Although Mary Jo Rupp Myers ’64 has traveled all over the world, met many people and seen many places, there’s one experience that stands out to her and holds a special place in her heart. 

During a trip to Afghanistan to deliver school supplies, she met a little boy who made a lasting impression on her.

“He came over to thank me, and he looked at me with his big poignant eyes and said, ‘Please don’t forget us,’” Myers said. “And I’m not — I’m not forgetting them.”

Myers has been a friend to many children in need, as a founding member and president emeritus of the Aschiana Foundation, an organization that supports literacy and vocational training for street children in Afghanistan.

Kansas State University’s First Lady has spent more than 40 years serving charitable organizations and using her resources and talents to help others. For her efforts, she was recognized with the K-State Alumni Association’s 2018 Alumni Excellence Award at a banquet Nov. 9. The Alumni Excellence Award is an annual award recognizing an alumna or alumnus of K-State whose career, service and achievements exemplify the spirit, values and excellence of the university.

“True fulfillment comes from reaching out to help others,” Myers said. “If you see a need, just get involved.”

Rooted in her Kansas upbringing (born in Abilene and raised in Manhattan), Myers has built a rich legacy of public service related to military, educational and humanitarian organizations and programs.

She currently serves on the Women’s Initiative Policy Advisory Council formed by Laura Bush as part of the Bush Foundation. She also serves on the board of trustees for the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that provides homes near military and veterans’ medical centers where military family members stay free of charge while loved ones are being treated.

Watch our 2018 Alumni Excellence Award video to see more ways that Myers has given back:

The Alumni Excellence Award is made possible by the generosity of the Curt and Sherry Frasier family of Beloit, Kansas. Both are 1973 graduates of K-State.

You can read a full-length feature story about this year’s Alumni Excellence Award in the winter 2018 issue of the K-Stater magazine. Not an Alumni Association member? Learn how you can sign up to receive the K-Stater magazine and other great benefits.

— Special thanks to Tim Schrag ’12, K-Stater editor, for his contributions to this article. 

WOW! — K-Staters have helped us put 10,000 official K-State license plates on the road! 

Thank you to all the K-State drivers who helped make this milestone possible. We love seeing you drive with pride, and — even better — your license plates are helping to support future K-Staters.

Since the official K-State license plate program began 22 years ago, the tax-deductible royalties paid on the license plates have raised more than $4.2 million for student scholarships and recognition of achievements.

The scholarships that YOU support are making a difference in the lives of students.

“I want to thank you for awarding me this scholarship,” student Ellen Bodine told the K-State Alumni Association. “It has significantly reduced my financial load for the fall, and will continue to allow me to focus on what I love the most — being a student at Kansas State University.”

Taylor Jamison added, “Thank you so much for honoring me with the alumni scholarship. It’s so special for me to attend the same school as my grandfather. He’s a lifelong Wildcat, and he’s almost as excited as I am!”

Parents of K-Staters also have expressed their gratitude.

“What an honor and a blessing for Nick to receive this award!” said Ann Yuska ’93. “We are truly grateful for this scholarship and for everyone who has made Nick feel welcomed and a part of the K-State family!”

While we’re excited to celebrate reaching our goal of 10,000 license plates, we don’t want to stop there! If you don’t have a K-State license plate yet, you can help us add even more purple pride to the road.

Learn more about how you can get a K-State license plate for your Kansas, Texas or Maryland vehicle.

Note: The K-State Alumni Association offers the official K-State license plate in all states we are currently allowed to do so.  

Whether it’s planning a menu, collecting RSVPs, designing decorations, or setting up tables and chairs, a lot of work has to happen behind the scenes before an event can be a success. 

Kansas State University student Paige Engle has been getting an up-close look at all the details that go into planning a major Alumni Association event; the former K-State Student Ambassador has served as a nonprofit intern at the Alumni Association this semester. As a major in journalism and mass communications with an emphasis in public relations, she wanted to experience working in a nonprofit setting.  

“It just sounded like it was going to be a good match,” she said of the internship, adding that she’s drawn to the nonprofit tradition of giving back. “I’m very mission-driven. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, knowing I’m making a difference.”

During her time at the K-State Alumni Association, she’s been able to help organize many different events, including a Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours; “Pizza and Politics” panel; Alumni Excellence Award banquet; and an Alumni Association board of directors meeting.

“It’s been really cool to learn more about the Alumni Association,” she said. “There are so many different things that the Alumni Association does that I didn’t even know. It’s been really fun. I feel like I’m learning so much.”

She’s also been able to interact with donors and take them on tours of campus, and she’s been gathering information for the Black Student Union 50th reunion. There is no historical record for who has been a member of the organization, so Engle has been doing research to help identify past members.

After she graduates in May, Engle hopes to work in events or development at a nonprofit somewhere in the Kansas City area. Although she doesn’t know exactly what life has in store for her, she plans to take the lessons she’s learned at the Alumni Association with her — such as the importance of building strong relationships.

“I love it here — everybody is so nice. This is the best internship I could have asked for,” she said. “It’s been awesome. I’m super grateful I’ve gotten to do this.”

The funding for the paid Nonprofit Leadership Internship at the K-State Alumni Association was endowed by Alumni Association president and CEO Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 and her husband, Allen Renz ’87. 

Preparing for the future

Current K-State student Laken Horton (front row, on the right) worked at the K-State Alumni Association from 2017-18 as a NEAT grant intern.

Her main project was researching how to get more multicultural and international students involved with the Association after they graduate or their exchange program ends. She looked at programs that could be created to keep alumni connected, regardless of where they live.

“I learned how far the Association truly reaches,” Horton said of her internship. “The programs that I can utilize post-graduation and years after. I’ve also learned how to network but also how to be intentional with people and getting to know others deeper.”

Horton continues to remain heavily involved on campus, through organizations like the K-State Black Student Union (BSU), the Student Union Program Council (UPC) and Manhappenin’ magazine. She also recently served as a member of the 2018 Homecoming Committee.

She knows she’ll look back on her time at the Association as she prepares for her future career.

“I had the opportunity to go to many alumni events, and I was able to get to know many people from all over,” she said. “I’ve received a lot of advice from alumni that I can use later in life. If anything I’ve learned to take the wisdom every opportunity you can get it.”

Building a career

Although an internship may only last a few months, a student’s experiences can continue to impact them — and their career — for years to come.

Leah Baus Johnson ’14 worked at the K-State Alumni Association for three years in various roles: an electronic communications assistant/student worker; website redevelopment intern; and later as a full-time communications assistant. She now serves as the economic development director for Doniphan County, Kansas.

While she was at the Alumni Association, Johnson had a chance to work on a variety of projects, ranging from creating emails; updating the website; planning social media; putting together the monthly @K-State e-newsletter; and more.

“I still list this past work experience on my resume since it was such a pivotal start to my career,” she said.

Although Johnson learned plenty of technical skills, like putting together HTML emails and tracking analytics, she said her time at the Association also taught her what to look for in a work environment.

“Everyone who worked at the Alumni Association felt like a mentor to me, and each department meshed well together as a team. It’s one in a million to work in such a positive place with people who genuinely enjoy and are connected to the work they’re doing every day,” she said. “I learned what a good boss and team leader looks like. That alone has been invaluable to all my work interactions and job roles since then. I was grateful that I learned a lot of things at the Alumni Association that school/college doesn’t actually teach you. It helped me skip a lot of the entry-level work at jobs after college.”

In her new role at the Doniphan County Economic Development Department, she supports the creation of new jobs, the growth of the tax base, and the promotion and development of new business opportunities within the county. And, of course, she continues to spread K-State spirit and purple pride! 

“I also always liked that the entire [Alumni Association] staff wore purple attire at minimum four out of five days of the week; you couldn’t help but notice and feel the purple pride in all the Association’s accomplishments,” she said. “I still find myself recommending the opportunity to work at the Alumni Association to K-State students who are in journalism, communications or similar majors.”

If you walk into the Cats’ Cupboard — K-State’s student food pantry in Fairchild Hall — you’ll find colorful boxes of cereal, cans of vegetables, macaroni and cheese, and more lining the shelves.

Seeing those fully-stocked shelves makes Cats’ Cupboard coordinator Erin Bishop ’05, ’08 smile — especially as she thinks of all the donors and volunteers who have helped fill those shelves.

Since the Cats’ Cupboard opened in September 2017, the food pantry has served more than 3,200 visitors, currently ranging from 35-40 students a day.

“We are so busy right now,” Bishop said. “We have not seen a plateau.”

Cats’ Cupboard welcomes any student enrolled at K-State without judgement. However, due to lingering barriers, all the students in need may not be accessing the services available to them. Students also may hesitate to visit the pantry because they believe others are more in need than they are.

“I think that we are just serving a small percentage of students,” Bishop said. “We do a lot of work in stigma reduction — that’s the main barrier.”

According to 2016 numbers from the organization Feeding America, Riley County has a 17.9 percent rate of food insecurity (note: food insecurity is defined by the USDA as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle). The overall rate for the state of Kansas is 12.9 percent.

Bishop added that food insecurity is a continuum — a student may be fine one week, then a car breakdown or other emergency can strain their finances.

Helping hands

If you happen to stop by the Cats’ Cupboard, you might run into Joan and Skip Jones of Manhattan, Kansas, as they’re dropping off their latest donation (pictured above).

The Joneses have been supporting Cats’ Cupboard since it opened. They had been working with another program that shut down, and they were looking for a new volunteering opportunity.

“We need to volunteer — where are we going to volunteer, what are we going to do?” Joan remembers thinking.

They heard about Cats’ Cupboard, brought in a donation, saw everything that was going on, and were hooked.

“We were just totally amazed at the numbers that were being quoted to us,” Skip said. “Here these students are, they have this need, but they’re still putting the effort forward to get this education. This [pantry] just helps them out. It gives you a warm feeling to know that you’re doing something.”

The Joneses specialize in creating what they call “menu bags,” which contain enough ingredients to make a dish like taco soup, tuna casserole, etc. They’ll see what ingredients Cats’ Cupboard may already have on the shelves and then buy supplementary supplies.

“We both felt that the students should be able to entertain, have company, and have enough food to serve,” Joan said.

Right now the pantry has about 20 volunteers overall, who have contributed over 800 hours since the pantry’s opening. These volunteers give tours, accept donations, stock shelves and perform food safety checks.

In addition to the Joneses, many others, including Charlie ’90 and Debbie Morrison, Mary ’80, ’88 and Carl ’79 Ice, and Brenda and Lee ’71 Reeve have supported this student success initiative since its inception.

Cats’ Cupboard also has developed partnerships across campus. The K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry shares vouchers, allowing students in need to shop at Call Hall for products such as meat and cheese, since Cats’ Cupboard is unable to offer its own refrigerated or frozen items. The pantry also has a partnership with KSDB 91.9 radio station; the station records commercials for the pantry in exchange for the radio station being played at Cats’ Cupboard.

A team effort

If you’d like to help fight hunger at K-State, there are several ways you can support the mission of Cats’ Cupboard.

You can donate using the organization’s Amazon Wish List.

You can drop off nonperishable, nonexpired, unopened food items at the pantry or the drop box in the K-State Student Union, near the Cats’ Den. (Non-glass items are preferred, if possible, to avoid breakage.)

You can make a financial contribution through the Foundation.

Bishop says the pantry also accepts more than just food items, including new hygiene products; new or gently-used/clean kitchen appliances; pots and pans; laundry detergent pods and dish soap; etc.

“I’ve seen people cry when they get a microwave,” she said.

The food pantry is there to support students when they need it most, helping them succeed as they work towards their degree.

“They’re here at K-State to better themselves, and you can’t do that when you’re hungry,” Bishop said. “We believe that food is a basic human right. We just want to level the playing field.”

Learn more about Cats’ Cupboard at K-State. 

You’re invited! 

Every year, the K-State Alumni Association hosts four different Wabash CannonBall events, and we’d love to see you there! 

What is a “Wabash CannonBall”? It’s an evening of dining, dancing and donating, providing K-State alumni and friends with a chance to socialize and support student scholarships. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!

We host Wabash CannonBalls in Houston, Texas; Kansas City; the Dallas/Fort Worth area; and Denver, Colorado. If you haven’t been to a Wabash CannonBall before, here are five fun reasons to attend:

1. Get dressed up.

Are you looking for an opportunity to dress up in your best purple attire? The black-tie Wabash CannonBall galas offer the perfect opportunity to break out your favorite purple tie or evening gown, and also see other K-Staters in their purple finest.

2. Dine on delicious food. 

We create a delectable, custom menu for every Wabash CannonBall event — and of course, there’s always dessert!

3. Meet fellow Wildcats.

Is there such a thing as too much K-State purple? Absolutely not. And we bet you’re missing it RIGHT NOW. Come to Wabash CannonBall and sit in a room full of Wildcat fans to connect with and swap campus memories.

Wabash CannonBall is one of the best chances you have in your area to really go all out for K-State — and maybe even make some new friends!

“Attending the Wabash CannonBall is always an opportunity for my husband, Quentin ’04, and I to meet fellow alumni and learn about what new and exciting initiatives are going on at K-State,” said Natacha Phelps Buchanan ’02, Houston, Texas. “Hearing about the progress at the university makes us proud and keeps us connected.”

4. Dance the night away. 

Show off your best dance moves — or just sit back and enjoy the music. Our Wabash events feature a live band, and, of course, a performance of the Wabash Cannonball, the K-State tradition this event is named for.

5. Support the next generation of K-Staters.

Although K-Staters always have plenty of fun at Wabash CannonBalls, the most important part of the evening is giving back. Donations at Wabash CannonBall galas support the next generation of K-Staters through scholarships for local students. Over the years, the galas have raised more than $3.5 million for student scholarships and provided more than 500 scholarships.

“I always knew I would be working in a design field, and K-State has allowed me to find a program that feels like home. With this scholarship I can become involved in all of the activities K-State has to offer,” said Wabash CannonBall Colorado scholarship recipient Emily Myers. “I am grateful for those that made this possible.”

Learn more about our upcoming 2019 Wabash CannonBall events — we hope to see you soon! 

(Photos by Allison Earnest, Thomas Garza, David Mayes ’96 and Alexander Rogers)

Last holiday season, you may have spotted him trying to sneak off with some sugar cookies, hanging an ornament, making a mess with hot cocoa, and getting a little too carried away with some K-State Alumni Association stickers. 

Ernie the Elf got into plenty of good-natured mischief last year around the K-State Alumni Center (you can see some of his antics on our Facebook page). Our very own K-State “Elf on the Shelf” is named for Wildcat basketball star Ernie Barrett ’51, ’56, who is also known as “Mr. K-State.” 

Ernie the Elf is planning to make an appearance again this year, and who knows what he’ll be up to?

Although Ernie doesn’t spend a lot of time sitting still, we did get him to answer a few questions about his favorite things about K-State and the holidays. 

@K-State: What was your favorite memory from last year? 

Ernie: I had a great time exploring the K-State Alumni Center. I got a little excited about K-State going to the Cactus Bowl and made a cactus shape out of marshmallows. Apparently others thought I made a big mess...I just thought it was fun! 

Where are some of the activities you have planned this year?

Oh, that’s a secret — I can’t spoil the surprise! But I will give you a hint and tell you that I might be venturing outside the Alumni Center and visiting some other spots on campus. You never know where I might turn up! 

What do you do during the rest of the year, while you’re waiting for the holidays?

You can find me just hanging out in the Alumni Association Communications suite; I think I’m pretty well-behaved. I’ve been putting together some really fun plans for this year...I promise I won’t get into too much trouble. 

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

Call Hall, of course — so many treats to sample! 

What’s your favorite flavor of Call Hall ice cream? 

Peppermint — the perfect flavor for the holidays! 

Follow the K-State Alumni Association on Facebook to keep an eye on Ernie the Elf throughout the holiday season.

Last season, the K-State Wildcats defeated Vanderbilt 84-79 — and they’re ready for a rematch. 

K-State men’s basketball will face Vanderbilt during the Wildcat Classic at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Saturday, Dec. 22. Tickets for the game are still available.

The game will mark the eighth Wildcat Classic game at the Sprint Center and the first since 2016. Last season, K-State earned an 84-79 win over Vanderbilt in the first meeting between the schools since 1994 at historic Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 3, 2017.

Tickets are available through the K-State Athletic Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS and at www.kstatesports.com/tickets. Fans also can order through all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.
   
This season, the Wildcats return 10 lettermen, including six players who combined to start all 37 games, from a squad that won 25 games and advanced to the Elite Eight for the 12th time in school history and the first time since 2010.

Seniors Barry Brown Jr., Dean Wade and Kamau Stokes hope that this season the team can climb to even further heights.

“We’re where we want to be right now coming into our senior year,” Stokes said. “We have a good group of guys that want to compete, we know what we can do this year, and we have to bring it every day in order to do that.”

Want to bring a piece of K-State basketball home with you?

This year, the K-State Alumni Association holiday ornament commemorates the 30th anniversary of Bramlage Coliseum. The exclusive ornament features the basketball court and stands of Bramlage Coliseum, with a Powercat and the word “DOOM” on the back, along with “30th anniversary 1988-2018.”

You can ORDER AN ORNAMENT online; cost is $25 for K-State Alumni Association members, and $30 for nonmembers. (Note: For 2018 holiday orders, order by Dec. 10 to ensure delivery by Dec. 21.) You can also buy an ornament in person; we’ll be selling them at the Dec. 2 women’s basketball game.

Not a member of the K-State Alumni Association? LEARN MORE about the benefits available to members, such as the K-Stater magazine and our nationwide Wildcat Discounts program.

Lindy Bell ’51, Rancho Mirage, California, has given a gift of $2 million to name the position of the head of the Department of Art in the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University. Bell is also leaving his vast art collection to the department.

Bell’s gift to name the Lindy Bell Head of the Department of Art and the donation of his art collection will have an enormous impact on the department and its ability to deliver high-quality instruction and unique educational experiences to its students.

“We will be able to enhance our ability to provide students with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as allow us to bring a broader spectrum of contemporary artists to campus to enrich their creative activities,” said Matthew Gaynor, head of the Department of Art.

“The program will benefit from our ability to maintain Willard Hall and our teaching studio spaces in a manner that reflects the outstanding quality of the work our students produce. Having Lindy’s collection will offer the opportunity to allow our art history students to research and curate themed exhibitions based on the collection and develop an initial understanding of curatorial practice.”

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Continuing a cycle of excellence

As the parents of two K-State graduates, Lowell and Stacy Kohlmeier understand the value the university brings to the people who live and work in the region, as well as those who visit Manhattan. It’s because of that, and their love of K-State, that the Kohlmeiers participated in the K-State Family Scholarship Program by creating a scholarship for students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“While a scholarship gift is a donation, it is really an investment with long-term returns,” Stacy said. “Scholarships help enable K-State to attract the most driven students each year, creating a high level of academic achievement at the university overall and continuing to build its culture of excellence year after year. It is a perpetual cycle of continuous improvement, providing returns to the donor, the university and to the businesses and communities where K-State graduates live and work.”

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