from the editor: Spring 2024, “open”
In the first draft of this letter to open our issue on the theme of “open,” I wrote an anecdote about the students I taught in Greece wh...
Opening the Doors: Hotelier Drucella Perkins’ life leads from East Coast back home to Southeast Missouri
By Amanda Flinn As a young girl growing up in Southeast Missouri, Drucella Perkins, née Robinson, helped with the laundry while daydreaming...
Let’s Talk: Autumn Grim and Georganne Syler, public health
Autumn Grim, MPH, CPHA, began working at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center in 2019. Prior to that, she had been with the Missou...
Let’s Talk: Rodaina Nasreldin and Karla Cornelius, entrepreneurship
Karla Cornelius, owner of the coffee shop El Kolibri in Cape Girardeau, first met Rodaina Nasreldin when Rodaina came into El Kolibri for a ...
Let’s Talk: Tameka Randle and Rachael Long, community strengthening
Tameka Randle and Rachael Long work together daily with residents of South Cape and other partners and volunteers to transform the South Cap...
What’s in Your Bag?: Aveney Kandiah, junior at Notre Dame Regional High School
One can tell a lot about a person and their life by the items they carry with them: the stage of life they’re in, what they value, the bel...
What’s in Your Bag?: Avon Crocker, CEO and COO of the Crocker Household
One can tell a lot about a person and their life by the items they carry with them: the stage of life they’re in, what they value, the bel...
What’s in Your Bag?: Kayla Johnson, mom and registered dietitian
One can tell a lot about a person and their life by the items they carry with them: the stage of life they’re in, what they value, the bel...
Long-Distance Friendships: Maintaining deep connections in adulthood
By Jasmine Jones There is a specific sound: a low hum, a soft ding, an echo of a ring that I now associate with my two best friends. It ...