Happenings on the Hill

WILDCAT PERSEVERANCE

While chasing down a free kick, freshman soccer player Sierra Schlemmer took a knee to the stomach that resulted in a lacerated pancreas requiring a several week long hospital stay. After undergoing life-saving surgery, her food choices were restricted as she recovered in the hospital. With grit and determination, amazing medical treatment, and support from the Wildcat community, Schlemmer made a full comeback. When she did, her first food choice was a full order of honey BBQ wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. Her story of perseverance went viral, catching the attention of her favorite wing restaurant. Not only was Sierra’s return to the field celebrated by her Wildcat teammates, fans and family, but Buffalo Wild Wings got in on the action by gifting her with a pair of custom cleats. It was a sweet (and spicy) return to the game!

THE WINNING WIRE

Students and staff of the Wildcat Wire digital news site won several awards during the annual Missouri College Media Association, including first place for news photography and entertainment review. The Wildcat Wire digital news site debuted in August 2018 and continues student journalism at CulverStockton College as the sister to The Megaphone, which has been printed for over 100 years.

ALL-CONFERENCE, AGAIN!

For the first time in C-SC history, Andrew Rupcich ’22 was named to the NAIA AllAmerican Football Team for the second consecutive year. Rupchich is an offensive lineman for the Wildcats from Wonder Lake, Illinois and helped the C-SC offense average 339 yards per game. He will return in the fall to play one final season of Wildcat football.

TOP OF THE CLASS

The Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education recognizes outstanding first-year teachers for their impact in the classroom and this spring two Wildcat Alumni were named to the list of Outstanding Beginning Teachers. Courtney Feith ’19 and Kelley Hufendick ’20, M.Ed ’21 were both celebrated in their classrooms as thriving, first year educators who are setting the bar for excellence in teaching. Feith teaches eighth grade mathematics at Hannibal Middle School and Hufendick is a third grade teacher at Iles Elementary School. OUR FIRST PROVOST

In the spring, Dr. Lauren Schellenberger was named the College’s first Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Appointing her to this position will assist C-SC to enhance curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students of promise on “the Hill.” Schellenberger will create a unified vision and implement strategies to boost the entire student experience, aiding in retention, student success, student satisfaction and achievement in learning outcomes.

COLLEGE OF DISTINCTION

Culver-Stockton College has been recognized for its commitment to engaged, experiential education by Colleges of Distinction (COD), which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary as a one-of-a-kind guide for college-bound students. C-SC received specialized recognition in Business and Education. These additional accolades were received for college curricula provide both practical- and soft-skills development. Culver-Stockton has met these needs with a blend of liberal arts education, program-specific training and abundant opportunities for real-world application. In addition to these endorsements, C-SC was recognized as a top-Missouri and Christian college by COD.

AWARD WINNING ARTIST

Morgan Zavoral ’24 was the first student in C-SC history to receive the Initiate Scholarship from the Kappa Pi Art Honors Society, recognizing first year Kappa Pi members. Zavoral competed with other art students from across the United States and received this award with two other art students. Her work and artist statement will be published in the upcoming Kappa Pi magazine.

SPRING AWAKENING

The theatre department presented Sheik and Sater’s award winning musical Spring Awakening, as part of C-SC Academic and Cultural Events program. The production, directed by Dr. Haidee Heaton, Professor of Theatre, performed in April in the Alexander Campbell Performing Arts Center. The musical takes place in 1891 Germany, in a world of tight control, adolescent passions roil and noble intentions warp into meaningless structures. The storyline is based on the 1891 play of the same name by German PreExpressionist playwright Frank Wedekind. The musical styles of modern ballad and driving rock reflects ageless turmoil of coming of age that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. Musical direction by Dr. Scotty Allison, Assistant Professor of Music, and production design by Seth Campbell, Assistant Professor of Theatre, emphasized the timelessness of themes by utilizing a spectrum of dramatic techniques from ancient Greek masking to modern digital projections.

EDUCATION HALL OF EXCELLENCE

In 2007 C-SC established the Hall of Excellence to recognize distinguished alumni who have attained extraordinary distinction and success in their profession or life. This year we recognized Darrell A. Bodie Sr. ’73 and Robert Howe ’52. Bodie was a dedicated teacher for 35 years with the pedagogy that learning was best facilitated through real-life experiences. This award was given posthumously and accepted by his daughter as Darrell was a man of great integrity, determined work ethic and will be remembered for his dedication to service. Howe was also an educator, and found his life’s purpose in leadership roles serving the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP), and also founded the MASSP Missouri Scholars program that has become known as the premier high school graduate recognition program.

THE INAUGURAL COHORT

The first Master of Athletic Training cohort graduated this spring during unprecedented times that were especially challenging for healthcare professionals. During their time on “the Hill” they were able to complete over 3,000 clinical hours, participate in several service and professional leadership endeavors, undergo an accreditation site visit with the CAATE, and even finish in the top two for the 2020 Missouri Athletic Trainers’ Association Quiz Bowl! Pictured above, left to right: Dr. Christe Thomas, Hannah Dustin, Tom Greene, Stormy Simons, Dr. Jay Hoffman

MOORMAN PROFESSOR

Dr. Matthew Osborn, assistant professor of business, was recently named the Moorman Professor in recognition of his contributions in freeenterprise systems and expertise in teaching. The Moorman Professorship is a three-year grant that will provide elevated exposure to the importance of economic, legal and ethical principles of a free society. The Moorman Professorship at Culver-Stockton College is a featured designation of excellence for the faculty holder and signals to the academic community, as well as the regional community, the importance of informing and engaging emerging future leaders of the value of a free-market society, entrepreneurship, and strong personal character. This significant award will allow the College to advance the Division of Business, Education, and Law while also implementing engaging, community-focused programs and projects. Under the direction and leadership of Dr. Matthew Osborn, Moorman Professor, Culver-Stockton College has also named an inaugural Moorman Fellow. This fellowship position will support the educational activities of the Moorman Professorship along with the analytical research activities over the course of the Professorship. We are pleased to announce, along with Dr. Matthew Osborn, Moorman Professor, that Ms. Kyla Berrey has been selected as the inaugural Moorman Fellow.

CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT

The annual Honors Convocation took place on May 11 in the Alexander Campbell Auditorium to recognize exceptional performance of students, faculty and staff throughout the College. Awards were presented to students recognizing outstanding achievement in each area of study, student life, nursing, athletic and academic awards including the naming of college honors program graduates. The 2021 President’s Awards for Exemplary Service were presented to faculty member Julie Straus and staff member Tammy Ellison, both for their extraordinary contributions in and out of the classroom during an exceptionally challenging year. The Helsabeck Prize for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to Dr. Cindy Whiston, Assistant Professor of Education. The Walter S. Reuling Prize for Innovation in Learning was presented to Dr. Angel Knoverek, Assistant Professor of Psychology.

2021

RAISING THE BAR IN GIVING

"The Wildcat Family" lived up to its name this year when, in the midst of a global pandemic, Culver-Stockton College alumni, friends, faculty and staff, parents, and community partners showed up in a big way and shattered previous giving records. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the C-SC community, this year's Day of Giving, celebrated on the occasion of Mary Culver's birthday, saw more donations from more donors to support more programs and scholarships than ever before! To top off an incredibly successful year, Wildcat alumni from across the generations banded together and, for the first time in history, passed the previous alumni giving participation rate to reach an unprecedented 21% of graduates who supported C-SC this year. Thank you, Wildcats, for supporting the next generation of learners, thinkers, and doers who call Culver-Stockton College home. LIGHTING THE WAY

The Class of 2021 left their mark on campus by uniting their gifts to light the dome as their senior class gift. Susie and Ron Leftwich ’64 partnered with members of the graduating class to match their pledge of $5,395 for a total gift value of $10,790. Originated in 2011, the Leftwich family encouraged each graduating class to commemorate the beginning of their alumni journey by supporting the College with a gift that would serve as a reminder of their time on campus and also be enjoyed by future students. The class of 2021 chose to illuminate the dome with LED lights – lights of blue for Culver pride and that change colors for the holidays – red/green at Christmastime, red white and blue for 4th of July. The iconic dome at the top of “the Hill” has been a beacon for those traveling by, but a particularly meaningful symbol for those of us here on “the Hill.” Past projects include the video display in the Alumni and Advancement Office (2011), fire pit and seating overlooking the softball field (2012), walkway to the fire pit (2013), clocktower by Johnson Hall (2014), outdoor lighting (2015), tables for the Cats Pause (2016), Wildcat statue (2017), eco-friendly water fountains (2018), kiosk in the Gladys Crown Center (2019), and the patio next to the Wildcat statue (2020).

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE

The Homebank Endowed Scholarship in Ag Business Management has been established and designed for students from communities where Homebank currently has locations and is pursuing a degree in Ag Business Management. The geographic areas served are agriculturebased and the scholarship provides Homebank the opportunity to give back to these communities through this scholarship.

The new degree that will begin in the fall is a great opportunity for students seeking a business career with an interest in agriculture to receive financial assistance while working towards their educational goals. Awarding of the scholarship is decided upon by the financial aid department at Culver-Stockton College and requires students to maintain a 3.0 grade point average.