Sr. Administrative Assistant, School of Extended Learning/ School of Polytechnic Studies
Cheryl Reinagel, of Kelso, Mo., is the senior administrative assistant for the School of Extended Learning & School of Polytechnic Studies. Although her duties and responsibilities have evolved throughout the years, her work philosophy has remained the same.
Several Southeast Missouri State University students, under the direction of Peter Chanthanakone, assistant professor of graphics and multimedia, have produced Southeast’s first 3D animated short film, “Death to the Different.”
When Eric Johnson of Breese, Ill., enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University, he made a decision to be active on the University’s campus and jumped in with both feet.
Southeast student Hannah Ragsdale, of Imperial, Mo., completed an internship at the Charles L. Hutson Horticulture Greenhouse on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.
College of Business / School of Polytechnic Studies
Kuan-Ju Chen, born in small country of Taiwan, spent the last two years in the United States and visited Finland and Russia as part of the MBA program.
Stuart Beussink '97, from Marble Hill, Mo., graduated from Southeast with an industrial management degree. He is now the plant engineer at American Railcar Industries (ARI) in Jackson, Mo.
Donna Aufdenberg '99, from Jackson, Mo., graduated from Southeast with a degree in agriculture, emphasis in horticulture. She is the regional horticulture specialist and master gardener coordinator with the University of Missouri Extension in Cape Girardeau County.
Amon Seabaugh, of Leopold, Mo., had a busy last semester on Capitol Hill. He is interning with U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who was recently re-elected to her seventh term as the Missouri Eighth District representative to the U.S. Congress.
Matt Taylor, a telecommunications and computer networking major at Southeast Missouri State University, had an excellent opportunity this past summer to complete a prestigious internship with Abbott Laboratories. A native of Cape Girardeau, Mo., Matt traveled to Abbott Park, Ill., about 40 miles north of Chicago, to intern for this pharmaceutical company.
“My most memorable moments at Southeast were my involvement in the University Theatre program,” says Southeast alumnus James Adams. “I enjoyed all the people I worked with on each and every show and treasure the memories that I took from each. “I thoroughly enjoyed auditioning, rehearsals and performing in several main stage and black box theatre shows,” he added. A Topeka, Kan., native, James attended Southeast after being encouraged by his wife.
Terrick Willoughby credits Southeast for his success in every aspect. A native of Biloxi, Miss., and former Redhawks basketball player, Terrick says Southeast taught him a lot about time management and how to prioritize. “With the balance between basketball and academics, it created that motivated work ethic that is needed in order to yield successful results,” he says.
What most students at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau don’t know is that “The Jell-O Man,” who serves Jell-O once a month at the school, is a construction engineer who teaches in the School of Polytechnic Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.
Spring is probably one of the best times of the year for Emma Franklin, who is pursuing a degree in horticulture at Southeast. Originally from Poplar Bluff, Mo., Emma loves to spend time walking the streets of historic downtown Cape Girardeau and admiring the serene beauty of the buildings and riverfront.
Andrea Branum is majoring in construction management at Southeast Missouri State University. She says most people ask her what her major is, but rarely ask what she plans to do with her degree. “I plan to help people. My dream is to work for a non-profit organization such as Habitat for Humanity so more Americans can be a part of the “American Dream,” Andrea explained. Andrea said she would like to give people a place to come home to at night where they feel safe and warm with their families.
“My time at Southeast has helped me set my priorities straight. It has helped me realize that time management and studying strategies are two of the most important factors in order to have a successful educational experience.”
“I enjoy when I can help students find a major that fits their career goals and interests,” Amanda Eller says. “It is very satisfying to help a student work through making the important and sometimes difficult decisions concerning their college education, and after they make the decision, it is one they are happy with.”
If you ask Dr. Greg Boyd why he decided to go into teaching after working 20 years in the manufacturing industry, he will tell you “it was time to put my money where my mouth was and start helping to create manufacturing engineers instead of trying to hire them.”
The next time you pass an antique Packard automobile on the road, look closely, because the driver most likely is Dr. David Baird. Although Baird teaches in the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology, he loves to restore antique vehicles.
Interning at GKN Aerospace in St. Louis during his last semester of college turned into a great job for industrial technology graduate Matt Palmer. Completing the 2+2 program at St. Louis Community College, Matt is a true success story of Southeast’s extended learning experience--an opportunity that allowed him to take all of his classes in St. Louis while earning a Southeast degree.
