, Inc., in Norcross, Ga., was the commencement speaker. 11. Cullen Smith unzips his gown to show off his basketball jersey before he receives his diploma. culver.edu 10
A N D Josie Finch simply wanted to stay under the covers. Getting out of bed to deal with life was too painful. Watching her parents struggle to come to grips with an unspeakable tragedy made it even more difficult. Josie tried to cope with her emotions in the days and weeks after her younger sister, Madison, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day in 2018. However, it was easier to cry and stay in bed, wishing she could hug her sister while hiding her grief from others. “I don’t like to show my feelings,” she said. “I don’t like to cry in front of other people.” Josie was supposed to return to Culver-Stockton College for the spring semester of her junior year in 2018, but on those emotional days, she considered scrapping that plan and staying home with her parents in LaHarpe, Ill., a small town of about 1,200 people about 70 miles from Canton. Her mom, Carrie, told Josie that her sister wouldn’t have approved. “Mom gave me the support I needed,” Josie said. “She would say, ‘Maddie wouldn’t want you to come home. She knows you’re there and wants you to keep going.’ She didn’t want me to be crying, leaving school and giving up everything I worked through.” She eventually returned to Canton, and in some ways, she was the same person before she went home for Christmas – quiet, shy and serious about her goal to complete her degree in legal studies. However, by the time she walked across the graduation stage 17 months later, she had grown into a much more confident and stronger woman. She wanted to be more like Maddie. “I’m definitely not the person I used to be,” Josie said. “I’m trying to live more like she did.”
Josie and her sister Maddie 11 Chronicle, Summer 2019
SHINE QUIET IN THE COURTROOM Josie came to Culver-Stockton to play basketball and study criminal justice, hoping to become a detective or a police officer. She changed her major to legal studies after her freshman year. “I’m not very big (5-foot-5), so I thought I’d be better off using my brains,” she said. As a sophomore, she joined the mock trial team and continued to play basketball, but she soon learned that doing both was going to be difficult in the future. “She knew she wasn’t going to play pro basketball, but she did want to go to law school,” said Melody Schroer, assistant professor of legal studies. “It came time to choose one or the other, and I’m really happy she chose mock trial.” Josie was a good student and a quick study in her new major, but to become a better member of the mock trial team, she had to deal with one big challenge. Her reticent nature didn’t work well in a courtroom. “Her voice was very, very low,” Schroer said. “Mock trial doesn’t allow you to be quiet. It requires you to speak loudly so people can hear you, and that was really tough for Josie.” DEALING WITH MURDER Josie was at a friend’s house on the last day of 2017, and her parents had planned to stay in Burlington, Iowa that night. However, her parents called late that night to say they were coming to get her. Something terrible had happened at their home. “They were both crying, telling me it was bad,” she said. When Josie and her parents came home that night, they walked up the driveway to see Maddie covered by a blanket. Maddie, 19, had been murdered by 18-year-old Antonio Sanchez during a party at the Finch’s home. Sanchez shot and killed Maddie during a fight that broke out at the party. “I don’t remember a lot, but I was a mess,” Josie said. “I was sitting in the snow, and I didn’t know what to do. I tried running to her, but I was stopped by the police. It was a pretty hard night.” The next few days weren’t much easier. Josie remembers all of the LaHarpe community reaching out to help the family through trying times. Several of her friends on the mock trial and women’s basketball
teams made the trip during their break from classes to see her, including Schroer and women’s basketball coach Janette Burgin. “(Josie) was as strong as you can imagine,” Schroer said. “She teared up when she saw us at the visitation. What do you say to someone who lost their sister?” When Josie returned to “the Hill” in mid-January, she was overwhelmed with people stopping by her room to bring her dinner, run to the store or offer a shoulder to cry on. However, she wasn’t quite ready for all the help. “When I came back to school, I didn’t want to be here. I was hard on myself,” she said. “Katelyn (Guehne, her roommate) took a lot of nights of me crying, and I felt bad for putting that on her. She always told me not to worry about it, but I would hold stuff in – not just for me, but I didn’t want to bother people. That was my biggest downfall. When people would ask me if I was OK, I’d say, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.’ “I wasn’t fine.” LETTING GO As time passed, so did Josie’s outlook. Sanchez eventually agreed to a negotiated plea deal and received a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Not having to relive that night in a courtroom was part of the healing process for Josie and the LaHarpe community. “I’m glad my parents didn’t have to get on the stand and hear the testimony,” she said. “It would have been too hard for us all. He definitely got the punishment he deserved.” Josie had grown weary of being sad about her sister’s death and instead started to channel her thoughts into recalling the good times they had.
THERE’S ALMOST LIKE AN ANGER INSIDER OF HER NOW. THE WHOLE TEAM WATCHES HER AND THEY’RE LIKE, ‘WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?’ SHE HAS FOUND SOME STRENGTH SOMEWHERE. SHE’S JUST BLOWN ME AWAY. IT’S VISIBLY AMAZING TO ME THE CHANGE I’VE SEEN THIS YEAR. –MELODY SCHROER ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF LEGAL STUDIES
“I’ve put what happened, no matter how horrible it was, behind me,” she said. “I finally started looking at the good things and the good memories. Those never can be taken away from me. It’s hard to get any work done when you’re so sad and not doing anything all day. Now I’m focusing on the good things and not worrying about the bad things.” When Josie came back to Culver-Stockton for her senior year, she had made the decision to let her hair down and live life more like Maddie – who Josie described as a “hippie.” “I never really did anything but work hard at school,” she said. “Maddie was definitely the more fun sister. She always used to tell me, ‘Josie, you need to loosen up. Josie, you’re no fun. You’ve got to let it go.’ “I decided to start doing my own thing, try to be more social and be more fun. I go out on the weekends more with friends, and I’ll take spontaneous trips. If someone had asked me before, ‘Hey, do you want to go to Chicago?’, I would have been, ‘No, I’ve got to have a plan. I’ve got to have a structure.’ I just went to Chicago and Milwaukee with a friend one weekend, and I’d have culver.edu 12
never done that a couple of years ago.” That new attitude carried over into her role with the mock trial team. Schroer said she was stunned by the changes in Josie’s demeanor. “She has stunned me,” Schroer said. “She stands there, she’s vocal and I don’t need to tell her to speak up. Some of the opening or closing statements she’s given, she has them memorized before anyone else. There’s almost like an anger insider of her now. The whole team watches her and they’re like, ‘Where is this coming from?’ She has found some strength somewhere. She’s just blown me away. “It’s visibly amazing to me the change I’ve seen this year.” HEADED TO LAW SCHOOL Josie graduated in May and received two awards during Culver-Stockton’s Honors Day celebration. She was given the Outstanding Scholar in Legal Studies Award, which recognizes a graduating senior who has “exhibited exceptional scholarship, superior leadership qualities and also exemplifies a C-SC student of promise.” She also received the Mary Elizabeth Powell Achievement Award, which recognizes a senior who has “demonstrated courage, dedication, persistence and commitment for whom the completion of requirements for graduation represents a distinguished achievement and significant personal victory.” It was the culmination of what Josie called “a great school year.” “I really buckled down on school,” she said. “I was really on top of things, and it helped me to become the best lawyer I could be. It’s helped me get through everything. When you work hard, you focus on the good things and not worry about the bad things.” Josie will attend the Saint Louis University School of Law in the fall, hoping to concentrate on immigration law or environmental law. “I wrote one of my final papers on immigration law. I want to help people who can’t help themselves,” she said. “And our planet
CULVER-STOCKTON HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. AS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FROM VENEZUELA, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO COME
TO THE UNITED STATES AND EARN A DEGREE FOR MANY REASONS. C-SC
GAVE ME A BASEBALL SCHOLARSHIP AND MADE MY DREAM COME TRUE; PLAYING A SPORT I LOVE WHILE PURSUING MY DEGREE.
–ALEJANDRO CARDINALE ’20 13 Chronicle, Summer 2019
is becoming devastated with pollution. The environment can’t stand up for itself, either.” Josie’s willingness to help people who can’t help themselves comes from her sister. “Maddie would help a complete stranger,” she said. “She was never afraid to walk up to someone and offer help, money or a ride. She didn’t care. I want to be brave for her. I want to have courage for her. I’ve been trying to stand up more for myself and have her bravery.” Schroer beams when she thinks of Josie’s growth. “I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming,” she said. “It’s like she’s found her voice. When I see her in the courtroom now, there’s a fire inside of her. She’s a fighter. She was a quiet fighter before, but she’s not so quiet anymore.” When she heads to St. Louis, Josie will take with her two items that remind of her sister. The first is a ring that her father gave to Maddie. “When I look at it, it makes me smile,” Josie said. “She never took it off, and I don’t want to take it off either.” The second is a water bottle that Maddie had given to Josie. She has decorated it with stickers that remind her of Maddie. “Usually, my sister only gave me or my mom gifts that she could use herself, like clothes,” Josie said with a laugh. “This was one of the few gifts that she gave me that was truly mine. Someday, (the bottle) is going to be worn down and broken, but I want to keep it forever.” She’ll also take with her the confidence that her sister has helped create. “I used to be so stressed about everything,” Josie said. “Now I know I’ve got this. I know she’s with me, cheering me on. I have her voice in my head saying, ‘You’ve got this. You can do this.’ I have a more positive outlook. I’m living life more stress free. “I hope Maddie can live on through me. I want to have her light shine on through me.”
BY THE NUMBERS
C-SC BY THE
Even if you really are Culver-Stockton’s No. 1 fan, do you know these stats about your alma mater?
NUMBERS
1917
The year Christian University changed its name to reflect the generosity of two donors, Mary Culver and Robert Stockton, who made generous donations for residence halls, a new gymnasium and grants for faculty salaries.
14,865
30
COUNTRIES that facultyled travel study courses have visited since 1993.
Approximate number of Culver-Stockton ALUMNI living around the world.
130
44
Students who participated in or completed an INTERNSHIP during the 2018-19 academic year.
Percentage of students who participate in GREEK LIFE. There are nine Greek organizations on the C-SC campus. Fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Upsilon, Kappa Alpha Psi, Lambda Chi Alpha and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Sororities are Chi Omega, Sigma Kappa and Sigma Sigma Sigma.
56
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS officially recognized by C-SC in 2018-19.
39
344
SEATS IN THE DINING HALL once renovations are completed this summer. The Dining Hall was configured to accommodate 288 people last year.
STATES represented among the student body.
106,810
206,444
MEALS PURCHASED by students in the dining hall or the Cat’s Pause during the 2018-19 academic year.
16
539
Sites where crews of students worked during the EVERYBODY DOES MORE event in August 2018.
30
Members of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES who also are graduates of Culver-Stockton.
STUDENT-ATHLETES ENROLLED in classes at C-SC for the 2018-19 academic year.
28,015
BOOKS in Carl Johann Memorial Library, along with 166,208 ebooks.
3
Members of the BOARD OF TRUSTEES who are designated trustees from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
The average number of visits per year to the J.E. & L.E. MABEE RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER for the past three years.
9
Consecutive years the senior class has left a GIFT TO THE COLLEGE CAMPUS through the challenge provided by Susie and Ron ’64 Leftwich.
21
countries represented by INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS among the student body during the spring 2019 semester. culver.edu 14
forty minutes late LIFETIME HA PPINES S AND A
OF
MYRON ’49 AND CYNTHIA (ADAMS) ’49 STUERMAN ARE MARKING THE 70TH YEAR OF THEIR GRADUATION FROM CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE Myron “Mike” Stuerman and Cynthia (Adams) Stuerman’s relationship started in the fall of 1946 when they first met as students at Culver-Stockton College. The two had seen each other in classes and around campus, their first date was in January of 1947. Mike was the house manager for Lambda Chi Alpha, and something came up at the house that caused him to be 40 minutes late to pick up Cynthia. When Mike arrived at the Chi Omega house (which was still under construction) for a subsequent date, Cynthia made him wait 40 minutes. He sat on a saw horse, waiting until she came down to see him. They graduated in 1949 from Culver-Stockton and continued to date, but they didn’t get married immediately. Mike was in six weddings after graduation and Cynthia in five. They had so many friends, they would have had to have a huge wedding. Instead when they married on May 22, 1954 they had a small wedding with only 13 people in attendance, including the minister. Earning a degree from CulverStockton took a little patience as well. Mike graduated from Normandy High School in St. Louis in 1944 and attended C-SC for one year before taking a year to join the Navy and serve in the South Pacific. Mike remembers many C-SC students came to Union Station to see him off to the Great Lakes 15 Chronicle, Summer 2019
Naval Station. One night on the ship in the South Pacific, he got a message that Culver-Stockton had called. “Jake Allen (assistant to the president, chairman of the publications and alumni relations committees) had sent a message to me (and many others in the military) giving me an update on what was happening on campus, including the basketball scores from the night before when Culver-Stockton won. That really meant a lot to me,” Mike said. Even though Cynthia’s older sister attended Culver-Stockton, she had no plans to do the same when she was attending Southwest High School in St. Louis. However, one day she was visiting the campus and walked into the gym where she saw Bill Herington, coach of the football and basketball teams. He called Cynthia by her nickname, “Hep,” and asked what she was doing. Herington had remembered her nickname from when she came along for her sister’s school visit. At that moment, she said she felt she belonged and decided to attend Culver-Stockton. Cynthia remembers that during her first six months there were very few men on campus because so many had gone to the military. She said if the girls wanted to go across campus, they just put their raincoats on over their pajamas instead of taking the time to get dressed. She also remembers going to the movies on Sunday afternoon downtown. On one particular Sunday, the movie shown was a war movie, and everyone left crying. Very few people during their college days had a car. All classes were in Henderson Hall. Friday nights called for formal dress for dinner, and there were required Chapel and assemblies every week. In particular, Mike remembers the fraternity initiations,
which were back campus (football field). Cynthia remembers they couldn’t have milk at every meal, so they would have coffee so they could have milk in their coffee. Mike was a member of the band and chorus, and he still remembers the verses of the comic opera “H.M.S. Pinafore.” Cynthia was a member of the student senate, the Encore Club and the Kleig Players, and she also was captain of the pep squad. They both graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics. Their graduating class was comprised of 48 students, nine of whom are still living. After marrying, they set up housekeeping in the upstairs of Mike’s parents’ home. Cynthia worked for Stix, Baer and Fuller. Mike spent 39 years with International Shoe Company, traveling internationally to Italy, France, Korea, Japan and other areas to buy designs for shoes. Their two children, Jeff ’82 and Janet (Jan) ’85 Montgomery, both graduated from Culver-Stockton. Jeff followed his father’s footsteps, joining Lambda Chi Alpha (he is now the Grand High Alpha for the national headquarters), and Jan joined Chi Omega, like her mother. When asked about their long relationship, Cynthia and Mike attributed tolerance and having interests independent of one another as key components. Mike enjoyed fishing and woodworking (such as making frames and furniture), and Cynthia enjoyed raising her family. They have lived in Ballwin, Mo., for the past 40 years. Cynthia
plays bridge, has breakfast one day a week with friends and folds the church bulletins. They both attend their local Methodist church, and they still enjoy homecoming. They made it to Canton last year, and they hope to be back in the fall to celebrate the 70th reunion of the Class of 1949. In reflecting on their experience on “the Hill,” Cynthia said, “We just had a lot of fun.” “It was a great experience with a lot of memories,” Mike said.
Jan (Stuerman) Montgomery, Mike, Cynthia and Jeff Stuerman culver.edu 16
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Experiential learning, by definition, is the process of learning through experience. The general concept of learning through experience has been around for hundreds of years. Aristotle once wrote, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” Skills and knowledge are acquired outside of the traditional academic classroom setting. Culver-Stockton College is committed to this unique approach, and it has adopted an academic calendar designed to enhance 17 Chronicle, Winter 2018
experiential learning. A typical 15-week semester is divided into a 12-week term and a 3-week term, allowing for students to focus on intense coursework, professional experience or a travel study class during the 3-week term. Culver-Stockton students are reaping the benefits of this hands-on way of developing knowledge. What follows are stories about students reflecting on the seven pillars of C-SC’s experiential learning concept and how it enriched their lives and professional careers.
amanda
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
BROWN ’18
STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION THROUGH THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS. A VARIETY OF AREAS ARE AVAILABLE TO CHOOSE FROM, SUCH AS STUDIO ART, GRAPHIC DESIGN, MUSIC PRODUCTION, BANDS, CHOIRS, THEATRICAL DESIGN AND PERFORMANCES. Amanda Brown ’18 says her love of art started as a child when she watched her father, Gary, draw and create comic book pages. He turned down an opportunity to become a comic book artist when Brown was a small child, opting to take care of his family. When it was time to leave Camdenton, Mo., and head to Culver-Stockton College, she wanted to take the passion for art she shared with her father and turn it into a career. Brown now is the head office assistant, Beaux Arts Ball coordinator and exhibition preparator at the Quincy Art Center in Quincy, Ill. She’s pleased with the start of her professional art career. “My hope is to be an actual artist, but realistically, that’s not going to happen right away,” she said. “So this is definitely what I want to be doing if I can’t be an artist. I’m where I want to be.” Brown was an intern at the Quincy Art Center in 2016, documenting the center’s permanent collection by making sure it was stored correctly and that digital photos were taken. She was hired in February 2018 as an office assistant before becoming the main office assistant. She now handles hospitality for any event, meeting or birthday. She also coordinates the Beaux Arts Ball, an event that has helped fund the Quincy Art Center’s exhibitions and educational programs for 88 years.
She said the internship helped her make the decision to make art a career. “I had no idea what it was going to be like when I came here,” Brown said. “I’d never really thought about working at a gallery, and it was great seeing just how friendly and welcoming all the staff was. I felt like I fit in. I thought I could add skills that maybe they didn’t already have.” Brown paints and draws, often working with soft pastels. Her interest in soft pastels grew after she took workshops at C-SC with Cecile Houel, a French artist who lives in Iowa. “I didn’t like pastels at first, and then I took those classes and I thought, ‘I like this a lot,’” Brown said. “I wasn’t a fan before because I didn’t like how it felt, and I had never used that nice of paper. But I learned you have to have the right materials.” As the exhibition preparator, she is tasked with displaying and explaining artwork – tools she learned at C-SC with fine arts senior lecturer Deb Myers. “She always was encouraging me,” Brown said. “She would give us all kinds of opportunities to experience what it’s like to be an artist. “When I’m making art, I don’t think about what it means to anybody but me. I’m not thinking about how I should explain it to other people, but Deb would have us practice our artist statements and then get peer reviews on them. That was really helpful.” As she gets comfortable with her role at the Quincy Art Center, Brown still creates her own art. She’s painting a business storefront window and works on her own pieces at home for at least an hour a night. “I hope to be more established as an artist in 10 years,” Brown said. “Working here will help me make connections. It’s a good place to connect with artists.” culver.edu 18
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SERVICE LEARNING BEGINS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL WITH THE ANNUAL “EVERYONE DOING MORE” EVENT, GIVING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY TO DO SERVICE. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN SERVING LEARNING IN COURSES SUCH AS FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE, COMMUNITY ACTION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND OFTEN DURING STUDY ABROAD COURSES. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, ATHLETICS AND GREEK LIFE ALSO DEDICATE TIME AND ENERGY TO PHILANTHROPY AND SERVING THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THEM. The seeds for her passion for helping others were planted when Elise (Obert) Sutter ’12 was living at home in Quincy, Ill., with her parents. That passion continued to grow at Culver-Stockton College, and now it has blossomed as an adult with her own business. Sutter worked in various marketing positions for six years before deciding to become a stay-at-home mom. However, she also launched a jewelry business, Lee Marie, in March 2018. Every bit of profit the business makes is given to charity. Sutter said she was inclined to donate all of the earnings to nonprofits after hearing about increasing funding cuts Illinois nonprofits have faced. “It was just in my heart,” Sutter said. “I didn’t want to make money with it. It still feels like a hobby rather than a job. (My family has) been blessed so much in life, and it’s part of who we are to give that away to others.” Sutter said her parents provided the example she follows. “We lived a lifestyle where you work hard for what you earn, and you give away what you don’t need,” she said. She also said that living with her brother, Evan, who has special needs made a difference. “When you have a chance to let people be a part of your journey and give to those who need it, you should,” Sutter said. When she was a business major at Culver-Stockton, Sutter discovered more opportunities to follow the example her parents had set. “Culver-Stockton is such a family,” she said. “Whenever someone needs something, people pitch in. We participated every year in the Extreme Dome Makeover (a community service project during which students, faculty and staff work together at various Canton locations that is part of the Everyone Doing More initiative). “I also was a community assistant (now a resident assistant), and that allowed me to give back. I could be someone’s listening ear or talk with about overcoming an addiction. There always was a need. People could trust their CA if they needed something.” Sutter also enjoyed attending a local church every Sunday while she was a student. “I didn’t get to give back as much as I could as a college student, but it’s great to know the church is right down the hill,” she said. “It was important to have the faith part be strong.” The idea for the jewelry business started in January 2018 when Sutter went to a craft show and saw how the vendors loved what they were doing. “I have a business mindset, and I wanted to use it,” she said. “My first priority is to my family, but I was itching to do something else. Allowing me to (run the business) from home was key. I’m not motivated by money. It was on my heart to give, and my husband (Clint) and I felt this was right.”
19 Chronicle, Summer 2019
elise
(OBERT) SUT
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
© JACOB SHANE, QUINCY HERALD-WHIG
TTER ’12
culver.edu 20
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
dana
KRAMER ’17
21 Chronicle, Summer 2019
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SIMULATIONS PROVIDE EXPERIENCES THAT REFLECT REAL-LIFE CONDITIONS. EXAMPLES ARE THE NURSING, ATHLETIC TRAINING AND EDUCATION SIMULATION LABS, HISTORIC RE-ENACTMENTS, FORENSIC INVESTIGATION AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SIMULATIONS. THE STATE-OF-THE-ART VIRTUAL REALITY LAB PROVIDES A COMPUTERGENERATED ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS TO SIMULATE AND INTERACT WITH SURROUNDINGS. The way the law is depicted on television is far from realistic. Television writers and producers typically are wise to edit out aspects of criminal and civil cases that are tedious and undramatic. “Law school ruined ‘Law and Order’ for me,” Dana Kramer ’17 said with a laugh. Law school, however, also is part of a dream for Kramer, who has wanted to be a lawyer since she was 17 years old. She became interested in it when one of her family members was going through the legal process of a divorce. “I just nerded out on it,” she said. Kramer is a student in the University of Missouri School of Law. The experience she gained from participating on Culver-Stockton’s mock trial team, as well as an internship in the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, only whetted her appetite to be a lawyer. She spent two years on the mock trial team, which traveled to other colleges and tried imitation cases. Melody Schroer was the faculty advisor. “(Schroer) taught us how to do cross examinations, how to
set up a case and how to argue,” Kramer said. “It just takes lots of practice. It’s a lot of public speaking. You have to learn the material and learn the rules of evidence, so when you go to law school, you kind of know what’s going on. “It’s a great experience. It sets you up if you’re interested in law school. It stands out a little bit on your resume.” Kramer also was on the volleyball team, which led to some long days. “One semester I got up at 6 a.m. to do morning workouts, then went to class, then worked out with the team, went back to class, worked in the Cat’s Pause at night, and then spend most of my Saturdays in the library,” she said. “It was hard when I was 19, but I got it all done somehow.” She called an alternative dispute resolutions class she took at C-SC “important” in shaping her legal future. “(The class is) all about mediation and negotiation,” Kramer said. “There are other ways to settle disputes other than going to court. I think 95 percent of cases get settled outside of court. Not everything is resolved by a judge.” A summer in the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office working for Corey Moon, an adjunct professor at C-SC, was Kramer’s first experience in an actual courtroom. “I got to watch things like drug court, and I got to see real lawyers doing real cases,” she said. At Missouri, her interest has changed from litigation to transactional law – business deals, contracts, business startups, corporations, copyrights, trademarks and tax issues, for example. “That stems from a personality standpoint. I like solving problems before they happen,” Kramer said. “I want be able to write a contract for a business that, 10 years from now, helps prevent them from getting sued or it helps them solve their tax issues.”
ALUMNI & FRIENDS TOUR OF ISRAEL AND JORDAN APRIL 23 – MAY 5, 2020
Escorted by John Sperry, Jr. Endowed Chair of Humanities and Professor of History, C. Patrick Hotle. Find out more details at culver.edu/alumnievents. culver.edu 22
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Aaron Foster coaches soccer in Guangzhou, China where he is teaching at Nansha College Preparatory Academy. 23 Chronicle, Summer 2019
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS CULVER-STOCKTON TAKES LEARNING OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM AND INTO THE WORLD. DURING EACH THREE-WEEK TERM, TWO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COURSES ARE AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS MULTIPLE DOMESTIC TRAVEL COURSES. STUDENTS WILL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL AS A GROUP WITH FACULTY COORDINATING THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. C-SC STUDENTS HAVE VISITED SCOTLAND, SPAIN, GREECE, ENGLAND, FRANCE, ITALY, CHINA, JAPAN, COSTA RICA, BELIZE AND GUATEMALA.
aaron
FOSTER ’12
Aaron Foster ’12 and his wife, Katie, met while teaching in Taichung, Taiwan in July 2013, and they have lived in Guangzhou, China, for the past three years while teaching at Nansha College Preparatory Academy. He teaches biology and environmental science to high school juniors and seniors, and Katie teaches ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. The Fosters recently signed a two-year contract to teach next year at Hangzhou International School in Hangzhou, China, continuing their plan to make international teaching a career. “We’re looking for that next spot to stay another five to six years,” Aaron said. “The plan is not to come back to the U.S. right now. We like what we do, we love teaching and we love the diverse classes.” Aaron grew up in Staunton, Ill., a town of about 5,000 people between St. Louis and Springfield. He studied biology and education at Culver-Stockton, but he always was interested in traveling abroad. “I just never thought I’d get the opportunity,” he said. “I thought I’d maybe get to travel across the United States.” A study abroad trip to Belize and Guatemala during his senior year was Aaron’s first overseas adventure. Living in small cabins, learning about the rain forest, eating strange food and sleeping at night with a mosquito net on top of him only made him want to travel even more. “It allowed you to reconnect with who you are,” he said. “I developed close friendships with people I never realized I would be friends with. Culver-Stockton is small, but the people on that trip never had really connected or hung out. That trip brought us closer together.” He later attended an international teaching fair in Cedar Falls, Iowa, eventually accepting a teaching position in Taiwan – where he also met his wife. “I went (to Cedar Falls) thinking it would be just an experience to interview,” Aaron said. “Walking away with a job (fulfilled) my passion.” The Fosters since have visited 13 countries, but they don’t like traveling as tourists. “Every time we go (to a different country), I compare it to the Belize trip,” Aaron said. “We want to see what a country feels like. We want to immerse ourselves in another culture. “My perspective of everything is different now. I appreciate what I have and where I come from. I’m not quick to judge someone else. I want to learn where they’re coming from. Everyone has a story. (Living abroad has) really opened my eyes personally and professionally.” Aaron says students searching for that first job after leaving college should not limit themselves to this country. “The world’s a big place, and we get stuck in this mindset that we have to stay in the U.S.,” he said. “Look to see what some of the opportunities are. See how you can advance your career outside of the U.S. We’ve met so many people who are international teachers who wish they had done it sooner. Go into it with an open mind.” culver.edu 24
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN A PROFESSIONAL SETTING. INTERNSHIPS, NURSING AND ATHLETIC TRAINING CLINICALS, AND STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCES PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THEIR FUTURE CAREERS. THE C-SC CAREER SERVICES OFFICE ASSISTS STUDENTS WITH RESUMES, COVER LETTERS AND INTERNSHIPS, AS WELL AS FULL-TIME PLACEMENT IN CORPORATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND WITH ALUMNI PARTNERS. Aryiel Gengenbacher ’19 was an intern in early 2018 at Danielle Fleer CPA in Quincy, Ill., doing payroll for small businesses during tax season while also checking tax returns and “making sure everything was in the right spot.” That experience helped confirm one thing about her future. “I wanted to be the one preparing the returns and letting other people check them,” she said. Gengenbacher is a staff accountant at Brown Smith Wallace LLP, a public accounting and business advisory firm with about 300 employees in St. Louis. She prepares tax returns for individuals and businesses. She completed graduation requirements at the end of the fall 2018 semester and started her job in January 2019. The internship made Gengenbacher confident that she was capable of being an accountant. “I learned there was so much stuff that I knew I didn’t know, but I also knew that I liked it,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after graduation, but I knew I would figure it out.” The skills she honed during her internship were not as an important as one lesson she learned. “It woke me up. I learned hard work,” she said. “When you start working, you have obligations. Maybe in college, you might not have as strict of a job, but when I started (with Danielle Fleer), I couldn’t not go to work. I had to show up. You actually have to go to work every day.” A connection with a Culver-Stockton graduate she had never met led to her current job. 25 Chronicle, Summer 2019
Gengenbacher is the third graduate from Culver-Stockton to work for Brown Smith Wallace. Emily Gau ’08, formerly a supervisor in the tax services practice, was promoted to manager in March. Allison Jasper ’04 now works as a principal in the tax services practice. A man who Gengenbacher used to work as a babysitter for knew of her job search last fall and contacted Jasper, a family friend. “I had no idea who (Allison) was at the time, but she definitely helped me,” Gengenbacher said. “One of the people who interviewed me even made a comment on how we need to start looking at (more students from) Culver-Stockton. They knew I could make the transition from a small school to a big company, because (Allison) had done it herself.” She believes C-SC’s professors prepared her well for her current job. “The work ethic and professionalism they teach you really helped,” Gengenbacher said. “Julie Straus taught most of my accounting classes, and she would always mention the workplace and what’s acceptable, what’s not and how to act. (Dell Ann) Janney’s IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) class is all about being a professional, and that definitely helped, too.” She plans to remain in public accounting for a while but might consider teaching in the future. Her advice to future accounting students: Get whatever you can out of internship opportunities. “Find out if what you’re doing is what you want to do,” she said. “For me, it helped me figure out that I wanted to do public accounting more than corporate accounting. And if I had to do it all over again, I would use my connections from Culver better.”
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS GRADUATE-LEVEL RESEARCH IS AVAILABLE TO CULVER-STOCKTON STUDENTS AS EARLY AS THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR. STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS SUCH AS PSYCHOLOGY, MATHEMATICS, ATHLETIC TRAINING, CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY. STUDENTS COMPLETE GENOMICS RESEARCH WITH THE HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE. Alex Goss ’17 had planned to attend medical school when he was finished with his studies at Culver-Stockton College, but a research project and an internship helped him change his mind. He recently finished his first year working on his doctorate in pharmacy at the University of Iowa, with plans for completion in 2022. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do until a month before I graduated,” Goss said. “As time went by, becoming a doctor didn’t line up with what I wanted to do. What I realized is that I wanted to do some research, and I wanted to be involved in healthcare. (Professor Mohamed) El-Bermawy said I should look into pharmacy. “I thought all pharmacists did was count pills at Walgreens.” During his freshman year at C-SC, Goss took a class on genomics – a field of biology focusing on genomes, an organism’s complete set of DNA. He learned how research was done, and he collaborated with people all around the country to build a library of bacteriophages. He was immediately fascinated. “It was a good introduction for me,” he said. “I hadn’t worked
alex
on a research project like that before. We went on a field trip to St. Louis to see an electron microscope and have images of our bacteriophages taken.” The C-SC science faculty helped Goss land an internship with Archer Daniels Midland, a food processing and commodities trading corporation, at its Quincy, Ill.-based facility, leading to more research opportunities. This time, Goss analyzed volatile fatty acids and their use in agriculture. The techniques and technology used during his time at ADM proved to be beneficial to his doctoral work at Iowa. “I’m using the same instruments, and now I’m able to read and interpret and utilize scientific literature,” he said. “I still had to do the bench work, find the articles and do my research when I started to work on my project. Working for ADM was a phenomenal experience. I loved it. I loved the people there. It was very rewarding. I learned a lot.” Goss said the chemistry and biology classes he took at CulverStockton prepared him well for pharmacy school. “The faculty at Culver-Stockton absolutely cares about you, and they will go to any length to do anything for you,” he said. “At least for the science department, they laid down a solid foundation for people who want to go to the next level.” When they think of pharmacists, most people see people in a standard retail environment reviewing medications with patients to make sure there are no types of adverse reactions that could harm a patient. Goss hopes to work as a pharmacist with a team alongside physicians and nurses on the hospital side of things. “You’re there in the thick of it,” he said. “You have the same duties as you do in retail, but you have to work more directly with the healthcare team and help guide treatment. There are a lot of aspects of pharmacy I enjoy, so I don’t want to close any doors right now.”
GOSS ’17 culver.edu 26
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
rev.corey
MEYER ’12 27 Chronicle, Summer 2019
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS WITH MORE THAN 50 STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, NINE GREEK ORGANIZATIONS AND 17 VARSITY SPORTS, CULVER-STOCKTON STUDENTS HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEAD. THROUGH THE CURRICULUM, STUDENTS ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND APPLY LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH COURSES SUCH AS BUSINESS LEADERSHIP, STUDENT LEADERSHIP, HONORS LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Rev. Corey Meyer ’12 hoped he would not be picked. He was a student at Culver-Stockton at the time, taking a three-week course on business experience during a visit to Kansas City. The class was divided into groups, and each group was tasked with the job of making a presentation to best explain C-SC’s 12-week/3-week academic calendar. The group with the best presentation would then make that same presentation to a group of business leaders from the Kansas City area. “I prayed it wouldn’t be me,” he said. “But it was me, and that was a shifting moment. Even if I didn’t want to talk in front of people, my professors saw something in me. I pushed through the anxiety and the nerves of it all, and I felt very comfortable by the end of the week. I knew what to say, how to say it and how to really enjoy it.” Meyer is the director of mission partnerships at Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City. He works with the church’s outreach programs in northeast Kansas City, a low-income area with many refugees and immigrants, by helping them and
educating them to move from poverty to self-sufficiency. He also is in charge of the church’s grant program that helps non-profit agencies, and he coordinates the church’s mission trips. Last year’s trip was to Puerto Rico, and a trip to Ecuador is scheduled for the fall. Meyer says his leadership skills were developed during his time on “the Hill.” He was president of the Tau Kappa Epsilon house and also president of the Student Government Association. “When I went to Texas Christian University (for graduate school), I remember thinking, ‘Had I gone here first, I would have never done all the things I did at Culver,’” he said. “I got involved with student life, I got involved with Greek life, and I got involved in student government. I’ve always believed that it’s not just the education you get, but it’s also the experiences you build. At the time, I might have tried to do that a little too much, but I got involved in everything.” He sighs when he recalls being the shy kid in elementary school who did not talk to anyone, then laughs when admitting to his nerves when making cold calls to alumni or meeting with them during homecoming week while working with Marjorie Ellison ’90 in the office of advancement and alumni programs. “A lot of it had to do with the ability of my professors to say, ‘We need to give people experience and nudge them along,’” Meyer said. He would like to do the same for any student at CulverStockton who feels the way he did. “We always surprise ourselves by what we think we’re not able to do but become good at,” Meyer said. “I know it makes you uncomfortable, but lean into it. Put yourself out there, even if you fail. My philosophy is, ‘Even if I fail now, at least I’ll know how to do it better the next time.’ Everyone around you at Culver-Stockton is there to help you succeed, so use them to learn new things.”
C h d o n i a r T ou d n a r B
is heading to St. Louis and the surrounding area this fall! More details to come - stay tuned to culver.edu/alumnievents
culver.edu 28
VICTORY BELL
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTS
COACH, TEAM, TWO PLAYERS Jim Dudley, Angela (Ashford) Reed ’88, Steve Flowers ’94 and the 2001 softball team were enshrined into the Culver-Stockton College Athletic Hall of Fame during a banquet in the Dining Hall on April 27. Dudley, who coached men’s basketball and men’s golf, was inducted posthumously. He coached men’s basketball from 1970-78, compiling a 128-78 record. He had six winning seasons during his eight years as head coach. His .621 winning percentage is the best among all basketball coaches who coached at least 50 games for the Wildcats. Dudley’s 1971-72 team set the school record for victories during a 21-6 campaign. He is third on the all-time victories list. Dudley also coached men’s golf during his tenure on “the Hill.” His 1977 team qualified for the NAIA national championships. His 1971-72 men’s basketball team and 1977 golf team were inducted into C-SC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017 and 2002, respectively. Reed was a member of the women’s basketball team from 1984-88. She was named to the Heart of America Athletic Conference three times during her tenure, including a first team selection in 1988. Reed is 13th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,186 career points. When she graduated, Reed was fourth in career rebounds with 681 caroms, fifth in career field goals with
522 and third in blocked shots with 60. Reed was a member of four straight conference championship teams. After graduation, Reed moved to Kansas City, Mo., where she started her career in the mortgage business with James B. Nutter & Co. She started as a loan closer and became a mortgage banker. Reed moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1992, opening and running a satellite office for James B. Nutter & Co. Reed and her husband, Robb, have two daughters, Evan and Paige. She was highly involved with both of her daughter’s activities, which included multiple years of being a room mother, co-leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout troops and coaching both girls’ basketball teams through eighth grade. During that time, Reed found time to volunteer at her church in the 1st-4th grade programs before being asked to work on staff as a director of the children’s 1st-4th grade program. She led this program for three years. When her daughters were into their high school years, Reed re-entered the mortgage business and now is a corporate trainer in the mortgage department at Commerce Bank in Kansas City. During her free time, Reed volunteers at her church, the Women’s Employment Network and Junior Achievement. She enjoys decorating, sewing, staying fit and hanging out with family and friends.
New inductees into the 2019 Athletic Hall of Fame
Holly Butler ’01, Jessica Leenerts Loos ’05 and Lacy Wort Petersen ’04
29 Chronicle, Winter 2018
VICTORY BELL
Members of the 2001 softball team
Steve Flowers ’94 and Angela (Ashford) Reed ’88
Flowers was a four-year letter winner in baseball during his time at C-SC from 1990-94. An infielder, Flowers provided offensive thunder, graduating as the career record holder in home runs (23) and runs (117). He now is second in home runs and third in RBIs. Flowers also totaled 139 career hits (ranking 10th), 48 stolen bases (ranking fourth) and 236 total bases (ranking ninth). Flowers was named to the All-Heart of America Athletic Conference team three times and the NAIA All-District 16 team three times. Arguably, his most memorable game came against William Jewell in 1993 when he hit two grand slams and a two-run homer for 10 runs batted in a 21-1 victory. He was an honorable mention All-America selection and a NAIA ScholarAthlete in 1994. He received the Keith Whan Memorial Award in 1993 and was named the W.A. Herington Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1994. Flowers has been involved in management and mortgage sales since graduation. He and his wife, Emile, run a USA Mortgage branch in Edwardsville, Ill., and he recently invested and founded Kelley Williams Marquee Realty. He is an affiliate member of the Greater Gateway Association of Realtors. The Flowers have two children, daughter Payton and son JJ. In his free time, Flowers still plays in a men’s baseball league and
enjoys golf. He has coached both of his children in youth sports, and he enjoys traveling with the family. The 2001 softball team is the only softball team to qualify for the NAIA World Series. The Wildcats, coached by Jim Webb and assisted by Ed Heller and John Stutsman, posted a school record 46 victories against 17 losses. They captured the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament and NAIA Region V Tournament championships, winning eight straight games after finishing in a four-way tie for second place in the conference during the regular season. The 2001 team did the little things to make themselves successful, including 111 sacrifice bunts – a school record that stands today. They also set school records for most pitching strikeouts with 483. The Wildcats had three All-Heart of America Athletic Conference first team selections – Jessica Leenerts, Michelle Rowe and Shelby Ortwerth. Leenerts was named Co-Freshman of the Year in the Heart, while Webb was named Region V Coach of the Year. Leenerts was inducted into the C-SC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
Connie Dudley talks with former players from the 1972 men’s basketball team.
Coleen Brown poses for a photo with Wildcat Willie.
For more photos from the Hall of Fame Banquet, visit our Flickr page: flickr.com/photos/c-sc
culver.edu 30
IT TAKES A Culver-Stockton College students and trustees have joined doctors, dentists and pharmacists for more than 20 years in a medical/dental mission to Jamaica. The mission team has served 50,000 patients and school children, providing nearly $2 million in medicines and more than $5 million in services. Rev. Robert Magee ’59 traveled to Jamaica in 1957 as part of a mission trip/work camp with other students from the U.S. to work on Oberlin High School in West Rural Saint Andrew, Jamaica under the direction of Rev. Dr. Richmond Nelson. Magee’s Culver-Stockton College roommate, Jack Barnes ’57, had gone on the same trip the year before and came back and encouraged Bob to take part in the next mission trip. Culver-Stockton College was the perfect fit for Magee, who came from the small community of Trenton, Mo. (pop. 6,000). His fondest memories of Culver-Stockton were living in the Tau Kappa Epsilon house (he was the first TKE president) and going on the spring choir tour. After graduating from Culver-Stockton
Macie Spencer ’20 31 Chronicle, Summer 2019
in 1959, Magee attended St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, where he received his doctorate. Magee is a retired minister of the First Christian Church of North Kansas City, Mo. He also served as a chaplain in the United States Army Reserve for 32 years and served as police and fire chaplain for North Kansas City. Magee served for 10 years as a designated trustee on the board at Culver-Stockton College and an additional 10 years on the advisory board for the College. He participated in several mission trips throughout his service to the church. Magee has helped organize and lead the Jamaica mission trip since 1999 with the help of the North Kansas City Rotary Club, the Northminster Presbyterian Church and other Northland churches and Rotary Clubs. Their primary focus was on health issues. The mission theme is “building bridges” of love, friendship, service, understanding and improving relationships between the people of the United States and Jamaica. Magee was awarded the Rotary International “Service Above Self” award in 2010 for work with the
Miranda Raevsky ’16, Trustee Dr. Clark Todd and Rev. Robert Magee ’59
Church on the beach with Macie Spencer ’20, Rev. Laura Phillips and Ella, a middle school student on her seventh trip with the group
Jamaica medical and dental mission. Magee’s son, daughter, and daughter-in-law have joined some of the mission trips. Since retirement, Magee has served as interim pastor in eight churches (and he served two of the churches twice). At least 20 students from churches Magee has served have attended Culver-Stockton College, including three graduates of Oberlin High School – Natalia (Debbie) Saunders-Roberts ’03, Karresha (Gregory) Strickland ’04 and Jovon Burrell ’05. The Kansas City Alumni Association, under the leadership of Kent Clow ’78 (a member of the Culver-Stockton College Board of Trustees), decided in 2013 to help support a student from the Kansas City area going on the Jamaican mission trip each year. Miranda Raevsky ’16, Kendyll (Dhans) Suarez ’17, Patricia Pollard ’18 and C-SC junior Macie Spencer have all received that
support. These students, pre-medicine or health care professions majors, have learned from the interaction with more than 50 doctors, nurses and pharmacists on the trip. The experience was eye opening for Suarez. In addition to giving her practical experience for her future career, she also gained perspective for how people around the world live. It was her first time out of the country. “It was crazy to me that we would be driving to clinics in very rural places, some of which did not even have running water. The people there were in extreme poverty, in need of basic health care. Then right next to them would be lavish resorts,” Suarez said. Suarez said some of the biggest challenges the group faced was getting around governmental regulations to provide care to patients. Despite the hurdles faced, the volunteers still managed culver.edu 32
2019 Mission Team
The team heads out to a clinic. 33 Chronicle, Summer 2019
to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of patients. Suarez assisted in patient triage at some clinics and even gave a hand in dental procedures. “It makes me so proud to be a student at Culver-Stockton because we have a great alumni base that supports the students,” she said. “I don’t just read my lessons in textbooks. I get to actively participate in my education.” The mission trip team in February 2019 also provided dental services to more than 600 patients and fluoride treatments to more than 200 school children. Dr. Clark Todd, a dentist in Canton, Mo., and member of the Culver-Stockton College Board of Trustees, has been on seven medical/dental mission trips to Jamaica. His first trip included Jolinn (Huebotter) Tripp ’01, a student from BlessingRieman College of Nursing (through Culver-Stockton College). Other Lewis County residents also have gone on the trip, including Jodel Dye, Myrna Wear and Rusty Schultz. Todd learned about the trip through Magee, the Disciples of Christ representative on the Board of Trustees. Todd’s grandfather, Roy Blalock, had been one of Magee’s professors. Todd said the big lesson for him has been the realization of the difference between need and want. The dream of service to others through medical and dental services has benefitted approximately 50,000 residents during the past 20 years. The teamwork of healthcare professionals giving their time and resources have made a huge impact. Magee, CulverStockton students and others have joined these teams to change the lives of so many – and theirs, too.
purposeful POETRY
Sometimes experiential learning happens without intention. Bailey Williams ’19, of St. Louis, Mo., spent the summer of 2018 caring for her 70-yearold grandmother and working as a tutor for innercity children at Applied Scholastics, a nonprofit educational organization that makes available L. Ron Hubbard’s educational technology. During that time she was also dealing with the recent death of her uncle. Bailey took up poetry writing, something she had always enjoyed. Writing helped her cope and the result was “Utter & Unutterable,” a 50 page paperback collection of poems. Bailey graduated from C-SC in May with a degree in English. She wants to write more books, but for now, she’s starting a new job with Pleasant Grove Publishing in St. Louis. culver.edu 34
HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 •
HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTO
Featuring Alumni Reunions for the 1969 Football team and Visual Arts Class Years: ’49, ’59, ’69, ’79, ’89, ’94, ’99 and ’09
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 11 a.m. Scholarship Luncheon (by invitation)
Meaders Lounge, Gladys Crown Student Center
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Homecoming Weekend Headquarters
Alumni Office, Henderson Hall
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Campus Tours
Office of Advancement & Alumni Programs, Henderson Hall
3 p.m.
Women’s Basketball Locker Room Dedication Blue vs White Scrimmage Game Charles Field House
5:30 p.m. Alumni Honors Banquet ($40) 6 p.m. Dinner
Dining Hall, Gladys Crown Student Center
Honorees: Blair Stanicek ’62 – Distinguished Alumnus Todd ’83 & Susan (Frazier) ’81 Goderstad – Distinguished Alumni Stacy (Stout) Raith ’81 – Alumni Leadership and Service Michael Sweeney ’10 – Outstanding Young Alumnus
7 p.m.
Women’s Volleyball Game vs. Hannibal-LaGrange University Charles Field House
7:30 - 10 p.m. Blue and White Mixer ($10)
J.E. & L.E. Mabee Recreation and Wellness Center Gym
9:30 p.m. Fireworks
Viewing area near the Sigma Phi Epsilon Plaza Sponsored by J&M Displays, Inc.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 8 a.m. Leadership Breakfast (by invitation)
The Pillars, hosted by President Thompson
9:30 a.m.
Homecoming Parade Downtown Canton
10 a.m.
Alumni Softball Game Himsl Field
11 a.m.
Alpha Xi Delta Gathering Mabee Art Gallery, Herrick Foundation Center 11:30 a.m. Alpha Xi Delta Plaza
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Campus Tours
Office of Advancement & Alumni Programs, Henderson Hall
FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE AND OTHER WE
CULVER.EDU/
35 Chronicle, Summer 2019
TOBER 18-20,2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20,2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20,2019 •
11:30 a.m. Top of the Hill Luncheon
Meaders Lounge, Gladys Crown Student Center
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wildcat Willie’s Tailgate
J.E. & L.E. Mabee Recreation & Wellness Center (grass lot behind building)
11 a.m.
High School Band Awards Ceremony Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Homecoming Lunch Options
Dining Hall, Gladys Crown Student Center Cat’s Pause, Gladys Crown Student Center Athletic Concessions in Ellison Poulton Stadium
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Big Cat-Little Cat Legacy Land
3rd Floor of Henderson Hall and on the Quad Sponsored by CSTO
12:15 p.m. Pre-game Festivities
Homecoming Court Coronation Current Football Team Introduction 1969 Honorary Captains and team coin toss National Anthem
5:30 p.m.
Women’s Soccer Game (Senior Night) vs. Grand View University Ellison Poulton Stadium
8 p.m.
Men’s Soccer Game (Senior Night) vs. Grand View University Ellison Poulton Stadium
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night Sponsored by C-SC Alumni Association Lewis Street Playhouse, Canton
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 9 a.m. Alumni Board Meeting
Schwan Discovery & Opportunity Conference Center, Henderson Hall
10 a.m.
Memorial Service Merillat Chapel, Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center
12:30 p.m. Football Game vs. Grand View University
Ellison Poulton Stadium
2 - 5 p.m.
Art Gallery Exhibit Mabee Art Gallery, Herrick Foundation Center View the fun, unique and extensive handcrafted collection of teddy bears from Susie and Ron ’64 Leftwich. Artwork exhibited by Sheri Grote ’95
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Celebrating the Culver-Stockton College
Football Team of 1969 (start time determined by end of football game) J. E. & L. E. Mabee Recreation and Wellness Center Gym
5 p.m.
Fine Arts Picnic ($10) East Shelter House, Martin Park
Make your hotel reservations early!
EEKEND DETAILS OR TO REGISTER, GO TO
/HOMECOMING
HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019
OBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 •
culver.edu 36
• HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 • HOMECOMING • OCTOBER 18-20,2019 • HOMECOMING • O
FROM THE CHAPLAIN
A
ALONG WAY THE
DEMOLITION WORK AT PITTSBURGH HOME CONTRIBUTES TO SOMETHING GREATER BY REV. AMANDA SORENSON, CHAPLAIN
The smell of fresh paint and new carpet filled our noses as we entered the house and made our way to the newly remodeled kitchen. The kitchen stood out with its new cabinets and appliances. The bathroom was beautifully tiled, and energy efficient windows were being installed. This was the turning point. It was a far cry from where we had spent our first three days. The five of us and Ben from Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh had finished demolition in a house that would one day provide someone with a beautiful home at an affordable rate – and most of all, safety. During the process, however, the future was difficult to see through the flying dust and safety glasses. It was the annual spring break service trip, and four students and I had driven to Pittsburgh. We spent three days working in one house. The work was difficult. Every day we were covered insulation, dirt, plaster dust and who knows what else. The heat was not working, and it was cold – even indoors. Ice was on the sidewalks as we carried out debris. At times, it was actually kind of miserable. But we were there to complete a task, and so every morning we showed up. We were continuing demolition begun by another group. We were to make sure the lines between the walls and the ceilings were mostly clean cut, removing nails upon nails (and more nails) from the frames that once held slat boards, and 37 Chronicle, Summer 2019
tearing down more plaster. There were times in our work days that something seemed to be missing. Perhaps it was motivation or purpose in our work. On our third day of working, we met with one of the executives of Hazelwood Initiative, the nonprofit we were working for which buys old homes in need of major repair, rehabs them and sells them back to neighborhood residents. It was the fourth day when we saw the house. The almost completed house with nice appliances and fixtures that a person would be proud to have in their home. Ben also stood on the sidewalk and pointed to at least four other homes that had been bought, remodeled and sold back to someone in the neighborhood – all at a loss to the nonprofit. This was the moment that it sunk in. The work we had been doing all week was contributing to something greater. We were just a part of the process that was taking months to complete in our house but years to complete in the grand scale of the neighborhood. This house gave us insight into the future and brought us back to our purpose. It showed us that what we were doing was meaningful and that we were contributing to something bigger than ourselves. We probably never will see the finished product, but walking into this house that was so close to being finished showed us a glimpse of the future. One morning, when I knew the group was struggling to get
FROM THE CHAPLAIN
going, I brought us together and shared the Oscar Romero prayer that says, IT MAY BE INCOMPLETE, BUT IT IS A BEGINNING, A STEP ALONG THE WAY, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LORD’S GRACE TO ENTER AND DO THE REST. WE MAY NEVER SEE THE END RESULTS, BUT THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MASTER BUILDER AND THE WORKER. We are pieces of a puzzle so large that its edges lie far beyond our vision. This trip was a lesson in trusting in the process, doing the hard work that will pay off for someone in the future. After all, Christians are a people of the resurrection, but the road to resurrection is often painful, dirty, and exhausting. In the end, beautiful new life arises. This realization was grounding and humbling, and it gave us the motivation we needed to continue on. Bren Neely, Lexcia Dumas, Karlie Johnson and Nick Harris culver.edu 38
PASSING THE TEST: SHORT ANSWER My daughters like to play softball and Mario World. I like to take them golfing, too. What is the one food that you could serve in the Dining Hall every night that would make students happy? Chicken strips. Hands down. This started before me. On visit days, the kids would have chicken strips with mac and cheese, but they only got them on visit days, so I’ve tried to incorporate it into the menu. They always want certain things, but then at some point, they’ll get tired of them.
Short Answer with Andy Miller Andy Miller is the director of dining services at Culver-Stockton. Before coming to Canton in August 2015, he was the food and beverage director at Mark Twain Casino in LaGrange, Mo., for 15 years. He and his wife Lindsey have two daughters – Bella, 11, and Meadow, 4. He is a 1996 graduate of Quincy High School, and he attended Kendall College, a culinary arts school, in Chicago. When I first got to Culver-Stockton… I was amazed at how close and friendly the faculty and staff were. When I interviewed for the job, I had probably five different interviews from all aspects of the college. (The College) takes its time to invest in the right person. The word in the dictionary that best describes me are… thorough. In my job, you have to be. We provide food three times a day just in the Dining Hall, plus the Cat’s Pause. I would say “planner,” too. The most unforgettable person at Culver-Stockton was… well, I would guess it would actually be several students. Some of them are very hard working. Like Lance Logan, for example. He was working for me until last semester, and he was always willing to help. He was very outgoing. You hear about generational problems with some students, and he definitely was not that. He wanted 39 Chronicle, Summer 2019
to learn what he could. It amazes me how much he’s grown and what he does. My favorite spot on campus is… the view on the quad overlooking the river. It’s pretty amazing. The most useful piece of advice I ever received was… taking your time, doing it right and not cutting corners. I got that from my father. Everybody wants to cut corners, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned it doesn’t pay off. My favorite memory of C-SC is… the big event (the Order of Founders Circle induction) we just did for Ron Leftwich and Larry Gorrell. It was a huge undertaking for my staff. Just to sit back and enjoy it after it all came together was remarkable. At the end of a really long day at work, I like to… go home and spend time with my family.
How do you balance nutrition standards with the tastes students like? That’s difficult. I feel like we make progress and improvements each semester to provide healthier and nutritious options, as opposed to all fried options. We try to make sure there’s a healthy balance. For example, some of our students don’t eat pork, so we also try to provide chicken or beef. We try to provide a wide variety. Where does your interest in cooking come from? When I was younger, a buddy and I were working at The Pier as line cooks. I also worked at a Taco Bell. I don’t know how I chose it. Anyway, my buddy asked me, “What about this culinary school?” He talked me into it. Before I knew it, I was a culinary student in Chicago. If you weren’t in the food industry, what would you be doing? Probably something in business. Specifically, I don’t know. I like meeting goals, and I like working with staff. How are the Dining Hall renovations going to affect you and your staff? It’s not going to affect us much during the summer. We just have to go with the flow and see what each week and event brings. However, we’re really excited about the updates. It will streamline the salad bar, for example. We’re going to add all of the condiments and the soups to one spot. I think it will be a great to see what all we offer when it’s all finished.
FRATERNITY & SORORITY LIFE
TAU KAPPA EPSILON CHAPTER AT CULVER-STOCKTON ENDS YEAR TIED AT NO. 1 IN NATION The Tau Kappa Epsilon Zeta-Pi chapter at Culver-Stockton College learned in April they had moved into the No. 1 spot out of 237 chapters across the nation. They finished the year tied as the No. 1 chapter with three other schools. “This is an extremely significant achievement,” said John Freitag of Galena, Ill., a chairman on the Board of Advisors for the TKEs. “We are going up against colleges that are huge with lots of alumni with lots of dollars. Some schools are recruiting students with as many as 5,000 males on campus. We have limited male opportunities. Something like this takes a whole collaboration of college administrators, alumni and leadership in the fraternity. For a school the size of Culver-Stockton, it’s a pretty rare accomplishment.” Tau Kappa Epsilon is a social college fraternity that was founded in 1899 and has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. The Zeta-Pi chapter at C-SC was founded in April 1959. It has 53 active members and 19 new members. The Prytanis (chapter president) is Steven Walker from Palmyra, Mo., and the chapter advisor is Nathan Sparks ’05 from Canton, Mo. The TKE chapters are divided into four regions and ranked in
several categories, such as chapter size, recruitment and dollars raised for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and other philanthropic efforts. “It’s difficult to raise a lot of money in a small community, but these guys do pumpkin sales, car washes, house painting, yard sales … anything to raise money,” Freitag said. The TKEs also performed 1,784 hours of service in the community in the past year. “They have picked up trash on the highway, helped the elderly with something they might need or do work on someone’s house,” Freitag said. The chapter also is ranked on the number of new members initiated, creation of newsletters, academic success, activity in student government and other organizations on campus, and attendance at regional conferences and forums. The Zeta-Pi chapter finished 31st in the TKE rankings last year and 15th in 2017. Walker gave credit to past presidents Alfred Giudicy ’19 and Alec Boren ’18 for putting Zeta-Pi in a position to ascend to the No. 1 ranking. “There were a lot of stepping stones to this achievement,” Walker said. It feels surreal, but it also feels nice that we’re competing against some of these larger chapters. This was a group effort.”
I AM MAJORING IN PSYCHOLOGY WITH A MINOR IN CHILD
ADVOCACY. AS A SINGLE PARENT,
CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE HAS
CHANGED MY LIFE AND GIVEN ME NEW OPPORTUNITIES. I HOPE TO
ASSIST CHILDREN WHO FEEL THEY ARE VOICELESS AND C-SC WILL HELP ME ACHIEVE MY GOAL. –ZOE ELDER ’20
culver.edu 40
PASSING THE TEST: STUDENT ESSAY If everything would have gone as planned in the past four years, I would not be about to graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in public relations. When I came to Culver-Stockton, I had my eye on one thing – to graduate with honors in four years with a bachelor of science degree and be accepted into vet school. I did not have a backup plan, because I was determined that I would not let myself down. I recently took alumni status within my sorority, Chi Omega. All of the seniors are given a letter on the night of taking alumni status. We have a tradition within Chi Omega. Before we become an active member during our freshman year, we all write a letter to our future self. That letter is to be opened the night we take alumni status our senior year. After writing that Chi Omega letter during my freshman year, I was so moved that I went back to my dorm in Wood Hall and wrote another letter to my future self. This letter, however, was to be opened the night before I graduate college. Taking alumni status reminded me of this second letter, so I decided to dig it up and share some of what I wrote. “Dear Meg … it’s Meg. By now, you are probably accepted into vet school. (Hopefully Mizzou or U of I so your mom doesn’t get sad that you’re moving far away.) You’re probably about to graduate with a 4.0 and knowing us, you’re in more activities and clubs than you’ve got time for. You have more than likely made life-long friends, and you already have your bridesmaids selected. We have always been determined and strong-willed.” The letter goes on to list various goals and aspirations before closing with, “Keep it up. You’ve got lots of people expecting big things! Love, Meg” Absolutely nothing went according to plan. I did not maintain a 4.0, I am not going to vet school and I don’t have all of my bridesmaids selected. Yet that’s OK. In fact, it’s probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. Those who know me – and since it is a small campus and more like a family, many of you do – know I’m an avid planner. I even block off time in my planner where I have planned to do my schedule for the next month. If something doesn’t go as planned, well then … let’s just not talk about it, because I make sure that doesn’t happen. Near the end of my sophomore year, I was sitting in Doc Schelly’s office (now Dean Schellenberger) almost in tears. I was miserable in biological chemistry classes, and my GPA was tanking. I had lost motivation because I was not being fueled with ambition. My happy and positive attitude had completely flipped. I felt like I had let myself down and that I had no purpose. For the first time in my life, I had no idea what I was going to do. My tropical ecology class, led by Scott Giltner and Lauren Schellenberger, had just returned from Belize and Guatemala. Doc Schelly had a heart-to-heart conversation with me 41 Chronicle, Summer 2019
encouraged me to pursue another degree course. She said my soft skills were in communication. I tried teaching. Then I tried business. I even tried marketing. Then I finally landed on public relations. I found myself once late at night in bed Googling “what to do with a public relations degree.” I was worried I would graduate with a degree that I did not know what to do with. The next day I walked into the Office of Career and Internship Services to see Kara (Mandrell) Avis ’00. At the time, she was the career and internship director for students, and I told her my problem. She put me in connection with Tim Fischer ’89, a member of the Board of Trustees at C-SC who loves to help students. Kara told me that my passion for helping people and communicating could be beneficial for the field of healthcare recruiting. I reluctantly emailed Tim a few times before he said, “Ya know what? Why don’t you just come down to Atlanta, work at Medical Doctor Associates as an intern and just live with my wife Jane and I?” No big deal, right? Move into an almost stranger’s house 11 hours away from the only place I’ve ever called home? I thought I was crazy when I said yes. I was so scared. After I moved to Atlanta, I found a passion for the healthcare field. I came to love communicating with medical providers and helping them find healthcare facilities. Although I cried myself to sleep a few times because I missed my mom and dachshund puppy, Riley, none of this growth would have been possible without the connections I have made here at C-SC. Think about someone at C-SC who has helped you grow in a way that you were not expecting. Maybe they taught you a valuable life lesson. Maybe they helped you financially. Maybe they helped you figure out your purpose in life. Maybe they simply helped you remember that you are a valuable person who is going to make a positive impact on this world. I challenge my fellow graduates to do the same in your life. When you are at a point where you can reach out a hand and help others, do it. Be kind and always offer a helping hand. We are surrounded by preparation and opportunity. The definition of luck should be when preparation meets opportunity. Don’t let the plan you think you have become a setback. At the end of the day, you’re going to end up where you belong, not where you think you belong. When I was in Atlanta, I was introduced to a church where I rekindled my connection with faith. I finally found peace with who I was as a person and truly began to believe that every failure that I had previously faced was all necessary to becoming the person I am today. The way to overcome failure is to recognize, own, accept and reflect. How fitting is it that the first letter of each of those words spells out “ROAR.” Being a C-SC Wildcat has made me roar, and that’s how this class will go into the rest of their lives ... confident, ready and roaring.
PASSING THE TEST: STUDENT ESSAY
A TO MY
FUTURE SELF BY MEGAN BLICKHAN ’19
Megan Blickhan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in public relations. During the 2019 Honors Day ceremony, she was recognized with the Susan V. Leftwich Spirit of CulverStockton Award. Blickhan grew up in Ursa, Ill., and now resides in Atlanta where she works as a medical recruiter for Jackson Healthcare.
culver.edu 42
POST GRAD
Laken Workman was like most college graduates in the spring of 2013 when she received her diploma from Culver-Stockton College. She had no idea what kind of job she could find. A two-week graduation trip with her mother helped Workman determine her life’s passion, though it took two years to find the ideal job. Workman, 28, now is in her third year working with rare African penguins at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the second largest aquarium in the world containing 10 million gallons of water. The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Whale Shark Exhibit Aquarium in China is the largest with 12.87 million gallons. When Workman and her mother went on that graduation trip, 43 Chronicle, Summer 2019
one of their stops was at the Georgia Aquarium. “I thought to myself, ‘I have to work here,’” she said. Workman credited biology professor Lauren Schellenberger, now the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, for helping her find a graduate program at Western Illinois University for zoo and aquarium studies. “I’ve always wanted to work with animals. I always was bringing in stray animals to the house and getting into trouble for that when I was a kid,” she said. “When I went to graduate school, I took an animal training class, and I saw that was what I wanted to do.” “From the moment she set foot on campus, Laken was always
POST GRAD focused on a career that involved animals,” Schellenberger said. “She took advantage of every experiential learning opportunity to build her resume, including also an internship at the Animal Protective League in Springfield, Ill.” Finding her dream job took a little patience, however. After finishing her one-year program at WIU, Workman did an internship at Scovill Zoo in Decatur, then moved to Georgia in 2014 with the hopes of receiving an internship at the Georgia Aquarium. “I applied a bunch of times, and they said no,” she said. So she did yet another internship in Clearwater, Fla., in 2015. She was only there five months before she applied for an internship again at the Georgia Aquarium. This time, she was hired. “They told me, ‘Now you have the experience,’” Workman said with a laugh. Six months later, she was kept as a full-time employee. Outside of Asia, the Georgia Aquarium is the only institution in the world housing whale sharks. The Aquarium’s most notable specimens include beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins and manta rays. Workman had hoped to work with the beluga whales, but during her internship, she spent most of her time working with African penguins – and she continues working with them today as an animal trainer on the Animal Training-Mammals and Birds team. Most people think of penguins living in cold/icy environments, and several of them do, but a number of species live in more temperate climates. African penguins typically are found in colonies on the coast and islands of southern Africa, according to animalfactguide.com. They are an endangered species, with only 50,000 of them living in their natural environment. African penguins make donkey-like braying sounds to communicate. They can dive under water for up to 2 1/2 minutes while trying to catch small fish such as anchovies and sardines. They typically are about two feet tall and weighs up to eight pounds. Their short tails and flipper-like wings help them navigate in the water, while their webbed feet help propel them. To keep dry and insulated in cold water, African penguins are covered in dense, water-proof feathers. “I clean the habitat, feed the colony and participate in our penguin encounter program,” she said. “I also help train our penguins’ many different types of behaviors. We train our animals to participate in their own voluntary health care, to be a part of our penguin encounter program, and even some fun or novel behaviors like spinning or to touch a target pole.” Workman says one of the most unusual but fun parts of her job is walking the penguins throughout the aquarium. “We can take them to many different galleries to see the other animals,” she said. “They have seen whale sharks, beluga whales, piranhas and so much more. I love seeing guests light up when they have no idea a penguin is about to walk around the corner. “A large part of my day as a penguin trainer is participating in penguin encounter programs. We actually bring people to a behind-the-scenes area to get their picture taken and see what
they feel like. Seeing the connection guests can make with these animals and teaching them about these endangered animals are some of the most fulfilling parts of this job.” Workman was a biology major during her time at CulverStockton. She believes biology provides a degree flexible to be used for many different careers, with some of her classmates already working in research, chemistry and nursing. Workman said a study abroad trip to Belize during her sophomore year helped make up her mind that she wanted to get into such a career. “Walking through the rainforest and learning about all of the native animals really made me passionate about teaching others about conserving these valuable ecosystems,” she said. “I really liked learning about conservation, and I liked when we went into the rain forest. When we went snorkeling, it helped with my scuba diving skills.”
Marlee (Robinson) Schwartz ’11 and Workman in the jungle during their study course in Belize in 2011. “While we were in Belize and Guatemala, her academic work made it clear that she had a drive to learn more about animals and the environment as well as a talent for sharing that passion with others,” Schellenberger said. Workman said many of the courses she took at CulverStockton had small class sizes, so any presentations she had to make as a student were more personal. “I believe that helped me with talking with guests about endangered African Penguins and conservation of all animal species,” she said. For now, Workman has no plans to stop what she’s doing. “I definitely like where I’m at,” she said. “I’m open to working with other species, but I won’t ever stop working with animals.”
culver.edu 44
CLASS NOTES 1950s Carol J. (Bodeen) Blair ’56 is now in real retirement mode, moving to Seminary Estates in Galesburg, Ill. She remembers the hard times of the Culver-Stockton Centennial years from 1952-1957. Mildred (Champion) Barnes ’57 fell and broke her right arm Dec. 28, 2018. She received therapy to regain range of motion. Jack ’57 and Midge reside at Westminster Shores in St. Pete, Fla. Gilbert Wojtal ’59 moved to Green Valley, Ariz., in 2015. He has participated in the senior Olympics and won three gold medals, three silver medals and is looking forward to earning more.
1960s Dan Douglas ’66, professor emeritus in applied linguistics at Iowa State University was selected as the 2019 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award, sponsored by Cambridge University and the International Language Testing Association, for distinguished service and scholarship in the field of language testing. Doug and his wife, Felicity, reside in Ames, Iowa. Jo-Ann Elizabeth (Little) Jennings ’66 is a hospital chaplain/pastoral care for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Okla., where she resides.
Peter Zakos ’67 is retired after 30 years in produce sales. He spends fall through the spring in Scottsdale, Ariz. and summer in Lombard, Ill. Frank and Kay (Leftwich) ’68 Ward celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June. They live in Farmington, Mo.
1970s Jenkins Davis ’70 received a PhD from Argosy University in Chicago. Jenkins is the director of sales and market development for Komatsu International. Tom ’75 and Donna (Trautwein) ’75 Claxton recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Tom and Donna are both retired from teaching. Tom taught 38 years, and Donna taught for 35 years. They have two sons and four grandchildren. They live in Pittsfield, Ill. Ron Dempsay ’76 and his wife, Mary Ann have moved to Cheyenne, Wyo. Ron is semi-retired and is self-employed owning a delivery business. Ron Moore ’77 was honored by the American Soybean Association (ASA) during the group’s banquet held at Commodity Classic in Orlando, Fla. Moore received ASA’s Distinguished Leadership Award, which annually honors a visionary leader with at least five years of notable state or national leadership service. Ron lives in Roseville, Ill. Rebecca (Suchy) Easton ’78 is dean of liberal arts for Amarillo College in Amarillo, Tex., where she lives with her husband, Steve. They have three children.
1980s Fred East ’82 is a district manager for Health Care Services Group, Inc. in Independence,
Mo. Fred’s wife passed away nearly three years ago. He has three adult children. Lisa (Brumback) Walker ’84 retired from teaching and is now enjoying serving in various ministries in her church. Her daughter, Kristen, was married Apr. 7, 2018. Lisa and her husband Greg live in Robins, Iowa. Brent Bondurant ’85 retired from Missouri Public Schools in 2015 after 29 years in education, serving as a teacher, coach and guidance counselor. He has been employed at the Memphis, Mo., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company since Sept. of 2015. He lives with his wife, Dana, near Memphis. They have three children. Jill (Roegge) Lehr ’86 attended Triopia High School’s awards assembly recently in Concord, Ill. Roegge wanted to thank the 22-member class for treating her son, Isaac French, with kindness throughout his school career. Isaac, a member of the graduating class, was born with Down syndrome. He was the first student to go through the Triopia school system with a significant disability. As a token of her gratitude to Isaac’s classmates, Roegge took funds that she had raised previously with a group of mothers with special needs children and gave each member of the graduating class a $300 award. Kevin ’89 and Stephanie Beck live in Mendon, Ill., where he serves as an insurance agent for Beck Insurance Agency.
1990s Stephanie (Adam) Arnold ’90 is employed as a retention specialist at Culver-Stockton. She has four sons, Matthew, Andrew, Adam and Eric. They reside in Quincy, Ill.
IN MEMORIAM R. Jean (Gragg) Nader ’43 Chester, Vt. • April 25, 2019
Patricia (McKeighan) Salyer ’50 Prineville, Ore. • May 5, 2019
Gene Brinkman ’58 Clermont, Fla. • Jan. 31, 2019
Leonora (Land) Field ’45 Turlock, Calif. • Nov. 27, 2018
Bonnie (Brinker) Epperson ’55 New London, Mo. • May 10, 2019
Roy Bryant ’59 Apache Jct., Ariz. • Jan. 25, 2019
Roger Ayan ’49 Boulder, Co. • Jan. 7, 2019
Jay Bower ’57 Quincy, Ill. • April 4, 2019
Donald Hodges ’59 Burlington, Wisc. • Jan. 15, 2019
Milton Moore ’49 Ann Arbor, Mich. • Feb. 16, 2019
Fredric Korsgard ’57 Sebring, Fla. • Nov. 30, 2018
Robert Ripley ’59 Belleville, Ill. • Dec. 26, 2018
45 Chronicle, Summer 2019
CLASS NOTES
WEDDINGS
Todd Wilson ’90 began a new position in Aug. 2018, as director of music at Germantown United Methodist Church, Germantown, Tenn. He also started seminary classes in Aug. 2018 and has been working with the Board of Ordained Ministry to become a Deacon in the United Methodist Church. His wife, Mary, is professor of music at the University of Memphis. She also is still performing all over the country as a professional soprano. Their son, Fletcher, is in the fifth grade. They have two Vizslas, Max and Ruby.
Connor Cramsey ’15 and Hannah Witte were married April 29, 2019 in Quincy, Ill.
Kevin Kelley ’92 has been promoted to the rank of captain for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He was also designated director of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. The Kelley family resides in Holts Summit, Mo. Joe Evans ’94 is the recreation specialist for the City of Boynton Beach, Fla., where he lives with his wife, Sheila. Norman Kallner ’94 has retired again as a principal network engineer. Norman and his wife, Mary, reside in Quincy, Ill. Chris Swain ’95 is a senior librarian for Broward County Libraries. Chris lives in Hollywood, Fla.
SHARE YOUR NEWS! Submit a class note for the Winter 2020 issue of The Chronicle
Brianne Guymon ’11 and Dave Musso were married at Lakeview Weddings in Camp Point, Ill., on March 16, 2019. Drew Horner ’16 and Hannah Strange were married in Bee Ridge, Mo. on May 5, 2019. Culver-Stockton friends in the wedding from C-SC were Josh Lee ’13, Cameron Morford ’15, Zach Shuman ’13, Drew Shuman ’15, Kyle Strange ’21, Kegan Brown ’18, Dalton Baker ’15 and Nick Janney ’16.
Hannah and Connor Cramsey
Erica and Dylan Green
Kara Mandrell ’00 married Brad Avis on June 1 in Mt Pleasant, Iowa. Members of the wedding party also Leah (Mandrell) Rolando ’03, Matt Rolando ’04 and Aaron Mandrell ’10. The wedding was officiated by David Yonker ’00. The couple will resides in Mt Pleasant. Barry Matthes ’11 and Daitre Monroe were married May 5, 2019 in Gulf Shores, Ala. Corey Meyer ’12 officiated. Other Culver-Stockton alumni attending were Chris Heimer ’04 and Daniel Cox ’10.
Brianne and Dave Musso © COURTNEY DUEPPENGIESSER PHOTOGRAPHY
Jody (Bartlett) Koebler ’91 is a HR Specialist for the State of Illinois. She lives with her family in Springfield, Ill.
Dylan Green ’14 and Erica Fields ’17 were married Nov. 17, 2018 at Waters Edge in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Hannah and Drew Horner
Brad and Kara Avis
Daitre and Barry Matthes
Paul and Renzi Ricketts
Paul Ricketts ’14 and Renzi Crowe ’15 were married Dec. 2, 2018 in Morrilton, Ark. at Camp Mitchell. They reside in Kansas City, Mo.
culver.edu > Alumni > Class Notes
George Rogers ’59 Moberly, Mo. • May 5, 2019
Stuart Moeller ’60 Riverside, Calif. • Dec. 3, 2018
J. Richard Miller ’63 Alton, Ill. • Feb. 27, 2019
Louis Unger ’59 Tinley Park, Ill. • Nov. 14, 2018
Carol (Hopkins) Swank ’61 St. Joseph, Mo. • Dec. 1, 2018
Eugene Buescher ’64 Saint Louis, Mo. • Dec. 29, 2018
Harold Graves ’60 Bryan, Texas • April 18, 2019
Thomas Theobald ’62 Carmel, Ind. • Feb. 2, 2019
M. Ted Buhl ’64 Arlington, Texas • Jan. 1, 2019
Kenneth Logsdon ’60 Leawood, Kans. • Mar. 4, 2019
Bonnie (Stephens) Fabian ’63 Aiken, S.C. • April 17, 2019
Robert Shaddick ’64 Mendota, Ill. • Jan. 8, 2019 culver.edu 46
CLASS NOTES Navy Reserves as an Ensign. She took the oath of commission on Sept. 21, 2018 and is serving as a Supply Corps officer based out of Jacksonville, Fla. Matt Rayl ’97 has been named principal at South Shelby High School in Shelbina, Mo. Matt and his wife, Sara (Hinkle) ’99 Rayl have a son and a daughter. Several Culver-Stockton College friends attended the Cubs game on May 26 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill. Those attending were back row: Ben Stoner ’95, left to right front row: Peter Beaulieu ’95, Brian Wittenberg, ’95, Kerry (Czerwinski) Carey ’93, Amy (Hochfelder) Beaulieu ’93 and Lynna (Cunningham) Jarmoc ’94. Their families joined them for a total of 22 in attendance. Larry Padgett ’96 and his wife, Erin, and their family live in Sparks, Nev. Larry recently accepted a production supervisor position for Panasonic Energy of North America at the Tesla Gigafactory. The Padgett family relocated from Nebraska to Nevada for the new position. Christine (Davis) Baker ’97 has been promoted to vice president of enterprise risk management and compliance for First Bankers Trust Co. in Quincy, Ill. Christine and her family live in Durham, Mo. Amy (McGinnis) Blowers ’97 was selected as one of 15 out of more than 180 candidates across the country to receive a direct commission into the United States
Janette (Rawe) Heath ’98 is the vice president of clinical excellence with Cornerstone, a community behavioral health agency. She has over 20 years of experience with Cornerstone. Janette lives in Carrollton, Ill. with her family. Erica Alexander ’99 received a doctorate in nursing from University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is an associate professor at BlessingRieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Quincy, Ill. She resides in Liberty, Ill. Victoria Buescher ’99 celebrated 10 years cancer free from stage 4 uterine and ovarian cancer. She lives in St. Louis, Mo.
Leighton Paisner in Kansas City, Mo., has been selected as a member of the 21st class of Ingram’s 40 Under Forty, which annually recognized the achievements and potential of young executives, professionals and community leaders. Jennifer and Jason ’05 Berhorst live in Leawood, Kan., with their two daughters. Aaron Boatman ’06 is a supervisor for Enterprise Data Management for Raymond James. He lives in Tampa, Fla. Misty (Brown) Cate ’06 recently accepted the position of interim vice president of enrollment management at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly, Mo. She oversees the areas of admission, financial aid, marketing and athletics. Cate resides in Quincy, Ill., with her husband George, her daughter Layla (McBee) and step-daughters Jovi and Rory Cate. Brad Funkenbusch ’06 has been named principal of Iles Elementary School in Quincy, Ill. Brad and Amber (Devlin) ’05 live with their children in Quincy.
2000s Rachel (Novak) Shoemaker ’00 is a PACU nurse at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., where she lives with her husband, John, and children, Justin and Victoria. Quentin Hamner ’04 has been named head football coach for Hannibal High School in Hannibal, Mo.
Jennifer (McReynolds) Berhorst ’06, an associate with the law firm of Bryan Cave
Brandi (Smith) Venvertloh ’06 graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in May 2019 with a doctorate in nursing education. She is an associate professor for Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing. She lives in Quincy, Ill., with her husband, Nick, and daughters, Millie and Hazel.
Lawrence Saeger ’65 Quincy, Ill. • Jan. 22, 2019
Patrick Mahoney ’70 Quincy, Ill. • Jan. 2, 2019
Timothy Young ’95 Hillsboro, Mo. • Dec. 14, 2018
Leroy Rohs ’67 Independence, Mo. • April 25, 2019
William Overman ’71 Northome, Minn. • Mar. 9, 2019
John Wickliffe ’96 Coatsburg, Ill. • Jan. 23, 2019
Joyce Martello ’68 Tinley Park, Ill. • April 5, 2019
Terri (Edwards) Kierstead ’77 Kirkwood, Mo. • Dec. 11, 2018
Jeffrey Wren ’97 St. Peters, Mo. • Feb. 7, 2019
Robert Johnson ’70 Glenview, Ill. • Dec. 26, 2018
Edward Nestor ’79 Saint Louis, Mo. • Jan. 30, 2019
Marilyn (Schmitz) Campen ’01 Canton, Mo. • Feb. 14, 2019
Tony Gavin ’05 has been named head boys coach for Rochester High School in Rochester, Ill. Tony and Beth (Bunte) ’04 have two sons Brooks and Grady.
IN MEMORIAM
47 Chronicle, Summer 2019
LEGACIES Hilary and Craig Bastert ’14 of Mendon, Ill. are parents of a daughter, Lylah Rey, born Mar. 5, 2019. Aiyla Jean Brewster was born Feb. 5 to Terrel and April (Welker) ’10 Brewster. The family lives in Anniston, Ala. Dylan ’14 and Erica (Fields) Green ’17 are parents of a daughter, Penelope Jane Green born Mar. 20, 2019. Alexis (Westerhausen) ’11 and Justin ’09 Gumm are parents of a son, Houston “Huey” Brooks Gumm, born Jan. 31, 2019. The Gumm family resides in Brookfield, Wisc. Abraham ’08 and Anna (Schlager) Leach ’06 of Sikeston, Mo., are parents of William Johannus Brereton Leach born March 5, 2019. Dan and Brogan (Uhlmeyer) ’12 McCutchan of Canton, Mo. are parents of a son, Dane Joseph, born Feb. 5, 2019. Dane’s grandmother, Cindy McCutchan ’95 works in IT at CulverStockton and great-grandfather is Bill Lloyd ’55. Janae (Pearce) McMahon ’08 and her husband Ryan welcomed their first child, Amelia Jane “AJ” McMahon on Nov. 20, 2018. They family resides in Gretna, Neb. Janae is a registered nurse clinic lead for CHI Health Family Practice and Internal Medicine. Ryan is an engineer and is currently employed with ConAgra Foods.
Jonathan ’10 and Kristin (Knupp) ’12 McReynolds are parents of a daughter, Leonora Charlese McReynolds on April 17, 2019. Grandparents are Jeff ’81 and Karla (Walters) ’81 McReynolds. The McReynolds family resides in Canton, Mo. Philip ’06 and Leslie Ricketts are parents of a son, Max Everett Ricketts born Apr. 26, 2019. The Ricketts live in Lexington, Mo. Will ’11 and Hannah Ryan are parents of a baby girl, Abigail Ann born May 16, 2019. Kent Ryan ’84 is grandfather. Will, Hannah and Abigail reside in Columbia, Mo. Ryan and Bethany (Shannon) ’08 Spilhaus are parents of a son, Griffin Wilder Spilhaus born on March 20, 2019. They Spilhaus family resides in Kansas City, Mo. A daughter, Kate Ezlyn, was born April 25, 2019 to Elise (Obert) ’12 and Clinton Sutter. The family resides in Quincy, Ill.
A daughter, Adler Elizabeth Carleton, was born to Brian and Chelsea (Taylor) ’07 Carleton on May 31, 2018. The Carletons reside in Columbia, Mo. Son, Grayson, born to Ethan ’13 and MaryKate (Barkley) ’13 Stewart on Apr. 12, 2019. The Stewarts reside in Trenton, Mo. A daughter, Emilia Noel Hoewing was born Jan. 26, 2019 to Austin ’17 and Morgan (Bringer) ’19 Hoewing of Canton, Mo. A son, Elam Douglas Clayton, was born to Randi Lee (Plunkett) ’16 and Joe Clayton of Palmyra, Mo. Jami (Zinn) ’07 and Seth ’07 Minter are parents of a son, Jase Philip Minter, born Feb. 7, 2019. Jase joins big sister, Addilyn. Nick and Brandi (Smith) Venvertloh ’06 are parents of a daughter, Millie Lou born Dec. 6, 2018. She joins big sister, Hazel. The Venvertloh family lives in Quincy, Ill.
Lylah Bastert
Aiyla Brewster
Erica and Penelope Green
Houston “Huey” Gumm
William Leach
Dane McCutchan
Janae, Ryan and Amelia McMahon
Jonathan, Kristin and Leonora McReynolds
Max Ricketts
Will, Kent and Abigail Ryan
Griffin Spilhaus
Kate Sutter
Adler Carleton
Grayson Stewart
Emilia Hoewing
Elam Clayton
Jase Minter
Millie and Hazel Venvertloh
culver.edu 48
CLASS NOTES Cristin (Conley) Wiggins ’06 is a casualty claims assistant for Cottingham & Butler in Dubuque, Iowa. She resides in Dubuque with her husband, Aaron. Seth Minter ’07 has been hired as an assistant basketball coach at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. Seth and Jami (Zinn) Minter ’07 have two children. Graham Johnson ’08 is the pitching coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks, a Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros baseball team. Zachary Miles ’08 is a sr. financial analyst, Corporate Finance for Nortek Air Management in O’Fallon, Mo. Zach lives in Lake St. Louis, Mo. Dr. Larissa (Lewis) Sorrells ’08 is the clinical coordinator of Passavant Rehab Clinic in Beardstown, Ill. Dr. Sorrell has her doctorate in physical therapy. Sorrells and her husband, Josh, live in Beardstown with their two children.
Ethan Stewart ’13 is the instrumental music director for Trenton Middle School and High School in Trenton, Mo. His wife, Marykate (Barkley) Stewart ’13 is a teacher at Rissler Elementary School also in Trenton. They have two sons, Cameron and Grayson. The Stewart family resides in Trenton, Mo. Karen (Livesay) Fitch ’15 and her husband, Nik, were selected to attend the Facebook Communities Summit in Menlo Park, Calif. in February. Karen operates a Facebook page, “A Better Way to Farm” which has 80,000 followers and over 1,000 comments per week. Her parents, Rod ’80 and Sheila Livesay, started the page in 2012. The Livesays live in Mount Sterling, Iowa, where they have a cattle operation and harvest corn and hay for the livestock. Nik and Karen live near Mount Sterling.
2010s
Chelsea (Edmondson) Maples ’15 received a doctorate in occupational therapy from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in May. She has accepted a position at Blessing Hospital in acute care.
Emily Gau ’10, CPA, formerly a supervisor in the Tax Services practice at Brown Smith Wallace, has been promoted to manager. As a manager, Gau supervises and reviews tax engagements for individuals as well as the real estate and professional service industries. Emily and her husband, Neil Gau ’10 reside in Fenton, Mo., with their son, Carter.
Anton Rimbau ’15 is an area manager for World Sensing with an office in Singapore. During the past three years, he has been instrumental in ongoing Loadsensing (the leading wireless monitoring system) projects and has spent the past five years traveling the globe representing different companies and handling key accounts across four continents.
Michael Sweeney ’10 and his wife, Maria, live in Downers Grove, Ill. Michael works for the DuPage county Public Defender’s Office as a senior assistant public defender.
Rachel Johnson ’16 is in her fourth year of veterinary school at the University of Illinois.
Joshua Roberts ’11 has been named head football coach at Keokuk High School in Keokuk, Iowa.
IN MEMORIAM Timothy Lyons ’07 Quincy, Ill. • Jan. 6, 2019
Iee Nee Yoon, Professor of Economics Wichita, Kans. • Sept. 5, 2018
Ceara (Flowers) Perkins ’16 Curryville, Mo. • Feb. 2, 2019
Trustee Emeritus
Former Faculty Bob Burtnett, Instructor of Math Hannibal, Mo. • Mar. 20, 2019 49 Chronicle, Summer 2019
Robert Ayers ’53 Canton, Mo. • April 28, 2019
INCLUDE CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE IN YOUR ESTATE PLAN “It takes a noble person to plant a seed for a tree that will one day provide shade to those he/she may never meet.” –Dr. D. Elton Trueblood
Is an estate gift to C-SC right for you? When considering this question, alumni and friends often believe an estate gift is only for wealthy people. However, estate planning is something everyone should consider. Alumni and friends of the college at all economic levels make high impact gifts through their estate. CulverStockton College truly does change the lives of our students, and estate gifts to our endowment or another area of the College will impact the lives of students in perpetuity. A person can designate an estate gift to Culver-Stockton College in the following ways: • Will/bequests • Include the College as a beneficiary (life insurance, IRA, mutual fund, bank account) • Trusts • Deed real estate to C-SC Planning an estate is a very personal matter. As a family or individual does the important work of planning their estate, the Advancement Office would count it a privilege to work with a donor to make an impactful legacy gift. Gifts of all sizes do make a difference on “the Hill.” For additional information about how you can leave your legacy at CulverStockton College, please contact: Steve Miller, Director for Advancement of Major Gifts and Planned Giving 573-288-6440 or smiller@culver.edu culver.planmylegacy.org
CULVER-STOCKTON HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. I’VE
MADE LIFELONG FRIENDS LIVING IN WELDON HALL AND HAVE CREATED SO MANY MEMORIES THAT
I’LL ALWAYS HOLD DEAR TO MY HEART. I CAN’T WAIT TO GRADUATE
AND HELP INNER CITY
YOUTH IN LOW INCOME AREAS AND HELP THEM CHANGE THEIR LIVES. –DAREON JONES ’19
Culver-Stockton College One College Hill Canton, MO 63435
SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE
HOMECOMING OCTOBER 18-20, 2019
More details inside on pages 35-36!
SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE
SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE
SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE
Parents: If this issue is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at home, please notify the Advancement Office at 800-755-CATS or at advancement@culver.edu.
51 Chronicle, Summer 2019