Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Prospective students and their parents are invited to attend “Show Me Day” Feb. 15 on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

“Show Me Day is an opportunity for individuals interested in Southeast to visit our campus and see the wide variety of academic programs and services we offer,” said Lenell Hahn, director of Admissions.

“Students can find out about Southeast’s admission process, meet with faculty from our academic departments, and interact with current Southeast students,” Hahn said. “We are thrilled to have students and parents here to explore and experience our vibrant and growing campus community. We want them to get as much information as possible during the day so they feel confident when they choose Southeast.”

The day will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. in the Student Recreation Center. Students are invited to browse through a Student Life Fair after they register from 9:30 to 10 a.m. The fair will allow prospective students to meet Southeast students and staff from areas such as Career Services, Residence Life, Dining Services, Greek Life, Academic Support Centers and the Honors Program.

The day will officially begin at 10 a.m. with a presentation by the Director of Admissions, followed by an introduction of Southeast admissions staff and student leaders. Prospective students also will have an opportunity to meet Southeast’s Redhawks mascot, Rowdy, who will make a special guest appearance along with the Southeast Sundancers and Cheerleaders. Following the presentation, an “Academic Fair” will take place in the Student Recreation Center East Gym, and will feature informational displays of the University’s various academic departments.

After participating in the Academic Fair, prospective students may attend presentations on financing their education, living on campus, and transferring to Southeast. Show Me Day will conclude with a tour of campus and the opportunity to dine during lunch in Towers Café.

“Southeast is fortunate enough to have award-winning dining facilities, and we want our guests to experience the quality and value offered to our students,” Hahn said.

Students interested in the arts are invited to visit Southeast’s River Campus, the only campus in the state dedicated solely to the fine arts.

“The big advantage to students studying the fine arts (theatre, dance, art and music) together is they have the opportunity to learn from each other in an environment dedicated solely to their areas of study,” said Rhonda Weller-Stilson, associate dean and director of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts.

Tours of the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts as well as the Jane Stephens Honors House will follow lunch.

Please contact Ashley Harris or Autumn Laird, Show Me Day coordinators, in the Office of Admissions at (573) 651-5939 if you would like more information, or to register for the event.

Submitted by

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Southeast Missouri State University Campus - The 36th annual high school art exhibition, “Exhibiting Excellence,” will be on display Feb. 9 through March 16 in the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum at Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus.  There are several students in Stoddard County who have artwork exhibited.

Shown in the photo is artwork by Dexter High School student Kasity Twaddell.

“Exhibiting Excellence” showcases the talents of junior and senior high school students from southern Illinois and southeast Missouri.
An opening reception will be held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9.

Awards in sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, mixed media, photography, fibers, drawing, painting, the Art Academy and Best of Show will be presented. The Art Academy Award will be given to a junior for outstanding work; this junior will receive a scholarship to attend one of the University’s summer Art Academy workshops. The Best of Show recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship to attend Southeast as an art major.

This year’s juror will be Jennifer Meroe Kennedy of Pomona, Ill., a substitute teacher in the Unity Point School District #140, Carbondale School District #95 and Carbondale Community High School. She formerly served as a visiting assistant professor in art education at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale where she taught “Studio Art for Teachers,” “Secondary and Elementary Methods for Art Educators” and “Adaptations for Students with Disabilities.”

Kennedy has extensive teaching experience, having taught art at Cobden (Ill.) Community High School, Pinckneyville (Ill.) Community High School, in the Steeleville (Ill.) Community Unit District, at the Carbondale Mega Arts Mini Camp and at McKinley Elementary School in St. Louis. She also has been a special education teacher’s assistant at Edgewood Children’s Center in Webster Groves, Mo.

Kennedy juried the Shawnee Community College High School Art Show last year and is a freelance illustrator for “The Wonderful Ride By Esther Claussen 2012.” The past two years, she has taught professional development workshops on arts integration for Meridian (Ill.) Elementary School. She is a member of the National Art Education Association, the Illinois Art Education Association and the National Education Association.

She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching in art education from Webster University and Bachelor of Arts in studio arts from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

The Crisp Museum is located in the Cultural Arts Center at Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus, located at 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 1-4 p.m. on weekends. For more information, call (573) 651-2260 or email ">museum@semo.edu.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Community College Week, the nation’s leading periodical for community, technical, and junior colleges, has declared Three Rivers College one of the fastest growing community colleges in America for the second year in a row.

 The periodical ranked Three Rivers as the number one fastest growing institution among colleges with 2,500-4,999 students during the period from Fall 2011 to Fall 2012. During that time, enrollment at Three Rivers rose by 921 students, the highest gross increase in its category, with an overall 25% jump in enrollment.

Dr. Devin Stephenson, President of Three Rivers College, says that the college’s explosive growth has been the result of an institutional focus on finding and meeting the needs of the college’s 15-county service region.

“Three Rivers prides itself on working within the communities we serve. We’ve put intense effort into forming partnerships with local employers and leaders,” said Stephenson. “From there, we’ve been able to customize our programs and job skills training programs to help meet the needs of residents who want to build a better future for themselves. That focus is clearly paying off.”

Students can now take courses at the Three Rivers Poplar Bluff campus; at centers in Sikeston, Dexter, Kennett, Malden, Willow Springs, and Cape Girardeau; at satellite sites throughout Southeast Missouri; and also online.

College officials also cite Three Rivers’ retention efforts as a key to their success. “Through intensive advising, enhanced academic and student support services, and early identification of at-risk students, we are working to help more students succeed and progress toward their education goals,” said Dr. Angela Totty, Three Rivers Vice President for Student Success. “We’re not content to just get students in the door. We’re committed to helping them leave here with the skills or the degree to help them improve their careers and lives.”

The Community College Week rankings come on the heels of the announcement that Three Rivers College met all five the Missouri Department of Higher Education’s performance funding benchmarks. The benchmarks judge student graduation/transfer rates, developmental education success, and credit hours taught per tax appropriation.

“I’m deeply honored by the state- and national-level recognition that Three Rivers is getting for the high-quality services it offers,” said Stephenson. “We strive to be the best higher education institution in Southeast Missouri. To see that hard work recognized on the national stage is the best kind of reward.”

Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.

Submitted by
Dee Loflin SMT Manager/Writer

They are as follows:

Feb. 9: 2–4 p.m., Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau in Dempster Hall at the corner of Henderson and New Madrid Streets.

Feb. 11: 6-8 p.m., Southeast Missouri State University-Kennett

Feb. 13: 6-8 p.m., Southeast Missouri State University-Malden

Feb. 18: 6-8 p.m., Southeast Missouri State University-Sikeston

FAFSA Frenzy, a program of College Goal Sunday (CGS), is a free state-wide event in which financial aid experts assist high school students and their parents in completing the 2014-2015 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the first step in applying for federal financial aid and state grant programs.

Students use the FAFSA application to apply for federal student grants, work-study and loans to assist them in funding their college education. They also may use this application to apply for most state and some private financial aid.

Families participating in FAFSA Frenzy will be able to complete the 2014-2015 FAFSA on-site and obtain valuable information.  2014 FAFSA Frenzy events will mark the 10th year Missouri has participated in CGS. In the past nine years, CGS/FAFSA Frenzy has helped more than 9,500 Missouri students complete the FAFSA.

Additional FAFSA Frenzy events are being conducted across the state. Dates, times and locations for all events are available at www.dhe.mo.gov or www.masfap.org/showmetocollege. Scholarships will be drawn for students attending any FAFSA Frenzy event in Missouri. Winners will receive their scholarships upon receipt of enrollment verification for the 2014 fall term in a Missouri postsecondary program.

FAFSA Frenzy is offered in Missouri through partnerships between the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) with the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel (MASFAP), the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA), the Lumina Foundation for Education and USA Funds.

To obtain additional information or access a complete list of FAFSA Frenzy events, visit www.dhe.mo.gov/ppc/fafsa_completion.php or www.masfap.org/showmetocollege.

Submitted by

Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

United States - GreenPal believes small businesses are the backbone of our country's economy.

Our founder started his first company, a small lawn mowing business, in high school and grew the company while attending college, ultimately scaling the organization to over 100 employees. Having recently guided that company through acquisition by a respected national organization he wants to assist aspiring entrepreneurs attending college while starting or running a small business.

The purpose of The GreenPal Small Business Scholarship is to assist a motivated, driven student and future business leader. We believe that the generation of today's students are the future employers of tomorrow. The future of our county will be forged by the entrepreneurial spirit of today's generation.

If you currently run a small business while attending college or have a small business idea to start while you plan to attend college, see below for the instructions and criteria for applying for the GreenPal scholarship.

1. DEADLINE for scholarship applications is May 30th, 2014.
2. Refer to criteria below for eligibility requirements.
3. Refer to application process below for a list of the supporting documents needed (i.e., evidence of GPA.) Incomplete applications will not be considered.
4. Submissions are to be submitted through the online application process below.
5. Scholarship winner will be announced June 15th, 2014.
6. This is an evergreen scholarship and will be renewed and funded each year by GreenPal.

NOTE:

Scholarship funds will be awarded to the student's institution, upon evidence of registration in classes. This includes student identification number and correct address of school's Bursar's Office.
Who is eligible to receive the awards? In the spirt of our founder, who founded his own lawn care company GreenPal's scholarship is open to any graduating high school senior, college freshman or sophomore who owns and operates his/her own small business, or has put together a business plan to start a business while in college. Additionally, the student must enter their freshman year at an accredited two- or four-year university, college or vocational/technical institute during the Fall of 2014.
GreenPal will publish all essays to the GreenPal blog. Social Media shares will serve as a method of voting and will be used as a component for picking the annual scholarship recipient.

Award Components:

Scholarship is $2,000 paid equally over (4) semesters, This scholarship will be renewed each year with a new winner. Each winner will receive (4) awards of $500 for each semester completed.

Criteria:

1. Applicant must be graduating High School's Senior Class in 2014 or currently enrolled in a college of business with a 3.0 or higher GPA
2. Applicant must demonstrate high ambition and desire to be an entrepreneur or business owner.
3. Applicant must have a declared major in the college of Business.
4. Funds must be used for full-time enrollment at accredited two or four-year colleges, Universities, vocational or technical schools in the United States.