Alumni Awards 2015

McKendree University celebrated the accomplishments and contributions of following alumni on October 3, 2015 during Homecoming Weekend at the 2015 Alumni Awards Dinner.

Loyal Service Award

Mr. David Brant Harper '73

 

Brant majored in business and economics at McKendree, where he was a member of Ferox (Phi Rho Chi) for four years, a class officer, president of his junior class, and member of the Inter-Society Council, Campus Program Board and Student Congress. He received an MBA from Millsaps College in 1986 and was most recently employed by Bunge North America as an assistant vice president until his retirement. He remains an active supporter of the university and for five years helped bring the Lone Oak High School Marching Band to the Lebanon campus from Kentucky for a one-week band camp.

Brant continues to be involved in his community. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Associated General Contractors of Western Kentucky (1989-1997); Member of Board of Directors of Kentucky AGC Worker’s Compensation Self Insurance Fund (1991–1997); Member of Lone Oak (KY) High School Band Boosters (1992–2001). As a Band Booster Brant held the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer and Concession Chairman. He continues to serve McKendree University as a member of the William McKendree Society, McKendree Bearcat Booster Club, Ferox Alumni and the McKendree University Alumni Association.

Brant enjoys spending time with his wife, Judy Harper ’74. Together they have3 children (Molly, Amanda and Matthew) and 3 grandchildren (Darcy, Carter and Carrington).

Rising Star Award

Dr. Adam Biggs '06

Dr. Adam Biggs, formerly of Troy, Ill., studied psychology at McKendree as an undergraduate, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 2006. He then earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Notre Dame and completed his post-doctoral work at Duke University. His research interests have been in attention and perception, including theory and practical applications of visual search, individual differences and cognitive enhancement. At Duke, his study of visual search - the act of finding targets among distractors - helped transportation and safety agents become better at searching for dangerous objects. He currently is a research psychologist for the U.S. Navy.

 

Mr. Adam Prest '05

 

Adam Prest graduated in 2005 with a major in accounting. He interned at Anders CPAs & Advisors Tax Services Group in St. Louis, was later promoted to manager and became a licensed CPA in 2006. He is co-leader of the Anders Startup and Emerging Companies Practice and a member of the Anders sports, arts and entertainment practice. In 2009 he received the Missouri Society of CPAs Outstanding Young Professionals Award and in 2010 was named one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s “30 Under 30.” He is a member and past president of the Missouri Society of CPAs’ St. Louis chapter; a member and past chairman of the Lea Global CPA Network’s Young Professionals Steering Group; an associate member of the St. Louis Sports Commission; and a Fair Saint Louis committee member and volunteer. He remains involved at McKendree as treasurer of the Sigma Nu Alumni Association, a Friend of the Hett donor and a Bearcat Booster.

 

Mrs. Rebecca (Lindstrom) Wohltman '09

 

Rebecca (Lindstrom) Wohltman, of Belleville, Ill., graduated in 2009 with degrees in accounting and political science and went on to graduate summa cum laude from Saint Louis University of Law in 2012. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri and specializes in business transactions, estate planning, corporate law, criminal tax, taxation and litigation for Mathis, Marifan & Richter, Ltd.

She is a member of the Zion Lutheran School Board, Zion Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, Belleville Running Club, Belleville Marathon Committee, Illinois State and St. Clair County Bar Associations. At McKendree, Wohltman was a campus leader involved in debate, bowling, Model U.N., a New Student Orientation leader and University 101 peer mentor, student ambassador, and a member of several organizations, committees and honor societies. She continues to stay active as a donor, a judge for university debate tournaments, member of the Homecoming Committee, and a participant in McKendree 5K road races. Rebecca is also a member of the William McKendree Society Cornerstone Circle.

Academy of Excellence Inductees

Education

Mr. Kyle Gordon '98 & '08

 

Kyle Gordon graduated in 1998 with a bachelor’s in social science and in 2008 completed a master’s in education leadership. He teaches history at Collinsville High School, where he advises the nation’s largest student government association and sponsors several co-curricular activities, chairs the school improvement team, and is creating a Renaissance-style program to recognize student achievements. He is director of the Illinois Association of Student Councils and the Kaskaskia District of Student Councils, a former Illinois Student Council Advisor of the year, and served as co-chairman of the National Association of Student Council’s National Conference. He has received numerous awards for education, leadership and service to his community.

Humanities

Rev. Lisa (Jones) Guilliams '84

 

The Reverend Lisa (Jones) Guilliams completed a degree in management and marketing in 1984 and received a Master’s of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2009. Since 2003 she has been a pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Granite City, and was ordained as a UMC elder in 2011. In 2009 she founded FIGS (Fellowship Involving Granite Seniors), a fellowship group now 150 members strong. In 2001 she founded TWIGS, a free summer children’s lunch program that continues to grow, serving 15 local communities and distributing 60,000 lunches in 2015. In 2012, FIGS and TWIGS combined to form the non-profit Family Treehouse. In addition to children’s lunches, TWIGS now offers school supplies, backpacks, haircuts and sack lunches to children of families in need.

Language, Literature, and Communication

Ms. Tracy Rouch '88

 

As a student, Tracy was involved in several activities. She was involved with McKendrean Yearbook, Alpha Omega Sorority, New Student Orientation, Student Government, work study, and also served as a campus guide tour.

Tracy graduated in 1988 with a degree in public relations and went on to earn a master’s degree in speech communication and organizational communication. She is an honorary member of Lambda Pi Eta, has served on the McKendree Alumni Board, and volunteers as a Presidential Scholarship interviewer. She has been employed since 1996 as the director of public relations for the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Tracy enjoys cycling and football. She is extremely excited about the McK Men’s and Women’s Cycling teams getting started.

Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Mr. Derwood "Woody" Derickson '60

 

Derwood “Woody” Derickson played both baseball and basketball during his playing days at McKendree. However, it was the baseball diamond where Woody made his mark with his talent and versatility.

Noted by Coach Dale Cruse as having talent, motivation and an unbelievable work ethic, Woody was a key contributor for the Bearcats’ baseball squad during his three seasons with the program. In his first season of 1957, Woody was second on the team in several statistical categories including hits (29), runs scored (28), home runs (4) and triples (2). McKendree captured the Prairie Collegiate Conference (PCC) championship as well. In 1958 he was part of a McKendree team that went a perfect 10-0 in PCC play and carried a collective batting average of .349. Woody was a big reason for the team’s lofty batting average as he finished the year hitting at a team-best .460 clip. He also led the Bearcats that season with 30 runs scored while finishing second in fielding assists with 53.

During his senior season of 1960, Woody helped carry McKendree to its seventh consecutive PCC championship. The Bearcats won 17 games that year as Woody once again put up some solid offensive numbers. He led McKendree with 19 walks while tying for the team lead with four round-trippers. In addition, Woody was second on the 1960 team with a .390 batting average, 32 base hits and 10 stolen bases.

In 1958, Woody was among those invited for a special workout with the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.

Not limiting his talents to the baseball diamond, Woody was also a part of the Bearcats’ basketball program. He earned All-Tournament honors for McKendree while playing in the Concordia Invitational.

Throughout the years, Woody has remained a loyal fan and member of the McKendree Bearcat Booster Club.

Mr. Darrell Flake '05

 

Darrell Flake only played two seasons with the McKendree men’s basketball program, yet he had one of the most dominant careers in Bearcat history in that short span. Darrell was a dominant force in the paint both offensively and defensively as McKendree enjoyed an extended run as one of the top programs in Division I of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

A two-year starter at forward for McKendree, Darrell posted a career total of 1,499 points. While that figure stands 24th on the Bearcats’ all-time scoring list, it is the highest point output by a two-year player in the program’s lengthy history. Darrell averaged 21.1 points while at McKendree, including a team-leading 23.7 points per contest as a senior in 2001-02. With a smooth shooting touch, Darrell connected on 68.1 percent of his field goal attempts, which is the highest percentage in program history.

In addition to his proficiency as a scorer, Darrell was just as effective in the rebounding department. Over his 71-game career with McKendree, Darrell hauled in 633 rebounds. He averaged just under nine rebounds per outing, and finished second on the team in rebounding in each of his two seasons with the Bearcats.

As a junior in 2000-01, Darrell led all of NAIA Division I in field goal percentage by hitting 67.7 percent of his shots from the field. He also averaged 18.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest as McKendree posted 27 victories and earned a bid to the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. He followed that with an even more memorable season as a senior in 2001-02. In addition to leading the Bearcats in scoring at 23.7 points per game, Darrell pulled down 8.9 rebounds per outing while shooting 68.4 percent from the field. He helped McKendree to the American Midwest Conference Tournament championship and a No. 2 seed at the NAIA national tournament. His 831 points scored as a senior ranks second on the Bearcats’ single-season chart.

Post-season honors were plentiful for Darrell in his two years at McKendree. He was a two-time first-team All-Conference selection in the AMC and collected conference Player of the Year accolades as a senior. Darrell earned honorable mention All-America status from the NAIA in 2000-01 before being named as a first-team All-America selection a year later.

Following his playing days at McKendree, Darrell went on to a productive basketball career overseas. While starring in Iceland’s Premier League, Darrell won consecutive Player of the Year awards in 2006-07 and 2007-08 while playing for Skallagrimur.

Mrs. Kayla (White) Moll '09

 

Kayla (White) Moll was a catalyst at the top of the McKendree University softball lineup during her four-year career with the Bearcats. Relying on her blazing speed both on the base paths and while roaming the outfield, Kayla capped her career by helping McKendree to its final NAIA National Championship appearance.

During her freshman campaign in 2006, Kayla burst onto the scene for McKendree by setting team single-season records for runs scored (57) and doubles (18), both of which still stand at the time of her induction. She followed that by establishing new team season marks in triples (9) and walks (26), which also still top the Bearcats’ record book at the time of induction. As a sophomore in 2007, Kayla put together a career-best 26-game hit streak, which is still the fourth-longest hit streak in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) history. That same year, Kayla reached base in 46 consecutive contests. She was a four-year starter for the Bearcats and was part of teams that posted 128 victories during that span.

As a senior in 2009, Kayla put together a late-season run that culminated with McKendree’s second AMC Tournament championship in three years. After dropping their first game of the tournament, the Bearcats roared back by winning their final six games of the event, including three games on the final day of play to wrap up the crown. The AMC Tournament title propelled the Bearcats into the NAIA National Championships for the first time in a decade.

In each of her four seasons at McKendree, Kayla earned first-team All-Conference honors from the American Midwest Conference. In addition, she was a first-team All-NAIA Region V honoree as a junior in 2008. Off the field, Kayla was a four-time Academic All-Conference selection.

At the time of her induction, Kayla holds McKendree career records in five different categories: hits (255), runs scored (167), doubles (51), triples (24) and walks (82). Kayla played in all but four of the Bearcats’ games during her four-year career, and appeared in each McKendree contest as a sophomore, junior and senior.

Mrs. Rebekah (Diers) VanScoyk '10

 

Rebekah (Diers) VanScoyk helped raise the visibility of the McKendree University women’s bowling program on a national scale during her four years as a member of the program. Thanks to a combination of consistent performance and year-round dedication, Rebekah and her teammates helped establish a standard of excellence on the lanes that elevated the Bearcats into national prominence.

In each of Rebekah’s four years as a part of the McKendree women’s bowling team, the Bearcats earned the right to bowl in the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championships, which serves as the collegiate national championship event. As a sophomore in 2007, Rebekah showed the way for McKendree as she led the squad to a second-place finish in the 16-team field, which marked the highest finish for the Bearcats in the tournament to date. For her efforts, Rebekah was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Bowler. That same year, she also qualified for the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships and placed third overall.

As a senior in 2009, Rebekah again led McKendree deep into competition at the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships. The Bearcats finished third at the tournament as Rebekah earned both All-Tournament honors along with the Chris Stoehr Sportsmanship Award at the conclusion of the event. She also competed at the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships once again in 2009 and reached the quarterfinals of the 16-player tournament.

In 2008, Rebekah won the USBC Youth Open Championship All-Events title to earn a spot in the Bowling’s Clash of Champions that was held in May 2009. Facing an elite field that consisted of 16 bowlers, Rebekah battled her way all the way to the championship match before taking home a second-place finish. At the time of her induction, Rebekah is still the only McKendree bowler to compete in the Clash of Champions.

During her four years at McKendree, Rebekah captured numerous in-season tournament titles and All-Tournament accolades. She was a two-time first-team All-America selection by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA), with the accolades coming following her junior and senior seasons.

Peter Akers Award

Mrs. Joan (Weber) Barnes '53

Joan (Weber) Barnes is the 2015 Peter Akers Award recipient for her professional success, outstanding service, and loyalty to the university.

While at McKendree she Joan was very involved with many organizations on campus, including Student-Faculty Council, CLIO, Chorus, Public Affairs Forum, English Club, and Future Teachers of America. It was at McKendree that Joan met the love of her life, the late Barney Barnes ‘52.

The 1953 graduate has supported her alma mater throughout the years as an Annual Fund donor, Friend of the Hett, Bearcat Basketball Booster and loyal sports fan. She is active in St. George’s Episcopal Church and enjoys tennis, golf, her book club, and being a grandmother.

An elementary education major and psychology minor in college, Barnes enjoyed a long career as an educator and administrator whose greatest reward came from being a classroom teacher at many levels. She earned a master’s degree in education before working as a reading specialist, elementary school teacher, teacher corp-director at SIUE/Cahokia School, Cahokia School District principal, and director of the Early Childhood, program. She also wrote and developed curriculum for the Cahokia School District and adult education program.

Joan has supported her alma mater throughout the years as an Annual Fund donor, Friend of the Hett, Bearcat Basketball Booster and loyal sports fan. She is active in St. George’s Episcopal Church and enjoys tennis, golf, her book club, and being a grandmother.