Originally from New York, Corbin always saw himself living in the South. After obtaining his master’s degree in school counseling, he began working at a middle school. Four years later, he found himself longing to return to higher education.

“I wanted a place where there’s more sunshine throughout the year, and after four years counseling in middle school, I found myself daydreaming about when I had actually been able to coordinate the Concurrent Enrollment Program for Niagara University, where I got my master’s in school counseling.”

“I did concurrent enrollment,” he continued, “and then I went to a community college, and then I went to a four-year institution, and I had to, as a student, fight for my credit to transfer. So to be in a position where I could help set up that pathway for students on the front end, so there’s no guesswork, was very appealing to me.”

Over spring break in 2000, he visited several universities, driving to the campuses he was interested in. UCA was the last of six campuses he visited. That’s when he discovered UCA was interviewing for a director of transfer services.

“I’d never been to Arkansas before, and I always tell people this, I can’t explain it, but it is as true today as it was when I came to interview. I don’t know why, but when I drove into Conway, it immediately felt like home to me.”

Upon getting the position, Corbin worked to ease student transitions by creating a Two Plus Two Transfer Agreement with area institutions, ensuring students understood how their credits would transfer. He also launched the Bear Partners Program with UACCM, ASU Beebe, and U of A Pulaski Tech, giving students a chance to experience UCA before transferring.

Corbin finds that his innovative work in planning programs to assist students as efficiently as possible makes his time at UCA worth it.

Corbin said, “Everything just fell into place. It really felt like it was just meant to be, and I’ve loved Conway and UCA ever since, and it still feels like home.”

Corbitt reflected, “I’d given a short presentation on Christian and secular ethics at a church in Conway, not knowing that Norb Schedler was a member. Then, as I was mowing my lawn one evening in April 2001, looking much like a green monster, he’s walking down the street dressed, he always looked like a million bucks, and I wave at him, and he turns into my sidewalk, walks past me to my front step and sits down.”

“He looked at me and said, he was very dramatic, ‘How would you like a one-year position in the Honors College?’ I was charmed. I was interested. And, here I am, 24 years later.”

While teaching philosophy in the Honors College, Corbitt earned UCA’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2013 and served as Chair for the UCA Excellence Award Committee.

“That was very meaningful. One of the sweetest outcomes was getting to serve on the committee, and that meant going and visiting other teachers’ classrooms. And, I was, and still am, in awe of the quality of teaching that we have on our campus, and they are putting so much time, energy, effort, creativity and love into what they do for the student,” he said.

As coordinator of the Peer Mentor program, Corbitt works with Honors peer mentors who are there to “help smooth the transition into college life for our first-year students and to do co-curricular programming that supports what’s going on in the classroom, and they do fun, entertaining community-building programming.” They meet once a week to hear about interactions and to brainstorm ideas to inspire new students and make them feel included, which Corbitt sees as an important part of his time here.

“This is a special place, and I think we are trying to build a certain kind of community. And, for me, it’s much more than the Honors College. To me, the ultimate goal is a community where everybody matters, not just in the Honors College, but at UCA, in Conway, in our state, our nation and the world.”

“Both of my maternal grandparents went to school here, then both of my parents went, and then my older brother also attended UCA,” Reynolds said. “I applied to other schools and got in, but I had some family backing and had spent some time around campus, so I was familiar with it. I came to UCA and then just had a really great time.”

Once on campus, Reynolds joined Sigma Phi Epsilon, the Student Government Association, UCA Ambassadors, the Student Orientation Staff (SOS) and the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College.

“I’ve got to be involved and stay in a lane where I can feel like I can make an impact,” he said.

It was through SOS that Reynolds met his wife. “For like two weeks, you’re with your team from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.,” he said. “You’re going to spend way more time with this group of people in a short amount of time than you would over several semesters. It was happenstance or divine intervention that we ended up on the same team.”

After graduating with a degree in creative writing, Reynolds went to law school at the University of Arkansas, where an internship at Chesapeake Energy introduced him to the energy business.

“I really fell in love with the fast-paced nature of the energy business,” he said. “If attorneys ruled the world, nothing would ever happen. But, in energy, you’ve got to figure out how to solve a problem instead of sitting back and just talking about it.”

That led to a career spanning several states and ultimately the launch of RBG Permian, his own oil and gas company. Today, he and his business partner manage operations in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, while Reynolds also invests in real estate, tech and runs a bison ranch in western Oklahoma.

Now living in Rogers with his wife and three children, Reynolds remains grateful for the foundation UCA provided. He is committed to giving back to the university that shaped his path.

“People poured into my life and impacted me when I was a student and didn’t know anything,” he said. “Being able to pay it forward, whether that’s mentorship, advice or a financial contribution, matters.”

As a freshman in high school, Wells was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and underwent an amputation of her right leg along with chemotherapy. Throughout this, Wells pushed herself to stay focused on school.

“I was still doing schoolwork and taking AP classes while going through treatment, but after my life looked a whole lot different,” she said. “I knew I needed to be near my parents, and UCA was the most accessible place.”

The decision to come to UCA quickly proved to be the right one.

“When I came to campus, I knew that I would be able to thrive,” Wells said. “It was the best decision. I love it here.”

Wells is now a senior at UCA, majoring in public administration and health promotion. She started BearsAdapt, a registered student organization inspired by the nonprofit she founded after graduating from high school, Natural State Adaptive Sports.

“When I was trying to debate ‘should I amputate, should I not?’ I saw people like Hunter Woodhall running with a prosthetic blade. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be okay, I can still live life,’” she continued. “But I thought, ‘this would be so nice if I had support, if there were resources,’ and so I decided to be the resource.”

Wells aims to build a community for people with disabilities, provide access to resources and educate others to foster a more inclusive environment.

“That has all come from me never believing that things can’t change, and if I put my mind to it, I can at least have an impact on it,” she said. “I feel like you can at least move something 1%, and that’s why I’ve been so involved.”

Wells is also involved in Bears at the Ballot, UCA’s chapter of Vote Everywhere, and was named a Newman Civic Fellow. The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes student leaders and provides them with training, resources and a national network of peers. Through this, Wells was also awarded a $1,500 grant to support Disability Awareness Week at UCA.

After graduation, Wells plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health and a juris doctor so that she can continue to provide assistance and resources to those who need them.

“I would love to work at the CDC or in Arkansas at the Department of Health,” she said. “Somewhere that I can help with legislation because there’s so many people who need an advocate.”

Upon joining the 51��¥’ Police Department (UCAPD) in October 2020, Officer Nicole Sumner-Wheeler ’24 knew she had found a special place to continue her law enforcement career, finish her education and serve her community.

The Little Rock native has more than a decade of experience in law enforcement, first working with the Little Rock Police Department before coming to UCA hoping to do more in the community.

“I loved what I did, but I wanted to do something different or a different aspect of policing. I have a passion for service and helping others, and UCA has given me that opportunity,” Sumner-Wheeler said.

Another opportunity presented itself when she decided to complete her education with a Bachelor of General Studies. “After working in law enforcement, having two children, getting married and being pregnant when I started here, I knew I could utilize the employee discount. I thought, ‘I’m here every day, and I have this opportunity they’re giving me.’”

Her determination and willingness to serve the community are reflected in her role as director of community outreach for UCAPD. This entails organizing and conducting campus training for police officers, faculty, staff and students. The training consists of mental health, first aid, alcohol awareness and much more.

Additionally, her passion for empowering women and building connections is present in everything she does, whether she is organizing a training session, participating in UCA’s peer coaching circle or serving as part of the Women’s Leadership Network in their community service initiatives.

“We’re currently working on a service project for the city of Conway for single and expecting mothers that will be like a community baby shower.”

“I just love to empower women,” she continued, “especially single moms, because I was once a single mom, and I had that person who always pushed and motivated me, and that’s how I am where I am today.”

When reflecting on her career in campus law enforcement, she expressed her deep appreciation for the community she serves.

“I absolutely love it here. It’s the students. It’s the connections. It’s the students I talk to when I’m walking through campus, and they say, ‘Hey, I got a problem. I need to come talk to you about something.’ That is what I live for,” she said. “You just don’t realize the impact you have on people’s lives until they come to you with a problem or just to see you. That’s the main thing: connecting with the students and building relationships with them so they can have someone in the capacity of law enforcement.”

Jeremy Horpedahl stays busy in the 51��¥’ College of Business (COB) – from serving on Faculty Senate to director of the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) to associate professor to public appearances in varying forms of media – which makes his impact in the community noteworthy through his many accomplishments as he strives to help students, citizens and policymakers understand Arkansas’ economy.

Horpedahl has served as a representative of the COB for Faculty Senate and on several committees in the COB.
As director of ACRE, his focus is multifaceted. This unique group consists of other faculty members in the COB and offers research opportunities and topic-specific reading groups each semester for students. Additionally, he organizes bringing in guest speakers to discuss topics students and faculty are focusing on for a greater understanding of economics.

“It’s the people involved that make ACRE,” Horpedahl said, “It’s myself and several other faculty members and the big thing we do is programs for students. The goal is to get them interested in economics and understand how economic policy influences the world. We bring in speakers to give lectures and these events aren’t just for students; they’re open to the public.”

As an associate professor, he educates upper-division economics majors and freshmen from across campus while researching and publishing articles in academic journals.

Outside of the classroom, Horpedahl has an impressive number of publications about tax reform. He has partnered with experts at the Tax Foundation to examine how to reform and reduce taxes in Arkansas. Horpedahl writes op-eds for outlets such as The New York Times, Newsweek and Bloomberg.

He also enjoys the challenge of public appearances on local news and radio outlets, podcasts, blog posts and more because they enlighten the public and assist him with creating innovative strategies for the classroom.

“I do enjoy the challenge of trying to say, ‘How can we get people to want to hear about this?’ that’s what is fun for me, trying to find a way to make economics interesting to people because I think everyone grasps its importance,” he said.

Horpedahl’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. He’s won numerous awards, including the UCA College of Business Exemplary Boundary Spanner Award, the Societal Impact Award from COB and Best Paper in Public Choice by a Senior Scholar.

“My parents are both artists. They’re glass blowers, so I was raised in a glass shop listening to music playing while I was in a playpen. So, it started as a passion for art. It’s just my art wasn’t the visual kind. It’s the audible kind,” Mynatt said.

As he progressed through his early education, playing the trombone in middle school sparked his interest. Still, he credits junior high school as the pivotal point when he started thinking of music as a career he wanted to pursue.

Going to UCA broadened the scope of Mynatt’s goals. He credits his professors, groups within UCA’s music community and artistic experiences with furthering his musical horizons.

“I got into UCA and started the music program there and just had some really great teachers,” he said. “Having Joseph Alessi come and work with us and perform with us and encourage me to audition at Julliard made me think, ‘Maybe I can go even further.’”

After finishing his graduate certificate in music at UCA, Mynatt attended Indiana University (IU) and studied with bass trombonist Denson Paul Pollard from New York’s Metropolitan Opera.

“UCA prepared me well for IU,” he said. “I got my artist diploma and then was appointed associate instructor for trombone, so I got to do the things I enjoy most: teaching and working with trombones.”

While at IU, he auditioned for the New World Symphony, a prestigious academy offering competitive scholarships for graduates worldwide to refine their skills in music and leadership.

“I just wanted to get on the sub-list to try to perform with them, and I really didn’t think much of it,” Mynatt said. “I received an email asking me to come to New World in January 2024. It was very out of the blue. I was very anxious to accept because I was worried they would offer it to someone else.”

For Mynatt, it is a dream he has never realized until now.

“I got this crazy opportunity and then remembered at UCA, my friends and I had conversations like, ‘What if one of us ever had a chance at New World?’ And having the opportunity to go, fulfills an unspoken dream,” he said.

When Rhiannon Umfleet considered her future, she never imagined it would lead her to the cockpit of a plane. Now a student at the 51��¥ Aviation Academy and a finance major in UCA’s College of Business, she is fully embracing her passion for aviation.

Originally from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Umfleet moved to northwest Arkansas at a young age and initially planned on becoming an aerospace engineer. After high school, while working full-time and taking community college classes, she realized a desk job wasn’t for her.

“I didn’t want to be in a space like that for the rest of my life,” she said. “I wanted a job where I could move, grow, do different things, and be outside. I thought, ‘Might as well fly the things. That sounds a lot cooler.’”

When her mom sent her a Facebook ad about UCA’s new aviation program, Umfleet jumped at the opportunity. A month later, she told her parents she had signed up and would be moving to Conway to start ground school. By June, she had piloted her first solo flight.

“I was in the downwind, and I was finally able to fully look up and take it all in,” she said. “Just to look over and see that right seat empty, I felt pure excitement coursing through my body like ‘I can’t believe I’m up here, 1,500 feet in the air by myself.’”
Beyond the classroom and cockpit, Umfleet has found a welcoming aviation community at UCA and in Conway.

“Brad Teague, the aviation director at UCA, Annie Fitzgerald, and Mark Valenzuela, the chief flight instructor at Central Flying Service, they have all been so kind and welcoming. They’ve truly made Conway feel like home,” Rhiannon said.

As the only woman in the first cohort of the UCA Aviation Academy, Umfleet has embraced her role as a trailblazer.

“At first, I shied away from focusing on being the only woman in the program,” she said. “But Miss Annie showed me the importance of embracing it and being a role model for young girls who may want to do this one day.”

For those considering aviation, her advice is simple: “Don’t be scared of how hard everyone says it is. It’s challenging, but the rewards are worth it.”

She hopes UCA’s Aviation Academy will continue growing and providing students with more resources and connections. With a new hangar under construction, she envisions a space where students can collaborate and build a strong aviation community.

“A year ago, I never imagined I’d be here,” she said. “Now, I can’t picture myself doing anything else.”