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University of St. Francis news

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Mason Earns Leadership Award from Illinois CPA Society

Kenneth Mason
Joliet, Ill. – In less than ten years since earning two degrees from the University of St. Francis (USF), Kenneth (Kenny) Mason, CPA, MBA, has already achieved a tremendous amount of success. His young career has already included roles at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP, Legacy Professionals LLP, First Community Financial Bank, and the University of St. Francis, and currently finds him as the CEO of Equibis, an accounting and business advisory services firm he established in Chicago. This summer, Mason’s career path to date was recognized as Mason was presented with the Illinois CPA Society 2022 Young Professionals Leadership Award, which recognizes a young professional under age 35 who has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills in their career, in public or community service, and through involvement in professional organizations. Mason received the award at the Illinois CPA Society’s Leadership Recognition and Awards Dinner on June 9, 2022, in Chicago, where he formally joined a list of the field’s most talented and inspiring young professionals. The current owner of two businesses, Mason is already looking to continue his impressive career path with a very specific vision for his future. “In the next 5 years, I plan to start my third business. In the next 10 years, I plan to begin developing entrepreneurial and business-focused education programs for teens and helping them get their ideas off the ground,” Mason said. While Mason envisions the best in his career is yet to come, he believes it will continue to be built upon a solid professional foundation he credits USF for helping him to create. “USF was everything in terms of setting my initial career trajectory. Starting my journey in public accounting, I actually received my first job offer through a USF buddy of mine, Keith Schomig. We were classmates, then friends, and eventually co-workers. I was highly encouraged to enter public accounting from the jump because it would allow me to experience many different businesses,” Mason said. Mason added that his involvement outside of the classroom at USF also provided him with tools for success. “Being involved with different organizations and extra-curriculars at USF helped my entrepreneurial spirit and volunteerism. From being a member of Brother 2 Brother, the football team, the Augustus Tolton Honor Society, and many others, I had to learn quickly how to manage many different things and moving parts. Fast forward to today as an entrepreneur the mindset I have is very similar, more mature and evolved, but similar nonetheless,” Mason said. Mason currently serves on the ICPAS and CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois’ Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparedness Program’s Selection Task Force, where he mentors program scholars to help them achieve success. His advice to these scholars and other college-aged students is to maintain a clear vision of what it is they aspire to achieve. “Don’t lose your vision. The world will tell you to lose that vision/desire in order to simply play it safe. Although there is wisdom in that, there’s also fear residing in that way of thinking. I’m a testament to doing both. I began a career in one of the most reliable/secure career paths, and I simultaneously developed my ideas until the point where I can dedicate my daily life to it. Whatever you do, don’t give up if it’s on your heart, especially not out of fear,” Mason said. Photo identification (left to right): Todd Shapiro, the President & CEO of the Illinois CPA Society, Kenneth (Kenny) Mason, and Mary K. Fuller, new Illinois CPA Society Board of Directors chairperson : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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Recording Camp at University of St. Francis for High School Students

Joliet, Ill. – This summer, the University of St. Francis (USF) is hosting a recording camp in the university’s state-of-the-art Digital Audio Recording Arts (DARA) facility.

Students will study the architecture of 21st-century music production using audio loops, MIDI composition, and traditional audio capturing utilizing excellent microphones, tracking room, booths, control room, and editing suite. The week will conclude with the completion of a recording project through which participants will be able to showcase their new skills

The camp, which will run from June 20 through 24, 2022, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the DARA studio (the studio is located in Tower Hall on USF’s main campus at 500 Wilcox Street in Joliet), is open to area high school and college students. Cost per participant is $199. Space is limited, so contact Jeff Jaskowiak at jjaskowiak@stfrancis.edu or visit darausf.com to register.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Free USF Noyce STEM Camp for Area Students

Joliet, Ill. – Area students entering grades 6 through 9 are invited to join University of St. Francis (USF) Noyce Scholars and local middle school teachers for a free STEM summer camp experience from July 11 through 15, 2022. This year’s camp will focus on the environment. Participants will learn about local environmental issues, such as ​declining biodiversity, habitat loss, and water quality. Participants will then use science, technology, engineering, and math concepts and approaches to develop ways to tackle these issues. Come learn science and mathematical problem-solving approaches for environmental topics. The camp will take place on USF’s main campus (in classrooms and labs), and will also include travel (via USF shuttle bus) to Codo Prairie and​/or Pilcher Park for field-based work. “Research suggests that the middle school years are a time when kids start thinking about jobs,” said Lisa White-McNulty, Ph.D., USF Noyce STEM Educators Program Director. “Our program exposes campers to STEM experiences and hopefully motivates them to pursue careers in STEM fields.” “With this camp, we aim to grow the pipeline of students who are interested in STEM, fostering a passion for mathematics and science. If we can do this we will open doors for students in a variety of exciting and in-demand careers,” she added. The camp will meet daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Daily drop-off and pick-up will take place at the Brown Science Center, which is located at 530 Wilcox Street in Joliet (on USF’s main campus, across from the Pat Sullivan Center). Box lunches will be provided. To register for this free camp experience and for additional information, please visit stfrancis.edu/noyce. Space is limited and registration requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have specific questions about the experience, please contact camp director Dr. Chloe Lash at clash@stfrancis.edu. The USF Noyce STEM Educator Scholarship and Noyce STEM Educator Stipend are made possible through the generous support of the National Science Foundation, grant #1755631. Its goal is to help recruit, prepare, place, and mentor excellent STEM educators in high needs schools in Joliet and the surrounding communities. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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DJ Elvia Cardenas Hosts Premiere Spanish-Language Music Program on WCSF

Elvia Cardenas

Elvia Cardenas, a communication and media arts major at the University of St. Francis (USF), is producing and hosting the first all-Spanish-language music program on the University’s radio station, WCSF 88.7 FM.  

Photo credit: Paula Garcia (’22, USF CMMA major)

Joliet, Ill. – Elvia Cardenas, a communication and media arts major at the University of St. Francis (USF), is hosting and producing the first-ever all-Spanish-language music program on the University’s radio station, WCSF 88.7 FM.   The new radio program titled De Que Lado, offers a mix of Spanish language music and public affairs programming for the Joliet area’s Latinx community and airs Wednesdays from 12 to 2 PM CST on WCSF 88.7 FM in the Joliet area. The program (and all WCSF programming) is also streamed worldwide at wcsf.streamon.fm. Cardenas said that the new show has already been received well by listeners. “So far the show has gotten a great response. Hopefully, the number of listeners will continue to grow as time goes by. To be honest, it’s fulfilling just knowing that people are tuning in each week,” Cardenas said. Cardenas, a 2022 winner of the Halberg Award for excellence in service to WCSF and a first-generation college student, produces the radio show to give exposure to independent Latinx artists not commonly heard on radio in the Joliet area and to inform the local Latinx community about public events. According to Cardenas, there were several reasons behind creating an all-Spanish show on WCSF. “I wanted to practice my Spanish more, as the only time I get to speak it was at home. I wanted my family to understand what I was saying when they listened to the show. My family is my number one supporter, so much so that my aunt in Mexico thinks that ‘anyway’ is a title of a song because of how often I say it on air. I also figured that having a Spanish show would be a good way to demonstrate that the radio club is open to any idea a student might have for a show,” Cardenas said. Following graduation, Cardenas, who is currently a junior, will pursue a career in the communication field. “I don’t know exactly what I want to do after graduation, as there many options for me to choose from in the communications field. However, I do know that I want to go behind the scenes in whatever I am doing, such as being a part of a crew for a show or news broadcast, or some sort of director in the radio field because I find it interesting seeing how it takes a team to make something happen,” Cardenas said. Community organizations may submit information about their events to programmingwcsf@stfrancis.edu for airtime consideration. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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USF Art Students Visit ACRE Art Residency

Joliet, Ill. – On May 17th-19th, University of St. Francis (USF) Art & Design program professors Michael “Chester” Alamo-Costello, MFA, and Paul Erschen, MFA, took ten undergraduate students and one program alumnus to the ACRE Art Residency in southwest Wisconsin for three days of intense experiential learning. Students participated art-making experiences related to ancient technology and activities that required outdoor facilities and challenging physical labor, such as the manufacturing of drawing charcoal, green wood working, blacksmithing, the construction of a lime kiln, and the creation of a collaborative sculpture. The retreat was the culmination of the course ARTD 212 “Art & Culture Travel Studies”, which took place during the spring 2022 semester. Students also submitted a journal of notes, drawings, collected ephemera, etc., for their final course activity. USF’s visit marks the first time that undergraduate students have attended the highly rated international art residency and is the program’s first significant travel opportunity since the pandemic began in 2020. Costello and Erschen plan to conduct this trip on a regular basis. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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Donate Your Used Music and Memorabilia to WCSF-FM

Joliet, Ill. – WCSF-FM 88.7, the radio station of the University of St. Francis (USF), will host its annual Mega Music Rummage Sale this fall and is currently seeking community donations of used and collectible music and memorabilia. If you cannot bear to throw out your pre-loved media, donate it to WCSF. Donations can include, but are not limited to: vinyl 33s, 45s and 78s; 8-tracks, reel to reel and cassettes; VHS tapes, and DVDs; sheet music, music books and comic books; professional and home audio equipment; and instruments. USF students will organize and catalog your treasures for WCSF’s annual Mega Music Rummage Sale this fall. All donations are tax deductible and all proceeds from the Mega Music rummage sale will be used to support the educational mission of WCSF. For more information or to arrange a donation drop-off or pick-up, please contact Elvia at 815-740-3697. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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