NKU Magazine Winter 2022 by NKU Magazine

nkumagazine w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 // v o l . 6 , N o . 1

THE

entrepreneur issue NKU'S NEW PROVOST TURNS LEMONS INTO LEMONADE // P A G E 1 0

A CANCER SURVIVOR’S HIGHS AND LOWS // P A G E 2 6

MEET THE 2022 ALUMNI AWARDS WINNERS // P A G E 3 0

YOUR FEEDBACK ABOUT NKU MAGAZINE IS IMPORTANT TO US. What do you love? What could you do without? The more our editorial team knows about you and your reading preferences, the better we’ll do at making each issue an enjoyable read. Visit nku.edu/readershipsurvey to tell us what you think!

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Looking through the windows of the University Center at the beautiful, changing leaves of autumn could almost be mistaken for a mural. It’s not, but you can read about mural artist Gina Erardi and her work on page 32.

CONTENTS WINTER 2022

nkumagazine W I N T ER 2 022 V O L . 6 // NO . 1 EDITOR JAYNA MORRIS ART DIRECTOR DIONNE LAYCOCK (’90) PHOTOGRAPHER SCOTT BESELER PUBLISHER ERIC GENTRY Vice President of University Advancement DR. ROY GIFFORD Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Communications AMY ARBINO WYLIE ('92) Senior Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving CONTRIBUTORS KELSEY BUNGENSTOCK (‘16) CLAYTON CASTLE (‘15) TREY CRUMBIE NATALIE HUGHES (‘18) LINDSAY LOMAX (‘18) BRYAN MCELDOWNEY J. ATLEY SMEDLEY (‘18, ‘20) ANNA WRIGHT

20 FEATURES PAGE

PAGE

AN INDELIBLE HISTORY LESSON

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

HIGHS AND LOWS

NKU’s diverse group of alumni—and even current students—who launch businesses find innovative solutions to everyday problems. These entrepreneurs are passionate, creative risk-takers who work long hours. But there isn’t anything else they’d rather be doing.

For more than 30 years, the director of bands at Northern Kentucky University has dedicated his career to music. He wasn’t going to let a cancer diagnosis or a bone marrow transplant stop him.

This past July, eight Northern Kentucky University students and two staff members spent a week in the southern U.S. to learn about the Civil Rights movement.

DEPARTMENTS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 4

NORSING AROUND 30

AROUND CAMPUS 5

NORSE NOW 32

AROUND THE HORNS 6

MYSTERY PHOTO 36

NKU 360º 8 NKU News 10 NKU Athletics 14

NKU became the second non-founding member of Esports Collegiate last year. Learn more about the conference and our varsity program on page nine.

ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE TEAM JENNIFER SHEFFEL (‘02) President CHRISTIE ROGERS (‘04) Vice President CORRESPONDENCE NKU MAGAZINE OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS AC 701 1 Nunn Dr. Highland Heights, KY 41099 PHONE (859) 572-5586 WEB NKU.EDU/MAGAZINE TWITTER @NKUMAGAZINE EMAIL NKUMAGAZINE@NKU.EDU NKU MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY FOR ITS GRADUATES, DONORS AND FRIENDS. © 2022. NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! EMAIL US AT NKUMAGAZINE@NKU.EDU.

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DID YOU KNOW NKU offers a wide variety of learning opportunities to continue your education. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, seeking an industry certification or taking classes for pure enjoyment, training is available for all levels. Our non-credit courses, certificate programs, micro-credentials and online courses provide flexible options for learners at any stage of their career. To learn more, visit nku.edu/professionaldevelopment.

Have a question? Email us at nkumagazine@nku.edu.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT This issue of NKU Magazine features the entrepreneurial spirit of our community and alumni who own businesses across a variety of industries. I am especially excited about this edition because that entrepreneurial spirit is one of the many qualities that led me to this great university. I am proud to share these inspirational stories of perseverance and dedication with you. NKU’s mission is to empower graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives so that they may contribute to the economic, civic and social vitality of the region. 54 years ago, our founders committed to putting “students at the center of all we did,” laying the very foundation for the work that continues today. We remain committed to increasing access to higher education for all, to doing all we can to ensure completion, and to career and community engagement after our learners move on into the world. I believe that is evident in all the stories we celebrate in this edition. While the alumni are actively engaged in the community, NKU continues onward together in the important work of student success. Just a couple months ago, we wrapped up the fall 2021 semester with a successful return to campus. The wonderful faculty and staff have continued to go above and beyond to support our students, all while navigating the changing dynamics of the pandemic. It has not been an easy journey for any of us, but our campus’ dedication to student success has been inspiring. The crucial work of meeting our students where

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they are continues as we work to create a studentready, hybrid university that offers the right mix of in-person and online classes and services. We are also removing barriers our students face during their educational journey, including a renewed commitment to mental health. Finally, through an exciting new partnership with regional institutions called Moon Shot for Equity, we have pledged to eliminate achievement gaps in higher education by 2030 and provide all students with equitable opportunities for success. I am excited to share those stories with you in the near future. Despite the challenges of the past two years, I remain excited for the future of NKU and the region. We have always accepted challenges and pursued opportunities. At NKU, we have never simply allowed the world to evolve around us—we make things happen through innovation and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. Thank you for all that you do to support this university and our learners as we go onward together. Sincerely yours,

Ashish K. Vaidya President

[ AROU N D C A M P U S ] Despite the challenges of the pandemic throughout the last two years, NKU has persevered. The university is committed to serving its students’ needs and helping them become the next generation of creative leaders and problem-solvers. We move Onward Together.

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$3 MILLION IN

EQUITY INITIATIVES

FACTS & FIGURES

IN STUDENT DEBT

$250 BOOKSTORE VOUCHERS

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$250,000 FOR ENHANCED STUDENT MENTALHEALTH SUPPORT

AROUND

THE HORNS NKU 360⁰

F O U N D E R S ' D AY

NKU Esports

MAKING LEMONADE

MOON SHOT FOR EQUITY

[ PHILANT HROPY ]

EQUITY INITIATIVES

Using federal coronavirus funds, NKU eliminated $600,000 in student debt, provided $250 bookstore vouchers to all undergraduates and enhanced mental health services. Northern Kentucky University announced $3 million in equity initiatives that prioritized students who were impacted the most during the pandemic. Using federal coronavirus relief funds, the equity initiatives advanced NKU's strategic framework, Success by Design. NKU’s first initiative eliminated student debt accumulated during the pandemic. The university brought outstanding account balances to zero for degree-seeking students with balances from spring 2020 through the spring 2021 semester. “The health crisis and ensuing recession affected so many of our students and their families,” says NKU President Ashish Vaidya. “Wiping out their account balance allows our students to continue their educational journey with a fresh start without worrying about what they owe the university.” NKU also helped cover costs associated with fall semester by providing all degree-seeking undergraduate students, including online learners, $250 vouchers to the Barnes & Noble Bookstore to help pay for books, technology and educational supplies. The third equity initiative built on NKU’s Presidential Initiative for Student Mental Health, which was established in fall 2020. The university dedicated more than $250,000 for enhanced student mentalhealth support and provided funding to train faculty, staff and students to form peer support groups as well. —J. Atley Smedley (‘18, ‘20)

Support NKU students and programs by visiting nku.edu/givenkumag.

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[ NKU 360º ]

UPCOMING

EVENTS THROUGH EARLY MARCH Men’s and Women’s Basketball, BB&T Arena Check out the Norse basketball game schedule at nkunorse.com. MARCH 14 & 15 Making Teaching Public, NKU/ Virtual Take in the great work of our dedicated faculty and talented students by experiencing a course virtually. To explore the topics and register for a class, visit nku.edu/makingteachingpublic. MARCH 26 Alumni Awards Dinner & Celebration, NKU The 2022 Alumni Awards Dinner and Celebration recognizes alumni, faculty and staff who have led the way in serving both NKU and our community. See pages 30-31 for more information on the event and recipients. To purchase tickets, visit nku.edu/alumniweekend. THROUGH MID-APRIL Six@Six Lecture Series, NKU/Virtual Six@Six is an annual series of community lectures and creative work by NKU faculty and students. To register, visit nku.edu/ sixatsix. THROUGH APRIL SOTA Theatre & Dance Season, NKU NKU’s School of the Arts will host various performances throughout March and April. More information can be found online at nku.edu/academics/sota. SUMMER 2022 CINSAM Summer Camps Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics’ summer camps offer elementary and middle school students the chance to get fun, hands-on, educational experience in their favorite STEM subjects. For more information, visit nku.edu/cinsamsummercamps.

SAVE THE DATE: FOUNDERS’ DAY Founders' Day is a 24-hour day of philanthropy dedicated to honoring NKU's past and investing in the next generation. On Wednesday, March 16, join Norse Nation as we make an immediate difference on campus and strive to reach our goal of 650 donors. Make a gift of $54 or more and be recognized with a one-of-a-kind, long-sleeved Victor T-shirt. Visit nku.edu/foundersday to stay informed about event announcements, giveaways and more ways to make the most out of your participation.

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[ NKU 3 6 0 º ]

NKU JOINS ESPORTS COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE

NKU NAMED COMMONWEALTH’S TOP COLLEGE WITH BEST OUTCOMES Northern Kentucky University ranks as the most affordable college with the best outcomes in the Commonwealth, according to a new report by 24/7 Wall St. The financial news and opinion company reviewed a range of data from the U.S. Department of Education to identify the most affordable colleges with the best outcomes in every state. 24/7 Wall St. evaluated nearly 7,000 institutions’ tuition costs, graduate employment rates, student debt repayment and median salary after enrollment with NKU leading in the Commonwealth.

Northern Kentucky University and Esports Collegiate (ESC) announced an agreement for NKU to become a full member institution beginning with the 2021 fall season. NKU becomes the second non-founding member to join ESC since the conference was officially announced on June 10, 2020, and is now one of 14 universities competing in the conference. The Norse will compete in all fall and spring competitions for ESC, and will be featured in all ESC game titles going forward. The student-led NKU Esports Club has been around since 2016 and continues to grow. Officially launching their varsity program in October 2020, this year the club swelled to nearly 600 active members. “We are excited to add an institution like Northern Kentucky University to our membership in 2021,” states ESC Executive Director Bob Gennarelli. “Their resume and commitment to their already growing program makes them a perfect fit for Esports Collegiate.”

NKU PARTNERS WITH ELECTRADA FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS ON CAMPUS Northern Kentucky University has partnered with Electrada, a Cincinnati-based EV charging solution company, to install electric vehicle charging stations across campus. Two dual-port charging stations are already operating, and planning is underway to install up to 30 EV charging stations across NKU’s parking lots and garages. The expanded charging station infrastructure contributes to NKU’s campus sustainability goals and commitment to the Cincinnati 2030 District. NKU was the first organization in Kentucky to join this collective. “These charging stations are another step in making NKU a more sustainable campus,” says Tiffany Budd, sustainability operations coordinator. “With electric vehicles becoming more mainstream, this will allow us to adapt our campus infrastructure to meet a growing need for EV charging and also help us in becoming more environmentally friendly.” winter 2022 9

[ NEWS ]

Support NKU scholarships by visiting nku.edu/givenkumag.

[ PEOPLE ]

TURNING LEMONS INTO LEMONADE New provost Dr. Matt Cecil is looking toward a post-COVID academic future. // By Clayton Castle (’15)

DR. MATT CECIL BEGAN HIS TENURE AS PROVOST AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS on July 1, 2021, just weeks before the COVID-19 Delta variant took hold of the region, the country and the world. Since arriving in Highland Heights, Cecil worked closely with other Northern Kentucky University officials to come up with a plan for the fall 2021 semester regarding masks, vaccinations and how to approach in-person learning. In addition to helping craft those plans, one of the top priorities for the provost is tracking the virus and communicating plans to the NKU community. “What it is is an opportunity to show how much people care for students,” Cecil says. “I can say the campus has stepped up. Here at NKU, folks continue to step up every day to help our students progress toward those goals, and it’s not easy. We’ve got our own things to worry about.” While NKU began increasing online courses before the pandemic, virtual learning took off during the pandemic. Coming into the fall, the university weighed several decisions for students on campus, including whether to require masks indoors. Those issues posed challenges to the new provost, who was forced to make difficult decisions just weeks into his term at NKU.

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“A lot of people got sick, and it all happened very quickly,” Cecil says. “But people are really resilient and showed their best. And our students appreciate it. They tell me that.” Not many people get excited about challenges, but that’s exactly what led Cecil to NKU. He came to NKU from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he served as interim provost. While Cecil could have waited for a possible removal of the “interim” tag at Mankato, he wanted to challenge himself with a new opportunity at a similar yet different institution. “The profiles of the institutions are very similar,” Cecil says. “But the opportunities [at NKU] are even more tremendous. NKU is in a setting that allows us to have more of an impact on the region.” While at MSU Mankato, Cecil led the academic affairs office through the beginning of the pandemic. Now, he is looking forward to a post-pandemic world. NKU has begun working to become a hybrid university, expanding online classes for students who may not be able to take classes on campus. “We need to look at the audiences that we provide services for and ask ourselves, ‘What is the best way to provide services for that audience?’” Cecil says. “We want to be intentional about it. Not just say we’re going to do online courses or we’re just going to do in-

[ NEWS ]

person courses. We’re going to do both.” Cecil has learned a lot about what the university is working on to build on its student success initiatives, including the first-year Student Success Hub. That hub will provide centralized advising and resources for first-year students. The provost says in order to achieve those goals, NKU must address some of the non-COVID challenges it faces. “One of those big challenges is our oncampus enrollment, which has gone down for five years,” Cecil says. “The Student Success Hub will, I believe, help turn that around.” Another big challenge NKU and many other universities face are opportunity gaps. Those gaps are the retention and graduation rates between the university’s white students and students of color. While NKU has worked hard to close those gaps, COVID undid a lot of the progress made. The gap expanded to a nine-to-10 percent gap between NKU’s white students and underrepresented minority students. The work toward achieving those goals of boosting enrollment and closing opportunity gaps is led by the Success by Design strategic framework. The provost is working with Moon Shot for Equity, a partnership between NKU and three area colleges and universities aimed at ending the equity gaps. With aid from the education firm EAB, the goal is to help underrepresented students of color and other historically underserved populations graduate at the same rate as white students. “Our job is to help improve the quality of life in our region,” Cecil says. “If we don’t address those opportunity gaps, if we don’t help a lot more students of color graduate from our campuses—not just our campus but other campuses around the region—the reality of the situation is that the standard of living will not go up.” The challenges are great for new provost Cecil, but he is determined to take those lemons and turn them into lemonade for the betterment of the university, but most importantly, the students. “The students really do care,” Cecil says. “And you feel it on a campus like this. Not every campus has that feel of putting students first and doing what it takes. One day at a time, one student at a time, to get them across the line.”

[ PA RT NERS HIPS ]

ADDRESSING EQUITY GAPS NKU has partnered with three other regional higher education institutions to combat systemic barriers. // By Trey Crumbie

Northern Kentucky University's vision is to become nationally recognized for being a student-ready, regionally engaged university that empowers diverse learners for economic and social mobility. However, some students face barriers along their journey that may impede their progress toward completing their degree. National data show that barely half of all Black and Latinx students who enter college earn their undergraduate degree within six years compared to nearly 70 percent of white students. First-generation students and those from low-income families also graduate college at significantly lower rates than students from more privileged backgrounds. In order to combat systemic barriers that hinder some students, NKU has formed a partnership with three other higher education institutions to help these students get their degrees. The partnership is part of a larger national initiative called Moon Shot for Equity. Moon Shot for Equity is a national initiative that aims to close equity gaps within regional cohorts of two- and four-year colleges and universities by 2030. Led by Washington D.C.-based educational consulting firm EAB, the initiative began in 2020 in the Milwaukee area. The initiative contains 15 research-based best practices to erase equity gaps. "We have to make progress on this. Higher education is the single most important pathway to economic and social mobility,” says NKU President Ashish Vaidya. “And we will make progress because at NKU, we do not simply let things happen. We design our future state.” In September, NKU, Gateway Community and Technical College, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Miami University officially announced the initiative at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati to regional leaders and stakeholders. Many of the best practices are already being implemented by NKU as part of its Success by Design strategic framework, which was launched in 2019. When Vaidya and his cabinet were looking at integral parts of Moon Shot for Equity, they noticed several similarities between NKU’s framework and the initiative. "It really seemed like a seamless piece," Vaidya says. "Plus, you get the advantage of having access to resources, national experts and additional resources that can help us." During the first 100 days of the effort, NKU and the other schools built the necessary support system and infrastructure to start the work successfully. "Every student matters. If they stop out for whatever reason, that's something we've lost as a society, and we cannot let that happen," Vaidya says. w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 11

[ NEWS ]

[ PEOPLE ]

ENSURING OPPORTUNITIES

The president of the NKU Foundation Board of Directors wants to help alumni and students succeed. // By Lindsay Lomax (’18) TOM WIEDEMANN IS SURE ABOUT ONE THING: Northern Kentucky University prepared him for both business and life. Wiedemann, who graduated from NKU in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in business management, was able to work full time and complete his coursework as a full-time student. He first joined AAA Allied Group in 1989 in human resources and then successfully moved his way up the organizational ladder. Wiedemann has served as the president and CEO of AAA Club Alliance since 2018. Wiedemann pursued his career goals with NKU always in the back of his mind, so he was excited to return to campus in 2008 to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. “I was impressed with the direction in which the university was moving and constantly inspired by passionate alums who were working to see NKU succeed,” Wiedemann shares. “I knew that I wanted to be more engaged.” Following up on that desire, Wiedemann joined the NKU 12 n k u m A G A Z I N E // A R O U N D T H E H O R N S

Foundation Board of Directors in 2018. He feels confident that continuing to align the work of the Foundation with the Success By Design strategic framework will support President Vaidya’s priority of placing students first. “I saw that there were other ways to support the university’s mission,” he says. “I wanted to be a part of ensuring those opportunities I had were available to as many others as possible. Our hope is to make an NKU education available to any student who would choose to pursue it.” While Wiedemann has found his place in giving back to campus and the community, he encourages all alumni who have interest in returning to do so. “There are so many ways to make an impact,” he says. “You just need to figure out which way works for you. Because, no matter what form or size, your contribution will make a difference.”

If you want to donate to these programs, visit nku.edu/givenkumag.

[ NEWS ]

[ PEO P LE ]

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT JENNIFER SHEFFEL (’02) Learn more about NKU's Alumni Association president and her Norse journey.

SHE GREW UP IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY. Sheffel, who hails from Grant’s Lick in Campbell County, remembers Northern Kentucky University always being a part of her landscape. “Following high school graduation, I had already decided to work for P&G,” she says. “This meant going away for school was not an option.” NKU made sense geographically and financially, enabling Sheffel to take the next step as a first-generation college student. She graduated with a bachelor’s in accounting from NKU’s Haile College of Business and then completed her MBA at Thomas More College (now known as Thomas More University). SHE BELIEVES IN ENGAGEMENT—PARTICULARLY CAREER READINESS—THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STUDENT JOURNEY. “We have an opportunity to engage students, even more than we already do, while they are still on campus. We can continue to elevate the students we put out into the workforce through more interview prep, more resume workshops and by growing the access students have to co-ops,” she says. “We really are able to interact with students throughout their entire NKU experience and beyond.” SHE BELIEVES ALL ALUMNI CAN PARTICIPATE IN GIVING BACK TO CAMPUS. Sheffel’s current role as treasury manager for Peter Cremer North America, LP, along with her previous work in other positions, afford her a unique perspective on how alumni can support NKU. “A commitment doesn’t have to be to serve on a board. There are always opportunities to speak in classrooms, lead mock interviews or review resumes with students,” she shares. “Our faculty and staff love having alumni back on campus. If you have the means, and it’s your preference, there are many ways to give back monetarily. It’s about finding the way that works for each individual.”—Lindsay Lomax ('18)

A CHANCE TO COME BACK AND GIVE BACK The longing to return to a place full of meaning and accomplishment is characteristically human. Greg Edwards, the current president of the Friends of Steely Library (FoSL) Board of Directors, is no stranger to this desire."Professionally, I truly don't know where I would be without Northern Kentucky University," he says. Edwards, who earned a bachelor's and master's degree from NKU, led a successful career as a library administrator and most notably as the deputy director of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Shortly before his retirement, Edwards was asked to join the FoSL Board of Directors, and he was eager for the opportunity to return to campus. Greg and his wife, Sheila, who have a long history of giving to NKU, recently established the Greg and Sheila Edwards Fund for Excellence, which supports the FoSL, the Steely Library itself and the College of Arts and Sciences."It's rewarding to know we are contributing to an institution that is continuously evolving and discovering ways to serve students better,” he says. “If you believe in higher education like Sheila and I do, specifically at an institution like NKU, you can see the clear return on your dollars by just walking around campus." —Natalie Hughes (’18)

HONORING A LOVED ONE When listening to Sheila and Mary Zalla speak about their late son and brother, Michael Francis Zalla, it is clear that the admiration they have for him is immeasurable. “He was an incredible young man, and I wish everyone could have known him,” Sheila says. In 1986, Michael tragically lost his life in an automobile accident. Preceding his death, he was an engaged student at Northern Kentucky University and one of the first members to join what was then the NKU Honors Club. “Michael threw himself into the world of NKU and the experiences it had to offer,” Mary says. After Michael’s accident, his father Marty Zalla suggested creating a way to remember and honor him. This desire led the family to establish the Michael Francis Zalla Memorial Foundation. Since the foundation’s creation in 1987, the Zalla family has supported various organizations and causes, including their status as long-time donors to Honors initiatives at NKU. Most recently, they established a scholarship for students in the Honors College and met the inaugural recipients of the Michael Francis Zalla Honors Scholarship in fall 2021. The Zalla family was impressed with the scholarship recipients and encourages anyone considering investing in an endowment or scholarship in education to go for it. “It’s all about these kids. I’m just so amazed by them. They are all serious students who carry themselves with poise,” Sheila says. “You’re giving to the students and their educators, which is so important and fulfilling.” —Natalie Hughes (’18) w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 13

[ ATH L E TI C S ]

[ DI ]

THEORY MEETS ACTION

Experiential learning intersects with intercollegiate athletics. // By Bryan McEldowney COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR INTRODUCING AND DISCUSSING THEORY THROUGH COURSEWORK, LABS AND OTHER PRACTICAL APPLICATION COURSES. But in recent years, experiential learning—where students can apply theory through hands-on activity—has taken root in higher education. Northern Kentucky University has been on the forefront of this change through a partnership between the Electronic Media & Broadcasting (EMB) program in the College of Informatics, IT/ Media Services and Norse Athletics. Students can apply concepts learned through their coursework to showcase NKU’s 17 athletic programs and its nearly 225 studentathletes by creating video content distributed on Norse Athletics’ social media accounts, NKUNorse.com, video boards inside BB&T Arena and live broadcast productions of Norse Athletic events airing on ESPN+ and Fox Sports Ohio. Up to 35 NKU students benefit from this experiential learning each year as paid student-workers and interns in Norse Athletics or

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IT/Media Services, as well as students enrolled in a live broadcast production course taught by EMB lecturer Wes Akers. Those students learn in one of two hands-on environments: NKU’s broadcast production trailer or within Athletic Communications. The broadcast production trailer, overseen by lead technology support specialist Bill Farro with in-game support from Akers, produces 65-70 annual events. Students report to the Athletic Communications’ director of digital media to generate creative content on social media, NKUNorse.com and BB&T Arena video boards. Experiential learning through this partnership has paid dividends for NKU’s students. Throughout the last 10 years, students participating in the opportunities have gone on to careers with ESPN, the Golf Channel, NBC Sports Chicago, the Cincinnati Reds, Indianapolis Colts, Columbus Blue Jackets and Daktronics—a manufacturing company specializing in video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards and messaging signage.

[ AT HLET ICS ]

CARLY MOTZER

PHOTO CREDIT DAVID BUSHLE

Senior MAJOR: Public Relations MINOR: Electronic Media & Broadcasting NKU MAGAZINE: What are your primary responsibilities? CM: I produce and/or direct broadcasts for NKU men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball and softball for ESPN+, ESPN3, FOX Sports Ohio and now Bally Sports. I generate creative content (hype videos, highlight reels, video board packages, etc.) for Norse Athletics. I produce, host and edit weekly episodes of the NKU Sports Break. And I host

KYLE MASTIN PHOTO CREDIT DAVID BUSHLE

Senior MAJOR: Communication MINORS: Sports Business, Marketing

an interview series with athletic administrators, notable alumni, coaching staff and players. NM: What is your favorite memory so far? CM: With no shortage of Horizon League Tournament appearances, choosing a favorite memory has gotten tougher over the years! I think my favorite must be the 2020 Horizon League Championship. It was my last taste of normalcy before COVID, and I carried the feeling of confetti raining down around me through much of the next few months—even now, really. The buzz in the air as everyone danced with the trophy, cut down the net and did snow angels in confetti is a kind of electricity I’ll be chasing for the rest of my professional career. It’s my favorite memory because it was fun but more so because it was the moment that I knew that was how I wanted to feel forever. NM: What are your professional aspirations? CM: Professionally, my goal is to do digital media work for a professional team in every major sport. NM: How is this experience preparing you for your future career? CM: My job has been an immersive experience in what it means to work in digital media. NKU entrusts their student workers with all the responsibilities of professionals, and it has been the most hands-on educational opportunity in my time at NKU. If there was ever a desired resume bullet point that I didn’t have, this experience has facilitated many ways for me to achieve it. I was welcomed with open arms and consistently pushed to elevate myself to keep up with the rapid success of a growing Division I program.

NKU MAGAZINE: What are your primary responsibilities? KM: My primary responsibilities for Sports Break include keeping up to date with all NKU sports teams, writing a script of how they all fared the past week and their upcoming events, shooting the sports break of me announcing how they did, then editing a video of me talking as well as adding graphics and sports highlights. As an in-game announcer, I must attend the game early and see who has sponsorships and what our promotions will be. Then, I go around the court keeping the crowd entertained. NM: What is your favorite memory so far? KM: My favorite experiences so far would be either calling an overtime game-winning goal in a women’s soccer game during my freshman year or the Sports Break when I got to announce how good my cross country team did at our meet in Louisville. NM: What are your professional aspirations? KM: I want to have a future career in broadcasting. NM: Why do you find this experience valuable? KM: I find this experience very valuable, as it gives me a reallife example of what my desired career is like. I get to learn all the required tasks that go into it as well as improving my skills. I can work on my craft in front of an audience and work with some great people at NKU who have taught me so much already. I have gained editing skills as well as a knowledge of how promotions and sponsorships play into announcing. w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 15

FREEDOM AIN’T FREE

AN INDELIBLE HISTORY LESSON

This past July, eight Northern Kentucky University students and two staff members spent a week in the southern U.S. to learn about the Civil Rights movement. BY TREY CRUMBIE 16 n k u m A G A Z I N E // C i v i l r i g h t s T r i p

ARRYL PEAL WENT ON A TRIP RECENTLY THAT SERVED AS A GRIM REMINDER OF THE TUMULTUOUS RACIAL UNREST OF THE U.S. WHILE TEACHING HIM A HARD LESSON IN THE PROCESS.

“Freedom ain’t free,” he says. This past July, eight Northern Kentucky University students and two staff members spent a week in the southern U.S. to learn about the Civil Rights movement, black suffrage and human rights in America thanks to the Office of African American Student Initiatives. Peal, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and Title IX coordinator for NKU, says the trip reminded him liberty came at a cost. “And that cost was documented in every museum, in every presentation and in every state that we visited,” he says. “It was not free.” The trip was an integral part of BLS 494 Topics: Black Studies, which began in 2020. As a part of the class, students spent their spring break heading to famous historical locations such as Birmingham, Alabama, Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, instead of spending time in their rooms back home. Carlous Yates, the former director of NKU’s African American Student Initiatives and architect behind the class and AASI Study Away, says the trip provides an opportunity to learn outside the classroom, which is a pillar of NKU’s strategic framework Success by Design. “You can’t fault them for not knowing what they don’t know, but what can you do as an educator is help educate others to make a difference so they can go and help make the difference in their community,” Yates says. Peal says one of the first visits on the week-long trip in July was to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, where the group learned about lunch counter sit-ins—where Blacks sat in at whites-only establishments to stop segregation. Using headphones, visitors listen to a reenactment of the harsh words that were hurled at the protestors by an angry mob. “For some of our students, as I watched them sit in the seats, I watched their facial expressions,” Peal says. “It really provided them a glimpse of the horrible language and name-calling the protestors endured.” Darius Butler, a computer information technology senior from Cincinnati, attested to that. He first attended the AASI Study Away in March 2019, which culturally changed his college experience at NKU for the better. “The experience opened leadership opportunities for me as a young freshman and paved the way for me to thrive at [NKU],” he says. Louisville senior and NKU Student Government Association President Aliya Cannon was another one of the students who went on the trip. She says the experience allowed her to indulge

deeper into her culture and history. “This trip allowed me the opportunity to create memorable experiences with my peers to bring back to my community,” she says. The next stop was the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma, Alabama. Peal says the museum was "incredibly heartfelt" and provided numerous lessons, such the history of the KKK, the Reconstruction era and women's suffrage. "It was a very rich place, but it was very underfunded,” he says. The group also made a trip to the nearby Edmund Pettus Bridge, which was the site of Bloody Sunday, where police attacked Civil Rights Movement demonstrators while they were attempting to march to Montgomery. “I have a bachelor’s degree in Black world studies,” Peal says. “I’ve studied these things a million times. But yet—being on the soil, standing in the heat, being in the place—was still lifechanging.” The final stop was the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. “The museum was about more than Rosa,” Peal says. “It was about people taking a stand and being brave. It celebrated those who marched, prayed and died for our civil liberties.” Other visits included the historic birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. in Sweet Auburn, a neighborhood in Atlanta, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery. Peal, who was accompanied by his 15-year-old son, Randall, says it was the hardest part of the trip because it heavily featured the history of lynching. “There was a theft of innocence,” Peal says as he watched his son learn more about the history of the murders, especially with how many recorded lynchings there were in Kentucky. Other students also found some legs of the trip hard to get through. “Specifically, with the Civil Rights Museum, it’s difficult processing how Black people were not allowed to enter certain restaurants or sit in certain areas in establishments like other citizens, and if they violated those rules they were often beaten, arrested or even killed,” Butler says. Peal says the museum opened his eyes to the struggles that people went through to be recognized as humans just 60 years ago. “I came back with a renewed spirit and a renewed foundation,” he says. Cannon agreed that the trip had high importance. “The most memorable time was the time we spent together. Singing negro spirituals at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. Getting together after a long day of fun and opening up to one another and learning more about each other and ourselves,” she says. “It truly created unbreakable bonds. Seeing the love, strength and journey of our culture and people.” All the museums and historical lessons had a profound impact on the students, Peal says. “The students were such a light during this trip,” Peal says. “It was amazing watching them experience and learn about or make ties to what they already learned about in real life.”

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ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Every day, NKU alumni turn simple ideas into fulfilled realities.

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It's no surprise to find NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY GRADUATES among the growing tribe of successful entrepreneurs. NKU’s diverse group of alumni—and even current students—who launch businesses find innovative solutions to everyday problems. Many of them have won awards and been recognized for their entrepreneurial drive, including two recent graduates featured on CINCY INNO’S FIVE UNDER 25 LIST. These entrepreneurs are passionate, creative risk-takers who work long hours. But there isn’t anything else they’d rather be doing. Owning and running a business is anything but easy, and the reasons for venturing down the path of business ownership vary. Some entrepreneurs want to set their own working hours. Some want to be their own boss. Some want the opportunity to do business the way they think it should be done. But for all of our alumni entrepreneurs, there’s one inarguable reason: the chance to put energy into building their own dream instead of someone else’s. NKU nurtures that entrepreneurial spirit through its courses, programs and atmosphere, and its CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP fosters collaboration and professional development. The university sends its graduates into the workforce ready to make an impact. With a world-class education under their belt, all they need is a can-do outlook. From a one-of-a-kind dessert studio to an IT company, here are just a few examples of what our alumni entrepreneurs have created.

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SCULPTED FROM LIFE

ALEX NARRAMORE (’12)

SHE'S A SELF-TAUGHT BAKER WHO CREATED A ONE-OF-AKIND DESSERT STUDIO.

Alex Narramore spends most of her working days isolated in the mountains. She stands in the studio, carefully sculpting and then hand painting sugar flowers—dahlias, peonies, roses, hydrangeas and orchids—that will later adorn a custom cake. Narramore, known to many as The Mischief Maker, is a botanically accurate sugar flower artist based in Lexington, Kentucky. She specializes in custom wedding cakes, sugar flowers and special event cakes. The Whitesburg, Kentucky native, who is a self-taught baker, learned as much as she could about art during her time in college. When her husband, Deron, began his career at the Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Narramore transferred to Northern Kentucky University. “I dragged around cake books and watched everything I could to teach myself,” she says. “I used school to learn more of the aesthetic portion. NKU’s art program was cultivating in a more refined way—a more elevated way, a more serious way. I spent more time in the studio, I met more people.” Narramore completed her degree in studio art in 2012, but she was making custom cakes for years before then. And now, her one-of-a-kind dessert studio allows her to merge her love of gardening with design—particularly color and sculpting. So, what does it mean to be a botanically accurate baker? “In general, nature is what is being observed and copied for those flowers. I grow all references for sugar flowers in my garden, cut and sculpted from life,” she says. “From seed to cutting them, I can observe the fresh flowers, so every single detail is accurate when they are sculpted and painted in sugar. Every petal, every stem is copied exactly from life if possible. That’s what makes us different.” Narramore spends her time in Lexington in the garden and at her home, where she bakes her custom cakes. But she does the majority of her creative work at her Mamaw’s house in Jenkins, Kentucky. “It’s helpful to be in the mountains and work. It’s more isolated,” she says. “I can get my morning coffee, walk my dog, Mocha, and be surrounded by mountains, which is where the greenhouse is. Right before the cake is due, I leave here, go back to Lexington and finish up there. I have two bases—one in the city and one in the mountains.” Narramore’s mother, Lisa, helps her make the sugar flowers one by one. “We work best with each other,” she says. “We work on all of the sugar flowers together, going to great lengths to provide every painstaking detail. From delicately thin sugar petals and veining, all the way to custom color palettes and edible scents. No detail is left unturned.” There are weeks of work that go into the detail for each cake, so Narramore only works on one each month. “My cakes are low volume, high detail,” she says. “This isn’t a high-commercial bakery. I might spend a day—or even a few days—on one flower.” Narramore’s bakery prowess earned her a spot on the Food Network last year to be an expert judge for “Buddy vs. Duff.” The network wasn’t the only one to notice Narramore’s work. In 2015, she was named one of the top four international wedding cake designers by the Cake Masters’ Awards. And in 2017, she won the Golden Tier Awards’ International Wedding Cake Artist of the Year. One year later in 2018, Cake Masters magazine named The Mischief Maker as one of the top 10 cake artists in the U.S. Narramore has made plenty of cakes in the last decade, but no two custom orders have looked the same. Her designs are retired soon as they leave the kitchen. For the Mischief Maker, these sugar flowers are just as much art as they are nature. “The gardening is super important,” she says. “Growing the flowers and then sculpting them bridges even further into an art direction. I always wanted this to be seen as art and not craft. I think they are sculptures. I sculpt and paint as any artist would.” —Jayna Morris 20 n k u m A G A Z I N E // E N T R E P R E N e u r i a l S p i r i t

GABY BATSHOUN (’92)

AN INDUSTRIOUS DRIVE

THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR, HE MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE IT INDUSTRY. For some, entrepreneurship is a pipe dream. For others, it’s in their blood. How could they ever do anything else? For Gaby Batshoun, Northern Kentucky University alumnus and founder of Global Business Solutions (GBS), a local IT company, it was only natural to be a business owner. “I come from a family of entrepreneurs,” Batshoun reveals. “My father worked his way up from being a mechanic to owning his own factory. Watching my father and other family members run their own businesses, I never saw myself doing anything else.” Batshoun was born in Jordan, grew up in Morocco then moved to America in 1987 to attend college. While he didn’t attend NKU until his sophomore year, he certainly made the most of his time on campus. He started dual bachelor’s degrees in manufacturing engineering technology and electronics engineering technology. The programs were new and gave Batshoun hands-on experience in automation, robotics and manufacturing processes. And thanks to his experience working in the NKU computer lab, he was able to gain knowledge in another area of interest—information technology. At the time, the university was upgrading its IT network infrastructure, and Batshoun was given the opportunity to help with these network upgrades. “Don’t be afraid to take advantage of opportunities in front of you,” he says. “You never know where it could lead.” After graduation, he took a job where he supported IT infrastructure for multiple companies. He realized IT services was a growing field and discovered he could do the same work on his own terms and founded GBS in December 1994. The business was hired by schools and organizations of all sizes that needed IT services, and GBS essentially acted as an IT department for these organizations. To get GBS off the ground and running, Batshoun worked 80-hour weeks. A lot of trial and error was involved, but he quickly found a place for GBS using IT to meet needs of businesses in the area. In the early ‘90s, he saw that everything in business was going to become IT-dependent. By combining his manufacturing and electric engineering knowledge with his IT experience, he could offer customers unique solutions to their needs. Long before automation was prevalent outside of manufacturing, Batshoun was able to use IT automation to solve clients’ problems in ways that no other company could at the time. “In this industry, determining what can be automated is mandatory,” Batshoun explains. “We discovered in schools, projectors were going through bulbs like crazy because the teachers would forget to turn them off at the end of the day. We found a way to network the projectors and shut them off at the end of the day, saving the life of the projector lamps. We figured out how to best help our clients while also cutting down on our potential labor and expenses. That’s essential in the business world.” Batshoun has made GBS stand out in the area, thanks in part to hard work and long hours but most importantly to thinking outside of the box in solving clients’ problems. His piece of advice to those trying to break into entrepreneurship? Step outside of your comfort zone. Batshoun certainly did during his time at NKU. Who knows what the future has in store if you don’t take those chances? He credits his time at NKU for allowing him to gain experience in the multiple fields that interested him. “You have to take risks to be in business. Never be afraid of failing,” Batshoun says. “Try new things, and if they don’t work out, learn from them and move along.” —Kelsey Bungenstock (’16)

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A RISK WORTH TAKING SHE LEFT THE CORPORATE WORLD TO LAUNCH HER OWN BUSINESSES.

Many people dream of owning their own business and being their own boss. Few actually try, let alone achieve this dream. Northern Kentucky University alumna and entrepreneur Crystal Kendrick, owner of a marketing consulting company, The Voice of Your Customer, and a digital media company, The Voice of Black Cincinnati, got to where she is today with a lot of determination and teamwork. But it wasn’t actually her intent to be her own boss. “I always thought I would retire from a corporation as a vice president of customer service,” Kendrick confesses. “I wouldn’t have described myself as much of a risk-taker, and the corporate route seemed safe.” After graduating with an MBA from NKU in 1997, Kendrick worked in the corporate world for a decade until 2007, when she fell ill and needed to reconsider her career options. As a hobby, she was a secret shopper for her friend’s businesses to help them improve accountability and customer service. She also found herself educating businesses about the needs and habits of niche, hard-to-reach and underserved populations. “There was an opportunity for me to work with those who needed to have their voices be heard,” Kendrick says. “How could I pass it up?” Kendrick wanted a career change, and, once she realized how she excelled working on her own terms, she decided to take her career in a new direction. From the corner of her TV room to a commercial office building of her own, Kendrick built her business from the ground up with a team of five and her personal drive to succeed. The Voice of Your Customer was established in 2007, born from Kendrick’s passion for working with business leaders to better engage with less represented populations through research and assessments, call center services, secret shopping and outreach campaigns. However, this wasn’t enough for Kendrick. There were still areas of opportunity to increase representation of African Americans in local digital media. No stranger to opportunities knocking at her door, Kendrick saw a chance to truly impact local Black communities and took matters into her own hands. “People kept calling into the office to see if we could help. The lack of representation in the media really impeded African American businesses and communities to be successful,” Kendrick says. “There was clearly a gap in the market for these underrepresented groups.” And so, The Voice of Black Cincinnati was founded on Valentine’s Day 2016. The media company strives to remove the barriers preventing those positive and authentic stories from being represented in local news sources. The media organization was designed to educate, recognize and create opportunities for African Americans in the region. Resources include local news, calendars of events, business listings, job 22 n k u m A G A Z I N E // E N T R E P R E N e u r i a l S p i r i t

CRYSTAL KENDRICK (’97)

posting and even scholarship opportunities. With 30,000 social media followers with no advertising, as well as a newsletter with more than 11,000 subscribers, The Voice of Black Cincinnati has proven to be just as successful of an endeavor as The Voice of Your Customer. Kendrick has succeeded where few have been able when it comes to entrepreneurship but notes that it doesn’t just take a good idea and a can-do attitude to succeed in the business world. “The path to success is being able to manage customer requests and, more importantly, manage your finances,” Kendrick explains. “A lot of Black-owned businesses go under due to systemic reasons, finances, publicity and staffing—not lack of potential.” Despite the systemic struggle Black business owners face, Kendrick was able to set herself up to reach her goals while getting her master’s degree at NKU. During her time at the university, she felt that she was set up to succeed in whatever route she took. “NKU definitely advocated for African American students and made me feel safe to learn. There was a sense of pride on campus, and that made the process of getting my master’s degree both easy and exciting,” she says. “As a part-time student, my professors knew I worked so they were very accommodating and understood students’ lives and had realistic expectations of getting our work done.” —Kelsey Bungenstock (’16)

“It’s challenging and rewarding,” he says. “We help solve some of their most demanding problems.” Neal was given the knowledge foundation and tools to lead a company by many of the experiences that he was able to take part in while he was on campus. “I was challenged by my professors to do more than just regurgitate back information,” he says. “They taught critical thinking. They taught problem-solving. They created a pretty strong sense of curiosity.” Since its inception, ATL has worked with thousands of clients and now has more than 500 employees. ATL’s headquarters is based in Blue Ash, Ohio, which is a few miles north of

GREG NEAL (’81, ’85)

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

HE STARTED HIS COMPANY IN HIS GARAGE IN THE 1980S. NOW HIS COMPANY HAS NUMEROUS LOCATIONS ACROSS THE U.S. AND A BEVY OF CLIENTS.

Greg Neal (’81, ’85) was born into a Fort Thomas, Kentucky blue-collar family that emphasized education and hard work. "I had an opportunity at the time to choose Northern Kentucky University or go to work, so I very much wanted to choose NKU," the first-generation college student says. Neal is the president and founder of Advanced Testing Laboratory (ATL), which provides scientific outsourcing services to consumer products, pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Neal pursued degrees in biology and chemistry with the goal of becoming a high school science teacher and swimming coach. After Neal graduated from NKU, he started his business in a garage in 1987. That was the company’s headquarters for the first seven months. Neal says he founded ATL to provide analytical chemistry and biological testing for Cincinnati-based businesses. Companies would ship their samples or products to ATL, ATL would run an analysis on the product and then return it to the client. The company was approved by the USDA for nutritional labeling, the EPA for hazardous waste characterization and the U.S. Department of Defense to create alloy chemistry for the air-space industry.

“WHAT DRIVES ME TO GET OUT OF BED EVERY DAY IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND INSPIRE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL, ONE-OF-A-KIND SERVICE TO OUR CLIENTS EACH AND EVERY DAY WHILE DELIVERING THE SCIENCE THAT MAKES LIFE BETTER.” Cincinnati, but the business has expanded to several locations across the U.S.—including Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and Boston. For Neal, creating a passionate team is the most memorable aspect of running his business. “It’s not about me,” he says “It’s about what our team does each and every day for our clients.” While as a business leader most of his days are not spent in the lab, Neal still holds science in high regard and believes we are in a time when science can drastically improve the lives of everyone. “We are right in the epicenter of that,” he says. “We are helping develop the next new drug or next new medical device that could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.” ATL has also had a hand in trying to stave off the COVID-19 pandemic. Using its pre-existing foothold in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, the company is involved in developing some of the therapeutics used to treat COVID-19 patients and is assisting with creating COVID-19 testing sites across the U.S. With a business that continues to grow, Neal says he is inspired to lead his team of 500-plus people every day. “What drives me to get out of bed is the opportunity to lead and inspire a group of people who are providing exceptional, one-of-a-kind service to our clients each and every day while delivering the science that makes life better,” he adds. —Trey Crumbie w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 23

ROCK ON!

MUSIC IS HER CAREER. The sounds of drums, bass guitar REBECCA POTZNER (’13) and keyboards reverberate across the stage and into the crowded dance floor beyond it. Chants and enthusiastic yells from the crowd can be heard far outside the venue as the lead singer grips the microphone and begins singing. The entire building has a magical, passionate aura as the atmosphere lasts well into the night. This is something Rebecca Potzner (‘13) and her company, Banded PR, highlight on a regular basis. Banded PR, a boutique public relations agency and media outlet, primarily writes reviews of albums or interviews with musicians. During her tenure as head of the company, Potzner has featured bands such as Dirty Honey, Greta Van Fleet, The Aces and The Last Bandoleros. While she was a student at Northern Kentucky University pursuing a major in public relations, Potzner wrote for entities such as DJ Mag and the Public Relations Society of America. “I’ve always enjoyed writing, and that’s partially what led me to [public relations],” she says. While working for these outlets, Potzner wanted to branch out to focus on the aspects of writing she most enjoyed. onboarded, many just getting their start in music journalism. Initially, she started a blog to focus on her own interests and Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for the creating opportunities for herself. outlet's growth. “With having my own company, I don’t have to say ‘yes’ to “COVID, even though it sucked, really gave us time to grow,” every artist or company that comes my way,” she says. I want to she says. be passionate about my clients' work just as much as they are Outside of her company, Potzner has worked with festivals because that’s when I think you get the best results. and entities such as Bonnaroo, Exit111 and Forecastle, as a “I get to choose and work with artists that I believe in and am social media coordinator. The festivals have featured musical truly passionate about their music.” acts such as Post Malone, The Killers, Guns N’ Roses and Def One of those passion projects was "How BANDED Stole Leppard. Christmas" in December 2020, which featured artist social Potzner herself is also a big fan of the Cincinnati music media takeovers, performances and giveaways through scene, especially rock bands. She covered Mammoth WVH Instagram. in September when the rock band was playing at Bogart's in “It was cool to highlight those artists and work with them Cincinnati. Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang, founded the one-on-one,” she says. “We all really came together as a team band. and pulled it together in honestly a week. So, it was pretty “I’m a big Van Halen fan and love the music that Wolfgang impressive. The artists really enjoyed it, and it built up our just released on his own,” she says. community.” The band ended up sharing one of Potzner’s photos on social All over bandedpr.com, the website is filled to the brim with media. Potzner also worked with Michigan-based concert band interviews, album reviews and even essays bringing promoter MiEntertainment Group. Potzner assisted with social attention to issues such as human trafficking and sexual abuse. media and on-site PR for Upheaval Festival this past summer, While cities such as Nashville, Los Angeles and Chicago are which featured Korn and Rob Zombie on the lineup. hailed as some of the best cities for music, Potzner says she Through Banded PR, Potzner also offers public relations and rejected the notion that she could not write about music while social media services. living in Cincinnati. Potzner says she can’t imagine her life without music. “I didn’t take that for an answer,” she says. “I’m going to do “I’ve always been into music,” she says. “If I can’t be an artist, it here.” I might as well use the talents that I do have to help those who Potzner manages a team of approximately 15 volunteer do have those musical talents.” —Trey Crumbie writers and photographers, five of whom were recently

“I WANT TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT MY CLIENTS’ WORK JUST AS MUCH AS THEY ARE BECAUSE THAT’S WHEN I THINK YOU GET THE BEST RESULTS.”

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LEAP OF FAITH

A CHILDHOOD PASSION BECAME A FULFILLING CAREER—AND BUSINESS— FOR HIM.

Jonathan Rowan sits in his director’s chair behind the camera, his eyes searching the script he’s holding until his actors are ready to begin. He quickly checks to make sure the shot is at the right angle before yelling, “Action!” The Louisville, Kentucky native, who began writing short stories during middle JONATHAN ROWAN (’12) school, developed an early love for storytelling—particularly in the horror and fantasy genres. And while in high school, he participated in dance performances, piano recitals, stage productions and singing competitions. producing “Slasher.” It wasn’t until he began his academic career at Northern After “Slasher” successfully exited post-production and made Kentucky University in 2006 that he was able to merge all of its public debut, Rowan put his law-school dreams on hold and his interests. Rowan, who chose a double major in pre-law and moved 2,000 miles away from home to Los Angeles, California political science, initially had plans to become an entertainment to embrace his calling. In the fall of 2016, Rowan began film lawyer after graduation. school at Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Working in film never crossed Rowan’s mind until 2007, when Television. he began working for NKU’s Media Services department, where “Moving to Los Angeles was the biggest leap of faith I have he gained experience behind the camera with lighting, film ever taken in my life,” he says. “I came out here initially without production, editing and live event recordings. a place to stay, chasing the dream of attending film school.” “I was disappointed that NKU didn’t have a film school, But that leap of faith paid off, and Rowan, while in film school, but Media Services provided me a chance to be creative in a created his own independent media production company— different way. I will forever be grateful for that experience,” Supastar Productionz. he says. “I appreciate them taking a chance on me. I was just In May 2020, with a fresh Master of Fine Arts in film a little college student trying to figure out life who needed production and a new company, Rowan wasn’t going to let a a job. I learned the basic skillset that I took with me into my global pandemic stop him. He spent much of his time building professional career.” relationships in the industry and proving his worth. Using the audio and video skills he learned on the job, Rowan It’s safe to say that Rowan has successfully proven himself. He created a digital media platform with his co-worker Whitley now has 11 films under his belt—“Slasher,” “Breathe,” “Shank’s Dubose called the “Fresh Air Show.” The duo specialized in Rain,” “Man Down,” “Beauty Mark,” "Heart Beats,” "Chocolate public service announcements and music-video production but Milk,” "Runnin’,” “Invisible,” “The Ringing” and “A Dreamer’s also developed a web-based talk show. Ambition.” And with more experience, both in front and behind the His films have found success and been showcased in camera, as well as storytelling, Rowan took the first steps to his several festivals all across the country, including Louisville’s career when he developed a full-length feature film concept. International Festival of Film, the Social Justice Now Film One year later, in 2011, he began writing the script for what Festival, Charlotte’s Black Film Festival, the LGBTQ Shorts Film would later become “Slasher,” his first independent horror film. Festival, Nashville’s International Black Film Festival and the Rowan was the first undergraduate student at NKU to DTLA Film Festival as well as many others. Several of them have successfully write, produce, direct and edit a full-length feature won awards. film. “Slasher” was screened on NKU’s campus in the spring of But for Rowan, his company—and his name—is about more 2012. than just recognition. “The greatest thing that happened to me during my time at “I’m able to use my platform to impact others,” he says. “I NKU was my film, ‘Slasher.’ It was my first step in the journey to love that people can watch my films and have a dialogue about film,” he says. mental health, domestic violence and other impactful issues. But Rowan didn’t jump into film right away. After graduating Knowing that my art is making a difference in the world—big or from NKU with bachelor’s degrees in pre-law and political small—is all I can ask for as an artist. I reflect on my work and science, he became a teacher. For three years, he focused take moral responsibility and obligation to uplift and impact.” on teaching, creating content for his YouTube channel and —Jayna Morris w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 25

HIGHS

PR OF US ESS ES OR LIF THE AN E’S PO D TO WE COM UG R PO BY O H F E JAY ST MU SER CH SI BR NA ALL C T AN MO EN O C T KA RR GE OP R IS S. E W RIC ITH K

AND

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When Dr. Brant Karrick enters the band room, voices become quiet. He approaches the front row, opens the first page and stands quietly in front of his class. As he raises his hands, students adjust their instruments. Together, they create a unified sound.

LOWS

For more than 30 years, the director of bands at Northern Kentucky University has dedicated his career to this magical moment. He wasn’t going to let a cancer diagnosis or a bone marrow transplant stop him.

A THIRST FOR MUSIC Karrick grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky in a home constantly filled with music. His mother, a piano teacher and church musician, and his father, a high school band director. His father gave him a trumpet on his ninth birthday, and by 1972, at age 12, he was taking private lessons and practicing several hours a day. “I had all of the same interests as other kids—I wanted to be a baseball player and other stuff,” Karrick says. “But I discovered through honor band and music camps that playing music was probably something I could excel at. I was practicing four or five hours a day in high school. Any musician, to succeed, has to practice. That’s the bottom line. Students in college who will eventually make it to an orchestra are probably doing six or seven hours of practice a day.” Karrick’s dedication to and love for music followed him to the University of Louisville, where he pursued an undergraduate degree in music education. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 1982 and jumped right into a master’s degree in education at Western Kentucky University, which he completed in 1984. “I knew teaching was a good path for me,” he says. “The music education degree is the best one to get. It’s really comprehensive musically. You have to know all of the instruments and learn how to teach them. You learn to be able to teach, but you’re also learning them for other reasons. If you want to compose and write music, you know to know what those instruments are capable of—how low and how high they can play.” Karrick’s teaching career began at Fort Mitchell’s Beechwood Independent School District in 1984. When he returned to his alma mater, Bowling Green High School, in 1986 as the director of instrumental music, his bands performed well at regional and state concerts. In 1988, his marching band was crowned Class AA State Champion. Karrick taught at the high school level for seven years before moving into higher education. In the fall of 1991, Karrick entered the Ph.D. program in music education at Louisiana State University. After completing his degree in 1994, he then taught at the University of Toledo. And in 2003, Karrick joined NKU’s faculty

as the director of bands. For the last 19 years, he has managed the entire band program, including the Symphonic Winds, the Concert Band and the Basketball Pep Band. “I always enjoy teaching beginners,” Karrick says. “They start with nothing—a blank slate—so everything they do musically is because you showed them the way. But you don’t teach them everything. You point them in the right direction, and, eventually, they take on some of the learning themselves.” Karrick has also assisted with studentteacher supervision and has taught classes in music education, conducting, orchestration and marching band techniques. One of the most important classes, he says, is music theory, which he has taught several semesters at NKU. “I enjoy teaching theory because it’s all about putting music together,” he says. “It’s where students learn the nuts and bolts of music—chords, scales, modulations, secondary functions. Those are all the tools that musicians need. Musicians need to be able to take a piece of music and break it into component parts. And then composers need to be able to take component parts and put it into a piece.” When Karrick isn’t leading bands or teaching, he is also a composer. He published his first piece at 38 years old. Bands all over the world have performed his song, “Bayou Breakdown.” The song is even more special for Karrick, who wrote much of the song in the parking lot at NKU when he was in the process of interviewing for his job as director of bands. For Karrick, his balance as a teacher and musician is two-fold. “You learn every year,” he says. “The thing about teaching and being a musician is that you can always get better.”

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“YOU LEARN EVERY YEAR. THE THING ABOUT TEACHING AND BEING A MUSICIAN IS THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS GET BETTER.” —BRANT KARRICK A LIFE-CHANGING DIAGNOSIS By 2011, at the age of 50, Karrick was at one of the highest points of his career. He had racked up a list of credits that any musician would envy, and bands had performed his compositions all across the globe. However, days before he was set to attend The Midwest Clinic in Chicago as a guest conductor, he was sitting in a hospital bed. “It was a form of pneumonia called pleurisy, where your lungs fill up,” Karrick says. “They eventually had to tap into my lungs to drain them.” After a two-week hospital stay, Karrick bounced back but later began bleeding and bruising easily—a sign that his platelet count was going down. Despite trying many different treatments, nothing helped. In February 2014, Karrick’s oncologist 28 n k u m A G A Z I N E // H i g h s a n d L o w s

noticed a lump on his neck. After a biopsy, Karrick was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma that had started attacking his lymph nodes, pelvis and bone. “My doctor said that if you have to have cancer, that’s the one you want to have,” he says. “It’s the most predictable.” Karrick spent the next six months undergoing chemotherapy treatments. He lost all of his hair and developed dystonia, which is a movement disorder that causes your mouth muscles to contract involuntarily. He’s no longer able to play the trumpet, but he finds love for music in other ways with writing and composing regularly. “I had an embouchure—all of the instruments have this muscle formation and lip formation needed to play. After the first round of chemo, it destroyed something. A lot of brass players get it,” he says. “I really can’t get a sound out. I haven’t really tried to play the trumpet since May 2018, but I

play a lot of piano and perform regularly with rock, jazz and soul bands. You just roll with the punches.” One year later, Karrick was in remission. But then his platelets started sinking again. This time, the damage from the chemotherapy was the reason. Karrick was then diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), formerly known in medical circles as preleukemia. The cure? A bone marrow transplant.

TAKING TIME OFF Karrick knew his transplant would happen a year in advance. And he also knew the long-term risks. “There is a 60 percent survival rate for these things. Doctors lose every four out of 10 patients,” he says. “But if I didn’t do the transplant, everything would have shut down eventually.”

blood cells, which is known as engraftment. In the days and weeks after Karrick’s transplant, he remained under close medical care at Jewish Hospital. Three weeks later, he made it home just in time for his 58th birthday. Even though Karrick was released from the hospital, he had daily blood tests to monitor his condition and make sure the donor cells grafted with his body. Lucky for Karrick, he had support at home. “When you go through this transplant procedure, you can’t go at it alone,” he says. “I couldn’t drive. My primary caregiver was—and is—my wife Carole. It was a big sacrifice for her to make. Our house is 23 miles away from Jewish, and she spent every day single day with me at the hospital.” Karrick, grateful for a second chance at life, is 100 percent engrafted. “I was lucky to have really good doctors. I’m here because of science,” he says. “It changes a lot of your perspective on life. I don’t know how much time I have left on this earth. You appreciate nice days a little bit more. You appreciate good times. I found myself a lot less tolerant about time that gets wasted. A lot of stuff that might have been important before just isn’t anymore.”

Neither his siblings nor his four children were a match, so he registered with Be the Match, a global registry that connects patients with bone marrow or stem cell donors. “I really want to encourage Americans, especially underrepresented populations, to consider being a donor,” Karrick says. “There is a serious lack of available donors.” Before Karrick was admitted to Cincinnati Jewish Hospital on July 17, 2018, he experienced a series of tests and procedures to assess his general health to make sure he was physically prepared for the transplant. “Jewish Hospital is one of the top places in the country for bone marrow transplants,” he says. “Their results are on par with the top places in the world.” Karrick’s surgeon implanted an intravenous catheter—a long, thin tube commonly called a central line—into a large

vein in his chest to infuse the transplanted stem cells, medications and blood products into his body. And then it was time to get started. After the pre-transplant tests and procedures, Karrick experienced conditioning, a process that destroys cancer cells, suppresses your immune system and prepares your bone marrow for new cells. “They gave me powerful chemotherapy for four days in a row. It kills everything in your body—bone marrow, immune system, everything. Then you rest for a few days,” he says. “A week later, you watch as all your numbers go down to zero.” A week later, on July 24, the donor’s stem cells were infused into Karrick’s body through a central line. When the new stem cells entered the body, they traveled through the blood to the bone marrow. Over the course of several weeks, those stem cells began to multiply and make new, healthy

COMING BACK TO WORK Karrick had a bit of an unconventional return to NKU after his bone marrow transplant. He came back to campus in the fall of 2019, just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the U.S. He taught for a few months in person, and then everything went virtual. Despite the many setbacks throughout the last decade, Karrick is dedicated to teaching. For the last 38 years, the students keep him coming back to work—even on the hardest days. “My juice for coming in every day is student growth,” he says. “I’m not the most popular or well-liked professor because I’m really honest with my students and tend to be a little brash at times. The most gratifying thing is watching them grow and creating a real, successful musical experience because you positively motivated them, created opportunities for them, pushed them.” w i n t e r 2 0 2 2 29

WE HOPE THAT YOU JOIN US FOR THE EVENING!

It's not too late to purchase tickets to the event, which include a cocktail reception, plated dinner, coffee bar, alumni gift and valet parking. Scan the QR code or visit nku.edu/2022alumniweekend to secure your spot! [ ALUMNI ]

2022 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS Congratulations to this year’s Alumni Award winners! Each year, the NKU Alumni Association honors our alumni, faculty, staff and friends for their contributions to the university and the community. “The recipients of the Alumni Awards have shown that they have deep passion for supporting our students and making a positive impact in the community,” says NKU President Ashish Vaidya. “The individuals prove that NKU is a university whose alumni, faculty and staff focus on giving our students success, both while in school and post-graduation.”

OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS AWARD JAKKI HAUSSLER (’88) Chairman, Opus Capital Management

Jakki is the recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Alumnus Award for enhancing the image of NKU through her successes and accomplishments. She received her juris doctor degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

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OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS AWARD NATHAN SMITH (’94)

Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Flagship Communities REIT Nathan is the recipient of the 2022 Outstanding Alumnus Award for enhancing the image of NKU through his successes and accomplishments. He graduated from NKU with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD H. MCGUIRE (MAC) RILEY (’86)

President, BAHR Associates, Inc. Mac is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award for contributing time, talent and effort enhancing the quality of life at NKU or to make his community a better place to live. He graduated class salutatorian and received his juris doctor degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD TRACY SCHWEGMANN (’95)

Director of Marketing and Property Management, Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate Tracy is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award for contributing time, talent and effort enhancing the quality of life at NKU or to make her community a better place to live. She graduated from NKU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD

FACULTY/STAFF STRONGEST INFLUENCE AWARD

JOHN P. B. JOSE (’15)

PEG ADAMS (’86)

National Director of Asian Pacific American Engagement, Republican National Committee John is the recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award for enhancing the quality of life at NKU and his community as well as distinguishing himself through professional accomplishments. He graduated from NKU with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.

Director, University Connect and Persist (UCAP)

Peg is the recipient of the 2022 Faculty/Staff Strongest Influence Award for her strong and lasting impact on the life and/or careers of university alumni. She graduated from NKU with bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology.

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NORSENOW

A RENAISSANCE WOMAN For Gina Erardi, it's about creation and expression.

rmed with tools ranging from a paintbrush to a chisel, Gina Erardi (‘20) strives to always make the best art she can, ensuring it can be enjoyed by potentially anyone who walks by. Since she was young, Erardi was enthralled with creating

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art—first drawing sketches of statuettes at her babysitter’s home when she was 5 years old. “Art can be a catalyst for community, for dialogue and for progress,” she says. “It can help us form a deeper understanding of each other, of our neighbors and where

we find ourselves in this crazy world.” The Crescent Springs, Kentucky native decided to attend Northern Kentucky University after hearing about its Fine Arts program and seeing Professor Kevin Muente’s paintings in high school. “I said, ‘Whoa, those are amazing.’ So, I

one of her most notable displays of public art—a series of murals in nearby Newport, Kentucky, which served as her senior thesis. One of the murals chronicles a young girl through her educational journey. It displays a teacher and a girl next to a chalkboard on one side and then depicts the girl graduating from college on the other. Named “Education Empowers,” it is based on Virinda Garland Doddy, who was the first black graduate of NKU's Human Services program. The mural celebrates all of the educators and students who attended the Southgate Street School, including Virinda. There are plans to add additional murals to celebrate Newport's past. The project, which began in 2019, was originally supposed to be a mosaic, Erardi adds. Erardi also completed an apprenticeship under Tom Tsuchiya, an artist who has completed bronze sculptures for Major League Baseball and the National Football League, while she was still a student at NKU. Tsuchiya and Erardi would later collaborate on other projects, including a bronze statue of Marian Spencer, which

interacted with the statue. “It’s so fun to see kids go up to the statue and holds its hands and dance around it,” Erardi says. Erardi added that the statue is one of her favorite pieces she has worked on. “She’s a fighter but in a feminine way,” she says. “She uses her womanhood as her power. She was a mother. She was a wife; I really respected her.” The piece took about two years from fundraising to unveiling, but Erardi says the wait was worth it. “It was kind of shocking when I saw it,” Erardi says. While she has worked on numerous projects, there is a lot more effort in creating art that the public may not realize, Erardi says. For example, when working on a sculpture involving a giant wild cat, Erardi looked at anatomy books and taxidermized cats to get a better understanding of the cat’s muscle movements and fur. In terms of public art, there’s also aspects including funding, approval of design and soliciting public feedback.

“Art can be a catalyst for community, for dialogue and for progress. It can help us form a deeper understanding of each other, of our neighbors and where we find ourselves in this crazy world.” wanted to study under him,” she says. While at NKU, Gina majored in fine arts and studio arts, but her degree was tailored toward painting. The artist also expanded her skillset by taking her fair share of ceramics and other art classes. “We had to take an intro level to pretty much every medium as part of the curriculum, which I think is great because it exposes students to maybe something they wouldn’t have tried,” she says. While enrolled at NKU, Erardi began

was unveiled during the summer of 2021. Spencer, who served as vice mayor of the Cincinnati City Council, was the first Black woman to be elected to the body and also led the charge to desegregate Cincinnati Public Schools, died in 2019 at the age of 99. The sculpture, located in Cincinnati, features Spencer and two children to symbolize her work with children. One of the children is based on a group of students who illustrated a book about Spencer's life. Real-life children have also

“It takes so much time,” she says. “There’s so much behind the scenes.” While Erardi is experienced in numerous forms of art mediums and has an impressive portfolio under her belt, she says her favorite art form is portraiture, emphasizing that stories can be told simply through a person’s body language. “Telling a story through a gesture or facial expression. People are so expressive, and that shows through painting and sculpture,” she says. —Trey Crumbie

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NORSENOW

THE FAMILY TRADITION

Milburn Award Recipient Kimberly Clayton-Code reflects on her time at NKU.

or Kimberly Clayton-Code, Northern Kentucky University is a family tradition. Her father has been an economics professor on campus since 1980. She and her husband are both Norse alumni, and now her two sons, Matthew and Andrew, attend NKU. She grew up at the university, running around campus and knew early on education was her future. “My dad teases that I have been teaching at NKU since I was nine. He would go to work, and I would take my younger brothers into a classroom. We had workbooks, and I would teach them,” Clayton-Code recalls, laughing at the memory. “They probably hated it, but I always knew I wanted to be a professor.” In her first year at college, ClaytonCode got to work directly with a professor and see the job firsthand. The Freshman Scholars program drew her to break the family tradition and attend Purdue University for her undergraduate studies in elementary education. “I was able to, as a freshman, do research with the professor on Gifted Education,” she says. “Some of it was

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a nightmare, like data entry, but it gave me insight into the research component of being faculty. It also gave me the connection and someone who was checking in to make sure I was being successful in my classes. I know it worked for me, and I think it’s something NKU should have. We are getting better and doing more mentoring programs, which is great.” The ability to empower people to pursue their goals is what Clayton-Code loves about teaching at NKU. She returned to NKU for her master’s degree and the University of Louisville for her Ph.D. Now after more than 20 years, she says she couldn’t imagine doing anything else. “NKU has something special to offer. It’s the small class sizes, and I’m not just saying that because it’s our tagline. At NKU, you’re working with the professor who is the expert in their field,” Clayton-Code says. “Each semester is different, and the class culture is different. I’ve taught a lot of different classes —23 I think —and that’s what has kept it fun and impactful.” In 2009, Clayton-Code found another way to empower high school girls through a conference hosted by the newly formed

Institute for Talent Development and Gifted Studies. The next year, she joined forces with Young Women LEAD to hold the annual conference at NKU, and it has continued for 11 years. “You think you’re doing this little thing, and it’s just a one-day event. But it’s become more than that,” she says. “No one has told these girls that they have value and can contribute to whatever they want to do. It is amazing to me how many are not getting that message. We think we are giving it in many different forms, but it’s not there for some reason.” Through Young Women Lead’s format, many more are hearing the message. COVID shifted the past two conferences to virtual events, but it also expanded the reach. In 2020, participants from 28 different states attended. This year, young women nationwide and from Canada, Guatemala and Mexico attended after finding the event on social media. The virtual platform amplified their efforts to promote Young Women LEAD’s message of empowering high school girls. “Last fall in the Student Union, a student came up to us and said, ‘I’m at NKU because of Young Women LEAD and what you said that day,’” Clayton-Code says. “It does connect, and it’s so important. Confidence research tells us that girls’ confidence levels are evenly matched to boys until the age of 10. At this point, her confidence plummets until it finally begins to rebound in the college years. However, her self-confidence will not return to fourthgrade levels until she is 50. That is just sad, and we want to change that.” Family has always influenced ClaytonCode, and receiving the Milburn Award makes it come full circle. She followed in her father’s footsteps to become a professor at NKU and saw him receive the Milburn Award in 2005. This past fall, she accepted the same award with her father and sons in attendance. “Northern is always where I wanted to be,” she says. “NKU was always my goal, and I got to be here with my dad having him as a trusted adviser on campus. And now my sons are here. I love it, and I love what I do. And, I guess I need to find a new goal now because I’m living it.” —Anna Wright

NORSENOW

To learn more about NKU's Nursing program, visit nku.edu/nursing.

LIGHTENING THE LOAD Kadori Ngirabakunzi's career, helping others, is more than just a job.

hile the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the world continues to turn. Health care workers are more vital than ever, but mental health is just as important. Northern Kentucky University alumna Kadori Ngirabakunzi, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at leading mental health provider Harbor, is well aware of the impact mental health has on a person’s life. Adding a pandemic and the stressors that come with it on top of the effect everyday life can have on minds can be a heavy burden, but people like Ngirabakunzi do what they do to lighten that load for their clients. “I had some pretty rough life experiences growing up, and that caused some trauma,” Ngirabakunzi reveals. “I always wanted to help others who might have gone through something similar, to let them know those experiences don’t define them.” Ngirabakunzi was previously a nurse for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, working on an as-needed basis before becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Harbor and working strictly on telehealth.

While this has allowed her to keep herself from being exposed during the pandemic, the emotional toll she and her clients have experienced cannot be overlooked. “It can be taxing. Psych is pretty heavy,” Ngirabakunzi says. “The pandemic has made so many people feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. It can be emotionally draining, but helping people is what I was made to do.” While Ngirabakunzi had initially thought about going to school to become a pharmacist, she notes how grateful she is to have realized she wanted to pursue nursing instead. After deciding on a nursing career, Ngirabakunzi researched countless schools before determining NKU would be the best fit for her, and she has immensely enjoyed her time as a Norse since. “You’ve got to love it,” Ngirabakunzi explains, about working in health care. “It’s not easy, and you can burn out quickly. You have to get up and go to work despite what’s going on in your life. I’ve always had the spirit of taking care of people. I was never meant to be a pharmacist. I was born to do what I do.” Ngirabakunzi notes the positive

“You’ve got to love it,” Ngirabakunzi explains, about working in health care. “It’s not easy, and you can burn out quickly. You have to get up and go to work despite what’s going on in your life. I’ve always had the spirit of taking care of people. I was never meant to be a pharmacist. I was born to do what I do.” experience she had in the College of Health Professions (now known as the College of Health and Human Services) when she decided to first pursue her nursing career as a 2016 BSN graduate and again as a 2020 MSN graduate. “The staff at the College of Health Professions were awesome to me,” Ngirabakunzi says. “I had some rough stuff happen during that time, and the staff was so supportive, always cheering me on. It was the best college experience that I’ve had.” No matter what is going on in life, the one thing Ngirabakunzi wants anyone to take away is that there is always a light at the end of every tunnel. “It’s OK to not be OK, and we struggle so much in day-to-day life because we think we should be. Utilize your support system, whether that’s your friends, families, professors, whoever you trust to listen and understand.” Ngirabakunzi says. “Stay focused, stay determined. You are not alone.” —Kelsey Bungenstock (’16)

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MYSTERY PHOTO!

SOLVE THE MYSTERY FOR NKU HISTORY! Ready, set, trike! We’re not exactly sure what’s happening in this photo, but it sure looks like fun. Do you remember this event, or what year it took place? Were you one of the Fab Four pedaling with your hands?

Do you recognize any of the friendly Norse faces in the crowd? We keep spinning our wheels, but we need your help! Send your memories (and guesses) to nkumagazine@nku.edu or tweet us at @nkumagazine so we can put this mystery to rest.