In the News

Community read proposes a solution for water crisis

For the sixth year, Hesston College and the Hesston Public Library invite individuals and groups in the local communities to join students, faculty and staff for a community read during the fall 2017 semester. The book selection for the 2017 read is “Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis” (2012, Beacon Press) by Cynthia Barnett.

Barnett, an award-winning environmental journalist who teaches at the University of Florida (Gainsville), proposes that America needs a “blue revolution” comparable to the “go green” movement to address the use and abuse of water in the United States and around the world. The book examines a variety of perspectives and makes an argument for a “water ethic” with a call to action that reconnects individuals to their water.

Barnett will visit the Hesston College campus for the annual Melva Kauffman Lecture Series to discuss themes in the book on Thursday, Nov. 2. Events for the day will include a morning talk with students, an afternoon presentation for the public at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains and an evening keynote address at Hesston Mennonite Church.

Photo release - Sharing local leadership resources

Environmental science professor Marelby Mosquera presents to a group of 30 Excel Industries employees during a leadership training program hosted and presented by Hesston College. The idea for the leadership training was born of a request from Excel, a lawn care manufacturer in Hesston, to offer interactive teaching environments that would provide both office and mainline staff with a liberal arts perspective on leadership training with emphasis on conflict resolution, interpersonal communication and inclusion and diversity. Through Hesston College’s connection with the Kansas Leadership Center (Wichita), a Hesston College leadership training curriculum was created and presented to the Excel group in a pilot training July 25 to 27.

Cross-cultural study in Japan

A new Hesston College cross-cultural experience gave 20 people, a mixture of students from Hesston College and two other institutions, community members and instructors, a chance to study in Japan for a three week May term May 15 to June 7.

The May Term in Japan program incorporated eight weeks of language and culture study prior to departure, as well as an intensive study in modern Japanese history (ca. 1850 to present). Hesston College faculty Andre Swartley (English as a Second Language program director) and Kate Swartley (Spanish instructor), who lived in Japan for two years prior to teaching at Hesston, organized and led the trip. Andre Swartley taught the Japanese language and culture courses leading up to and during the travel portion of the program. Hesston College education instructor Heidi Hochstetler planned and taught the linked history course.

The group studied and traveled in seven major Japanese cities: Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Tokyo. The longest portion of time was spent in Hiroshima, where the group attended classes, collaborated with Japanese students at Hiroshima Shudo University, and listened to the the testimony of a hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor.

In addition to the coursework, students participated in daily activities and projects that required navigating public transportation and using the “survival” Japanese language skills taught in class. Students were also able to stay with Japanese host families in both Osaka and Tokyo, an invaluable experience for making human connections and building bridges between cultures.

The college is making plans to offer the program again in spring 2019.

New and expanded programs of study for fall 2017

Hesston College students will have more programs of study and course options from which to choose when classes resume in August. The newest program additions and expansions are among at least 13 new or expanded programs that have been added to the list of more than 50 offered programs of study in the last three years.

In an effort to continually meet student needs and interests, the college is adding two new programs of study starting in fall 2017 – emergency management and sports ministry – and offering expanded, more transferable courses in five existing programs – aviation, biology, graphic design, engineering and theatre.

“We say that Hesston students ‘start here’ and ‘go everywhere,’ but our students are increasingly coming from everywhere and going everywhere,” said Brent Yoder, vice president of Academics. “These new courses and programs will help satisfy the interests of students and prepare them well to transfer to a wide variety of institutions or to immediately begin their careers.”

The new emergency management program will operate in cooperation with the City of Hesston Emergency Services Department. Students in the program will be selected through an interview process to work part time with Hesston EMS while completing coursework to earn Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and/or Firefighter certification. For students selected to the program, the coursework and fees for the EMT and Firefighter certifications will be paid for by Hesston EMS with a one-year student commitment to the department once certified.

“Hesston Fire/EMS is excited to partner with Hesston College to offer an amazing community service opportunity for students and also fill a critical need for firefighters and emergency medical responders in our department,” said Russ Buller, City of Hesston director of emergency services. “This collaboration provides a chance for students to experience meaningful and rewarding situations providing help to others in their time of need while not compromising their college experience. For our community, this program helps address the constant need for qualified emergency responders.”

The other new program addition, sports ministry, prepares students to plan, direct and initiate church-based or community recreation programs and equips students to use recreation and sports as a tool for outreach in the community. The curriculum focuses on courses in both physical education and Bible and ministry as students are provided a biblical and theological foundation for ministry through sports.

In addition to the new programs, new course offerings are being added to programs associated with aviation, biology, graphic design, engineering and theatre to give students smoother transitions into four-year programs or the career.

The college’s aviation program received FAA approval in December 2016 to offer Reduced Airplane Transport Pilot (R-ATP), which allows graduates of Hesston’s program to apply for the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate after 1,250 hours of flight time instead of the 1,500 hours typically required by the FAA. The change in the program will allow Hesston aviation graduates to more quickly climb the career ladder.

The course expansions in the remaining programs were added or revamped to better fit general course requirements in those programs at both private and public four-year programs nationwide, improving the transferability of courses from Hesston to other higher education institutions programs.

Over the last three years, other new programs added to the lineup, and which continue to grow, have been criminal and restorative justice, exercise science, leadership and baccalaureate degree nursing.

Spring 2017 academic honors

Hesston College announced the names of full-time students whose spring 2017 semester grades earned them a place on the Dean’s List (3.90 to 4.00) and Honor Roll (3.50 to 3.89).

Dean’s List Freshmen

Landon Baer, North Lima, Ohio
Jenna Boller, Kalona, Iowa
Brandon Bontrager, Sarasota, Fla.
Savannah Bontrager, Milford, Neb.
Lucas Comfort, Salina, Kan.
Jeremy Deckinger, Wichita, Kan.
Joy Driver, Rockingham, Va.
Andre Eans, Harrisonburg, Va.
John Ebaugh, Holtwood, Pa.
Emma Eitzen, Lititz, Pa.
Autumn Gehman, Adams, Tenn.
Casey Hertzler, Harrisonburg, Va.
Luke Hertzler, Harrisonburg, Va.
Aya Iseki, Taito, Japan
Lydia Jembere, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Katelyn Kilmer, Goshen, Ind.
Levi Litwiller, Hopedale, Ill.
Gaitan Lleshi, Lezhe, Albania
Nicole Loewen, Hutchinson, Kan.
Alicen Meysing, Canton, Kan.
Elizabeth Miller, Archbold, Ohio
Sarah Miller, Marion, S.D.
Mackenzie Miller, Lancaster, Pa.
Curtis Oesch, Caldwell, Idaho
Ryan Oostland, Goshen, Ind.
Jacques Palmer, Arlington, Texas
Brenna Peters, Hesston, Kan.
Rebecca Reutzel, Topeka, Kan.
Garrett Roth, Hesston, Kan.
Grace Roth, Goshen, Ind.
Shalee Rowley, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jaelyn Rufenacht, Archbold, Ohio
Dillon Unruh, Wilmore, Kan.
Sadie Winter, Newton, Kan.
Hannah Yoder, Freeman, S.D.

Dean’s List Sophomores

Wyatt Baer , Marshallville, Ohio
Cassidy Bontrager, Wellman, Iowa
Rachel Brown, McKinney, Texas
Erin Brubaker, Goessel, Kan.
Elena Buckwalter, Fulks Run, Va.
Renee Buckwalter, Wellman, Iowa
Olivia Copsey, Goshen, Ind.
Tanner Daniel, El Dorado Springs, Mo.
Nebiyat Demissie, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Silas Driver, Harrisonburg, Va.
Nicholas Eichelberger, Geneva, Neb.
Kyle Good, Harrisonburg, Va.
Emily Griffioen, Belmond, Iowa
Adele Hofer, Greenwood Village, Colo.
Chanhee Hwang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Allison Jantzi, Newton, Kan.
Christina Kauffman, West Liberty, Ohio
Cierra King, Cochranville, Pa.
Riley Kingsley, North Newton, Kan.
Nelson Martinez, Port Saint Lucie, Fla.
Anna Miller, Millersburg, Ohio
Hannah Miller, Parnell, Iowa
Sophia Miller, Newton, Kan.
Jessanna Nebel, Hesston, Kan.
Trevor Oyer, Hubbard, Ore.
Bailyn Piecewicz, Spokane, Wash.
Monica Plank, Marion, Kan.
Wyatt Roth, Canby, Ore.
Jonah Short-Miller, Bellingham, Wash.
Vanessa Steckly, Milford, Neb.
Lilian Trifena, Tangerang, Indonesia
Kristin Troyer, Shickley, Neb.
Allyson Vogt, Hesston, Kan.
Yedidiya Zewdu, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dean’s List Juniors

Brooke Hershberger, Goshen, Ind.
Jonae Hochsetler, Ogema, Minn.
Mackenzie Johnson, Olathe, Kan.
Kendra Stang, Wichita, Kan.
Sarah Whitten, Wichita, Kan.

Dean’s List Seniors

Kelsey Anderson, McPherson, Kan.
Kaedi Baer, Hesston, Kan.
Crystal Burgess, Los Angeles, Calif.
Meredith Burkhart, Newton, Kan.
LaKeisha Frierson, Wichita, Kan.
Crisentia Gregor, Banyuwangi, Indonesia
Kensi Mader, Wichita, Kan.
Samantha McElroy, Wichita, Kan.
Tevin Rose, Hutchinson, Kan.
Ashley Weaver, Hesston, Kan.

Honor Roll Freshmen

Louisa Angeline, Semarang, Indonesia
Kylie Brenneman, Hesston, Kan.
Sierra Broce, Goddard, Kan.
Elizabeth Eichelberger, Geneva, Neb.
Shota Funazaki, Chiba-ken, Japan
Kayleigh Johnson, Smithfield, Utah
Jeffrey Kauffman, Hutchinson, Kan.
David Ladwig, Wichita, Kan.
Molly Laha, Wichita, Kan.
Jose Lezama Mendoza, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Chloe McNiel, Valley Center, Kan.
Zachary Neely, Ada, Okla.
April Newfield, Peabody, Kan.
Pietro Oliva Paulino, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Patricia Oliver, Wichita, Kan.
Jasmine Pankratz, Abbyville, Kan.
Harrison Park, Frisco, Texas
Ricardo Pineda Moreno, Ancon, Panama
Cristina Rapisardi, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Jenna Ratzlaff, North Newton, Kan.
Dylan Schoknecht, Woodstock, Ga.
Mariah Trible, Valley Center, Kan.
Haley Unruh, Wilmore, Kan.
Payton Yehnert, Parker, Colo.
Noah Yoder, Harrisonburg, Va.
Lindsey Yoder, Millersburg, Ohio

Honor Roll Sophomores

Heath Agnew, Mountain City, Texas
Cheri Baer, Apple Creek, Ohio
Sarah Booth, Newton, Kan.
Abby Byler, Harrisonburg, Va.
Rebecca Delp, Sellersville, Pa.
Stasia Majerick, North Liberty, Iowa
Ana Karen Penner Heide, Cuauhtemoc, Mexico
William Plank, Marion, Kan.
Kathryn Roth, Wauseon, Ohio
Emma Schrock, Lakewood, Colo.
Graham Stauffer, Hesston, Kan.
Allyson Steiner, Peoria, Ariz.
Jordan Stoltzfus, Shipshewana, Ind.
Moira Wells, Elbert, Colo.
Naomi Wright, Calhan, Colo.
Laura Wright, Norwich, Kan.
Kaho Yanagidaira, Chino-shi, Japan

Honor Roll Juniors

Megan Coon, Inman, Kan.
Jaci Herring, Newton, Kan.
Brittany Hochstetler, Ogema, Minn.
Kendra Honeycutt, Lincoln, Calif.
Ciara Kroeker, Hutchinson, Kan.
Dakoda Lee, Boise, Idaho
Myrella Lopez, Newton, Kan.
Madison McLemore, Wichita, Kan.
Marianna Meza, Valley Center, Kan.
Desiree Newman, Archbold, Ohio
Gretchen Nisly, Hutchinson, Kan.
Bailey Osborn, Valley Center, Kan.
Alicia Ramirez, Albuquerque, N.M.
Chase Spencer, Ochelata, Okla.
Rebekah Voran, Wichita, Kan.
Caitlin Waits, Wichita, Kan.
Taryn Wallace, Augusta, Kan.
Gabriela Willis, Rusk, Texas

Honor Roll Seniors

Jaren Allen, Cheney, Kan.
Dominique Apsley, Wichita, Kan.
Geoffrey Bell, Andover, Kan.
Lisa Brady, Wichita, Kan.
Rebecca Engberg, Wichita, Kan.
Lauren Guhr, Newton, Kan.
Ashley Herrman, Park City, Kan.
Manisa Howell, Park City, Kan.
Rebekah Jensen, Topeka, Kan.
Amber Junkins, Wichita, Kan.
Brittany Miller, Newton, Kan.
Michelle Nguyen, Wichita, Kan.
Ann Nguyen, Wichita, Kan.
Raven Norris, Maize, Kan.
Amber Partin, Derby, Kan.
Esperanza Pena, El Dorado, Kan.
Kezia Peterson-Sommer, Sterling, Kan.
Beth Schurz, Phillipsburg, Kan.
Zahira Shafeeq, McPherson, Kan.
Paige Winget, Wichita, Kan.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing program receives accreditation

Hesston College’s nursing program has made another step forward by receiving accreditation for the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree program. The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Hesston College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), www.ccneaccreditation.org.

The accreditation comes following an on-campus visit by the CCNE in September 2016, and CCNE Board of Commissioners action in late April 2017.

“We were pleased to receive the official news of the accreditation of our BSN program,” said Bonnie Sowers, Nursing Education director. “The action acknowledges that our program has met specialized national nursing accreditation standards, and is very important to our students and graduates, as this accreditation offers a competitive advantage.”

Hesston College has operated an associate degree of nursing (ADN) program since 1966, which has held accreditation since 1970. Since 2015, Hesston’s nursing program has been evolving by adding programs in response to shifting industry demands. A 2010 report from the Institute of Medicine set a national goal that 80 percent of the nursing workforce have a BSN by 2020.

After receiving approval from the Kansas State Board of Nursing and the Higher Learning Commission, the college’s accrediting agency, Hesston welcomed the first group of BSN students in fall 2015. That first cohort of seventeen BSN students graduated on May 14, and are considered to have graduated from the accredited program. In January 2017, the program added an RN to BSN component for registered nurses with ADN degrees who want to complete the next step in their education.

Along with the 2016-17 year marking the 50th year of the nursing program and granting bachelor degrees to the first BSN graduates, it also marks the end of the ADN program.

“Our nursing faculty wrestled with the decision to close the ADN program,” said Sowers. “We experienced 50 years of excellent ADN education on our campus and graduated nurses who not only provide high quality care but are also the very reason that Hesston College nursing enjoys such an excellent reputation in our healthcare community.”

Sowers noted the difficulty in operating three separate, full capacity nursing programs – ADN, BSN and RN to BSN – on a small campus, and with the current trend toward BSN education, closing the ADN program was the right decision.

“We want to serve our students in the best way possible,” said Sowers.

Hesston College nursing has a long history of producing outstanding nurses who are focused on holistic patient care. More than 1,600 individuals have graduated from the program in the last 50 years, with more than 98 percent of those graduates earning RN licensure.

“Hesston College has a long history of quality nursing education, and we are now continuing the next chapter of that history with new leadership and a new accredited degree,” said Dr. Brent Yoder, vice president of Academics. “The faculty and staff in the department will continue to ensure that all nursing students receive a Christ-centered education that prepares them extremely well for a profession with a high demand for a caring workforce.”

Capital campaign to enhance nursing and athletics

Hesston College is entering the public phase of a $6 million capital campaign to address facility needs in the nursing and athletic programs. The campaign opened in the summer of 2016, and administrators and development officers have been working for the past year to secure lead gifts. To date, $2.4 million in formal pledges has been secured with several other pledges or gifts in process.

The campaign, known as the “Be Greater Capital Campaign,” will address core facility needs within the college’s two largest program areas. In the fall of 2016, nursing students made up 41 percent of total enrollment, while athletes made up 40 percent of enrollment. Yet the spaces for these programs – Lemons Center for nursing and Yost Center for athletics – are not sufficient to accommodate current program needs and inhibit the full student experience.

Both the nursing and athletics portions of the project carry a $3 million price tag and will focus on the renovation of existing facilities plus building expansion with new spaces to better serve students.

“We are excited to shift into this public phase and continue making progress toward our $6 million goal,” said Mark Landes, vice president of Finance and Advancement. “Once complete, these projects will absolutely have a positive impact on the Hesston College student experience. Nursing and athletics represent a significant portion of our student population, yet our facilities, originally built to accommodate much smaller programs, are lagging the enrollment growth in these areas. We need to catch up, and these projects will fulfill critical needs to serve our students well into the future.”

Two lead gifts for the nursing portion of the campaign have been graciously provided by Carroll and Roberta Miller of Greeley, Colo., and Doug and Connie Dorsing of Fruitland, Idaho. The donors and college administrators have agreed that the nursing building will be named in honor of longtime nursing director, Bonnie Sowers, who will step down from the role on June 30 after 37 years of leadership and more than 40 years as a faculty member in the nursing program. A 9,740 square foot addition that will be added onto the existing building will be named the Bonnie Sowers Nursing Center.

“Roberta and I are pleased to be a small part of helping to create a legacy to a person very deserving and who has given a lifetime of her time, talents and resources to helping educate people and promote the nursing profession,” said Carroll Miller.

The current nursing facility – Lemons Center, which was an addition to Charles Hall in 1996 – has not received updates in more than 20 years and is inadequate in size. Challenges in that space and in Charles Hall, which was dedicated in 1952 and is the second oldest standing building on campus, include limited space for simulation labs and other practice facilities, inadequate restrooms, limited space for commuting students during their down time, and inadequate faculty office space.

Campaign improvements will include a simulation lab, student practice rooms, a fundamentals lab, storage space, additional faculty offices, an administrative suite, a student lounge and study spaces. Some select areas within Charles Hall will also receive renovations and upgrades, which will benefit the natural sciences.

Hesston College Athletics has also grown over the years – primarily in the last decade. When Yost Center, the home of Lark Athletics, was built in 1982, Hesston fielded five intercollegiate teams. Today, the college fields 14 varsity teams, posing a space problem for the current athletic facilities and personnel. Enhancements to the facilities include the addition of a 3,000 square foot weight room on the southwest side of Yost Center, a new, on-campus softball diamond, the addition of a new lobby on the northwest side of Yost Center, a coaches office suite, main gym renovation, remodel of the athletic training room, and the addition of a multi-purpose team room.

The college hopes to secure all funding by December 2018 and begin construction in early 2019.

Hesston College to host summer theatre camps for community students

Young actors can switch up the typical summer activities and hone their thespian skills, techniques and creativity during one of Hesston College’s two separate workshop-style summer theatre camps.

Students ages 14 to 18 can participate in “Broadway in the Black Box,” June 19 to 24, and students ages 11 to 14 will be “Wandering the World: A Travel Adventure,” June 26 to July 1. Students who are 14-years-old can choose which of the camps they would like to attend, or they may choose to do both. Hesston College theatre director Rachel Jantzi will lead the camps.

Both of the week-long workshops will give young performers opportunities to work in every aspect of staging a performance from creating the script to painting the set, working backstage and performing the show. Final performances for each of the weeks will premiere on the final day of camp.

Daily workshops and rehearsals will be from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Hesston College’s Helmuth Studio Theatre in Keim Center for Performing Arts Education.

Theatre camp registration is $50 for the week, and the registration deadline is June 12. Registration forms can be downloaded online. For more information about financial assistance, contact Jantzi at rachelj@hesston.edu or 620-327-8142.

Celebrating a momentous Commencement

Hesston College class of 2017 graduates were encouraged to live their legacies with passion during Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 14.

Commencement speaker, Dr. Marie Schuessler Morris, delivered the address “How’s My Driving? Everyday Calling and Legacy.” Based on Romans 12:9-13, Dr. Morris encouraged graduates to listen for and respond to God’s calling in their life, whatever it may be, and then to live out that calling to the best of their abilities.

“We are all living our legacies every day with the choices we make and the passions we pursue,” said Dr. Morris. “What legacy are you living? How’s your driving?” Dr. Morris, a 1979 Hesston College graduate, is an accomplished leader in higher education and nursing, who serves as provost of Anderson (Ind.) University.

The 2017 celebration also marked the college’s first granting of bachelors degrees in 60 years as the first cohort of the college’s bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students were recognized for completion of the program. The class of 2017 included 17 BSN graduates and 132 associate degree graduates.

Two graduating students, Cassidy Bontrager (Wellman, Iowa) and Jonah Short-Miller (Bellingham, Wash.) were chosen by faculty, staff and their graduating peers to serve as student speakers at Commencement.

Individual student groups were recognized in special ceremonies May 13.

A nursing pinning ceremony honored 53 nursing graduates – 17 bachelor degree graduates and 36 associate degree graduates. The ceremony marked the 50th graduating associate degree class and the first graduating bachelors degree class. The message, “Pay Attention. Have Courage. Always Care.” was delivered by Dr. Morris.

A recognition ceremony was held for student completing the Disaster Management Program. Darin Bontrager, a 2011 Disaster Management graduate, delivered the message “Zip-lining into the Dark.” Bontrager is Mennonite Disaster Service’s Weekly Crew Volunteer Placement Coordinator based from the Bi-National Office in Lititz, Pa.

The Aviation department honored graduates completing the professional pilot program of study. Jerry Eichelberger, a 1985 Hesston Aviation graduate and manager of the FAA Wichita Flight Standards District Office delivered the reception address.