The North Central Missouri College Foundation honored four alumni during the Pirates Ball held on March 29. The Distinguished Alumni Class of 2024 includes Cassie Hunt Williams, Mike Arnold, Anthony Herrington, and Louis Wilson.
Cassie Hunt Williams graduated from North Central Missouri College in 2009 after attending Richmond High School. While at the college, she played basketball. She earned a Bachelor of Science in communication disorders and a Master of Arts in education in special education from Truman State University. She later received a doctorate in special education from the University of Kansas.
Williams has worked as a special education teacher in Kansas and Missouri. She is currently an assistant professor in special education at Louisiana State University, Shreveport, and has received several accolades throughout her career.
Williams stated that attending North Central Missouri College contributed significantly to her development.
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Mike Arnold attended Trenton Junior College after graduating from Trenton High School in 1969. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from William Jewell College and attended the University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Law.
Arnold has practiced law in Trenton and Gallatin, served as the Daviess County prosecuting attorney during the 1980s and 1990s, and began teaching business law in the night division at Trenton Junior College/North Central Missouri College in 1977. He also served on the college foundation board during the 1980s.
He reflected on how several members of his family also attended the college and how it impacted their lives.
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Anthony Herrington graduated from Trenton Junior College in 1985 and served as captain of the men’s basketball team. He graduated from East High School in Anchorage, Alaska.
Herrington currently works as executive director of community engagement for Providence Central Division and has received several awards. He co-founded the Geno Morgan Foundation with fellow 2024 honoree Louis Wilson and currently serves as its chairperson. The foundation is named in memory of North Central Missouri College alumnus Geno Morgan and awards scholarships to underserved youth.
Herrington credited the college with helping him develop resiliency and an understanding of others. He said he is proudest of his work with the Geno Morgan Foundation.
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Louis Wilson graduated from Trenton Junior College in 1986 and was captain of the basketball team. A graduate of East High School in Anchorage, Alaska, he continued his education at William Jewell College.
Wilson has held positions as both assistant and head coach at several colleges. He is currently the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Texas at Tyler and serves as the development coordinator for the Geno Morgan Foundation board.
Wilson noted that the college played a role in his development and made success possible. He also shared a story about being elected student senate president at Trenton Junior College.
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Alicia Endicott, executive director of the North Central Missouri College Foundation, announced that the foundation’s endowment exceeds $9 million. Over $300,000 in scholarships have been awarded to students for the current academic year. She reminded attendees that the general scholarship application deadline is April 1.
North Central Missouri College President Lenny Klaver announced that the student center on the Trenton campus is expected to open in August. He also noted that the college will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year.
