...WHERE GOD WILL LEAD YOU.”

Freshmen in the Rose Theater listen while alumni talk about Black History Month, (seated L-R): Hamilton Terrell ’83, Ivan Nugent ’99, and Cornell Ellis ’08.

Alumni Breakfast Series Highlights the Future of KC

Nearly 100 Rockhurst High School alumni attended the second installment of the Alumni Breakfast Series in 2021-22, held on March 31, 2022. They gathered in the multipurpose room of the Hawklets Center to listen to three panelists speak on the topic of “The Future of KC: 2023 and Beyond”, discussing ongoing and upcoming developments in the KC Metro area.

The discussion was moderated by Michael Judy ’99, managing director at Dysart Taylor. The panel consisted of Michael Carmona, Program Director of the Community Capital Fund and former Director of Community & Business Development of the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation; Steve Miller ’76 , former two-term Chair of the Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission; and Joe Reardon, President & CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Visit www.rockhursths.edu/ alumni/alumni-events for information on upcoming events.

STEAM Program Earns Recertification

In the spring of 2017, Rockhurst High School became one of the first schools west of the Mississippi, and the first school in Missouri or Kansas to become STEM-certified (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; and Rockhurst includes Arts to form “STEAM”) through AdvancED, which is now Cognia. On March 8, 2022, a Cognia representative visited Rockhurst to conduct the STEM Recertification Review.

This representative spoke with school stakeholders, including faculty members, students, parents, and community partners about Rockhurst’s STEAM efforts and endeavors.

Rockhurst received its continued certification for the next five years with Cognia as a STEM-certified school. Cognia’s senior director midwest region shared the following regarding Rockhurst’s review: just read your report and the final narrative that said you transitioned to all new leadership AND still created all of those courses and increased opportunities in the field! And that was done during COVID! It seems with those enhancements you certainly moved forward at a good clip, so I’m not sure how to interpret what thought was a reference to the transition slowing down progress. Anyway, congrats on your continued leadership in STEAM education! Perhaps… it’s time to resurrect your hosting another STEAM conference. Is that something you’re open to doing again? I believe whether schools jump in to get STEMcertified or not, students benefit from increased STEM opportunities.

“WHAT MAKES KANSAS CITY GREAT IS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY OF THOSE PIECES THAT PEOPLE ARE PROUD OF - WHETHER IT’S US ALREADY LIVING HERE, OR PEOPLE COMING INTO THE CITY AND REALIZING THAT THIS IS WHAT KANSAS CITY IS ABOUT.”

-MICHAEL CARMONA

“WE NEED NOT FEAR CHANGE. AND THAT’S WHY I THINK ROCKHURST-EDUCATED PEOPLE NEED TO BE ON THAT CUTTING EDGE OF HELPING TO BE THE LEADERS OUT THERE WHO NEVER FEAR CHANGE.”

-STEVE MILLER ’76

“I DON’T BELIEVE THAT IN DEVELOPMENT ONE THING HAS TO BE AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER. YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRING EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO BRING IT UP - AND I THINK THAT’S THE CHALLENGE IN FRONT OF US.”

-JOE

REARDON