WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement

We are one month away from our third annual Founders' Day of Giving! Help us celebrate and support Wichita State by giving to the programs, departments and colleges that make a difference to students every day.

Our Shocker Pride license plates help support students like Michelle Anderson, a senior working toward her degree in Elementary Education. One of our 2024-25 Shocker Pride Scholars, Michelle says, "it is truly an honor to be selected to be a part of such a diverse and distinguished group that supports students and their post grad experience!"

Learn more about the program and get your plate today! https://bit.ly/3IIBcYz

We are excited to be partnering with Shocker Athletics to bring the Fan Fest experience to our Shocktoberfest Brew Garden, and we want your business there!! This will be a perfect place to showcase your Shocker pride as fans gear up to attend Shocker Madness in Koch Arena following the event.

Mark your calendars and register your business today for an afternoon of food, drinks, music and fun!

Want to make twice the impact with your gift this Founders’ Day? Matching gifts are an incredible way to support the programs you love, whether it’s a dollar-for-dollar match or a giving challenge for other donors. ​

Learn more about creating a matching gift:

foundation.wichita.edu

Shocker alum Paula Garcia '20/22 is racing in the Olympics TONIGHT at 3 a.m. CST.

Garcia will represent Spain as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team. She set Wichita State's indoor 200-meter record and ranks in the top-10 all-time at WSU in the indoor 60 meters, indoor 400 meters, outdoor 100 meters and outdoor 200 meters.

We can't wait to see her show her Shocker Pride in Paris 🌾🖤💛

You won't want to miss this exciting day!

Calling all entrepreneurs!! 📣

We're hosting the first ever Shocktoberfest Entrepreneur Market on Saturday, Oct. 5, and we want your business there! Booths will be set up throughout Woolsey Hall, kicking off a day of festivities for alumni, students and friends. The market will be steps away for the 1,400+ students living right here on campus, making it the perfect opportunity to bring your business to the Shocker Community.

Learn more and snag a booth space today: https://foundation.wichita.edu/events/shocktoberfest-entrepreneur-market/

"When Wichita State wins, the Wichita community wins."

We had a fantastic time connecting with WSU alumni at Koch Industries last night and sharing some of the exciting things happening with Wichita State athletics.

Thank you to all who joined us! We can't wait to see what the 2024-25 season holds.

Steffanie Fleig is a Shocker through and through, and when she decided to pursue a second career in therapy after years as a dental hygienist, she knew she wanted to come back to Wichita State. 💛

She said she is honored to be one of our 2024 Shocker Pride Scholars and is thrilled with the opportunity to connect with other students -- and we couldn't be more excited to have her!🌾

Mark your calendars! 🗓️ Our Founders’ Day of Giving will help create endless opportunities for Shocker Nation. 💛🖤

Melanie Rose Spurgeon has an incredible story to share of her path to graduation, and despite every challenge she encountered she is overwhelmingly grateful. From the professors in the Wichita State University College of Health Professions who went above and beyond to assist her, to the scholarships that filled the gaps, she recognizes WSU as a place where she not only belonged, but thrived.

Read her story ➡ https://bit.ly/45ZtbtC

Wichita ✈ Washington, D.C.

Our team had a fantastic time connecting with Shocker Nation in DC last night! It was a delight to hear about the incredible work Shocker alumni are doing in the Capitol and across the country.

Shocker alumna Aliyah Funschelle '20 is living her dreams as a sports content creator in New York City, and whether she's sitting courtside at a WNBA game, attending NBA draft parties or interviewing professional athletes, she's putting the skills she honed at WSU to work in her personal brand, Sports with Aliyah.

Read more about her story on our blog --🔗in the comments!

Shannon Rebolledo ’01/02 was selected last month as a finalist for the 2024 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, which honors excellence in public service.

She is nominated for her work as one of three team leaders on the U.S. Department of Labor’s investigation into illegal child labor practices at 13 meat slaughterhouses across eight states, leading to a large civil penalty and a new approach to child labor law enforcement.

Read the full story on our blog: https://foundation.wichita.edu/wichita-state-alumni-is-national-finalist-for-service-to-america-medal/

Now on the blog 📢

Shocker alumna Courtney Wages has passed on the Miss Kansas crown and offers her gratitude to her many supporters. As a nonprofit advocate, choreographer, community servant and newly published author, her journey is far from over and she is looking forward the many exciting things the future holds!

Meet Cole McAuliffe, one of our 2024-25 Shocker Pride Scholars! Cole is a senior working toward his Business Management degree while also juggling Army National Guard and ROTC responsibilities. He has an exciting future ahead of him, with hopes to earn an MBA and become a pilot! We asked him what he was most excited to get out of the Shocker Pride Scholars Program and he said he is looking forward to the networking and camaraderie this group will provide - which we thought was a perfect answer. 💛🖤

If you don't already have one, learn how you can get a Shocker Pride License Plate to support more students like Cole! https://foundation.wichita.edu/alumni/alumni-license-plate-program/

Meet Paul Longsworth ’85, who, alongside his wife, Rebecca, has been a longstanding supporter of Wichita State University and Shocker alumni. The two are generously cosponsoring our next Shocker Connection event in D.C., which will take place on Tuesday, July 9.

Both Paul and Rebecca have posted successful careers in the nuclear energy industry, she as a consultant while he has held several high-level positions in the federal government. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as deputy administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation within the National Nuclear Security Administration and is currently a senior associate at Longenecker & Associates Inc., a strategic consulting services firm based in Arlington, Virginia.

Paul has served on the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement National Advisory Council since 2016, and in addition to the gift of his time, he and Rebecca created an endowed library fund at WSU to assist all Shocker students by strengthening library services. They established the fund in appreciation for the educational opportunities Paul received at WSU, where he was active in student government and majored in finance.

RSVP for our D.C. event to connect with fellow Shockers and Wichita State friends, including Paul and Rebecca! https://foundation.wichita.edu/events/washington-dc-shockers-connect/

You might expect Wichita State to be a fairly quiet place on the weekends, and most of the time, you'd be right. But on one Saturday every spring, a growing group of alumni bring the campus to life with the annual WSU Pub Crawl. From margaritas at Fuzzy's to pitchers of beer at The Field House, these alumni are finding their own way to stay connected to our growing campus.

“The event has gained traction and increased in popularity over the years,” said Alex Durano '17. “The added stops show past and future alumni the progress the university has made.”

Read the full story at the link in comments!

Jessica Stitt ’08/09/22 is a proud third-generation Shocker, and as a self-defined “planner,” she wanted to prepare for how she could support the university when she’s gone.

“What I love about a planned gift is it puts it on paper. If you can spell it out now, then it’s not as hard down the road for your family to remember that this was a thing you would have loved to do.”

Learn more about how Jessica’s planned gift will support student scholarships in the future, and how you can create a plan of your own today!

https://foundation.wichita.edu/planning-ahead-young-alumna-creates-estate-gift-for-future-students/

Shocker alumna Grace Wu-Monnat '91 is well known in the Wichita martial arts community, and last month she was recognized on the national stage. 🥇

A renowned Master, teacher and judge of professional Chinese martial arts competitions worldwide, she received lifetime achievement accolades at the 2024 Tiger Claw Elite competition, hosted by KungFuMagazine.com in San Jose, California.

Read more about her on our blog - link in comments!

The Hon. Scott Stucky ’70, senior judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, has maintained strong Shocker connections no matter how far his professional journeys have taken him from his home state of Kansas. His campus involvements at Wichita State included serving as president of the Student Government Association — and donning tights and a cape as “Super Cookie” to help propel his fraternity, SigEp Wichita State, to a Hippodrome skit win.

Stucky graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and a commission as a second lieutenant, U.S. Air Force Reserve, through ROTC. After earning a JD from Harvard Law School in 1973 and being admitted to the Kansas bar, he went on active duty as a judge advocate in the Air Force, serving in San Antonio, U-Tapao, Thailand, and Syracuse, New York, retiring as a colonel in 2003. He then practiced law with a Washington, D.C. firm and, in 2006, was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He became chief judge in 2017 and senior judge on the expiration of his term in 2021.

Somehow, this high-profile Shocker always made time for Wichita State and fellow Shocker alumni, and he still does. Stucky has generously helped sponsor our next Shocker Connection event in D.C., which will be held on July 9.

Learn more and RSVP to connect with your fellow Shockers, including Scott! https://foundation.wichita.edu/events/washington-dc-shockers-connect

Did you know our Shocker Pride License Plates help provide more than $80,000 in scholarships for the Shocker Pride Scholars Program every year?

You can get a hold of one of these plates by visiting a Kansas tag office to start driving in style AND support Shocker students.

More info ➡ https://foundation.wichita.edu/alumni/alumni-license-plate-program/

Congratulations to AMA Wichita’s 2024 Marketer of the Year, our very own Mary Beth Housdan!

Mary Beth is the genius graphic designer behind everything we do, and beyond deserving of this recognition. She’s an exceptional team player, amazing at her craft and a wonderful human on top of that. We are so lucky to have her on our team! 🎉

Did you know Wichita State has a Shooting Sports Club? Many don't, and alumna Kaylee Tabbert '22 was one of them. But when she transferred to Wichita State in 2019, she found the club to be a community that made all the difference in her education and instilled lessons she can apply in her career today.

👉🏻Read her story: https://bit.ly/4bw1ieq

🗓️ Mark your calendars, D.C. Shockers!

We're excited to invite you to join us for a Shocker social at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at the Royal Sands Social Club. WSU President Rick Muma and members of the university's alumni engagement team will host a Presidential Happy Hour before the presentation of the Kansas Society of Washington D.C.'s 2024 Kansan of the Year award, and you won't want to miss the chance to connect with local alumni.

👉 RSVP and Learn More: https://foundation.wichita.edu/events/washington-dc-shockers-connect/