Newman University Alumni

During Scholars Day, sports media and promotion majors Hannah Nordby and Kinyon DeCorte collaborated on a presentation titled “More Than the Game: Behind the Scenes of Athletic Performance.”

Nordby, a senior from Redlands, California, said the project highlighted the work that happens off the field during college athletic events.

“Everybody knows what goes on game day on the field, but nobody truly understands what goes into a game day behind the scenes — social media-wise, graphic-wise or photography-wise,” Nordby said.

The pair used their internships and athletic media work experiences to demonstrate how to prepare content for athletic games.

“It was just really neat to show other people what we did and what we got to learn,” said DeCorte, who hails from Bentonville, Arkansas.

Nordby said one lesson she learned involves sports photography preparation.

“When taking photos, you’re not reacting, you’re predicting,” she said. “You’re supposed to anticipate what’s going to happen in the game in order to get that right action shot.”

DeCorte encouraged students to “never give up” when attempting creative work.

“We started from the bottom, and then we got better,” she said. “Just have confidence in yourself.”

Congrats, grads!

Find the full Scholars Day story: https://news.newmanu.edu/90-projects-scholars-day/

Each semester, the Distinguished Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Graduate Award is presented to a student who exemplifies academic excellence, meaningful engagement in school and community activities and a deep commitment to the nursing profession. The spring 2026 award was given to Alysha Keck.

Director of Nursing Ashton Clarkson described Keck as an “exceptional example of leadership and service.” Beyond her nursing degree, Keck was involved in chorale and troubadours, cast in five musical productions, a member of the Honors Program, an ASC Service Award scholar and a tutor for students on campus. Off campus, she has volunteered for six consecutive years in her church nursery and served as a choreographer and assistant director for six shows at her alma mater, Sunrise Christian Academy. She also led worship sessions at the Catholic Care Center at Via Christi Village as part of her senior capstone project.

“It has been a true pleasure to learn and work alongside you,” Clarkson said. “We look forward to seeing you grow in your professional role as a nurse and to seeing how you will continue to embody the university’s mission of transforming society through the compassionate healthcare you provide.”

Keck said she felt honored to receive the Distinguished BSN Graduate Award.

“I definitely put a lot of work into it, and the encouragement and support of professors and friends — and getting to go through that with them — is a great way to see that my work has paid off,” Keck said. “I could not have done any of this without God’s help. It’s been a lot of prayers, leaning on him and trusting in his plan, especially when life was really crazy. I’m excited to help other people during vulnerable times, spreading the love of God through the gifts he’s given me.”

Congrats, Alysha!

Read the full story: https://news.newmanu.edu/50-graduates-healthcare-pins/

Graduate Cecilia Winter of Burton, Kansas, said caring for patients during vulnerable moments reaffirmed her calling to nurse anesthesia. After being a stay-at-home mom for seven years, she was encouraged to take the leap and pursue her goal of becoming a CRNA.

“Taking care of people at their most vulnerable is honestly a gift,” Winter said. “I really feel like when I’m with my patients, when they’re about to go to sleep, when I’m with them in pre-op or when I’m with them in PACU — I just feel a connection to take care of them.”

Winter is a 2026 graduate of Newman's Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program.

Congrats, Cecilia!

Read the full DNAP story: https://news.newmanu.edu/18-dnap-graduates/

Four years before Travia Smith crossed the stage as the recipient of Newman University’s highest undergraduate honor, the Ablah Award, she wrote about the kind of teacher she hoped to become.

“I plan to study hard and do my best to understand how to become a successful teacher in the classroom, while appreciating the values in becoming a successful teacher, not for the money I can earn … but because I have a passion for caring for my students,” she wrote in her St. Newman Scholarship application essay.

At Newman, Smith did just that — and more.

Smith, an elementary education major and psychology minor from the Bahamas, was named the 2026 recipient of the Leona J. Ablah Award during Newman University’s spring commencement ceremony on May 16. The token of achievement recognized Smith’s academic excellence, servant leadership, faith and compassion that made an impression across campus during her four years at Newman.

As a St. Newman Scholar and student-athlete on the women’s softball team, became known on campus as someone who rarely said “no” when others needed support. She served as chair of the Campus Activities Board (CAB), participated in Student Government Association initiatives, worked in the library, advocated for international students through the Multicultural Leadership Organization and supported fellow students at games, performances, fundraisers and campus events.

Smith helped revitalize CAB and expanded some of Newman’s most recognizable student traditions, including the Color Run, Breakfast and Bingo and Giving Day’s Trivia Night.

When Smith’s name was announced at commencement, she said she felt both honored and overwhelmed.

“My heart was beating so, so fast because everyone that got nominated are really deserving of the award as well,” Smith said.

This August, Smith will begin her career as a kindergarten teacher at Alta Brown Elementary School in Garden City, Kansas. Her long-term goal, she said, is “to build future leaders.”

Congratulations, Travia!

Read the full story: https://news.newmanu.edu/travia-smith-ablah-award/

Accounting student Cole Munley of Wichita presented a project titled “How AI is Transforming the World of Accounting" during Scholars Day at Newman.

Munley said his interest in numbers combined naturally with a fascination for emerging artificial intelligence.

“I’m just very interested in AI and seeing how powerful it is now,” Munley said. “I’m so interested to see what it could become.”

His presentation explored how automation and AI tools reshape accounting tasks and workflows, primarily through automation.

Munley said he hopes to work in a role that allows him to implement evolving AI technologies. He also believes accounting education will continue adapting as AI evolves.

“I think it’s a huge tool that is coming around everywhere,” Munley said. “I think we just need to get a better understanding of it.”

Find the full Scholars Day story: https://news.newmanu.edu/90-projects-scholars-day/

The night before the class of 2026 walked across the commencement stage, Newman graduates gathered for the Baccalaureate Mass in St. John’s Chapel.

The Mass, which was celebrated by Wichita Bishop Carl A. Kemme, serves as a faith-centered sendoff for graduating seniors. After the Mass ended, two graduates, Travia Smith and Anthony Cannavino, each reflected on what their years at Newman taught them.

Smith arrived at Newman in 2022 as a shy freshman and first-generation international student who planned to put her head down and get by. She left having learned the difference between surviving and truly living. In her reflection, she traced how community, connection and faith changed her perspective — and shared her own prayer for her classmates as they begin the next chapter.

Cannavino came to Newman from a small town in California not knowing a single person on campus. In his reflection, he credits the people around him — parents, mentors, teammates and his faith in God — for shaping who he became. He described himself as “a quilt crafted of the cloth of those who committed their life to making this world a better place.”

Watch the videos of Bishop Kemme's homily and graduate reflections or read the full story: https://news.newmanu.edu/baccalaureate-mass-2026/

Abderrahman “Abdu” Khamsi (right) moved to Wichita from El Paso, Texas, to complete the Newman Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice program. He said his nursing background inspired him to pursue nurse anesthesia and expand his ability to care for patients.

“I felt like it was a good match for me,” Khamsi said. “I get to expand on my critical thinking skills and the interventions I can do for my patients. With this degree, I can have a bigger impact on my patients’ care. I also don’t have to work overtime … and can spend more time with my family.”

Khamsi credited the close-knit support system within Newman’s program for his success.

“Newman has been great. The staff, very supportive,” he said. “With the small class size, you develop very close relationships with your peers, professors and staff. It just makes you feel that you’re appreciated and you’re supported.”

Congrats, Abdu!

Read the full DNAP story: https://news.newmanu.edu/18-dnap-graduates/

Aniya Day, a social work graduate, described her college experience as “transformative,” especially after losing both of her parents while completing her degree.

“Who I was as a freshman and who I am now — two completely different people,” Day said. “If you would have told me that I would have lost both my parents and still graduated in four years, I would have said, ‘You’re lying.’”

Day decorated her graduation cap with the phrase “Be the change” — a message inspired by her mother and one that closely aligned with St. Newman’s famous “to live is to change” quote.

“Lifelong learning is about making sure that you don’t stay stagnant in one place,” Day said. “Being a social worker, you have to continuously learn as the world evolves around you.”

Congrats, Aniya!

Read the full commencement story: https://news.newmanu.edu/2026-commencement/

Newman University honored two employees from more than 40 nominations during its 2026 Staff and Teaching Excellence Awards ceremony May 21.

James Sanny '15, video communications specialist, received the Staff Excellence Award, and Patrick Nance '05, '07, associate professor of accounting, received the Teaching Excellence Award.
Please join us in congratulating James and Patrick!

Find the full story: https://bit.ly/4fMLskJ

Who should we feature in the Fall 2026 Newman University Magazine? 👀

We’re looking for story ideas that celebrate the Newman community — from alumni accomplishments to student experiences and everything in between.

Submit your story idea for the Fall 2026 magazine here: https://newmanu.wufoo.com/forms/story-idea-submission-form/