Senior Profile: Brendan Chapman

Brendan is a hometown son, from Hays. He's earning his degree in History, Secondary Education. 

He says the entire History department was instrumental in guiding him to develop his writing and research skills. He plans to continue on the academic path and will attend FHSU to earn his Master's degree. 

You'll rarely see Brendan without his bright smile and laid back attitude. We can't wait to see him in the classroom, making a difference in the lives of his students. Teaching can be a wild ride but we know he'll hang on and have a great time doing it. Congratulations, Brendan! 

Senior Profile: Cole Berry

Cole is from Topeka and is earning his degree in Organizational Leadership. He also has a Leadership Studies Certificate, was named a Newman Civic Fellow, was on the Dean's Honor Roll, and was a Homecoming nominee! 

Cole has been a member of Christian Challenge and several FHSU bands. When he has free time you'll find him outdoors playing frisbee. 

"The leadership department has been a great blessing to me the four years that I have been here. I was welcomed into the department by all the faculty and they made my time at FHSU enjoyable. I know most all of the campus leadership faculty by name and have good relationships with them all through classes, advising, and various events. They made sure to get to know me and show that they cared about me as a person. Another group has definitely been my band family. I have always loved being in band, and my four years here with the FHSU bands strengthened that even more. From our directors, upperclassmen, to classmates they all gave me a group of people who I could have fun with and really embrace being at FHSU. Finally, the group that I am connected with the most is Christian Challenge. I have gained so many friendships through that group both student and mentors. Without being taken in with this group I don't know what my college life would have been like. They were a rock to me both in my faith and in education knowing that I could rely on them for support, fun, and encouragement in all I do." 

We're very pleased we'll see Cole around campus for a little longer, as he'll remain at FHSU to complete his Master's in Leadership Studies. It's been great to see Cole take on leadership roles in the things he cares about and he will certainly find success as he continues to do so. We wish him all the best! 

“The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, 

but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.” 

– John Buchan

Senior Profile: Reilly Madden

Reilly is from Boulder, Colorado and is earning degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Criminal Justice. She is also a member of the FHSU Women's Soccer team and the NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association).  

Among her many successes, Reilly earned numerous awards and recognitions as a student athlete: 

2022 CSC Academic All-District Team
D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team 2022
All-MIAA All-Tournament Team 2022
All-MIAA First Team 2022
All-MIAA Third Team 2021
All-MIAA Team Spring 2020-21
3X MIAA Scholar-Athlete
4X Academic Honor Roll

She will continue here at FHSU for her Master's in Speech-Language Pathology and play a final year of soccer.

Reilly was also a nominee for the 2023 Torch Award for outstanding seniors. 

On her time here, Reilly says, "Tara Marshall and April Terry have both helped me greatly with my success and always believed in me. They have both been there for my ever changing plans and schedules and their doors are always open."  

We know they'd both agree that Reilly put in all the hard work to get her where she is, and she will continue to be a great support to her team and her programs. 

Congrats Reilly, we look forward to seeing all you continue to do as a Tiger and wish you the best of luck here and beyond! 

Senior Profile: John Gamez-Ramos

 

John is from Ellis, and is earning his BBA in Management with a Concentration in Entrepreneurship. 

He is a member of Sigma Nu Tau, and was involved with the Hansen Hall entrepreneurship community. 

John loves golf. Like, really loves golf. 

On those who have helped him succeed, John says "my parents for being so supportive of me and helping me in any way they can, the Business program for allowing me to compete in competitions and expand my knowledge of the business realm, and to all the scholarships (especially from the generosity of the Honors College) I have received to reach to the point where I am today." 

John hopes to use his skills to work in the insurance industry. The golf skills might help there too. 

From day one at FHSU John has jumped in to take advantage of opportunities and gain experience, and he doesn't let anything get in his way, so he will certainly find success in whatever he puts his mind to. Congratulations! 

From one Frontier to Another: Oaklynn in Alaska

By Oaklynn Carman, a sophomore majoring in Chemistry.

This past fall, I had the opportunity to participate in an exchange with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks through the National Student Exchange. This program allows you to have the experience of an international exchange with the conveniences of not leaving the US. I chose this over a typical study abroad program because it was easier for me to find the courses I needed to take within the US. That being said, Alaska was basically like living in a different country. 

I got to experience multiple things that are unique to Alaska. This started the moment my plane landed at 10pm and it was still completely bright out. This was a lot more enjoyable than the end of the semester when it was dark all day. I also got to experience the joys of -30*F weather. This is not something I particularly enjoyed but it was a part of the experience. I was lucky enough to leave right before -40*F hit though. One of the most amazing things I witnessed was the Northern Lights. Every time I saw them, no matter if it was the third time that week, I was in awe of them. Watching them dance and shift while surrounded by the friends I made there is one of my top ten moments.

Left: 10pm plane arrival. Middle: 11am sunrise Right: Northern Lights behind my apartment.

I obviously was still in school but it looked a little bit different than it does in Kansas. I spent less time doing traditional homework and more time in other classes. I took rock climbing as a class. I participated in RockTober which is a challenge to climb a vertical mile in the month of October. This meant you had to climb up the wall 186 times which doesn’t sound too difficult but trust me, it was. I did complete it though. Another fun thing I got to participate in was research with sled dogs. We took blood draws from the sled dogs before and after they ran a race to explore the effects of blueberries. This was such an interesting experience that I am so grateful to be able to participate in. 

Left: Puppies at Sled Dog Research 

Right: Rock Climbing Success

No recap of my time in Alaska would be complete without mentioning the amazing people I met. From writing songs and constantly doing the cotton-eyed joe, to Sunday dinners and adopting a plastic frog. These strangers, now closest friends, made my experience what it was and for that I am forever thankful. 

Left: Christmas celebration

Right: Ivory Jacks Line Dancing  

Overall, this semester was filled with lessons in the form of chemistry lectures and life rules. This once in a lifetime experience is something I would recommend to anyone. If you get the opportunity, take the chance.