The Buzz

Go for the Gold!

Track & Field student-athlete MICHAEL MILLSLAGLE ’24 EARNED THE GOLD IN THE HIGH JUMP EVENT at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) America Games held in Merida, Mexico. With a clutch performance, he cleared 2.13 meters and broke the facility record of 2.12 meters to create a new America Games record. Under Distance and Jumps Coach Tom Shore ’16, Millslagle had many accomplishments in his 2021-22 season and was selected by Team USA Head Coach Nick Dodson from a pool of the top track and field performers in the NAIA. Team USA had representation in up to 15 sports against 20-25 participating countries at the Games.

Enactus Visits The Coral Nursery in Puerto Rico

Pictured, left to right: Carson Wright ’23, Peyton Anderson ’24, Delaney Fox ’24, Marissa Myer ’18, Grace Moores ’25, and Adam Sherer ’24. Stay tuned for more about Myer and The Coral Nursery in our Spring 2023 issue.

The Enactus leadership team had the opportunity to visit The Coral Nursery site and learn about coral restoration while in Puerto Rico for the 2022 Enactus World Cup held Oct. 30 – Nov. 2.

ALUMNA MARISSA MYER ’18 HOSTED THE ENACTUS TEAM and shared her vision for The Coral Nursery project located in Palmas del Mar. The Coral Nursery will be the first self-sustaining satellite coral restoration unit (CRU) to date. Using micro-fragmentation, their CRU will be able to reproduce 100,000 corals annually! This healing process is 25-40% faster than the rate corals can grow on their own in the wild, and will enable The Coral Nursery to restore a 100-year-old coral in just two years!

Sustainability’s Harvest

Graceland Sustainability is leading an INITIATIVE IN FOOD CULTIVATION AND RECOVERY in Lamoni. Thiago Telles ’25 and Brenna Murphy ’23, supervised by sustainability faculty coordinator Jen Abraham-White ’08, manage and maintain the Hoop House garden facility, which gives students hands-on gardening experience. When there is excess produce, the Graceland and Lamoni communities are invited to take fruits and vegetables that have been harvested. Additionally, each semester there are four events known as Sustainable Table, where leftover food from the Commons is repackaged into free meals for the community.  

Making Ministry Accessible

Graceland’s Community of Christ Seminary launched a new educational venture called the CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN MINISTRY AND MISSION (CIMM) this fall, focused on creating non-credit opportunities for adult theological education, ministerial training, and leadership development in an effort to empower and inspire disciples and leaders. Community of Christ Seminary Dean Zac Harmon-McLaughlin ’08 said, “The Center for Innovation in Ministry and Mission makes theological, ministerial, and leadership education accessible to everyone everywhere!” Certificate programs in Ministry & Priesthood, Christian Ministries, and Discernment Facilitator Training are offered in a flexible online format. The next round of classes start January 2023. 

Learn more about CIMM’s class schedule here.  

Women’s Flag Football Kicks Off

The emergence of women’s flag football provides an exciting opportunity for female athletes to take on a new challenge in uncharted territory. Graceland is thrilled to welcome Lara Guscott ’08 as its first flag football coach and kicks off the NEW PROGRAM IN FALL 2023. “Graceland’s entry into the world of flag football shows its commitment to getting more women into its classrooms, onto football fields across the country, and into impactful careers upon graduation,” said Guscott. 

Read more about Coach Guscott here. 

#1 Ranked Nursing Program

In October 2022, RegisteredNursing.org ranked the top 10 nursing schools in Iowa — out of 33 RN programs in the state — by analyzing average program length, educational partnerships, and current and historical NCLEX-RN “pass rates” (the percentage of graduates who pass the exam required for licensure). Graceland’s BSN PROGRAM WAS RANKED #1 on the “2023 Best RN Programs in Iowa” list with a perfect score of 100!