Treveccan
THE MAGAZINE OF TREVECCA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
CALLED Spring 2019
“Throughout my whole journey to Trevecca and at Trevecca I have seen Christ guide my path. Trevecca has given me the stillness and the light to see Christ in my life, moving mountains and working wonders.” — M a r i n a Yo u s e f Class of 2018
For Marina, receiving an endowed scholarship has been a vital part of being able to continue her studies at Trevecca. These scholarships make pursuing an academically rigorous education in a Christian community possible for Marina and more than 300 other students each year. Your gift, whether large or small—can help more students earn their degrees.
give.trevecca.edu
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Treveccan Vol. 89 No. 2 Spring 2019 President Dan Boone, ’74
V.P. for External Relations Peg Cooning
Associate V.P. of Marketing & Communications Matt Toy
Managing Editor Mandy Crow
Graphic Designers Nick Kerhoulas Haley Lavergne
Contributors Bailey Basham, ’17; Nick Eagles, ’12; Hilda Elvir; Don Hastings, ’69; Olivia Kelley, ’17; Michael Johnson, ’82; LaTan Roland Murphy, ’84; Greg Ruff, ’87, MOL ’13; Jenny Sowers; Blake Stewart, ’18; Anne Twining, ’74
Contact Information: Treveccan 333 Murfreesboro Road 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 The Treveccan (USPS 394470) is published quarterly by Trevecca Nazarene University, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 372102877. Periodicals Postage Paid at Nashville TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Treveccan, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37210-2877
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the President’s Imprint
Chisled in Stone If you’re looking, it’s hard to miss it. Driving onto Trevecca’s campus you immediately see a stone entrance door for foot traffic. Above the door is etched the word Service. Drive straight ahead and within seconds you are circling a statue of the servant-minded Jesus with a towel and basin. At the foot of the statue, chiseled in stone, you see the exhortation of Jesus to “Do as I have done.” At Trevecca, the idea of serving fellow humans is not an afterthought. We carve it into the very stone that stands on the campus. But servanthood is not accomplished by standing stones and chiseled words. It must become flesh and blood. Several years ago, I remember being in Georgia and talking with a prospective student named Nathan Gilley. I was impressed with his desire to serve God and suggested that Trevecca could help prepare him for a life of calling. Nathan enrolled.
While a student at Trevecca, he met Bethany Rudge. She, along with her siblings, attended Trevecca. The Rudge family has raised remarkable children who are a credit to their deep convictions and their lived faith. Nathan and Bethany fell in love, married, graduated, went off to medical school and moved back to the area. I attend church with them in Murfreesboro where they are stellar volunteers. Nathan has taught my grandson the books of the Bible, key Christian doctrine and numerous Bible stories. He is a champion of children. Soon, Nathan and Bethany will begin serving at a Christian mission hospital near Belfate, Honduras, called Hospital Loma de Luz. After three months of language school, they will complete a two-year commitment to live and work at the mission hospital in a rural coastal region of Honduras. They are currently going through the postresidency program of World Medical Mission, the medical 3
I recently asked them how Trevecca helped shape their servant’s heart. Nathan replied, “At Trevecca, in the classroom as on the campus, servant leadership is a central idea that is to be lived and taught by faculty and students. Before coming to Trevecca I knew I was called to be a medical missionary, but at Trevecca I was given the scientific foundation to study medicine and the theological framework to avoid pitfalls and navigate the complexity of serving the marginalized.” Nathan pointed to professors such as Dr. Kathy Mowry, who helped him to see that servant leadership, as exemplified by Jesus, gives itself to in-depth evangelism and intense discipleship and formation. “It seeks out and addresses root causes—not just symptoms—and it dignifies its recipients by partnering with them to enable them to break free,” Nathan said. In philosophy courses with Prof. Brent McMillian, Nathan mulled over Phil. 2:6-11, which describes how the Son of God emptied His divine self and took on flesh. “Jesus, our example, became a servant by divesting himself of incomprehensible power and making himself vulnerable—even to death,” Nathan said. “Trevecca challenged me to dig deep intellectually and practically, to embrace the servant leadership call of following Jesus.”
the importance of service in the lives of those who follow Jesus,” she said. “So when the time came for me to consider different universities to continue my formal education, I wanted to find a place that would provide opportunities for spiritual growth as well as intellectual growth. At Trevecca I saw humble confidence and a passion for excellence in the faculty and students. Small class sizes meant that I could know my professors as individuals and quickly found that their motives for teaching were to glorify God and help me excel in what He had called me to do.” She felt encouraged to serve her fellow students through her work as a lab assistant, a study group leader and tutor. Later, as a Trevecca PA student, Bethany was encouraged to view the practice of medicine as an avenue of sharing the love of Christ with patients.
The President’s Imprint
arm of Samaritan’s Purse. Nathan will serve in the hospital while Bethany educates their three daughters.
“The seeds that were planted at Trevecca have taken root and continued to grow, informing and shaping the way we teach our children about God and the way we engage our church and community,” she said. “We also know that we continue to have a supportive family at Trevecca (staff, professors, and fellow students) that pray for us and continue to encourage us to follow God’s path wherever He may lead us.” Turning chiseled stone into flesh and blood service is a beautiful miracle. It is a privilege to see it happen at Trevecca.
Bethany recounted a similar experience. “Growing up, my parents emphasized, by training and example,
Nathan and Bethany Gilley
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100 WORDS ON CALLING To be called is to be invited. Invited in, called forth, stirred or moved to action. In a sense, calling is also being drawn out. That the gifts and talents God has given you, the passions He has planted in your heart, the experiences He has allowed you to have are being called forth, drawn out of you for this moment, for this job or to meet this particular need. To live out your calling is to live out who God has created you to be in all fullness. To be fully known and loved. To be passionate and stirred to action. To be equipped and empowered for work. // 109 words
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CAMPUS NEWS
From the hill T H R E E - P E AT UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES THIRD DOCTORAL PROGRAM University officials recently announced Trevecca’s newest doctoral program, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). The January 24 announcement stressed the University’s commitment to investing in business leaders.
including higher education, leadership and management or consulting and coaching. To graduate, students must choose between an applied doctoral project aimed at addressing real-world issues or a traditional dissertation.
“Trevecca offers the only DBA program in the Middle Tennessee area,” said Dr. Rick Mann, Trevecca’s director of graduate business programs and DBA program director. “This program is designed for students who want to boldly lead, teach or consult with corporations, organizations and high-level executives.”
Dr. James Hiatt, dean of Trevecca’s Skinner School of Business and Technology, is excited about the new program and the opportunity it affords graduates.
The addition of the DBA program brings the University’s doctoral offerings to three, a list that includes programs in counseling (Ph.D.) and leadership and professional practice (Ed.D.). The DBA program will be offered entirely online and can be completed in approximately 32 months. Students can choose among three different career tracks,
“We are excited about the vistas of opportunity for advancement, and even career change, that this new DBA degree program will provide for our students,” Hiatt said. “For those who have been waiting for a high quality, yet affordable doctorate in business, in a Christian context, this is their chance to cast off everything holding them back and boldly step into their futures.” Learn more at Trevecca.edu/DBAannouncement.
S C H O L A R LY P U R S U I T S R E C O R D N U M B E R O F S T U D E N T S T O P R E S E N T AT N AT I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E
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Photo by: Andy Lovell
The largest group of students in Trevecca’s history presented research findings at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR), held April 10-13 at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. Seventeen Trevecca students participated in 19 presentations, both oral and poster. Topics ranged from historical research about the Salem Witch Trials and a literary examination of John Milton’s use of marriage in Paradise Lost to senior Charles Layne’s examination of student cynicism and civil engagement.
Trevecca’s representation at NCUR has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2016, Jessy Ann Walters Scott (’16) was the first Trevecca student to participate in the national conference. The following year, four students presented and that number grew to six in 2018. You’ll get a chance to hear many of the students’ presentations at Trevecca’s annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, scheduled for April 25 at 7 p.m. in Benson Auditorium and surrounding classrooms. Read more about the students presenting at NCUR at Trevecca.edu/NCUR19.
CAMPUS NEWS
K N OW- H OW E S TAT E P L A N N I N G 1 0 1
Making plans for what happens to your estate when you pass away may not be the most enjoyable topic of conversation, says Don Hastings, Trevecca’s director of planned giving, but it’s a conversation everyone needs to have. “Make your wishes known now to ease the burden on your family after you are gone,” he says. We recently talked with Hastings about the 28 estate documents you need to put in one place as well as why estate planning is something everyone needs to do, no matter your age. Here are a few key points he shared with us.
Talk about it—even if you don’t want to. “Talking about your death and your estate is a vital conversation to have with your loved ones and your financial planner,” Hastings says. “I’m happy to work with you and your financial planner to achieve your goals.” The conversation doesn’t have to be awkward, Hastings says, but it’s important to make your plans and intentions clear.
An estate plan is about more than finances; it’s about your legacy. Outlining an estate plan is a way to ensure that the things you value are carried forward even after you’re gone. By outlining your wishes now, you can provide direction to family members at a time when they need it most. “Plan now so your wishes are carried out as you want them to be,” Hastings says.
Keep important documents in the same place. You’ll need to find a location that works for you and your family, but it needs to be accessible and protected. He recommends keeping your documents in a fireproof safe or file cabinet. “It’s important to let key family members or advisers know where these documents are stored,” Hastings cautions.
Make sure you have the RIGHT documents. Hastings often talks with Trevecca alumni and friends about the 28 estate documents they need to keep in one place. These include essentials such as your will, letters of instruction, trust documents and financial power of attorney paperwork—but also things you may not think about like a list of user names and passwords. “If you have a safe deposit box, make sure someone you trust knows where your key is kept,” Hastings warns.
You don’t have to feel overwhelmed about estate planning. “It can seem daunting to make these decisions, but don’t let that stop you,” Hastings says. He often helps Trevecca alumni and friends in conjunction with estate and gift planning professionals at events in your area.
What are those 28 documents Hastings recommends having in one place? Get the entire list at Trevecca.edu/28estate. 7
CAMPUS NEWS
A SUPER EXPERIENCE “Getting the chance to volunteer at the Super Bowl was a unique experience I won’t ever forget. I’m so thankful to have coaches, professors, and a university that would allow me to step away from the life of a student athlete to gain some real-world experience.” —Michael Thompson Thompson was one of five students who traveled to Atlanta during Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 1-3, and volunteered at Super Bowl Live!, a concert series and festival taking place in Centennial Olympic Park in the days leading up to the big game. Students got the chance to put what they’ve learned in the classroom into practice during the trip led by Dr. Leigh Ann Bussell. “Students had to communicate with people, build skills in human resources and management, event planning, as well as marketing,” Bussell said. “This experience really brings everything together that they’ve been learning in class and allows them to come back to the classroom with questions.” Read more at Trevecca.edu/SuperBowl.
NAT I O NA L R EC O G N I T I O N TREVECCA ONLINE ESL PROGRAM HONORED AMONG BEST Trevecca’s online master’s program in English as a second language (ESL) has received top honors, selected as one of the top 50 online ESL programs in the country by OnlineMasters.com. Trevecca was ranked 41, listed alongside public university such as the University of Missouri and University of Southern California as well as private Christian institutions like Liberty University and Olivet Nazarene University. “This recognition validates the strength of our ESL program in preparing teachers to address the growing ELL population,” said Dr. Penney Carden, ESL and online curriculum coordinator. “The rigor of the program, as well as the affordability, makes it a good choice for teachers who desire to make a lasting impact on their students who are learning English.” OnlineMasters.com ranked programs according to three broad areas: academic quality, student success and affordability.Industry experts, hiring managers, current students, and alumni were consulted in OnlineMasters.com’s research process. Learn more at Trevecca.edu/ESLRanking.
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Q 5 Questions with
RACHELLE REIGARD
Rachelle Reigard, a two-time Trevecca graduate, is the president and owner of Grade A Construction, a Mt. Juliet, Tenn.-based company certified in general contracting. The company often partners with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and others. Recently, we sat down with Reigard for a couple of minutes to ask her a few questions.
How did you get involved in this field of work?
How do Trevecca values shape the way you run your business? At Grade A, we pride ourselves of standing out from other construction companies. One reason is our women-owned status, but also because we choose to run with a different value system. We choose to empower our employees instead of demeaning them, and we reach clients and owners in a respectful way which is really different from the way the industry standard would be.
After selling our previous business, my husband and I met with a good friend who’s always been in the construction business, and he asked us to partner with him. Because he’d been in the business for so long, he saw the need for side contractors in the Nashville area, which is the work we’re specializing in right now. My previous business experience and his more than 20-year experience in the field has made a good product.
What advice would you give other women entering maledominated fields?
What degree did you pursue at Trevecca?
No one could have foreseen how much Nashville is growing. Let me say this though, we’re preparing to keep up with construction as long as it goes. We do know it will slow down at some point but because of our status, we are hopeful we will be able to get into more road work, more government work that will pick up once construction slows down. There’s so much private work to be done, apartments and buildings, but that will slow down and we plan to use our Disadvantaged Business Entity (DBE) status to get into more government contracting.”—Hilda Elvir
This is going to sound weird. I have a math education bachelor’s degree—class of ’94—and then I also got my master’s degree in education administration and supervision. I taught for 11 years in the public school system. I enjoyed my time there, but when this presented itself, I decided to pursue this, and I’m using administration and supervision in a different area, I guess. Both of my degrees have actually really helped me in this business.
Get the certifications that you need. Work as hard as you can, and never stop believing that you can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you [that you] can’t. Prove to them what you can do with your work ethic and based off what you can produce.
How do you see the city of Nashville growing?
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Carry High Her Banner
In my experience
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ce,
it has been difficult to find engineers with a strong theoretical foundation who also have the practical experience to design high-quality, innovative products. That’s one reason why Trevecca’s new electrical and engineering program incorporates both rigorous engineering theory and practical design experiences throughout the curriculum. —Dr. Fred Cawthorne In February, Trevecca celebrated National Engineers Week by highlighting the University’s new electrical and computer engineering program. Learn more at Trevecca.edu/engineering.
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MY TREVECCA STORY
BY LATAN ROLAND MURPHY, ’84 LaTan Roland Murphy is married to Joey Murphy (’85). She is a writer, event speaker and vocalist. She and Joey have three adult children and two grandchildren.
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Setting the Standard
Who knew an English class taught by Prof. Carol Costa would be the springboard for my career as a writer and speaker? Professor Costa saw potential and encouraged me in my gift of writing.
Through it all, I’ve learned how even our fears can be our most powerful ministry when placed in God’s capable hands. Who knew a fearful college student could write a book about courage? I’m feeling the love and wonder of it all.
Before attending Trevecca, I was certain God was drawing my heart to Africa. In my mind, I would literally plant my feet there to minister. But fear and life directed me differently, and I continued event and conference planning, speaking and writing. Amazingly, last month, I received word that my book, Courageous Women of The Bible: Leaving Behind Fear and Insecurity for a Life of Confidence and Freedom is being translated into African languages. The good plan God began in my life all those years ago at Trevecca is coming to fruition in ways I could never have foreseen, with more people being reached for Christ through a writing gift cultivated in a Trevecca English class.
Thank you, Trevecca, for setting the standard of excellence, holding fast to God’s principles of faith, for encouraging students like me to see how God’s original call cannot be thwarted. May we each follow your lead in training, serving and equipping others. May all who come behind us find us faithful! There’s no price tag for all the benefits gained as a student of Trevecca. College debt? Oh, yes, we had our fair share! But, how does one place a price tag on the privilege of attending and achieving higher education at an institution built on such a solid foundation of faith and godly principles? Worth. Every. Penny!
Grateful, is the word that comes to mind. I’m so very grateful for the fantastic professors, administrative staff and presidents who served and continue to serve Trevecca with your bench-marked integrity. Thank you for how each of you choose to continue living the great legacy set before us from Trevecca’s beginning. May we go courageously, leading strong and setting the standard! My Trevecca Story is a place for you to share your memories of Trevecca, as well as big realizations and special moments you experienced on campus. Submit your essay for consideration to Mandy Crow, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, TN 37210-2877 or at Treveccan@Trevecca. edu. Please limit yourself to 700 words and include your name, class year, address, email address and phone number.
You’ve got this.
Earning your degree as a working adult is possible. We’ll help you every step of the way—with affordable degree options that won’t break the bank, a flexible format that fits your busy life, and a core group of fellow students, faculty and staff who want to see you succeed, all influenced by the Christian values that shape everything we do. You’ve got this. We believe in you.
Trevecca.edu/online | 844-TNU-GRAD
Online or face-to-face | 19 degree programs | Associate to doctoral degrees
s n o i t a l e R When Trevecca graduates Mariam Coaster (’15) and Lindsey Castleman (’14) started their counseling practice in 2015, they wanted the main focus to be on relationships.
“We believe the best things in life happen in relationship,” Castleman says. “We’re very attachment-focused therapists … We believe no matter how hurt you were by relationships growing up, dating or now, that it’s in relationships that the repair will come. It’s not the army of one. We aren’t meant to repair by ourselves, and we believe that because that’s the way we interpret the gospel.” The initial idea was to create a 10-week workshop for couples based on the book Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson. Coaster and Castleman said that while the workshop was effective, they quickly realized some adjustments needed to be made. “There were a lot of kinks that started to come up, and so we approached the counseling center at (Fellowship Bible Church) and said, ‘What do you think about condensing this whole curriculum into a weekend and making it a marriage intensive?’ And, on top of that, we said, ‘How about we make it small enough so that we can pair each couple with a trained counselor in the (emotionally focused therapy) model,’” Coaster recalls. This is a great way for counselors to earn internship hours, Castleman says. Feedback on the experience has been positive. “Counselors have come through this who said they were getting frustrated working with couples and this helped them because we see so much movement in one weekend with a couple,” Castleman says. “We have seen the Holy Spirit work miracles.” Coaster agreed that the experience has been a great way to serve both the couples and counselors. 14 TREVECCAN
“After you graduate and get licensed, you feel so isolated in your community,” she says. “You go, do your job and come home. Having a network of people who understand where you’re coming from, who are like-minded, and you can grow professionally with—it’s like iron sharpening iron. We serve the needs of the clients, but we also help lead and facilitate a professional development process.” In April 2018, the pair expanded their reach by launching a podcast called inRelationship.
“We interview guests who are experts on different aspects of relationships, and they give us their lens on how to navigate their area,” Coaster says. Castleman said when they first launched the podcast, they didn’t expect to have many listeners. “We launched, and we were like, ‘Maybe our families will listen.’ I knew Mom and Dad would subscribe,” she jokes. “Today, we sit at almost 18,000 unique downloads, which is pretty cool.” For Castleman and Coaster, it’s an honor to be able to meet the needs of couples in this way. “We’re seeing that there is a need for a workshop like this. There is a need for a podcast like this,” she says. “Burnout in this field is huge and high. And, again, the best things in life happen in relationship. If we’re able to help build more relationships through this, then that’s great.” —Olivia Kelley, ’17
Want to listen? Castleman and Coaster’s podcast is available at InRelationship.us, iTunes and Stitcher. You can also register for the next marriage intensive or connect with Castleman and Coaster at inRelationship.us. Learn more about Trevecca’s marriage and family therapy program at Trevecca.edu/MMFT.
Goals
LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
ship Mariam Coaster (’15) Top Lindsey Castleman (’14) bottom Photo by Kendra Harrell
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“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness
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CalleD Michelle Hill sat beside her 85-year-old patient, quietly reading aloud while his wife napped in another room. On some visits, Hill would chat with the patient while his wife gardened or went to the grocery store. The volunteer coordinator for Avalon Hospice and Palliative Care in Tullahoma, Tenn., Hill spends her days thinking about the needs of her patients and their families. It’s a job, yes, but for Hill, it’s more than that.
the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner
“I just really love serving people and want to fulfill what God has called me to do,” Hill says. Hill, who is completing a bachelor’s degree in management and leadership through Trevecca’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, feels called to serve others. To walk beside patients and families during one of their most difficult seasons. Youssef Sabet’s calling looks a little different.
Story by Mandy Crow, Photos by Nick Eagles
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A senior biology major at Trevecca, Sabet plans to go to medical school after graduating in May. Sabet and his family immigrated to the U.S. from Egypt when he was 14 years old, navigating a new country, a new culture and a new language all at once. Finding healthcare for Sabet’s mother, a diabetic, was one of the family’s first priorities—but the language and cultural barrier made that process difficult. As Sabet watched, the smallest seed of an idea began to take shape in his heart. One day, he would find a way to bridge the culture gap in America’s healthcare system, using the gifts and talents God had given him. “I want to help find ways to provide for those who are helpless, ignored and unnoticed,” Sabet says, referring to his goal of becoming a doctor who helps immigrants and others with limited access to medical care. “I’m trying to live out my Christian life, doing what God wants me to do. Serving is living out God’s plan, witnessing for Him.”
The concept of calling may need a little explanation. Mary Schmitt, an assistant professor in Trevecca’s Millard Reed School of Theology and Christian Religion and a Pauline scholar, says that all believers are called into a relationship with God.
“Paul often talked about those who are loved and called, which would seem to be anyone who is being invited into following God,” she says. “And for some people that takes a vocational form. For some, it takes a temporary form. For others, it has nothing to do with vocation but rather their or a personal commitment. Calling is “The more you family, actually a pretty big category.”
try to be in the center of God’s will, the more you realize how big the center is.”
Hill and Sabet aren’t alone. A recent study from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and Econosult Solutions discovered that graduates of CCCU schools pursue careers in human service fields at a higher rate than those who those who graduate from other institutions. Often, this means that over the course of a career, graduates of Christian colleges and universities tend to earn less than counterparts who pursue careers in more lucrative fields. So, why? The answer, when it comes to Trevecca graduatess, seems to boil down to one word: calling.
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CALLED OUT
The concept can be confusing in Christian circles, especially when calling is seen as finite rather than broad. Schmitt is quick to stress the “wideness” of God’s calling.
“I had a professor when I was in college at Southern Nazarene University, and he used to say that the more you try to be in the center of God’s will, the more you realize how big the center is,” she says. “[Being in Christ] is not a clamping down of possibilities or a restricting of possibilities, but instead an invitation to live out who God created you to be, to live into that fullness. Finding that oneness with God now opens you up to all the good things that God wants to do through and in you.” It’s the idea that Frederick Buechner once penned in his book Wishful Thinking: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Clearly, the gifts, talents and passion God gives to us are to be used for His glory—and discovering how is often a journey characterized by faith and trust.
A CALL TO CREATE REFUGE For Amy Alexander, (’05 MMFT) that sense of calling came from seeing a need and knowing that she had the desire, resources and creativity to meet it. “I had been in social work and knew so many people needed emotional wellness care and couldn’t afford it,” she says. “Hardly anyone puts counseling in their monthly budget.” So, Alexander, who was then completing her master’s in marriage and family therapy at Trevecca, co-founded the Refuge Center in Williamson County, Tenn., and her Trevecca classmate, Jennifer Gillett. The center is designed to serve the counseling needs of the whole family in one place and to pair excellence with affordability—offering its services on a sliding scale, making counseling more affordable and accessible. Over the past 13 years, the Refuge Center has provided more than 125,000 counseling sessions and serves clients from 15 Tennessee counties. In 2018 alone, the center provided about 23,064 counseling sessions to more than 3,079 people.
burdens, barriers and shame stories that keep them from experiencing freedom in their lives,” she says. “We are a Christ-centered organization. … We live that out here in relationships with one another and as a staff. Whether our For Alexander, success isn’t found in those numbers; it’s clients decide to pursue Christ—that’s found in what they symbolize: people and “That sense of calling ultimately their decision—we are the ones families who’ve found hope and healing came from seeing a who become the vehicles for allowing through the work of the Refuge Center. that to occur as our clients are freed from need and knowing those shame stories.” “I think about therapy as the vehicle that she had the of helping people be freed from the
desire, resources and creativity to meet it.”
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Alexander, who serves as the center’s executive director, and her staff want to continue to offer these types of counseling options long into the future—just on a larger scale. The Refuge Center is under contract to purchase seven acres of land off Long Lane in Franklin, Tenn. The plans for the site that will allow the center to serve more families in need.
oppression of sex trafficking. She currently serves as the nonprofit’s executive director. The two-year residential restoration program is designed to help victims begin to deal with and heal from the trauma of their experiences, but also aims to equip them with skills they need to join the workforce and become financially independent.
“Over the next two-and-a-half years, our vision is to build a campus-like facility,” Alexander says. “There will be a 14,000-square-foot lodge facility, a children’s wing, a multi-purpose room where we can do yoga therapy, dance therapy, art therapy and more.”
She vividly remembers God calling her to the work, creating Rest Stop Ministries ex nihilo—out of nothing—while she was on a silent retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky.
“I had started asking God what my next step in ministry was,” Smith recalls. On a summer sabbatical from Outdoor plans include walking trails, gardens, a prayer Hermitage Church of the Nazarene where she served on labyrinth and chapel, a picnic pavilion, the pastoral staff, she started to prayerfully playground and more, all designed to create a “Her calling may seek God’s direction. holistic environment that Alexander describes have seemed “He began showing me different types of as “physical manifestation of refuge,” a nod to insurmountable. oppression of women worldwide,” Smith the Isaiah 4:6 Scripture the center was founded What could she says. “The sex trafficking issue just broke on: It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, do to curb the my heart. I just couldn’t imagine a worst and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. second largest fate myself, as a woman, and particularly as a child.
A CALL TO RESTORE
and fastestgrowing crime on the planet?”
“When God began to show me this issue and began to break my heart and call me to it, I wasn’t daunted by the task,” Dr. Rondy Smith (’85) says. “Because I knew that He would do it and I would just be His vessel. I say that very humbly—because there have been very hard times when I said, ‘I can’t do this. This is too hard.’ But I had confidence that the One who called me would equip me. “I feel compelled,” she continues. “I can’t not do this.”
Smith is the founder of Rest Stop Ministries, a nonprofit aimed at helping restore survivors and stop the criminal
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“I just knew that this couldn’t happen,” she continues. “Not on my watch.”
Her calling may have seemed insurmountable. What could she do to curb the second largest and fastest-growing crime on the planet? But Smith wasn’t deterred. She’d been called to this work. And she knew God would be faithful because He had been every time before. When He opened the door for her to return to Trevecca as a faculty member, then to pursue a corporate career and complete her doctorate. When He called her back to Trevecca to lead the University’s
the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner
degree-completion program and launch Trevecca’s first master’s program in organizational management. When He called her to preach, and she joined the pastoral staff of Hermitage Church of the Nazarene and completed the course of study for ordination. “It’s interesting,” she muses, “we can sometimes sense a call of God and it may feel a little outside our comfort zone. But as this (Rest Stop Ministries) started it became very clear to me how wise God is, because everything I had ever done had prepared me for this. “Rest Stop Ministries really brought everything together,” she continues. “It all makes sense in hindsight.”
REFUGE CENTER Visit refugecenter.org to learn more.
R E ST STO P M I N I ST R I E S Visit reststopministries.org or contact Smith at rondysmith@reststopministries.org to learn more.
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Story by Bailey Basham (17’)
A New Look for Social Work When Sarah Miller was a little girl, she wanted to be a teacher. She had her answer ready for all those times when someone would ask her what she wanted to do when she grew up. In high school, she worked as a teacher’s assistant, and she said that experience was invaluable in helping her decide that she did not, in fact, want to be a teacher at all.
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“I noticed the social work major on Trevecca’s website, and when I was reading about it, the first line said something like, Do you want to use your career to help others but you’re not sure how? And I just thought, Yes! That’s me,” she recalls. “The more I looked into it, the more I realized it was the right choice because it gives you that opportunity to build relationships and really help people.”
A BRIEF HISTORY Allison Buzard, director of Trevecca’s social work program, has been in the field for 15 years, and says that desire to be a helper is what often brings students to social work. It’s what interested her in social work when she was in college. “I really think it’s a calling [to want] to work with and serve and advocate on behalf of those who society has disenfranchised,” Buzard says. “Service, social justice, the importance of human relationship, dignity and worth of individuals and competence—those tenets of social work are in such alignment with my faith practice, and it feels very much like ministry for me, without the formal component.” Trevecca’s social work program began as a social welfare major and transitioned into a bachelor of science in social work in 1995. The program was fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education in 2014 and reaccredited this past fall. Along with classroom learning, social work majors get hands-on experience that helps them integrate classroom learning with the things they learn by doing in their field experience.
“Working while the teacher was on leave was the most stressful thing I had ever done. I just was so frustrated with it,” she says. “I was working really closely with the school counselors to apply for college at the time, and I realized I was so much more interested in helping people and really being a part of the relational side. Even though I liked school, I had more of a passion for relationships. I didn’t know what that meant at first.” So, like most young people, she took to the internet and did her research. That’s when she stumbled upon social work.
Elizabeth Nunley, assistant professor of social work and director of field experience, said there is no better way to learn how to practice social work than to actually practice it. “Most of our classes involve applying concepts to yourself and your own life, practicing with a fellow student or breaking up into groups to take turns facilitating,” Nunley says. “It’s such a critical four years of development for college students. In the social work major, we’re talking about hard stuff. We’re asking them to look at themselves, their families, their biases, and we’re asking them to think bigger and see all perspectives. We look at these things that nobody wants to think about and to see students evolve is so powerful.” 23
HONORED TO SERVE Like Miller, Victoria Outlaw had some ideas of what she wanted to be when she grew up. The daughter of humanitarian workers, Outlaw grew up in central Asia, where she watched her parents serve, love like Christ and walk through hard things with people.
“If you work for CPS, you could face that, but the whole field is not that at all,” she says. “It’s about taking in the people who come to you, building relationships with them, getting down on their levels and sitting through things with them.”
“I was 16 when we moved to the States, and growing up watching [my parents] serve instilled in me that component of serving others through my work,” Outlaw says. “I think that has always been my calling. I just found a journal from eighth grade when I wrote that I was going to be a social worker. I couldn’t think of any other profession that lined up with my faith but also that I would truly enjoy doing.”
In reality, social work can be difficult to define because the field is so broad, Nunley says. Social workers can be found in all types of settings—in corrections, the medical field, mental health, social services and with those experiencing substance abuse. There’s really no limit to the work a social worker might do.
Miller and Outlaw both graduated with their degrees in social work in May 2018 and moved straight into working on their master’s degrees. Though Outlaw knew she wanted to pursue her degree in the field, she said when she first discovered social work, she felt a bit nervous about how she would be perceived. For many, the image of a social worker is very specific: a stiff suit coming to a family’s home to separate a child from her parents, someone sitting behind a desk processing stacks of welfare paperwork or a burned-out addiction recovery group leader droning at the front of a room full of people. Dana Hood (’18), currently works at Bethany Christian Services as an expectant mother advocate, and she said she knew exactly how Outlaw felt. “I didn’t want to be the person that families hated—I wanted to be a likeable person, and I wanted to build those relationships with people,” she recalls. That’s one thing that I feel like I’ll struggle with was the stereotype that all social workers do is take people’s kids away.” Hood’s quick to caution that her experience as a social worker doesn’t fit that idea. Photos by Nick Eagles
Dana Hood (‘18)
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Buzard, Nunley and Miller (‘18)
“We work with brand-new babies all the way up to working with death and those who are in hospice. We work in all different contexts in all different kinds of roles,” Nunley says. “Our values and our code of ethics—that’s what is so great about integrating faith and learning and servant leadership—our profession is naturally already doing it for us. “Our field is about sitting with and holding space for people that society has kind of forgotten and so there’s such an aspect of humility to social work that I think personifies servant leadership,” Nunley says. “People don’t get into this work for the glamour and the money. They do it because they want to serve.” And for Miller, there is no better way to embody what it means to be a servant leader than to be a social worker. “Going into the helping profession for me is a way to live out servant leadership and just have the opportunity to work alongside someone, help them build on their own strengths and access the resources they need to live the best life that they can,” she says. “It’s really an honor, the fact that I get to revolve my career around doing that.”
Bailey Basham is a recent Trevecca graduate and currently works as a freelance journalist. She loves writing, browsing Pinterest for new recipes to try and spending time with her dogs Ruthie (after the candy bar) and Pico (last name, de Gallo).
Looking through the lenS
LEADERS THROUGH FILM
CREATING
A
t Trevecca, educating a student goes beyond the classroom. Professors aim to provide opportunities for students to serve, lead, and engage outside the classroom and into the community.
Story by Blake Stewart, ’18
In the Media Arts department, Prof. Seth Conley provides a course that requires students to work with nonprofit clients, allowing them to learn from leaders while serving others. The mission of Conley’s Corporate and Organizational video course is to allow students to use video and film skills in a corporate environment to help clients understand the vision of their video all the way to completion. “The process for our students is to work like an outside production company and initially meet with clients and fully understand what they are trying to accomplish and highlight,” Conley says.
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For students, gaining experience outside of the classroom is a vital part of their educational experience. It allows students to develop the skills needed in the workplace such as time management, organizational and leadership skills, patience and working in a group environment.
A strong portfolio of work is vital for a media arts graduate. Portfolios give potential employers a glimpse of the student’s best work as well as a better understanding to the student’s proficiency and level of creativity.
“It was nice working in a group because that is what the work will be like in a corporate setting,” says Kiersten Ziegler, junior media arts major and director of The Salvation Army video. “It taught me how to manage and deal with stress in groups, time management skills and how my people skills are interpreted into that world.”
“A lot of the assignments aside from the project—like creating a sample proposal and then actually making a demo reel were really helpful,” says Zach Vaughn, a junior media arts major. “Also, knowing what it’s like to work with a client is a good experience the course provides.”
A BENEFIT
A STUDENT’S
PERSPECTIVE
This course provides that and more.
FOR ALL CrossBridge, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to ending destructive cycles of addiction, incarceration and generational poverty, is one of the organizations that partnered with students in the video course. The nonprofit works with Trevecca students through their youth ministry programs by providing students opportunities to be in a paid staff position or engage in mentorships. Conley’s video course brings a new opportunity for both the students and CrossBridge. “This video has offered something that Trevecca as a partner has not really offered before,” said Trae Smith, CrossBridge director of youth programs. “In the past the engagement has been in the areas of mentoring and staff, where this offers something that we haven’t had before.” CrossBridge had two other videos that were actively publicized, but were more than five years old and primarily focused on the services the organization offers. “For us, the students video did a good job of communicating the why behind what we do,” said Smith. “The way the video was produced and the content did a good job of emphasizing the what, but the story in that video is the first that really says the why and that is something very helpful to our organization.” Blake Stewart is a recent Trevecca graduate, current freelance writer, former staff member on a U.S. Senate campaign and once upon a time, a member of the United States Army. He loves all things politics and podcasts and taking his dog, Duke, to Nashville’s Shelby Bottoms Dog Park.
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Practice Makes Perfect INVESTING IN STUDENTS For Dr. Jerry and Dr. Rebecca Pierce, giving back to Trevecca was a simple decision.
“Trevecca has meant so much to us. It was definitely a life-changing experience,” Jerry says. “Being able to come there and be in a Christian environment, being able to earn our degrees with wonderful professors—we just experienced all the great things Trevecca had [to offer]. We have the opportunity to give back to that and just want to help a new generation experience what we did.”
who could help support the project, they saw an opportunity to give back to their alma mater. They talked with officials in Trevecca’s Office of External Relations about what their donation could do. The result? The Pierce Practice Room, located on the second level of the Jackson Center for Music and Worship Arts. It’s a space Brianna Givens, a freshman majoring in music performance, knows well. For Givens, the performance rooms offer space to rehearse, but also stretch herself musically.
The couple, who met at Trevecca, both earned degrees at the University. Rebecca graduated in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in education, and Jerry followed in 1996 with a degree in vocal performance.
“[The practice rooms] give me a space to create without having to worry about who else is around me,” Givens says. “It gives me the freedom to portray specific emotions in a way that I couldn’t in public.”
Rebecca currently serves as a reading coach in the Polk County School System. Jerry is a project manager for Walt Disney Entertainment, where he oversees the operation of live entertainment in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla.
For the Pierces, providing that opportunity to Givens and students like her are a key reason they wanted to give back to Trevecca.
A few years ago, when the Pierces heard that Trevecca was building a new music building and needed donors
“It’s that feeling that we’ve taken so much from the university,” Jerry says.
“She’s been good to us. We just want to help young professionals have the same kind of opportunities that we did.” 27
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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ATHLETIC NEWS
SPOTLIGHT ON Mary Collins On Feb. 27, Trevecca senior Mary Collins earned a Great Midwest Athletic Conference record by earning 9 RBIs in a single game. Collins had a remarkable afternoon in the early season double header against Lincoln Memorial University. In the first game, Collins hit a two-run homer, then followed it up with three homers in Game 2, two of them grand slams. She finished the second game 3-4 in with nine RBIs and three runs scored. Trevecca won both games, 6-3 in the first and 13-2 in the second. The remainder of Trevecca’s softball season is comprised of away games. Follow the action at tnutrojans.com.
2019 SCHEDULES BASEBALL SCHEDULE
GOLF SCHEDULE
April 19-20 | 4-game series @ Cedarville University April 26-27 | 4-game series @ Hillsdale College May 2 | 4-game series with Ohio Valley University @ Trevecca May 8-11 | Great Midwest Championship @ Prasco Park, Mason, Ohio May 15-18 | NCAA Midwest Regional, TBA
April 19-20 | Great Midwest Championship, Lexington, Ky. (men & women) May 6-8 | NCAA East Regional, Owensboro, Ky. (women) May 9-11 | NCAA Central/Midwest Super Regional, Hot Springs, Ark. (men) May 15-18 | NCAA National Championship, Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. (women) May 20-24 | NCAA National Championship, Danville, W.V. (men)
SOFTBALL SCHEDULE April 19 | Doubleheader @ Cedarville University April 20 | Doubleheader @ University of Findlay April 26 | Doubleheader @ Davis & Elkins College April 27 | Doubleheader @ Alderson Broaddus University May 2-4 | Great Midwest Championship, Akron, Ohio
OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE April 20 | Redhawk Challenge, Miami, Ohio (men & women) May 2-3 | Great Midwest Championship, TBA (men & women) More at TNUTrojans.com. 29
Alumni News
Upcoming Events APRIL 17
Be. Don’t Seem
Songwriter’s Night | Zelma Waggoner Performance Hall
Trevecca.edu/alumni
Trevecca Film Festival | Quick Lecture Hall 3:30-10 p.m.
Sandy Aldridge (’91, M.Ed. ’95, Ed.D. ’13) recently traveled to Malawi, Africa, on a church mission trip. Pictured here with friend Angela Meyer in Liwonde National Park, Aldridge participated in a safari while in Africa and showed her Trevecca pride.
7-9 p.m.
APRIL 27 MAY 4 Commencement | The Quad 9 a.m.
JULY 10-14 NYC | Phoenix , Ariz. nyc2019.com
OCTOBER 3 Fall Celebration | Boone Convocation Center Featuring the Collingsworth Family More info coming soon!
NOVEMBER 1-2 Homecoming | Trevecca’s campus Trevecca.edu/Homecoming Trevecca graduates who met while living in Johnson Hall in the early to mid-1980s recently held a retreat in Franklin, N.C. Most of the women lived on the third floor of Johnson Hall for the entirety of their Trevecca careers. “Four years draw you pretty close,” Tammy Tanner Modesitt said. The group gets together often for meals, but this was their first retreat. In attendance (L to R): Jeanna Skinner Brightwell (’85), Mary Anne Schilling Stalvey (’85), Patti Hamrick Yon (’84), Becky Arpino Hinerman, Rhonda Blanton Toney (’85), Kelly Henderson (’86), Barb Tharp (’87), Stephanie Waller Frank (’85), Debbie Mann Sweat (’83), Monica Scott Davis, Beverly Adams Sharpe (’84), Gwen Rogers, Sandra Odom Hunt (’82), Stephanie Lawson Hoskins (’85) and Tammy Tanner Modesitt (’84).
Your nominations for the annual Trevecca Alumni Awards are welcomed. Your alumni board will be meeting in May to finalize the selections and your input is important. Go to trevecca.edu/alumni to make your nominations.
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 Road, Nashville, TN 37210-2877. 30 TREVECCAN
Cla ss N ot es Sandra McQuain (’89) was selected to serve as executive director of England Authority in Alexandria, La. McQuain previously served as the CEO of Baker Manufacturing and has experience working in the Tennessee Legislature in addition to serving as the press secretary for former U.S. Attorney Veronica Coleman-Davis. Teresa Sparks (’91) recently joined Envision Healthcare as chief financial officer. Sparks previously held the same position at Symbion and Surgery Partners and served as the interm CFO at Brookdale Senior Living before joining Envision. “Teresa is a highly accomplished health care executive whose experience in public and private companies will be an asset in her new role at Envision,” said Chris Holden, president and CEO of Envision. Sparks also serves as a member of Trevecca’s Board of Trustees. Rick Lee James (’00) released his latest album, Thunder, on Feb. 8. Early reviews have praised the album, which features a previously unrecorded Rich Mullins’ song as the title track. Learn more and get a copy of his album at ricklee.james.com.
IN MEMORIAM
E. Ray Thrasher (’64), whose tenacity and love for the University fueled her passion for Trevecca’s library, passed away on January 14. She was 77 years old. Born in 1941 in the Squirrel Hill area of Pittsburgh, Pa., Thrasher first arrived at Trevecca as a freshman in the fall of 1959. With the exception of a few months teaching at a private school in Alabama, she spent the next 60 years on campus as a librarian—eventually serving as the director of library services at Trevecca—and as a resident of the Trevecca Towers. “Ray loved Trevecca fiercely,” said Dr. Dan Boone, Trevecca’s president. “She wanted the best for this university and our students. Her tenacity and determination were key reasons Trevecca’s Waggoner Library exists. Her love for Trevecca and her presence on campus will be greatly missed.” Thrasher passionately championed the need for a new library, urging Trevecca leaders to give it top priority
E. RAY THRASHER | CAMPUS ICON
among several campus projects outlined in the University’s long-term development plan. An avid sports fan, Thrasher was a regular at Trevecca sporting events and often prayed with teams before their buses left campus for away games. She created a volleyball scholarship several years ago, and students celebrated Thrasher and her love for Trevecca athletics in a special event last winter. “Athletics was one of her biggest joys,” said Brenda Patterson, professor of exercise and sport science and a dear friend of Ray’s. “She is probably our number one fan, and she was there at every game, usually wearing something purple.” Thrasher is survived by her sisters, Lee Beaver and Elsie Lane (David); nieces and nephews; stepdaughters, Ruth Dryden (Gerald) and Jeanne Sugg (John); four grandsons and four great-grandchildren as well as many friends. 31
Friends Remembered Alumni and friends of the University who have passed away since the last issue of the Treveccan.
Marian Jewell, ’47 | Nov. 25, 2018; Madison, Tenn. Rev. W. Dayton Lockard, ’50 | Dec. 20, 2018; Charleston, W.V. Marvin Phelps, ’68 | Jan. 20, 2019; Vernon, Ky. Gary Allen Sharpe Sr., former Trevecca athletic director | Jan. 24, 2019; Brunswick, Ga. Patricia Carte Shinn, ’44 | Dec. 17, 2018; Hurricane, W.V. Mary Smith, ’03 master’s in education | Nov. 24, 2018; La Follette, Tenn. Shirley V. Rife Spangler, ’63 | Dec. 29, 2018; New Palestine, Ind. Mary Ann Swink Staggs, ’60 | Jan. 22, 2019; Mt. Juliet, Tenn. E. Ray Thrasher, ’64, bachelor’s in education | Jan. 14, 2019; Nashville, Tenn. Don S. Waller, ’08 bachelor’s in business administration| Jan. 16, 2019; Hendersonville, Tenn.
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—Lady Bird Johnson
www.trevecca.edu
USPS No. 394470
Treveccan
SPRING 2019
The Magazine of Trevecca Nazarene University
The 32nd Annual
Trevecca Golf Classic May 23-24, 2019
| Henry Horton State Park
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER AT TREVECCA.EDU/GOLFCLASSIC