Alumni Magazine Fall 2021

FALL 2021

UN M IN IM A M GA AG ZA IZNI EN E A LA UL M

HAPPY

TOGETHER H O M E CO M I N G 2 0 2 1

ON THE COVER There is no better time than homecoming for us to be happy together.

Alumni from year's past enjoyed a cheer reunion in addition to a carnival, tailgate, and the Patriots winning the big game.

Features 10

SHARING HER HEART

12

A SHOCKING RECOVERY

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HELPING DISC GOLF SOAR

20 28 30

Debbie Kidd-Trammell, ’75, Rank I ’97

Cassie Bock, ’19

Jordan Inf ield, ’14

HAPPY TOGETHER Homecoming 2021 ONE MORE DAY Lacey Keigley, ’95 A BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERY Hal Moses, MD, ’56

In Every Issue 6 32 35 2

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Campus News Class Notes Cumberlands Couples

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In Memoriam Patriot Salute Then & Now

Campus Memories Recalling Dr. Boswell Wanda Taylor Claypool, ’70 I worked in his office. I went to him asking about notations on a paper I was typing for him. Laughing, he said, ”Those are scores and notes from the basketball game last night." I was fortunate to work in his office.

Keith Roach, ’80 He would make a deal with you. Mine was, “You pay half and work for the other half in sports information!” He called me into his office and told me I was working too many hours. He saw to it that I got a monthly stipend check to help me out.

Kathy Leach Hignite Stephens, ’81 My dad (Kenneth Leach) graduated in 1963, and I was born while he was a student there. When my parents took me to start school in 1978, we met Dr. Boswell in the hallway at Gatliff. He not only recognized and greeted dad, but he also said, “Don’t tell me this is Kathy?!”

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS Dr. Jerry Jackson, EdD ’11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI RELATIONS Erica Harris, ’84 ALUMNI DIRECTOR Paul Stepp, ’12, MSIS ’17 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Andrew Powell SENIOR EDITOR Gabrielle Mellendorf

SENIOR WRITER Sarah Rainous, ’17, MACS ’21

GRADUATE ASSISTANT DESIGNER Elizabeth Fladung, ’21

DESIGNER Gabrielle Price

STUDENT WRITER Diana Davis, ’22

PHOTOGRAPHER William Turner, ’21

The opinions expressed within articles do not always represent the views of the administration but are intended to foster open dialogue and lifelong learning among the Cumberlands community.

We welcome your feedback; email alumni@ ucumberlands.edu.

DIGITAL CONTENT Jordan Jung GRADUATE ASSISTANT RESEARCHER Clara Arnold, ’19

ALUMNIGREETINGS Dear Alumni, Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect, said, “A bridge is born of necessity, but it must establish its own identity.”

For alums, there is no question about the identity established for the viaduct. This iconic bridge has long served students as a link between the residential and academic sides of campus. To ensure this legacy continues for future generations, the university will soon begin a project to modernize the structure.

Some may say, “It’s only a bridge.” I propose one reason our alumni care so much about the viaduct is that walking across it is a physical representation of something we’re all trying to do in life: just keep moving forward.

You moved forward in life when you decided to enroll at Cumberlands, propelling yourself into classes, extracurriculars, and relationships that challenged you, grew you, and opened up your world. Walking across the viaduct was probably one of your first quiet rites of passage into adulthood – it marked your first step of independence away from being a teenager at home and into being a college student. The viaduct became the trigger for your brain to switch on before class and wind down again after. Every trip back and forth across it marked the passage of time in your day and, in spring, the passage of another school year. Every first day of fall classes when you walked across it, you walked across as a different person than the one who walked it back in spring. Your route stayed the same; you did not.

You kept moving forward.

The viaduct has seen a couple of facelifts over its more than 100 hundred year lifespan and has weathered a few decades since the last. The viaduct is about to begin a new chapter with a modernization project slated to begin this winter and scheduled to finish by the fall (weather permitting).

We don’t have many other details yet, so stay tuned to our University of the Cumberlands Alumni Facebook page and our quarterly newsletter through Cumberlands Connect to stay up to date on further announcements.

Speaking of announcements, we are beginning to schedule in-person and hybrid alumni events for the spring and coming fall. If you are interested in hosting a gathering, please email alumni@ucumberlands.edu to let us know!

Last but not least, I couldn’t end an opening letter after Homecoming without thanking everyone who came back home and celebrated with us.

After missing a year, I can’t tell you how great it was to see all your smiling faces and catch up with everyone! If you missed out on the fun, no worries – Homecoming 2022 is booked for Friday, September 30th, and Saturday, October 1st. Mark your calendars to join the celebration next year!

Best,

ERICA BROOME HARRIS, ’84 Executive Director of Alumni Services 4

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; Original blueprints

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; 1969

; 1996

; 1981

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CAMPUSNEWS

NEWPROGRAMS CRIMINAL JUSTICE

This graduate-level online certificate in Criminal Justice Management, is open to qualified students from across the country. The program will help equip law enforcement officers for better leadership roles by ensuring students are wellversed in all police procedures, including emergency, disaster, and security scenarios.

CYBER-ENGINEERING

The Master of Science in Cyber-Engineering dives into principles of electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science. By combining these disciplines, students will develop the technical skills and insights needed to analyze and solve complex computing problems and maintain secure operations in a time when cyber risk is at an all-time high.

EARLY COLLEGE

Cumberlands has opened its Early College Program to McCreary County School District. This Patriot Pathways program allows high school students to enter an associate degree program prior to their high school graduation. Students can earn a high school diploma and a college degree at the same time.

FINANCE DEGREE

The Plaster Graduate School of Business is now offering a Master of Science in Finance degree program. Course content will include financial accounting and analysis; financial services, regulation, and ethics; economic analysis for decision making; financial planning and wealth management; big data and financial 6

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analytics; financial modeling and valuation; and global capital markets and international finance, among other topics.

PARALEGAL STUDIES

Cumberlands is now offering a new online associate degree in paralegal studies. The university is the second in the Commonwealth to offer this type of program. The associate degree in paralegal studies allows students to pursue a legal career without attending years of law school. Graduates from the program will have the practical skills and legal insights needed to become a legal support worker, legal assistant, or paralegal, among other vocations.

PRIOR LEARNING

Cumberlands’ new Prior Learning Program allows undergraduate and graduate students to gain credit for both professional and educational experiences that apply to their current studies. Undergraduate students have the potential to earn up to 75 percent of their degree through prior learning credit, and graduate students can earn up to 25 percent. The program opens doors for people who have a lot of life experience yet no completed degree.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Plaster Graduate School of Business at Cumberlands has added a new online Project Management Certificate program to its academic offerings. The graduate-level program is designed to equip students with the necessary skills, practical knowledge, professional tools, and innovative techniques they need to leverage themselves in the business world.

SOULSUPPORT For the 10th consecutive year, Cumberlands’ staff and students conducted the program Shoes 4 the Soul.

This year’s program consisted of donating shoes, socks, t-shirts, and hygiene items to approximately 550 students across seven elementary schools, including Pleasant View, Pine Knot, Boston, Whitley North, Whitley East, Whitley Central, and Williamsburg Independent elementary schools. Cumberlands staff and students brought the items directly to the schools to be handed out by their family resource officers to the children who needed them.

“Shoes 4 the Soul helps these children in a few different ways,” said Caitlyn Howell, director of Appalachian Ministries, who has organized the program for the last few years. “I think the biggest thing is the shoes. Shoes are a distinctive thing that builds confidence for the kids. We’re meeting some essential needs, but we’re also meeting psychological needs for these kids by providing a brand-new pair of shoes. In some ways, we’re reaching beyond physical needs and helping build confidence that they will carry with them into their future.”

Follow the latest ucumberlands.edu/news

FAREWELLCOACH Donnie Butcher, who led the University of the Cumberlands men's basketball team to 17 NAIA tournament appearances, has retired after 21 seasons and 452 wins at the helm of the Patriots program.

All Cumberlands’ undergraduate students participate in various community service opportunities each semester, supporting the university’s mission of impacting others in positive ways while teaching students leadership through service.

Shoes 4 the Soul is just one event that allows Cumberlands students to give back to their community and serve the children in it.

“The kids are always excited,” said Tammy Stephens, the family resource director for Williamsburg Independent School District. “Most of the kids receiving these shoes don’t get any other pairs of shoes outside of what they get from our family resource center. Little boys especially wear through their shoes quickly with how hard they play. This gives them a good pair of shoes to wear every day.”

"It is sad to see the Donnie Butcher era come to a close. Donnie has been a tremendous asset to Cumberlands for more than three decades," said Cumberlands President Larry Cockrum.

"In addition to being a great coach, he has served as a role model and mentor for many student-athletes and younger coaches. He is highly regarded throughout the NAIA basketball community and has always operated his program with integrity. He will be greatly missed by our students and staff. I wish Donnie and his wife Bonnie all the best as they look forward to this new chapter in their lives."

Butcher closes out his career second in Patriots history with 452 wins, tallying a .680 win percentage, including a 180-116 record in Mid-South Conference play.

Coach Butcher ranks 12th in the NAIA in wins among active NAIA coaches as he led the Patriots to eight consecutive NAIA national tournament appearances.

Under his guidance, the Patriots posted 18 20+ wins seasons, including capturing the MSC regular-season championship in 2003 in addition to winning the 2009 and 2012 Mid-South Conference Tournament.

Athletic Director Chris Kraftick said, "It's always tough to see a great coach step away. Donnie has dedicated his life to this institution and represented Patriots Basketball with the highest of integrity.

As athletic director, I hate to see him retire, but as a friend, I'm excited he has reached that point in life where he can spend time with his family and enjoy doing something other than prepping for the next MSC battle. Our department wishes Donnie and Bonnie the best and would like to thank them for a wonderful 32 years in Williamsburg."

Cumberlands has made a campus-wide goal to support at least 500 students each year with shoes and other essential items. It costs just $30 to provide a child with shoes, socks, t-shirts, and hygiene products at Shoes 4 the Soul.

To sponsor a child, visit ucumberlands. edu/shoes4soul/give. For more information on Cumberlands’ community service initiatives, visit ucumberlands.edu/communityservice.

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A WINNING

n o i t n i o d i t a i r d T a Tr Though the world constantly changes, the winning tradition of Cumberlands athletics never will. Every fall magazine, we’ll focus on an athletic team’s history so you can trace a program’s evolution through time. Come spring, we’ll give you our “year in review,” listing our top athletic highlights throughout that academic year. This fall, follow the success and growth of the women’s soccer program over the years.

EF

1993

'96

First national tournament appearance.

Program begins

'99

Only time in program history when all athletes who receive AllConference Honors also earn First Team MSC.

'07

Team averages 4.0 goals per game with a season record of 84 goals; highest in program history.

2000

Holly Wolf, ’00, goalkeeper, holds the highest career saves (412).

'07

Second time qualifying for MSC and national tournaments.

'05-'09

2015

Leslie Allred, '09, tallies 65 career goals & 149 career points. Her record still stands.

Steve Hamilton hired as new head coach. After a 1-17 season that year prior, leads the team to a 10-5-2 season.

2021 '18-'19

Shara Randez, ’20, & Nicole Panis, ’20, recognized as NAIA AllAmericans; the only two Patriots WSOC players ever recognized.

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'20

Champions of the MSC Tournament.

Places 6th in the NAIA coaches poll; second year placing in the top 10.

SeniorSPOTLIGHT Eric Beecham, ’22, began his second year as the elected president of the Student Government Association fresh off a medical explorations program. Each day for two weeks he visited the University of Tennessee Medical Center and followed physicians who were practicing medicine in different capacities in the hospital.

He observed their work, asked them questions, and participated in Q & A sessions and ethics discussions with doctors, med students, and others.

“I absolutely loved the program,” Eric said. “Seeing new and interesting things in medicine was fun on its own, but I also met and developed relationships with fantastic physicians who gave me great advice as to how to be the best giver of care when I become a doctor in the future.”

Eric’s family has always been in medicine, and he has always enjoyed science, so he wanted to be a doctor from a very young age. As he grew up, he met doctors who made him take a closer look at his reason why.

“I have seen doctors save the lives of close personal friends, and I have seen doctors act like long-time buddies with first-time patients,” he said. “Those are the two reasons I want to be a doctor: to save lives and develop relationships with patients."

Graduating from Cumberlands will be one of the most bittersweet moments of his life, he says. He has had a great time here making strong friendships, wrestling for the university, growing as a leader by presiding over SGA, and gaining a wealth of knowledge about biology, chemistry, and the human body that have prepared him for better success in med school and as a future physician. By his fourth year here, it is hard for him to imagine life outside of Williamsburg.

He is excited to move on and begin a career, but he will miss being on campus every day.

“The people, the memories, even the late nights studying and the difficult afternoons spent in grueling wrestling practices will be sorely missed. But I know these four years have completely prepared me for the next step in life,” Eric said.

He added, “The most valuable part of my college experience are the friends I made. I believe that life truly revolves around the people you are surrounded by. The people surrounding me at Cumberlands are my best friends, and they are the reason the past four years have been the best of my life. I have developed the strongest bonds I have ever seen through the friendships I've made here.”

After graduation, Eric plans on attending medical school at Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he has already been accepted into the program. After finishing his time there, he will be ready to “tackle a career in medicine” and care for patients the way he believes God has called him to do.

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SHARING HER

“It is my belief that we should work to provide positive experiences for others throughout our lives.

Don’t ever think you’re too old or have nothing to offer.

Everyone has gifts that can be shared with others. Never stop sharing your gift.”

At some point, every talent inside every person is undiscovered. It’s nothing but pure, untapped potential. What primarily separates those who reach the full potential of their talent from those who do not is twofold: their effort and their educator.

Debbie Kidd-Trammell, ’75, Rank I ’97, was a teacher and choral/band director in McCreary, Madison, and Fayette Counties for 34 years and taught at Transylvania University before moving her focus to the Richmond Area Arts Council in 2009-2017.

Today, Debbie is chair of the McCreary County Museum Advisory Committee and the McCreary County Heritage Foundation, who oversee a local store called The Artisan Shop. She isn’t an artisan herself (though she is a talented vocalist and pianist), but her position is the continuation of a common theme in her 10

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life: educating and supporting the people around her to help them reach their full artistic potential.

Debbie grew up in Pine Knot, Kentucky, graduating from Pine Knot High School before attending Cumberlands. As a music education major, she quickly realized that she didn’t have the knowledge of music theory and history she needed to succeed in that department, so she had to study harder than some of her classmates. With the help of her professors (her favorites were Dr. Harold Wortman, Dr. Jerry Sieg, and Dr. Gayle Breedlove), she made it through. Between classes and her studies, she attended countless choral and band practices, rehearsals, and concerts. In the free time leftover, Debbie could often be found at home teaching piano lessons.

After graduation, she served as a choir/ band director and music teacher for the

majority of her life. She worked with faculty and staff who had various levels of expertise and taught students with all levels of talent. Her years as an educator taught her valuable lessons she lives by.

“Practice until you are comfortable in any situation, help others, and live an honorable, Godly life. Respect every person you encounter; the custodian and cafeteria staff are as important as the principal,” she said. “Additionally, everyone’s skill level is different, but each person should do their best.

Everyone should be treated fairly and be encouraged to hone their craft, regardless of skill level. And, no matter who you are, share your knowledge, talent, and skills with the world.”

Just like Debbie doesn’t believe a person’s position or skill should merit them more

or less respect, she doesn’t think that art is simply for artists. The arts are for all.

“The arts are for everyone throughout their entire lives. We, as human beings, need the arts on many levels. The arts help us know we are not alone and that we share human experiences and emotions.”

Watching her students unlock their potential in music always made Debbie’s heart sing, and now she enjoys watching artisans young and old explore their

artistic talents at The Artisan Shop. The Artisan Shop opened in 2021 in the Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot. Be it handmade quilts, corn husk dolls, or acrylic paintings, every piece of art is made with love by a local. Some of the artwork is distinctly Kentucky-inspired, like figurines molded out of coal or signs featuring the Dairy Bar in McCreary County. Local musicians regularly perform during events on site. Sometimes, The Artisan Classroom (next door to The Artisan Shop) holds courses that teach community members how to make their own art.

Debbie is The Artisan Shop’s manager and liaison between the shop staff and the McCreary County Heritage Foundation.

She is thrilled with The Artisan Shop’s mission, its positive influence, and its exponential growth.

“The Artisan Shop and The Artisan Classroom are serving this population well as a source of encouragement and pride,” she said. “An excellent group of dedicated volunteers, many of them artisans, manage the shop on a daily basis.

McCreary County has many talented artists dedicated to the culture and heritage of our beautiful county. The support provided them through The Artisan Shop gives them a platform for their art and an opportunity to enjoy the artwork of others.”

On second thought, the difference between those who reach the full potential of their talent and those who don’t isn’t twofold, it’s threefold. Even by putting forth years of effort, and even with the best educator to help guide the process, there is one final, key component: sharing your art with the world.

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A SHOCKING 12

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A week before Cassie returned for her sophomore year, she was electrocuted, died, and came back to life.

August 18, 2017, was the last day Cassie Bock, ’19, was scheduled to manage the swimming pool at a local activity center in Brandenburg, Kentucky. She was instructed to clean the pool well before she left. The pool vacuum was very old and had been experiencing many issues throughout the summer. But overall it was functioning well, so Cassie went about her duties per usual.

It was a typical day, minus the fact that Cassie’s mom, Connie, had arrived during the vacuuming to show Cassie an adorable wall sticker she’d found for Cassie’s dorm room. Usually, her mom would have waited until Cassie returned home after work to show her. It’s a good thing she didn’t.

A summer camp had just arrived at the facility, and when a child walked into the pool area, Connie said goodbye and walked toward the exit. Meanwhile, Cassie was pulling the vacuum hoses out of the water and wrapping them up. She grabbed the electrical cord – still plugged in across the pool – with her left hand to begin dragging the barrel of the vacuum over to the storage shed, unaware there was a small fray in one of the cords. The moment she grasped the cord, her life changed, because that’s when she started being electrocuted.

RECOVERY

“I remember standing on the edge of the pool, my vision going in and out, and I could feel my whole body shaking,” Cassie said.

“I was getting glimpses of the things going on around me, but everything was moving slowly. I fell in the water and remember hitting my head on the edge of the pool as I fell. I remember screaming as I tried to keep my head above water but struggling because my whole body felt heavy, and then I saw my mom run back toward me. I remember her yelling ‘let go of the cord’ as I grabbed the cord with my right hand to pull it out of my left hand.

At this point, I remember feeling the electricity run through my right arm and into the rest of my body. Then I blacked out.”

Still holding the cord, Cassie submerged completely underwater, sinking to the bottom of the pool. Her heart stopped beating – no one knows for how long. Then the electricity shocked her heart back to life. She isn’t sure how long she was underwater, unconscious, breathing in pool water, but to her it felt like a lifetime.

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The next thing Cassie remembers is her mother pulling her up to the surface. Connie had run back and jumped in fully-clothed to save her daughter. Nevermind that the water was still live when she jumped in. With one arm wrapped around Cassie and the other holding the cord to the vacuum, Connie dragged Cassie to the side of the pool, speaking into her ear the whole time, trying to keep Cassie awake as she floated in and out of consciousness.

They finally made it to the edge. Connie pulled Cassie out and climbed behind her to support her weight. With every slip into unconsciousness, Cassie’s body collapsed into her and, each time, Connie listened closely to see if Cassie had stopped breathing. These moments were the scariest of Connie’s life.

At one point when she was conscious, Cassie looked down at her left hand, vision blurry, and saw the burn. It looked like a hole in her hand, burned from the inside out, colored reddish-clear. The sight triggered nausea and a realization of her pain – intense, throbbing, sharp pain rippling through her hand and arm. When she understood she was seeing into her hand, she instantly looked away and started panicking. Connie covered the injury with her own hand to shield the sight from her girl. It felt like holding a hot steak fresh off a grill.

“It’s okay, I have you,” she told Cassie. “I’m here. You’re okay. I have you.” She looked up and screamed to the people on the scene, “Somebody, unplug that vacuum! Call an ambulance immediately!”

The first hospital stay wasn’t great. Connie had called family members as fast as possible to tell them there had been an accident and she was going to the hospital. Cassie’s brother had gotten into his car before his mother had finished talking, and he and his girlfriend drove home from college immediately.

Other family arrived later to see Cassie. Still in soaking wet clothes, Connie never left Cassie’s side. Someone offered her dry clothes, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave for even a few minutes to get changed. Cassie’s clothes got burned during the electrocution.

It was disconcerting seeing 15 different doctors come in to inspect Cassie like she was a new science experiment. Connie overheard doctors and nurses converse with each other, saying things like, “How do you treat an electrocution? She shouldn’t be alive. Where do we find research on how to treat her, since she is alive?” Finally, Connie told them, “We can hear you. My daughter doesn’t need to hear this conversation.”

The days and months following were grueling. Doctors were confident Cassie would be alright soon and sent her home after two days. But as she got progressively worse, she was admitted to a different hospital later, this time to the burn unit. She couldn’t sit up by herself, she struggled to walk, and her left hand was stuck in a loose fist as if it was still holding the electrical cord. Her brain constantly felt fuzzy, and her heart kept beating so fast that Cassie thought she would have a heart attack – a pulse which 14

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continued for many months. Her hand and foot had burns. All her nerves were hyper-sensitive, so she struggled with anything touching her, including her hospital gown and the bedsheets. She felt freezing cold.

The burn unit lined up specialists for Cassie to see, and she returned to her family’s home in Brandenburg. Since she wasn’t able to care for herself, her grandmother traveled down from Ohio to look after her so that Connie could work part-time.

“Not a moment passed I wasn’t thinking about Cassie and what to do to help her recover, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well,” Connie said. “The accident forced many changes, and there were daily struggles to determine the severity of her injuries and the long-term effects this accident would cause. The struggle for me wasn’t just returning to work, it was continuing to work with each new doctor appointment.”

The next 10 months were, as Cassie puts it, “overfull” with doctor appointments, physical therapy, and learning how to function normally again. Cassie was overly medicated to try and tolerate the immense pain she still felt – chest pain from her elevated heart rate, severe pain throughout her limbs, and a chronic headache that felt like her head was being squeezed between two metal plates. A physical therapist worked on helping her walk normally again. An occupational therapist re-taught her how to use her hand. Due to her consistent elevated heart rate, she saw a cardiologist regularly. She also had severe nerve damage along the entire left side of her body, so a nerve specialist was added to the list.

To put it bluntly, the doctors didn’t hold out much hope.

“I had many doctors who told me they didn’t know how to treat me or how to help me. I had doctors tell me that I would never walk again, that I would never have full control over my hand again, and that I probably wouldn’t ever function the way I used to,” said Cassie.

In a few electrifying minutes, Cassie went from being a healthy year-round athlete who only needed an annual checkup to a girl needing four medical specialists, plus heavy medication, just to – maybe – learn how to function normally again. In reality, she needed another specialist as well, but she didn’t realize it at first.

“I was having multiple seizures a day that were not diagnosed or treated,” Cassie said. “My mom says that my eyes would gloss over and my hands would shake, but then I would just stare blankly, completely unresponsive. I would come out of them and not have any idea what had happened during that time, and then my headaches would intensify for a while.”

Connie said, “I can often see a seizure coming on in Cassie before she can feel them.”

After four months of seizures, the family scheduled appointments with a neurologist to treat her seizures (though her epilepsy

Cassie and her mother, Connie.

wasn’t properly diagnosed until the following September). Over the next four years, Cassie would see dozens of different doctors.

“Those 10 months especially were filled with a lot of pain, a lot of discouragement, and many, many tears. This accident was the most painful and traumatizing experience of my life, and, on top of that, I was missing not only my sophomore year of college but also my sophomore swim season. Little did I know, I would be missing every season following due to this accident. This was a very discouraging time. I felt defeated and hopeless.”

“But,” she added, “God put some really amazing people in my life who changed the situation drastically.”

Cassie’s mom has been her rock. She has encouraged, cried with, and advocated for Cassie. She slept on the sofa during the first months of recovery so she could hear Cassie if she needed help. Every three hours during the night, she got up to medicate her, and she helped her eat, shower, change – basically anything she needed to function for months. Cassie's grandmother made a big difference as well, leaving her home and her husband in Ohio to cook, drive Cassie to appointments, and do various other things around the house for many months.

A friend of Cassie’s spent time every day encouraging her and being kind to her while she was home, sometimes taking her out to get french fries and sit by the river nearby, which helped her mental health a lot. The Cumberlands swimming coach allowed Cassie to remain on the team even though she couldn’t compete, which Cassie was grateful for. Dr. Emily Coleman, ’01, and other Cumberlands staff helped make her transition back into school as smooth as possible and kept her on track for graduation. (She graduated only a year late with a triple major.)

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Another person who has helped Cassie recover isn’t technically a person – it’s Cassie’s dog, Lexie, a pitbull with a caring personality and a special love for rolling in grass. The family sent Lexie to intense training for her to learn how to not only detect seizures but also how to alert and protect Cassie and stay calm during a seizure.

“She can detect it through a change in my hormones,” Cassie explained. “She will start bugging me, whining, nudging me with her nose, pawing at me. During the seizure, she is trained to crawl and lay under my head to protect me from injury. If we are in a public place during one, she will lay on top of me instead in order to protect me from other people. In the worst-case scenario, if I do not come out of my seizure on my own, Lexie is trained to go find someone else to alert them.”

Lexie was the first service dog on Cumberlands’ campus, though there were other emotional support animals present before her. When people asked Cassie the difference, she took the opportunity to explain the difference in training that service animals have.

“It was nice to use those moments as educational to help people understand the distinction of what a service dog’s credentials are,” Cassie said.

At first, Cassie received some rude comments on campus because, on the outside, she didn’t look as though she needed a service animal and because the dog she had was a pitbull. Once Cassie was able to answer questions and as Lexie proved herself to be well-trained and calm, the comments ended, and Lexie became a well-loved, unofficial Patriot.

Fast forward. It’s March 31, 2021, exactly 1,321 days after the accident, and Cassie is raising a toast. To herself. To moving on. And, after four years, to her being able to heal emotionally by discussing all aspects of her accident; an openness formerly stifled due to ongoing litigation.

“I was not able to fully process the experience because, if I shared at all with people, I had to be so vague that I felt like I was lying about the impact the accident truly had on my life. And sometimes people doubted the severity of the trauma, since I was so vague.”

In the end, Cassie was relieved to finally have it all behind her and to move forward with her life, and her healing, on her own terms.

The girl who was told she might never walk again or hold more than five pounds, visits the gym almost every day, knocking out sprints, stretches, and weightlifting sessions.

The girl who had to be cared for at home is a homeowner herself. The girl who got electrocuted in a pool is swimming again, for fun. She gives credit to God and the people who have helped her, and she is proud of how far she’s come. She believes God had a purpose for the accident.

Extensive training with Lexie.

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“There was no reason for my mom to be at the pool, but she was, which is why I’m still alive, so God must have a purpose behind it,” she said. “He has already taught me the importance of trust and perseverance. I remember one night during the first year after the accident, sitting on my bed and crying. I was so physically and emotionally drained.

I just wanted to quit. My mom sat with me and listened. I opened my Bible, and the first thing I read was Romans 8:18, ‘I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.’ Even though things look too big to conquer, the present sufferings don’t compare. The mountain is never too big.”

“There are pieces of me I will never get back, and pieces of me I never would’ve had. Chances are, I’ll always carry scars, both emotionally and physically. I’ll probably have epilepsy for the rest of my life, have nerve damage throughout my body, scars on my feet, and burns on my legs.

But I’m finally free to heal my soul.”

Now, Cassie wants to help other trauma victims climb their own mountains. With a triple-major at Cumberlands under her belt (psychology and two Christian ministry degrees), she is now working as a case manager for a private foster care agency while taking classes toward a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. Her goal is to become a trauma-focused counselor, hopefully working with young adults.

Cassie remembers a day shortly after the accident when her mother held her for a while with her head pressed up against Cassie’s, sobbing out of gratitude that her daughter was still alive. God has given Cassie a new life – figuratively and literally – and she is getting stronger, loving more, and living better with every step she takes.

Cassie getting the keys to her own home.

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Soar

HELPING

It’s a bird!

It’s a plane!

No… it’s a disc!

“If you are looking to do something fun and competitive that doesn’t cost much and involves a community of people who are really relaxed, then disc golf is your sport,” said Jordan Infield, ’14.

In Jordan’s case, it’s true to say the skeptic has become the advocate. As of September 2021, Jordan had 11 amateur wins in the Professional Disc Golf Association on his résume, plus he has designed and overseen the installation of four new disc golf courses in Whitley County – Briar Creek Park, Whitley Branch Veterans Park, Thompson RV Park, and Sheltowee Camp. He also started a Facebook page for local disc golfers which has grown from four followers to 350 in a few years. When Jordan first moved to Williamsburg after living in Knoxville, there were only four disc golf players in the area.

Now, there are well over 100 active disc golfers.

But before 2015, Jordan’s only experience with discs was a few rounds of ultimate Frisbee in college. During the two years post-graduation when he lived 18

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in Knoxville, a friend and mentor of his metaphorically dragged him out to a disc golf course to give the sport a shot. Having been a baseball pitcher for years, Jordan knew how to throw a mean slider, but tossing a disc felt foreign. He awkwardly threw a few discs (like they were baseballs) with his friend, trying not to laugh the whole time – not just because his throws were admittedly terrible, but also because he didn’t take the sport seriously at all.

“I originally thought it was a joke,” said Jordan. “I had never heard of it before.

Now, throwing a disc feels almost as natural to me as throwing a baseball did when I was growing up.”

Disc golf is the “laidback cousin” of regular golf. Similar to golf, in disc golf, a “round” is played consisting of a number of “holes”, and the player with the lowest score wins.

There is a tee (also called the “tee box” or just “the box”), a square pad on the ground made of cement, asphalt, turf, or other material, and there is a target (also called the “hole” or “basket”), a pole with a chain-link net at the top, which catches the disks. Players try to get their disc from the tee to the target in as few throws as possible. Sometimes, the basket cannot be seen from the tee box due to trees or other obstacles, so courses include a sign at every tee box with a simple map of that

section of the park and where the target is in relation to the tee box. The disc golfers’ imagination and skill take it from there.

Newcomers to the sport may only see a cement square, a basket far off in the distance, and some trees in the way. Avid disc golfers like Jordan have learned to view the courses completely differently.

“There are a lot of factors you learn to notice as you play. The wind, the tree branches you never noticed before, the muscles that get sore that you never knew you had…” Jordan joked. “Honestly, disc golf is unbelievably technical and creative.”

During the pandemic of 2020, disc golf was one of the few sports people were able to safely play, since players are able to socially distance and only touch their own disc. Plus, any age group or skill level can play it, it can be played alone or in a group, it’s great exercise without being overly exerting, and it’s cheap – a disc costs less than $20, and most disc golf courses are free to play on.

“On a community level too, it’s a great way to build relationships,” said Jordan. “It is helping more and more people in our community get relationally connected.

It also can be a great attraction for cities to generate interest for their town, which

in turn generates revenue for their city as people travel and play on courses.”

That’s why several local communities have accepted Jordan’s proposal to build disc golf courses in their parks. Earning several communities’ approval for the courses, designing the courses, and watching them be built has been a satisfying and exciting experience for Jordan. For him, the dream is that, in the next five years, southeastern Kentucky will be a destination location that people from around the country would come visit to play disc golf.

Jordan has gone from disc golf know-nothing to disc golf course designer, tournament director, sponsored player, and coach. He does it for the fun of it and to help communities.

And also, deep down, he hopes that it inspires others to realize the wealth of creative opportunities available to them to share their passions with others.

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H O M ECO M I N G 2 02 1 CUMBERLANDS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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STAY CONNECTED @ucumberlands @ucumberlands.alumni cumberlandsconnect.com

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It was a party to beat all others this

Homecoming! Complete with carnival rides, food trucks, and face painting, there was plenty of family fun in addition to all the reunions and receptions.

The baseball team’s homerun derby enjoyed another successful year with plenty of alumni showing up and showing off (that’s right, everyone – they’ve still got skill). There’s nothing like swinging a bat again after a while off the pitch.

Kids and kids-at-heart enjoyed various carnival rides in front of the Hutton School of Business, holding on for dear life on the Sizzler and seeing a swirling view of campus on the swings. Artists painted fun designs on faces and arms, and a balloon artist crafted new pets and accessories.

The Patriot Games hosted by Appalachian Ministries rounded out the fun activities, giving kids a chance to use up their energy before heading to the football game.

Speaking of which, have you been following our football team? You should.

They are cruising so far this season and tallied another win at Homecoming. The joy in the stands was palpable with the marching band filling the air with the fight song, cheerleaders leading spirited chants, and, of course, our football team plowing ahead to victory.

Homecoming 2022 is sure to be another great year of fun, friends, and football.

See you there!

Homecoming

2022

September 30 - October 1

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Alu

Hono

Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame It’s no secret that Cumberlands has high-caliber athletes. Some through sheer talent, grit, coachability, and hard work make an especially big impact on the university’s athletic programs.

GUY FRANKLIN, ’90 Honored for his notable contributions to the baseball team. A few of his many accolades include having the No. 1 batting average in the NAIA in 1987 and recording the NAIA’s best slugging percentage (.815).

Guy currently works for Best Choice Supply as lead estimator and lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his wife, Christy. They have three children and two grandchildren.

DANIELLE HOOP-O'DELL, ’15, MSPAS ’18 Honored for her accomplishments on the women’s cross country and track teams. Danielle was a 9-time All-American, 2014 MSC crosscountry champion, and an NAIA National Champion of Character Award winner, among other accolades. She currently works as a physician assistant and lives with her husband and past teammate Travis in Taylorsville, Kentucky.

CHARLOTTE PARENT, ’15 Honored for her great contributions to the swim team. Among other achievements, Charlotte broke 10 school swim records (three are still standing), won 16 MSC titles, and is a 24-time CSCAA All-American, the most in program history. Charlotte currently resides in her home country of Belgium and is the swim coach for Waterloo Swimming as well as a PE teacher for middle and high school girls.

NEESHA THIRUMALAICHELVAM, ’14 Honored for her achievements on the women’s tennis team. Neesha was the first in program history to make NAIA Second Team AllAmerican, went on to win NAIA First Team All-American, and was the ITA Regionals Singles Bracket champion in 2012 and 2013, among other accomplishments. She currently operates her own tennis academy in Miami, Florida, where she is also the head coach.

Inductees must have made a significant impact on a particular team or on the overall athletic program and exhibited outstanding athletic ability or attained significant athletic accomplishments while at the university. Athletes may be considered beginning in the sixth year following their projected date of graduation. Nominees are voted on by a committee consisting of the Athletic Director, Sports Information Director, Eligibility Chair, and Alumni Board Director, as well as a few rotating committee positions. Nominations can be submitted at cumberlandspatriots.com

mni

ored

Distinguished Alumni Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented each year to alumni whose exceptional achievements and careers reflect the highest values embraced and promoted by the University and the Alumni Association. We took time to honor these alumni during Homecoming Weekend to recognize their significant impact on the lives of others.

AMANDA FAULKNER, ’10 Following graduation from Cumberlands, Amanda earned her medical doctorate (MD) and completed her residency and two fellowships. She is on faculty at Duke University as a neurosurgical anesthesiologist and intensivist as well as an assistant professor in the university’s school of medicine. Her greatest passion is caring for patients with brain tumors, brain aneurysms, or spinal deformities in the operating room, though she also spends time providing comprehensive care for those in the intensive care unit (ICU). Among other activities, she also conducts research, mentors medical students and trainees, and serves as a peer reviewer for multiple publications.

JOSH BENTON, ’04 Josh uses what he learned in his history, political science, Christian missions, and public administration classes to serve well as the national vice president for Send Relief, a collaboration between the International and North American Mission Boards, a unified platform for Southern Baptists to offer help and hope to the most vulnerable through compassion ministries worldwide. He leads Send Relief’s North American ministry efforts. Prior to this role, Josh served as the economic and workforce development professional with the Commonwealth of Kentucky for more than 15 years and a bi-vocational student minister for eight years.

HAROLD CARTER, ’86 Harold has spent the last 24 years in the aerospace industry holding various roles of engineering leadership and program management, most recently as the engineering director and interim vice president of engineering of Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks, leading the engineering organization in research and development, vehicle prototyping, and weapons systems production. The Skunkworks is the world leader in stealth technology. Harold has developed and integrated technologies to advance capabilities on the F-111, F-16, F-22, F-35, F-177, and other classified programs. As a result of his work, he has been awarded two classified patents. Additionally, Harold serves as Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ executive representative to Purdue University and is actively involved in numerous state, regional, and national STEM initiatives.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION AWARDS The Student Government Association (SGA) annually awards two professors as well as a staff member in recognition of their commitment to students and service to the university. This year’s male honored professor was Dr. Chin-Teck Tan (not pictured), an associate professor of business as well as the head tennis coach, since 1988. The female honored professor for 2021 was Dr. Lisa Lyford (not pictured), professor of biology. She has taught at Cumberlands since 2005 and is the founder and advisor for the pre-health club on campus. Finally, the honored staff member this year was Eric Skelly (not pictured, head swimming and diving coach. He joined Cumberlands’ “One Big Team” in 2011.

A

ll Cumberlands graduates of 50 or more years make up the Creech-Boswell Society.

Induction into the society is a milestone occasion for any Cumberlands alumnus.

The society is so named to honor the legacies of James Lloyd Creech and James Malcolm Boswell, two Cumberlands presidents who made especially positive, significant, and long-lasting impacts on the school thanks to their forward thinking, determination, and heart for Cumberlands students and the youth of Appalachia.

The Creech-Boswell Society induction ceremony presents a unique opportunity to reconnect with old classmates, reminisce about student days, and create an even stronger shared community with fellow alumni moving forward. Though all society members are invited to enjoy the ceremony, new inductees receive special recognition and receive their society pins. This year’s induction celebrated alumni from both the class of 1970 and the class of 1971.

Group Picture Right: From left to right: Arlo Sharp, ’70, Michael Gerack, ’71, Mike Dougherty, ’71, David Neuner, ’71, Christine Maraist Neuner, ’71, J. Mixon Cowart, ’71, Charles McGinty, ’71, Dennis Minton, ’69.

Executive Director, Erica Harris, ’84, pins Christine Maraist Neuner, ’71 with her official Creech-Boswell Society pin.

Clifford Jones, ’49 and John Brown, ’53, sit on the newly dedicated Boswell Bench.

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CREECH-BOSWELL SOCIETY Class Inductions 1970 & 1971 CUMBERLANDS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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ONE MORE DAY. Welcome to “So Every Day,” a blog devoted to embracing the ordinary. It’s full of the funny, the fashionable, the flavorful, the faithful, and the feels of life – and that’s just in the Five Finds Fridays. The blog is equal parts adorable and authentic, playful and poignant. (And that’s all the alliteration we’ll subject you to for now.)

Lacey (Eibert) Keigley, ’95, began the blog around 2007 after a family member who lived in another state wanted to see what her family’s days at home were like.

At first, Lacey was reluctant. But it soon became a gift.

“I was a young mom, and my days were overwhelmingly filled with diapers and

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decisions,” she said. “The blog became a way to talk about a book other than Goodnight Moon and to process emotions and feelings of all sorts of life changes I was having.”

The blog’s tagline is “embracing the ordinary,” and Lacey keeps her content as down-to-earth as her life is. No frills, just a mom of six kids sharing glimpses into their daily life. She talks about taking her teenagers on college visits, finding a new favorite pair of boots (and on sale), homeschooling kids who would rather be outside playing, hot tea on a rainy day, morning walks on a sunny one, hilarious things her kids say (bonus points if they don’t realize just how hilarious it is), hard

CHECK OUT LACEY'S BLOG AT WWW.SOEVERYDAY.COM

Embracing the ordinary comes naturally to Lacey, and, though she recognizes that isn’t the case for everybody, she thinks society is coming around.

Today, “So Every Day” provides a source of income, travel, and fun for Lacey’s family. She has been able to take her kids on trips all across the United States, ziplining, kayaking, and more. They squeeze in their travels around Lacey’s regular jobs as a homeschool co-op co-director and the website owner of Travelers Rest Here, a website all about Travelers Rest, South Carolina, where the family calls home.

“Without trying, I tend to see the silver linings in things. This was just a fun aspect of my life until I found myself in more difficult and trying situations.

Then the gift of finding the hope became more life-giving and necessary,” she said. “I think, in some ways, people are getting better at embracing the ordinary. We are beginning to see the power in the small. We are beginning to understand how life-giving slowing down is. Our world is SO, SO loud. Choosing something quieter, savoring what is directly in front of you – I think those things are becoming more and more important as we see the consequences of ignoring our need for rest and for focus.”

Slowing down enough to think, feel, and write has provided a good discipline, helping hone Lacey’s skills of succinct writing – cutting to the chase.

It’s even led her to start writing a book. And it has continued to be a great avenue to process life.

SEE HER OTHER WORK AT WWW.TRAVELERSRESTHERE.COM

“There’s a quote that says something like, ‘I understand what I feel when I write about it.’ That is the truth for me.”

&

life questions she’s wrestling with, vacations to the family’s favorite dude ranch, resonating with an old song in a new way, daughters trying new hairstyles, sons living adventurously (the backyard counts), and much more.

It isn’t that Lacey’s life is always pretty – the point of the blog is that nobody’s life is. Stress, frustration, confusion, and disappointment aren’t new to her.

But she has found renewal in her time with the Lord, the grins of her children, and the constant practice of choosing gratitude and joy. And she has found that, in the big things and the little things, she is not alone. Friends around her and the strangers who read her blog have shown her that humanity is more connected than we think we are.

We all experience the same feelings, we all need help sometimes, and – though our days might look different – we’re all just taking it one day at a time.

PHOTOS BY: JANE HOWARD CUMBERLANDS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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Q&A A BREAKTHROUGH DISCOVERY

One of the worst traits of cancer is how rapidly it grows. In 1984, a cancer research team led by Hal Moses, MD, ’56, discovered a protein our bodies naturally produce that helps slow that growth.

It was a breakthrough discovery that changed the face of cancer research and treatment, opening the door to decades’ worth of related discoveries and giving doctors new ways to successfully combat this deadly disease.

Hal grew up in a poor family and attended Cumberlands back when it was only a 2-year school. He then completed his bachelor’s degree at Berea College and later graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. After 55 years of full-time work filled with globe-impacting cancer research, Hal officially retired in August 2017 as a nationally and internationally recognized physician-scientist, leader, and professor.

Why did you come to Cumberlands?

It was my only real choice. My family was very poor. Neither of my parents graduated from high school; my father was a coal miner and was unemployed during much of my college and medical school time. I was able to attend Cumberland College while living at home. With help from relatives, we were able to pay tuition. With encouragement from my professors, particularly Professor P.R. Jones in the Department of Chemistry, I was given self-confidence that I could succeed.

What did you do after graduating from Cumberlands?

During my second year at Cumberland, I learned about Berea College. They did not then and do not now charge tuition, and all students work for a minimum of ten hours per week for which they are paid. Dr. James Boswell, president of Cumberland College at the time, called me and a friend, George Ellis, ’56, into his office a couple of months before commencement and asked us what we were going to do after graduation. I had told George about Berea, and we both told Dr. Boswell that we would like to complete our college education there. He immediately turned around to his telephone and called Dr. Francis Hutchins, President of Berea College, and told him that he had two outstanding students that would like to come to his school. Dr. Hutchins responded that we were accepted to attend. After graduation from Berea, George went to medical school at the University of Louisville and has practiced family medicine in North Carolina since. I went to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine with two scholarships given to me by Dr. Hutchins.

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Cancer Research

A chievements F Contributed to 350 Scientific Publications F Invited to present his work in 40 states and 22 countries F Founding director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center F Served as President of the American Association for Cancer Research and the Association of American Cancer Institutes F Founded and directed the Frances William Preston Laboratories F Founding chair of National Cancer Policy Forum for the National Academy of Medicine

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in medicine? Why cancer research specifically?

When I was a junior in high school, my father and I visited the retired Gatliff coal company physician then living in Williamsburg, and he suggested that I consider a career in medicine because I could help people and make a good living while doing so. That resonated with me, so I decided to become a physician. Cancer research presented complex and challenging issues.

Tell us about the big discovery in 1984 with TGF-beta proteins.

I had been leading a research team at the Mayo Clinic for several years by then. We had co-discovered TGF-beta in the late 1970s, but that didn’t get much attention because we didn’t know the proteins had unique functions regarding the inhibition of cell proliferation. To explain, “proliferation” is when cells grow or multiply – often rapidly, in the case of cancer. When you “inhibit” that, it means you’re slowing or stopping that growth process.

When we showed in 1984 that TGF-beta inhibits cell proliferation – that this small protein that’s already in our bodies helps keep cancer cells from growing and multiplying – that got a lot of attention. The implications were huge; if we could learn more about TGF-beta and figure out how to use it to help patients, it would change cancer treatment forever. The discovery was at that same time that a scientist at Genentech in San Francisco was able to demonstrate that TGF-beta was a unique growth factor, very different from all the others known at the time. It turned out to be a member of a large family, and, in short, there was a lot of research after that.

– of factors that attract inflammatory cells that then promote tumor progression. It’s sort of a paradoxical effect. Essentially, early on in cancer formation, TGF-beta helps keep cancer from developing and progressing, but in later stages it does the opposite – it accelerates the growth. So, in the early stages, TGFbeta is helpful to the patient, but, later on, it’s harmful. Among other implications, that changes the timeline of when TGF-beta should be used in a patient’s treatment plan. We also discovered that later acceleration isn’t due to the effects of TGF-beta on the cancer cells, it’s due to the effects of TGF-beta on the host’s cells.

Those are just a few of the many discoveries we’ve made in the lab, often in collaboration with many different groups.

What are some ways research has changed over the years?

Research has become very, very complex. You need to use different approaches and have people with different expertise involved to do the most competitive research. I’ve collaborated with many different groups over the years, both during my time at the Mayo Clinic and my years at Vanderbilt. We are getting better and more trustworthy results in research today than we did before. The amount we can learn in a matter of weeks used to take years in the early days of research. Additionally, technological developments have been key to the development of research for all different diseases.

Not only were you a researcher, but you were also a professor and a mentor. What did you enjoy most about teaching and mentoring?

One of the things I am most proud of is the success of individuals who received research training in my laboratory. Twenty-two people received Ph.D. degrees based on my mentoring and research conducted in my laboratory. Twice that many postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty received training in my laboratory. Many are now prominent scientists, administrators, and educators.

What does retirement look like for you?

What are some other discoveries that your lab has made?

We have made many incremental discoveries which we’ve shared in more than 300 publications over the years. We were the first to get evidence from experimental animals that TGFbeta signaling was tumor-suppressive. It slows the growth of tumors. We also learned that it can help keep cells from becoming cancerous in the first place. Later, we showed that TGF-beta suppresses secretion by cells – particularly cancer cells

Well, between August of 2017 and March of 2020, my wife and I took 10 trips. We went on cruises – small cruise ships with no more than 200 guests – and visited Iceland, Greenland, Germany to Hungary, Hawaii, Guam, Scotland, Sierra Leone, and the Greek Islands, among others. When COVID is under control, we look forward to traveling again. Until January 2021, I still had an office at Vanderbilt that I visited from time to time. I am currently an interviewer for prospective med school students. Some days I have an open schedule, other days I conduct several interviews.

We also keep in touch with our family – we have three surviving children and 16 grandchildren who are all wonderful. For more than 20 years, we had grandkids come to “Grammy Camp” at our house and live there for a few weeks every summer. It’s great being a grandparent.

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CLASSNOTES Keck

(’14)

1960s

Snyder (’14)

2000s

David Ray Farmer, ’69, had an artwork exhibit on display for the month of June in the Art Center of the Bluegrass. He is the artist in residence at Maple Tree Gallery in Danville (KY).

1970s Rick Nelson, ‘76, was honored with the Kentucky League of Cities 2021 Leadership Enrichment and Development (LEAD) Award as the mayor of Middlesboro (KY).

Lance Treadway, ’90, was chosen as the East Tennessee Care Actor Star Referee of the Year in 2020. He has officiated TSSAA football and basketball for 16 years.

Cheri (Bridges) Floyd, ‘91, tutored adults finishing their high school education at a local distance education center in Papua, New Guinea. She and her husband live there as vocational ministers through Global Partners.

Dr. Holly Chitwood, ’01, earned her Doctorate of Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leadership from the University of Kentucky. She was then promoted to associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing in the Doctoral Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Track.

Jared Jackson, ’01, wrote the children's book Where Does the Man in the Moon Go During the Day?, which has won 6 awards, including the Gold Seal from the Mom's Choice Award, and it is also going to be made into a TV movie.

Josh Maples, ’03, is the new principal at Red Cross Elementary School in Glasgow (KY).

Ryan Baily, MAEd ’05, has rejoined the Colorado State track and field staff as the assistant coach overseeing multis and jumps.

Lindsey (Engle) Frey, ’05, has been named as the new Jennings County Middle School choir director in North Vernon (IN).

Eric Lowe, ’07, was selected as one of Louisville's Forty Under 40

Treadway (’90) 32

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Lowe (’07)

Santimano (’08)

Kinney (’11)

Willis (’14)

from Business Insider and has been commissioned as a Kentucky colonel.

Ryan McElfresh, ’02, was promoted to the rank of EMS lieutenant after serving for over 13 years with the Memphis (TN), fire department.

1990s

Velotta (’14)

Darnell (’12)

Sacha Santimano, MAT ’08, was named head coach of Bowdoin College's women's basketball team in Brunswick (ME).

2010s Deatrik Kinney, MAT ‘11, MAEd ‘13, PhD ‘19, was named a new member to the board of the Kentucky State Police Foundation.

John Darnell, MAEd ’12, accepted a position as the new principal at Highlands High School in Northern Kentucky.

Tim Ridley, MAT ’12, is the new principal at Mt. Washington Middle School (KY).

Rex Booth, MAEd ’13, EdS ’14, has been named as the new band director for the middle and high school in the Oneida Special School District (TN).

Johnathan Elliot, ’13, has been named as the new band director for the middle and high school in the Oneida Special School District (TN).

Katie Moran Mason, MAEd ’13, EdS ’19, is the new principal of Straub Elementary School in Mason County (KY).

Booth (’13)

Elliot (’13)

York (’15)

Butaud (’17)

Goings (’17)

Jacob Brown, EdS ’14, has taken the position of principal at Crittenden-Mt. Zion Elementary (KY).

Kamae Dixon, MAEd ’14, became a published author in December 2020. The novel is titled Daddy's Baby, Mama's Maybe: I Am Not My Conception written under the name Come Lamore.

Alan Keck, MBA ’14, has been selected by the Kentucky League of Cities as the 2021 City Elected Official of the Year as the mayor of Somerset.

Amy Smith, MAEd ’14, EdS ’15, is serving as the new superintendent for Hopkins County Schools (KY).

Myriah Snyder, ’14, MACS ’20, began working as senior writer/editor for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Sarah Velotta, EdS ’14, has been named principal at Audubon Elementary School (KY).

Erik Willis, ’14, MAT ’17, married Brooke (Howell) Willis, MSHHP ’20 on May 7, 2021.

Joey Bunch, EdS ’15, has been promoted to the position of Director of Transportation for Barren County Schools in Glasgow (KY).

Wendy Mitchell, EdS ’15, was announced as the new director of elementary instruction and Title 1 at Hopkins County School District (KY).

Vaughn (’18)

Brown (’19)

Dickey (’19)

West (’17)

Charette (’18)

Lodmell (’18)

Patterson (’18 & ’19)

Anne Toohey, MAEd ’15, started a position as school counselor at Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Englewood (OH).

Dr. Jake Jenkins, EdS ’18, EdD ’21, has accepted the position of assistant principal at Hampton Elementary School (TN).

Caleb York, EdS ’15, has been named the next Daviess County Public Schools District Student Services Coordinator in Owensboro (KY).

Beth Lodmell, EdS ’18, has been named as the new principal of Collins Lane Elementary School in Frankfort (KY).

Alex Embry, EdS ’16, has been named the new Ohio County High School principal (KY).

Maggie (Moore) Patterson, ’18, MSPAS ’21, and Andrew Patterson, ’19, were married on May 8, 2021.

Abby Baylor, MAT ’17, is the new assistant principal at Bullitt Central High School (KY).

Julie Vaughn, MAEd ’18, was selected to be principal of Earlington Elementary (KY).

Alex Butaud, ’17, was named executive director at Life Care Center of Tullahoma, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility (TN).

Dr. D.J. Brown, EdD ’19, is the new principal at Mabry Middle School in Inman (SC).

Devon Goings, ’17, MSJA ’18, and Landry (Jung) Goings were married July 10, 2021.

Mohammed Inayath Ur Rahman, MSISS ’17, was married on January 4, 2021.

Amerah (Dixon) Rutherford, ’17, MSPAS ’21, and Zack Rutherford were married on October 17, 2020.

Kandace (Gibson) West, ’17, married Brandon West on May 15, 2021.

Karlie (Prozanski) Dickey, ’19, and Josh Dickey were married on May 22, 2021.

Mercy Kavaya, ’19, and Steve Shitika were married on August 17, 2021.

James Schweizer, ’19, and Hannah (Henegar) Schweizer were married on June 5, 2021.

Alana Seddon, EdS ’19, has been hired as the new principal for Axtell Public School (KS).

Brittany (Litke) Charette, ’18, and Travis Charette were married on August 7, 2021.

Kavaya (’19)

Schweizer (’19)

Crawford (’20)

Dobbs (’20) CUMBERLANDS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

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Garvin (’20)

Hancock (’20)

Villegas (’20 & ’22)

Cumberlands Magazine welcomes Class Notes submissions from alumni. Use one of the options below to submit your information.

You can visit ucumberlands.edu/classnotes

Email the Office of Alumni Services at alumni@ucumberlands.edu

Wharton (’20)

Fannin (’21 & ’14)

2020s Jackson Capel, MBA ’20, is the new assistant coach for Evangel University's men's basketball team in Springfield (MO).

Conner Crawford, MSHHP ’20, has been named as the new indoor volleyball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Austin Paey State University.

Jordan Dobbs, MAEd ’20, has been selected as the new assistant principal of Olmstead School (KY).

Kayla (Skaggs) Garvin, ’20 and Robbie Garvin, ’20, were married on June 12, 2021.

Gretchen Hancock, MBA ’20, joined Reliant Bank as assistant vice president, commercial banker in Clarksville (TN).

oh baby!

Phelps (’21)

Wesner (’21)

Ondrea Smallwood, EdS ’20, has been named as the new principal of Barren County Middle School (KY).

Guillermo Villegas, ’20, and Madison (Skees) Villegas, ’22 were married on July 21, 2021 Katie (Brewer) Wharton, ’20, and Aaron Wharton, ’22 were married on May 15, 2021.

Kelsey (Fearing) Fannin, ’21, and Matt Fannin, ’14, were married on May 8, 2021.

Miranda (Feltner) Phelps, ’21, and Noah Phelps, ’21, were married on July 24, 2021 Cara Wesner, EdS, ’21, has been named head teacher at Valley School (KY). She will oversee all aspects of educational services for students enrolled in Valley School, which includes elementary through high school levels.

(1) Stacey (Smith) Reichenbacker, ’00, and John Reichenbacker, ’98, welcomed their third child, Hank Wyatt, on July 6, 2021. Their other two children are Emma Grace (2017) and Jake Donald (2019).

(2) Dr. Magan (Elizabeth) Morin, ‘06, PhD ‘21, and Nathan Morin welcomed their daughter, Emma Grace, on September 12, 2021.

(3) Heather (Rutherford) McCoy, ‘08, welcomed her daughter, Maddie Ruth McCoy, on July 2, 2021.

(4) Anna (Poynter) Brown, ‘18, and Jeremiah Brown, ‘17, MSHHP ’18, welcomed their daughter, Mabel Faith, on September 11, 2021. The couple was also selected as Cumberlands Service Region Foster Parents of the Year for 2020.

(5) Jordan (Rood) Jeffries, ‘19, MACMHC ’21, MAAD ‘21, and Mason Jeffries, ‘18, welcomed their son, Hudson Joel, on August 30, 2021.

(6) Kendall (Bricking) Richie, ‘19, MAEd ’21, and Peyton Richie, ‘19, welcomed their daughter, Briar Elizabeth, on August 10, 2021.

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Cumberlands ^^Couples

1.

2.

3.

4.

C ar lee (Ballard

5.

6.

) & Wes C or net

t

Carlee (Ballard), ’98, and Wes Cornett, ’90, MAE ’93, Rank I ’98, met at Main Street Baptist Church when Carlee was a freshman and Wes was teaching and coaching at Williamsburg High School.

She had noticed Wes sitting in the balcony of the church. Carlee asked her friend Beth Wayland, ’97, who he was, to which she jokingly replied, “That’s your husband.” Lo and behold, the following year when Carlee was a sophomore, she was walking to church and a friend named Stephen Brown, ’98, pulled up in his car and asked if she wanted a ride. Her first thought was “no,” but when she noticed Wes in the car, she accepted. The two of them sat next to each other at church, and they’ve been together ever since. Their most common date was to go to the movie theater at the Williamsburg Mall. They got married on July 12, 1997, and have one son, Greyson, and two daughters, Madison and Sophia.

Their youngest, Sophia, ’24, is a music education major at Cumberlands. Wes served 20 years in school administration roles and now works for the Kentucky Center for School Safety, and Carlee is the choir director and visual and performing arts teacher at Science Hill Independent School District in Kentucky. Wes and Carlee serve together at their local church, Pleasant View Baptist, in Waynesburg, Kentucky. Carlee serves as the church pianist.

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IN MEMORIAM e The following members of Cumberlands family have passed away since the publication of our last magazine. We send our thoughts and prayers to their families and will forever remember their impact on the Cumberlands community.

Alumni Juanita (Purvis) Shacklett, ’36, passed October 14, 2020.

Col. Donnie L. Martin, USA (Ret.), ’62, passed September 4, 2021.

Dr. Anna M. Creekmore, ’40, passed April 18, 2021.

Jean (Cordell) Davis, ’63, passed June 18, 2021.

Maude S. Randall, ’42, passed June 27, 2021.

Dr. Glen Baker, Jr., ’64, passed September 4, 2021.

Gorman Jones Roberts, Sr., ’42, passed away on April 11, 2021. He was the son of T.J. Roberts and graduated from Cumberlands before going on to earn a degree from Harvard University.

James D. Bishop, ’64, passed June 12, 2021.

Milford Wiley Brown, ‘64, passed July 5, 2021.

Gerald K. Wilson, ’64, passed May 30, 2021.

Scharlyene Verr Hurt, ’51, passed May 25, 2021.

Lee O. Mills, ’65, passed July 7, 2021.

Ethel F. Richardson-Langford, ’51, passed September 24, 2021.

Herky Simpson, ’65, passed September 11, 2019.

Dr. Frank Catron, ’53, passed October 9, 2020.

Shirley (Lambdin) Smith, ’65, passed July 9, 2021.

Dorothy S. (Meekins) Cesler, ’53, passed August 18, 2021.

Danny McAlarnis, ’67, passed April 18, 2021.

Bruce Yandell, ‘69, passed April 10, 2021.

Lula (Tucker) West, ’54, passed July 7, 2021.

Harve J. Couch, ‘70, passed June 13, 2021.

Glenda (Davis) Fackler, ’54, passed July 7, 2021.

William H. Huffaker, ’55, passed August 16, 2021.

John Nelson, ‘74, passed August 10, 2021. In addition to graduating from Cumberlands, he also served as an associate professor from 1974-1992.

Frank Strunk, Jr., ’55, passed September 15, 2021.

John Lafevers, ‘75, passed June 21, 2021.

Evelyn Norman, ’57, passed September 26, 2021.

Mary (Catron) Perkins, ‘75, passed August 21, 2021.

Leta Carlene (Lanham) Ott, ’59, passed August 4, 2021.

Dr. Linda (Ford) Gooch, ‘76, passed July 20, 2021.

Kenneth Albert Hill, ’61, passed July 13, 2021.

Richard D. Clark, ‘77, passed September 13, 2021.

Barbara (Cox) Ramsey, ’61, passed August 12, 2021.

Nannie Hays, ‘83, MAEd ’94, passed April 23, 2021.

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Kenneth E. Ely, ‘85, passed April 21, 2021.

Darlene (Davis) Lunsford, ‘86, passed June 24, 2021.

Saul Jones, ‘87, passed September 23, 2021.

Alphonso C. Cox, ’92, passed June 14, 2021.

Dr. Mike Presley, ’98, passed September 4, 2021.

Travis S. Barnes, ‘00, passed August 25, 2021.

Dr. Rosemary Maxine Weddington, EdD ‘11, passed September 6, 2021. She completed her EdD degree from Cumberlands in 2011 at the age of 81, making her the senior most alumna in age to complete a degree in the history of the institution.

Brenda (Biddle) McFaddin, ‘17, passed September 16, 2021.

Samantha (Jones) Smith, ‘17, MACMHC, ’19, passed September 8, 2021.

STUDENT Robert Taylor Curtis, passed away on August 5, 2021. While at Cumberlands, he was studying history and music.

FACULTY Mary Ann Garnett Dowling, former English instructor and widow of Tom Dowling, first football coach at Cumberlands, passed away on April 9, 2021, following a valiant battle with cancer.

Sam McGill, passed June 12, 2021. Sam helped establish University of the Cumberlands' Department of Communication Arts television station and media program, helping to train the next generation of television and media professionals. He retired after 10 years of service.

James Clem, ’54, passed away on August 26,

2021 at his home in Greeneville, TN.

Born in Harlan County, Kentucky, Mr. Clem went to work in a coal camp at the age of 12 after his father became incapacitated. He continued working in the coal fields until he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Following military service, Mr. Clem returned to the coal fields, but he also found a way to enter college at Cumberlands. He would often sit on his hands in class, embarrassed they were so black from working in the mines.

He earned a degree in finance, eventually becoming a senior executive with Magnavox Corporation. He retired in 1989, ending his career managing 14 national and international operations.

Mr. Clem often said that Dr. Boswell and Cumberlands changed his life. He said he received so much from Cumberlands that he called President Cockrum in 2017 to say he was prepared to leave the majority of his estate to the university.

Because of Mr. Clem’s generosity, University of the Cumberlands is now the beneficiary of a $1 million gift, to be used as scholarship support for students. The James R. and Laura Jean Clem Endowed Scholarship Fund will enable future generation of students to have the opportunity for a life-changing education.

The university is grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Clem for their generosity and dedication to our students.

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Patriot SALUTE

Tom & Kathy Fish Forever Patriots

Many alumni remember Tom or Kathy Fish as their STRIPE in the INSIGHTS summer orientation program. Others hear their names and think back to sitting in the Bennett Building in an English class like Tom’s Literary Criticism course or Kathy’s infamous Descriptive Linguistics. (Those memories are probably strong; enduring 16 weeks of intense brain-bending does that to a person.) English major or not, thousands of alumni had great experiences on campus with the Fishes before their retirement in 2019. The fond memories are mutual.

“One of Kathy’s favorite memories ever is a student of Cuban descent from Miami who experienced Halloween trick-or-treating in a small town and absolutely loved it,” said Tom. “My favorite experiences, though, were always in the classroom and the constant discovery of teaching as a performance art.”

Kathy said, “I enjoyed knowing everybody and everybody knowing me. I took pride in getting to know my students, and of course writing classes provide that opportunity. I liked knowing colleagues for years so that even if we didn’t socialize off campus, we still were good friends.”

Tom and Kathy were added to Cumberlands’ payroll on July 1, 1984, right after they had closed on their new house in Williamsburg. The owners of the Montgomery Ward store in town let the Fishes order furniture and kept it for them until they arrived. Kathy began as an instructor of English and worked her way up to full professor in addition to co-directing the INSIGHTS program for more than 20 years. Tom began as an assistant professor of English, worked his way up to full professor, became the first chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, and served as English department chair before moving into administration as associate dean of academic affairs and later as dean of undergraduate studies, retention, and assessment.

“Despite Cumberlands’ and Williamsburg’s small size, the 38

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institution and hometown offered us lots of opportunities for professional growth and exploration,” they said. “And Williamsburg was a great place to raise our two daughters.”

In classic Cumberlands fashion, the Fishes spread their positive influence outside school walls and into the community. In addition to serving their church in numerous ways, they were always active at Williamsburg Independent while their girls were in school. Tom even kept the clock for the Lady Jackets basketball team and served as president of the booster club.

It’s thanks in large part to the Fishes that several programs, organizations, and procedures at Cumberlands exist and have succeeded. Kathy helped start Cumberlands’ chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, the freshman honor society. Tom established the local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, in the 1980s and helped create the university’s tenure and promotion procedures. Perhaps most significantly, he provided leadership in the three decennial reaccreditation efforts for the university, served on long-range planning committees, and contributed to the development of many of Cumberlands’ new academic programs.

All good things come to an end, and, as the Fishes approached the summer of 2019 – the culmination of 35 years of service to the university – they agreed it was a good time to exit.

“We wanted more freedom to visit family, especially our four grandchildren, and to travel just by ourselves,” they said. “We enjoy watching from a safe distance the huge changes and developments happening in higher education as we all move further into the 21st century.”

Once they are able, they hope to travel internationally. After pouring themselves into Cumberlands with all their hearts, they’re enjoying every bit of this new season of their lives.

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THEN & NOW

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Since Cumberlands’ founding in 1888, many things have changed about this institution in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. In this section, we peel back the layers of time for a glimpse at what life was like “back in the day” to see what is different – and what has stayed remarkably similar – from then to now.

Homecoming is fun for alumni, but it also features many fun activities for students. Some old Homecoming traditions have faded while new ones have begun, and some have remained tried and true across the ages. Here’s a quick look at a few of the ways students have celebrated Homecoming over the years.

HOMECOMING COURT The Homecoming court is a tale as old as time. In the 1950s, this included the Homecoming queen and her court, but no king; he was added to the court in later years. At least once, Cumberlands took a Southern spin and renamed the queen to “the Belle of Cumberland” before returning to the term “queen.” The student body votes on fellow students to represent each class; currently, that means three pairs of men and women chosen per class.

Those elected to the court don formal attire for the Homecoming football game and walk onto the field when they are announced during halftime. The previous year’s royalty return (if possible) to crown the two senior students who have been elected as the new king and queen.

HONORED PROFESSOR & STAFF MEMBER AWARD Another longstanding tradition in which students are the deciders. The Student Government Association leads the voting process as students nominate and vote on which two faculty members (one male, one female) and staff member should win the Honored Professor Awards. The award is based on the professors’ and staff member’s dedication to students. The honored professors and staff member are announced during the Homecoming football game, and, when Cumberlands still hosted parades, would participate in the parade.

PARADE This was the highlight of Homecoming week! Students (and staff) spent weeks planning and decorating floats to represent their

department or club in the Homecoming parade. Representatives from the group were chosen to carry a banner in front of the float in the parade. The parade began at 10 a.m. Saturday morning at Main Street Baptist Church and continued all the way down Main Street. Currently, instead of a parade, Campus Activities Board hosts a carnival with games, face painting, food, balloon artists, and other activities that are fun for students, alumni, and their children.

MUSIC CONCERT This tradition has occurred for more than 50 years. The Department of Music hosts a music concert the Friday evening of Homecoming weekend. The concert features the campus vocal ensembles and jazz band. (The marching band has their time to shine at the football game the next day.) Parents, friends, and alumni are invited. Songs performed vary between high-level choral music, contemporary music, and gospel, but one song is sung every year: The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory. All choral students learn the song, so all music alumni know it, and alumni are invited to the stage to relive their student days and sing along with the current choir.

DORM LIFE Each Homecoming has a theme and, for many years, residence halls would decorate banners to go along with that theme.

The Student Government Association would visit all the dorms and give a prize to the dorm with the best banner. To boost participation, House Councils and/or resident assistants would make a deal with their residents that those who helped decorate the banner would receive one free room check or something similar. In addition to the banners, dorms often had their own door-decorating contests for their residents. On the Saturday of Homecoming, dorms would offer open house twice and often serve a continental breakfast in their lobbies. Residence Halls could also choose to do a float for the parade.

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NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID LOUISVILLE KY PERMIT #1225

Office of Alumni Services 6075 College Station Drive Williamsburg, KY 40769

ucumberlands.edu CAMPUSSNAPSHOT

Nobel Prize winner, Madame Curie, Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist can now be found in front of the Correll Science Complex.