Eleven alumni and friends were honored at the Alumni Association’s 37th annual banquet Homecoming weekend. Congratulations!
Alumni Association Award recipients Dr. Tom Rachow, Dr. Jamel Wright ’00, Chelsey Kusek ’09 and Pat Dillon.
Dr. Jamel Santa Cruze Wright ’00
Distinguished Alumni Award
As president of Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, Dr. Jamel Wright says she often thinks about her experience as a student at Missouri Western.
“I think I spend some portion of every day celebrating Missouri Western,” she said. “Every day I have a memory of something that happened there that laid the foundation for where I am today.”
After she graduated with a communication studies degree with a public relations/strategic communication emphasis in 2000, Dr. Wright earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in communication studies from the University of Kansas in just four years.
Dr. Wright taught at Boston University and Saint Louis University before joining the administration at Eureka College in 2014. She served as vice president/special assistant to the president for strategic and diversity initiatives before being named interim president in 2016. She became Eureka College’s president in July 2017.
Watch Dr. Wright’s video here.
Chelsey Kusek ’09
GOLD Award
Chelsey Kusek ’09 is an art teacher at Bell Prairie Elementary School and the subject area-lead teacher for the North Kansas City School District.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education and a minor in Spanish in May 2009 and began teaching at Bell Prairie that fall. As Bell Prairie’s art teacher, she teaches more than 600 students every week.
She was named lead teacher in 2015. In that role, and plans monthly staff meetings and professional development for her colleagues.
“My experience at Missouri Western was so positive,” she said. “My classes were just the right combination of challenging and engaging, and my happy place was certainly Potter Hall. Missouri Western truly holds a special place in my heart.”
She earned a Master of Education in Technology-Enhanced Teaching from Mid-America Nazarene University in 2012.
Dr. Tom Rachow
Distinguished Faculty Award
Dr. Tom Rachow began teaching at Missouri Western in 1968 and retired this past spring after 51 years of service.
Dr. Rachow, who was named Professor Emeritus of Biology, earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Science in Education, Biological Sciences, and a doctorate in physiology from Southern Illinois University.
“Dr. Rachow is what Missouri Western’s academic staff should be modeled after,” said one of his former students. “He is not only a state-of-the-art teacher, but a great man.”
“We have matured into a beautiful campus with a great student body,” Dr. Rachow said. “I am so proud of the strong academic institution we have become.”
Watch Dr. Rachow’s video here.
Pat Dillon
Herb ’35 and Peggy Iffert Award for Outstanding Service to the University
Pat Dillon is the Chief Government and Community Relations Officer for Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. In addition to serving on a number of community organizations’ boards, he completed two terms (12 years) on the MWSU Foundation Board, serving on the directorship, executive and bylaws committees, along with chairing the development committee. He has also worked on two of the University’s capital campaigns and helped found the Western League for Excellence giving society.
He owned The Dillon Company for 25 years before going to work for Mosaic as its retail director in 2007. He was promoted to vice president of advocacy and Government Relations in 2015, and named to his current position this year.
Great Griffon Award recipients Dr. Duane Martin ’89, Mary Vaughan ’79, Tona Williams ’00, Alumni Association President; Great Griffon Award recipient Jaime Bartley ’17; and Matt Wilson, Missouri Western President.
Jaime Bartley ’17, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CCTC
Great Griffon Award
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Jaime Bartley ’17 graduated from Missouri Western’s Master of Science in Nursing: Health Care Leadership program and is the Organ Transplant Manager for the University of Kansas Health System.
Under her guidance, the donor transplant program has experienced a number of changes, which resulted in a great increase in the number of living donors and transplants.
Since January 2018, the University of Kansas Health System’s transplant team has performed 11 internal kidney transplant exchanges or chains which impacted 50 patients (25 donors and 25 recipients). They also hosted a Big Ask Big Give workshop in February 2019 for patients, and the success of that workshop has led to other health care and National Kidney Foundation representatives from across the country seeking their input.
Jacob Cunning ’16
Jacob Cunning ’16
Great Griffon Award
Craig School of Business & Technology
Jacob Cunning ’16 graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management and immediately became an active alumni volunteer. Since he graduated, he has served on the St. Joseph Alumni Chapter Steering Committee and the Legacy Day Committee.
Cunning served as an intern at Boehringer Ingelheim while he was a student and was hired there after he graduated, moving with the company to its Atlanta office. He is currently a Consultant, Human Capital at Deloitte, a multinational professional services network, and he continues to reside in Atlanta.
Cunning holds the distinction of being the youngest member of Missouri Western’s Clock Tower Society, an honorary society that recognizes donors who have made the MWSU Foundation a beneficiary of their estate.
Duane Martin ’89
Great Griffon Award
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Duane Martin ’89 earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Missouri Western. In 2014, he founded EdCounsel, LLC, a firm dedicated to defending and supporting Missouri’s public schools.
Throughout his career, Martin has represented more than 40% of Missouri’s public school districts. He has also published scholarly articles in national publications.
Martin graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He was a judicial law clerk at the Missouri Court of Appeals and an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri. Martin has also taught as an adjunct professor in the doctoral program for education at St. Louis University.
Mary Sprake Vaughan ’79
Great Griffon Award
College of Professional Studies
Mary Vaughan ’79, a native of St. Joseph, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in leisure management and served 32 years in the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of Maryland Heights, Missouri. She became the director in 1998 and guided a great expansion of programs in the department, overseeing the construction of a new Community Center before retiring in 2016.
Vaughan was a past president of the Alumni Association and chair of numerous committees for the group. She is currently serving as district secretary for the Missouri Arkansas District of Kiwanis International. Throughout her career, Vaughan also held many positions with the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association, including president.
Ben Allen ’19
Benjamin Allen ’19
Clifford Hughes ’55 Award
Benjamin Allen, who graduated with a biology degree, health sciences concentration, in 2019, excelled in both student organizations and in academic pursuits.
He was president of Alpha Sigma Phi, where he had the opportunity to redesign the fraternity and turn it into one of the leading organizations on campus. He also participated in the Barbara Sprong Leadership Challenge and was on the University’s strategic plan committee.
Allen also had the opportunity to conduct research with Dr. Carissa Ganong for nine weeks in a Costa Rican rainforest. He is currently working at Boehringer-Ingelheim as a Quality Control Technician and plans to attend graduate school in the future to become a physician’s assistant.
Evan Banks ’19
Evan M. Banks ’19
Graduating Student of the Year
Evan graduated with degrees in history and political science with a minor in peace and conflict studies, but not before he got involved in several organizations across campus.
As a student, he served as vice president of the Student Government Association and director of external relations, as a tutor, and as president of the History Society.
Evan is currently an admission counselor for Missouri Western.
“Everyone in my departments took an interest in my career, and I would not be the person I am today were it not for them. I am so grateful for the opportunities and experiences that Missouri Western afforded me,” said Evan, a native of Las Vegas.
Shi Qing Ong ’19
Shi Qing Ong ’19
Dr. Robert A. Vartabedian International Student of the Year
Shi, from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, graduated with a biology degree with a health science concentration and is currently studying physical therapy at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center.
She played golf for the Griffons for four years. In her senior year, she won her record 14th career and fifth consecutive event. Qing Ong was named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Year two years in a row and recognized as Missouri Western’s Female Student Athlete of the Year twice.
Qing Ong also conducted genetic research with Dr. Todd Eckdahl and presented her work at a national conference.
Nominate for Alumni Association awards today!
Nominations for all Alumni Association awards may be submitted year round online at missouriwestern.edu/alumni. Along with the nomination form, a letter stating why you believe the person deserves this award must accompany the application. The deadline is March 1 each year. Current members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors are not eligible for nomination.