Baker University President's Report Honor Roll of Donors
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Baker University President’s Report Honor Roll of Donors Gratitude January 1, 2016 — December 31, 2016 University Board of Trustees Dr. Lynne Murray, Mr. Spencer Breithaupt, ’83 The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Lutgen, Jr. University President MWI Animal Health KRL Ministries Boise, Idaho Kansas City, Missouri Ms. Emmalie Gessner Cowherd, ’61 Mr. Mike McCarthy, ’87 Cowherd Farms, Carroll County Green Bay Packers Bancshares Green Bay, Wisconsin Carrolton, Missouri Mr. Gene Meyer Dear friends, The Rev. Dr. Ira DeSpain, ’70 Lawrence Memorial Hospital Retired, Minister to Baker University Lawrence, Kansas Hardly a day goes by that I’m not reminded of the significance of this remarkable university. Today, my reflection was spurred Olathe, Kansas Ms. Melissa Ness by flipping open the Kansas City Business Journal and reading about the U.S. Department of Education’s most recent study, Mr. Steve Doyal Connections Unlimited, Inc. Mission Hallmark Cards, Inc. Topeka, Kansas which revealed that Baker University graduates earn higher average salaries 10 years after graduation than their peers from Kansas City, Missouri Baker University is committed to assuring student Mrs. Margie Pearson any other university in the state. In fact, Baker grads outearn University of Kansas graduates by $4,400 per year. It’s not every Mr. Anton Eisel, ’66 Civic Leader learning, and developing confident, competent and Commerce Bancshares Baldwin City, Kansas, and Gloucester, day that a university our size can compare outcomes with some of the research powerhouses, and as alumni and friends, you St. Louis, Missouri Massachusetts responsible contributors to society. should be proud of this hard-earned distinction, which we’ve maintained for two consecutive years. Ms. Ann Fish, ’99 The Rev. Dr. Nanette Roberts Chadwick’s LLC, Fish Tech LLC Grace United Methodist Church Of course, our purpose as a university runs much deeper than alumni salaries; Baker University is known as an exceptional Kansas City, Missouri Olathe, Kansas teaching institution, one rooted in liberal arts. As the entire world works to adapt to accelerated changes in technology, Mr. Hoot Gibson, ’73 Francois Sauer, M.D. History Midwest Builders’ Casualty Trans Am Group employers need versatile and compassionate problem solvers. When I hug students on stage at commencement, that’s who I Kansas City, Missouri Leawood, Kansas In 1858 a group of Methodist ministers founded Baker University in an attempt to bring education see: confident, well-equipped critical thinkers who are motivated to change the world. Mr. Scott Grauer, ’86 Mr. Brandon Scarborough, ’02 Wealth Management Cobbs Allen to the settlers’ rough prairie existence. Named for BOK Financial, Inc. Overland Park, Kansas I see that core philosophy supported by the data that hits my inbox at the end of each year: top nursing licensure pass rates; Tulsa, Oklahoma Osmon Cleander Baker, a distinguished scholar and Mr. Michael Seitz countless state, regional, and even national awards for teaching and leadership; an 87 percent acceptance rate into medical Mrs. Tammeria K. Hawks, ’72 Keystone Futures LLC bishop of what is now the United Methodist Church, school. These outcomes, coupled with an exceptional education and sense of community that make up the Baker University Retired, Wells Fargo Financial, Inc. Overland Park, Kansas Frisco, Texas the school holds the honor of being the first four- experience, will keep us competitive for the next 159 years. Scott Siegman Mr. Richard Howell, ’74 ValuGuard Solutions LLC year university in Kansas. Provenance Properties Leawood, Kansas My vision for Baker is not only to sustain that excellence, but also to enhance it. I want to compete. I want corporate partners, Overland Park, Kansas Since then Baker has evolved into a comprehensive Mr. Gary Sollars, ’71 community thought leaders, and faculty from other regional universities to know Baker by name—to know the quality with Mr. Skip Kalb, ’73 Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs university with four schools — the College of Arts Burlington Northern Santa Fe Lawrence, Kansas which we’ve operated since our founding in 1858 as the first university in Kansas. Baker builds leaders in business, education, Railway Co. and Sciences, School of Professional and Graduate Fort Worth, Texas Ms. Susanne Richardson Teel, ’69 and healthcare. And with your generosity, together, we will build leaders in whatever comes next. Civic Leader Studies, School of Nursing, and School of Education Mr. Brian King Leawood, Kansas On the following pages, you’ll read stories about why our donors give and why our students are grateful. I want to personally Kansas State Bank — serving nearly 3,500 students at campuses in Leawood, Kansas Kansas and Missouri and online across the country. thank each and every one of you featured in the Honor Roll for your support of this wonderful university. We couldn’t do it Mr. Gordon E. Lansford, III, ’93 without you. J.E. Dunn Construction Co. Kansas City, Missouri Sincerely, Dr. Lynne Murray University President 1 GratitudeWhy I’m grateful... by Mary Urfer, class of 2020 hen I started looking at universities, Baker was at the top of my list. Everything about my visit and the experience Gratitude was perfect, including the generous scholarships awarded to me. But through a couple of unforeseen circumstances, I ended up declining the awards and was on the brink ofW making a different collegiate decision. But just weeks before the start of fall classes, I was reminded by someone very close to me that Baker was my dream school. I literally came begging to the Business Office, asking for whatever help they could give me. Gratitude Through the process, everyone who worked at Baker was so helpful and genu- inely made my dreams come true. Just two days before I was supposed to move in, I learned that my financial aid had come through and I was going to be a Baker Wildcat. The whole experience, though a nightmare, really showed me that this place is something special. I am forever grateful for the scholarships awarded to me, and humbled by the love and support I was shown by a group of people who hardly knew me. I even brought everyone dessert the day they told me I was Gratitude going to be able to study here, a small token of the appreciation I feel every day. And now, a semester later, I tell everyone I know that Baker is the place I was meant to be. Everything I have experienced has exceeded all my expectations. If it wasn’t for the support of a few people, I would never have been able to find my passion for nursing and prepare myself for what is going to be a fruitful and Gratitude exciting career. Gratitude 3 Gratitude GratitudeWhy I’m grateful... by Kyle Carpenter, class of 2020 hen I stepped foot on Baker’s campus, it was obvious that I was in an environment where people care. In a sea of Gratitude strangers, I was immediately welcomed and felt at home. Students held open doors for me, professors greeted me as they passed by, and the campus just felt so inviting. Initial- ly,W my visit to Baker was for a band scholarship competition day. But in con- versation with my admissions counselor, I mentioned my interest and talent for football and by the end of my visit, he had arranged for a meeting with the head coach. When I walked into Coach Mike Grossner’s office, there was a scholarship Gratitude offer on the table, waiting only for my signature. That compassion I felt in my visit has extended over into my everyday expe- rience at Baker. It all started with the fact that Coach Grossner was able to give me a scholarship at the drop of a pen. Since then, I have been reminded over and over again that everyone on this campus cares about one another. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been at Baker, but it’s just different here. Success is revered, and champions are built here. Gratitude After graduation, I want to be a general manager of an NFL team, a big dream that requires a lot of work and dedication. But because of my opportunity to study at Baker, I feel like it’s within my reach. I have amazing leaders to look up to, both on the field and in the classroom, and the atmosphere surrounding the football team this year has only excited me further. Everything that has happened during my first semester at Baker University has proven to me, time and time again, that I made the right decision when I signed that scholarship in Coach Gratitude Grossner’s office. And none of it would have been possible without the generous help of the Baker family. Gratitude 5 Gratitude GratitudeWhy I’m grateful... by Michael Igwe, class of 2017 s a first-generation Nigerian American, growing up in the United States school system was a new sort of challenge Gratitude for me. My parents’ educational experience didn’t mirror mine, and as I prepared for college, I went in blind without much guidance from my family. So when the Baker family stepped up to help me through the recruiting and admissions process and I wasA offered a scholarship to Baker, I was relieved that, not only was I going to be able to start down an exciting new path, but I also would be able to do it without being weighed down by financial stress. Gratitude When I was a freshman on campus, it felt like there was a great deal of just “playing it by ear.” I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but I was lucky enough to meet an abundance of mentors along the way.