athena palmer – The Hilltop Monitor

Jewell alumni make Kansas City home after graduation

Athena Palmer — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 02:26:03 +0000

Many William Jewell College graduates have found their home in Kansas City, Mo. A wide variety of careers have taken off in the downtown metro area. Job opportunities such as healthcare services, teaching and sales have given many recents Jewell graduates a place to call home.

Cameron VanDyke and Hillary Holt, class of 2015, share why they believe the time they spent as Jewell prepared them for life outside of college.

“The CTI mentality that Jewell has was a great talking point for me in interviews, and I think employers find it interesting. Having that background in critical thinking shows that someone is able to thrive in difficult situations where the answer may not be spelled out blatantly,” said VanDyke.

VanDyke decided to stay in the Kansas City area because she believes it is a hotspot for starting businesses and companies. She is currently working at Lockton Companies, an insurance brokerage firm.

“I am basically the ‘middle man’ between businesses buying insurance and the carriers who sell insurance. I can absolutely say that insurance is an industry where the answer is almost never black and white. Critical thought and inquiry is a necessity in this business, so that background has worked to my advantage,” said VanDyke.

Holt believes the transition from college to life as a graduate is just as difficult as the transition between high school and college.

“Honestly, I decided to stay because this is what felt comfortable. There’s a transition stage after every big moment in life. Transitioning from high school to college is tough in the same ways transitioning out of college is tough. You have no idea what you’re doing. Everything is new. How do you find an apartment when you’ve never had to worry about doing that before? How do you cook food for yourself when you can’t run down to the Cage, and how the heck do you actually have time for sleep? That feels a little strange, too. With all of those hard transitions and changes, it made sense for me to not add learning a brand new city and community to the mix,” said Holt.

Holt feels that her liberal arts education was also helpful for easing her through this transition.

“I’ve definitely used my liberal arts education more than I thought I would. I think that when you’re in the middle of it, it’s easy to lose track of why you’re learning the things you are or why you’re focusing on certain areas more than others. I’ve found that the critical thought and especially all the writing that I did at Jewell has helped me immensely. I don’t go a day where I’m not writing or using the lessons I learned at Jewell,” said Holt.

Holt and VanDyke are two of many graduates who have decided to stay close to Jewell after graduation. According to the William Jewell College LinkedIn page, 3,706 graduates currently reside in the Kansas City area. The top three jobs held by these graduates are sales, education and healthcare services. The top businesses where graduates work are Cerner Corporation, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Hallmark Cards and Sprint.

For additional information about recent graduates’ careers please visit the William Jewell College LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/edu/alumni?id=20144&trk=edu-up-nav-menu-alumni

Feature photo by Kyle Rivas

Infographic courtesy of LinkedIn

To be honest…with Athena Palmer

Athena Palmer — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 14:00:08 +0000

To be honest, I’m not okay but that’s perfectly okay.

Recently I have come to the overwhelming conclusion that I am not entirely happy with the current state of my life. I use friendships, work and classes to avoid the pressing issue that I am not my normal self. Instead of dealing with negative thoughts and emotions, I would rather bury them deep within me and pretend like they are not there. Because of this, I have lost sight of who I am. By using people and places as a distractions rather than dealing with my issues, I am subconsciously making my quality of life worse for myself.

In college, students are constantly pressured to have their lives together. We all know the drill: you go home for Thanksgiving break and almost immediately you are bombarded with questions, such as, “Do you have a boyfriend yet? Where are you living after college? How will you get a job with that major?” These questions, though seemingly harmless, are not always what students want to talk about.

Why is it that no one ever asks the tough questions? Questions such as, “Are you actually happy with your decision to go to college? Do you ever feel lonely? Are you scared that you won’t be able to make a life for yourself?” I think the reason people would rather focus on your current relationship and job status is because they already know the answers to the tough questions. Much like myself, they bury themselves in simple issues rather than dealing with the difficult ones.

It has taken me a while to come to this conclusion, but I have realized that it is okay not to be happy. It is okay not to have your life together. College, while supposedly some of the best years of your life, can also be some of the most challenging. For most of us, this is the first time we have truly been on our own. Because of this, it can be easy to want to rely on others for help, support and happiness. Since coming to college, one of the more strenuous lessons I have had to learn is that, at the end of the day, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.

Being comfortable with every aspect of yourself can be challenging. As I mentioned before, we often rely on others to distract ourselves from negative thoughts and feelings. While college is great for developing lifelong friendships with others, it is also great for developing a lifelong friendship with yourself. I believe that coming to terms with your true feelings, emotions and thoughts can be one of the most powerful things a person can accomplish. It takes guts to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I am not okay today.”

How do we deal with the negativity and unhappiness? If you are anything like me, you may be tempted to hide away in your room all day, contemplating an endless cycle of negative thoughts and emotions. Instead of trying to change what you can’t fix, try embracing what you can. Let yourself truly feel the negativity and unhappiness. Realize that there is nothing wrong with not being your best 100 percent of the time. Yes, it can be hard to accept situations or emotions that make us sad. Take a moment to let yourself be sad, and then pick yourself right back up and move on. Cut off all your hair, hang out at a coffee shop downtown or dance really badly to really loud music in your room. Thank yourself for always being there for you at the end of the day. Become your own best friend. Learn to fall in love with who you are, and be proud of it.

Who to follow @ Jewell

Athena Palmer — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 14:00:06 +0000

William Jewell College has many different clubs and organizations that stay busy year-round. From athletics to honors societies, it can be difficult to follow everything happening on campus on a day-to-day basis. One way to stay current with all that is happening at Jewell is by following different clubs, organizations and even Jewlligans on social media.

Twitter:

@jewellplc: Jewell Pryor Learning Commons always has the ins and outs of what is happening on campus. There is a 24/7 display of its Twitter feed at @theBeak, so it is easy to know what is going on. They also retweet different clubs and organizations that use the hashtag “jewellplc.” Following the PLC on Twitter is one of the best ways to stay in the know with what is happening all over campus.

@JewellTheatreCo: In the mood to see a great theatrical production? Following the William Jewell Theater Company on Twitter will keep you updated on their yearly productions. Be sure to check out this week’s production of “Metamorphoses.

Get your tickets for Metamorphoses! Find out why there's a pool in Peters Theater.#jewellplc pic.twitter.com/wEK2rIEyUY

— Jewell Theatre Co. (@JewellTheatreCo) November 10, 2015

@dsalleeatjewell: The best way to know what’s happening on campus is by checking out the President’s Twitter page! Dr. Sallee is always up to date with athletics, events and organizations.

@IceIce_Matty: Matt Crawford, senior, could probably write tweets for a living. Never before have I laughed so much at one person’s Twitter page. Following Crawford on Twitter is a decision you’ll never regret.

S/O to people my age getting engaged and doing big things in life so young.??

S/O to me for wearing pants three days in a row.?

— Matt Crawford (@IceIce_Matty) November 15, 2015

Facebook:

William Jewell CUA: Do you like free movies? Better yet, do you like free food, free concerts and free movies? By “liking” William Jewell College Union Activities on Facebook, it is easy to stay informed on all of the fabulous and free events taking place on campus.

WJC Panhellenic: Interested in Greek Life? Following WJC Panhellenic on Facebook is the best way to learn about informal recruitment events, the different chapters on campus and when and where to sign up for formal recruitment.

Hilltop Monitor: Following “The New York Times” of the Midwest, aka The Hilltop Monitor, on Facebook is the best way to read weekly issues and articles. New issues come out every Friday at 10:15 am and following the Facebook page is a great and easy way to read, share and like each story.

Instagram:

Harriman Jewell Series: Harriman Jewell Series provides Jewell students with free tickets to world class performances. Their Instagram account stays up to date with when which acts will be at the Kauffman center and when students can get tickets to those events. I highly suggest checking out the Russian National Ballet Theater this January for their performance of “Cinderella.”

The Vienna Boys Choir will bring tidings of comfort and joy this Friday at The Folly Theater

A post shared by Harriman-Jewell Series (@hjseries) on Nov 18, 2015 at 10:31am PST

William Jewell College’s Instagram frequently posts pictures of campus and what is going on during the week. From Homecoming to Lighting of the Quad, following their Instagram is a way to stay informed on what is happening on campus.

Great fall day to explore campus! #wjcfoliage

A post shared by William Jewell College (@williamjewellcollege) on Nov 6, 2015 at 11:15am PST

Jewell hires new nurse practitioner

Athena Palmer — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 02:45:34 +0000

One of the worst parts of going to college away from home is waking up with an illness. Not being able to be in the comfort of your own bed with a parent eager to take care of you is a harsh reality that comes with adulthood.

The campus nurse practitioner is available to address these issues.

Some students shared their experience with a former nurse practitioner at William Jewell College (WJC).

“Last year when the whole campus had pink eye, I went into the nurse with what I thought was allergies. I barely walked in and she diagnosed me with pink eye because my eyes were red and swollen. After trying to explain to her that I was pretty sure it wasn’t pink eye, she proceeded to write a prescription for pink eye. She assured me that I had pink eye and kindly escorted me out. After a week of using the eye drops without getting any better, I threw the eye drops away and went to urgent care,” said Macy Tush, sophomore.

Kristen Agar, sophomore, also shared her experience with the former on-campus nurse.

“When I walked into the Wellness Center, her door was closed. There was no sign on the door that said she was with a patient, so I knocked. She barely cracked open the door and asked me what was wrong. At this point, I realized that someone was in her office. She just looked at me through the cracked door and told me to drink more fluids. I thought this was very unprofessional. I would have waited for her to finish or come back later if she had told me to, but she just sent me away,” said Agar.

This year, the College hired a new nurse practitioner, Paula Brown, DNP, APRN-BC, who is excited to make changes to the student health services on campus.

“I’ve already been to the new nurse, and she is lovely. She made me feel welcome and comfortable. I hope she continues to keep up this atmosphere,” said Tush.

Brown has worked as a registered nurse since receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Avila College in 1988. In 1999, she received her Masters of Science in Nursing from Graceland University. In 2012, she received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Kansas.

Brown splits her time working at the College part of the week and at Barry Pointe Family Care the other half of the week.

“I love working with this age group. I previously worked in the student health clinic at a local university and loved it. I have been on the nurse practitioner faculty at Graceland University and The University of Kansas and enjoyed working with students in this capacity as well. I really like the environment at William Jewell,” she said.

Brown worked with Student Life to distribute flu shots to the campus. Flu shots are now available to students, faculty or staff who make an appointment with Brown. Each shot will cost $17 She plans on ordering as many flu shots as it takes to vaccinate anyone wants one.

“It takes just a few minutes and is such an important step to ensure the health of our students, faculty and staff. Influenza can put someone in bed for up to a week and can lead to hospitalization and serious illness. I want to make sure everyone knows that you can’t get the flu from the vaccine,” said Brown.

Not only does Brown wanting to provide campus wide flu shots, but she is also working on increasing the spectrum of services provided in the student health clinic. She would like to provide more education to students about their health and provide care to students with mental health conditions. She is also working with the campus psychology services to develop informational resources on smoking cessation therapy.

Brown’s office is located in the Ely Wellness Center. Her clinic hours are Monday and Wednesday from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. and Tuesday and Thursday from 8 A.M. to 3 P.M.

She can be reached by email at healthcenter@william.jewell.edu or by phone at 816-415-5020.

A previous version of this feature was published with the incorrect hours listed for the nurse practitioner’s hours.