Student Alumni Board Newsletter - Summer 2011

Summer 2011

TODAY

SAB

K-State Student Alumni Board alumni newsletter

Truly ‘Outstanding Student’ Wins ASAP Award & True Program Award for the Wildcats Forever program.

Wildcats Forever, a student alumni membership program, has seen dramatic growth this year and has reached more than 2,000 members. The program also will advance to the national competition.

David Mayes ‘96, K-State Alumni Association

By Kate Bormann, SAB secretary Ryan Wilkerson was honored as the CASE ASAP District Six Outstanding Student of 2011. Student Alumni Board and Student Foundation jointly nominated Wilkerson, senior in finance and accounting, for the prestigious award.

SAB has had a rich tradition of winning CASE ASAP Awards for the past several years. The awards are designed to recognize organizations, students and advisers in the student-advancement profession.

After receiving the award Wilkerson said, “I am very humbled to have received the nomination for this award.

Each day I am empowered by the leaders around me in both the Student Alumni Board and the Student Foundation. Their continuous work to better K-State is remarkable and should be applauded!”

Wilkerson competed against students from multiple universities in eight other states represented within District Six. His application for this award included letters from peers and advisers of both SAB and Student Foundation and a detailed account of his achievements and contributions.

His involvement as a K-State Student Ambassador, K-State PROUD Campaign co-chair and president of Student Foundation has positively impacted K-State.

“SAB and Student Foundation have been two of my favorite organizations I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with here at K-State,” Wilkerson said.

I’ve met some of my closest friends through these groups and have cherished incredible memories over the years. The mission of both organizations is so important to K-State, as we are working to make a positive difference in students’ lives. I can’t imagine my college experience without SAB and Student Foundation!”

Wilkerson will advance to the national round of competition this summer and continue to represent K-State.

SAB also was the recipient of the District Six ASAP Tried

Ryan Wilkerson, senior in accounting, Columbia, Mo., was honored as the CASE ASAP District Six Outstanding Student of 2011.

SAB Today to change Important!

This is the last printed copy of SAB Today that will be mailed. Starting this winter, we’ll be emailing the newsletter to keep you updated on all the SAB news. Make sure your email address is current and accurate with our records by visiting www.K-State.com/updateyourinfo [1]

[ SABTODAY ]

Andrea Bryant Gladin ‘02, K-State Alumni Association

WELCOME NEW SAB MEMBERS!

SAB new members pose at the “Glee” themed spring retreat.

Zach Boal, Stilwell, Kan. freshman, biology/pre-medicine Erin Clopine, Wichita, Kan. freshman, finance/pre-dentistry Grant Hill, Whitewater, Kan. sophomore, accounting Tyler Johnson, Parsons. Kan. freshman, marketing Sam Kellerman, Leawood, Kan. freshman, nutritional sciences/pre-medicine Kris Larson, Galva, Kan. freshman, mechanical engineering Liz Livingston, Midland, Texas freshman, nutritional sciences/gerontology/biology Kaitlin Long, Leawood, Kan. freshman, elementary education Matt Marchesini, Loudonville, N.Y. junior, marketing Allison Penner, Clay Center, Kan. sophomore, microbiology/pre-medicine Annika Schneider, Lindsborg, Kan. freshman, music education Brett Seidl, Valley Center, Kan. freshman, public relations Andrew Strasburg, Fredonia, Kan. sophomore, international agribusiness Andrew Waldman, Shawnee, Kan. sophomore, industrial engineering

Student Alumni Board members facilitate small group activities with high school sophomores.

More than 130 high school students and their parents took part in the 2011 For Sophomores Only event. The event was in conjunction with the All-University Open House in April.

[2]

Courtney Frantz

FOR SOPHOMORES ONLY

SAB seniors share post-graduation plans, goals Kelsie ball graduated with a degree in FSHS/pre-nursing with a secondary major in gerontology and a minor in American Ethnic studies. She will attend the University of Kansas Nursing School.

After completing the nursing program, she will pursue a master’s degree in the area of specialization of women’s health/midwifery. Eventually, she would like to work at a birth center as a nurse practitioner.

he hopes to find a job in the design field. Eventually, he plans to go to Australia to work and travel, but is trying to be flexible and just take life as it comes.

Taylor Concannon graduated with a degree in political science, pre-law and a minor in business. This fall, she will begin law school at either Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, SMU or Washburn, after which she plans to practice law in the private sector before potentially running for state office.

Annie Oliver graduated with a major in life sciences and minors in biology and leadership studies. She will head to Kansas City this summer to pursue nursing school. She hopes to work in a hospital setting while applying to several nursing schools in the Kansas City area.

She says her first priority will be to find herself a set of purple scrubs!

Alex Edwards will graduate in December with a degree in advertising.

Despite receiving offers from both the CIA and NASA (who were impressed with Alex’s presidential campaign and said they definitely would have voted for him if they could have), Alex will be looking for work in the advertising and marketing field in Kansas City after graduation.

If that doesn’t work out, Alex will tweet about it until something changes. And if tweeting doesn’t work, he doesn’t want to live in America anymore and will move to Mexico to start a new life.

Paul Jarvis graduated with a master’s degree in interior architecture and product design and hopes to get the best internship on Earth this summer with the Sierra Club. If that doesn’t happen,

Craig Johnson graduated with a degree in computer science. This summer, he will work as a software engineer with Garmin in Olathe, Kan., before returning to K-State this fall to work on his MBA.

Adriana Perrone graduated with a master’s degree in architecture. She will move to Brooklyn, N.Y., to work for FACE Design + Fabrication, a full design/build studio and shop in Brooklyn.

Jessica Rodriguez graduated with a degree in food science and a minor in Spanish. She will spend a month in South America in July to visit her family and travel to Chile, Peru and Ecuador. In August, she will work as a quality associate for General Mills in Belvidere, Ill. ANDREW SAtterlee graduated with a degree in chemical engineering and a secondary major in biological engineering. He will begin graduate school

at the University of North Carolina in August. He plans to receive a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and will conduct research on how to selectively deliver drugs and therapies, specifically to cancer cells. No, Andrew will never cheer for the Tar Heels over the Wildcats.

Scott Soptick will graduate in December with a degree in accounting. He will remain on campus in spring 2012 to either pursue a master of accountancy, or study to be a certified financial planner.

Becky Sullivan graduated with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism. She will begin the summer as a conference consultant for National FFA. In mid-July, she will work for the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture as the Department of Agriculture’s events and outreach coordinator.

Emily Surdez graduated with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism. This summer, she will work with the Wildcats Forever booth during Orientation and Enrollment. In July, she will begin her role as an admissions representative for K-State, building relationships with and recruiting future students.

Kristen Tremonti will graduate in December with a degree in general human ecology and a minor in leadership studies. This summer will be her fourth summer as a swim coach for Hallbrook Country Club. For the second half of the summer, Kristen will begin sales training at Best Graphics, a printing company in Kansas City. She plans to start work at Best Graphics following her graduation.

Scott Weaver

Ryan Wilkerson will graduate in December with majors in finance and accounting, and a minor in leadership studies. This summer, Ryan will be a camp counselor at Kanakuk Kamps near Branson, Mo. Following graduation, he will begin work, most likely within corporate finance. He has not yet accepted a job.

Anna Zeiger graduated with a degree in nutritional sciences and a minor in Spanish. After getting married in June, she will move to Kansas City and begin medical school at the University of Kansas.

[3]

Scott Weaver

SAB seniors love Wabash CannonBall

By Taylor Concannon, SAB member

The fifth annual Wabash CannonBall was celebrated March 4, 2011, and raised a record $300,000 in scholarship funds for Kansas City-area students to attend K-State.

Students displaying a strong academic record, having achieved a minimum 3.25 GPA, and residing in Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Jackson, Cass, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, are eligible each year to apply for one of the coveted K-State Wabash CannonBall scholarships.

Since its inception in 2007, the Wabash CannonBall has raised more than $1 million for the Fund a Wildcat program. This black tie gala, organized by a volunteer-driven committee of Kansas City-area K-Staters, provides each attendee the opportunity to donate to the scholarship endowment. The funds raised allow the K-State Alumni Association to annually award approximately 40 scholarships totaling $100,000, as well as designate additional funds to an

SAB’s graduating seniors do the Wabash at the 2011 Wabash CannonBall.

endowment for future scholarships.

Each year, the Student Alumni Board invites its graduating seniors to assist with this distinctive event. From setup to coat check, to prize distributions to the renowned Wabash Cannonball fight song, students spend the evening networking with fellow K-State graduates, sharing stories of K-State past and

present, discussing future aspirations and dancing the night away. Providing a truly unforgettable experience, Wabash CannonBall exemplifies the character of K-State, inspiring K-Staters of all ages to generously dedicate their time and support in order to sustain and grow our treasured Kansas State University.

SAB style rockin’ new mentorship program

By Mindy Highberger, vice president of development

With the new SAB spring class came a revamped SAB Mentor/Mentee program. The new and improved program kicked off with a New Member Night in between selections and the Spring Retreat. The idea was to give the new members a good orientation before the Spring Retreat, then reveal whom their SAB mentors would be.

After training and orientation, a potluck dinner was provided by the SAB mentors, and the revealing process began. A large, complicated web of string was constructed throughout Hagans Library and the Programs Suite of the K-State Alumni Center.

New members started at one end, and worked their way through furniture, knots and each other, until they reached their mentors. After the reveal, mentors helped mentees set SAB goals for their first semester on the board, and then began planning an introduction for them to present to the rest of SAB at the Spring Retreat.

[4]

A prize was awarded to the most creative introduction. Darren Allison and new member, Brett Seidl won this award by rewriting the lyrics of “Empire State of Mind” to be about their mentorship.

Another new aspect of the program was the installation of Mentor/Mentee Manhattan Bingo. Every pair was given a Bingo card with squares representing different activities to do around town and on campus.

Activities ranged from going to get ice cream or coffee together, visiting the Konza Prairie, studying in Hale, prank calling another SAB member and meeting each other’s parents.

When pairs complete an activity, they mark off the square and work towards getting a Bingo! As of publication, no “Bingos” had been completed, though many were well on their way!

Overall, the program has taken well to its makeover. Many mentors and mentees agree it is a fun and unexpected way to

get to know older members of SAB. It can be overwhelming to step into such a distinguished, outgoing and tight-knit group. This program helps new members ease some of the stress of breaking into the group and creating their own identity.

Tradition Founders Thanks for all your support of the Tradition Founders Telefund!

SAB members raised more than $49,383 for the K-State Alumni Association. It’s a recordbreaking amount!

President’s Goodbye [ FROM THE PRESIDENT ]

By Kelsie Ball, outgoing SAB president

It doesn’t seem real that it has been four years since I became a member of the Student Alumni Board and that it is now time to say goodbye to one of my favorite organizations on campus.

SAB has defined my K-State career and has been one of the highlights of my K-State experience. Being among the best and brightest of K-State and serving on the executive board has been an honor and privilege and it will be hard to say goodbye.

I cannot put into words what the members, advisers of SAB and K-State Alumni Association staff has meant to me the past four years. You are not only my best friends, but have become my family. Thank you for your encouragement, motivation and inspiration. I am blessed to have gotten to know you and for the impact you have made on my life. SAB

never ceases to amaze me with all we accomplish and this year we achieved even more. Thanks to Kelley Nelson and the Wildcats Forever committee for their endless amount of creativity and hard work to implement new and exciting programs. We had an event with record-breaking attendance by members and were able to hold our second bus trip to a football game.

Your dedication continued to keep Wildcats Forever the largest and fastest growing organization on campus!

Thank you to our secretary, Kate Bormann, for her endless work on the SAB Today newsletter and for the hours she put in to writing and submitting the ASAP awards. Her efforts led us to receive two ASAP awards and we will compete at the national level this summer.

Vice president of development, Mindy Highberger, and the development team filled us with fun through their creative ideas for retreats and put together the first ever SAB intramural flag football team. Mindy also continued to help the mentee/mentor program grow tremendously by adding new events and ideas.

We could not have selected a more outstanding new member class without the direction of vice president of membership, Casey Dwyer, and the membership committee. Thank you for your early mornings and late evenings in order to make the process smooth and successful.

To the executive board, thank you for your tireless efforts and long hours to make this year one to remember. Your dedication and commitment has made an impact on SAB, the K-State campus and the Association. I enjoyed every minute we spent together, even our early 7:30 a.m. morning meetings.

To the seniors, good luck in your future endeavors. I know you will be successful and make an impact on the world!

To the new members, congratulations on being selected to one of the most prestigious groups on campus! Take full advantage of the opportunities SAB has to offer and enjoy your time on the board. It will be an experience you will never forget.

To SAB, thank you for allowing me to serve as your president and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. You are special people and will forever hold a place in my heart. I will miss each of you and please stay in touch. Always a Wildcat!

By Eli Schooley, SAB Member On March 9, SAB members Nate Spriggs and Kate Bormann were elected student body president and vice president after a hard-fought election season.

Spriggs, student body president, is a junior in agricultural economics and prelaw from Riverton, Kan. He is the son of Larry and Carol Spriggs. He is a 2009 graduate of Riverton High School.

Bormann, vice-president, is a senior in agricultural communications and journalism from Louisburg, Kan. She is the daughter of Scott and DeeDe Bormann of Kalamazoo, Mich. She is a 2008 graduate of Louisburg High School.

Throughout their time at K-State, Spriggs and Bormann have served students through a variety of organizations.

In addition to their involvement in SAB, they’ve been involved with the Student Governing Association, K-State PROUD, the College of Agriculture Council, New Student Services, Agricultural Ambassa-

dors, Quest Freshman Honorary and their greek houses.

While their public campaign launched in February, Spriggs and Bormann spent nearly four months meeting with fellow students, campus administrators and their campaign team to create their platform and plan the campaign’s promotional efforts.

They ran under the slogan “Your Voice.

Nate Spriggs and Kate Bormann were elected student body Your Campus,” and president and vice president respectively, March 9. had a three-part platThey were officially sworn into office form focusing on adding student represenApril 14, 2011, and are excited to begin tation to the university renovation planning their year of service to K-State students. committee, enhancing campus safety and Congratulations to Nate and Kate on furthering entertainment options for stutheir election! dents at K-State.

[5]

Matt Castro ‘11

Spriggs, Bormann elected student body President, Vice-President

2011 Grad Bash

David Mayes ’96, K-State Alumni Association

SAB members serve graduating students a meal at the annual Grad Bash (formerly known as Senior Send-Off) at the K-State Alumni Center.

The 2011 event featured The Mikey Needleman Band, free food, alumni T-shirts and numerous giveaway prizes.

Almost 500 graduates attended the celebration.

ÂŽ

K-State Alumni Association Student Alumni Board 1720 Alumni Center Manhattan, KS 66506-6600

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Manhattan, KS 66502 Permit No. 389