As the spring semester nears its midpoint and the long hours begin to take their toll on students, faculty and staff alike, William Jewell College enjoyed a rare break from the snow and celebrated the achievements of students and alumni.
This year’s celebrations marked the 75th anniversary of the annual Celebration of Achievement week, during which the citation of achievement is awarded to one alum doing notable work in their field of expertise.
The celebrations began Wednesday, Feb. 27 at a student achievement dinner held in the Yates-Gill College Union – the day also marked the 170th birthday of the College. Students involved in groups including Alpha Lambda Delta, College Union Activities, Phi Epsilon Honors Society and Student Senate were invited to attend.
Past honorees and Jewell alumni Susan Chambers (‘90), Russ Cline (‘71) and Marise Stewart (‘77) lead a panel at the event.
Thursday, Feb. 28 marked the annual Achievement Day dinner event. The fundraiser was held in the Marriott Muehlebach Tower in downtown Kansas City – tickets for the event were available online and registrants were available to reserve a table with eight seats at the event for $2,500.
Student presenters at the event included Meg Anderson, senior Oxbridge: History of Ideas and physics major, and Sam Sullivan, senior communication major. The pair were the 2019 recipients of the Col. Alexander Doniphan Award and Leona McReynolds Kresse Award for the senior man and woman with potential for great achievement.
Event leadership, Ann Rowland and Joshua Rowland spoke to attendees and discussed Jewell’s commitment to making education accessible.
“[Jewell is an] opportunity for many, not just for the few,” said Josh Rowland. “The future of Kansas City is tied to the future of William Jewell.”
Achievement week events concluded on Friday, March 1 with the Achievement Day Convocation.
Dr. Steven Stites (‘92) was the guest speaker of this event and spoke about his Jewell experience, the evolution of the college and the importance of a diverse education.
