photo by Colton Salmons
ONE DRURY
BY CRIS BELVIN
Drury University’s purpose is to change lives through a personalized education. At Drury, students build lasting relationships, discover their sense of purpose, and gain skills that support a meaningful and successful life. Graduates often share stories about the people and experiences that had a lasting impact on them.
One Drury reflects the belief that the university community should be respectful, supportive, and cooperative. It emphasizes working together, valuing one another, and serving each other.
We spoke with four people from four very different walks of Drury life: a faculty member, a staff member, a traditional student, and an online student, to hear their thoughts on what One Drury means to them.
Jami McConnell
Jami McConnell is in her fourth year as the Assistant Director of Residential Education at Drury. She oversees both Wallace Hall and College Park as part of her duties. As a member of the Res Life team, Jami has an opportunity to be involved with and connected to multiple areas of campus, where she sees the One Drury effect daily.
“To me, One Drury is like the parts of the body. You utilize all of the parts to make the body function. In my day to day, I see campus just like that. How does one department function without the other departments? The students I work with live on campus because they’re a part of the academic departments but many of them are also part of the athletic department. It’s everything from, how did they get here without the admissions department? How do they leave here without the Registrar’s office? How do they have classes, how do they do so many different things without all of the departments? My role is life on campus, but what is my role without all of the other roles? We need the hand, and the hand needs the arm, and so on. Our common purpose is to educate the student, which can look a lot of different ways. But it’s important to remember that education isn’t just solely academic. If we all are trying to educate the students in some aspect, then it takes One Drury to do that.”
Danielle Buker
Danielle Buker is one of the most visible students on Drury’s campus. A member of Drury’s championship-winning women’s soccer team, Buker is also a Vice President of the Student Government Association and a member of the Breech Student Chamber of Commerce, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Student Affairs Committee, and Pi Beta Phi sorority. On top of all that, Danielle is a triple major in Management & Marketing, Economics, and Spanish. To her, One Drury is like an umbrella over campus.
“We have one school and under that it creates an umbrella effect. That’s what One Drury is to me. You can be anything you want, do anything you want, and we’re all connected because we’re here on campus. We’re all here to get an education, or for the faculty to teach students, but it’s deeper than that. We all come from different backgrounds, different states, different parts of the world. As students, we’re all here to achieve the same goal of getting a degree. We all understand each other and what we’re going through. Our lives on campus are intertwined, whether it’s through clubs, sports, or academics. Because Drury is a smaller university, we’re a close knit group. There’s an interconnectedness where you’re able to be seen and be known. There are a lot of great places on campus where the One Drury example exists every day, like the library and the O’Reilly Enterprise Center and, of course, the FSC.”
Jocie Malagon Mejia
Jocie Malagon Mejia is a Drury GO student from Ozark, Missouri. She graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a certificate in Conflict Resolution in May 2026. An entrepreneur and a mom, Malagon Mejia’s One Drury experience has been a bit different than your typical student, but no less impactful.
“As students at Drury, we all have the same goal of receiving a quality education. That’s part of how I see One Drury. We chose to attend Drury because we’re driven to not just want to learn in a higher education setting, but also to attend a university that allows us to understand and appreciate the value of a liberal arts education. But One Drury is more than just the classroom education we receive. It’s also all the welcoming places on campus. And no place is more welcoming to an online student than Olin Library. It’s a place where I can go and study, a place that makes me feel included in what is happening on campus. It provides the same educational resources the on-campus students have, even though I’m a nontraditional student. That’s One Drury. While I may not have the same experiences as a day school student, my instructors are a vital part of my One Drury experience. Although I haven’t been able to meet them in person, I’ve been able to create and maintain relationships with my professors, and value their willingness to assist me with my questions or needs. I know that I can do that. And, of course, a major part of my One Drury experience is working with my advisors in Drury GO. They have been instrumental in guiding me through my educational process over the last few years.”
Charles Taylor, Ph.D.
Charles Taylor has been a fixture at Drury since 1997. Currently a Professor of Communications, Taylor has served in a variety of roles over the years, including Associate Dean, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and as a Major Gifts Officer in the University Advancement Office. Though not an alum, his Drury roots run deep as both his wife and daughter are Drury alumni. The variety of his experiences helps him see One Drury in a different light.
“Fundamentally, our reason for being here is the students. So no matter how many touch points there may be, everything we do in one form or another ought to flow toward providing students the very best experience that they can have. That’s a big part of One Drury. The kind of community we create here is a central commitment to each other. It’s not a zero-sum community, where in order for us to do well, others in the community have to do poorly. In that way, we are a model for the larger community. We all succeed only to the degree that all of us succeed. A healthy respect for each other is part of what ties us together under One Drury. It’s a sense of internal institutional humility. Knowing that none of us has all the answers, and that we each have a role to play. I’d like to think we treat each other with respect and civility because in a lot of ways we model what a respectful, inclusive community can look like. On the bad days when I worry about the larger world out there, I do think we can be a bit of an oasis in a bit of a mess. So many places across campus promote the One Drury feeling. All of our learning spaces do that. But it’s also those spaces in the intersection that may have the most impact. Some of the most meaningful learning and growing experiences students will have may take place away from the classroom. It’s the unexpected, unscheduled, and non-credit bearing interactions that we have that many of us will look back on most fondly. The fundamental aspect that unifies what is really an eclectic group of students is a commitment to leaving the world a little bit better than the way they found it.”
Read More
Exceptional Outcomes
DRURY MAGAZINE SPRING 2026
PUBLISHER
Drury University
Dr. Jeff Frederick, President
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Levi Costello
DESIGNER
Janet Rock
WRITER
Cris Belvin
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Emma Schoeller, Rex Ybañez
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Melanie Earl-Replogle ’99,
Debbi Joiner Brose ’05
DIGITAL DESIGNER
Max Prater ’17
PANTHER TRACKS EDITOR
Kayla Warner ’21 MComm ’23
Drury Magazine, a publication for alumni and friends of Drury University, is published twice each year. The mission of Drury Magazine is to engage readers in the life of the university, reflect the university’s values and capture the intellectual curiosity and distinct community that is Drury.
The views presented do not necessarily reflect or represent those of the editors or the official policies of Drury University.
Share your thoughts with us: editor@drury.edu
Drury Fusion™ is a registered trademark of Drury University.
