4 minute read
Victory Bell
A GEM OF A WILDCAT
Every kid who has ever picked up a baseball dreams of walking out on a field and playing in this type of arena,” Brad Gyorkos ’15, said, “These guys are some kid’s heroes, and I am humbled to be their coach this summer.”
The C-SC alumnus and current Wildcat baseball coach added a new title to his resume this past summer as the Head Coach for the Quincy Gems baseball team. Gyorkos said he was approached in the fall by owners Jimmie and Julie Louthan, and it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “The Gems understand
that my priority was to the Wildcats first, which was valuable to me. They asked me what qualities I looked for in players and recruited the talent. My responsibility as a coach began after Culver-Stockton’s season ended, so I could focus on what mattered most
at that moment.” Gyorkos said that coaching the Gems is very different from college baseball because, at C-SC, he is developing players, sustaining a program, and always concerned about the team.
“Summer ball is pure baseball, all the
time,” Gyorkos shared. He recalled one of his first games as the head coach early in the season. The Gems were playing at home, and the stadium was packed. The Gems were losing by quite a bit, and the energy in the field was abysmal. At that moment, Gyorkos realized that because these young players were here for baseball only and not yet forged by relationships, he had to find a new way to motivate his team to show up to the game. Gyorkos said yelling and raising his voice isn’t his leadership style, so that night in the somber locker room, as the team discussed the loss, he reminded each young man about why they fell in love with baseball.
The next night the Gems players decided to take the field to have fun, picking up their gloves and ball, playing as they did when they were kids. When they started playing for the love of the game, instead of playing out of habit, they began winning!
As the summer ends, the Gems players will return to their respective colleges, and Brad will come back to “the Hill,” but he is returning with new perspectives and goals that he learned with the Gems. Gyorkos said he is impressed with the Gems organization because “they deliver a
first-class product and are managed like a pro ball
team.” Details matter to Brad, and as someone who coaches with a positive mental attitude philosophy, he looks forward to implementing small acts that lead to significant results.
“It’s pretty cool to look out at the stands and see so many kids in the stadium with a baseball gloves. I reminded my players that people paid to watch them play, and those people expect us to do well. We have a choice to come out every game and have fun, just like when we were kids with a Wiffle ball and bat to play the game we love.”
Brad Gyorkos
“Little things make a difference,” Gyorkos said, “From how we hang our helmets in the dugouts to the way we test out new drills and even workouts in the bullpen. The little things will not go unnoticed.”
Whether he is coaching the Wildcats or the Gems, the Culver-Stockton alumnus considers himself one of the “luckiest guys in the world,” but it’s safe to say that our students also benefit from having “BG” as their mentor on and off the field.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Asthedemandsofoureconomychange,Culver-StocktonCollegeisrespondingbydeveloping majorstoprepare studentsofpromiseforcareers inadynamicworld.Forthe2022-23academic year, C-SCstudentscan choosefrom80+majorsandminors,includinga newundergraduate majoranda newgraduatedegreeprogram, bothofwhichare in-demandfieldsofstudy.
The National Council for Mental Wellbeing reported that 77% of counties in the United States are experiencing a severe shortage of mental health providers. That number is projected to increase as the COVID-19 pandemic closes. Dr. Angel Knoverek ‘93 experiences staffing shortages as a clinical psychologist and recognized the need for mental health professionals in our region. As a result, Knoverek and Provost Dr. Lauren Schellenberger have sought and received approval from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for C-SC’s newest graduate program: Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) to help meet the pressing need.
The MAC program is designed to develop the knowledge and skills needed to become an exceptional professional advocate in mental and behavioral health counseling and child advocacy networks. Knoverek is well-respected in her field for childhood trauma and developed the programs. She said,
The program will feature two specialty concentrations: clinical mental health and school counseling.
More details about the cohort style learning, accreditation, program details, and even discounts for alumni can be found at culver.edu/MAC. Our undergraduate students interested in data analytics and software development will have a new field of study this fall as the HLC approved Culver-Stockton’s request for the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Data Science.
The Computer and Data Science major combines traditional computer science coursework with data analytics to predict outcomes. Students will design, accept, process, analyze, and understand information that will enable them to become proficient in programming and data analysis.
More information about the new major that begins in fall 2022 can be found online at culver.edu/majors/computer-data-science/
“I’mvery excitedtohavethe opportunitytodeveloptheMasterof Arts in Counseling and look forward to advancing our students in their livelihoods as professionals, caring individuals, and contributors to their communities.”
-DR. ANGEL KNOVEREK ‘93
-PRESIDENT DOUGLAS B. PALMER
Scan here to learn more about in-demand majors!
