GORDON COLLEGE
PARTNERS
One makes a difference A Quarterly Report for Partners
“Through Partners’ generosity, I have been blessed with the chance to explore who God is calling me to be.”
Student Spotlight: Leah Brown ’15 Leah Brown had always loved caring for the sick. “My mother used to call me Florence [Nightingale],” she remembers. But at Gordon, with the help of crucial scholarship funding, Leah got involved with student development initiatives and her A. J. Gordon Fellowship leadership training, where she discovered a passion for empowering others to succeed. “A leader can be behind the scenes, encouraging others to do what they are best at.”
After her sophomore year, Leah took an internship with the Chief Organizational Officer at a nearby hospital, and found a career path that combines her passion for healing and her skill for bringing out the best in people. With the help of Professor Kent Seibert, who taught Leah the principles of multi-stream management— balancing profit with human and environmental welfare— everything started to click.
Now entering her senior year and preparing for graduate work in hospital administration, Leah finds that her business administration major and nonprofit studies minor have given her the practical and ethical grounding needed to pursue her calling—one she might have missed without the support of donors like you. Leah works with Director of ELEVATE Rachel Ashley (middle) and Dean of Student Engagement Chris Carlson (left) in Gordon’s Center for Student Development.
A Message from the President One student. One faculty member, as devoted to that student’s well-being as to their work. And one partner—you—whose consistent financial support makes this special experience possible at Gordon each day. Welcome to One Makes a Difference, a quarterly publication exclusively for Gordon College Partners. Without the generosity of Partners like you, many gifted young men and women would not be able to live and learn at the College. It’s that simple. Gordon is a transformative place, and our deeply personal approach to Christian education requires a significant investment of time, talent and resources. Our goal in One Makes a Difference is to bring to light—in a more personal way—the myriad opportunities you provide for Gordon students. You can expect to learn the names, faces, and inspiring stories of young men and women who are grateful beyond words for the experience you make possible. These are members of the next generation of thoughtful Christian leaders. You make a difference in their educational journey. In turn, they will make an impact on the world around us for years to come. It is a special partnership and a wonderful mission, and we are so grateful for your participation. With blessings and appreciation,
Andrew Lewis ’16 Two years ago, Andrew Lewis faced a hard decision. He felt a strong pull toward Gordon College, but simply couldn’t afford the cost of a Gordon education. A providential Partners scholarship made all the difference. Joyfully, Andrew headed to Gordon to begin his study of kinesiology. In addition to thriving academically thanks to Gordon’s excellent facilities and faculty, Andrew found strength and friendship in Gordon’s swim team; he has already set four College records. “The opportunities that scholarship support have given me will directly impact my future, and I thank God that my future will be grounded in a Gordon education.”
The Social Venture Challenge At the April finals of the Social Venture Challenge sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, student teams pitched nonprofit or business plans—and three won grants to put them into action. Though similar to other schools’ business plan competitions, this one was designed with the Gordon ethos in mind. Eight finalist teams pitched their ideas to judges and the audience in the Ken Olsen Science Center. Grants of $5,000 and $2,500 enable the winning teams to move forward with a health education nonprofit in Nigeria, an iPhone app to link snooze buttons to charitable donations, and a program to help kids in rural China stay in touch with parents working in the city. “Nothing like this had ever been done at Gordon College before, so we had no idea how the students would respond,” said Carter Crockett, director of CEL. “We were thrilled when nearly 100 students comprising 32 teams from 20 different academic majors entered the contest. The top eight teams that made the final round all created ventures that could make a difference, turning their creativity toward the common good.”
Dami Junaid ’14 Biology major, Social Venture Challege winner Dami Junaid ’14 (pictured above) and a student colleague at the University of Delaware received the first place prize of $5,000 in the Social Venture Challenge for their ARISE project, a nonprofit aimed at breaking the negative stigma of STD testing in Nigeria. Dami majored in biology with a pre-med concentration, and minored in economics. “I’ve always thought about doing something and having an impact,” Dami said. “Having the opportunity to start now when I’m young is great. Gordon’s put in me in the right place to meet certain people and have certain opportunities come my way. It’s allowed me to keep persevering.”
Carter Crockett Director, Center for Entrepeneurial Leadership Dr. Carter Crockett is the Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) and an entrepreneur with a rare blend of private sector and academic experience. He co-founded Karisimbi Business Partners in Kigali, Rwanda. His excellence as a practitioner at firms including Microsoft and as a scholar of entrepreneurship has given him a passion for passing on the “bug” of entrepreneurship to students. He received a Ph.D. in entrepreneurial ethics from Robert Gordon University. He and his team at CEL promote entrepreneurship in a range of ways, such as inviting students every week to have coffee with an entrepreneur. He and his team also created Gordon College’s Social Venture Challenge competition.
View from the Top Book Events President Lindsay will be touring this spring in support of his new book on leadership, View from the Top. MAY 19 Dallas: Dallas Baptist University
MAY 20 Jackson: Jackson Preparatory School
MAY 21
A Personal Message to Our Fellow Gordon Partners
Houston: Rice University
If the Bible has its own mathematics—and we believe it does—the central concept is the principle of multiplication. (See Matthew 25:14, Acts 6:1 and 12:24, and Hebrews 6:14). An investment in Partners is the beginning of an important multiplier. By supporting financial aid and educational opportunities for highly qualified, highly motivated young men and women who choose a Christ-centered liberal arts education, the multiplier effect of your investment will yield enormous results for the Kingdom of Christ and His Church over the lifetime of these students. For us, this is exciting. We are Partners because it is about Gordon students, their future, and Gordon’s future. Thank you for joining with us in dedicated support for this meaningful program. God bless you!
MAY 30
MAY 29 Washington, D.C.: National Press Club
New York City: Center for Faith and Work If you are interested in attending one of these events, please email viewfromthetop@gmail.com
Upcoming Events JUNE 12–23
Alumni and Friends Trip to Greece
Don and Barbara Chase
www.gordon.edu/greecetrip
Where Partners are From
JULY 27–AUGUST 2
Our Partners come from places across the United States and around the globe including:
www.gordon.edu/elevate
Elevate 2014 OCTOBER 2–4
Alaska, Bahamas, Canada, Hong Kong and Republic of Korea
Homecoming and Family Weekend • 125th Anniversary of Gordon College www.gordon.edu/homecoming
I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Philemon 1:6 (NIV) 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham MA 01984-1899 www.gordon.edu
LIVES WORTH LEADING™