In May the Mennonite Nurses Alumni Organization (MNAO) at Illinois State University held an awards and reunion banquet at the Alumni Center, and presented awards to five people.
Patty (Franey) Haberkorn received the Distinguished Alumni Award – the highest award the college bestows upon its graduates. Haberkorn is a two-time graduate of Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN), receiving her diploma in nursing in 1983 and her master’s in nursing systems administration in 2007. She is the health services director at Futures Unlimited, which is a comprehensive center serving adults with disabilities. She has dedicated her career to meeting the health and medical needs of the disabled.
Janessa (Stimpert) Jenkins received her B.S.N. degree in 2006 from Illinois State, and was the recipient of the Young Alumni Award. She was appointed as a neonatal nurse practitioner at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in 2009, after completing a highly competitive Neonatal Intensive Care Program at Vanderbilt University.
Nancy Froelich received the MNAO Service Award for her continued support of MCN. Her passion for excellence in health care extended to MCN where she guided the college through her service on the board, first as vice president from 1983-1990 and then as vice chairperson from 1991-1995. Froelich’s confidence in and commitment to MCN continued through its transition to Illinois State University. She served on the Board of Trustees at Illinois State and maintained her ties to MCN through her service as a member of the Friends Steering Committee.
Mary Punke and June Forbes, both from the Class of 1954, received the Spirit of Nursing Award for their dedication to the profession of nursing, their college, and classmates. They are a living testimony to the values of MCN, and concern themselves with the physical, emotional, and spiritual care of others, whether or not they are donning a nursing uniform. They came to the aid of another classmate, who was in a horrible traffic accident, and provided assistance to her throughout the year. Even though they graduated from MCN more than 55 years ago, their dedication to their classmate week in and week out in her time of need is a living testimony of what it means to be a MCN graduate.
