Latest news with #BresciaUniversity
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brescia holds commencement at RiverPark Center
Duda Feres hadn't thought about being the student speaker during Brescia University's undergraduate commencement Saturday morning at the RiverPark Center until she got a little prodding from friends. But as she prepared to enter the facility's Cannon Hall with her classmates, she was thankful to have the opportunity. 'This year the student government association president was not a senior, so they decided to come up with an application process, and my friends were like Duda, you should apply,' she said. 'Honestly, I'm glad they told me to do that, because I had such a good time here at Brescia, and I've been involved in so many things.' Feres, who is from Brazil and played soccer for Brescia, said one of the aspects of her college career that stood out was how at home she always felt. 'As soon as I stepped here, everyone was really welcoming; people actually care about us,' she said. 'My friends, all of the professors, the staff, they're really warm with you. 'There is a sense of community. It's a small school, everyone knows everyone, but even though it's a small school, the diversity is so big. I've met so many people from different cultures, people I'm going to take with me forever.' Feres, who double majored in business and psychology, used her speech to talk about how students from so many different backgrounds create the Brescia community. 'It's a mix of my own culture and how that applies here, and how we all came from different places and had to go through so many things, but ended up here for a reason,' she said. 'You were meant to be here, and what we lived was almost unexplainable.' Feres has decided to stay at Brescia for another year to earn her Master of Business Administration. 'I love it too much,' she said of the school. 'I have to stay around.' Daniel Rusiecki, who earned degrees in English and psychology, arrived at Brescia from Florida to play basketball and quickly found a second family. 'The thing that stands out is the community; I've always said it feels like a family here,' he said. 'I came from Florida, and finding this community that accepts me and actually wants to make me engage with it, it's probably one of the best things I'll always remember about this campus. 'The way they surround you with their energy, no one wants to leave anyone behind. The people around here is what really made my experience.' Rusiecki said he's honored to be a part of Brescia's tradition. 'It means the world,' he said, 'knowing there are a lot of people who have come before me, and the fact I'm able to do this now at this level and make the people who came before me proud, it just means a lot.' Rusiecki will pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting from Western Kentucky University. He wants to be a film director and writer. 'When I was a kid my mom had heart problems, so I always wanted to be a heart surgeon,' he said. 'But my sophomore year of high school I got into a film class, and from there I've always wanted to go into movie making.' While Feres and Rusiecki praised the time they spent on campus, graduate Irene Wainaina was seeing the school — and Owensboro — for the first time this weekend, as she had taken classes through its online program from her home in Seattle. 'I had looked everywhere, but I really wanted an online-only program, and this was the only school that I could find that did strictly online,' she said. 'It worked out amazing, with amazing teachers.' Wainaina earned a degree in social work and wants to be a counselor. 'This means everything,' she said of graduating. 'It means my daughter gets to see me graduate, it means my family gets to see me graduate, and it means I kept a promise to my dad when he was dying. 'This was the last promise I made to him. So it means a lot.'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moment of Silence bill heads to Governor's desk
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)- A bill which would require a moment of silence before each school day in Kentucky is now on its way to Governor Beshear's desk. Senate Bill 19 would require moments of silence or reflection at the start of each school day lasting at least one minute, but not exceeding two minutes in length. Disaster team begins work on Brescia University's hail damage The bill outlines that students are to remain seated and silent so that others may exercise their individual choice to 'meditate, pray or engage in any other silent activity.' A late amendment to the bill would also require that local school boards give students the option to travel off campus for up to an hour each week to receive 'moral instruction' with a parent or guardian's permission. The bill does not include any punishment for districts which do not enact a moment of silence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Disaster team begins work on Brescia University's hail damage
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — Owensboro's Brescia University was damaged in this weekend's storm, but are finding ways to ensure classes resume as normal on Monday, March 16. School officials are grateful it's spring break and no students were on campus. 'There's going to be a lot of work involved. It's going to be a long and very expensive process,' says Father Larry Hostetter, the president of the university. Since Saturday morning, teachers, staff and students have been working quickly to make repairs to the school in an effort to keep academics on track. As hail as large as baseballs plummeted toward the building, the university's president says they quickly realized their roof wouldn't be able to take the load. 'We had water here in our cardio room, throughout this whole floor. Water was just coming down in sheets…going to the floor. We had pretty significant damage. Our greenhouse at the science building, some cars and houses' siding [were also damage],' says Father Hostetter. Officials say the student center, known as the Moore Center, took the hardest hit. Despite it being Spring Break, everyone jumped in to help vacuum up water and drain out rooms, as ceiling tiles hung out of place above them. 'It was a kind of a losing battle because it was raining all day,' says Father Hostetter. A disaster team will step in Sunday to take over recovery efforts before classes resume Monday. Students won't be able to use the cardio room, and athletes won't be lifting weights in their usual space. 'All of our academic buildings are okay. There was a little water in there, but not enough to cancel classes. We fortunately were able to cover up all of our exercise machines quickly, so they won't be damaged,' says Hostetter. Downstairs, one thing the storm didn't affect was the hosting of Youth 2000. Youth 2000 is a retreat for over 600 catholic youth annually held for over a decade. 'The gym is unscathed. That has a new a roof on it. There's no damage at the gym at all. In other places, they just had to walk around some buckets of water here and there,' says Hostetter. The university president says in terms of what happens next, there's one thing they can always be certain of. 'I think the community will rally around us. So, we have a special place on [ for people who want to donate to help with the disaster relief. We really appreciate any help we can get along those lines,' says Hostetter. Officials say Owensboro Catholic Middle School was also damaged. OCMS will be closed on Monday and students will have an NTI day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brescia celebrates Founder's Day with centennial at Winter Convocation
Owensboro's Brescia University hosted its annual Winter Convocation ceremony on Tuesday, but this ceremony just so happened to be presented on the university's Founder's Day. And this year the school will celebrate its 100th anniversary of opening its doors. Brescia University, a Catholic university, was founded by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as the Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women in 1925. Establishing the college was a way for the sisters to showcase their dedication to education. Following World War II, Owensboro expressed a need for co-educational extension courses and asked the Ursuline sisters to create a second campus site in downtown Owensboro. The two campuses consolidated in 1950 at the school's current location off of Frederica Street in downtown Owensboro. The Ursuline Sisters were founded by Saint Angela Merici who was known for her ministry of service to marginalized groups including the displaced, the poor, the orphaned and the sick. She saw women as a means to promote and provide change in a world seeking love, unity and harmony. Throughout the years, the sisters established themselves as educators and founded communities and schools to educate women and girls. Leading from the example set by Saint Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters, Brescia University has made its mission to provide students with a personal and social transformation through education. The school recognized two students, both a male and a female, with the Spirit of Angela Merici Award during the Winter Convocation. 'By recognizing these two students, we're paying homage to our roots and keeping with the tradition established by Saint Angela Merici,' said the school's vice president for student affairs, Lori Etheridge. This year's award recipients were Daniel Rusiecki and Sr. Chanh Ngo. 'These students exemplify the spirit of St. Angela through their service to others and to the entire community,' said Etheridge. Etheridge said that the selection process for this year's award recipients was 'tough' because 'many students are deserving of the honor.' Current Brescia president, Father Larry Hostetter, who will retire from his position at the end of the spring semester, said that the Spirit of Angela Merici Award is 'the most prestigious award for students' at Brescia. Twenty-four additional students were recognized as student leaders during the ceremony. 'Student leadership is valuable for a lifetime,' said Isaac Duncan, the assistant dean of students for student activities and leadership development. 'Leadership helps students to build valuable skills and achieve new heights.' Hostetter also discussed the school's centennial and introduced the university's new ceremonial mace, designed and crafted by Brescia alumnus Jim Barr. 'Our old one was getting worn out, so I thought it made sense to replace it during this year's centennial,' Hostetter said. 'And I want to thank Jim Barr on an excellent job.' Hostetter said that the mace features several important symbols for the university including four cords standing for the school's founding principles, laurel leaves for the Ursuline sisters and the addition of the colors blue and gold, the school's designated color scheme. Hostetter mentioned some positives for the university during his address to the crowd. 'I'm happy to report positive enrollment statistics and retention numbers at 91%,' he said. 'Those numbers show that we're moving in the right direction.' Hostetter also touched on a recent executive order to come from the Trump administration's White House which will issue a pause on federal grant spending. 'Luckily for Brescia, we don't have any big research grant funding that impacted,' he said. 'But I know everyone is worried about whether the executive order will affect student loans and the PELL Grant. And I can only say that we all hope it doesn't.' Hostetter said that Brescia students should face the current uncertain circumstances with fortitude, resilience and strength. 'I know how strong Brescia students are and I know that we have always adapted and overcome,' he said. 'And we will continue to do so because that's the Brescia way.' Brescia plans to have more events throughout the year to highlight its centennial celebration.
