Strongly Rooted in Excellence, Still Growing for the Future
July 23, 2025 | Shane Adams ’99
A graduate at the Fall 2024 Commencement decorated her cap with the words: “If you knew my story, you’d be proud.”
In this feature, we celebrate a few of those stories from the past academic year. Three of them — Jy Smith, Ishbel Wilson, and K’von Dixon — are recipients of the prestigious Student Life Award, recognized for the spirit and leadership they brought to the Lamoni campus. Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Dave Schaal, EdD, described these three individuals at Baccalaureate, “The Student Life Award celebrates not only the depth of impact, but also the breadth of impact across the student experience. Jy, Ishbel, and K’von are all such perfect examples of what makes our community special because they consistently reach students not just within their own circles, but also outside of them as well.”
Their experiences reflect the heart of Graceland student life. We also spotlight Helen Kute, a graduate of our nursing program who just completed her master’s degree while raising three young children and preparing to enter the field as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Their journeys are very different — and that’s exactly the point. Graceland’s campuses are filled with students of all backgrounds and life stages, each one contributing to a university community that is, as always, strongly rooted and still growing.
“One of the greatest joys of this role is hearing the stories of our students and alumni — the quiet determination, the leadership, the grit, the kindness. Our mission at Graceland is to help students prepare for meaningful and productive lives, and when I see where they go and who they become, I know we’re doing just that.”
PRESIDENT JOEL SHROCK, PhD
Ishbel Wilson
For Ishbel Wilson, Graceland wasn’t just a family tradition — it was a calling. The youngest of four siblings who all attended Graceland, Ishbel still needed to make the choice for herself. “There was a time I wasn’t sure I wanted to follow the same path,” she admitted. “But at Spectacular in 2019, the theme was ‘Belong,’ and something clicked. I felt it in my bones. Graceland was where I was meant to be.”
And belong she did. Ishbel’s Graceland years read like a full-blown love letter to campus involvement: GSG President and Intramural Director, Enactus, Community Development, Women’s Soccer, Symphonic Band, the Honors Program, House Council, and Integrated Student Media. She choreographed award-winning Air Band routines and championed a campus culture where every student felt seen:
“I learned that the smallest things can mean the most. A smile. A song that represents someone’s culture. Saying someone’s name when you pass them. Those things build community.”
ISHBEL WILSON ’25
After graduation, Ishbel is heading to Minnesota, where she will serve as the Director of Residential Experience and Student Engagement at St. Mary’s University while pursuing a master’s in data intelligence and geoanalytics. Her long-term goal is to work in environmental policy. “I want to help people and protect the planet. If I can do both, I’ll know I’m in the right place.”
As for the Wilson family legacy? With Ishbel’s graduation, it’s the first time in 13 years that no Wilson sibling is on campus — a streak that includes nine Air Band wins and five years of student government service. “We’ve left a mark,” she said with a laugh. “But we couldn’t have done it without our parents. They made it all possible.”
EDITOR’S NOTE Shout out to Greg Wilson ’89 and Peggy Wheaton ’89 Wilson for encouraging their children to keep up their Graceland legacy.
Jy Smith
For Jy Smith, basketball opened the door to Graceland — but what happened after that was much bigger than sports. “Once I got there, it stopped being just about the game,” he said. “Graceland became a space where I grew — as a leader, as a student, and as a person.”
His time on the Lamoni campus was full of moments that mattered, but one stands out: being named a Student Life Award recipient:
“That meant everything. It reminded me that what I did outside the classroom — the way I showed up for others — that mattered too.”
JY SMITH ’25
Jy was a leader on and off the court, serving as President of the Black Student Union and helping plan events that built awareness, inclusion, and joy. He worked in Residence Life as both an Assistant Residence Hall Director and Apartment Manager, supporting peers through personal and academic challenges. “Graceland taught me how to lead with purpose,” he said. “To be focused but also grounded in who I want to be.”
Since graduating, Jy has leaned into entrepreneurship — running his own barbering business and e-commerce operation — while also pursuing a professional basketball career, traveling the country for tryouts. But his dreams stretch further: “I want to create a community center someday. A space with mentorship, business resources — a place for kids to feel seen. I didn’t have that growing up. I want to build it for others.”
K ’von Dixon
When K’von Dixon reflects on his time at Graceland, one moment stands above the rest. “Winning that first home football game after years [September 3, 2022, 46-35 win over Evangel] — the energy, the pride, the joy,” he said. “It was something I didn’t think I’d get to experience, and it meant a lot.”
Football brought K’von to Graceland, but what kept him there was something deeper. “Being part of the House system, working in Residence Life, getting to be House President — those things helped me find my voice.” And he didn’t want to be a leader in name only. “I didn’t want people to feel like they had to stick with just their hall. I wanted to be someone they could come to no matter what.”
Through football, track, and campus involvement, K’von learned to stay grounded in his values:
“Graceland helped me understand who I am and who I want to be. It gave me the space to grow into that.”
K ’VON DIXON ’25
Now preparing for graduate studies at Texas Tech University, K’von will serve as a Graduate Hall Coordinator while also continuing to play indoor football. His sights are set on a career in higher education, student engagement, or human resources — roles where he can keep helping people feel seen and supported. “I just want to be in a space where people matter. That’s what motivates me.”
And for fun? “I love anime and video games,” he admitted. “They help me slow down and stay connected to joy — something I think we all need more of.”
Helen Kute
Helen Kute’s journey to and through Graceland has been marked by both bold ambition and quiet strength. After earning her LPN in 2015, she knew she wasn’t done learning. A friend told her about Graceland’s accelerated BSN program, and in 2018, she graduated with her nursing degree — the first of two Graceland milestones.
What stands out most from her BSN experience wasn’t in the classroom, but in Guatemala. “We volunteered at [Kansas City] Chiefs games to raise funds to build a school, and then we actually traveled there to help make it happen,” Helen said. “It was incredible — being part of something bigger than myself and getting to serve people while learning about a different culture.”
This past year, Helen graduated again — this time with her Master of Science in Nursing, specializing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). All while raising three toddlers under the age of five. “It’s a busy, beautiful life,” she laughed. “Graceland gave me the foundation and confidence to take this next step.”
Now living in Olathe, Kansas, Helen is preparing for her first role as a nurse practitioner and dreaming of what comes next: her own private practice, volunteer service in her home country of Kenya, and continuing to make an impact wherever she’s called. “Graceland helped me believe in myself,” she said. “I’ll always be grateful for that.”
These four graduates represent just a glimpse of the many extraordinary students who cross Graceland’s stages each year — some cheered on in Lamoni’s Morden Center, others recognized in ceremonies across our nursing and graduate programs. They come from different places, follow different paths, and pursue different dreams. But what unites them is the way they carry Graceland with them — in their work, in their values, and in the communities they’re building. As we celebrate their accomplishments, we’re reminded that the Graceland Experience doesn’t end at graduation. It continues in every life they touch.
“Every time I meet a graduate like Ishbel, Jy, K’von, or Helen, I’m reminded why this work matters. They’re out there making a difference — in higher education, in business, in healthcare, in their neighborhoods.”
PRESIDENT JOEL SHROCK, PhD
Features – Spring / Summer 2025
July 23, 2025
Two graduation weekends marked the end of the 2024 Fall and the 2025 Spring semesters — and exciting new beginnings.
