It was a Glorious Day for our 112th Commencement. The rains of spring subsided long enough to provide a beautiful day for Commencement. Students from 46 states and 13 countries graduated in May and became Graceland's newest alumni. We congratulate each of you and invite you to stay in touch with your alma mater. Read the Commencement story for a peek at who won the Student Life Awards and which faculty member won the Excellence in Teaching Award for 2009.
Graceland Interns are Busy Again with McClain Enterprises this Summer. Twelve Graceland students are employed with McClain Enterprises this summer, the third year GU Board of Trustees Chair Ken and Cindy McClain have put Graceland interns to work developing/marketing/promoting their many and varied businesses lining the Independence Square. Atop the list of projects so far is the soon-to-open Main Street Coffee House. Interns have worked on every aspect of getting the Coffee House up and going – even developing a unique 'house blend' of coffee. They will celebrate the Grand Opening all day on Friday, June 26, from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. There will be free coffee and smoothie samples and live entertainment in the evening. Great drinks, sandwiches, bagels and muffins will be featured. The GU interns will be staffing the coffee house this summer for hands-on experience running a business. Graceland alumni and friends in the KC area can stop by June 26 for a cup of java and support these entrepreneurial interns.
Do You Know of a Prospective Graceland Student? Greg Sutherland, VP for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions, wants to give every student in the Graceland family the opportunity to share a Graceland Student Experience. If you know of a high school student or junior college transfer who is undecided about what university to attend this fall, give Greg a call at 641.784.5110 or email him at sutherla@graceland.edu and pass along the name. It could be your son or daughter, your grandchild, your neighbor, or a student who attends your congregation. Graceland graduates go on to exciting, rewarding careers and they take along life-time relationships born at GU. Do you have a prospective student in mind? Call Greg.
SIFE Team Shines at Nationals in Philadelphia. Graceland's Students in Free Enterprise team made it to the top eight teams in the country (for the fifth year running) at the SIFE USA EXPO in Philadelphia in May. Flagler College bested GU in their semi-final league and went on to capture the national championship. Drury finished second, followed by traditional powerhouses La Sierra and John Brown. "Our team was awesome," declared a proud SIFE Director Andy Simpson. "They represented Graceland well and they had a great time in Philadelphia. Our strength is in the work we do all year long, all 75 members of our team," he said. "That's why Graceland University continues to have one of the strongest SIFE programs in America." Read about the happenings in Philadelphia at SIFE EXPO 2009.
Graceland Receives AmeriCorps Grant for Youth Development. Graceland President John Sellars has been notified that a regional AmeriCorps grant administered by Graceland has been funded for the coming year with $145,612 from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The grant funds 24 AmeriCorps members who will support youth development programs in six counties across southern Iowa: Wayne, Decatur, Ringgold, Union, Clarke and Lucas. Read more about this great program at AmeriCorps.
Save the Date for Homecoming 2009 – October 9-11. The theme for Homecoming this year is Creating the Future and it is the future of our science, math and technology students we will celebrate when the new Resch Science and Technology Hall is dedicated at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 10. Alumnus Richard 'Dick' Resch, capstone donor for the extre
me makeover of Platz-Mortimore Science Hall, will be on hand with many others to dedicate the new landmark building on our Lamoni campus. Click here to see the latest Resch Hall galleries. Click on Horizons (pages 12-13) for the latest on building progress. This Homecoming is shaping up to be the best ever so set aside the second weekend in October (9-11) to be back on "the Hill." And don't forget, now is the time to nominate alumni and/or friends for the 2009 Distinguished Service Award and Graceland Award of Recognition. Click here to find out more. Deadline is coming very soon.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT – Here's a New Way to Support Graceland? GU is blessed with tremendous alumni and friends who find many ways to give back to their alma mater. Here is a way perhaps you had not thought of. A good friend of our School of Nursing (SON), Vera Sherman, of Lee's Summit, MO, recently lost her beloved husband of 67 years, Tom. As she went through keepsakes, she wondered what to do with her diamond, wedding ring set that Tom had given her for their 25th wedding anniversary. One day, when dealing with a wave of grief that seemed to come too often, a thought of clarity came as she realized what would bring a glimmer of joy to her changed life. She wanted to donate it to the SON to help students that were starting out on their multi-faceted careers in health service. A feeling of warmth came over her, she said, as she decided to make the gift now rather than wait until her time on Earth was at an end. The ring set appraised for nearly $10,000. The funds will be used for student scholarships for the SON. Dr. Claudia Horton, Dean of the SON, noted that when she visited Vera personally to thank her, the smile on Vera's face reflected the brilliance of the diamonds she gifted. If this sounds interesting to you, call 1.800.645.3582, or visit our website at 'Giving to Graceland.'
Stories from the Road. A new feature this month is called "field officer stories from the road." Paul Davis recently met Class of 1963's Steve Bankson on a trip to Elyria, Ohio. Steve met his wife Rosie Hodges Bankson, Class of 1964, at Graceland. He has just retired from a distinguished career in coaching. "Bones," as he was known on "the Hill," led high school, junior college and Division III basketball teams to 701 victories. He was athletic director at Baldwin Wallace in Berea, Ohio for 28 years. Gracelanders who know Steve are familiar with his passion for golf and fondness for caddying. He has worked the bag for Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and many others. Enjoy your retirement coach!
Spring/Summer 2009 Horizons is Online. The Spring/Summer issue of Horizons recaps the excitement of Commencement and showcases some of our outstanding alumni. It is now available online at Graceland's Web site. Please click here or on the cover photo to go directly to the current issue. We also encourage you to register for the 'Alumni Online Directory' at 'Alumni and Friends' and 'Staying Connected.'
