College of the Ozarks partners with Honor Flight of the Ozarks to send students with Veterans to Washington, D.C. to show respect for their sacrifice and gain insight into the cost of freedom. (L-R): senior Kyle Kapella, senior Grace Meiners, senior Abigail Rowe, trip sponsor Erin Blake, senior Marcus Dougherty, junior Noah Burton, junior BettyAnn Jurgensmeyer.

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks paired with Honor Flight of the Ozarks to send seven students with Veterans to Washington, D.C., on May 16. The trip recognized sacrifices made by Veterans serving our country in various wars, including WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

The group visited the World War II Memorial, United States Navy Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Marine Corps War Memorial, Air Force Memorial, and the Arlington National Cemetery. They also witnessed the Changing of the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“Just being with my Veteran was a highlight,” said Erin Blake, Ashcroft residence director and trip sponsor. “He was a Vietnam Veteran, and it was his first time visiting the Vietnam Wall. It was pretty emotional when he found a high school friend’s name etched on it.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of how these students handled themselves,” Blake said. “It was truly life-changing.”

C of O Student Participants

• Noah Burton, junior public relations and computer information science double major from Nixa, Missouri
• Marcus Dougherty, senior allied health science major from Kansas City, Missouri
• BettyAnn Jurgensmeyer, junior family studies and social work double major from Montrose, Missouri
• Kyle Kapella, senior ecology and field biology major from Hollister, Missouri
• Grace Meiners, senior nursing major from Columbia, Missouri
• Abigail Rowe, senior business administration major from Springfield, Missouri

Honor Flight

Honor Flight of the Ozarks is part of a national, not-for-profit organization created with the intent of honoring America’s Veterans for their many sacrifices.

There are 140 regional Honor Flight organizations serving 43 states in the United States, and there are several thousand Veterans on a national registry for the trips. Official network hubs have been established in 32 states to localize community commitment, operational planning, and fund-raising.

Since inception, the Honor Flight Network has flown 223,854 Veterans and 142,423 guardians to Washington D.C.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and financial responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 1 Most Innovative School in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2019 and No. 1 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — was ranked a Top Small Hotel in the U.S. by TripAdvisor for 2019. It features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus. Follow College of the Ozarks at www.facebook.com/collegeoftheozarks or on Twitter @CofOHardWorkU.

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05.28.19 – Andrew Ferkel