Insider rockhurst university
c e l e b r at i n g s t o r i e s o f m a g i s
SPRING 2021
PASSION BECOMES PROGRESS IN SEDGWICK’S RENOVATION
FOR THE GREATER: A Campaign for Rockhurst University
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hen Rockhurst University last updated its vision statement, one very specific word was included — “transformative.” It’s a term University leaders use often, and one that alumni evoke when describing what their education meant to them.
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n 2018, Rockhurst University embarked on a fiveyear, $55 million comprehensive campaign to support people, programs and physical property across campus. From restoring our historic campus to paving the way for future students, every piece of this “The Sunderland Foundation campaign supports our mission to applauds the kind of vision create a community of learners, embodied by Rockhurst leaders and those who serve the greater good.
It’s also a solid description of “For the Greater,” the fundraising campaign underway now that will pave the way to the University’s future. The $55 million campaign’s name echoes the Jesuit motto represented by the initials AMDG, “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” or “for the greater glory of God.” As it stands, the University is approximately 96% of the way toward that goal, and alumni and friends are invited to be part of this historic opportunity by supporting the campaign. At the center of “For the Greater” is the reimagining of Sedgwick Hall, with the cornerstone of our campus becoming the home of Saint Luke’s™ College of Nursing and Health Sciences. But “For the Greater” is much more than the renovation of a single building. It has already resulted in the construction of the MAC and the renovation of Town House Village, and the campaign also seeks to support the annual fund and endowment, bolstering efforts to serve the University’s students for years to come.
Sedgwick renovation from Troost Avenue. "Giving new meaning to traditional stones."
For information on giving opportunities, contact Mary Mooney Burns at mary.burns@rockhurst.edu or scan the QR Code.
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am not going to lie, this past year has been hard. Rockhurst is a place that prides itself on community and personalized instruction and learning. It has required a great deal of resilience from our students and faculty to remain both realistic of today’s obstacles and optimistic about the future. That resilience is rooted in both gratitude and the belief that we are called to serve for the greater good. Yes, we are living in unprecedented times, but what has not changed over the years is Rockhurst’s commitment to impact and transform lives with a distinctly Jesuit education. Rockhurst students are taught to examine their hearts, challenge their minds and question the status quo. As Rockhurst alumni, they will be more, seek more and give more.
Mary Mooney Burns, ‘93 Vice President of University Advancement
Today I want to thank each of you for your gifts to Rockhurst that help us continue and expand on our important mission as we look toward an exciting future. You are the reason our students are thriving in this challenging year. With Hawk Pride,
Mary Mooney Burns, ’93
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rockhurst university insider
Kansas City Area Foundations All In “FOR THE GREATER”
University’s expansion in the health sciences and their commitment to meeting the needs of our community well into the future,” said Kent Sunderland, chairman of the foundation.
The University has raised $53 million to date and is working hard to close the gap. The largest component of the campaign focuses on the $23 million renovation of Sedgwick Hall, the most iconic structure on campus. Once complete, Sedgwick will become home to Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, offering premier degree programs in the medical field. The building will be renovated and expanded to include a 7,000 square-foot state-of-the-art simulation lab, multiple bed labs for nursing space, a 10-station health assessment lab and dedicated study and student spaces. Rockhurst has a long history working with corporate and family foundations and once again, many have stepped forward in support of the campaign, including lead “Our foundation is pleased to gifts from the Sunderland be investing in the future of Foundation, Goppert Rockhurst University, knowing Foundation and the Altec/ the work they are doing will Styslinger Foundation, to name a few. These foundation leave a positive and lasting gifts continue the momentum impact on the community,” generated by many generous states Jon Styslinger, friends and donors. President and Chief Operating The renovated space will Officer of Altec Inc. encompass over 30,000 square feet when completed. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed in the early part of the 2022-23 academic year. If your foundation is interested in the campaign, please contact Amy Reardon, amy.reardon@rockhurst.edu. For more information, visit rockhurst.edu/forthegreater.
vSimulation: A NEW EXPERIENCE for Nursing Students
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hen universities were forced to close due to the pandemic, nursing faculty had to make alternative plans for student clinical experiences. Caroline Olawaiye, DNP, director of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, worked with faculty to find an alternative that would support the same learning outcomes. “I am really pleased that we were able to quickly provide a rigorous, simulated experience for those students who are studying adult health and medical surgical nursing with an online product called vSim,” Olawaiye said. “We are especially grateful that Robert Kleist provided the funding so that we could purchase vSimulation educational resources for undergraduate and graduate nursing students!” Kleist’s late wife, Barbara, was a 1949 graduate of what was then known as Saint Luke’s Nursing College and over the years the Kleist’s provided a variety of donations to support nursing programs and scholarships. They established an endowed professor of nursing chair, provided funding for the college’s simulation center and donated operational funds to start the graduate nursing and allied health associate degree programs. Because of the Kleist’s and other donors like them, the nursing program has thrived during the pandemic and health care workers will graduate skilled and ready.
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Passion Becomes Progress In Sedgwick’s Renovation F
or every donor to the For the Greater campaign and the Sedgwick Hall project in particular, there are is a story of connection.
Gift Honors Donor’s Family Connection to the Jesuits at RU
Many alumni experienced classes in our campus cornerstone itself. For others, the fondness for the foundation of Rockhurst University comes from a different place. Rosemary Kilker, a youthful and spry 92 year old, grew up about three blocks from the Rockhurst campus, and has many memories of the early history of campus and the Jesuits. Two cousins raised by her parents, Tom and Johnny Divine, both graduated from Rockhurst High School when it was in Sedgwick Hall, and both became Jesuits, spending time in the community at Rockhurst. Her own mother, Teresa Cannon, was a founding member of the Rockhurst Circle group that would support the Jesuit community with everything from cooking to fundraising. Some of the names that adorn campus buildings, such as the Rev. Maurice Van Ackeren, S.J., were guests at Kilker’s childhood home. Following the death of her husband, Bob, in 2008 (himself a Rockhurst High School graduate from the class of 1939), Kilker decided to use the money they had invested and saved together to make where they lived a better place. That’s meant benefitting causes close to her heart. Recognizing the fond memories and the impact of the Jesuit community in her own life, as well as the role of Jesuit education in her family, she recently contributed to the Bob and Rosemary Kilker Learning Studio, a large classroom in the renovated Sedgwick Hall. Her gift ensures that she and her family’s connection to Rockhurst will live on for future generations. “Rockhurst does have a special significance to me, and I know it did to Bob too,” she said. “This is my way of showing how important the Jesuits have always been to my family.”
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rockhurst university insider
Sedgwick Gifts Honors Sister’s Legacy as a Nurse
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eff Akerly, ’92 MBA, said his sister Christine had a passion for helping people. In addition to looking out for her little brother, Christine pursued a career in gerontological nursing, using her compassion and gift for forging connections to serve those older patients. Christine passed in 1981 at only 29 years old. Jeff said it had long been his intention to honor his sister’s memory in some way using the proceeds from the donor-advised fund his parents had left the family.
“She always had that passion,” Akerly said. “Some people just seem made for their specialty, and that was the case with Christine.”
The renovation of Sedgwick Hall on the campus of his alma mater, Rockhurst University, as part of the “For the Greater” campaign, provided a perfect opportunity. “Everything kind of came together,” he said. Knowing that the building will, when complete, house the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jeff said he decided to direct his gift toward a student lounge bearing his sister’s name, Christine (Akerly) Chesser. Likely to be frequently used by nursing and health science students every day once the building opens, the space is a fitting tribute, he said, to the spirit of care and concern of others – of the Jesuit core value of “cura personalis” – to which his sister dedicated herself. For more on naming opportunities within Sedgwick Hall, contact Paula Moss, executive director of University development, at paula.moss@rockhurst.edu.
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CHIEF RANDY HOPKINS: A contributor for the greater good!
Nursing Student Turns Tragedy Into Something Much Better
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hief Randy Hopkins, EMBA, ’20, is a true blessing to Rockhurst University. After retiring as deputy chief from the Kansas City Police Department in 2015, Randy began his career as chief of Rockhurst University’s Department of Safety and Security. Chief Hopkins collaboratively manages the technical and physical safeguards of the University, works-hand-in-hand with University leadership and is a very familiar, welcoming presence on campus. Chief Hopkins and his team work tirelessly to keep everyone safe, particularly now during the pandemic.
ennifer Mendoza choose a career in nursing partly because she remembers watching helplessly as a friend of hers died of a gunshot wound. “If I had known some nursing basics, I might have been able to save him,” she said. Now a junior at Rockhurst, she is an example of a nursing student taking advantage of the additional academic resources at Rockhurst University. In addition to her major in nursing, she is also minoring in criminal justice. This is going to help her follow her dream of becoming a SANE Nurse (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner). Mendoza is grateful for donors who have supported her journey of turning tragedy into something better.
Jennifer Mendoza, BSN, ‘22
Chief Hopkins believes “to whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48).” Because of that belief, Randy makes a monthly, Director of Security recurring gift to the University. “I make donations to RU, hoping that others will do the same (to the best of their ability) and that the total benefit of everyone’s generosity will bless students in their academic journey. Life should always be about contributing to the greater good of our companions.” Chief Hopkins is an RU trueblue blessing indeed!
Randy Hopkins, ‘20 EMBA
Caring for the Whole Person Leads to Inspired Giving
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ne of Rockhurst’s core values is “cura personalis,” or “care for the whole person.” We strive to help people understand their inherent human dignity, to reach their greatest potential, to share their knowledge, and to act in a way that reflects this growth. Dr. Michael Donnelly, ’63, and his wife, Peggy, share these values and acted on them for student success. When Mike was young, his parents moved so that their sons would be close to both Rockhurst High School and College, then located on the same campus.
Dr. Michael Donnelly, ’63
To make a gift to Rockhurst please contact Becky Sanchez at rebecca.sanchez@rockhurst.edu or scan the QR code.
Allison Phillips, BSN, RN, ‘17, Reflects on Sedgwick Hall
“They did not have the opportunity to attend college during the Great Depression but placed great value on a Jesuit education and worked hard to provide it for their sons,” Mike said.
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edgwick Hall, a cornerstone on Rockhurst’s campus, holds many memories for our alumni. Those memories are resurfacing as the renovation project begins on Sedgwick Hall to become home to Saint Luke’s College Health Sciences at Rockhurst University.
For this reason, in 2003 he established the Joseph and Catherine Donnelly Endowed Scholarship in their memory. “I was a scholarship recipient and wanted to pay back,” Mike said. In 2020 he was also inspired to support the reimagining of Sedgwick Hall – the very building where he attended Rockhurst High School. He continues his support of his parents’ scholarship, while also remembering his aunt, Mary Golden Donnelly, who contracted polio in the 1930s and spent her life in a wheelchair. Despite this physical limitation, Mary went on to become a noted scholar and tutor, impacting past generations of Rockhurst students. Now her name will adorn a special accessible space that faces tree-lined Troost Avenue. This investment helps address the critical need for nurses and health professionals to care for the whole person. Dr. Donnelly and Peggy reside in Pennsylvania. His brother, cousin and several uncles are also Hawk alumni.
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rockhurst university insider
For 2017 nursing alumna Allison Phillips, fond memories of learning in Sedgwick come with excitement for its future. Allison is thrilled for the new state-of-the-art facilities for our future nurses of the world. “I am hopeful that this will give nursing students at Rockhurst a chance to stay more involved on campus throughout their years there,” she said. Allison Phillips, BS, RN, ‘17
As a young alumna, Allison has enjoyed watching the University grow and has stayed involved through alumni events. She said she chooses to give back because “of the quality education and amazing experiences Rockhurst gave me. I make gifts because I want Rockhurst to be able to continue its mission!” The renovations of Sedgwick are made possible by the many generous alumni and donors for the ongoing “For the Greater” campaign. For more information on how to get involved in the campaign, please contact Mary.Burns@rockhurst.edu or scan the QR code here. celebrating stories of magis
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KOCHANOWSKI FAMILY: Supporting Student-Athletes
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ason and Lenora Kochanowski’s daughter Katelyn, a Rockhurst sophomore, immediately found her new home with the women’s lacrosse team as a freshman in August 2019. As a student-athlete majoring in physics of medicine and molecular biology, the time demands for Katelyn can be tough, but the Kochanowski’s are confident the support from her teammates and skills she is learning both on the field and off are setting her up for a successful career. While the pandemic forced Katelyn back home to Apple Valley, Minnesota, to complete her freshman year, Jason and Lenora were inspired with how the team supported one another from a distance and how the captains kept everyone motivated to prepare for their 2021 season.
UPCOMING EVENTS MAY 6 VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION “Coming Through the Pandemic” MAY 12 RU MCLAIN’S VIRTUAL CAKE DECORATING NIGHT JUNE 28 FR. JOSEPH M. FREEMAN, S.J. ROCKHURST CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT Loch Lloyd Country Club SEPT 17-19 FAMILY AND ALUMNI WEEKEND Rockhurst University
“The women’s lacrosse team is a group of academic and athletic high achievers that raises the bar high, and we are grateful to have the ability to contribute and support Rockhurst Athletics,” Lenora said. If you have questions on how you can support student athletes at Rockhurst, please contact Brent Blazek at brent.blazek@rockhurst.edu or 816-501-4375.
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rockhurst university insider
For more information, visit rockhurst.edu/alumni.