Southeast Spotlights on Alumni: Spotlights on Alumni, Southeast Missouri State University


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Spotlights on Alumni

	Southeast Alum Takes Education to Bright Lights of Los Angeles Southeast Theatre and Dance alumnus Mike Culbertson’s career path has taken him from a medium-sized town in the Midwest to the hustle and bustle of the West coast, and even to the tropical rainforests of Central America.

	Southeast Alumnus Continues Comedic Career at the Second City When Nick Cutelli was in fourth grade, he discovered his desire to make people laugh. Now, several years later, Nick makes people laugh weekly in his comedic routines at Donny’s Skybox at the Second City in Chicago, Ill.

	Championship Basketball Alumna Continues to Succeed Southeast Missouri State University graduate Sarita Wesley-Scott has experienced a kind of excitement many other college students only dream about. She was a member of Southeast’s 1990-1991 women’s basketball NCAA Division II national finalist team.

	Southeast Grad "Lays Down the Law" “Knowing I provide an important community service is the most rewarding part of my profession.” These humble words from Jacqueline Ackert illustrate her commitment and dedication to public service.

	Alum Establishes Career with Under Armour According to Dana McDonald, the secret to success in the business world and life in general is “working hard, keeping perspective, managing priorities and understanding who your ‘customer’ is."

	Southeast Cheerleader Alumnae Go Pro Three Southeast Missouri State University alumnae have achieved what many young girls dream of becoming. Erin Bauer, Brandi Kilby and Megan LaTempt each cheer at the professional level.

	International Graduate Student Succeeds at Southeast 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.

	Track and Field Alumna Lands Job with St. Louis Cardinals Southeast Missouri State University alumna Kyra Joiner has a job many people would love to have; a corporate sales and marketing account service coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals.

	Alum Coaches His Way to Tennis Prominence When it comes to the sport of tennis, Southeast Missouri State University alumnus Leo Vorwerk knows what he’s talking about.

	Southeast Graduate Finds Success in Business World “Put the customer first and your people second. Treat all with great respect and empathy.” These words are the personal formula for success for Southeast Missouri State University alumnus Dave Schoenbeck.

	Southeast Alum Participates in Fulbright New Century Scholar Program in Dubai Dr. Jason Lane, a 1999 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and a faculty member at the State University of New York at Albany, is in Dubai as a participant in the 2009-2010 Fulbright New Century Scholar program.

	Big Screen Dreams Call to Southeast Alumnus If you would ever like to see your own vehicle on the big screen in Hollywood, think about giving Tom Smith a call.

	Southeast Alumna is Connoisseur of Fine Arts If there is anyone who appreciates nearly all of the fine arts, it is Sharon Fox.

	Southeast Provides Educational Foundation for Alumnus Bill Page has a passion for helping young students, especially those who have problems succeeding in our country’s educational system.

	Alumnus "Walks on Wild Side" at Disney's Animal Kingdom The next time you visit the Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, chances are you will see several elements designed by Laura Jurica.

	Southeast Alumna Enjoys Athletics All Over the World When it comes to the sport of softball, it seems that Linda Wells has, at some point, seen and done it all. Literally.

	English Alumnus Continues to Live the Dream They say working at a job for 40 or more years is tolerable and even enjoyable if you truly love what you are doing. If this is so, Roger Forsythe should have no problem continuing his career for many years to come.

	Katie Stricker Katie Stricker graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor of fine arts degree with a dance option in 2004, and has since become involved in many career opportunities.

	Bryce Kristal Bryce Kristal of Pleasanton, Calif., works to promote financial responsibility to students at Southeast Missouri State University.

	Bill Johnson Anyone who thinks only today’s generation has the market cornered in computer knowledge must have never met Bill Johnson. Bill built his entire career around learning about computers and applying the knowledge of their ever-changing technology.

	Police Chief Tim Lewis Tim Lewis is the epitome of public service. As police chief for the city of Festus, Mo., Tim puts his own safety at risk every day in order to keep the citizens in his city safe.

	Vivian Robinson As far as Vivian Robinson is concerned, you can never quite do enough to help a child in need. She has built a life around helping children, and she doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

	Tom Belote Tom Belote knows there is much more to life than money. The advice he offers to future college students is quite refreshing to hear in a world dominated by the dollar.

	June Seabaugh June Seabaugh is someone who proves that a Southeast education, dedication and a love of what you do can literally take you anywhere in the world. She has spent the last two years teaching missionary children, orphans and native Cambodians at the Logos International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

	Drs. Pat and Janet Ruopp Drs. Pat '76 and Janet Ruopp '72 both graduated from Southeast and live and practice dentistry in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

	Dr. John Vallentine Dr. John Vallentine ’81 of Cedar Falls, Iowa graduated from Southeast with a bachelor's degree in music education. He is the administrator of the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

	Donna Aufdenberg 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.

	Stuart Beussink 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.

	Dr. P. Joseph Powers Dr. P. Joseph Powers '71, '86, majored in history and political science at Southeast Missouri State University. He is currently an assistant professor at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., but before moving to the college level, Powers had a long career as a high school administrator.

	Gina Bufe Gina Bufe '87, who majored in nursing, is the director of nursing education, quality and research at New York - Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital in New York City.

	Brandi Ritter Brandi Ritter '05, who graduated with a master's degree in school counseling, is currently a guidance counselor and psychological examiner for Chaffee Public Schools in Chaffee, Mo.

	Phil Milligan Phil Milligan '83, who majored in music education, is assistant principal at Bryan Middle School in the Francis Howell School District in St. Charles, Mo.

	Southeast Alumna Becomes Best-Selling Author For Dr. Bonnie Davis, who was born and raised in Cape Girardeau, Mo., earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Southeast Missouri State University was only the beginning of what would transform her into a best-selling author.

	Southeast Alumna Heading into the “Dog Days” of Veterinary School Lindsey Lucas, a Collinsville, Ill. native, knew exactly what she wanted to do and where she would do it before she even graduated from Southeast in 2007. Lindsey is currently in her second year of veterinary school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

	Southeast Alumnus Continues to "Go Greek" For most students, graduation marks the beginning of period in which they begin to phase out of their college organizations and activities, whether it is student government, athletics, student organizations, or professional, service and Greek fraternities and sororities. This is certainly not the case, however, for Sikeston, Mo. native, Matt Knickman.

	Southeast Laid a Solid “Groundwork” for Alumnus Michael Painton of Oran, Mo., just completed his first year of graduate school in the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. After finishing three years of study, he will earn a master of landscape architecture professional degree.

	Billy Husher Billy Husher is a Southeast Missouri State University alumnus who desired to go beyond the role of the average citizen. As the state affiliate political organizer (SAPO) for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in Colorado, he also serves as the political director and political mobilization organizer.

Mass Communication Alumnae Finds Employment Close to Home
When Sarah Vickery graduated from Southeast in 2004, she knew her degree would open the door to many chances for success. What she didn’t know, however, was that she wouldn’t have to look far to find a position in her field. As the director of sales and marketing at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, she remains close to her family while receiving opportunities to travel and meet interesting people.

Ryan Shipp leads his cheerleading squad at a Southeast Redhawks basketball game.

Southeast Cheerleader Alumnus Envisions a Bright Future
Ryan Shipp, a May 2008 graduate, has an eventful past and has an even more eventful future ahead of him. Shipp, from Sikeston, Mo., majored in criminal justice and minored in psychology. He says he has a love for Southeast and that classroom professors are very professional and are willing to help you anytime you need it. And, he says, they are very flexible.

Marissa Crozier (left) performing at Southeast's 'Dance-a-palooza '08'.

Theatre and Dance Students Seize Professional Opportunities
Most people are aware that there’s more to a theatre performance than what is on the stage, but they might not be aware of the organized chaos behind the curtain. The entire production can be compared to a piece of embroidery: beautiful and organized in presentation, abstract and (seemingly) disorganized in preparation. A few students of Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance first learned this during their experiences on campus, but now they are discovering its truth as professionals.

	International Student TARGITs Success With Southeast's MBA Program How far would you travel to pursue your education? 100, 200 miles? How about a distance of almost 4,500 miles through several countries and across the Atlantic Ocean? That is what Gitte Amstrup faced when she left her native Denmark to complete her Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) at Southeast.

	Online Classes Help Southeast Student Achieve Dream “I never could have achieved my dream if Southeast hadn’t been there for me every step of the way.” These are the proud words of 56-year-old Claudia Masters, the first visually impaired student at Southeast to receive a degree fully completed online.

Veteran Learns Tools of the Trade at Southeast
“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.

	Cape Native Takes Southeast Experience to Both Coasts Jason LeGrand, a 1997 Graduate of Southeast says, “I had great mentors among the University faculty and staff, including Jay Goff, Juan Crites, Loren Rullman, Debbie Fulton, Joe Low and Ferrell Ervin. Each affected my experience and outlook, and contributed to my professional career choice and success.”

Basketball Alumnus Wins off the Court
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.

	Alumnus Serving as a U.S. Marshal in the Virgin Islands Brian Biermann of Washington, Mo., shows everyone that hard work, perseverance, and a Southeast education can go a long way in changing your life.

	Southeast Graduate Joins U.S. Marshals When Southeast student Heather West of Jackson, Mo., graduated in May of 2007, she realized her new life had just begun. West, who was a criminal justice major, attended and graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in October of 2007 and is now a Deputy U.S. Marshal in St. Louis.

	A Confirmed Leader Lt. General James T. Conway, a 1969 Southeast graduate, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2006, to become the 34th commandant of the United States Marine Corps. Conway was nominated for the post by President George W. Bush, received promotion to the rank of general and he received his fourth star.

	Pam Owens Pam Owens credits the Harry L. Crisp Bootheel Education Center (CBEC) on the Southeast Missouri State-Malden campus with making a big difference in her life.

	Tim Weddle Tim Weddle, alumnus of Southeast Missouri State University, didn’t exactly audition for a chair in a highly-esteemed orchestra. But he saw an opportunity and chose not to ignore it. As a result, he’s been accepted as an associate member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra and has been invited to audition for a substitute position in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Laura Haug
“I never really know what to expect when I get up in the morning, which is kind of fun for me,” says Southeast alumna Laura Haug. “I never know where the day will take me or who I will get to meet.” Originally from Bonne Terre, Mo., she is currently living in Burbank, Calif., and working in Hollywood as the executive assistant to the vice president of a post production facility.

	Edwin Blanton Edwin Blanton is living in San Antonio, Texas overseeing Ready, Willing…Enable! a nonprofit organization he co-founded with fellow former Peace Corps Volunteer Jennifer Catron. Their goal is to place individuals interested in short-term volunteer assignments overseas in a nine-day program focused on assisting persons with disabilities in the developing world.

	J.D. Tanner and Emily Ressler Southeast alumni J.D. Tanner and Emily Ressler of Denver, Colo., came full circle in their careers as Traveling Trainers for ‘Leave No Trace’ when they came back to Southeast to work with Dr. Tom Holman’s Outdoor Recreation class on the importance of outdoor ethics.

	Melissa Janzow Southeast alumna Melissa Janzow loves to meet a challenge. In November 2006, she competed in the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 Triathlon, where she and 1,800 other athletes raced for 70.3 miles to the finish line.

	Southeast Grad is "Part of the Solution" for Pontiac Pontiac Performance, a national magazine sent to Pontiac owners, has featured a story about Washington Mo. native and Southeast graduate Dane Huxel. The article, "Part of the Solution," focuses mainly on Dane’s active involvement at Southeast.

	Andrew Canter Transferring from college into the “real world” can be an interesting challenge. Searching for the right job with the right fit can be a long process, but Andrew Canter found success quickly as the new business teacher at Farmington High School.

	Julie Suedmeyer For many high school students, choosing a college can be a difficult decision. But for Southeast alumni Julie Suedmeyer, the decision to attend Southeast was an obvious one. As a Cape Girardeau native, Julie was very familiar with the area, and also with the university. It didn’t take long for Julie to realize Southeast was where she wanted to spend her college years.

	Lindsey Baker Southeast graduate Lindsey Baker drew her career inspiration from an unlikely place – her family’s quilting heritage.

	Emily Wilson Recent Southeast theatre graduate Emily Wilson is packing her bags for New York City and a professional internship with the city’s world-renowned Juilliard School of the arts.

	Ryan Murphy Ryan Murphy may have graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in the spring of 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, but his ties to the campus community are still strong.

	Paul Leoni Just two days after returning home from advanced individual training for the Army National Guard, Southeast alumnus Paul Leoni got a call asking him to help the 1140th Engineering Battalion with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans. Since then, he has had many experiences he won’t soon forget.

	Jeannine Cinco Southeast Missouri State University alumna Jeannine Cinco began life after college half-way across the world. Jeannine, a native of St. Charles, Mo., graduated in December 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in German and recreation. After graduation, she became the athletic director for the U.S. Naval Base in Juffair, Bahrain.

	Amanda Starman Staying fit and active are two words Southeast alumna Amanda Starman uses in her daily vocabulary. After graduating in May 2004 with a major in recreation and a minor in health promotion, Amanda moved to St. Louis to be the fitness specialist for the Lodge Des Peres.

	Sara Westrich Life after college for Southeast alumna Sara Westrich has not been a typical desk job. After graduating in December 2003, Sara took a job with KPMG, LLP, an accounting firm in St. Louis. Sara is always on the go at KPMG.

	Lindsay Albright Lindsay Albright graduated from Southeast in summer 2005 with a major in public relations (PR) and minors in both marketing and business communication. She completed her degree this summer with an internship at a four-diamond resort, Amelia Island Plantation, an island off the northeast coast of Florida.

Kim Jenne
Working on marketing and advertising campaigns for Anheuser-Busch, Sprint PCS, Miller Brewing Co., the St. Louis Blues and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, Kim Jenne has quickly found success as an account supervisor for Schupp Co. in St. Louis. Joining the firm shortly after her graduation from Southeast in 1998, she now acts as a liaison between her company and her clients.

	Alissa Murphy Southeast alumna, Alissa Murphy, says her dream job is to one day work in marketing and promotions for the St. Louis Cardinals. Alissa is well on her way to realizing this dream with her new job as the event coordinator for the Oakley-Lindsay Civic Center in Quincy, Ill.

	Brent Lewis Baseball fans anxiously file into Philip B. Elfstrom Stadium to cheer on the Kane County Cougars to another victory. Fans line up at the concession stands amidst the smell of freshly cooked hot dogs and nachos. Cheers come from the stadium as the Cougars take the field for their warm up. For Southeast alumnus Brent Lewis, these are the sights and sounds of a typical work day.

	Jeff Kohlberg There couldn’t be a more qualified person to work in Admissions than Southeast graduate student Jeff Kohlberg. Jeff, a St. Louis native, is a graduate assistant in the Office of Admissions. Before starting the Master of Business Administration program, Jeff attended Southeast as an undergraduate student.

	Heather Meyer Southeast alumnus Heather Meyer began her studies with no particular career in mind. After changing her major several times, she developed a strong interest in communication disorders. Heather now enjoys a successful career as an audiologist. She works at a hospital on the east coast…of New Zealand.

	Abbie Crites-Leoni If you read the local papers or watch the evening news, you most likely know Abbie Crites-Leoni has made significant strides in dismantling drug trafficking in Southeast Missouri. As the Assistant U. S. Attorney, this former Wheatland, Wyo., resident represents the United States in drug trafficking cases in the Eastern District of Missouri.

	Alex Fees The late nights working at The Capaha Arrow to get breaking news out to Southeast students prepared Alex Fees for his career in broadcast journalism. Originally from Union, Mo., Alex has spent the past six years as a free-lance television reporter and producer. Alex is a regular contributor at KSDK, Newschannel 5, the NBC affiliate station in St. Louis.

	Dena Shelton First grade teacher and Southeast alumna Dena Shelton recently collaborated with Dr. Julie Ray, Southeast assistant professor of early childhood education, to publish an article in Young Children. The journal is published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and focuses on developments in childhood research, theory and practice.

Ron Unterreiner
Southeast graduate and Design & Construction Services, Inc. President Ron Unterriener takes great pride in solving his clients’ problems—making them feel comfortable and secure during the construction process. He must eliminate hassles for his current customers while generating new clients for his firm. Customer service is vital to his company and is the cornerstone of Unterreiner’s business philosophy.

	Maggie Eisenhart Maggie Eisenhart was a Southeast cheerleader for four years, and even now, her enthusiasm for the University bubbles over when she recalls her experiences. A 1995 Southeast graduate, Maggie is currently a sales representative for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. She says her studies at Southeast prepared her well.

	Scott Huegerich St. Louis Post-Dispatch review of a documentary on the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis touted the film as “both an archival and technical wonder, ready for worldwide consumption . . . this film is one of the greatest gifts to St. Louis since the Gateway Arch.”

Erika Williams
When it comes to success, Southeast alumna Erika Williams means business. Erika graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans, La., with a degree in business administration in 2002. A native of St. Louis, she chose to attend Southeast to complete her MBA in general management. During her two-year enrollment, she worked as a graduate assistant for the Office of University Relations, completed several internships, traveled abroad extensively for work and pleasure and served a term as president of the MBA Association. Now, she is the assistant general manager of the Westfield Shoppingtown in Crestwood, Mo.

Clinton Rice
As a systems architect for SBC, Southeast graduate Clinton Rice leads requirements and design teams in modifying or creating new billing tools. Just imagine trying to match the wishes of marketing with technical feasibility of the system, and trying to maintain high customer service and stay within a budget while you do it. Negotiation, time-management and critical-thinking skills, therefore, are a necessary commodity for his daily duties.

Matt Palmer
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.

	Kristine Gruver Taking full advantage of internship opportunities on campus, Kristine Gruver is well prepared for her upcoming career in literary communication. She spent last year interning with University Press, where her tasks included copyediting manuscripts, designing flyers and working on book promotions.

	Kim Holshouser Link Managing the public relations, Web communications and corporate giving for Arch Coal, Kim Link never has a “typical day.” The Southeast graduate’s time can be spent corresponding with news reporters and investors, or she might be assisting the chief executive officer in developing an internal presentation for the company’s 3,600 employees. Each day is different.

	Jennifer Enke Spending time in both the Sports Information and Admissions offices on campus, Southeast alumna Jennifer Enke has leveraged the experiences to find a fulfilling public relations career. Serving as a special events and direct mail manager for Boys & Girls Town of Missouri, she still relies upon the skills learned during her collegiate days.

	Mary Alice Ryan Nationally known for her expertise and innovation in senior housing and services, Southeast alumna Mary Alice Ryan serves as the President/CEO of St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors. Her days are spent strategically positioning the company’s entities for the future, fund raising, coordinating public relations and building a successful team of people who love what they do.

	Andrew Hardesty As a Web developer and programmer for Maritz, Inc., Southeast graduate Andrew Hardesty relies heavily upon the education he received in and out of the classroom at Southeast. After all, it takes the right combination of technical and interpersonal skills to work on teams that design, implement and test high-performance Web applications for Fortune 500 corporations.

	Chris Schoessel (a.k.a. Chris Blair) In September 2003, Chris Schoessel quit his job as a financial planner, sold his house in St. Louis, packed his bags and officially moved to Nashville, Tenn. This Southeast graduate is well on the way to realizing his dream of becoming a successful country-music performer.

	Dr. Jerry Caulder A day at work for Dr. Jerry Caulder could include a board meeting in New Zealand, guest lecturing at a university or researching a new investment opportunity. Claiming “normal” days don’t exist in his life, the 1964 Southeast graduate has been presented a wealth of opportunities since he left Cape Girardeau.

	U.S. Navy Lt. Corey Pritchard On July 23, 2002, U.S. Navy Lt. Corey Pritchard landed his F/A-18E Super Hornet onto the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, marking the aircraft’s maiden voyage. His childhood love affair with flying has quickly evolved into a bright military career where he controls one of the world’s most advanced fighter planes.

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