SUMMER 2015
READY FOR ADVENTURE
fromthepresident
“It occurred to me that it was high time for me to say ‘thank you’ to the many readers of SCENE who share their responses to this magazine with me.”
—President Tim Summerlin
Dear friends of Schreiner,
W
e all love feedback. Well, we love it when it is complimentary and usually learn to appreciate it when it is not. It occurred to me that it was high time for me to say “thank you” to the many readers of SCENE who share their responses to this magazine with me. Your responses are overwhelmingly positive. They begin with praise for how attractive the magazine is, and often you register how you appreciate keeping up with what is happening at Schreiner, knowing something about our faculty and reading stories about student accomplishments. I enjoy those stories too! More often than not, my response is, “Is this a great place to work, or what?” Quality is never an accident. Talented people who care a great deal about their work are responsible for SCENE, and they are the staff formerly known as University Relations (now Marketing, more on that later). Amy Armstrong manages the project. Visuals are handled by Stephanie Lopez Keller, who has won five CASE awards for the magazine, most recently a Gold Award last fall. John Sniffen writes much of the text, with Karen Kilgore pitching in as well. I receive and read many such magazines and would stack SCENE up against any of them. It is particularly timely to say thank you to the whole crew, because they and the rest of our marketing team are undergoing a major transition. On the first of June, marketing became a separate division headed by Vice President Lane Tait, reporting directly to the President. This affirmation of the central importance of marketing is the
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result of an external review of that office. Lane, as assistant vice president, has been overseeing our marketing for more than a decade. She sees her group as an internal agency whose clients are the other campus divisions. Unsurprisingly, their biggest client is enrollment services, but advancement, academics and athletics are also important. One of our misconceptions about marketing is that it is simple promotion, and some may ask why it is even needed if our deeds speak for themselves. Those in the profession remind us that true marketing is devoted to values of place, product and price before it addresses promotion. Its messages must be consistent with the realities of the enterprise or they will inevitably ring hollow. That is why marketing has been called “reputation management.” We treasure our reputation, and we don’t want to see it undermined. A decade or so ago, when we asked, “What do you know about Schreiner?” the answer sometimes was “it’s a two-year school,” or “it’s a military academy.” Thanks in part to our marketing effort, we seldom run into those outdated perceptions. Which brings us back to the fact that so many of you tell us how much you enjoy SCENE. We think you appreciate quality and that you find it in the learning you read about in SCENE as well as in the way it is presented. Is this a great place to work, or what? Tim Summerlin President
contents
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SUMMER 2 0 1 5
F E A T U R E S
I N
8 Faculty Awards
5
oncampus
25 focusongiving
8
facultyawards
26
SU Honors its Educators
10 Mountaineer Talk
T H I S
I S S U E
20 mountaineersports
classnotes
32 inmemoriam
Katie Bishop Takes on New York
12 Express Yourself Mortarboards at Graduation
22 RECALL Photos Homecoming Memories
onthecover A 2015 graduate expresses her feelings with a decorated mortarboard.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 3
behindthescene “I think most people flipping through this issue of SCENE will find themselves reflecting on their own years in college, their graduations and just how much has changed in their lives since that time.”
—Amy Armstrong
A
wise man once said, “The only thing that is constant is change.”
How true my friend, how true. I think most people flipping through this issue of SCENE will find themselves reflecting on their own years in college, their graduations and just how much has changed in their lives since that time. I distinctly remember sitting in my dorm room the night before my college graduation and thinking, “My life will never be this simple again.” Boy was I right, but there was a lot I was wrong about as well. For instance, I foolishly thought my student loans would long be paid off by the time I hit my 40s. Oops. That didn’t work out so well, but many things on the crazy path my life has taken have. It was during my time in college that I figured out I wanted to one day work for a magazine, preferably at a university. Bingo! I also thought there was an off (OK really, really off) chance I could be the next Alanis Morissette. So, that didn’t work out as well as the magazine gig. Moving right along. I guess we all have some dreams between that moment when we graduate and embark on our big, grown-ups lives and where we are today that evolve, fall apart and, yes, change. And that is OK. We can’t all be Alanis Morissette. Only she can and the best the rest of us can do is be our best, truest and happiest selves. That is what I wish for this year’s graduating class. That they find themselves diverging from, exploring and ultimately enjoying all the different paths their lives will take. Maybe their path will lead them back to the pages of this magazine in a class note or an alumni success story. Who knows where their paths will lead. Isn’t that wonderful.
Amy Armstrong editor
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SCENE magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Write to: scene@schreiner.edu or SCENE Magazine CMB 6229 2100 Memorial Blvd. Kerrville, TX 78028
oncampus
Staff Spotlight
Building a Connection by Amy Armstrong
Paul Camfield has been at the helm of alumni relations at Schreiner since 2006, and in that time he has seen a real shift in the way former students interact with their alma mater.
“When I arrived the organization was in transition,” says Camfield. “Now I am looking for alumni who can be mentors and role models and help with recruitment.” Before coming to Schreiner, Camfield was with the Gillespie County Historical Society for 11 years. The one constant for him during the past nine years at Schreiner is hearing the amazing stories of former students. “Our small universe allows for a lot of story sharing and I enjoy that so much,” Camfield says. “I have been so privileged to get to know so many amazing
people and hear the stories of how Schreiner has touched their lives.” Looking to the future of the Schreiner Former Student Association, Camfield says he hopes to have more alumni act as Schreiner ambassadors. “We are hoping to see increased financial support from former students,” says Camfield. “We also need the technology to make it easier for them to give.” Speaking of Recall, Camfield says he hopes to see an increase in the years to come, but he is realistic about the challenges. “I know there is a generational shift but, homecoming isn’t irrelevant,” he says. Camfield also mentioned the groups who meet off campus during Recall weekend. “We are excited about that,” he says. “Anytime you can get
a group of former students together it is a great thing. We hope they will start to integrate a little with Recall activities, like coming to the lunch.” When Camfield is not busy trying to grow SFSA, he enjoys spending time with his three kids and woodworking and artistic projects. “I am currently building a cabin out of all recycled material,” says Camfield, who completed his first recycled material cabin in 2010. Camfield says his time so far at Schreiner has changed him in many ways. “This is all about the people and their stories and this journey so far has transformed me in best ways,” he says. Photo: Paul Camfield’s four children.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 5
oncampus
Social Media
“He seemed agitated when skirting around the Schreiner Diner … proximity to skillets and gravy?”
“In other campus news, Schreiner Diner drops chicken from future menus.”
“Awwhh, so cute!” “Dare you to say ‘feral chicken flock’ fast 10 times.”
“Hoonie just makes me happy.” “We cannot confirm or deny that there will be a Hoonie Professorship in Poultry Science established at SU.”
“Let’s find a girlfriend for Hoonie!” JOIN THE CONVERSATION
‘Hoonie’ Adopts Schreiner
Sometime around the Christmas-New Year break, Hoonie the Ameraucana rooster arrived on campus. Staff in Hoon Hall and the
Elaine B. Griffin Welcome Center saw him outside their windows, and gave him his name. Despite predators and cold, wet weather—and occasional student attempts to catch him—Hoonie survived the spring term. His colorful presence and spirited morning crowing around the Quad seemed to please most on campus, although a few felt otherwise. For Recall, the Bookstore ordered Hoonie-inspired t-shirts created by Marketing Division graphic designer Jake Hawk Roa. The shirts, which feature the text, “Why did the rooster come to campus? Free-Range Education,” were a big hit. More than 100 sold and a second order is planned before the fall semester. Students and staff were asked in May to suggest how to spend part of the money raised through the Big Give SA crowdfunding effort. A coop with hens for Hoonie was one of the more popular ideas. What’s in his future? Stay tuned. In the meantime, Hoonie is here for the summer, welcoming incoming freshman as they arrive for Mountaineer Days orientation.
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Award-Winning
Cover
Stephanie Keller, Marketing Division graphic designer, was awarded a CASE Gold Award, for her design of the cover of the fall 2014 SCENE magazine. This is the third gold CASE award won by Keller, who also has a silver CASE award, for her work on the magazine. CASE District IV, includes Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
oncampus
The Power
Music of
Non-traditional Student Champions Performance Groups by John Sniffen
Schreiner University is steadily becoming more alive with the sound of music, and you can give Aaron Power part of the credit.
Encouraged by the university’s music faculty, the 31-year-old non-traditional student and accounting/finance major turned his sales experience to the music program’s advantage. When Power signed up for concert band in fall 2014, there were a halfdozen members and the group, in its second year, was very limited in what it could perform. “Aaron and I discussed the likelihood that numerous students already attending Schreiner may have played an instrument in high school, and might want to participate in the new concert band course,” says Dr. Donald Crandall, head of the music department. “We both felt charged to share the opportunity to participate in band for college credit with both music and non-music majors.” With that task in mind, Power created a paper banner and set up a table in front of the Schreiner Diner
last fall to talk with students coming for meals. A strong cold-front blew through that day, but instead of postponing his recruitment efforts, dressed in a heavy coat and knit hat he promoted the opportunities of the band program. “His efforts made a significant impact,” says Crandall. “The band grew from six students to a total of 24 members, quadrupling the student enrollment for the spring semester. Many of these were directly recruited by Aaron.” While band was his primary interest, Power also recruited members for other performing groups. Schreiner offers ensemble classes in University Choir, Concert Choir, String Chamber Ensemble, Symphony of the Hills Orchestra, Concert Band, and Jazz Band. In the spring the Music Department recognized Power’s efforts with a special “Ambassador of Music” award. “Personality, leadership and dedication are core characteristics of our performing group members,” says Michael Kasberg, director of the concert and jazz bands. “Not only does Aaron possess these characteristics, but his enthusiasm is contagious and creates a very positive environment among the band members.” “Music has always been a part of me,” says Power, who started playing the violin in the third grade, switched to alto saxophone in the fifth and finally tuba in the eighth grade. He stopped playing when he graduated from high school in South Carolina in 2002, but started again last year. Prior to coming to Schreiner, he worked in a variety of vocations including as a McDonald’s manager, car salesman and a circus ringmaster. An uncle and aunt own the Carson and Barnes Circus, and he worked shows for them from 2005 to 2007 and again in 2010. The public is welcome to attend Schreiner music concerts and student recitals. For more information, email Dr. Crandall at dcrandal@schreiner.edu.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 7
oncampus
Building a
Noteworthy Symphony
Dunnahoo Honored With Faculty Award In appreciation for his 14 years as conductor and artistic director of the Symphony of the Hills —and adjunct music instructor at Schreiner
University—the Faculty Affairs Committee presented Dr. Jay Dunnahoo with the Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award this spring. “From the day he stepped on campus,” says music program director Dr. Donald Crandall, “Dr. Dunnahoo fully supported the idea of Schreiner’s student-musicians being able to participate in the Symphony of the Hills— giving them the experience to learn, rehearse and perform some of the greatest music composed in the Western world. Through his leadership, Schreiner students perform in one of the most-esteemed cultural concert venues in the Texas Hill Country.” When Dunnahoo conducted his final SOH concert in May, it marked his second retirement. The first followed four decades in public music education and administration. With a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State Teachers College, he started his career in 1958 as an itinerant elementary school music instructor for the San Angelo school district. He earned both a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Houston, and steadily progressed through music instruction and administration positions in Austin and Pasadena. In 1976, Dunnahoo’s orchestra at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena was named the state’s honor orchestra by the Texas Music
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Educators Association. The Texas Orchestra Directors Association named him Orchestra Director of the Year for 1992. His says his greatest honor, however, “has been the opportunity to serve as a teacher. All the plaques, trophies, ribbons, and so on do not take the place of the sense of satisfaction I receive from seeing the smile on a student’s face when a milestone is achieved in his/her personal musical journey. The reflected glow from those faces has lit my path during my career.” The violin is Dunnahoo’s primary instrument, but growing up in San Marcos he played fiddle in a countrywestern band, and he has also played string bass (acoustic and electric) in dance and swing bands and tuba in Dixieland bands.
oncampus
Faculty Awards Award Winners Stefan T. Mecay, Ph.D. Faculty Service Award
Krisann Muskievicz, Ph.D. Margaret Hosler Award for Excellence in Teaching
Jay B. Dunnahoo, Ph.D. Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award
Neva V. Cramer, Ph.D. Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
Michael Grillo, Ph.D. Elmore Whitehurst Award for Creative Teaching
Jay McCormack Harriet Garrett Award for Teaching Excellence
When retirement approached, Jay and Jodie Dunnahoo decided it was time to leave the humidity of the Houston area behind. “We’d finished our professional responsibilities and the kids (all string players) had grown up and left home, so we felt it was a good time to move,” he says. They built a house in the drier climes of Kerrville and settled into retirement living, “letting the webbing slowly disappear from between our toes.” The first indication that “retirement” would more than just mowing grass came when former Schreiner professor Charlotte Marrow asked Dunnahoo if he would play violin in the community orchestra she conducted. “It was a handful of Schreiner students
and a few townfolk,” he recalls. At about the same time, Dr. Tim Summerlin came to Schreiner as provost. He met Dunnahoo in the First Presbyterian Church choir in which they both sang. “I’d been here about a year and a half when choir director Betty Roe and her husband Wayne went to Seattle for Thanksgiving,” says Dunnahoo. “While they were there, Wayne had a massive stroke. She had to stay there with him, and could not return for several months.” Dunnahoo ably filled in as interim director through a major Christmas program, and for another several months until the Roes returned. He was back in his place in the choir, when one evening during
practice Dr. Summerlin, who was now president of Schreiner, leaned over and asked if he was interested in conducting the orchestra. The result of that offer, and Dunnahoo’s acceptance, is the Symphony of the Hills as it exists today: a 75-member, non-profit orchestra which performs regularly in the modern Kathleen C. Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts. While Dunnahoo, now conductor emeritus, is surrendering his baton, he plans to play with the symphony occasionally. He will also continue as executive secretary of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, training and certifying judges for Interscholastic League music contests. And he and his wife will have more time for their eight grandchildren—and mowing grass.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 9
mountaineertalk
“New York, New York— It’s a helluvah town!” Schreiner Students Take on the Big Apple By Katie Bishop Eng lish and music ma jor
M
y resounding awe from the liberal arts department’s spring break escapade to New York is most apparent in the eraser shavings populating my notebook—a clear sign that my latest Schreiner experience has left me relentlessly speechless. As an English and music double-ma jor, the opportunity to discover Broadway promised a unique blending of my fields of study in a new American culture I was eager to learn from. But the trip did more than just cross a travel destination off my tourist list. When I returned to the spring semester with my classmates, I brought with me a renewed passion for my art and desire to excel in my studies like never before. A fastpaced electric world pulsing with motivation and drive, sprinkled with snow and topped with the most fabulous cheesecake I’ve ever tasted, New York was like a charging station for the creative soul. The brainchild of professors Michael Kahl and Sally Hannay, the March trip to Broadway was connected to the interdisciplinary topics course The History of American Musical Theatre. I was one of about 20 students, faculty and members of the Schreiner family to follow the classroom across state borders on a fiveday Manhattan adventure designed to bring the textbook to life.
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My expedition began with the unforgettable cacophony of mid-day New York traffic. Shuffling pedestrians tucked their hands in coat pockets as they hurried to rattling subway trains; noises cloaked by the pneumatic hisses of bright, advertisementplastered tour busses cutting off bustling taxicabs in the crowded alleys. The electric traffic pushed the Mountaineer entourage down the historic thoroughfare, energetically pointing out sites and theatres we had just spent weeks studying, spontaneously humming show tunes spurred by flashing bulletins for current shows—a harmony of musical camaraderie and Schreiner spirit unbearably contained on the bus to the hotel. From that moment on, my memory returns like walking through a dream. My travel companions and I were treated to exclusive one-on-one discussions with Broadway cast members such as Cody Williams and Tanya Bril from the revival of Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Town” and a hilarious improvisation workshop with New York comedian Brian McMullan. Unsurprisingly, professors Hannay and Kahl couldn’t hold back their acting passions and joined in the fun, interacting with my peers as genuinely as they do as instructors at Schreiner.
School of Performing Arts. Gathering for the last time outside our Madison Square Garden hotel, New York granted us a bittersweet goodbye with an early-March snowfall. Of course, our Texas nature got the better of us at the sight of frozen precipitation and we transformed from exhausted scholars into grinning squirrels, tied down only by our luggage. It is my pleasure to assure that our musical adventure has only begun. The music and theater departments have declared a production partnership for Schreiner’s own performance of “Godspell” in the fall 2015 semester—an endeavor the students attending the Broadway trip are simply salivating to participate in. In the end, our adventure on Broadway has proven that, in art and passion, there is no end. Together, we returned with the charged determination to achieve our wildest dreams, spurred by words of advice none of us could forget. “Don’t let anybody tell you no,” actor Cody Williams urged, “Somebody tells you no, you go find someone who will say yes. Don’t stop trying. F ight for what you want, ‘cause nobody else can do it for you.” For liberal arts students, nothing could be truer. Art is personal, regardless of the medium. Our studies are as unique as ourselves. What we do with what we learn and have learned will define the art we share in our professions, whether we become actors, musicians, teachers, counselors, politicians, scientists or scholars. Thanks to this experience, our passion has been sparked; it’s up to us now to polish and pass it on.
mountaineertalk
Of course, it couldn’t be a trip to Broadway without seeing all of the shows we could fit in our short trip. My mother and I (You read that correctly— the trip was my birthday present to her!) lost our breath in awe and laughter at performance perfection unlike any we’d ever seen. Even the magic of a traveling performance cannot match the glory of a show performed on its home turf. Every actor’s movement and musical intonation was polished to a gleam. I rediscovered my passion for live pit orchestras during my new favorite musical, Steven Lutvak’s “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” and took the opportunity to network with pit conductors that I still maintain email communications with. We also attended the American classic “On the Town” and a minimalist production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.” At dinner every night, someone came back with a new, wide-eyed tale of musical ma jesty, recounting shows such as “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Lion King,” “Aladdin,” “If/Then,” and (my own adventure) the Canadian rock-musical depiction of Edgar Alan Poe’s life, “Nevermore.” Indeed, our ensemble had ample free time to explore New York for themselves. Ignoring the growing aches in our feet, my mother and I meandered through Rockefeller Plaza, marveled at the glimmering wealth in Tiffany’s on F ifth Avenue, climbed to the top of the Empire State building (our cheeks the targets for frozen, gusting March winds), celebrated an unforgettable birthday with Manhattan manhattans and famous Brooklyn cheesecake, and renewed our American spirit on a sunrise voyage to Liberty Island. Professor Kahl even treated the two of us to a tour around Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera House and the Julliard
Current students interested in submitting a firstperson essay, artwork, photography or poetry for consideration, please visit www.schreiner.edu/scene/ students or call 830-792-7405.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 11
mortarboards
They’re the Tops Decorating mortarboard cap tops at graduation has flourished in recent decades as students seek to express themselves—or just to be identifiable to family and friends amidst a sea of identically garbed figures. Paint, sequins, ribbon, glitter and other materials are applied to personalize the academic headgear in an art form that has its own extensive galleries on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and other social media. On these pages are some of the mortarboard tops created by Schreiner University graduates of 2015 to tell what they have done, to celebrate earning degrees, or to predict where they’re going. And some are just for fun.
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www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 13
MOUNTAINEER BASKETBALL TEAM PERSEVERED OVER ADVERSITY BY JOHN SNIFFEN
S
chreiner student-athletes have set many records during the school’s 92 years, but one most Mountaineer faithful would rather forget is the 83-game losing streak posted by the women’s basketball team from January 2002 to February 2005.
The streak, an NCAA record for women’s basketball, was not a coach’s
dream recruiting tool, but those who experienced the run of losses, and strove to end it, say the process made them stronger. “I am sure that the losing streak turned away some who wanted to play basketball,” says Lynn Stow, “but it was actually a reason I wanted to come to Schreiner [in 2004]. … The opportunity to be on a team with individuals all fighting for the same goal and mission was what made the challenge worth it for me.” Amanda Flores, also a freshman that season, says she was not aware of the losing streak until the middle of the season when talk turned to breaking the NCAA record. “It was a privilege to play basketball at the collegiate level,” she recalls. “Who would want to give that up?” Sophomore Liberty Liesmann Davis felt the same. “I really just wanted to play basketball,” she says. The 2004–2005 season was rough from the start. Former Mountaineer basketball star Leigh Ann Owens (’02) was hired as interim coach, but no matter how hard they practiced and played, the losing streak continued. Players began to quit the team, until only eight remained: two seniors, one junior, one sophomore and four freshmen.
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“Our opponents would have 15 or more players,” says Davis. “They could substitute five players in and out of a game anytime.” Not Schreiner— injuries and foul-outs were something the Mountaineers could ill afford. Senior Virginia Grijalba, the only player remaining from the last squad to win a game, competed with a metal rod in her leg to repair a stress fracture suffered in October. The Mountaineers were competitive in some games, but the best they could manage were a few narrow losses. January 2005 saw them lose their 71st straight game to claim the unwelcome national record. Coach Owens was still optimistic. “I looked at [my players], and I knew that I hadn’t given up, and they hadn’t given up,” she told the San Antonio Express-News. Stow agrees with that assessment. “No matter how bad we lost, we continued as a team to take steps forward, and have faith and courage in our ability to win.” “We just believed in ourselves. We never gave up,” Grijalba, told a reporter at the time. The last chance that season to
The women’s basketball team
as they started the 2004-05 season. Occupation and location for those who remained for the final game are Amanda Flores ’08 (front, second from left), physical therapist, San Antonio; Liberty Liesmann Davis ’07 (front, second from right), coach, Peterson Middle School, Kerrville; Virginia Grijalba ’05 (front far right); Coach Leigh Anne Owens McIvor ’02 (top, left), volleyball coach, Devine, Texas; Rachel A. Estrada ’06 (top, second from left), location unknown; Heather Lee Green ’08 (top, fourth from left) youth pastor, University Methodist Church, Austin; Megon Bogler LeStourgeon ’05 (top, fourth from right) volleyball coach, Weimar (Texas) High School; Vanessa Lopez ’07 (top, third from right), transportation security for Homeland Security, New Braunfels, Texas; and Lynn Stow ’08 (top, second from right), Captain in U.S. Marines, California.
break the streak came on Feb. 19, 2005, against Sul Ross State at home in the Edington Center. Led by junior Rachel Estrada, the Mountaineers never trailed, but a nine-point halftime advantage slipped to one point with just over five minutes to play. Accurate shooting from the field and the foul line preserved the win, and the streak was over. “We got out there, played our hearts out,” recalls Stow. “When the final buzzer sounded, I looked up and the score was 75 to 69. It was an awesome feeling ending the season on a high note.” Ironically, Sul Ross was also the last team that Schreiner beat before the streak started in 2002. “People joked about us setting the record for most losses in a row. It was embarrassing!” says Davis. “When we won that game, it was the best feeling in the world. We accomplished our goal—not to win a championship, but to win a game.” Davis adds that season taught her to be open-minded. “No one likes to lose and we had to change what we
were doing if we wanted to be successful. I learned all about perseverance. We stuck together and continued to work hard when the easy thing would be to do what everyone else had done—quit. We played for us, not for the fans—there weren’t any.” “It was symbolic for me because it just showed the more work you put in, things will eventually fall into place,” says Flores. “Our biggest lesson that year was to remember to never take things for granted.” “We were a team whose character was built by adversity, and that experience made us the strong individuals we are today,” says Stow, noting that since graduation, her teammates have completed master’s degrees, become successful, pastors, teachers, coaches and, in her case, have promising military careers. Following graduation in 2008, Stow joined the Marines and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. In January 2012, her cultural support team was deployed to the Helmand province of Afghanistan. Her unit’s mission was “to help the people stand up on
their own and live a better life.” The Marines under her command helped create a community’s first school for children and a women’s health clinic. “Seeing the excitement and curiosity of the children going to their first day of school is a gift I will never forget,” she says. “Having a local villager come and thank us for the medical care and facility … that ‘thank you’ I do not think I’ll get again.” She now commands the largest of three training companies for enlisted female Marines. Davis became a coach at Peterson Middle School in Kerrville after she graduated in 2007. “My college basketball experience made me love basketball even more because I had to work so hard to succeed,” she says. “I know what it feels like to lose, even when you feel like you are doing everything right.” “I also learned the importance of ‘sticking to it.’ I have a hard time letting an athlete quit when things get tough. … I try to teach my athletes that you don’t have to be the best, but you have to work to be your best.”
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 15
A RAY OF HOPE BY AMY ARMSTRONG
T Dr. Carrie West at Camp Widow.
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ragedy comes for us all at some point in our lives.
For Dr. Carrie West, it came the night before her 29th birthday when her husband of three years was killed in an automobile accident, leaving her to raise a one-year-old and sixyear-old on her own. In the harrowing months that followed, West, assistant professor of communication studies, decided she would go back to school and continue her education. “There is not one right way to grieve,” says West. “You just have to find your people, people who have been through something similar and who get it.”
One of the ways that West thought might benefit her on her journey was a support group. Ultimately, the groups West tried were not a help to her directly but did set her on the path she follows today as a mentor for other widows. “The groups I went to just were not the right fit for me, but they did help me learn a lot about myself,” she says. “I would sit there thinking ‘Somebody should share the information I have,’ and then I thought, ‘I can do that!’” In 2011, West conducted research for her dissertation at Soaring Spirits International’s Camp Widow. She finished the dissertation the next year and has been going back to the camps since. She also serves on the advisory board. “It is amazing because they helped me, a widow, finish my Ph.D., and
I get to give back to them because of it,” she says. Founded in 2008 by Michele Neff Hernandez, after being widowed at 35 with three small children to raise, Soaring Spirits is devoted to helping widowed people find their way through grief with innovative, peerbased grief support programs. “Dr. West has used collected data, graphs, and charts to give widowed men and women a voice,” says Hernandez. “Due to the many stereotypes about widowed people, and the lack of relevant or current data about their lives and their grief experiences, widowed men and women in the United States have been voiceless for a long, long time.” West, who married Dr. Kyle Busing, associate professor of exercise science at SU, in 2002, says she loves the combination of academia and
working directly with people who need help. “You can’t just tell people to have hope,” says West. “You have to give them a place to be with people who have gone through the same thing they have.” Hernandez says West has beautifully blended her professional and personal experiences. “Through her dedicated work collecting relevant information about widowed men and women, she has provided a glimpse into the widowed world that will profoundly impact the way these men and women are served by their communities,” says Hernandez. “In short, Dr. West has changed the widowed world, and has provided Soaring Spirits with the tools we need to use the voice we discovered through her work. We could not possibly be more grateful.”
Through her work with Soaring Spirits and her own research, West knows that resilience can be taught. It isn’t just something a lucky few are born with. “You can learn to be resilient and you can apply it to every situation in your life, not just death,” she says. “It is like a muscle. You have to learn how to strengthen it.” West says her number-one goal is to place her research on the best platform, so that it is accessible to the people who actually need it when they need it. To that end, she has begun work on a book that she hopes will help people negotiate the tricky parts of widowhood. “I don’t want to ever be in an ivory tower and not giving help the moment someone needs it,” says West.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 17
studyabroad
A Great
Big World by Karen Davis Kilgore
All Schreiner students can now travel and study abroad through “the Schreiner Experience” program. Students pay $1,000 per year along with their tuition. In exchange, each has an opportunity to experience at least one—and possibly more than one—international trip during their college years. Last year, 64 students traveled on nine trips in six countries, including England, France, Costa Rica, Nepal, Colombia and Guatemala. Another 23 enjoyed study excursions in the United States, including Boston and New York City. When students apply for extended study opportunities such as a summer or semester abroad, they complete an application that invites serious reflection. Immediately, they point out their desire to learn about other cultures and gain knowledge from different perspectives. When they return, they express amazement about learning far more than they anticipated. Student Travel Coordinator Dr. Sonja Lind describes the
18 Summer 2015 SCENE
transformation this way: “Students come back having recalibrated themselves in the world. They have learned to be better cross-cultural communicators, better listeners, and more independent thinkers. They are filled with new selfunderstanding. It is delightful to watch!” In July, 20 students and alumni and 11 friends, parents, and faculty members left for Florence, Italy. Three students are spending the summer in Colombia, while nine others were at Hamman University in South Korea. Another went this summer to Athens, Greece, and another will depart in August for Limerick, Ireland. Several upcoming trips will be open to non-students, such as community members and parents. These trips include “Hemingway’s Cuba” led by Dr. William Woods, dean of Liberal Arts, next March. Michael Kahl will lead a music and history trip to Austria, Slovakia and Hungary next May. And English assistant professor Ryan Naughton is leading a tour to England and Scotland to study literature and history in June. Lind has a quotation in her office from British writer Pico Iyer. It expresses part of the reason Schreiner is committed to increasing global awareness among our students. It reads, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves. And we travel, next, to find ourselves.” Junior Katherine Schmidt departs in August to attend the University of Limerick, Ireland. In addition to a cultural elective course, Schmidt will study physics, ecology, vertebrate diversity and conservation. From Austin, Schmidt holds a 3.9 grade point average and is well on her way to meeting the rigorous requirements for veterinary school, her goal. Samareh Dadashazar, a junior from San Antonio, who graduated from high school as valedictorian, leaves next January for a semester at University of Grenoble, France. Dadashazar’s lifelong goal is to become a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. When she returns “from navigating through foreign cities and relying upon complete strangers for help,” Dadashazar intends to become an ambassador—encouraging her classmates to dream big and become global scholars themselves. For more information about joining a Schreiner study trip, please contact: Dr. Sonja Lind, coordinator of Changing Global Society, 830-792-7358, slind@schreiner.edu
“Going on this London trip alone for merely a week has been so enlightening on how diverse the world is. Each trip is like adding a page to a book. It’s just more knowledge to add to your arsenal.” Lauren Wise ’15 Fredericksburg
Dr. Maureen Russo, assistant professor of Spanish, led three students to Colombia last summer to explore a possible exchange program with a Presbyterian university in Barranquilla, the Corporacion Reformada Universitaria (nicknamed “CUR”). Russo and her husband, Manuel Rodríguez Urrego (a Colombian), led the exploratory trip along with students Jenny Pinson ’17 (Nursing) and Brandon Boyd ’16 (Psychology). Three SU students are in Colombia this summer for the first year of the exchange, and one Colombian student will be studying at Schreiner in the fall 2015 semester. Pinson fondly remembers one day in particular. “We were invited to watch two World Cup matches in the home of our Colombian leader, Adriano. We certainly caught the fever and found ourselves jumping and screaming with joy for every goal scored. Even after the match, as we broke into a makeshift salsa party, they kept saying, ‘You saw history and now you watch fútbol like a Colombian!”
“I saw things I have never seen before in my life…so holy. So sacred. Like angels singing. And I learned that we take for granted the power of silence.” Tatyana Carnes ’17
Copperas Cove Pilgrim to Taizé Community in France, December 2014
Schreiner alumnus Joe MacGregor ’84 (wearing the Schreiner cap) met the business majors on the London trip for drinks and dinner. He graciously responded to many questions about landing a good job, and urged his new friends to volunteer for internships and “network, network, network.”
“I was able to study an entire semester in Barcelona, Spain, at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and I loved every moment of it. I was able to take a class called Global Marketing and Culture of FC Barcelona, which focused on how the team shapes the social, economic, and cultural realms. As part of this class, we visited the Camp Nou stadium and attended a soccer match where I was able to watch Lionel Messi break a world record. Another one of my favorite classes was my Spain Cinema class where we even had one of our classes taught by the famous film director Pedro Almodovar.” Bernardo Montalvo ’16 (Finance Major) Nuevo Leon, Mexico
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 19
mountaineersports
Macosko Named SCAC Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach of the Year Ron Macosko was named Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach of the Year by the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Behind Macosko’s leadership and since joining the SCAC prior to the 2013-14 academic year, the Schreiner men’s program has been on an unprecedented run. The Mountaineers have won two SCAC championship titles and seven additional tournament championships (out of nine played), in addition to one NCAA national title and a seventh-place finish at this year’s NCAA championship. A program that wasn’t on the national map three years ago now commands a prominent place in the
MEN’S GOLF
20 Summer 2015 SCENE
top 10 rankings. The Mountaineers won all four of their spring tournaments in 2015 and went on to repeat as SCAC champions at Vaaler Springs Golf Course in Blanco, Texas. It was Schreiner’s third-straight conference championship as the program won the ASC title in 2013 prior to joining the SCAC. On the women’s side, Macosko—also SU’s athletic director—led the Mountaineers to their first-ever SCAC championship this past spring, winning the event at Vaaler Springs by 11 strokes and overtaking defending champion and 15th-ranked Trinity University in the process. It was the program’s first conference title since claiming the ASC title in 2010. The lady Mountaineers actually did not win an event in the spring coming into the SCAC championship; earning two runner-up finishes throughout the year. However, the team put together an excellent weekend of golf to claim the conference title. It is the second consecutive year that Macosko has earned SCAC Golf Coach of the Year on the men’s side. It’s his first honor on the women’s side.
Schreiner proved it’s #6 national ranking by winning all five spring tournaments, including repeating as SCAC champions with an 11-shot win over three other teams ranked in the top 18 nationally. Despite great performances by seniors Jimmy Keener (5th place individually—AllNCAA Tournament team) and Cheyne Kendall (13th place overall), the Mountaineers were not able to defend their national title, but did finish a strong seventh place, while moving up each of the four rounds. Keener and Kendall both finished the year ranked in the top 10 nationally and both were named All-Americans. They also both earned Academic AllAmerican honors. For Kendall, it will be his second award and the first for Keener. Keener, Kendall and sophomore Matt McClung each earned First Team All-SCAC while senior Zach Oliver earned Second Team All-SCAC.
WOMEN’S TENNIS The Mountaineers went a perfect 5-0 at home and were 4-0 in SCAC play during the regular season. Overall, SU posted a strong 13-7 record with wins over regionally ranked teams. At the SCAC Tournament, the Mountaineers posted a quick 5-0 win in the quarterfinals, but lost 2-5 to #3 seed Colorado College in the second round, and then lost 3-5 to #4 seed Texas Lutheran in the third-place match. Senior Leanna Haynes, who graduated in May, earned First Team All-SCAC, as did junior Karyn Swink. Sophomore Camila Anguiano was named Honorable Mention All-SCAC. The Mountaineers lose Haynes, but return the rest of the roster.
Despite being undermanned all year, the scrappy Mountaineers overcame the odds at the SCAC Championship Tournament by winning the 2015 title— by 11 shots—over #15 Trinity. Senior Melanie Dean played arguably her best collegiate round on the final day, posting a 77, while senior Maddie Scheidler also came up big with an 80. Sophomore Kaycee Bankert had the lead after the first round with a 77. She had a tough couple of finishing holes on the second day, but still was the individual runner up. Dean finished third overall and both players earned First Team AllSCAC as the Mountaineers claimed their first women’s SCAC title and second conference championship in the program’s history. Scheidler earned Second Team All-SCAC as well. The women missed out on a trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament because the conference does not have an automatic bid. Dean was also named Academic All-American in the summer.
For schedules and more athletic news, visit http://athletics.schreiner.edu
mountaineersports
WOMEN’S GOLF
MEN’S TENNIS SU went 3-1 in SCAC regular-season matches and had multiple wins over regionally ranked foes during the spring. In the championship tournament, the Mountaineers dispatched Austin College (6-1) in the quarterfinals but dropped a tough 2-5 decision in the semis. Texas Lutheran defeated Schreiner in the third place match, 2-5. SU placed four players on the All-SCAC team. Senior Austin Carrola and freshman Nick Pena earned first-team honors, while junior Christian Casillas and freshman Dayton Hancock earned Honorable Mention All-SCAC. Carrola and Stephen Rogers both graduated in May, but the team will return with a very promising young core, while adding its best recruiting class in many years to the fold.
BASEBALL Playing with an extremely young team, the Mountaineers took their lumps in 2015, going 7-31 overall (4-14 in SCAC). Four of SU’s top five offensive players were freshmen, and it’s top 13 hitters return next year. Leading the way were three freshmen, Sam Pistrui, Bret Hill and Jayme Kidder. SU also returns its entire pitching staff, led by Kidder, who has already proven to be an outstanding two-way player in just his first year. Throughout the year, Schreiner consistently put six freshmen, one sophomore and two juniors on the diamond. Pistrui, Kidder and Hill each earned Honorable Mention All-SCAC this year. A year of seasoning will serve the program well next spring.
SOFTBALL First-year head coach Amy Meyer’s team had five wins entering the final weekend of the regular season. The squad swept Austin College and turned that momentum into a run to the final three at the SCAC Championship Tournament. Seeded sixth entering the tourney, the Mountaineers took down #3 seed Dallas (4-2) before losing to #2 seed Trinity (4-6). SU rebounded with an 8-0 run-rule win in an elimination game with Austin College and then knocked out #4 seed Southwestern by a 5-3 count before losing steam and getting eliminated by Trinity (6-0) in the semifinals. Seven of the team’s eight top hitters were freshmen or sophomores and all three top pitchers were as well, so the team is only going to get better in 2016. Freshman Sydney Christopher earned First Team All-SCAC while sophomore Dominique Sandoval was named to the SCAC All-Tournament team.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 21
recall
RECALL 2015 ::
22 Summer 2015 SCENE
formerstudents www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 23
recall
Mark Your Calendar for next year’s
RECALL April 23-25, 2016
24 Summer 2015 SCENE
focusongiving
T
hank you for reading SCENE and for looking at this column.
While not a surprise, it is always pleasant to meet people who report that they enjoyed an article in the latest SCENE. Since my development work involves travel, I often return to campus to tell our colleagues in University Relations (now Marketing) that they have loyal readers from Edinburg, Texas, to London, England—readers who are alumni, former faculty, trustees, parents and friends. What is my goal for this column? That you have an opportunity to learn more about Schreiner’s fund-raising efforts (and, hopefully, find them interesting). We hope the features that describe planned gifts will remind you that SU truly needs and always appreciates every bequest or life insurance gift or life income gift we receive. Some are large estate distributions, others are small; every single one of them advances Schreiner’s mission. They also give us enormous confidence that we can depend upon more financial strength every year. And it’s logical that the more financial strength we have, the better we can serve students. Some of our readers have asked about our ongoing comprehensive campaign. Our Board of Trustees endorsed a $50 million fund-raising effort in June 2012. Over five years, this averages $10 million per year. We are pleased that we start year three with about $29 million. While that is thrilling in a way, we recognize that “the first money is the easy money.” Our trustees and former trustees contributed early in the campaign. A large chunk of these gifts moved the $11.2 million Athletic and Event Center from a long-cherished dream to lively reality. We are grateful for our trustees’ leadership, and they are working alongside us to secure the $21 million more we seek between now and June 1, 2017. Recently, I told a group about two families who created permanent funds to commemorate special events. The first donor established a choral fund at his church to honor his wife on their 50th anniversary. Now the wife is deceased, but income from the Sue Adkins Choral Fund blesses that choir—and it always will! The other couple celebrated their 50th anniversary by funding an endowed scholarship. When they came to campus to share their idea they said, “A Caribbean cruise lasts 10 days; an endowed scholarship lasts forever.” Nancy and Ralph Denham were absolutely right. That scholarship has now assisted almost 100 college students. The couple’s vision deeply touches me still. Maybe you would like to honor people who have been bright lights in your life. Parents? Children? A beloved teacher? Endowments begin at $25,000 and can be paid over five years. But other tribute gifts—to honor a birthday or to make a memorial contribution—can start for as little as $25. We love them all! Feel free to call me if you have an idea you would like to explore. And please give our new planned giving web page a look: schreiner.giftlegacy.com This page is still under construction, but it has good information about planned gifts. If you have some recommendations for making it more useful, please write me or give me a call. (kkilgore@schreiner.edu or 830-792-7205)
Here’s a thought to ponder while you are enjoying your summer: “The importance of money flows from it being a link between the present and the future.” — John Maynard Keynes British Economist
Karen Davis Kilgore Director of Development and Planned Giving Specialist
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classnotes
Schreiner’s Newest Alumni Jadher Abad Devan Aguilar Sydney Anderson Brian Appleton Hope Bagala Kelley Baldwin Megan Batey Jhonelle Bean Amanda Bellow Amanda Bergeron Laurel Bey Dylan Bianchini Sheldon Biermann Kelli Bolen Walter Borkowski Blake Brougher Andrew Brummett Jacqueline Brummett Brianna Brunner Ashley Bryand Garner Burford Christopher Burns James Candee Sarah Carlyle Austin Carrola Aaron Chatagnier Brittany Cooksey Alexander Cooper Dane Culton Jennifer Curtis
26 Summer 2015 SCENE
Ian Davis Minda Davis Zoe’ Davis Rebecca Day Kimberly De La Torre Kaleen Dean Melanie Dean Angela Divin Rene Dominguez Grace DuPriest Dustin English Janice Fender Stephen Fine Taylor Finley Timothy Forster Kathy Freeman Jay Frey Gabrielle Garcia Oton Garza Trina Ghosh-Hajra Victoria Gotwald Tyler Guderyahn Alexander Guzman Carleigh Hammond Misty Hardin Katherine Harrell Leanna Haynes Ibhar Hernandez Jacquelyn Hernandez Julia Hernandez
Brittany Hoadley Grant Hodel Steven Hodges Paige Horner Zachary Howard Mary Jeffers Naomi Johnson Taylor Johnson Ashley Jones Sean Jones Zachary Jungman James Keener Cheyne Kendall Daniel Ketterer Nicole Kincaid Thomas Lambert Chelsea LeStourgeon Holly Light Rachel May Emily McAllister Jacob McCanlies James McClelland Drucilla Meier Adriana Mercado Jordan Moody Kevon Morrow Cullen Mosmeyer Courtney Neleigh Shaughnessy Noland Charles Nunez
Charles Olmos Connor Overby Kelly Pajares Miranda Palomo John Pastrano Daniel Perez Joseph Plachno Victoria Ponse Kendra Powers Rhonda Prefume Matthew Raggo Rachel Reast Adele Robinson Hollis Robinson Ashley Rodriguez Christina Rodriguez Justin Rogers Jennifer Ruby Brooke Sanders Luis Santos Dana Saul Madison Scheidler Jonathan Sicola Kaylei Sockol Helena Steen Charis Sultemeier Arlo Swanson Hailey Tait Jacqueline Tarin Matthew Topham
Class of 2015 Isabel Trevino Rachel Tyykila Brandy Vaclavick Michael Vasquez Martin Vaughan Adrianna Velez Caleb Veteto Cheyenne Walker Lauren Warren-Fields Nathan West Crystal Whetstone Cheryl Willson Alexandra Wilson Jalen Wiseman Heather Youngblood Laura Zachariah Zachary Biermann Prari Blair Theresa Cantu Chaslyn Chrismer Ciji Cruz Samantha Garcia Valerie Gunter Jonathan Neese Kandis Neese Hema Raja Patricia Rodelo Misty Sexton Lori Smith Kristen Wrase
classnotes
class notes Your fellow alumni would love to know where you are and what you’ve been up to. Submitting a class note is easy: just visit https://forms.schreiner.edu/classnotes.html or contact us at 830-792-7405 or scene@schreiner.edu
1950s
Roy Harrell ’54 writes of his time at Schreiner, “Some of us stayed at the farm on weekends rather than trek to town. Jason Blewett and I tossed a coin to see who got to use hot or cold water in a water fight in the showers. The hot water created lots of steam, attracting the notice of passing professors. We looked and yelled, ‘Faculty!” Kelly Hildebrand and George Crank beat a hasty retreat—and so did we. Jason and I agreed to confess, but Hildebrand and Crank said we were studying, so we couldn’t possibly have doused them. While visiting Crank later in Paris, France, he asked who had doused them. I told him, and he replied, ‘but you looked so innocent.’ I also happened to be in Paris when he suffered a fatal heart attack. His widow asked me to recount the shower story in English, French and Spanish.” John South ’58 recently made a five-week trip to Panama and Brazil. “The highlight of my trip was meeting two Compassion International college students my wife and I have sponsored in recent years, and attending the graduation of the older one (in the peach gown in the photo) in Fortaleza, Brazil.”
Robert Canfield ’64 writes, “Recall 2015 was great. A highlight was touring L.A. Schreiner, my old dorm, and seeing its transformation into the home of the Greystone program, a truly outstanding group of young men and women.”
John South ’58
1960s
Rita Edington Odom ’62 writes, “I am retired for a second time and happily living in Hunt. I have seven grandchildren who love to come to the river. It’s a beautiful place to live.” Vernon “Bill” Servis ’63 writes, “We plan on heading north to Branson, Mo., for three months. Leaving Branson we will go to Minnesota to see where the Mississippi River begins its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Then we will come back to Tyler to spend the winter near our son, Derrick who is recovering from his time in Iraq.”
Rick Harrison ’64 became a partner in the Austin-based law firm of Taube Summers Harrison Taylor Meinzer Brown LLP in April. In January, he was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). His youngest child, Tori, graduated from Cal/Berkeley in 2012. She has worked as a production coordinator for the Pac-12 Television Network for the last three years, and is considering going to law school. Roy Goodwin III ’65 writes, “I played golf with Paul Camfield on May 8 and the outcome is yet to be determined, but we had fun! How many of the Schreiner Golf Guys are out there? Do you want to play one more round come April 2016?”
1970s
Lisa Guzman ’77 and Richard Guzman ’78 celebrated Elizabeth Guzman’s graduation from University of Dallas, and their sons Robert and Richard achieving Eagle Scout rank.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 27
classnotes
ly The Guzman fami
1980s
Dirk D. Dykstra ’80 writes, “In February 2014 I received my Doctor of Education in Administrator Leadership for Teaching and Learning from Walden University. Who knew when I graduated from Schreiner with my associates degree that I would end up with a doctorate?” David Howard Crockett ’84, a member of the first baccalaureate class, married Lela A. West ‘82 in June 1985, after they met at Schreiner. They have four boys: Davy, 23; Mack, 21; Kase, 19 (a Schreiner sophomore next year); and Gage, 17. David is regional sales manager for the Daher TBM 900 at Cutter Aviation, and Lela is an RN who volunteers at their children’s schools. Robert Crockett ’87 is employed by HDR, a family investment management company, and serves on the Schreiner Former Students Association board. He and his wife Lauri celebrated their 10th anniversary in March. She is a director of cash management at Argo Group U.S. Robert has two children, a son Blake who lives in Fort Worth with his wife Jasmine, and a daughter Julie who lives in San Antonio. Alice Kluttz Werchan ’87 lives in South Austin, is an HR manager and A/P clerk for a Lutheran church and does volunteer work. She writes,
28 Summer 2015 SCENE
“Our three kids—Adam, Seth and Katherine—are heading to high school this fall. I can’t believe they are almost 15. I especially take note of what Schreiner is doing these days because I know so many kids looking at colleges, as my own will be doing soon.” Anne Nowak Steinkamp ’87 writes, “My two kids are both in college, so after being a stay-at-home mom for 21 years, I began working part-time for my church as a bookkeeper. Paul and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in June, and have been enjoying the empty-nester life!”
Bill Alsobrook ’94 Since taking over the Galveston Pirate SC in Galveston, the former Schreiner soccer player has made a number of changes to the club, renaming it the Galveston Rangers FC, and adding a youth academy for player and coach development and a women’s team. Visit the club’s Facebook page (facebook.com/GalvestonRangersFC) or website (www.galvestonrangers.com).
2000s
Tennille DeShay Bryan ’00 and her husband, Justin, welcomed their second child, Cassidy DeAnn Bryan, on Jan. 21.
The Allen girls
1990s
Daron Allen ’92 writes, “Life has been amazing. I’m staying busy running my company and, with my wife Traci, raising three girls.” Eddie Davis ’93 lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he is a shuttle driver for Enterprise Rent A Car, and plans to enter the company’s management training program. He reports his work has brought him into contact with several celebrities, including Grace Park (“Hawaii Five0”), Chumlee (“Pawn Stars”), and Branscombe Richmond (“Renegade”). “I sang to Grace Park and her baby boy,” he notes.
nn Cassidy DeA
Lindsay Slade ’00 married Todd Ridgeway March 21 in Greenville, S.C., where she teaches at Christ Church Preschool. She became the “bonus mom” to Cati Beth (15) and Woods (11) Ridgeway in addition to her children Slade (11) and Ellie (9). Bradford and Noelle (Baldwin) Neely ’01 welcomed baby boy Lucas Kyle into their family on April 27. His big sister Lorelei, 7, also welcomed him. Cody Brown ’01 and Natalie Brown ’03 of Boerne are pleased to announce that daughter, Kaitlyn
classnotes
Like Father, Like Son Lindsay Slade ’00
recently graduated from high school and will be attending college in the fall. Natalie received her MBA in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M and works as senior reservoir engineer for Forge Energy. Cody recently purchased his father’s electrical supply business in Midland. They hope to see many classmates at the men’s and women’s alumni soccer games on August 22.
Armando Garza ’84 Armando Garza ’84, a member of Schreiner’s first baccalaureate class, proudly attended the 2015 commencement service to see son Javier receive a Bachelor of Arts in accounting. A scholarship offer swayed the senior Garza to attend Schreiner after he graduated from Edouch-Elsa High School. He planned on earning an associate degree, then transferring to the University of Texas. Schreiner became a four-year institution and offered to extend his scholarship, so he chose to stay and receive a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Both father and son were named to honor rolls during
their academic careers, and both served in student government and the Ambassador program. There’s a bit of competition as to which Garza accomplished more at Schreiner, so let’s just say both were exceptional. Following a career that has included working in a private accounting firm, being a bank examiner and a bank controller, the elder Garza now works in car sales in Mission, Texas, a vocation he says he enjoys greatly. He’s in regular contact with several of his classmates, including Greg Gober of Houston, who talks with him every Monday morning by phone.
Jacob McCanlies ’15
Lorelei & Lucas
The Brown family
Jacob McCanlies ’15 is congratulated by Schreiner University Trustee the Rev. Dean Pogue after the Student Government Association President received his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and accounting during the May graduation ceremony. Pogue, who has served on the Board of Trustees since 2012, is McCanlies’ pastor at Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church of Katy, Texas, and encouraged the honors student to attend Schreiner—before Pogue even became a trustee.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 29
classnotes Brenda J. Kirby ’03 is the human capital administrative specialist at Wipfli LLP in Madison, Wis., and would love to touch base with any Schreiner alumni in the Southern Wisconsin area. Billy Fletcher ’04 was recently hired by St. David’s North Austin Medical Center as a patient care technician. He writes, “I have been enjoying every minute of it. Each day is different and ever changing, keeping me on my toes. My wife, son, and myself are currently looking for a new home in North Austin or Pflugerville. My daughter, son-in-law and grandsons and are also doing well.” Travis Arreaga ’05 has accepted a position as adjunct speech instructor at Coastal Bend College. “I have always wanted to teach at the college level,” he writes. This past year he was student success coordinator, overseeing academic case management, as well as daily operations of the Student Success Center and managing the Peer Tutor Program.
Blake McGrane ’09
The Johnston family
Greg Kirkham ’07 began working in May 2014 as a revenue specialist for Hilton Worldwide in Addison, Texas. He manages revenue optimization for a portfolio of 15 focus service properties across multiple markets in the United States and Canada.
Blake McGrane ’09 was hooded in June for his Doctorate in Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. He will be doing his post-doctoral studies in Orlando under Florida’s most respected forensic psychologist, Deborah Day PhD.
John McClellan ’08, writes, “I have found a nice apartment and begun work full time as a cashier at Ricks Furniture in Kerrville. I’m loving life for the first time in a while.”
Kenneth Bethune ’05 and wife Evvy of Beeville welcomed a new son, Henry Harlan Martin Bethune, on May 12. Kassie Barlow Johnston ’07 and her husband, Casey, welcomed a son, Graysen Charles Johnston, on May 4. She writes, “He is teaching us how to function as a family of three, and we couldn’t be more happy.”
Meredith & Jeramy
2010s
The Burger-Porterie family
Henry Harlan Martin
30 Summer 2015 SCENE
Susan Burger-Porterie ’09, writes, “On May 15th my husband and I welcomed our first child, Ethan, into the world! Also, we celebrated our one-year anniversary in June. I will be starting my fourth year at George Gervin Academy in the fall. I am very excited for the upcoming year.”
Meredith Schneiderheinz ’10 and Jeramy Taylor were married on May 30. The couple honeymooned in Las Vegas and will reside in San Antonio. Matthew Moreno ’11 and Celina Davila ’12 were married on March 14 at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in San Antonio. Matthew and Celina are both teachers, and reside in San Antonio. “God has blessed us in many ways!” they write. “We are so
classnotes
company. My husband and I had an opportunity to meet him in person. It was very cool to see him win the Golden Globe!”
Matthew & Celina
thankful for family, friends, and faculty that were able to attend!”
Andrew Brock ’12 writes, “My trip to Peru and Bolivia was fantastic and awe-inspiring! Learned tons about South American and Quechua culture. Got to brush up on my Spanish, eat ceviche, hike the Inca Trail, and explore geothermal vents at 15,000 feet in the Cordillera near the border of Chile and Bolivia. Here’s a photo of my two cousins
Andrew Brock ’12
and me on the third day of the Inca Trail hike with an amazing view of the Andes and the Urubamba River.”
Garner Work Experiences, Clark Tells Students Nicole & Andrew
Nicole Smith ’12 and Andrew Shepherd ’12 were married April 11 in Georgetown. They live in Kerrville where Andrew is a website developer for The Alara Group and Nicki is a lab analyst for the Upper Guadalupe River Authority. Anna Baker ’12 writes, “After 16 years with Dell, in September 2014 I started a new job as strategic account executive with Tech Data Corp., and I am very much enjoying it. Richard Linklater, the director of the Golden Globe-winning movie “Boyhood,” was making a movie— “That’s What I’m Talking About”— in Austin last summer (he lives in Bastrop) and I leased my 1971 Oldsmobile 442 to his production
Megan Clark ’96 Megan Clark ’96, an independent television producer in Austin, returned to campus last spring to speak with several classes. She encouraged students interested in television or film careers to take on “any and every” experience they can find—any work that will get them production credits. “I’ve worked on just about every media thing you can do—print, radio, film TV and Internet,” she said. Clark, who attended Schreiner on a then-offered volleyball scholarship, graduated with a B.A. in English and went to work for a Fredericksburg radio station. Following her passion
for TV production, she moved to Atlanta to work on a master’s degree in communication. There she got an internship with the Cartoon Network that lead to meeting the Toonami team— “They’d never met a girl who liked anime and comic book action figures”—for whom she became a production assistant then a writer/producer. Returning to Texas, she did freelance production, including a movie with Willie Nelson, and field produced a couple of episodes of “Unwrapped” for the Food Network. Most recently she was a production manager on the “My 600-lb Life” reality series for TLC.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 31
roundup
In Memoriam Former Students Mrs. Dorothy J. Blackmon ’97 May 13, 2002, Kerrville
Mr. Chester E. Nowak ’47 February 11, 2015, Cypress, Texas
Mr. James T. Cannan ’36 April 1, 2015, Willis, Texas
Mr. David E. O’Fiel ’60 April 1, 2015, Spring, Texas
Mr. William G. Collenback ’51 February, 24, 2015, San Antonio
Mr. James C. Roberts ’65 January 16, 1986, Pensacola, Fla.
Mr. Warner C. Corbin ’51 August 22, 2013, Rowlett, Texas Mr. David L. Crowell ’48 April 6, 2015, Galveston, Texas Mr. Clifton H. Davis Jr. ’65 March 24, 2015, Cordova, Tenn. Mr. David Dzul ’71 May 15, 2015, Kingsville, Texas Mr. F.T. Fendley Jr. ’49 March 6, 2010, Houston
Mrs. Minerva Ruiz ’55 February 10, 2015, Arlington, Texas Mrs. Florene Rush ’92 March 29, 2015, Kerrville Mr. William C. Schwethelm ’47 February 18, 2015, Kerrville Mr. William H. Sharp Jr. ’65 October 5, 2014, Houston
Mr. Jackie H. Field Jr. ’64 December 11, 2014, McAllen, Texas
Mr. Robert Shipp Sr. ’43 March 23, 2015, Woodsboro, Texas
Mr. James R. Fugate ’71 March 26, 2015, Falfurrias, Texas
Dr. Margaret P. Sullivan ’41 March 4, 2015, Houston
Mr. Romeo R. Garcia ’59 March 12, 2015, San Antonio
Mr. Donald W. Suman Sr. ’38
Mr. William D. Haden II ’48 June 18, 2014, Houston Dr. James M. Hanchey ’69 Friendswood, Texas Mr. John T. Hays ’51 April 4, 2015, Houston Mr. Alec Holbein ’60 February 5, 2009, Hebbronville, Texas Mrs. Jodell S. Hunt ’55 March 4, 2015, Kerrville Mr. William C. Kellett ’51 May 11, 2015, Conroe, Texas Mr. Sidney A. Lindsay ’65 April 14, 2007, San Antonio Ms. Christine M. Mix ’95 February 27, 2015, Bandera, Texas Mr. Jack P. Murray Jr. ’48 March 14, 2015, Kerrville Mr. Paul H. Newton ’40 December 21, 2014, Moulton, Texas Mr. Eberhardt V. Niemeyer Jr. ’37 March 1, 2015, Austin
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February 5, 2015, Houston Mr. Harold Walker ’65 July 31, 2011, Collierville, Tenn. Lt. Col. Fletcher E. Walker ’35 April 16, 2015, Fort Worth Mr. Andrew M. Ward ’50 February 12, 2012, San Antonio
Schreiner Oaks Society Mrs. Betty Walcher November 27, 2013, Midland, Texas Mrs. Ruth Whitehurst April 9, 2015, Kyle, Texas
Former Trustee Dr. J. W. Young Jr. February 23, 1996, Kerrville
Spouse of Former Trustee Mrs. Louise Young January 30, 2007, Sweetwater, Texas
100
Years
Former Trustee Quinn Turns 100
Masel Quinn, former Schreiner trustee and longtime supporter, celebrated her 100th birthday in June. A strong supporter of the Hill Country College Fund, she served on the board of trustees 1977–1986. Her grandsons, David Crockett ’84 and Robert Crockett ’88, are Schreiner graduates, and greatgrandson Kase Crockett will be a sophomore in the fall.
Want to find a classmate? WWW.SCHREINER.EDU/ALUMNI/ EMAIL-DIRECTORY/INDEX.ASPX
correction It was incorrectly stated in the fall SCENE that Dr. Lydia Kualapai is a native Hawaiian. We regret this error.
roundup
BY THE NUMBERS
THE BIG GIVE SA RESULTS WERE:
SCHREINER SUPPORTERS GIVE ONLINE
23
$3,080 raised through 56 gifts to Schreiner University
$1,000
from the campaign will go toward SU’s community garden project based on social media feedback
of those donors were first-time givers
500
$
gift designated for the Music Department
Schreiner University participated in The Big Give SA, a 24-hour online giving campaign for nonprofits in the San Antonio region held May 5. “Studies say that millennials— those born in the 1980s and 90s— prefer to make donations online,” says SU development officer Dana Carman. “Big Give SA gave us
$500
prize received by Schreiner for having the most unique donors in Kerr County
$4.3
million raised overall by Big Give SA for 882 participating nonprofits
the opportunity to appeal to this tech-driven generation through crowdfunding, and to participate in an effort that also benefits the communities around us.” Schreiner is planning on participating in the 2016 Big Give SA and doing its own crowdfunding project in the fall, says Carman.
backcover Selfie time! SU grads capture memories on their big day.
Call for Nominations Would you like to nominate someone for the Schreiner University Athletic Hall of Honor or as a Distinguished Alumnus? A nominee for the Athletic Hall of Honor must exhibit high ethical standards and must be a person of such integrity, stature, demonstrated ability and renown that students, former students, faculty and staff of the University will take pride in—and be inspired by—his or her recognition. A nominee for Distinguished Alumnus Award must have a distinguished personal or professional career; leadership in their chosen profession, business or vocation; and must have received previous recognition from their contemporaries. A nomination form with complete guidelines for these awards is available on the Schreiner website at www.schreiner.edu/alumni/ awards/nominate-someone.aspx If you would like additional information or to have a nomination form mailed to you, please contact Mark Tuschak at 830-792-7215 or email him at mctuschak@schreiner.edu
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 33
bigpicture
It is no secret that Millennials are really comfortable with technology. Here, some Schreiner graduates kill time, while waiting for commencement to begin by, what else, checking their mobile devices.
34 Summer 2015 SCENE
backpage
MEERR 22001155 MM SSUUM
ADVENTURE RE ADYY FORFOR ADVENTURE READ
SCENEMagazine editor
Amy Armstrong director of communications
art direction and design
Stephanie Lopez Keller art director – senior graphic designer
writer
John Sniffen public information specialist
contributing writer
Karen Davis Kilgore director of development
sports
Ryan Brisbin Temaine Wright sports information directors
president
Dr. Tim Summerlin board chairman
William Harrison sfsa board president
Cathy Carden Henry ’64 SCENE is a publication of the Marketing Office and is distributed three times a year free of charge to Schreiner former students, current students, faculty, parents and friends. An online version is available at www.schreiner.edu/scene. Want to be included on the SCENE mailing list? Send your name and address to Amy Armstrong, Schreiner University, CMB 6229, 2100 Memorial Blvd., Kerrville, TX 78028, or email scene@schreiner.edu Change of address? Call the Office of Advancement at 830-792-7201. Schreiner University is an independent liberal arts institution related by covenant and choice to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Schreiner University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, extra-curricular programs or employment against any individual on the basis of that individual’s race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, veteran status or ethnic origin. Inquiries/complaints should be forwarded to the Director of Human Resources, at 830-792-7375.
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2015 35
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www.schreiner.edu/scene