Acknowledgments

Thomas Sigsgaard (2019) shared that to be sustainable is to make something useful and to solve a problem not yet been solved. This is exactly what William Kamkwamba achieved. This publication is dedicated to William Kamkwamba who made a windmill in his small village among what appeared to be unsurmountable adversity. He embodies dedication, perseverance, an ever-ending desire for education and a belief to leave things better than when you found them. Thank you, William. A special acknowledgment and many thanks to William Kamkwamba, author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, and the 2018 Harry S. Truman Distinguished Lecturer. Thank you for sharing your journey and your story. Thank you for reminding us that challenges are there to help us grow and that education can create life pathways never thought possible. The Truman Lecture would not be possible without the support of our presenting sponsors Joe and Sue Fahey, Kevin and Connie Fahey and the J.M. Fahey Construction Company. We appreciate and value your support of this event as well as many others in our Avila community. Thank you for allowing our students the unique opportunity to hear first-hand from the author of our common reading book. A heart-felt thanks to Bill and Jean ’76 Buchanan and the Buchanan Initiative for Peace and Nonviolence. Your generous spirit and support helped the issues of sustainability permeate through the curriculum of first year seminar and helped to inspire our first year students to find ways they can approach difficult issues though a peaceful and nonviolent manner. Avila is forever grateful to you! Thank you to our outstanding Harry S. Truman Distinguished Lecture Panel comprised of Stephen Melton, Educator on causes and impacts of global warming; Lisa Thresher, Life Scientist with Resource Conservation at the Environmental Protection Agency; Jordan “Sunny” Hamrick, Curbside Compost Manager at Jerusalem Farm and Thomas Schlange, Manager of Community Recycling Centers at Bridging the Gap. Your service to others and passion for the many issues surrounding sustainability is inspiring and pushes all of us to find peace with the earth.

Thank you to the Avila University Common Reading Program Committee led by Dr. Paige Illum. Members were Dr. Sue Ellen McCalley, Dr. Abigail Lambke, Dr. Natalie Cobb and our awesome student representative, Rachel Day. We appreciate your time and dedication!

The Truman Lecture Series Committee affects students, faculty, staff and community members by bringing talented speakers to our campus. Through the extreme hard work of Aaron Bennett, Dr. Charlene Gould, Dr. Paige Illum, Darren Roubinek and the insightful leadership of Dr. Sue Ellen McCalley, our students experienced a unique and thought provoking opportunity. Thank you!

Many thanks to Darren Roubinek, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, and Aaron Bennett, Events Coordinator, for their countless hours of dedicated work to make The Harry S. Truman Distinguished Lecture a success. Also to Maureen Reardon and Mary Sommerhauser who designed this reflection book with wonderfully creative and on-target project management skills.

The members of the Office of Marketing and Communication, the Advancement Office, the Theatre Department, Information Technology Services and Campus Services helped implement a flawless series of events and festivities surrounding the Harry S. Truman Distinguished Lecture. Thank you for your excellent attention to detail and expertise in your respective areas.

Through the tireless efforts of our First Year Seminar Instructors our students were able to gain important worldview lessons through the First Year Seminar curriculum. You all led students through multiple experiences and made the First Year Experience come alive through projects and discussions. You were cooperative and dedicated. You all DID make a difference! Thank you to Dave Armstrong, Regan Baker, Jason Baldwin, Brian Capers, Bailey Carr, Cristina Cowan, Julie Cowley, Sara Eckinger, Paige Illum, Deborah (DJ) Jones, Kristi Littleton, Anissa Martinez, Arica Maurer, Maggie Mohrfeld, Alicia Murillo, Caroline Riley, Joseph Roberts and Priscilla Subramaniyam.

We also thank those who helped educate our first year students in unique and meaningful ways though the First Year Seminar curriculum. A sincere thank you to the faculty and staff who spoke to the first-year students connecting their area of expertise with issues of sustainability. Each presentation provided a unique perspective that broadened worldviews! Individuals included Dr. Chad Cooley in Chemistry, Dr. Jim Johnson in Physics, Dr. Francis Origanti and Ms. Lindee Petersen-Wilson in Social Work, Mr. Dave Armstrong in religious perspectives and Dr. Carol Coburn in Peace Studies and Nonviolence.

A warm thank you to two first year seminar instructors who influenced the FS 101 learning experience. Julie Cowley, Assistance Director of Campus Ministries and Chair of the Avila Sustainability Committee who created a learning tool to help students understand the significance of sustainability to earth and introduced Avila’s “Be Purple. Live Green.” campaign. Also, Arica Maurer, Coordinator of the Buchanan Initiative for Peace and Nonviolence who helped students understand that environmental sustainability is key to promoting a more peaceful world and one of the most effective ways to make a positive change is through a nonviolent, well-informed, logic based approach to problem solving.

Through the generosity of the Buchanan Initiative for Peace and Nonviolence, first year students constructed 27 rain barrels with the help of Kansas City based organization, Bridging the Gap and Thomas Schlange who serves the organization as the Manager of Community Recycling Centers. After assembly, the barrels were donated to organizations around the Kansas City area including Boys Grow, Swope Ridge Geriatric Center, Project Rally, Synergy Services and Gregory Ridge Neighborhood Association. We are so thankful to Thomas from Bridging the Gap for assisting with the coordination of this project and to the organizations who came to campus to share details about their mission and how the rain barrels would benefit their sustainability efforts.

Lastly, thank you to all of the Avila University first year students. Thank you for your commitment to understanding the many issues and challenges related to sustainability, searching for ways to reach a peaceful resolution to these sustainability challenges and for welcoming William’s story of courage and determination into your hearts. We challenge you to live the mission and values of Avila University as you learn more about how you can contribute to our global community. Thomas Sigsgaard, “Eco Warrior Princess,” Eco Warrior Princess, January 20, 2019. https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2016/01/60-great-quotes-aboutsustainability-green-living-our-environment-2/

Thanks to our presenting sponsor