Greenville College Student Takes a Shot at a Million

Steve Mislich was focused on one thing while jogging through New York City in the rain - just make it to the audition. Little did he know the summer audition would lead to a fall appearance on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" as well as $25,000 in winnings.

"Nothing can compare to the thrill of being on national television!" said Mislich, a senior at Greenville College from Altamont, IL who appeared as a contestant on a special Halloween-themed edition of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," on Nov. 2. "The producers, the other contestants, the audience, and the host were all fantastic and extremely helpful. Everyone genuinely wanted me to win."

Mislich successfully navigated his way through the first ten questions with an accumulated Millionaire Bank of $63,600 and one remaining lifeline. He chose to go for $100,000 on his eleventh question, and he used his last lifeline to poll the audience. Mislich went with the audience advice, but provided an incorrect answer. He left the show with $25,000 and some newfound notoriety.

Mislich, a math and computer science major at Greenville College, plans to pursue a doctorate degree after he graduates in the spring. His Millionaire prize will provide added savings. He also plans to purchase plane tickets to visit his girlfriend, Katie, who currently lives 600 miles away.

This story was published on November 13, 2012

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Putting Student Success Under the Microscope

Like a lot of people, Ben Myette met his future spouse at college. "Unlike most people," he recalls with a chuckle, "I met my wife at the beginning of my third freshman year."

Myette eventually overcame his freshman struggles and graduated. According to a report last year from the American Institute for Research, however, many college students do not fare as well as Myette. Today's colleges and universities only graduate slightly more than half of the students that walk through their doors. In an effort to accelerate student success, Greenville College has launched an initiative to examine new students' experiences. The national higher education project known as "Foundations of Excellence®" sponsored by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education combines nearly a decade of work with over 300 institutions to develop model standards for new students.

"We have paid careful attention to helping first-year students thrive at Greenville College for decades," said Acting President Randy Bergen. "However, because college costs now strain the resources of most students and their families, we want to do everything we can to ensure that students complete their first year successfully and go on to graduate. For that reason, we are redoubling our efforts to help students succeed."

Greenville's proactive approach to serving students is especially important in today's economic climate. The national balance of student loan debt now exceeds that of credit cards and car loans according to a March report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. With added focus on student success, Greenville College can put students on a path toward financial security. "This self-study will help us identify areas where we succeed in helping students achieve their goals and areas where we can improve," said Marcos Gilmore, co-chair of the Foundations initiative and dean of student success. "We are committed to supplementing academics with a variety of services that provide leadership training, career development, networking, and financial counseling."

Approximately 140 Greenville College employees are serving on nine committees to review issues that affect first-year students. Throughout the current academic year, the college will measure its effectiveness in recruiting, admitting, orienting, supporting, advising, and teaching new students. Data is being collected from Greenville College students, faculty and staff with assistance from the Gardner Institute and its technology support and educational survey partner, Educational Benchmarking, Inc. The project will yield action items that Greenville College will undertake to improve student retention, graduation rates, and the overall first-year experience.

"The Foundations of Excellence project facilitates conversations between people from all different facets of the institution about the one thing that is our shared interest, and that is our students," said Teresa Holden, co-chair of the Foundations initiative and assistant professor of history, political science and education. "It builds consensus around the types of change we believe are vital to the well-being of the institution with regard to our central mission of serving students and preparing them to be transformational figures in the world."

Additional information about the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education and this project can be found at JNGI.org.

Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students.  Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, Illinois, 45 miles east of St. Louis.

This story was published on November 07, 2012

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Putting Student Success Under the Microscope

Like a lot of people, Ben Myette met his future spouse at college. "Unlike most people," he recalls with a chuckle, "I met my wife at the beginning of my third freshman year."

Myette eventually overcame his freshman struggles and graduated. According to a report last year from the American Institute for Research, however, many college students do not fare as well as Myette. Today's colleges and universities only graduate slightly more than half of the students that walk through their doors. In an effort to accelerate student success, Greenville College has launched an initiative to examine new students' experiences. The national higher education project known as "Foundations of Excellence®" sponsored by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education combines nearly a decade of work with over 300 institutions to develop model standards for new students.

"We have paid careful attention to helping first-year students thrive at Greenville College for decades," said Acting President Randy Bergen. "However, because college costs now strain the resources of most students and their families, we want to do everything we can to ensure that students complete their first year successfully and go on to graduate. For that reason, we are redoubling our efforts to help students succeed."

Greenville's proactive approach to serving students is especially important in today's economic climate. The national balance of student loan debt now exceeds that of credit cards and car loans according to a March report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. With added focus on student success, Greenville College can put students on a path toward financial security. "This self-study will help us identify areas where we succeed in helping students achieve their goals and areas where we can improve," said Marcos Gilmore, co-chair of the Foundations initiative and dean of student success. "We are committed to supplementing academics with a variety of services that provide leadership training, career development, networking, and financial counseling."

Approximately 140 Greenville College employees are serving on nine committees to review issues that affect first-year students. Throughout the current academic year, the college will measure its effectiveness in recruiting, admitting, orienting, supporting, advising, and teaching new students. Data is being collected from Greenville College students, faculty and staff with assistance from the Gardner Institute and its technology support and educational survey partner, Educational Benchmarking, Inc. The project will yield action items that Greenville College will undertake to improve student retention, graduation rates, and the overall first-year experience.

"The Foundations of Excellence project facilitates conversations between people from all different facets of the institution about the one thing that is our shared interest, and that is our students," said Teresa Holden, co-chair of the Foundations initiative and assistant professor of history, political science and education. "It builds consensus around the types of change we believe are vital to the well-being of the institution with regard to our central mission of serving students and preparing them to be transformational figures in the world."

Additional information about the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education and this project can be found at JNGI.org.

Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students.  Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, Illinois, 45 miles east of St. Louis.

This story was published on November 07, 2012

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Well-Rounded Baker wins Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Award

On November 3, 2012, the Lincoln Academy of Illinois honored outstanding senior college students from each of the four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities in the state. The Lincoln Academy's Student Laureate Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities, to students who have a personal commitment to excel in their academic accomplishments.

At the Student Laureate Convocation, each student received a Student Laureate Medallion, along with an honorarium check and certificate of achievement. The convocation was held at the Old State Capitol Site in Springfield, followed by a luncheon at the Illinois Executive Mansion.

Ross Baker, a senior at Greenville College, was selected to attend the special event and receive the prestigious award. Baker noted, "The ceremony was very impressive! I couldn't believe that I had been given the same award as the other outstanding students surrounding me. God has blessed me with talents, and I owe Him the credit for the award."

Ross' academic advisor, Dr. George Peters, and his track and cross-country coach, Brian Patton, were among the faculty that recommended Ross for the award. Peters mentioned that Ross is "personable, as well as smart, responsible and athletic. He is always engaged in class and is interested in ideas and learning. He is truly an exceptional candidate." Patton included that Ross "is someone who gives of himself without asking anything in return."

When asked about his time at the Illinois Executive Mansion, Ross was willing to share a few details. "The mansion was absolutely amazing! Dr. Brian Hartley, Dr. George Peters, my parents and myself ate lunch together in the Executive Mansion, along with the rest of the Laureates and their families. The Governor has a very nice place to stay when he is in Springfield!"

Ross is studying mathematics education at Greenville College, where he also runs track and cross-country and works as a resident chaplain for the office of student development. It's been an exciting four years for Ross, and he notes "I would never change my experiences I have had at Greenville, and I look forward to the rest of my senior year."

Greenville College is a four-year accredited Christian liberal arts school with more than 1,400 traditional undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree completion students. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, the college is located in Greenville, IL, 45 miles east of St. Louis.

This story was published on November 08, 2012

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Assistant Professor and Student at Heart

Her first year in graduate school, Lindsey Row-Heyveld '04 attended a Halloween party dressed as Hester Prynne, the heroine from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. On the way to the party, her long dark dress, white cap, and red letter 'A' led people to mistake her for a nun. When she walked into a room crowded with fellow English graduate students, however, everyone immediately burst into applause. "I remember thinking, 'I've found my people' - not because they got my dorky costume, but because they were as excited about literature as I was."

Lindsey, now an assistant professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, had previously delighted in finding "her people" at Greenville College - people that shared her passions about literature and learning. She is among the Greenville College graduates for whom the doctoral path makes sense as the next step after completing their undergraduate work. Her decision to commit to that seven-year process resulted from discoveries that unfolded over her four years at GC.    

"My current research focuses on representations of disability in early modern English drama, which I see emerging from the mentorship I received at Greenville," she explains. "I wrote my very first paper on disability in a class with Dr. Shaw, and Dr. Hartley's passion for the English Reformation ignited my own."

Dynamic discussion in Shaw's classroom inspired Lindsey's decision to continue studying literature and engaging in that kind of "vibrant, even electric learning." She began doctoral studies at the University of Iowa at age 22, only three months after her Greenville College graduation. She received her degree in 2011.

"It suited my interests and my abilities since I care about teaching, but I also really love research for its own sake," she explains. "Honestly, I don't think I realized at the time what an enormous commitment it was, which is probably why I thought I could do it: I had the courage of ignorance." 

Lindsey's continued excitement for teaching and research confirm that an advanced degree was the right path for her. "I do more and better research when I'm teaching, and my teaching is stronger and more creative when I'm also doing research."

She regards the guidance she received from her GC professors as a continual influence. "They nurtured so much more than just my intellect. I would consider myself deeply blessed to offer that same care to my students." 

This story was published on December 20, 2012

View the original article here

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Assistant Professor and Student at Heart

Her first year in graduate school, Lindsey Row-Heyveld '04 attended a Halloween party dressed as Hester Prynne, the heroine from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. On the way to the party, her long dark dress, white cap, and red letter 'A' led people to mistake her for a nun. When she walked into a room crowded with fellow English graduate students, however, everyone immediately burst into applause. "I remember thinking, 'I've found my people' - not because they got my dorky costume, but because they were as excited about literature as I was."

Lindsey, now an assistant professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, had previously delighted in finding "her people" at Greenville College - people that shared her passions about literature and learning. She is among the Greenville College graduates for whom the doctoral path makes sense as the next step after completing their undergraduate work. Her decision to commit to that seven-year process resulted from discoveries that unfolded over her four years at GC.    

"My current research focuses on representations of disability in early modern English drama, which I see emerging from the mentorship I received at Greenville," she explains. "I wrote my very first paper on disability in a class with Dr. Shaw, and Dr. Hartley's passion for the English Reformation ignited my own."

Dynamic discussion in Shaw's classroom inspired Lindsey's decision to continue studying literature and engaging in that kind of "vibrant, even electric learning." She began doctoral studies at the University of Iowa at age 22, only three months after her Greenville College graduation. She received her degree in 2011.

"It suited my interests and my abilities since I care about teaching, but I also really love research for its own sake," she explains. "Honestly, I don't think I realized at the time what an enormous commitment it was, which is probably why I thought I could do it: I had the courage of ignorance." 

Lindsey's continued excitement for teaching and research confirm that an advanced degree was the right path for her. "I do more and better research when I'm teaching, and my teaching is stronger and more creative when I'm also doing research."

She regards the guidance she received from her GC professors as a continual influence. "They nurtured so much more than just my intellect. I would consider myself deeply blessed to offer that same care to my students." 

This story was published on December 20, 2012

View the original article here

Read More