News for the Central College Family.

As autumn settles across our beautiful campus, we’re reminded of how much we have to be thankful for. Central College is more than a place — it’s a family. Our students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends form a community built on care, curiosity and connection.

This season invites us to pause and reflect on the people and experiences that have shaped our lives. Whether it’s a professor who inspired a calling, a teammate who became a lifelong friend or the simple joy of fall leaves on the pond bridge, gratitude abounds at Central.

In that same spirit, we invite you to join us for Giving Tuesday on Dec. 2. Every gift to the Journey Scholarship Fund helps open doors for students to experience the same transformative education and tight-knit community that define Central. Together, we can continue the tradition of generosity that has sustained this college for generations.

From all of us at Central, we wish our alumni, family and friends a joyous and meaningful season of gratitude. May your days be filled with warmth, reflection and the enduring spirit of Central.

Central dedicated the Poortinga Family Courts during Homecoming, honoring the Poortinga family and community partners who helped serve up a new era for tennis and pickleball in Pella.

President Mark Putnam announced the appointment of Kayla Flanders as chief financial officer and controller. Flanders served as vice president of finance at Pella Corporation prior to joining Central’s finance team.

Central will launch a redesigned alumni magazine, dropping in the mail Friday, Nov. 14. We’re excited to bring you more Central in bite-size pieces. You’ll see beloved familiar sections alongside new sections — all telling the Central story!

Central’s music program welcomes all to the annual Christmas Candlelight Concert featuring the A Cappella Choir, College-Community Orchestra and Chamber singers, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 5 and 6. Order tickets now.

Whether Mason Farrington ’27 is sprinting down the track, singing in a musical or leading a campus event, the musical theatre major from Ottumwa, Iowa, brings the same energy everywhere he goes.