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homecoming in review

pages 6–7

a sine ofthe times

page 8

▲ KRISTY HALL ’96

VOL . 77, NO. 2 FALL 2009 W W W.OLIVET.EDU

O L I V E T N A Z A R E N E U N I V E R S I T Y , B O U R B O N N A I S , I L L I N O I S

finding life and PUrPose off the well-worn Path

pages 10–11

http://olivet.edu/

As if competitive games, giant blow up attractions, and a mechanical bull weren’t enough, students at this year’s Block Party also enjoyed the simple pleasures of a petting zoo.

Block party

w w w . o l i v e t . e d u

2

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

Editor The Olivetian

Olivet Nazarene University One University Ave.

Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345

THE OLIVETIAN (USPS 407-880)

(ISSN 0891-9712)

EditorHeather (Quimby) Day ’02

Contributing WritersNick Birkey ’07

Amanda Jensen ’04/’06 M.O.L. Melody Kennell ’10

Casey Manes Kate Morgan

DesignerDonnie Johnson

Additional DesignMatthew Moore ’96

Monique (Cartier) Perry ’03

Editorial ConsultantRev. Gordon C. Wickersham ’47

PhotographyImage Group Photography,

or as credited

Class Notes EditorMartha Thompson

Olivet Nazarene University

PresidentDr. John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A./

’06 D.Div.

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Gregg Chenoweth ’90

Vice President for Student Development

Dr. Walter “Woody” Webb ’86/ ’89 M.A.R./’08 D.Div.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Dr. Brian Allen ’82/’05 Litt.D.

Vice President for FinanceDr. Douglas E. Perry ’68/

’95 M.B.A., Litt.D.

Vice President for School of Graduate

and Continuing StudiesRyan Spittal ’99/’04 M.B.A.

The Olivetian is published quarterly by the Office of Marketing Communications

under the direction of the vice president for Institutional Advancement.

Reproduction of material without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2009 Olivet Nazarene University

One University Avenue Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2345

Cover PhotographBrad Day Photography

snapshotsTraining campSome speculated that the “Cutler factor” contributed to the largest-ever crowds at this year’s Chicago Bears Training Camp. Well over 100,000 fans visited during the three weeks of practices.

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New friends

Chapel progress

Toby the Tiger made several new friends while in Orlando for General Assembly.

Construction on Centennial Chapel is currently ahead of schedule. The building should be fully under cover before hard winter weather comes so the interior work can continue unhindered.

Fall 2009 The Olivetian 3perspectives


CONTINUED, NEXT PAGE

One rideDr. Bowling accepts, rescinds general superintendency

BY MelOdy Kennell ’10

“dr. bowling’s on the bUll!” | A mass of students rushed through the quad during the block party on Aug. 28 to watch the university president riding the mechanical bull. Though this was a surprising sight, it pales in comparison to the surprise and shock much

of the Olivet community experienced this sum-mer when they almost lost Dr. John Bowling as president. The 27th General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene was held in Orlando, Fla., from June 24 to July 3. This year, Bowling was elected as a general superintendent, the high-est position in the Nazarene church. Less than two days after his acceptance, he rescinded the position and decided to return to Olivet for his 19th year as college president.

Past exPeriences | General Assembly is held every four years. Since 2005, Bowling has been facing the challenge of whether or not to leave Olivet for a position as general superintendent. In 2001, Bowling was nominated but stepped down before voting began, and then in 2005, he was elected but declined the position.

According to Dr. Gregg Chenoweth, vice president for academic affairs, Bowling made it clear, publicly and privately, that he didn’t expect to be nominated again. When Olivet’s Board of Trustees met in May, Bowling actually encouraged the trustees who were also delegates not to vote for him at General Assembly.

day one | But on Tuesday, June 30, Bowling was elected as the 38th general superintendent. He asked for time to think and pray about his decision, and later that evening he accepted the position. This was not a job that he had been seeking, so he wondered if God was trying to get his attention. He recalls, “I thought, ‘Well, maybe this is what I’m supposed to do.’”

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Students cheer on Dr. Bowling at the Aug. 28 Block Party.

Note from the editor: If you regularly read The Olivetian, you’ve probably already noticed that this article is a departure from the norm. For the four years I’ve been editor (and several years prior), there’s been something I could count on every issue: Dr. Bowling would write the content for page 3. Every three months or so, I send him the overall theme of The Olivetian, and shortly thereafter, he sends me back an article that exceeds my expectations. It’s more than tradition that’s kept this page going. Last summer, we con-ducted a series of focus groups, and I wasn’t terribly surprised by a theme that emerged. “Don’t mess with page 3,” our readers seemed to indicate in one way or another. “We love reading what Dr. Bowling has to say.” It might seem strange, then, that I would ask Dr. Bowling not to write any-thing for this issue. But, you see, the past few months have not exactly been “normal.” For 48 hours this summer, Olivet Nazarene University grappled with a new reality. For 48 hours, we struggled with the concept that Dr. Bowling would not be returning to Bourbonnais as our president. Instead, he would be serving the Church in a different capacity — as general superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene. The following article was originally written for our student newspaper, the GlimmerGlass, by journalism major Melody Kennell ’10, who serves as edi-tor of that publication. I believe she did a fantastic job of conveying the emo-tions we all experienced during those 48 hours — and helps to make clear why Dr. Bowling ultimately made the decision to stay at Olivet. So for this issue only, page 3 — and 4 — will not be “by” Dr. Bowling. Rather, these pages are for him, pages dedicat-ed to saluting our leader. We’re so glad to have Dr. Bowling and Jill home, and we look forward to reading articles by him for many years to come. Afterall, to borrow a line from admissions, we believe they belong here.

Heather (Quimby) Day ’02, editor


4

He felt no confirmation in a spiritual sense. However, he remembers thinking that if it was what he was destined to do, than to not do it would be wrong. “You know, sometimes you get confirma-tion before, sometimes you get it after making the decision,” he said.

word sPreads | During General Assembly, Chenoweth was on vacation in Tennessee. As soon as Bowling was elected and accepted the position of superintendent, Chenoweth’s cell phone was flooded with calls and text messages. He was surprised, but not worried about what would happen next. “I trust John Bowling’s spiritual discern-ment,” he said.

a stUdent’s PersPective | Music major Reuben Lillie ’11 was at General Assembly when Bowling accepted the position. Lillie expected that it was going to happen and was struggling with how to deal with it. When the acceptance was made, he was okay with Dr. Bowling’s decision because he had prepared himself. After Bowling’s acceptance, Lillie made his way to the platform to shake Bowling’s hand and was surprised when Bowling em-braced him for a hug. “It was a really special moment,” Lillie said. Throughout the day, people asked him what he would miss about having Bowling as his college president. He said he was going to have to shake somebody else’s hand when he got his diploma, and he was not looking forward to that.

day two | Bowling was now officially a general superintendent, so he immediately started meeting with the board. He said he and his wife, Jill, experienced grief and a sense of loss, but it seemed natural. The whole day, it never entered his mind to rescind.

day three | On Thursday, Bowling woke up around 3 or 3:30 a.m., which was unusual for him. He noticed that Jill was also up, so they talked about the change that was happening in their lives. After an hour and a half, he felt troubled and still didn’t have the sense of peace that he expected would come after his decision.

other early wakers | Bowling was later told that he was being prayed for at that exact time. Becky Williams, secretary for the Office of Development, said she had prayed for Bowl-ing the night he accepted the job, but the

Lord woke her up around 3 a.m. on Thursday to pray for him again. She remembers telling God that she already prayed for him, so why the urgency to do it again? She later found out the connection be-tween her prayers and what the Bowlings were experiencing. There are several others who experienced the same early morning call to prayer for Bowling.

back in orlando | Bowling knew if he did not feel right about this, than he should not go on. At 5 a.m., he felt that God was checking him, stopping him from proceeding. He told Jill he was go-ing to rescind. At 6 a.m., he walked to the convention center and thought to himself, “I would rather take a bullet than have to tell the Board of General Superintendents about this.” On his way to the meeting of superintendents, he ran into David Wilson, the general secretary and primary administrator for details of the conven-tion. He told Wilson of his decision, who was stunned but assured Bowling that it was okay. At 7 a.m., Bowling arrived at the board meeting. The voting was over, so the other superintendents were relaxed and upbeat. He knew he had to bring it up. He explained to them that he really felt checked about the position and had no peace or confirmation, and that he had decided to rescind his decision. It was quite a shock to the group. Wilson arrived and helped the superintendents figure out what to do next and how to start the vot-ing again. Back in Tennessee, Chenoweth got a text message telling him Bowling had rescinded. He was surprised but says that he was happy for Olivet “in a selfish way.”

home at olivet | Since his emotionally exhausting ordeal this summer, Bowling has had no second thoughts. However, he does regret the stress which he put the Church through. “I know I was just trying to do what was right,” he said. In a letter to the Board of General Su-perintendents, sent in July, Bowling related his experience at General Assembly to the

story of Abraham and Isaac, where God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, the one thing he loved most. Bowling said he thinks this may have been a way of the Lord renewing his own commit-ments. “I really love my job here at Olivet, but I couldn’t love it more than I love God.” When Bowling first accepted the position as general superintendent, he told Jill that they should use this moment in their lives to really become better people. After rescind-

ing, they decided to relate that resolution to their lives at Olivet. They have returned to school with a fresh perspective and are not taking any of this for granted.

welcome back | When Bowling returned to work after General Assembly, there was a sign on Burke that read “Welcome home, John and Jill.” He said he’s received a lot of affirmation from people who are glad he is still here, even people in the community. It’s clear from the “I [heart] Dr. B” shirts which many students are wearing that they are also happy he’s still here. A respected educator, well-known leader in the Nazarene church and campus celebrity, Dr. Bowling is a man who surprises everyone by jumping on the mechanical bull, but he is also seen early in the morning praying at the chapel construction site. “I feel blessed to have him as my univer-sity president,” Lillie said.

One WILD ride, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

� Women’s soccer warmups, Oct. 21 home game� Seth Means ’13 models the latest fashion trend on campus

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This article was written for the GlimmerGlass and is reprinted with the permission of that publication. Alumni are welcome to subscribe to GlimmerGlass by e-mailing [email protected].

Back when I was in the youth group of my home church, we were constantly making trips down to Olivet nazarene University. Through those experiences, I just knew this was the place where I wanted to be.

“In choosing my major, I knew that I wanted to help people through social work. I knew this was what God was leading me to do.

“Olivet has an awesome, accredited social work program that is helping me prepare for my career. The professors are some of the best out there, and they have all worked in the areas that they teach. This helps a lot as they share what it’s really like in the field.

“ I’ve also grown spiritually while at ONU. I’ve been involved in Bible studies and other ministries, but chapel is what has really helped me grow closer with the Lord.

The first time I listened to Dr. Bowling speak, it was a life-changing moment as he explained that it is our time to fly.

“ I am so grateful to those who helped make this all possible for me through their gifts to scholarships. If I were to meet them face to face, I would tell them two simple, yet meaningful words: ‘Thank you.’”

— Roy Franklin ’11, social work major from Kingsley, Mich.

Fall 2009 The Olivetian 5


GIVE TODAY. CHANGE TOMORROW.815-939-5171 | www.olivet.edu | [email protected]

FollowingGod’s lead

friends of olivet

Strike up the Band

Coronation


6 homecoming2009

!

Homecoming Chapel

Women’s Basketball

Tiger Pride

Wendy Parsons 5K

Go Tigers!Tiger Football

Powder Puff Football

Over the River and Through the Woods

Varsity basketball

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Homecoming 2009 was kicked off by the tradi-tional coronation ceremony, in which Sarah Clark ’09 of New Castle, Ind., was crowned Homecoming Queen. [1] The following morning, Dr. Jim Diehl challenged and invigorated alumni and students alike with his chapel message. [2]

Throughout the weekend, students joined in the fun through long-standing traditions like Powder Puff football

[3] and the 25th An-nual Wendy Parsons 5K Run. [4] They also provided entertain-ment during the the-

atrical production of “Over the River and Through the Woods” [5] and reignited school spirit during sporting competitions, including men’s varsity basket-ball (100-40 win) [6], women’s basketball (93-119 loss) [7], football (35-45 loss) [8], a CCAC quarter-final men’s soccer game (1-0 win in double overtime) [9]

and a CCAC semi-final women’s soccer game (1-1 tie, loss in 1-3 shoot-out). [10]

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homecoming 2010fast forward

October 28–31, 2010Classes of 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975,

1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005, plus Golden Grads (anyone who graduated prior to 1960)

Celebrating class reunions:

Class of 1959 Class of 1974 Class of 2004

Ministerial “O” Award

Lay “O” Award

Engineering Open House

Mark Lowry

O.N.You! for Kids

MERC Breakfast ROTC Open House

CCAC Quarter Finals

CCAC Semi Finals

Hall of Fame

Taste of Olivet

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Hundreds of alumni from around the world returned to campus, many for their class reunions [11, 12, 13]. Several alum-

ni were honored throughout the weekend including the 2009 “O” Award winners Rev. Chuck Sun-berg ’78 [14] and Martha (Reed) Garvin ’59 [15]. Six former Tigers

were inducted into the Hall of Fame: Steve Hassell ’90 (football), Ranier Caldwell ’93 (football), Lee Coomler ’00 (basketball), Drew Neal ’00 (basketball), Matt Schweitzer ’00 (baseball) and Shanda Spurlock ’99 (track and field). [16]

This year’s main event was an “Evening with Mark Lowry.” In his signature style, Lowry had audiences in stitches one mo-ment and crying the next, during this ex-traordinary comedy and concert event. [17] The following morn-ing, Dr. Bowling led the ONU community through a time of prayer and reflection during the

final scheduled activity of Homecoming 2009, the annual President’s Prayer Breakfast.

W


8 onu news

“It is true that majoring in mathematics gives a better chance of job security than some other fields,” says Dale Hathaway, chair-man of the Department of Mathematics. “In a tough economy, a major in mathematics is a type of insurance against job loss. It’s not a guarantee, but it helps.” Indeed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 15 of the 20 fastest-growing careers in the next decade will require math and science proficiency. With that in mind, it may come as no surprise that numbers are up within the Department of Mathematics. This fall, 24 new majors entered the department — about double the number for most other years. Dale points to two specific areas in which he’s seeing growth: the new actuarial science pro-gram and mathematics education.

A premium education The actuarial science program is filling a void at just the right moment, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics believes employment within the field will increase by an astonishing 24 percent through 2016. For students with an interest in math, the program offers a career they may not have thought of before. “I’ve known for several years that I wanted to do something related to math, I just didn’t know what,” says Sarah Langeland ’13. “After talking to my high school math teacher, I did some research and talked with an actuary in my town. The job seemed to fit what I wanted to do in the future.” At first, Sarah was hesitant to enroll at Olivet, as it would take her out of state to a place where she didn’t know anyone. But the draw of the program eventually reeled her in. “Olivet is one of the few Christian schools that has an actuarial science major,” she explains. While the actuarial science major has not been formally marketed yet, the program is

A (sine) of the times

what makes a job a “best” or “worst” job?

in a study released by careercast.com in january 2009, 200 professions were ranked according to five criteria: environment, income, employment, outlook, physical demands and stress.

the top three best jobs?

1. mathematician 2. actuary 3. statistician

as dale hathaway says, “when essentially one field captures the top three spots on a jobs rating list, it’s bound to draw attention to the opportunities available in that area.”

already seeing initial success. This summer, two of three students passed the first actuarial exam on their first attempt. The national exam pass rate is between 30 and 40 percent.

It all adds up As with actuaries, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a grow-ing demand for math teachers through 2016, with a 12 percent increase in employment. For Allyson Schoenbein ’13, a desire to be a high school teacher originally meant a career in history education. But the job forecast changed her mind. “I talked to a college adviser who told me the job outlook for history teachers wasn’t very good,” she says. “After seeing my math test scores, he suggested I go into math education. Since I’ve al-ways liked math, and schools are in need of good math teachers, I decided to major in math education.” Allyson knows firsthand success stories of Olivet math educa-tion students — two of her high school math teachers graduated from the University. “I came from a high school that has high standards for their teachers, so I knew that Olivet must have properly prepared them for their jobs,” she says.

Preparing for the job, both inside and outside of the classroom, is a key element for the depart-ment’s and the students’ success. Even with a positive job forecast, the market is competitive. “We have an active math club that meets to explore areas of recreational mathematics,” Dale says. “Certain math club activities, which can be used in high school classrooms for enrichment, often help give our students an edge over their competition.” When Mark Lynn ’13 was looking for a com-petitive edge, he chose to become involved in another opportunity available to majors within the department. “I’m working in the math lab, tutoring col-lege students with problems they are having in math,” he explains. “I feel this will prepare me to be a teacher and give me one up on some other candidates who will be applying for the same jobs.” Whatever their plans for success, the new-est members of the Department of Mathematics are certainly focused on success in the job market. “I take my math and education courses seriously because I know these subjects are crucial to my career,” Allyson says. “I am learn-ing that it is vital to not only learn the material for the test, but to really take the time to under-stand it.”

BY KATE MORGAN

We’ve heard the reports: unemployment

numbers continue to rise; job market is bleak.

In fact, many we know are living the statistics.

But amidst the doom and gloom, there’s

hope for students in the growing department

of Mathematics.



LAREAU LEADS THE WAY ON NEW ‘EARLY ALERT SYSTEM’

onu online

guygo-to

It’s not always easy making the transition to college. Ramped up study-ing. Roommate conflicts. School bills. New levels of independence. It’s no wonder some students struggle to make the adjustment. Enter Mike LaReau. With more than 30 years of social work and teaching experience, and one of the big-gest hearts in Kankakee County, Mike is just the man to help struggling students cope with college life. Professors and resident di-rectors alike have him on speed dial, so that no ONU student slips between the cracks. Read more about Mike’s new role and the early alert system at www.olivet.edu.

Benson’s new church relations role to serve as link between University and Indiana

Veterans to receive free Olivet tuition as part of Yellow Ribbon program

Olivet again top tier as one of “America’s Best Colleges”

McLean named dean of College of Arts and Sciences

Tigers named 2008–2009 “Champions of Character”

RECENT HEADLINES from www.olivet.edu

www.olivetnazareneu.blogspot.com

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stay connected


10 cover story

BY CASEY MANES

Kristy Hall ’96 was tempted to listen to the pestering messages that continued to run through her head.

You should stick with this job. It’s a pay-check. It makes sense. Challenging the norm is foolish. It is what you went to college for. It’s safe. As a well-respected lawyer for a large firm near Washington d.C., Kristy knew she should be thrilled with the places her hard work had taken her. But Kristy was tired of letting her life and interests slip by because she kept deferring to “shoulds.” “I really enjoyed the people I worked with at the law firm, but I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the lack of personal interaction, lack of opportunities to be creative and being locked in an office with boxes of documents,” shares Kristy on her former position. “I kept thinking that I was getting the not-so-nice work because I was just starting out. Four years later, as I was getting the ‘better work,’ I was still unhappy.”

Beginning the leap Despite the impossibilities and challenges she knew she might face, Kristy summoned the courage

… as I looked at my mission statement and looked at my career path, they weren’t al igned enough for me. I knew I had to make a change …

KRISTY HALL ’96

finding life and PUrPose off the well-worn Path to talk with a partner at her firm about a change. It

was her first step out into the risky unknown. He told me to do what makes me happy — and not to do something because I think I should. Great advice. About two weeks later, through him, I was connected with my next opportunity.” Kristy transitioned to a new position as an at-torney, not knowing this change would play an unexpected role in preparing her for yet another chapter. “At one point, I represented a company filing for bankruptcy. In some ways, it was perfect prepara-tion for my next adventure, working in the nonprofit sector: There’s too much to do, no money to do it and plenty of people saying it can’t be done!” shares Kristy. In this role, she received the mentorship she needed to help her begin listening to the still, true voice she required to move forward. “I had a fantastic boss who suggested that I develop my personal mission statement.” As it turned out, crafting her own mission state-ment was a vital component in recognizing her true hopes. “It actually took years of soul searching and question-asking to develop my personal mission statement. And, as I looked at my mission state-ment and looked at my career path, they weren’t aligned enough for me. I knew I had to make a change and determined that the nonprofit sector would be my next step.” Once she knew her plan, Kristy went on for ad-

ditional training, receiving a certificate in nonprofit management and stepped down from her job as an attorney in 2006.

the BOss Of her Kristy now owns and operates the company she founded, Universal Synergy Group, LLC. This com-pany allows her to use her keen business know-how and her desire to forge meaningful relationships to assist nonprofit organizations. Her consulting firm offers practical speaking and training services to help organizations accom-plish their missions. She offers real-life solutions to agencies that have little to no money, while giving fundraising, development, strategic planning and advocacy education. “Now, every day I know I am making a valuable contribution to the world.” Along with a glowing sense of internal satis-faction, Kristy has been very outwardly successful. Among other victories, she assisted in a fundraising plan and developed a training program for interna-tional fellows, which was essential to one of her clients receiving U.S. State Department approval for a new program overseas. Of course, with every big success comes big challenges. Marketing herself has been difficult at times. And though she loves what she does and says she would do it for free, she also has to pay the bills. Since she works with the nonprofit sec-tor, she has had to creatively juggle what to charge organizations for her valuable expertise while hon-

Photo by Brad Day, www.braddayphotography.com

KRISTY HALL ’96 Founder and president: Universal Synergy Group, LLC | Charlottesville, Va.Compelled



RIcHARd NYe ’64 School administrator | Founder and administrator: Veritas Christi High School | Ann Arbor, Mich.

SUCCeSS STOry: After more than 30 years as a teacher in Michigan’s public schools, richard retired. It seemed like the logical next step. The only prob-lem was, he knew he wasn’t quite ready to leave his calling behind. So he decided to launch a school for children with special needs.

“I did my research, started creating this school out of my head,” Richard remem-bers. “Then I realized I didn’t have board members, who would be key to a success-ful school. I didn’t have a location or so many logistics worked out. It was like I had to go back and really start over again.” Seeing the impossibilities work out, like finding a building, and a highly qualified board and staff, has been humbling and rewarding for Richard. “I have had to go back and apologize to God for continually telling Him — like He didn’t already know — what He needed to do to work it all out!”

dANA ScHeLLeR ’07 Graphic designer and photographer | Founder and owner: Scheller Image and Design | Pittsburgh, Pa.

SUCCeSS STOry: Took the risk to launch her own business right out of college and has grown her company into a full-service production in just three years.

“I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! I love people, relationship building, serving the Lord, graphic design and photography, and this is my job! From the beginning, I’ve always treated it as a ministry and that makes it fun!” exclaims Dana. “‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.’ It is in the moments when I am overwhelmed, frustrated, or praised for my work that I remind myself of this verse in Colossians. It’s easy to get a bad attitude about life situations, or become self-righteous when things go so well. But when we dedi-cate our lives to Christ with a hard working, servant-like attitude, we will experience the full joy and blessing of God.”

dAVe ’09 ANd LISA SZYMANSKI ’09 Continuing education students and full-time business professionals | Manteno, Ill.

SUCCeSS STOry: After 20 years of mar-ketplace experience, the Szymanskis went back to school to increase their abilities to move up within their compa-nies. neither of them had ever earned a college degree, and yet it was a goal both of them desired to accomplish. Through hard work and persistence, they did it.

“When we enrolled in the AAB program in 2007, it had been many years since either of us sat in a classroom,” says Lisa. “Dave had not been a student since high school, and I hadn’t since participating in a parale-gal certification program 20 years prior. “We made the decision to enroll in Olivet’s AAB program in order to further our careers. The need for a degree is becoming more evident in the workplace; we were both long-time employees at our respective companies, but neither of us could have advanced internally without a degree. Together we decided to enroll as AAB students know-ing that we would have each other to lean on when the shock of being students again hit. Olivet has certainly become an important part of our family life!”

ANGeLA (SUITS) ALVARAdO ’89 Medical transcriptionist | Founder and owner: Creative Physician Remedies | Shelbyville, Ind.

SUCCeSS STOry: Overwhelmed as a working mom, Angela had an idea to free her to work from home and raise her children. She proposed the idea of a medical transcription company to her personal physician, and he became her first customer. nearly 20 years later, her business is thriving and employs other stay-at-home moms.

“Sometimes we believe if God is going to lead, it will be in the big and mighty ways and so evident that anyone could see it — otherwise, it must not be from God. But I have learned that God leads in the everyday circumstances and in simple ways. We just need to be open and ready to see it.”

oring their budgets and fiscal needs as not-for-profit.

ValuaBle inVestments Kristy urges others daring to go after the unex-pected to invest in their own talents and education. “One of the best things I did to overcome these challenges was to invest in myself. I have been to many, many seminars and conferences. I also have identified several key mentors who model the type of business acumen, lifestyle and heart for contributing to the world in an amazingly positive way that I admire. “I also have surrounded myself with people who help expand my mind in terms of what is possible for me and for the impact I can have in the world.” When asked what her chief responsibilities are on a day-to-day business, Kristy laughs. She is re-sponsible for everything, something back when she was a lawyer, she didn’t have to worry about. “I graduated from ONU with a degree in busi-ness administration, and I certainly learned a tre-mendous amount about every aspect of business. All the classes and education certainly prepared me and shortened my learning curve. However, they can’t replace actually doing it.”

Challenge me this Kristy seems to thrive on challenges, or may-be, more accurately, she doesn’t let herself think of them as obstacles. To her, they seem more like a reason to expand and improve upon her business. “Challenges always have solutions when we can think big enough,” she says When hearing from her clients that organiza-tions had tiny budgets and yet still needed support, training and funding, Kristy saw this challenge as a chance, and launched the Nonprofit Super Se-ries. It includes a “We Need Funds NOW!” audio and video training guide and personalized phone consultations. She also worked with Boston-based nonprofit One Home Many Hopes, which provides financial support to an orphanage in Kenya, to raise $20,000 in 30 days. This would have been a major feat in itself, but was particularly impressive as the organi-zation began their campaign for funds the day the stock market plunged and the recession of 2009 began. They ultimately raised $40,000 and more than tripled their donor base.

simple COmplexity Kristy’s recipe for success has been hard work, passion and education. But truly, none of this would have mattered if Kristy hadn’t paid attention to the tugs on her conscience saying there was something more for her. She was willing to accept the chal-lenge and the risks. “My career and business are absolutely inte-grated with my life’s work, which is about helping people, all the time. Because I know that everything I do brings me closer to fulfilling why I am on this earth, I keep going — even when I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen next.” She challenges others to do the same. “Thinking about branching out and pursuing your passions? Do it! Seriously. What are you waiting for? Look, you know either you’re doing what you’ve been called to do or you’re not. And, if you’re not, then go do it. It is as simple (and complex) as that. “Everybody else will make excuses about why they can’t do something. It’s the exceptional people who will take the risk, put themselves out there and do whatever it takes to fulfill their purpose in life.” SUBMITTED PHOTOS

kristy’s not the only one oUt there challenging the boUndaries. meet five other alUmni who are forging new Paths:

Dave and Lisa with their family on graduation day this past May.

Undaunted

The new chapel for Olivet will be used to transform lives of Olivet students, and their spouses, and their children, and their workplaces, and their churches, and their communities and the long reach of all the places they touch.


12

one

the new chapel will ensure that every week, in every chapel, every student will have a seat.

One chapel. One seat. One moment. Changes everything.

to learn more aboUt this important project and how you can provide a seat for the new chapel, contact the office of development at 815-939-5171 or go online to www.olivet.edu.

On AUGUST 26, 2009, students, faculty and staff poured into McHie Arena for the first chapel of the year. With a student body that has outgrown Chalfant Hall, the first two chapel services of the year are held in this sporting arena so that the entire community can gather together as one. And yet, there were still not enough seats. With every bleacher already filled, dozens of students were left to observe chapel from a distance, standing on the walking track.

http://www.olivet.edu/studentlife/splife/chapel/buildingproject/



onu alumni

ONlINE ALUMNI BOARD VOtING Running as new members for the 2009–2010 Alumni Board:

Class notes

19 50s

Joan (Hole) Lane ’53 wrote and self- published the book, Did I do That? A Leader Dog in Training Confesses All. Joan worked with Mollie, a black Labrador, for a year and a half, trying to prepare her to be a leader dog for the blind. Joan and her husband, Paul, live in Swartz Creek, Mich.

19 60s

Margaret (Goble) Steinacker ’68 has published a book titled Fearless Teaching from a Grocery Cart: How to Teach Effectively with A Limited Assigned Area. Margaret retired in 2008 after teaching school for 34 years. For 20 years, she taught GED classes in county jails. For the first 12 years, her only desk was a grocery cart. Margaret is married to Gerald ’67 and lives in Winamac, Ind.

19 70s

Stephen Harris ’78 received an honorary Doc-tor of Letters degree from Trevecca Nazarene Univer-sity. He just completed his 30th year as an adminis-trator at Trevecca and his 25th year as the university’s chief student de-velopment officer. Steve served as Trevecca’s director of retention and student development from 1979 to 1984, when he assumed the responsibility of dean of students. In 2006, as part of a reorganization of the university’s administration, Steve was named the associate provost and dean of student development. Raised in a parsonage in Illinois, Steve Harris and his twin brother, Sam, graduated from Olivet in 1978. He earned a Master of Science degree with a major in health and physical education from Middle Tennessee State University in 1981. Steve and his wife, Jan (Brodien) ’78, are active members of Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene and have two sons.

Kathleen “Kate” (Welsh) Dyer ’79 was recently appointed municipal judge in Cooper-town, Tenn. She also practices law in Pleasant View. Kate and husband, John, live in Ashland City, Tenn.

19 80s

Vernon Horner ’81 and wife Wanda (Hodge) ’82 recently relocated to Siena, Italy. Vern will be working as head of aseptic opera-tions for Novartis Vaccines in Rosia, Italy.

Deanna Ingram ’81 just completed her master’s degree in the administration of justice and Security at the Uni-versity of Phoenix and is now working for the Fed-eral Bureau of Investiga-tion in West Virginia.

Bryan Kirby ’82 was recently awarded the Glenn W. Sample Award for Excellence in Instruc-tion by Ivy Tech Commu-nity College. The award came as part of the college’s annual President’s Awards to out-standing faculty. This award is Ivy Tech’s high-est honor for a faculty member. Kirby joined the Ivy Tech faculty in 1997.

Dr. Joseph Bentz ’83 has published the book and accompanying DVD, When God Takes Too Long: Learning to Thrive During Life’s Delays. Published by Beacon Hill Press, this book/DVD combi-nation examines the mysteries of God’s timing and shows Christians how to thrive in the midst of one of life’s greatest frustrations — waiting. The DVD contains six video lessons that correspond to the book’s various chapters, as well as a printable lead-ers guide. The package is designed for use in small groups. Dr. Bentz, who taught English at Olivet from 1986 to 1991, now teaches American literature at Azusa Pacific University in South-ern California, where he lives with his wife and two children. Bentz holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in American literature from Purdue University.

Cecilia Dion ’84/’94 BSN graduated in May 2009 with an MSN from OSF St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing in Peoria, Ill., as a clinical nurse specialist with a focus on adult medical surgical health. She and her dog, Alex, live in Bloomington, Ill.

19 90s

Eric Cummins ’90 accepted the position of executive director at Willapa Behavioral Health Center in Long Beach, Wash. He, his wife, Tricia ’95, and their three girls moved from Kankakee, Ill. to Long Beach, Wash., in July 2008.

Shawn (Smith) Lantz ’91 has writ-ten her second book,

a Bible study book for women titled Living with Unmet Desires: Exposing the Many Faces of Jealousy. Shawn’s passion is to encourage women to develop a love for the Scriptures. Shawn and Rob have three children and reside in Nashville, Tenn.

Beth (Schoenwetter) ’93 and Jeffrey Zirgibel: A boy, Nicholas Brady, January 2009. He joins brothers, Jake, 7, Zachary, 6, Riley, 4 and Joshua, 2. Beth is a prosecutor in the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Of-fice and Jeff is an attorney at Pasternak and Zirgibel in Brookfield, Wis. They reside in Mer-ton, Wis.

Scott ’93 and Jennifer Rainey: A girl, Sarah Marie, October 17, 2008. She joins her sister Bekah, 4. Scott graduated from Houston Graduate School of Theology in May 2009 with his Doc-tor of Ministry degree and is the lead pastor of Living Word Church of the Nazarene in Hous-ton, Texas.

Stephanie (Col-lins) ’94 and Jason Barten ’98: A boy, Dae-gan Collin, March 28, 2009. Daegan joins big sisters, Brenna, 5, and Finley, 3. Jason works for the Shorewood Police Department and Stephanie is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Plain-field, Ill.

Justin Clardie ’95 graduated from Univer-sity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Ph.D. in political science. He has accepted an assis-tant professor position at Cameron University in Lawton, Okla.

Kay Welch ’95 was recently awarded 1st place in the female vo-calist category at the Biennial Young Artist Competition sponsored by the National Federa-tion of Music Clubs. Ms. Welch later performed her winning program at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

Lindy (Arrowood) ’96 and Mike Bethke: A girl, Meg Linse, Aug. 27, 2008. Meg joins big sister Paige, 2. Mike is a senior packaging engineer at Schreiber Foods. Lindy is currently a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Green Bay, Wis.

Scott and Sherri (Sloan) ’96 Bohinc: A boy, Brax-ton Sloan, June 12, 2009, in Washington, DC. He joins big sister, Ava, and big brother, Landon. Braxton is also the grandson of Robert Sloan ’68. Sherri retired from Google and is now a stay-at-home mom as well as marketing and communications manager for Georgetown University Alumni. Scott Bohinc is a finance manager for PAE, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin. Robert Sloan is the CEO of Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC. The family resides in Washington, DC.

Jamie (Fussner) ’96 and Brian Foley: A boy, Conor Joseph, Jan. 24, 2009. He joins big sister, Kei-ra Lynn, 2. Jamie is a stay-at-home mom and Brian works for a hedge fund. They reside in Maynard, Mass.

Wayne ’96 and Amy Walts: A girl, Macy Joelle, July 31, 2009. She joins big sister Ha-ley, 19 mos. Wayne is an associate bro-ker for RE/MAX River Haven and Amy is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Gladwin, Mich.

Brian ’97 and Jodi Fish: A girl, Culley Jo, May 1, 2009. Brian is on the football staff at Sterling College. Jodi prev iously taught English at Hutchinson Middle School but will now be staying home with Culley. They reside in Sterling, Kan.

Michelle (Stroud) ’98 and Steffan Roetheli: A boy, Levi Nikolas, Oct. 12, 2008. He joins brother Isaac, 2. Michelle is a stay-at-home mom and Steffan is a detec-tive. They reside in Kansas City, Mo.

Suzanne Bell ’98 and Josh Warren were married Aug. 29, 2009, in Cancer Survivors’ Garden, Chicago, Ill. Suzanne is an assistant professor of Industrial and Organizational Psy-chology at DePaul University and Josh is the director of client services at Equity Risk Part-ners. They reside in Chicago, Ill.

Jonathan D. Bartling ’98 recently earned his Ph.D. degree in education from Capella University. He currently serves as a professor in the School of Education at ONU, as well as the director of assessment and accreditation for the School of Graduate and Continuing Stud-ies. He and his wife, Melinda (Jackson) ’99, reside in Bourbonnais, with their sons Jackson and Jeremiah.

Jeffrey ’98 and Kim Hashberger: A boy, Brayden Franklin, May 28, 2009. He joins older brother, Austin, 5, and older sister, Kiara, 3. Jeffrey works for Oaklawn Psychiatric Center/CEO JAKK Mortgage Services. Kim is a stay-at-home mom. The family resides in Elkhart, Ind.

Class Notes, continued

sylvia (freeman) reed ’82, huntington, ind. — representing northeast indiana

melinda (davis) weber ’81, fenton, mich. — representing eastern michigan

leslie (young) Parrott ’84, seattle, wash. — member at large

roy wood ’76, nashville, tenn. — member at large

FOr FUll BIOS, and to cast your vote,

go to www.olivet.edu and click on

“Alumni & Friends.”

Stephen Harris

Macy Walts

Conor Foley

Levi and Isaac Roetheli

Culley Fish

Kay Welch

Kiara, Brayden and Austin Hashberger

Meg Bethke

Daegan Barten

Sarah Rainey

Ava, Braxton and Landon Bohinc

Bryan Kirby

14 onu alumni


U.S. Army Captain Luke Wadsworth ’05 was recently deployed to Iraq from Fort Lewis, Wash. He is based at Camp Victory in Baghdad for the next 12 months. Wadsworth, an Army Ranger, is Executive Of-ficer of Alpha Company in the 110th Technical Escort Battalion. This is his second deployment to a combat zone.

Tami (Farnsworth) ’05 and Charlie Bradley: A boy, Kendal David, April 23, 2009. Tami is an insurance claims adjuster for Farmers Insurance in Okla-homa City, Okla., and Charlie is the service manager at Culligan Water Systems. They re-side in Bethany, Okla.

Amy (Setzler) ’05 and Justin Baird ’05: A girl, Elyse Marie, March 27, 2009. Amy works as a registered nurse in the progressive care unit for Clarian West Medi-cal Center in Avon, Ind. and Justin is an eighth grade science teacher for Brownsburg Community Schools in Browns-burg, Ind. They reside in Brownsburg.

Matthew Angell ’06 and Jacki Sch-weighart were married June 4, 2009, in B loomington, I l l . Matthew works as a youth pastor for Sanc tua ry In te r-national Church of the Nazarene in Bloomington, Ill. Jacki works as a lab techni-cian at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln. They reside in Normal, Ill.

Benjamin Jerome ’06 received the Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School on May 24, 2009.

Rebekah (Heinold) ’06 and Joel Zehr ’06: A boy, Asher Luke, March 27, 2009. Re-bekah teaches 6th grade language arts at Eureka Middle School and Joel teaches math at Morton High School. They reside in Goodfield, Ill.

Ketly (Seaman) ’06 and Derek Diehl ’07: A boy, Carson James, Sept. 13, 2008. Derek is a senior high youth Pas-tor at Flint Central Church of the Nazarene, Flint, Mich., and Ketly is a stay-at-home mom. The family resides in Holly, Mich.

Heather Ludwig ’07 and Scott Liscomb ’08 were married Oct. 18, 2008, in Comstock Park, Mich. They currently reside in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Matthew McLain ’06 and Rachel Green ’08 were married Aug. 1, 2009, in Bourbonnais. Matt is a math teacher at Bishop McNamara High School and Rachel is the program coordinator at College Church of the Nazarene. They reside in Bourbonnais.

Megan (Glenn) ’04 and Ryan Gillasp-ie: Triplet girls, Rogue Madeline, Jade Leaf-blad, and Phoenix Nicole, Feb. 25, 2009. Megan is an ICU RN at Lutheran General Hospital and Ryan is a stay-at-home dad and tattoo artist. They reside in Lindenhurst, Ill.

Jeff ’04 and Patty (Wilson) ’04 DiSandro: A boy, Beniah John, April 27, 2009. Jeff is the offen-sive coordinator at Greenville College. Patty also works for the col-lege in the Office of Advancement.

Rebekah (Thompson) ’04 and Joshua Whiteley ’03: A girl, Kaylin Joy, March 20, 2009. She joins big brother Jonah, 1. Rebekah is an investment spe-cialist/mechanical engineer with Duke Energy. Joshua is an A & P mechan-ic. They reside in Terre Haute, Ind.

Jessica (Blake) ’05 and Aaron Wainscott ’06: A girl, Emerson Sharon, May 28, 2009. Aaron is a collections agent at Med1 Solutions in Indianapolis. Jessica is a stay-at-home mom. They reside in Indianapolis, Ind.

Brooke (Wellenre-iter) ’05 and Bran-don Yoder ’05: A girl, Brynlee Paige, Jan. 9, 2009. Brooke is a part-time spanish teacher at NorthWood High School and Brandon is the branch manager at the College Green branch of Interra Credit Union. They reside in Goshen, Ind.

Brad ’99 and Cindi (Drake) ’03 Lacey: A boy, Elijah Drake, Feb. 27, 2009. Eli-jah joins big brother Noah. Brad works for United Health Care and Cindi teaches 1st/2nd grade. They reside in Indianapolis, Ind.

Camie (Martin) ’99 and Adam Brough-ton: A boy, Gehrig Adam, Feb. 19, 2009. He joins big brother, Grady, 2. Camie is a second grade teacher at Central Ele-mentary School in Plain-field, Ind. Adam teaches high school business at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Ind. They attend Indianapolis Westside and live in Avon, Ind.

Melinda Miller ’99 graduated with an MBA from Northwest Nazarene University in July 2009. Melinda will begin teaching as adjunct faculty for NNU in the fall.

20 00s

Nicole (DeWitt) ’00 and Brent Gassman: A girl, Mara Nicole, April 20, 2009. She joins big brothers Drew, 5, and Kyle, 3. Nicole is a stay-at-home mom and is an adjunct English professor at Olivet. They reside in Bourbonnais.

Brent ’00 and Lyndsi (Wisher) ’00 Smith: A girl, Rylee Katherine, March 10, 2009. She joins her older sister Kalli, 3. Brent manages Guaran-tee Vacuum and Sewing Center. Lyndsi teaches and is a literacy coach at Pettit Park Elemen-tary School. They reside in Kokomo, Ind.

Jennifer (Hatchel) ’01 and David Em-mert: A boy, Malachi Stephen Scott, July 24, 2009. Malachi joins big sister, Maris, 2. Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom who works one day a week as a nurse practitioner and David is a self-employed farmer and wind project developer. They reside in Clarks Hill, Ind.

Nicolas and Laura (Miley) ’01 Jorgens-en: Twin girls, Analiese Nicole and Kaitlyn Grace, Aug. 9, 2008. Laura is a stay-at-home mom and Nick works for a plumbing com-pany in Chicago. They reside in Bourbonnais.

Jamie (Waller) ’01 and Scott Nelson ’02: A girl, Leah Marie, Feb. 12, 2009. She joins brothers Micah, 5 and Caleb, 2. Jamie is a stay-at-home mom and Scott is a P.E./health teacher and football coach at Plainfield South High School. They reside in Minooka, Ill.

Jana Messer ’01 recently embarked on an 18-mile walk, from sunset to sunrise, to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention,

education and research programs and to sup-port survivors of suicide loss. She walked as part of the Out of the Darkness Overnight event in Chicago.

Benjamin ’01 and Amanda (Lattig) ’01 Pet-tit: A girl, Madison Taylor, March 14, 2009. The family resides in Vicks-burg, Mich.

Jennifer (Brown) ’01 and Henry Gibbons: A boy, Henry Gibbons V, April 22, 2009 (sharing a birthday with his mom!). Jennifer works as a staff scientist at SABiosci-ences, and Henry works as a microbiologist for the Army. They reside in Baltimore, Md.

Brent ’01 and Carla (Edwards) Duncan: A boy, Wesley Scott, May 30, 2009. Wesley joins his sister Au-bry, 3. The family resides in East Earl, Penn.

Erin (Stephenson) ’02 and Jason Fran-cis ’04: A boy, Ma-son James, Dec. 10, 2008. He joins sister Madeleine, 3. Erin is teaching science/ELA at Swartz Creek Communi-ty Schools and Jason is working in sales at Suski Chevrolet. They reside in Flint, Mich.

John Voss III ’04 and Tania Rhamey were married May 30, 2009, in Orland Park, Ill. John works for Keepsake Construction and Tania works for Dr. Dominik Dubravec. They reside in Mokena, Ill.

Grady and Gehrig Broughton

Madeleine and Mason Francis

Brynlee Yoder

Capt. Luke Wadsworth

Elyse Baird

Leah Nelson

Henry Gibbons

Mara Gassman

Madison Pettit

Analiese and Kaitlyn Jorgensen

Rogue, Jade and Phoenix Gillaspie

Rylee and Kalli Smith

Wesley and Aubry Duncan

Emerson Wainscott

Noah and Elijah Lacey

Class Notes, continued

Malachi Emmert

Tania and John Voss III

Beniah DiSandro

Kaylin Whiteley

Kendal Bradley

Jacki and Matthew Angell

Asher Zehr

Carson Diehl

Heather and Scott Liscomb

Matthew and Rachel McLain

As a traveling ministry team,

the Olivetians have captivated audiences of all ages with their unique sound and energizing concerts. now, you can take their uplifting music wherever you go with this newly released Cd.

FEATURINg :� Lord, You’re Holy� We Are Not Ashamed� Bless the Lord at All Times� I’ve Got a Song

� plus six other praise-filled songs!

TO ORDER your CD, visit Olivet’s online store at www.olivet.edu, or call 815-939-5258.

sanctified wholly in 1952. Upon his return from the Armed Services, he married Charlotte Ann Lewis on May 8, 1954. Everett earned his master’s in guidance and counseling from Tennessee State Univer-sity in 1979. He began a life of servanthood in Nazarene higher education in 1963, serving as an administrator at Olivet, Mt. Vernon, and Trevecca Nazarene Universities, retiring from service to the Church in 1996. He was a mem-ber of the Tennessee Association of Financial Aid Administrators for 20 years, and served as president for two years. During that time, he earned numerous life awards in his service to others. He was also named the Poet Laureate of T.A.F.A. Everett has left a legacy of faith to his fam-ily, and a lifetime of service to his Church and his Lord. His hobby was fishing for fish. His calling was fishing for the lost souls of men. His life reflected both.

Evangeline “Vangi” E. Burtch-Farrell ’59 passed away May 19, 2009, in Newport Beach, Calif. She was born Nov. 17, 1937, in Michigan. After her education at Olivet, Vangi earned her master’s degree in educa-tion from the University of Michigan. Her early years of teaching took her around the world — to Venezuela, Australia, the Philippines and Germany. For 15 years, she served as a counselor in the middle schools of Lynwood United School District. She had six happy years with her hus-band, John Joseph Farrell, before his death in 1991. Retirement gave her opportunity to follow her passions — music, travel, family, study and service. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church gave her many avenues of service — as a deacon, an alto in the adult choir, member of the Ladies Guild for Teen Challenge, and a participant in the St. Ignatius Christian discipline. She also participated in several mission teams, sang with the Pacific Chorale, volunteered at Hoag Hospital, with Hospice, and for various com-munity organizations.

Sharon (Elliott) Shannon ’64 lost her bat-tle with cancer and entered into the presence of Jesus on May 19, 2009, in Grand Rapids, Mich. She was born in Grand Rapids in 1940. She was married to William Owen Shannon for 22 years.

Dale E. Everett ’67 died June 13, 2009. Mr. Everett was an assistant professor of voice at Southwest Missouri State University. He was born Feb. 9, 1945, in Sandusky, Ohio, the son of James E. ’42 and Alta (Richards) Everett ’42. He was a chorister/pianist at Wesley Unit-ed Methodist Church in Springfield. He earned a master’s degree in music from the University of Illinois. He studied harp and piano at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.

Gerhardt (Gary) A. Casten ’83 went to be with the Lord June 18, 2009, from cancer. Gary was married to Robbie (Hinkle) ’83. The couple had one child, Chandler. After gradua-tion, Gary fulfilled his lifelong dream of becom-ing the owner and manager of Casten Chicago Northside Roofing, a family owned and operat-ed business for three generations. Gary was a member of Willow Creek Community Church.

Annika (Bellinger) Dace ’05 died Sunday, April 12, 2009. She was born Sept. 4, 1982 in Chicago, Ill. An-nika married Trevor Dace ’07 on Sept. 15, 2007. She worked for Pardy Financial Insurance and was a member of First Church of the Nazarene in Kankakee, Ill., where she sang in the choir. Annika was named Mrs. Kankakee in 2008. She helped with junior high girls youth camp. She was a member of the Olivet improv team “Spoons for Forks” and sang, danced and did choreography for Olivet’s Broadway Revue.



In MemoriamDr. Albertta V. David, former professor, passed away Aug. 1, 2009, in Cape Coral, Fla. Dr. David was an educator and depart-ment head in the nursing field for a number of years at both ONU and St. Joseph’s College in Joliet, Ill. She retired to Florida and lived there until her death. Dr. David was born April 12, 1939.

19 50s

Duane Piper, Sr. ’55 passed away July 10, 2009. He was born Dec. 13, 1931, in Beech Grove, Ind. He spent his formative years on an Illinois farm. After high school, he married his sweetheart, the former Pauline Swan ’44, now deceased. Duane taught for a period of time before embarking on a career as a systems analyst and computer programmer. Most recently, he was a member of Corner-stone Baptist Church. Duane was devoted to his church communities having served as a Sunday school teacher, treasurer, and on vari-ous boards. He ministered to elderly residents every month at Christ’s Home Retirement Com-munity in Warminster, Pa. for 30 years. He was an award-winning photographer of lighthouse scenes.

Lena Mae (Green) O’Bannon ’56 died Nov. 6, 2008. She was born Oct. 16, 1934, in Marquand, Mo. She was an educator for the Putnam City Schools. She received her B.A. from Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. and her master’s from Southern Nazarene University. Lena’s life in education began in a one-room schoolhouse (Barber School) near Marquand-Patton in Southeast Mo. She spent 35 years teaching in public schools. Lena loved to read, make afghans and play golf with her favorite partner, her husband of 53 years, Mel. She very much enjoyed her two grandsons. After raising two sons herself, the two grandsons were like a second life to her.

Frank Deninger ’58 died March 7, 2009. He was born Oct. 11, 1927, in Chicago, Ill. He married Eunice Schwen-dener June 5, 1948. Frank did his graduate work at Garrett Theological Seminary, Evanston, in 1961, receiving a M. Div. Degree; Northwestern University, Evanston, 1964, receiving an M.A. degree; and from the University of Dubuque, Iowa, in 1976, receiving a D. Min. degree. He had been in ministry for 45 years and in the pastoral ministry for 41 years. Thirteen of those years, he served in special appointment in long-term care. Frank had been past chairman of the PROUD organization, Rotary Club past presi-dent, a member of the Livingston County Board, was active in the Pontiac Promise Keep-ers Men’s Group and active in the Pontiac First United Methodist Church. He was a licensed pilot for 25 years, loved woodworking and carving, an avid reader and enjoyed traveling domestic and foreign.

Everett L. Holmes ’59 went home to be with his Lord on Dec. 19, 2008. He was born June 20, 1931 in Lewis Creek, Ky. His spiritual journey began on Jan. 31, 1950, when he surrendered his heart to the Lord in Hamilton, Ohio. The next year, the United States Army called upon him to serve in the Korean Conflict, which he did from 1951–1953. He was stationed in Anchorage, Ala., and it was in a Nazarene church there that he totally surrendered his life and was

Everett L. Holmes

Evangeline Burtch-Farrell

Annika Dace

Frank Deninger

We’d love to hear FroM YoU! Send us your news and pictures. Please submit alumni news, less than one year

old, in the format printed in this section. Be sure to include all in for mation, including class year. Due to space constraints, not all pictures will be used, and content may be edited. News should be sent via e-mail to [email protected], at www.olivet.edu or through the mail to The Olivetian, Olivet Nazarene University, One University Avenue, Bourbonnais, IL 60914. Pictures must be sent through e-mail or uploaded online. For detailed Class Notes guidelines, visit www.olivet.edu and select “The Olivetian” from the Quick Links menu.

UPCOMING evenTS

January 23, 2010Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

April 17, 20109 a.m.–3 p.m.Chalfant Hall

$30 registration fee (includes continental breakfast and hot buffet lunch)

February 25–28, 2010Orlando, Fla.

p r e s e n t s

Celebration of Marriage Conference 2010

Friday, January 29, 20107–10 p.m.Chalfant Hall

Tickets are $15 and available at Love’s Christian Bookstore (Kankakee) and God’s Lighthouse (Bourbonnais) or by calling 815-939-5385.

friday January

292010

SATURdAY January

232010

THU–SUNFebruary

25–282010

SATURdAY April

172010

featuring bill and Pam farrel, authors of Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti and Red Hot Monogamy

$25 package includes: • General admission to ONU Men’s Basketball vs. Robert Morris University, 2:15 p.m.

• Ticket to Indiana Packers vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. ($27 value!)

• Voucher for one hot dog, chips and soft drink

For more information, visit www.marriageinc.org or call 815-939-5385.

to register, or for more information on any of these events, visit www.olivet.edu or call the Office of Alumni Relations at 815-939-5258.

seventh AnnuAl

WINTER GOLF OUTINGsupport student scholarships while escaping to sunny florida!

Liz Curtis Higgs

2010

Kim Tabor

FEATURING:

liz curtis higgs, author-speaker

and

kim tabor, musician

Dr. Albertta V. David

Lena Mae O’Bannon


students successfully rally illinois lawmakers to restore maP grant funding By CASEy MANES

More than 2,000 Illinois students from community, public and private universi-ties flocked to Springfield, Ill., Thursday, October 15, in hopes of reinstating a vital grant program. The Illinois Monetary Award Program grant currently assists 589 Olivet students attend school by providing roughly $1.4 million in aid. The program

was cut, which would have gone into effect January, 2010. The rally day encouraged university students to travel to Springfield to talk to lawmakers and share their stories in hopes of reinstating the grant. A busload of Olivet students were in attendance and while they were there, stu-dents took part in lobbying legislators, speaking in front of lawmakers and shared reasons to continue support for low-income families attending Illinois schools. In an unprecedented move, the General Assembly agreed to restore $200 mil-lion in state 2010 spending authority for the MAP, which will allow the funding for second semester. “The energy, personal stories and authentic advocacy of these college students, marching hand in hand with their public university and community college counter-parts, had an emotional effect on everyone in attendance, as well as decision makers in the Capital,” explained David W. Tretter, president of the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges & Universities. “This is great news for ONU,” replied Mark Mountain, executive assistant to Olivet’s president. “Thanks to everyone for stepping up to the plate.”

within the University’s School of Graduate and Con-tinuing Studies, a number expected to increase in upcoming weeks. Fall enrollment is measured 10 days into the undergraduate school year and so does not take into account the hundreds of SGCS students who enroll in cohorts beginning through-out the fall months. Beyond the size of this year’s freshman class,

University officials are pleased with the academic quality of the class. The average ACT composite scores for first-time freshmen is 23.55, a 10-year record and 11 percent above the national average of 21.1. What’s more, 74 students received scores of 30 or above, another 10-year record for both number and percentage of students. “For a school to grow in times like these, and

still maintain an exceptional student body, is ex-traordinary,” says Brian Allen, vice president for institutional advancement. “Records like this are set as a result of the entire ONU community com-ing together through hard work, persistence and a dedication to excellence.” This marks the 12th year of growth in the past 13 years.

Tiger BytesHAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OLIVET’S NEW OFFICIAL BLOG, TIGER BYTES? Tiger Bytes is a “one stop shop” for the best in OnU social media, pulling content from Twitter, Flickr and youTube. It also offers fun daily features and thoughtful guest blogs you won’t find anywhere else!

Olivet breaks records for fall enrollment and freshman aCt scores By KATE MORGAN

RECENT GUEST BLOGS:

my adventures in frugality | BY MELISSA FUHRMANN

Furhmann discusses how she uses her stockpiling method to live comfortably AND give to those in need — all on $10 a month.

the new music economy | BY SETH “TOWER” HURD

Shine.FM’s tower discusses the new ways fans access their music and the implications for the Christian music industry.

common green sense | BY CRAIG MANES

Manes shares the tipping point in his own life that made him start taking better care of the world around him, and offers the rest of us manageable baby steps to becoming more environmentally friendly.

check it out today at www.olivetnazareneu.blogspot.com.

Olivet Nazarene University once again has a record-breaking enrollment: 4,682 stu-dents, including a record-breaking 778 first-time freshmen. The Class of 2013 also sets another record as ten percent of

them scored 30 or above on the ACT, scores only 3 percent of students achieve nationally. While nearly one-third of private universities expected to see a decline in enrollment this year due to the economic climate, Olivet’s enrollment this year surpassed last year’s by 143 students. The growth marks a 3 percent increase over last year’s enrollment and a 62.7 percent increase for the decade. The figures include 2,066 students enrolled

16 onu news

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

This Christmas season, why not consider a gift that will benefit both your family AND Olivet students?

charitable gift annuities are a popular giving option for many friends of olivet, because they allow you to give critical dollars for onU students, all the while providing a lifetime of income for you and your family.

they can provide significant tax benefits, and unlike certificate of deposit and money market rates, your gift annuity payments do not fluctuate during turbulent economic conditions!

We’d love to discuss options with you! contact the office

of Planned giving at

815-939-5171 or e-mail

[email protected].


Fall 2009 The Olivetian 17onu sports

Women’s Golf

ProGram

comPetition to begin

fall 2010

for more information

about the program, including scholarship opportunities,

contact Gary Newsome at [email protected]

or 815-939-5120.

Olivet Nazarene University announces

SPOrtS ShOrtS

men’s Cross CountryIN EACH of the first nine NAIA national polls the Tigers found themselves ranked among the best. In the September 16 poll, the Tigers were ranked eighth, the highest ranking in program his-tory. With the leadership of nine seniors, ONU has competed very well this year, finishing in the top 10 in each of their first five races this season. In their best finish of the season the Tigers won their home meet, the Midwest Classic, which was contested at Aspen Ridge Golf Course in Bourbonnais, Ill. The Tigers combined for a cu-mulative time of 2:11:54. Kenny Macdonough ’11 won the meet with a time of 25:54, Kasey Ferrigan ’13 finished third with a time of 26:06, and drew Collette ’10 finished with a time of 26:09 which was good for fourth place. The team also took the CCAC Champion-ship. MacDonough again led the Tigers, win-ning the meet with a time of 26:29:88. Collette (26:55:10), Ferrigan (27:07:62), Justin Jones ’12 (27:16:45) and Kyle Boone ’13 (27:23:71) all finished in the top 10.

Women’s Cross CountryAFTER not being able to field a team last year due to heavy graduation and injury, the Tiger women cross country team has currently fielded a team of 15 athletes and has roared back into contention. They have taken second place in two of their first six meets and have placed in the top 10 three times. lauren versweyveld ’11 is having a great season thus far with three top 15 finishes, while placing first in the Midwest Classic and the CCAC Conference Championship Meet.

footballFOR THE FIRST TIME in ten years, the Tigers have a new face calling the shots from the sideline as head coach Don Lee has coached his team through a tough schedule, playing six different NAIA nationally ranked opponents. However, the Tigers have found bright spots in the midst of the 2-9 overall and 1-6 MSFA Mideast division record. After season-ending injuries to quarterback Sam Smidt ’13 and lighting-quick running back A.C. Collier ’11, the Tigers have had to ad-just. Quarterbacks nick darland ’11, Mykul Pear-son ’13 and Clayton Simpson ’13 have stepped in to fill Smidt’s role and take snaps. Marshall Fraley ’11 also has done a fine job coming back from the slot position to the backfield, filling in full-time for Collier. Fraley has rushed for 152 yards and one touchdown in five games this season. Defensively the Tigers have had good play from new and experienced players alike. Line-backer Travis Powers ’12 leads the team with 64 tackles, while newcomer defensive back Will Cummings ’13 has done a nice job with 55 tack-les and one interception. Alongside is cornerback Keith nunez ’12, who has played well thus far this season with 35 tackles.

golfIN PREPARATION for the spring, the Tigers took on the fall non-traditional season and played well. ONU competed in five meets, finishing in the top five three times and winning one team title. They finished tied for fifth in the University of St. Francis Invite and finished fifth in the Robert Morris Uni-versity (Ill.) Invite. The Tigers were victorious in the Big Blue Classic hosted by Millikin University with a team score of 603. The Tigers also participated in the NCCAA Nationals in Panama City, Fla. Individually, the Purple and Gold looked great throughout the campaign. Seth doran ’10 fin-ished fourth overall in the Big Blue Classic with a two-day score of 147. Jordan dillard ’10 shot a two-day score of 158, which tied him for 20th at the Robert Morris University Invite. At the NCCAA Nationals, Andrew Woodhull ’13 shot a 54-hole score of 235, good for a tie of 42nd in the individual standings. Matt Compton ’11 finished tied for 28th overall in the Big Blue Classic with a two-day score of 157.

men’s soccerTHE ONU MEN’S SOCCER TEAM, under the direction of head coach Justin Crew ’02/’08 M.O.L., has had a solid season thus far. They finished the regular season with a record of 12-6 overall and 7-3 in the CCAC conference, which earned them fourth place. The team outlasted Robert Morris University (Ill.) in the quarterfinals of the CCAC postseason tournament, setting them up for a semifinal match against St. Xavier University. The eventual winner of the CCAC Tournament earns an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament. The Tigers are led offensively this season by senior forward Josh Ayers ’10 with 11 goals and eight assists. A new addition this fall was sopho-more raphael Correa ’12, who chipped in with nine goals and three assists. Defensively the Tigers are very strong with ju-nior goalkeeper Kenny Huber ’11. Huber has eight shutouts in 16 starts and has only given up 10 goals for a 0.69 goals against average.

Women’s soccerCURRENTLY in the midst of the best season in school history (16-2-2), and coming off of a Nation-al Christian College Athletic Association tournament championship earned last year, the Tiger women’s soccer team is reaping the benefits of its hard work. They exploded this year for 14 shutouts, including a nine game shutout streak. Senior goal keeper danielle Johnston ’10 tal-lied a total of 90 saves on the year, while allowing only 10 goals to be scored. Her impressive work-sheet, including a 0.57 goals against average, gives credit to the Tiger defense, as only 107 shots were taken on goal all year. In comparison, ONU put up a total of 255. In conference play, the women went 9-1, with their only loss coming in the conference championship game to Trinity Christian College. On the year, the Tigers have scored a total of 56 goals, compared to their opponents’ 10. One of the reasons for Olivet’s success this year is that more players are contributing at a more consistent rate. Sixteen players registered at least one goal this season, while 15 Tigers have marked down at least one assist. Junior forward Michelle davis ’11 is currently leading the Tigers in goals scored for the third straight year with 12, while freshman mid-fielder Meghan Pipal ’13 has made an immediate impact offensively with 8 goals scored. With a recent loss to Robert Morris University in CCAC tournament play that ended the Tigers’ hopes of reaching the NAIA national tournament, the women are currently focusing their attention on repeating as NCCAA na-tional tournament champions.

VolleyballSTARTING THE YEAR 3-5, the Tiger volley-ball team responded to go 30-3 over their next 33 matches, including two 10-plus match winning streaks. The Tigers presently boast a 33-8 overall record with a 10-0 conference record. ONU captured the CCAC regular season cham-pionship and the CCAC tournament championship, qualifying for the NAIA national tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Offensively, Sara Byrne ’11 has been a pow-erhouse for the Tigers. She has amassed a team-leading 415 kills for a .351 attack percentage. Byrne is also leading the team in solo blocks with 25 and block assists with 115. Setter erin Sikora ’10 has dished out a team-high 1,504 assists, while sophomore libero deeAnn Garvin ’12 has a team-high 597 digs.

Women’s tennisWITH THE RETIREMENT of long time head coach Obie Coomer ’66 and the hiring of new head coach David Vance, the Tiger women’s tennis team started the year with high hopes of returning to the NAIA national tournament after a one-year hiatus. The fall season started off strong, with the women winning their first two matches, but things started to turn sour as they ended up losing six out of their next nine matches. NAIA All-American Honorable Mention erica engelbrecht ’11 is currently 6-4 on the year.

tIGEr trACkS

nine tigers take CCaC player of the WeekMEN’S SOCCER: Goalie Kenny Huber ’11 was recognized by the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference twice for Defensive Player of the Week. For Sept. 21, Huber was honored for posting two shut outs on the week, recording seven saves. For Nov. 2, he took the honors after allowing only one goal in two victories for the Tigers, recording five saves. Josh Ayers ’10 took home Offensive Player of the Week honors Sept. 21 after putting up three goals against Goshen College and an assist against Indiana Wesleyan University.WOMEN’S SOCCER: Freshman forward Kelsey Warp ’13 (four goals, six assists) received CCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors Sept. 7, with junior defender Brittany Hengesh ’11 (one goal) accepting Defensive Player of the Week honors Sept. 14. Freshman mid-fielder Meghan Pipal ’13 (eight goals, three assists) was was recognized for offense Sept. 21, while senior goal keeper danielle Johnston ’10 (90 saves, eight shutouts) took the defense awards Sept. 21 and Oct. 5.VOLLEYBALL: Senior setter erin Sikora ’10 has been the recipient of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week on three occasions, while junior right side hitter Tara Schmidt ’11 and senior outside hitter Stephanie Smith ’10 have been each recognized once. Sikora took the award on Aug. 31, Sept. 28, and Oct. 19. Schmidt was awarded on Sept. 21, while Smith took the honors on Nov. 2. On the year, Sikora has recorded 1,504 assists to go along with 326 digs. Schmidt, on a season shortened due to injury, has totaled 340 kills with 78 block assists, while Smith’s worksheet consists of 375 kills and a team-high 52 service aces.

two Olivet coaches reach milestones in coaching careersTWO CURRENT Olivet coaches have reached landmark milestones in their head coaching careers. Head softball coach ritchie richardson ’93 at-tained his 600th career victory back on March 6 versus Biola University (Calif.) in a 10 inning ball-game with a final score of 5-4. Throughout this 14 seasons, Richardson’s teams have averaged 45 wins per season with seven CCAC regular season titles, eight CCAC tournament championships, five NAIA region VII titles, five NAIA world series appear-ances, including a third place finish in 2003, and five NCCAA national tournament titles. He currently holds a career record of 630-243. Head volleyball coach Brenda Williams reached the 700 career win milestone on Oct. 17 with a three game win over William Penn University with scores of 25-13, 25-10, 25-11. In her 14 seasons at the reigns of the Tigers, Williams has led her teams to seven NAIA national tournament appearances, seven CCAC reg-ular season championships, as well as back-to-back NCCAA national tournament championships. She presently holds a 711-456 career record.

ON THE FIELD With COaCh leeWe caught up with first-year head football coach Don Lee to talk about the season. While recording only two wins makes for a long season, coach lee stresses the importance of playing through trials and looking ahead to the future. here’s what he had to say: “We’ve played through a lot of adversity this year. But we’re laying a foundation; we know where we’re heading next year. through everything, i’m proud of the way they’ve stuck with doing something they’re not used to doing. We’re creating a family here, playing for each other. success will come from that.”

VISIT WWW.OLIVET.EDU FOR

THE LATEST SCORES,

SCHEDULES AND SUMMARIES.


18 onu sports

first attack — of many to follow. For years, Stephanie found herself gasping for air as she participated in sports. While doctors believed she had exercise-induced asthma, the real cul-prit of the attacks was entirely, almost strangely, different.

PANiC mODe Stephanie looks back and realizes how many close scrapes she had with her breathing problems. After being on inhalers and a slew of medications, she was eventually started on a nebu-lizer, a machine with a breathing tube that provides concentrated breaths of medicine. But despite trying all the traditional fixes for asthma, during one particular high school tournament, she had an attack that ended in an ambulance rushing her to the emergency room, oxygen mask firmly affixed to her face to alleviate the distress. “After that my breathing steadily got worse, with more attacks coming after less exertion and lasting longer. After two treatments, the medicine did not appear to have any affect. “My breathing was still raspy. I had lost feeling in my fingers, which be-gan to curl inward, my face arms and chest were tin-gly, and I experienced the sensation of a large column in the middle of my chest collapsing in on it-self,” remembers Stephanie. But still, there weren’t any real answers. Respirato-ry infections followed thanks to the medica-tions she was on. In spite of it all, Stephanie kept playing sports.

SurPriSiNg ANSWer Prior to beginning her freshman year at Olivet and joining the women’s volleyball team, Stephanie and her parents found a respiratory special-ist. After numerous tests, Stephanie had an answer. It turns out she didn’t have exer-cise-induced asthma, after all. She has vocal cords that go awry when she exercises. The vocal cords sit over the lungs and must open for air to pass in and out. Stephanie discovered her cords spasm when she exercises. The prescription? No more inhalers or medicines — just speech therapy from one of Olivet’s athletic trainers, April Kamba. “I spent the first several weeks of my college volleyball career learning a new way to breathe. Thanks to April, when I exercise, I’m training my vocal cords to act properly. At first I could not participate fully in practices or in games. I had to move away from my position as a middle hitter because my body could not handle its rigors,” explains Stephanie. Halfway through the season, how-

ever, Stephanie’s hard work paid off and she began playing and

helping with victories for the Lady Tigers as a side hitter. But luck wasn’t exactly on her side.

BrOkeN DOWN “The night before our first home game, I came down on the leg of my teammate coming under the net. Somehow I ended up on all fours, on her side of the net. My left ankle was already swollen so badly that some of my teammates had to turn away.” The sprain was so severe Stepha-nie ended up in a cast and rehab for several weeks. Not a volleyball play-er’s dream come true. She had lost 10 inches off her stellar vertical. “At 5'9", I am short for our team and if I can’t jump, I can’t play front row. My role on the court that season was over.” The emotional ride was discourag-ing for Stephanie. But it did help build her into the strong player and leader

she is on the volleyball team today. “I always prided myself on being a team player, wanting the best for the team. At the same time, I wanted what was best for the team to include me on the court,” confesses Stephanie.

“Some freshmen come into this program and earn a starting spot right away, performing well and gaining ac-colades. I rode the pine. I had to get over the frustration of not playing, the frustration of my body holding me back when college ball was challeng-ing enough without other issues.”

gettiNg SChOOleD Just when Stephanie was really starting to get frustrated, though, a change of heart took place. “As a competitive perfectionist, I had to swallow the truth that for the time being, the team was at its best with me on the bench. I also found that being injured brought my focus inward, and it was all too easy to get wrapped up in my own circumstance.” She continues, “I am fortunate to have had a relationship with God long before I entered college. During my struggles, I continued to pray and read my Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to teach me how to live less selfishly. I’ve joked that I had to re-learn how to breathe and walk. But that fall I also learned how to take joy in my team — my family — my personal circum-stances notwithstanding.” What came of this shift in focus was a player who cared for and sup-ported her team in deeper ways. “I’ve been given the gift of learning to live a full life even with certain limi-tations, and then watch those limita-tions melt away. Now, every time we finish a running workout, I joyfully give thanks to God for my own miracle of being able to do what I never could before.”

uPPiNg the ANte Now as Stephanie begins her se-nior year of play as a Lady Tiger out-side hitter, she is the team captain and the only member of the team to have played in all 169 games in the 2008 season. She is no longer “rid-ing the pine,” but can understand the plight of girls who do. As the CCAC Regular Season Champs defended their title this year, Stephanie breathed easier, while hitting the court hard. But the team aspect of this game supersedes all the other components of it for Stephanie. “Whenever I pull out Dietrich Bon-hoeffer’s Life Together, my thoughts immediately go to our team, a micro-cosm of Christian community. Looking back, I can see, when I let go of my dreams of personal success, I gained a family in return.”

EASYB y C A S e y M a n e s BREATHING

STEPHANIESMITH ’10

stephanie Smith ’10 couldn’t breathe. She was 7 years old,

bobbing up and down the soccer field in a rec-league match and it was her

10 Questions with

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND ENROLLMENT, SCHOOL OF GRADUATE AND CONTINUING STUDIES

holly Nelson

may I


Fall 2009 The Olivetian 19ten questions

courage them to overcome obstacles in order to pursue their degrees. My job also requires working on several projects simultaneously.

9 Any particularly inspiring stories you’d like to share?

I once counseled a single mother who was a police officer (which was a very stressful job) and mother of five children under the age of 10. It was very difficult for her to find the time and energy to complete school, but she did it — and with an almost perfect grade point average. She is now completing a doctoral degree.

10 What is it about your personality that helps you fit into this job well?

I believe that I am empathetic, encourag-ing and always willing to listen. I also love learn-ing, and it’s a thrill to help others realize their educational goals.

1What kinds of things make up your work day?

One of my main roles is recruiting quality stu-dents and assist them through the enrollment process. In addition, I schedule and hold infor-mational meetings for teachers at their schools, mostly in the west and south Chicago suburbs. I also meet with school administrators to determine the needs of the teachers in their districts, and I assist with various marketing projects for the graduate education programs.

2 What has been the highlight of your work at OnU so far?

The people. It is such a positive and dynam-ic environment; I am constantly inspired by both my co-workers and the students.

3 What is the vision and hope for the School of Graduate and Continuing

Studies for five years from now? My vision is that I would like to personally pro-vide the best customer service to every student I come in contact with. We would like to continue to grow and expand our current program offerings and locations throughout the Chicagoland area.

4 What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy baking, reading, gardening, traveling and spending time with my family and friends.

5 What are some questions you are frequently asked in your line of work?

Students generally ask first about cost, but also about the individual course work and benefits of attending Olivet.

6 What are some of the chief differ- ences between the students you

work with — graduate students — and tradi-tional undergraduate students? I work mainly with adult students who are cur-rently teaching. Many of them are juggling families,

school and work. They work full-time and attend classes in the evening. They are the chief decision-makers regarding their education and generally have a good idea about which degree they would like to pursue, but also need some guidance throughout the enrollment process.

7 Any humorous or unique stories from your work so far?

Our team once filled our supervisor’s office with pink balloons and a kitten poster as a prac-tical joke and to welcome him back from vaca-tion. He was certainly surprised. There is always a lot of joking taking place at the graduate school. All in good fun, of course.

8 What is the most challenging part of your job?

There are a lot of excellent graduate programs in the Chicagoland area. My job is to help students see if Olivet is the right fit for them and also en-

Howhelp you?

“MY joB IS To HeLp STudeNTS See If oLIveT IS THe rIGHT

fIT for THeM ANd ALSo eNcourAGe THeM To overcoMe oBSTAcLeS IN order To

purSue THeIr deGreeS.”

UpcomingAdmissions events

UPCOmING DAtES:

UpcomingAdmissions events

ScHeduLe A vISIT TodAY! cALL 800-648-1463.

PURPLE AND GOLD DAYS An in-depth look at life on the onu campus for high school seniors and their parents.

Visit www.seewhatsonu.com today!


20 admissions

▶ February 5–6, 2010▶ February 26–27, 2010,

including spring musical

▶ March 19–20, 2010▶ March 26–27, 2010

Winner of “Best Interactive Web Site” 2009 — cHIcago InteractIve MarketIng assocIatIon

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