Nov. 2024 – Muskie Pride

Happy Thanksgiving, Muskies!

From our Lakeland family to yours, we’re grateful for each and every one of you. Wishing you a day filled with joy, love, and plenty of good food. 

Thank you for being a cherished part of the Muskies community. 🦃💙💛  

Alumni Store — Now Open

We’ve teamed up with Musko’s Campus Shop to bring you the LU Alumni Store, open now through December 22, 2024.

Choose from convenient delivery options:

    • Pick-Up on Campus: Free, starting January 6, 2024, at Musko’s Campus Shop
    • Ship to Home: $10 flat-rate shipping, delivered by January 6, 2025

This is a limited-time opportunity to stock up on alumni gear—don’t wait, shop today! Reach out to alumni@lakeland.edu with any questions.

We Want Your Feedback, Muskies!

Help us enhance your alumni experience by completing our quick survey! 

Share your thoughts on: 

      • Your preferred communication channels 
      • Events you’d like to attend 
      • Ways to stay connected with Lakeland 
      • Milestones to feature in Lakeland Magazine! 

Your input shapes the future of alumni engagement—we’d love to hear from you! 

Share the Love and Celebrate Life, Muskies! 

We’re excited to share these joyful milestones from our alumni community: 

💍 Tralese Campbell-Rivers ’21 MSLOD ’23 and Larry Rivers III ’21 MSLOD ’23 tied the knot on June 7, 2024, after meeting as freshmen in 2017. 

💍 Kassidy (Murphy) Prunick MAC ’22 and Mason Prunick ’21 MBA ’22 were married on August 17, 2024. 

💍 Tracey (Sery) Tanck ’22 and Austin Tanck ’20 said “I do” on September 27, 2024. 

💍 Kory Theil ’09, Director of Property Operations with The Tailwind Group, married Elizabeth Dornfeld in March 2023, and they are expecting their first child this New Year’s Eve. 

💍 Stephanie (Burgardt) Schoenfeld ’16 married Adam Schoenfeld in December 2023, started a new role at Rite-Hite in March 2024, and is excited to welcome their first child on January 1, 2025! 

💍 Karli Nichols ’05 married Matt Luchini on November 9, 2024. 

👶 Brooke (Aiazzi) Miller ’16 and her husband Joe welcomed baby Maverick in December 2023. 

👶 Shyanne (Koski) Barrington ’20 and her husband are celebrating the arrival of their daughter, Elaina Lyn Marie, born on March 4, 2024. 

👶 Brittini (Scoles) Montgomery ’18 and JJ Montgomery celebrated the birth of Jaycee Mary in April 2024. 

We love hearing your stories! Have exciting news to share? Whether it’s a new job, wedding, or family addition, we’d love to feature you in the next edition of the Lakeland Magazine and on our social channels.  

Your classmates love keeping up with you—don’t be shy, Muskies!

Winery Helps Lakeland Grads Share Family Legacy

Tess (Myklebust) Anschutz ’14 and Lauren Myklebust ’23, along with their sisters, are bringing their family history to life at Sognefjord Winery in Baraboo, Wis. Opened in August 2024 near Wisconsin Dells, the winery celebrates their Norwegian roots and honors their late grandparents and father. Tess credits her time at Lakeland for teaching her the multitasking and communication skills that help bring the family’s vision to life.  

Learn more about the winery at sognefjordwinery.com

Additional Alum Spotlights

Karen Feld MBA ’23 honored with the 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award.
Ka Lee MAC ’13 received the 2024 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award.

Ka Lee MAC ’13 received the 2024 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award at the Sheboygan County Chamber ATHENA Leadership Awards for her impactful work and dedication to her community. 

Karen Feld MBA ’23 was honored with the 2024 ATHENA Leadership Award for her exceptional contributions and leadership in advancing women leaders. 

Travis Chell ’09 has recently been appointed as the Associate Commissioner for Communications at Conference Carolinas, an NCAA Division II league based in Greenville, S.C. The conference currently comprises 15 member institutions and 30 sports, with plans to expand to 126 members by the 2025-26 academic year. 

Rodney Carter Jr. ’04 was recently recognized for his outstanding work as CEO of Carter Financial Services, LLC, where he exemplifies faith-driven leadership and brings nearly two decades of expertise to corporate and non-profit organizations in Chicagoland. 

Tiffany Diven ’13 of Sheboygan North High School was awarded the WCTE Award for Diversity and Inclusion by the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English. 

Connor Clark ’17 of Sheboygan Falls, Wis., earned his Commercial Pilot Land Single Engine Certificate and is now working toward becoming a Certified Flight Instructor. 

Zach Buchman ’09 began a new role as Loan Partner at Novus Home Mortgage. 

Jared Summerdor ’19 joined the IRS – Criminal Investigation in December 2023 and graduated from Federal Law Enforcement Training in June 2024, earning the title of Special Agent. 

Jodi Schneider ’11 started a new role as International Compliance Manager at Grande Cheese in June 2024. 

Sara Maple ’24 began working as an After-School Behavioral Counselor for K-12 with the YMCA of the USA. 

Keep making us proud, Muskies! Have exciting news to share?

Class Notes

Bill Klossner
Class of 1974, Retired UCC Clergy 

“After retiring from 39 years of parish ministry in Wisconsin and Florida, I found my new calling in 2016 when I joined the Board of Directors of the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens in Punta Gorda, Fla. Two months later, I became Board President. At that time, the Gardens were still under development, and I stepped into the role of de facto Executive Director. We officially opened to the public in October 2017. 

“Since then, the Gardens have grown into a 27-acre sanctuary featuring world-class sculptures and natural beauty, hosting nearly 50,000 visitors annually for tours, exhibits, classes, and seasonal events. Despite challenges, including three hurricanes, a tropical storm, and a pandemic, we’ve received numerous accolades, including TripAdvisor’s ‘Best Hidden Gem in Florida’ and recognition as one of the ‘Top Six Nonprofit Boards in SW Florida.’ 

“Our team continues to expand community and educational programs, such as launching the first phase of our Food Forest for sustainable growing. This ‘retirement’ ministry has been deeply rewarding and a perfect next chapter of my life.” 

Feel free to connect with Bill at revbfl@yahoo.com

We love hearing from our alumni and learning about where life has taken them since leaving Lakeland. If you have memories you’d like to share, please send them our way for future editions of our newsletter!    

We love hearing from our alumni and learning about where life has taken them since leaving Lakeland. If you have memories you’d like to share, please send them our way for future editions of our newsletter! 

Muskies Helping Muskies

We’re planning for Spring 2025 and the 2025-2026 school year and need your help! Whether you’re local or across the country, we’re looking for alumni to mentor students, speak in classrooms, or offer career advice. 

Your experience can make a real difference for the next generation of Muskies.  

Stay Connected with Lakeland Alumni on Facebook!

Want to stay in the loop and connect with fellow Lakeland alumni? Join us on Facebook for the latest updates, events, and opportunities to engage with the Muskie community. Share your stories, photos, and memories with the official hashtag #aLUmni and show your Muskie pride! 

Follow us here: Lakeland University Alumni Facebook Page 

Upcoming Events

Dec 3: Humanities & Fine Arts Colloquium 

Dec. 5: Business & Entrepreneurship Colloquium 

Dec 6: Science, Technology, and Education Colloquium 

Dec. 7: Christmas at Lakeland 

Dec. 9-13: Finals Week 

Dec. 20 – Jan 5: Winter Break (Campus Closed)