Month: May 2021


Student Achievements Recognized by Faculty, Staff


May 20, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College faculty and staff members have recognized students who have shown excellence, leadership, perseverance and success over the 2020-21 academic year.

ECC typically holds a Student Achievement Night to present awards in-person to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of students.

There was not a ceremony held this year, but ECC employees still recognized the hard work, leadership and determination of students over the school year. The students who earned the awards were given certificates of achievement and ECC tote bags.

Listed below are students who have be recognized for either academic excellence, leadership skills, perseverance or student success.

Andrea “Abby” Hribar

Alexis Kinnison

Amanda Constable

Amber Dietrich

Andrew Klemme

Andrew Shelton

Annie Page

Audrey Bandowski

Ben Harrison

Ben Schwanitz

Christopher Cureton

Christopher Saladin

Chris West

Claire Smith

Collin Immekus

Dora Bell

Emily Knoppe

Gabby Girardier

Gabrielle Campbell

Grace Affolter

Grace McKinnis

Guy Baskerville

Heather Brinker

Holden Snyder

Isaac Martin

Jennah Olimat

Jenna Meintz

Jennifer Shaw

John Buhr

Jordan Owens

Joseph McCary

Julio Gonzalez

Justin Cantu

Justin Lohmeyer

Kaitlyn Dodson

Kasey Kroeck

Kate Shelton

Kayla Kleekamp

Keegan Sewell

Kendall Tanner

Keri Bonner

Kylee Vawter

Kylie Killbreath

Lexi Harrison

Lilli-Anne Mantle

Lisa Heimos

Logan Metzen

Logan Tiefenbrunn

Lydia Remsh

Madison Barbarick

Madison Jolly

Malaina Mastin

Manny McQueen

Mario Wentz

Mason Blum

Michaela Plumb

Miguel Gonzalez

Nathan Searcy

Pierocarlo Previte

Riley Jackson

Rylee Box

Samuel Pecka

Sara Carter

Sarah Harris

Sarah Murphy

Sebastian Montowine

Shanadoah Keckler

Shania Wilson

Summer Thorp-Lancaster

Theodore Coburn

Zoe Strassner.


Students Named to the Spring 2021 Vice President’s List


May 20, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement each semester.

Upon completion of at least 12 semester credit hours with a spring semester grade point between 3.50 and 3.84, students are acknowledged by placement on the Vice President’s List.

For the Spring 2021 semester, there were 151 students on the list.


President’s List for Spring 2021 Semester


May 19, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated exemplary academic achievement each semester.

Upon completion of at least 12 spring semester credit hours with a semester grade point average of 3.85 or greater, students are acknowledged on the President’s List.

There were 110 students named to the list from the Spring 2021 semester!


Outstanding Student Award Presented to Nursing Graduate


May 19, 2021 | Campus News ECC Rolla

East Central College recognized a leader and compassionate nursing graduate with the 2021 Outstanding Student Award.

Rolla nursing program graduate Summer Thorp-Lancaster received this year’s award, which is voted on by ECC employees.

Each year, the Outstanding Student Award winner is presented with a plaque at graduation and given a $100 award. Thorp-Lancaster was recognized May 15 during a commencement ceremony held in the Donald Shook Student Center.

To be considered for the honor, an ECC student must have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. In addition to academic achievements, participation in campus and community activities is also considered.

Thorp-Lancaster

Thorp-Lancaster is a nursing student with a GPA of 3.66 and she is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She is a recipient of a Missouri League for Nursing Scholarship and a Phelps Health Scholarship.

She received nine separate nominations for 2021 Outstanding Student Award.

ECC Rolla nursing instructor Courtney Brandt MSN, RN, said Thorp-Lancaster is a leader among her peers. She served as the student nurse organization president during the last academic year.

“In this role she has organized fundraisers and service projects,” said Brandt. “She is the go-to when you need a volunteer, she organizes class events and is always supportive of her classmates.”

“Summer excels in the classroom. She is inquisitive and excited to learn new information,” she added.

“Her priority is to make sure she is well prepared to be a successful nurse. In the clinical setting she has demonstrated that she will be a skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate nurse. She quickly builds relationships with her patients and is a great patient advocate.”

Another of Thorp-Lancaster’s instructors, Julie Chirban, MSN, RN, agreed that the award recipient is kind, compassionate and helpful to other students.

“She will go out of her way to help a fellow student with coming early or staying late after class to go over things,” Chirban said.

Before attending ECC, Thorp-Lancaster started a local nonprofit called WomanSpace that provided space for small-business events, as well as meeting space and a sense of community.  She is highly respected among friends who practice and seek alternative health care and natural food options, and she worked as a doula for several years.

Thorp-Lancaster has volunteered for several limited-time opportunities in her Phi Theta Kappa chapter, including filming a promotional video targeting nontraditional students and why ECC is the right fit for those students.

She served a short term as the Rolla PTK public relations secretary during the end of 2020 Spring semester before classes went all online. Thorp-Lancaster has been available on short notice multiple times to read parts of an induction ceremony, run to the store for supplies and other small but vital tasks that keep the PTK chapter functioning.

She also was awarded the Outstanding Student in Human Anatomy & Physiology at the Rolla Student Awards ceremony in 2019.

Jennifer Harrell

The 2020 Outstanding Student Award was presented to graduate Jennifer Harrell on May 15.

Harrell, who is now attending classes at Missouri S&T, Rolla, was recognized by ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer and the college in June 2020, however, there was not a graduation ceremony where she could be officially honored.

Harrell was the PTK vice president of public relations in 2019-20 and she served as an ECC Student Ambassador from March 2019 to May 2020.

In April 2020, Harrell was named a winner of the 2020 Scott Wright Student Essay Contest from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).

Read more about the 2020 recipient here.

Jennifer Harrell

 


Nursing Program Holds Pinning Ceremony


May 18, 2021 | Campus News

There were 27 East Central College Nursing Program graduates who were recognized during a pinning ceremony on May 15.

The ECC Nursing Program held its formal ceremony for its nursing students prior to graduation in the Donald Shook Student Center. Family and friends of graduates, faculty and administration were invited to attend the pinning ceremony.

The opening remarks for the ceremony were given by Dean of Health Science and Director of Nursing Nancy Mitchell, followed by a greeting by ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer and then a student welcome by graduate Summer Thorp-Lancaster, 2021 Outstanding Student Award recipient.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was ECC adjunct nursing instructor Nancy Tappe, BSN, RN.

The program closed with student remarks from graduate Kendall Tanner and closing comments from Vice President of Academic Affairs Robyn Walter.

The commencement ceremony was held for ECC Nursing and Allied Health graduates the same day.

 

Union 2021 Nursing Graduates and Faculty

Pictured in the front row, from left, are Nancy Mitchell, dean of health science and director of nursing; Judy Bieker, Union Nursing Program coordinator and nursing faculty; graduates Karlie Peth, Grace Schneider, Reyna Tulais-Guerra, Lilli-Anne Mantle, Renee Elliott, Kendall Tanner, Haley Virkler, Abigail Street and Anna Swoboda; and Dr. Connie Wissbaum, Union nursing faculty.

Back row, from left, are Jessica VanLeer, Union nursing faculty; graduates April Adkison, Lisa Heimos, Jessica Hanneken, Allison Skaggs, Tara White, Melissa Whitlock, Christine West, Calista Lebrell; and Brittany Yoakum, Union nursing faculty.

Rolla 2021 Nursing Graduates and Faculty

Pictured in the front row, from left, are Nancy Mitchell, dean of health science and director of nursing; Courtney Brand, Rolla nursing faculty, Julie Chirban, Rolla nursing faculty); graduates Faith Duncan, Andrea Barajas, Shannon Herode, Mallory Fox; Joannie Blakely, Rolla nursing faculty; and Nancy Tappe Rolla adjunct faculty and pinning ceremony guest speaker.

 

 


ECC Celebrates Classes of 2020 and 2021


May 17, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College celebrated the accomplishments of more than 600 students who completed degrees and certificate programs over the past two years.

The classes of 2020 and 2021 were recognized for their hard work, determination, and perseverance during unprecedented times during five commencement ceremonies held May 15-16.

There were 315 degrees and certificates awarded to members of the Class of 2021, in addition to the 342 degrees and certificates awarded to the Class of 2020.

ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer described graduation as “pay day” for everyone involved in helping students to the finish line.

“This is the day you, the graduates, have worked hard to attain and this is the day your family and friends have waited for, just as much as you have,” he said.

In order to promote a safe environment for graduates, their families and friends, and college employees, there were seven ceremonies held. That includes the Adult Education and Literacy graduation on May 13, a Nursing Program pinning ceremony May 15, and five commencement exercises for graduates.

“We wanted to be sure that each graduate could celebrate with guests and we wanted to make sure this important milestone took place right here on campus where the work that brought you to this day took place,” Dr. Bauer said.

“These are individuals fulfilling their dreams, taking the next step and coming here today as a result of their talent, hard work, determination, support they received, and never-quit attitude.”

During the ceremonies, Dr. Bauer introduced guest speakers Emily Rau, an Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist and public relation specialist with Ameren Missouri; and Richard Schwentker, a retired Washington High School science teacher and a 1971 ECC graduate.

Emily Rau

Rau spoked at the May 15 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. graduation ceremonies. She was enrolled in dual credit classes at ECC while she attended WHS.

Rau went to the University of Missouri-Columbia after graduating from WHS in 2006. She graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism in 2010. She is a fourth-generation Mizzou Tiger.

In 2015, Rau was named a co-anchor on KMOV’s News 4 This Morning. She left KMOV in the spring of 2017 to freelance for ABC News in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Rau’s message to graduates was, in part, to take the experience and wisdom of attending college during the COVID-19 pandemic and harness the resilience in the future.

“Here we are in caps and gowns, with your family in the stands and your whole life right out in front of you,” she said. “And in addition to the coursework and experiences, you have the lessons of the pandemic that you will carry with you forever.”

“The challenges of this last year come with a gift if you let them,” Rau added.

“You don’t have to move on from here with some grand plan you or someone else dreamed up for your life. You won’t be making your way in the world, wondering what happens when life gets in the way. Because you already know.”

Rau is a two-time Emmy winner, and received the Best Anchor award from the Missouri Broadcasters Association. She was one of Gazelle Magazine’s “Top 50 Women in St. Louis.”

She is the daughter of Dr. Michael and Andrea Rau, Washington. In 2019, she married Mike Colombo, a consumer reporter and anchor with Fox 2 and KPLR 11. They live in St. Louis and visit Franklin County often.

During the commencement address, Rau recalled a story about an opportunity to ask former President Donald Trump a question in the Oval Office.

“That day will forever be a highlight of my career. But I am not exaggerating when I say that there’s no way I would have ended up in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. without the foundation that started in Washington, Missouri,” she said.

“That diploma soon to be in your hands, this community that is forever in your bones — they can take you anywhere you want to go.”

Richard Schwentker

Schwentker graduated from New Haven High School in 1969 and then received an Associate of Arts from ECC in 1971. He was part of the first commencement held on the ECC campus in 1971.

He later obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from the University of Missouri-Rolla (Missouri S&T) in 1973.

Schwentker recounted the growing movement of community colleges and his time at ECC, then called East Central Junior College (ECJC), while speaking to graduates.

“For us 1969 high school graduates, it was our great fortune, that ECJC would come on line the very next year after we graduated,” he said.

“I remember my mother, after reading about the article in our newspaper and talking to other parents at a PTA meeting, suggested to me that I should consider attending this new junior college in Union,” Schwentker added.

“Upon graduating, and having been offered a scholarship to ECJC, I enrolled and many of my classmates and students from many surrounding communities also enrolled. We formed carpools, and we started classes.”

He added that his graduating class and the 2021 graduating class mark “bookends” of 50 years of commencement ceremonies at the College.

“I marvel at how ECC changed my life, allowing me to spend my entire career of 33 years as a teacher in Missouri Schools” Schwentker commented. “I graduated in a class of 106 and many of these graduates, I suspect, have a story similar to mine. Fifty years of ECC outputting graduation classes translates to 18,608 degrees and certificates granted, including this year’s graduating class, whose lives have been impacted.”

“I doubt if you can point to any other entity that has had more effect as ECC for our region,” he added. “I am happy to have been a part of the ECC/ECJC legacy. I am happy for you that you are ready to move on with the next phase of your life.”

After attending the University of Missouri-Rolla, Schwentker went on to obtain teaching certificates from the University of Missouri- Columbia (math) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (physical science). In 1994, he obtained a master’s degree in education from Maryville University in St. Louis.


Graduation Ceremonies Will be Livestreamed


May 14, 2021 | Campus News

East Central College will be livestreaming each of this year’s five commencement ceremonies to recognize the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021.

The ceremonies will be Saturday, May 15, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with Emily Rau as the speaker. On Saturday, May 15, at 4 p.m.; and Sunday, May 16, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Richard Schwentker will be the speaker.

All of the ceremonies can be viewed on the ECC Facebook page and by following this link:

https://www.facebook.com/EastCentral/live


English Department Essay, Poetry Contest Winners


May 13, 2021 | Campus News

The East Central College English Department sought student entries for the annual Poetry and Research Writing Contest.

In the poetry category, Grace Sellers received first-place honors for, “Rice Crispy Knees.”

In the research essay category, first place was awarded to Clara Curtmann for, “Why Beijing Should Not Host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.”

Both first-place recipients received $100 in prize money. Second-place winners were given $50, and third-place winners received $25.

Josh Stroup, instructor and English department chair, thanked the esteemed judges Patsy Watts, Linda Barro and Bob Mahon, as well as everyone who submitted to this contest, and those who helped spread the word about the contest.

“If you know any of these students, please reach out and give them a rowdy congrats! They deserve it,” Stroup said. “We hope to have a version of the Art & Lit Review out soon, so you can read these award-winning works.”

The English department will host a Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction contest in the fall.

Listed below are the winners in both categories, followed by the title of the work.

Poetry Winners                                                      

First place — Grace Sellers, “Rice Crispy Knees.”

Second place — Ben Brennell, “Mein Kampf, Die Krieg” (A Found Poem).

Third place — Udanthi Walker-Wallace, “Math Destruction.”

Honorable Mentions — Michaela Plumb, “August’s End” and “Found Hope” (A Found Poem).

 Research Essay Winners

First place — Clara Curtmann, “Why Beijing Should Not Host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.”

Second place — Emily Green, “Standardized Testing is Destroying the Soul of Creativity in Today’s Students.”

Third place — Sarah Harris, “Caffeine: Why It Should Have More Restrictions.”

 


Former ECC Student Follows Path to Pharmacy Industry


May 12, 2021 | Alumni Spotlight Campus News

Attending classes at East Central College made a lot of sense to Dr. Sandy Mitchell, owner of Medley Pharmacy, Inc. and Sinks Pharmacy.

After Mitchell earned a doctorate in pharmacy, she returned to where her passion for the industry began and today, she owns 14 pharmacies in seven counties .

Mitchell, an Owensville High School graduate, attended ECC from 1985 to 1987 before transferring to St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

She used a Junior Miss Pageant Scholarship she earned while at OHS to help pay for classes at ECC.

“It was an easy decision to come to ECC,” Mitchell said. “It was close to home and affordable — It worked out really well.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed East Central. it was a great steppingstone, not only financially, but academically,” she added. “I had exemplary professors who prepared me for the (St. Louis) College of Pharmacy.

“I didn’t lack anything when I transferred, and I will always be proud of ECC.”

She explained that a counselor at OHS helped her get a job a Medley Pharmacy, Owensville, in 1984 during weekends and over summer breaks from school. That job sparked a love of pharmacy and working with people.

“In college, I was on a premed path, but I always knew I would go into pharmacy,’ Mitchell said. “I really enjoyed it. I really liked working with the public and I liked the medical side of it.

“I found out later that I really loved the business side too,” she added.

Mitchell graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1990. The fondness for her hometown pharmacy led Mitchell back there after she graduated.

While working at the pharmacy, Mitchell earned received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

In 2005, Mitchell purchased the Owensville shop, and three other Medley Pharmacy stores, from the wife of the late Dr. Sinks.

That was a major step in Mitchell’s plan to entrepreneur and pharmacy owner, and she later added 10 more facilities to the Medley Pharmacy, Inc. family.

Vaccinating the Community

Over the past several months, Mitchell and Sinks Pharmacy/Medley Pharmacy have been in the public assisting many in the region become vaccinated.

That includes many ECC employees who were given the vaccine at an event on campus.

“We believe we are here to serve and care for our communities,” Mitchell said.

Once vaccines became available to schoolteachers, Mitchell explained, Sinks Pharmacy staff began holding vaccination events in the areas where the 14 locations are.

“As more vaccinations became available, the state would send them to Sinks to administer shots to school districts in the St. Louis area,” she said.

Mitchell noted that her staff has held vaccination clinics for area school districts, including Union, Sullivan, Washington and Owensville, and districts further away, such as Clayton and Parkway.

She added that the team of employees have managed large events and are able to handle large crowds quickly and seamlessly.

“The team has worked very hard to fine tune the process,” Mitchell said. “We have ways to mitigate when several people come through the door at once, and people don’t have to wait long.”

She said that there have been enough large-scale vaccination clinics, her staff knows their roles and how to get people in and out the door safely.

For more information about the pharmacy, visit https://sinkspharmacy.com/. To learn about ECC and alumni, current students and more campus news, visit www.eastcentral.edu/.


ECC Water Tower to be Removed


May 10, 2021 | Campus News

A fixture at East Central College for 50 years will be razed in the coming weeks.

The ECC board of trustees recently approved a contract to remove the water tower on the west side of campus.

The structure had been used solely by the college from 1971 until the 2006-07 academic year, when the college switched to the City of Union water system.

“It served the college well over the years,” said ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer. “It was the first structure put into service.”

Trustees awarded the bid to raze the water tower to McGuire Iron, Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D., a company known as the “Water Tower Experts,” for $39,000.  The college will be reimbursed 50 percent of the cost by the State of Missouri maintenance and repair fund.

According to Dr. Bauer, the cost to paint the tower would be $54,000, in addition to a logo or specialized paint on the sphere and the structure would need to be repainted every 10 to 15 years.

“I couldn’t justify the additional cost to paint it and down the road we decide to take it down, or have to paint it again,” he said.

Dr. Bauer added that the tower is expected to be down by June 1.

The college approached local entities to see if there was interest in taking over the use and maintenance of the tower, but there was no interest.

History

The water tower, a “Horton Water Sphere,” was completed in 1971. A plaque at the base of structure lists the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, Oak Brook, Ill.

The plaque also states the tower in 100 feet tall and can hold 50,000 gallons of water. The tower has been empty for several years.

College records indicate that ECC entered into a contract with Clark & Son Contractor, St. Clair, to install the tower. The contract was approved June 23, 1970, at the cost of $15,330.