OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
J.E. and L.E. Mabee Welcome Center
800.826.2281 x 8113
785.227.3380 x 8113
admissions@bethanylb.edu
The Path to Your Purpose
KANSAS LEADERSHIP CENTER NAMES BETHANY COLLEGE RECIPIENT OF 2021 TRANSFORMATION GRANT
Dec 15, 2020
LINDSBORG, KAN., December 15, 2020 - The Kansas Leadership Center recently named Bethany College a recipient of the 2021 Transformation Grant. KLC partners with different organizations each year and guides them through a three-step leadership program. Dr. Adam Pryor, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs applied for the grant on behalf of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Members of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee will act as the Bethany College Core team. The members of the committee are: Dr. Adam Pryor, Dr. Mark McDonald, Jessica Esquivel, Laura Jackson-Stenlund, and Brittany Torres.
This program was highly recommended by other organizations who have participated. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee recognizes that fostering a true spirit of inclusion on campus is not as easy as fixing a technical problem. It requires examining our capacity for self-evaluation, adopting common language for articulating the challenges we face, and finding ways to celebrate the successes of slow, gradual change in our community. KLC helps organizations develop the adaptive leadership skills to address large-scale, seemingly intractable, challenges and measure progress toward goals that can be difficult to quantify like promoting inclusion. In the coming weeks, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee will be soliciting additional employees to participate in the KLC program.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop, and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead lives of faith, learning, and service. Bethany connects its past, present, and future with distinctive initiatives like the Good Life Scholarship, presenting all local high school graduates with a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to the college. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu and is located in Lindsborg, Kansas, the fine arts and crafts capital of the state.
Bethany College conferred degrees upon 99 students in Presser Hall Auditorium on April 27, 2024. The ceremony honored students who earned Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Music Education from the college during the 2023-2024 academic year. Summer, fall, and spring graduates were honored during a Baccalaureate worship service at 10:30 a.m. in Presser Hall, followed by Commencement at 2 p.m. Campus Pastor Melissa Woeppel led the Baccalaureate Service, and Rev. Lamont Wells, Executive Director of the Network of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Co llege and Universities (NECU). Gracelyn Gaskill '24, a chemistry and music major from Lindsborg, Kansas, provided special music for Commencement. Senior class speakers Inioluwa "Enoch" Ojo '24, a biology major from Katy, Texas, and Benjamin "Ben" Turner '24, a History and Political Science Major from Peyton, Colorado, gave thoughtful remarks on their time at Bethany College, taking time to thank their friends, faculty, and coaches. Dr. Brent Mai '85, Dean of University Libraries at Wichita State University, gave the commencement address, encouraging this year's graduates to go out into the world and exercise the four tenets of stoicism: wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice.
Interim President Steve Eckman commended the efforts of the faculty and staff in securing the grant, stating, "We are immensely grateful to the McPherson County Community Foundation for their incredible generosity. This grant will benefit our students and enrich the educational experiences available in the Smoky Valley community."
The newly appointed Presidential Search Committee will commence their work immediately, aiming to recommend a candidate for Bethany College's 16th president to the board by the April 2025 board meeting.