In the News

Hesston College and community celebrate the life of Elam Peachey

Elam J. Peachey, Development Officer and Planned Giving Advisor at Hesston College, born April 4, 1940, passed away suddenly Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 at the age of 70.

Elam was hired as a Development Officer at Hesston College in September 1990. He was named Director of Development in January 1995 after the previous director stepped down. Under his direction, the college reached a record of raising $1 million for the Annual Fund for the 1997-98 academic year.

“Elam was as insightful, supportive, positive and honest to work for as any employee could ask for in a supervisor,” said Director of Alumni and Church Relations Dallas Stutzman. “His previous and extensive work as an administrator helped provide keen insight and big picture thinking that provided quality leadership and direction for Hesston College.”

Due to a new administrative structure in 2000, Elam was named Executive Vice President for Advancement. The new department included Admissions, Alumni Relations, Communications and Development. He served in this role until 2006 at which point he moved to a part-time role of Development Officer and focused his efforts on raising funds for the college and building relationships with constituents in the eastern United States. In 2010 Elam took on the role of Planned Giving Advisor. He worked with Hesston College alumni and friends across the United States in understanding and arranging gift planning.

“Elam’s understanding of planned giving and philanthropy was a gift to the college and many whom he worked with,” said Vice President of Advancement Yvonne Sieber.

“Elam was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ and the church,” said President Howard Keim. “We will miss his dedication to the mission of the college, his careful work, his kindness and generosity. I will personally miss his genuine care for individual people, his encouragement and his optimistic spirit.”

Elam built relationships with many Hesston College Partners and donors in his 20 years at Hesston College, and maintained connections with churches and other constituents. Working with John Griffin, Sr., Elam was at the forefront of establishing planned giving as part of the college’s development efforts.

“Elam and Nancy took a personal interest in the friends of Hesston College as well as those he worked with each day,” said Keim. “He made great contributions to fundraising, including capital projects and many partners around the United States.”

From 1995 to the time of his death, Elam served on and chaired the board for the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains, which is owned by the college. He also served as co-chair of the Centennial Planning Committee for the college’s centennial celebration in 2009.

Elam had a deep love for Hesston College and the broader Mennonite church. He enjoyed his relationships with colleagues, alumni, partners, donors, churches and students. Elam and his wife, Nancy, graciously opened their home to international students over the years, providing them with a home in the summers and during holidays.

“I appreciated getting to know Elam and Nancy while I was a student at Hesston,” said Moon Jiayi Yu, a former student from China, currently living in Lincoln, Neb. “They frequently invited international students for Sunday meals, and Elam shared stories from his life and academic experiences. His teaching will always be a part of my life.”

“Elam as a person embodied the spirit of community that is Hesston College,” said Stutzman. “He maintained high quality relationships within the college and also across the college’s many constituencies and the Mennonite church. He was a father-figure during my years at Hesston, having lost my own father at an early age. For that I will be always grateful. His untimely death is a great loss to the college, Hesston and broader church community.”

Prior to his work at Hesston College, Elam spent 23 years teaching at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School (Lansdale, Pa.). He served as Principal at Christopher Dock from 1979 to 1989. He also served as Director of Agricultural Missions in Costa Rica through Rosedale Missions from 1962 to 1964.

Elam served on other various church conference and education boards and committees before arriving at Hesston as well.

Elam grew up in the Belleville, Pa., area. He graduated from Belleville Mennonite School in 1958 and from Eastern Mennonite College (Harrisonburg, Va.) with a B.S. in biology and sociology in 1962. He then attended Pennsylvania State University (State College), earning his secondary education certificate in 1965 and his M. Ed. in earth science education in 1969. He earned his Ed.D. in educational administration from Temple University (Philadelphia) in 1986.

Elam was an active member of Whitestone Mennonite Church in Hesston where he served as elder. He also enjoyed working in his garden with his wife, playing with and teaching the grandkids in the backyard and finding unique and interesting places to visit.

“The word that comes to mind most often as I think of Elam is ‘gracious,’” said Sieber. “We experienced him to be kind, honorable and gracious in his work at Hesston College.”

Elam is survived by his wife, Nancy; three daughters Shana Peachey Boshart and her husband David, of Parnell, Iowa; Cheryl Peachey Stoner and her husband, Robert, of Hesston; and Leigh Ann Peachey O’Halloran and her husband, Keith, of Hesston; nine grandsons, one granddaughter-in-law, and one great-granddaughter. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Sharon (French) Peachey.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College Campus. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 10, at Whitestone Mennonite Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for Hesston College and with the Mennonite Church USA Racial/Ethnic Leadership Education fund. Family and friends also may sign an online guestbook and view the memorial service live through the Hesston College website.

College mourns the loss of Elam Peachey

The Hesston College campus community was shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Elam J. Peachey from a heart attack Thursday morning, Jan. 6.

Elam worked at Hesston College in various roles in Development since September 1990, including Development Officer, Director of Development and Executive Vice President for Advancement. At the time of his death he was a part-time Development Officer and Planned Giving Advisor. He also served as board chair for the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains and as co-chair for the college’s centennial celebration in 2009.

It is estimated that Elam had a relationship with many of Hesston College’s Partners and donors, and even wider connections with churches and other constituents.

Elam had a deep love for Hesston College and the broader Mennonite church. He enjoyed his relationships with colleagues and constituents, as well as Hesston College students. Elam and his wife, Nancy, graciously opened their home to international students over the years, providing them with a home in the summers and during holidays.

Administration, faculty and staff at the college join Elam’s family in mourning this tremendous loss.

Elam is survived by his wife, Nancy; three daughters Shana Peachey Boshart and her husband, David, of Parnell, Iowa; Cheryl Peachey Stoner and her husband, Robert, of Hesston; and Leigh Ann Peachey O’Halloran and her husband, Keith, of Hesston; nine grandsons, one granddaughter-in-law, and one great-granddaughter.

Funeral arrangements will be announced as they are made available.

Hesston College student Kirsti Graffenberger realizes future goals

Kirsti Graffenberger almost didn’t come to Hesston College. It’s not that she didn’t like the campus and people when she visited. It’s just that Oregon is a really long way from Kansas.

Now, having finished her third semester at Hesston College with only one more to go before graduating in May and transferring to the next college of her choice, Kirsti realizes what she would have missed if she had decided to forego Kansas. She would have never known the faculty members who have encouraged her to find her passion, she wouldn’t have taken a Spring Break service trip to Haiti with five of her closest friends and she wouldn’t have had the same opportunity to get hands-on experience in her field of study as a sophomore.

When Kirsti arrived on campus she was still deciding on a major. Since then, she has chosen nutrition and dietetics and has recently completed a semester-long cooperative education placement at Schowalter Villa where she shadowed the nursing home’s dietician and learned the ins and outs of the job.

“I chose Hesston because both of my parents came here and encouraged me to visit,” said Kirsti. “On my campus visit I told everyone I probably wasn’t going to come. When I got home, I told my parents I liked the college, the community and the campus life, but it was too far away.”

A couple of weeks before she graduated from her Albany, Ore., high school in 2009, something changed Kirsti’s mind, and she told her parents she was going to Hesston College.

Kirsti job shadowed a dietician in high school, which introduced to the field. The experience she has gained since becoming a Hesston student has allowed her to test that option and reinforce the ideas for her future.

Spring break 2010 took Kirsti and five other Hesston College students to Haiti only two months after the island nation’s devastating earthquake. The students took food and other supplies to the survivors and spent time working in an orphanage.

“Coming to college, I wanted to help in other countries and major in something that can be taken globally,” said Kirsti. “Going to Haiti allowed me to see what an issue hunger is in so many places. I want to help stop it, and dietetics is a place to start. A lot of organizations are looking for dieticians to help people find affordable and nutritious food no matter their situation or location.”

The fall 2010 semester cooperative education placement allowed her to gain practical knowledge and experience in the daily work of a dietician. Kirsti worked side-by-side with Schowalter Villa’s dietician Carole Stevens for one day a week. She observed daily processes and meal rounds, learned how to read charts, assessed patients and helped plan diets for individual residents. She also went with Stevens to Hunter Health Clinic Diabetes Care Center, a clinic in Wichita for uninsured or under insured diabetics. There she observed direct counsel with clients on how to eat healthier to treat their disease.

When a resident at the Villa started a monthly nutrition class for other residents, Kirsti helped with one of the month’s presentations on rutabagas. She researched the benefits of the vegetable, found recipes for the nursing home kitchen to prepare and presented her findings to the residents and a group of daycare children.

“The co-op placement has helped me figure out what I want to pursue,” she said. “Until I had this opportunity I didn’t know exactly what being a dietician entailed. It has been an eye opening experience, but has confirmed that I am heading in the right direction.”

Kirsti’s placement was set up with help from her academic advisor Deb Roth after seeing her excitement and confirmation of purpose upon returning from Haiti.

“Nutrition is a field in which Kirsti can experience an intersection of her interest and the needs of the world,” said Roth. “She was very enthused to have a hands-on opportunity. I knew she would represent Hesston College well in this role and that the Villa would love having her observe and work with residents.”

Once she finishes her degree, Kirsti thinks she will look for her first job as a dietician in a hospital or similar environment. She most enjoys working directly with patients and counseling them in good nutritional practices. Eventually she hopes to end up with an organization and working with people overseas.

Stevens, Kirsti’s placement supervisor, was pleased with the natural ability she had to communicate with residents, and believes she will be successful in her future endeavors.

“I appreciated Kirsti’s ability to interact with people of all walks of life,” said Stevens. “I look forward to a few years when she will be a colleague in the field of dietetics.”

Kirsti doesn’t have any definite decisions made for after Hesston at this point. She knows she will continue her education, but her two years in Kansas have made distance much less of a factor this time around as she is considering schools in Pennsylvania, Oregon, Ohio and Washington.

“Hesston College has prepared me well,” said Kirsti. “Even my most basic classes have been challenging. I like the small classes where I can get so much more help. I have gotten the help I need here – whether it is in the tutoring lab or directly from a professor. I don’t know if I would feel as comfortable asking a professor for help anywhere else.”

by Rachel Schlegel

Nursing program receives re-approval

The nursing program at Hesston College was formally granted re-approval by the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN) at a Dec. 13 and 14 meeting in Topeka.

The Board’s recommendation came from a two day visit to the Hesston campus in late September. After visiting with nursing faculty and assessing the program’s facilities, curriculum and resources, the program was recommended for re-approval for the full eight years. The next survey will be coordinated with the visit from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission in spring 2018.

“Nursing faculty, staff and students feel affirmed by the recent KSBN site visit, report and formal action to grant full approval,” said Hesston College Director of Nursing Bonnie Sowers. “We are pleased that our nursing program was found to be in full compliance with all relevant state regulations and that many program strengths were noted.”

Among the regulations the Board assessed and named as strengths to Hesston’s program are professional and efficient faculty and positive and satisfied graduates.

The program’s strengths agree with those of the wider college, which was named the number 2 two-year college in the country in terms of student success rate by Washington Monthly magazine in August.

Since Hesston College’s first class of nursing graduates in 1968, 98.6 percent of the program’s graduates have passed the national licensure exam to become registered nurses. More than 1,300 nurses have gone through the program in its 44 years of existence.

“None of this would have been possible without the strong curriculum standards that have been in place at Hesston College over time, as well as the incredible focus, effort and abilities invested in the nursing program by our faculty, staff and students,” said Sowers. “In the end, it is the patients of our graduates who will benefit from the program’s high standards and our faculty’s emphasis on caring and competence.”

Photo release: Hesston College students attend business convention

Several members of the Hesston College community, including five sophomore business students and two instructors traveled to Calgary, Alberta, Canada Nov. 4 to 7 for the 2010 Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) convention. “MEDA was such a good experience,” said student Sarah Lederman. “We were able to talk with Mennonite business professionals and learn how they have brought their faith into their businesses.” Pictured from left are Hesston College Vice President of Advancement Yvonne Sieber; John Oyer, Hesston, Kan.; Luci Eash, Haven, Kan.; instructor David LeVan; Laura Unruh, Newton, Kan.; Masaki Kato, Tokyo, Japan; Sarah Lederman, Middlebury, Ind.; instructor Vickie Andres; and Hesston College volunteers Sid and Peg Burkey, Milford, Neb.

Photo release: Professor donates hairstyle for student’s service trip

Kevin Wilder, Hesston College psychology and youth ministry instructor, and Saralyn Mast, a freshman from Ephrata, Pa., show off Wilder’s new hairstyle “The Mr. T.” Wilder, who is also Mast’s academic advisor, donated his hairstyle as a fundraiser for a service trip to Haiti during Christmas break where she will spend a week working with orphan girls at a school. The unusual cut was one of four options which students, faculty and staff could vote on with their monetary gifts. Mast and Wilder hoped to raise half of the funds for the trip through the Hesston College community and exceeded their goal by $46.80. Mast is a member of Ephrata Mennonite Church and the daughter of David and Karen Mast.

NEA announces grant to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts

$10,000 grant will support Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts’ presentation of Chanticleer

Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts announced today that Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts has been approved for a grant of $10,000 to support a performance and residency by male a capella chorus Chanticleer Feb. 8, 2011. Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts is one of 1,057 not-for-profit organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s first round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute $26.68 million to support projects nationwide.

An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence for the benefit of individuals and communities. Landesman said, “I continue to be impressed with the creative, innovative and excellent projects brought forward by arts organizations across the country. Our grantees are not only furthering their art forms but also enhancing their neighborhoods by making them more vibrant, livable and fun.”

“We are grateful to receive NEA support once again this year,” said HBPA Director Matthew Schloneger. “This type of funding allows our organization to bring world class artists to central Kansas that we would not otherwise be able to achieve. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our community and the students of Hesston College and Bethel College.”

Called “the world’s reigning male chorus,” by The New Yorker magazine, and named 2008 Ensemble of the Year by Musical America, Chanticleer’s “symphony of voices” returns to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts for the first time since 2006. Chanticleer will perform more than 100 concerts in 2010-11, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble’s 33rd season. Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for their “tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity,” Chanticleer will tour to Canada and 22 states, including appearances at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National American Choral Directors Association Conference in Chicago.

The HBPA performance will be at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 8 in Bethel College’s (North Newton) Memorial Hall. Tickets range from $19 to $23 with discounts for students and seniors, and are available at www.hesston.edu/hbpa or by calling 620-327-8158 or 316-284-5205. Chanticleer music director Matthew Oltman will lead a choral workshop with choirs and student vocal ensembles from Hesston (Kan.) College and Bethel College at 4 p.m. Feb. 8 on the Bethel College campus. The workshop will be free and open to the public.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series, now in its 29th year, started in 1982 as Hesston Performing Arts (HPA) with funding and planning provided by Hesston College and the Hesston community. In 1998, HPA planners launched a partnership with Bethel College and the series name changed to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts. Hesston College and Bethel College host five performances by world-renowned or regionally acclaimed artists each year.

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government that has awarded more than $4 billion on projects of artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the National Endowment for the Arts at arts.gov.