April 29, 2026鈥揟he Small Business Development Center at 含羞草社区 will host a Small Business Summit in celebration of National Small Business Week on Thursday, May 7. This free event is designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners strengthen their financial knowledge, connect with local lenders and learn about valuable business resources.

Participants will receive hands-on training in QuickBooks, gain insights during a live Q&A with local bankers and lenders, and discover the no-cost advising, training and support available through the Small Business Development Center.

Whether you are starting a business, growing your company, or looking for funding opportunities, this summit will provide practical tools, expert guidance, and opportunities to connect with professionals who support small business success.

The summit will run from 7:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology, 4141 Mitchell Avenue. Register in advance at . For more information, call 816-271-5801 or email swignington@missouriwestern.edu.听听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 29, 2026鈥揋riffon Media students from 含羞草社区 brought home ten awards from the Missouri College Media Association and Missouri Broadcast Educators Association Annual Conference in Springfield, Missouri on April 11.

The students won the following state awards:

Missouri Broadcast Educators Association

• Video – Hard News Story: First Place, Rebecca Evans 鈥�25
• Short Film: Second Place, Bailey Woodbury, junior cinematic arts major from St. Joseph
• Video Commercial/Promo: Third Place, Woodbury

Missouri College Media Association Awards (Division 2)

• Website: Second Place, Griffon Media Staff
• Video: Second Place, Gurtej Sohal 鈥�25
• Video: Third Place, Charlie Sample, junior applied communication and journalism major from Columbia, Missouri
• Multimedia Package: Third Place, Sample
• Multimedia Package: Honorable Mention, Sohal
• News Writing, Honorable Mention, Woodbury
• Story Illustration: Honorable Mention, Ellice Randleman senior graphic design major from St. Joseph

Attending the conference from 含羞草社区 were Kendall Warren, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, Missouri; Sample; Johnny Fragakis, senior applied communication and journalism major from Petaluma, California; former editors Sohal and Evans; and co-advisers Dr. James Carviou and Dr. Luling Huang.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Attendees walk the red carpet at the 2025 Griffon Film Festival.

April 24, 2026鈥摵卟萆缜� students will present a wide variety of video projects at two film festivals. The 含羞草社区 Cronkite Film Festival will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101. The 11th annual Griffon Film Festival will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 1 at the Trail Theatre, 111 N. 9th Street in downtown St. Joseph. Both events are free and open to the public.

Cronkite Film Festival

The 含羞草社区 Cronkite Film Festival is sponsored by the Department of Communication. It focuses on non-fiction storytelling, showcasing newscasts, sportscasts, individual packages, promos, social media campaign videos and a long documentary. The films were created in digital videography, Griffon Media, social media branding and multimedia storytelling classes throughout the 2025-2026 school year.

Griffon Film Festival

The Griffon Film Festival features work by cinematic arts and digital animation students over the academic year. Projects include short narrative fiction, commercials, public service announcements, industrial/educational films, experimental films, traditional animation, 3D computer animation and student game design. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a meet-and-greet and pictures on the red carpet and the awards show starts at 6 and runs until 10 p.m. The first 100 attendees will receive a free small bag of popcorn.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 22, 2026鈥揟he Craig School of Business at 含羞草社区 invites the public to a financial planning workshop that will cover basic financial planning, investing and personal finance at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 2, at the St. Joseph Public Library East Hills Branch, 502 N. Woodbine Road in St. Joseph.听

鈥淥ur goal is to serve our community by empowering families through financial literacy,鈥� said Dr. Sel Dibooglu, chair of the Craig School of Business.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Topics include:

• The Foundation: Mindset & Inflation
• The Math Magic: Compounding & Rule of 72
• Investing Fundamentals: Asset classes and diversification
• Keeping What You Earn: Tax Shelters
• Investment Strategy & Risk
• Your Professional Team
  • CPA/Accountant/Tax Preparer
  • Financial Advisor
  • Fiduciary
  • Attorney
• Insurance Coverages

The workshop is for educational purposes only; no particular financial products will be sold or endorsed.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 22, 2026鈥揟he 含羞草社区 Honors Program will hold its Spring 2026 Honors Medal Ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 29 in the Enright Community Rooms, Spratt Hall rooms 214-216. The ceremony is open to the public.

Graduating seniors who have achieved General Studies and/or Majors Honors will be presented commemorative medals during the ceremony. The medal will be worn as part of the graduate鈥檚 academic regalia during the Spring Commencement Ceremony on May 9.

General Studies Honors encourages breadth of understanding across disciplines. Students achieving this honor have successfully completed at least 12 credit hours of general studies honors courses, four credit hours of honors colloquia and two credit hours of community service learning while earning a grade of B or higher in all honors courses and maintaining an overall GPA of at least 3.25.

Majors Honors encourages depth of understanding within a student鈥檚 field of study. Students achieving this honor have completed a research project or creative work under the guidance of a professor in their major, presented the research or submitted it for publication, and completed at least six credit hours of honors courses in the major, two credit hours of honors colloquia and one credit hour of community service learning while earning a grade of B or higher in all honors courses and maintaining an overall GPA of at least 3.5.听

The 含羞草社区 Honors Program was created in 1987 to foster the growth of intellectual inquiry, independence, and initiative in participants with an array of learning experiences including special courses, colloquia and independent research and study.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

April 21, 2026鈥揟he Center for Academic Support at 含羞草社区 has been awarded certification as a tutor training program by the internationally recognized College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).听

鈥淭he CAS has worked hard to develop a tutor training program that meets CRLA鈥檚 rigorous standards and has successfully completed the International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC) peer review process鈥� said Susan Garrison, CAS director. 鈥淎chieving certification means that the CAS team has met CRLA鈥檚 high standards for tutor selection, training, direct service and evaluation as an integral part of their overall tutoring program.鈥�

CAS was certified at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. For each level, CAS tutors participate in a minimum of 10 hours of training and work directly with students for 25 hours. This applied learning work experience supports Priority 1 of 含羞草社区鈥檚 Strategic Plan, enhancing student-centered transformational learning experiences, Garrison said.

For more than thirty years CRLA has been a leader in learning assistance, reading, and academic support programs with almost 1,300 members and over 2,000 certified training programs worldwide.

The CAS team at 含羞草社区 includes Garrison; Alyssa Striplin, writing coordinator; Taylor Wagers, content tutor and PASS coordinator; and Steven Saffell, math coordinator. The CAS offers support for more than 90 courses. Through the first week of April, the CAS has had 3,555 visits this academic year with 536 students for 3,164 hours.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 21, 2026鈥揟he Missouri Lambda Chapter of Alpha Chi inducted 18 members on March 4, 2026. Alpha Chi invites juniors, seniors and graduate students in the top 10% of their class to join this interdisciplinary honors society.听

Undergraduate inductees were:聽

• Keegun Daniels, senior exercise science major from Mountain View, Missouri
• Chloe Dixon, junior exercise science major from Maysville, Missouri
• Sophia Gaspers, junior biology major from Platte City, Missouri
• John Gilbert, senior manufacturing engineering technology major from Savannah, Missouri
• Morgan Kimler, junior psychology major from St. Joseph
• Jessica Laws, junior social work major from St. Joseph
• Phoenix Schlorff, junior medical laboratory science major from St. Joseph
• Ashlyn Snodgrass, junior exercise science major from St. Joseph
• Charlee Stanley, junior nursing major from St. Joseph
• Kendall Vienhage, junior psychology major from St. Joseph
• Danika Wattenbarger, junior nursing major from St. Joseph聽

Graduate student inductees were:

• Michael Birmingham Sr., Master of Social Work student from St. Joseph
• Corina Coil, Master of Social Work student from St. Joseph
• Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Master of Arts in Teaching student from St. Joseph
• Tre Holmes, Master of Applied Science in Sport and Fitness Management student from Wynne, Arkansas
• Alisa Karguth, Master of Applied Science in Assessment student from Liberty, Missouri
• Juan Mendez Jr., Master of Business Administration student from Grayslake, Illinois
• Tammy Simpson, Master of Business Administration student from St. Joseph

Inductees honor faculty members who have been influential in their academic careers by presenting them with the Compass Award. Faculty receiving the Compass Award were:聽

• Dr. Goksu Advan, assistant professor of engineering technology
• Julie Baldwin, associate professor of nursing
• Dr. Pramit Banerjee, assistant professor of marketing
• Dr. Csengele Barta, professor of biology
• Todd Eckdahl, professor of biology
• Grey Endres, associate professor of social work
• Mackenzie Evans, assistant professor of nursing
• Susan Garrison, director of the Center for Academic Support
• Brandon Johnson, assistant professor of social work
• Dr. Justin Kraft, professor of health, sport and exercise science
• Dr. Jennifer Malone, assistant professor of education
• Dr. Bill Russell, professor of health, sport and exercise science

The Missouri Lambda Chapter is supported by officers Ellen Holmes, president, Emily Shuck,聽 vice president, Katie Beam, secretary and Kayla Beam, treasurer. The organization is sponsored by faculty members Dr. Teddi Deka, professor of psychology; Dr. Angela Haas, professor of history; and Dr. James Carviou, associate professor of journalism.

April 20, 2026鈥揑n its eighth year

The organization inducted five new members into the prestigious honor society while recognizing their achievements with Griffon Media. The students pledge to uphold a high standard of journalism, ethics and responsible storytelling as part of their commitment to journalism and the organization, as well as the 含羞草社区 community.听

The following students were inducted:聽

• Jeimy Cruz-Aguilera, junior social work major from St. Joseph
• Chloe Hibler, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Cameron, Missouri
• Payton Patterson, junior applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, Missouri
• Sarah Swallow, junior applied communication and journalism major from Highland, Indiana
• Kendall Warren, sophomore applied communication and journalism major from Kansas City, Missouri

is the nation鈥檚 oldest honor society for student media leaders. It encourages ethical, accurate and innovative journalism nationally and creates a strong network of advocates for First Amendment education.

To date, the chapter at 含羞草社区 has inducted over 150 students and earned over 250 national awards honoring the best work in collegiate media.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听

April 17, 2026鈥摵卟萆缜� is creating a new scholarship for transfer students who want to pursue a degree in nursing.

鈥淲e know that there is a continual need for additional nurses in northwest Missouri, and 含羞草社区鈥檚 ability to educate those nurses is second to none,鈥� said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president. 鈥淥ur program has been educating nurses for 55 years and has grown to become of the most respected nursing schools in the state. Students who have started their college careers elsewhere and are wanting to prepare for a career in nursing now have additional resources that will make a quality 含羞草社区 education even more affordable.鈥�

The 含羞草社区 Transfer Scholarship for Nursing is for students transferring from a community college or another four-year institution to pursue a degree in nursing from 含羞草社区. Award recipients receive $500, renewable for up to two years. The application process is simple, and the scholarship can be combined with other awards, but there is a limited number of scholarships available each year.

To qualify, you must be a transfer student, admitted to 含羞草社区, and have nursing declared as your major.

Missouri Western鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Nursing program accepts up to 60 students each semester. The program has a graduation rate of more than 90%, a job placement rate of more than 95%, and graduates regularly exceed state and national averages for first-time pass rates on the NCLEX national licensing exam.

To learn more about the new scholarship, visit missouriwestern.edu/nursing/nursing-transfer-scholarship/.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 16, 2026鈥揟he 含羞草社区 School of Fine Arts and the MWSU Arts Society present the 含羞草社区 Fine Arts Showcase from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 24 in the Potter Hall Theater. The showcase is free and open to the public.听

The showcase will feature an open house and tours of the newly renovated facilities in Potter Hall. Take in the Senior Art Exhibit in the Drew Brown Art Gallery, explore updated spaces like the digital animation suite and graphic design lab, and enjoy light refreshments in the Dr. George S. Richmond Student Collaboration Center. Along the way you鈥檒l have the opportunity to connect with 含羞草社区 students and experience the creativity that fills these spaces.

Reservations are encouraged but not required. Please call Jennifer Vanourney at 816-271-5910 or email jvanourney@missouriwestern.edu by April 20.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .听