Scholarship Recipient Overcomes Troubled Youth To Graduate

Tiffani Stone

By the time she was 10 years old, Tiffani Stone had been placed in 10 foster homes.

“When I was living with my mom, I was beaten repeatedly and abused emotionally and sexually,” she says.

At seven, she says she had to steal food and diapers to take care of her siblings. Any future beyond immediate survival seemed an impossibility.

In December 2011, Tiffani Stone graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University, a walking testament to the power individuals have to not only change the life of someone else but to change that person’s entire future.

For Stone, the change began when was she was placed in her final foster home, a loving environment that promoted structure. She says she had someone requiring her to go to school and to do her homework. The result was a student who had failed the second grade and now won academic competitions. A scholarship to a community college followed.

“When I transferred to Southeast, I got an on-campus job with the Harrison College of Business. They really helped me. It was a big transition from a three-building campus to a university with 11,000 students,” she says.

Her studies became her mission.

“For most of my life, my one constant was my social worker,” says Stone. “I decided I was going to impact someone’s life in that way, so I changed my major to social work.”

Stone worked hard, coupling her on-campus job with another to help make ends meet. To complete her degree, however, she would need an internship her senior year, and that meant quitting both part-time jobs.

“I appreciate Naomi Newman so much for creating a scholarship in memory of her parents,” says Stone. “This wonderful woman has truly enriched my life.”

The Homer and Emma Atkinson endowed scholarship is created especially for a student studying social work who has overcome the “greatest odds” to complete his or her degree.

After graduation, Stone accepted a job as a social worker at the same place where she completed her internship.

It is ultimately Stone’s success and not her struggle which exemplifies the importance of endowed scholarships for the students who receive, and in some cases depend upon, them.

“It could not have come at a better time. The generosity and compassion shown to me has truly been life changing,” she says.

As director of alumni relations and annual giving, he will be responsible for the overall administration and evaluation of the alumni program, including strategic planning, program development, volunteer management, communication and relationship development. He will identify and cultivate relationships with key alumni; coordinate on- and off-campus events for alumni and friends of the University; serve as the main campus liaison between the Alumni Association Board and the University community; coordinate annual Homecoming activities and events; manage the alumni and student mentorship program; provide leadership to the Student Alumni Association; implement annual fund-raising strategies including direct mail, telemarketing and online appeals; and manage the annual fund coordinator and student call center.

“We are very happy to have Jay join our organization. We feel that Jay’s background and experience will bring the leadership and continuity to help the Alumni Association grow into the future,” said Bill Holland, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. “Jay has been actively involved with the University in recent years and has a firm grasp of the traditions and values of Southeast Missouri State University. This understanding of the Alumni Association will bode well as we continue to grow in the future.”

Wolz has experience in healthcare marketing, internal and external communications, call center supervision, website development, employee relations, customer service training, publication production, community and media relations, product line branding, consumer research, special events, marketing tactic development and strategic planning. He has been employed as supervisor of market management with SoutheastHealth; a healthcare marketing consultant; clinic administrator for PRN Urgent Care; administrative director of Physicians Regional Network, LLC; and assistant director of marketing with Saint Francis Medical Center, all in Cape Girardeau.

He also has media experience as a business writer, weekend editor, reporter and photographer for the Southeast Missourian; and reporter, videographer and bureau chief with KFVS12, all in Cape Girardeau.

Wolz is a 1977 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he studied marketing and communications and served as co-news director of KRCU Radio and editor-in-chief of “The Capaha Arrow,” now known as “The Arrow.” He has served as a Homecoming “decade chairman,” assisted with several annual telephone fund drives and served on the University’s Alumni Merit selection committee.

In addition to being a Southeast alumnus, Wolz’s maternal grandparents, mother, wife and oldest daughter are all Southeast graduates, and his youngest daughter is currently a sophomore majoring in musical theater at Southeast.

“It’s a privilege for me to serve the University and all of its alumni across the country and around the world. Southeast has had a huge impact on my life and the lives of my family members. My wife and I met as undergraduates here, and our daughters represent the fourth generation of our family to attend the University. I look forward to working with the University’s faculty and staff, our Alumni Association, the Association’s Board of Directors, the Student Alumni Association, and our alumni chapters to strengthen the lifelong relationship between Southeast and its alumni.”

In addition to his degree from Southeast, Wolz holds a Master of Business Administration, having completed the Executive MBA Program through the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis.

He is a 20-year member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and has been actively involved in the United Way of Southeast Missouri, where he currently serves on their board of directors and the board’s Executive Committee. He attends LaCroix Church and formerly attended Grace United Methodist Church, where he was chairman of the church’s Finance Committee, secretary and director of the Grace United Methodist Church Foundation, chairman of their capital campaign and communications chair of a fund drive for church debt reduction. He is a member of the board, past president and current treasurer of the Tri-State Advertising & Marketing Professionals.

You will notice in this issue that we are also in the midst of making changes here on campus. We are pleased that after 105-plus years, our historic Academic Hall is undergoing a major renovation with new windows, infrastructure systems, and modern upgrades although we will be retaining the historic nature of the building. Be sure to check out the progress we’re making in renovating Academic Hall.  Additionally, we are in the process of updating the laboratories and facilities of Magill Hall where our science students will soon find modern, up-to-date laboratories and classrooms.

We have just completed the fourth year of our outstanding speaker series. Over the past four years, we’ve been privileged to welcome a number of nationally known individuals who not only spoke on our campus, but who also took time to personally meet with and advise many of our students. The 2012-2013 University Speakers’ Series promises to be one of the best yet. Later this summer, the full complement of speakers for the upcoming academic year will be announced at a special news conference.

And while the speakers will be great on the main campus, the entertainment will be sizzling next year at the River Campus where we’ve booked “A Chorus Line,” “Titanic – the Musical,” Dr. John and the Blind Boys of Alabama, and direct from Ireland, “Celtic Nights Journey of Hope.” So you’ll want to watch for more news on those shows in addition to the myriad of musical, theatrical, and art events that will feature our Southeast students.

As you can see, we’ve had several exceptional successes over the past several months, but these continue to be challenging times for Southeast Missouri State University. Due to the lagging economy, we, like many of our sister institutions across Missouri and throughout the United States, continue to face decreasing state appropriations. We have made changes to more efficiently and effectively operate our University and continue serving our students and region while delivering high-quality academic programs at a reasonable cost. We are fortunate to also have major benefactors like Larry and Donna Marler and Swain Byrd who are highlighted in this issue and who have made contributions to the University Foundation for scholarship endowments to assist today’s and tomorrow’s students.

In closing, please enjoy this spring edition of The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University, and thank you for your continued support in making Southeast The University of First Choice: First Choice for students; First Choice for Faculty and Staff; and First Choice for employers who hire our graduates.

Best wishes,
Kenneth W. Dobbins
President

Nixon, who serves as the States’ co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA); Chris Masingill, federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority; and Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University; announced the $145,556 “JumpStarting Missouri Communities Post Flood” grant award to the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). The CIE has committed an additional $25,000 in local funds to provide microenterprise grants to entrepreneurs.

The purpose of the “JumpStarting Missouri Communities Post Flood” grant is to create jobs by empowering and preparing individuals to create new businesses. The catalyst for the job creation program will be the Operation Jump-Start program, a nationally recognized entrepreneurial training and mentoring program consistently producing sustainable ventures that create jobs and result in solid measurable economic impact throughout Missouri and seven other states in the lower Mississippi Delta region. Officials say the grant funding is expected to lead to the creation of many new successful small businesses.

The CIE will administer the program, offering entrepreneurial training using its Operation Jump-Start model program.

“From agriculture to manufacturing to small businesses along Main Street, Southeast Missouri is a vital pillar of our state’s economy, and it’s essential that we keep this region moving forward,” Nixon says. “This investment in entrepreneurship and innovation will help folks create new businesses and new opportunities to grow the local economy for years to come. I am proud to work with the Delta Regional Authority and Southeast Missouri State University to make these funds available, and we will continue to stand with the people of Southeast Missouri at every stage of this recovery.”

CIE Executive Director Dr. James Stapleton says, “The resources being provided by the Delta Regional Authority will provide training and technical assistance, so aspiring entrepreneurs can create new businesses and jobs to fill some of the voids left by the flood.”

“An unusual hardship occurred last spring in Southeast Missouri,” Dobbins says. “This region has been hit doubly hard by flooding and the economic recession, and rural communities are suffering. This project addresses these needs by training entrepreneurs to start businesses with a proven model in areas hardest hit economically by flooding.”

Operation Jump-Start will train individuals in basic skills to become small business owners, guide them in analyzing the feasibility of their business ideas and contribute a pool of funds from which they can compete for small start-up grants.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is granted to graduates of AASCU institutions who have achieved acclaim within their field and who have made a contribution to the public, intellectual or cultural life of the nation.

AASCU is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of nearly 420 presidents and chancellors from public colleges, universities and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.

Magill Hall renovations are also underway. Interior demolition and window replacement are in progress. The project includes replacing the HVAC system, improving energy efficiency and complete building renovations.

Work to convert the University’s coal power plant to natural gas is also underway. All four gas boilers have been put in place. The project is divided into three phases with a contract awarded on the final phase this spring.

Visit www.semo.edu/building for the latest construction updates on all campus renovations.

Future Academic Services

Future Student Financial Services

Future Academic Auditorium Entry

Future Admissions Welcome Center

Future Magill Hall Addition

Future Magill Hall Laboratory

Two Southeast Missouri State University graduates joined the University’s Board of Regents after being appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon late last year.

Kendra Neely-Martin graduated from Southeast in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and from Webster University with a Master of Arts in marketing.

Currently a pharmaceutical sales specialist with AstraZeneca in St. Louis, Neely-Martin was recently the recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service recognizing significant contributions to her local community through volunteerism. She was recognized for her work with at-risk girls in St. Louis through Delta Sigma Theta (DST) sorority. Serving as a mentor for at-risk African American girls, she has worked tirelessly for the sorority for two decades.

Thomas M. Meyer holds a Bachelor of Science in business from Southeast.

Meyer is the president and owner of  Thomas L. Meyer Realty Company, Inc. He is a life member of the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association, serving as president from 2009-2011. Meyer has held numerous leadership positions in many community, state and professional organizations. He is a U.S. Navy Seabee Veteran and a graduate of the Realtor Institute, a Certified Residential Specialist and a Certified International Property Specialist.

“We welcome Kendra and Tom to the University’s Board of Regents,” says Southeast President Kenneth W. Dobbins. “As an alumna of Southeast who has had extensive experience in the business sector of our economy, Kendra will bring a wealth of knowledge and understanding about our students and our University. Not only is Tom an alumnus, but he has also been very active in supporting the University through his efforts in the Alumni Association and can bring that knowledge and experience to the Board.”

Dr. Martin Reynolds, director of the Southeast Wind Symphony, says 142 ensembles submitted recordings to be considered for performance at the state meeting, and only three university groups were selected to perform.

“We were honored to be selected to perform for our colleagues and friends from around Missouri,” says Reynolds. “We are striving to build the Wind Symphony to a level of performance acceptable to state, regional and national conference.”

The Missouri Music Educators Association is a federated association of the National Association for Music Education which includes nearly 80,000 music educators.

“It is a great way to show the rest of the state what we are doing at Southeast,” says Dr. Chris Goeke, chair of the Southeast
Department of Music. “And, it is an excellent performance experience for our students.”

The centers serve aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Bootheel. Small business owners receive one-on-one counseling and technical assistance as well as access to a host of services, including financial analysis and access to capital.

The Business Service Centers also provide opportunities for clients to meet with loan officers as part of ACCION Delta, providing microlending services in the 252 counties and parishes of the Delta Regional Authority.

In addition, the Business Service Centers will host Operation Jump-Start entrepreneurship training for aspiring entrepreneurs in the Bootheel.

Operation Jump-Start is a nationally recognized, hands-on, microenterprise development program designed to help entrepreneurs test the feasibility of their business ideas and launch new ventures. In the past five years, Operation JumpStart has assisted in the development of over 300 new businesses in Southeast Missouri.

“At a time when job creation is first and foremost, these additional service centers will create new business and sustain existing businesses and position them for growth in the future,” says Southeast President Kenneth W. Dobbins.

With the opening of these centers, Southeast began delivering its entrepreneurship minor at the regional campuses. The entrepreneurship minor is a 15-hour program designed for all majors and offers a unique learning experience for students from a variety of disciplines who share an interest in developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

L. Douglas Wilder

The nation’s first elected African-American governor, the grandson of slaves, was this year’s keynote speaker at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner.

L. Douglas Wilder was elected to the governorship of Virginia, where African-Americans make up less than 20 percent of the population. Four out of five of his supporters were white in a state that once denied him admission to its law schools.

Since leaving the governor’s mansion in 1994, Wilder remains devoted to social and political