MPE Alumni

 

 

 

 

 

Laura Jones, a graduate student in business administration at K-State University, was selected as a national finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship and participated in a four-state region interview. Laura is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She was a K-State cheerleader and a  coach for Catts Gymnastics, a competitive gymnastics gym. As a senior, Laura spent the summer 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey working at a hospital for children with cerebral palsy and also attended the Fulbright Institute for International Studies in Sofia, Bulgaria.

MPE Graduate, Derrek Hofrichter, received a White House Political Appointment in September to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), where he is the "Confidential Assistant" to one of the five board members. 

Derrek graduated in May 2003 from Patrick Henry College with a Bachelors Degree in Government. While attending PHC, he served as the 2002 Summer Intern Class President at the Department of the Interior. He then interned for the White House Liaison at the D.O.I. during the fall semester 2002. In December 2002, Derrek began an Internship at the White House, which continued through spring 2003. 

While at Patrick Henry College, Derrek met Angela Doe, a home-schooled student from New Mexico. Dr. Michael P. Farris, President of Patrick Henry College and Chairman of the Board & General Counsel for HSLDA officiated the August 24, 2003 Wedding Ceremony of Derrek and Angela, in Leesburg, Virginia.

Lauren Elise Blackburn is an alumni of MPE from the class of 2004. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Greg Blackburn of Olathe, KS, and was named to the Dean's List by Dr. Mathew A. Beemer, vice president for Academic Affairs at Pensacola Christian College, for academic achievement during the 2005 spring semester. This was a result of earning a B average or higher.

Lauren was also one of 10 girls out of 60 selected for the cheerleading squad for the 2005-2006 school year.

Stephanie Heichel, a member of the 2004 graduating class of Midwest Parent Educators, was awarded the National Youth Leadership Award for 2004 from the National Association of Runaway and Homeless Youth. The award was presented to Stephanie at the National Symposium in Washington, D.C. on February 25, 2004.

Stephanie has been employed as a Youth Project Specialist at MINK Youth Service since April, 2002. MINK is an organization that provides training and technical advice to organizations that are recipients of federal funds that work with runaway and homeless youth. As a Youth Project Specialist, Stephanie works with the adult staff members to communicate how youth view the world in which we live and the unique challenges they face.

Stephanie plans to attend Kansas State University majoring in Social Work. Her goal is to get her bachelors and masters degrees in Social Work and specialize in Play Therapy. The field of Play Therapy is an intervention style developed to work with younger children who are not yet able to effectively communicate verbally. By using play therapy, a youngster can be helped to reveal and/or solve an issue or difficulty.

In addition to her work at MINK, Stephanie is active in the youth group at Countryside Baptist Church in Olathe, captain of the varsity cheerleaders for the Metro Mavericks Basketball Team, and has participated in several volunteer activities in the community. She is the daughter of Diane Heichel, Olathe, and Steve Heichel of Overland Park.