Fosters receive Ambassador Award; Courtney Sendall named Young Achiever

Treated to an evening of dinner and music, a large crowd of Cowley College donors attended the annual Cowley College Foundation banquet held Thursday in the Earle N. Wright Community Room.

The event had generous support from CPA Solutions L.L.C., and The Trust Company of Kansas who have served as sponsors for the event for a number of years.

Cowley College vice president of institutional advancement Dr. Kori Gregg served as emcee for the evening and thanked those in attendance for their support.

“All of you make what we do such a joy,” Dr. Gregg said. “Because of you we are able to help our students get the higher education that they all deserve. Your dollars are making a difference in our students’ lives.”

This fall the school was able to provide $115,000 worth of scholarship support to more than 200 students.

Great Western Dining provided a wonderful dinner. Following the banquet, those in attendance were treated to dueling pianos from Fun Pianos, which donated 100 percent of their tips to the Starting Point Scholarship.

During the banquet, Dr. Gregg presented the Ambassador Award to Bob and JoLynn Foster. The award recognizes individuals who have given significant volunteer and other contributions to both Cowley College and the community, and consistently give of themselves and their time to make the community better.

Bob and JoLynn were married in 1960. Bob went on to graduate from Kansas University with a degree in journalism, while JoLynn received an accounting degree from Wichita State University. Bob then ran Bob Foster’s furniture until his retirement, and JoLynn worked at Parman, Tanner, Soule & Jackson as staff accountant, as the regional air carrier controller at Midwest Airlines in Wichita, KS, and then in the Finance and Compliance Department at GE until her retirement.

Never ones to sit still, they have been very active in retirement, volunteering throughout the community including Habitat for Humanity, Sacred Heart Church, Rotary and Cowley College where JoLynn serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees and Bob serves on the Foundation Board.

They attend numerous Tiger athletic events and serve in Cowley College’s Foster Parent program.

“The handprint they have placed on this college and community has been remarkable,” Dr. Gregg said.

The couple were surprised at the banquet by their three daughters.

“We are very appreciative of this award and could not be more surprised,” JoLynn said. “Thank you all and Together We Roar.”

Courtney (Crain) Sendall was then announced as this year’s recipient of the Young Achiever Award. The award recognizes individuals age 40 or younger that have had success in their educational achievements, careers and community service, and/or service to Cowley College.

Sendall graduated with a 4.0 grade point average from Cowley College in 2008. At Cowley, Sendall was a true leader on campus. She served as the Assistant Editor of the Cowley Press, the President for Tyger Tawk, the Vice President of Fellowship in Phi Theta Kappa and a Student Ambassador. She was also involved in Campus Christian Fellowship, Journalism club, Math and Science club and Act One. She also served as a work study for the Humanities Department, was a member of the Concert Choir and was a finalist for Queen Alalah.

She is the daughter of Kent and Pam Crain of Arkansas City.

Sendall went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Wichita State University and began her career in Corporate Communications at Intrust Bank. She is currently the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has won numerous national, state and local awards for the Chamber’s marketing and communication pieces.

If that isn’t enough, she is actively involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, the Kansas Food Bank, Kansas Humane Society, Kansas Specialty Dog Services, Make a Wish Foundation and Young Professionals of Wichita.

“I am very humbled and very honored to receive this award,” Sendall said. “I am so grateful for my Cowley experience. The opportunities afforded to me in this building are priceless. I am a big advocate for this college. It is so easy to be involved and make a difference at Cowley.”

Also during the banquet, a video was shown featuring Foundation Scholarship recipients. The Foundation Scholarship recipients thanked the donors in attendance for making their scholarships possible.

To donate to the Cowley College Foundation, contact Dr. Kori Gregg at 620-441-5245 or go to www.cowleyfoundation.org/donate.