Lindenwood University prides itself on the motto of Real Experience, Real Success. Not only is this Lindenwood’s motto, but it is also a great description for Mike Elam, a Lindenwood University Alum who has just recently been nominated as the Chairman for the Council of St. Charles County. Through his hard work and dedication, this alum is making real change happen.

Recent Lindenwood graduate Kathleen Varvera has been accepted into the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where she will be pursuing a Masters of Science in the Control of Infectious Diseases this fall. Varvera graduated from Lindenwood in December 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in both Public Health and Biological Sciences. LSHTM is ranked 3rd in the world for public health and 1st in the UK. It is also the UK’s top university for the proportion of academic research with women listed as authors, and 4th in the world for infectious diseases and is Varvera’s dream school.

On March 24 from 3-4 PM, Lindenwood University will host alumnus Josh Burns for a presentation about the Diplomatic Security Service branch of the U.S. Department of State. Burns currently serves as a Watch Officer at the Diplomatic Security Command Center in Rosslyn, Virginia. He graduated from Lindenwood in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with an emphasis in Security Studies.

Lindenwood graduate Jessica Moon has recently been offered and has since accepted a fully funded research assistantship at the University of Central Florida. Moon graduated in 2018 from Lindenwood with her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science and again from Lindenwood in 2020 with her Master’s in Health Sciences with an emphasis in Sports Science and Performance. She holds such a passion for health and wellness that she knew that this was the right path for her to help her discover new techniques and strategies for the promotion of nutrition and health through research.

Along the historic Main Street of St. Charles sits Sweet Poppins, a gourmet popcorn shop catering to the needs of their neighbors. Behind the delicious kernels is Erica Priest, a Lindenwood University alumna and small-business owner, who is committed to her community in many ways.

Recent Lindenwood University graduate Samantha Goewert is defying the odds as she follows in the footsteps of mentor and former professor at Lindenwood, Dr. Sara Bagley. Goewert is a graduate student at Saint Louis University (SLU) and is part of their experimental psychology program with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience.

Lindenwood University’s December Virtual Commencement Ceremonies will be available for viewing beginning Friday, December 18 at 1 p.m. CT.  Graduates, family, friends, and the Lindenwood community are invited to join this virtual celebration recognizing the Class of 2020.

Starting on December 11, 2020, anyone with a Netflix subscription will be able to watch Lindenwood alum Brandon Hudson dance in a new feature film titled The Prom. The upcoming release comes in quick succession to another Netflix original release, Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, which also includes a performance by Hudson and is available now.

The Young Alumni Award recognizes the accomplishments of Lindenwood University alumni who graduated in the last 10 years. Recipients are up-and-coming talents and have demonstrated outstanding promise for contributions to Lindenwood and the greater community. Recipients have been active with events within the Alumni Association, networking opportunities, fundraising, and student recruitment.

We are honored to present Jon “JT” Taylor with the 2020 Alumni Merit Award. The Alumni Merit Award recognizes alumni who have enhanced the prestige of Lindenwood University by virtue of their character, integrity, career, and personal accomplishments. Traditionally, the award has not been given in recognition of a single remarkable achievement but has been reserved for those alumni who have attained and maintained extremely high stations in their chosen fields of endeavor and in their service to society.