Hey Alumni! I am going to use the blog as a way of posting my Alumni of the Week that I present at the active meetings. I hope you enjoy either remembering Alumni or learning about a new Alumni. I know the first post is a little long since I wanted to record all of the Alumni of the Week I have already done, but the following posts will not be as lengthy. Enjoy! LFS, Katie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Julie Triplett Pledge Class: Spring ‘08 Major/Year graduated: History/2011 BA 2012 MAE Family Flower: Pink Carnation (whoot, whoot!) Big(s): Theresa Perkins/Karen Rohrer Little(s): Sarrah ElMoumouhi, Caity Haney, Jennifer Darlington, Becky Martin Positions Held (If applicable): VP Service, Rec Sec Nickname (If you remember it): I’m Chipper 24/7 and you can find out everything about me just by reading my facebook status. PS: Stop laughing at us, we aren’t that funny, unless we get eaten by a bear Fillydid (longest nickname of my pledge class, thank you very much!) Favorite APO Moment: Oh, there are so many. One of my favorites was formal in 2010 (I think). It was after my big, Theresa, graduated and she came back for formal. Little did we both know that we ended up wearing exactly the same dress…great minds think alike! Also, I really enjoy singing the birthday song. It’s super wonderful. How APO impacted your life: APO helped me to make a lot of really great friends during my time at Truman and also helped me to become a better leader and a more confident person. I wouldn’t trade my time with my APO bros for anything! A little about your life now: Right now I have a teaching job in a small school district close to Jefferson City where I teach seventh grade social studies along with electives at the high school level. It’s scary being on my own for my first job, but I’m loving it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: April (Orsborn) Bauer Pledge Class: Fall 1998 Major/Year graduated: Biology Spring 2000 Family Flower: Pink Carnation Big(s): Kelly Klarenbeek Little(s): Johanna (can't remember last name) and Melissa Smith (co-big Kristen can't remember last name) Positions Held (If applicable): Historian Fall 1999 Nickname (If you remember it): Dr. DNA Favorite APO Moment: T bird fire circle, singing Margaritaville How APO impacted your life: Increased my interest in public service A little about your life now: After Truman, I went to Mizzou and earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology in 2006, that same year I married my wonderful husband, Matthew Bauer, and we moved to Berkeley, CA where I was post-doctoral fellow at UC-Berkeley and awarded and NIH NRSA research fellowship. In 2008, we had a daughter, Jocelyn, who is now 4 years old and fills our lives with laughter. We moved back to the Midwest last year, and live in the St. Louis area, I am currently an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Webster University but I’m looking for a permanent position (wink, wink, nudge, nudge if anyone knows anyone who needs a molecular biologist or full-time Biology professor). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Dr. Dwyane Smith Pledge Class: Clyde Quik Pledge Class Major/Year graduated: Psychology graduated May 1984 Family Flower: Big(s): Oh, I forgot! Little(s): forgot! Positions Held (If applicable): I think I was something that dealt with communications. The APO national convention was held in Kansas City in 1983 I believe and I was over the graphics committee. That basically entailed making blue and gold signs. Hundreds of them! That was before computers so I had to use a paint roller press that was in the Audio Visual Office. Nickname (If you remember it): Favorite APO Moment: The dance marathons! That is how I was introduced to APO. The marathons were either 48 or 72 hour events. I would participate and thought the organization a fun and worthwhile organization. How APO impacted your life: It has given me a spirit of service. A little about your life now : I am currently the vice president for academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University. This is the Chief Academic Officer of the University. I worked at Truman for several years at an assistant director of admissions and left in 1999 as the Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs. I also served as the advisor to APO during my 16 years at Truman. I left and earned my Ph.D. at the University of Missouri Columbia and served on the faculty in the College of Education graduate program. I left there and became the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at Park University. After that tenure I was the assistant vice president for academic affairs at Avila University prior to arriving at Harris-Stowe in 2006. I am married to Antona Smith and have five children with my youngest son a freshman at Alabama State University and my youngest two—daughters still at home—Kiden 11 years old and Keziah 9 years old. I have received many awards over the years, but I am proud of being selected at Truman State University’s Service Alumni of the year in 2007. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ Name:Kara Jo Humphrey (maiden name: Levery) Pledge Class:Fall ‘06 Major/Year graduated:Sociology/Anthropology, May 2009 Family Flower:Red Rose (now White Rose since I’m an advisor) Big(s):Stephen Barnes Little(s):Laura Hill, Laura Lamb Positions Held (If applicable):Nationals Fundraising Co-Chair (F ‘08) Nickname (If you remember it):KJo the Hot Pocket-purchasing pirate ,if you know what I mean Favorite APO Moment:Meeting my big for the very first time! Finding out it was Stephen, our Pledge-master, was so awesome and exciting! Little did I know, our friendship would impact my life very significantly. Stephen is still one my closest friends from college; we love to keep in touch with each other. How APO impacted your life:By joining together to do service that we cared about, APO creates strong bonds among its members. My best friends from college were also APO members. These people are the ones that I keep in touch with the most now and share new memories with as we each start new adventures outside of Kirksville. A little about your life now : After graduating from Truman, I started working for the Admission Office on campus, and have really enjoyed it! I traveled initially to recruit student at high schools and college fairs in Illinois, but now I am mainly in-office working with our student Telecounselors, providing data for rankings, and guiding the enrollment process for freshmen each spring. I am now an active part of Truman’s Staff Council as the chair of the Staff Development and Recognition Committee, a co- chair of the Community Service Committee in the Kirksville Young Professionals organization, and an advisor for Epsilon. I married my husband, Chris, in the fall of 2009, and we just recently had our first child, Eli Alexander, in August 2012. He’s such a cutie – can’t wait for you all to finally meet him! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Liz Abram-Oldham Pledge Class: Fall 2000 Major/Year graduated: BA in Biology & Communications-Journalism; Graduated Dec. 2003 Family Flower: Pink Carnation Big(s): Shana Kelly Little(s): Bethany Leukenhoff Positions Held (If applicable): I was Chaplain 1 semester, but I can't remember which one. Maybe Fall 2002? Nickname (If you remember it): Bouncy Butt Favorite APO Moment: T-Bird! How APO impacted your life: APO definitely set me on a service-minded path. It made me want to continue to work for the citizens of my community and the people in my State. A little about your life now: After Truman, I went to UMKC School of Law and got my JD. I graduated from that program in May 2007 and went to work for the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, where I've been for right about 5 years. This is actually my last week with the JCPAO. I'm starting a new job next week as the Director of Communications for the new Secretary of State, Jason Kander. Currently, I live in KCMO with my husband, Ryan Oldham, who is from Pennsylvania and was never in APO. He teaches music at UMKC. We have a house and a cat. This weekend, I'll be leaving my husband, my house and my cat in KC to move to Columbia for the SOS job, which will be in Jefferson City. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Steven (Lieske) Bennett Pledge Class: Fall 1987 Major/Year graduated: Computer Science B.S., 1990 Family Flower: Yellow Rose Big(s): Sharon (Langhorst) Erhart Little(s): Ellen ____ and Lynn Mohr Positions Held (If applicable): President, 2nd Vice President and others Nickname (If you remember it): Mickey (wow, haven't even thought of that in 20 years!) Favorite APO Moment: Right before being elected as President, I came out to all of the brothers one night at Tbird. Half of them thought I was joking. The joke was on me because a week later I was called to a meeting with the leaders of the Missouri Boy Scout organization and informed that I could no longer be enrolled as an Explorer since I was gay. I can't believe that the BSA still has that policy in place in 2013. Too bad they will be on the wrong side of history for that. A happier moment was being awarded the DSK by the chapter. How APO impacted your life: I met an incredible group of people from all walks of life that I would otherwise not have met while at Truman. Twenty-three years after school and I am still in touch with many of them. A little about your life now : Went on to law school and became a patent attorney. Have worked as a computer consultant and patent attorney in various jobs. Currently a patent attorney for IBM in Portland, Oregon. Met my partner, Mike, in 1997. We have had two sons with the help of a surrogate – Soren is 5 and Shepherd is 1. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ Name: Lisa (Hampton) Cerutti Pledge Class: Fall ‘01 Major/Year graduated: Biology 2003 Family Flower: Yellow Rose! Big(s): Anna Codutti Little(s): Al l depledge or went inactive Positions Held (If applicable): Nickname (If you remember it): Bob – My big said it was from some animated talking baby commercial that was big that year…. Favorite APO Moment: Too many to list, but if I had to pick one: Campfire at Camp T-bird and/or JO-OTA, sitting around singing “I want to linger… a little longer…. A little longer here with you…” with my brothers. A close second would be being awakened by “California Love”, at full blast, every year at said boy scout camps. How APO impacted your life: APO is the reason I met my husband (APO brother Ben Cerutti, Fall ’00) and made some of my best friends. My APO brothers are more than just classmates or people I “hung out” with in college. We share a bond that lasts a lifetime (as corny as that sounds). I live in Independence near the APO National Headquarters, I still keep in touch with Mom, and helped a fellow APO brother move last weekend! APO has literally shaped my life today and I couldn’t be happier. A little about your life now : After finishing my time in Kirksville, I worked for a few years for the customer service section of a pharmaceutical company for a few years, and my now husband moved from St. Louis to Kansas City to start our life together. I soon returned to the academic world to pursue my pharmacy degree at UMKC. I graduated in 2011 with my PharmD degree and then completed a residency program at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. I now work at the Eastern Kansas VA Health Care System in Leavenworth, KS as a Clinical Pharmacist. I LOVE working with our veterans every day and it is very fulfilling to care for those who have served our country. My husband and I just bought our first home North of Kansas City and will move in 2 weeks! One more bonus to keeping in touch with your APO brothers after graduation: Moving help!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Amy Lovall (maiden name: Pisarkiewicz) Pledge Class: Fall 2005 Major/Year graduated: Biology, May 2009 Family Flower: Pink Carnation Big(s): Pam Peters and Jason Hanser Little(s): Pat Goodwin, Nathan Atkinson, Megan Hastings, Erin Medin, Nikki Kwarta Positions Held (If applicable): pledgetrainer, chaplain, VP of membership, VP of pledging Nickname (If you remember it): Princess Frodo Fillydid Favorite APO Moment: The whole Fall 2008 pledge season, when I was pledgemaster…so much fun! I especially loved seeing all of my awesome pledges having tons of fun at their DU1 at a pumpkin patch/ bonfire! How APO impacted your life: Most of the friends I had in college I made through APO! I loved APO meetings and how the whole chapter felt like one big happy family working for the good of others. I have stayed super close with my 6 best college friends, all of whom were involved with APO at some point during their college careers. A little about your life now : After Truman, I went to vet school at Mizzou, and I’m finally about to graduate with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in May 2013! I also married my best friend and high school sweetheart, Mikey Lovall, in October 2012. J Hopefully this spring, I will be moving back home to St. Louis, where Mikey has a job as a network engineer, and starting my career as a veterinarian! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Kelsey Grimm (Doerr: maiden name) Pledge Class: Spring 2005 Major/Year graduated: BA in Spanish, BS in Linguistics Spring 2008 Family Flower: Yellow Rose Big(s): Tonya Lorance Little(s): she dropped out Positions Held (If applicable): Rush Chair Spring ’06, Alumni Chair Fall ’07 and Fall ’08, Pledgemaster Spring ‘08 Nickname (If you remember it): ….I don’t remember… Favorite APO Moment: Camp Thunderbird! Conferences! National Convention in Louisville! So many amazing memories How APO impacted your life: made some amazing friendships and got to see how our service impacted and helped many people in our community A little about your life now : Since graduating from Truman, I taught English in France for a year. When I returned I worked on my Masters in Teaching from Lindenwood University. I am now working as a Spanish teacher and Campus Minister at De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis. I am married and expecting my first baby in about two weeks! I miss Truman and APO so much. In fact, I’m always encouraging my students to apply to Truman. I hope the organization is still going well and representing Epsilon in all the conferences. It was always neat to be a part of such a huge organization, but yet you always felt like a family. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: Caitlin (Clary) Haley Pledge Class: Spring '06 Major/Year graduated: Biology, May 2008 Family Flower: red rose Big(s): Rachelle Storjahann and Jennifer Schmidt Little(s): Rachel Turner, Valerie (can't remember her last name!( Rachelle might know...) Positions Held (If applicable): pledge trainer Nickname (If you remember it): ummm, I just remember there were sprinkles involved! and possibly something about a butt... Favorite APO Moment: can't pick just one...loved all the laughs How APO impacted your life: learned that there are lots of other people in the world that enjoy serving others, and that's a great thing to remember sometimes, especially in life after college. A little about your life now : after we graduated from Truman, Neal Haley (fall '05 yellow rose) and I moved to Phoenix, AZ and I attended PA school at AT Still. We got married 12/31/2009. After that we moved to Oregon for a few years, and are just recently moved back to Phoenix. I am a physician assistant working now in family practice (previously sleep medicine in Oregon). Neal is a team lead for Target corp. As of now no human kids, just our dog child Olive.