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SPEAKER:
David McCullough |
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| Jewell receives Truman collection |
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Achievement Day Events Recognize Outstanding Alumni Accomplishments
By Emily Wales and Joy Mason
Encouraging current students to follow in the lead of outstanding alumni, the College recognized the following four alumni who have made outstanding contributions in their fields: Judith Cone, '75; Drew W. Luten III, '76; Jeannie Blaylock, '82; and Dr. Harold Brooks, '82. Senior Sarah Smith moderated a forum during the student dinner. Achievers were asked to share their stories and thoughts about how attending William Jewell had affected their careers.
To begin the discussion, each achiever explained how they had been involved on campus during college. Blaylock, a 15-time Emmy award-winning news anchor and reporter in Jacksonville, Fla., began speaking about her overseas experience. "I
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From left: Dr. David Sallee, Judith Cone, Dr. Harold Brooks, Jeannie Blaylock, Drew Luten
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think the best thing I did was participate in the Oxford program," she said. "Any of those overseas study programs-make sure you do them.
For Brooks, working as the basketball team's statistician and radio broadcaster was an important experience. Now head of the Mesoscale Applications Group at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Brooks said the College helped him with problem-solving skills. "[Then Coach John] Hickman saw everything as a problem to be solved," Brooks said. "If I'd gone to a larger institution, I think I would have been pigeon-holed. . . and not been involved in so many ways."
Cone, vice president of Entrepreneurship at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, also spoke about lessons learned from a William Jewell coach. "Being in sports with some of these great coaches was a wonderful experience," she said. "Fred Flook [who coached Cone in gymnastics] said, 'You know, I would never ask you to do anything I didn't know you could do,' and so I pushed myself harder."
For Luten, leadership experience through Kappa Alpha Order provided numerous learning opportunities. Now acting assistant administrator of the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Agency for International Development, Luten said he most appreciates the relationships he formed at the College. "The best thing was the friendship I developed with Gary Phelps [then dean of students]," he said.
Achievers were asked questions specific to their disciplines. Blaylock spoke about how her work as a journalist allowed her to find her niche. "My passion, of course, is the Buddy Check 12 program," she said of the breast cancer awareness program she developed. After a fellow alumna of the College passed away from the disease at a young age, Blaylock felt compelled to take action. "It can all start with one story or one project," she said. "Find that thing that floats your boat and you can make a difference."
Brooks was asked about former Vice President Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and about preparedness before natural disasters. In addition to talking about meeting Gore when he was "a first-term senator from Tennessee who already cared about this issue," Brooks said the problem is one the United States needs to face. "It's not just a scientific question. There are a lot of policy questions here, too," he said. Brooks said there were two courses of action to address global warming: mitigation of the change or adaptation to a different climate.
Cone spoke about how she had chosen a career in the non-profit sector. "My life is a zig-zag. Life happened, and I participated," she said of her life right after graduation. "One day, I woke up. . . and I said, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I want to plan my life." With a new goal in mind, Cone said she "took a year off and went on a vision quest" to find her life's passion. When she heard on the radio about the entrepreneurship program at the Kauffman Foundation, Cone said she knew she wanted to work there. Years later, Cone said she now plans to leave her current position and begin a program focused on poverty in the United States. "What we do in the philanthropic [field] is wait until kids are in crisis and then we step up," she said. "My idea is to find parents who are in poverty. . . and teach them about upward mobility-on their own terms."
Luten shared thoughts on his role as a government administrator. "I'm in an executive role now. I came up as a hands-on lawyer," he said. "Now, I'm in a role when, instead of going deep into a particular issue, it's more much about being horizontal and touching on many issues." Luten also discussed the tension that can exist between foreign policy and work with international aid. "The range of issues and the range of countries can be
pretty daunting," Luten said, noting that his daily tasks can range from "high level discussions with the State Department. . . to sorting out personality differences of personnel in one of our overseas offices."
During the day on Thursday, honorees had the opportunity to be on campus in different departments based either on their major or based on their current profession.
Thursday evening the Celebration of Achievement Dinner was held. The Achievement Dinner was preceded by two receptions: one for those with
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From left: Jeannie Blaylock, David McCullough, Judith Cone, Drew Luten, Dr. Harold Brooks, Dr. David Sallee |
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guest-level tickets, and one for those with patron-level tickets. At the second reception, attendees had a chance to meet and speak with the night's keynote speaker, David McCullough.
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McCullough, an author and historian, has written many books, most recently 1776. "He was chosen because he's a premier author and historian, and we thought the audience of Jewell alumni would be interested in hearing him speak," said Lindy Sheets, Director of Alumni Programs and Volunteers. "We also love the connection he has with Jewell," she added. McCullough spent a semester on the William Jewell campus in the early 1990s while writing his book, Truman.
The Achievement Day activities ended on Friday with an Achievement Day convocation, at which citations of achievement were presented to the honorees and at which they had a chance to |
address the community. A lunch for the honorees followed the convocation.
| "Achievement Day celebrates what people have accomplished in their careers, what they've done since they've left Jewell. It celebrates how they've used their education to make an impact," Sheets said. Achievement Day is also an encouragement to those currently at the College, she added. "It reinforces the idea that Jewell students will be leaders. It's an encouragement to the Jewell community to see that that happens all the time." |
Dr. David Sallee and
David McCullough |
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