Homecoming 2019 included a special celebration and memorial dedication honoring the lasting relationships Hesston College has fostered over the years in what has come to be known as the Hesston Experience.

A memorial garden was established on campus in honor of Mark Short ’74, who studied aviation at Hesston and passed away in 2015. The garden includes a stone bench made from conglomerate stone – or “pudding rock” as Mark and his wife, Bev, called it – from Prince of Wales Island in Alaska, which was a special place for the Short family.

The garden is a peaceful spot on campus that sits next to the Hesston College disc golf course which was established in 2018 in honor of Doug Unruh ’74, who passed away in 2014. Mark and Doug became good friends at Hesston. They first traveled to Alaska together between their freshman and sophomore years, and returned for many years for fishing trips. Their friendship grew over the years, and continues today through their families.