Janee’ Kassanavoid
Hammer Thrower
Janee’ Kassanavoid was the first Native American woman to medal in track and field at the World Athletics Championships, winning bronze in hammer throwing. Making this feat even more impressive is the fact that Janee’ was a newcomer to the sport — she did not become a thrower until she was 18 years old.
After losing her father to cancer when she was nine, Janee’ and her three siblings were raised by her mother. “My mom is the backbone of our family. She is a super powerful woman.” Each of Janee’s siblings went on to become D1 athletes, and the level of competitive spirit was always high among them, pushing each of them to be their best.
Janee’s mother and siblings served as her role models, and now she serves as a role model for women and girls across the country. “My goal is to empower women, to give hope to indigenous communities, and to be an example for girls who look like me to know that they can achieve greatness,” says Janee’. A member of the Comanche nation and a 2018 K-State graduate, Janee’ has her sights set on qualifying for the U.S.A. team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I hope to continue to break barriers for myself and to inspire young women. If I continue to work hard and grow, my success will be unlimited.”
Danielle Tegtmeier
Liquid Art Winery and Estate
When Danielle met her future husband David at K-State, they had a dream: he would make wine and she would sell it. Liquid Art Winery and Estate, a stunning property with panoramic views of vineyards and the Flint Hills, is the realization of those dreams.
Liquid Art is just five miles from the K-State campus, but it was not a straight path to achieving their goals together. After earning her Business Marketing degree, Danielle honed her sales skills at wineries in California, Washington, and Colorado.
In 2014, Danielle and David returned to Kansas to break ground on the 20-acre estate, and since then, Liquid Art has built an incredible team who have enabled the business to grow into a full-production winery, tasting room, and event center. “I’m most proud of my team — a lot of us are women. I hope we can help them grow as much as they help us grow,” says Danielle.
After fifteen years of building her expertise as a business leader, Danielle has great advice for young women who are seeking to start a career in business: “Surround yourself with people who you want to be like. There’s never going to be that perfect to get started. Sometimes you’re going to have to make that time the perfect time. The risk is worth the reward in the end.”
Candice McIntosh
Executive Director for Girls on Run of the Flint Hills
After becoming a mom, Candice fell in love with running as a way to reconnect with herself. “We always joke that [my kids] weren’t able to catch me,” says Candice. After working in the nonprofit field for several years, Candice was recruited to be the first Executive Director for Girls on Run of the Flint Hills. At first, the position was part-time, but Candice saw great potential for growth in the area. The position expanded into a full-time role, and the organization just hit a major milestone: they have now served over 2500 girls!
As a mother of three, Candice has been able to watch the organization grow alongside her kids. “They work alongside me, every single day, and have helped me at every single event.”
Each season, the organization serves 300 girls with the support of 100 coaches. The mission of Girls on The Run extends far beyond athletics. “It’s so much more than running: It’s the social-emotional skills that they’re growing. They’re the female leaders of the future.”
Bailey Bachamp
Director of Men's Basketball Operations at K-State
In the past two years, Bailey Bachamp has had twin boys and helped onboard the new K-State basketball coach Jerome Tang’s staff. Within a year of helping the staff get acclimated to K-State, she was organizing logistics for the coaches to fly to New York for the Elite Eight. When asked about the accomplishments she’s most proud of, Bailey mentions keeping balance between her work and her family life. “I couldn’t do it without my husband Cole.”
As the Director of Men's Basketball Operations at K-State, she is one of the fewer than 5% of leaders on a Division 1 men's basketball coaching staff who are women. Being a female leader in a male dominated space can be fraught with challenges. Thankfully, Bailey’s experience has been positive and supportive. “I appreciate how close our staff are and the culture [Coach Tang] has created,” says Bailey. “Staff from other teams always say Our team and staff really love each other.’”
Looking to the future, Bailey hopes to keep excitement up around K-State basketball and serve as a role model for young women. “Professionally, I hope to be a positive influence that other women in athletics can look up to and know they can achieve the same thing.”
Dr. Katie Bunker
Advanced Audiology
Dr. Katie Bunker is an expert in hearing impairment, but she sees her mission more broadly, ”I don't really see myself treating hearing loss necessarily. I see [my work] as promoting communication as the foundation of all relationships.” Since the onset of the pandemic, isolation, depression, and dementia have been on the rise, and Katie’s number one priority is to keep people connected.
In 2014, she embarked on the nerve wracking endeavor of starting her own practice, Advanced Audiology. She was guided on this journey by her parents, who are business owners in Manhattan. Since the start, Katie has sought to prioritize the best practices in every step of their patients' care, from hearing tests to follow-up care, ensuring the best outcome for each patient. She prioritizes transparency, being upfront about what can and cannot be done.
One year ago, Laura was looking to recruit a new doctor to her office. She was connected to Dr. Laura Finazzo via a Facebook post, and the two instantly clicked when they met in person. “I thought it was going to be like a one hour little coffee, but it turned into four hours, and then kind of the rest is history from there.”
In looking toward the future, Katie is seeking to find balance between work and life while growing the business. She’s looking to expand Advanced Audiology’s services to include testing for Auditory Processing Disorder, a need that is currently unmet locally.
Dr. Cheryl Grice
Director of Strategic Relations at K-State
Dr. Cheryl Grice’s accomplishments are too numerous to fully list, so I will name just a few: she’s the Director of Strategic Relations at K-State, a Founding Member of the Fairy Godmother's Fund, and a recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award for the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. When I ask about the accomplishment of which she’s most proud, she states, “I’m most proud of my children, Courtney and John. I’m proud to be their mother — of the people they’ve become.”
I have no doubt that the feeling is mutual. Cheryl’s children witnessed their mother finish her Bachelor’s when they were young, and then they had the opportunity to be present when she defended her dissertation. Cheryl received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from K-State when her son was in college and her daughter was in high school.
Throughout her career, Cheryl has prioritized being of service to those in need. “God put us here to be of service,” she says. My charge has been to help others. I discovered my gift is connectedness. If I can’t help you, then I can find you someone who can.”
For those looking to become more involved in the community, Cheryl recommends finding small ways to get involved with organizations whose missions overlap with your values and areas of interest. Over time, you can decide whether you have the capacity to increase your level of involvement.
She also recommends prioritizing self-care: “Find little ways to take care of yourself, through reflection, exercise, meditation, or reading. Find what works for you. Slow down and be present.”