Alumni News

Tauna (Schonhardt) Baker (B.S. ’01)
Tauna changed jobs after 4 years with The Farm Inc.  She is currently employed with the Shawnee County Family Resource Center.  Her husband are raising son, Isaac.  Her husband, after completing his year-long practicum is seeking a job as an elementary principal.

 

Annie (Shilts) Beyer (B.S. ‘04)
Annie married Justin Beyer on September 24, 2005 and have a baby girl, Ava Grace born June 28, 2006. 

                                   

Angela Buckbee (B.S. ‘05)
Angela made the Dean’s Honor Roll at Washburn University during the Fall 2005/Spring 2006 semesters.  She received a promotion to case manager July 2006 at the Catholic Charities organization.  She plans to graduate Spring 2007 and marry on June 23, 2007. 

                             

Christine Chambers (B.S. ‘05)
Christine is pursuing her masters degree in the Psychology Department in Mental Health Counseling and also taking classes to become a LPC.  She is employed with Recovery Road and a grandmother of a baby boy.

 

Melissa (Thomas) Gronau (B.S. ‘96)
Melissa remarried on January 1, 2006.  She began her new position as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for IAM CREST, a nonprofit organization under the IAM (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union).  I provide return to work services to employees who have been injured on the job at Boeing Military in Wichita Kansas.  In addition, I see clients with substance abuse, mental health, and relationship problems, at the Family Psychological Center in Wichita Kansas.  I am working towards my Clinical Social Work License.

 

Bridgette Isabela (B.S. ‘05)
I will be starting the M.S.W. program at UMKC in the Fall.  My undergraduate work in Sociology at ESU prepared me very well to take this step.

 

Marcy (Olberding) Knight (B.S. ‘95)
Marcy is currently working for the City of Lenexa Kansas as an assistant city attorney.  Responsible for prosecution, and serve as legal advisor to the police and fire departments.  Marcy has a son (Colson) born September 6, 2006 and a daughter (Carly) age 3.  She and her husband volunteer as a “Big Couple” for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater KC for the past 6 years.                

 

Shelly (Sanders)Newman (B.S.’95)
Shelly is employed at the Shawnee County Family Resource Center.  She recently moved into a new home and is enjoying being new parents to their son, Andrew. 

 

Diane Orth (B.S. ’07) Diane recently graduated and moved to El Dorado, Kansas.

 

Tony Parsons (B.S. ‘04)
Tony is currently employed by the MHCECK.  He works out of the Osage City outreach office where he serves 7 counties doing intensive case management (ICM).  He is completing his graduate Social Work degree at Washburn University.  Tony exercises and works out regularly, plays all types of sports year round.  He continues to party and attend sporting events; professional/college with family/friends, lots of tailgating and travel.

                                                  

Travis Pierce (B.S. ’05)
Travis completed his Kansas Law Enforcement Training in Hutchinson in 2006 and is currently employed as a police officer in El Dorado Kansas.   

 

Christy (Thomas) Smarsh (B.S. ’97)
Christy lives in Wichita Kansas and is employed by the Leukemia & Lympoma Society.  Christy have three children, Celeste, Jacob and Isabelle.

 

Tauna Spain (B.S. ’04)
Tauna has been working at Flint Hills Job Corps Center since September 2004.  The program offers 8 areas of vocational training, as well as HSD and GED to at-risk ages 16-24 years of age.  Her job is to help students progress through the program and then provide transitional, as well as follow-up services, for as long as 18 months.  The students are mostly from Kansas, but occasionally transfer from other Job Corps center around the U.S.  Tauna loves her job, although it can be very challenging.  At every graduation I see a student walk across the stage that I never thought would. . .that is when I receive a sense of accomplishment, and know that we are helping the youth of society make positive changes one student at a time.  I plan to pursue my MSW in the next year to help me advance in the work field.

 

                                                     

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Last Updated August 3, 2007