Come Join The Celebration! - Wayne State College

Alumni Notes
2002
Eric Preister and Teresa
Untiedt ‘06 were united in
marriage May 23 and reside in
Omaha. Eric works in the fraud
department at PayPal. Teresa
works in human resources with
Streck, Inc., in Omaha.
2003
Brent and Sarah (Gunderson)
Janzen announce the birth of
daughter, Sophie Grace, on
April 15. She is welcomed
to their home in Bellevue by
brother, Kolben Andrew (2).
Kristi (Kuhlman) Johnson
and her husband, Del, announce
the
birth of
daughter,
Morgan
Marie,
on April
11. They
reside in
Norfolk.
Kristi is
an accountant at Beckenhauer
Construction, Inc., Norfolk.
2004
Joe and Mandy (Hansen ‘04)
Wall reside in Arlington, Va.
Joe joined the Independent
Insurance Agents & Brokers of
America team as senior director
of federal government affairs.
He joins a bipartisan lobbying
team and as a former deputy
assistant for legislative affairs
brings government and political
experience to the Big “I.”
Jayme Blume and Ben
Hartman announce the birth
of daughter, Brooklyn Nicole
Hartman, on May 12. They
reside in Little Elm, Texas.
2005
ShLoe (Lentz) Maurer (MSE
‘05) has served as a teacher
for 21 years for the Sioux
City Community Schools in
Sioux City, Iowa. She became
a National Board Certified
20
Teacher in November, earning
certification in Literacy:
Reading/Language Arts-Early
and Middle Childhood. ShLoe
and her husband Darren live in
Sioux City and are the parents
of two daughters.
2006
Heather Young, Kearney,
completed a master’s degree in
physician assistant studies at
Des Moines University, School
of Osteopathic Medicine. She
is employed as a physician
assistant at Faith Regional
Health System, Norfolk.
Ryan Villwok and Nicolette
Mendenhall ‘05 were united
in marriage April 25. They
reside in Bloomington, Minn.,
while Ryan pursues a degree in
chiropractic medicine.
2007
Philip Esslinger and Erin
Oswald were united in
marriage Dec. 20. They met
while students at WSC and
members of the track team.
Philip attained a doctorate
of physical therapy degree
from Creighton. Erin will
receive her Master of Social
Work degree from UNO in
December.
IN MEMORY OF
Verval J. (Willey) Rogers ‘22,
(106), Lyons; Dec. 12.
Dorothy E. (Glover) McClellan
‘27, (100), Helena, Mont.; Jan. 19.
Mildred “Mickey” (Moats)
Kelchner ‘28, (100), Fort
Atkinson, Wis.; Aug. 22.
Lawrence T. Manning ‘36, (96),
Sioux City, Iowa, formally of
Huntington Beach, Calif.; June 16.
Howard W. Crawford ‘40 (91),
Alpharetta, Ga.; Feb. 1.
Bernice (Vopalensky) Robertson
‘42, (88), Morse Bluff; Jan. 20.
Alumni in the News:
Todd Hilyard ‘07 Named Principal of the Year
Scottsbluff Star-Herald and
Kearney Daily Hub, April 26, 2009
Alice (Scherwin) Wiborg ‘42,
(88), Norfolk; March 12,
James M. Strahan ‘50, (81),
Tampa, Fla.; Jan. 18.
Erma (Zorn) Dallman ‘52, (90),
Creighton; Jan. 20.
Robert G. Scheckler ‘54, MS
‘59, (79), Norfolk; March 17.
Gene G. Panning ‘54, (76),
Kearney; May 6.
McCleda G. (Hanke) Maas ‘58,
(88), Hoskins; Jan. 18.
Joyce (Gowery) Asmussen ‘61,
(86), Ponca; May 7.
The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School
Principals honored Todd Hilyard, principal at Cozad Middle
School, as its Middle School Distinguished Principal of
the Year. Hilyard was selected to represent Nebraska as the
Middle School Principal of the Year for the Nebraska State
Association of Secondary School Principals.
Hilyard earned his Education Specialist degree at
Wayne State College. He has been the principal at Cozad
Middle School since 2001. Hilyard received his award at the
Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals
conference in February in Lincoln. He will also be eligible for
consideration for the 2010 Metlife/NASSP National Middle
School Principal of the Year.
Hilyard’s mother and two of his aunts also are educators,
and an uncle is a guidance counselor. He said he can’t picture
life in any other profession.
“She was a great role model for me because she was an
awesome teacher,’’ Hilyard, 37, said of his mother, Linda
Hilyard. He had his mother as a teacher three times. Rather
than showing favoritism, Hilyard said his mother was tougher
on him.
Hilyard has twice been named regional principal of
the year. Hilyard is president of the TeamMates mentoring
program in Cozad.
“Relatively speaking, we (the school) have kids for a
small amount of time,’’ he said. “If student experiences are
positive, with good role models, the job for educators is easy.’’