CONWAY, Ark. (March 16, 2018)
— The Hendrix College Alumni Association will honor three alumni, Rosalia
Valdez Block ’10, Rose Thomson Gastler ’12, and Joan Davis Wagnon ’62, along
with Helen S. Plotkin, at the Alumni Association Awards Brunch to be held Saturday,
April 21 at 10 a.m., in Worsham Student Performance Hall in the Student Life
and Technology Center. The brunch is part of the College’s Alumni Weekend festivities.
The Alumni Association Award
honorees are:
2018
Hendrix Humanitarian Award — Rose Thomson Gastler ’12
Rose Thomson Gastler is
program coordinator for Yuwa India, which works with girls from impoverished
families in rural Jharkhand, India — where girls are at risk of child marriage
and human trafficking. Now one of the largest girls’ soccer programs in India,
Yuwa uses team sports and education to build character, confidence, and
courage, preparing girls to achieve goals, create brighter futures, and break
the cycle of poverty permanently. In 2015, Thomson Gastler co-founded Yuwa
School, where she serves as education director. Yuwa School gives girls the
tools they need to become empowered citizens, discover their own identity, and
prepare for admission to universities in India and abroad. Girls ages 6 to 18
learn from world-class educators from India and abroad, and are supported by a
long list of dedicated volunteers.
2018
James E. Major Service Award — Helen S. Plotkin
After 22 years of “telling
the Hendrix story,” Vice President for Marketing Communications Helen S.
Plotkin retired from the College in 2017. During her tenure, she helped to
organize and publicize the opening of the Charles D. Morgan Center for Physical
Sciences, the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Life Sciences, six student
residence houses, the Bertie Wilson Murphy House, the Wellness and Athletics
Center, the Student Life and Technology Center, and Young-Wise Memorial Stadium
and Plaza. She also oversaw the publication of three strategic plans, support
material for two capital campaigns, and five major redesigns of the College
website.
2018
Outstanding Young Alumni Award — Rosalia Valdez Block ’10
Rosie Valdez Block, director
of Debate and chair of the Communication Department at Little Rock Central High
School, has taught and coached competitive debate since 2011, coaching 28 state
titles. She is vice president of the Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts
Association, a Diamond Coach with the National Speech and Debate Association,
and chairs the National Speech and Debate Association’s Arkansas District. In
2016, she coached a national finalist at the Tournament of Champions, as well
as the Top Speaker in the country. She has received the City Education Trust
Stephens Award, Little Rock School District Teacher of the Year, Arkansas
Communication and Theatre Arts Association Teacher of the Year, and the Doug
Duke Outstanding Debate Coach Award. Most recently, she was one of five
finalists for the National Speech and Debate Association Educator of the Year
Award.
2017
Distinguished Alumna Award — Joan Davis Wagnon ’62
Joan Davis Wagnon’s career
in nonprofit management led her into politics and becoming a recognized expert
in tax policy. She has served as interim CEO of the YWCA of Northeast Kansas,
executive director of the Topeka YWCA, and executive director of Kansas
Families for KIDS, a position she left to become Mayor of Topeka. She served 12
years in the Kansas Legislature, and as Secretary of Revenue for the State of
Kansas under two governors. Her interest in politics stemmed from the work she
did at the YWCA advocating for women, children and families; she authored many
pieces of legislation related to domestic violence, child-care, and education.
She also served as chair of the Kansas Democratic Party and treasurer of the
Girl Scouts of the USA. After leaving public service in 2011 she worked for the
Federal Tax Authority, a start-up company providing tax calculation and
remittance services for online merchants, representing the company before
Congress as they sought to enact the Main Street Fairness Act. She retired in
2016 and continues to volunteer for numerous community organizations.
About
Hendrix College
A private liberal arts
college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as
one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That
Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and
rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.