After a full year of online Zoom meetings and a mixture of hybrid meetings, Student Governing Association has successfully navigated these unprecedented times and continued to serve the students and university.

In March 2021, Michael Dowd and Cameron Koger were elected to serve as student body president and vice president. Their 10-month campaign journey was focused around three platforms: assembling, advocating and advancing.

The role of student body president and vice president can be simplified to serving the student body and providing an advocating voice. As student body president, Dowd also serves on the K-State Alumni Association's board of directors.

“SGA impacts students by lending financial support to student organizations, pushing for inclusive action by peers and administration, connecting with local government representatives, and making a direct difference on privilege fee funding — a multi-million-dollar fund managed solely by students” said Dowd, junior studying animal food science from Spring Hill, Kansas.

Why K-State?

Dowd’s parents, Tim and Julie '88 Dowd, influenced his decisions to be involved in community organizations. Dowd said 4-H has played a large role in his life and he found K-State to be a natural fit to develop his interest in animal science and leadership. 

At K-State Dowd said he found his "people" through several group including Alpha Gamma Rho, Quest, the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Team and Student Governing Association.

Koger, a junior in marketing from Overbrook, Kansas, whose parents — Hope and Jim '92 Koger, who also met at K-State — influenced him to attend from a very young age.

"I fell in love with the idea of going to K-State and it has been my dream to go here as long as I can remember," Koger said.

Coming from very purple backgrounds these two students were ready to take on their next leadership role.

Plans for the future

Their three platforms provides a variety of different initiatives including creating a mobile Wildcat ID and evaluating the drop date structure. 

Koger said the main actionable step he plans to oversee is the creation of an involvement interest inventory survey for students to complete at the beginning of the year.

“We’re hoping to create a survey platform in which students can submit their interests/passions to be directly paired with organizations that match those interests”, said Dowd. This is a personal step he wants to accomplish because he struggled to find an avenue to get involved on campus when he was a freshman. 

An ambitious goal Koger said he wants to tackle is fighting to eliminate global campus fees for courses that don’t have an in-person option. He wants to set a policy that protects students from being charged extra in different types of extenuating circumstances.

Lastly, they are hoping to implement inclusive conversations into a multitude of courses through a coalition of teachers across campus.

These are two extraordinary students that are determined to create positive change that will carry on in the future at K-State.

— story by Marissa Lux

Helping his patients achieve their optimal health is a daily goal for Dr. Craig Yunk '02, who is a board-certified physician with a focus in pediatrics and sports medicine. Now, Yunk along with his wife, Dr. Johanna Yunk, are supporting their community at the forefront of care in the Orlando area. Like all healthcare workers, COVID-19 has proven to be a challenge for the Yunks, but it's the relationships and trust built with patients that fuels this K-State family.

Describe your current work as a healthcare provider, and some of the challenges you've dealt with as part of pandemic.

CY: Prior to the start of the pandemic, I decided to open my own private family medicine practice. In our practice, we have a lot of children and their parents. Therefore, we see a good amount of well visits. During the pandemic, people were apprehensive about going to their doctor for well checks, mammograms, colonoscopies, etc., and put these off. After about six to nine months, we started to see them back in our office. Unfortunately, this has caused some people to have new, uncontrolled diagnoses or even cancer that could have been detected much earlier. It also caused missed childhood vaccinations that are now being caught up. 

One good thing that came from the pandemic was loosening of telemedicine laws and allowing providers to continue to use the telemedicine platform to perform office visits. This is a great tool for patients to utilize and many are very appreciative.   

What makes you the most passionate about your career?  ​

CY: My favorite parts of my job are the relationships that I build with my patients and then helping them to achieve their optimal health. I love to get to know my patients, which helps build trust and friendships. I also try to focus most of the visit on education. I want to provide as much information for them so they can understand why we are doing something and be able to include them in the decision making, when appropriate. Ultimately, if a patient is educated and knowledgeable about their disease, they will have greater compliance and motivation to stay on track for the long term.  

What were some of the highlights from your time at K-State? ​

CY: Most of the highlights from my time at K-State center around the people and the relationships I built while in Manhattan. I will always remember and cherish the friendships I made in my fraternity and classes, the wonderful community at St. Isidore's Catholic Student Center, the outstanding professors and attending athletic events with my friends and family.  

How do you feel the university prepared you for your future career?

CY: While attending Kansas State University, I majored in nutritional sciences and felt the College of Human Ecology (now the College of Health and Human Sciences) helped me grow as an individual and student. One of my favorite courses was human body. This was a great pre-med course that really prepared me for medical school. At the beginning of the course, I applied for, and was accepted to a separate class that allowed a group of students to dissect and teach the cadaver lab for our peers. The experience I gained from that class was unparalleled. I also took several different leadership courses during my college career which created a good foundation for which I could build a future career path. As a physician, I have sat on several physician-led boards and been chairperson of many different committees. This has also prepared me to own my own practice as well.   

What inspired you to follow this particular career path? ​

CY: When I was younger, I loved to play sports. I spent most of my free time playing basketball, golf, football or baseball. During a high school basketball game, I injured my ankle and had to come out of the game. One of my teammates' parents was a local physician and he took me to his office for x-rays and treatment. This was the catalyst that sparked my interest in becoming a physician. Over the course of my college career, I shadowed several physicians that worked with K-State Athletics. I realized that family medicine doctors can practice both in the office setting and work with athletes as well. During training I also really enjoyed my pediatric and dermatology rotations. With so many different areas of medicine that I was passionate about, Family Medicine was an easy choice for me.

— photo credit: Orlando Style Magazine 

Sixteen Kansas State University students have been recognized by the K-State Alumni Association for outstanding achievements. The Association recognizes students annually with Anderson Senior Awards, Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Awards, Graduate Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service, International Leadership Awards and the Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Awards.

Faculty and peers nominate students for the awards, and committees consisting of members of the Alumni Association board of directors, the Alumni Association's Multicultural Alumni Council and K-State students select the recipients.

“These leaders played an important role in the K-State experience,” said Jessica Elmore '06, '15, associate director of diversity programs for the Alumni Association. “We wish them well on their next chapter and look forward to the impact they will make as K-State alumni.”

“These students are role models for leadership, community service, inspiration and academics and exemplify the caliber of students at K-State,” said Tamie Redding '86, assistant director of student programs for the Alumni Association. “The Alumni Association is pleased to celebrate these students by recognizing them for their contributions to the Wildcat community.”

Anderson Senior Award

The Anderson Senior Award recognizes four graduating seniors for excellence academics, leadership, inspiration and service. The award was established in 1998 and pays tribute to K-State’s second president, John Anderson, who served from 1873 to 1879. 

The recipients are: 

• Kelsie DeWitt, master’s candidate in architecture, for academics, Hays, Kansas.

• Jansen Penny, bachelor’s candidate in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, for leadership, Burlington, Colorado.

• Riley Sleichter, bachelor’s candidate in agribusiness, for inspiration, Abilene, Kansas.

• Thomas Smith, bachelor’s candidate in agricultural economics, for service, Windom, Kansas.

Watch a video celebrating the Anderson Senior Award recipients.

Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Award

Two students have been recognized with the Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Award. The award was established in honor of the late K-State professor Tony Jurich, who taught in the College of Health and Human Sciences – formerly the College of Human Ecology for more than 39 years. It recognizes both graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated a commitment to community leadership and service through Jurich’s core leadership tenets.

The recipients are: 

• Pranav Savanur, bachelor’s candidate in biology, Bengaluru, India.

• Lindsey Hamner, master’s candidate in public administration, Shawnee, Kansas.

Watch a video celebrating the Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Award recipients.

Graduate Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service

The Alumni Association recognizes two graduate students with its Graduate Student Award, which was established in 2010. The award recognizes outstanding graduate students for academics, service and leadership.

The recipients are: 

• Tahmineh Azizi, doctoral candidate in applied mathematics, Tehran, Iran.

• Hannah Shear, doctoral candidate in agricultural economics, Winchester, Kentucky.

Watch a video celebrating the Graduate Student Award recipients.

Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Award

The Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Awards are given annually to four outstanding students and recognize them for leaving a legacy of enhancing multicultural engagement at K-State through their leadership. Award recipients are nominated by K-State faculty members, staff, students and student groups and selected by the Alumni Association’s Multicultural Alumni Council. The award is named in honor of the Roy and Sylvia Robinson family of Kansas City, Kansas, who endowed the program. Both are graduates of Kansas State University, Roy in 1970 and Sylvia in 1971.

The 2021 Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Award recipients are: 

• Citlally Orozco Aldaz, bachelor's candidate in American ethnic studies and political science, Overland Park, Kansas.

• Muhammad Khan, 2020 bachelor’s graduate in biology, Multan, Pakistan.

• Ronaldo Lopez, bachelor's candidate in mechanical engineering, Dodge City, Kansas.

• Spencer West, bachelor's candidate in organizational management and psychology, Topeka, Kansas.

Watch a video celebrating the Robinson Family Multicultural Leadership Award recipients.

International Leadership Award

The International Leadership Awards are given annually to four outstanding graduating students for service and leadership within the international K-State and Manhattan communities.

The 2021 International Leadership Award recipients are: 

• Linda Yseult Hamuli, bachelor's candidate in food science and industry and global food systems leadership, Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Saya Kakim, doctoral candidate in leadership communication, Atyrau, Kazakhstan.

• Martin Duran Zarate, bachelor's candidate in economics, Asuncion, Paraguay.

• Xinyu Zong, Zibo, master's candidate in English, Shandong, China.

Watch a video celebrating the International Leadership Award recipients.

If the people you meet in life are like a river, Shelly Prichard ’86 is always looking for ripples, as she calls them, to help others make connections.

“You never know who you might be able to help with something,” the Newton, Kansas, native said.

As president and CEO of the Wichita Community Foundation, Prichard works to better Kansas’ largest community. The mission of the foundation is to create lasting legacies by partnering with people, families and organizations to devote resources to causes that matter.

Some examples of what the foundation helps accomplish include administering community funds, creating community partnerships, all while looking for opportunities to do the greatest good for the greatest need at the time. Funding the arts; combating homelessness; investing in local leaders; promoting childhood education are just a few of the causes the Wichita Community Foundation supports.

To help accomplish these tasks Prichard does a lot of listening and sometimes a bit of connecting. 

“It’s joyful for us to help others see how they can have an impact in the community,” she said. “We get to interact with people who help others every day. We get to be creative every day with all kinds of people.”

From an early age, Prichard has been involved in her community. 

Growing up on a farm, she participated in 4-H. In high school, she was the editor of her school paper. While earning a degree in journalism at K-State, she worked for the Kansas State Collegian and interned with the K-State Alumni Association. These experiences helped her find an appreciation for communication, which Prichard said she uses daily, and drive to help others. Those experiences she said also helped her find her wheelhouse, nonprofit work. 

Her career also included stops in Indiana, Illinois and Colorado before she returned to Kansas.

“It’s where I belonged and it shaped my experiences,” she said.

After returning, she held several roles shaping Kansas communities including as a community relations manager for Koch Industries, executive director of Youth Entrepreneurs of Kansas and CEO of the Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland. 

Prichard has also stayed involved with K-State after graduation. She served on the K-State Alumni Association’s board of directors from 1999 to 2005 and as it’s chair in 2004. She is a current member of the Kansas 4-H Foundation’s board of trustees.  

She said that K-State has often been a very easy way to make connections with strangers, especially in Kansas. 

“Once you graduate from K-State it doesn’t mean your K-State experience is over, in fact, it's just the beginning,” Prichard said. “It’s been a true blessing in my life.”