nichols student news

Many areas in the country are experiencing shortages in teaching positions. In the past decade, there has been a decline of around 30% in Missouri of enrollment in teacher education programs. Data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shows that the college graduates who do go into teaching do not stay in the profession for very long.   

DESE assistant commissioner for the Office of Educator Quality Dr. Paul Katnik monitors shortage data.  

“Our retention rates at the three year mark and the five year mark are much lower than what we'd like to see. In a cohort of brand new teachers, over 40% will not finish year three and will not go onto year four,” said Katnik.   

To tackle these issues, DESE created TEACH Missouri in November 2021. The partnership between the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, school districts, universities and other educator preparation programs is designed to recruit the next generation of teachers as well as retain current teachers.  DESE has invested almost $55 million in grants to address Missouri’s teacher shortage.   

One of the primary grants available is the Grow Your Own grant, which is designed to help school districts encourage their own graduates to become teachers and return to their districts.   

"There's usually kind of an agreement that we are going to help pay for your schooling, but you have to come back and teach for us. So for three years, five years, how many you promise, you'll be back and teach in your district for at least that many years,” said Katnik.   

The amount given by grants may vary according to where young teachers decide to teach, what federal loan a student may be working on and what TEACH program they’ll be using.  

In critical areas in the state where school districts may be very understaffed, TEACH will give forgiveness on a federal loan if a teacher is willing to work in that district.   

“There are a lot of areas you can teach in and get some kind of loan forgiveness either from federal funding from the government or from school districts who are willing to help pay off some of that,” said Katnik.   

According to Katnik, education has the potential to impact all professions and individual lives. TEACH Missouri has a mission to connect future teachers to that potential.  

“Please come. Being a teacher, it's a great occupation. It's a great profession, it's a hard one, but it's a great profession. You meet a ton of great people. You have kids that you see now that are grown adults with their own kids. It's a wonderful profession, and it is so needed right now.  The data is really alarming, and we are really trying to change that,” said Katnik.  

Nichols Career Center (NCC) will be incorporating an Early Childhood Professions program in the 2022-23 school year. The program offers an opportunity for high school students in their junior and senior years to complete coursework focusing on the psychological, emotional and social development of children from infancy to five years.   

Students in the program will be sent to clinical locations, such as Southwest Early Childhood Center, to receive hands-on training under the supervision of other trained child care employers. This direct student interaction in addition to observations and other fulfilled requirements will allow students to receive a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Upon the reception of this certification, students will be able to work directly in the field or continue their education.   

Within the community there is a need for trained childcare professionals. Many facilities are no longer able to meet the teacher-to-student ratios set forth by the state. Due to its classification as a high demand occupation, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has provided $120,000 for the development and implementation of this program at NCC.   

Karey Taylor, who owns a private childcare facility acknowledges the urgency in equipping educators. 

“Children learn the most between infancy and five years. That is when their brains are the most pliable, where they soak in the most information. Having programs for early childhood really is a benefit for everybody, because they're more prepared to go to school as they've been in a structured environment,” said Taylor.  

Cody Bashore, Director of Nichols Career Center, encourages students who are interested in the program to begin the enrollment process through their home school counseling office. The program has not yet named an instructor, although NCC is promoting listings for an individual with a background and experience as an early childhood teacher or a childcare facility director. 

“The most exciting thing for me is just tapping into an area in which we don't currently serve students. We are really looking forward to providing more pathways in human services,” said Bashore.  

When thinking about local live music venues, different images might come to mind--bars, restaurants or even a park. Olivia Taylor’s first music venue wasn’t nearly as conventional.

Instead of looking into a crowd of young couples on a date night, she tuned her guitar to a more geriatric crowd at a local nursing home. However, that first show did provide her with a youthful zeal for performing.

Currently a senior at Capital City High School, Olivia is no stranger to music. Not only is Taylor a performer in the school chorale, the after-school acapella program, “Royal Blues,” and the school musical cast, she still makes time to schedule her own shows in the community.

In the past four years she has performed during open mic nights at The Mission, a Jefferson City music venue; opened for other local artists including Sarah Parker; and collaborated with fellow student musicians Nina Schmidt and band Toasterbath. As an artist, Olivia attributes her growth as an artist to the time she has spent entertaining and collaborating.

“As I'm sure other fellow musicians can agree, you gather inspiration from the other musicians that are in your life.  Anyone I have ever played a show with, or music with, I gather inspiration from those experiences,” said Olivia.

As she has evolved as a musician, Olivia’s creative process has evolved as well. The first song was written with the intention of it being her first song. The pieces composed since, each carry a story of their own. They begin with a melody, a chord progression or simply an idea. Her songs are that of an indie folk singer, imitating the sound of Norah Jones and Stevie Nicks.

After high school, Olivia looks forward to moving with her music to St. Louis, MO. She is looking forward to collaborating with other artists in the metropolis, expanding her repertoire and developing creatively in terms of her music.

“The most magical part of being a musician is that you're able to put your most vulnerable moments and your most vulnerable experiences into something that other people can enjoy and something other people can translate in their own way according to their own experiences.” 

An idea that sprung from the compassion of a 14-year-old has now expanded to serving hospitalized children in 17 states. Little Box of Sunshine, a nonprofit organization based in Jefferson City, works to provide care packages for children who spend long stretches of time in the hospital. 

Olivia Hennon, president and founder of Little Box of Sunshine, was inspired after visiting her friend Margret Romph in the hospital following a car crash. She noticed that although Romph had plenty of visitors, other children were not as fortunate.  

Her original motivation to donate a few care packages expanded to an effort she could not handle alone. Today, the organization is guided by Hennon along with a board of directors, all united under the shared passion to aid in Little Box of Sunshine’s mission to “bring the sunshine” to pediatric patients.

Each Little Box of Sunshine is packaged and distributed from Hennon’s home in Jefferson City. Depending on their final location, the boxes are either hand delivered by the family or shipped directly to the hospital in need. From there, hospital staff distribute the boxes to their patients. 

The care packages are curated for children ages three to twelve. Boxes are filled to the brim with coloring books, water bottles, hot wheels and card games. Although no box is exactly the same, the contents of each box are chosen to fit a specific demographic. Each box also comes with a handwritten note of encouragement, a card with contact information to reach Hennon and a bright yellow bracelet with Little Box of Sunshine’s logo.  

Throughout the pandemic, Little Box of Sunshine’s work persists. The team has adapted their efforts by shifting from hand delivery to various shipping methods.   

“In the pandemic, I think we've had to change the way we look at things, and I think everyone has adapted and been able to effect change in a more efficient way. So though it's been stressful, it can also reflect a positive change in the organization,” said Carson Schroer, co-treasurer of Little Box of Sunshine.   

To support its work, the organization hosts two annual fundraisers, a 5K to fund summer and fall donations and Purses for a Purpose, a purse auction for the spring and winter boxes. Additionally, in efforts to increase community recognition, the organization sells merchandise on its website including t-shirts and sweatshirts for both children and adults.  

Little Box of Sunshine primarily serves states across the midwest, but their reach extends across the country as far as Utah and Maine.  

“We intend to keep expanding the states that we've been to. We look to expand some of the fundraisers that we do, change those up a little bit. When we deliver, we deliver a higher volume,” said Hennon.   

COVID continues to impact Missouri’s law enforcement and public safety officials. COVID protocols are being used and adapt to change. 

John Hotz leads the Patrol’s Public Information and Education Division. Hotz ensures safety measures to keep the employees and citizens safe. 

“The biggest thing we did of course was look at personal protective equipment, get the equipment for those officers who are out there serving the public. We also had to look at our civilian employees, for example drivers’ examinations, motor vehicle inspections and those types of things.  We had to figure out a way to safely do that,” said Hotz

Lieutenant Dave Williams works at the Jefferson City Police Department. Williams’s department continues to follow COVID protocols. 

“Now we are asking questions of callers as it relates to their health. We added some structured questions to the beginning of the phone conversation unless it's a 911 situation. They are trying to get as much information as they can to the officers, but we still want to know those things in advance because it depends on how the officer is going to respond, what equipment they might have to have when they go to the call,” said Williams

There aren't many changes as COVID goes on, though our law enforcement will always make sure that the public is safe. 

“Social distancing doesn't work well when you are going to arrest someone. We have always been an adaptive profession. Things change everyday with us, whether it be the car you drive, the equipment you're using, the people you interact with,” said Williams.

What began as Saturday morning entertainment and an overcrowded basement has evolved into a productive passion filled with the nostalgia of childhood for Alex and Tony Miriani. The couple owns and operates a vintage clothing and collectible booth in Dogwood Vintiques on Missouri Boulevard. 

The catalyst for starting the booth was the pair's shared interest in thrifting. At the time, Missouri Boulevard Antique Mall (now Dogwood) was undergoing a change in ownership. Upon the shift, space opened and Hipster Jeff got its start. 

The name of the booth, Hipster Jeff, was Tony's doing. "Jeff" is representative of Jefferson City, where the couple lives and where the shop is located. 

"Hipsters kind of have a bad rep, negative connotation, depending on who you ask. You would typically associate someone that's a hipster to someone that is maybe like a trendsetter but doesn't want someone to follow their trends necessarily. I think frankly, everyone wants to have their own unique identity," said Tony. 

Part of the running Hipster Jeff is continually sourcing new items. Though at times laborious, the couple doesn’t view it as work. Instead they see it as a hobby that allows them to spend time together, whether they are taking trips to big cities like Seattle or garages in Tipton, MO. 

In addition to being business partners, the Mirani's are parents to their daughter Mila and teachers at Capital City High School. The booth allows them to blend their strengths. Alex keeps the booth organized, ensuring there is a constant flow of inventory in the booth. Tony’s strengths lie in understanding the target audience of the booth and keeping items priced reasonably. 

Beyond selling items in the booth, they both share an affinity for gifting and receiving vintage goods in their personal lives.  

"Hipster Jeff is about finding things that are going to mean something for other people. That's always kind of our goal is that when people walk into our booth, they start smiling," said Alex.

September 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that struck New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. In commemoration of that day, Jefferson City hosted it’s 20th annual National Patriot’s Day event. 

"The biggest thing is that this is the 20th anniversary that we lost almost 3,000 people within a couple hours, and it needs to be recognized. My generation remembers it, but a lot of younger people don't remember that day, and it just needs to be recognized as a patriotic day,” said Steve Cearlock, Chairman of the Patriot’s Day event. 

On the 11th, the events started off with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5k run/walk on the south steps of the Capitol. Citizens were invited to run with first responders, veterans and active military service members.

"One of the things that really stand out for these 5k's is many of them run in their gear, which is at least 60 pounds of gear, it's not only the fireproof jacket and the pants, it is their helmet, It is their air pack. Some of them run with their hoses," said Roxy Van Pool, 5k Chairman. 

After the 5k, there was a Patriot’s Day parade that began at the corner of Broadway and High Streets. It included bands, first responders and military units. After the parade, the Missouri Division of Fire Safety held its 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb inside the Jefferson Building.

During the event, the Firefighters Association of Missouri served pulled pork and nachos at St. Peter’s Church- Sellinger Center. Money from the sale has been donated to the Firefighters Memorial in Kingdom City. 

A special guest was invited to give a speech at the Capitol and stay for Missouri's commemoration. 

Joe Torrillo was a New York City firefighter who survived the 9/11 attacks. During the terrorist attacks, he was buried in two separate incidents, his family not knowing where he was for three days. For the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Torrillo came to Jefferson City to share his story.

"The emotion that comes over me very strongly is the fact that I am very grateful for the people of Jefferson City, Missouri, that they would care so much to keep the memory alive of all the people back in New York, people they don’t even know. They are putting all these events up to keep the memory alive, so I feel an obligation to come out and personalize it and as a survivor, as a New York City firefighter, as a New Yorker, and as a victim," Torrillo said.

Even after 20 years, the events of 9/11 were encouraged to be remembered. The topic is still emotional for many people, so the event was considered a good way to commemorate those who lost their lives.

"We can pay our respects, remember, and keep their memory alive, all those things, and that is what Jefferson City and Mid-Missouri has done. I hope people realize and take the opportunity to pay respects, teach others and remember what this all means,” said Jefferson City's mayor, Carrie Tergin.