VOL 1 ISSUE 1 MAY 2019
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DIRECTIONS or university cannot sustain deep individual relationships. Several years ago, one of Schreiner’s academic deans told me that Schreiner’s strength was that it was small. He referred to it as “the power of small.” At first, I was not a fan of the phrase because small too often refers to the minor or the trivial. But then I remembered it also references the intimate and the fine. I like these connotations so much that I increasingly have come to believe that Schreiner does express—and we want to express— the power of small. We can react quickly to new opportunities because we are small; we can walk alongside individual students and understand their unique challenges and capacities because we are small; and we can solve what the bureaucracy of the big makes impossible. The State of Texas faces some big challenges in the future. Only 20 percent of Texas 8th grade students in 2006 graduated from college by 2017. That is not enough to sustain the state’s desire to remain an economic, cultural, and intellectual
With Chris Corbett who served as President for the day while I attended his classes and followed his regular schedule
With students on the basketball team at their annual carwash fundraiser
powerhouse. “More big” is one approach to solving that problem; “more small” is another. Schreiner University intends to use its power of small to address the educational crisis in the state on our Kerrville campus, on our Brownsville, and El Paso campuses, and maybe even on a whole lot more of these small educational environments.
Charlie McCormick, Ph.D. Schreiner University President
With the Schreiner Shooting Sports team shortly after they won their first Division 1 Championship With students from the First Year Campus in Brownsville, Texas
With speakers from the Trailblazers Future Fest event who shared “what’s next” in the arts, health care, and the economy
Photos courtesy of Schreiner University
T
he State of Texas has some audacious goals for higher education. Its strategic goal is that 60 percent of young adults (25 – 34 years of age) in Texas will hold some type of postsecondary credential by 2030. In order to reach this goal (and the state is a long, long way from getting there), the plan calls for incentivizing big state schools to get even bigger. The logic is this: if a school has 15,000 students now, the legislature should use its funding formula to incentivize the school’s student population to increase to 30,000 students. It’s a “more big” strategy to reach the 60x30 (as they call it in Austin) goal. Schreiner’s approach has never been “more big.” We have always been big believers in “more small.” In fact, we describe ourselves our as “intentionally small.” Small is our strategy because we believe that it gives Schreiner our distinctive ability to engage in deep relational learning. When the numbers get too big, a college
UNIQUELY TEXAN ISSUE Photo by Kenzy Sharp. Cover photos: Event Center, Alyssa Hanley/ Trophies, Mark Robertson-Baker II/Food, Tylor Townsend/River, Frank Castro/Donner, Mark Robertson-Baker II/Wrestling, Mark Robertson-Baker II/Album courtesy of Shauna Dodds
Features 15 VARSITY PROGRAMS Equestrian, Shotgun, Band, eSports, Cheer, and Wrestling sit proudly for the camera
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The 2023 Strategic Plan is driving Schreiner University towards the 100th year celebration
A hot air balloon gives students a different perspective of campus during a Schreiner Saturday event.
ON THE COVER
Departments 2 Editor’s Letter 4 Destination
Each year millions visit the charming and interesting Hill Country towns near Schreiner University
30 Field Notes
A heartfelt essay by Dr. William Woods
32 Tribute
Distinguished Alumna and Athletic Hall of Honor
10 Chart the Course
34 The Summit
12 Scene
35 Growth
29 Pinnacle
36 Journey to 100
The Schreiner Oaks Society keeps growing and giving Events, happenings and experiences abound on campus The Shotgun Team wins big and is honored throughout the state
“UNIQUELY TEXAN” EXCITEMENT AND GROWTH THIS YEAR ON CAMPUS
Grammy recognized alumna Shauna Dodds keeps winning Baldwin Dorms, STEMZone and Campus Entrance make statements of growth Billy Wilkinson remembers the Bush family visits in 1995
CONNECT WITH US
Schreiner University
@SchreinerU
@Schreiner University
Schreiner University
@SchreinerU
A rainbow shines across the campus Event Center; Shotgun Team trophies; Chartwells Chef Ortega’s dazzling culinary bites; The cypress lined banks of the Guadalupe River; Oscarnominated Frank Donner visits campus; Wrestling team champs; Designer Shauna Dodds is nominated again for her Grammywinning work; PopCon III excites students from Texas, Louisiana and Colorado; NASA Solar System Ambassador Andrzej M. Stewart visits campus; Welcome to Schreiner! Enter With Hope!; Distinguished Alumna Dr. Margaret Patricia Sullivan; Country music star Roger Creager performs on campus; Tacos make smiles on campus
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“Enter with hope. Leave with achievement.” To most of you, this statement carved in to the beautiful new entrance and exit to Schreiner University is familiar. To me, these are new statements that I have seen repeatedly over the last several months since being engaged to rebrand and relaunch the former Scene to Schreiner Magazine. These are two simple, yet powerful commands that I have internalized during my time on the truly beautiful and inspiring campus on the banks of the Guadalupe River. I have put them to use as affirmations that are applicable to a myriad of scenarios and do feel the spirit of these statements are indicative of the 2023 Strategic Plan goals. The first of four distinct goals stated in the plan is: We will be Known as a Uniquely Texan and Faith-Based Institution Whose Graduates Make a Difference. For the inaugural Schreiner Magazine issue, we chose “Uniquely Texan” as the theme and hope that throughout the pages you find a sense of what it means to so many at Schreiner University and also from people who have been touched by the great State of Texas. I am a San Antonio and Hill Country native who spent 25+ years in New York and Los Angeles working in national media and entertainment; and, I have always felt my strongest companion has been my deep Texas roots and sense of place for the Hill Country. It has been my great joy working on this regional magazine as it has been the catalyst to engage with talented students, dedicated faculty, and staff. Producing and hosting “The Trailblazers Series” and “Trailblazers Future Fest” in the spring semester provided the opportunity for me to invite leaders and icons to experience Schreiner University for themselves and engage with students and community to begin conversations and continue experiential learning. From NASA to Hollywood to San Antonio and beyond, the trailblazing guests were all blown away and experienced Schreiner’s “power of small” first-hand. It is an incredibly exciting time at Schreiner University pushing forward with a plan and celebration to mark its 100th anniversary. What a thrill it will be for the graduating classes of 2022 and 2023. I encourage you to visit schreiner.edu/schreiner-2023 and learn more about the plan that will not only affect students, faculty and staff on campus but through a mindful broad inclusivity, also the Hill Country; the community of Kerrville; supporters; and, alumnus thriving everywhere. Now is the time to become more engaged and learn about the hidden gems that this growing liberal arts institution has to offer. It may just blow you away!
Ceslie J. Armstrong editor-in-chief 2
UNIQUELY TEXAN
VOL 1 ISSUE 1 MAY 2019
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ceslie J. Armstrong ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Locke CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Toby Appleton
university relations specialist
Cindy Becker
director of varsity programs
Tammi Bingham
director of alumni affairs
Tanya Jimenez, M.S.
STEM academic services coordinator
Karen Davis Kilgore
senior planned giving officer
William Woods, PhD
dean of academic support & student outcomes
Lori Heiss-Tiplady Billy Wilkinson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mark Robertson-Baker II video producer/photographer
Ceslie J. Armstrong Frank W. Castro PRESIDENT Dr. Charlie McCormick BOARD CHAIRMAN T. Weir Labatt III SFSA BOARD PRESIDENT Kenneth Bethune DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS David C. Smith STUDENT ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Emillie Carrasco lead designer Amanda White, Meaghan O’Donnell, Emily Ridgeway, Rachael Johnson, Christian Hicks, Autumn Rowlands, Esmeralda Ovalle, Sarah Robinson, Grant Edwards, Hunter Carter Schreiner Magazine is a publication of the Office of Marketing & Communications and is distributed twice a year free of charge to Schreiner former students, current students, faculty, parents and friends. An online version is available at schreiner.edu/scene and issuu.com/schreineru Want to be included on the Schreiner Magazine mailing list? Send your name and address to Susan Carver, Schreiner University, CMB 6229, 2100 Memorial Blvd., Kerrville, TX 78028, or email scarver@schreiner.edu Change of address? Call the Office of Advancement at 830-792-7201. Schreiner University is an independent liberal arts institution related bY covenant and choice to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Schreiner University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, extra-curricular programs or employment against any individual on the basis of that individual’s race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, veteran status or ethnic origin. Inquiries/complaints should be forwarded to the Director of Human Resources, at 830-792-7375.
Ceslie Armstrong photo by Leah Thomason. Cover photos: PopCon, Mark Robertson-Baker II/Orion Spacecraft, NASA/Entrance, Mark Robertson-Baker II/Sullivan, Courtesy of Schreiner University/Roger Creager, Alyssa Hanley/Students, Mark Robertson-Baker II
EDITOR’S LETTER
MANAGEMENT
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for more information visit www.schreiner.edu
FINANCE
DESTINATION
Explore the Texas Hill Country Towns Near Kerrville
By Lori Heiss-Tiplady
FREDERICKSBURG q Founded by German immigrants in 1846, Fredericksburg’s German roots still run deep and are present in its food, buildings, language and events. Home to a “Texas German” patois and German-style beer, sausages and breads, the town also celebrates its heritage with annual events including Oktoberfest and Schuetzenfest (“Shooting Fest”). q Voted #2 in a Top 10 of favorite small southern towns by readers of Southern Living Magazine in 2017, Fredericksburg’s historic downtown architecture is charming, interesting and has something for everyone. With more than 150 shops, 300 places to stay and dozens of restaurants with a wide range of cuisine, there are also wine tastings, vibrant city sights and stunning countryside scenery. 4
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q An hour from Austin, Fredericksburg is renowned for its bustling beer & wine culture. Home to more than 40 vineyards and wineries that attract more than 1 million visitors every year, it is the second most visited wine trail in the United States after Napa Valley. You can enjoy guided wine tours or explore them on your own, notably along the stretch of U.S. Highway 290 that passes through town and is home to 17 wineries that form the Wine Road 290 association.
Enchanted Rock photo by Marc Bennett.
WINDING HIGHWAYS AND BLUEBONNETS GUIDE YOU TO THE ENCHANTED ROCK STATE PARK
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Photos: Peaches courtesy of Fredericksburg CVB/Bandera by Ceslies Armstrong/Flying L Ranch Horse by Frank Castro
BANDERA
q But Fredericksburg offers a lot more than just wine. History buffs can learn the stories of the German settlers at the Sauer Beckmann Living History Farm and the Pioneer Museum Complex or visit the home and Texas White House of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson. Natural beauty also abounds, with the 425-foot-high Enchanted Rock, a pink granite dome that’s the second-largest exposed rock formation in America, 0ffering stunning views of the Texas Hill Country from its peak. Nearly half the peaches grown in Texas are from Fredericksburg, with the season running from May through August, and Wildseed Farms, the biggest working wildflower farm in the nation, offers 200 acres of gorgeous blooms that attract over 350,000 visitors each year.
q The town of Bandera boasts 978 people on the population marker when entering; however, Bandera County (founded in 1856) is comprised of 798 square miles of gorgeous terrain on the Edwards Plateau with a population of 20 thousand. The historic town sits on the banks of the Medina River and is known for its sweeping landscapes and cowboy heritage. As the official “Cowboy Capital of the World,” Bandera became known by this moniker in the late 1800s when it was the starting point of the Great Western Cattle Drive. Due to the iconic Hwy 16 “must” drive, today you are likely to see Harley’s parked next to horses along Main Street. Featured in True West Magazine’s 2018 Top 10 list of True Western Towns alongside Tombstone, Arizona, Sheridan and Laramie, Wyoming, and Dodge City, Kansas, this small town has some big Western credentials. With numerous dude and guest ranches, rodeos, gunfight reenactments and honky-tonks with real cowboys two-stepping on the dance floor, you will get a true taste of the Wild West in Bandera.
Officially sanctioned the Cowboy Capital of the World, Bandera honors the many National Rodeo Champions who call the small town home with a bronze monument standing on the Courthouse lawn.
q Visitors can live like a cowboy with horseback riding and traditional dude ranches like the famous Dixie Dude Ranch, or tour of the equestrian trails at Hill Country State Natural Area which has 40 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding as well as primitive campsites that immerse you in nature. q The Frontier Times Museum shows visitors what life was like in Bandera during the 1920s with a 40,000-item collection of Western art and memorabilia donated by locals. q This small town is known for live country music and twostepping. No visit to Bandera would be complete without a stop at the many shops and galleries on Main St. including the Bandera General Store and ice cream parlour.
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q The historic town of Comfort has a population of about 2400 and enjoys a prime Texas Hill Country location in the middle of Fredericksburg, Boerne, and Kerrville. Established in 1854 by Freethinkers and abolitionists moving further west from New Braunfels, the German immigrants rested in Comfort and liked it so much they decided to stay put. q Downtown Comfort is one of the most well-preserved business districts in Texas. With beautiful 2-story limestone buildings including the Hotel Faust, much of the town is designated a National Historic District and features almost 100 historic buildings constructed before 1910, including seven designed by noted architect Alfred Giles. q For a small town, Comfort has some big draws and is known far and wide for its antique shopping and annual events that draw thousands of visitors from across the nation,
BOERNE q 170-year-old Boerne can trace its roots back to the German Freethinkers who first settled the town in 1849. Less than 15 miles from San Antonio, Boerne is a small town long on Texan charm. Named as one of the happiest towns in the United States by House Beautiful in 2017, Boerne is not only a haven for its residents but also an attractive destination for visitors with its plentiful
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including the July 4th and Christmas Nighttime Lighted Parades. The “Comfort Back Yard” is a centrally located grassy lawn that connects Texas Hill Country Distillers, award-winning Newsom and Bending Branch winery tasting rooms and other establishments and features a stage that boasts live music and other entertainment for the whole family–including pets. q A haven for artists, musicians and writers, Comfort is true to its cultural roots with an engaged population who value history and great storytelling. q Fans of the outdoors can visit Flat Rock Ranch, featuring 28 miles of rugged terrain perfect for mountain biking, running, and hiking through the picturesque Texas Hill Country. Tourists will also find several campsites along the Guadalupe River where they can enjoy camping, fishing, swimming and hunting. Golfers will enjoy phenomenal Hill Country views from the 18-hole Buckhorn public golf course, which is free to play for under 18s with a paying adult.
shops and restaurants, as well as an impressive offering of cultural and historical attractions and outdoor activities. q Historic downtown Boerne, known as the Hill Country Mile, is a shopper’s paradise that has been coined “Boerne’s Rodeo Drive” and is home not only to highend boutiques and fine art galleries but also a wide variety of local live entertainment. Boerne’s many restaurants offer dining experiences that
range from from traditional BBQ to the upscale Peggy’s on the Green, located in the historic Ye Kendall Inn just off the main town square. q The nationally recognized show caves at Cave Without a Name and Cascade Cavern provide captivating natural beauty year-round. q There’s also a vibrant emerging beer scene in Boerne, and the town hosts annual beer-themed events
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Photos: Hotel courtesy of The Faust/Wines and parade by Ceslie Armstrong/Treue Der Union Monument by Larry D. Moore/Boerne Main Street courtesy of CVB/Crabcakes by Anne Marie Photography
COMFORT
Photos: Cave courtesy of Cave Without a Name/River and Sculpture courtesy of Kerrville CVB
1 A historic, boutique hotel in the Hill and Wine Country of Texas, located on the distinctly walkable High Street, Hotel Faust is know as the “jewel of Comfort” and is housed in a beautiful limestone building originally built in 1880 and designed by famed architect Alfred Giles. 2 Two award-winning Comfort based wineries, Newsom and Bending Branch, have tasting rooms in town! 3 Nighttime Lighted Christmas Parade 4 The Treue Der Union Monument (meaning “loyalty to the union” in German) was dedicated on August 10, 1866, to commemorate the 34 who died at the Nueces in 1862.
The Cave Without a Name is a natural, living cave in the rolling hills just outside Boerne. Classified as a National Natural Landmark, it is a spectacular cave that boasts stunning formations of Stalactites, Stalagmites, Soda Straws, Cave Drapery and more.
DESTINATION
KERRVILLE q The home of Schreiner University and the Kerr County seat, Kerrville is known as the heart of Texas Hill Country. Boasting some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas and with the Guadalupe River running through downtown, this is a unique and beautiful destination. Though Mother Nature is the star, the city also offers worldclass shopping, dining, cultural attractions and outdoor activities including golfing, camping and hunting. Kerrville is centrally located for visiting other popular Hill Country spots like Fredericksburg, Boerne, Comfort and Bandera, but there is so much to do here you might never leave! q The Guadalupe River runs right through downtown Kerrville and is a must-see and- do for any visitor, with activities including swimming, canoeing, tubing or fishing. q Kerrville boasts more than a dozen public parks lining the Guadalupe River and a top notch, manicured River Trail for walking and biking frequented by locals and visitors. Don’t miss hiking in Kerrville-Schreiner
or Lehmann-Monroe Park, and be sure to take a float down the river from Louise Hays Park. Kerrville native son Robert Earl Keen performs every July 4th for a massive crowd, and other bandshell performances are year-round. The Riverside Nature Center in downtown Kerrville is full of beautiful flora and fauna, and the town even boasts a skatepark. q Because it’s a cultural hub for the Texas Hill Country, Kerrville’s annual events attract thousands and include the Texas State Arts and Crafts Fair, the Kerr County Fair and the Kerrville Folk Festival. Kerrville is also known for its museums, theaters and galleries. The outdoor Smith-Ritch Point Theatre is the home of the Hill Country Arts Foundation, and the Cailloux Theater plays host to the Symphony of the Hills and the Hill Country Youth Orchestras. At the Museum of Western Art statues of cowboys on bucking broncos take you on a tour of Texas history, and the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center showcases the work of more than 500 artists.
The 160-year-old, 29,000-acre Y.O. Ranch has been called “America’s original game ranch” and been referred to as “Africa in Texas” because of the huge population of exotic wildlife at the Ranch. In addition to game hunting, the Y.O. Ranch also offers private and group tours where you’ll get close to the animals with a chance to feed them through your window or capture them with your camera. Visitors can stay on property in one of 13 cabins and enjoy the hot tub, pool and restaurant.
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Kerrville Loves Schreiner Students Campaign A CORNERSTONE OF THE KERRVILLE ECONOMY By Toby Appleton UNIVERSITY RELATIONS SPECIALIST
The City of Kerrville and local businesses are showing their visible support for Schreiner University and its students all around town. Schreiner University recently started an initiative with the Kerrville business community to show this support for Schreiner students through the “Kerrville Loves Schreiner University Students” campaign. With the Kerrville community and Schreiner University showing support for each other,
there are value and opportunities that they can bring to one another. Schreiner University is a big economic contributor in Kerrville and the Texas Hill Country. This positive relationship between the community and Schreiner University will lead to positive economic impacts and benefits for both. The goal of the “Kerrville Loves Schreiner Students” campaign is ultimately to help foster a welcoming environment and a visible sense
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of appreciation for the Schreiner students in our community and also attract them and their families to stay in Kerrville, shop in our businesses and eat in our restaurants. “Our recently completed and ratified Kerrville 2050 Comprehensive Plan identifies the fostering of higher education and entrepreneurship as community assets. Creating the right environment for a “college town district” is a clear objective,” said Walt Koenig, President and CEO of the Kerrville Chamber of Commerce. “There are many things that we can do to further strengthen the relationship between the University and our community.” The community is not only hanging the decals, but they are also hanging up banners, posters, flags and even prints of students’ art around town. You may have noticed some of the banners or decals on your way to work or on your way home. “I am humbled and awed to see the outpouring of support for Schreiner University all across Kerrville: banners welcome our families and congratulate our graduates; placards hang on downtown light posts that highlight how Schreiner provides students opportunities as BIG as Texas; and signs in the windows of local businesses announce that they love Schreiner students,” said Schreiner University President Charlie McCormick. “Schreiner is proud to be part of the Kerrville and Hill Country community, and we love you right back!”
Photos: Sticker by Mark Robertson-Baker II/Courtesy of Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce
DESTINATION With Schreiner University having a physical and visible presence in the community, we hope this generates a desire in the community to take part in campus activities and experience all it has to offer. There are numerous cultural events the campus is providing such as lectures, workshops, coffeehouse performances, star parties and NCAA athletics, just to name a few. Just as Tivy High School is much thought of as Kerrville’s hometown high school, Schreiner University is Kerrville’s hometown university. Continually building on the relationship between Schreiner and the community creates an increase in educational opportunities by providing even more locations in town where Schreiner University students can contribute to local businesses through internships or work. This enables the students to gain real work experience that will help them in the future while directly benefiting our local businesses with a talented labor pool. “The Chamber routinely has Schreiner University student interns on our staff. We are consistently impressed with the quality of these incredible young people. We have employed interns to support our finance department, to continuously improve our social media program and to do research in support of our Government Affairs Committee,” added Koenig. Schreiner has sent many of its students to local businesses in the Hill Country area where they have exceeded expectations. Schreiner University is continually providing quality employees to an expanding market. “Schreiner University has throughout its long history contributed significantly to both the economy and the culture of Kerrville,” stated Koenig. “We are certainly fortunate to have a world-class educational institution embedded within our community. It is time now to work to optimize the benefits that Schreiner brings to Kerrville, while also working to leverage our community’s assets to
“Kerrville Loves Schreiner University Students” decal in storefront window of Kerrville business
“THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT THE UNIVERSITY BRINGS TO KERRVILLE IS CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATED TO CURRENTLY BE $63 MILLION PER YEAR. WITH THE PLANNED GROWTH IN ENROLLMENT, THIS ECONOMIC IMPACT IS FORECASTED TO GROW TO $132 MILLION OVER THIS TIMEFRAME.” - WALT KOENIG
Walt Koenig, President and CEO of the Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce with Devin Sanchez, Chamber Intern from Schreiner University
strengthen the University.” “Working to better integrate the city with the University makes sense on many levels. The great growth in faculty and staff that we are seeing at Schreiner continues to add to our economic growth, our retail expansion and our tax base overall. Schreiner University’s strategic plan predicts a near doubling of the university’s enrollment over the next 5 years. The economic impact that the University brings to Kerrville is conservatively estimated to currently be $63 million per year. With the planned growth in enrollment, this economic impact is forecasted to grow to $132 million over this timeframe.” “Schreiner University graduates add to our city’s professional labor pool,” added Koenig. “As the Kerrville economy grows, it’s critical to have the best and the brightest employees to support our success. Schreiner University graduates are majoring in many fields that are immediately relevant to the business needs of Kerrville. University majors ranging from Accounting, Finance and Marketing, to Nursing and Public health, will add necessary professionals to support both the business sector and the great healthcare institutions of Kerrville.” The support that the city and community is showing Schreiner University students is remarkable. “We can also make sure that we, as a community, do everything possible to ensure that the Schreiner University students and their families feel welcome in our local businesses and in the community at large,” Koenig said. “The Chamber will be supporting a Schreinerled ‘We Love Schreiner Students’ campaign where local businesses will have the opportunity to place signage in their establishments indicating their support for Schreiner University students. We encourage our great business community to make a special effort to ensure that our Schreiner University students feel welcome in their establishments.” SCHREINER.EDU
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THROUGH PLANNED GIVING By Karen Davis Kilgore SENIOR PLANNED GIVING OFFICER Every college, no matter the size, depends upon a large group of supporters to make it strong. We in Kerrville are especially fortunate to have an enthusiastic and faithful group of donors—alumni, parents, businesses, foundations, churches and friends—who live all across Texas and beyond. From tiny West Texas towns to our biggest cities, donors cheerfully help us every year. It is not surprising that my favorite group among these donors is the Schreiner Oaks Society. Those who have included Schreiner in their estate plans stretch across the country. They represent 66 Texas towns and also live in Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee! Many years ago we received a bequest from a grateful parent in the United Kingdom. These donors range from young graduates in their thirties to people approaching 100. Our oldest Schreiner Oak lived to be 106 and was in great mental shape until the very last. We won’t ever forget her! We like that the symbol for our planned giving donors is an oak tree, which is actually America’s national tree. It is a cherished part of the Texas landscape, especially the Hill Country. If you have been outside in the hot Texas sun, you know how welcome the shade of a mighty oak is. The bequests we have already received from several hundred friends have provided great shade for Schreiner, too, as we strive to become a better university with every passing year. Joining the Schreiner Oaks Society is a simple procedure. Visit our new planned giving web page for dozens of ideas of how one can make a planned gift and read stories of actual donors who have used a variety of assets to provide for Schreiner.
schreiner.giftlegacy.com 830-370-6059 kkilgore@schreiner.edu
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q How does one become a member? We ask our friends to sign a simple letter saying it is their intention to provide for SU in their estate plans and that they will notify us if their plans change. q Is a specific amount required? There are no financial requirements. We are grateful for each and every provision, large or small. Donors do not have to disclose an estimate, unless they wish to. q Are non-cash gifts acceptable? Definitely! We have received stocks, retirement funds, real estate, insurance policies, mineral rights, charitable trusts and marketable assets. q Do donors have to provide legal documents to show their actual estate plans? Absolutely not. If donors want to send copies of documents, it is helpful, but not required. q Some say retirement assets can be used now and later to fund planned gifts. Is this true? Sure is! Read how one of our families uses the IRA Charitable Rollover provision on our site.
Photo courtesy of Schreiner University
Schreiner Oaks Society SITTING IN THE SHADE OF A TREE SOMEONE ELSE HAS PLANTED
From left: Chairman of the Board Weir Labatt and his wife Laura greet the new members of the Schreiner Oaks Society, Bob Scott, Dave Weekley, Philip Summerlin, Deborah Rommel, Ross Rommel, Mildred Cuffaro, Bobby Hall, Pat Hall, Marta Diffen, Felicia Baldwin, Tom Baldwin. First Lady Cayce McCormick and President Charlie McCormick welcome the group. Not shown: Neel Scott, Mary Weekley, Carol Swanson.
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Get Social THE CAMPUS SCENE IS THRIVING IN 2019 #SCHREINERUNIVERSITY 1 Ceslie Armstrong moderates at
Trailblazers Future Fest, hosting Enver Kaba of Aston Martin; Artist Kelly O’Connor of Ruby City; Gil Salinas of Kerr EDC; Dr. Elizabeth McRae, Laser Expert; and John Kovacs of Hill Country Distillers
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2 The Trailblazers Series guest
Oscar-nominated Frank Donner of Los Angeles
3 Hill Country Distillers craft
cocktails by Chef Ortega of Chartwells
4 The Trailblazers Series guest
award-winning Chef Steve McHugh of Cured at Pearl, San Antonio
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5 Trailblazers Future Fest menu by Chef Ortega of Chartwells
6 John Kovacs and Chef Ortega at the Future Fest culinary demonstration
all students hosted by the Schreiner Student Activities Board
15 Electrifying fun with another
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PopCon! experience
16 PopCon! 2019 is bigger and better than ever
17 Let the competition begin! 18 Country music’s Roger Creager
and his band liven up the the lawn for students and community crowds
19 Students’ favorite: the Texas Music Coffeehouse Series
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Photos courtesy of Schreiner University, Mark Robertson-Baker II and Tylor Townsend
7 Chef Ortega wows the crowd 8 Trailblazer Frank Donner arrives 9 Recall 2019 10 Dr. McCormick on the courts 11 1950s Grads revisit 12 On the links at the Recall tourney 13 A Recall tradition brings smiles 14 Another cool culinary event for
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Varsity Programs A UNIQUELY HILL COUNTRY OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO PLAY, RIDE, AND COMPETE IN PROGRAMS THAT STUDENTS ENJOYED IN HIGH SCHOOL. SCHREINER HAS ELEVATED A HANDFUL OF PROGRAMS TO THE VARSITY LEVEL WITH FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT ALLOWING THE STUDENTS TO THRIVE NOT JUST IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT WITH THEIR PASSION THROUGHOUT THEIR COLLEGIATE CAREER. By Cindy Becker Photography by Mark Robertson-Baker II
Equestrian
Back Row: Emily Sims, Amanda Bodemer, Morgan Wolbrueck, Faith Hanacek, Jacey Hall. Front Row: Elizabeth Fryer, Ashley Lane, Claire Cherrington.
Shotgun
Megan Jacob, Brandon Reising, Key Strickland, Nolan Fontenot, Logan McLendon
Band
Back row: Annessa Hernandez, Samantha Luna, Natalie Adams, Tilo Pena, Summer Hughes, Zane Brand. Front row: Candis Coffey, Steven Vaca, Leslie Fuentes.
eSports
Nicholas Harrison, Richard Hosey (seated), Eric Droegemeier, Daniel De Jesus Turgeon, Benjamin Jedow
Cheer
Back row: Kaitlyn Bankston, Kinslee Johnson, Sarah Strybos, Jenna-Garet Tatum, Alek Denton. Front row: Reese Rodda, Madaya Dominguez, Meghan Sherrod.
Wrestling
Alyssa Alvarez, Brett Barefoot
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE UNIQUELY TEXAN? IT IS THE NAME OF A BIG PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL THAT CELEBRATES THE “POWER OF SMALL.” SCHREINER UNIVERSITY WAS FOUNDED BY AN IMMIGRANT TEXAS RANGER AND HEAD OF INDUSTRIES, CAPT. CHARLES SCHREINER, WHO SET THE COURSE FOR INAUGURAL PRESIDENT DR. JIM DELANEY AND SUBSEQUENT LEADERS OF THIS UNIQUELY TEXAN INSTITUTION THAT IS THRIVING AS IT NEARS ITS 100TH YEAR LED BY DR. CHARLIE MCCORMICK. CESLIE ARMSTRONG ASKED MCCORMICK, OTHER LEADERS, AND TEXAS ICONS WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM AND TURNED TO THE “UNIQUELY TEXAN” STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WHAT’S NOW AND WHAT’S NEXT HEADING TO 2023.
Photos: Apollo spacecraft, courtesy of Space Center Houston/Alamo, courtesy of The Alamo/McCormick, Mark Robertson-Baker II
UNIQUELY TEXAN
UNIQUELY TEXAN ROADTRIP miles from Schreiner University to…
Photos: Historical image, courtesy of University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History/All others, Ceslie Armstrong
Historical Texas flags, The Museum of Western Art (Kerrville): 3 Grapes on the Texas Wine Trail, Fredericksburg: 26 Enchanted Rock State Natural Area: 43 Peaches in Stonewall: 39 NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston: 289 Capt. Charles Schreiner; Cowboys at the buckin’ chute, Bandera Rodeo: 25 Bronze statue, The Museum of Western Art: 3 The Alamo Mission, San Antonio: 67 The Guadalupe River, banks of Schreiner University 0 Port Aransas: 246 Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush wildflowers, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park: 41 Dr. Charlie McCormick
Tell us about the origins of “Uniquely Texan.” How did that come to be? The notion of Schreiner University being a Uniquely Texan institution really crystallized during our strategic planning process. We had a group of students, faculty, staff, board of trustees members and community members who worked for about a year developing this strategic plan. During our conversations we were identifying elements of Schreiner University that are really authentic to this place and perhaps not as authentic to several other places. We talked about the story of one of our founders, Captain Charles Schreiner, and how his story is very much a Texan story.
Is being uniquely Texan universal, or is it specific to Schreiner University? People around the world want to be associated with Texas, and people from Texas love describing themselves as Texans. We use that phrase “Uniquely Texan” to describe Schreiner because, among other things, Schreiner was founded in a uniquely Texan way. Some people have generations of family who were part of the 100 who came to Texas early on in its creation. But the more typical Texas story is about people who, in some cases having nowhere else to go, came to this sort of rough and rugged yet beautiful place and said: “We’re going to try to do something extraordinary here.” Time and again that’s what Texas has done for ordinary
“As Davy Crockett said: ‘Be always sure you are right, then go ahead.’ Texans are independent thinkers and doers. Texans have always been known for breaking molds and that continues to be true today. Texas is the birthplace of music that has changed the way the music industry works. Rather than accepting a path created by others, we have blazed our own trails and created timeless works that have, as much as anything else, put Texas on the map for good. Listen and learn from those who have gone before, create something unique and great, be confident in your creation, be sure you’re right and go ahead!” - Brendon Anthony Director - Texas Music Office, Office of the Governor
Carol Burnett, Uniquely Texan
“My grandmother and I lived in an old house on West Commerce Street in San Antonio. When I was little I used to roller skate in the hallway, leaving several skate marks in the floor. A few years ago the house was designated as a historic home and was turned into a school for ‘At risk’ children and provides educational and economic opportunities that improve the lives of hard working families. It’s called ‘American Sunrise.’ I recently visited this truly remarkable school and looking down at the floor, I discovered that the skate marks are still there!” - Carol Burnett, San Antonio Native
Photos: Brendon Anthony, V. Marc Fort/Delaney, courtesy of University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History/Carol Burnett, courtesy of Carol Burnett
Brendon Anthony, Uniquely Texan
people–turned them into these extraordinary humans– and in many ways that’s what happened to our founder. He was an immigrant. He came to Texas with his family as so often happened in those stories. His mother and father passed Dr. James J. Delaney away not long after he arrived here, and I can only imagine what he must have felt like as a teenage boy trying to figure out what to do being alone halfway around the world. He went on to create a banking, retail, and cattle ranching empire. I think it’s in our DNA to retell that story of Texas over and over again to students. They come with promise, and they come with potential. They may come with their own set of problems, too; but this is a place that intends to transform them into people who are wildly successful once they become Schreiner graduates. The great state of Texas, the Hill Country, and Schreiner University are all transformative places. Most people need to find a transformative place to become who they want to be and who the rest of us need them to be. Schreiner University has spent almost 100 years helping students become transformed. “Big Jim” Delaney was the college’s first president, and he used to talk about the educational experience for young men growing into the four square life. That is a biblical reference where we read that Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man. We don’t use exactly that same language today, but that notion of full person development and whole person expansion is still at the heart of what Schreiner is trying to accomplish. We want our students to be smarter and wiser when they leave here, including the spiritual path they are walking as they prepare themselves for professional careers and to lead in their communities. All of these things are really at the heart and nature of Schreiner’s transformative experience. The “Uniquely Texan” story is one of grit, fortitude, and resilience that turns an experience into something really powerful, wonderful, and delightful. I think a lot of our students experience the same thing as they prepare for college, and they feel some of the anxiousness that accompanies a big transition in their life. Over and over again, we discover that here–in this Hill Country–students bring their fortitude, grit and resilience, and they transform that anxiousness into something well beyond surviving: a most beautiful thriving. When I got to this campus, I discovered a place that absolutely punched above its weight class. It has been both my great opportunity and my great blessing to have been part of this university for the last decade. We are just getting started. What happens next is going to once again retell that most excellent story of Texas, the Hill Country, and Schreiner University. I’m so very proud to be here as Schreiner’s president and cannot wait until our 100th anniversary celebration in 2022 and 2023.
Photos: Junkin Campus Ministry Center, Mark Robertson-Baker II/Steve McHugh, Josh Huskin/Cesar Galindo, courtesy of Cesar Galindo
Goal: We Will be Known as a Uniquely Texan and Faith-Based Institution Whose Graduates Make a Difference. Texas sits at the intersection of people, cultures, and ideas. It is an exceptionally diverse state with a history of redeeming, restoring, and transforming ordinary individuals into people who achieve the extraordinary. In this way, Schreiner reflects the state out of which it grew. Schreiner will promote its identity as a uniquely Texan institution, cultivating students who are smart and resilient and graduates who have impacted the state in enduring ways. In doing so, Schreiner will differentiate itself in the crowded space of higher education. We will be known as the small college of Texas that believes in the classic Texan virtues of spirit, fortitude, and achievement and produces alumni who embody these virtues. Among these Texan virtues we cherish is the intention to stand for something. Because of Schreiner’s relationship to the Presbyterian Church (USA), we expect our students, faculty, and staff to articulate individual and shared values. Our churchrelatedness also means we engage in service to society and practice whole-person development: mind, body, and spirit. We also are called to live in community with a diverse set of perspectives, scholars, and faith traditions. To that end, we will create an ecumenical campus ministry experience so that all students find opportunities to celebrate their faith traditions and commitments to their communities. In order to gain the attention of new students and friends of Schreiner, we will aggressively promote our identity as a uniquely Texan institution. Texans are shaped by the place they live. Generations of farmers, ranchers, wildcatters, and homesteaders
Steve McHugh, Uniquely Texan
will attest, Texas never felt like home to those who lacked fortitude. Texas can be—and has been—challenging, and it expects its people to be resilient. Texas has a nurturing side, too. It is—and will be—restorative, redemptive, and transformational. These experiences are the foundation of a student’s experience at Schreiner University. Texas is also a borderland. The people who inhabit borderland spaces resist the urge to be homogenized and contained; they appreciate and promote the ways in which they are different and unique. The Texas Hill Country is itself a borderland, between the expanse of West Texas, the Plains to the North, the Valley and coast to the South, and the metropolises of Central Texas to the East. The Hill Country has shaped indigenous people, German immigrants, farmers, ranchers, and industrial tycoons of every ethnicity, ability, nationality, class, religion, and orientation imaginable. It remains so today. The Hill Country is a snapshot of the people of Texas as it is and as it is becoming, and Schreiner intends to educate all these native Texans and those who got here as fast as they could.
“As you’ll see spotted on menus and coasters at Cured, our path is “San Antonio by way of New Orleans, by way of Walworth.” Texas is now our adopted home, and here, we are constantly inspired by the indigenous cultures, rich layers of history, consistent appreciation of creativity and individuality, and support of the budding artisan scene. The community we’ve found here in Texas is directly linked to our success at Cured, thanks to the hard-working farmers and craftsmen outside San Antonio’s radius and the support from other independent retailers right outside our front door in the Pearl District. It comes as no surprise to me that UNESCO has honored San Antonio as the second U.S. city worthy of joining the Creative Cities of Gastronomy network. Here, there’s a deep sense of place and exhilarating energy of discovery, creativity, purpose, and pride.” - Steve McHugh Chef/Owner Cured (San Antonio, TX)
Cesar Galindo, Uniquely Texan
“Born and raised a Texan we are jaded to the thoughts of grandness and the idea that all is possible! It’s just a way of life to think BIG in TEXAS! The movie GIANT capsules much of that spirit and is in my top ten all time favorites.” - Cesar Galindo Design Director Kimora Lee Simmons Collection & CZAR by Cesar Galindo
SENSE OF PLACE: TEXAS IS GLOBALLY KNOWN
UNIQUELY SCHREINER ESSENTIALS FRESH JALAPENOS Don’t settle for the pickled ones. Spice up your life with easy to grow Jala’s. Your decide: seeds or no seeds?
BIG: TEXAS’ NAME IS USED AS AN ADJECTIVE
PRINCIPLED: WE STAND UP FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED PROTECTION
FRIENDLY: THIS IS OUR STATE’S MOTTO
DIVERSITY: IN LAND, FLORA & FAUNA, AND PEOPLES
GRIT: TEXAS’ NAME IS USED AS AN ADJECTIVE “TEXAS TOUGH”
ENERGY: TEXAS IS AT THE CENTER OF RESOURCE EXPLORATION, PRODUCTION, AND CREATION
VISION: FOCUSES ACTION, PROVIDES DIRECTION AND INSPIRES STAKEHOLDERS IN ALL AREAS OF CAMPUS LIFE TO MOVE FORWARD
MUSIC EVERYWHERE Country, jazz, blues, classical, rap and rock is the soundtrack to this diverse state.
HYDRATION Water. Never leave home without it.
PERSONAL SHADE A great cowboy hat can accompany you through your Schreiner college experience. Just remember: straw for summer, felt for winter, always grasp it by the crown (not the brim), don’t show the lining and never set the hat brimside down!
PORTABLE KNOWLEDGE Expand your book bag and your mind. Lots of beautiful spots on campus to enjoy nature and focus on the future.
BREAKFAST TACOS Foil-wrapped, warm and endless combinations. This portable goodness is savored morning, noon and night, 24/7.
AUTHENTIC BOOTS They will be your well worn best friend for all occasions and traversing campus. Break them in quickly and get to boot scootin’.
SPIRIT Always keep your spirits up and dream big Moutaineers!
WATER GEAR From kayaks to tubes to fishing gear, Schreiner is on the banks of the mighty Guadalupe. Head to the river to chill.
Sense of Place icon by Christian Hicks
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE UNIQUELY TEXAN?
Goal: We will Invest in the Delight of the Campus Community and the Growth and Vibrancy of the Hill Country Community. Objective 1: Invite the Community to Participate in the Life of the University. Schreiner University’s community relationships are critical to enrollment, constituency engagement and support, and financial sustainability. A significant part of realizing our vision as the premier small university in Texas is the shouldering of our responsibility to be the primary intellectual and cultural resource for our neighbors. Over the coming years, Schreiner University increasingly will become a key resource and collaborative partner to local government, businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals in the Hill Country. Initiative 1: Create gateways that invite the community to campus. Schreiner will continue the good work of the past decade in enhancing the beauty and the value of the campus infrastructure as a learning environment. To better connect this environment to the community, we will create additional safe, effective, and attractive access points for walkers, joggers, and
bicyclists, as well as motorists, which invite the community onto campus. These campus gateways will include improved entrances from Park Street and East Main, as well as efforts to install a traffic light at the Memorial Boulevard entrance. We will collaborate with the City of Kerrville to extend and connect the River Trail to the Schreiner campus. Once on campus, new wayfinding, parking, and paths will allow guests to easily maneuver through the campus and arrive at their destination in a way that does not complicate travel through campus by students, staff, and faculty. We will also reconfigure the egress to the Weston campus, with a new grant-funded project to replace the old, narrow entrance at the west end of the property with a wider, more convenient entrance that will provide much more direct access to the conference facility, the field station, and the observatory. Finally, we will create virtual (website, marketing, multimedia) gateways that invite the community to campus, as well.
“I’m excited that our vision of connecting the Schreiner campus to community via the Rivertrail will soon be realized. Our inquiries about collaboration were met with enthusiasm from City of Kerrville leaders, as well as the EIC, the Chamber of Commerce, and our neighbors just to the west and north of the campus. We entered a joint planning effort, and the result is that by summer of 2020, the Rivertrail will be extended by about a mile and a half, running from the G street bridge, along the north side of the Guadalupe river, and will turn run alongside Quinlan creek between the cemetery and the campus, crossing over the creek onto the campus in the large grassy area behind Robbins Lewis pavilion. Concurrently, the university will construct a campus trail that will run about one and three-quarters miles around the perimeter of the campus, intersecting with the new Rivertrail near the Robbins Lewis trailhead. The area around the trailhead will be improved and beautified, including public restrooms and additional parking. We are also improving the campus entrances at Park street and East Main. Before school starts in August 2020, we will have wonderful new gateways connecting Schreiner University to the community.” - Bill Muse VP, Administration and Finance
PINNACLE
National Champions SCHREINER UNIVERSITY SHOTGUN TEAM TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH, MOVED UP A DIVISION, AND WON! By Cindy Becker
Photos courtesy of Schreiner University
DIRECTOR OF VARSITY PROGRAMS Schreiner University Shotgun Team competed in the 51st ACUI Clay Target National Championships, March 25-30, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, TX. After winning their D2 National Championship in 2018, the team won the coveted D1 National Championship title this year. It was our year! The year that Schreiner would go head to head with the best teams in the nation and come out victorious. It was our David and Goliath moment! The Schreiner Shotgun Team took 29 competitors and competed in the ACUI Division 1. Schreiner athletes each competed in six events
with each competitor shooting 600 targets over four days breaking a record setting 2498 of 2600 targets. For the first time in 15 years the trophy did not travel to Lindenwood University in St Charles MO. The Schreiner University Shotgun Team is coached by Robert Davis.
Schreiner University Shotgun team was honored in April with a visit to the Texas State Capitol. Schreiner Shotgun Team with Governor Abbott, Speaker of the House Bonnen, Representative Murr and University President McCormick. Logan McLendon after winning the American Skeet shoot off gold medal
DID YOU KNOW? Sporting clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting, often described as “golf with a shotgun.”
Megan Jacob wins third place in American Skeet
Tyler Birkner preparing to shoot
Schreiner University Shotgun team and coaches on the field after winning the D1 National Championship
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FIELD NOTES
A First Visit to Campus Yesterday I had the opportunity to walk my new grandson, Liam David Woods, on to the campus of Schreiner University for his very first time. It is a familiar path, one I’ve taken for over twenty years now: out the side door of my little stone house by Schreiner’s back gate, a modest little home built in the 1940’s when the university across the street was still Schreiner Institute, a military boarding school, and then through the row of hedges that separates me and my family from Travis Street. I planted those bushes my first year as an English professor at then Schreiner College, because the traffic at the fourway stop next to our new home was a
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little heavier than my wife Stephanie and I had expected when we bought the place. The Flood of 2002 tore away a low-water crossing down the street three years later – we stood in our backyard and watched in amazement as a wall of water easily plucked up that bridge and sent it tumbling in large pieces on to campus, wondering if our little new house was next. We were spared, and once that bridge was gone, the traffic died off. Bridge or no bridge, with my new grandson in my arms, I still look both ways before carefully crossing the street, and then we are officially on the campus of Schreiner University. The first time I ever set foot on this campus was nearly thirty years earlier for a Texas Arts and Crafts Fair held in the very fields I now stand. Even then, years before I was lucky enough to be offered a teaching position, the campus felt like something special. My pretty new wife looked at me and said, “Oh, if only you could get a job here!” If only, I thought, a newly-minted PhD in creative writing searching desperately
for a full-time teaching position. There are fewer places more beautiful than the Texas Hill Country in the spring. I carry Liam through the bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and other wild flowers, across the long, green, gently-sloping fields to the edge of Quinlan Creek, and then up the incline to the Robbins Lewis Pavilion. I stand on the exact spot where so many early 19th-century Texas settlers and immigrants came together for religious ceremonies known as Camp Meetings. My first grandson takes it all in, a perfect baby like all babies are, blinking in the sunlight. I hand him a long-stemmed flower and he gratefully accepts it, clutching it tightly in one chubby fist. He doesn’t know it yet, but this is sacred space to the Woods family. Across the field near Memorial Boulevard sits the Union Church, a simple but uniquely Texas structure that once sat in the center of town, the city of Kerrville’s first church from the 1880’s. In 2013, I watched my oldest son, Thomas, newly graduated with a degree in history from Schreiner, marry his high school sweetheart, Emily, in that fine old building, a place that once held the weddings of so many of our town’s earliest founders over the years. I often tell people that everything good I have in life, every single blessing, is because of Schreiner University – and that’s true in so many ways. By the time you read this, I will have watched my second-born son, Michael, graduate from Schreiner with his BFA in communication design, an official member of Schreiner University’s Class of ’19. It will have been my honor during that graduation ceremony to step forward and hood him as he crossed the stage at our event center. I look across the field to the campus, the impressive new buildings such as
Photos: Courtesy of William Woods and Schreiner University/Historical images courtesy of University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History
AN ESSAY BY WILLIAM W. WOODS, PHD
FIELD NOTES
1938 - ‘39 Schreiner Sunday School Class
Photograph of a Plaque: Schreiner Institute, Founded A.D. 1917. Erected A.D. 1923. “The Gift of Capt Charles Schreiner to the Youth of Texas.
Dr. William Woods, Dean of Academic Support and Professor of English, with his first grandchild, Liam David Woods.
the STEM Zone next to our beautiful newly-refurbished chapel across the street from the old faculty clubhouse where I once spent so many raucous Friday afternoons with the older faculty who welcomed me into their ranks, into the noble profession of education. In that old clubhouse we gossiped about our colleagues and told stories about our favorite students, we complained about wrongheaded decisions made by those who officed in the Tom Murray Administration Building, we listened to loud Texas outlaw country music, and we often stayed out too late – comrades in arms, the best and smartest people I’ve ever known, the professoriate charged with the most important task of all: educating those incoming students whom had just entered with hope year after year. Just a little further down the loop is our impressive front entrance. I stood there one hot Friday afternoon as President Sam Junkin said a few celebratory words, a banner dropped, and we all applauded at the new signage that announced Schreiner College had officially become Schreiner University. In a strange twist of fate, even though there were no regularly scheduled Friday afternoon classes that semester, that day I had a late ENGL 1301 Freshmen Composition I course that we “beamed in” (with some remarkable new technology at the time known as a “T1” line) all the way across
town (Schreiner’s first successful attempt at “distance learning”) to Tivy High School. Standing there with all my colleagues, I made my excuses and began to slip away. My dean of liberal arts grinned at me and said, “You are about to teach the very first class at Schreiner University.” My grandson squirms in my arms, ready to move on. He will have to forgive his sentimental grandfather – this is an important day, a day where I get to introduce a new generation to my beloved Schreiner community. We are off to my office in A.C. Schreiner Hall which once served as a mess hall to a generation of young cadets, many of whom would go on to help liberate Europe from the tyranny of fascism which is somehow inexplicably on the rise worldwide again. We are off to meet colleagues and co-workers, friends I’ve taught and worked alongside for so very long. Along the
way we will meet students and staff, administrators and other visitors as well, my family that is Schreiner University. Schreiner University has meant so many things to so many people for nearly 100 years now. But today, it means walking the newest Mountaineer on to campus for his very first time.
The Cadet Corps stand at attention as company officers salute and cadets present arms in military formation at Schreiner Institute. The Weir Administration Building and Dickey Hall may be seen in the background. This panoramic photograph appears in the Schreiner Institute Bulletin, Pictorial Number, Vol. 2, No. 2 published in July, 1924.
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TRIBUTE
Honoring Our Own
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AND ATHLETIC HALL OF HONOR 2019 By Tammi Bingham DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Each year, Schreiner University inducts alumni in to the Distinguished Alumnus and Athletic Hall of Honor who will be forever remembered for their inspiring lives and accomplishments in tribute alongside other alumnus that have amazed and inspired so many. Schreiner University honored three alumni during Recall (Homecoming) weekend on April 5-7 during the annual Tribute to Legends banquet. Joining the list of Schreiner’s Distinguished Alumna is Dr. Margaret Patricia Sullivan, Class of 1941. The late Dr. Sullivan served a distinguished career in the treatment of pediatric cancer. William “Bill” Fox, Class of 1960, retired educator and coach, and Gretchen Goebel Peterson, Class of 2001, coach of volleyball and track for Liberty Hill ISD, were both inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor.
Bill Fox and Gretchen Peterson accept honors at the 2019 Tribute Banquet
Bill’s athletic career began at Schreiner Institute in 1956. He was a junior in Schreiner’s Military Program and participated in football, basketball and track. He was an outstanding high school athlete under the coaching of Dr. Andrew Edington and W.C. Weir. After graduating from Schreiner Institute High School, Bill received a full athletic scholarship in track and basketball to the Schreiner Institute Junior College from 1958-1960. While at Schreiner, Bill set numerous records and won the prestigious Border Olympics and the Texas Junior College Championship in the 120-yard-high hurdles and 220-yard-low hurdles, earning him an invitation to the National Junior College Track Meet in Kansas City. After
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Schreiner, Bill went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Texas State University and ultimately received his master’s degree in guidance and counseling. After graduation, Bill began his career, coaching at Pettus, San Marcos, and Three Rivers. Coaching and teaching young people were his passions. Helping them become successful and seeing them grow to their potential was his reward. He coached, taught and counseled until his retirement in 2004. “As long as I can walk and move around, I will continue to do what I love – track and field.” Bill was inducted into the Texas Region IV Class AAA Meet Officials Hall of Honor in 2017. Bill and his wife, Erin live on the family ranch in Pettus.
Photos by Mark Robertson-Baker and Deborah Conner
William E. “Bill” Fox, Jr. ’60
TRIBUTE
Gretchen Goebel Peterson ’01 Gretchen has been noted as “living a life of excellence” by her teammates, players, peers, friends and family. Her drive became apparent in high school where she was a member of the National Honor Society and a varsity volleyball athlete for Round TopCarmine High School – making the state tournament three years in a row with two championships and one runner-up and she was a state semi-finalist in basketball. Gretchen was accepted to Schreiner College in 1997 on a volleyball scholarship. Her leadership was evident to her coaches almost immediately as she was named captain of the team her sophomore year. Gretchen added her name to the Schreiner volleyball record books numerous times with her record of most career kills still standing today at 1223. After graduating from Schreiner College with an exercise science degree, Gretchen coached volleyball for Ingram Tom Moore High School,
Elgin Junior High School and is currently the head volleyball and track coach at Liberty Hills High School. Her coaching accomplishments include: two-time state volleyball semifinalists, four regional volleyball tournament appearances, multiple district and area volleyball championships, two-time state track championship (4x4 relay), state track championship (individual mile) and she was named the Austin American-Statesman Centex 4A Coach of the Year in 2016. Her dedication and passion for the success of her student athletes led to her being appointed Girls Athletic Coordinator in 2017 and her leadership also extends to the classroom where she serves as the department head for the history department. Gretchen met her husband, Brian Peterson, Class of 1999 at Schreiner. Accepting the award Gretchen said “Everything good in my adult life started at Schreiner.”
Dr. Margaret Patricia Sullivan ‘41 Margaret “Patty” Sullivan came to Kerrville with her family in 1932. After graduating co-valedictorian from Tivy High School, she continued her academic excellence at Schreiner Institute. Sullivan completed her bachelor’s degree with highest honors from Rice University in 1944 and was selected for Phi Beta Kappa – all while working her way through college. In 1950, Dr. Sullivan received her medical degree from Duke University Medical Center. She was named distinguished alumna in 1973 – the school’s first female graduate to receive that award. Dr. Sullivan was selected to serve as a pediatrician with the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission where she spent two years in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan evaluating children who had been exposed
to radiation from atomic bombs. She joined the staff of M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston where she developed the hospital’s pediatric clinic in 1956. She retired from M.D. Anderson in 1990. Dr. Sullivan wrote and co-wrote more than 100 articles in medical journals and her service and awards include: president of American Medical Women’s Association, president of Business and Professional Women of Texas, the American Leukemia Society Service to Mankind Award, and the Ashbel Smith Professor of Pediatrics Award. The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center named a professorship in her honor. Dr. Sullivan was one of five Sullivan children and all attended Schreiner Institute.
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THE SUMMIT
Shauna Dodds Q&A
TELL US YOUR SCHREINER MOMENT My sister and I both owe our careers in design to the Graphic Design department at Schreiner. It was a brand new program the semester that this English major took an art class as an elective. We were only a couple weeks into the term when Dr. Carolyn Quinn-Hensley pulled me aside after class and told me that I needed to be a Graphic Design major. My response was ‘What? And be a starving artist?’ I really didn’t need much convincing. Art was all I had ever wanted to do, but that just isn’t the sort of thing that kids from small rural towns believe they can do for a living. It was my parents that needed convincing. Not to be deterred, Dr Quinn-Hensley wrote my parents to explain that such things were possible, and they only agreed on the condition that I keep the English Degree. I continued my studies under Dr. David Smith. My sisters followed in my footsteps in pursuing art degrees: Sarah, my business partner, earned a BA in Communication Design from Texas State. Emily, a successful web programmer, earned a BA in Fine Art from UNT. None of that or any of our successes since would likely have ever happened had a professor at Schreiner not taken a young lady aside to tell her she was on the wrong path. We’re forever grateful.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS
Shauna Dodds, Sarah Dodds and Dick Reeves
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To co-opt Hemingway’s thoughts on the writing process: There is nothing to designing. You simply sit at your computer and bleed.
ON BEING A WOMENOWNED BUSINESS I’ve never looked at being a woman as a setback as a business-owner, though I’ve also never been blind to the extra lengths we had to walk because of it. After all, it’s the extra miles that make you stronger. Besides, if you ever want to see what this woman is made of, just tell me I can’t do something.
Photos courtesy of Shauna Dodds
A sample showcase of artists that Backstage Design Studio has worked with: Reckless Kelly • Dierks Bentley Robert Earl Keen • Rosie Flores Kris Kristofferson • Pat Green Jimmy Buffett • Def Leppard Asleep at the Wheel Jerry Jeff Walker • Wade Bowen Wynonna Judd • Kevin Fowler Jimmie Vaughan • Granger Smith Johnny Nicholas • Aaron Watson Randy Rogers Band • Guy Clark Eli Young Band • The Band Perry Scotty McCreery • Willie Nelson
FIVE TIMES NOMINATED AND TWICE WINNING GRAMMY DESIGN DUO, SHAUNA AND SARAH DODDS OF BACKSTAGE DESIGN STUDIO IN AUSTIN, ARE ON TOP OF THE MUSIC WORLD. SCHREINER 2002 GRAD SHAUNA HAS BEEN CLIMBING TO THE TOP WITH HER TRAILBLAZING SPIRIT AND UNIQUELY TEXAN DESIGNS. HER FIRST NOMINATION IN 2011 HAS CULMINATED IN FIVE NODS IN EIGHT YEARS. CESLIE ARMSTRONG ASKED THIS WINNER ABOUT REACHING THIS SUMMIT IN HER LIFE.
GROWTH
Welcoming Freshmen and Sophomores Next Fall BALDWIN HALL WILL EXPAND STUDENT HOUSING, HANDSOMELY!
A COMFORTABLE, WELCOMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT With the swipe of their Schreiner ID card, students and faculty access the new 24-hours 7-days-a-week collaborative study space. The 4000+ sq. ft. building opened at the start of the Spring 2019 semester and houses science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) resources. Opportunities include success coaching, Just in Time STEM workshops and monthly dialogue with an expert. STEMZone programming extends beyond the building and campus via academic excursions throughout Texas.
STEMZone text by Tanya Jimenez
More than 200 excited students will inaugurate Schreiner’s newest dormitory in August. Anchoring the corner across from the tennis courts, Baldwin Hall will initially house 208 freshmen and sophomores. As enrollment grows, school officials will open the fourth floor for another 80 beds. Each four-bedroom suite will house eight students. The red brick building honors the long-standing and visionary service of Peter Baldwin, a Dallas civic leader. A former student, Baldwin exemplified servant leadership as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for more than two decades.
The STEMZone is Open
Photos by Mark Robertson-Baker II
Preserving the Slogan FRONT GATE MAKES A BOLD STATEMENT When Schreiner undertook campus master planning several years ago, the front entrance was a continual conversation topic. No one wanted to abandon the iconic slogan long a part of students’ memories: “Enter with Hope; Leave with Achievement.” At the same time, the small brick entry was easy to miss and did not
appropriately symbolize a university. Now, the sprawling red brick fencing with limestone capping boldly announces the campus presence. In addition to the steel tower with the university’s seal, the original carved stones with Schreiner’s motto preserve the beloved words of encouragement. SCHREINER.EDU
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THE JOURNEY TO 100
1995: Bush Family Visits SCHREINER UNIVERSITY 1996 ALUM BILLY WILKINSON RECALLS HIS EXPERIENCES WITH THE PRESIDENT, FIRST LADIES AND GOVERNOR
September 21, 1995 Dear Sam, Just a quick note of thanks for that thoughtful letter you wrote me on September 6. Barbara and I loved our visit to Kerrville and Fredericksburg and were very pleased with the warm welcome we received. I enjoyed meeting Dr. Huddleston, Lane, and Billy and look forward to one day meeting you as well. Thank you again for writing. Sincerely, George Bush Dr. Sam Junkin President Schreiner College 2100 Memorial Boulevard Kerrville, Texas 78028-5697
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UNIQUELY TEXAN
Rembering his Schreiner days... Framed mementos from the Bush family visits to the Hill Country on Wilkinson’s wall. Bush, on campus to speak to us. It was quite the visit and we were able to sit on stage with the Governor for a Q&A session. I can’t remember one of my questions exactly, but I remember asking him a fairly easy question, but not necessarily a closed ended one. Something to the effect on his support of the Tuition Equalization Grant to which he answered “yes,” a nod to his support and he sat back down to which my next question started with, “I’ll try and make this one harder for you, Governor...” Definitely an amazing thing that Schreiner was able to have both Presidents Bush interact with Schreiner within the same year.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Tuition Equalization Grant is a state program that helps financiallyneedy students at independent colleges with financial aid. It is called the TEG for short and it is an important program.
Photos courtesy of Billy Wilkinson
I cherish these photos– both from my time at Schreiner from 19921996. While President of the Student Body, I had the honor of greeting President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush at the Kerrville airport. It was quite the sight–a large Gulfstream landing with secret service in tow. We handed them shirts and sweatshirts as they made their way to the Veteran’s Day Parade in Billy Wilkinson, 2019 Fredericksburg. As I recall, George W. was with him and George H.W. wore the shirt we gave him. Later that school year, we had the honor of having President George W. Bush, then Governor
THE JOURNEY TO 100
The back cover of Schreiner University’s Scene magazine autographed by President George H.W. Bush.
“The Schreiner College logo was beamed around the world via satellite from Fredericksburg when former President George Bush chose for his V+50 celebration and parade attire the SC shirt presented to him by professor of history John Huddleston and student senate president Bill Wilkinson the day before.”
2100 MEMORIAL BLVD. KERRVILLE, TX 78028
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