NCC Fall24-Winter25 Magazine

Page 1


IN EVERY ISSUE

ON THE COVER

On Nov. 9, 2024, Hailey Poe made history when she won the USA Triathlon Collegiate Division III National Championship for the fourth straight time — becoming the first North Central athlete to win the same women’s championship four consecutive years.

She and all of the standout student-athletes featured in this issue were photographed by Steve Woltmann, who was recently inducted into the North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame. The primary photographer for Cardinal athletic teams since 1980, Woltmann has documented the efforts of thousands of student-athletes and hundreds of teams as they have chased and achieved excellence.

FEATURE STORIES

05 Research Gets Boost from NIH Funding

In College News, a faculty member received a significant National Institutes of Health grant — making North Central one of just a few liberal arts schools nationwide to ever receive the prestigious award.

08 Homecoming 2024

Coinciding with Family Weekend, Homecoming 2024 was a celebration of North Central’s past, present and future! See how alumni and current students, with their families, showed and shared their Cardinal pride.

14

Standout Student-Athletes

North Central College Cardinals set an example for all of Division III athletics. Meet eight current student-athletes who excel as leaders in both athletic competition and in academics.

p. 12
p. 08

I’ve never only wanted to be one thing. I think that being at a place like North Central brings that personality out … you can pursue many interests. This is a very humbling honor. I am proud to be a Cardinal.”

Dr. Ben Youel ’09 in accepting his Alumni Recognition Award on Oct. 17, 2024

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northcentralcollege.edu/ magazine

Visit us online at northcentralcollege.edu // northcentralcardinals.com

Editorial Director

Kim MacGregor

Creative Services

Mary Bass M ’21

Contributing Writers/ Production

Jeremy Borling ’02

Hannah Brauer

Sam Fretto ’24 / M ’26

Nancy Jensen

Kara Kots ’18 / M ’23

Nicholas Osterloo ’19 / M ’21

Mary Reynolds

Olivia Rosenberg ’25

Clark Teuscher

Vice President for Communication and External Affairs

Jim Godo ’93

Please direct all correspondence to: Editorial Director North Central College 30 N. Brainard St. Naperville, IL 60540

Email: oic@noctrl.edu

We welcome your feedback!

The content deadline for this issue was Nov. 22, 2024.

p. 21

D E A R C A R D IN A L C O MM UNI T Y,

G reet in g s ! I t is a grea t honor to s er ve a s

pre s iden t of Nor t h C en t ral C ollege an

in s t i t u t ion I have grow n to love s in c e

ar r i v in g on c ampu s in 20 15

Af ter 4 9 year s in higher educ a t ion , Nor t h

C en t ral ha s bec ome home I grew up

in Niger ia an d a t ten ded a large s t a te uni ver s i t y t here before c omin g to t he U.S.

to a t ten d t he Uni ver s i t y of Mic higan . Two of my c hildren gradua ted f rom large public

in s t i t u t ion s , bu t my youn ge s t t hree c ho s e

Nor t h C en t ral O ne gradua ted in 2023 an d is b ac k for her ma s ter ’s degree M y w i fe,

Jennie, an d I al s o have a s ophom ore here, an d our youn ge s t is a f re s hman .

A s bot h a p aren t an d a s pre s iden t , I c an tell you t ha t t he s c hool year got off to a grea t s t ar t New s t uden t s ar r i ved

Our work is guided by our sole purpose: to provide students with a transformational education that sets them up for their life journey.

eager to embrac e c ollege li fe Ret ur nin g

s t uden t s c ame b ac k w i t h s tor ie s of how

t hey s pen t t heir s ummer, of ten wor k in g

in in ter n s hip s or c on duc t in g re s earc h

r ight on our c ampu s Sin c e t hen , s t uden t s

have been wor k in g hard to lear n an d

bec ome t he f u t ure leader s t he wor ld

need s T he s tor ie s in t his is s ue gi ve you a

glimp s e of t ha t exci t in g t ran s for ma t ion ,

w hic h happen s t hrough t he wor k of our

dedic a ted f acul t y an d s t a ff an d w i t h

s uppor t f rom you , our alumni an d f r ien d s

To day ’s C ardinal s have inher i ted a r ic h

legac y of c omm uni t y, t radi t ion an d

exc ellen c e T ha t wa s ver y ev iden t dur in g

Homec oming/Famil y Weekend in Oc tober

I t wa s t r ul y s omet hin g to s ee genera t ion s of C ardinal s an d t heir f amilie s c elebra t ing toget her.

We are a t a pi vot al m omen t in t he his tor y of t his in s t i t u t ion To en s ure Nor t h

C en t ral remain s v ibran t an d relevan t , a group of f acul t y, s t a ff an d t r u s tee s are

developing a new s t ra tegic plan , w hic h

w ill s et our direc t ion for t he near f u t ure.

O ur wor k is guided by our s ole pur po s e: to prov ide s t uden t s w i t h a t ran s for ma t ional educ a t ion t ha t s et s t hem up for t heir li fe

jour ney

Your c on t inued en gagemen t is c r i t ic al

a s we m ove for ward . T hank you for your c ommi t men t to Nor t h C en t ral C ollege.

W ha t a pr i v ilege i t is for all of u s to be p ar t of t he C ardinal c ommuni t y !

B e s t regard s ,

A bió dún “G -P ” G òkè-Par iolá

P re s iden t

A C C E S S T O O P P O R T U N I T Y

Celebrating the Firs t Cohor t of Noyce Scholars — Future STEM Teachers

In Augu s t , repre s en t a t i ve s f rom ac ro s s

t he c ampu s c omm uni t y ga t hered to

c elebra te fi ve un dergradua te s t uden t s

w ho make up t he fi r s t c ohor t of Noyc e

S c holar s a t Nor t h C en t ral T he s t uden t s

are S T EM educ a t ion major s w ho plan

to bec ome high s c hool teac her s a f ter

gradua t ion . Eac h ha s rec ei ved a $ 20,0 0 0

s c holar s hip for t he 2024-25 ac ademic

year an d ha s been ma tc hed w i t h a f acul t y

men tor to prov ide guidan c e and s uppor t

T he s c holar s hip s were p ar t of a fi ve-

year, $ 1 4 5 million gran t awarded in June

to t he C ollege by t he Na t ional S cienc e

F oun da t ion ( NSF ) t hrough t he Rober t

Noyc e Teac her S c holar s hip P rogram .

I t wa s t he C ollege’s large s t NSF gran t

to da te an d t he four t h major NSF gran t

awarded to t he C ollege in t he p a s t t wo

an d a hal f year s . More t han $ 80 0,0 0 0

of t he award f und s annual s c holar s hip s

to undergradua te s t uden t s w ho are

un der repre s en ted in t he fi eld of

educ a t ion , are c ommi t ted to bec omin g

S T EM teac her s , and w ho dem on s t ra te

fi nan cial need

“What I love about this project is that it focuses on teaching, and teaching is what we’re all about at Nor th Central.”

D R K R I S T IN G ER AT Y

Provost a nd Vice President for Academic Affairs

T he gran t team wa s made up of f acul t y

member s D r L in d s ay Wex ler, a s s ocia te

profe s s or of educ a t ion; D r Su s an

Kempin ger, a s s is t an t profe s s or of phy s ic s ; an d D r Chan dreyee Mi t ra ,

a s s ocia te profe s s or of biolog y T he gran t

f un d s t he team’s C ommi t men t to Rec r ui t ,

Educ a te an d A s s is t Teac her s in Equi t y

(CRE AT E ) projec t , an in terdis ciplinar y

c ollabora t ion bet ween Nor t h C en t ral,

Elgin ( Ill.) S c hool Dis t r ic t U-4 6 an d

Elgin C omm uni t y C ollege CRE AT E

aim s to prep are an d plac e cul t urall y

re s pon s i ve biolog y, c hemis t r y, phy s ic s ,

env ironmen t al s cien c e and ma t hema t ic s

teac her s in high-need loc al high s c hool s

“Rec r ui t in g an d ret ainin g di ver s e teac her s

ha s been s how n to improve ac ademic

ou tc ome s for all s t uden t s , ” s aid Wex ler

“ T his gran t in c rea s e s our abili t y to rec r ui t ,

s uppor t an d t rain new S T EM teac her s in

Illinois to educ a te di ver s e popula t ion s

of s t uden t s in loc al, un der s er ved

c omm uni t ie s an d wor k toward s reducin g

ac ademic oppor t uni t y gap s . ”

In welc omin g t he c ohor t , D r. K r is t in

G era t y, provo s t an d v ic e pre s iden t for

ac ademic a ff air s , s aid: “ W ha t I love abou t

t his projec t is t ha t i t focu s e s on teac hin g ,

an d teac hin g is w ha t we’re all abou t a t

Nor t h C en t ral ”

(Pictured L to R): Viridiana Perez-Andrade ’26 (math education); Alex Marcoci ’24 (biology education); Isabelle Guerrero ’25 (math education); Sebastian Alicia ’26 (math education), and Anna Rojas ’26 (math education) make up the first cohor t of Noyce Scholars at Nor th Central

L E A D E R S H I P

Dr. Kris tin Gerat y N amed Provos t and V ice President for Academic Af fairs

D r K r is t in G era t y ha s been appoin ted

No

r t h C en t ral C ollege’s provo s t an d v ic e

pre s iden t for ac ademic a ff air s , bec omin g

t he fi r s t woman to s er ve a s t he C ollege’s

c hief ac ademic offi c er.

G era t y joined Nor t h C en t ral in 20 0 9 a s an

a s s is t an t profe s s or of s ociolog y Sin c e

t hen , s he s er ved in s everal in c rea s in gl y

s enior role s in ac ademic leader s hip,

in c ludin g direc tor of t he C ollege S c holar s

Honor s P rogram; a s s ocia te dean for

engaged lear ning; dean of engaged

lear nin g an d honor s program s ; an d

a s s ocia te provo s t D ur in g t he 2023-2024

ac ademic year, G era t y wa s s elec ted to p ar t icip a te in t he C oun cil of In depen den t

C ollege s (CIC) S enior Leader s hip Ac ademy,

a leader s hip developmen t program t ha t

prep are s higher educ a t ion adminis t ra tor s

for s enior leader s hip po s i t ion s

“ We are for t una te to have s omeone

w i t h D r G era t y ’s s k ill s , ex per ien c e,

s tead f a s t dedic a t ion to our s t uden t s ,

an d genuine c ommi t men t to Nor t h

C en t ral C ollege to s er ve a s provo s t , ” s aid

P re s iden t A bió dún G òkè-Par iolá . “She

br in g s a ho s t of impre s s i ve quali t ie s

to t he role, in c ludin g a s har p in tellec t

and s t ra tegic mind s et as a teachers c holar an d adminis t ra t i ve leader ; a devot ion to pro ducin g ou tc ome s of t he highe s t s t an dard; bro ad c ollabora t i ve ex per ienc e acro s s mul t iple areas of c ampu s ; deep under s t an din g of key is s ue s in higher educ a t ion; an d valuable net wor k s of c olleague s loc all y, na t ionall y an d glob all y ”

“I am honored to be named provo s t and v ic e pre s iden t for ac ademic a ff air s , an d I am eager to c on t inue s er v in g

an in s t i t u t ion t ha t I c are s o m uc h

abou t , ” s aid G era t y. “I look for ward to

c onnec t in g w i t h c olleague s , s t uden t s

an d our c omm uni t y p ar t ner s a s we

c on t inue to make Nor t h C en t ral C ollege

a d y namic plac e to teac h an d lear n . ”

Above lef t: S pea king at O pening Convoc ation in August. Above rig ht: Cong ratu lating a student d u ring the 2024 Honors Prog ra m

Cord ing Ceremony

O RTH C E NTR A L CO LLE G E n o r t h ce nt ra l co l l eg e ed u 4

About Dr. Geraty

E D U C AT I O N

• B A in His tor y -

Uni ver s i t y of Not re Dame

• P h .D. an d M. A . in S ociolog y -

In diana Uni ver s i t y

P RI O R R O L E S AT N O R T H C E N T R A L

• In ter im dean , S c hool of Bu s ine s s an d En t repreneur s hip

• A s s ocia te provo s t ; dean of en gaged lear nin g an d honor s program s

• A s s ocia te dean for en gaged

lear nin g

• Direc tor, C ollege S c holar s

Honor s P rogram

• A s s is t an t profe s s or of s ociolog y

G O V E R N A N C E

N aset Elected Board Chair

T he Nor t h C en t ral C ollege B o ard of

Tr u s tee s elec ted Mic hael Na s et a s i t s

c hair. Na s et began his tenure a t t he

c onc lu s ion of t he bo ard ’s annual meet in g

on May 3 1, 2024. He s uc c eed s Holl y Humphrey ’ 7 9, M D , w ho s er ved a s bo ard

c hair s in c e Januar y 2023.

Na s et is an in ter na t ional b u s ine s s leader

w ho ret ired f rom Ac c en t ure in 20 08

a s a glob al managin g p ar t ner He ha s

been a member of t he C ollege’s bo ard

s in c e 20 06, s er v ing a s a member of t he

E xecu t i ve C ommi t tee s in c e 20 13.

Na s et c haired t he C ollege’s P re s iden t ial

S earc h C ommi t tee in 20 12 He f acili t a te s

t he rela t ion s hip bet ween Nor t h C en t ral

C ollege and t he G uadalupe C en ter in

Imm ok alee, F la , helping un der pr i v ileged

s t uden t s f rom C en t ral F lor ida a t ten d

Nor t h C en t ral

“I have deep apprecia t ion for t he f acul t y

an d s t a ff a t Nor t h C en t ral C ollege w ho

wor k t irele s s l y ever y day to deli ver a

remar k able educ a t ional ex per ienc e for our

s t uden t s , ” s aid Na s et “I am humbled an d

in s pired to wor k alon g s ide my c olleague s

on t he bo ard in s uppor t of t he C ollege’s

mis s ion an d to b uild upon i t s s t a t u s

a s one of t he fi ne s t in s t i t u t ion s in t he

Mid we s t an d beyon d ”

T he B o ard of Tr u s tee s al s o welc omed t wo

new member s : Mic hael A llara M ’1 1, c hief

fi nan cial offi c er of t he Chic ago Tradin g

C omp any (ret ired ), an d Mar k Wr ight ,

pre s iden t an d CEO of Di ver s e Facili t y

S olu t ion s B ot h re s ide in Naper v ille

N E W G R A N T

Facu lt y M em ber’s Resea rch Gets M ajor Boost from N I H Fu nd i ng

Dr. Michael T. S tefanik , as sociate profes sor of p sycholog y and neuro science

in Nor t h C en t ral’s C ollege of A r t s an d

S cien c e s , rec ei ved a $ 6 32 ,0 0 0 gran t

f rom t he Na t ional In s t i t u te s of Heal t h

( NIH ) to s uppor t his wor k examinin g novel

t rea t men t s for pre s c r ipt ion opioid c rav in g

an d relap s e W i t h t he rec eipt of t his NIH

R 16 Suppor t for Re s earc h E xc ellen c e

(SuRE ) award , Nor t h C en t ral bec ome s

one of ju s t a few liberal ar t s s c hool s

na t ionw ide to ever rec ei ve t he re s earc h

gran t

S tef anik ’s re s earc h is focu s ed on

p a t hologic al c hange s t ha t t ake plac e in

t he brain’s reward s y s tem , c on t r ib u t ing

to t he t ime- depen den t in ten s i fi c a t ion of

pre s c r ipt ion opioid c rav ing His lab ha s

iden t i fi ed an d w ill f ur t her inve s t iga te a

unique mec hanis m by w hic h FDA-approved

dr ug s like ket amine wor k , s o t hey c an be

repur po s ed a s an t i-relap s e medic a t ion s

In addi t ion to f un din g re s earc h equipmen t

“I’m grateful to the NIH for recognizing our ability to do cutting-edge research here at Nor th Central College.”

D R MI C H A EL T S T EFA NIK Associate Professor of Psychology a nd Neuroscience

an d s upplie s over t he nex t four year s ,

t he gran t w ill prov ide t wo to t hree Nor t h

C en t ral C ollege un dergradua te s t uden t s

w i t h s uppor t for p aid s ummer re s earc h

po s i t ion s , t ravel to na t ional c on ferenc e s ,

an d ot her profe s s ional developmen t

oppor t uni t ie s

“I’m gra tef ul to t he NIH for rec ognizin g

our abili t y to do cu t t in g- edge re s earc h

here a t Nor t h C en t ral C ollege,” S tef anik

s aid “Mo s t of t he in s t i t u t ion s we’re

c ompet in g again s t c on duc t t heir s t udie s

w i t h f ull-t ime team s of ma s ter s , P h D , or po s t- doc toral t rainee s At Nor t h C en t ral,

we’re doin g t he s ame c aliber of highl y

c ompet i t i ve re s earc h in a 10 0 perc en t

un dergradua te env ironmen t ”

He added , “I t s peak s to t he in s t i t u t ional

c ommi t men t to fo s ter t he grow t h of our

s t uden t s beyon d t he c la s s room , an d

i t reall y highlight s t he quali t y of t heir

re s earc h c ap abili t ie s ”

The collective suppor t of Nor th Central alumni and friends makes transformative moments possible each day for our current students. We invite you to follow the College on social media to see those moments as they unfold all year long.

Enjoy these highlights from the fall semester.

No r t h C e n t r a l C o lle g e p ro u d l y we l c o m e d s t u d e n t s

a n d t h eir l ove d o n e s a t New S t u d e n t C o nvo c a t io n ,

c o m m e n c in g t h eir a c a d e m ic c a re e r s a s C a rd in a l s

“ Ea c h of yo u a r r i ve s w i t h u n iq u e g i f t s , q u a li t ie s a n d

n t r alc olle ge

t a le n t s To g e t h e r, yo u w ill g row a s a c o m m u n i t y of

le a r n e r s , a s f u t u re p rofe s s io n a l s a n d a s in d i v id u a l s re a d y to im p a c t t h e wo r l d a ro u n d yo u , ” s aid P re s id e n t

G ò kè -Pa r io lá

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

B a s e d o n t h e V irg in ia Wo o l f n ove l , “O r la n d o” by S a r a h

Ru h l w a s p e r fo r m e d by s t u d e n t s o n c e n te r s t a g e in t h e

T h e a t re a t Meiley- S w a ll ow Ha ll T h e s h ow w a s d ire c te d

by Je re m y O h r in g e r, a s s i s t a n t p rofe s s o r

Photo c red it: Thea tre D epa r tm ent

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

O n O c t 8, s t u d e n t s a n d f a c u l t y f ro m t h e Ma s te r of At h le t ic

Tr a in in g P ro g r a m vo l u n te e re d a t

t h e 20 24 Ch ic a g o Ma r a t h o n a s m o b ile t r ia g e m e d ic a l vo l u n te e r s s u p p o r t in g m o re t h a n 5 0,0 0 0 r u n n e r s Jo b we ll d o n e to a ll!

Photo c red it: Ath letic Tra i ni ng prog ra m

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

T h i s f a ll m a r ke d 10 ye a r s of No r t h

C e n t r a l ’s aw a rd-w in n in g C a rd in a l

F ir s t p ro g r a m! Ne a r l y 4 0 % of o u r

u n d e rg r a d u a te s t u d e n t s a re

fi r s t- g e n e r a t io n , m e a n in g n ei t h e r

p a re n t h a s c o m p le te d a fo u r-ye a r

d e g re e T h eir ex p e r ie n c e s a n d

p e r s p e c t i ve a re a p oin t of p r id e

a n d e m p owe r m e n t !

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

Ku d o s to No r t h C e n t r a l ’s C e n te r

fo r C a re e r a n d P rofe s s io n a l

D eve l o p m e n t a n d t h e m o re

t h a n 5 0 e m p l oye r s w h o m a d e

i t p o s s ib le fo r s t u d e n t s to g ain

v a l u a b le in s ig h t s in to in te r n s h ip

a n d f u ll-t im e c a re e r o p p o r t u n i t ie s

We’re exc i te d to s e e w h a t ’s n ex t

fo r o u r C a rd in a l s !

Photo c red it: Aya no S h i m izu ’26

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

T h e re s u l t s a re in! We a re p ro u d to h ave b e e n n a m e d a m o n g

A m e r ic a’s B e s t C o lle g e s by U S

New s & Wo r l d Re p o r t fo r 3 0

c o n s e c u t i ve ye a r s

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

T h e C o lle g e’s 3 8-p l u s s t u d y a b ro

D e s t in a t io n C o u r s e A b ro a d p ro g r a m s we re o n d i s p lay fo r

s t u d e n t s of a ll m ajo r s , m in o r s , b u d g e t s a n d c o m fo r

“ P le a s e, G o Aw ay !”

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

“ To d ay ’s In s p ire d Yo u n g L a t in a” b o o k la u n c h p rov id e d

s t u d e n t s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y to h e a r p e r s o n a l s to r ie s of re s ilie n c e, im p a c t a n d c u l t u re f ro m re a l-li fe a u t h o r s .

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

O n Nov 5, C a rd in a l ve te r a n s c a m e to g e t h e r fo r t h e

a n n u a l Ve te r a n s L u n c h w i t h t h e P re s id e n t W h ile

Nove m b e r m a r k s Ve te r a n A p p re c ia t io n Mo n t h a t No r t h

C e n t r a l , we a re p ro u d to re c o g n ize a n d s u p p o r t ve te r a n s

a ll ye a r l o n g T h a n k yo u to o u r s t u d e n t-ve te r a n s ,

No r t h C e n t r a l f a c u l t y a n d s t a ff w h o a re ve te r a n s , a n d

to ve te r a n s in t h e c o m m u n i t y fo r a ll yo u b r in g to o u r

c a m p u s a n d c la s s ro o m s !

n or t h c en t r alc olle ge

Homecoming was a weekend to remember! From Oc t . 17-20, Car dinals returned to the Nor th Centr al campus to reconnec t and make new, las ting memories together.

It was also Family Weekend! The lineup of events included exciting athletic s matchups and Homecoming Fest with both current Cardinals and alumni and their families celebrating together. Our No. 1-ranked football team hosted and prevailed over Nor th Park Universit y in a 69-0 shutout. O ther occasions during the weekend provided an oppor tunit y to honor distinguished alumni

50-Y E A R CL UB DINNER A ND INDUC T ION

202 4 AT HL E T IC H A L L OF FA ME INDUC T EE S

T he 20 t h Nor t h C en t ral At hlet ic Hall of Fame in duc t ion c erem ony took plac e on Oc t . 19.

IN D I V ID UA L IN D U C T E E S

• Johnny Crain '1 4 (men’s c ro s s

c ount r y/t rack & fi eld )

• Jo s h Delan c y '10 (foot b all )

• Madis on Ren f ro '16 Hou s er (women’s

t rac k & fi eld )

• A man da L ae s c h '10 / M '12 Sp ain

(women's c ro s s c oun t r y/t rac k & fi eld )

• Dominic Sulo '10 (foot b all )

• S teve Wol t mann (s pecial in duc tee)

T E A M IN D U C T E E S

• 196 1 men’s s w immin g

N A I A na t ional c hampion s

• 1962 men’s s w immin g

N A I A na t ional c hampion s

• 196 3 men’s s w immin g

N A I A na t ional c hampion s

• 1978 men’s c ro s s c oun t r y NC A A

Di v is ion III na t ional c hampion s

• 197 9 men’s c ro s s c oun t r y NC A A

Di v is ion III na t ional c hampion s

Fa l l 2024 / W i nte r 2025 n o r t h ce nt ra l co l l eg e.ed u/m a g a z i n e

I N G 2 0 2 4

HONORING OUR OU T S TA NDING A L UMNI

At a s pecial dinner an d award s c erem ony on Oc t 1 7, t he C ollege honored a dis t in guis hed

group of No

r t h C en t ral C ollege an d Shimer C ollege alumni for t heir exc ept ional

achievement s and leader s hip.

Lef t to rig ht: Ric k Guzma n, Major Genera l Stacy Jo Huser, Rev Kris Andros k y, Judith Brown El-Amin,

D r. Allison Bec kha m Davila, Peter Cooley, a nd D r. Ben Youel.

O U T S TA ND IN G A L UMNI AWA RD S

JUD I T H BR O W N ’69 EL-A MIN

A s a Nor t h C en t ral s t uden t , Judi t h El-A min wa s ex po s ed to ci v il r ight s ac t i v i t ie s t ha t took plac e t hrough t he wor k of Rev G eorge

S t A ngelo, t he C ollege c haplain a t t he t ime T ha t ex per ienc e helped s p ar k her c areer a s a c omm uni t y organizer, media tor an d re s tora t i ve ju s t ic e prac t i t ioner.

El-A min ear ned a b ac helor ’s degree in s ociolog y and p s yc holog y

f rom Nor t h C en t ral an d a J D in heal t h law f rom S t Louis

Uni ver s i t y She foun ded a media t ion s er v ic e s organiz a t ion to

help re s ol ve dis pu te s and improve decis ion-mak in g am on g

group s and in di v idual s w i t hin c omm uni t ie s , in c ludin g s mall

b u s ine s s e s , neighbor s an d youn g adul t s She al s o s er ved

a s a s s is t an t c or pora t ion c oun s el for t he Ci t y of Chic ago’s

Dep ar t men t of L aw, prov idin g legal c oun s el on in f ra s t r uc t ure

fi nancing and c ommuni t y development , including a ffordable

hou s in g ini t ia t i ve s She is an ac t i ve member of Nor t h C en t ral’s

Af r ic an A mer ic an A lumni A s s ocia t ion and a volun teer media tor

for t he C en ter for C on flic t Re s olu t ion

S TAC Y J O HU S ER ’9 4

Maj G en S t ac y Jo Hu s er is c omman der of t he 20 t h A ir F orc e a t

Fran cis E War ren A ir F orc e B a s e (A FB) in W yomin g , w here s he

is re s pon s ible for m ore t han 13,5 0 0 A ir men prov idin g nuc lear glob al s t r ike an d nuc lear weapon s s u s t ainmen t She prev iou s l y

c ommanded t he 625t h S t ra tegic O pera t ion s S quadron a t O ff u t t

A FB; t he 9 1s t Mis s ile O pera t ion s G roup a t Minot A FB; an d t he 90 t h

Mis s ile W in g a t Fran cis E . War ren A FB.

Two year s a f ter ear nin g a b ac helor ’s in p s yc holog y f rom Nor t h

C en t ral, Hu s er c ommis s ioned t hrough O ffi c er Trainin g S c hool

She ha s ex ten s i ve ex per ien c e in s p ac e an d mis s ile opera t ion s

She c ompleted s t a ff tour s in t he S ec ret ar y of t he A ir F orc e's

Legis la t i ve L iais on O ffi c e an d a t U.S. S t ra tegic C omman d , in addi t ion to s er v in g a s pr in cip al a s s is t an t depu t y adminis t ra tor for mili t ar y applic a t ion a t t he U.S. Dep ar t men t of Energ y ’s

Na t ional Nuc lear S ecur i t y Adminis t ra t ion in Wa s hin g ton , D C ,

w here s he a s s is ted t he depu t y adminis t ra tor for defen s e

program s to main t ain t he s a fet y, s ecur i t y an d reliabili t y of t he

na t ion’s nuc lear weapon s s toc k pile.

O U T S TA ND IN G A L UMNI AWA RD S

RICK G U Z M A N ’99

Ric k G uzman is t he execu t i ve direc tor of T he Neighbor P rojec t ,

a hou s in g an d c omm uni t y developmen t organiz a t ion t ha t

s temmed f rom a non-profi t he an d his w i fe c o -foun ded in 20 02 .

P rev iou s l y, a s depu t y c hief of s t a ff to t wo Aurora mayor s ,

G uzman wor ked on hou s in g , ec onomic developmen t an d

neighbor hoo d plannin g projec t s He al s o wa s a polic y ad v is or in

t he Illinois gover nor ’s offi c e, focu s ed on human r ight s , c r iminal

ju s t ic e an d t he dea t h penal t y m ora tor ium .

G uzman ear ned a b ac helor ’s degree in s ociolog y an d public polic y

f rom Nor t h C en t ral, followed by a J D f rom Nor t her n Illinois

Uni ver s i t y, w here he rec ei ved t he T hurgoo d Mar s hall Award

for Human Right s an d wa s la ter named Youn g A lumnu s of t he

Year G uzman s er ve s on numerou s loc al an d regional non-profi t

bo ard s , in c ludin g a s a t r u s tee of Waubon s ee C omm uni t y C ollege

A L UMNI RE C O G NI T I O N AWA RD W INNE R S

A L L IS O N BE CK H A M ’09 D AV IL A

O ne of ju s t 26 female pedia t r ic c ardiac s urgeon s in t he U S ,

D r A llis on B ec k ham Dav ila is an a t ten ding c ardiova s cular t horacic

s urgeon a t Lur ie Children's Ho s pi t al of Chic ago She s pecialize s

in neona t al an d in f an t c on geni t al hear t s urger y. She is al s o a

f acul t y member of t he Nor t hwe s ter n Uni ver s i t y F einberg S c hool

of Medicine.

Dav ila ear ned a b ac helor ’s degree in biolog y f rom Nor t h C en t ral,

t hen gradua ted f rom Nor t hwe s ter n Uni ver s i t y F einberg S c hool of Medicine. She c ompleted her general s urger y re s iden c y a t Loma

L in da Uni ver s i t y Medic al C en ter, w here s he wa s c hief re s iden t

She t hen c ompleted a po s t- doc toral fellow s hip a t Children’s

Ho s pi t al of Lo s A n gele s ; a c ardiot horacic s urger y fellow s hip a t

t he Uni ver s i t y of P i t t s b urgh Medic al C en ter ; an d a fellow s hip a t

B o s ton Children’s Ho s pi t al, w here s he wa s c hief fellow

A s a c linician an d re s earc her, Dav ila ha s inve s t iga ted neurologic al

ou tc ome s in prema t ure in f an t s a f ter c ardiopulm onar y by p a s s ;

pedia t r ic an d adul t hear t t ran s plan t ou tc ome s ; an d ou tc ome s

a f ter pulm onar y vein s teno s is s urger y.

WA L L O F W I T NE S S AWA RD W INNE R

K RIS K R AU S E ’0 1 A ND R O S K Y

Rev K r is K rau s e A ndro s k y is s enior p a s tor a t C omm uni t y Uni ted

Met ho dis t Churc h of Elm G rove, W is . She ha s m ore t han 20

year s of loc al c hurc h minis t r y an d leader s hip ex per ien c e, w i t h

her minis t r y focu s in g on b uildin g ecumenic al an d in ter religiou s

rela t ion s hip s loc all y, na t ionall y and t hroughou t t he glob al

c hurc h A n dro s k y s er ve s a s t he c hair of t he UM Ecumenic al an d

In ter religiou s Trainin g Net wor k : US A , a s s is t in g t he s t a ff of t he

C ouncil of Bis hop s

P E T ER C O O L E Y S ’62

D r Peter C ooley is direc tor of c rea t i ve w r i t in g , profe s s or of

En glis h emer i t u s , an d S enior Mellon P rofe s s or in t he Humani t ie s

a t Tulane Uni ver s i t y. In addi t ion to a b ac helor ’s degree in

humani t ie s f rom Shimer C ollege, he hold s a ma s ter ’s in ar t an d

li tera t ure f rom t he Uni ver s i t y of Chic ago an d a doc tora te in

m o der n let ter s f rom t he Uni ver s i t y of Iowa

C ooley ha s w r i t ten nine book s of poet r y, and his wor k ha s

appeared in t hree edi t ion s of T he B e s t A mer ic an Poet r y an d

in m ore t han 70 0 maga zine s in c ludin g T he New Yor ker, T he

At lan t ic, an d T he Par is Rev iew. He ha s gi ven readin g s aroun d t he

globe an d s er ved a s a U S repre s en t a t i ve to t he In ter na t ional

Poet r y F e s t i val in Wellin g ton , New Zealan d . F or 30 year s , C ooley

wa s poet r y edi tor of t he Nor t h A mer ic an Rev iew A m on g his

many award s , he rec ei ved t he P u s hc ar t P r ize an d t he Faulk ner

S ociet y ’s Mar ble Faun F ir s t P lac e P r ize in Poet r y

BEN YO UEL ’09

A s pecialis t in c omplex s urgic al or t ho don t ic s , D r B en Youel ow n s

G ray s lake O r t ho don t ic s in G ray s lake, Ill He majored in c hemis t r y

a t Nor t h C en t ral before ear nin g a doc tor of den t al s urger y degree an d c omplet in g an or t ho don t ic re s iden c y a t Uni ver s i t y of Illinois Chic ago ( UIC) He t hen c ompleted a ho s pi t al-b a s ed

re s idenc y a t Ad voc a te Illinois Ma s onic Medic al C en ter in Chic ago, w here he lear ned ad van c ed s urgic al tec hnique s an d how to

manage medic all y c omplex an d s pecial need s p a t ien t s .

Youel s er ve s a s a volun teer leader w i t h t he A mer ic an Den t al

A s s ocia t ion , t he Illinois S t a te Den t al S ociet y, t he Chic ago Den t al

S ociet y, an d t he Illinois S ociet y of O r t ho don t is t s . Youel, w ho is

bilin gual in En glis h and Sp anis h , volun teer s a t t he Chic ago Den t al

S ociet y F oun da t ion Clinic in W hea ton , Ill., prov idin g f ree c are to

t ho s e unable to a fford den t al s er v ic e s

A s a s t uden t , Youel wa s a t hree-t ime na t ional quali fi er an d t wo -

t ime NC A A Di v is ion III A ll-A mer ic an in w re s t ling . He wa s induc ted in to t he Nor t h C en t ral C ollege At hlet ic Hall of Fame in 202 1

A n dro s k y gradua ted f rom Nor t h C en t ral w i t h a degree in religiou s

s t udie s Af ter ear nin g a ma s ter of di v ini t y degree f rom G ar ret t-

Evan gelic al T heologic al S eminar y, s he s er ved a s a s s ocia te

p a s tor a t L ake S t reet UMC in Eau Claire, W is , t hen minis ter of dis ciple s hip a t F ir s t Uni ted Met ho dis t Churc h of Wauke s ha ,

W is In 20 12 , s he wa s inv i ted to s er ve on t he bo ard of direc tor s for Hebron Hou s e of Ho s pi t ali t y, In c L a ter, s he wa s hired a s execu t i ve direc tor, over s eein g t he c oun t y ’s large s t homele s s

s hel ter s y s tem

1 1 Fa l l 2024 / W i nte r 2025 n o r t h ce nt ra l co l l eg e.ed u/m a g a z i n e

Ps yc hologic al S t a t is t ic s ( P SYC 25 0)

is a c our s e t ha t many Nor t h C en t ral

alumni may remember a s a r i te of

p a s s age, e s peciall y i f t hey took i t a t 8 a m

w i t h D r K ar l Kelley

K now n for his engaging teaching s t y le

an d in fec t iou s p a s s ion for his fi eld , t he

profe s s or of p s yc holog y and Harold and

Eva W hi te Dis t in guis hed P rofe s s or in

t he L iberal A r t s rec en t l y reflec ted on 36

year s of teaching t he c our s e including

en c ouragin g s t uden t s to embrac e

lear ning a t an ear l y hour “I’d tell t hem i t

J U DY R U I Z ’25 C

wa s na t ure’s c a ffeine,” he s aid

T hough t he c our s e f ul fi lled t he ma t h

requiremen t for s everal major s , Kelley

al way s wan ted s t uden t s to lear n m ore

t han ju s t how to c on duc t , in ter pret an d

repor t s t a t is t ic al anal y s e s “ T he t heme

wa s mak in g bet ter decis ion s , mak in g

bet ter argumen t s an d mak in g f r ien d s , ” he s aid . “S t a t is t ic s is a s ocial ac t i v i t y. We

u s e number s to make bet ter decis ion s

abou t our li ve s an d to s ol ve problem s to

make t he wor ld a bet ter plac e ”

Se r vi ng U p
Lea rn i ng as N atu re’s Caffei

ne

“The best par t about learning from Dr Kelley is the stories he links with the material you’re learning about. With his positive energy, there’s never a dull moment in his class, even at 8 a m ”

F or t he fi r s t t ime s in c e ar r i v in g on c ampu s in 198 8, Kelley did not teac h P SYC 25 0 t his

p a s t f all s eme s ter However, he c on t inued to teach Indu s t r ial O rganiza t ional

P s yc holog y ( P SYC 270) an d Per s onali t y ( P SYC 320) T he la t ter s ubjec t hold s

s pecial appeal for him

“I love ever y c our s e, b u t t ha t is t he one I

t hink abou t t he m o s t , ” he s aid “I t ’s abou t

a s k in g: ‘ W ho am I? ’ an d ‘ W ho are we a s in di v idual s? ’ I t c hallen ge s s t uden t s to t hink abou t t hem s el ve s in way s t hey may

never have t hought abou t before.”

O ne Oc tober m or nin g , t he le s s on

focu s ed on in t rover ted an d ex t rover ted

per s onali t ie s Kelley s er ved up t heor y,

s cien c e an d s tor y tellin g w i t h real-li fe

example s A s al way s , he in f u s ed t he brew w i t h his s pecial bran d of energ y, s p ar k in g que s t ion s an d energet ic c onver s a t ion t ha t c on t inued well a f ter c la s s wa s dis mis s ed . “ T he be s t p ar t abou t lear nin g f rom D r. Kelley is t he s tor ie s he link s w i t h

t he ma ter ial you ’re lear nin g abou t , ” s aid

Jud y Ruiz ’25 “ W i t h his po s i t i ve energ y,

t here’s never a dull m omen t in his c la s s ,

even a t 8 a m ”

Lef t: A W WII-era photog ra ph u ncovered by the author in Ju ne du ring a trip to Estonia

She recog nized three relatives in the photo.

Photo cou r tesy of Nationa l Arc hives of Estonia, ERA R 1789 1 115

Acces sing and Approaching

H is torical M aterials

A suprising discover y reinforces a les son for Nor th Central’s archivis t

Un der s t an din g how t he p a s t s hape s u s

an d in for m s our pre s en t is impor t an t .

Equall y s igni fi c an t is loc a t in g t he

nec e s s ar y re s ourc e s to enlighten . W hen

I teac h Nor t h C en t ral s t uden t s how to

ac c e s s an d appro ac h his tor ic al ma ter ial s ,

I am remin ded of t his an d I wa s remin ded

again dur in g p ar t of my vac a t ion in June,

w hen I c on duc ted re s earc h a t t he Na t ional

A rc hi ve s of Es tonia ( Rahv u s ar hii v)

A s t he daughter of an immigran t , w i t h

a glob all y dis per s ed ex ten ded f amil y, I

wan ted to lear n m ore abou t my gran dma

an d my t wo grea t aun t s . A ll t hree were

dis plac ed f rom Es tonia in Wor ld War II. I

am t r y in g to piec e toget her s tor ie s not s hared an d que s t ion s una s ked

A dis c over y f rom one photograph

dur ing my re s earc h had me awe s t r uc k . I rec ognized my f amil y member s De s pi te

s ep ara te war t ime ex per ien c e s of forc ed

labor c amp s , evacua t ion an d c on s t an t

m ovemen t , t he t hree s is ter s c elebra ted

toget her in a dis plac ed per s on s c amp in

Lubec k in 19 4 8 T hey had foun d eac h ot her in war-tor n G er many. W hile I c on t inue

to c on templa te an d proc e s s t his piec e of f amil y his tor y, I am remin ded of t he availabili t y of re s ourc e s an d t he c r ucial

(an d awe s ome) role of arc hi ve s

I lear ned w ha t I did f rom a rep a t r ia t ion fi le. Af ter t he war, s omeone decided to ret ur n to S ov iet- oc cupied Es tonia f rom

G er many T ha t in di v idual had to gi ve an ac c oun t of her ex per ien c e s in t he We s t to gover nmen t offi cial s T he fi le c on t ained her hand w r i t ten s t a temen t , a te s t im ony of s or t s , w hic h de s c r ibed in terac t ion s

an d s tor ie s of my rela t i ve s , plu s t wo

photograph s . Af ter near l y 7 5 year s , t his

fi le s ur v i ved an d wa s available to me

bec au s e of an arc hi ve

A rc hi ve s ex is t “ to c ollec t , protec t an d make available” rec ord s of t he p a s t .

T his s uc cin c t mis s ion wa s ar t icula ted

by Dav id F er r iero, t he prev iou s arc hi v is t of t he Uni ted S t a te s , an d i t applie s to all

arc hi ve s , in c ludin g t ho s e a t t he C ollege

In my role a s t he head of arc hi ve s an d

s pecial c ollec t ion s a t Nor t h C en t ral,

I pre s er ve an d enr ic h our c ollec t ion s

an d f acili t a te c onver s a t ion s abou t

t he s e his tor ic al ma ter ial s . I am s impl y

b uildin g on t he wor k of t ho s e w ho s er ved

before me C omm uni t y member s s aved ,

dona ted an d s hared t heir piec e s of Nor t h

C en t ral an d Shimer his tor y O t her s had

t he fore s ight to for mall y e s t ablis h our

arc hi ve s , w hic h are cur ren t l y loc a ted in

t he Oe s ter le L ibrar y P rev iou s arc hi v is t s

and s t uden t a s s is t an t s helped c are for

t he s e i tem s .

T he s e effor t s to c ollec t an d pre s er ve our

s tor y, bot h in t he p a s t an d pre s en t , allow

u s a s a c omm uni t y to c elebra te m ore f ull y,

to reflec t an d que s t ion m ore s in c erel y, an d to hold our s el ve s ac c oun t able to

our mis s ion I t ’s a le s s on I love to s hare w i t h s t uden t s Ul t ima tel y, t he Nor t h

C en t ral C ollege A rc hi ve s help u s to plan a

p a t h for ward w i t h delibera t ion an d a r ic h

un der s t an din g of w ho we were, are an d aim to be

B Y: K R I S M A L D R E JA R O S IK

Head of Arc hives a nd S pec ia l

Collections

STANDOUT STUDENT-ATHLETES

North Central’s storied intercollegiate athletics tradition is about more than 45 national championships. Above all, it is about developing leaders on and off the playing field. Meet eight current student-athletes who bring distinction to themselves and to our institution through their achievement and commitment in the classroom and in their respective sports.

Poe Makes History, Earns Place Among NC Greats

It’s appropriate that Hailey Poe triumphs in a sport that encompasses three events: swimming, biking and running. Since the Bridgeville, Pa., native arrived at North Central four years ago, she has been impactful on campus in a multitude of ways. She seems to thrive when using her considerable talents in many directions.

On Nov. 9, Poe won her fourth individual collegiate national title in triathlon and led the Cardinals to

their third consecutive team national championship (see story on page 20).

Over the past four years, Poe has written a new chapter in the long legacy of winning North Central athletics programs. She has also helped blaze a path for future athletes to follow. Since 2014, triathlon has been an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women, with USA Triathlon driving the momentum to grow.

Poe not only excels in the demanding sport — training for countless hours in the pool, on the road, and on the track. She also distinguishes herself in the classroom and as a leader on campus.

In September, Poe became the first-ever recipient of a new USA Triathlon annual award to honor a women’s collegiate triathlete who excels not only on the racecourse but also demonstrates exemplary achievements in academics and community service. Poe traveled to Atlantic City, N.J., to accept the award during a gala event.

My favorite memory was our Elite Eight match against Carthage. Merner Field House was as packed as I have ever seen it, and we beat a team for the fourth time in one season. Previously they had been unbeatable for us. That match sent us to the Final Four for the first time in program history. Everyone stormed the court after we won. I was injured, so I went out with my leg brace and my crutches in the air.

Poe (right) and teammate Charlotte Kumler ’25 (left), who placed third at nationals.

HAI LEY

PO E ’25

S PO RT: TR IATH LO N

MAJ O R : ETH ICAL LEAD E R S H I P

AN D S PO RT MANAG E M E NT

H O M ETOWN : B R I DG EVI LLE , P E N N SYLVAN IA

WHY S H E STAN DS O UT:

• 4x indi v idual nat ional champion in t r iat hlon;

t he firs t C ardinal to w in t he s ame women’s championship four consecu t i ve year s

• C ollege S cholar s Honor s Program s tudent

• Pre sident , S tudent At hlete Ad v isor y C ommi t tee

• F ir s t-Year Mentor, Or ient at ion S t aff

• Volunteer w i t h Special Ol y mpic s

AU STI N

SCOTT ’25

S PO RT: M E N ’ S VO LLEYBALL

MAJ O R : G RAP H IC D E S IG N

H O M ETOWN : WALDO R F, MARYLAN D

WHY H E STAN DS O UT:

• Ac ademic A ll-Dis t r ic t and A ll-CCIW s tudent-at hlete

• Award-w inning graphic de signer

• S tudent-as sis t ant in t he C ollege’s spor t s infor mat ion office

To wrap up my career having ‘gotten the job done’ with four national titles is a full circle moment for me. It brings me back to the moment on my first campus visit when I realized I could be a champion. I wish I could tell that past version of myself just how m uch she would achieve.

ZACHARY LU N D E ’25

S PO RT: M E N ’ S GO LF

MAJ O R : E NTR E P R E N E U R S H I P H O M ETOWN : MAN HATTAN , I LLI N O I S

WHY H E STAN DS O UT:

• Ac ademic A ll-Dis t r ic t /S cholar A ll-A mer ic an

• Top 10 in program his tor y for be s t 18- and 36-hole rounds

• C ont r ibu ted to t he be s t team score in program his tor y

Some of my favorite moments while a part of the golf team happened while not even competing. What I think is so cool about being a part of a collegiate sport is the connections that you build The golf team here at North Central is so close that even while achieving success, my memories do not come from winning They come from hanging out with the team, like in a hotel during a tournament after a rough day on the course.

I came to North Central because the coaches are so passionate about the sport I knew I’d get better A memory that stands out is after we won nationals, we did a huddle celebration It felt so good to be together, to celebrate all our hard work I hope to leave a legacy of empower ment and resilience by demonstrating the strength it takes to balance academics, sports and personal grow th. I want to inspire future students to believe in their ability to overcome challenges and pursue their passions

AMAN I

JO N E S ’25

S PO RT: WO M E N ' S WR E STLI N G

MAJ O R : MAR KETI N G

H O M ETOWN : M C DO N OUG H , G EO RG IA

WHY S H E STAN DS O UT:

• Reigning 123-lb. collegiate and US A Wre s t ling U23 Nat ional Champion

• Bronze medalis t for Team US A at t he 2024 U23 Wor ld Championship s in A r menia

• 3 x S cholar A ll-A mer ic an

LU KE

LE H N E N ’24 / M ’25

S PO RTS: FOOTBALL AN D BAS E BALL

MAJ O R : S PO RT LEAD E R S H I P

H O M ETOWN : C HATHAM , I LLI N O I S

WHY H E STAN DS O UT:

• 2023 Gagliardi Trophy w inner in foot ball

• 202 2 Raw lings Gold Glove w inner in baseball

• Ac ademic and At hlet ic A ll-A mer ic an

• D3 all-t ime leader in tot al touchdow ns and consecu t i ve game s w i t h a touchdow n pas s

• 2024 W illiam V C ampbell Trophy finalis t

It truly is a cool feeling when you break a record. Most of the time, I am unaware that I’m approaching a specific record, which makes it an even better feeling when someone tells me I did. Having the opportunity to break records that have been set by some of the North Central greats is something very special.

BAR I CKMAN ’25

S PO RT: WO M E N ’ S VO LLEYBALL

MAJ O R : M EC HAN ICAL E N G I N E E R I N G

H O M ETOWN : G E N E S EO, I LLI N O I S

WHY S H E STAN DS O UT:

• Near l y 3,000 c areer as sis t s

• 3 x F irs t Team A ll-C onference

• Top 10 in program his tor y for c areer as sis t s and ser v ice ace s

S PO RT: M E N ’ S TE N N I S

MAJ O R : CO M PUTE R E N G I N E E R I N G

AN D AP P LI E D MATH E MATIC S

H O M ETOWN : CASTE LLO N , S PAI N

WHY H E STAN DS O UT:

• Mo s t single s and double s w ins in school his tor y

• 2 x NC A A Indi v idual Tour nament quali fier (onl y t he second C ardinal ever to be selec ted )

• Member of t he S ociet y of Hispanic Profe s sional Engineer s

• CCIW Player of t he Year

• Toget her w i t h her sis ter A bbi (a teammate and also a mechanic al engineer ing major), Maddi conduc ted re search and pre sented findings at a nat ional engineer ing conference. R AM O N VI L AR RO I G

I MARTI N E Z ’25

For me, the key to balancing mechanical engineering and volleyball has been good time-management skills and never being afraid to ask for help. The faculty at North Central College want to see you succeed and are willing to help in any way they can You just have to ask. I’ve spent lots of time in office hours for my engineering and physics courses working through homework problems with my professors Without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to exceed in my academics

JOCE LYN TROTTE R ’27

Being an international student at North Central has been a really enriching experience Thanks to the College’s international com m unity, I’ve made friends from all over the world It’s been incredible to connect with other students who understand what it’s like to be far from home. North Central has a good number of international students, so I’ve attended a lot of events where people showcase traditions from their home countries. It’s amazing because I feel like I’ve had a chance to experience and taste a bit of the world without even leaving campus.

S H E STAN DS O UT:

• 4 0 GPA

• CCIW F ir s t-Year S tudent-At hlete of t he Year in basket ball

• A ll-CCIW in high jump

• S ecured a cor porate mar ket ing inter nship af ter her f re shman year

It means a lot to be able to compete and learn on a college level I am also grateful to represent my school and be a part of a supportive com m unity that values hard work and effort. North Central felt like a great fit for me both academically and athletically Combining the amazing com m unity vibe, smaller class sizes, excellent psychology and business programs, and the opportunity to compete in both basketball and track, choosing North Central was the best choice.

Triathlon Makes It a 3-peat

C A RDIN A L S W IN T HIRD C ONSECU T I V E

N AT ION A L CH A MP IONSHIP

The Nor t h C en t ral C ollege women's

t r ia t hlon team c ompleted t he

t hree-pea t t ha t had been t heir go al

all s ea s on lon g w innin g t he 2024 US A

Tr ia t hlon C ollegia te Di v is ion III Na t ional

Champion s hip on Nov. 6 for t he t hird

c on s ecu t i ve year

F our C ardinal s fi nis hed in t he top s i x ,

ear ning all-A mer ic an s t a t u s , an d all s even

w ho c ompeted plac ed in t he top 13 ou t of

4 8 D 3 c ompet i tor s . Leadin g t hem all wa s

Hailey Poe ’25, w ho c apped her br illian t

c ollegia te a t hlet ic s c areer by w innin g t he

in di v idual na t ional t i t le for t he four t h t ime in four year s (s ee s tor y on p age 1 4).

Poe got off to a s t ron g s t ar t on t he

s w im , fi nis hin g four t h am ong Di v is ion III

c ompet i tor s . She fi nis hed fi r s t in t he bike

s ec t ion an d s ec ond in t he r un In t he end ,

her tot al t ime wa s a minu te and t hree

s ec on d s ahead of t he nex t Di v is ion III

c ompet i tor. Joining Poe on t he po dium

wa s Char lot te Kumler ’25, w ho fi nis hed t hird overall. I t wa s her t hird top -t hree

fi nis h a t na t ional s , mak in g her a t hree-

t ime A ll-A mer ic an B et hany Smeed ’26

took four t h plac e, w hic h wa s her t hird topfi ve fi nis h a t na t ional s She, too, bec ame a t hree-t ime A ll-A mer ic an

T he imp ac t of rec en t hur r ic ane s nec e s s i t a ted holdin g t he women’s

t r ia t hlon na t ional c hampion s hip over

t he c our s e of t wo day s a t L ake Louis a S t a te Par k in Cler m on t , F la , a s t he s w im

c our s e had to be m oved f rom i t s or iginal loc a t ion T he 7 5 0 -meter s w im took plac e t he fi r s t day, followed a day la ter by t he 20 -k ilometer bike and 5 -k ilometer r un

Nor t h C en t ral domina ted w i t h 525 poin t s

S ec on d wa s Tr ine Uni ver s i t y (30 9 poin t s), followed by C en t ral C ollege (26 1 poin t s);

W illamet te Uni ver s i t y (247 poin t s); an d C al v in Uni ver s i t y (2 13 poin t s)

I t wa s t he s i x t h team na t ional

c hampion s hip for t he program an d t he

s ec on d un der head c o ac h Ty ler Woo d ward M ’20.

l l eg

HAILEY POE ’25

4x Champion and A ll-A mer ic an

» P lac e: 1s t

» Tot al t ime: 0 1:05:0 3

CHARLOT TE KUMLE R ’25

3 x A ll-A mer ic an

» P lac e: 3rd

» Tot al t ime: 0 1:06:4 0

BETHANY SME E D ’26

3 x A ll-A mer ic an

» P lac e: 5t h

» Tot al t ime: 0 1:06:5 7

KE E LEY MICK ’28

F ir s t-t ime A ll-A mer ic an and Fre shman o f t he Year

» P lac e: 6 t h

» Tot al t ime: 0 1:08: 28

SYDNEY SPRAYBE RRY ’27

» P lac e: 10 t h

» Tot al t ime: 0 1: 12 :30

ABIGAIL ANDE RS ON ’25

» P lac e: 1 1 t h

» Tot al t ime: 0 1: 1 4:37

TAYLIN LE MKE ’25

» P lac e: 13 t h

» Tot al t ime: 0 1: 1 4:5 5

Men’s Cross Countr y Conference

Title Streak Reaches 50

The men’s cros s countr y team accomplished a rare feat at the College Conference of Illinois & W isconsin (CCIW ) championships on Nov 2 When the final scores were tallied, the Cardinals outpaced the field yet again, securing their 50 th consecutive CCIW title. The conference winning streak is the second longest acros s all college spor ts and all NCA A divisions.

“I t ’s a c ompletel y s pecial t hin g to be a

p ar t of,” s aid head c o ac h Ma t t Sinnot t ’0 3

“ T here’s a t hread t ha t goe s t hrough all 5 0

year s goin g b ac k to A l C ar iu s Ever y one

of t ho s e 5 0 (c hampion s hip s) is a s pecial

m omen t ”

Nor t h C en t ral won b ac k-to -b ac k C CI W

t i t le s in 197 1 an d 197 2 , b u t w hen C ar t hage

C ollege edged t he C ardinal s by a s in gle

poin t a t t he 1973 c on feren c e meet , few

c ould have predic ted t ha t t he C CI W t rophy

would t ake up re s iden c e in Naper v ille for

t he nex t 5 0 year s

Jon Mac nider ’ 76, w ho helped t he

C ardinal s to t he 1974 c on feren c e t i t le w i t h

his four t h-plac e fi nis h , rec all s t here bein g

not hin g p ar t icular l y remar k able abou t

t ha t day, exc ept for a bou t of s tomac h fl u

t ha t pu t t he C ardinal s’ rac e day lineup in to

que s t ion “ We didn’t even k now w ho wa s

goin g to be able to r un , ” Mac nider s aid .

Bu t r un t hey did an d w in

T here wa s no t alk a t t he t ime abou t

s t reak s or legacie s . Ju s t a de s ire to be

t he be s t team on t ha t day

“ We lo s t by one poin t t he year before,

s o we were ju s t t ak in g i t one rac e, one

s ea s on a t a t ime,” s aid Mac nider

A s t he C CI W w innin g s t reak ha s grow n , i t ha s bec ome a poin t of c onnec t ion t ha t

s p an s numerou s genera t ion s of C ardinal r unner s f rom a t hlete s w ho are now in

t heir 70 s to teenager s on t he cur ren t team

“ W hen I t hink abou t all t he people w ho have been invol ved in keepin g t he s t reak ali ve, i t ’s unbelievable,” Mac nider s aid

“I t ’s a grea t s ourc e of pr ide an d gra t i t ude to be a p ar t of i t ”

T he s igni fi c an c e is not lo s t on t he cur ren t

genera t ion of C ardinal a t hlete s

“ Wear ing t he jer s ey is s omet hin g I t ake

grea t pr ide in , ” s aid Emerald S v ien t y ’24 / M ’25, w ho added s ome addi t ional his tor y to t he oc c a s ion by c apt

rdin

K EEP UP W I T H YOUR C A RDIN A L S!

V isit nor thcentralcardinals.com for the most up-to-date stories

Wearing the jersey is something I take great pride in it’s very cool to be involved in something so longstanding that Al Carius and the previous teams got star ted.”

E ME R A L D S V IE N T Y ’2 4 / M ’2 5

M is sion Connection

Improving life in Africa is a pas sion Elie Imani ’25 shares with Rev. Dr. Howard ’58 and Mar y S trahan ’59 Mueller

T his year ’s recipien t of t he Reveren d

D r Howard Mueller ’5 8 A lumni B o ard

of Direc tor s S t uden t Invol vemen t

S c holar s hip is Elie Imani ’25, w ho dur ing his

s ophom ore year a t Nor t h C en t ral foun ded

a nonprofi t organiz a t ion t ha t is mak in g a

di fferen c e in his home c oun t r y of R wan da

D ur ing t he s c hool year, Imani is a f ull-t ime

Nor t h C en t ral s t uden t major ing in poli t ic al

s cien c e an d Chine s e, w i t h a c on c en t ra t ion

in et hic al leader s hip. At t he s ame t ime,

an d dur in g s ummer s s pen t in Af r ic a , he

r un s S a f ar i S t r i ve s , w hic h he foun ded

w i t h a focu s on c rea t in g prac t ic al, large-

s c ale s ocial en ter pr is e s to prom ote

ec onomic f reedom , enhan c e s el f-relian c e,

an d ad voc a te for heal t h w i t hin loc al

c omm uni t ie s

“M y wor k addre s s e s t he deep -rooted foo d

in s ecur i t y an d ec onomic exc lu s ion f ac ed by marginalized c ommuni t ie s , p ar t icular l y

t he in digenou s B a t wa group, c omm onl y

refer red to a s P ygmie s , ” s aid Imani, w ho

grew up in a f amil y of f ar mer s

S a f ar i S t r i ve s took root in 202 2 ,

w hen Imani bec ame a L E V F ellow s

S c holar s hip recipien t t hrough Nor t h

C en t ral’s Leader s hip, Et hic s an d Value s

( L E V ) program , w hic h is c ommi t ted to developing s t uden t s in to c han gemaker s

In his applic a t ion , he de s c r ibed his v is ion

for an organiz a t ion devoted to c han ge in

R wan da . D r. Julie Naga s hima , a s s is t an t

profe s s or of et hic al leader s hip an d

direc tor of t he L E V program , en c ouraged

Imani to pur s ue t wo s ourc e s of f un din g

t ha t c ould help him make S a f ar i S t r i ve s

a reali t y O ne wa s t he Miran da K

He s ton S c holar s hip for s t uden t s w ho

plan to c on s ider a li felon g voc a t ion

in humani t ar ianis m T he ot her wa s

t he Har t ner Chan gemaker Challen ge

c ompet i t ion , w hic h s uppor t s s t uden t s

w i t h innova t i ve idea s or s ocial ven t ure

propo s al s to c rea te po s i t i ve s ocial imp ac t

in bot h loc al an d glob al c omm uni t ie s .

F or Imani, a c r i t ic al in s ight s in c e laun c hin g

S a f ar i S t r i ve s is t ha t w hen c omm uni t ie s

k now how to genera te t heir ow n in c ome, t hey are bet ter equipped to make

heal t hier an d m ore s u s t ainable c hoic e s

F or example, one ini t ia t i ve is t he S a f ar i Chic ken P rojec t , w hic h prov ide s c hic ken s

t ha t pro duc e egg s to be s old a t loc al mar ket s P rofi t s are t hen direc ted b ac k to

t he c omm uni t y

In many way s , Imani’s wor k mir ror s t ha t of t he Mueller s Rev D r Mueller is t he

D r. C. Freder ic k Toennige s P rofe s s or of Religiou s S t udie s Emer i t u s D ur in g his 30 -

(Pictu red): Elie Ima ni ’25 (lef t) with Connor

McGu r y ’18 / M ’20 (rig ht) du ring footba ll

ha lf time on Sept 28, when Ima ni wa s

honored with the Rev. D r. Howa rd Mueller

’58 Alu mni Boa rd of D irectors Student

Involvement Sc hola rs hip McGu r y is

pres ident of the Nor th Centra l College

Alu mni Boa rd

year tenure a t t he C ollege, his s c holar l y in tere s t s in c luded Af r ic an religion s , and

t he c ouple were dedic a ted to mis s ionar y

wor k in Af r ic a

In a s t a temen t , t he Mueller s s hared: “B ot h of u s have t r ul y fel t t ha t eac h recipien t ha s been s o de s er v in g of t his award , and

Elie is no exc ept ion Hav in g li ved in Sier ra

Leone, We s t Af r ic a , we fi n d i t e s peciall y

in s pir in g to s ee all t ha t Elie ha s alread y ac hieved a s a leader. We’re fi lled w i t h hope imaginin g t he po s i t i ve imp ac t he c ould

have on his homeland an d beyond . T he po s s ibili t ie s for Elie to br in g meanin g f ul

c han ge to R wan da are boun dle s s , an d we’re s o gra tef ul to be a p ar t of his jour ney ”

Af ter he wa s s elec ted for t he s c holar s hip,

Imani had t he oppor t uni t y to meet his

benef ac tor s , an d t he v is i t re s ona ted w i t h him

“I fel t like I wa s lis tenin g to a s tor y I had

li ved bec au s e in many way s , I had , ”

he s aid . “ W i t hou t t he foun da t ion laid by

mis s ionar ie s like t he Mueller s , my f amil y

wouldn’t be w here we are to day, an d I

c er t ainl y wouldn’t be a t Nor t h C en t ral

C ollege.”

E X C E L L E N C E

C L A S S N O T E S 1969

EDWA RD JACKS ON w a s s e le c te d to t h e 20 23

Ma rq u i s W h o’s W h o in A m e r ic a a s we ll a s t h e

20 23 S t r a t h m o re’s W h o’s W h o Wo r l d w id e

1975

DON L OREN fi n i s h e d h i s 25t h h a l f m a r a t h o n a t

t h e Hig h B r id g e Ha l f in F a r m v ille, Va He w a s

t h e fi r s t a n d o l d e s t fi n i s h e r in t h e 70 -p l u s a g e

b r a c ke t

1982

K EN HEL BER G h a d t h e 16 0 0 -m e te r re lay a t t h e

Re d G r a n g e Inv i t a t io n a l , h o s te d by W h e a to n

Wa r re nv ille S o u t h Hig h S c h o o l in W h e a to n , Ill ,

d e d ic a te d to h im I t i s n a m e d t h e “ Ke n He lb e rg

4-by- 4 Re lay ” DAV ID RI VA I T w a s a p p oin te d by Illin oi s G ov J B

P r i t z ke r to s e r ve a s a c o m m i s s io n e r o n t h e

s t a te’s eig ht-m e m b e r B u d g e t in g fo r Re s u l t s C o m m i s s io n , w h ic h a d v i s e s t h e g ove r n o r o n

m a t te r s re la te d to t h e s t a te’s a n n u a l b u d g e t

(Note: “S” b efore c la s s yea r i nd ic a tes S h i m er a l u m ni. “ M” b efore c la s s yea r i nd ic a tes a m a ster’s deg ree ) 1 3 6 4 2 5 1987

A L U M N I S N A P S H O T S

1. Dr. Ammina Kothari ’06

2 . Katie Gannon-Cullinan ’06

3. Kai Ruggeri ’06

4 . Dr. Bridget Belcas tr o M ’99

5. Br y ’Shawna Walker ’2 2 (center)

6. Mat t Topic ’00

1983

PE T ER BRUNOEHL ER re c e n t l y la u n c

Le a r n in g in S o u t h e a s t A s ia: O ve rc o m in g 7 Key Ch a lle n g e s ” 1984

DAV ID MEUNIER re c ei ve d t h e A m e r ic a n Ch e m ic a l S

A c h ieve m e n t a n d P ro m ot io n of t h e Ch e m ic a l

S c ie n c e s ( Mid la n d S e c t io n) 1985

PHIL L IP BURK E re t ire d a f te r 3 6 ye a r s a t Mc D o n n e ll D o u g

n t

n t u

b e t we e n D u ke Un i ve r s i t y a n d Wu h a n Un i ve r s i t y l o c a te d n e a r S h a n g h ai

A PRIL D. FA L L ON b e g a n a s t h e d ire c to r of

g e n e r a l e d u c a t io n a n d a s s o c ia te p rofe s s o r of

En g li s h a t S ain t X av ie r Un i ve r s i t y in Ch ic a g o 1991

JOHN JACKS ON b e g a n a s p ro d u c t io n m a n a g e r, te c h n o l o g y t r a n s fe r le a d e r a t Mir u s B io, w h e re h e i s re s p o n s ib le fo r le a d in g a te a m of s c ie n t i s t s a n d c h e m i s t s a n d b u il d in g te c h n o l o g y t r a n s fe r c a p a b ili t ie s

S TACE Y L U T Z HIE T IK KO e a r n e d a m a s te r of e d u c a t io n d e g re e in le a r n in g d e s ig n a n d

le a d e r s h ip f ro m t h e Un i ve r s i t y of Illin oi s Ur b a n a - Ch a m p a ig n

1993

JENNIFER HEPKER was promoted to senior vice president at Prescott Medical Communications Group, where she has worked since 2001, supporting scientific literature for the Alzheimer drug Namenda and the multi-cancer detection test Galleri.

1997

JENNIFER NEMANICH SMITH published her debut children’s chapter book, “Wynn Parker is a Mechanic Today,” under her pen name, Jennifer Lynn. After six years working in the chemical industry and 18 years as a high school chemistry teacher, she is excited to begin a new chapter in her life as an author. The book can be found on Amazon, BAM!, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook.com.

BEN ROCKWELL was appointed senior vice president at Chubb Group after more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry.

1998

KATHY L. GUTHRIE published a new leadership book, “Foundations of Leadership: Principles, Practice, and Progress (Contemporary Perspectives on Leadership Learning).”

JENNIFER SMITH recently completed a Ph.D. in education at Governors State University in University Park, Ill. She specialized in interdisciplinary leadership with a focus on higher education administration. Her research was a phenomenological study that employed an anti-deficit framework to examine the lived experiences and success factors of recent Black podiatric medical graduates.

1999

BRIDGET BELCASTRO M ’99 recently received the National Association of Elementary Principals Distinguished Principal Award. Belcastro, who earned a master’s in curriculum and instruction at North Central, is principal of Johnsburg Elementary School in Johnsburg, Ill. She was the only Illinois recipient. 4

2000

GREG MERCER joined PlanSource as chief growth officer. He will lead the company’s go-to-market strategy and oversee sales, strategic partnerships and marketing.

MATT TOPIC was featured in Time magazine’s “Time100 AI 2024” for his work in representing newsrooms in a landmark lawsuit against OpenAI. Topic is a partner at Loevy & Loevy. 6

2002

WILLIAM JOHNSON began as executive director of high schools at Elgin Area School District U-46 in Elgin, Ill.

MARCOS OCHOA appeared on the long-running TV series “General Hospital.” In May, he attended the premier of “Bloody Bridget,” a film in which he co-stars, earning him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature at the HorrorHound Film Festival.

2003

ROB WHALEY M ’03 published his first book, “The Macho Man Chronicles - Volume 1.” The satirical work embraces friendship and camaraderie — values deeply instilled in him during his time at North Central as well as through his service in the U.S. Navy. The book is available in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and as an eBook via Amazon Kindle.

2004

MATT TIFFY won his 300th game as head baseball coach at Thorton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Ill., on May 1, 2024. After 21 seasons, he retired with 308 high school varsity wins for his coaching career.

2005

ANDREW DECRAENE was appointed assistant principal of activities at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Ill., within Consolidated Illinois High School District 230.

SHANNON PEART YOUMANS began as an oncology social worker at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle.

2006

KATIE GANNON-CULLINAN began as the senior associate director of operations at the Louisiana State University Student Health Center after nearly two decades working in housing and residential life. She received a doctorate in educational leadership and research from Louisiana State University. She also received the Southeastern Association of Housing Outstanding Contribution to Research award. 2

AMMINA KOTHARI was selected to serve as the dean of the Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Simmons University in Boston. 1

KAI RUGGERI was promoted to full professor at Columbia University in the department of health policy and management. He was also commissioned as an officer (2nd Lieutenant) in the United States Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base in March 2024, and will serve as a special warfare intelligence officer at the 274th ASOS, New York Air National Guard. 3

2007

RYAN DECKER , associate professor of economics and finance at North Central, was awarded the Marti Bogart Award for Distinguished Collaboration for his work leading the College’s Center for Financial Literacy.

ANGELA GROSKO began as chief strategy officer at Envision Unlimited.

JAMES LOOPER started as the science department chair for the Coal City Community Unit School District #1. He oversees science curriculum, implementation and instruction for grades 6-12.

PETER SIPLA appeared in Apple TV’s “Dark Matter” alongside Madelyn DePorter ’15.

2008

TIMOTHY BRODEUR started as the principal of Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Ill.

2009

SAMANTHA BLAKELY began as athletic director of sports medicine/athletics healthcare administrator at Barry University in Miami.

SEAN CARLSON ’09 / M ’11 was named director of cross country and track and field at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo.

2010

RIMA ZURIATIS is serving as a civilian volunteer, combat medicine certified, and tactical medicine instructor in Ukraine.

2012

JIMMY BARDUSK was awarded 2023 Teacher of the Year by the Pickens County School District in Easley, S.C.

JOE FIORE M ’12 was featured as a guest on the TechGuide podcast for his work as an entrepreneur. He is currently the vice president of operations and business development at the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization.

JOSH MCLEOD began as an eighth-grade math teacher at Westmont Community Unit School District 201 in Westmont, Ill.

2013

HEIDI BUYCK served as the choreographer for a production of “Footloose” at The Keeton Theater in Nashville, Tenn.

ALICIA TORIMOTO MCLEOD was promoted to director of athletics development at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

2015

M A DELY N DEP OR T ER a p p e a re d in A p p le T V ’s

“ D a r k Ma t te r ” a l o n g s id e a l u m n i Pe te r S ip la ‘07

R OBY N NOR T ON b e g a n a s t h e f u ll-t im e En g li s h

t u to r fo r t h e A c a d e m ic S u p p o r t C e n te r a t

Ric h a rd J. D a ley C o lle g e in Ch ic a g o. S h e a s s i s t s

s t u d e n t s w i t h w r i t in g p a p e r s a n d t u to r in g

w i t h in t h e c la s s ro o m to f a c ili t a te le a r n in g w i t h

t h e in s t r u c to r s

2017

JE S SIC A B OV ENK ERK w a s p ro m ote d to o n s i te

m a n a g e r a t a b r a n c h of Min n e s ot a B a n k a n d

Tr u s t in Ed in a , Min n . S h e ove r s e e s b r a n c h s t a ff,

p e r fo r m s a u d i t s , a s s i s t s w i t h c lie n t n e e d s ,

a n d p rov id e s s u p p o r t fo r a d d i t io n a l b r a n c h

l o c a t io n s

W IL L I A M DAW E S w a s p ro m ote d to t h e ro le of

a l u m n i re la t io n s a n d a n n u a l g i f t s o ffi c e r a t

Mo n t in i C a t h o lic Hig h S c h o o l in Lo m b a rd , Ill .

2019

JO JO GA LVA N w rote fo r t h e A m e r ic a n A llia n c e

of Mu s e u m s a b o u t h i s ex p e r ie n c e a s a fi r s t-

g e n e r a t io n s t u d e n t

2020

EMILY A DA MS b e g a n h e r G e r m a n Ch a n c e ll o r

F e ll ow s h ip w i t h t h e A lex a n d e r vo n Hu m b o l d t

F o u n d a t io n in p a r t n e r s h ip w i t h G e r m a n

Ch a n c e lle r y S h e w ill s e r ve a s a U S re p re s e n t a t i ve a n d re s e a rc h e r in G e r m a ny,

ex a m in in g p o lic ie s t h a t c re a te e c o n o m ic

o p p o r t u n i t y in d ein d u s t r ia lize d p la c e s S h e

e a r n e d a m a s te r ’s d e g re e in p u b lic p o lic y f ro m

t h e Un i ve r s i t y of Ch ic a g o Ha r r i s S c h o o l of

P u b lic Po lic y

2021

A NDRE W BIRD h a s b e c o m e a p il ot in t h e U S

A ir F o rc e He i s t r ain in g u n d e r t h e T-1: S im

O n l y p ro g r a m to le a r n n ew in t r ic a c ie s of ot h e r

airc r a f t s a n d fl y in g s im u la to r s 2022

JOHN AUGÉ e a r n e d a m a s te r ’s d e g re e in in te r n a t io n a l re la t io n s f ro m t h e Jo h n Ho p k in s

S c h o o l of A d v a n c e d In te r n a t io n a l S t u d ie s He

a c c e p te d a p o s i t io n a s p ro g r a m m a n a g e r a t t h e

C e n te r fo r S t r a te g ic a n d In te r n a t io n a l S t u d ie s

o n t h e C SIS A u s t r a lia Ch air p ro g r a m

ERIN MCDON A L D w ill s e r ve a s a n a d vo c a te

fo r t h e n ex t t wo ye a r s a s a m e m b e r of t h e

In te r n a t io n a l S o c ia l Ju s t ic e G ir l C o h o r t fo r

T h e S a l v a t io n A r m y

BRY ’SHAWNA WALKER worked at the Democratic National Convention in Chic ago as the media logis tic s manager for the 2024 Democratic National Convention Commit tee 5

2023

W

E

D D I N G S

DEREK R A RIDON ’ 13 a n d H A NN A H HOWA RD

’ 16/M ’ 19 R A RIDON o n A u g 10, 20 24 , in

Na p e r v ille A l u m n i in t h e we d d in g p a r t y

in c l u d e d: C ONNOR R A RIDON ’ 19, MI T CHEL L

R A RIDON ’0 9, A DA M CIC C ONE ’ 13, K E V IN

GIL L E SPIE ’ 12 , REBEC C A JA ME S ’ 16 GIL L E SPIE

a n d DE V IN O’NEIL L ’ 16 BECH T OL D 1

REBEC C A PER A INO ’ 18 S A L M a n d T Y L ER

S A L M ’ 16 o n Ju l y 8, 20 23, a t Kote n Ch a p e l

o n t h e No r t h C e n t r a l c a m p u s A l u m n i in

t h e we d d in g p a r t y in c l u d e d: K A I T LY N

HERRER A ’ 18 H A M A K ER , C A S S A NDR A

B I R T H

S

K EL LY AT OR ’ 1 1 B A RDUSK a n d JIM B A RDUSK ’ 12 , a s o n , C o o p e r Ja m e s , o n O c t 2 2 , 20 23

C o o p e r w a s we l c o m e d by h i s s ib lin g , C a nyo n , 3 4

ERIC BRECH T EL ’0 7 a n d A li s o n B re c hte l , a d a u g h te r, Em e r s o n ,

3, 20 24 , weig h in g 9

K AT E CR AW F ORD ’ 12 HL AVAC a n d S T E V E

HL AVAC JR . ’ 12 , a d a u g hte r, R y leig h , o n A u g 19, 20 24 , weig h in g 8 lb s , 7 oz , a n d m e a s u r in g 20 5 in c h e s . R y leig h w a s we l c o m e d by h e r s ib lin g , Ja xo n , 3 6

BRI T TA N Y CUFAUDE ’ 1 4 HOW EL L a n d D a n Howe ll , a d a u g hte r, Pey to n , o n O c t 27, 20 23, weig h in g 6 lb s , 13 oz 7

JORDA N S CHERPE-L ENCIONI ’ 15 a n d CHRIS T OPHER L ENCIONI ’ 10, a d a u g hte r, A m e lia

lb s , a n d m e a s u r in g 19 6 in c h e s T h e o d o re w a s we l c o m e d by h i s s ib lin g , C a ll u m , 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

T HORNE ’ 18 B OCHENZC A K , TAY L OR H A RPER

’ 1 7 S T RUMBER GER , T RINE T T E GA RDNER ’ 16,

A L E X A NDR A SMI T H ’ 1 7 a n d TAY L OR DEPAOL A ’ 16

REN AUD 2

A MBER WA RRING T ON ’0 4 S A MB OR SK I a n d Jo h n

S a m b o r s k i o n A u g 1 1 , 20 24 , a t Hote l B a ke r, S t

Ch a r le s , Ill O t h e r a l u m n i in t h e we d d in g p a r t y in c l u d e d: A L A N WA RRING T ON ’9 9 a n d A M Y

V IERR A ’98 WA RRING T ON 3

JUL I A SF URM ’92 a n d T h o m a s B o r i s h o n

F e b 20, 20 24 , a t S t Ra p h a e l C a t h o lic Ch u rc h

in Na p e r v ille

M AT T W H A L EN ’05 a n d L a u re n F in n e g a n

o n D e c 8, 20 23, a t A r row h e a d G o l f Cl u b in

W h e a to n , Ill T h e we d d in g p a r t y in c l u d e d t h e

fo ll ow in g a l u m n i: C OL IN DA LY ’05 a s b e s t m a n ,

EMILY SEL CK ’05, MIK DEMP SE Y ’0 4 a n d DA N

FINNEGA N ’2 2

Ro s e, o n Ma rc h 25, 20 24 A m e lia w a s we l c o m e d by h e r s ib lin g , L u c c a , 3 8

C A R E E R N E W S ?

G O T M A R R I E D ?

H A D A B A B Y ?

IN MEMORIAM

Our condolences to the families and friends of those we have lost. To notify us of a passing, please email classnotes@noctrl.edu.

THEODORE REBSTOCK ’49 of Grayslake, Ill., on Oct. 30, 2024.

ALLEN BEYLER ’50 of Urbana, Ill., on April 15, 2024.

ALICE HEINRICH ’50 BUCHHOLZ of Long Grove, Ill., on Aug. 2, 2024.

LEONARD BURCH ’50 of Elgin, Ill., on April 14, 2024.

CHARLES SEHE ’50 of Mankato, Minn., on Nov. 3, 2024. Sehe taught biology at North Central from 1961-64.

FREDERICK CHARLES HUNTER ’52 , known as Chuck, of Livonia, Mich., on Oct. 16, 2024.

CURTIS MATHISON ’52 of Farmington Hills, Mich., on May 6, 2024. Curtis was preceded by his wife, Patricia Hostetler ’52 Mathison.

EDWIN EIGENBRODT ’55 of Frisco, Texas, on June 12, 2024.

MARLENE BASSETT ’55 JOHNS of Lakeview, Mich., on Aug. 18, 2024. Marlene was preceded by her husband, Rev. Richard E. Johns ’53. Alumni survivors include her daughter, Jodi Johns ’89 Sullivant, and her sister, Rev. Donna Bassett ’58 Heck.

RICHARD OTTO ’55 of Scottsdale, Ariz., on Feb. 22, 2024. Richard was preceded by his alumni siblings, Virginia Otto ’50 Rumsfeld and Warren Otto ’49.

RICHARD (DICK) WEHRLI ’56 on July 27, 2024. Alumni survivors include son Scott Wehrli ’91 and niece Annette Wehrli M ’22. (See tribute on next page.)

MARCIA BORNEMEIER ’59 HARMAN of Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., on July 20, 2024.

GEORGE MUELLER ’60 of Hinsdale, Ill., on Aug. 18, 2024.

JAMES FANTHORPE ’60 of Oswego, Ill., on Sept. 1, 2024. Alumni survivors include grandson Aaron Fanthorpe ’10.

DOWARD DOUWSMA ’61 of Lisle, Ill., on June 8, 2024. Alumni survivors include his wife, Nancy Gerds ’61 Douwsma and daughter, Lynda Douwsma ’88 Frederick.

MARILYN FAUST ’61 WHITTLE of Bloomingdale, Ill., on July 8, 2024.

CHRISTINA SPIESEL S ’61 of New Haven, Conn., on June 1, 2024. Alumni survivors include her husband, Sydney Spiesel S ’61.

CLYDE UEBELE ’61 of Naperville, on Sept. 2, 2024. Alumni survivors include sister, Valerie Uebele ’54 Dudley.

CAROL MILLER ’62 WESTON WETZSTEON of Chicago, on April 19, 2024.

LARRY BRUMFIELD ’63 of Harlingen, Texas, on April 26, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Hahn ’63 Brumfield.

ROBERT NUCKOLS ’63 of Hendersonville, Tenn., on May 22, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Martha Ulrich ’63 Nuckols.

GERALD BROWN ’64 of Westmont, Ill., on Sept. 24, 2024.

ANN FARNAM ’64 VAN NORMAN of La Crosse, Wis., on Sept. 19, 2024.

STEVE BARNES ’65 of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on June 22, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Born ’67 Barnes.

JAMES HARTZELL ’65 of Albuquerque, N.M., on April 1, 2024.

CAROLE HURD ’65 of Minnesota, on Sept. 11, 2024.

ANNE CARPENTER ’66 TARBELL of Bolingbrook, Ill., on Aug. 3, 2024.

ODELL McFARLAND JR. ’68 of Whiteville, N.C., on April 19, 2023.

DENNIS HUFF ’69 of Goshen, Ind., on June 9, 2024.

LINDA CATTON ’71 LINDEMANN of Naperville, on July 2, 2024.

MARY WINGS S ’71 of San Francisco, on July 3, 2024.

RAYMOND ROSSI ’75 of Frankfort, Ill., on June 25, 2024.

PETER THANOS ’75 of Evergreen Park, Ill., on July 13, 2024.

CHERYL DUNCAN ’80 of Newbury Park, Calif., on July 8, 2024.

KRISTA SEIPLE ’84 KELCH of Batavia, Ill., on August 23, 2024.

ZOLA CLORE ’85 of Bolingbrook, Ill., on Sept. 23, 2024.

TERRY PAULSON ’95 WRIGHT of Oswego, Ill., on July 27, 2024.

Faculty Passings:

BARRY CODDENS on Aug. 7, 2024. He served as a faculty member in the chemistry and physics department from the late ’80s to the early ’90s.

MARY MCMAHON on Nov. 8, 2024. She had been a faculty member in the mathematics teacher education program since 1986.

JACK MOUSE on Aug. 8, 2024. He served for nearly 25 years as a faculty member in the music department, including as coordinator of jazz studies.

ANNE SHERREN on Aug. 10, 2024. She served as a faculty member in the chemistry and physics department for 35 years.

BONNIE ANDERSON ’78 SIMMONS of Downers Grove, Ill., on April 11, 2024. For 30 years, she taught accounting at North Central. She retired in 1998. Alumni survivors include Stephanie Simmons ‘89 Corr and Joanna Simmons ‘93 Koch.

A

L EGENDA RY C A RDIN A L Remembering Dick Wehrli ’56

Alumnu s an d L i fe Tr u s tee Ric hard

“Dic k ” Wehr li p a s s ed away in

Jul y, bu t his mem or y li ve s on a s a

larger-t han-li fe fi gure w ho had a deep

love for an d c ommi t men t to his alma

ma ter. T he s tor y behin d t he s t adium

t ha t bear s his name B enedet t i-Wehr li

S t adium is p ar t of Nor t h C en t ral lore.

I t ’s a s tor y t ha t need s no exaggera t ion ,

bec au s e i t s peak s to Wehr li’s imp ac t

on t he C ollege, an d to his w ill and

deter mina t ion to get t hin g s done.

In 1976, Wehr li alon g w i t h fellow

alumni A l B enedet t i ’4 8, L ar r y

G regor y ’51, an d Don Deetjen ’6 6

b uil t t he C ollege’s fi r s t a t hlet ic s

s t adium , by han d T hey s al vaged t he

bleac her s f rom O ld Spor t s man’s Par k ,

for mer home of t he S t Louis C ardinal s

major league b a s eb all team , an d

rea s s embled t hem on t he s i te of t he

cur ren t s t adium . T he Chic ago Tr ib une

dubbed t he fea t t he “$ 18,0 0 0 Mirac le

in Naper v ille.”

T he s tor y doe s n’t en d t here Two

dec ade s la ter, C ardinal S t adium

wa s ir rep arabl y damaged by his tor ic

fl oo din g Ra t her t han lamen t t he

de s t r uc t ion of t heir hard wor k , Wehr li

an d B enedet t i s aw an oppor t uni t y to

b uild a s t a te- of-t he-ar t f acili t y t ha t

would t ake C ardinal a t hlet ic s to t he

nex t level A new 5,5 0 0 -s ea t s t adium , including new t rack and fi eld f acili t ie s ,

c la s s room an d offi c e s p ac e, a t hlet ic

t rainin g room s , an d a m o der n pre s s

box , opened in 19 9 9 I t wa s named

B enedet t i-Wehr li S t adium in 20 0 3.

“ W hen t he fl oo d of 19 96 hi t , Dic k

Office of Alumni & Parent Engagement

embo died t he belief

t ha t we c an make

grea t t hin g s happen

a t Nor t h C en t ral w i t h

s wea t equi t y an d

human in genui t y, ”

s aid D r Harold W ilde

( H ) ’15, w ho s er ved

f rom 19 9 1-20 12 a s

t he C ollege’s nin t h

pre s iden t “ W i t hou t

his v is ion an d in s ight ,

B enedet t i-Wehr li

S t adium would not

have bec ome t he

remar k able b uildin g

t ha t i t is Dic k wa s

a ‘Big Man’ in ever y

s en s e a forc e, a

b ulldozer He wa s al s o

of ten t he s mar te s t

per s on in t he room

D ic k Wehrli (fa r rig ht) with La rr y Gregor y ’51 (lef t) a nd Don

Deetjen ’66 (middle) Along with Al Benedet ti ’48, they bu ilt the College’s first athletics stadiu m by ha nd.

His legac y is s o m uc h a p ar t of t he

C ollege’s phy s ic al c ampu s , an d yet he

wa s not ju s t a grea t b uilder ; he wa s

a grea t teamma te for t he s c hool we love.”

B ein g a grea t teamma te for Nor t h

C en t ral began w hen Wehr li wa s a

s t uden t He majored in b u s ine s s an d

wa s a four-year let ter w inner on t he

b a s ket b all team , s er v in g a s c o -

c apt ain his s enior year Af ter c ollege,

he enlis ted an d s er ved in t he A r my

Na t ional G uard of Illinois

Wehr li wen t on to bec ome a s uc c e s s f ul

en t repreneur and ci v ic leader

He s er ved on t he C ollege’s B o ard of Tr u s tee s f rom 198 1-20 0 4 and

V isi t t he A lumni webpage f or even t in f or ma t ion and regis t r a t ion , oppor tuni t ie s to ge t invol ved and way s to suppor t t he C ollege we love!

Either scan the QR code with your mobile device or direct your browser to our webpage nor t hcen t r alcollege.edu/alumni 6 30-6 3 7-5200 alumni@noc t rl.edu

c on t inued to s er ve a s a L i fe Tr u s tee un t il his p a s s ing Wehr li rec ei ved t he

C ollege’s O u t s t an din g A lumni Award in

197 7 an d t he G ael D S w in g Award for

Mer i tor iou s S er v ic e in 19 9 9, an d he wa s

in duc ted in to t he C ardinal At hlet ic s Hall of Fame in 20 06

Wehr li wa s mar r ied for 6 5 year s to his w i fe Judi t h “Jud y, ” w ho p a s s ed away in 202 1. T heir s on s , Rober t and S c ot t ’9 1, li ve in Naper v ille w i t h t heir f amilie s

A 19 9 1 gradua te of Nor t h C en t ral

C ollege and member of t he B o ard of

Tr u s tee s , S c ot t is cur ren t l y t he mayor of Naper v ille

L eave a las t ing t r ibu t e t o

Dick ’s Wehr li’s li f e. T he f amil y ha s a s ked t ha t mem or ial dona t ion s be direc ted to Nor t h C en t ral C ollege

V isit t he gi v ing page and choo se “Make a gif t in honor o f. . . ”

What’s Coming Up!

Alumni Calendar

JA NUA R Y - M AY 2025

Men’s Volley ball

A lumni Game & Recep t ion

January 4

12 p m Alumni Match

3 p m Alumni & Family Reception Features, Naperville, Ill

Chic ago Sin f onie t t a

S alu t e t o Dr. K ing

January 19, 3 p.m.

Wentz Concert Hall & Fine Arts Center

B as eball L ead- O ff L uncheon February 2

St Andrews Golf & Country Club West Chicago, Ill

A lumni B oar d Mee t ing

February 8

B aske t ball A lumni Ho spi t ali t y

February 8, 3 p m

2 p m , Cardinal Women vs North Park

4:15 p.m., Cardinal Men vs. North Park

Gregory Arena, Merner Field House

Men’s A lumni B aske t ball Game

February 8

Gregory Arena, Merner Field House

Naper v ille A le F e s t

February 22, 12-4 p m Frontier Park, Naperville

Educ a t ion A lumni E ven t

February 27, 2025, 5-7:30 p.m. Elements at Water Street, Naperville

His t or y A lumni E ven t

w i t h Dr. A nn Kea t ing

April 8, 6 - 8 p m

A A Smith House

B as eball A lumni Day

April 12

Zimmerman Stadium

Honor s Day/ Rall S y mpo sium f or Under gr adua t e Re s ear ch

April 15

Accoun t ing A lumni E ven t

April 24

C ollege S cholar s A lumni E ven t

April 25

C CIW Ou t door Tr ack & F ield

Championship s

May 2-3

Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium

C ommencemen t Weekend

May 2-4

Cub s v s . W hi t e S ox -

A nnual Cub s A lumni Game

10T H A NNUA L DAY OF GI V ING

Februar y 20

May 17, 2025

11:30 a m Cubby Bear 1:20 p m Game - Wrigley Field

vo ’06 Muir

Cha ir - Members hip Commit tee

Br yan Tay lor ’ 13 Lia ison Lead

S am F i tch ’ 1 7

Cha ir - Sc hola rs hip Commit tee

Jane A nder s on ’92 Clar k Commu nications Lead E

U T I V E C O M M I T T E E C AT CH OUR C A RDIN A L S T HIS SPRING!

S everal teams w ill be traveling dur ing spr ing break to compe te ou t of s t a te.

Wa tch nor thcentralc ardinals com f or team schedule s , upda te s and de t ails

B A S E B A L L

F eb. 2 1-23, 2025

C amelback Ranch

Glendale, A r iz

ME N’S A ND

W O ME N’S T E NNI S

Mar ch 7-13, 2025

Or lando, F la

W O ME N’S L A C R O S S E

Mar ch 10-12 , 2025 Por t land , Ore

ME N’S L A C R O S S E

Mar ch 1 1, 2025

Na shv ille, Tenn

30 N. Brainard S t . Naper v ille, IL 605 4

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