Sept. 17, 2026–���߲����� alumni who serve as leaders in local nonprofit agencies will participate in a panel and networking event at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 in the Hoff Conference Room, Blum Student Union room 218. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will include a panel discussion from 1 to 1:45 p.m., followed by networking with refreshments from 1:45-2:30 p.m.

Alumni participating include:

• Mackenzie Bally ’22, marketing manager, Second Harvest Community Food Bank
• Eric Fuson ’88, executive director, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art
• Ashley Kalin ’04, recruitment and match support specialist, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater St. Joseph
• Dawn Lanning ’25/’26, assistant city manager, City of St. Joseph
• Rick Stepanek ’92, P.O.W.E.R. project manager, St. Joseph Youth Alliance

The event is sponsored by ���߲����� Alumni Relations, the Center for Service and the Career Development Center.��

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

Sept. 3, 2026–���߲����� will commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with activities Sept. 8-11, including the annual stair climb at Spratt Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 11. All activities are open to the public.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 8-9
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Blum Student Union Lobby
“25 Years of Gratitude” Service Activity

Students, faculty and staff are invited to stop by and write a thank-you card for local firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, law enforcement officers, and other first responders

Wednesday, Sept. 9
Noon-4 p.m., Blum Student Union Griffon Esports Arena
with the Community Blood Center

Whether you are a first responder, family member or a community member who wants to show your support, roll up your sleeves and donate to cast your vote for your favorite first responders. The local first responder unit with the most donors will receive our blood drive trophy before the annual stair climb. Walk-ins are welcome, or sign up at and use group code P4.

Friday, Sept. 11
8 a.m., Spratt Memorial Stadium

Students, faculty, staff, community members, military service members, veterans and first responders will climb stairs in remembrance of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center and honor the victims, first responders and heroes of September 11, 2001.

The activities are sponsored by the Center for Military and Veteran Services and the Center for Service.

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

March 23, 2026–The ���߲����� Center for Service and the Student Government Association announced its fifth annual participation in “The Big Event,” a nationwide day of service from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 28.��

“The Big Event is dedicated to giving back to the community that gives so much to us,” said Angie Osborn, Center for Service director. “The Big Event embodies our commitment to civic engagement, community partnership and the belief that learning extends beyond the classroom. By serving those who invest in our students and strengthen our campus community, we demonstrate that gratitude is more than words, it’s in our everyday actions.”

The Big Event will once again focus their efforts around 29th and Lafayette, the neighborhood that ���߲����� adopted as part of the Adopt-a-Block program. The and transitional apartments are both within the area. Participants will pick up litter, clear out blocked sewer drains and help with any items these organizations may need to dispose of. Clean spaces contribute to healthier living environments and can even improve our mental well-being by creating surroundings that feel safe, cared for and positive, Osborn said.��

Volunteers will gather in the parking lot at Mark Twain Early Learning Center, 705 S. 31st Street for instructions and supplies. Transportation will be available to those who need it.

Please sign up at .��

Originally founded in 1982 at Texas A&M University, The Big Event began as a simple “thank you” to local residents and has grown into the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation.

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

April 4, 2025–Due to the inclement weather, the Center for Service at ���߲����� has decided to postpone its participation in The Big Event to Wednesday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m.

For the original news story and full details of the event, visit

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

March 31, 2025–���߲����� students, faculty, staff, and alumni will participate in The Big Event from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, April 4.

Picking up litter in the area surrounding the campus is one way Griffons demonstrate their pride in both Missouri Western and the St. Joseph community.��

“By taking the time to clean up, we show that we care about our environment and are committed to making our city a better place!” said Kim Sigrist, executive director of MWSU’s Center for Service.

Originally started by Texas A&M University in 1982, “The Big Event” has grown into a nationwide day of service, where college students on over 100 campuses come together to give back to their local communities. It is one of the largest student-run service projects in the country, and 2025 marks the fourth year MWSU has participated.��

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

Sept. 21, 2022–���߲����� will host the 2022 Nonprofit Summit on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in the Blum Student Union. Registration for the day of workshops is $20 per person and includes lunch. To register, phone 816-271-4283, visit or email entrepreneurship@missouriwestern.edu.��

The keynote speaker for the summit will be Jamie Grayson. Grayson is a 1999 graduate of Missouri Western and executive director and founder of People of All Colors Succeed. He will speak on “Telling Your Story.”

The summit will also include workshops on getting the most out of volunteers, marketing your organization, managing burnout and compassion fatigue, social media, fundraising for sustainability and grant writing.

The Missouri Western Nonprofit Summit is sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Craig School of Business and the Center for Service.

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

Sept. 4, 2019— Students at ���߲����� will soon be able to earn credit toward their degree by volunteering in the community.

“Service is at the very core of our mission at Missouri Western,” said President Matt Wilson. “We don’t just want to provide students with opportunities to serve; we want to provide them with an incentive to serve. Hundreds of students serving thousands of hours each school year will be transformative for our University and for our community.”

The credit will be offered through a new unit, the Center for Service. Dr. Melody Smith will serve as the executive director of the Center for Service. She says the students will be preparing for their future careers while helping the community.

“Employers value skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and leadership,” Dr. Smith said. “Our service opportunities will have learning outcomes that are tied to developing those skills, so that when they graduate, students will be even more prepared for the workplace.”

Students will earn one elective credit toward their degree for every 40 hours of community service they engage in, up to a maximum of three credits. Those credits would be free of charge to the students and funded, in full or part, by sponsors of the Center

“When I’ve mentioned the possibility of free credit for community service to students, they’ve said ‘we would do that in a heartbeat,’” President Wilson said.

While earning credits toward their degree, Missouri Western students would also be adding to a new co-curricular record. This record will document applied learning opportunities that take place outside of the classroom, such as internships, service-learning, research, study away and student leadership positions.

“Missouri Western has a statewide mission of applied learning,” Dr. Smith said. “The co-curricular transcript would document those applied learning opportunities that students have taken advantage of, presenting a more complete picture of their college career to future employers.”

In addition to administering service learning opportunities, the Center for Service will include a new military and veteran academic service center, providing academic and financial aid advisement to active duty and former members of the military. The Center will also serve as the welcome center for Missouri Western, providing a first point of contact for visitors and students to guide them where they wish to go. It will also include academic outreach, including Early College Academy (high school college credit), adult completion degrees (Bachelor of General Studies and Bachelor of Science in Technology), non-credit courses and the testing center.

“The students and community members are our customers and the reason we are here. We wanted to create a ‘one-stop shop’ to guide them, answer questions and serve them,” Dr. Smith said.

���߲����� is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .