Just over 100 people were recognized at The Teachers College 36th Annual Honors Event held the afternoon of May 1 via an online virtual event.
“It was important to us that we hold our annual celebration recognizing the achievements of our students and the careers of our retiring faculty in spite of the pandemic,” said Dr. Joan Brewer, dean of The Teachers College. “For the past 35 years we’ve hosted this event. Just as we expect of the professionals we prepare, we were determined to adapt to the challenge and make it happen. Thus, we chose to go the route of an online event so we could safely honor these people.”
Of the 101 honored, 96 students and five retiring members of the college received special recognition. Twenty-six students received outstanding student awards and 69 students were honored for achievement of a 3.8 grade point average or higher.
Undergraduate and graduate students were honored for excellence in their respective departments. Nine students received outstanding undergraduate student awards, 17 students received outstanding graduate student awards and one student received the graduate student research award.
The five retiring faculty members of The Teachers College recognized included Dr. Karen Bates, Dr. Edwin Church, Dr. Lawrence Lyman, Dr. Timothy Marshall and Dr. John Morton.
The students honored included:
Outstanding Undergraduate Awards
- Athletic Training — Monica Schmidt (Olpe)
- Elementary Teacher Education — Jazmin Williams (Emporia)
- Elementary Teacher Education, ESU KC — Reese McDowell (Basehor)
- Elementary Teacher Education, ESU BEST — Alexis McMullin (Wichita)
- Health & Human Performance — Morgan Laudan (Emporia)
- Middle & Secondary Teacher Education — Rebecca Harmison (Great Bend)
- Physical Education — Jarett Hack (Black Hawk, Colorado)
- Rehabilitation & Disability Studies — Victoria Gomez-Medina (Topeka)
- Sport Leadership & Recreation — Myra Cassady (Emporia)
Outstanding Graduate Awards
- Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling Dual — Susie Wecker (Emporia)
- Art Therapy — Wendy Lynch (Emporia)
- Clinical Counseling — Kathryn Martin (Emporia)
- Clinical Psychology — Samantha Fulcher (Maize)
- Curriculum & Instruction — Nicole Chapple (Olathe)
- Early Childhood Unified — Mallory Keefe (Cheney)
- Elementary Education — Kylie Burenheide (Emporia)
- Health, Physical Education & Recreation — Tammy Gills (Topeka)
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology — Abby Lyons (Emporia)
- Instructional Specialist: Reading Specialist — Rachel Phillips (Olathe)
- Instructional Design & Technology — Zimeng Li (Shawnee)
- Rehabilitation Counseling — Li Ann Columba Torres (Lenexa)
- School Counseling — Haley Vivone (Emporia)
- School Leadership — Mark Dahlsten (Hesston)
- School Psychology — Taun Habluetzel (Topeka)
- Special Education/ High Incidence — Daina DeSmit (Wichita)
- Special Education/Gifted, Talented & Creative — Tracey Waldeier (Tonganoxie)
Research Award
The 2020 Graduate Research Award went to Susie Wecker, Emporia, for her research project titled, “Worry Dolls in Art Therapy: Examining Three-Dimensional Containment of Anxiety.” Wecker is a graduate student in the Department of Counselor Education. The faculty sponsor for her research project was Dr. Gaelynn Wolf Bordonaro.
Honored Students
The following 69 undergraduate students — all from Kansas — were recognized for a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or higher.
These students are due to graduate or have graduated in December 2019, May 2020 or August 2020:
- Alta Vista — Taylor Lauren McDiffett
- Americus — Madison Nicole Dragonas
- Andover — Cheira Starlene Combs, Andrew Joseph Wurzer
- Augusta — Taylor Janelle Hall
- Basehor — Chandley Suzanne Easley
- Bonner Springs — Ashley Nicole Vest
- Council Grove — Chelsea Suzann Watson
- Derby — Kristin Reann Ely
- Douglass — Megan Grace Demel
- Edgerton — Dylan Stephen Schneider
- El Dorado — Dylan Gregory LaRue, KaCee Dannelle McCoy
- Emmett — Amanda Marie Mulligan
- Emporia — Rebecca Rose Harmison, Kylie Anne MacGregor, Jeceka Ann Elizabeth Pitchford, Samantha Dawn Preeo, Caylie Jo Ratzlaff, Guadalupe Ruiz, Garrett Neil Tatro, Ivan Torres, Jacy Louann
- Goddard — Ashley Marie Klausmeyer
- Hutchinson — Molly Kinney
- Iola — Joie E Whitney
- Kansas City — Jennifer Lynn Mullins, Maisee Xiong
- Lake Quivira — Kathryn Elaine Born
- Lawrence — Mikenzie Grace Garvin, Amy Lynn Oelschlaeger
- Leavenworth — Sarajo Marie Mance
- Lebo — Samantha Mae Proehl
- Leawood — Elora Leslie Sommerauer
- Lenexa — Jenna Christine Pennington
- Linn — Allison M Duensing
- Lyndon — Madeline Marie Volkman
- Manhattan — Kristen Elise Fraley, Christy Ann Love
- Marion — Sydnee Diane Baldwin
- Morrowville — Andrea Elise L Ecuyer
- Newton — Erica Anne Long
- Olathe — Cora Marie Buchanan, Suzannah Marie Burris, Payton M Dockery, Allyson Nicole Patton, Kanika Ann Reno
- Olpe — Caleb Michael Coble, Monica M Schmidt
- Osawatomie — Madison Yohr
- Overland Park — Victoria Kaylea Wilson
- Ozawkie — Mackenzie Ray Hofstra
- Paola — Morgan Jane Laudan, Skyler Scott Smith
- Pretty Prairie — Amber Britany Krehbiel
- Rose Hill — Jocelyn Theresa Bollig
- Scott City — Wyatt Thomas Kropp
- Spring Hill — Mackenzie Erin Henneous
- Sterling — Sarah Ann Stallings
- Tonganoxie — Tressa Elizabeth Walker
- Toronto — Alicia Pepper
- Towanda — Ana Maria Schwindt
- Wichita — Elia Renae Brown, Hailey Faith Browning, Krista Marie Campbell, Rebecca Sue Rauber, Ashley Patricia Thoreen, Carlie Elise Waddill, Kara Ann Washington
Honored Faculty
The individuals recognized for their service to the university as they retire this year were:
- Dr. Karen Bates, Associate Professor — Department of Elementary Education/Early Childhood/Special Education
- Dr. Edwin Church, Professor — Department of School Leadership/Middle & Secondary Teacher Education
- Dr. Lawrence Lyman, Professor — Department of Elementary Education/Early Childhood/Special Education
- Dr. Timothy Marshall, Associate Professor — Department of School Leadership/Middle & Secondary Teacher Education
- Dr. John Morton, Professor — Department of School Leadership/Middle & Secondary Teacher Education
Note: more information about the award recipients can be found at https://www.emporia.edu/teachers-college/about-college/honors-awards/teachers-college-honors-banquet/.