Abilene HS Jazz Band performed virtually in the MC Jazz Festival

Nearly 300 students from 14 area high schools and a middle school participated in the McPherson College Jazz Festival. The festival, which has drawn hundreds of young musicians to campus for the past seven years, was a virtual event this year.

Jazz bands submitted video performances that clinicians adjudicated to determine ratings and awards. This year’s clinicians included Kyle Hopkins, director of bands and associate professor of music at McPherson College; Brad Shores, retired music educator and adjunct of percussion; and Gregg Walker, retired music educator and adjunct of woodwinds.

Hopkins said the idea for the annual jazz festival came from area band directors asking for a quality jazz festival in the fall to support jazz education at a time of year when marching band tends to overshadow other aspects of a public school’s band program. The festival is held annually in the fall and continues to grow in size each year.

“Jazz is the quintessential American art form,” Hopkins said. “In studying jazz, you can’t separate the music from the history of jazz, which is American history. What a great thing to teach our kids, especially in a time when co-curricular classes are experiencing a squeeze, forcing many of them out of school curriculums! With the pandemic, band directors have faced huge challenges in how to engage their students musically while keeping them safe and healthy. So I’m particularly proud of the schools that were able to find creative ways to participate in the jazz festival this year.” Highlights from the performances can be viewed at https://youtu.be/M5fWFgPcs0U.

Participating schools include Abilene High School, Arkansas City High School, Dodge City High School, Junction City High School, Lansing High School, McPherson High School, McPherson Middle School, Newton High School, Riley County High School, Salina Central High School, Scott Community High School, Smoky Valley High School, and Sterling High School.

McPherson College announces the recipients of the 2020-21 Teaching Awards. The awards are traditionally presented at the college’s annual Honors Convocation, which was not held this year. This year’s recipients are Dr. Stephen Hoyer, and Dr. Becki Bowman.

A committee of three students and last year’s teaching award recipients reviewed more than 35 nominations from students and faculty colleagues to select one tenured faculty member and one non-tenured faculty member to receive the awards.

Stephen Hoyer

This year’s non-tenured award recipient, Dr. Hoyer, is an assistant professor of psychology. Students who nominated Dr. Hoyer emphasized his gentle, compassionate nature; his passion for his subject matter; and his knack for explaining complex theories in understandable terms.

His nomination included comments like “He is a very understanding person,” and he has “provided a certain level of leeway given the pandemic situation,” which students have “much appreciated.” Students also noted that Dr. Hoyer “gives great feedback,” and “answers any questions no matter how silly they are.”

Dr. Bowman, professor of communication and recipient of tenured faculty award, received nearly 25 percent of all the nominations in this category. In an interesting twist, she received as much acclaim for instructing her colleagues as she did for her work with students, who praised her not only for her effective, well-prepared class sessions but also for her ability to inspire and motivate them.

Becki Bowman

“Dr. Bowman inspired me to pick up a second major and has supported me every step of the way,” said one student nomination said. The committee especially noted that Dr. Bowman does an exception job provoking students to think through issues on their own. As one student says, “She not only teaches, but she inspired students to ask questions, and to look deeper.”

As the current faculty chair, Dr. Bowman devoted her summer to preparing her colleagues for teaching in socially distanced classrooms using blended course design. Her colleagues praised her for the effectiveness of her work, her commitment to helping them be the best they could be in the face of a pandemic, and her unflagging positive attitude.

The Health Science Scholars at McPherson College are taking the concepts they learn in the classroom and applying them to real-world workplace situations as part of their first signature outreach experience. The students are working with administrators of Disability Supports of the Great Plains in McPherson to develop and manage a new set of training videos for its employees.

McPherson College launched the Health Science program this fall, and offers majors in health science and health care management. The academic program focuses on creating health-related career pathways for students while engaging them in the community. Partnerships with local and regional health care agencies, like the one with McPherson Center for Health announced last year, provide students with hands-on educational opportunities in a variety of health care settings.

While every student will have the opportunity for field experience, students selected as Health Science Scholars receive scholarships and participate in signature community outreach throughout the academic year. Seven students received the Health Care Scholar awards this year.

“This outreach opportunity allows students to experience how an organization responds to and addresses issues of quality assurance and risk management,” Nick Baldetti, executive director of health care initiatives, said. “The outreach opportunity speaks to the value proposition of this program. Students are building a degree based on experiential learning and when they graduate will have first-hand experience of real-world issues.”

The students recently visited Disability Supports for an orientation, tour, and to become more familiar with the organization. They will continue to work with the staff to plan and develop a series of five training videos that will be completed by the end of the semester.

“Disability Supports is excited for this new partnership with McPherson College,” Sheila Goscha, vice president and COO of Disability Supports of the Great Plains, said. “We have been pleased to employ many McPherson College students over the years and are looking forward to this innovative, exciting opportunity to participate in this community-based health care educational program. The videos that will be developed by the students will be used for ongoing training of current and new employees.”

Baldetti, who joined McPherson College in August, is the former public health director and health officer of Reno County. Under his leadership, the health department was named the Public Health County of the Year and recognized three times by the Governor’s Public Health Conference for Promising Innovative Practices in Public Health. He has a doctorate in health economics from Creighton University and master’s degree in health and human performance and M.B.A. from Pittsburg State University. He has taught at the University of Kansas Medical School in Wichita, Wichita State University, and Creighton University.

“I have always been interested in building systems grounded in access to health care in a rural setting,” he said. “The Health Science program at McPherson College gives me an opportunity to continue to work on access from a different realm – training future professionals.”

Baldetti is developing other outreach opportunities for students in the future, including management and involvement in flu clinics and vaccination clinics in the county as well as opportunities outside of the county with mental health, hospice, and long-term care organizations.

McPherson College theatre is changing a 40-year tradition.

“This year is not about upholding traditions. This year is all about adaptation,” Jd. Bowman, professor of theatre at McPherson College, said. “What does theatre look like in the era of self-quarantine and safety precautions?”

For more than 40 years, McPherson College theatre has treated its season tickets holders to a themed dinner in conjunction with the varied productions. Known as “First Nighters,” the program has been the sole fundraiser for the theatre department. The COVID-19 pandemic will change all that this year.

“We would love to offer our season ticket holders dining options for each show, but there is no way I’m taking that risk this year,” Bowman said. “Our patrons are too important to us.”

In recent years, First Nighters has seen an increase in members from 164 in 2017-2018 to just over 200 last year. Those season ticket holders count for roughly half of the theatre department budget when producing shows. Without that fundraiser, along with the restrictions of public gatherings, the program has needed to scale back its typical five to six productions to just four productions this season.

“This year, we’re producing two digital productions and (hopefully) two in-person productions in the spring,” Professor Jen Pollard, who is the technical director for McPherson College theatre, said. “It is so important for us to keep creating and developing new ways to tell our stories. This year has been a great reminder that we all need to work together. That doesn’t change if you are masked six feet apart or talking across computer screens.”

The first two productions of the season are Brian Friel’s “Molly Sweeney” scheduled for November and “Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka offered in January. Instead of presenting these as traditional productions, Bowman says the students will learn about acting for the camera and audiences will be able to log on to watch the work from their homes. The theatre season information and details about logging on to see the productions will be announced on www.mcpherson.edu/theatre/.

“We chose ‘Molly Sweeney’ because it features only three actors and they are never on stage in the same scene,” explained Bowman. “It will be easy for us to social distance while filming these rehearsals.”

“Molly Sweeney” is the Irish story about a blind woman whose husband pushes her to have a risky operation to gain sight. The college last produced this play in 1997.

“Dutchman” is a 1960s play about race with only two characters: one black man and one white woman. The department selected it because of its small production qualities and its important topical theme. “It was almost eerie that we picked to produce this play last February, and everything that has happened since has only made this play more relevant, not less,” Pollard said.

In the spring, the department hopes to be able to offer more traditional in-person shows. Plans are to produce the area premieres of “Native Gardens,” a comedy about neighborhood lawn judgements and “Puffs,” a comic retelling of the Harry Potter books series told from the perspective of the Hufflepuffs.

“I will miss our dinner theatre component,” Bowman said, “because it gave such a neat opportunity for our community to connect with our students. This season, we are able to still offer theatre but connect with our audience in a new way. Theatre will still have the opportunity to bring us together and hopefully transform our societal thought.”

“Think of how many times over the past few months that you have turned to the arts: to distract, to laugh, to cry, to be somewhere else, if even for a short time,” Pollard said. “It is vital we keep theatre going at this time.”

If you would like more information on any of the productions at McPherson College, you can visit www.mcpherson.edu/theatre or call the box office at 620-242-0444.

Dr. Nick Baldetti will join McPherson College as executive director of Health Care Initiatives on August 10. Dr. Baldetti will advise the college’s incoming Health Science Scholars, oversee experiential learning opportunities for the health science and healthcare management majors, and instruct the health systems course.

Last fall, McPherson College announced the new academic program focused on creating health-related career pathways for students while engaging them in the community. The initiative includes a partnership with McPherson Center for Health, the local hospital, as well as a $1 million gift to fund the program, including ten $25,000 scholarships for students committed to community health.

The hands-on experience offered is a unique feature of the program. Every student will participate in multiple field experiences or rotations, and McPherson Health Science Scholars will be matched with signature outreach being developed to solve issues in the community. This academic year, two outreach opportunities have been secured for the Health Care Scholars. They will get hands-on experience at McPherson County Health Department and Disability Supports of McPherson. Sophomores in the program will participate in orientation and introduction to health care professions at the McPherson Hospital, and an introductory class in health systems is offered for freshmen. Students interested will also have the ability to obtain CNA certification to supplement their degree with Hutchinson Community College, The Cedars, and Moundridge Manor.

“Dr. Baldetti is a great fit for the mission of this initiative,” President Michael Schneider said. “In small communities, you need to be resourceful uncovering ways to build a healthy community. With Dr. Baldetti’s experience in public health, we will explore placing our students out in the community working to solve health care challenges while gaining experience for a career as a health care professional.”

For the past six years, Dr. Baldetti has served Reno County as public health director and health officer. He advanced in his position there in only two years after beginning with the county in 2013 as a health educator. Under his leadership, the health department was named the Public Health County of the Year and recognized three times by the Governor’s Public Health Conference for Promising Innovative Practices in Public Health. He sits on the board of directors for the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System and Horizons Mental Healthcare and the advisory boards for Creighton University’s Master of Public Health, Wichita State’s Public Health Science, and the University of Kansas Medical School Master of Public Health programs.

He holds the D.B.A. in health economics from Creighton University, the M.S. in health and human performance, and the M.B.A. from Pittsburg State University. He earned his undergraduate degree from Wayne State College. He has held faculty rank at the University of Kansas Medical School in Wichita since 2014 and has taught at both Wichita State and Creighton.

He fills the vacancy left by Dr. Matthew Bogner, who resigned earlier this summer.

(Editor’s Note: On July 14, 2020, the White House administration rescinded the order barring international students from studying in the United States if they were taking only online classes. MC continues to work with all international students for arrival to campus for the fall semester.)

McPherson College is working through the specifics of a new directive from Immigration and Customs Enforcement prohibiting international students from returning to or remaining in the United States if their college adopts an online-only instruction model for the fall. The new rule was announced on July 6.

“We have a team looking at the new ruling and exploring solutions that both meet the guidelines and allow students to complete their semester if there is a disruption,” Christi Hopkins, vice president for enrollment management, said. “Our international students are an important part of our campus and we will stand with them during this challenging time.”

McPherson College is committed to starting its fall semester on August 17 with both in-person and hybrid classes (a combination of in-person and remote instruction.) If another outbreak of the virus disrupts the fall semester, the college is exploring ways to continue to offer international students a hybrid approach that will allow them to complete the semester on campus.

Currently, the college is assisting students in the Student and Visitor Exchange Program who are able to travel without issue with their return to campus by July 26 to begin a 14-day self-quarantine prior to the beginning of the semester. Additionally, the college is reaching out to international students who are experiencing challenges in returning to campus.

McPherson College senior Myriah Webster

Myriah Webster, a senior at McPherson College, received the John J. Killian Scholarship from the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accounts. She was selected from candidates nominated by each of the independent Kansas colleges and universities.

Webster is from Marquette, Kansas, and graduated from Smoky Valley High School in 2017. She is majoring in business administration with emphasis in both management and accounting and minoring in music. She completed an internship this spring with the accounting firm Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Lloyd and this summer is working as an accounting intern with Koch Industries.

“I’ve been extremely blessed to experience the programs and the caring professors that McPherson College has to offer,” Webster said. “I never thought I’d be this far in my career before I even graduate.”

At McPherson College, she is involved in band, jazz band, business club, and was inducted into Gamma Beta Phi and Sigma Beta Delta honor societies. After graduating, she plans to obtain a master’s degree in accounting and become a CPA.

The John J. Killian Scholarship is awarded to one accounting major from the independent colleges and universities in Kansas. The recipient must demonstrate academic success not only in accounting, business, and economic curriculum but also in English and rhetoric subjects. The scholarship is awarded to students who are involved in leadership activities, have a willingness to comply with standards of professional responsibility, and possess an overall positive moral character.

McPherson College recognizes its highest academic achievers in the spring 2020 Honor Roll and Honorable Mention. To qualify for the Honor Roll, students must be a full-time student and earn a grade point average of 3.55 or higher during the previous term. Students earning a grade point average from 3.25 to 3.54 are named to the Honorable Mention Roll.

Students named to the McPherson College Honor Roll for spring 2020 include:

Morgan Abbott, Senior, Decatur, TX
Evariste Abeli, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Congo
Nicole Abunaja, Junior, San Tan Valley, AZ
Israel Acosta, Sophomore, Houston, TX
James Aikins, Senior, Hutchinson, KS
Kento Aizawa, Senior, McPherson, KS
Zackary Alexander, Senior, McPherson, KS
Jose Alonso, Junior, Wichita, KS
Amanda Ambrosy, Sophomore, Haslet, TX
Esther Tibaidjuka Amuli, Junior, Kinshasa, Congo
Austin Apple, Sophomore, Fort Morgan, CO
Aryana Archuleta, Senior, Sacramento, CA
Bianca Avila, Junior, McPherson, KS
Mason Ball, Freshman, Spring, TX
William Bandy, Sophomore, Bel Air, MD
Thane Barta, Junior, Anchorage, AK
Walter Behrens, Senior, Crested Butte, CO
Cheneal Benne, Junior, Courtland, KS
Anthony Bernal, Junior, Riverside, CA
Ethan Billhime, Senior, Windermere, FL
Haelie Bland, Senior, Gove, KS
Matari Bodie Jr., Sophomore, Miami Gardens, FL
Julien Bodin, Junior, Cartagena, Spain
Kevin Boeckman, Senior, Wamego, KS
Shelby Bonn, Junior, Shawnee Mission, KS
Molly Booker, Sophomore, Roseville, CA
Isaac Bora, Senior, Utica, NY
Luke Borton, Senior, Independence, KS
Cameron Boyce, Sophomore, Tebbetts, MO
Reven Bradbury, Junior, Castle Rock, CO
Riley Bradbury, Junior, Castle Rock, CO
Amy Braimbridge, Senior, Connolly, Australia
Valentin Bravo, Junior, Esparto, CA
Zachary Bredfield, Sophomore, Heppner, OR
Garrett Brenning, Junior, Culbertson, NE
Abigail Briscoe, Sophomore, Little River, KS
Cedric Brown, Junior, Culpeper, VA
Kourtney Brumley, Junior, McPherson, KS
Makaylee Bryson, Junior, Spanish Fork, UT
Alex Burger, Junior, Sedan, KS
Sydney Burton, Senior, Stilwell, KS
Hannah Butler, Freshman, McPherson, KS
Patrick Calip, Senior, Tulsa, OK
Jorge Calleros, Junior, Saint John, KS
James Canar, Junior, Longmont, CO
Brian Cantu, Senior, Mission, TX
Garrett Carroll, Senior, Conroe, TX
Calvin Cassida, Senior, Louisburg, KS
Kenneth Castleberry, Sophomore, Melissa, TX
Eugenio Cervantez Jr., Junior, Princeton, TX
Kaci Chadwick, Sophomore, Cheyenne Wells, CO
Jacob Christopher, Junior, Overland Park, KS
Cole Coggins, Sophomore, Kiowa, KS
Daniel Connell, Freshman, High Peak, Derbyshire
Garrett James Connor, Senior, Parker, CO
Jordynn Corea, Senior, Amarillo, TX
Jonathan Cox, Senior, Hialeah, FL
David Cramer, Sophomore, Healy, KS
Trenton Crow, Junior, Claremore, OK
Taylor Cunningham, Senior, Wellsville, KS
Jasmine Curiel, Senior, Corona, CA
Jake Curtis, Junior, Great Bend, KS
Charity Davis, Senior, Lawton, OK
Rashida Davis, Senior, Liberal, KS
Andrew Deppe, Sophomore, Harrisonville MO
Antoine Detavernier, Freshman, Bruges, Belgium
Maile Deutsch, Junior, Palmer, TX
Matthew DeVoe, Senior, Chanute, KS
Gabriel Dias Correa De Melo, Junior, Santos, Sao Paulo
Erika Diaz-trejo, Freshman, Katy, TX
Hunter Dreiling, Senior, Goddard, KS
Stephen Duncan-Peters, Junior, Cabin John, MD
Tyler Dunn, Junior, Lawton, OK
Paul Calvin Dusabe, Sophomore, Commune De Limete, Zaire
Thomas Eichelberger, Freshman, Euless, TX
Gershom Epp, Freshman, Hesston, KS
Jennie Erven, Junior, Scott City, KS
Jacob Esch, Junior, Sapulpa, OK
Erik Espinoza, Senior, Chula Vista, CA
Amber Evans, Junior, Hesperia, CA
Madison Faul, Freshman, Lodi, CA
Marcus Vinicius Fernandes, Junior, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Brionnah Fessler, Sophomore, Norton, KS
Heidi Fischer, Sophomore, Aledo, TX
Jadin Fleming, Sophomore, Castle Rock, CO
William Flesher, Junior, Wichita, KS
Theodore Flint, Sophomore, Sagle, ID
Rachel Foreman, Senior, Holcomb, KS
Kaitlyn Foster, Senior, McPherson, KS
Rinaldo Gagiano, Senior, Sydney, Australia
Micah Gilbert, Senior, Elkhart, IN
Elle Gillen, Senior, Castle Rock, CO
Alexandra Gipson, Sophomore, Harrison, AR
Victoria Gonzalez, Senior, Keller, TX
Quinn Gordon, Senior, Sherman Oaks, CA
Cullen Grabast, Senior, Osborne, KS
Desmond Grayson, Senior, Olathe, KS
Peter Greenough, Junior, Victoria, MN
Tatum Griffin, Freshman, Edmond, OK
Samuel Grim, Freshman, Johnstown, CO
Sierra Grow, Junior, Halstead, KS
Michael Halgren, Freshman, Leawood, KS
Madison Hall, Junior, The Colony, TX
Garrett Ham, Junior, Albuquerque, NM
Scott Hayford, Freshman, Spring Creek, NV
Kaitlyn Heinis, Senior, Oviedo, FL
Natalie Hemann, Senior, Osage, IA
Kyana Henderson, Freshman, Universal City, TX
Shyanne Henkis, Sophomore, Laveen, AZ
Grayson Henry, Sophomore, Mckinney, TX
Zane Hickey, Freshman, Alvord, TX
Sydney Hicks, Junior, Broomfield, CO
Ashley Hiebert, Junior, Canton, KS
Cole Hinton, Senior, Wathena, KS
Ebony Hinze, Sophomore, Burton, TX
Georgia Hitchcock, Sophomore, Cody, WY
Alissa Hofmann, Senior, Gilbert, AZ
Benjamin Holmes-Jones, Junior, Independence, MO
Danielle Holt, Senior, Glenpool, OK
James Howard, Freshman, Jackson, TN
Haley Hurst, Junior, Norman, OK
Ethan Huston, Sophomore, Saint John, KS
Florine Ibale, Junior, Kinshasa, Zaire
Shekinah Ilunga, Freshman, Johannesburg
Colin Irvin, Junior, North Kingstown, RI
Navid Istanbullu, Junior, Bremen, Germany
Jessica James, Junior, Halstead, KS
Makenzie Jansonius, Junior, Prairie View, KS
Britney Jarvis, Junior, Oceanside, CA
Brandt Johnson, Freshman, Peyton, CO
Kennedy Johnson, Freshman, Colorado Springs, CO
Trevor Johnson, Junior, La Mesa, CA
Cameron Jones, Sophomore, Harrison, AR
Codi-Lane Jones, Senior, Salina, KS
Jessica Jones, Senior, Brentwood, CA
Daniel Journey, Senior, McPherson, KS
Sebia Kalambayi Kabedi, Senior, Lake Bluff, IL
Thara Kalambayi Kapinga, Senior, Lake Bluff, IL
Fabrice Kambale Wa Kahala, Sophomore, Florence, AL
Arya Karmacharya, Senior, McPherson, KS
Gracia Kasongo, UN,Lubumbashi, Zaire
Jordan Keanini, Junior, Waddell, AZ
Courtney Keyes, Sophomore, Lyons, KS
Polina Khoroshevskaya, Sophomore, Kemerovo,
Semaj Kinney, Freshman, The Colony, TX
Justus Clemens Koehler, Junior, Prosselsheim, Germany
Jakob Komel, Sophomore, Solvenia, Slovenia
Christian Koninger, Freshman, Horb Am Neckar, Germany
Matthew Kroeker, Sophomore, Wichita, KS
Drew Labertew, Junior, McPherson, KS
Lance Lagasse, Junior, New Sweden, ME
Skylar Lane, Junior, Castle Rock, CO
Tatelyn Lasley, Senior, Springfield, CO
Timothy Lauring, Senior, Paxton, MA
Aaron Leck, Senior, McPherson, KS
Cierra Lee, Senior, Goodyear, AZ
Delani List, Freshman, Junction City, KS
Amir Ljuso, Freshman, Bedford, TX
Alfred Jonathan Llamas, Sophomore, Chula Vista, CA
Dakota Logan, Junior, Monclova, OH
Andre Guillaume Lubaya, Junior, Young America, Zaire
Esther Lubiba, Junior, Kinshasa, Congo
Mitchell Ludinich, Junior, McPherson, KS
Matthew Mahan, Freshman, Topeka, KS
Carelle Mampasu, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Congo
Kendra Maples, Sophomore, Maywood, MO
Tori Maples, Senior, Maywood, MO
Alex Marca, Senior, Atascadero, CA
Diamond Marshall, Senior, Newton, KS
Kylee Martin, Senior, Larned, KS
Bethany Masters, Sophomore, Howe, TX
Brent Masters, Senior, Howe, TX
Trisha Mathewson, Junior, Axtell, KS
Tabitha Maumau, Junior, Aurora, CO
Grace Maxey, Sophomore, Damascus, OR
Savannah McHugh, Freshman, Wichita, KS
Hannah McKay, Sophomore, Golden, CO
Nathaniel McLaughlin, Senior, Ticonderoga, NY
Eman McNeal, Junior, Fort Collins, CO
Robert Medina Jr., Sophomore, Olathe, KS
Tyler Menard, Freshman, Westmoreland, NH
Gerardo Mendez Jr., Senior, Wichita, KS
Wyatt Miceli, Junior, Woodacre, CA
Matthew Tyler Dela Miller-Wells, Senior, Conyers, GA
Cole Miller, Sophomore, McPherson, KS
Megan Miller, Sophomore, Enterprise, KS
Martin Millos, Freshman, Vigo, Spain
Rodrigo Miranda Enriquez, Junior, Great Bend, KS
Francisco Montoya, Junior, Wasco, CA
Maison Moseley, Sophomore, Woodward, OK
Ilanna Moyer, Senior, McPherson, KS
Nathan Muamba, Sophomore, Kinshasa, Congo
Billy Muhizi, Senior, Dacula, GA
Vanessa Mundo, Sophomore, Houston, TX
Paul Murphy, Sophomore, Independence, MO
Trey Murphy, Freshman, Wagga Wagga, Australia
Michel Mwengwe, Sophomore, Lubumbashi, Congo
Paul Kapya Mwengwe, Sophomore, Lubumbashi, Congo
LeaAnn Myers, Senior, Loveland, CO
Tyler Natkin, Freshman, Warrington, PA
Gregory Neiger, Junior, Scotts Valley CA
Grant Newton, Senior, Coffeyville, KS
Tyler Norris, Junior, Arvada, CO
Matthew Nutting, Junior, Foxboro, MA
Brett Oden, Junior, Sterling, KS
Lillian Oeding, Senior, Wichita, KS
Peyton Ohnoutka, Junior, Lincoln, NE
Tevin Oller, Senior, Shawnee Mission, KS
Kayla Ortiz, Junior, Brownsville, TX
Garrett Owen, Senior, Woodward, OK
Grant Owens, Junior, Hutchinson, KS
Kentaro Oya, Sophomore, Saitama-shi, Japan
Erica Paradise, Junior, Bakersfield, CA
Frances Parish, Sophomore, Rogers, AR
Jake Pearson, Junior, Harrah, OK
Andrew Penrose, Sophomore, Clovis, CA
Taylor Perez, Junior, Tulsa, OK
Zachary Petrie, Freshman, Centennial, CO
Joshua Pisik, Sophomore, San Diego, CA
Kristin Potter, Senior, Houston, TX
Oliver Preissler, Senior,W Hartford, CT
Bela Raimondi, Senior, Colfax, CA
Jorge Ramos Hernandez, Freshman, Mesquite, TX
Ashtyn Redus, Junior, Afton, OK
David Rees, Sophomore, Gisborne VIC, Australia
Cami Ann Richardson, Senior, Hesston, KS
Dylan Riley, Senior, Lake Ozark, MO
Brittany Roberts, Junior, Mansfield, TX
Sean Robinson, Sophomore, La Grange, IL
Luis Rodriguez Jr., Freshman, The Colony, TX
Nelly Rodriguez, Senior, Mather, CA
Cameron Rogers, Sophomore, Elkview, WV
Pamela Rosales Zapata, Junior, Dodge City, KS
Jed Rubin, Senior, Bayside, NY
Nathaniel Russo, Sophomore, Lakewood, CO
Nathan Andrew Saffer, Sophomore, Arriba, CO
Katherine Saul, Junior, Porter, TX
Kody Scholl, Sophomore, Colorado Springs, CO
Cole Schroeder, Sophomore, Russell, KS
Molly Schultehenrich, Junior, Saint Charles, MO
Joshua Servantez, Freshman, Lubbock, TX
Jonah Shabry, Junior, Boulder Creek, CA
Amber Shuey, Senior, Wichita, KS
Christie Silber, Junior, Simi Valley, CA
Tomi Simmons, Junior, Las Vegas, NV
Claire Singleton, Junior, North Las Vegas, NV
Emma Singleton, Sophomore, North Las Vegas, NV
Kortney S Slaughter Jones, Senior, Brentwood, CA
Bo Slaymaker, Sophomore, Johnstown, CO
Tiffany Slechta, Junior, McPherson, KS
Alison Smith, Senior, Lockeford, CA
Meghan Smith, Sophomore, Lindsborg, KS
Olivia Smith, Sophomore, Wichita, KS
Karlie Sneed, Junior, Seminole, OK
Bryce Snodgrass, Senior, Peyton, CO
Bruno Squarcia Mateo, Freshman, Xativa, Spain
Jack Stalcup, Junior, Hugoton, KS
McKenzie Stalnaker, Senior, Wichita, KS
Colby Swift, Sophomore, Sedgwick, KS
Ryan Swiggart, Senior, Haysville, KS
Brett Sykes Jr., Senior, Coldspring, TX
Cole Tanner, Junior, Lunenburg, MA
Elizabeth Thornton, Senior, Karval, CO
Kaden Tichenor, Sophomore, Holcomb, KS
Jacob Tiernan, Senior, Osborne, KS
Adriana Emile Tilleman, Sophomore, Van Alstyne, TX
Max Tucker, Senior, Long Beach, MS
Jacob Turley, Senior, Leighton Buzzard, UK
Kenajah Upchurch, Freshman, Sugar Land, TX
Grace van Asselt, Sophomore, McPherson, KS
Ashlynd Vanosdell, Sophomore, Tonopah, AZ
Isaiah Vazquez, Junior, Montebello, CA
Andrew Vekteris, Junior, Port Republic, NJ
Italia Venegas, Senior, Shawnee Mission, KS
Victoria Voyles, Senior, McPherson, KS
Nicolas Wahl, Senior, Koenigstein, Germany
Brianna Kay Wallace, Senior, Haysville, KS
Kassidy Weaver, Freshman, Katy, TX
Lacy Weaver, Freshman, Waxahachie, TX
Myriah Webster, Senior, Lindsborg, KS
Charles Weeks, Senior, Flossmoor, IL
Ann Marie Weesner, Sophomore, Hutchinson, KS
Courtney Weesner, Senior, Hutchinson, KS
Albert Wegener, Senior, Kansas City, MO
Benjamin Wegener, Freshman, Virum, Denmark
John Wells II, Freshman, Newton, KS
Dorrah Wembi, Freshman, Commune de Ngaliema
Elizabeth Williams, Senior, Broken Arrow, OK
Quincy Williams, Junior, Cincinnati, OH
Nicholas Wilson, Junior, Hutchinson, KS
Matthisen Witzel, Junior, St. Francis, KS
Madyson Woog, Junior, Highlands Ranch, CO
Julianna Yanez, Senior, Wichita, KS
Marissa Zamora, Senior, Chester, CA
Brittany Zipf, Senior, Rockhampton, Australia

Students named to the McPherson College Honorable Mention for spring 2020 include:

Cori Alexander, Junior, Roanoke, TX
Andrew Allen, Sophomore, Aledo, TX
Joshua Arrington, Freshman, Fairfield, TX
Victoria Ates, Sophomore, Dallas, TX
Destiny Bacon, Junior, La Mesa, CA
Brittany Baroni, Senior, Galt, CA
Guido Battistini, Senior, Pilar, Argentina
Rayna Berry, Freshman, Wichita, KS
Christie Betker, Senior, Reno, NV
Malik Bond, Junior, Macon, GA
Samuel Box, Freshman, Macclesfield, England
Jack Bradley, Sophomore, Mounds, OK
Marcus Brasley, Junior, The Colony, TX
Kairon Brooks, Junior, Thibodaux, LA
Summer Buckshaw, Senior, McPherson, KS
Marc Buhidar, Sophomore, Freer, TX
Zaya Carson, Freshman, West Des Moines IA
Marcos Chacon, Junior, San Antonio, TX
Calvin Chapman, Freshman, Bristow, OK
Tanner Conway, Junior, Osborne, KS
Emma L Cummings, Senior, Wichita, KS
Corey Davis, Junior, Houston, TX
Dante Dellacroce, Senior, Colorado Springs CO
Kelsey Doll, Junior, Salina, KS
Benjamin Falconer, Senior, Greeley, CO
Victoria Finnigan, Sophomore, El Reno, OK
Summer Garcia, Freshman, Ontario, CA
Kollin Goering, Junior, McPherson, KS
Moneshya Green, Senior, McCook, NE
Jacqueline Gullion, Sophomore, Fremont, CA
Alicia Hall, Senior, Aurora, CO
Curren Harris, Senior, Hiwassee, VA
Jonathan Hawkins, Freshman, Baldwin City, KS
Bishop Hill, Sophomore, Maysville, NC
Benjamin Hockman, Sophomore, Pleasanton, KS
James Hodgson, Senior, Richmond, CA
Jonathan Hoffman, Junior, Wysox, PA
Lionel Ibonga, Senior, McPherson, KS
Daija Isley, Junior, Topeka, KS
Kamron Jackson, Junior, Houston, TX
Martin Jaime, Sophomore, San Antonio, TX
Kemryn Jenkins, Junior, Eminence, KY
Neville Mbuyamba Kabangu, Junior, Kinshasa, Congo
Zachary Kantor, Freshman, Pacific Palisades, CA
Gracia Kasereka, Junior, Commune De Selembao
Liliane Kathoheryo, Sophomore, Goma, Nord Kivu, Zaire
Choucranie Kayembe, Junior, Lubumbashi Haut Katanga
Jordan Kingcaid, Freshman, Haltom City, TX
Raegan R Kleppe, Freshman, Durant, OK
Thomas Kleywegt, Senior, Gravesend, England
Sheresa Layton, Senior, Milliken, CO
Peyton Lindsey, Freshman, Prairie Village, KS
Brandon Lockett, Freshman, Carrollton, TX
Malik Lolar, Freshman, Newton, KS
Chase Lomax, Sophomore, Elkhart, TX
Kaylynn Lyons, Junior, Winslow, AZ
Lual Magot, Senior, Tucson, AZ
Jarrod Manick, Senior, Aldergrove, Canada
Cameron Marquez, Freshman, Rio Rancho, NM
Dylan Martell, Sophomore, Colorado Springs CO
Gillian Martin, Senior, McPherson, KS
Aventino Martinez-Garcia, Junior, Wichita, KS
Christian Maxey, Freshman, Damascus, OR
Myles McCrary, Freshman, Arlington, TX
Marcus McDaniel, Senior, McPherson, KS
Samuel McDannald, Junior, Marysville, OH
Hunter Meeks-Riner, Junior, Broken Arrow, OK
Nathan Monk, Freshman, Minimbah, Australia
Gonzalo Morales Vargas, Junior, McPherson, KS
Timothy Morrison, Sophomore, Atoka, OK
Trevor Myers, Freshman, Delta, CO
Mathylde Okandjo, Sophomore, Streamwood, IL
Taylor Osborn, Senior, Welling, OK
Alvin Patterson, Sophomore, Saint Louis, MO
Allison Penalva, Junior, McPherson, KS
Alexander Polakow, Junior, Glenview, IL
Kaden Quint, Sophomore, Hutchinson, KS
Melvin Reid, Junior, Waterford Works, NJ
Joshua Reyes, Senior, Plano, TX
Joseph Robben, Junior, Goddard, KS
Nathan Robl, Senior, Lyons, KS
David Ross, Junior, Bakersfield, CA
Draven Ruiz, Sophomore, Carmel, NY
Carter Runyan, Junior, Olathe, KS
Yoranne Mbadu Sambu, Junior, Lubumbashi, Zaire
Janet Sanner, Sophomore, Parker, CO
Tallan Schrader, Freshman, Benkelman, NE
Travis Schultz, Freshman, Shawnee, KS
Geoffrey Smith, Senior, Brownsburg, IN
Daigen Springer, Freshman, Hartsel, CO
Andrew Steinbeck, Sophomore, Liberty, MO
Trenton Szydlowski, Freshman, Argyle, TX
Kylecia Taylor, Senior, Junction City KS
Sean Thomson, Junior, Blandford Forum, UK
Carley Tomlin, Senior, Little River, KS
Brandy Trengove, Junior, Denver, CO
Jacob Trigg, Senior, Mission, TX
Kaitlyn van Asselt, Senior, McPherson, KS
Susana Velasquez, Senior, Monterey Park, CA
Joshua Wade, Junior, Olathe, KS
Quashad Washington, Sophomore, Tucson, AZ
Collin Wedel, Junior, Moundridge, KS
Benjamin Wellikoff, Senior, Newberg, OR
Sean Whetstone, Freshman, Fort Collins, CO
Alyssa Wilson, Junior, Lukachukai, AZ
Kaitlyn Wilson, Junior, Princeton, TX
Dalton Womack, Sophomore, Cushing, OK
Logan Worswick, Senior, Garland, TX
Theron Wray, Freshman, Garfield, KS

Rachel Foreman

Cami Richardson

Two recent McPherson College graduates are joining the management-training program at Equity Bank.

Cami Richardson of Hesston, Kansas and Rachel Foreman of Holcomb, Kansas both recently graduated from the business program at McPherson College. They were selected by faculty to interview with the bank in November. Both were contacted for a second round of interviews that include Equity Bank CEO Brad Elliott, a 1989 graduate of McPherson College. The two students will join several other alumni who work for Equity Bank and who are on its leadership team. Two McPherson College students were also selected last year for the bank’s management training program.

Richardson earned a business administration degree with emphasis in accounting, finance and management and graduated summa cum laude. She was an active member of the college’s business club, was a third team all-conference player in basketball and named freshman of the year. She was also an active volunteer while at McPherson College. Foreman earned a business administration degree with emphasis in finance and management and graduated magna cum laude. She was a member of the Bulldog cross country and track teams and was named a scholar athlete. She also served as treasurer for MClub and was on its promotions team.

Equity Bank is headquartered in Wichita and has branches throughout Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

“McPherson College’s career placement rates are some of the highest in the country and we continue to elevate the scope and visibility of our career services efforts,” President Michael Schneider said. “So it is very exciting for us to have a strong partner like Equity Bank who can offer experiential and as well career opportunities for our students.”

McPherson College graduates are employed before graduation at a rate that is three times higher than the national average and six months post-graduation, 98 percent of all graduates are employed.