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Scholarship Story: Brighton Acord
Scholarships Allow Student-Athlete to Cheerfully Jump into Nursing Program
BY OLIVIA MCCARVER
John Brown University checked every box on Brighton Acord’s university wish list — close to home, college cheerleading and a Christ-centered education. Now a junior, she is thriving on campus and grateful for the opportunities that have enabled her to pursue a degree in nursing and continue her cheerleading career.
“[The JBU Scholarship Fund] has allowed me to be able to focus on my academics and athletics,” Acord said. “It has allowed my family to be more comfortable and to not stress about finances as much.”
Like many students coming out of high school, Acord wasn’t ready to hang up her uniform and let go of the sport she loved.
“I chose to join the cheer team because I cheered throughout high school and did all-star competitive cheer and was not ready to give up the sport I had done my entire life,” she said.
While events like the annual Toilet Paper Game are among Acord’s favorite memories, she values practice and time with her teammates.
“I love all of our practices. We truly have such a good team dynamic,” she said. “We have had several team bonding events outside of practices which help us grow stronger together.”
Acord’s ability to balance the rigorous demands of JBU academics and her responsibilities as a student-athlete will serve her well as she prepares for her future career. She was recently accepted into JBU’s nursing program and will begin adding clinical hours to her schedule in the fall.
Thanks to generous donors, this hard-working, dedicated future healthcare professional is part of a community Acord loves, where she consistently demonstrates the excellence and strong work ethic required of a Golden Eagle student-athlete.
“I love the atmosphere [at JBU]. The professors truly care about you and want you to succeed, and the friends you make are so special,” she said. “Even though it is a small campus, it can feel big at times as I am constantly meeting new people.”
Giving Options
JBU is abundantly blessed by the generosity of alumni, parents and friends who believe in the university’s mission and the value of Christian higher education. Every gift given to JBU makes a positive difference in the lives of students. Scholarship gifts provide access to an education that students might not otherwise be able to afford, and gifts to building projects open doors to new or renovated facilities in which to learn and create. Gifts enable the growth of programs that inspire new discoveries and inventions to improve the world around us. Your gifts help future JBU graduates become prepared to honor God and serve others.
The advancement team at JBU works with alumni, parents and friends of the university to explore a variety of giving options available to help them meet their giving goals.
There are nearly a dozen different ways you can give — including endowed scholarships, cash, appreciated securities, real estate, retained life estate, individual retirement accounts, donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrust and an estate bequest.
If you’re not already working with a member of the advancement team, they would love to talk with you, hear about your giving and stewardship goals and provide options to help you steward your resources in the way you desire.
Jim Krall
Vice President for University Advancement jkrall@jbu.edu
Eric Greenhaw
Senior Director of Development & Planned Giving egreenhaw@jbu.edu
Steve Onnen ’82 Director of Development sonnen@jbu.edu
Lanya Carson
Director of the JBU Scholarship Fund lcarson@jbu.edu
Brad Edwards ’02
Director of Development bedwards@jbu.edu
Pray for JBU
Thank you for supporting JBU in prayer. It’s the most important way you can help us.
Praises:
We have filled the open dean role and several key faculty positions for next year.
JBU received a positive preliminary report from the Higher Learning Commission on our accreditation renewal.
After an initial surge in Omicron COVID-19 cases in January, we had low cases numbers this semester. Special campus events like Family Weekend and Grandparents’ Day returned.
JBU hosted the Rodney Sisco Symposium for A Biblical View on Diversity, Women in Leadership and Immigration in February. Despite a snowstorm and thanks to technology, all the sessions went on as planned, were well attended and received positive feedback.
Prayer Requests:
Graduates — In May, 218 students graduated from JBU with their bachelor’s degrees, and 63 students earned master’s degrees. Pray that God would guide their next steps.
Prospective Students — Several hundred students will attend Eagle Base Camp in June. We hope this will affirm their decision to attend JBU. Pray also for our financial aid staff and admissions counselors as they work with families and students making final plans for the fall.
President Pollard’s Sabbatical — The Board of Trustees granted President Pollard a sabbatical in 2020 that was delayed because of COVID-19. Finally, he and Carey will be able to take a few months off to rest and work on some projects, such as JBU’s strategic plan. Pray for God to renew them and provide wisdom. Pray for cabinet members as they lead the day-to-day operations during this time.
Faculty & Staff Searches — Pray God leads the right people to JBU to fill our open staff and faculty positions.
JBU Scholarship Fund — Our annual scholarship fund that helps more than 500 students each year has experienced a decline in donor participation. Please pray that more people will get involved in helping our students afford JBU.
Robyn Daugherty ’85, director of athletics since 2006, has been on staff at JBU since 1989 when she began her 20-year tenure as head volleyball coach. From 1989-2009, Daugherty amassed over 400 victories, making her the alltime winningest coach in John Brown athletics history. Her teams captured four conference championships, including a pair of Sooner Athletic regular season crowns in 2000 and 2006, while claiming two SAC tournament titles in 2004 and 2005. She was named one of four NAIA Athletic Directors of the Year in 2018 and was awarded SAC Athletic Director of the Year in 2020.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ROLES YOU ENJOY THE MOST AS DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS?
Special events like spirit days, the TP Game, First Friday Futbol, Hall of Fame Induction and Athletic Awards Night require a lot of detailed planning – but I enjoy the challenge and love the reward of seeing joy in our students and fans. I also love the business side of this job. I enjoy working numbers on budgets, expenses, financial aid and new program proposals.
WHAT ARE SOME LIFE PRINCIPLES YOU LEARNED AS A STUDENT-ATHLETE AT JBU?
Living in a community with Christians was something I had never experienced, nor thought much about before coming here. The relationships I formed while at JBU as a student were life-giving. I grew in my faith at JBU and met so many influential people on and off campus. I saw faith being lived out daily — not just on Sunday. I learned the importance of Jesus Christ as the foundation for everything in my life (unless he builds the house, we labor in vain). Athletics teaches responsibility, loyalty, the importance of team, resiliency and hard work.
WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO BECOME A VOLLEYBALL COACH, AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR CAREER AT JBU?
My degree was in physical education K-12, thinking I would teach and coach at a high school. I graduated in December, and no teaching jobs were available; so I went to work at DaySpring Cards, which began a 15-year career there. I officiated in my spare time and stayed connected at JBU. When the job became open in 1989, I was able to take it on a part-time basis while keeping my full-time job at DaySpring. While it was a busy 10 years doing both jobs, I eventually chose to move full time to JBU. I learned so much at DaySpring, which prepared me for the AD role — even though at that time being an AD was not on my career path.
WHAT ARE SOME VALUABLE LESSONS YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR TIME COACHING?
Culture and foundation are keys to life — whether at work or at home. I learned the importance of building our program on Christ. It wasn’t about me or any of the players. The focus had to stay on Jesus. If that foundation was compromised, all we did would be in vain. Another important takeaway is that being a coach takes a lot of time and energy — away from friends, family and personal life. I wouldn’t trade my time for anything, but walking through those 20 years of coaching helps me better understand the struggles of the coaches I work with daily. I think it has really shaped me in servant leadership. I want to lead well, but more importantly, I want to serve well.
AS A COACH, YOU EXPERIENCED A LOT OF SUCCESS. WHY LEAVE THAT FOR THE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS POSITION?
When I began the AD job in 2006, the agreement was that I could keep coaching until either myself or my boss felt I couldn’t continue doing both well. A huge blessing from the Lord came into my life in 2008 — my husband! After two seasons of volleyball and being AD, and being Mrs. Daugherty, I knew it was time to choose to focus on either volleyball or administration. Stepping away from the daily interactions with my student-athletes was very hard, but I knew it was time to focus on one position and focus on my new family.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MOST REWARDING ASPECTS OF COACHING AT JBU?
The relationships with my student-athletes were the highlight of coaching. I loved seeing them grow and mature over their four years at JBU, and having a front-seat view to this was very rewarding and encouraging. The conversations in the van and on the bus, the international team mission trips to Central America, the highs and lows of wins and losses, and the many trips to their weddings are all special memories that I cherish.
FOR MANY YEARS, THE AVERAGE GPA OF JBU STUDENT-ATHLETES HAS MATCHED THE REST OF THE STUDENT BODY. TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM?
All these accolades go to our student-athletes. They are amazing at balancing academics and athletics. We are blessed by the hard work from all of our student-athletes. All of our coaches understand that academics is important — their annual evaluation has a section regarding academic performance. We want our studentathletes to be students first. That’s not easy to do, but our coaches keep that at the forefront of their minds as we recruit students.
Read the expanded Staff Spotlight at jbu.edu/news/articles.
SOARI EAGLWITH
RING GLESH In the early 1920s, John E. Brown Sr., founder of John Brown University, placed a ban on intercollegiate sports due to injuries that occurred during a football game between the then John E. Brown College and Siloam Springs High School players. For almost 40 years, JBU students were only BY CARLSON WAKEFIELD ’20 able to participate in club and intramural sports on campus. In April 1958, the restrictions were removed by his son and then president John E. Brown Jr.; and in November, the first intercollegiate athletics event, a basketball game, was held on campus. Brown Jr. went on to establish athletics teams across campus, founding varsity men’s basketball, track teams and cheerleading. In the 1960s, Brown Jr. added varsity programs for tennis, swimming and diving, golf, track and baseball. When the intercollegiate department of athletics was established, it helped boost school spirit and attract a more diverse student body.
The first women’s intercollegiate program — volleyball — was established in the 1970s and was soon followed by women’s swimming and women’s basketball in early 1972.
For over 60 years now, JBU athletics have played a vital role on campus. The rich history is full of all-Americans, championships and traditions that have become popular on campus and in the surrounding community.
The storied history of JBU athletics continues to this day, with 11 intercollegiate teams competing at high levels in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) including women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, basketball, tennis, cross country, and track and field.
JBU athletics has seen recent success with SAC tournament runs for men’s and women’s soccer and men’s basketball. But JBU’s mark for athletic program success is not just team win-loss records, it is the holistic development of student-athletes.
Athletic Philosophy
The “Head, Heart, Hand” educational philosophy of JBU stems from Brown Sr.’s belief in developing the whole student, not simply one aspect of them.
“Emphasis should be placed equally on the head, heart and hands,” Brown Sr. said. “If we neglect any of these in our teaching, the result will be an unbalanced person.”
Since the early days of JBU athletics, the mission has remained consistent — to develop students as athletes and to win games, but more importantly to develop them holistically and grow their faith. Student-athletes are expected to succeed in their respective sports, perform well academically, serve local communities and honor Christ in all they do. This is the foundation upon which coaches build their programs.
Academic Commitment
JBU’s athletic programs always have a goal of winning, and there are trophy cases filled with symbols of team and individual successes in multiple sports. But student development and success outside of sports are equally as important, especially to JBU Director of Athletics Robyn Daugherty ’85. A former JBU volleyball head coach, Daugherty has been the athletics director for 15 years and has made academics a core part of JBU athletics identity.
Besides performing at the highest levels athletically, student-athletes have an expectation of academic excellence. To Daugherty and the coaches, it is important for recruits to understand the academic expectations.
“We know that a student isn’t going to be successful here, and we won’t be able to keep them eligible, if they’re not here for a degree,” Daugherty said. “Our athletes understand that they’re here for a degree, and we’re going to keep them on track to graduate.”
Students at JBU are required to pass a certain number of classes in order to be eligible to compete. Their GPAs are monitored by coaches, Daugherty and the faculty athletic representative, Tim Wakefield, Ph.D.
“I feel really blessed to get to work with our athletes, even only in a small capacity,” Wakefield said. “I get to see how well all of our students do academically, and getting to approve them to play is always satisfying.”
The department of athletics is committed to athletes’ academic success and pairing them with campus academic resources to provide any help that is needed. “We’re intentional about graduation rates and want to see them developing as people over the four years they spend here,” said Daugherty.
Community Service
JBU student-athletes also find ways to serve the surrounding community. Some teams run community clinics in their respective sports, and others serve with local organizations such as the Special Olympics and Ability Tree, a local organization that offers recreational and educational support for families impacted by disability.
During its offseason, the women’s basketball team runs a weekly MVP clinic with Ability Tree students over four weeks.
“[The Abilty Tree students] bring our team so much joy and they’ve been a pleasure to work with,” said Maddie Altman, a graduating senior returning for a fifth year on the women’s basketball team.
Kathleen Paulsen, Ph.D., head coach of the women’s soccer team, has made it a priority for her athletes to serve in the schools of Colcord, Oklahoma.
“I think one of the great parts about sports is you get invested in by the community,” Paulsen said. “But I think one of the big things is where are you then pouring out? How are you impacting your community and your world?”
“My favorite volunteer work we did as a team was serving at Ability Tree,” said Cooper McCombs, a senior on the men’s soccer team. “We were able to invest in kids with disabilities and play all sorts of games with them. These kids always had so much fun no matter what. I was impacted by the joy they found in the little things.”
Community service is required by the NAIA and is part of their “Champions of Character” program, but for Daugherty, it’s about more than meeting requirements.
“The NAIA asks us to count service for a scorecard, and we struggle with that,” Daugherty said. “We want to serve because it’s an outreach of who we are and the people we’re trying to develop here — not because of some score.”
Faith Integration
As a Christian institution, JBU integrates faith into the college experience, and athletics is no exception. For some athletes, it is a new experience to see sports and faith working so closely together.
“We want to be careful that we’re being intentional,” Daugherty said. “We’re not assuming that everyone’s a believer.”
Faith integration looks different on every team. For some teams, it’s one-on-one meetings where players have the freedom to ask hard questions and explore their faith. For others, it’s team Bible studies where players are able to explore their well-grounded faith.
“I leave that up to the coach, because there’s a lot of different ways to achieve the desired outcome,” Daugherty said. “But it’s a big part of their evaluation at the end of year. I look at what they have done for spiritual mentoring and development of our students.”
Altman has been able to participate in a Bible study every other week with her team and experience growth in their faith together.
“We get to talk with Morgan Ankrom, who’s an alumna of the team,” Altman said. “She’s served on the mission field and is very passionate about Christ, so it’s a great experience to take a step back from our studies during our devotions to grow in our faith.”
While JBU athletes continue to represent JBU well on the pitch, court or track, they are being developed to represent JBU in their communities, churches and workplaces long after college.
“Yes, we still want to win, we definitely are competing,” Daugherty said. “But the focus on graduation rates, retention, service and spiritual development — that sets us apart.”
With a commitment to academic excellence, a focus on servant leadership and a deeper faith, JBU student-athletes will also be set apart as they leave and begin careers that bring glory to God.
Balancing Act
Student-Athletes Transfer Team Values to the Classroom and Beyond
BY WILLIAM NEWTON ’23
Beginning with the formation of the athletics committee in 1927, JBU athletics emerged in the 1950s and has grown throughout the years. JBU initially competed in the HCCA conference and then eventually moved to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, where the Golden Eagles competed in basketball, baseball, swimming, tennis, golf, track & field, cross country and soccer along the way.
The integration of sports on a college campus produces student-athletes, a category of students who attend JBU to receive their higher education and to participate in their chosen athletic fields.
During their time in their respective sports, student-athletes at JBU say they have grown to be better leaders, athletes and students, applying the discipline they learn during practices and competition to all other areas of life. In fact, over the last decade, student-athletes at JBU have carried an average GPA that is equivalent to nonstudent-athletes, as they must maintain proficient grade point averages to be eligible to play. Because of their demanding schedules, student-athletes must be strategic and efficient in how they spend the free time available to them.
Given the rigorous schedules of team sports, balancing their course loads and their athletic engagements can be very challenging.
“It’s almost like you’re an athlete-student not a student-athlete, because so much focus goes into practice, making sure you get enough extra shots, making sure you know the scout and the players [on the team you’re competing against],” said Ira Perrier, senior psychology major and basketball player. “It can be really hard to find that balance.”
While the struggle to balance can be difficult for students, it can also positively affect how they approach their schedules.
“Going to tennis practice actually helps me balance my life more because when I am able to go out on the court, be active and have fun with the guys, I am able to focus better on my schoolwork after the fact than if I had attempted to study on my school work for two hours,” said Woody Woodring, senior finance and accounting major and men’s tennis captain.
Along with helping athletes grow in academics, it also provides a resource for bonding and friendship. “Coming into JBU, I was able to have my built-in friends,” said Olivia McCafferty, senior general business major and cheerleader, referring to her teammates. “If I did not have athletics, I would not have my best friends that I have now.”
Noah Taylor, sophomore finance major and basketball player, says basketball allowed him to make deep connections with other students quickly.
“The best advantage of being a student-athlete at JBU is the brotherhood of the team. When you first arrive on campus, you have 15 other friends that, from the start, act like brothers and are always there for you,” he said.
Unlike many colleges and universities that restrict student-athletes from
Pictured (Top to Bottom): Woody Woodring ’22, Allika Pearson ’22, Ira Perrier ’22, Olivia McCafferty ’22, Lauren Cloud ’22, Aniyah Gibbs ’24, Noah Taylor ’24, Abigail Woodring ’23
majoring in degrees that take more time away from athletics, the department of athletics at JBU allows students to participate in their study of choice.
“JBU was the only school that I was looking at that said I could do music and tennis at the same time, so that was exciting, because otherwise, I was going to have to drop tennis and only focus on music in college,” said Abigail Woodring, junior music education major and tennis player.
Lauren Cloud, senior nursing major and volleyball player, had the same experience. “I chose JBU over the other schools I had offers from because the athletic department worked closely with the nursing department to ensure student-athletes could get a nursing degree,” said Cloud. “This was not common at the other schools I visited.”
Along with the support of the university, many student-athletes receive mentorship from their coaches, which has had a lasting impact on their success in both their athletics and their academics.
“It’s almost like you get to have a role model or a father figure that you didn’t have to go looking for,” said Perrier.
For others, their coach is a symbol of leadership and challenges them to grow off the field as well. “[Coach Kathleen Paulsen] pushes me toward Christ and challenges me every day to step into a leadership role and use my voice to impact others,” said Aniyah Gibbs, sophomore kinesiology major and soccer player. “I believe the team culture she has created at JBU will be something I carry into my life even after I graduate.” Many student-athletes see their athletic performance as synonymous with their approach to academics. “The same mindset I take to a tennis match is the same mindset I take into a test, like ‘I am going to beat this person or this test,’’’ joked Woody Woodring. “Even though at a tennis match it’s like this person is actively aspiring against me. I know that my professors aren’t trying to beat me — they are trying to prepare me and equip me — but I get into this mentality that it is me versus this test, and I am going to win.” JBU athletes also credit their extensive schedules with teaching them discipline in nonacademic areas of life, carrying over into their professions, like Cloud’s future nursing career. “Being an athlete has helped me grow into a leader,” said Cloud. “I have grown more confident in being a leader, but I have also grown in my ability to see different points of views.” Allika Pearson, senior kinesiology major and crosscountry and track & field runner, said her four years as a student-athlete helped her grow academically, socially and spiritually. “To put it bluntly, if I was not an athlete, I think I would be much less joyful and more irritable. I’d have a smaller friend group, I would not perform as well in class, etc.,” said Pearson. “My team has built me up and shaped me in ways I could not have done through other means, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.” Being a student-athlete at the collegiate level is challenging and requires self-discipline and time management, and student-athletes at JBU say it’s worth the work to become better leaders, athletes and students through their experiences.
John Brown University’s mascot has grown a lot since his initial hatching. Today, fans know him as Regal the Eagle, but JBU’s mascot has made a transformative journey in the last 60 years.
In the fall of 1965, the JBU mascot made its first unofficial appearance. It was the result of a creative home economics student, Janet Dobbs Given ’68.
“I was a big fan of our basketball team and started noticing that several of the schools that came to JBU to play a game had a mascot,” said Given. “I started thinking that we should have one too.”
Because the cheerleading squad had no budget for a mascot, Given made the eagle’s head out of chicken wire and paper mâché in a dormitory kitchen with some friends. The simple costume consisted of a female eagle headpiece, paired with a plain dress. This mascot lasted only for the short period of Given’s undergraduate days at JBU, but even during that limited time, it rallied school spirit and was a part of a successful basketball season that went all the way to the playoffs in 1965.
Although Given left behind the costume in hope that the mascot’s momentum would continue, no one took up the task — at least not until the Toilet Paper Game of 1991. The game marked the official debut of the mascot nearly 30 years later.
Arkansas State Representative Robin Lundstrum, then instructor of health promotion and human performance, recognized JBU’s need for a mascot. She said the thought came to her out of a desire to enrich the college experience of her students.
“You’d go to the games, and it was just like, wait a second — U of A (University of Arkansas) has [a mascot]. The Bulldogs,
where I went to high school, they had a mascot … and so I wanted my JBU babies to have everything that every other school had. And why not?” said Lundstrum. Because of the steep pricing of mascot costumes in catalogs and the fact that most bird costumes resembled a chicken more than an eagle, Lundstrum worked with her mother to create the costume, designed and sewn by hand. Going by the name “Conan the Eagle,” the mascot wore a Golden Eagles basketball sweatshirt, a baseball cap and a towering, whitefeathered headpiece. It had bulging eyes and his tongue hung out of his beak. BY RACHAEL OATMAN ’22 the EAGLE JBU’s Mascot Matures Over TimeREGAL A decade later, Conan the Eagle underwent a $1,000 makeover. He cleaned up his look with a fully feathered, blue-and-white costume from head to claw with more realistic, balanced features on the headpiece. To complete the transformation, Conan was renamed “Regal the Eagle,” the name still used today. JBU has traditionally kept the student identity behind the mascot a secret. To keep the mystery alive, this story will refer to student mascots by their years of service as Regal. Regal 1998-2002, who served as the mascot all four years of his undergraduate career, experienced the physical transformation firsthand. In an issue of The Threefold Advocate, Regal 1998-2002 indicated to the writer that “the new head was heavier, harder to see out of, but strapped on, is padded and looks better than the old one.” Despite the outward transformations of the mascot over the years, Regal remains the same at heart. From the beginning, Regal has demonstrated the greatest school spirit simply by having fun and loving others. Summarizing his time as the mascot, Regal 1998-2002 said, “I loved it. I got to be right in the action, courtside.” Regal 2004-2008, shared similar sentiments. “Being Regal the Eagle … was certainly one of the things I enjoyed most about my time at JBU,” he remarked. In 2019, during JBU’s Centennial Celebration, the university unveiled a new Regal mascot. Up to this point, Regal more closely resembled a bald eagle with white feathers, but the 2019 Regal now more accurately resembles the brown feathers of a golden eagle.
Regal 2020, who served as the mascot during his graduate studies, shared his favorite memories as the mascot. He had fun joking around with JBU President Chip Pollard, chasing students around campus with a cardboard cutout of Pollard and, most fondly, spotting Micah, a young man from Ability Tree who came to every game. “[Micah] absolutely loved Regal, and so going and being that for him or saying ‘hi’ and giving him a hug just made his week. Doing that was awesome,” said Regal 2020.
Regal 2021-2022 shared how the excitement of kids was a highlight. Additionally, he described the unique privilege to be on the court, to interact with referees and to make others laugh by providing school spirit. Reigning at the top of his fall 2021 season memories, though, was the reintroduction of the traditional Toilet Paper Game after being canceled the previous season due to the pandemic.
Generating laughs and enthusiasm at athletic events has always been an essential part of Regal’s role as the mascot, but he is expanding his presence to nonathletic events.
“There’s a fun energy that Regal can provide,” he said, and this academic year Regal has started to bring that energy to unlikely places, like appearances at prospective student preview days, the dining hall for a pep rallies and for the Irish Studies Program promotional event, where he dressed for the occasion in an Irish kilt.
The transformation of the JBU mascot runs far back into campus history and will continue to become an integral part of the JBU culture on and off the playing surface. Keep an eye out for Regal the Eagle on the horizon. You never know when or where he’ll swoop in next.
JOHN BROWN
BASKETBALL
Discipleship Through Coaching
Glorifying God in College Soccer
BY RACHAEL OATMAN ’22
“Am I using my gifts and talents to glorify God?” This is the question Kathleen Paulsen, Ph.D., John Brown University’s women’s soccer head coach, asked herself before realizing her calling to coaching and teaching.
Paulsen was in pursuit of a God-honoring position. Initially, she was on track to become a physician’s assistant, but she realized that her gifts were better suited for a discipleship setting.
“I believe coaching is the purest form of discipleship. You handpick a group of 24 girls, and you walk through four years of life with them. You look at how Jesus modeled his life – he picked 12 men and did three years with them. I really believe that’s our calling in life,” Paulsen said.
This realization led Paulsen to where she is today, coaching her ninth season of JBU women’s soccer and teaching exercise physiology.
Paulsen accepted the position as JBU’s women’s soccer head coach in February 2013. Her experience as an NCAA Division I player with the Arkansas Razorbacks, her time post-graduation with the Arkansas Comets of the Women’s Premier Soccer League and her overall diligence and Christcentered character made her an ideal candidate for the position.
A native of Littleton, Colorado, Paulsen moved to Arkansas to study pre-med biology at the University of Arkansas and to play soccer with the Razorbacks from 2006-2010. There, she excelled academically and athletically. Paulsen earned Southeastern Conference and UA academic honor roll accolades and played in all 77 UA games as a midfielder, starting 59 times.
A sharp scholar and accomplished athlete, Paulsen naturally demonstrates JBU’s “Head, Heart, Hand” educational philosophy which attracted her most to JBU.
“When I came to my interview [at JBU] and started explaining my dream for coaching — the idea of discipleship
and faith involved with athletics — I started to realize, I actually think JBU is a place where I could do this,” said Paulsen. “I could live this dream and vision out in the way I would desire, whether that’s going on mission trips or having Bible studies, whatever it might be.”
Paulsen incorporates her past experiences as an athlete into her coaching and teaching. For her, it’s all about the why, both in the classroom and on the field.
“Especially in athletics, you’ve been told to do things your entire life, but you don’t know why,” Paulsen said. “When you can learn the why behind what it means, what it does, why you’re doing it and how your body is responding, you become a lot more passionate about what you’re doing.”
Paulson also leverages her education to optimize her coaching strategies. In spring 2020, Paulsen earned her doctorate in health, sport and exercise science. Her dissertation covered sports performance with the use of heart monitors and GPS, which Paulsen mentioned is helpful in knowing when to rest players.
Committed to coaching, teaching and learning, Paulsen said the most challenging part of it all is living a balanced life. By recognizing this, Paulsen can give her players a healthy perspective on life, encouraging them not only in their athletics but in their social and spiritual lives as well.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think soccer is the biggest deal in the world,” Paulsen said. “I wonder who people are when they walk out of the program more than what they accomplished here. Have they had moments throughout their time at John Brown where they have known and experienced God in a way that has shaped them for their life? That’s my prayer, my hope.”
As for the future of the soccer program, Paulsen maintains the same vision she had coming into the program — “that our program continues to shape incredible women that walk out of here.”
“I’m competitive, too,” Paulsen added when describing her goals for the soccer program. “I’d love to win a national championship. That’s always the aim, especially as a coach, but, if you can’t do it well, I don’t want to do it. I only want to do it the right way.”
And the right way is exactly how the Golden Eagles seem to be headed in recent years. In 2020, they finished with the best winning percentage in program history with a 14-0-1 record (.967) and recorded the most wins in a single NAIA National Championships run in program history. The 2021 season produced a second-straight undefeated SAC regularseason title and SAC tournament title, and the Golden Eagles reached 18 wins for the third time under Paulsen’s tenure, qualifying for their fourth consecutive NAIA National Championships appearance.
A Coach’s True Calling Goes Beyond the Game
BY ZOE ROSS ’23
Squeaking, screeching sneakers echo in the gymnasium as feet shuffle hurriedly across the wood floor. Hands try to block a pass, sneak in and grab the ball. The black-striped orange ball is everything, booming alongside the sneaker shrieks. The royal blue jerseys of JBU’s women’s basketball team fly across the court with strategy and purpose. Off to the side stands their leader – Coach Jeff Soderquist ’93.
Since the second grade, Soderquist knew teaching was part of his calling, and in high school it became clear sports would be part of that calling in some capacity. He graduated from JBU intending to get a job teaching business at a high school along with a coaching position. However, God opened different doors, allowing him to work at JBU right away. Flash forward 25 years, and Soderquist, the winningest coach in JBU women’s basketball program history, has taken the team to the NAIA national tournament five times and officiated three of his players’ weddings.
God slowly revealed to Soderquist his true calling through this journey, a calling that was beyond the game. When he took the position as head coach for women’s basketball, Soderquist figured it was a good way to build credibility to later coach men’s basketball. He saw the assignment as a stepping stone, not somewhere he intended to stay. However, once he started, Soderquist reevaluated his purpose and plans.
“One of the things I had to figure out was why I got into coaching? Was it just about the wins and losses or about impacting lives? And about year six, I realized it’s not just about winning and losing,” he said.
Soderquist admits to being a competitive person, but if coaching had only been about winning and losing, he said he probably would have left — losing is hard. But even more significant than winning games is watching people grow.
“I don’t think there’s a bigger four-year maturity span than an 18-to-22-year-old, and I get to be a part of that every day,” he said. “Even professors can’t say that they’re with [their students] every day. You’ve left mom and dad but you’re not in the real world, you’re in this transition. And so that’s where God has really … changed me. That it’s about impacting lives, right there.”
The transitional college years can be an incredibly vulnerable place, full of trials, broken hearts and often physical and emotional exhaustion. Student-athletes add the challenge of their team commitments to an already heavy load.
“I think what a lot of people on campus don’t know is being a student-athlete is hard,” Soderquist said. “You sacrifice a lot of other time you have. Learning how to balance that, all the stuff we put on them in the basketball program and keeping up with their academics, all those things.”
He witnesses his players’ struggles, accomplishments and growth through many ups and downs. Soderquist has the unique ability to gently impact them with his instruction, insight and fatherly care.
Maddie Altman, a graduate student basketball player, is grateful for her relationship with Coach Soderquist, a key mentor in her life.
“My time here at JBU would not be the same without Coach Soderquist,” she said. “He has impacted my life both on and off the court by caring not only about my basketball performance but also my development as a person and, even more so, my walk with Christ.”
Soderquist has three key lessons he shares with his players: selflessness, perseverance and discipline. He defines discipline as “doing what has to be done, when it has to be done, to the best of your ability, every time.”
“I try to preach this is not just about basketball. You can do this in every aspect of your life. I think it can lead to being very successful,” Soderquist explained.
Soderquist believes through discipline and perseverance, one can go far in life, but it isn’t a godly life without selflessness.
“I think anything that has to do with a team where you put the team above yourself — I think that’s biblical,” he said. “In Rick Warren’s book ‘The Purpose Driven Life,’ the first sentence says ‘It’s not about you,’ and that’s really team sports. It’s not about you; it’s about the team succeeding.”
“Another thing I never thought I’d do is officiate three of my players’ weddings,” Soderquist said with a bright smile. “I remember Chelsea was the first one. She asked me, and I was like, ‘Uh … well, Chelsea, I don’t know.’ I found out I could become ordained. It’s a little easier today than it was in the past. It kind of started to snowball. Then Brooke asked me, then Ashley. That was quite an honor to do that. I don’t take that lightly.”
Soderquist said he is right where God needs him to be, impacting his players through one of the most complex transitions in their life. College is full of struggles and growth, but Soderquist says it “teaches you that you can’t rely on yourself but rely on God.”
“I’ve had chances to go back to the men’s side, but as I’ve gotten deeper into it, I feel like this has been my calling,” Soderquist said.
The young women Soderquist has recruited to JBU in the last 25 years have been forever impacted by their coach. In between the shooting drills, sprinting exercises, scrimmages and competitions, they are growing their faith, discipline and perseverance thanks to God’s calling in Soderquist’s life.
Friendly Competition
The Joy of Intramural and Club Sports
BY GRACE LINDQUIST ’22
As students transition into college, their participation in athletics changes. Competition for spots on intercollegiate teams is extremely high, and some high school athletes decide they would rather have more time and energy to dedicate to other extracurricular opportunities.
Fortunately at JBU, students have a lot of opportunities to participate in club sports or intramurals.
JBU is home to five club sports that compete against other college club teams: ultimate frisbee, rugby, shooting sports, baseball, and the newest addition in 2021, esports, a coed club sport with 13 players.
Club athletes experience many of the same aspects of being a part of a university sport as varsity athletes – including leadership positions, competition, the dedication of their time, and most impactfully, being a part of a team environment.
Seth Eben, senior electrical engineering major, is one of the co-founders and the captain of the club baseball team, the JBU Talons. Eben nearly attended another Christian university to play baseball but ultimately decided he wanted to be at JBU more than he wanted to play baseball at the intercollegiate level. Eben played other club sports during his freshman year, but he recognized interest in others in starting a baseball team at JBU. In the summer of 2019, Eben and Jack Stockton ’21 wrote the constitution, recruited athletes and petitioned the university for club approval.
Unfortunately, the Friday before the team’s first game was when JBU sent students home due to COVID-19, so the Talons didn’t get to play any games that spring. Finally, a year later, they joined the National Club Baseball Association and had their first home games in March 2021 where over 100 people attended to watch their home opener. Later in the season, they went on to win against the University of Arkansas and Missouri University of Science and Technology. The baseball team practices twice a week through the year, with their hours ramping up during their spring season.
“We usually play a game on Friday and two games on Saturday, and that’s the most time commitment because it will be about eight hours of playing baseball,” Eben said.
Their home series against Missouri S&T was Eben’s favorite team memory so far. The team bonded as they tarped the field in the rain and moved the games back to the evening, ultimately wrapping up at 11:30 p.m. They won that game in an epic walk-off hit by Stockton.
“I have learned a lot about patience and about different styles of leadership and ways to approach each player,” Eben said. “Commitment levels of players can wane and grow depending on seasons, and club sports might not be the most important thing in people’s lives sometimes. But for me, this team is one of my biggest commitments. I love playing with this team, and I love playing baseball; so it’s about learning when to be patient and understanding and learning when to push them.”
Loraine Ferrin, junior digital cinema major, is a dedicated member of the women’s ultimate frisbee team, also known as “Savage Skies.” The club team is one of the reasons she decided to attend JBU. During a tournament in the fall 2021 semester, the Savage Skies won five out of six games, despite a low number of members.
“I’ve never seen a group of girls give it all on the field and still have a great attitude,” she said. “It was hot. We were tired, but I think for the first time, I learned not only what it’s like to have a team but to love that team.”
Ferrin said at the first practice, everyone was so welcoming and friendly. She could see that everyone cared for and loved one another, on and off the field.
“It’s such genuine love that makes you work so hard every single practice and tournament because you see how hard
everyone else is working,” Ferrin said. “But it’s also a love that makes you care for one another physically, emotionally and spiritually. This might sound cheesy, but it truly is not just a team; it’s a family.”
This season, the women’s team has seen some low numbers, but they were able to join the men’s team and continue to compete in tournaments.
“They [the men’s team] have been so awesome and welcoming to us. It’s definitely been a little challenging, because most of us were so used to playing against girls, but everyone has been so good about working together,” Ferrin said. “We all help each other, give each other tips and keep each other accountable. It’s amazing to see how well we work together, and while there’s still a lot we need to figure out, I’m so confident that with time, we’ll get there.”
On April 2, “Iron Skies,” the combined name of the men’s and women’s ultimate teams, went undefeated at the Dust Bowl Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“For this to be our second tournament playing all together and to win the whole thing is so impressive,” Ferrin said. “I’m so extremely proud of everyone for giving it their best but also so thankful that God is giving us the physical and mental strength to play so well.” Joe Oliver, junior outdoor leadership and entrepreneurship double-major, is the men’s rugby captain. He joined the rugby team nearly as soon as he arrived on campus his freshman year after hearing about how the team felt like a
“It was hot. We were tired, but I think for brotherhood. The team’s goal is to bring men together to honor the Lord through playing rugby — an aspiration that has the first time, I learned been passed down through the years. He said some of his highlights have not only what it’s like to have a team but to love been spending time as a team off the field, having cookouts together and being intentional about getting to that team.” know each other. “On the field this spring, we beat the University of Arkansas. It was exciting that all of our starters were healthy and were able to compete and win against an elite team,” he said. Oliver has learned two big lessons by being on and leading the team. “Once you are there, you have to be fully there. Rugby is not a sport you can put 60% in, because you will get injured,”
Oliver said. “Second, when you’re in a game, you are always fighting for your brother next to you, which encourages responsibility, and you know that the person next to you has your back.”
Fiona Stoll, junior nursing major, loved her time on the women’s rugby team, as it centered itself around Christ which she said made practice so much more enjoyable. She said the team took time to get to know each other and build friendships that last in a safe environment to make mistakes and learn new skills while also having a lot of fun.
“I learned not only a lot about rugby itself but also how to be a better team player,” she said. “I learned how to be happy for people when they are doing well and how to be there for people when they were having a difficult time. I learned that it takes every member of the team to win and that we need to encourage and build each other up in order to succeed.”
Stoll said since it was a club sport, new members would join at random with experience ranging from newbie to pro. This meant the team needed to be patient with one another as they learned how to perform the skills and flow as a team, which, she reports, was a very humbling experience.
Stoll had the opportunity to go to two matches where she said they were intense and even dangerous at times, but that’s the beauty of the sport.
“There was never any anger or hatred toward the other teams, just a real fear that you might break a bone that day,” Stoll said. “Both sides would celebrate together after the games which really emphasized the community aspect of the sport. Sadly, we lost both matches, but we learned a lot and have since become better players.”
Women’s rugby debuted in fall 2015 and has won decisive victories, including a Mid-America Rugby Football Union DII Regional Championship and a deep run in the national playoffs in 2019. With COVID-19 restrictions, interest dwindled for a time; and the team hasn’t competed since 2020, but there is a growing movement to bring it back.
Makayla Woods, senior mathematics major, joined the shooting club during her freshman year after a lifelong interest in shooting firearms. Coming into college, she had never participated in an organized game of trap or skeet, so she enjoyed the games and learned a lot about teamwork and the importance of trusting and relying on other people. Woods helps run the team and says she couldn’t do so successfully without the help of their faculty sponsor Mark Terrill and club Vice President Patrick Simpson, a junior mechanical engineering major.
The Shooting Sports club was established in 2015 after a few construction management students wanted to help other students learn more about gun safety and operation. Safety is a top priority for the team, along with skill-building. Regular practices are two hours long on Fridays, but a leadership position requires more of a time commitment, including planning, buying supplies and scheduling.
“Now, members of the team compete against each other in games of skeet, trap and timed pistol shooting among other things,” Woods said. “Every Friday, we go out to New Life Ranch and have practice and compete against each other to sharpen our skills. For me, it’s fairly easy to make time for the team because it’s something that I am passionate about.
Intramurals also provide a popular outlet for students,
and even faculty, to be active and compete with friends and roommates. The sports are organized into smaller seasons, typically a few weeks long and often set up as leagues, with the final matchup drawing a crowd of students. The leaders of intramurals believe there is something for everyone, including the ability for students to name their own team and win bragging rights. This year’s intramural sports included basketball, coed volleyball, soccer, pickleball, coed dodgeball, flag football, indoor soccer, sand volleyball, coed softball and spikeball.
Annalysa Watts, junior psychology major, has always loved volleyball and has been playing intramural volleyball and sand volleyball since she set foot on campus as a freshman. She said she loves the competition and the camaraderie, as it emphasizes team work but at the same time, highlights individual skills.
“As a team, we challenge each other and encourage one another. It also serves as a stress reliever for me from the physical exercise aspect — it increases the production of endorphins which results normally in a positive mood,” Watts said. “It’s fun to push yourself and improve performance. It’s also just a fun activity to play with your friends and spend time together outside or inside. That’s where I have met a lot of my friends.”
Watts believes that students value intramurals so much because it gives them an opportunity to play a sport they normally wouldn’t out of fear of being judged for their performance. Students also get the chance to be a part of a team, meet new people and be active.
Hannah Holden, junior marketing and management major, decided to become one of the coordinators for intramurals during COVID-19 when many campus activities were restricted. According to Holden, intramurals bring people together to create memories and meet new people through various sports. She said sports have always brought a lot of joy into her life, and she wanted to create that same feeling for the students at JBU.
“We introduced the Presidential Pickleball Invitational into the intramural program, hosting it on the outdoor tennis courts to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions,” Holden said. “This new addition had a large turnout of both students and faculty, and it was such a fun experience being able to bring people together in the midst of a season where that was nearly impossible.”
When asked why so many JBU students play intramurals year after year, Holden said intramurals are a fun way for students to spend time with their friends and participate in the sports that they enjoy, whether they played in high school or not.
Whether it’s club sports or intramurals, these activities are important facets of student life at JBU. These sports bring students together to foster community, get active, build skills and honor God through it all.
MIKE CAMPBELL ’95 (RIGHT)
TIME WELL SPENT: HOW ATHLETICS PREPARED ALUMNI FOR CAREERS
BY WILLIAM NEWTON ’23
Many JBU alumni carried the discipline and experiences they acquired as a college athlete into their respective careers following graduation, whether in an athletic-related career or a position entirely separate from sports.
Although every sport differs, the lessons learned – mentally, physically and spiritually – affected how alumni tackled challenges as students and now as professionals.
Mike Campbell ’95, JBU head tennis coach and former JBU tennis player, has planted himself in several different areas that are connected to his time as a student-athlete. He runs a nonprofit working in leadership and discipleship strategy for individuals, churches and ministries around the country. He also works with a number of churches as a teaching pastor while coaching tennis part time at JBU. His different interests are all centered around pouring into people.
Campbell’s time as a student significantly impacted his career path once he became engulfed in the spiritual life found at the core of JBU.
“I gave my life to Christ while I was at JBU, and that definitely prepared me for a life in ministry, which is not something I ever really expected,” Campbell said. “[During] my time at JBU, I met my wife, and JBU was one of the first times that people believed in me from a ministry and service aspect.” Campbell said JBU allowed him to serve as the chaplain’s assistant, lead his major’s club, serve as the president of his senior class and be a part of athletics as an all-conference athlete.
“After beginning a relationship with Jesus, those last two years were catalysts to my professional career, which started in the business marketplace and ended up in the church setting and now has me doing a little bit of all of the above,” he said.
Clark Sheehy ’98, head basketball coach at Southwest Baptist University and former JBU basketball player and head coach, said his time at JBU had a much greater influence on him than he ever would have realized.
“I originally went to school with the idea that I would be in public relations or communications, and then being in athletics at the college level just really made me want to go into coaching and influence some of the players that we have the same way I was influenced,” Sheehy said.
As he transitioned from high school to college basketball, Sheehy became a part of a community of truly skilled athletes. He said in high school it can be easy to think of oneself as the best player on the team, but at the collegiate level, everybody is on the same heightened level of athletic
ability. This realization influenced him to work harder.
Sheehy said he went from playing every minute in high school to not playing as much in the college games, forcing him to adapt to the bigger, faster and stronger pace of his new role as a JBU teammate.
“I’ve never not started a game, and now I’m not starting. So it was very, very valuable for me to learn,” Sheehy said. “I need to take the things the coaches ask me to do and do those the best that I can, even if it’s not what I have done before. The ability to have enough character and resolve to play that well is one of the foundations of teamwork.”
These skills also influenced his career as a college basketball coach, as he now shares this same mindset with his players.
“Now as a coach, I am always trying to talk to our guys about the same things,” Sheehy said. “I am increasing their level that they are coming to, and now they understand this is what the team needs them to do. They need to do it with an awesome attitude and a great love for their teammates around them.
By doing that, they learn that you will have more fun and will enjoy the journey so much more because you are pouring yourself into other people.”
Sara Asbeck ’18, head soccer coach at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin, Texas, and former JBU soccer player, knew coaching was in her future when she coached a soccer camp at JBU as a student. Right after graduation, Asbeck became the girls’ soccer coach at a high school, which led her to coaching at a private soccer academy until she found her current position at St. Dominic Savio teaching U.S. history and coaching soccer.
Coming from a small high school, Asbeck fit right in with the tight-knit JBU community which attracted her to attend the university.
“I loved JBU,” said Asbeck. “Really, the soccer program, Soccer Coach Kathleen Paulsen and the ideals that [the soccer program] stood for are what really drew me in.”
Asbeck is grateful that she now can teach soccer in a Christian setting. Since she teaches at a Catholic high school, Asbeck is able to combine her Christian faith with her coaching expertise, for which she credits JBU.
“I get to share my faith with these students, and I get to integrate it with everything I do – which is a real benefit of where I am and where I have been – especially being in the soccer program at JBU and seeing how faith integrates with sports,” Asbeck said.
JBU gave Asbeck a new perspective on teamwork. She said her teams before JBU didn’t make it a priority. She now looks forward to teaching those aspects of teamwork to her players at St. Dominic Savio.
Similarly, Simeon Hinsey ’02, former JBU basketball player, credits much of his success to his experiences at JBU, helping him relate to the students he teaches and the athletes he now coaches.
Prior to his current role as a teacher and basketball coach in the Springdale Public Schools, Hinsey served as sports information director and intramural director at JBU from 2006-2012 and then began working for the University of Arkansas women’s basketball program. After a time, Hinsey felt called to leave his position at the U of A to found the iYes Foundation with the mission of investing in the lives of young people in Northwest Arkansas and the Bahamas through education and sports.
“I learned a lot more about the other side of being a student-athlete. I now understand all the things the coaches were trying to teach me and why it was so important. Being able to have those conversations with student-athletes in my league allowed me to reflect on my time as an athlete and say ‘I know exactly what you’re going through.’” Hinsey said.
The teamwork learned as a JBU student-athlete also transfers to alumni working in nonathletic careers.
Chelsea Miller ’12, second-grade teacher at Linda Childers Knapp Elementary School in Springdale, Arkansas, and former JBU basketball player, has a love for teaching that grew organically. Her mother was an English teacher which inspired her decision to pursue teaching, but she also grew up in a sports-loving family, which led her to playing basketball at JBU. Miller was offered full scholarships from several different universities but the athletic and academic benefits JBU had to offer won her commitment.
“JBU has an excellent education program with supportive and encouraging professors. Being a student-athlete while in the education program taught me time management skills and prioritizing one’s education,” Miller said. “Knowing the quality education that JBU provides, I would’ve considered attending [the university] even if I had not been offered an athletic scholarship.”
Miller credits the education program and its roster of
professors for her development into a teacher. Her internship as a student-teacher was a huge milestone, as she was able to apply all that she had learned from both the athletic department and the education department toward students in a real classroom.
The relationship with her former team runs deep. Miller and her teammates have rotated through each other’s weddings and continue to stay in contact. She said the community found in a team doesn’t just exist on the court; it continues for years beyond graduation and makes being a student-athlete worth the commitment.
Stephen Bos ’93, senior vice president of e-commerce at DaySpring Cards and former JBU soccer player, has continued his ties with JBU. It’s where he met his wife, Holly, and two of his children, daughter Annika Bos Pollard ’19 and son Jack ’22, played soccer. As a student, Bos was active on campus, playing soccer and rugby and participating in Students in Free Enterprise, now known as Enactus.
“These experiences in particular — of working together — prepared me for my professional life, in church, in ministry work and other things where this idea of collaboration and coordination and service to one another applied,” Bos said. “These principles are foundational to how JBU approached the education and athletics process, and I am especially grateful for that. The process of learning how to learn and how to work together made me more prepared for life. I can see the success and collaboration skills in JBU students that we hire at DaySpring.”
Besides cheering on his kids, including daughter Rin who plays soccer for Siloam Springs High School, Bos is still heavily involved with soccer in the community. He has coached several soccer teams of various age groups, working alongside others to nurture and build upon the soccer culture in Siloam Springs. One specific partnership was between JBU/Siloam Springs Futbol Club and the City of Siloam Springs to build the futsal court on the JBU campus in 2017 that continue to benefit the soccer-playing community in Siloam Springs.
“One of the things that I really work hard at is trying to make opportunities [for people], specifically for young men in the local community who wouldn’t have the opportunity to play higher-level club soccer.” he said. “Former players and the Siloam Springs Fútbol club have helped allow boys to play. Some even went on to play collegiately through that program. More importantly, they were able to grow relationships and friendships.”
No matter if it’s a postgraduation career in athletics or one outside of the sports industry, the time spent as a studentathlete at JBU develops valuable skills that are relevant long after the student leaves the playing surface.
CLARK SHEEHY ’98
SARA ASBECK ’18
SIMEON HINSEY ’02
STEPHEN BOS ’93 (CENTER) CHELSEA MILLER ’12
