s a publication for alumni and friends - University of Central Missouri

development today
Scholarship Is Perfect Retirement Gift for Resch
What kind of
retirement gift do you
give a faculty member
who has devoted more
than three decades of her
life nurturing the talents
of hundreds of students?
For the CMSU
Department of Music’s
current and emeriti
faculty, starting a
scholarship seemed
the best way to honor
long-time friend and
colleague, Rita Resch.
She retired in May as
professor emerita of music.
Mia Hynes, a music faculty
member who donated to the
scholarship, said the endowment
was developed with gifts provided
by past and present faculty
members. Resch also made a
matching gift.
The fund was
started through the
CMSU Foundation
“as a way to honor
Resch’s service, and
with hopes that
the scholarship
will be able to
assist students in
pursuit of vocal
studies at the
university,” Hynes
said. She noted that
many of Resch’s
former students
will soon have
the opportunity to help the
scholarship grow to the $10,000
required to set up an endowment.
“We’re going to ask our
alumni for gifts to further the
endowment. The scholarship will
be a joint partnership between
current faculty, emeriti faculty,
Professor Emerita Rita Resch
is honored with scholarship.
and, hopefully, now our alumni,”
Hynes said.
In starting the scholarship, the
Department of Music recognized
that Resch has been an inspiration
through her commitment to the
department. She came to CMSU
in 1974 and taught singer’s
diction, vocal literature, piano
accompanying, and applied voice.
In addition to being an
outstanding classroom teacher,
she found time to participate in a
number of professional activities
that allowed her to share her
knowledge and abilities with
others and grow in her field.
She was an adjudicator, vocal
soloist, and piano accompanist
at many music events on and
off campus. She was active in
several professional organizations,
including the National
Association of Teachers of
Singing, Music Teachers National
Association, Sigma Alpha Iota,
and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Resch was also involved in
scholarly endeavors, including
serving as one of four co-authors
of all three editions of Artsong in
the United States: An Annotated
Bibliography, the most recent
edition published in 2001 by
Scarecrow Press.
— Jeff Murphy ’76 hs, ’80, ’95
Scholarships are a popular means to honor and appreciate an
admired faculty or staff member. Currently, at least 95 endowments
in the CMSU Foundation have been established by and/or carry
the name of current and emeriti faculty and staff members.
Wright Shares Passion for International Experiences
Professor emerita Audrey E.
Wright has always been passionate
about the value of international
experiences. Today, she shares this
passion with students through
the A.E. Wright International
Scholarship, an award recently
presented for the first time.
“This scholarship means a
great deal to me,” Wright said.
Thea Goding, a CMSU senior
who received the scholarship,
is studying this semester in
Germany. “The scholarship has
allowed me to take advantage
of the amazing teaching
opportunity I have in Europe
by giving me extra support to
cover additional expenses.”
Described by her CMSU
professors as a “bright star”
in the classroom with “great
professional promise,” Goding
attended high school in Seward,
NE, and came to CMSU to pursue
a degree in elementary education.
In preparation for her teaching
career, she is involved in student
teaching in a first grade classroom
at Patrick Henry Elementary
School in Heidelberg, Germany.
The school is operated by the U.S.
Department of Defense-Europe.
“I just love teaching overseas
and working with the Department
A scholarship named for Audrey E. Wright, professor emerita, right, has made it possible for first recipient, Thea Goding, to student teach this
fall in Germany and to experience opportunities that come from studying abroad.
of Defense. Traveling on
the weekends is a huge plus,”
she said.
The A.E. Wright International
Scholarship is for an
undergraduate or graduate student
pursuing an early childhood
or education degree. Recipients
must be participants in a CMSU
affiliated international experience.
Wright made the scholarship
possible by way of a gift through
the Central Missouri State
University Foundation. She
currently resides in Rochedale,
MA, after having served from
1988-2004 as a faculty member
in CMSU’s Department of
Curriculum and Instruction.
Throughout her career, she
worked with kindergarten and
elementary students, and also
took advantage of opportunities
to travel, teach and study overseas.
In establishing the
scholarship, Wright noted that
teachers especially need to have
a “global” perspective if they are
to prepare children effectively for
the challenges of the 21st century.
She believes that international
experiences make educators better
prepared to deal with the diverse
complexities of the classroom.
By leaving their comfort zones,
teachers can become more open
to questioning and understanding
society and the life experiences
that children bring into the
education environment.
For future teachers like
Goding, international experience
has also expanded her options
after graduation.
As she put it, “I plan on getting
a steady teaching job. I have no
limitations as to where.”
— Jeff Murphy ’76 hs, ’80, ’95
page 16 central today
winter 2005