Month: May 2017

Several Wyandotte County students graduate from Park University

Several Wyandotte County students graduated recently from Park University.

Park University held its May 2017 Kansas City area commencement ceremony on May 13 at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence, Mo.

The University had 618 students eligible to participate in the ceremony — 210 students received a master’s degree or a graduate certificate, and 408 students received a bachelor’s degree, associate degree and/or undergraduate certificate. John Fierro, a member of the Kansas City, Mo., Public Schools Board of Directors, and the president and chief operating officer of the Mattie Rhodes Center, presented the keynote address.

Graduates from Wyandotte County included:

Graduate degrees:
Master of Business Administration
• Reginald K. Boykin Jr., Business Administration, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Washington High School)

Master of Healthcare Administration
• Candace M. Franklin, Overland Park, Kan. (attended Washington High School, Kansas City, Kan.)

Master of Public Affairs
• Samir A. al-Otaibi, Public Management, Kansas City, Kan.
• Jennifer Lynn Johnson, Disaster and Emergency Management, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Washburn Rural High School, Topeka, Kan.)

Master of Social Work
• Rachel Lee Dressler, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Turner High School)

Undergraduate degrees:

Bachelor of Arts
• Adeel K. Cheema, Political Science/American Politics, Kansas City, Kan.
• Jodi Lenora Young, Criminal Justice Administration-Corrections, Kansas City, Kan.

Bachelor of Fine Art
• Jessenia Maria Lopez, Interior Design, Kansas City, Kan., cum laude (attended Cristo Rey High School, Kansas City, Mo.)
o Lopez also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration-Management
• Kristina L. Meierarend, Interior Design, Kansas City, Kan., summa cum laude (attended Truman High School, Independence, Mo.)
• Jeffery W. Mixon, Interior Design, Kansas City, Kan., magna cum laude.

Bachelor of Public Administration
• Patricia N. Jackson, Business Relations, Whitman, Mass. (attended Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, Kan.)

Bachelor of Science
• Darla D. Cottrill, Management/Human Resources, Kansas City, Kan., summa cum laude.
• Dawn Rene Fuentez, Accounting, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Hickman Mills High School, Kansas City, Mo.)
• Oscar Romero Garza, Business Administration/Management, Kansas City, Kan., magna cum laude, (attended Wyandotte High School)
• Kamberly C. Gochenouer, Interdisciplinary Studies, Kansas City, Kan.
• Traci J. Goodwin, Management-Healthcare, Shawnee, Kan., cum laude (attended Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, Kansas City, Kan.)
• Alexandra B. Hardison, Interdisciplinary Studies, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Schlagle High School)
• Chris M. Herbst, Business Administration-Marketing, Kansas City, Kan.
• Maggie S. Hodge, Information and Computer Science-Data Management, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Piper High School)
• Laura B. James, Biology, Kansas City, Kan., magna cum laude (attended Blue Springs [Mo.] South High School)
• Shelby V. Laquitara, Information and Computer Science-Software Engineering, magna cum laude, Kansas City, Kan.
• Jessica R. Long-Bond, Management-Finance, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Oak Park High School, Kansas City, Mo.
o Long-Bond also earned an Associate of Science degree in Management
• Jessenia Maria Lopez, Business Administration-Management, Kansas City, Kan., cum laude (attended Cristo Rey High School, Kansas City, Mo.)
o Lopez also earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Interior Design
• Jeffrey David Martin, Information and Computer Science/Software Engineering, magna cum laude, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Sumner Academy of Arts and Science)
• Cynthia Jacklyn Montanez, Accounting, summa cum laude, Kansas City, Kan.
• Vanessa Morales, Business Administration-Management, cum laude, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Cristo Rey High School, Kansas City, Mo.)
• Alisha L. Mosby, Management-Accounting, Plano, Texas (attended Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, Kan.)
• Mario Curtis Robertson, Management-Healthcare, Kansas City, Kan.
• Mirko B. Sandivari Perez, Business Administration-Management, Kansas City, Kan.
• Sara E. Swanson, Biology, cum laude, Kansas City, Kan.
• Bryan H. Watson Jr., Interdisciplinary Studies, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Bonner Springs [Kan.] High School)

Bachelor of Science in Education
• Ronda K. Stoker, Elementary Education-Language Arts, summa cum laude, Kansas City, Mo. (attended Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, Kansas City, Kan.)

Bachelor of Social Work
• Paula Renee Blevins, Kansas City, Kan., with distinction, (attended Harmon High School)
• Nathan J. Docman, Kansas City, Kan., magna cum laude, (attended Bishop Ward High School)
• Stephanie Paola Hernandez, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Wyandotte High School)

Associate of Science
• Cindy Marie Blevins, Social Psychology, Kansas City, Kan.
• Jessica R. Long-Bond, Management, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Oak Park High School, Kansas City, Mo.
o Long-Bond also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management-Finance

Associate of Science in Nursing
• Tiffany Nicole Miller, Kansas City, Kan. (attended Schlagle High School)

Two KCK students receive honors at MidAmerica Nazarene

Yesenia Moroyoqui and Adam Swearengin received honors for the spring 2017 semester at MidAmerica Nazarene University, Olathe, Kan.

Moroyoqui was named to the Honor Roll and Swearengin was named to the President’s List.

The President’s List is a 4.0 grade point average for the semester, and the Honor Roll is 3.2 to 3.49.

MidAmerica Nazarene University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university of more than 1,860 students in Olathe, Kan.

Turner girls compete in softball regionals

Turner sophomore Megan Johnson watched her grand slam sail out of Steineger Field. Turner competed in regional softball games on May 17 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The Turner High School girls softball team experienced both thrills and disappointment in the 5A regional softball tournament, played May 17 at Steineger Field in Kansas City, Kan.

The Lady Bears won an extra-innings thriller against DeSoto in the semifinal game, before dropping the final 18 – 0 to Blue Valley Southwest, which will advance to the state tournament in Wichita next week.

Turner won the semifinal on a double to left by sophomore Mya Navarro that brought home senior Alexis Burgard. Extra innings were needed when DeSoto tied the game in the top of the seventh inning.

Turner got behind early, trailing 4 – 0 in the fourth, before sophomore Megan Johnson blasted a grand slam to right center, tying the score and setting Turner up for the victory.

The Blue Valley Southwest Timberwolves scored early and often in the final, racking up 18 runs in only 4 innings against a tired Turner team. The game was called in Southwest’s favor after the bottom of the fourth due to the 15-run rule used in state tournament play.

Senior Gracie Gentry hit a double to left in the fifth inning of the semifinal game, bringing in 2 runs. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Teammates ran to congratulate senior Alexis Burgard after she scored the winning run in the semifinal. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Junior Emily Quinto batted in the final game against Blue Valley Southwest. Quinto was 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs for the day. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Senior Gracie Gentry leaped high to snare a throw from the outfield but was not able to tag the runner. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)

Turner head coach Steve Davidson addressed the team after the loss in the final game. (Photo copyright 2017 by Brian Turrel)