Over winter break, the William Jewell College Pryor Leadership Program Fellows set out on their Outward Bound trip to the Florida Everglades. They packed their bags, printed their boarding passes and prepared to put their leadership and team bonding skills to the test.

The Pryor Leadership Program is a three-year program that aims to develop leadership skills in individuals through experiences in the classroom and through vocational and volunteer internships. Participating in an Outward Bound trip is an integral part of the Pryor Leadership Program.The trip allows Pryor Fellows to utilize the leadership skills they learned in their first Cornerstone Course, while also demonstrating their strengths and weaknesses in trying conditions. The Fellows are tasked with paddling across the Florida Everglades, including having to navigate through mud and mangrove trees, without access to common technology.

“The trip was amazing. It was a roller coaster of emotions but I wouldn’t change a thing. This is by far one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever taken for both the growth of myself as a person and for all of the amazing sights you get to experience. This trip has given me a newfound love for nature and all it has to offer,” said Carman Stephenson, sophomore elementary education major.  

Will Schneider, sophomore political science major and another Pryor Fellow who went on the trip, agreed that it was a life-changing adventure.

“Overall it was an amazing experience. I was very lucky to have the group I did, we all seemed to bring something different to the table. Everyday there was a challenge and one of us stepped up and was exactly what the group needed to keep us paddling forward,” said Schneider.

“I learned a lot about my personal physical strengths and my mental strengths. Since we were rowing for almost two weeks straight, it took a lot of physical commitment and strength to get our group to where we needed to be each night. Overall, I think I gained a lot of perspective, on what I have to offer the world and then just to cherish certain luxuries at home because it’s not a normal thing to have them,” said Sydney Bass, sophomore English and Spanish major.

All of the Pryor Fellows can agree that throughout the experience, their bodies and emotions were tested as they encountered challenges and obstacles in their path. However, these challenges provided a chance to come up with solutions and to problem solve with one another.

“I grew so much throughout this experience. You are pushed to your limits physically, mentally, and emotionally – which can show you a lot about yourself. I learned that I am definitely capable of more than I thought!” said Stephenson.

Having to change one’s regular routine can be quite an adjustment and presents many difficulties in new places and environments. The Fellows had to find ways to develop resilience to these difficulties throughout the trip.

“It’s sort of like you go through withdrawal – from foods that you’re used to eating, from knowing the time every second of the day, from people that you depend on, and really just from typical life. But after those couple first days it was amazing, because the worries of drama on the internet or the millions of homework assignments sort of dissipate and I was able to really enjoy the pure nature around me and the really cool people I got to meet,” said Bass.

Stephenson agreed that the change of environment was a challenge for her.

“I would say that the most difficult part of the trip was being pushed so far out of my comfort zone. You are thrown into a new environment, with a new group of people, and taught a new set of skills all over the course of two weeks. I never found myself comfortable on this trip which is both the best and the worst part,” said Stephenson.

The sense of accomplishment that each crew received when they reached their final destinations made all of the challenges they experienced worthwhile.

“The most rewarding parts of the trip were seeing a beautiful sunrise and sunset everyday. They were always something that the group would stop whatever we were doing and just watch. Then the final day of paddling we all raced to the end and when we got there the feeling of accomplishment was a very rewarding feeling because of how hard our group had worked,” said Schneider.

Stephenson also agreed that making it to their final destination was, for her,  the most rewarding part of the trip.

“I can easily say that making it to the endpoint was the most rewarding part of the trip and one of the most rewarding moments of my life. Once you make it to the end you are worn out and tired but you can also be so proud of all you and your crew achieved. It was an amazing feeling to accomplish such a difficult task with a group of people that you truly grow to love and rely on,” said Stephenson.

The skills of the Pryor Fellows were tested, but by working together and staying positive they were able to lead their crews through the wetlands of the Everglades.

Some of their rules one might expect, but others stand out as questionable.

Prince Philip, married to Queen Elizabeth, must always walk a few steps behind the queen at all times. In photos featured in the press of this happy couple, Prince Philip is constantly trailing Queen Elizabeth.

Personal displays of affection (PDA) are also frowned upon in public within the royal family.

The members of the royal family adhere to a strict dress code while in the public eye. When traveling, they are sure to pack a full black dress outfit in case of the event of a death or funeral.

Prince George, son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, only wears dress shorts and long socks while in public. According to English tradition, dressing children in shorts instead of trousers is a common practice and signifies that the child is from an upper-class family. When he was young, Prince William was also dressed in dress shorts by his mother, Princess Diana.

Be thankful for your right to vote, because members of the royal family are not allowed to vote or express any political opinions while in public. Always representing with grace and excellence, the royal family must smile and nod when political matters come up in daily conversation.

When the queen stands up, so do all of her guests. When the queen finishes eating her meal, so do you. Respect for the queen is of utmost importance within members of the royal family and the public.

She is watched carefully – so carefully that if she is seen moving her purse from her left arm to her right, her staff is signaled that she is ready to move on to a new conversation and may need help escaping her current conversation.

If you see a member of the royal family strolling across the quad of William Jewell College, do not expect an autograph or a prized selfie. By no circumstances are autographs or selfies allowed with adoring fans of the royal family.

Even the diets and activities of the royal family are carefully managed. Members must be careful to avoid eating shellfish of any kind, due to the high risk of developing food poisoning. Members are also prohibited from playing the game of Monopoly, due to how aggressive and greedy they might become while building their empires.

Although the royal family must adhere to strict rules established many years ago, they are adored by people across the world as they reign with poise and dignity.

New rules are presented and considered as time passes, such as how the heir to the throne can now be male or female. Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William, now has the chance to become queen before her uncle, Prince Harry!

Adored by many, the royal family continues to amaze the public, even though many of their traditions and rules may appear to be unnecessary and extravagant.

Photo courtesy of Travel + Leisure. 

Rachel Harris, sophomore music education major, has made herself known as a rising violinist in the Kansas City area over the past few years. Harris recently performed her violin solo, Violin Concerto No. 3, 1st movement, by Mozart for a master class at the University of Missouri-Kansas City instructed by a violinist from the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Since beginning violin lessons at the age of six and playing in her first symphony at age 12, Harris has continued advancing her skills and is excited for where her skills and degree will take her in the future.

“I believe that my background in music was heavily influenced by my family, because I am actually the fifth generation in my family to play violin. My great-great-grandfather began this legacy, and I actually still have all of the violins. They are a wonderful piece of family history that I can look back on, and some of them are not able to play, but they are great to have because one can actually see the legacy, tangibly,” said Harris.

Inspired by her family’s history and the line of violinists that have come before her, Harris has continued to practice and refine her skills with the help of her teachers and professors in order to be able to perform challenging pieces and develop new techniques.

“I have had four teachers over my career so far. My most influential teacher was Sarah Holmes. I believe that all of my skills really flourish from her because she influenced me strongly to get involved in things,” Harris said. “Throughout high school I was involved in the Kansas City Youth Symphony. I was thankfully accepted into the highest group of violinists my first year so I was extremely excited, and then after that I had a chair audition in which I had to learn an entire symphony on my own in only two months, so I had to really hone in on skills because they could pick any part of the symphony for me to perform. That was a really big piece of my journey and I am still continuing with the symphony as their intern.”

Being involved in the Kansas City Youth Symphony allowed Harris to experience what performing in a large orchestra is like, and her current intern position with the Kansas City Youth Symphony has allowed her to begin sharing her knowledge with other young violinists and gain experience for her music education degree. While involved in the Youth Symphony, Harris was able to tour in Ireland and experience how music is perceived by audiences overseas.

“That tour really helped to shape me and help me decide to pursue music for my career, especially after seeing how music affects people and how they react to it. I realized that I want other people to share the same joys that I have for music. We played in castles and cathedrals and it was honestly the best experience I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.

Harris is thankful to have previously performed in acclaimed venues, such as Folly Theater and the Kauffman Performing Arts Center, which have given her a wide perspective for her personal journey and pathways she could pursue over the coming years.

“I am getting an emphasis in orchestra because that is the direction I would like to pursue. My primary instrument is violin so I have chamber music and symphony, which are providing that emphasis. I chose this degree because I have had a lot of teachers throughout the years and I feel like I have gained so many different skills and skill sets from them that I want to able to share with other students, and I also want other kids to take part in the amazing experiences that I have had, even if they don’t choose to advance further in their chosen skills and disciplines. I just want them to experience the joy that music can bring and the self-expression it can provide,” Harris said.

Harris hopes to teach middle or high school orchestra in the Kansas City area after she graduates from William Jewell College. She also has already begun teaching students privately in her own studio, which has helped to give her direction for her degree as well.

“Right now I have six students that I’m teaching privately. I teach from my house in Blue Springs, Missouri and I have really marketed it to the community and it’s been received very well. We’re planning recitals now and it’s so fun, I truly have a passion for teaching,” she said.

Of the numerous pieces that Harris has performed, her favorite to play is the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1. She performed the piece for her violin audition at Jewell, and also with her high school orchestra as a senior. The piece originally seemed too difficult to master for Harris, but it challenged her to play more passionately and with intensity.

“I think it [the piece] has really influenced my playing now. Now that I have challenged myself so far with such a difficult piece, when I look at other difficult pieces of music I’m able to say, ‘Oh, I can easily manage this.’ This piece has been like a stepping stone for me as I have advanced in my skill level,” said Harris.

In addition to being challenged by solo pieces, Harris enjoys learning new pieces alongside other musicians in chamber music settings. Harris learned and played the second violin part of the “American String Quartet” by Dvorak last year in the WJC Chamber Orchestra. She was inspired by Dvorak, the piece’s composer, because of the way he captured the audience by combining different musical themes from America into a new work.

Harris’ latest accomplishment was performing in a master class at UMKC. The class was instructed by Julia King, associate concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Harris had to prepare early for the performance and was proud to represent William Jewell.

“I started preparing for the masterclass about two weeks before. I pulled out a piece that I had been working on last year, the Violin Concerto 3, 1st movement, by Mozart. I played my solo with Dr. Tracey Johnson as my accompanist. Dr. Brandolino was also super helpful in preparing me for the class, we talked over what to expect. I was kind of nervous at first but in the middle of the piece I had the realization that I was there for a reason, and that I was going to perform the best I could, which helped me to open up to the audience and enjoy performing,” she said. “The violinist, Julia King, really helped me with being stylistic, and she also talked about how to be very stylistic when performing the hard parts of the piece.”

Harris is thankful for having the opportunity to have performed among professional musicians and enjoyed receiving instruction from such a highly acclaimed violinist. The class allowed her to gain more performance experience and a chance to represent William Jewell with grace and excellence.

“When I finally opened up and remembered to breathe, which is something I forget to do sometimes [laughs], I really started to enjoy performing and playing in such a beautiful performance hall. I was very happy with how I did because I was representing William Jewell. It was just a really, really cool experience to have because not many people get to perform in master classes, I was only one of three student performers.” said Harris.

Harris has been able to grow as a student, musician and individual while playing her violin and performing in various concerts and events. She is excited to continue advancing as a musician but also is excited to continue teaching violin lessons to young students and to complete her music education degree.

Her passion for violin stems from Psalm 150:4, a verse from the Bible that reads, “Praise Him with the Strings.” Harris is excited to continue doing just that.

Parson has a heart for many disciplines, and these passions have led her to become involved in numerous projects over the past few years. Originally, Parson did not come to Jewell with the intention of doing music therapy or the mission work that she is pursuing today. Instead, she had the intention of going to medical school and becoming a surgeon, but her interests have led her elsewhere. Being a Jewell student has allowed her to combine her interests and pursue new research and pathways.

“I’ve always loved music, particularly singing, so I ended up in the music department and its gotten me involved with choral scholars, concert choir and the handbell choir. In psychology, I’ve enjoyed helping professors with their research, and last year I helped Dr. Stevenson with his research. This year I’m assisting Dr. McCune with a project of his that ties math and psychology together that he approached me about to design the experiment for,” said Parson.

Managing three majors and being involved is no easy task at Jewell, but Parson has managed to do both with success.

“It’s been worth it because I wouldn’t have been able to do this anywhere else, in terms of pursuing such diverse interests, of which none of the major required courses overlap,” said Parson.

As well as having lots of classes to juggle, Jacqueline has put her diverse passions into action and has become involved in activities on campus such as Concert Choir, Zeta Tau Alpha, and Christian Student Ministries.

“I really love singing in the choir here, Dr. Maglione is just a really great mentor and director, and he makes the experience enjoyable with the amount of passion that he puts into it,” said Parson. “For the last two years I’ve been the ritual chairman of Zeta because it’s something I really enjoy. I’ve also been a part of Christian Student Ministries since my first year here, but over the past two years I’ve become more involved as a leader and have been helping to lead the MOSAiC services, both speaking and leading music,” said Parson.

Parson has been able to meet numerous Jewell students, staff, and faculty due to her diverse interests and activities, and because of this many people have been able to experience working with her and witnessing how she utilizes her cheerful spirit and energy to make positive differences within the Jewell community.  

“I just live my life everyday and hope that my presence brings other people happiness. I’m personally not sure what impact I’ve made on other people, but I hope that I have made an impact,” she said.

Since starting her first year at the college, Parson has learned about herself and what she stands for, developed her global perspective and learned lots from valued professors.

“Between first year me and present me, I have become much more conscientious about the decisions I make and the way the world is working. Before coming to Jewell, I would just act without thinking about what might happen afterwards. Now I know that it’s important to think about other people too. Learning through experiences has given me a lot of wisdom for how to behave in the real world. Jewell has made me more aware, conscientious, culturally aware, and considerate. We are all connected in one way or another,” said Parson.

Parson is excited about where her Jewell education will take her in the coming years. She has future plans to serve and volunteer and is thinking about applying to graduate school.

“I’ve always had a very big heart for serving and volunteering because it’s a natural part of me to always want to put others before myself. My goal is to apply for the Peace Corps and hopefully get in, and then to volunteer there, and when I return I’m ideally planning on pursuing a masters in music therapy because I have personally seen the first hand effects that it’s had on people that are very close to me,” she said.

More than anything, she hopes to help others to feel valued and loved wherever her education, interests and passions take her.  

“I’d like to spend the rest of my life volunteering and helping in any way I can. I’d like to spread love to people that need it, and help, not those who are labeled ‘less fortunate’ because that’s a very super mystic way to look at anyone, but to help people that may not have an understanding of the privilege, love and wisdom that is present in our world today… just learning how to step back from our own privilege here in America…to become part of the rest of the world and to be a part of it in any way possible,” said Parson.

Parson plans to graduate in May of 2019 and she is thankful for the memories she’s made and will make through her activities and favorite Jewell traditions.

“I’m looking forward to the final memories I’m going to make with the people here, because Jewell is a special place and we all know how important and special this place is. I’m going to keep on living in the moment, I feel like life is about celebrating the journey versus reaching the destination, so I’m not going to be thinking about graduation, but I’m going to be thinking about all of the things that I can do now that will make the most of this experience,” said Parson.

Photos by MacKenzie Roth