Webber View Magazine- April 2020

M A G A Z I N E volume 9 | issue 1 | april 2020

g n i s RiABOVE Where Are They Now? Catch Up With Adventures Of Fellow Alumni

Wired for Change University Adapts to COVID-19 Challenges

Memory Lane

1965 Alumna Recalls Life at All-Girls Webber

Event Highlights www.webber.edu

Exclusive photos from 2019 Alumni Weekend, Commencement, and APRIL more!

2020 | 1

president’s message

The Webber Way “If things go wrong, don’t go with them.”

– Roger Babson, our founder

WELL, FRIENDS, as you might imagine, this issue’s letter, written as it was in March of 2020, went in a slightly different direction than initially intended.

My wife, who worked at Webber long enough for us to discover there is such a thing as too much togetherness, describes us as “scrappy.”

Scrappy? Webber was founded in 1927.

1930s

1950s

We survived… World War II (1939-45)  Prohibition (repealed, to the angst of our founder who ran for president as the Prohibition Party candidate, in 1932)  Bonnie and Clyde (killed in 1934) The recession (1937-38)

We survived… The Korean War (1950-53) The Vietnam War (1955-75)

1940s We survived…  Wage and price controls (1944)  The Cold War (1945-91)  Bubonic plague (1946)  Gandhi’s burial and saw the Arab-Israeli wars start (1948)  South Africa institutionalize apartheid (1949) a system that would officially exist for more than four decades  A second recession (1949)

1960s We survived…  Hurricane Donna (1960)  The Berlin Wall built (1961), and 28 years later, we watched it fall  The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), though we did come perilously close to nuclear war  John F. Kennedy’s assassination (1963) Smallpox (1963-72)  Nelson Mandela’s sentence to life in prison (1964) and saw him released 26 years later. Roger Babson’s death (1967)  Martin Luther King’s assassination (1968)

1970s

2000s

We survived… The oil embargo (1973)  Another recession (19731975)  Three Mile Island (1979)  The Iranian Hostage Crisis (1979-81)

1980s We survived…  A third recession (1981-82)  Chernobyl (1986)

We survived…  9/11/2001 SARS (2002-04) The Iraq War (2003-11)  Direct hits from Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne (2004)  A fourth — the Great, though it didn’t seem all that wonderful to me – Recession (2007-09)  H1N1, also known as the Swine Flu (2009)

1990s We survived…  The Gulf War (1990-91)  The nerve gas attacks in Tokyo’s subways (1995)  Mad Cow Disease (1996)  The Y2K, though they’re still playing “1999” on the radio

2010s We survived…  A direct hit from Hurricane Irma (2017)

And that’s just the very abbreviated list. “Scrappy” doesn’t begin to describe us.

Has that colored our perspective? You better believe it. Through all those decades, we’ve turned out graduates who are equipped to deal with whatever life throws at them.

We understand that people are scared. And we understand that we’ve got to temporarily change some of the ways we do things.

But we’ve gotten through worse. We’ll get through it. You’ll get through it. That’s the Webber way.

We hope you enjoy the magazine. As we approach the end of our fiscal year with our endowment pretty hard hit (we live in the same world you live in… it’s been painful) and our summer camps uncertain, if you are in a position to help, we really need you. If you, too, have been hard hit, we understand. In either event, we’ll continue to pray for you. Webber is family, and we’ll get through this together.

Keith

Dr. Keith Wade, President 2 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

contents | features

spring 2020

6 Major News

In fall 2019, Webber International University began offering three new Health Science majors: Occupational Therapy and Assisting; Health Services Administration; and Sports Performance, Health, and Fitness. Learn more about the degrees and how they are just one part of Webber’s effort to offer education for the most in-demand careers.

8 The World Is Our Campus

Students in the International Business MBA practicum at Webber travel overseas to observe firsthand how businesses operate and succeed elsewhere in the world. We talked to students who traveled to Iceland and Italy to learn more while expanding their horizons.

15 Degrees of Excellence

Ask anyone who has attended Webber International University, and they’ll be the first to tell you the professors are second to none. The professors take pride in their work and their own academic development. Learn how Professor Joanne Muniz continues to work on her skills while she teaches students.

19 Wired for Change

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented procedures. As coronavirus changed everything from shopping to learning, President Wade knew that the status quo at Webber University would have to change. Find out what went into his decision to take classes out of the classroom and offer them online.

departments

30 On Life and Lemons

2 President’s Message 5 Dean’s List 20 Then-and-Now photos 35 Sports 36 Warrior Weddings 47 Advocates

31 Fulfilling a Dream

event highlights

26 Finding His Calling

After graduating from Webber in 2009 with a major in general business and a minor in sports management, James Westhead found his true passion when he started substitute teaching. Now a full-time teacher, he explains what makes it so rewarding.

Lemon grower Michael Woodley, Class of 1988, discusses the life lessons he learned at Webber and how they’ve affected his life.

Erik Flores, Class of 2018, has been busy preparing for the upcoming opening of his new restaurant in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. He says he is realizing his dream thanks to a special mentor from his Webber days.

32 Memory Lane

Alice Bach graduated from Webber College in 1965. Take a walk down memory lane as she describes life at what was then an all-girls college.

34 Diving Into Success

Michael Williams, Class of 2004, used his degree in marketing to start his own business, Blue Thumb Pool Care, in 2008. He talks about how Webber prepared him for the future.

www.webber.edu

18 23 28

Commencement Alumni Reunion Weekend Camilla Society and President’s Golf Tournament 29 Crooked Lake Heritage Festival APRIL 2020 | 3

WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Dr. Keith Wade GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Cassidy Roberts

CENTRAL FLORIDA MEDIA GROUP PUBLISHER

Nelson Kirkland MANAGING EDITOR

Jessica Wilcox CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kerane Marcellus, Mary Toothman, Julie Gmitter, Teresa Schiffer, Matt Norman, Matt Cobble, Grace Boggess Hirdes CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Joe LeDuc COVER PHOTO

Joe LeDuc CONTRIBUTING ARTIST

Dawn Lewandowski Published by Central Florida Media Group

P.O. Box 1221 Winter Haven, Florida 33882 PHONE 863.248.7537 Copyright © 2020 Central Florida Media Group. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This issue of Webber International University Alumni News is a trademark of Central Florida Media Group. Reproduction or use in whole or part of the contents of this magazine without written permission is prohibited. Webber International University Alumni News makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of content published. In the event of an error found herein, however, neither the publishers or advertisers will be held responsible, nor do the publishers accept any liability for the accuracy of statements made by advertisers in advertising and promotional materials.

4 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

Recognizing

s

student

Outstanding Achievement

Fall 2019 Dean’s List

STUDENTS WHO EARN a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher for 12 or more hours are honored and placed on the Dean’s List. Webber International University is proud to announce the following Fall 2019 Dean’s List honorees: Adams Jamie C Akimoto Mei Alexander Matthew W Alvarez Rivero Christian Bartek Natalie E Bastidas Belen M Bondarenko Ivan Borders Leah V Bowen Emily M Brown Chasen T Canner Cheyanne M Celaya Mateo Nicolas Celia Alycia M Chuenta Rawinnipa

Clark Kendal L Collins Lucky D Cusic Keon M Delong Stephen Dixon Darius D Domingo Malia B Embry Laura English Ty M Feder Chaz M Ford Dayne O Garcia Emilio Garip Adriana D Garner RayGene V Given Joshua D

Grant Remington L Greene Nicole J Harper Seth D Hasegawa Hugo Hebding Sabrina L Houston Marques Howard Nicholas J Ishizuka Maria Jean-Pierre Wilhemson Johnson Caitlyn R Jordan Brianna M Koenig Svenja Maren Kori Kumi Lobo Doberstein de Magalhaes Lucas Lonadier Hunter M Markowitz Kevin S Matautia Kalameli F Matayoshi Emi

Mohd Faisal Wan Nadzmi Fikri Bin Montero Jorge Murrell Jordon M Negrin Ruiz David Niehoff Isabelle K Okazaki Austin T Orap Nikita Peacock Trent E Pham Thuan T Rautiainen Salla Rey Reynold E Riggleman Daisy R Rivera Paola B Robertson Kyle C Rochat Lily-Rose Rodriguez Alyssa B Schneider Marc Schultz Krysta L

Schutzler Anna N Scully Sienna R Sebbouh Elies Jilali Shinholt Haley Simpson Summer L Tannone Hannah Terry Jessica L Thompson Abigail E Tomie Rie Uriach Alberto Valdez Brianda J Vargas Valerie M Wakugawa Itsuki Warner Megan A White Raven M Wiseman Matthew H Zanin Kelsie R Zhang Shuyi

You shop. Amazon gives.

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Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.

Your support is free to you, simple, and automatic when you shop via AmazonSmile and choose to support Webber International University.

Support Webber today by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com. www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 5

academics

majorNEWS

Webber Offering Degrees in Occupational Therapy & Assisting; Health Services Administration; and Sports Performance, Health & Fitness

w

by JULIE GMITTER

WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY knows the importance of a relevant education and degrees that keep up with trends in up-and-coming fields.

In fall 2019, Webber began offering three new Health Science majors: Occupational Therapy and Assisting; Health Services Administration; and Sports Performance, Health & Fitness.

The addition of these programs brings the total number of bachelor’s degree options at Webber to 16. Associate, bachelor’s, and master’s level degree programs are all available and offered in in-person courses as well as complete online courses. Webber is proud to offer its rapidly growing list of Education and Business degrees that make it an extremely well-rounded university with a multi-disciplined student population.

Occupational Therapy and Assisting

Occupational Therapy and Assisting is a rapidly growing field that trains for a high-demand career that boasts a high rate of job placement. Webber University’s Occupational Therapy and Assisting bachelor’s degree, with a minor in Health Sciences Administration, will train, educate, and prepare students to enter the field of occupational therapy. As it is a relatively new major, some prospective Webber students may not know exactly what Occupational Therapy is, although it encompasses an integral part of their lives and the lives of their family.

The Occupational Therapy and Assisting program consists of 120 credit

6 | APRIL 2020

hours, as well as a minor in Health Services Administration. The first two years focus on general education requirements, and the third and fourth years will focus on integrating the general education and HSA courses with more specialized, major-centric Occupational Therapy courses.

We caught up with Saritza Guzman-Sardina, director of the baccalaureate Occupational Therapy and Assisting program, to discuss the new opportunities at Webber,

as well as the Occupational Therapy Program. Guzman-Sardina was born and raised in Puerto Rico and brings her experience as the former program director of the OTA Program at thenPolk Community College to Webber International University. GuzmanSardina has a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy and a master’s degree in Education. After two years of retirement (from 2016 to 2018), she returned to academia to collaborate with Webber International University on its newest project, developing the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Assisting (BSOTA) with a minor in Health Services Administration in the state of Florida. She worked extensively in the areas of academia, mental health (including inpatient forensic mental health services treating male inmates referred from high security prisons throughout the state of New York), and acute care for adolescents and adults with various psychiatric conditions.

Additional areas of expertise include treating developmental disabilities, orthopedic and neurological conditions at skilled nursing facilities, hospital setting, outpatient, and home health.

The first BSOTA Program in the State of Florida is pursuing accreditation by the American Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) will begin official enrollment in Aug 2021 upon approval of Candidacy Application.

Two cohorts (24 students each) will be admitted every year. Students will learn many clinical, leadership, managerial, and research skills that will prepare them

www.webber.edu

to be competent therapists and treat clients of all ages suffering from psychosocial and/or medical conditions.

Information about the program curriculum and admission guidelines is available at: webber.edu/ academics/undergraduateprograms/occupationaltherapy-assisting-ota/ Guzman-Sardina says she enjoys working under the visionary direction of Dr. Nelson Marquez developing this new program and collaborating with colleagues from other health professions programs. “It is my hope that the BSOTA Program becomes a highly regarded program in Florida, setting an example for future BSOTA Programs in the State.”

Health Services Administration

The Health Services Administration Bachelor’s program is another new addition to Webber University’s curriculum. Dr. Keith Wade, Webber University’s president and CEO, emphasizes that Webber’s curriculum has always been driven largely by the needs of employers, and that is what makes these new additions so needed by students and Webber as a university.

“While we have offered management degrees for decades, the evolution of this one has been driven by the needs of hospitals, healthcare agencies, managed care organizations, medical practices, health insurance companies, and nursing homes and residential facilities. Much like our existing Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Management, Bachelor of Science in Sport Business Management, and Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management degrees, this degree combines universal leadership and management education with a number of industry specific areas such as healthcare trends, quality assurance, ethical issues, public policy, management of key healthcare industry financial metrics, and risk management.”

We spoke with Dr. Nichole Murray, DrPH, MPH, MSW, assistant professor

www.webber.edu

and Director of Health Services Administration at Webber International University. Murray has a master’s degree in Public Health and Social Work from Florida State University and a doctorate in Public Health from the University of South Florida. She joined the Webber family in December 2018 to assist in the development of the Health Services Administration program and the other health-related programs. The Health Services Administration Bachelor’s degree program enrolled its first students in fall 2019. She has worked extensively in the social services and public health arenas, including mental health. Murray explains, “I have assisted in the development and implementation of many statewide programs to ensure that the most appropriate services were being provided to the people throughout the state of Florida. I have worked collaboratively with community and health providers in designing and developing health programs resulting in behavioral changes, clinical improvement and individual well-being.”

The program targets students seeking to advance their education and careers in the health services industry in an administrative capacity. The Health Services Administration program is designed to prepare students to become health services managers and leaders in an ever-changing technological and global environment. Students will explore health regulations, financing, healthcare planning, and ethical and legal factors that contribute to the complexity of the U.S. healthcare system.

Sports Performance, Health & Fitness

majors, Webber is also pleased to announce the bachelor’s degree in Sports Performance, Health & Fitness. Students who choose the Sports Performance, Health, and Fitness major for their undergraduate degree are entering a unique program that will prepare them for certification as personal trainers, if they desire to do so. The program provides students the foundation to design health and wellness programs for clients throughout the duration of their study. The program’s curriculum will also allow a student to acquire a minor in any of the programs and business concentrations offered at Webber. Fall of 2019 marked the first active semester of the SPHF undergraduate program at Webber. The program is designed to educate and prepare our students to become the next generation of successful coaches, strength and conditioning professionals, personal trainers, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, gym managers, and wellness counselors. Dr. Carleigh H. Boone, assistant professor and program director of Sports Performance, Health, & Fitness at Webber had a hand in the final stages of organization for the program.

She completed her undergraduate and graduate education and training at the University of Central Florida in the areas of Sport & Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology and conducted research examining recovery from exercise with and without nutritional supplementation among trained and untrained adults, as well as the effects of a nutraceutical supplement on markers of glucose regulation in pre-diabetics.

Throughout their time in the SPHF program, students will learn about proper nutrition, physical activity and exercise recommendations, and how to improve health and fitness levels among a diverse range of populations.

In addition to these two new

APRIL 2020 | 7

THE WORLD

is our CAMPUS International Business MBA Students Learn Lessons Overseas

b

by MATT NORMAN

BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. Or is it? Are businesses run the same in other countries as they are here? If not, what do they do differently? What is the same? These are the questions that students in the International Business MBA practicum at Webber University hope to answer as they visit other countries to observe, firsthand, how businesses are run elsewhere.

More Than a Vacation

Traveling to a foreign country is undeniably exciting. The food, the culture, the sites, and the opportunity to meet the people all combine for a once in a lifetime opportunity. But for these students, this is work. They are there to learn how businesses in that location are run. The students must locate a company with offices in the U.S. as well as in the destination country. At the very least, they must find similar companies in both places. The students spend time at the American office and at the foreign one interviewing people and learning what they can about the business while taking care to respect the privacy of the business and its clients. They then compare and contrast the American office or company with the one they visited in the foreign country.

Not All Work

While the primary focus of these trips is the student learning about their businesses, it is not all work. It’s also important to understand the local culture

8 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

as this has a clear effect on how local businesses run. For this, the students are encouraged to take part in some sort of social or cultural event or to visit such a location. They are also encouraged to take advantage of local dining and visit places that locals might visit on a regular basis like a grocery store or pharmacy.

While most of these students are likely to be leaders at businesses within the U.S., the lessons learned on these trips are invaluable. After all, are they’re not lessons we could learn from businesses in other countries that could be adapted to businesses here? Could a better understanding of how business is done overseas help us as markets become more and more global? Could this increased understanding help us better understand workers and leaders who come here from other places? The obvious answer to all these questions is YES!

things, then did the same thing in Naples.

While many of the cars were the same as what we may see here, there were other differences that were quite striking.

Boggess describes a family atmosphere that was pleasant, if surprising. Entering the dealership you may be greeted by the family dog or the owner’s wife. Shortly after that, you will be offered coffee and not the cheap stuff.

Rather, it’s a fresh espresso. If that’s not your thing, they also have a small bar offering a variety of other beverages.

Looking around you will notice that the owner and his wife are not the only family members present. Their son is

Italy

Catherine Boggess is a former student in the International Business MBA at Webber University. As she thought about the international trip that is part of this program, Naples, Italy, was the obvious choice. After all, it’s where her grandmother is from. While she did have a personal connection to this area, this was no vacation, she was there to work. Boggess connected with a local auto dealership, learning how they do

www.webber.edu

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

APRIL 2020 | 9

THE WORLD

is our CAMPUS | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

working on the sales floor as their main salesman. You may not see her, but their daughter is in the back office doing the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the business moving. The whole family is here and they quickly make you feel like you’re part of it, and the family feeling doesn’t end there. Boggess says that even as you walk through the streets of the town, the people are so friendly it’s as if they know you.

Their business hours are also different. Their morning starts a little later than would be typical in the U.S., and they are open later than many businesses would be. In addition, they are closed for two to three hours in the middle of the day. Beyond a simple lunch break, this also provides for a time of rest in the middle of the day.

Jeannette Eberly is the program director for the International Business MBA at Webber University. More specifically she oversees the students traveling to other countries. As such, she travels along with these students on each of these trips. She has traveled with students to Italy, Iceland, Spain,

10 | APRIL 2020

and more. In some cases, students have worked with well-known companies such as Nike, UPS, and Hard Rock Cafe.

In others, it has been more industryfocused such as accounting firms and auto dealerships.

Eberly says students often report significant differences even in dealing with otherwise familiar brands and

companies. For instance, she states, a Nike store in the United States would often be filled mostly with shoes along with a relatively smaller collection of apparel. In many places overseas, it would be the opposite with the majority of the store being filled with apparel along with a smaller collection of shoes.

While this obviously reflects cultural

www.webber.edu

differences and the different buying habits of the local people, Eberly reports that this also represents a business difference. She explains that in many U.S. companies, the stock on the shelves is determined at a corporate level with the local management having relatively little voice in the decisions. In other places, these decisions are often made on a local level. While arguments could certainly be made for the advantages of either model, it’s still interesting to see the differences firsthand.

Eberly says ultimately it is witnessing and learning from these differences that is the greatest value of these trips. She hopes the students will learn from their experiences and work to integrate the good things that are happening in other places into the businesses they will start and lead here in the United States.

Iceland

How different can banking be from one country to another? Sure, the currency is going to have a different name, but other than that what else could really be different. That was the question Scarlett Hrusecky sought to answer as she traveled to Iceland as part of Webber International University’s International Business MBA program.

www.webber.edu

Hrusecky found that there were, indeed, many things that were the same, or very similar. For instance, hiring requirements for things like education were the same. In addition, dress code, conduct, and other expectations for employees were nearly identical. In both places there were very strict government regulations governing and overseeing how the banks ran much of their business and handled customer transactions.

Still, not everything was the same.

Many of the services that the banks offered were different in Iceland. This is due, in part, to it being a much smaller country, but the culture is likely also a factor. While we, in the U.S., are accustomed to banks being closed on federal holidays, it’s actually an even more common occurrence in Iceland,

with the banks closing for more days due to the government being closed.

Another place where banks in the two locations differed was in employee benefits. The bank Hrusecky met with provided bonuses for employees who use public transportation rather than driving their own cars. This was viewed as a reward for being more environmentally conscious. Similarly, the bank gave free gym memberships to their employees to promote better overall health and fitness.

While there are certainly companies in the U.S. that offer similar programs, these are far from common.

So, while business and business, differences in cultural or employee relations make for great learning experiences.

APRIL 2020 | 11

student

Every Day

a NEW

OPPORTUNITY

s

Orlando Peña

Sport Business Management

SINCE 2012, the Warrior Baseball team has been able to maintain a winning record, with at least 30 victories — and they’ve maintained a 60% or better win percentage since 2016.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to cancel the remainder of the athletic season on March 16, the Warriors were well on their way to matching that 30-plus winning games streak, having a total of 18 wins. We spoke to Orlando Pena, a junior utility player, to get a glimpse into the life of a student-athlete at Webber International.

Why did you choose Webber?

It was close to home. I wanted to learn more about business, and I just felt like I was home. I wanted to have a businesslike experience and a degree that can get me anywhere in the world.

What do you like most about your student experience at Webber?

The professors are amazing. I like the student life involved with students, I like playing my sport and overall just being around different people from international parts of the world is very cool.

Who at Webber has had the biggest influence on your college life and why?

Dr. Tom Aaron and Elfie Farchmin have been the biggest influences since I came to Webber. They nonstop just help me with anything, they understand my situation outside of school, and they just encourage me to being the best I can be.

12 | APRIL 2020

They always look out for me.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to get my master’s degree in event management, work with a baseball organization and hopefully be a General Manager someday.

What is one opportunity or adventure that has opened up for you since you’ve been a student at Webber?

Everything from getting on student life, getting a job with the Flying Tigers in Lakeland, working with admissions, and Game Day operations. Every day I go to school I am so appreciative because everyone will work with me. I’ve never felt so comfortable with anything like I do at this school.

What do you like to do when you are not playing baseball?

Since I live close to home, I like to go be with my family, hang out with

my friends, and maybe have a pickup game of baseball around the area. I like to dance, and I like to travel around sometimes in my car.

As a student-athlete, free time is hard to find. How do you balance your academics, baseball, and personal life?

It’s all about time management. That is your best friend in college, especially with work, practices, games, and personal life. I like to basically think of the day before and think of how I should run my day. If I need homework done, I do as much as I can before I go to practice. I try to finish homework during the week so I can have a relaxing weekend if we have games. Baseball is always around, and I just focus when practices or games come because I try to leave my school and personal life outside the field so I can play what I love. My personal life is tough when I have so much to do, but when I’m free I just try to relax as much as I can.

Do you have any pre-game routines or superstitions?

I actually just pray a lot. I like to listen to music before the game, take some more rounds of batting practice in the game, or watch funny videos so I can be loose and have fun and smile.

www.webber.edu

WEBBER a

student

t i F t c e f Per Anna Schutzler

Hospitality & Tourism Management me Event Director of the whole thing, and it was a complete success. I had so much fun working with my classmates to produce such an awesome event.

2

2019 WAS THE FIRST winning season for the Lady Warriors since 2016. 2020 was shaping up to be the same, with 18 wins in 24 games, for a win percentage of .750. Unfortunately, the global COVID-19 pandemic caused the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to cancel all games after March 16, which was more than half of the softball season. Webber View talked to senior utility player Anna Schutzler about life on campus before the pandemic.

Why did you choose Webber International University?

I was offered a scholarship to continue my academic and athletic career there. I was undecided on what I wanted to do for a living, but the majors that Webber provided helped me to settle on the hospitality industry almost immediately. Pairing softball with a solid major and the view of the lake made it an easy decision for me to choose Webber.

be my roommates/best friends Dariyen and Raven. I’ve been getting to know them since we met our freshman year.

I’ve lived with them for the last three years, and I’ve played softball with them all four years. They’re the ones who motivate me, pray for me, laugh and cry with me, and everything in between.

They’ve been the best things to come out of Webber for me because I know they’ll be my friends for a lifetime.

What do you like most about your student experience at Webber?

I’ve mostly enjoyed the courses I’ve taken and the class sizes. In my four years of attending Webber, no class I have taken has had more than 20 students. The smaller class sizes allowed me to really connect with my professors, as well as my peers. I’ve been encouraged to ask questions and get help whenever I needed it, and I believe that is a huge reason I’ve been so successful in the classroom.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I plan on moving back home to Alachua and getting my Realtor license.

Who at Webber has had the biggest influence on your college life and why?

The biggest influences would have to

www.webber.edu

What is one opportunity or adventure that has opened up for you since you’ve been a student at Webber?

I’ve had many opportunities to participate in school and outside functions, but the most rewarding one has been putting on our school’s 2019 Fall Festival. I was a part of a class project for Facilities & Event Management where we planned and produced an entirely student-run Fall Festival. My class voted

What do you like to do when you are not playing softball?

I enjoy being by the water somewhere.

The beach, a pool, a river, or lake, it doesn’t matter to me. I love all of it the same. I also spend a lot of time hanging out with my friends and my boyfriend.

We go see movies pretty regularly and definitely like to eat out a lot.

As a student-athlete, free time is hard to find. How do you balance your academics, softball, and personal life?

Balancing between academics, softball, and having a personal life can be difficult because there’s so much going on around me, but I have found that by staying busy, I’m a much more organized person. I know that I only have a certain amount of time in my week to complete assignments, so I try to take advantage of the opportunities when I have them. I try to plan my week ahead of time so I can stay on top of my assignments and get them done early, that way I can use any “free time” I have to spend relaxing with my friends or maybe taking a nap.

Do you have any pre-game routines or superstitions?

Growing up playing softball I used to be extremely superstitious. I would have to eat the same thing on game days, style my hair the same way every time, I had a lucky sports bra, lucky ribbon, you name it. As I have gotten older, I’ve learned to trust my talents and abilities more than some old superstitions. I do have a favorite ribbon, though, that I wear for every game, but that’s just because I like it.

APRIL 2020 | 13

New Faces and a Farewell at

Webber Alumni Affairs

by KERANE MARCELLUS

Jessica Terry

Jessica Terry is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida, about two years ago. She played indoor and beach volleyball here at Webber International University and is majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications.

She has decided to become a part of Alumni Affairs because she says it will help her build her future as well as create new relationships. She hopes to learn more about her school, connect with new people, and help the Webber Alumni Center succeed.

“I believe I can bring my positive attitude, communication skills, and teamwork into this position.” With this work, she hopes to have created better relationships with not only her co-workers but also her boss and other students she has met throughout this experience. She is looking forward to what the future holds as she is moving forward with her college career.

further her softball career and education at Webber International University. In 2019, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a minor in Computer Information Systems. She is now in the master’s program for sports business management while working as a Graduate Assistant for the department.

“I am looking forward to getting involved with all of the alumni and making a difference at Webber! Every student who attends Webber should not be forgotten when they graduate, which is why I think the alumni center is so important. I can’t wait to talk to former graduates and hear all about their time and experiences at Webber in order to understand how to make the University even better.”

She says that working in this position allows her to get all of the alumni involved and up to date. With the use of social media, newsletters, phone calls, and other avenues, she can make sure all graduates know the latest news and upcoming events at Webber. She is excited about all of the adventures and lessons the alumni center will bring and hopes to learn how to connect with every age group and to get them excited about what is going on at their alma mater.

Sean Whalen

Cassidy Roberts

Cassidy Roberts is a new addition to the Alumni Affairs team. She was born

and raised in Tampa, Florida, and went to Sunlake High school where she graduated in 2016. After high school, she decided to

14 | APRIL 2020

Sean Whalen is originally from Colorado Springs. After high school, he went on to play baseball at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, where he was a work-study and earned his Associate of Arts degree. After graduating from Northeastern, he accepted a baseball scholarship from Webber International University in Babson Park, Florida. He

is now majoring in Criminal Justice Management and plans to go into the Police Academy upon graduating from Webber next year.

“I decided to become a part of Alumni Affairs to get more involved with the Webber community and form new relationships. I look forward to helping the Webber Alumni Center become more well known, build positive relationships with the alumni and learn more about the history of Webber. Knowing myself, I know I bring my detail-oriented, strong work ethic, and ambitious qualities to this position.”

He hopes to make relationships with the alumni, student body, and his co-workers.

Ka’Deisha McCowen

Ka’Deisha McCowen earned her bachelor’s degree in 2018 and completed her master’s in Business Administration in 2020 here at Webber International University. She played softball for Webber and was a part of Rotaract. She aspires to become part of Federal Law enforcement.

“I wanted to be a part of Alumni Affairs because I wanted to be able to give back to Webber.” While at Webber, she enjoyed building an alumni community that came together to help Webber and the current students continue to grow. She believes she helped bring leadership and connections to the office. She says she learned a lot from Webber, but above all, she learned the importance of strong relationships with the community and student body.

Congratulations, Ka’Deisha! You are going to succeed in all you pursue!

Everyone at Webber International University is proud to call you an alumna!

www.webber.edu

DEGREES ce of

n e l l e c x E

faculty

Professor Muniz Exemplifies Webber’s Quest for Knowledge

by GRACE BOGGESS HIRDES

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ASK ANYONE who has attended Webber International University, and they’ll be the first to tell you the professors are second to none. The student/teacher relationship is a high priority, and the professors take pride in their work and their own academic development.

Joanne Muniz is a perfect example of that. Muniz, a 30-year accounting professional who has been a teacher at Webber since July 2018, recently earned her doctorate degree. She was the CFO for 17½ years for a retired venture capitalist in Miami before choosing Webber. She also has a background as an auditor for KPMG Peat Marwick, an Assistant Controller for a cargo airline company, and a vice president of finance for a managed healthcare organization.

“Upon obtaining my MAcc and my Certified Fraud Examiners’ License, I realized that I wanted to go into academia to share the knowledge that I had gained throughout my career so I began teaching Financial and Managerial Accounting as an adjunct at Miami Dade College,” Muniz says. “I realized not only did I enjoy teaching, but I also enjoyed learning and decided — with the encouragement of my husband and children — to pursue my doctorate, which would allow me to transition into higher education on a full-time basis.”

As she was interviewing at different institutions, she was drawn to Webber because the faculty was welcoming and knowledgeable.

www.webber.edu

“They showed a genuine interest in me not only as a person but as a potential new member of their institution,” she explains.

While teaching at Webber, she realized the “teaching-to-teach” philosophy of the institution would be conducive to her working on finishing her doctorate while giving her the creativity in the classroom that she desired.

With this realization that she wanted to expand upon the practical knowledge that already existed in the accounting profession, she chose to pursue a Doctorate of Business Administration in Advance Accounting. This would allow her to pursue her interest in fraud while looking at the various implications such crimes have on the accounting profession.

In addition to her Doctorates Degree, she also has received the following accolades from Webber: H 2019 Outstanding New Faculty Award H 2 019 Outstanding Teaching Award (Student Nomination) H 2019 Faculty Service Award (Academic Service & Campus Involvement) (Corecipient) H 2019 Passing of the Light of Knowledge Master of Ceremonies H 2 019-20 Business Advisors’ Luncheon Chair H C o-advisor for Webber’s Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) academic organization.

In 2019, she served as a chaperon for eight of Webber’s PBL members in their quest to earn national recognition at PBL’s National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and hopes to accompany this year’s state winners to Utah for PBL’s 2020 National Leadership Conference.

In the summer of 2019, she participated in a teaching outreach program in Zhengzhou, China, teaching 300 students Western Financial Accounting.

She has also helped plan Webber’s first annual Christmas Tree Lighting event, Trick-ur-Trunk Halloween community event, Easter egg coloring & egg hunt, as well as Valentine’s Day dances for the student body.

In deciding to begin my full-time teaching career at Webber, I realized the ‘teaching-to-teach’ philosophy of the institution would be conducive to me working on finishing my doctorate while giving me the creativity in the classroom that I desired.

APRIL 2020 | 15

ALUMNI Maarten Verstoep 1984 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Bjorn Franz 2007

Kaarst, Germany

Katie Chedotal 2009

St. Helens, Merseyside, England

Kenny Overthrow 2017

Gloucester, United Kingdom

Luis-Ramón Hernando 1999

Jason Venning 1996

Barcelona, Spain

Apopka

Thiago Dias 2008

Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil

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www.webber.edu

MAP Nicolau Prats Coma 2018 Innsbruck, Austria

Juuso Tapanainen 2011 Helsinki, Finland

Sugaraa Batkhuyag 2014 Dalanzadgad, Mongolia

www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 17

eventhlight

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2020 Commencement Commencement for 2020 graduates will be held in December 2020.

Stay tuned for details.

COMMENCEMENT May 3, 2019

WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY celebrated the 2019 Commencement on May 3, 2019. Congratulations to all of the graduates who received their diplomas. All the hard work and dedication is paying off! We are excited to follow all of your success as you take on the world. You make everyone at Webber proud.

Kendall Core

Trequan Moreland

Marcus Begg and President Wade

18 | APRIL 2020

Elfie Farchmin

Luiza Oliveira

Q Esquivel and Brad Neithammer

Rebecca Klepacki and family

www.webber.edu

Wired for CHANGE

WARRIOR

411

President Wade Discusses Moving Classes Online During Pandemic

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by MARY TOOTHMAN

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES call for unprecedented procedures.

When the world began to react to the coronavirus and its vastreaching implications, Dr. H. Keith Wade knew that the status quo at Webber University would have to change.

The decision to take classes out of the classroom and offer them online instead was made. Dr. Wade says the decision was best for everyone involved.

Q: At what point did it become apparent steps would need to be taken for change?

A: We convened our Emergency Committee on March 2. At that time, the data seemed to suggest that younger people were not very impacted, and college campuses were likely some of the safest places in the world. Still, we feared there could be panic, and we started getting ready.

Q: What was involved in making this enormous decision to move classes online?

A: We elected very early on not to worry about what others were doing and to instead follow the guidance of the CDC. And that did not, as of March 25, include closing college campuses. But public schools started closing.

On March 15, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) canceled the remainder of the spring season. Then, on March 16, the CDC changed its definition of “group” from 50 to 10. On March 17, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered restaurants to cut their capacity by half. While, thank God, there

www.webber.edu

still has not been a case on Webber’s campus — or most other college campuses — it became apparent that the kids were going to leave regardless of safety and no matter what we did.

We wanted them to finish the semester rather than take incompletes. So we implemented our plan to take instruction online.

Q: It would seem a lot is involved here.

How many professors and students were impacted?

A: All of them. We took all our instruction online.

Q: What did IT have to do to roll this out?

A: Nothing. For at least 10 years, we have had a plan in place to take all instruction online within 24 hours. We have never had to use it, but we have been prepared. While we gave a couple days’ notice, it didn’t even take the 24 hours we had planned for.

Q: How was it received?

A: Mixed. Our kids came here because they wanted a face-to-face education. Some are still on campus — mostly our international students, whose countries have closed their borders and therefore cannot go home. Most understand that there is just no practical

way to conduct face-to-face instruction within the CDC’s most recent guidelines.

Q: How has it been going?

A: Pretty well. There have been a few technology glitches, but we are requiring our professors to maintain office hours.

Many of the meetings are via Zoom. Our library is still open. Our tutors are still available. Folks are pretty much making the best of it.

Q: What are the plans for graduation?

A: It’s postponed until December.

It would take several football fields to spread guests out six feet apart (and we only have one football field). We contemplated the idea of a guest-free graduation. It was not a popular idea. We will do it in December. I brought my robe to work, in case someone wants a photo to tide them over until December.

Q: Are you working from home? How has that gone for you on a personal and professional level?

A: No. Neither is my wife. Which makes it challenging with a 5-year-old whose school is closed. But we are still open. We still have a few kids on campus.

We are still serving a few meals — takeout only. The good thing is we have room here to spread out — people are using classrooms as offices and holding meetings via Zoom or in the middle of athletic fields. Our virtual open houses have thus far been virtual standing room only.

APRIL 2020 | 19

THEN and NOW Grace Hall Dorm Room

20 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

International Flag Plaza

Outside Classroom Building www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 21

THEN and NOW Student Union Building

Webber Bookstore

22 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

eventhlight

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WEBBER ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND October 25-27, 2019

Save the Date!

Come join us on Webber’s campus the second weekend of October to reunite with your classmates and fellow alumni!

The weekend will consist of casual gatherings, campus tours, the President’s Tailgate, football, laughter, and much more! Come catch up with the people you went to school with. You won’t want to miss out on the fun!

www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 23

24 | APRIL 2020

Let him [or her] who would enjoy a good future waste none of his [or her] present. — Roger Babson (1875-1967)

APRIL 2020 | 25

alumni

WHERE Are They

NOW?

FINDING HIS CALLING Webber Lessons Help James Westhead, Class of 2009, Mold Students for the Future

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by MARY TOOTHMAN

JAMES WESTHEAD STARTED OUT in his college journey with business and sports on his mind.

He graduated from Webber University in 2009 with a major in general business and a minor in sports management.

He began working as a substitute teacher after graduation, and says that is when he began to realize his true passion.

“I was a substitute teacher from 2010 to 2013,” he says. That first-hand experience changed his career path dramatically. “I loved 26 | APRIL 2020

coming in every day, teaching something new and getting to interact with the kids.”

And so Westhead, who turns

35 in May, went back to college — enrolling at Daytona State College in the summer of 2012.

He began taking education classes, and received his teaching license in 2014. His first “true” teaching job was at Sunrise Elementary in Deltona, Florida. It was immediately clear to him that he had made the right decision.

“The most rewarding experience is when students from www.webber.edu

Teaching students that have less economically is very rewarding. I get to help them learn how to be happy with what they have — and how to work hard for the things they want.

— James Westhead, Class of 2009

the past come back to visit and tell me that they still remember specific things that we did in class; maybe a science investigation or a novel study,” he says. “It always makes me feel like I am doing what I was meant to do.”

Now in his fifth year as a teacher, he is teaching fourthgraders at Sugar Mill Elementary in Port Orange, Florida. It is his second year there.

His hard work and effort have been noticed. He was honored with the school’s 2020 Teacher of the Year award. He says he was gobsmacked when he learned he’d been chosen.

“It was completely unexpected,” he says. “The other two candidates and I were brought out to our school courtyard in front of the entire school for the announcement.

It was my second year at this school, and my fifth year as a teacher.”

“I had just bought a house, so they gave me gift cards to several home improvement stores.” The county’s banquet was held at the Daytona Hilton.

“It was a great experience that I will never forget.” www.webber.edu

Later that year, his school surprised him with a Teacher of the Year party.

The backstory on his award came from a colleague. “I was nominated by a fellow teacher.

Her reasons were my activity in school events and my happy spirit.”

You really can’t go wrong with a happy spirit. That enthusiasm is evident in many aspects of his role at the school. He is the DJ for all of the school events, including the school carnival and color run race.

The color run, he says, is a 5K race with stations to run through.

“And when you do, we throw colored chalk at you.”

He has his own rather unique outfit for these events.

“The kids love it.”

Who doesn’t love a guy in a pink tutu?

He also volunteers to get school science nights set up, as well as other events that take place outside regular school hours.

Westhead is especially interested in students from economically challenged backgrounds. “My first ‘true’ teaching job was at Sunrise Elementary in Deltona, Florida,”

he says. “Sunrise is a Title 1 school, which means it has a very high rate of free or reduced lunch students. It is a very low economic school. I spent three years there before transferring to my current school, Sugar Mill Elementary.

It is also a Title 1 school.

Teaching students who have less economically is very rewarding. I get to help them learn how to be happy with what they have, and how to work hard for the things they want.”

His approach blends well with beliefs he brings to the classroom from Webber University’s influence.

He says his time at Webber set him up for success and gave him an edge. “Webber taught me professionalism, which in turn, turns into how to have respect for people. This is something I try to teach my students every day.”

APRIL 2020 | 27

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2019 Camilla Society Guardian and Benefactor Luncheon December 11, 2019

President’s Golf Tournament October 21, 2019 Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club

Save the Date!

Webber International University will host the 29th Annual President’s Golf Tournament at Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club toward the end of this year. We are in need of golfers and sponsors!

Hope to see you there!

28 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

eventhlight

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Crooked Lake Heritage Festival

Save the Date!

The next Crooked Lake Heritage Festival is set for February 6, 2021.

February 1, 2020

This event celebrates the rich history of Crooked Lake and Babson Park and will feature canoe races, live music, food trucks, and more!

We hope to see you there! www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 29

alumni

On LEMONS and

Life

1988 Webber Alumnus Woodley Returns to His Agricultural Roots

by TERESA SCHIFFER

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WHILE FLORIDA is definitely known for its citrus production, lemons aren’t always the first fruit to come to mind when you think of Florida citrus. Lemon growing does have a history in the state,

however, and it may be time for the crop to make a comeback. Florida lemons were a major crop at the turn of the 20th century. In the 1970s, Coke and the Seminole Tribe of Florida were producing about 550,000 boxes of lemons annually. The freezes of the 1980s halted that production, and afterward many growers moved on to other fruit. Nowadays, with our citrus industry devastated by greening, some growers are taking another look at citrus as a main crop.

Webber alumnus Michael Woodley is one such grower.

Woodley attended Webber International University from 1984-’88.

During his time at the college, he took to heart the phrase carpe diem. Woodley says that reminder — “Don’t wait,” seize the day, was one of the most important lessons he learned at Webber.

“Don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t be afraid of what other people may think,” he says.

That philosophy has guided Woodley throughout the years since leaving Webber. Woodley values the time he spent at Webber, noting that while he had a small scholarship he did need a job in order to pay for his schooling. Working while carrying a full class load was a challenge, but one he has never regretted.

The perseverance he learned at Webber has served him well over the years.

Webber wasn’t Woodley’s first choice for attending college. Initially, he intended to go to the University of Florida. However, when he got to Gainesville and saw the vast number of students attending that school, he decided a school of that size wasn’t a good fit for him. He was on his way home when he spotted a sign for then-

30 | APRIL 2020

Webber College. He pulled in and asked to apply. Suddenly, he heard the voice of his former high school principal, Mr. Williamson, booming at him. Mr. Williamson had left the high school and taken a position as Dean at Webber College. Woodley confided his trepidation about attending UF in Gainesville, and Mr. Williamson encouraged him to register at Webber instead.

Woodley comes from a long line of citrus growers in Central Florida. His great-grandfather, F.L.B. Flood, came from Ireland in the 1880s and settled in Frostproof to establish a citrus grove.

“We’ve been here for a while,” Woodley says of his agricultural ancestors. “We’ve weathered freezes, and the ups and downs of the industry.”

While greening affects all citrus varieties, lemon trees seem to fare better than most due to the fact that instead of going dormant, they just keep growing, thereby outpacing the disease.

Eagle Scout Woodley had a rewarding career as a Forest Ranger working in several state forests before he retired early and decided to get back

to his agricultural roots. He recently planted 15 acres of lemons at Woodley Groves on Silver Lake in Frostproof.

Lemons are ready to harvest from June to October, which is when most other citrus varieties are still ripening.

This makes them a viable fruit for an unobstructed market and allows citrus processors such as Florida’s Natural to keep their plants running year-round.

Despite this seemingly simple formula for success, growing lemons is fraught with challenges, and Woodley is looking forward to tackling them through this great experiment of his.

“You’re building with all the sweat and blood and tears and money and capital, and your heart and soul that you put into it,” Woodley describes of his foray into the lemon fields.

“In the end, it’ll give you a little bit more than you put into it. And if it doesn’t, well it may or may not be your fault, but you have to live with it, and to me, that’s more satisfying than putting your money into something and just drawing interest.”

www.webber.edu

FULFILLING a

e

Dream

alumni

Flores, Class of 2018, Gears Up to Open New Restaurant

by MARY TOOTHMAN

ERIK FLORES, a 2018 Webber University graduate who majored in marketing, has been busy preparing for the upcoming opening of his new restaurant in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

The restaurant, named Wrap City, will offer a mix of American cuisine and local Honduran flavors. It will sell wraps, bowls, salads, and quesadillas. The doors to Wrap City were set to open to the public in April.

“At this moment, we are finishing with the training for our cooks and personnel,” Flores says.

He says he is fulfilling his restaurant dream in large part thanks to encouragement from a special mentor at Webber.

“Tonya Webb from the Student Union at Webber International University inspired me to start this project. “She is the best teacher I ever had,” Flores says.

“She taught me everything I know about the food industry, and she also taught me to always treat everyone with respect.”

Webb gave Flores all sorts of practical, food-related knowledge. “She taught me how to make wraps, salads, and how to use the fryer and other equipment,” he says.

But perhaps more notably, she instilled important values, Flores says.

“She also set an example on how to treat people,” he says. “She treats everyone by who they are, not by where they come from or what they look like.

“As an international student, it was not an option to work off-campus, and on-campus jobs were pretty full all the

www.webber.edu

time,” he says “But she gave me, and a bunch of other students, an opportunity to work with her.”

Finding work is important to international students who seek to meet the requirements for an F1 visa.

And Webb, Flores says, was sensitive to that issue and did all she could to help students out.

“For her, it did not matter if you were an international, American, freshman

or senior student. She gave everyone an opportunity,” he says. Now, he wants to channel that goodwill at his own business. “That is what I want to do here.”

Flores says he will incorporate values he learned from Webb in his new restaurant business. That includes hiring students who most need the opportunity.

“All of our personnel — cooks, waiters, cashiers — are undergraduate students that do not have an open schedule to work a full-time job,” he says.

“All of them are new to the industry and are willing to work hard.

“Just like we were when we worked for Ms. Tonya.”

For (Tonya Webb), it did not matter if you were an international, American, freshman or senior student.

She gave everyone an opportunity.

That is what I want to do here.

APRIL 2020 | 31

alumni

y r o m e MLANE

Class of ‘65 Alumna Recalls Life at All-Girls Webber College

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by MARY TOOTHMAN

WHEN ALICE BACH arrived at Webber College in Babson Park from Chicago in the early 1960s, she experienced culture shock.

“There was only one store, and it was a grocery store with a post office on the side and nothing else. You went past the college, you saw the store and you were out of the city. Coming from a suburb of Chicago, as I did, it was a real shock. And then, when I found out that the closest stores were in Lakeland, Florida, and we had no vehicles to get there at the time ... I was glad I had got everything before I left home and not waited to buy down here.”

Asked if it was maybe a treat to hang out at the soda shop for fun, the former Alice Bach, now Alice Collins, realized she perhaps may not have made her point clear. “What soda shop?” she asked.

“When I say there was nothing, I mean there was NOTHING. There was no gas station. There were no restaurants. There was no soda shop.”

While the school was not known for its expansive recreational activities, it was indeed a quality learning place for students who attended for that purpose.

To a very young Alice, now 74, students she met when she first arrived

32 | APRIL 2020

at Webber seemed “awfully prim and proper.”

“I mean, there they were in pigtails.

It was not like anything I had ever experienced. And there was just absolutely nothing to do. Eventually, though, you just had to give everybody a chance.

“After all, it was known as a private, exclusive college.”

It did not hurt any when Alice’s father bought her a 1962 Chevy Impala convertible. She and her friends had transportation at last, and the freedom that the Chevy provided.

The ability to come and go (during allowed time periods) was treasured.

Webber housing arrangements during Alice’s time on campus included strict curfews and a woman who watched over the girls lived in the dorm.

In contrast, there was something very liberating about cruising around in Alice’s convertible — and the girls caught right on. “We all became very close,” she says. “I guess what also changed my mind about being in Babson Park was the

other girls in the college and all their life stories.”

A certain man caught her eye, also, and that helped quite a bit. “I met my first husband in the second year, so that made it a little bit more interesting.”

Her first husband was “a local boy,” and the couple settled into a home they bought in Babson Park. After they divorced, there was an adjustment.

“They always said, ‘Marry a rich boy, and you’ll never want for anything. He will take care of you.’ Well, his parents were wealthy; and they did take care of me. But that did not last.”

Eventually, Alice married a second time, to Roger Collins. The couple still lives in Babson Park. “We have been married for 47 years,” she says. “That is longer than I’ve been single.”

Over the years, since her Webber days, staying in touch with friends proved more difficult than Alice anticipated. “I kept up with the girls for a while after college, even went to visit one in North Carolina. But life got so busy with our families that we really did not have time to socialize together, and with the distance between all of us.”

Most students can name one or two teachers who really had an impact on

www.webber.edu

their education and life. “I guess it was the teacher Mrs. Lewis; I do not recall her first name. She was very informative. She shared so many things with us, and made us open our eyes to see what was really going on with our security. I guess it made me look further than just what was presented to us.

“Everybody seems to have a purpose in their life. Mine, it seems to have turned out, was using my information and capabilities of looking ahead to help others achieve their goals. It’s like every job I have had, it’s like one I’ve been sent to.” Most of the time, jobs she had after college came to her, versus the usual application process.

A friend would know someone who was in a jam, and Alice would step up to help. She ran a pizza shop for a time, and operated a paint store. The business skills she learned at Webber always kicked in.

Within days of being at work at any business, Alice would begin to notice issues. Too much cheese was going on the pizzas, and the profit margin was just barely there. After she made some suggestions, the pizza parlor started making money, she says.

The business sense she developed at college was just one aspect of the learning curve. When she first began at Webber, Alice experienced the enormous impact that diversity can have on a person’s growth and development.

“Everything was so different; so many moods that I had never seen before. Many different personalities ... you had to learn the ropes and know who to trust. After all, we were all thrown into a different world than what we were used to at home: no more parties. No more going on dates, nobody calling, and if they did, you were limited to a short period of time on the phone. We did not have cell phones back then.”

Eventually, Alice and her friends were ready to meet some members of the opposite sex. “After a while, I got together with another girl and got with our (administrator), and talked to her about getting a plan to have a dance. We wanted to invite some of the guys around the area or at any schools. We had the usual locals, and if we had the baseball players, they came in the spring. And that was always trouble.”

A little place located nearby called the Nest Egg was their meeting place. The quest to locate some men to liven things up continued. “We had a couple other boys’ schools, which proved to be very interesting also. They were an all-boys school, and had not seen any girls like us.”

When all was said and done, Alice and her classmates found that college away from home was about much more than two years of curriculum. “I must say we all learned more than just the classes we went to, whether it be retail or business. There was a lot of growing up taking place in that first year, for all of us.”

Webber also grew. Today, there are about 40 full-time and part-time professors on the Babson Park campus.

Some 700 students attend what is now known, of course, as Webber International University.

Alice Bach graduated in 1965. And like many experiencing transition, she thought surely she would remain in contact with some of her close Webber girlfriends. But, life happened. She continues to hope that some will reach out to her, so they can talk about the special time they shared.

Webber was founded in 1927 by Grace Knight and Roger W. Babson. The intent was for it to carry the last name of their granddaughter, Camilla Grace Webber. Webber was originally established as a women’s college, with the exclusive purpose of teaching women about business.

www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 33

o t n i g n i v i D SUCCESS

alumni

Michael Williams, Class of 2004, Leads Own Thriving Pool Care Business

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by TERESA SCHIFFER

WEBBER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY is proud to have produced a number of graduates who have gone on to become successful business leaders and members of their communities.

Michael Williams is a prime example of the stellar grads who come out of Webber every year. The young entrepreneur started at Webber International University in 2000 and graduated in 2004.

Williams then went on to start his own business, Blue Thumb Pool Care, in Frostproof, Florida, in 2008.

Williams moved to Frostproof at the age of 16 with his family from Indiana.

He married his high school sweetheart, Amy, and they have three sons. The Williams family has spent more than two decades in the town they proudly call home. Throughout high school and college, Williams worked at a pool supply store. He found that he enjoyed the work and liked being able to spend his time outdoors. Blue Thumb Pool Care started out just doing standard pool care, but Williams soon obtained his contractor’s license, allowing him to add pool remodeling to his menu of services.

34 | APRIL 2020

The company stays busy servicing East Polk County, mainly focusing on Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Babson Park and Frostproof.

A member of the golf team during his time at Webber, Williams earned a marketing degree, which was a great benefit to him when the time came to start his own company. With the rise of social media in the past 15 years, the way marketing is conducted has changed some since Williams’ time in school, but the lessons he learned about planning and implementing a marketing campaign were instrumental in helping

him successfully launch his pool cleaning service. Williams is quick to credit his success in business to the education he received at Webber International University, saying, “I learned many different things during my time at Webber, though a lot of it didn’t set in until I started my own business.”

Blue Thumb Pool Care is a fullservice pool cleaning company. It is prepared for any task relating to your pool, including pump/motor repairs, replacing filters, installing and maintaining salt systems and heaters, and taking care of repairs and remodels.

Williams works hard to ensure that his company is thriving in order to provide for his family. Children are our future, and Williams shares what he hopes his children are learning from the example he sets in business, “The more hard work you put into it, the more successful you can be. You can be anything you want to be, really, if you just put your mind to it and work toward it.”

www.webber.edu

A FIELD of our OWN

i

photo by JOE LEDUC

IN OCTOBER 2019, Webber International University unveiled its new multipurpose Warrior turf field. The new multipurpose Warrior turf field on the campus was under construction for nearly four months before completion.

BIRD DOG

“The overall impact that this project will have on our university and student-athletes is going to be incredible, and we are really looking forward to seeing how this blossoms,” Webber Director of Athletics Darren Richie said before its inaugural use.

The new field hosts football, men’s and women’s soccer, and lacrosse. It is located in the heart of Webber’s athletic facilities, next to the Sabbagh Athletic Center and the Nancy Nichols Softball Field.

BIRD DOG

www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 35

warrior ings

d d e W Kyle & Julianne Dougherty Calcote

“Webber brought the two of us together”

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by MARY TOOTHMAN

Kyle Calcote and Julianne Dougherty were married on March 18, 2016.

“We got married at Cypress Grove Estate House in Orlando, Florida, in front of 175 of our closest family and friends,” she says.

“Our wedding was a rustic theme at a venue on Lake Holden.”

The couple met during their freshman year at Webber in 2008.

“Kyle was on the men’s bowling team, and I was on the women’s indoor and beach volleyball team,” Julianne explains.

Kyle and Julianne both graduated in 2012. He graduated with his undergrad degree in hospitality and tourism; she graduated with a sports business management degree.

After earning their undergrad degrees, they both decided to get a master’s degree in international business from Webber. They graduated from the program in 2014.

“Kyle worked for Kegel, and I was the women’s indoor assistant coach for Webber and their head beach volleyball coach. Kyle went on to work for (bowling equipment provider) QubicaAMF while I was the head beach coach at Webber from 2013-2017.”

The couple currently lives in Orlando, and she now works for her alma mater at Timber Creek High School as the girl’s varsity volleyball coach. She also teaches digital information technology, which allows students to become Microsoft office specialists.

“Without Webber, I would have never met the love of my life.

Webber brought the two of us together, and so many memories and relationships that will last us a lifetime. We have now been together for 10 years and married for four this coming March.”

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Alyssa & Corey Jackson “If it weren’t for Webber, none of it would have happened” Cupid was after Alyssa Householder and Corey Jackson when they were students at Webber University.

“We met in the cafeteria through mutual friends,” Alyssa says.

“Ever since the day we met in the cafe, we would talk every single day and hang out as much as possible — which led us to where we are now: married.”

Even though they each had a lot going on, they still found time for each other. “Corey and I both played sports at Webber.

He played football, while I played softball. So we understood our very hectic and stressful schedules, which made it nice to have someone there for support.”

The end of their Webber days came in different years. Corey graduated from Webber in December of 2014; Alyssa graduated in May of 2017.

They were married November 9, 2019.

“We had our wedding at Shabby Chic Barn in Brooksville, Florida, which I highly recommend. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful wedding day.”

If it weren’t for Webber, none of it would have happened, she says.

“Webber played a role in our relationship because if we had not both attended the school, we would have never met. The life I have created with my husband all began at Webber — which I am very thankful for.”

Stuart & Brittany Winsby A romance fostered at Webber Stuart Winsby and his wife, and Brittany (King) Winsby, met through mutual friends.

“I proposed to her shortly after our son was born, when she graduated,” Stuart says. “We were married on November 23 in Saint Cloud. Our wedding is a cherished event, we had friends and family from around the world who were there to share the moment with us. We chose to use all local small business vendors and made sure to add some touches of home to make it truly ours.”

They give credit to their Webber connection for their romance and marriage. “If I had not accepted a scholarship to Webber to play golf, I would have never met my wife,” he says. “Some of our closest friends and even members of our wedding party were friends from Webber.”

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sports

Changing of the Guard

Longtime Baseball Coach Niethammer Passes the Bat to Martin

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by MATT COBBLE

THIS SPRING, when the Warrior’s baseball team took to the field, they did so with a new head coach – only the second in the team’s history. Coach Brad Niethammer, who has been with Webber’s baseball program since its inception, officially moved out of his coaching position in order to focus on his duties as Webber’s Assistant Athletic Director. “It’s been a fun ride,” Niethammer says, “but it’s good timing for a change.”

After playing baseball in both high school and college, Nithammer began his coaching career in 1991 at Lake Wales High School. He served as the assistant coach for the varsity team for that season, then took on the role of the junior varsity head coach the following year. He also served as assistant coach at Frostproof High School.

When Neithammer came on board at Webber in 1993, he had the responsibility of building the baseball program from the ground up. “We started that first year with 18 freshmen,” Niethammer recalls. “It was a slower process than I anticipated. The talent in our conference is very good.” He was referring to the Sun

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Conference, the division of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that Webber sports compete in.

“Without scholarships to draw competitive players, it doesn’t matter how good the coaching is.”

Luckily, the Warriors were able to attract talented ball players and began winning more games than they lost.

Coach Niethammer ended the 2019 season — his 26th, and final, as coach — with 765 wins, 659 losses, making him (at the time) one of the top 20 winningest coaches in the NAIA. He led the Warriors to a Sun Conference Tournament Championship title in 2018, the NAIA National Championship Opening Round

three years in a row (2017 through 2019), and 16 seasons with 30 or more wins, including seven consecutive years from 2013 to 2019.

But Coach Niethammer’s successes were not limited to the baseball diamond.

In 2007, he was appointed Webber’s Assistant Athletic Director. He has also served on several committees with both the NAIA and the American Baseball Coaches’ Association (ABCA), including the selection committee that eventually developed the current playoff structure for NAIA teams. He’s also served on the tournament committee for the past five years, and even stepped in to lead the committee last year when the current NAIA-ABCA President was unable to do so.

“With NAIA, you can have a voice if you want to,” Niethammer says.

“I wanted to have an impact on the conference.”

So why did Coach Niethammer choose this time to step away from coaching? “A lot of these coaches will keep going for 30, 40 years. But a lot

www.webber.edu

of young coaches will do a good job, if they’re given the opportunity.”

Any Warriors fans worried about the future of the team should rest assured, however — Associate Head Coach Collin Martin was tapped to step into the Head Coach position for the 2020 season, with Coach Niethammer’s blessing. “I wouldn’t have retired if [Coach Martin] wasn’t taking over,” Niethammer admitted. “There are a lot of areas where we’re alike. We promoted him for that reason.

Coach Martin has worked his way through the Webber baseball program, beginning as a player for the Warriors in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. After graduating, he signed as a free agent with Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, and later, the Frontier League’s Florence Freedom (which, as of the 2020 season, has changed its name to the Florence Y’alls).

Martin began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Winter Haven High School, from 2006 until 2009.

He also served as a coach for the collegiate summer baseball Cape Cod League (Cotuit Kettleers in 2009), the independent Frontier League (Florence Freedom in 2007), Florida Southern College (2010), and Polk State College (2011-2014). During Martin’s time at Polk State, the team won three National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Suncoast Conference championships, as well as a state title and gained a spot in the NJCAA’s JUCO World Series playoffs.

Then, in the spring of 2015, Martin returned to Webber’s baseball program as an assistant coach, and in 2017 was made the associate head coach.

“Coach Martin definitely has great potential,” Niethammer says. “He’s the guy to take this program to the next level.”

Coach Niethammer isn’t quite done with baseball yet, however. He will continue to serve as Webber’s Director of Baseball Operations. In this role, he is responsible for creating the team’s

schedule, making travel arrangements, and other administrative tasks.

Niethammer handled most of this work himself during his coaching tenure, but kept these responsibilities even after stepping away from coaching.

“Coach Martin can focus on working with the team for now,” Niethammer added.

Coach Martin says, “I would like to thank [Coach Niethammer] not only for his work in NAIA baseball and here at Webber (which will both continue), but for bringing me back here to Babson Park and allowing me to grow as a coach.

Darren Richie and Coach Hammer have entrusted me with a successful program and I am very grateful for all that both of them continue to do for me and our program.”

He has been making the most of this opportunity. So far under Coach Martin, the Warriors have started the 2020 season with 11 wins, 6 losses.

From left: Coach Collin Martin; Jay Culver, Campus Vice President of Student Life; Brad Niethammer, former baseball coach; and Darren Richie, Director of Athletics

www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 39

sports

t

FIELD of

s m a e r D

Warriors Defend Home Turf for First Time

by MATT COBBLE Webber’s Defensive Coordinator Eric Potochney said of Bell, “Brandon is a great student and a person of high character. He was a captain and a great leader on our team. Brandon was a key player in our defense having the ability to play multiple positions for us.” to NAIA Football,” Austin Bennett, the Bell’s record at Webber stands on Senior Football Classic Director said in its own. He was a starter for the team a statement. “It is a great opportunity all four years, playing in 33 of the 36 to recognize senior football games during his tenure. He student-athletes as racked up a total of 139 well as provide an tackles (50 this year opportunity for them alone), of which 105 to gain exposure were solo tackles to professional (37 this year), football and five career organizations. interceptions One Warrior (three of which — defensive back were this season).

Brandon Bell — Finally, two was selected to Warriors had suit up and join performances for the the West team. record books.

Then Bell, as part of Davonte Williams, Eric Potochney the West team, became a sophomore running the first Senior Football back, set a new school record Classic’s winners, defeating the for receiving yards in a single game.

East team 31-28.

He totalled 213 yards in the October 12

THE 2019 FOOTBALL SEASON was momentous for the Warriors for a number of reasons. First of all, beginning with the October 5 game against St. Thomas University, the Warriors played their home games on the new multi-purpose Warrior Turf Field.

“We are really excited about the opportunity to play on campus and for the start of our conference schedule,” says Head Coach Kelly Scott.

Although the Webber football team had the honor of Warrior Turf Field’s first use, the multi-purpose facility will also be used for both men’s and women’s soccer, as well as the forthcoming men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

Previous home games, including the 2019 home opener against Kentucky’s Union College, were played in Winter Haven’s Denison Stadium.

New to NAIA football this year was the NAIA Senior Football Classic, a game played by graduating seniors from member schools as a sort of last send-off before the championship, which was held one week later (December 14 and 21, respectively).

“We are excited to bring this event

40 | APRIL 2020

www.webber.edu

contest at Faulkner University, including a 52 yard, game-winning score in the final minute of a dramatic come-frombehind victory for the Warriors. This new record surpassed the previous single game best of 175 yards, set in 2009 by Andre Edwards.

Williams also placed into the top three in two other categories. His total of 612 total receiving yards for the 2019 season put him ahead of the previous number three, Mitch Choquette, with 541 yards back in 2013. The current record is held by Ean Randolph with 713 yards in 2004, followed by Andre Edwards in second with 641 in 2009.

www.webber.edu

Additionally, Williams tied the current third rank of 68 receiving yards per game, originally set by Jamal Rodman in 2009. Andre Edwards holds the top spot in that category, with 91.6 yards per game in 2009, and Ean Randolph remains in second with 71.3 yards per game.

Additionally, Williams was selected a First-Team All-Mid-South Conference player in 2019.

Senior quarterback Brycen Lee also made his own place in the Webber record books. He averaged 203 passing yards per game, giving him the number two slot.

This splits two previous back-to-back records, held by Torrance Moise, with

203.4 yards per game in 2009 and 156.9 in 2010. Andrew Carr, previously in third place with 149.4 yards in 2007, is now in fourth place.

Furthermore, Lee’s total passing yards for the season, 1,421, gives him the number three spot behind two records set by Torrance Moise: 1,831 yards in 2009, and 1,726 yards in 2010.

With all of this momentum behind them at the close of the 2019 season, it will be exciting to watch what the Warriors are able to accomplish when they take to the field in 2020.

APRIL 2020 | 41

sports

From the

Up

GROUND

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Men’s and Women’s Warrior Lacrosse Taking Shape

by MATT COBBLE “We are pleased to announce the start of lacrosse for both men and women at Webber,” says Webber’s Director of Athletics Mr. Darren Richie. “The addition of lacrosse gives us 23 sports and helps us get closer to our goal of reaching 700 student-athletes. We look forward to developing a very high-caliber and competitive NAIA team.”

“It’s a sport about which we’ve had lots of inquiries, but as a small school how far you have to travel to play is always a consideration,” says Dr. Keith Wade, the university’s president and CEO. “With 27 men’s and 37 women’s lacrosse teams currently in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and many more exploring the possibilities, we feel like there’s finally critical mass for good competition close to home.”

Coach Chris Burdick started at Webber as lacrosse coach and director of lacrosse in August 2019. Burdick has experience coaching lacrosse on both the professional and collegiate level, working for Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Across his 28 seasons in the NCAA, Burdick has led his teams to a total of 11 tournaments and 21

42 | APRIL 2020

THE NEW WARRIOR TURF FIELD on Webber’s campus has opened some new doors for athletics on campus. In addition to the football and soccer teams having a space to compete on the school grounds, the field has allowed the athletics department to explore bringing new sports to Babson Park. Specifically, Webber has announced that men’s and women’s lacrosse will be taking to the field with Coach Chris Burdick and Coach Destinee Johnson at the helms, respectively.

conference (regular-season and tournament) championships.

Burdick is also the owner of 24 Lacrosse, LLC, a lacrosse player and coach-development company that specializes in team workshops and coaching development.

Burdick is also no stranger to building a lacrosse program from the ground up. He worked as an assistant coach for the University of Tampa, helping to develop their program into a nationally recognized team, making six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

Coach Destinee Johnson joined the Webber Athletics staff as the first women’s lacrosse coach in December 2019. Before coming on board at Webber, Johnson served as Head Coach for the Women’s lacrosse team at the University of Dallas for three years, where she coached two First-Team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) selections and had two players named Honorable Mention All-SCAC, the first such achievement for any UD women’s lacrosse player.

Prior to her time at University of Dallas, she served as Assistant Coach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

There, she recruited and coached three

Chris Burdick

Destinee Johnson

ALL-Gulf Shore Conference (GSC) players and the GSC Rookie of the Year while the team finished the 2016 season with a 14-4 overall record and was a GSC conference finalist.

Johnson also served as an assistant lacrosse coach at the Pro Lacrosse Camp in Dallas, Texas, beginning in June 2017.

Although the first official game is not expected to take place until Spring 2021, Webber Athletics began recruiting players interested in building the Warrior lacrosse teams for the 2019-2020 school year. Webber followed a similar development cycle with the football team in 2002, recruiting a group of players who, to this day, proudly refer to themselves as “the shed boys” — from the utility shed they used as a locker room in the early days.

Burdick has been travelling around the nation, recruiting players with recruitment and prospect camps for high school and junior college athletes.

Prospective Webber lacrosse players can find more information about these recruitment events at laxwar.com.

www.webber.edu

STRONG

Season

sports

Men’s Soccer Team Finishes 2019 Tied With Record

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by MATT COBBLE

THE WEBBER MEN’S SOCCER TEAM finished a noteworthy season, adding several feathers to their metaphorical caps.

The Warriors finished the 2019 season with a record of 9-7, which is tied with 2013 for the record of most wins in a single season. They won their ninth victory playing their first match on the newly completed Warrior Turf Field, rather than the Grass Field where their other home matches were played. The Warriors’ record against Sun Conference opponents was 3-6, the most since 2015.

Additionally, for the first time in three seasons, the Webber Soccer team was able to bring home the Crooked Lake Cup, sweeping rival Warner University 3 games to none in their matches. “To win the cup for the first time since 2016, everything fell into place tonight,” Webber’s Head Men’s Soccer Coach Neil

www.webber.edu

Cockburn said after the win. “I couldn’t be prouder of their collective and individual efforts tonight.”

A large part of the team’s success this season is thanks to the efforts of the defense. Webber had a total of five games where they completely shut out opponents, and ten others where they held the opposing team to only one goal.

In Webber’s final victory of the season, goalkeeper Fabricio Verdun managed a career-best nine saves in a single game, despite the match being only his second start of the season.

Sophomore defender Elies Sebbouh was selected to the District I National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Academic All-District Men’s

Soccer Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The All-District Academic Teams, chosen in four divisions (National Collegiate Athletics Association [NCAA] Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA) recognize student athletes for their performance in the classroom, as well as on the field.

Sebbouh, a native of Paris, France, started in all 16 matches for Webber this season, ranking fourth in the team for points with a total of 5, all while maintaining a 3.91 cumulative grade-point average. He was also named to The Sun Conference academic all-conference honors, this time alongside junior Mateo Celaya.

After hitting all of these high-points in the 2019 season, Warriors fans should be excited to see where the team is headed for 2020.

APRIL 2020 | 43

sports

Making Time Kendal Clark Becomes First Lady Warrior to Qualify for Nationals Since 2010

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by MATT COBBLE

THIS PAST NOVEMBER, junior Kendal Clark was selected to compete in the 40th Annual NAIA Women’s Cross Country National Championships, which were held November 22 at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington. She qualified for the national championship with a 14th place finish at the 2019 Sun Conference Championships on November 9, with a time of 19 minutes, 30.3 seconds in the 5 kilometer race. Clark was also named as part of the Second-Team All-Sun Conference.

This makes her only the second Lady Warrior to qualify for the national championships, and the first since Juline Brice was selected in 2010.

Cross Country Head Coach James Simpson says, “I’m very proud of our junior captain Kendal Clark for qualifying for nationals. This accomplishment is one that hasn’t happened on the women’s side at Webber since 2010, and it was only made possible by hard work that was put in over the summer.”

Originally from Goodyear, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix, Clark did not pursue running until she entered high school. However, she had two older siblings, a brother and sister, who ran cross country in their high school years, which piqued her interest, wanting to follow in their footsteps. Her sister was a senior when Clark joined the

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team as a freshman, meaning they were on the team at the same time. After her first season, when Clark saw she had a natural talent for running, she increased her training regimen to make herself a serious competitor in the sport.

During her senior year of high school, Clark and her best friend, Jessica Terry, made two decisions: They wanted to play collegiate sports, and they believed that Florida was the place to do it. They contacted several schools, looking for a place where Clark could run cross country, and Terry play volleyball.

Webber was one school that responded to both of them, and after they visited the campus, they knew that Webber was their choice.

The 19:30.3 that earned her a spot in the championship was not Clark’s best race time of the season. That came October 19 at the Sand Shark

Invitational, where she finished with a time of 19:00.5. This also became her career best time, and currently ranks second on Webber’s all-time record list behind Brice, who had an 18:07 at the Sun Conference Championships in 2010.

Clark’s other times throughout the 2019 season were 19:46.3 at the Florida State University Invitational (October 11) and 20:41.64 at the ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic (September 21).

At the National Championships, Clark was one of 89 individual runners, alongside 37 teams from across the country. Among some of the best runners in the nation, she finished 282nd overall, with a time of 21:01.8.

Simpson concludes, “I think this was a very great experience for Kendal to grow as an athlete, and we both gained a new found respect for the national meet.

I look forward to seeing her grow as an athlete from this experience, and I’m very honored to have been a part of her national championship experience.”

Rather than resting on her laurels of making the National Championships, Clark, a dual sport athlete, instead turned her attention to the spring 2020 semester where she competes as a mid-distance runner for the Webber track & field team.

www.webber.edu

Coming off a

sports

STRONG

Season

o

Women Warriors Block Southeastern

by MATT COBBLE

ON FEBRUARY 28, in The Sun Conference Tournament Semi-Finals, the Webber Warriors Women’s Basketball team accomplished a feat that had not been tackled in four years: they handed a defeat to the No. 1-ranked team in NAIA Division-II — the Southeastern University Fire.

This also prevented the Fire from advancing to their fifth championship game in a row.

Before facing the Warriors in the semifinals, the Fire had a run of 78 consecutive wins against Sun Conference opponents, stretching back to a loss to Georgia’s Thomas University in February 2016.

The 91-83 Warriors victory came in overtime, after a back and forth game that saw the teams trading the lead, and

www.webber.edu

staying within a few points of each other for the duration.

Webber’s Head Women’s Basketball Coach Grady Morrell says, “We believed.

We got better from day one. That was our motto this year, ‘Get better every day with every play.’ That’s what these girls have done. They are resilient.”

Southeastern’s loss also broke the team’s 25-game winning streak for through the 2019-2020 season, including two previous victories over Webber in the regular season: December 5 (Warriors 48, Fire 97) and February 8 (Warriors 59, Fire 72).

Their victory over the Fire led the Warriors to The Sun Conference Tournament Championship game against No. 3-seeded Johnson & Wales University the following day. Unfortunately, Webber fell a bit short, losing to Johnson & Wales 63-71 and missing out on an automatic bid to the 29th Annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division-II Women’s Basketball

National Championship This made Webber’s fifth trip to The Sun Conference Tournament Championship game during Head Coach Grady Morrell’s tenure, and was the Warriors’ first appearance since 2015-16 when Webber advanced to the championship for the fourth season in a row. Webber’s lone TSC Tournament Championship came during the 201213 season, which was Morrell’s second season with the team, resulting in the Warriors’ fourth ever trip to the NAIA Division-II Women’s Basketball Championship.

The Warriors ended the 2019-2020 season with a record of 19-12 (11-7 against Sun Conference opponents), and with two players, juniors Paris Copeland and LeAndra Franklin, both named to the all-tournament team.

APRIL 2020 | 45

A D VA N C E M E N T N E W S Making a Mark that Helps Continue the Webber Tradition

A

lumni, students, and friends of Webber International University are invited to make their mark on the WIU campus through the purchase of a personalized engraved brick. Your brick will be part of the beautifully redesigned International Flag Plaza, located just outside of the Grace and Roger Babson Library, featuring the historic Rogers granite monument as its centerpiece. Your name, carved in a brick and placed in the plaza, will symbolize the spirit you felt when you were at Webber— the same spirit still present on the campus today!

In addition to enhancing the overall appearance of the Flag Plaza, your contributions to the Brick Campaign will be used to support various initiatives aimed at beautifying our campus. Projects include: design and landpay tribute to someone important to you through your brick’s inscription.

Alumni may purchase a brick to commemorate their school years, a parent may honor a graduate or future graduate, or alumni may honor a special faculty member. A brick is a permanent means of honoring something or Webber’s proud tradition of academic and athletic distinction by paving the foundation for a promising future for all Webber students.

Bricks are available in 4x8 inch and 8x8 inch sizes and are priced at $100 and $300 respectively. Bricks will be installed in the order they are purchased.

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SEPTEMBER 2012

basketball court for resident students, just to name a few. Each 4x8 inch brick will accommodate 3 lines of engraving and up to 16 characters per line, including spacing and punctuation. Donate a brick today, and invest in the future of Webber International University.

For more information, please contact the Institutional Advance.

Scan the QR code with your smartphone and order today, or visit www.webber.edu, and click on the Flag plaza link.

www.webber.edu

www.webber

Webber Advocates AgVictus Capital Management LLC Alexander, John R. & Sarah J. Arnold, Charles M. Bassett, Karen Beale Jr., Joseph E. Beasley, Patty Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. Busbee, Joan W. Calhoun-Sullivan, Nancy Centennial Bank Citrus World, Inc. Clough, Mariam G. Coleman, Rebecca Dacosta, Maria and Arisson Dancy, Linda Davis, Mr. & Mrs. Keith W. Eickelmann, Jeffrey and Jennifer Farm Credit of Florida Florida’s Natural Foundation Fowler, Tip Fugate, Richard P. & Jennifer J. G. Dixon Chandley 1995 Trust Gambell, Tom & Mikaela Gerlach, Alan Gerlach, Betsy Gillen, Lannette Givewell Foundation Guzman-Sarina, Saritza Haber, Jeff Hancock, Ned & Tammy Hansen, Patricia A. Harvey, Fred Hunt, F.M. & Margaret N. Ingley, Roger Jahna, Emil Jahna, Jimbo Jahna Foundation Jessica Costanzo Memorial Foundation Jones, Jackie Kayworth, Billie

Kleme, Larry Laffey Groves, Inc. Lake Wales Bridge Club Lassiter, Carol Leinen, Randy Lester, W. Bernard & Elaine P. Luca-Payne, Tina Martin, Elizabeth B. Martin, Frances E. McKenna Brothers, Inc. McKenna Management, Inc. Minero, Diann Morrell, Grady Mueller, Jennifer Myers III, C.B. Newell, Marilyn Nichols, Nancy O’Lari-Quijada, Barbara Oliszewski, Larry H. & Pearl M. Orange Growers Marketing Association, Inc. Paddock, Josephine Palmiere, Kelly Perry, Angela Perry, Stanley & Cathy Reeves, Barbara C. Retail First Foundation Richie, Darren Rogers, Linda Rose, Roger Schmidt, Nancy Strickler, Joe Thullbery, Frank M. & Catherine D. Wade, Keith & Kelly Watkins, Janet Wilson, Kathy Wilson, Thomas & Cynthia Woodley, Michael Yentes, Matt Yentes, Rex Young, Judith

ebber International University is currently between alumni directors, so there’s a possibility that our list is not complete.

W If you don’t see your name, we apologize and will be sure to include it in the next edition of Webber View.

www.webber.edu

APRIL 2020 | 47

FOR YOUR GIFT, WE SAY‌ WEBBER ANNUAL FUND

THANK YOU

The same global appeal, intimate classes, and applied learning that brought you to Warrior ground continues today.

Becoming an advocate for Webber International University enables us to carry on the highest standards of excellence in education while fostering competitive leadership through hands-on training and athletic programs. Your continued support enables current and future students to achieve success in the real world.

Please consider making a contribution to the Webber Annual Fund. The commitment of all of us who are closest to Webber and know it best will motivate and inspire other donors as they consider supporting the University.

GIVE ONLINE Donations can be made online at

webber.edu/giving

or by scanning the QR code here.

GIVE BY MAIL

Webber International University Institutional Advancement Office 1201 North Scenic Highway Babson Park, FL 33827

For a list of Advocates, please turn to page 47