• WorkForce Career & Internship Fair: Encourage your organization to register for the WorkForce Career & Internship Fair - Wisconsin's Premiere Career Fair on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010, at Marquette University. This fair is annually attended by over 1,000 private college students and alumni. Employer registration begins on Dec. 1, 2009, at www.wipccc.org.
• Employers may post to Wisconsin's 20 private colleges and universities at www.wipccc.org. Postings will be automatically sent to Lakeland College Career Development.
• Encourage your employer to post directly with Lakeland by directing them to www.lakeland.edu/studentservices/careerdev.

As professor Sattler points out, "This exhibition gives us a chance to really look at these powerful pictures-to get in close and see how they are put together, to appreciate the complexity and stark beauty of even simple images and their ability to carry a story." The exhibition highlights the work of seven of Wisconsin's most accomplished illustrator/artists of children's books, including Ellen Raskin, Lois Ehlert, Nancy Ekholm Burkert, Kevin Henkes, Renée Graef, David McLimans and Laura Dronzek. The premise is to explore each artist's individual process for producing a finished children's book, exploring how the artist progresses from an idea to a finished set of original illustrations ready for the publisher.

With several book artists represented in the same space, viewers will have the opportunity to see a broad range of expression and style arrived at through various approaches to the relationship between narrative and image. Viewers will find that children's book illustration is indeed a fine art that inhabits a realm of its own, with a history, context and unique power to make imaginary worlds real.

Professor Sattler notes, "This exhibition allows us to see not only where an illustrator's ideas come from, but also the steps that lead to the published product. These Wisconsin artists reintroduce us to a familiar world of puppies, presidents, flowers and fairy tales. But great illustrators, like those represented in this exhibition, are masters at making the familiar seem fresh, new and immediate."

We invite you to join us for a thought-provoking afternoon sharing ideas with your Lakeland College friends. Pre-registration is required and there is a charge of $15 per person for this event. Register Here!

A new feature of Homecoming this year was the gathering of the Emeritus Club at a luncheon on Friday to induct new members into this illustrious group. The Emeritus Club is comprised of those alumni who have celebrated 50 years or more as Lakeland graduates. Class representatives Naomi (Krueger) Elzinga `59 and Ken DeSombre `59 welcomed 38 people at the luncheon and eight new 50-year members were inducted into the group. The earliest class represented at the luncheon was Ruben Grosshuesch `43 and the individual who came from farthest away was Naomi (Krueger) Elzinga `59, who came from Waco, Tex.

Later in the afternoon on Friday, the four reunion classes (1959, 1969, 1984, and 1999) enjoyed a lovely champagne reception at the home of President and Mrs. Gould. As the guests mingled and reminisced, they were treated to beautiful piano music provided by Elisabeth Daniels, a Lakeland College music major.

On Friday evening 75 people gathered in the Laun Center for the Athletic Hall of Fame banquet. Two former Lakeland football standouts, John Lemke `91 and Ted Szymanski `92, were inducted as the 135th and 136th members. Lakeland president Stephen Gould was honored as a recipient of the Athletic Hall of Fame Service Award, and members of the 1986 Illini-Badger Football Conference championship football team were also recognized. Special recognition was given to Floyd Henschel `60 for his dedication to the athletics program and Hall of Fame board, and to athletic director Jane Bouche to mark her 20th year at Lakeland.

There were some other improvements made to Homecoming based on feedback from last year. The morning service of worship and remembrance was held on Saturday morning, allowing more individuals to attend. Another new feature was the Memory Lounge in the Laun Center, a place where friends could gather to talk, view yearbooks and enjoy a display of artifacts from Lakeland's history including photographs, theater posters, vintage athletic uniforms and other memorabilia that provoked conversations and stories.

The chilly temperatures did not deter the festivities at the pre-game tailgate and the Parade of Classes at halftime. Saturday evening brought together a record 112 people for the All-Alumni Banquet and Awards. At the reception before the dinner, the crowd was serenaded by the marimba sounds of students Megumi Shindo and Dartanian Taylor. Three alumni received awards at this event: Will Mathes `61, Service to the Community Award; Joel Schuler `80, Service to the College Award; and Allen Wangemann `55, The President's Richard C. Preuhs `65 Award.

At Homecoming 2010, classmates from 1960, 1970, 1985 and 2000 will be honored and will celebrate their reunions. Mark your calendars for October 8 and 9, 2010, and plan to come home! If you have ideas or would like to help organize the event, please contact Charmaine Jankowski, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, at jankowskicm@lakeland.edu or at 920-565-1404.

He was a full-time student at Lakeland College, working a full-time job and starring as a defensive lineman on the Muskies' football team, en route to becoming one of the few players in Lakeland history to become an All-American. If that wasn't enough, David also became a father. Under pressures that might have made some young men crack, David made use of all the resources available to him at Lakeland College to turn his challenges into victories.

"Without Lakeland, I would have never gotten this far in my career," David said.

During his college years, David began to dream of what he would do to make a contribution to the next generation. "My vision has always been bigger than myself," he states. "It all started with wanting to change my family situation, and making sure I gave my child, Destiny Rose Benton, a better life than I was given."

At Lakeland, David began to think about and build the foundation of Empower Youth Services, a non-profit that works to assist at-risk youth. Today, David is the president of the organization that he both envisioned and founded.

Empower Youth serves young men ages 10 to 18 in Sheboygan County and surrounding areas by lowering the crime rate and the truancy rate, and by providing these teens with the skills they need to succeed through high school and into higher education settings. The goals of Empower Youth are to instill positive values in young men and to create stronger educational practices within families. David is on a personal mission to see these boys grow up to be men, who-like him-will know how to recognize and share their gifts as productive members of their communities.

Currently, Empower Youth provides very client-centered services to approximately 10 teens at a given time, through a program that meets every evening. Programs focus on study habits, life skills, self-esteem issues, goal-setting, anger management and other skills. David is very proud of testimonial letters he receives, like the one from the grandparents of a young man from Oostburg who wrote: "When [our grandson] first entered the program, he was non-communicative with us, prone to temper outbursts and depressed...Today [he] is a different person. He no longer displays angry outbursts. He is more willing to communicate. He also has verbalized his love and gratitude to us for being his guardians and taking good care of him. This program has been instrumental in facilitating the necessary changes for [our grandson's] growth and development. His transformation has been beautiful for us to witness. We deeply appreciate all the help he has been given by David Benton and Empower Youth, Inc."

David is hoping to take the organization to the next level by opening up a residential center where at-risk youth can actually live full-time and learn the necessary life skills that lead to success. The organization is county-funded, and is actively seeking support from local churches, foundations, and private donors.

At Lakeland, David majored in Criminal Justice and Non-Profit Management. His fondest memories include being named a football All-American, his involvement in the Beta Sigma Omega fraternity, and as he says, "coming to Lakeland as a boy, but seeing myself leave as a man." He credits the support system of the fraternity and the family atmosphere of Lakeland in general in helping to "keep me in line and on a path to get a degree." The three things he misses most about Lakeland? "Community, Family, and Betas."

When asked what advice he would give to new graduates, David replies, "Have a plan that includes short and long term goals. Stay true to yourself and never be afraid to tap into the resources that Lakeland has to offer. Lastly, remember it's life, and life has a way of throwing us a curve ball or two."

If you'd like to get in touch with David, you can reach him at empower_youth@yahoo.com.

Naomi remembers her youth living in the President's house on campus as being a very happy time. She recalls that some winters, there was so much snow that they often could not make it to the little 2-room school the Kruegers and other faculty children attended. She also fondly remembers the great home cooking of the beloved Lakeland dietician, Mrs. J., and how "she would take my mother into Sheboygan, so my mother could stock up on food for a month."

Naomi can remember her dad teasing her and her brothers frequently. "One day, the subject was what effect his being president made upon the grades that his children received from their professors. He wondered if perhaps we got the grades we got because our father was the president. I retorted that perhaps we got what we got in spite of him. He laughed."

Naomi was a Christian Education major at Lakeland. She also received a teaching degree from the University of Minnesota and went on to teach elementary school in the many different places that she has lived including Wisconsin, Indiana, West Virginia, and Texas. She married Harry Elzinga in 1962, and they had two children, Hans and Ingrid, both of whom are now married and living in Colorado. Naomi retired from teaching in 2003 and spends as much time as she can in Colorado with her two grandsons.

One of the achievements that she is most proud of, and rightly so, is the Rising Star Writing Project, a state-wide writing program for elementary students in grades 2-6 that she founded and directed throughout Texas for 11 years, from 1992 to 2003.

"I began the writing project in 1990," states Elzinga, "to meet a need I saw when teaching writing with my third graders at Lake Waco Elementary in Waco, Texas. It was very difficult to get the students to revise and edit their writing. They were fine with the first draft and would write very good beginnings-but the middles and endings were a problem-and they weren't interested in going back into the story to rework it. I needed something to motivate them." Out of that need, the Rising Star project was born in Elzinga's mind.

"The incentive of having their writing published in a school magazine and recognizing them at a school assembly in the spring provided the necessary motivation. Two years later, in 1992-93, I took the project statewide with a pilot program of 75 schools across the state who were invited to participate by sending entries to the state anthology, RISING STAR, Young Texan Tales and attending a state writing conference in Austin in the spring, where they would be recognized, on-stage."

Over the 11 years that Elzinga ran the program, it grew from that first batch of 75 schools to 205 schools by 2003. Each year, the project published the anthology and every student was honored at the state conference. All student writers were given a copy of the book and had their picture taken with a famous children's author. Participating schools published a campus writing magazine.

Many notable individuals supported this innovative and ambitious writing program during its tenure. Laura Bush was the Honorary Chair of Rising Star and attended the conference in 1996. George W. Bush wrote a letter for the project in six consecutive years. Other well-known people who wrote letters in support of this project were Barbara Bush, Laura Bush (as First Lady), Governor Ann Richards, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Larry McMurtry, and news anchormen Dan Rather and Jim Lehrer.

In the 1997 volume of Rising Star, Young Texan Tales, Jim Lehrer (The News Hour) wrote about the importance of learning to write well in a letter to the students: "The ability to write well and correctly is a skill that unlocks doors to all worlds, to all dreams."

Elzinga is eloquent in her passion for teaching children to be good writers, stating, "A child's imagination and the child's view of the world, enabled by important instruction in writing skills and opportunities to practice and perfect those skills in elementary school, have the power to impact the child's future and allow the reader a rare visit into the exciting and unique world of children.

"Revising and editing are the drudgery of writing for writers of all ages. But, computers have made it easy to make changes. The level of writing should have greatly improved, but the opposite is true.

"Students entering college, even graduate students, are lacking in basic writing skills. Sounds like a writing crusade is in order!" Elzinga certainly took up the charge in this crusade and has made it a significant part of her life's work.

As a member of the class of 1959, Naomi is about to be inducted along with 40 other classmates into the Emeritus Club. The Emeritus Club is made up of alumni who graduated from Lakeland 50 or more years ago. Entry into the "club" is the purview of anyone who makes it to celebrating their 50th year as a graduate of the college. As Naomi prepares to return to Lakeland for Homecoming 2009, she reports "I'm excited to come back to campus to see how things are changing."

We are grateful to Naomi because she signed on with the Alumni Relations office this spring to be a co-representative for her class-along with Ken DeSombre '59-to assist us in encouraging classmates to return for this momentous reunion in their class history. Although she has visited the campus many times throughout the years since her graduation, this is the first time she has made it to Homecoming. "My impression has been that Lakeland has done very well in changing with the times. The school has instituted many new programs that cater to the needs of what people need now. A lot of colleges have gone under, but not Lakeland."

When asked what advice she would give to new graduates just entering their careers, she says, "Work hard, be a positive force. Live in the 'NOW'-be involved-look for opportunities to serve, to make things better, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing."

Will Mathes '61, Service to the Community Award

Will Mathes served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956. During his time at Lakeland, he was involved in many different athletic pursuits, including football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and track, and he excelled in all of them. Will was inducted into Lakeland's Hall of Fame in 1980 and continues to be an active HOF supporter. He was for 20 years the athletic director at Kiel High School and also refereed basketball for 50 years. The Service to the Community Award goes to an alumnus who has carried forward the mission statement of Lakeland College through volunteer work in the community. Will served as the supervisor on the Town of Eaton board for six years; was a member of Big Brothers for ten years, and participated for 25 years in Heart-A-Rama, a Heart Association fundraiser in Manitowoc. He also has served as a lay preacher at area churches for 35 years and wrote and produced numerous plays over the years at Bethlehem UCC. In 1985 he became self-sufficient by raising his own vegetables and chickens, tapping maple trees, and heating his home with wood. He generously has shared the bounty of his garden with the local food pantry, and has been a joyful steward of the environment, having planted over 9000 trees on his property.

Allen Wangemann '55, The President's Richard C. Preuhs '65 Award

Allen Wangemann served on the Lakeland College faculty from 1956 and is Emeritus Professor of Biology. He was the Chair of the Natural Sciences Division for many years as well as the Curator of the Museum. The President's Richard C. Preuhs '65 award goes to an alumnus of the college who then went on to be employed by the college and who has shown extraordinary commitment to the mission of the college by making noteworthy contributions to student success, campus community, or stewardship of campus resources. Dr. Wangemann touched the lives of so many students over the years in profound ways, and his legacy continues as his students, like faculty members Kathy Rath Marr and April Arvan, to name only two, continue to make significant contributions to the Lakeland community.

Joel Schuler '80, Service to the College Award

The Service to the College Award is given to an alumnus who has demonstrated excellent service to the college in at least two or more of the following: student recruitment, financial support, leadership in the LCAA, volunteer support of college programs, internships and/or job placement. Joel Schuler has served several terms on the Lakeland College Alumni Association Board of Directors, including in the role of board President. As such, he led the efforts to rekindle the alumni auction. He was an outstanding volunteer during the Legacy for Lakeland $15 million campaign, as well as the Annual Fund. Joel has played in or helped out at the Blasters Golf Tournament for many years and has also volunteered at the Movers and Shakers Gala and has been a supportive mentor to his Zeta Chi brothers.

"This event is a way to make the students a part of the Lakeland family," states Bork. "It is a day to teach them what we are all about and invite them to be an active part of this family." Approximately 170 freshman will be deployed to one of seven partner sites to put in approximately 3 hours of service. The confirmed partners for this service day are:

• Maywood Environmental Park (Sheboygan)
• Level Teen Lounge (Plymouth)
• Camp Evelyn, Girl Scout Camp (Plymouth)
• Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (Sheboygan)
• John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan)
• Above and Beyond Children's Museum (Sheboygan)

After the work is done, the day will wrap with a celebration and dinner at Deland Park on the shore of Lake Michigan. The dinner is intended to give students a taste of all that Sheboygan has to offer. Says Chaplain Stone, "The picnic dinner is an opportunity for students to enjoy the beauty of the Sheboygan Shore, and also to meet and bond with faculty, staff, and other new students."

This new endeavor is the collaborative work of the Faculty Outreach Committee and Student Activities/Student Life; and has been kindly supported by Core 1 Faculty, Career Development, the Alumni Office, the Admissions Office, Dining Services, the Athletic Department, the Campus Shop and many others faculty & staff members.

Says Chaplain Stone, "Building Bridges, Building Community is a new and exciting way for us to teach students to live and embrace Lakeland's mission statement. We are excited to see this day coming together."

Additional volunteers are needed to make this event successful. To volunteer, please contact Chaplain Kelly Stone at stonek@lakeland.edu or Assistant Director of Student Activities, Sally Bork '02 at borksa@lakeland.edu.

Michael left Lakeland with a major in biological science and a heartfelt desire to give back to the world. In his senior year, he had received the Rath Distinguished Scholarship through the Wisconsin Foundation of Independent Colleges. "This gift allowed me to graduate without any debt," says Michael. "I thought, OK, I'm not in debt, I had an awesome education, why don't I try to share that somehow? So, I made the decision to spend two years in service."

Currently Michael is halfway through that two-year period. It began in rural Kentucky with his work at The David School, teaching Appalachian high school dropouts and youth-at-risk living in extreme poverty. Michael's job was to teach integrated science, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physics, earth science as well as Algebra I and II, geometry, and industrial arts.

How did his students respond to him? "Well, it was my first year teaching, so in the first semester, they were testing my limits. I learned not to waiver. I had to learn to stick to my guns and make sure that things I said in the beginning got carried through to the end. I'd hear their stories and want to go easy on them, but I had to use a little bit of tough love. Many of these students were on their third high school, many were falling through the cracks. You've heard of 'no child left behind,' well these were children definitely left behind."

Michael cites two veteran Milwaukee teachers, Jill and Steven Haberman, who were his mentors at The David School. They helped him navigate that first semester. By second semester, he had hit his stride, made friends through a group called The Christian Appalachian Project, and was enjoying the incredible beauty of the area, as well as the knowledge that he was making a difference in his students' lives. Since leaving the school, he has been happily surprised to find his students keeping in touch with him via email and on Facebook.

Michael credits his Lakeland experience with his ultimate success of getting through the challenge of teaching under-served teenagers in the poorest part of our country. He drew upon "that personal touch that professors had at Lakeland. They could really see you in the crowd and be available to you. As a teacher you want to be available and approachable. You want to be open and able to be there for someone when they have a problem or question. You want to be competent in your area of study to handle what they bring to you. There wasn't any time I felt I had any trouble with that, thanks to the amazing education I had received from teachers like Jeff Schwehm, Greg Smith, Kathy Rath Marr, and Paul Pickhardt."

He also fondly remembers friendships with Lakeland chaplain Kelly Stone, who advised Habitat for Humanity trips that Michael participated in, Residence Life's Ryan Opahle, sociology professor Alan Mock, and vice president for student development, Nate Dehne, who were (and are) all good friends and, throughout everything, remained "incredibly supportive."

While at Lakeland, Michael was very involved in more than his academic studies. He was the co-captain of the track team and misses the camaraderie of those early-morning work outs. He also served for three summers as a language coach for ELI students, an experience he valued for putting him in touch with fellow classmates from all over the world. He also served as President of Mortar Board. "Coming into Lakeland, I was the kid who preferred to stay in the back, but I guess I went right to the front," Michael said. "I thought I would just learn some things; just slip in and slip out. I did lots of things I wasn't expecting of myself. I guess you could say that I really blossomed."

Currently, Michael has an application pending to become an Americorps volunteer for an Outdoor Educator position. This is essentially a science teacher that is placed at a county or state organization to help young people learn about the natural elements of the area.

His thoughts for new graduates? "Everybody has something in their heart that they really want to do to help them realize their full potential. So, just have the confidence to jump on it, even if it takes you to an unfamiliar place. I have been given many gifts and now there is the desire to give that back. That's what happened to me at Lakeland."

The healthcare management degree is available at any of Lakeland's seven Kellett Centers in Wisconsin, online or through Lakeland's unique BlendEd® format. It is designed to provide employers with a new crop of qualified healthcare managers, as well as provide additional education for health care workers who aspire to be supervisors or managers. For more information, including a course listing, go to lakeland.edu/healthcare.


"Healthcare is universally considered an area of increased growth and complexity, with tremendous potential for change over the coming decades," said Lakeland president Stephen Gould. "This growth and development will increase the need for skilled healthcare practitioners, including managers at all levels. National and statewide government projections, along with interviews we conducted with regional employers, support the need to provide specialized administration education to healthcare managers."


Lakeland's program responds directly to employer feedback requesting education that builds upon technical expertise in healthcare fields earned through specialized two-year programs and work experience. The program also provides a new educational opportunity statewide for health care professionals interested in advancing to a management position.

As of 2006, healthcare was the largest industry in the U.S., providing approximately 14 million jobs. Healthcare also contains seven of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the U.S. and will create three million new jobs between 2006 and 2016-more than any other industry.State of Wisconsin projections mirror national projections. According to the Office of Economic Advisors, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the broad category of "education and health services" (which includes nurses and other practitioners) will lead job growth in Wisconsin from 2004-2014. The specific occupational category of "Medical and Health Services Managers" will provide an estimated average of 200 job openings annually, among the highest for jobs requiring at least a bachelor's degree.


Professionals in the healthcare industry said Lakeland's program responds both to their needs as employers and to the educational needs of healthcare industry workers looking to expand their skill set. Dan Bonk, Aurora Health Care's executive vice president for the Central Region, said Lakeland's new program offers a variety of benefits to the healthcare industry."This program provides a formal, structured opportunity for outstanding clinicians to learn management and leadership skills from a quality college that is local," said Bonk, who was among the healthcare professionals that provided guidance to Lakeland during formation of the program."Often, employees that desire this type of program must travel or take classes intermittently to get their degrees."


Paula Pritzl, employment manager at Marshfield Clinic, said Lakeland's program is the logical next step for healthcare employees who already possess a strong set of technical skills, but need additional education to progress in the industry. "There are people working in healthcare that are so specialized and so focused that in order for them to move into a team leader, supervisor or management role, it will require a bachelor's degree," Pritzl said. "I think Lakeland's degree has captured individuals that are sort of stuck. They have the technical skills, but they don't have the business management part to lead a department.

"Once they acquire the skills to move into a supervisory position and manage people for a job they have already performed, it's a win-win. The supervisor knows the job, and they can train based on their own experience, which gives them the skills to move up in the organization."


Terri Newmier, recruitment manager at Marshfield Clinic, said finding qualified candidates with the total package of skills needed for managerial positions can be challenging."We may have excellent employees or candidates with technical skills, but they are lacking in business skills that address the needs we have in those areas," Newmier said. "We might have great candidates with business administration or marketing degrees, but they lack interaction on the provider side. This offers the best of both worlds. Newmier said for many healthcare industry professionals, returning to school to earn the education needed to become a doctor or nurse is not an option.


"This would allow employees in the technical areas that intermediate place to grow into their position, but not have to go to the extreme that requires years of additional schooling," Newmier said. "This is a smaller, more manageable step that can make a big difference in their career path." Technical college officials said Lakeland's program is a logical extension of existing healthcare programs at their institutions for healthcare industry workers seeking advancement.

"There are many employees in our healthcare facilities that hold associates degrees in their career specialty," said Barbara J. Dodge, dean of health and human services at Lakeshore Technical College. Many have talent and aspiration to advance their careers as supervisors, managers and leaders. Health care, like most industries, expresses the need for more employees with supervision, management and leadership skills that are not included in programs that train the technical skills needed for direct patient care. "A completion degree may begin at any point in their career and focuses on the whole organization, expanding the perspective of clinical staff and allowing them to advance within their roles and organizations."

John Clark, Mid-State Technical College president, initially approached Lakeland in the summer of 2007 to discuss the need for a healthcare management completion degree for technical college students."This degree provides technical college graduates with more diverse paths toward their educational and career goals," Clark said. "Increased access for students is top priority for both colleges. Lakeland's broad acceptance of credits from technical colleges creates enhanced and numerous transfer opportunities for MSTC graduates."I look forward to the growing and viable partnership between the two colleges to meet the educational needs of the communities we serve."


Students will complete a total of 42 credits at Lakeland to earn the healthcare management degree, including 36 required courses and six hours of electives. The core classes encompass an extensive knowledge base and make use of case analysis, critical thinking and intensive writing to prepare students for the ever-changing environment in the healthcare industry.


Bonk said Lakeland's decision to include healthcare professionals as part of the planning process has yielded a program that bridges the needs of the profession and the student."I think that the development of this program, being as inclusive as it was, with many constituencies involved with the development, will get the program off to an excellent start," Bonk said. "Continued listening will ensure success. I see this program filling the needs of students in the areas of leadership, giving a national, if not global, perspective on trends in the non clinical/technical aspects of healthcare and healthcare administration."Decision-making skills with limited resources and very high stakes is a part of leadership in today's healthcare environment, and that will be covered as well."


Lakeland's healthcare management degree will have an active Advisory Board, comprised of Kellett School administration, lead instructors and industry leaders, which will work with the Lakeland's Division of Business Administration to ensure that qualifications of instructions for the program are appropriate. Lakeland's healthcare management degree will be offered through the college's Kellett School since employers want experienced healthcare employees who hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and have a history of hands-on experience with patients within a specialized field.

Courses will be scheduled for the working student, and offered under the BlendEd® format, providing an additional layer of flexibility. Students can complete coursework in the traditional classroom or online from week to week.

Fortunately, this does not describe at all what is going on in Alumni Relations right now! We are about to host several great summer events, and hope you will join us for one or all. On July 30, we will be in Chippewa Falls for a winetasting event at the newly opened River Bend Winery. On September 12, we will be having a brunch and tailgate party when the Muskies battle the Mount St. Joseph Lions near Cincinnati, OH. On September 22, we will be in Milwaukee when the Brewers take on the Cubs. We are also gearing up for the fall favorite, Homecoming on October 9-10. We have a second winetasting planned on October 24 at Stone's Throw Winery in Door County. To learn more and to register for any of these events, please follow the links provided in the July Muskie Mail.

Clearly, we are anything but stagnant, and certainly not dull. Don't wait for the doldrums of the dog days to catch up with you, register today. We trust that with this array of choices, you will find something that interests you. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Between one and three awards total are given in the following categories: Professional Achievement, Community and/or Civic Service, Honorary Alumni, Outstanding Faculty, Student Alumni Ambassador, Outstanding Recent Alumni, and The President's Richard C. Preuhs `65 Award. For a complete explanation of the criteria for each award, please click here http://www.lakeland.edu/alumni/awards/

For the online nomination form, click here http://www.lakeland.edu/alumni/alumni_Nomination.asp

While in school, Helen was very active in the Black Students Union, as vice-president and president. She was also the president of IMPACT, a Christian group on campus. They held prayer groups, Bible study groups, dances, and also visited some local churches. Church is still a very important part of Helen's life now, and she attends King of Glory Church in Chicago, where she volunteered quite a bit when she was in job hunting mode between graduation and her current employment.

Helen describes herself as "a daughter of Lakeland College" and fondly remembers falling in love with the place the very first time she visited. She also remembers standing in the cafeteria line with her mom, now deceased. Helen's mom was blind, yet a very outgoing and talkative person. Suddenly, a man came over to help Helen's mother carry her tray and choose a dessert. Helen's first thought was, "who is this strange man?" It turned out to be Stephen Gould, the president of Lakeland College. Helen was just amazed that the college president would be eating in the cafeteria with the students, just like a member of a very large and caring family.

Helen says that is one thing she misses the most about Lakeland, the family aspect. She tells the story about receiving the news that her mom had passed away. She said she barely remembers how it all happened, but she found herself standing in the hallway in Old Main, with professor David Lynch holding her and comforting her as she cried. Professor Lynch was not even her professor, but he heard her distressed cries and came out of his class to help her. She is sure that had she been a student at a larger school, that kind of comfort and caring would not have been available to her.

As for her advice to new graduates, Helen says "Keep your head toward the sky. Trust in God. And take all the classes and workshops that Career Development offers." She is certain that the skills that the CD staff passed along to her in terms of resumé writing and presenting herself professionally paid off in terms of her landing her job at Misericordia, a job she loves, within six months of graduation. If you would like to get in touch with Helen, her email address is helendenise@comcast.net.

Prospective students and their parents will learn more about Lakeland's enrollment and financial aid process, student life, career services and student employment opportunities. Campus tours will also be conducted. Check-in will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Online registration for the open house is available at lakeland.edu/pcw, or appointments can be made by calling Lakeland's office of admission at (800) 242-3347. All students visiting Lakeland during Private College Week will receive an application fee waiver.

More than 59,000 students attend Wisconsin's 20 private colleges and universities. More than 90 percent of full-time undergraduate students receive financial aid.

Learn more about Wisconsin Private College Week at www.privatecollegeweek.com

Lakeland College graduates and community friends competed in the 22nd Annual Blasters Golf Tournament at The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls on June 12. The tournament drew over 100 alumni and friends of the college throughout the day.

The Blasters is the primary fundraiser for Lakeland's Alumni Legacy Scholarship endowment fund, which offers financial aid and book awards to relatives of Mission House/Lakeland College alumni. The fund has awarded over $72,000 to deserving students.

Corporate sponsors of this year's event were Bella's Custom Design, Inc. and One Source Technologies.

The winner of the Open Division was team Fab 4, which included 1974 graduate Dave Voskuil, Jake Schrum, Chris Sanchez and Lyle Kraft.

U.S. Bank won the Corporate Division title. The winning team was made up of Jim Gallimore, Reed Schmitt, Todd Schaap and Terry Strittmater.

This year, four students were selected to receive the Alumni Legacy Scholarship. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be a blood relative of a Lakeland graduate, have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and have financial need.

This year's winners are:

• Megan Kuhn, a junior majoring in business management and accounting. Her mother, Laura Kuhn, is a 2003 graduate. She is active in the Lakeland College Campus Activities Board and Students in Free Enterprise.
• Koecher Vue, a senior majoring in computer science and a criminal justice minor. His father, Vang Neng Vue, is a 1992 graduate. He is a member of the Philosophical Society Club and the Computer Club.
• Emily Rendall, a senior majoring in voice performance and business management. Her mother, Heidi (Moeschberger) Rendall, is a 1976 graduate, and her grandparents, Quentin and Delores Moeschberger, are 1946 graduates. She is an active member of the Collegiate Music Educators National Conference and the Phi Delta Omega Sorority.
• Jacob Heinemeyer, a senior majoring in criminal justice. His brother, Mitch Heinemeyer, is a 2007 graduate and uncle, Bo Heinemeyer, is a 2002 graduate. Jacob is an active member of Lakeland athletics playing baseball, basketball and football, and he is on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee.

This star-studded night featured nine well-known area celebrities in a glamorous setting complete with red-carpet glitz and gourmet cuisine. Lakeland College's Todd Wehr Center was once again transformed into a beautiful ballroom, including wall-to-wall carpeting, a massive lighting setup and huge video screens that let a who's who of Sheboygan County showcase their best moves.

The celebrities were each paired with a professional dancer, and after months of training they competed to win the support of four judges and the guests, who were busy buying votes both in the ballroom that evening and online for weeks leading up to the event. Yes, the Movers & Shakers trophy could be bought!

In an effort to spread the wealth and have more impact on the community this year, each of the nine dancers selected a local charity or nonprofit organization that will also benefit from their efforts. Half the proceeds from the votes sold for each dancer will go to those special organizations.

Deborah Wente, chair of the Movers & Shakers Gala and a Lakeland trustee, said this year's event built off the momentum of the debut of the Movers and Shakers Gala last spring, and the results once again exceeded the planning committees' expectations.

"Our goal has always been to deliver a night that offers something special and unique, and the feedback we continue to receive is that we certainly delivered," Wente said. "Lakeland and the Sheboygan Symphony are two deserving community resources, and the opportunity to expand our reach and benefit organizations that are close to the hearts of our dancers was very well received.

"A lot of people are embracing this event, and we're anxious to get started planning for the 2010 Gala."

The 2010 Movers & Shakers Gala will be held May 22 at Lakeland.

Cindy Brotz gracefully performed the waltz and took home the title, topping a field that included some of Sheboygan County's biggest names. Brotz, a well-known community volunteer, said she dreamed of being Cinderella as a young girl, and she certainly looked the part during her performance. Sheboygan Youth Sailing was her special charity.

The other eight dancers were:

• Dave Aldag, president of Aldag Honold Mechanical and president of the Lakeland College Alumni Association, performed the Foxtrot. Votes for Aldag are benefitting the Sheboygan County YMCA.
• Nina Kohler, owner of Sweet Potato's ladies boutique, performed the Cha Cha. Votes for Kohler are benefitting the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
• Julia Loo-Sutcliffe, owner of The Feed Mill Market, Cottagewood and Thyme Savours in Elkhart Lake, performed the Cuban Rhumba. Votes for Loo-Sutcliffe are benefitting the Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah Education Foundation.
• Paul Nemschoff, vice president and chief operating officer of Nemschoff Chairs, performed the Rumba. Votes for Nemschoff are benefitting the Sheboygan County Humane Society.
• Jimmy Olson, owner of Lippert-Olson Funeral Home, performed the Tango. Votes for Olson are benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sheboygan County.
• Sebastian Schmidt, president and chief operating officer of Kurtz North America, performed the West Coast Swing. Votes for Schmidt are benefitting Great Marriages for Sheboygan County.
• Laura Stayer, community volunteer, performed the Salsa. Votes for Stayer are benefitting Safe Harbor.
• Barbie Walker, community volunteer and retired real estate professional, performed the Swing. Votes for Walker are benefitting The Salvation Army.

Wendy Bemis, a Lakeland alumna and active community leader, and James C. Cape, a member of the SSO Board of Directors, served as emcees for the evening.

It was a full evening that alternated between celebrity dancing, a multi-course gourmet meal and a number of unique live auction items, including the opportunity to build a school in Malawi, Africa, the first two dancer spots in the 2010 Gala, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing with the Sheboygan Symphony Chorus during the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's "Messiah" and glamorous dancing-themed trips to Vienna, Buenos Aires and New York.

The evening's first live auction added its own special twist as Dr. Andrew Campbell, of Campbell Facial Plastic Surgery of Sheboygan, provided the winning bid and joined the three professional judges throughout the evening in scoring the efforts of each of the nine dancers. The average of the four judges accounted for 25 percent of each dancer's total score.

The meal was prepared by Lakeland's food service and served by nearly 140 enthusiastic, hard-working volunteers from Lakeland, the SSO and the community. Guests sat in beautifully-decorated tables surrounding the dance floor.

Major sponsors of this 2009 Gala were the Frank G. and Frieda K. Brotz Family Foundation and Sargento Foods Inc.

To see more information about the dancers, as well as a complete photo gallery (which will be posted later this week) visit www.moversandshakersgala.org

We will be celebrating in grand style as returning golfers and first-time participants alike join forces to raise scholarship funds for Lakeland students. As the sole fundraising effort for the Alumni Legacy Scholarship program, the tournament has raised more than $81,000 in scholarship support since 1986.

The $200 fee (per golfer) includes 18 holes of scramble format golf, a care equipped with GPS, driving range access, a team photo, continental breakfast, lunch, buffet dinner, and drink tickets. The schedule of the day is as follows:

• 9:00 a.m. - Registration and continental breakfast
• 11:00 a.m. - Tournament announcements
• 11:30 a.m. - Shotgun start
• 5:30 p.m. - Dinner and Awards

Registration deadline for the tournament is Thursday, June 4th. Advance payment is required and no team will be officially registered until payment is received. For questions, please contact Charmaine Jankowski, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, at 920-565-1404 or alumni@lakeland.edu.

Contrestan first got involved in peace activism in 1972 when he returned home from his time in the military as an MP during the Vietnam War. Contrestan had been stationed at Ft. Gordan, GA, and also in Heidelberg, Germany. He did not see combat as did many of his friends, some of whom went off to war and lost their lives, three in particular whom Contrestan still remembers fondly. Other friends came back and told of the terrible price of war. All these experiences contributed to him questioning some of the things he had grown up believing. The son of a WWII vet, Contrestan was raised in a conservative, blue-collar, Catholic family. Upon returning from service, his changed views were not at first accepted by his family.

Coming to Lakeland from Wilmington, Delaware in 1966, Contrestan learned about the little college in the corn fields from an alumna of Lakeland who had returned to Wilmington in 1965 and told people there that it was a great school. Contrestan remembers his time at Lakeland fondly, working in the Campus Center for Dick Preuhs '66 and also reporting to Prof. Schilcutt who, as Contrestan put it, was "in charge of student labor, and of making sure things got done around campus." Although Contrestan did not take any classes from Prof. Schilcutt, he remembers him as being "very down-to-earth, yet also very urbane. Just a great person to have as a friend."

Contrestan was a history major and remembers a favorite professor, Dr. Robert Riles. This teacher impressed Contrestan for his depth of knowledge about history. Contrestan rememebers: "what struck me was that he was a very motivating teacher. He challenged you to be a better student. And when you did a good job, he would point it out. He was very affirming."

During his college years, Contrestan was a supporter of the government and the war, and knew that he would most likely be drafted. He remembers those times on campus as "turbulent" with a lot of debate between students who were pro-war, and another group against the war. There were many discussions between Tom and his friends in the Muskie Inn. Contrestan states, "the seeds of my political activism were sown at Lakeland. The courses I took made me think more sensitively and reinforced my humanity."

Upon returning from the service in 1972, Contrestan first traveled the country by motorcycle, read the Pentagon Papers-which helped to shift his thinking on the war-and then attended graduate school at UW Oshkosh, earning a degree in Special Education and Reading. He remembers feeling very pleased that Lakeland had prepared him well for graduate school. For many years, Contrestan worked as a reading teacher. He still has a love of history. And he is still a peace activist. He also grapples with the fact his son, Joe, the sixth Contrestan to report for military duty in 90 years, is currently serving in Iraq. Although Contrestan opposes the war, he is very proud of his son's service, as he is of his 25-year-old daughter, Melanie, a grad student in nursing at UW-M.

Contrestan said that a very moving moment came for him recently, when his older brother, who had also served in the military, told Tom that he was proud of him for his peace work. When asked if he has any advice for new graduates, Contrestan said, "In life you will come across things that are just going to confound you, and you have to be flexible enough to say 'geez, maybe I was wrong' you have to be able to re-examine what you believe in."

On Saturday night, at Lakeland's graduation celebration, hosted by the Lakeland College Alumni Association, the college made two major award presentations.

Terry Miller of Sheboygan was named the winner of the Robert W. Lope Award, which goes to the Kellett School graduate who has shown unusual persistence, dedication and commitment in the course of earning their bachelor's degree. Miller starting taking classes at Lakeland nine years ago, and he completed 92 of his 120 of his academic credits at Lakeland. He graduated Sunday with a bachelor's degree in business management.

Miller's parents had a dream of seeing all four of their children graduate from college, and Miller's graduation completed that dream. Miller relocated twice while taking class, he had three kidney surgeries, a rotator cuff repair and, most challenging, his mother died of cancer a few months before he completed his final coursework.

Kasey Gussert of Kingsford, Mich., was named the winner of the Clarence H. Koehler Campus Senior Award, given annually to the graduate who best exemplifies the "Lakeland Spirit" through academic achievement, service to the college and fellow students and participation in college and student programs and activities.A four-year member of the Dean's List, Gussert, who gained acceptance into Lakeland's honors program, graduated with a bachelor's in biochemistry and conducted research for Lakeland during her undergraduate time.

She was extensively involved at Lakeland, serving as an officer for Lakeland's pre-healthcare club, a member of the women's basketball team for four seasons, including two as captain, and an ambassador for Lakeland's admissions department. She will attending the University of Wisconsin pharmacy school this fall.

Susan Mboya, founder and president of Zawadi Africa Educational Fund and an executive with Coca-Cola Company, delivered Sunday's commencement address, which was recorded and will be aired nationally on CSPAN. Mboya established the Zawadi Africa Education Fund (www.zawadiafrica.org) in 2002 to provide scholarships to academically gifted girls from disadvantaged backgrounds from Africa to pursue higher education in the United States. Two students have attended Lakeland College for the past two years through the program, and two more will attend Lakeland next year.

Susan Mboya's work is a living tribute to her father, Tom Mboya, a former minister for justice and constitutional affairs in Kenya who was assassinated in 1969. Susan based her organization on the highly successful Kennedy-Mboya Africa Student Airlifts Program of the 1960s, pioneered by her father and President John F Kennedy.

Peter Shem Kamuyu attended Lakeland from 1959-61 through the Kennedy-Mboya Africa Student Airlifts Program. Following her address, Mboya received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Lakeland.

Terry Kohler, a well-known and respected business leader and longtime friend of the environment, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his lifetime of "committed service to country, community and the environment." Kohler is president of Windway Capital Corp. He was associated with one of its subsidiaries, The Vollrath Co., for 27 years and served as chairman and CEO prior to a 1989 reorganization that formed Windway.

Lakeland is one of many community organizations that have been the beneficiaries of the philanthropy of Terry and his wife, Mary Stewart Kohler. Prior to his successful business career, Kohler served in the U.S. Air Force, and he continues actively his flying in various aircraft including the Cessna Caravan. Kohler received his master of science degree in industrial management from the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In addition to teaching computer programming classes at MIT, he was the first Business Executive in Residence at Lakeland College.

Kohler is an outdoor sports enthusiast. He has sailed and raced extensively for 60 years, and is also a past Commodore of the Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation. He is a life member of Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the National Rifle Association (NRA), and has served on the Board of Directors of the Trout & Salmon Foundation for two decades. Terry and Mary Kohler are actively involved with the International Crane Foundation and the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service. They recently received the 2009 Lindbergh Award for their lifelong dedication to environmental conservation, and the more recent use of their airplanes to help reintroduce trumpeter swans and whooping cranes in the United States.

The Kohlers have been involved for over a decade with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the Trumpeter Swan Recovery Project, collecting and flying swan eggs back from Alaska. Terry's father, Walter J. Kohler Jr., and grandfather, Walter J. Kohler, both served as Governor of Wisconsin, from 1951 to 1957 and 1929 to 1931 respectively, and he was a candidate for U.S. Senate and governor in Wisconsin.

Sunday got started with the baccalaureate service in the Bradley Fine Arts Building. The baccalaureate preacher was Kelly J. Stone, the chaplain at Lakeland and an ordained United Church of Christ minister. Stone joined the Lakeland community in the summer of 2006 and has sought new and creative ways to meet Lakeland's religious needs. Prior to Lakeland, she served two churches in Connecticut working with youth and young adults while completing her masters of divinity at Yale Divinity School. A native of Northwestern Illinois, Stone received her bachelor of arts from Elmhurst College. She is an advisor for Lakeland's Habitat for Humanity chapter, and serves as a resource for numerous other organizations that are concerned with matters of faith, equality and diversity.

Photos from the event are available for viewing.

Some individuals embody the spirit of Lakeland College so fully, that they cannot help but to give back to the college in multiple ways over long periods of time. Dave Aldag is one of those folks. Dave graduated from Lakeland with a degree in business administration through the Kellett School, back in the day when the program was called Lifelong Learning. Dave also has completed graduate work in engineering at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. A native of Sheboygan, Dave is now president of Aldag-Honold Mechanical, a family business where he began working 34 years ago as a sheet metal apprentice.

Dave fondly remembers his student days at Lakeland: "After going to a couple of public state colleges, Lakeland was refreshing because my instructors, like Rick Gaumer, came from the business world, and taught from practical real world experience, rather than textbook theory. I found that to be of great benefit when it came time to apply what I had learned to my everyday business experiences."

Over the years, Dave has been a very active volunteer on behalf of his alma mater. In 2004, he became involved with the Lakeland College Alumni Association, currently serving as the president of the organization's board of directors. He is also a member of the Sesquicentennial planning committee. "My most fond memories of Lakeland have been over the last few years. I have had the honor to serve on the Alumni Board, and have had an opportunity to give back to an institution that has, and will continue to impact so many people in such a positive way. It is very gratifying to have a small part in that mission."

Dave's newest, and perhaps most "out-of-the-box" effort to support the mission of Lakeland College is his involvement as one of the nine celebrity dancers in the upcoming Movers and Shakers Gala. Perhaps we'll see Dave lift his partner overhead as he glides across the dance floor. As a competitive weightlifter, he can probably do it! Dave is currently in rehearsal learning the foxtrot from dance partner, Sue Alby, and says of this latest endeavor: "Sue and I are having a great time, although unfortunately her student gives her very little to work with (I don't even know how to polka, and I live in Wisconsin!)" Dave feels he's up against some pretty stiff competition, and is enjoying being the underdog. Like the little train that could, his new mantra, he says, is: "I think I can, I think I can!"

Dave and his wife, Kelly, have two children; their son Brad, 19, is a freshman at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and his daughter Chloe, 17, is a junior at North High School in Sheboygan. Dave enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially on the golf course. Along with his many efforts on behalf of the college, he is also a long time community leader of the Sheboygan County YMCA where he has served as chairman of the county board and currently serves on the endowment trust board.

For the 2009 Movers and Shakers Gala, Dave is sponsored by Aldag-Honold Mechanical and has chosen the Sheboygan County YMCA as the recipient of 50% of the proceeds raised through the purchase of extra votes on his behalf. Go Dave! Thank you for all you do for Lakeland College!

You can purchase a vote for Dave Aldag, or any of the other celebrity dancers, by going to http://www.moversandshakersgala.org/votes.asp

You've waited twelve months. 365 days of palpable anticipation. Finally, the most spectacular black-tie social event of the year returns. On the evening of Saturday, May 30 in the Todd Wehr Center on Lakeland's campus, nine Sheboygan County celebrities take to the floor with professional dancers to vie for your votes - while you savor an elegant gourmet dinner. Silent and live auction items will be available throughout the evening offering irresistible opportunities to dance around the world and treat yourself to some special delights - all in support of Lakeland College, the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, and nine other local charities.

Advanced ticket sales have been strong and seating is limited, so buy your tickets today. You can order your tickets online or by calling 920-565-1456. Reservations will be accepted in the order received, until remaining seats are gone. Please visit www.moversandshakersgala.org for more information on this event.

If you would like to donate your time and talent to support this amazing event, and get a chance to see some of the action, volunteers are needed to help in many ways. Help is needed the day before with event set-up. On the night of the event, volunteers are still needed to be food servers, bar runners, a crew of "paparazzi" (to stand with a camera along the red carpet to make the guests feel extra special on this big night!) and at the end of the evening, a special crew of hardy "night-owls" to help with clean up.

If you would like more information about volunteering, please contact the Director of Alumni Relations, Lisa Vihos at vihoslb@lakeland.edu or by phoning 920-565-1295.

In early April, 50 alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the college convened on campus to begin the planning process for Lakeland's 150th birthday, our Sesquicentennial, coming up in 2012. That's right folks! One hundred and fifty years ago, Mission House was founded. Now, all these years later, Lakeland College continues to grow, evolve, and thrive.

The Sesquicentennial committee members reminisced, shared favorite Lakeland "artifacts," and then got down to the business of planning such things as an all-college reunion for the summer of 2012, community events, educational offerings, and much more.

We are currently in the early planning stages with a celebration that will top all celebrations. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if you have ideas about what you would like to see happen as part of the celebration, please let us know by contacting the Director of Alumni Relations, Lisa Vihos, at vihoslb@lakeland.edu.

"I've seen so many children in the past who don't feel loved or feel bad and I wanted a unique way to tell them how truly special they are. I want my own daughter to know how special she is, since doctors told us we probably would not have children. She amazes us each day and we are very grateful," said Knier.

This desire to help children experience their own self-worth led Knier to write, illustrate, and self-publish her first children's book, God's Special Moth. It is the story of a plain little moth that doesn't quite see his own beauty or value, until a kind snail clues him in to his special gifts. The snail's wise words help the moth to see that he is indeed of value, and that in God's eyes, everyone is beautiful and special. God's Special Moth is available at Sonlight Books in Sheboygan, as well as on Amazon.com.

Cary Knier will participate on an educational panel called "Getting Your Story in Print," as part of the third annual day-long learning event, Alumni College, to be held on Saturday, April 18. In the session, which meets from 1:15 to 2:45, Knier will team up with writer and teacher David Hillstrom '87 and Martha Schott, Director, Student Publications & Instructor of Writing at Lakeland. The three will share their personal experiences regarding writing and publishing and will include information on the traditional query letter, online publishing, and self-publishing.

Knier's path to her current position began after her graduation from Lakeland in 1996 with a major in psychology and a minor in biology. She then attended the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology where she earned her doctoral degree. This prepared her for an internship in Madison at Mendota Mental Health Institute, and she then spent five years as a counselor at Bridgepoint Health. Knier returned to Lakeland in 2005 as the part-time campus counselor, a position that ultimately grew into her current fulltime role.

Knier lives in Kiel with husband Tony Johannes '96, two-year-old daughter Addison, and dog Benny. She is involved in her church and has attended the Lay Academy of the United Church of Christ. She enjoys reading, writing, singing, watching movies, walking, and doing yoga.

In order for these sessions to be successful, your input is needed! These are your learning sessions and we would like to customize the topics to what you feel is important to your professional or personal life. For example, the economy is currently a hot topic with everyone, but is there something specifically related to the economy you believe would make a good session?

These interactive sessions would be kept to an hour in length and participants would be able to ask questions of presenters, who would be Lakeland alumni and faculty. Send your topic suggestions to jankowskicm@lakeland.edu. Thank you for your input!