Category: Education

Wyandotte County students named to KU honor roll

Several Wyandotte County students were named to the University of Kansas honor roll recently for the spring semester.

Wyandotte County students on the honor roll include:

• Justin Carroll, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Maria Deggendorf, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Wyatt Hall, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Lee Hammons, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Isabella Nusbaum, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sara Rehm, Bonner Springs, School of Pharmacy
• Kaylan Roberts, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Abigail Schif, Bonner Springs, School of Business
• Blair Slankard, Bonner Springs, School of Education
• Jacob Smith, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Mario Vlasic, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Business
• Jensen Walcott, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Quinnlyn Walcott, Bonner Springs, School of Pharmacy
• Sabria Zlitni, Bonner Springs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

• Maria Accardi, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Alix Adauto, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Rolando Alfaro, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Business
• Julliana Alvarado, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Robert Armstrong, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Santino Bernal, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Cheyenne Brown, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Daniel Carr, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Business
• Johnny Childress, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sarah Christoph, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Social Welfare
• Javier Contreras, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Angie Curtis, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Social Welfare
• Diona Diep, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Health Professions
• Kevin Duperon, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Kayla Dye, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Kimberly Dyer, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Health Professions
• Yamilecs Estupinan, Kansas City, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Nick Evarola, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Nursing
• Alexander Falk, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Business
• Kristen Farnet, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Pharmacy
• Irmarie Fernandez, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Venessa Freeman, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Julian Garcia, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Engineering
• Michael Gentry, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Elizabeth Gilbert, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Social Welfare
• Prechus Gillom, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Hanah Glimpse, Kansas City, Kansas, School of the Arts
• Eddie Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Business
• Lena Hartmayer, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Gloria Her, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Health Professions
• Cierra Hiatt, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Karen Holliday, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Social Welfare
• Nakita Hubbel, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Health Professions
• Abigail Hutchcraft, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Nursing
• Zebulun Jackson, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Business
• Olivia Jones, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Josie Jones, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Music
• Mija Jones, Kansas City, Kansas, School of the Arts
• Jeffrey Kelly, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Janice Levina, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Nursing
• Jonathan Limas, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Brianna Long, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Ryan Macan, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Harrison Mages, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Adrian Martinez, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Auriana McConnell, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Social Welfare
• Steven Mccord, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Tara McCoy, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Pharmacy
• Kathryn McCullough, Kansas City, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Rhoderic Montgomery, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Justin Moore, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
• Abigail Neal, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Tyler Nguyen, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Heather Nguyen, Kansas City, Kansas, School of the Arts
• Cailin O’Mara, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Nathaniel Orel, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Engineering
• Kaitlyn Pearson, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Nursing
• Alicia Pena, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• James Pierce, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Jessica Plake, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Social Welfare
• Ryan Quach, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Emily Razavi, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Nursing
• Fabian Requenes, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Hannah Reynolds, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Marcus Robinson, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Jonathan Ruiz Cervantes, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Elizabeth Santillan, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Diana Sarmiento, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sydney Sheldon, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Journalism
• Ne’Kye Sheppard, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Andrea Silva-Trejo, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Colby Spiess, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Nick Stratton, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Zoe Surprise, Kansas City, Kansas, School of the Arts
• Laichia Vang, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Vanessa Velez, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Courtney Wagner, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Education
• Belicia Wilcoxen, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Jeremy Wilson, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Business
• Logan Wilson, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Engineering
• Alexander Wittman, Kansas City, Kansas, School of Engineering
• Kelsey Wolf, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Ira Wright, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Adora Yang, Kansas City, Kansas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Business.

Seven Wyandotte County students named to dean’s list at Washburn

Seven Wyandotte County students recently were named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Washburn University, Topeka.

Students on the dean’s list were enrolled in 12 hours of graded credits or more and earned a semester grade point average of 3.4 to 3.99.

On the dean’s list from Wyandotte County:

• Ali Justice, Kansas City, Kansas.
• Wesley Tabor, Kansas City, Kansas.
• Rebecca Weimer, Bonner Springs.
• Katie Carpenter, Bonner Springs.
• Michaela Augustine, Edwardsville.
• Kenna Hoffman, Bonner Springs.
• Cameron Leiker, Kansas City, Kansas.

KCKCC secretary retires after 27 years

KCKCC coaches and trainers turned out to honor athletic secretary Debi Baker, standing, who is retiring after 27 years in the position Thursday. Baker will be joined in retirement by her husband, Bob. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Multiple changes have graced the athletic programs at Kansas City Kansas Community College over the past 27 years – new programs, new facilities, new personnel.

And yet there has been one constant. For those 27 years, Debi Baker has served as athletic secretary working with 85 head and assistant coaches and hundreds of student athletes.

That all ends Thursday when Baker enters retirement. She’ll be joining her husband, Bob, who is also retiring for visitations to far away families and catching up on home projects.

“Working around the athletes is awesome, it always has been,” Baker said. “Seeing them one on one on a daily basis, getting to know them personally and watching them grow has always been a delight. It’s the reason I love this job.”

“Debi has been a pleasure to work with and will be greatly missed,” said KCKCC Athletic Director Tony Tompkins. “I am truly grateful for her commitment to serve our student-athletes, coaches and staff.”

Then Athletic Director Duane Shaw hired Baker July 13, 1992.

“There was no air conditioning, I worked with an electric typewriter and answered the phones,” she remembered. The Field House was also the site of the original KCKCC Wellness and Fitness Center in what is now a weight training room.

Since then women’s soccer was added but cross country and track dropped. Baseball got a new complex, soccer an all-weather field and softball the Jayhawk Conference’s only all-weather field. The Field House now boasts a wood floor and new bleachers, new roof and new offices and training room.

Baker’s job also underwent changes.

“The NJCAA was just getting started computerizing letters of intent on-line and then chose the Jayhawk Conference to be the pioneer,” said Baker, who along with other KJCCC secretaries were brought to the national office in Colorado Springs to learn the new programs. “After one year, they launched it nationally and it’s been going ever since.”

Baker’s position is critical to ascertaining that all letters of intent and eligibility requirements are met to NJCAA standards, something KJCCC secretaries hashed out in statewide meetings each year.

“I formed a lot of long term friendships with the other secretaries,” said Baker, who served four years as president of the organization.
Growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, Baker attended Vance elementary school, Coronado Junior High and Washington High School.

“I was in the first senior class that experienced split sessions because the enrollment was so high,” Baker said. “I would go to class from 7 a.m. until noon. They were building Schlagle and Harmon high schools at the time.”

She worked at City National Bank, Pioneer Loan Co. and Shawnee Mission Medical Center after graduation but marriage to her first husband opened the doors to her No. 1 passion – singing.

“I sang gospel music with my first husband. We traveled with a group and then had our own group and started singing country music at the Union Mill Opry in Edgerton, Mo.

“It was fun,” said Baker, who got into singing gospel at Victoria Tabernacle. “I learned to harmonize and sing and started trying out. The more you sing, the better you got.” For nearly 25 years she sang before ending her vocal career on a high note. “Her dad and I sang a duet at my daughter Amber’s wedding 10 years ago.”

Baker has four children, David and Amber from her first marriage; Summer and Jared from her current marriage. There’s also seven grandchildren with whom she’ll now be able to spend more time now that she’s in retirement.

“Jared lives in San Antonio with my youngest grandchild and I have older sisters in Austin, Texas, and Denver and Bob has a lot of family in Arkansas so we’ll be visiting them,” she said. “And Bob and I have a lot of home projects.”