Homecoming & Family Weekend 2024 presented by Owensboro Health was a weekend that won’t soon be forgotten! Enjoy the links to the photos/live streamed events and the 2024 Alumni Hall of Fame and Outstanding Alumnus of the Arts honoree videos. Special thanks to our friends at Charles Mahlinger Photography and Wonder Boy Media for capturing these moments for us.
College sets record for sixth straight year, celebrating a decade of impact on global day of giving
Kentucky Wesleyan College raised a total of $1,152,816 on Giving Tuesday, setting a new single-day giving record for the sixth straight year. KWC has now realized over $3.8 million in charitable contributions from alumni, friends, students and employees in its decade of participation in the global day of giving.
“This is an historic milestone but a very real testament to the College’s momentum,” said President James Cousins. “Over the past few months, I’ve heard from so many alumni and friends who are excited about our future. There’s a real sense of community and shared purpose driving our success.”
Donors invested in the Wesleyan Scholarship Fund, the College’s area of greatest need, which provides scholarship support to each KWC student, the W Club to support Panther Athletics including individual athletic programs, academic programs and endowments, Campus Ministries, the Class of 2025 Senior Gift and more. Giving challenges from President Cousins and his wife Carrie, Kirk ’17 and Summer (Crick) Aldridge ’14, and Chemistry Professor Emeritus Dr. W.L. Magnuson were met, while others inspired investors to support scholarship and departmental funding to provide opportunity and enhanced student experiences.
The Fall 2024 issue of Pillars is available now! This issue features a conversation with President James and Carrie Cousins, an article on Panther Baseball Coach Todd Lillpop ’01, a look at the Class of 2024 Senior Gift and much more.
We love celebrating our students, alumni and friends in Pillars, and we hope you enjoy this issue.
Click Here or on the magazine cover image below to read the latest issue. For back issues of our magazine please Visit Here.
“We are proud of KWC and appreciate the impact upon our lives. We want to encourage all alumni to take a little time to get involved through the many activities offered. It has helped us recognize that every gift is important for the continued goals of KWC service to the community and world.”
“In connecting with students through the many different activities of the Alumni Board, we hope we have encouraged them; they have encouraged us!”
The Hills give to KWC in many ways that make a positive difference for today’s students and for future generations of Panthers. Below they share more reflections on the impact of the College on their lives.
Kentucky Wesleyan invites the community to begin the Christmas season at the Festival of Lessons and Carols, “The Tree of Life,” Dec. 5 and 6 at 7 p.m. at St. Stephen Cathedral at 610 Locust St. The Kentucky Wesleyan Singers and Shepard Brass Quintet will present Owensboro’s adaptation of the famous Nine Lessons and Carols, offered since 1918 at King’s College in Cambridge, England, and broadcast around the world by the BBC.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Patrick Ritsch is the conductor and James Wells ’14, director of music at the cathedral, is the staff collaborative pianist. Associate Professor of Music Dr. Lisa Clark is a soloist.
“The service of Nine Lessons and Carols is one of my favorite services of the Anglican tradition,” said Ritsch. “I am honored to continue this tradition at Kentucky Wesleyan. It began with my dear friend, Professor Dennis Jewett, and the late Professor Paul Oakley. This service is a wonderful way to welcome the Christmas season.”
Tickets ($10, $5 for senior adults and students with ID) are available by CLICKING HERE, by calling 270-852-3117 and at the door.
At Kentucky Wesleyan, your gifts not only make a difference, but your gifts ARE the difference—the difference between an adequate education and the high caliber, academically rigorous liberal arts foundation that has been the hallmark of Kentucky Wesleyan College since it was founded in 1858.
KWC will join thousands of colleges and nonprofit organizations around the world in the global day of giving on Dec. 3. Our goal – to surpass the $650,000 raised last year, and we can do it together! Through your generosity, we have raised over $2.7 million since our first Giving Tuesday in 2015, and we have set a record five straight years. Let’s do it again and celebrate a decade of giving.
Join the KWC Band for ‘Paris Sketches’ on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. in the Jack T. Wells ’77 Activity Center at 3300 Frederica St.
You will be transported across the Atlantic Ocean to celebrate music from French composers, life in Paris and beyond. The featured soloist is Associate Professor of Music Dr. Lisa Clark, soprano, and the conductor is Associate Professor of Music Dr. Patrick Stuckemeyer. The program will include works by Mashima, Delibes, Gershwin and Milhaud.
The concert is free and open to the public.
During her time at Kentucky Wesleyan, Allison (Estes) Ross ’02 was a James Graham Brown Scholar, Women’s Basketball player, SGA President and Vice President, Member of the Order of Oak & Ivy and many other things that she admits, she has surely forgotten by now.
As a now proud alumna of the College, Allison enjoys giving back to Wesleyan both financially and with her time.
“From a financial perspective, I typically give back to the Women’s Basketball program that poured so much into me for four wonderful years. I truly believe my time on that team transformed my life. I love watching the current teams play and they are always so thankful for any support.”
The Kentucky Wesleyan Singers will present their fall concert, “This & That,” on Nov. 14, 2024, at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church at 1328 Griffith Ave. in Owensboro. Patrick Ritsch, visiting assistant professor of music, is the conductor, and James Wells ’14, staff collaborative pianist, is the pianist.
Selections presented come from the standard choral repertoire and will also feature choral arrangements of familiar popular tunes. The thematic idea of this concert is pairings of texts – “this & that.” Each set of songs has texts that are married in some way, and in most cases, traditional choral pieces are paired with a popular tune. In addition to the choral music presented, several KWC piano and vocal students will perform solos and duets.
There is no admission. However, donations will be accepted.
The Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni Association announced its inaugural class of Forward Under 40, a new alumni recognition program celebrating the accomplishments of alumni who are under 40 years old.
This year’s class featured 24 alumni ranging in age from 29 to 39 with career paths varying from accounting and law to nonprofit leadership and medicine. It includes a variety of Kentucky cities as well as four other states and Washington, D.C. Selection was left entirely up to the College’s 8,000+ alumni base through anonymous voting after an open nomination process.