Anna Biondo, senior business administration major, discussed her greatest accomplishments – both on and off the softball field – along with her plans after graduation with the Hilltop Monitor. Playing softball all four years at William Jewell College, Biondo shared the memories the she will miss the most.

“I will miss always having a family to come back to after the summer and long breaks, and the support that they all bring,” Biondo said. “I enjoy the laughter, and the bonds that us girls have created with one another. Softball has always instilled a sense of competitiveness in me and I will miss the opportunity to challenge myself everyday.”

Biondo has received a number of awards for her accomplishments after she broke several records at Jewell including “Third Team all Conference Pitcher” in 2017 and “Most Appearances,” “Most Wins” and “Most Innings Pitched” in 2019. These awards, in addition to her performance, have garnered the attention of professional teams.

“I am not sure whether I am going yet, but a start up professional softball team in Mobile, Alabama has offered me the opportunity to go play for them for two months in the summer. I am really excited that my efforts and performance have been acknowledged. It would allow me to experience a level of play that I haven’t before,” said Biondo.

Biondo is seeking to work for Garmin once she graduates. She aspires to work in marketing or design and have creative influence over her work.

“I really enjoy being creative, and I am fascinated by technology, so I have been reaching out to recruiters at Garmin. My role would involve working closely with companies like Target that buy Garmin products. I would discuss with them the types of product that they would like to buy in order to help the company fill purchase orders,” Biondo said.

Biondo also aspires to coach one day and give kids the same love of the game that she has felt through 18 years of play.

“Once I am settled in Kansas City with a good job, I wouldn’t mind coaching kids. I think it hasn’t really hit me yet that softball is over, but I can always connect and find my passion for the game again through coaching,” Biondo said. “I can really thank softball for teaching me the importance of work ethic, friendship, love and a competitive spirit.”

Zak Carroll, senior Oxbridge: Institutions and Policy and international relations major, and EmmaRae King-Carroll, Oxbridge: Music major will be entering graduate school at Yale University much as they are here at William Jewell College: together.

The pair – married in August of 2018 – met early-on in their Jewell careers and, after a close friendship, developed a romantic relationship throughout their time at the College. After getting engaged during their year abroad – both spending time at Oxford as part of the Oxbridge Honors Program – the two began their senior year as newlyweds.

Both Zak and EmmaRae see their relationship as a progression of events born out of a good friendship and close proximity to each other – something for which they have Jewell to thank.

“We were really, really good friends for our first year of college. And then, we both were really available – we weren’t seeing anyone else – so it’s just something we sort of fell into. Oxford was a lot of fun, it’s just been growth I guess. It’s been like a progression of events, we’ve done some really cool stuff together, some really hard stuff too,” EmmaRae King-Carroll said of their relationship.

“I think that’s one of the coolest parts about Jewell is that nobody really does things in isolation, we all have a common experience that brings us together – whether that’s in a romantic relationship, whether it’s in just a personal relationship. For Emma and I, it was both – because we were just personal, just friends at first before we ever began dating,” Zak Carroll said in agreement.

The couple will shortly be leaving their home in Kansas City, Missouri for one in New Haven, Connecticut, where they will begin their graduate programs at Yale in the fall. Zak will be working on his master’s of divinity while EmmaRae will be doing a master’s of art and religion in liturgical studies in the University’s Institute of Sacred Music

“It was in Dr. Rigler’s class when she first brought up the notion of different styles of worship and how some are transcendent and bringing others into glory and heaven and bringing someone in verses the imminent nature of Jesus Christ being reciprocal and open to everyone.  Also, Jay Carter introduced me to the program. He’s the one that told me I could do it and be in it, he helped me with my application, so really if it wasn’t for him I never would’ve applied,” EmmaRae King-Carroll said of her program.

“What got me interested in it at Jewell is the institutional side of I&P [Oxbridge: Institutions and Policy], and how do we make organizations better and how can we make them more efficient. And I was able to, at Oxford, take a theology tutorial,” said Zak Carroll, in describing how his experience at Jewell prepared him for his master’s. “I knew I was interested in theology but that really solidified me wanting to do theology. And then I was able to do a project with Dr. Benz here, a distinction in religion project my senior year. That really helped out and seeing that it’s something I can do and really enjoy and just kind of confirming that passion.”

Proving true closeness – but still showcasing their nuanced individualism – the two gave similar answers when asked about their favorite part of their time at the College.

“I think the most memorable part [of my Jewell journey] would have to be on freshman move in day, my first year, I met EmmaRae, I met Meg [Anderson] and Haley [Hart] and we all hung out and went to the library and ‘broke’ into the White Science Center, and it was just a lot of fun,” Zak Carroll said. “And it’s iconic because they’re still my best friends and I’m married to one of them. So the fact that that happened on the first day and they’re still my best friends is such a cool thing.”

“There is no one specific memory I have to sum up my Jewell experience. Like move in day I met Zak, Haley Hart and Megan Anderson and we have been fast friends ever since, and that was really important to me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. I remember taking a class with Dr. Rigler that really changed my perspective on Christian worship. I remember my very first day at Oxford when I got dropped off at LMH [Lady Margaret Hall], and I was all alone. Just the whole thing. I remember coming back and feeling confused and unsure of what was going on. I remember singing in the Schola Cantorum with Jay Carter – one of my favorite experiences,” EmmaRae King-Carroll said.

Although they will be beginning a new, exciting adventure at Yale, the couple will miss Jewell – which has provided such a sense of home over the years.

“At Jewell what I’ve been most thankful for is just how small it is and how able you are to form relationships with people and have to work through things for better or for worse again and again. That allows you to make a difference, it allows you to build relationships and a community that you won’t be able to build as well outside of these confines,” Zak Carroll said.

Nodding in agreement, EmmaRae King-Carroll left some closing advice for current students of her soon-to-be alma mater.

“Some people are worth the heartbreak that you’ll only will get to know them for so many years before you move halfway across the country from them. Some people are worth it, especially the ones that make you forget that there is only a really limited amount of time. Just embrace it, because it’s better than not feeling anything at all,” EmmaRae King-Carroll said, while Zak Carroll emphatically agreed.

Maria Schollmeyer, senior nursing and Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry major, has accepted a job with St. Luke’s East Hospital and will be working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) assisting infants in critical condition.

In high school, Schollmeyer did a pre-professional nursing program and shadowed at St. Luke’s East in the NICU unit. Ever since, Schollmeyer knew she wanted to return.

“I fell in love with it. I remember going home and telling my mom that I want to work there someday,” said Schollmeyer.

Three years later, Schollmeyer is indeed going back and will be doing what she considers her dream job.

“I’ve known for a long time that I’ve wanted to work at St. Luke’s, and so it’s really cool to see that dream come into fruition [sic],” said Schollmeyer.

Initially, there was not supposed to be a position open at the St. Luke’s East NICU. When Schollmeyer expressed her interest in the NICU – among other critical care floors – during the interview process, she was informed that they were not hiring in that department at that time, but they would give her the opportunity to meet with them anyway.

Though there wasn’t supposed to be a position open in the unit, the conversation revolved around the NICU in Scholmeyer’s interview.

“The next thing I know they just start talking about NICU stuff which was kind of bizarre since there wasn’t supposed to be an open spot,” said Schollmeyer.

Before and during Schollmeyer’s interview, the conversation also turned to her research project about Kangaroo Care, a form of developmental care involving direct contact when a newborn is placed skin-to-skin on a mom or dad, which she did for the William Jewell College nursing symposium.

“We were just talking about my project when we were waiting for the interview to start and we talked about it more during my interview. I think it kind of showed how serious and how passionate I was about the NICU and the time and effort I was able to put into it and the opportunity to do a project on it through Jewell’s nursing department,” said Schollmeyer.

The morning after her interview, Schollmeyer was offered a position in the NICU department at St. Luke’s East.

“I accepted right then and didn’t have to apply anywhere else because I got my dream job,” said Schollmeyer.

Schollmeyer gives credit to the Jewell Nursing department and her professors who supported her throughout her time at Jewell and through her application process.

“Specifically shoutout to Professor Patty Richter because she was my sponsor for my Kangaroo Care project – she was also my OB professor and she taught me what I know about the NICU stuff,” said Schollmeyer. “They [the nursing department] are all really great support for me, and I just think that having them back me helped me stand out a little bit more to get the opportunity.”

In the NICU, Schollmeyer will be taking care of newborn babies who may have some complications or need more care because they were born prematurely. She will get to help deliver babies and assist in that area as well.

For Schollmeyer, to be the support for those babies and their parents in those first moments is a privilege.

“You know having a baby, in general, is such a vulnerable time for any parent and to find out that you might have a baby that has to stay a little longer or may go off plan –  it’s just a really vulnerable time. I really think it is a privilege to have to opportunity to be there for the family and parents in those first few moments of life for those babies and being able to care for them and be their support system and their advocate,” said Schollmeyer.

Schollmeyer expressed that she feels well equipped for her future in nursing due to the challenging and immersive nature of Jewell’s nursing program.

“From the moment you start nursing school, you hit the ground running with clinical – you start fundamentals in your first nursing class, and you’re in a clinical scene. I think it’s really great that they got us out there because you can only learn as much as you can from textbooks,” said Schollmeyer. “It’s important to know obviously the different illnesses and diseases and how to care for people on paper, but getting into that clinical scenario and physically getting to touch and see things and do things is so different. The fact that we get that extra time there is so incredible.”

Jewell’s nursing program allows students to experience all different variations of specialties, unlike some schools where students have to pick and choose.

“I’m thankful that Jewell’s nursing department gave us the opportunity to experience everything, we didn’t have to make those tough choices because we literally got to experience everything and really get to make an educated decision about what we are passionate about so I’m thankful for that,” said Schollmeyer.