Treveccan THE MAGAZINE OF TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
THE
H EA RT
OF SER VIC E
ANSWERING THE CALL TO PUBLIC SERVICE
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Spring 2020
Campus
Trevecca Together even when we're apart
Music City Misses you!
Home to the Hill
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Trevecca Alumni
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Hallowed halls of faith and learning, as the years go by.
We will honor and we’ll love her; we will stand for right.
Let’s go live.
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Sunday sermon
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Fellow students may we honor her; and be ever true.
Servant Leadership Photo by Nick Eagles Action with love
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Teaching excellence
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Sitting wih the Word
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Home looks like...
On a hill stands old Trevecca, lined against the sky.
Doing Work. Submit
Jesus
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Thank you for your service!
The Heart of...
Nashville
Congrats Grads!
Class of 2020
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fruitful leadership
Always carry high her banner, hail to the purple and the white.
Esse Quam Videri
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Sons and daughters she’ll be proud of -dear old T.N.U.
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Treveccan Vol. 90 No. 2 Spring 2020 President Dr. Dan Boone, ’74
V.P. for External Relations Peg Cooning, MOL ’20
Associate V.P. of Marketing & Communications Matt Toy
Managing Editor Mandy Crow
Graphic Designers Nick Kerhoulas Jamie Ascher
Contributors Bailey Basham, ’17; Nick Eagles, ’12; Corrie Fritts; Emily Powers; Greg Ruff, ’87, MOL ’13; Jennifer Siao; Jenny Sowers; Anne Twining, ’74
Contact Information: Treveccan 333 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37210 615-248-1695 treveccan@trevecca.edu
Main number 615-248-1200
Office of Admissions 615-248-1320
Office of Alumni & Church Engagement 615-248-7735 www.trevecca.edu www.facebook.com/TreveccaNazarene www.twitter.com/Trevecca
Contents
FOREWORD President’s Imprint 4 100 Words 5 From the Hill 6 The List 9
FOCUS Carry High Her Banner 10 My Trevecca Story 12 Leadership & Service 14
FEATURES Leading the Charge: A Q&A with Dell Technologies’ Najuma Atkinson 16 Cover Story: The Heart of Service 20 Opening Doors: Wes Hampton’s Path to the Gaither Vocal Band 24
EPILOGUE Campaign News 28 Athletic News 29 Alumni News 30 Postscript
Called to Serve
PRESIDENT’S IMPRINT Once upon a time these were the two things you didn’t talk about over Thanksgiving dinner or with strangers. Conversational rifts were likely, and relational rifts were not far behind. So we avoided discussions of religion AND politics. Even in the current crisis of a global pandemic, it is interesting to see how COVID-19 has been politicized, and how the language about God varies from God’s judgment on an evil world to God’s participation in the suffering of a broken world. It seems that every new twist and turn in society requires a restating of our faith into the realm of politics. Where the old rift was religion AND politics, the new rift is religion IN politics. How does one’s faith influence one’s politics? Or, as I fear is all too common, how does one’s politics interpret one’s faith? As president of a Christian university in the heart of Nashville, I believe it is imperative that we help students think carefully about the potential of God’s call to public service. Global pandemics need grounded Christians in the mix. Strong Christians can be found in many political camps. How do we empower them to be agents of the kingdom of God? I observed carefully the life and leadership of the former governor of Tennessee, Bill Haslam. His principled wisdom marked him as an exemplary leader. Below, you’ll you will find a link to an article by Gov. Haslam on “Public Office as a Spiritual Discipline.” I hope you will take the time to read it, and also to browse the stories in this issue of the Treveccan—tales of Trevecca alumni making significant contributions in the public arena.
LEARN MORE
To read Gov. Haslam’s article, visit www.cardus.ca.
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100 WORDS ON Service Service was a defining characteristic of the Trevecca community long before the word found its way into the University’s mission statement. On the Hill, service to each other, our neighbors, our city and our Lord has always been a central part of who we are. In recent days, after tornadoes ravaged the Nashville area and COVID-19 brought devastation of its own, that dedication to service has risen to the forefront once again. Student groups and athletic teams went out into the city, serving neighbors in need. Trevecca officials made a difficult decision to move all instruction online, out of a desire to take care of students, faculty and staff as well as the neighbors who surround our campus. In this difficult time, let the Trevecca legacy be one of grace, love and service. // 133 words
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CAMPUS NEWS
From the hill
ABOVE AND BEYOND When the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) released the most recent data trends regarding CPA exam pass rates late last year, Trevecca graduates ranked among the top performers in the nation. Trevecca graduates ranked 15th in the nation in a category comparing candidates from small programs sitting for the exam for the first time. This placed Trevecca accounting alumni in the top six percent of the 242 reporting institutions of higher education from across the country. Trevecca graduates performed better than those from similarly sized accounting programs such as Saint Vincent College, Wofford College and Bethel University. Trevecca alumni also achieved an average overall first-time pass rate of 65 percent. The American Institute of Certified Accountants estimates the nationwide overall first-time pass rate for the CPA examination averages around 45-55 percent, varying by quarter and section. In the state of Tennessee, Trevecca graduates achieved the highest pass rate (87.5 percent) in the state for the Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) section of the exam, out-performing institutions such as Vanderbilt University, Belmont University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Trevecca-trained accountants garnered the fourth-highest overall pass rate among the 24 Tennessee colleges and universities included in the ranking.
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TOP OF THE CLASS Trevecca religion professor Mary K. Schmitt is the recipient of Trevecca’s 2020 Teaching Excellence Award, announced Feb. 20 during the University’s annual Teaching Excellence Convocation. “I feel truly blessed to get to do what I do,” Schmitt said. “Every day I come to work, and I study the Bible. Not only that, but I get to study the Bible with these students and these colleagues. What a privilege!” A member of the faculty since 2017, Schmitt serves as an associate professor of biblical studies in Trevecca’s Millard Reed School of Theology and Christian Ministry. A graduate of Southern Nazarene University, Schmitt is finishing her dissertation at Duke University Divinity School. She is also an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene.
TREVECCA GIVES BACK On April 16, Trevecca students, staff, alumni and friends joined together to live out Trevecca’s motto and make a difference in their corner of the world. Participants prayed for each other, reconnected with Trevecca classmates and found ways to serve their communites. In addition, donors generously gave more than $35,000 to the Student Emergency Fund, helping students and families with financial needs.
LO V E I N A C TIO N In the early morning hours of March 3, tornadoes tore through Nashville and surrounding cities, leaving devastation in their wake. In the days that followed, Trevecca students, faculty and staff responded by praying, giving and serving those directly affected by the storms.
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CAMPUS NEWS
NAVIGATING THE UNKNOWN In early March, Trevecca officials were faced with a number of unprecedented decisions as the COVID-19 outbreak began to grow in intensity. On March 11, the University announced that spring break would be extended and all instruction would move online until at least March 30. The same day, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. On March 17, University officials announced all instruction would move to a remote model for the remainder of the semester, with students enrolled in on-campus programs in Trevecca’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies moving to online classes until further notice. “We realize this is an unprecedented decision in the middle of a moment unlike any other in our nation’s—and our institution’s—history,” the official announcement read. “We hope that Trevecca’s lasting legacy in this time would be that we showed grace and love to our students, their families, our faculty and staff as well as our neighbors. We pray that as a community and as Christians, we can love each other well today and in the days to come.
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A FOND FAREWELL Three longtime Trevecca faculty members retired following the Spring 2020 semester. They are: DR. DONNA GRAY associate professor of English and director of Academic Services, 32 years; DR. TERRY PRUITT professor of psychology, 30 years; EDWARD ANTHONY professor of IT and management, 15 years. These treasured faculty members will be missed on the Hill.
Leadership Lessons
Trevecca’s mission to shape our graduates for leadership and service has characterized the University since 1901. Recently, we asked a few Trevecca-trained leaders to share the one characteristic they think every leader should possess. Here are their answers in this issue’s edition of The List.
1. Trust. “If you honestly put them first, listen to them, help fix problems, you will gain their trust,” said Blake Thompson, a 1993 graduate. “Trust that you really do care for [your employees] as people, and you are really looking out for their best interests.” Thompson serves as chief executive producer at Ramsey Media Solutions.
2. T he ability to laugh at yourself. Teresa Sparks (’91), the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Envision Healthcare, recommended that leaders develop a great sense of humor, which can help relieve tension and encourage team building.
3. Commitment. For 2015 graduate Katerine Hernandez Albert, leaders should be committed—to their values, to their work, to their employees. Leaders shouldn’t be half-hearted. Be all in.
4. Honesty. According to Trevecca alumnus Spencer Denton (’00), honesty is the best policy when it comes to leadership. Studies show that leaders with high perceived integrity lead teams that are significantly more satisfied in their jobs, less likely to be absent and less stressed.
5. Listen. “Listen to those you are to lead,” said Cary Bush (’02). “Don’t come in and start making drastic changes until you know what the backstory is.” Want more? Check out #LeadersSince1901 on your favorite social channel. 9
Carry High Her Banner
“I AM SO THANKFUL THAT DESPITE THE CRAZINESS, THE SCHOOL WAS STILL ABLE TO PROVIDE A VIRTUAL TOUR AND ANSWER MANY OF MY QUESTIONS.” 10 TREVECCAN
—AUTUMN L EANN, prospective student Trevecca’s Office of Admissions moved their planned March 21 preview day online due to COVID-19 concerns. The interactive event allowed students and their families to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a Trevecca student no matter where they were!
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My Trevecca Story BY BA IL E Y BA SH A M, ’1 7
Mary Beth Seals is originally from Fayetteville, Tennessee, about 90 miles south of Nashville, and she said she couldn’t imagine growing up in a better place. “We have the sweetest little small-town community where you find that family and community go hand in hand. And there is almost always something to do,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else.”
me. I got married [during] my last year at Motlow, and, a year later, I became a young mom,” she said. “Trevecca’s program allowed me to spend time with my family, work and pursue my education. It truly met all my needs.” That was in 2006. Now, after a number of years working in health care administration, Seals is a Trevecca student once again, this time pursuing her master’s in business administration through Motlow.
So, when it came time for her to go to college, Seals was sure that she didn’t want to go away for school. She wanted to stay in the community she’d known for her whole life—and luckily for her, Motlow State Community College had an option that would meet her needs.
Trevecca’s Master of Business Administration program, offered one night a week on campus and online, is specifically designed for working professionals seeking the credentials needed to obtain a better job, earn a promotion or change career paths altogether.
“I was never going to be the student who went off to school and spent the night in a dorm and left her mom and dad and family, and I was OK with that,” she said. “I always knew Motlow was an option because it was close by, and when it came time for me to go to school, I was able to work and still get my education.”
In her new position as the director of physician practices with Tennova Healthcare in Tullahoma, Tennessee, Seals said she’s already using what she’s learned from her program. The program prepares graduate students to be successful in any career, equipping students with skills in critical thinking, oral and written communication, research and analysis.
At Motlow State, Seals earned her associate in mass communications. Through Trevecca’s partnership with the college, she was able to complete her bachelor’s degree. Created for non-traditional students who depend on flexibility, Trevecca’s Bachelor of Arts in management and leadership allows working adults who are juggling work, family, school and other commitments to complete their degrees in the format that’s most convenient for them. “When I saw that Trevecca offered a program through Motlow, I knew immediately it was the answer for 12 TREVECCAN
“Trevecca does a great job of showing you firsthand the things you are going to experience, whether you’re doing the work now or whether you have goals to work in business,” she said. “[My cohort and I] have completed eight of the 13 courses. Through them all, I have loved learning more about who I am and, more importantly, what all I still have left to become. I find myself fortunate as I sit back and watch while God blesses both me and all my classmates through this journey.”
Your Future. Your Ambition. OUR ONLINE EXPERTISE. Since 1901, Trevecca has been an experienced leader in higher education. Now is the perfect time for you to join us to earn your bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. Our 100 percent fully online programs fit in easily with the rest of your life. Working from home full-time, home-schooling the kids, taking care of extended family or serving in ministry or health care? Whatever your schedule looks like today (or shifts to in the future), getting a degree from Trevecca is easier now than ever before. You’ll take classes 100 percent online with books delivered right to your door. Participate when it’s most convenient for you and complete assignments at your pace.
Trevecca.edu
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ALU MN U S T IM DR INKWINE SHARES THE T RU T HS THAT F UEL HIS LEADER SHIP STYLE
THE FRUIT OF LEADERSHIP Throughout my career as an educator and now as a school administrator, the instruction and mentoring I received from Trevecca has benefited me in numerous ways. But perhaps nothing prepared me more for my current role as a middle school principal than what the University taught me about the importance of becoming a holistic leader. I learned I couldn’t lead others well until I learned to lead myself. I discovered how necessary it was for me to become spiritually, physically and mentally healthy in order to try to effectively lead people in the same way. This mindset influenced how I navigated the sudden onset of the coronavirus outbreak this past spring. As a school community we found ourselves facing an unprecedented, abrupt and complete shutdown. My first thought was, I need to take care of myself. I must model the behaviors I’m asking my community to follow—washing hands, staying home and creating safe ways to communicate. I reached out to every single one of my teachers and asked them to do the same with their students. I wanted to demonstrate that while we didn’t know all the answers, that was OK. We ultimately needed to look for ways to serve our families. We needed to stay
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calm with the goal of remaining responsive instead of reactive, not panicking but identifying ways to be supportive and accessible. Again and again, I’ve learned that good leadership begins with strong connections. A friend once described leadership as the art of influence. You can’t influence others without first understanding them. Good leaders get to know people. They connect with them. In my world, strong leadership is about knowing my teachers and students. It’s about being good to them and having a heart that desires to see them grow. Leadership also involves a willingness to lead with creativity and vulnerability. When I initially stepped into my current role, I learned our school had a history of violence. And the cafeteria was often ground zero for fights. Coincidentally, I also remember walking around the building shortly after I took the job and realizing how cold and sterile the environment felt. Although we are a visual and performing arts school, the hallways were blank and sterile. That’s when an idea occurred. Years ago I’d read something that stuck with me about how we can sense
the culture of a place by observing what’s on the walls. In the book, It’s Not About the Coffee, the former president of Starbucks International emphasizes that in any organization’s physical building, the “walls talk.” Nothing on our school walls demonstrated we were a place where learning and growth were celebrated. So we decided to paint several murals. Although I’m definitely no artist, I wanted to model how growth and beauty happen when we’re willing to try something new, get creative and risk being vulnerable. I began painting the trunk of a tree around an existing column right in the center of the cafeteria. I’d work on it during lunch hours so students could observe the process. During that time, we discovered that one of our at-risk kids was in danger of becoming a dropout. We spent some time with him and learned he loved landscaping and the outdoors. So we invited him to bring in real branches from a damaged tree outside and attach those branches to the painted tree trunk. He loved the work. Now we’re in the process of attaching paper-shaped leaves to the branches. Every time we restore a relationship or prevent an act of violence, we add a colored leaf with a student’s name and grade on it. As a school we’ve pledged to become a community of non-violence, and this is a way to honor the students’ efforts to seek peace. It’s a way to see that new things are possible. This is also what the fruit of leadership can accomplish. —As told to Corrie Fritts Timothy Drinkwine received his master’s in educational leadership and administration (’06) and his doctoral degree in leadership and professional practice (’13) from Trevecca before becoming a principal for Metro Nashville Public Schools in 2014. He currently works at Mount Pleasant Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts in Maury County, Tennessee, where he oversees 465 students and 45 faculty and staff members.
BY CORRIE FRITTS
LEADERSHIP & SERVICE
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LEADING THE CHARGE
Q&A WITH NAJUMA ATKINSON
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A 2001 graduate of Trevecca’s master’s program in organizational leadership, Najuma Atkinson currently serves in Dell Technologies’ Chief Customer Office as the senior vice president for customer advocacy, insights and analytics. It’s a new role for Atkinson, who spent 18 years building a career in human resources at Dell. Recently, Atkinson talked with us about her career, why she made a career shift and how her Trevecca experience has shaped her leadership. Tell us a little about your current role at Dell Technologies. I’m the senior vice president of advocacy, data insights and analytics for the Chief Customer Office. That is a mouthful that basically says my team is responsible for being the listening post for the voice of the customer. So, as you think about things that are extremely important to us as an organization, that includes ensuring that we provide solutions that meet the needs of our customers as well as those of the team members that help them experience fully what Dell Technologies has to offer. We do that in a number of ways, like through listening posts either in forums or through surveying, and through one-on-one interviews with chief experience and technology officers with organizations. Additionally, we’re responsible for all the stitching of the data related to customers. There’s lots of information most organizations gather with regard to our customers’ needs, and we stitch that together to provide it to our business units so that we can ensure we provide the best products based upon the needs of our customers at the right time.
Prior to your current role, you spent nearly 20 years working in HR. Why did you make the switch? I was in HR for about 18 years and the wonderful thing about [Dell Technologies] is that you have opportunities to do a number of things. We really do, I believe, a great job of explaining to people how most skills are transferable and that’s why you should build your career around experiences not specific roles. I have a passion and have always had a passion for the customer, be it an internal customer like my last role, or an external customer, and I have a passion around data. I very much believe that you can have great conversations, but in order to make those most effective, you have to have data and insights. So, I sought out roles and opportunities that could marry those two things. I just happened to be at an event where I learned that there was this space—the Chief Customer Office—and I was very interested in it. I said, “You know, I would like to do that role because I think it very much aligns with where my passions are, focusing on providing the best solutions for our customers as well as using data and insights to make an informed decision.
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It took courage to leave a career where you had already achieved some success. What fueled or sustained you as you made that change? It was scary. My trajectory was built [in HR]. But then I had to step back and realize that if I truly believed in the principles that talent can go anywhere and that we create an environment where people can be successful, I can leverage my HR relationships with the other relationships that I have and be effective. I also wasn’t going to lose the skills that I had built. That knowledge could be leveraged in other places. Unlike some, I’m more comfortable with risk, but I weighed it. What were the organizations where I could be most effective? The Chief Customer Office was one. There was another in our sales-business operations organization that I looked at as well that I felt would be a good bridge from the skills I would bring to the table and would still allow me to grow. I was also honest about experience I did have, where my gaps were and what I could learn from that. I also talked with other leaders who I felt were effective with maneuvering their careers.
You work in a field where there aren’t traditionally that many women in leadership. Has that been challenging to you? If you look at some of the statistics around high tech industries, there is absolutely an opportunity [for women] in senior leadership. Only 21 percent of senior leadership roles in tech are occupied by women, with women making up only about 34 percent of all employees in tech. If you look at women of color, that tends to be a little bit more challenging. I will say at Dell Technologies, it hasn’t been a challenge for me. I feel that we look at people’s capabilities and the way that they can deliver on those capabilities and can absolutely leverage the skills that make them unique to get things done. Dell is a place where we want everyone to grow and thrive, so we’re focused on creating an environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work. We have goals that by 2030, 50 percent of our workforce will be women, and, of that 50 percent,
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40 percent will be in leadership positions. We are working toward those moonshot goals, and I’m proud to work for a company and a leader who is willing to take such a public stance.
Do you think anything you learned during your master’s program shapes your work today? Oh, for sure! I had an organizational design class right at the time we were doing an organizational change. The technology industry moves very quickly, so [the class] helped me very much as I was thinking about our structure, our processes and how to design organizations. The focus on accounting—having a “safe place” to go in and learn the ins and outs of managing profit and loss and what that meant was very important to me. [The program helped me] to think about the kind of leader I wanted to be. At Trevecca, we really promote servant leadership; it’s one of our core principles. I’ve taken those principles with me, from a servant leadership perspective, thinking about the whole and not just myself, that it’s all about what I can do for my teams and my organizations. My mother and father instilled those principles in me, but they were very much reinforced by my program at Trevecca.
Najuma Atkinson, courtesy of Dell Technologies
STRIVE FOR THE COMMON GOOD SERVE.
LEAD.
GROW.
Become a servant leader at the local, state or national level by earning a master’s degree in public administration. Earn your master’s 100 percent online in as few as 18 months. Specialize in one of five concentrations: data analytics, health care administration, project management, human resources or management and leadership.
TREVECCA.EDU/MPA
THE
H EA RT OF SER VIC E
By Bailey Basham, ’17 20 TREVECCAN
ALL WORK IS GOD’S WORK. That idea is the core concept of acclaimed Christian author and pastor Tim Keller’s book Every Good Endeavor. There is no calling too minute, too ordinary or too flashy to be fueled by the will of God. At Trevecca, that belief is built into the curriculum. Whether a student hopes to prepare for a career in public administration or education or something else, the underlying belief remains the same: all work is God’s work, and God’s work is good.
A SERVANT’S HEART For Sandra Sepulveda, that call to serve is central to the work she does as the Metro Council person for Nashville’s 30th district. In 2019, she became the first Latina elected to the Metro Council, and since then, she’s been working hard to serve the people of her community. Sepulveda (’15) has lived in Nashville since she was five years old. She grew up in the same southeast Nashville neighborhoods she now represents. Though she never intended to run for political office, she said at a certain point, enough was enough. Her community was hurting, and she wanted to do something about it. “As Christians, we are taught to help the widower, the less fortunate, the children, the hungry, the poor. We’re taught to be advocates and to help anyone who needs it,” Sepulveda says. “For me, having a dad who was a pastor helped instill a lot of those values in me at a very young age. My work is all about making sure that my community is looked after and that they feel heard. It is very important to me. I want to make sure that everyone is taken care of, and part of the way I approach that is by [leaning on my] faith.” And now, in the midst of a city rebuilding after a natural disaster and working to combat COVID-19, Sepulveda said work in public service and administration is more important than ever. “As elected officials, we are able to sit at tables and have access to people that not everyone is able to [access]. We have a certain power that we wield to advocate for certain resources and for information to get out to the community quicker and faster,” she says. “Having people who are able to advocate and be on the front lines and be a voice and a shoulder for many—that is more important now than ever.”
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A CALL TO SERVE For those who graduated from Trevecca, a story paired with a servant heart like Sepulveda’s is not uncommon. Jeremy Harrell graduated from Trevecca in 2006 and works as a campaign strategist with a local public affairs firm, Stones River Group. He said it was his faith too that called him to get more involved with what he saw as a way to enact positive change. “In politics, there are lot of opportunities to do a great deal of good and to help a lot of people. The impact can be really positive,” he says. After graduating from Trevecca and beginning his career, Harrell says he remembers well a conversation he had with former Trevecca director of communications, Jan Greathouse. Through that conversation, he said one thing became abundantly clear: acting as a witness of God’s work to others is something you can do regardless of your title.
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“I realized that a call to ministry is not the same thing necessarily as a call to pastor,” Harrell says. “I don’t think I realized that in college, but when I took that as my opportunity to minister to people in a different way, things changed for me. The constituents who called on us, whether they believed the same things I believe or not, offered me the unique opportunity to show Christ to them. I know I fail at times, but it serves as a measure of how to maintain Christ in the midst of my work and to conduct myself in a way that is an example of who Jesus is.” Like Harrell realized, Keller wrote that just as God gives spiritual gifts, he gives vocational callings. The call to minister can come in nearly any form, and for many within the Trevecca community, ministry just makes sense. Trish Holliday, for example, has been doing ministry work all her life. It was 45 years ago this year that her father organized Mountain T.O.P Ministry. For almost 20 years, Holliday worked with her father to build the ministry, caring endlessly for vulnerable communities in rural Appalachia.
Holliday previously worked as a member of former Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen’s administration. In 2012, former governor Bill Haslam appointed her as the state’s first chief learning officer. Now, Holliday, in addition to running her own consulting company, works as an adjunct professor at Trevecca and is a member of the advisory board for the University’s new master’s program in public administration, expected to launch this fall.
for us. I just hope that as long as He wants me doing this work, I’m doing it.” As Tennessee’s secretary of state and a former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Hargett sees his work as a chance to make a difference in others’ lives, whether for that day or generations to come. “To be able to lift up and petition God for wisdom, clarity and courage is essential to me in being able to lead and serve. I think it’s important—no matter what our calling is—that we live out the views we hold at our core,” he says. “The people we serve deserve to see us live those values. I know I fail every day, but the real key is that we come back to those values and to our faith every new day.”
After more than 30 years in public service, Holliday says she hopes to bring her understanding of what it means to work with a faith-informed, service-oriented approach to the program. “As Christians, we come from a place of paying it forward and helping other people have a better, more sustainable life. In a lot of ways, the government and the services that it provides can do that in the most effective and efficient way, and I think when we as Christians go into this work, we are answering our call,” she says. “To me the power of this public administration and policy piece is when you can come to the table with that servant heart.”
“ One of the most important things we can consider is how we show up and how we contribute.
A CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Current Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett also serves as an adjunct professor at Trevecca. During his 25 years in public administration, Hargett says one of the most important things he’s learned is that a deep desire to serve others must fuel the work. “If we want to have an impact, the government is one of many places where we can. I think that’s why it’s important that God calls us to make a difference in our respective ways,” Hargett says. “So to me, it’s about answering a call, and at the end of the day, what we should all want is to be able to lean our head to God’s chest and hear His heart beat
When we allow God to guide our work, then our work is His work, Hargett says. Holliday agrees.
“I think we witness the love of Christ in how we do our jobs, in how we serve ” people, in how we come to the table to collaborate with others, to invite different voices to the conversation,” she says. “We have a responsibility to care for more than just ourselves and to make sure that the conversations that are being held at the policy table, at a local state or federal government level, are representative of the Christ-like service we hope to do. “One of the most important things we can consider is how we show up and how we contribute,” she concludes. “If we lead with God, then there is nothing greater we can hope for.”
LEAD AND SERVE Learn more about Trevecca’s new master’s program in public administration at www.Trevecca.edu/MPA.
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Opening Doors HOW TREVECCA ALUMNUS WES HAMPTON FOUND HIS DREAM JOB IN THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND
BY MANDY CROW
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Wes Hampton remembers the moment clearly. He was sitting in an anatomy and physiology class— the first day of class—and God told him to leave. “God told me to get up and walk out, that He didn’t want me to major in medicine,” Wes recalls. “I remember wondering what in the world that [meant for my life].” Wes attended Trevecca from 1996-1998, leaving after his sophomore year when his now wife, Andrea Means Hampton (’98) graduated. The two married that summer, and Wes set out to finish his degree at the University of Alabama-Birmingham where they were living. In that moment when he walked out of the lecture hall, Wes realized that he was effectively walking out on the plan he’d always had for his life: to be a doctor. But that practice of waiting on God, of trusting Him to lead and open doors, would become one of the defining characteristics of Wes’ life.
CLOSING THE DOOR All throughout his college career—at Trevecca and later at the University of Alabama-Huntsville—Wes had been a pre-med major. When God closed that door, Wes wanted to be obedient, but he wasn’t sure what his next step would be.
“I really just wanted to end up finishing school,” Wes says. “I wanted to have a bachelor’s degree in something just to be done, so I majored in psychology and got a minor in music, taking a totally different route than medicine. Really I was just kind of trusting God to open up some doors and show me what He wanted me to do.” That first faithful step led to an open door—but it took a while. Wes began working part-time at a church and eventually moved to full time. Even so, he wasn’t sure where God was leading. “I knew I didn’t feel called to be a worship pastor,” Wes says. “I enjoyed it, but I knew it wasn’t my passion. I was trying to learn to be content with where God had me even though I felt like it wasn’t quite where I was supposed to be.” Wes clearly remembers the moment the next door opened. “I remember sitting in my office one morning and praying for direction,” Wes recalls. “I was feeling that God was pulling us away from that church— not really knowing what I was going to do, where I was going to go. And then I got a call from my wife telling me that there’s an opening in the Gaither Vocal Band.” 25
A FOOT IN THE DOOR For Wes, the opportunity to even audition for the Gaither Vocal Band was an honor. During his Trevecca days, he and his roommate Josh were huge Gaither Vocal Band fans. On their first date, Wes and Andrea had even gone to a Gaither Vocal Band concert. These days, Wes looks back on that call as an answered prayer and an open door. “A mutual friend of ours who knew Bill and Gloria knew they were looking for a tenor for the group,” Wes says. “They encouraged me to send some stuff, so I sent my stuff to our mutual friend, and she got it to Bill.” Bill Gaither, in turn, passed Wes’ audition on to Guy Penrod, who was then the lead singer in the group. Wes, who had done everything he could at that point, was convinced nothing would come from the exchange. Then, he got a call from Penrod. “I was totally not expecting a call,” Wes recalls. “I didn’t think anything would come of it.”
COOKING WITH WES Wes and his wife, Andrea Means Hampton (’98), are the parents of four boys—Barrett, Hudson, Carden, and Sutton—who Andrea homeschools. When he’s off the road, Wes likes to whip up hearty meals for his family in the kitchen. Though he didn’t start cooking until after he and Andrea married, Wes is now the author of two cookbooks and is working on his third. Cookbooks A Place at the Table Wescipes Check out Wes’ recipes and music at weshampton.com. You can also find his albums on Apple Music, Spotify and wherever you stream your favorite tunes.
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The call led to an audition at Penrod’s house, a fourhour meeting during which Wes and Penrod talked and sang together. Next came a seven-week audition with Wes shuttling back and forth between Birmingham and Nashville. “The very end of that audition was the final Billy Graham Crusade in New York City,” Wes remembers. “I got a call a week later, and I’ve been with the group since.”
ANSWERING THE DOOR It’s been 15 years, but Wes is still amazed by the opportunity God has given him. “It’s still a dream come true for me,” Wes says. “It’s still surreal to me that I’m actually singing in this group I grew up loving. It really was a God thing, though. “People always ask me, ‘How do I do what you do?’ Well, try to listen and be obedient to where God leads you and then go. That’s what I felt like I did. I’m thankful that I was smart enough in that moment to listen and just walk through those open doors.”
As musicians, we had a lot more opportunities than other schools because Trevecca is smaller. We were constantly performing in chapel or at Trojan Idol and that allowed us the opportunity to craft our skills. The experiences provided at Trevecca coupled with great instructors was pivotal in our development as musicians. —Philip (’14) and Michelle (’15) Noel
Your generosity helps us make more stories like theirs a reality. Trevecca.edu/campaign Give.Trevecca.edu
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Make This Moment Count In light of recent events and the economic strain COVID-19 has created in the lives of members of the Trevecca community, the University’s Student Emergency Fund is even more important. Established as a way to help students and their families in times of great need, the Student Emergency Fund has been used in the past to assist students traveling home, pay for car repairs and provide assistance after a family disaster, such as a house fire. Currently, the fund is being used to help students and families who were affected by recent tornadoes as well as students and families facing financial crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During Trevecca’s recent Giving Back Day on April 16, 135 donors gave more than $35,000 to help students and families dealing with deep financial uncertainty. Your generous gift, whether large or small, will make an immediate difference in the lives of students in need. We’re living in an unprecedented moment, and it’s time for the Trevecca community to live up to our motto—Esse Quam Videri—and make this moment count.
Trevecca.edu/give
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CAMPAIGN NEWS
At Trevecca, community is at the core of who we are. That sense of family—of finding people willing to meet us where we are and speak into our deepest fears and our greatest needs—defines the Trevecca experience, from undergraduate to doctoral programs.
ATHLETIC NEWS
A WORD FROM MARK ELLIOTT
A CALL
TO COMMUNITY As a result of COVID-19, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference suspended all competition and canceled the championship, a heavy blow for Trevecca athletes, coaches and fans. That stinging disappointment is something Trevecca Athletic Director Mark Elliott acknowledges. “While those decisions were made for the right reasons, it does not make it an easier to live with the consequences of those decisions,” he says. “There is always some pain, emotion and a level of mourning that comes with loss.”
Elliott encourages athletes to lean on coaches, teammates, administrators and specifically Trevecca’s president, Dr. Boone. “If sports have taught us anything, it is to work hard for something that is not guaranteed, to fall down and get back up, to be resilient, to compete, to band together (we, not me), and to know there is a greater purpose,” Elliott said. During this “new normal,” Elliott challenges all of us to invest time in the things that produce the greater good, living out the University motto: Esse Quam Videri.
In a March 16 email to athletes, Elliott shared some encouragement for athletes and the University during this time. “For our Trevecca athletes, I am saddened and sorry for the cancellation of the remaining seasons of competition and the loss of those experiences,” he wrote. “No one could have possibly predicted this health issue to have created the farreaching implications we are seeing.” Elliott encourages Trevecca athletes and coaching staffs to “lean on our principles and our people” during times of uncertainty. He went on to explain that for Trevecca Athletics, those principles are summed up in the department’s motto: Christian, scholar, athlete. “In the future, our athletes will be the best servants and leaders in their communities,” Elliott said in the email. “Establish your principles and be prepared to call on them when times get tough, because they will.” 29
ALUMNI NEWS Trevecca.edu/alumni Send news to Treveccan@Trevecca.edu
BE. DON’T SEEM ON THE FRONT LINES Trevecca alumni have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 global pandemic. This includes Taylor Poynter (’17) and Julia Wilson (’17), both graduates of Trevecca’s physician assistant program. Poynter works in emergency medicine in Chicago, while Wilson, who usually works in urology and out-patient medicine for a hospital group in Seattle, has been working with a mobile testing unit. “We often see patients at their most vulnerable,” said Tasha Adams, a professor in Trevecca’s PA program. “We want to prepare our students to care for their patients compassionately and competently and to never lose sight that He is our ultimate source of hope.”
Julia Wilson (‘17) working in a mobile COVID-19 testing unit on her birthday.
ALUMNI CELEBRATIONS
ALUMNI & FRIENDS FALL TRIP
Tracy (’77) and Valerie Spaur (’77) announce the birth of their newest grandchildren. Lydia Tracy is the daughter of Ryan and Rebekah Spaur Means (’10); Claire Marie is the daughter of Smitty and Stephanie Spaur Smithson (’11); Micah James is the son of Jason and Nena Spaur Ryder (’04). Lydia was born in September 2018, followed by Claire in March 2019 and Micah in May 2019. They are all growing up together in Powhatan, Virginia, within minutes of their grandparents.
Join Trevecca alumni and friends for a fall bus trip, Oct. 3-9. Stops include Niagara Falls, a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, two nights in the Amish country of Pennsylvania, lunch in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and a stop at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, including a visit to the battefield and the nearby Ike and Mamie Eisenhower home. For more information, contact Melvin Welch at MWelch@trevecca.edu.
Caleb (’13) and Kylie Kohlhoff Alleman (’15) welcomed their son, Gabriel Thomas Alleman on Dec. 9, 2019.
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SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US! From career achievements to new baby announcements, we want to celebrate with you. We also want to remember treasured Trevecca family members who have passed away. Share your news with us by emailing Treveccan@Trevecca.edu or mailing the information to Mandy Crow, Treveccan editor, at 333 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37210-2877.
CLASS NOTES Steve Bortner (’77) has been serving the last 26 years as
reporting to the president of the organization. JPS is the
a campus missionary with Chi Alpha Campus Ministries
world’s largest producer of quartz composite material,
(Assemblies of God) at Dartmouth College, Kent State,
which is used in aerospace and industrial applications.
and North Carolina State University. In January, Bortner
Brad and Nichole (’01), and their daughters Grace and
began serving full-time as Chi Alpha’s Southeast USA
Addison will remain in the Greenville, South Carolina,
Ambassador for XAi (Chi Alpha Internationals), training
area where they are members of GFN Church.
staff, interns and student leaders on 40 campuses across eight states in outreach and discipleship of international students for Christ.
Dr. Susan P. Jones, Ed.D. (’08) recently retired from the Tennessee Department of Education where she served as the Director of Partnerships for educator preparation. Upon
Danny Goddard (’79) has written and published a new
retirement, Jones joined Austin Peay State University’s
devotional book based on Matthew 6:33, titled But Seek Ye
College of Education as their CAEP coordinator.
First. It is available at Amazon. Rev. Phillip J. Smith (’85) has retired after 38 years of ministry. He served churches in Arizona, Louisiana, and Washington State. Along with pastoral work, he taught in public and Christian schools. Smith served
UPCOMING EVENTS
in the counseling and chaplaincy fields in Richland, Washington, in addition to working for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and Boeing Aerospace Corporation. Smith and his wife, Marlene, have been married for 33 years and have two children. Though retired, Smith and Marlene continue their ministry in the Christian Camping Association of the Pacific Northwest Region. They live in Marysville, Washington.
OCT. 17 AND NOV. 14 Experience Trevecca Day | Trevecca’s campus Trevecca.edu/ETD Know a high school junior or senior who might be interested in Trevecca? Experience Trevecca Day is the perfect chance for students to explore campus, meet faculty and staff and learn more about what Trevecca has to offer.
Greg Shelton (’96) has been appointed as the development manager in the 3M Health Information Systems division.
NOVEMBER 6-7
Greg joined 3M in 2019 with the acquisition of the
Homecoming | Trevecca’s campus Trevecca.edu/Homecoming
company he previously worked for. Greg’s wife, Melissa, is entering her eighth year working for Orlando Health as a senior scheduling coordinator. They are enjoying life in central Florida with their son, Joshua, who is enrolled
Life may look a little different these days, but we can’t wait until we can all be together on campus again! Join us for Homecoming 2020. We’ll be reunited, and it will feel so good!
at Valencia College. Bradley Wallace (’01) has accepted the role of human resources director with JPS Composite Materials, 31
Notifications through March 6, 2020
Friends Remembered
Rev. Robert Andress, ’50 | Dec. 29, 2019; Gastonia, North Carolina Dr. Jerry Atkins, friend of the University | July 9, 2019; Huntington, Tennessee Grover Beaver, friend of the University | May 25, 2019; Kannapolis, North Carolina Alumni and friends of the University who have passed away since the last issue of the Treveccan.
Susan Benedict Poindexter, ’99 and ’01 (MBA) | Nov. 11, 2019; Mt. Juliet, Tennessee James (Trey) Blackman III | August 13, 2019; Old Hickory, Tennessee Louise Branham, ’87 | June 18, 2019; Bowling Green, Kentucky Pamela Bridges, ’90 | Jan. 17, 2020; Hermitage, Tennessee Bob Carter, ’68 | Dec. 1, 2019 Neva Coats, ’50 | Dec. 9, 2019; Bethany, Oklahoma Dr. L. Gene Cook, ’62 | Dec. 10, 2019 Ila Corzine, friend of the University | Oct. 13, 2019; Charlotte, North Carolina Dr. Thomas Cox, ’58 | Jan. 29, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee Wayne Crowder, ’71 | Feb. 2, 2020; Joliet, Illinois Harvey Cummings, friend of the University | Jan. 5, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee Frank Eby, ’55 | Feb. 13, 2020; Valrico, Florida Rev. James Errickson, ’46 | Nov. 21, 2019; Largo, Florida Mary Jane Futral, ’55 | Jan. 31, 2020 Brent Gilbert, ’88 | April 17, 2019; Brentwood, Tennessee Melba Gillam, friend of the University | March 20, 2019; Goodlettsville, Tennessee Mark Greathouse, ’68 | Sept. 23, 2019; Nashville, Tennessee W. Carr Hagan III, friend of the University | Jan. 29, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee Judith Harrison, ’90 | March 18, 2019 Harry Hemmerly, ’55 | Jan. 10, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee Dr. Crawford Howe, ’93 (MAT) | Nov. 25, 2019; Murfreesboro, Tennessee Dr. William Howick | Feb. 27, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee Charles Ingram, ’58 | Aug. 24, 2019; Marion, Indiana Jean Jackson, ’60 | Aug. 3, 2019; Signal Mountain, Tennessee Catherine Sheridan James, ’68 | Oct. 31, 2018; Rising Fawn, Georgia Pauline Jernigan, ’38 | Aug. 14, 2019; Sylacauga, Alabama Joyce Jones, ’67 | Feb. 24, 2020; Charlotte, North Carolina
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Martha Jones Bussell, ’98 | Dec. 9, 2019; Brentwood, Tennessee James Kenerly | Oct. 1, 2019; Woodstock, Georgia Howard Marks | Aug. 15, 2019; Naples, Florida Suzanne Martin, ’76 | Oct. 24, 2019; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Larue Moss, friend of the University | Sept. 22, 2019; Nashville, Tennessee Richard North, ’79 | Oct. 28, 2019; Cincinnati, Ohio Joan Oates, ’50 | Sept. 4, 2019; Arkansas Polly Pangle, friend of the University | April 29, 2019; Charlotte, North Carolina Dr. Homer Paschall, ’48 | July 29, 2019; Bradenton, Florida Rev. Jack D. Phillips, ’59 | Sept. 26, 2019 Samuel Pickenpaugh, ’54 | Nov. 12, 2018; Harrisonburg, Virginia John Hunter Pope Sr., former employee | Feb. 27, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee Patricia Sandifer, friend of the University | Aug. 19, 2019; Live Oak, Florida Mavis G. Sharpton, ’56 | Nov. 9, 2019; Cullman, Alabama George Shipp | March 30, 2019 Rev. Phil Shomo, ’59 | Jan. 9, 2020; Olathe, Kansas Rev. Jimmy Smith, ’69 | Sept. 20, 2019 Marvin Smith, ’90 | Oct. 14, 2019; Brunswick, Ohio Rev. Jack Smithwick Sr., friend of the University | Dec. 8, 2019; Nashville, Georgia Victoria Smock, friend of the University | May 19, 2019 Lillian Thomas, ’56 | Aug. 1, 2019; Hendersonville, Tennessee Lovie Thrasher, ’51 | July 22, 2019; Louisville, Kentucky Dr. Cyndi Todd, ’99 | Feb. 2, 2020 Dr. Ralph Ungar, former employee | Oct. 16, 2019; Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Carolyn Walsh, ’78 | Jan. 19, 2020; Loudon, Tennessee Marie Weaver, friend of the University | Sept. 12, 2019; Nashville, Tennessee Lois Whittaker, ’03 | Sept. 30, 2019; Nashville, Tennessee Verla Wilcox, ’70 | Jan. 18, 2020; Grayson, Kentucky Terry Williams, ’84 | Sept. 4, 2019; Brandon, Mississippi Ivaloe Winder, friend of the University | March 25, 2019; Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
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www.trevecca.edu
USPS No. 394470
Treveccan
The Magazine of Trevecca Nazarene University
SPRING 2020
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13