Bethany Magazine | Winter 2023

Patrick Ferrell ’93

Swede Spotlight by Jill Fishburn

After graduating from Bethany College with a History & Political Science degree, Patrick “Pat” Ferrell ’93 moved to a new city to start his career. He was looking for a way to connect in the community and decided to look into Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. He was assigned a little brother and volunteered in this capacity until he moved to Illinois. While working at RLI Insurance in Peoria, Ill., his employer launched a corporate partnership with Heart of Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters. One program was the Lunch Buddy program which partnered with a local school where “bigs” were paired with “littles” and interacted during lunch and on

the playground. Pat reluctantly signed up, “I was concerned I didn’t have time to mentor others while I was busy with my career, and I felt guilty taking time away from my son.” Pat and his “little” were a great match, and soon transitioned to the community-based program. He quickly realized that there is always time for the important things in life. After years of service, in 2013, he was awarded the Heart of Illinois Big Brother of the Year and Illinois Big Brother of the Year. Later that summer, from hundreds of submissions representing 340 agencies across the country, he was

value of giving back to your community.

“At one point, while I was a student at Bethany, I went through a rough time, and I remember I was hesitant to talk to anyone about it. But when I went to Coach [Ted] Kessinger, I was encouraged to take the time to care for myself. I will never forget the care and grace I was offered. I was fortunate to have mentors in my life like Coach Kessinger.”

awarded the National Big Brother of the Year. He has also served two terms on the Board of Directors. He is positioned to serve his second term as Board President and was matched with his third “little.”

Pat grew up in Topeka and credits his parents for showing him the

Pat felt inspired by how others had helped him in the past and felt encouraged when he saw his “little brothers” improve and excel in all areas of their lives. He said, “My life has been enriched by the relationships with my little brothers, not just in our oneon-one activities but also in how they have become a part of my family. I have gotten as much from them as I have given. It’s very rewarding.”

“I will never forget the care and grace I was offered. I was fortunate to have mentors in my life like Coach Kessinger.”

Sheila (Hays) Powell ’71

Swede Spotlight

by Jill Fishburn

in Curriculum and Design from Wichita State University. She said,

If you had told Sheila (Hays) Powell ’71 that she would one day be part of a large network of training students to mentor and coach other students, she might have said, “no way.” While she started as an Elementary Education major at Bethany, she decided teaching was not for her and earned her degree in German with a minor in Spanish. She obtained her teaching degree from what was then called the KCAC Cooperative Urban Teaching Education (CUTE) in 1972. Still, she spent 17 years in the traveling tourism field, where her Liberal Arts education exposed her to areas such as art and music and helped inform how she handled travelers during her career. In 1999, she received her Master’s degree

“Bethany did have a role in me later pursuing endeavors in the education field as Dr. Gladys Peterson planted seeds about cooperative learning and centers that I never forgot.”

In 2004, three teachers at Wichita East High School approached her and the school counselor asking for help. Their school had a huge influx of ESL students whose educational needs were not being met. After examining the shortage of teachers, resources, and funding, one teacher asked what they did have in surplus. The answer was we have a surplus of students. Their collective decision was to use their students to improve the educational experience.

Powell said the book and training program “Adaptive Schools” helped them recognize how they might change the culture and

look at doing things differently. They implemented the program, and Powell recruited and trained students to coach and encourage others to build confidence and problem-solving skills. Instantly, students who had or had nearly given up began improving. Others, who were not leaders elsewhere, could gain skills while helping fellow students. Teachers’ stress decreased, and Powell saw several student coaches pursue teaching careers because of their success as self-directed learners and leaders. She asked, “God if you want me to do something else with this, open a door.”

Powell was instrumental in working on the district level, training others, and bringing the program to multiple schools in her district and the surrounding area. She retired in 2017, with seven high schools and three middle schools in the Wichita area still utilizing this program today.

“We must adapt and be open to where our path leads us. Rarely do people do one thing in their career, but we do many things over the course of our lives if we are willing to pause and listen.”

“Rarely do people do one thing in their career, but we do many things.”

Tusen Tack

One-thousand thanks

The Advancement Office is excited to announce updates to our stewardship program. This program will include reinstating the Carl Aaron Swensson Society, introducing the Bethany Society, and continuing the Lifetime Giving Level Awards. These programs will enable us to recognize the impact individuals like you have made on Bethany College. We are also modernizing our process by digitizing our records to accurately and diligently keep track of our supportive community.

The Carl Aaron Swensson Society

Our goal is to reinstate the Carl Aaron Swensson (CAS) Society to its original glory and recognize both annual and lifetime giving. The CAS Society is a group of distinguished alumni and friends who provide generous financial support to the college through planned giving.

Established in 1994, the charter members of the then named, Carl Aaron Swensson Heritage Society, endeavored “to recognize those who continue the tradition of quality liberal arts education in the framework of Christian living.”

CAS Society membership is open to all alumni and friends of Bethany College. To make a planned gift choose one of the following options:

• Include Bethany College in your will

• Designate Bethany College as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or transfer ownership of the insurance policy to Bethany College

• Establish a charitable gift annuity or a deferred payment gift annuity with Bethany College

• Complete a trust agreement designating Bethany College as a beneficiary

• Transfer real estate to Bethany College through a life-estate agreement

• Designate Bethany College as a beneficiary of your pension plan, IRA, 401K, 403B, or other retirement plan

“Tusen tack” is Swedish for 1000 thanks.

“He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd; and He shall gather the lambs with His arm.”

— The Messiah - Part I, Number 20A

(Isaiah 40:11)