Donations at Work

CELEBRATING WILDLY SUCCESSFUL 24 HOURS OF GIVING

From noon on Thursday, March 17, through noon on Friday, March 18, the Culver-Stockton College community came together to raise money for the Student Scholarship Fund. Changing from the previous year’s one-day format, this year, C-SC alumni and friends of the College were asked to “Go Wild” and express their pride through generosity over 24 hours. In true Wildcat spirit, donations surpassed all expectations, and the giving event yielded the most amount raised for Student Scholarship Fund in program history! A generous anonymous donor pledged a dollar-for-dollar match for the first $50,000 in contributions earmarked for the 24 hours of giving, doubling the impact of each gift- simply wild!

MARCH 17-18 2022

The annual event kicked off with dining days at three alumni-owned restaurants in Missouri and Illinois. For lunch, C-SC supporters dined at Primo’s in Canton, Mo, owned by Jerrod ’00 and Brenna (Leonard) ’02 Phillips, or at Tiramisu in Quincy, co-owned by Ilija Cucuk ’03. In the evening, patrons could choose from LaBinnah Bistro in Hannibal, Mo, owned by Arif Dagin ’10, as the third alumni-owned dining option. This is the second year for the dining option to support the Student Scholarship Fund, and the feedback was wildly positive. “We are proud to partner with Culver-Stockton to help provide students the same opportunity that Brenna and I were fortunate enough to have,” Phillips said. “Any amount of help we can provide to the

College and its students allows us to pay back a tiny bit of what we received during our time on “the Hill.”

Gifts from 24 Wild Hours of Giving totaled $150,834, benefitting the Student Scholarship Fund, a WILD increase of $14,962 more than 2021! Thanks to the wild generosity of alumni, friends of the College, and anonymous donors, 100% of the funds raised are given to students to assist them in paying for their education.

THANK YOU FOR GOING WILD TO BENEFIT OUR STUDENTS.

ESTABLISHING FRIENDS OF THE ARTS

Culver-Stockton College has a rich history of producing outstanding programs in the arts through music, art, and theatre. The tradition of students gaining experience on the stage, in the studio, behind the scenes, and engaging arts education beyond the classroom is provided through the generosity of so many. To honor this tradition, C-SC established “Friends of the Arts” in February to recognize the generosity of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, corporate and private foundation partners, and friends of Culver-Stockton College who support the arts.

To date, 25 founding members serve as the cornerstone of this transformational, celebratory group! With an annual gift of $100 or more, anyone can become a partner of the organization. Friends of the Arts members receive exclusive events, early access to tickets, insider information and even backstage passes! Join Culver-Stockton College and celebrate our partners in the Friends of the Arts for the 2022-2023 year. For more information, contact the Advancement Office at 800-755-CATS or advancement.culver.edu/arts.

WRITTEN BY LESLIE SIECK

Every so often, our institution is fortunate to receive a gift that can only be described as transformative. These gifts are called transformative because they change us in a way that allows us to make a significant impact – on our school, our students, the community, and in this case, our entire region.

Earlier this year, Mr. Thomas A. Oakley announced a $1 million gift to Culver-Stockton College to establish it as the administrative home of the Tri-State Development Summit. He desired that Culver-Stockton College continue to promote an environment that would encourage the entire region to work together to address the issues that would allow our 36-county area spanning Northeast Missouri, Southeast Iowa, and Central Illinois to grow and thrive economically. The gift from Mr. Oakley provided funding for a full-time Executive Director and operating funds for a 5-year startup to organize an annual Summit Conference and gain momentum in implementing important regional projects and programs. Culver-Stockton College was pleased to announce Mrs. Leslie (Payne) Sieck as its inaugural Executive Director. In addition to serving as the Executive Director of the Summit, Sieck is also serving as the College’s first Vice President for Economic and Workforce Development. Almost 30 years ago, visionary community and business leaders joined with Mr. Oakley to create a collaborative approach to solving regional issues that impact all of us. They firmly believed that the communities in our area are dependent on one another, and by working together, they would be stronger. They were right! With a unified push, TriState Development efforts resulted in the completion of nearly 1300 miles of regional highway priorities, enhanced rural broadband access, highlighted the developing need for affordable housing, and successfully drew attention to other local impact initiatives.

Now, leadership from higher education will join the charge to drive positive momentum in economic and community development efforts in our region. Leslie (Payne) Sieck explains,

SAVE DATEthe

TRI-STATE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT

SEPTEMBER 15-16, 2022

CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE

For more information, please visit culver.edu/tsds “We are excited about having the Tri-State Development Summit housedatCulver-Stocktonandwhatthatwillmean forourfaculty, students,andcommunity.Weare committedtothesustainability andgrowthoftheregion,andwe arepleasedtoplayarole,” -shares Culver-Stockton College President Dr. Douglas B. Palmer.

The late Mr. Thomas A. Oakley & President Dr. Douglas B. Palmer “We are in a unique position to serve the region as a neutralcatalysttoencourage collaborations, spur discussions, and contribute to important decisions that will impact our communities, highlight the value of our region, and help push through the challenges that impede economic growth.”

The FINAL

ll great stories include a beginning, moments that define the characters, and a conclusion that brings full circle a “new normal.” Some stories take longer than others, but good stories include characters that encounter plot twists and challenges as they experience relationships that transform them into different versions of themselves from the beginning of their journey. A On Saturday, May 14th, Culver-Stockton College celebrated the 166th commencement for the class of 2022, with an all-faiths baccalaureate service taking place the evening before. The Charles Field House was filled as everyone anxiously awaited the 208 students earning their graduate and undergraduate degrees. The sun was shining on “the Hill” that Saturday morning as Chairman Ron Leftwich ’67 and President Dr. Douglas B. Palmer led the faculty and graduates through campus one final time. At the perfectly orchestrated moment, the doors opened to the field house, and the crowd rose to the sound of bagpipers. Smiles formed across the faces of parents and guests as they awaited this honored tradition of pomp and circumstance.

The graduates filed in, and the anticipated moment they had been waiting for arrived: their educational journey’s conclusion was upon them. President Palmer welcomed the guests to campus and introduced the platform party to officially begin the event. Krista Barth, ’22 took the stage to offer the senior challenge. The Bloomington, Illinois native graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Theatre. She was actively involved in many cross-cultural organizations on campus, including several leadership roles. She began by commending her peers for their perseverance, saying,

Lastly, she encouraged her fellow graduates to be joyous, gracious, and proud. Reflecting on the speech, Barth shared that offering the senior challenge was always her goal, and she was honored to address her classmates with her speech.

“When the odds were stacked against us, we made it.” The graduating senior reminded the graduates of their challenges throughout the last few years, including record low temperatures, flooding, and a global pandemic. “When we couldn’t show up in person, we logged on. We did it, and we did it well.” Her senior challenge reflected on collective life lessons learned at C-SC, saying, “Go where you are valued and always give 110%.”

Following the senior challenge was the keynote speech provided by Mr. Michael Elbe, President of John Wood Community College, who was presented an honorary doctorate moments before, celebrating his commitment to higher education. Elbe’s speech “Achieving Your Dreams,” reflected on 32 years in education that shared life lessons applicable to any graduate for the senior honorees.

Finally, the time came for President Palmer to approve the candidates for graduation. The men and women in cap and gown stood with anticipation and swelling with pride, the graduates moved their tassels to commemorate their newly awarded level of education. Each individual crossed the stage and received their degree, marking this date in history as a Culver-Stockton College graduate. The music began playing, the bagpipes resumed, and graduates soon gathered outside to celebrate.

For nearly 170 years, Culver-Stockton College has claimed commencement as “the final story” for our students of promise. Yet, in reality, we know this unforgettable day is the beginning of a beautiful story waiting to be written. Congratulations to our graduates for completing this well-deserved accomplishment in academia. However you decide to write your story, we are thankful that you chose to call “the Hill” your foundation for learning.