Health and Human Services News

Staff spotlight: Andrew Cole

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Our featured staff member, Andrew Cole, is an academic technology support administrator in the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS).

Andrew Cole
Andrew Cole

Let’s find out more about him.

Where are you originally from?

I’m originally from Moberly, Missouri, but I’ve lived in the Springfield area since 2005.

What brought you to Missouri State and how long have you been here?

I’ve been at Missouri State since early 2018. I always wanted to work in education, and working at a university is a great fit.

What’s your favorite part about working at Missouri State so far?

My favorite part is the wide range of people I’ve met during my time at the university.

What’s your educational background?

I have an Associate of Applied Science degree from Ozarks Technical Community College, with additional coursework in programming and accounting.

Where did you work prior to Missouri State?

I worked in the IT department at the corporate office of Meek Lumber here in Springfield.

What do you do in your role as academic technology support administrator for MCHHS?

I handle the IT support needs of the MU School of Medicine Springfield campus and the Alliance for Healthcare Education at Cox College. When I’m not working at either location, I assist the MCHHS team on the main campus.

How do you spend your leisure time?

I enjoy reading books, watching movies and playing video games.

What holiday tradition is special to you?

I love taking a week off from work to have a movie marathon. I usually watch “The Lord of the Rings” or “Harry Potter” series.

Find out more about MCHHS

From volunteer to coordinator

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In May 2023, Ana Felix graduated from Missouri State University with a degree in recreation, sport and park administration from the department of kinesiology.

Felix went into the field of recreation with the hopes of channeling it into after-school programs. Now with her work at Wonders of Wildlife, she can do that on a bigger scale.

“Recreation is all of those things that really improve people’s lives and it gave me the opportunity to explore the things I enjoy doing,” she said.

Finding her career path at MSU

From Ava, Missouri, Felix originally chose MSU to stay closer to home, but she quickly found her own path here.

As a non-traditional student working fulltime, Felix said MSU gave her “the opportunity to explore different interests and choose her own adventure.”

In the recreation program, Felix had to complete 100 hours in practicum and 400 hours in an internship. Felix notes she was grateful for these requirements aiding in her growth.

“Getting to do enriching things that still counted for college credits was something I really appreciated. To have a well-rounded base gave me opportunities and skills in job interviews to be able to better market myself,” she said.

 How volunteering turned into a full-time job

Felix began working at Wonders of Wildlife in May 2022. She started as a practicum student fulfilling the service-learning component of her recreation program.

While Felix was still a practicum student, the volunteer manager asked if she would like to take on the volunteer coordinator position that was open. Eager to try something new, she seized the opportunity.

Felix describes her role as ever-changing. But she is primarily responsible for the recruitment, retention appreciation and onboarding of volunteers and interns for Wonders of Wildlife, Dogwood Canyon and Top of the Rock.

“I love that I get to say I started as a volunteer and then moved up to being the volunteer coordinator,” Felix said.

Lessons learned

Through Felix’s time at MSU and Wonders of Wildlife, collaborating and using her time wisely are two of the biggest lessons she learned.

“There’s been projects where I’ve had months in advance to prepare and some where we’ve had to pivot with a 30-minute notice. Those situations have helped me to figure out how to manage my time efficiently and to see the importance of having good connections around you to guide you through,” she said.

In her volunteer coordinator role, Felix has honed her leadership skills. This has helped to improve on having tough conversations to grow connections with those around her and be more proactive with her work.

Future plans

Felix plans to continue pursuing her passion in recreation with Wonders of Wildlife.

“My job isn’t a boring office job,” she said. “Every day is different and interesting.”

Learn more about recreation, sport and park administration

New directors spotlight

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We are thrilled to introduce our new School of Health Sciences Director Dr. Tona Hetzler and  School of Health Care Professions Director Dr. Michael Bird.

Hetzler is a certified athletic trainer (AT) and first-generation college graduate. She went to college on an athletic scholarship and played softball for two years at a junior college in Oklahoma. According to Hetzler, a highlight of her AT career was working at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

Bird’s expertise is in kinesiology and exercise science. He received his MS degree from Purdue University and his PhD from University of North Carolina. According to Bird, his favorite thing to do during his free time is mountain and road biking, as well as trying out new restaurants.

Let’s get to know them more.

What are you looking forward to as a school director?

Dr. Tona Hetzler

Hetzler: I’m looking forward to working with and getting to know all the faculty, staff and students. I’m also looking forward to all the opportunities that will come with this new structure regarding being more accessible for students, collaborating on research projects and working in teams to create new opportunities for students and faculty.

Bird: I’m most looking forward to the challenges that come with a new position. There’s much to learn about the programs in the school, the students who have chosen to pursue the degrees available and the faculty who are teaching the courses that will lead to student success. The School of Health Care Professions has many accredited programs with great students and faculty. My focus will be on making sure I know what I need to do to help them plan for growth to meet the needs of professionals in their respective areas.

What brought you to Missouri State?

Hetzler: The athletic training program and the opportunity the Springfield medical community offered for the profession and students.

Dr. Michael Bird

Bird: I came to Missouri State to lead the kinesiology department. I was impressed with the faculty who were here and wanted to provide leadership for the students, faculty and staff that would help improve the academic experience for all of them.

How long have you been at Missouri State?

Hetzler: It has been 17 years.

Bird: I’ve been here since summer 2022. So, not a long time, but it has been enjoyable professionally and personally.

What’s your favorite thing about working at Missouri State?

Hetzler: The students, the faculty, the support of MCHHS (McQueary College of Health and Human Services) and the university’s public affairs focus.

Bird: My favorite thing about MSU is definitely the people. The students, faculty and staff take so much pride in the university and work hard to make their experiences worthwhile.

What’s your number one goal going into this new role?

Hetzler: To learn, to innovate and to elevate.

Bird: My biggest goal is to learn about the programs and the people involved. I’ll need this understanding as one of the first steps to helping them achieve their goals.

What’s your dream summer vacation?

Hetzler: Time on the beach, no cooking and no emails.

Bird: I enjoy time with family and friends where we balance some physical activities like hiking and biking with good food and time to relax. There’s no ideal location as long as it’s interesting and shared with others.

Learn more about MCHHS

Former student continues to find success

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Missouri State University alumna Jessica Rhodes was only 15 years old when she began her college career.

Now 20 years old, she will graduate with a master’s degree from Evangel University in spring 2024.

How her college journey started

Jessica Rhodes

Rhodes was born to parents Ron and Connie Rhodes in San Dimas, California, in 2003. She moved with her family to Ozark, Missouri, in 2009.

Her mother, Connie, homeschooled her through Classical Conversations in Nixa, Missouri. Rhodes believes her experience with Classical’s homeschool education helped set the tone for how she approaches education. It gives students the tools of how to learn and how to differentiate what is true with a foundation rooted in Christ. This prepared Rhodes for a college education at a much earlier age.

Her college journey began when she chose to take an English course through Ozarks Technical Community College’s (OTC) Richwood Valley campus when she was 15 years old. She excelled in the course and asked the dean’s office if she could enroll in more courses.

She wound up with 70 credits worth of dual enrollment courses by the time she graduated from OTC with her associate degree in 2021 at the age of 17.

“I never thought I was going to get anything more than an associate degree,” Rhodes said. “But after receiving it, I realized I could continue my studies without going into debt and do it before I turned 20-years-old. Everything just lined up.”

Joining Missouri State

Thanks to Missouri State’s transfer program with OTC, Rhodes came here in fall 2021 to complete her bachelor’s degree. She majored in psychology in with an emphasis in industrial and organizational psychology and minored in marketing.

MSU had the most opportunities through online classes, which ultimately swayed her toward attending.

“I was interested in taking classes online because of my learning style and I like to pace myself,” Rhodes said. “Additionally, since my goal was to graduate debt free and with a resume full of valuable experience, online courses made it so that I had the ability to simultaneously excel in multiple areas of life.”

Her biggest supporter at MSU was her former advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Foster. He is also an assistant professor in the industrial and organizational psychology program.

“He really encouraged me to think beyond a bachelor’s degree, made excellent recommendations for courses to enhance my expertise and overall learning experience as well as welcomed me onto his research team,” Rhodes said.

He also inspired her to apply for the organizational leadership master’s program at Evangel University. She got accepted within 12 hours of applying at the age of 18-years-old.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in fall 2022 at age 19, Rhodes moved on to pursue her master’s degree.

Staying strong through the struggles

Rhodes expressed there were many challenges that came with being a college student so young. A main one was the negative perception of her age.

Classmates “would completely pull away” when they found out her age because she was not at the spot everyone thought she should be at.

She notes society puts a lot of pressure on where you should be at a certain age. Despite this, she encourages young people to “pave their own way.”

“It’s important not to stay stagnant. It’s important to experience hardships and difficulties,” Rhodes said.

Words of inspiration

While she does not believe every child has to go to college to be successful in what they are passionate about, she does believe they should “continue to apply their minds” and be a “lifetime learner.”

She hopes to encourage kids to not “feel the pressure just because everyone else is going one specific direction in life.” And if they do join the college world, they “have the authority to say what is right.”

“You can gain respect at a young age by holding on to your truth,” Rhodes said.

The end goal

While attending college at a young age and earning degrees were not what Rhodes had planned for herself, she is grateful for the experience.

“I wouldn’t be the same person I am today without the college experience, without the education, because there’s a sense of knowledge and understanding that allows me to not go into something blindly,” she said.

She has dreams to go into motivational speaking and inspire people through writing books. In fact, she is currently writing a book about her educational journey. She also plans to write future stories about how she got through trials with faith.

Her end goal is to have a family and be a present mother for her future children.

“Family is going to be a priority over everything else,” Rhodes said.

Explore psychology at MSU