Pages 13-18 - MacMurray College

Sisters
by chance,
Highlanders
by choice
Family Legacies
At this year’s Commencement, there were several families
celebrating multiple graduates. The Wells family was one of
those as two sisters graduated together in the nursing program –
Morgan Wells ’12 and Jacqueline “Jackie” Wells Seymour ’12.
Now, along with their three sisters, they not only share the same
DNA, but the common bond of being a Highlander.
Rebecca “Becky” Wells Long ’01 is the oldest. She graduated
with a bachelor’s in psychology. Becky lives in Franklin with her
husband, Brian, and three boys – Samuel, Isaac and Gabriel. Her
brother-in-law, Billy Long ’09, is also a Mac alumnus.
Melissa “Missy” Wells Machino studied here at Mac, starting in
1999.
Jackie returned to Mac for a second bachelor’s degree; this
time in nursing. She graduated in 2006 with a double major in
psychology and criminal justice. Jackie lives in rural Murrayville
with her husband, Kyle, and daughters, Frankie and Finley.
Joyce Wells ’07 graduated with a bachelor’s in history. She
lives in Alsey and works as a kindergarten assistant at Jacksonville
District 117.
Morgan, the baby sister, graduated with a degree in nursing.
“We all like living close to home. Mac’s home. It was a good
choice,” Jackie told a Jacksonville Journal-Courier reporter.
Front row (l to r): Morgan and Jackie. Back
row (l to r): Joyce, Melissa and Becky.
Jackie had been determined not to follow
her sisters’ footsteps to MacMurray College.
But, four weeks before classes, she registered
because she knew the small classes and one-toone
interaction with faculty would be best for
her.
Of the 95 students that graduated Saturday,
many acknowledged that same familial atmosphere.
Connection to founding father,
Peter Cartwright
Front row: Melinda. Middle row: Lauryn and
Amanda. Back row: Bruce.
Two of Peter Cartwright’s direct descendants, Lauryn Mavis
McGlasson ’12, and Amanda Mavis ’12, graduated from
MacMurray College with nursing degrees. Cartwright was a
founding father of MacMurray, born in 1785.
Promoting a Methodist-based education throughout his
life, Cartwright founded different institutions in the state,
including Illinois Wesleyan University, McKendree College and
MacMurray College, then known as the Illinois Conference
Female Academy in Jacksonville. Cartwright battled with
former President Abraham Lincoln for a seat in Congress,
losing against him in 1846. Mavis and McGlasson are fifth
generation descedants of Peter Cartwright on their mother,
Melinda’s side of the family.
“Now having two daughters attend and graduate from Mac,
a school Peter Cartwright founded, has the reoccurring legacy
of leaving memories for me and my family,” said Bruce Mavis,
father of Lauryn and Amanda. “Mac (helped) make it possible
to have both Lauryn and Amanda attend such a great school
and be part of the Cartwright-MacMurray legacy.”
11

Home at MacMurray
MacMurray
alumni feel that the College is their
home away from home, but how about those who
spend their days working at Mac
Nearly a dozen MacMurray graduates are full-time
faculty, staff and coaches, many of whom have children
who graduated from Mac as well. And this is on top of
another six or eight who are adjunct professors,
part-time staffers and residence hall directors. So what
is MacMurray to them A home away from home A
second family
Many use “home” or “family” when they describe
their alma mater and employer, focusing on the
atmosphere and friendly people on campus. These
are the same qualities that attracted them to
MacMurray in the first place as students.
12

COACHES
Derek James ’04,
head golf coach/assistant basketball coach
Derek came to Mac originally in pursuit of a degree in education and
fell in love with the College’s program because he could also compete in
intercollegiate athletics. Simply put, “It was the right fit,” he says.
He stayed at MacMurray because of the type of institution it is – especially its
opportunities for students. “MacMurray provided many opportunities for me,
and now I want to have a chance to give those opportunities to our studentathletes,”
he said.
Andrew Bartman ’07,
head baseball coach
Andrew came to Mac a year ago, continuing his career that began with a
bachelor’s degree in physical education. He earned his master’s degree in
sports management from American Public University in August 2011.
His arrival helped spark one of the best seasons for Highlander baseball in
quite awhile. In 2012, the Highlanders won the most games in a decade and
equaled the win total from the past
three campaigns combined.
Recruited as a transfer student
by then-baseball coach Kevin
Vest, Andrew particularly liked the
small, intimate campus. After a few
coaching stops elsewhere in Illinois,
he came back to Mac because of a
“positive energy coming from the
athletic department and a desire
to restore the baseball program’s
tradition,” he said.
“My feelings towards Mac have
changed greatly since beginning
work here. The familiar faces I
recognized from when I was a
student were quick to remember
my name and make me feel at
home again,” he said. “It seems
to me like the entire campus is
working in the same positive
direction.”
Steven Etheridge ’11,
graduate assistant football coach
Kneeling: Nate Robinson and Derek James
Standing: Andrew Bartman and Steven Etheridge
Steven was initially drawn to Mac for two reasons: “I was looking for a great
place to continue playing the sport I love while getting a quality education,” he
said. “Mac fit the bill.”
He’s taken his first professional step as a coach because of the people
he came to know. “I believe the people involved in the community make it
easy to stay here. Everyone here is great and will do anything to help you.”
Although he has had a change of perspective going from student to coach,
“most everything remains the same,” he said. “I still consider Mac to provide
everyone a great environment to be a part of, no matter your role on campus.”
He sums up his feelings about Mac in one word: opportunity. “It is an
opportunity to meet great people, to develop as a person, and to experience
success in whatever you try to accomplish.”
Nate Robinson ’10,
graduate assistant
football coach
Most of Nate’s friends
were going to college in their
home state of Florida, but he
wanted to get far away from
his hometown of West Palm
Beach. “I didn’t want to be
close enough to go back on a
regular basis,” he said. He felt
he needed distance to give
him the opportunity to grow.
Nate’s cousin, Brandon
McCray, was the head football
coach at Mac at the time and
convinced him to look at the
school, although now Nate
acknowledges he probably
should have visited Mac in the
winter.
Despite the radical change
in climate, he found the
atmosphere and people
at Mac a perfect fit. Since
graduating with a sports
management degree, he has
started his coaching career,
giving him the chance, he
says, to give back to the place
that has given him so much.
“Mac helped me to see
things that were outside of my
norm and helped shape me
into the individual I am today,”
he writes. “Mac is FAMILY!”
13

STAFF
Malea Harney ’10,
recorder
Malea was working part-time
as an office manager when the
husband of Dr. Muriel Smith,
former associate dean and
registrar, asked if she was ready
for full-time employment. She
applied because she saw it as
an opportunity to educate her
four children; one became a
Mac alumna - Afton Gillis ’09.
Little did Malea know
that she would end up with
a degree from the College
herself, achieved while working
full-time. In her 15 th year, Malea
graduated with a bachelor’s in
business administration.
The people have kept her
here. “I love when students
come in for advice on
academics and even personal
issues. That’s what we’re
about at Mac, being here for
one another.” She thinks that
being in the classroom and
feeling the same anxieties
and experiencing the
same pressures helped her
understand and relate to the
students better.
From left: Beth Oberg, Malea Harney, Christine Kline, and
Andrew Sidock
Beth Oberg ’11,
admissions specialist
Like Malea, Beth achieved
her degree, a bachelor’s in
accounting, while working
full-time at Mac, first as the
executive assistant in the
Office of the Vice President for
Academics and Student Affairs
and recently moving to the
Office of Admissions.
She initially came to Mac
six years ago because the job
was close to home and family.
“There is something about the
campus culture that feels like
home,” she said. “The people
are great. It is a friendly and fun
place to work,” she continued.
“The longer I work here, the
more I want to stay.”
She now seeks to attract
prospective students to
the College, and with her
knowledge as a student and staff
member, she can be a powerful
spokeswoman. “Mac is a place
where you can grow both
personally and professionally,”
she said. “The staff and faculty
care about the students and
their success.”
Beth’s husband, Steven,
teaches business classes at Mac.
Andrew Sidock ’09,
controller
“I’ve loved this place since the first moment I walked
on campus,” said Andrew. The liberal arts program, small
campus/class size and individual attention from faculty
attracted him to MacMurray.
To Andrew, Mac means opportunity. “Every student
who attends class here increases their opportunities to do
extremely well in their chosen career fields,” he said. “The
curriculum and environment creates an awareness and
understanding of the world around them. They question
the status quo. Their writing and speaking skills are
superior to peers who graduate elsewhere. All graduates
have the tools to be extremely successful.”
Working at Mac, Andrew feels, is a way to give back for
the gift he’s received: “MacMurray has transformed my
life.”
Christine Kline ’12,
accounts payable manager/
assistant cashier
After working more than 20 years in the Jacksonville
area, word of mouth brought Christine to Mac five years
ago. She likes the educational benefit from working at
the College and achieved her bachelor’s in organizational
leadership through the adult degree completion program.
In addition, Christine is taking American Sign Language
classes so she can freelance as an interpreter and also
better serve students and faculty in her role on campus.
“I am proud of the traditions that we have and maintain,”
she says. “We have a lot of staff and faculty who have been
here for many years. I think that brings a lot of character
to the College, and by the time students graduate, they
appreciate their experience here.”
14

FACULTY
Guy Crumley ’69,
director of elementary education/associate professor
Guy graduated from Mac in 1969 with a bachelor of arts degree in elementary
education and earned a master of science degree in educational administration
at Western Illinois University. He taught at Lafayette and Eisenhower Elementary
Schools, both in Jacksonville, before starting at Mac in January 1982 as an
assistant professor of education. Guy enjoys supervising the Mac T’s, a tutoring
program for elementary students. He has been listed multiple times in Who’s
Who Among America’s Teachers and in 1992 was awarded the United Methodist
Award for Teaching Excellence.
Remembering the fun times and strong relationships he made as a student,
Guy carries those memories of his college days at Mac into the classroom.
He feels that the importance of the individual attention from professors that
benefitted him then still impacts his life today. The relationships Guy has built
with faculty and students over the years has become an integral part of his
family. His son, David Crumley ’01, is also a Mac alumnus.
Nadine Szczepanski ’79,
Shonle Professor of Chemistry
Nadine came to Mac as a freshman in the fall of 1975. She graduated in 1980
with a bachelor’s of science in chemistry and psychology. “As a student, I found
the campus to be beautiful and enjoyed meeting lots of friendly people,” she
said.
After receiving her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Illinois at
Chicago in 1986 and working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
and for industry, Nadine came to teach at Mac in 1991, and received her first
Dewey E. Wilkins Award for teaching just two years later. She has been a
mentor for a number of years with the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad program,
and served as part of the organizing group for the associated international
chemistry competition for high school students.
Nadine’s fondest memories are of her classmates, many with whom she is still
close with today. She cherishes those lifelong friendships developed here at
MacMurray.
JoEllen Brannan ’87,
nursing division chair/professor
With a newly printed associate’s degree in nursing from MacMurray and having
practiced for several years, JoEllen was attracted to Mac’s new BSN program,
which launched the fall after she graduated. She became an inaugural faculty
member and is now head of the program.
Her best friend from high school went to MacMurray and she loved hearing
her stories about the College. JoEllen loves the people she works with, believes
in the importance of a liberal arts education for nurses and enjoys the impact
that she has on educating nurses for an evolving health care system.
“I view MacMurray as my home away from home, and my family recognizes
that,” she says. “When I walk in on Monday mornings, I often greet my
colleagues by saying ‘I’m home!’
Her fondest memories of Mac include seeing her daughter, Leigh Brannan
’04, graduate; shepherding a trip to England, Ireland, and Wales; receiving the
Dewey Wilkins Teaching Award; and receiving the Distinguished Career Award.
15

Alumni Games
Save the date
Friday, August 24
Alumnae volleyball
game
Saturday, August 25
Men’s and women’s
alumni soccer games
Men’s Alumni Basketball Game 1/28/12
Kneeling (left to right): Demetric Hightower ’09, of Danville; Adonis Fuller ’07, of
Riverton; Dustin Rieken ’11, of Clifton; Dante Royster ’02, of Downers Grove; and
Ryan Ballard ’02, of Washington.
Middle row (left to right): Jerel Robertson ’11, of Danville; Cory McClellan ’11,
of Forsyth; Antwain Jones ’10, of Chicago; Billy Long ’09, of Jacksonville; Derek
James ’04, of Jacksonville; Jeff Chapman ’03, of Chicago; and Steven Taylor ’04,
of Cape Girardeau, MO.
Back row (left to right): Derek Suttles ’04, of Jacksonville; Ryan Eberhart ’06, of
St. Louis, MO; Brad Conant ’02, of Nashville; John Renfro ’02, of Springfield; and
Laurence Hogg ’03, of Jefferson City, MO. (All from Illinois unless otherwise noted.)
Saturday, October 20
Alumni baseball game
Saturday, January 26
Men’s and women’s
alumni basketball games
Watch @Mac for more info
16
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