Each year McPherson College recognizes the accomplishments of young alumni during the Honors Convocation at Homecoming. This year, three alumni —Billy Jamison ’88, Bruce Lolling ’95, and Andrea Herrera ’00 — received Young Alumni Awards on October 13 in a ceremony at Brown Auditorium.
The purpose of the Young Alumni Award is to recognize the achievement and potential for accomplishment of the college’s young alumni. The award is given to alumni who are meeting significant challenges in pursuit of professional goals, are involved in service to others and church, and participate in alumni activities.
Billy Jamison, Jefferson City, Mo., graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Management. Since 2004, he has worked as research administrator at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators, an executive member of the Black Faculty and Staff Organization and serves on various Presidential committees, including the university’s Budget Committee, Family Friendly Campus Committee, and the Title IX Equity Panel. He is the chair of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Staff Advisory Council and has chaired the Chancellor’s Star Award Committee. He has volunteered his time on campus in various faculty, staff, and student activities, including 5K runs, Tiger Walk, and freshman student move-in. For the past 22 years, he has donated his time volunteering to organize and conduct the Lincoln University of Jefferson City, Mo. Homecoming parade. He is an Elder and ordained minister and serves the Strait Way Temple of Deliverance as an assistant pastor and church administrator. He also gives his time to the McPherson College Student Debt Project as a program mentor.
Bruce Lolling, El Dorado, Kan., graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in history and later earned a master’s degree from Emporia State University and a master’s degree in school leadership from Baker University. He taught social studies for 10 years before becoming a school administrator. He is currently the principal at Valley Center High School, where he leads a staff of 130 including 85 licensed staff, and oversees educational opportunities for approximately 1,000 students from grades nine to 12. Since 2008, he has served as an AVID national staff developer training other educators for the AVID summer institute and AVID Path. He also wrote the AVID National Professional Learning curriculum for history. AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, aims to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success.
Andrea Herrera, McPherson, graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and earned a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City in 2005. She completed her residency at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler in the department of family medicine. She is a family medicine physician and opened Great Plains Family Medicine, a direct primary care office, in McPherson in 2015. Before opening her office, she was a staff and clinic physician at McPherson Hospital, where she served as president of the medical staff in 2018. Her special interests are in women’s health, sports medicine, pediatrics, disease prevention, obesity and weight control. She volunteers in children’s ministry, the worship team, and women’s ministry at the Journey Mennonite Church. She supports McPherson College athletes as a host family for softball and provides meals and support to the volleyball team.