NEWS GRAPHIC
Kay Dahlke
Education Editor
[email protected]
262-689-1544
EDUCATION
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2016 •
B5
Hats off at Bethesda
First crop of Bethesda College students graduated Saturday
Rach’s story
T
here was a time
when
Susan
Perkins
didn’t
know if her daughter,
Rachel “Rach” Hoffman, would be able to
attend a college, let
alone graduate from
one.
Hoffman,
22,
of
Grafton,
definitely
desired it, said Perkins.
Almost all of her high
school friends went on
to attend some sort of
post-secondary institution and Hoffman, too,
wanted to experience
Photo by Eric Schad/Concordia University Wisconsin
the joys and freedoms
The
seven
students
who
graduated
May
14
from Bethesda College tried on their
of living in a dorm
room, joining collegiate caps and gowns ahead of Concordia University Wisconsin’s commencement
clubs, attending classes ceremony. The students received a Certificate of Applied Learning and walked
and hanging out on alongside CUW’s more than 540 other undergraduates.
campus, to name a few.
For Hoffman, however, there were some unique Communities, to make Bethesda College possible,
challenges that made the scenario questionable. has already brought blessings to our two organiAlthough never officially diagnosed as cognitive- zations, to the Bethesda College students, and to
ly disabled, Hoffman scored low on certain cogni- Concordia’s students,” said William Cario, Ph.D.,
tive and developmental tests throughout her Concordia senior vice president of academics.
schooling, and her parents weren’t sure if she “We look forward to working with Bethesda to
could handle the rigor of post-secondary aca- continue to refine this program to have a greater
impact on our communities.”
demics.
The nonprofit Bethesda Lutheran Communities
However, when Concordia University Wisconsin, in partnership with Bethesda Lutheran Com- was founded more than 110 years ago by Luthermunities, began Bethesda College – a unique, two- ans who wanted to connect their hearts of faith
year program designed specifically for students with hands of service by helping people with
with developmental disabilities – the family saw a intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Bethesda’s goal, like CUW’s, is to foster the mispromising opportunity.
Two years later, Hoffman and six others from sion and ministry of The Lutheran Church-Misthe college crossed the CUW graduation stage to souri Synod.
In addition to Hoffman, those graduating on
receive a Certificate of Applied Learning, marking the first crop of Bethesda College graduates. Saturday from the program included Christopher
The students graduated alongside Concordia’s Brandt of Milwaukee, Claire Chalupka of Whitemore than 540 undergraduates May 14 on the Uni- fish Bay, Kristen Van Handel of Mequon, Mary
Cate Neff of River Hills, Thomas Scandrett of
versity’s Mequon campus.
“We, at one point, were thinking (college) was Mequon and Alec Shafer of Fox Point.
Perkins said she’s seen tremendous growth in
not going to be an option for Rachel,” Perkins
said. “As parents, we thought that Rachel had the her daughter over the past two years. Through the
ability to ultimately live independently and sup- program, Hoffman has had opportunity to intern
port herself, but the path there wasn’t clear. at Newcastle Place Retirement Community in the
Memory Care Unit and at Crossroads PresbyteriBethesda helped us find some pathways to this.”
Through Bethesda College, students have the an Preschool in the 3-year-old program.
Although Hoffman hasn’t yet lined up a job for
opportunity to live on the CUW campus in integrated residence halls and attend classes that after graduation, Perkins said the two experiblend a liberal arts focus with skills development. ences have given her daughter direction and
The curriculum is designed to help students grow affirmed her value in those settings.
“Those two job experiences are perfect fits for
intellectually, vocationally, socially, personally
and spiritually, while also giving them some of her life and interests,” Perkins said. “We didn’t
the perks of a typical university-level experience. know if she was going to find that. Bethesda
It is the only post-secondary program in Wis- showed us that, with support, she could actually
consin that blends the best practices of a nation- perform in the classroom and beyond.”
For more information, contact Carol Burns,
wide service provider for people with developmental disabilities with the learning environ- director of Bethesda College, at 847-224-0637 or
[email protected]. Additional information
ment and resources of an accredited university.
“Our collaboration with Bethesda Lutheran can be found at http://bethesda-college.org.
Photo submitted
From left are Jennifer Sutherland, director of Community Life Services at Newcastle Place; Bobby Kuske of Whitefish Bay, who is completing his first year and
will be returning; Gail Kochelek, professor of career preparation/director of internships at Bethesda College; Joe Samuel of Mequon, who graduated but has
applied for a summer job; and Kristen Van Handel, who graduated andhas worked
with Zoey the comfort dog.
An Unlikely Pairing
By Kenneth Anderson
News Graphic Correspondent
J
oe Samuel and Bobby Kuske both
attend Bethesda College of
Applied Learning. The two-year
college program provides further education for students with developmental
disabilities, and encompasses career
development, core academics and critical life skills. Furthermore, the program fosters independence and offers
the students real-world experience.
This semester, Samuel and Kuske have
participated in program-provided
internships to help gain even more
beneficial experience.
Currently in its second year, a prosperous partnership has emerged
between Bethesda College of Applied
Learning and Newcastle Place, one of
Mequon’s retirement communities.
The joint effort has benefited both the
senior residents at Newcastle and the
Bethesda students, providing students
with internships in one of the seven
possible sites at the retirement community. From dining to maintenance,
students have a wide range of sectors
to choose from, with each providing a
unique employment experience.
Samuel and Kuske are two such
interns within the program. Samuel
works Wednesdays and Fridays in
maintenance, while Kuske works Mondays and Fridays either in Newcastle’s
store or the OT/PT department. Both
interns work in the mornings at the
facility, with class afterwards, so time
management is essential. “I’ve learned
what it takes to be a good employee,”
said Kuske. But that wasn’t the only
thing they learned about the professional environment. The two were able
to identify what they enjoyed and
wanted more of in the future for their
careers. “For me, it was never the same
thing each day,” Samuel said. “It was
always something new or different that
I got a chance to try.”
However, the program doesn’t only
benefit the students. The unique relationship between the students and residents of Newcastle Place seems to be a
reciprocal one. Jennifer Sutherland,
director of Community Life Services,
explained it eloquently. “For our
adults, they learn new technologies
and innovations from their younger
counterparts, offer a different perspective on current issues and help to minimize differences and stereotypes.” So
while the students learn plenty about
interpersonal relationships and communicating, the older residents also
learn a thing or two.
Samuel graduated at the end of the
spring semester, while Kuske will finish up his first year and will return for
his second in the fall. When finished
with the program, the two will graduate with a Certificate of Applied
Learning. Sutherland said, “There are
no limits to the level of achievements
they can reach.” With the relationships
they’ve made and the experiences
they’ve had, it seems tough to argue
with that statement.
Mequon middle school students earn top music honors
Steffen students receive
exemplary solo awards
MEQUON — Eight Mequon-Thiensville School District
students earned top rankings at a Wisconsin School
Music Association Solo & Ensemble Festival held May 7 at
Cardinal Stritch University.
Amy Koo, Heaven Kim, Grayson Eichmeier and Inga
Salsbury of Steffen Middle School, and Daniel Shveytser,
Natan Botshtein, Elizabeth Foster and Jacob Yasonik of
Lake Shore Middle School all received top ranking of one middle school orchestra teacher Kirsten Ertl.
Middle school band teacher Brad Feigles added, “We are
on a five-point scale at the event.
Further, Koo, a sixth-grade student, and Salsbury, an honored to be represented by these talented musicians at
eighth-grade student, were recognized with Exemplary the state level.”
Solo Recognition Awards. The Exemplary Solo Recognition Project expands recognition of outstanding student
soloists at the WSMA Solo & Ensemble Festival.
Each year, more than 32,000 students qualify at district
festivals to perform at Solo & Ensemble festivals across
the state. The students who qualify for participation repkdahlke_NG
resent the highest-quality student musicians in Wisconsin. “These students have worked very hard to accomplish
this success and we are very proud of all of them,” said
Follow Kay
Dahlke on Twitter!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
■ Robby Friedlander, Homestead High School class of 2010,
graduated from Georgia Tech with a Master of Science in electrical
engineering May 6. Friedlander will be continuing at Georgia Tech in the
Ph.D program for electrical engineering. He was recently awarded the
prestigious National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship, ones
one of 180 selected for this award. Friedlander is the son of Ariel and
Barbara Friedlander of Mequon.
■ Rebecca Laabs, a junior English major from Mequon, was named
a winner in the 2016 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater University Writing Awards.
Laabs won in the Essay Exam category for the piece titled “Midterm:
Fairy Tales.” Students are nominated by faculty members for this award
for exemplifying their strong writing ability through a unique writing
piece.
award for her work in the Anthopology Department.
■ David Shepard was named to the dean’s list for the 2016 spring
semester at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.
■ Cedarburg residents were honored during commencement ceremonies held at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County.
Calvin Brice was awarded a $7,000 Kenneth G. Marsden scholarship. Logan Garcia received a $2,000 scholarship honoring Mr. and
Mrs. James R. Brown. Alicia Bostrack received a departmental
■ Sam Steinbrecher, a junior marketing and sociology major from
Thiensville, won the International Chapter of the Year Award as a part of
the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater American Marketing Association
chapter. AMA won the award for the fifth consecutive year at the International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans.
■ Michael Morrell of Cedarburg qualified for the spring 2016 dean’s
list at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
■ The following local students earned a position on the dean’s list
at the University of Evansville, Evansville, Ill., for academic achievements during the spring semester 2016: Emily Nielsen of Grafton,
majoring in archaeology, and Joseph Schwalb of Mequon, majoring in
theatre.
LUNCH MENU
(May 23 through May 27)
Cedarburg School District
■ Monday – (Elementary) pancakes and sausage patty, bagel,
peanut butter & cheese plate, chicken & cheese sandwich, tater tots,
cherry tomatoes, fresh apple, orange juice; (WTS) spaghetti & meatballs, popcorn chicken & bread, chicken & cheese sandwich, bagel,
peanut butter & cheese plate, tater tots, fresh broccoli, fresh apple,
peaches; (CHS) chicken nuggets w/breadstick, chicken ranch flatbread, sweet golden corn
■ Tuesday – (Elementary) pasta w/Italian meat sauce, chicken
patty, fruit, yogurt & cheese plate, turkey & cheese sandwich, Jello,
green beans, fresh red peppers, fresh orange, peaches; (WTS) chicken parmesan sandwich, pizza dippers & pizza sauce, turkey & cheese
sandwich, fruit, yogurt & cheese plate, Jello, green beans, fresh red
peppers, grape juice; (CHS) chicken tenders w/dinner roll, BBQ chicken panini, mashed potatoes
■ Wednesday – (Elementary) chicken nuggets & breadstick, grilled
cheese sandwich, fruit & yogurt parfait, ham & cheese sandwich, cinnamon sweet potatoes, zucchini, banana, fruit cocktail; (WTS) chicken pot
pie, mini corn dogs, ham & cheese sandwich, fruit & yogurt parfait, cinnamon sweet potatoes, fresh zucchini, fresh banana, orange; (CHS)
Philly cheesesteak, pepperoni flatbread pizza, steamed green beans
■ Thursday – (Elementary) chicken soft tacos, hot dog, fruit,
yogurt & cheese plate, turkey & cheese wrap, baked beans, fresh celery, orange wedges, applesauce; (WTS) beef nachos, hot dog, turkey
& cheese wrap, fruit, yogurt & cheese plate, baked beans, romaine
salad, fresh apple, applesauce; (CHS) pizza dippers & pizza sauce,
chicken parmesan panini, steamed carrots
■ Friday – (Elementary) cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, ham &
turkey chef salad w/roll, ham, turkey & cheese sandwich, broccoli,
fresh red pepper strips, fresh cantaloupe, fresh apple; (WTS) chicken
nuggets & breadstick, grilled cheese & tomato soup, ham, turkey &
cheese sandwich, ham, turkey chef salad w/roll, broccoli, fresh baby
carrots, fresh apple, orange juice; (CHS) grilled cheese & tomato
soup, chicken ranch panini, steamed broccoli
Grafton School District
■ Monday – (Elementary) mini cheese quesadillas, romaine garden salad, pop in your mouth tomatoes, crazy Craisin mix; (JL,HS)
mini cheese quesadillas or chicken & cheese quesadillas, romaine
garden salad, pop in your mouth tomatoes, crazy Craisin mix
■ Tuesday – (Elementary) Belgian waffle sticks, cheese omelet,
seasoned hash brown stick, assorted fruit and vegetable juices, saucy
strawberries; (JL,HS) breakfast sandwich or Belgian waffle sticks,
cheese omelet, seasoned hash brown stick, assorted fruit and vegetable juices, saucy strawberries
■ Wednesday – (All schools) popcorn chicken w/dipping sauce,
fluffy mashed potato, Riviera vegetable blend
■ Thursday – (All schools) all-beef hot dog on bun, Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans, thin cut fries, bag of Sun Chips, additional fruits
and carrots; (JL,HS) Italian meatball sub or all-beef hot dog on bun,
Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans, thin cut fries, bag of Sun Chips, additional fruits and carrots
■ Friday – ( All schools) cheese or pepperoni pizza square,
romaine garden salad w/fresh spinach greens & cool cucumber slices,
frosty fruit juice sherbet
Mequon-Thiensville School District
■ Monday – (Elementary) pancakes w/cheesy omelet, chicken
patty sandwich, PB&J sandwich, veggies, fruit & treat, classic chef salad
w/pretzel, tater tots, cherry tomatoes, garden salad, applesauce, blueberry parfait; (MS, HHS) cheeseburger w/Cajun slaw topping, oven-roasted
chicken, all-star club sandwich, classic chef salad w/pretzel
■ Tuesday – (Elementary) pasta w/meat sauce w/pretzel, pulled
pork sandwich on a roll, ham & cheese sandwich, fruit & yogurt platter
w/roll, green beans, peppers, garden salad, fruit cocktail, juice; (MS,
HHS) grilled cheese melt & tomato soup, chicken bruschetta flatbread
pizza, PB&J or ham & cheese sandwich, fruit & yogurt platter w/pretzel,
green beans, peppers, garden salad, celery sticks, juice, fruit cocktail
■ Wednesday – (Elementary) cheese quesadilla, chicken nuggets
w/hot pretzel, PB&J sandwich, veggies, fruit & treat, Italian pizza salad
w/pretzel, steamed rice, refried beans, carrot coins, romaine salad,
banana, peaches; (MS, HHS) cheesy meatball calzone, Chicago style
hot dog, PB&J or turkey & cheese wrap, Italian pizza salad w/pretzel,
french fries, steamed carrots, salad, berries, diced peaches
■ Thursday – (Elementary) walking taco, fish sandwich w/french
fries, deli chicken & cheese sandwich, chicken Caesar salad w/croutons, steamed broccoli, baby carrots, raisins, juice, applesauce; (MS,
HHS) beefy nachos, chicken drumsticks, PB&J or deli style chicken &
cheese sandwich, chicken caesar salad w/croutons, Mexican spiced
rice, refried beans, celery sticks, raisins, applesauce
■ Friday – (Elementary) cheeseburger on pretzel roll, beef
nachos w/salsa, PB&J sandwich, veggies, fruit & treat, popcorn chicken salad w/roll, Mexican rice, french fries, garden salad, blueberries,
diced pears; (MS, HHS) bacon cheeseburger, fish & chips w/coleslaw
& rye bread, PB&J sandwich, veggies, fruit & treat, popcorn chicken
salad w/pretzel, steamed spinach, baby carrots, garden salad, blueberries, fresh fruit cup