{"id":66526,"date":"2022-08-08T13:30:59","date_gmt":"2022-08-08T18:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=66526"},"modified":"2022-08-08T13:31:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T18:31:01","slug":"alumni-association-celebrates-2022-homecoming-honorees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=66526","title":{"rendered":"Alumni Association celebrates 2022 homecoming honorees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By FHSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six Fort Hays State University alumni will be honored on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at the Alumni and Friends Awards Banquet during Homecoming. For details on how you can help celebrate these award winners during FHSU\u2019s Homecoming, visit www.FHSUHomecoming.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four\nAlumni Achievement Award recipients will be recognized: John L. Allen \u201989,\nRome, Italy; Dr. Judith Billings \u201965, Kearney, Nebraska; Mike McCarthy \u201989,\nFrisco, Texas.; and  Donald J. Richardson \u201967, Phoenix, Arizona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nAlumni Achievement Award, the association\u2019s highest recognition, was\nestablished in 1959 to recognize graduates of the university for outstanding\nachievement based on meritorious service to society or the community. The award\nis based upon career and personal achievements, service involving community\nbetterment and philanthropic activities, and educational achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young\nAlumni Award recipients include Tory Marie (Arnberger) Blew \u201916, Great Bend,\nand Brandon Penny \u201913, New York. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nYoung Alumni Award was designed to recognize graduates early in their careers\nwho have had outstanding achievements and recent accomplishments. The award is\nbased on professional and educational achievements, community activities,\nhonors and awards received, and other noteworthy items of merit since\ngraduation. Candidates must hold a bachelor\u2019s degree from FHSU within 15 years\nof the current award year and be under the age of 40 as of Jan. 1, the year the\nawards are presented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selecting\nthe homecoming awardees is a challenging task, as Fort Hays State has so many\noutstanding graduates and friends who deserve to be recognized. This year\u2019s\nrecipients stood out as creative, inspiring, and hardworking leaders in their\nrespective communities, said Carolyn Tatro, alumni engagement strategist for\nthe FHSU Alumni Association. \u201cWe are incredibly proud to honor their successes\nand to share their stories this year. We hope that the public will take the\nopportunity to get to know these great Tigers as we celebrate them during\nHomecoming 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homecoming 2022 Honoree Profiles:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumni Achievement Award<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John L. Allen Jr. \u201989<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From\nthe western plains of Kansas to the streets of Rome, John L. Allen Jr, a 1989\nFHSU alumnus and Hays native, has seen the evolution of his educational career\nright up to the steps of the Vatican. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen,\na 1983 Thomas More Prep-Marian graduate, came to Fort Hays State University to\nstudy philosophy. Before he finished his undergraduate degree, Allen\u2019s interest\nin politics drew him to Washington, D.C., for three years. Following his\ngraduation from FHSU, he went on to study at the University of Kansas, where he\ngraduated in 1992 with a master\u2019s degree in religious studies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\npassion for journalism led him to teach journalism at Notre Dame High School in\nSherman Oaks, California, where he also supervised the student-run newspaper,\nThe Knight. His journalism skills became nationally known following the death\nof Pope John Paul II, where his commentary appeared frequently on cable-news\nconglomerate CNN. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nlater became the senior Vatican analyst for CNN and lectured regularly on\nVatican Issues. Allen also wrote numerous Vatican-centered pieces for The\nBoston Globe as the publication\u2019s associate editor. Allen used these\nprofessional experiences and his education to transition Crux, a website that\nwas started for The Boston Globe, into a fully independent website that offers\nindependent coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen\npossesses the intellectual property of the Crux website. He and his wife,\nElise, live in Rome and report objective news on the Vatican for Crux. Allen\nappears weekly in the site\u2019s podcast-like video series, \u201cLast Week in the\nChurch with John Allen Jr.\u201d where he reports on the latest news in the Vatican\nCity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late\nliberal commentator Fr. Andrew Greeley called Allen\u2019s writing \u201cindispensable,\u201d\nwhile the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, a conservative, called Allen\u2019s\nreporting \u201cpossibly the best source of information on the Vatican published in\nthe United States.\u201d Kenneth Woodward of Newsweek<\/em>\ndescribed Allen as \u201cthe journalist other reporters\u2013not just a few\ncardinals\u2013look to for the inside story on how all the pope\u2019s men direct the\nworld\u2019s largest church.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen\u2019s\nwork has appeared in other publications, including The New York Times, The\nWashington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and more. He has authored eleven\nbooks about Vatican-related topics, from the Pope to the future of the Catholic\nChurch. Some of his most popular include his works about Pope Benedict XVI and,\nmost recently, his book \u201cThe Francis Miracle: Inside the Transformation of the\nPope and the Church,\u201d which has received positive acclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen\nholds honorary doctorates from five institutions. He continues to write, edit,\nand produce for Crux. Allen wishes to dedicate this award to his mother, Laura\nIleene Allen, who died in 1999 after being a faculty member in the Department\nof Nursing at Fort Hays State in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Allen says his\nmother, \u201cLoved FHSU deeply, and the whole Allen family is grateful for the way\nthe university took care of her in return.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judith \u201cJudy\u201d (Sims) Billings \u201965<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few\npeople recognize their calling in life at age six. One exception, however, is\nFHSU 1965 alumna Judith \u201cJudy\u201d (Sims) Billings. Throughout her life, Billings\nfollowed her passion for nursing to educate and serve her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even\nat a young age, Billings understood her purpose in life: to serve others\nthrough nursing. Billings first put her dreams into action as an aid in the\nSmith County Memorial Hospital before attending Fort Hays State to study\nnursing. Following her graduation in 1965, Billings moved to Kearney, Nebraska,\nwhere she worked as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital. It was here she began\nconsidering a career in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billings\nbegan educating future nurses in 1968 at St. Francis School of Nursing in Grand\nIsland, Neb. After completing her master\u2019s and doctorate degrees at the\nUniversity of Minnesota in Minneapolis, she taught at South Dakota State\nUniversity in Brookings, South Dakota. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\n1976, Billings continued her professional career at Kearney State College (aka\nUniversity of Nebraska Kearney), where she served as an instructor and\ndepartment chair. During that time, she developed and managed the first\nbachelor\u2019s degree program west of Lincoln, Nebraska. By the time Billings\nretired from 40 years in nursing and nursing education in 2005, she saw the\ngraduation of more than 1,000 students from the Kearney program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr.\nClark, who worked alongside Billings at Kearney State College said, \u201cBecause of\nher vision of what nursing service can be, the type of curriculum she\ndeveloped, and the people she recruited, we\u2019ve produced a tremendous cadre of\nnurses. The driving force for meeting that goal certainly was Judy Billings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billings\u2019\nwork has also been recognized by a myriad of honors and awards, including the\nNebraska Nurses Association Outstanding Achievement in Nursing Award, Kearney\nState College\u2019s Council of Deans Distinguished Service Award, Nebraska Nurse\u2019s\nAssociation Outstanding Nurse Educator Award, the Freedom Award for Outstanding\nVolunteer Service, and more. She was also invited to Washington, D.C., to\nparticipate in a think tank about the future of patient\/family council care in\ncommunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After\nher retirement in 2005 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College\nof Nursing Kearney, Billings has remained active in community service projects,\nserves on several guilds and church committees, and regularly volunteers in\nnumerous positions for CHI Good Samaritan Hospital. In her free time, Billings\nenjoys reading, traveling, sewing, and quilting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billings\nlives in Kearney and has five children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike McCarthy \u201989<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not\nevery day does Fort Hays State University celebrate an alumnus who has\nsuccessfully coached National Football League teams like the Green Bay Packers,\nthe San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs, the New Orleans Saints, and\nthe Dallas Cowboys during their tenure. 1989 alumnus, Mike McCarthy, has tied\nhis life experience of becoming a head football coach in the NFL with his\neducation at Fort Hays state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born\nin Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, with a father who worked in public safety and a mother\nwho worked for the state, McCarthy and his four siblings grew up working to\nmake their community stronger. Whether it was in athletics, politics, or\nfundraising, the entire family strove to give back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After\ngraduating from Bishop Boyle High School in Homestead, Pennsylvania, McCarthy\npursued his undergraduate degree and played as a tight end at Baker University\nin Baldwin City. By the end of his time at Baker, McCarthy had earned a degree\nin business administration, was recognized as a National Association of\nIntercollegiate Athletics Division II national runner-up, and was senior\ncaptain of his team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarthy\nthen moved on to FHSU and joined John Vincent in coaching the Tigers for the\n1987 and 1988 seasons as a graduate coaching assistant. McCarthy worked towards\na master\u2019s degree in sports administration and spent his time coaching\nlinebackers. He graduated from FHSU in 1989 and further pursued his education\nat the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked as a graduate assistant for\nthree seasons before coaching wide receivers for the 1992 season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarthy\njoined the Chiefs in 1993 as a quality control assistant by head coach Marty\nSchottenheimer. During the 1993 and 1994 seasons, McCarthy worked with Hall of\nFamer Joe Montana. He stayed with the Chiefs until 1999 when he became the\nGreen Bay Packer quarterback coach, where he coached another Hall of Famer,\nBrett Favre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From\n2000-04, McCarthy worked for the New Orleans Saints. In his first season as\noffensive coordinator, McCarthy was named NFC Assistant Coach of the Year by\nUSA Today. He then spent 2005 with the San Francisco 49ers as offensive coordinator\nbefore returning to Green Bay as Head Coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarthy\nserved for more than twelve years as Packers head coach, one of its most\nsuccessful stretches in franchise history. Along with future Hall of Fame\nquarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers won the Super Bowl in 2011. McCarthy\njoined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the\nPackers to a Super Bowl win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\n2020, McCarthy was named head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCarthy\nand his wife, Jessica, have five children. Together, they created the McCarthy\nFamily Foundation. The Foundation\u2019s outreach supported the American Family\nChildren\u2019s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, the Seven Loaves Project in Rwanda,\nand donated $100,000, which was matched by the Green Bay Packers, to the Green\nBay Police Foundation. This funding supported outreach programs intended to\nbuild community relations and provided bias prevention training for the\nofficers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Richardson \u201967, \u201967, \u201971<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald\nRichardson, an FHSU 1967 and 1971 alumnus, has shared his love of the written\nlanguage with his students for more than fifty years as a professor at Phoenix\nCollege in Arizona. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson,\na LaCrosse native, has cultivated an enduring relationship with learning as far\nback as his high school days. Richardson\u2019s high school instructor, Ray Newton,\npraised his academic success saying, \u201cI doubt that any other FHSU graduate has\nsuch an extensive publication record of both scholarly-academic publications as\nwell as novels.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson\nreceived dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Communication in 1967 and\nsubsequently earned his Master of Arts degree in English in 1971 at Fort Hays\nState University. This set the foundation to pursue a Ph.D. at Arizona State\nUniversity in Phoenix, Arizona, where he would ultimately take up a\nprofessorship at Phoenix College.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\naddition to his lifelong continued education, Richardson is a prolific writer\nwith more than  39 completed Shakespeare Editions, among other\npublications. He has been inducted into the Phoenix College Hall of Fame, has\nreceived the Phoenix Chapter President\u2019s Award a handful of times, and has been\nnominated several times for the Phoenix College Outstanding Teacher of the\nYear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though\nhe\u2019s an Arizona transplant, Richardson has remained a proud Fort Hays State\nTiger, a fact he\u2019s made known among his thousands of students and\nacquaintances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\na nimble 79-year-old man, Richardson shows no signs of retirement. He continues\nto write, publish, and educate future generations of students while working on\nmany community betterment projects. In his free time, Richardson sings in both\nchoirs and barbershop quartets, volunteers for Duet and the United Methodist\nChurch Outreach Mission Program, and regularly donates blood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson\nlives in Phoenix and has four children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young Alumni Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tory Marie (Arnberger) Blew \u201916<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tory\nMarie (Arnberger) Blew, a Great Bend native, exemplifies how a degree from Fort\nHays State University can shape one\u2019s life. During her time at FHSU, Blew was a\nmember of numerous on-campus organizations such as Delta Zeta and the Student\nGovernment Association. She was a VIP ambassador for the Office of the\nPresident and served as an orientation leader for over two years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blew\nalso served as an intern for the Kansas Department for Children and Families in\nTopeka, where she performed various tasks to assist the Governor\u2019s Internship\nProgram and attended child support dockets to learn the legal aspects of the\nagency. Additionally, Blew is a graduate of the 2018 class of the Dwight D.\nEisenhower Public Excellence series and graduated from Kansas Emerging Leaders\nin 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her\ninvolvement on the Fort Hays State campus evolved into an interest in local\npolitics. At age 23 and in her senior year of college, Blew ran for a seat in\nthe 112th<\/sup> district in the Kansas House of Representatives and won. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since,\nBlew received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education, became a\nteacher, and is a DECA (formerly, Distributive Education Clubs of America)\nadvisor in a rural school district. She was the youngest Kansas legislator from\n2017-20. For the 2021-22 legislative session, Blew was assigned to the house\nfederal and state affairs committee, where she served as vice-chair. She also\nserved on the general government budget and health and human services\ncommittees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\n2022, Blew sponsored 10 bills and was elected as house majority whip. Blew\nrecently filed for re-election and is running unchallenged in her district. Her\ncurrent term ends Jan. 8, 2023. When Blew filed for re-election in District\n112, she said, \u201cBefore going away for college, I always knew I\u2019d return to my\nhometown. I love this community and cherish the relationships I have with my\nconstituents \u2013 and I will continue to fight for issues important to our\ndistrict throughout my next term.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\nremains committed to being a vocal advocate for second amendment gun rights,\nmental health, and limited government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blew\nmaintains a close relationship with her \u201clegislative mom,\u201d 105th<\/sup>\ndistrict representative Brenda Landwehr. Landwehr describes Blew as \u201ca bright\nspot. Always upbeat. She works hard, and she\u2019s fun.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\nalways looks for solutions. She\u2019s not afraid to ask questions, and she\u2019s always\nwilling to learn,\u201d Landwehr added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBlew\nis thoughtful in her connections and mentorships and wants everyone around her\nto succeed and will help people do that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blew\nresides in her hometown of Great Bend and serves as a board member for the\nGreat Bend Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development while working full-time\nas a human resources director for Pryor Automatic Fire and Sprinkler. She also\nworks as the recruitment and philanthropy advisor for her local Delta Zeta\nsorority chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nshe isn\u2019t working on her many professional endeavors, Blew can be found\ncooking, on the golf course, or with her husband, Justin, remodeling their\nfirst home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brandon Penny \u201913<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confident,\nclever, and creative are just a few ways to describe Brandon Penny, a 2013\nFHSU alumnus originally from Burlington, Colorado. Penny has translated\nhis eye for design into a lasting career in New York City, where he\nhas been designing for Saks Fifth Avenue since 2018 and was recently promoted\nto senior designer. His work regularly appears to millions in emails, direct\nmail pieces, catalogs, store signage, website content, social media, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny joined the art\nand design program at FHSU to earn his bachelor of fine arts in graphic\ndesign. He was involved and engaged in his education and extra-curricular\nactivities while at Fort Hays State. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny\nwas a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), and his creative\nside extended to the performing arts, where he was a member of the Fringe\nTheatre Company, performing in plays and musicals and designing the show\nposters and programs as the theatre advertising and publicity director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following\ngraduation from FHSU in May 2013, Penny moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., landing\nhis first creative internship at OpenSky as an unpaid production graphic\ndesigner. A retail job at The Container Store in sales\/visual merchandising\npaid the bills and paved the way to a freelance gig as an assistant at The\nSociety of Publication Designers (SPD). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas his connections at SPD that landed him a role as Billboard magazine\u2019s\nfirst-ever design intern. While at Billboard, Penny acquired an internship with\nDecker Design, later leaving both when the creative director of People magazine\nreached out and brought him on as a full-time design and photo intern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nthen designed for Curioos, an online marketplace for unique wall art created by\nthousands of emerging artists from all over the world. His most recent\nrole with Saks allows him to merge design and advocacy. His current\nresponsibilities include jewelry, a high-profile category, while simultaneously\nowning business growth through redesigned loyalty program collateral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nJune, Saks celebrated Pride Month, and Penny designed the campaign that\nfeatured prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ community, of which he is a member.\nHe is also a part of the company\u2019s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nhis nomination letter, Vincent Bowhay mentioned, “Brandon’s attention to\ndetail and design are superb, and he brings a level of positivity to everything\nhe does, which I believe makes him most worthy of this distinguished\naward.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angel\nHan, Saks senior design manager, and Penny’s direct manager, echoed\nBowhay’s sentiments, saying, “Brandon Penny is a true gem, and I am so\nlucky to have him on the design team. The energy, passion, and enthusiasm\nhe brings make Saks a better place for everyone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\nadded, \u201cNo matter how difficult or challenging the task, Brandon takes on every\nproject with a sense of collaboration, determination, and a willingness to\nlearn. I am so proud to see how much he has grown as a designer and as a person\nover the years.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny\nis the son of Susanne and the late Norman Penny and brother to Christopher and\nDanielle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\ncan view Penny’s work by visiting \/\/behance.net\/brandonpenny<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By FHSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Six Fort Hays State University alumni will be honored on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at the Alumni and Friends Awards Banquet… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11722],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-releases"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=66526"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66527,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66526\/revisions\/66527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=66526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=66526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=66526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}