Cumberlands Alumni Magazine Fall 2022

BEING A BROADCAST METEOROLOGIST

Mike Wilson, ’94

Emily Goodman, ’09 ON AIR

Looking Back at WCCR 94.5

MODERN SHERLOCK

Cheryl Purdy, ’21 WINDOW OF HOPE

Campus Memories

Alisha Bruce, ’06

I loved hosting shows, being the overnight voice, and just playing good music. I will never forget playing John Lennon's "Imagine" and watching the phone blink. It was Keith Semmel telling me that he had to stop and just listen for the next 3 minutes and that I was doing a great job. I said "Thank you, I'm glad I could play something you enjoy, and hung up the phone. Then I looked down and realized what I had next in the queue: Phil Collins, "Sussudio". I hit play and slid the slider up... and waited... the phone blinked again. I picked up, "WCCR..." "Alisha, you're on probation! Really?! Of all songs!" "Sorry Dr. Semmel..." and I hung up the phone and just laughed.

Thank you, WCCR, for being a great source of music, laughter, and life lessons.

SENIOR WRITER

Sarah (Rainous) Shelley, ’ 17, MACS ’ 21

DESIGNER

Kelsey (Day) Infield, ’13, MACS ’15

PHOTOGRAPHER AND ATHLETICS EDITOR

William Turner, ’ 21

DIGITAL CONTENT

Patrick Blevins

STUDENT WRITER INTERN

Nellie Ellis

The opinions expressed within articles do not necessarily represent the views of the administration but are intended to foster open dialogue and lifelong learning among the Cumberlands community. We welcome your feedback; email alumni@ucumberlands.edu.

ALUMNIGREETINGS

Dear Alumni,

I don’t know about you, but I feel as though this fall flew by! As always, campus stayed busy. Between an earlier-than-usual Homecoming celebration, an excellent Cumberlands Give Day in November (your generosity always amazes me!), and beginning new academic programs and partnerships, Cumberlands has kept things rolling since the semester began.

I am sorry I was unable to see you at Homecoming this year. Leave it to an illness to come at the least-opportune time. That said, please let me know all your thoughts about Homecoming! The good, the bad, the ugly – I want to hear it all so next year’s event can be the best yet. And, hopefully, I’ll be able to make it to the festivities next time!

If you came to Homecoming, you already know this, but if not, I’ll tell you: this place is full of change. The viaduct has been reconstructed; there are new outdoor hangout spaces for students, community, and alumni to enjoy; there are new structures and life-size statues around campus; and students are making some fashion choices (and hairstyle choices – cue the mullet) that many alumni have either never seen or never thought we would see again. From academics to athletics to residence life, it seems that time has touched all aspects of the college experience and brought the winds of change with it, and the university, like a living organism, is adapting.

Yet simultaneously, there’s something constant about this place. There are deeply rooted values that will never change. There is a mission that will never die. The views of the mountains surrounding campus are just as beautiful now as they ever were. There’s a spirit of joy, dedication, and innovation that lives on at Cumberlands. The same questions drive us. The same hope unites us.

In the end, this school binds us together in ways nothing but an alma mater can. We’ve cheered at the same sporting events, eaten meals in the same cafeteria, and trekked up the same steep campus hills (while carrying books, no less). We’ve all earned the title of Cumberlands Alumni, and, I must say, it feels good to be part of the team.

I’m glad you’re on the team too, and I hope you enjoy the magazine.

Best,

ERICA BROOME HARRIS, ’84 Executive Director of Alumni Services

2022-2025

Alumni Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Michael Addison, ’14, MBA ’16

PAST PRESIDENT

Melanie (Machey) Bloomer, ’90, MAE ’19 SECRETARY Ann Orrick-Wohlfarth, ’87, MAE ’13 A

BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS

Dick Koeniger, ’67 Bill Lyttle, ’75

TERM EXPIRING 2023

Mathias Brewers, ’16 Wes Cornett, ’90 Wendy (Himes) King, ’03 Ann Orrick-Wohlfarth, ’87 Michael Addison, ’14, MBA ’16

TERM EXPIRING 2024

Hampton Clark, ’19 Jared Forgety, ’11 Kimé Malcom Harris, ’90 Jimmy Huddleston, ’87 Laura (Cornett) Koogler, ’86

TERM EXPIRING 2025

Anita (Miller) Biles, ’92 Nicholas Philpot, ’07 Lana Powers, ’03 Diana (Dugan) Warmoth, ’87 Kandace (Gibson) West, ’17

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Dr. Larry L. Cockrum President

Paul P. Steely, ’49 Trustee Liaison

OFFICE OF ALUMNI SERVICE

Erica (Broome) Harris, ’84 Executive Director Paul Stepp, ’12, MSIS ’17 Director

S enior SPOTLIGHT

Kayla Slone, ’23, is always wearing a smile and has a contagious laugh. She’s nurturing and compassionate, and she loves to serve others. It’s fitting that she plans on being an elementary school teacher.

“I have always wanted to become a teacher,” said Kayla, “but I have a lot of medical professionals in my family. I let them talk me into doing radiology instead when I was in undergrad. So, I went that route. But, the whole time, my heart wasn’t really set on it. When the pandemic hit and suddenly all these programs were available online, I looked into it and found Cumberlands. I could do everything online, which was really important for me.”

Kayla and her husband have a three-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son, and Kayla was still working full-time as a radiologist. Adding classwork on top of it all was “kind of crazy” at first. But with the support of her husband and her own time management skills, she found ways to complete her schoolwork while juggling everything else.

“I took my laptop with me everywhere,” she laughed. “When I had down time at the hospital, I was working on homework. I got my best studying done after my kids were in bed for the night. You couldn’t breeze through these classes. You really had to work at them.”

Kayla began student teaching in August, feeling both nervous and excited. After working in radiology for 12 years, moving from healthcare into education was hard. But she was determined. She wants to be a positive influence and a good role model for children.

“A lot of these kids don’t have a positive role model in their lives,” she said. “Even when they’re at home, a lot of them are just looking at screens, watching TV or YouTube. But I get to read with these students and teach them things. As a teacher, you’re there to tell students, ‘You can do this!’ You can uplift them when they need it. A lot of kids don’t have that. You can boost them up, give them positive reinforcement.”

Kayla spent the first half of her student-teaching cycle in a kindergarten classroom and the second half in a fourthgrade science class. Completing her student teaching was overwhelming at times, but it was enjoyable overall. Now, Kayla is heading into her own elementary school classroom. She can hardly wait to get started.

CAMPUSNEWS

SHOES 4 THE SOUL

This was the first year since the beginning of the pandemic that Shoes 4 the Soul was able to be held in person. To say the local schoolchildren and Cumberlands’ Appalachian Ministries (AM) staff were happy about it would be an understatement.

“Having that personal touch of coming onto a college campus and knowing that you are loved by the people there is an important experience for these kids,” said Caitlyn Howell, AM director. “I always love seeing the kids light up when they get here. I was super excited for it.”

Cumberlands students washed the feet of local school children who were identified by the school districts’ family resource officers as being in families with higher financial need. In total, approximately 630 pairs of socks and shoes were donated by Appalachian Ministries to local children. That’s the most in Shoes 4 the Soul’s history. Children were also given drawstring backpacks with hygiene items inside.

Said MaQuoia Bernabe, a senior at Cumberlands who volunteered at the event, “I am just speechless. I had an amazing time. I hope to see my new little buddies around town. I wish we could do this every day!”

NEW PROVOST

Dr. Trey Jarboe, ’13, MJA ’13, PhD ’15, has been named the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at University of the Cumberlands.

In this role, Dr. Jarboe will direct the Office of Academic Affairs and provide vision, leadership, and direction for the university’s academic programs and services. As the Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jarboe will work to ensure the university remains in compliance with various programmatic, state, and regional accreditation agencies.

“Trey Jarboe is an effective leader who recognizes the importance of providing students with access to quality academic programs,” said Cumberlands President Larry L. Cockrum. “He understands the challenges and opportunities facing higher education and has a proven record of using innovative solutions to meet the real-world needs of our students.”

Dr. Jarboe first joined the team at Cumberlands in 2013. Prior to being named Provost, he served in various roles including Vice President for Enrollment and Retention, Director of International Graduate Services, and Associate Director of the School of Lifelong Learning (now called UC Online).

OPTION 9 PROGRAM

University of the Cumberlands is the first university in Kentucky to offer EPSB-approved Option 9 programming to aspiring Kentucky educators. The university established an agreement with Whitley County Schools and Lincoln County Schools and received official approval from the EPSB (Education Professional Standards Board) in October.

Option 9, an amendment to KRS 161.048 added through the passing of House Bill 277, is an expedited alternative route to obtaining a teaching certification. The route was approved by the EPSB on July 11, 2022. Through Option 9, aspiring educators in Kentucky will be able to complete both their initial teaching certification and a bachelor’s degree within three school years. Students will be employed within the participating school district to gain work experience while simultaneously attending classes at a college or university.

While education students at Cumberlands are completing coursework, they will have the opportunity to immediately put their learning into practice as an instructional assistant in a classroom, receive mentorship from experienced teachers in the district, and complete their bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate, all in only three years.

For more information or to start the enrollment process, contact ucoadm@ucumberlands.edu or 606.539.4372.

CYBERSECURITY CONFERENCE

University of the Cumberlands’ Department of Computer and Information Sciences virtually hosted the Kentucky Cybersecurity and Forensics Conference (KCFC) 2022 this November. This was the first year Cumberlands has hosted the conference.

The KCFC is a multi-track cybersecurity event held annually by all the CAE institutes in Kentucky. The conference functions as an opportunity to network with professionals within the field for the purpose of furthering education, collaboration, and innovation.

Said Dr. Machica McClain, director of the M.S. in information systems security and the M.S. in digital forensics programs at Cumberlands, “It is important to understand what our cybersecurity specialist and digital forensics investigators have encountered since the conference last year. Technology is always evolving, so a conference like KCFC helps us stay ahead of the game as we move forward to impact lives around the world.”

Keynote speakers this year included Barbara Lynne Clark: chief at the National Centers of Academic Excellence Program office, and Phillip Ross: cyber and geospatial analysis for the Kentucky Intelligence Fusion Center. Participating organizations included Kentucky University, Bluegrass Community & Technical College, University of Louisville, Owensboro Community & Technical College, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, and Murray State University.

WELCOME... WELCOME...

Hundreds of alumni came “Back to the Burg” for Homecoming weekend this fall, and the nostalgia was palpable. There’s nothing like being away for a while and then finally coming back home.

Old friends reunited and reminisced. Professors retired and current shook hands with their old students. Everyone shared stories of their lives, jobs, homes, kids, or grandkids. Overall, there was an energy in the air that was a unique mix of the warmth you feel when remembering the old and the spark you have when noticing something new.

From football to funny stories and from concerts to Homecoming Court, there was something for everyone at Homecoming 2022.

Thankfully, though forecasts showed a chance of rain during the weekend, skies remained mostly clear during the daytime. And in a close game on Saturday night, the Patriots football team pulled out a win against Cumberland University with a score of 10-6. The men’s and women’s soccer teams also earned wins, defeating Shawnee State University.

Creech-Boswell Society Class of 1972

The Creech-Boswell Society was established in honor of two of Cumberlands’ most beloved presidents: James Lloyd Creech and James Malcolm Boswell. This organization was formed to honor Cumberlands graduates on the 50th anniversary of their graduation from Cumberlands and in recognition of their commitment to the values upheld by this university.

Class of 1972

This university was founded on the principles of dedication to learning in order to strengthen the individual, loyalty to peers and community, and commitment to service, all in hopes of creating future generations that will adhere to these same principles.

As members of the Creech-Boswell Society, alumni enjoy a special luncheon and Cumberlands President meet-and-greet at Homecoming events, in addition to other benefits. This fall, graduates from the class of 1972 were inducted into the Society. More than eighty alumni gathered in the volleyball gym (previously called Gatliff Gymnasium or the intramural gym) to enjoy the induction and reception. It is a significant tradition that marks the achievement of a major milestone in the lives of Cumberlands alumni.

Back Row: left to right: Eugene Sharp, James Davis, Max Cox, Linda Carter, George Abner, Vicki Akers Kuhn, Richard “Butch” Kagy, Leon Justice Front Row: left to right: Carl Brooks, Norman Harp, Joe Caldwell, Barbara Hoskins, Annie Saylor, Kathy Turpin Miracle, Janie Sullivan Kagy, Kathy Sadler Dunn, Carcille Carloftis Burchette, Linda Belcher Mullen, Sara Boggs Conatser Seated: Sharon Terry Scott

Not Pictured: Charles Dye, Don Kannady, Judy Parsons and Eddie Stephens

Hon ed Alumni Hon ed Alumni

A handful of chosen alumni are inducted each year into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni or the Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame. The awards are presented during Homecoming weekend. All award recipients are alumni whose achievement reflect the highest values embraced and promoted by the university and the Alumni Association. The alumni receiving the honor of Distinguished Alumni have made especially significant contributions in their fields of work, professional or public service, or in the betterment of humanity.

Athletic Hall of Fame inductions emphasize an alumnus’ athletic accomplishments at Cumberlands while accounting for the inductee’s character and values. The university is honored to welcome all the following members into our Hall of Distinguished Alumni or Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame:

Mr. Janay Jones, ’97, Executive director of sales and operations for Gilead Sciences, one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world. For more than 23 years, his work has spanned across the specialties of antiretroviral therapy, oncology, cardiovascular disease, and others.

Mrs. Emily (McKinney) Goodman, ’09, Broadcast meteorologist at LEX18 in Lexington, Kentucky. She completed her master’s degree in broadcast meteorology from Mississippi State University and served as a meteorologist for four other stations before moving to LEX18.

Mr. Ted Hampton, ’62, CEO/manager of Cumberland Valley Electric Cooperative. Hampton is the longest serving manager/CEO of any rural electric cooperative in the U.S. The trademarks of his tenure are his commitment to the community, his work ethic, and his compassion.

The Student Government Association, represented by President Hannah Lyons (left) and Vice President Amanda Gault (right), honored the following faculty and staff at Homecoming as well:

Dr. Daniel Kanyam, Director of graduate business programs and assistant professor in the Hutton School of Business, received the Honored Male Professor Award.

Mrs. Jamey (Hill) Temple, ’03, Associate professor in the Departmet of English, received the Honored Female Professor Award.

Mr. Devon Goings, ’17, MJA ’18, Associate campus minister who teaches classes in the Department of Missions & Ministry, received Staff Member of the Year.

Weston Hazelhurst, ’14, Football

Weston lives with his family in Clinton, TN. He works as a police officer and helps coach football. Weston broke two school records in tackles and tackles for loss in a career, holds single-season records for 131 tackles (3rd all-time) and 18.0 tackles for loss (ranked 1st and 2nd), named 2010 MSC Defensive Freshman of the Year and named 2013 MSC Defensive Player of the Year.

Elizabeth Stephens, ’14, Golf

Elizabeth lives in Newport, Wales. She works fulltime as a coating specialist in the timber industry for her father’s business and part-time in the online department of her local supermarket. Elizabeth was a 3-time NAIA All-American, 2-time MSC Player of the Year (2012 & 2013), and 3-time MSC All-Conference selection, and won eight medalist honors (2nd in program history).

Caleb Kirby, ’16, MBA ’19, MSC ’20, Archery

Caleb lives with his wife, Courtnie (Carr) Kirby ’19, MBA ’20, in Williamsburg. He works as a full-time assistant archery coach at Cumberlands. Caleb holds five scores that rank in the top five in program history, had 15 national podium finishes, won three individual national titles (tied 1st in program history), and was the first Patriot to win an individual 3D national title (2014 & 2015).

Shawn Picou, ’07, Soccer

Shawn lives with his family in his hometown of Houma, LA. He works in commercial sales at Donovan Marine, Inc., and is on the MeatEater YouTube TV series Duck Camp Dinners. Shawn ranks 1st in program history for goals (67) and career points (159), won MSC Player of the Year in 2006, had a single-season best of 21 goals (consecutively) and 48 points in 2005, and is a 3-time NAIA AllAmerican Honorable Mention.

TO SPEAK WITHOUT WORDS

Mike Wilson, ’94, and his wife Missy already had three biological sons to take care of – Dyllan, Lane, and Eli – and adding any more kids to the family seemed chaotic.

But as the couple kept returning to Haiti for short-term mission work, they both felt called more and more toward adoption. What had seemed scary before now felt like the best choice. Within a few years and thanks to a few miracles, they adopted two girls – Tia and Naika, best friends living in a Christian orphanage in Haiti – and brought them home to Nashville, Tennessee.

The girls giggled and talked in Creole to each other almost non-stop upon entering America. They looked out the windows in awe of the cold white snow outside their new house. They hugged Mike and Missy for extra comfort. They accepted their new brothers Dyllan and Eli with relative ease.

But they refused to walk into the room where Lane slept. Okenn fason, no way.

On October 4, 1997, Missy gave birth to the couple’s second son, Lane. Lane Wilson was born prematurely at just 22 weeks’ gestation. He suffered a stroke at birth, causing him to go blind. He was born with cerebral palsy and was very, very sick. All that combined with weighing just one pound, four ounces made circumstances grim. He was so small that Mike’s wedding ring fit around his arm with room to spare.

It would take a miracle for this baby to survive.

Miracle granted. Though he cannot walk, see, or speak, Lane is full of life and joy and is now in his 20s.1 Three years after his birth, in 2000, his younger brother Eli was born. The Wilsons were a happy family of five.

Balancing steady jobs while raising three young boys, including handling Lane’s special needs, was a lot for Mike and Missy to juggle. But Lane’s life was transforming his parents’ lives in new, wonderful ways. They learned how to care for a son with severe special needs, constantly adapting their lifestyle to help him out while simultaneously caring for his typically-developing brothers. They learned more patience, grace, selflessness, humility, and love than they ever knew they could possess. They also learned in a new, deeper way how intrinsically valuable everyone’s life is, regardless of the person’s abilities. Every life has unique value, period.

Voodoo culture, however, says differently. And voodoo is the dominant belief system in Haiti. As Mike put it, “The anecdote goes, ‘80 percent of the country is Protestant, 20 percent is Catholic, but 100 percent is voodoo.' ” The day the Wilsons’ new Haitian daughters Tia and Naika refused to enter Lane’s room, something clicked inside Mike’s brain.

was

“My other sons have both lived a life with a brother with special needs. They see people with special needs differently. They understand that people with special needs are not somebody to be afraid of, they’re somebody you can actually interact with. They understood that. They’d done it. Well, my daughters came home from this voodoo culture that says that, if you’re deformed or have a disability, then you are cursed. And if you are cursed, the only thing that can happen to you is that the evil spirits must be set free, so you have to be killed, sacrificed. Or the people around you can catch your curse.”

“I started asking myself a lot of questions,” Mike continued. “Like, why am I not seeing people in wheelchairs in Haiti? Why do I not see people who look different? Why do my girls act the way they do? It’s the voodoo culture. It says, ‘If you’re different, you’re not worth it.’

“But I stand on the phrase that we are created in the image of God. I believe that with my whole heart. I believe that my son with special needs, even though his brain doesn’t look like my brain does, he is created in the image of God.”2

In 2007, Mike began traveling around the U.S. and sharing the Gospel through Lane’s story. In 2011, Mike and Missy began prepping to launch myLIFEspeaks, a 501(c)3 Christian ministry with the purpose of bringing family-based care to vulnerable children in Haiti – emphasizing, but not limited to, children with special needs. The ministry was officially launched on January 1, 2012. The year 2022 marks its 10year anniversary. In 2014, the whole Wilson family – then a family of seven – moved from Nashville to the village of Neply (pronounced NEP-lee), Haiti. No more mission trips; this move was permanent.

Why the name “myLIFEspeaks”? Mike explained, “People like my son Lane, people who aren’t verbal or who have special needs, their life still tells a story. Everyone’s life is telling a story.” 2

Turns out, “speaking” doesn’t have to include words. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

The myLIFEspeaks campus consists of two 2-story buildings that are divided by a courtyard and connected by a large blue iron gate. There is also a brand-new building, the first that myLIFEspeaks has built, which was completed in 2021 and now houses LIFE Academy, a school that integrates typicallydeveloping students with special-needs students. The ministry also operates LIFE Clinic and LIFE Therapy Clinic, to provide healthcare to locals.

Setting up the equivalent of an American foster care system, new health clinics, and an integrated school from the ground up in a foreign country that speaks a different language is just about as simple as it sounds. Add in the fact that the predominant voodoo culture of the area says the specialneeds children you’re trying to help are contagiously cursed and are safer to sacrifice or at least discard, and, hey, it’s basically a cakewalk!

Pa menm fèmen. Not even close.

It’s one thing for a family to adopt a child. That is wonderful and worthwhile. But for myLIFEspeaks to instill a widespread, lasting mindset in the community that says all children, special needs or not, are inherently valuable – while cultural norms say differently – was going to require a whole lot more.

Per the ministry’s website, “It quickly became evident that helping children with special needs also meant empowering their parents and relatives, developing the community around them, educating their peers, and providing the necessary care and assistance that otherwise isn’t given to individuals with special needs in Haiti.”1

“MyLIFEspeaks

birthed in that moment.”

2012 - 2022 HIGHLIGHTS

Placed 28 children who were previously orphaned and abandoned into forever foster families.

Gone from feeding 20 children in a food program to providing 105 children and families with in-home feeding assistance (so parents can cook the meals and be the “heroes” for their families).

Grown from 12 U.S. staff on the ground in Haiti to 165 Haitian employees, 14 Haitian Directors, and five full-time U.S. staff.

Begun supporting more than 20 local parents gathering weekly for Bèl Ewo, a Biblically based parent support group.

Grown from one physical therapist to five physical/occupational therapy professionals serving patients at LIFE Clinic, a health clinic run by myLIFEspeaks.

Grown from 25 to 60 elderly community members gathering weekly for fun, fellowship, and education.

Grown from four students in one special education class to 135 students (and counting!) at LIFE Academy.3

Sarah’s story

Sarah has developmental disabilities and is emotionally impaired. She has endured trauma the world may never know about because she is minimally verbal. She adapted to exhibit harmful behaviors like anger and aggression because of her abuse. Through myLIFEspeaks, she has been adopted into a loving forever family and has come a long way behaviorally, learning how to handle her emotions in healthy ways. She goes to church with her family and is embraced by the village. She graduated from LIFE Academy in June 2022. Sarah is being healed by love.7

Jay’s story

Additional projects have occurred, and more initiatives are currently underway. Daily, the staff pray over each other and the children at myLIFEspeaks and their fellow community members in the village. A lot of their ministry comes through their everyday life. They visit the market to buy food, they help fellow villagers with projects, they take walks in the village with special-needs children to help the community get used to the kids, and so on. There's an air of friendliness and humor at myLIFEspeaks.

“We had a child we were taking care of who couldn’t say ‘Pastor Mike,’ so he called me, ‘Pat Tomat,’ and it stuck,” said Mike. “In Creole, pat tomat means ‘tomato paste.’ That’s my nickname in Neply.”2

Why involve the village so much? MyLIFEspeaks goes beyond its walls so that its efforts are broader and longer lasting. For their work to remain sustainable in the area, a spirit of Godly love, a “stakeholder” mentality,2 and unwavering hope within the hearts of the villagers is crucial. As the ministry’s website says, myLIFEspeaks “has never been about Americans ‘coming in and saving the day,’” it has been about empowering Haitians.

An empowered mindset among the people of Neply used to be rare. But things have started looking up.

Jay Pierre was a boy with autism who had once been thrown into a fire at a voodoo ceremony to release the evil spirits the community believed were causing his differences. Before coming to myLIFEspeaks, people had either ignored him, insulted him, or beaten him. After a few weeks experiencing God’s love at myLIFEspeaks and interacting with community members in healthy ways, Jay felt loved, safe, and happy. The community began to value him, conversing with him and laughing with him. On September 30, 2012, Jay had a seizure while he was sleeping and never woke up. The ministry’s website says, “At his funeral, the line of people stretched beyond what the eye could see. There wasn’t enough room at the gravesite for all the people crowded around.”5

2022 is the 10-year anniversary of myLIFEspeaks, and it’s safe to say the ministry has come a long way.

Sarah pictured at far right.

"I knew Jay before he came to live with you. People treated him like a dog. They chased him with rocks and beat him with sticks. Today at his funeral, I saw this same boy buried like the son of a king. His life had value that many of us didnʼt realize before. We will never be the same because of him… You promised that you would be here to speak up for kids like Jay. Today, I saw what that means… You have made our village better because you have taught us the worth of people like this boy.”

- Leader of the village of Neply 5

Changing a mindset takes time. MyLIFEspeaks has spent 10 years pouring into the people of Neply. Though the ministry has many focuses, its ultimate goal is to help Haitians understand the Gospel and accept Jezi Kri, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and savior. Undoubtedly, some villagers won’t, and that’s okay – but Mike wants even those people’s mindsets to shift somewhat, if about nothing else other than how specialneeds individuals should be treated.

The myLIFEspeaks staff is overjoyed when they see someone’s attitude change toward the special-needs children they take in. They’ve watched as community members who used to insult or dismiss the kids with special needs now wave hello and call out, “Sak pase?” (What’s happening?) instead. Typically-developing children form friendships with specialneeds children, using their imaginations to find fun ways to play with them however they can. And on June 10, 2022, the day that LIFE Academy hosted a ceremony to honor its first special education graduating class, “the myLIFEspeaks community center was packed wall-to-wall with people honoring the graduates. Some even watched through the windows outside in order to be part of the community-wide celebration.”6

Other meaningful changes are happening too. For instance, soon after beginning a feeding program for local children at

myLIFEspeaks, the ministry conducted a survey.

“We had about 40 kids in the feeding program at the time,” explained Mike. “These kids, some didn’t know their mom’s name. Didn’t know their dad’s name. Didn’t know how many siblings they had. Didn’t have food; that’s why we were feeding them. And you start asking these kids questions like what they want to do when they grow up, and the bottom line for all of them is, ‘I just want to be alive. I just want to survive.’”

But after working on the ground continuously for ten years providing food and other care…

“We ask the same question now, and we get kids saying, ‘I want to be a doctor. I want to be a farmer. I want to be a teacher. A nurse.’ They’ve started to not only hear about those things, but see themselves as those things.”2

Children who had no hope beyond simply survival are now dreaming of holding careers. Those same children are receiving an education that will help them achieve those dreams. They finally believe they have yon espwa ak yon avni, a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). And meanwhile, they’re regularly interacting with both typicallydeveloping and special-needs kids, learning how to see the unique value in everyone, no matter what.

The unrest in Haiti became so dangerous that the Wilsons were forced to move back to Nashville in winter 2021 and run administrative projects remotely, passing all on-theground work to their Haitian coworkers still living in the country. Still, myLIFEspeaks has remained a stable source of good, even amid chaos.

“The news out of Haiti these days is horrific, but we see God moving tremendously,” Mike said.2

Mike and Missy give God the glory for how the ministry has grown and the lives it’s changed. They credit Him with how their family has grown as well – it’s now a family of 10, including Dyllan’s wife Kelsey, Dyllan and Kelsey’s baby daughter Noah (Mike and Missy’s first grandchild), and an eight-year-old Haitian boy named Nash who is, as Mike puts it, “a general, all-around stud.”

It hasn’t been an easy road, and sometimes it’s been extra difficult simply because, as Americans, it’s easy to try to swoop into a third-world country, do what we feel like is best for the people there based on our own American ideas, and call it a day. Mike warns against that.

“You better listen,” he said. “You better listen a lot. Take your preconceived notions off and ask questions. I’m not going to tell you that everyone in Haiti has good intentions; you need to be able to sift through things. But once you meet someone who is genuinely interested in their community, really listen. The last thing Haiti needs is the stuff you don’t want. It’s not a dumping ground. Listen to what the people there really want.”2

After listening intently, Mike explains, people should pray about the matter to see if scripture is in line with those desires, and then, if so, do all you can to make it happen.

“How do we do this properly?” Mike said. “We let God go before us and beyond us.”3

God is speaking into thousands of people’s lives through the story of Lane Wilson, a man who can’t talk. God is moving mountains through the life story of someone who can’t walk. Opening people’s spiritual eyes by using someone who can’t see. The Wilson family has learned many important lessons through their years building and leading myLIFEspeaks, but one of the biggest is found in Matthew 19:26 –

Gen anyen Bondye pa kapab fè. With God all things are possible

Alelouya! Amèn.

1 https://www.mylifespeaks.com/post/why-the-name-mylifespeaks

2 https://sportsspectrum.com/get-in-the-game/2021/08/19/podcast-mike-wilson-mylifespeaks-founder/ , Scott Linebrink, Get in the Game podcast

3 https://www.mylifespeaks.com/post/2012-2022-by-the-numbers

4 Email from Mike Wilson, mike@mylifespeaks.com, on Mon, Aug 1, 2022 at 3:12 PM, to Sarah (Rainous) Shelley, sarah.rainous@ ucumberlands.edu

5 https://www.mylifespeaks.com/post/jay-s-story

6 https://www.mylifespeaks.com/post/congratulations-to-the-class-of-2022-life-academy-s-first-special-education-graduatingclass

7 https://www.mylifespeaks.com/post/sarah-s-story-healed-by-love

8 https://www.mylifespeaks.com/post/frantzky-s-story-a-smile-that-speaks-volumes

Frantzky’s story

It’s because of Frantzky’s life that myLIFEspeaks developed LIFE Clinic. Frantzky was Sarah’s adopted little brother. He was unable to walk or speak and was often ill, but his smile and pure, childlike joy could light up the world. When Frantzky got a virus that couldn’t be treated at LIFE Clinic, he was taken to a hospital. Because of his special needs, hospital staff wrote “HIV positive” on Franzky’s chart – a lie that, due to cultural prejudice, kept staff from treating him for a whole night. Frantzky never recovered, passing away the next day. But the efforts that myLIFEspeaks’ staff put into saving Frantzky spoke volumes to the villagers, saying to them without words, “If their God says a tiny, special-needs child like that is worth so much trouble, that God must really love him. And if He loves him, He must love me too. ,"Many villagers came to believe in God because of Frantzky’s life. 8

Learn about the Wilsons' ministry mylifespeaks.com

METEOR

METEOROLOGY

WEATHERING the FUTURE

Emily (McKinney) Goodman, ’09, understands what it’s like to be in a career where you’re often right but often wrong, and thousands of people find out either way.

She’s a meteorologist.

“We’re

degrees

now in Lexington, same in Richmond, and 75 in Williamsburg. Today’s high temperatures pressing up to about 82 degrees, but, again, the humidity is low, so it’s going to actually feel like 82 degrees. We do get warmer, though, tomorrow and Friday. We’ll talk more about your full forecast in a few minutes.”

Emily (McKinney) Goodman, ’09, looks back at the camera and gives a picture-perfect smile after recording a picture-perfect weather “hit.”

Or so you’d think.

She hustles to one of the computers stationed at a long desk tucked away behind a halfwall of windows toward her right.

“Chris?” she calls to the news anchor on the left side of the room. “I need a few minutes. My forecast was wrong.”

Sliding easily into a rolling chair and laying her clicker next to the keyboard, Emily maneuvers the computer’s mouse. Her gaze darts from one screen, the forecast, to another, her weather graphics, while she types digits into textboxes on the graphics. Click on a new box, then type, click, type.

“The graphics usually update automatically,” she explains, “but they didn’t this time for whatever reason. It was only a few degrees off, but still.”

She finishes her corrections and picks up her clicker without looking at it.

“Okay, alright. Grant?” The show’s director. “I’m ready.”

Emily brushes off her dress as she walks back across the room, just in case hairs from her dog Rupp got on her clothes. At the green screen, she stops and flashes another perfect smile at the camera, right on time to record another hit. “If you like the cooler weather, especially lower humidity, get out and enjoy today! Our live doppler is showing completely dry conditions right now…”

She didn’t miss a beat. You’d never guess she was in the studio at 2 a.m. that morning armed with a McDonald’s iced coffee that may as well have been a life-giving IV. The quick schedule changes are one of the hardest parts of the job. Going from evening shift to early morning shift without more than a couple days in between – and then switching back a week or two later, and again a week or so after that – isn’t easy on a person’s sleeping or eating schedule. (Emily keeps a bag of pork rinds in her designated drawer in the back of the room for emergencies. Or breakfast, whichever.) Fortunately, a new meteorologist has been hired to fill the empty spot on the WLEX/LEX18 Stormtracker team. They’ve been operating with three meteorologists instead of the usual four for the past few months, and Emily’s felt the push. But truth be told, a part of her enjoys the early mornings because they’re so calm.

“I always have a McDonald’s coffee on me when I arrive, especially if it’s an early morning shift. That’s my treat to myself for getting up so early,” she says. “I prefer the studio over the newsroom. When I come in here at two o’clock in the morning, there’s nobody in here. Which is good because I’m rubbing sleep out of my eyes and trying to get myself together. Most of the lights are off. I sit at my computer, I turn on my music, and I just get my stuff done.”

just shy of 80

right

Sometimes it’s not what you know, but how you use what you do know to reach your goal.”

She didn’t always picture herself as a meteorologist. She liked napping more than schoolwork, got a B in Dr. Dickman’s public speaking class at Cumberlands, and never enjoyed physics, which is one of the keystones of meteorology. But these were nothing that a positive attitude and determination couldn’t work out.

“It didn’t prevent me from living out my dream,” Emily says. “Sometimes it’s not what you know, but how you use what you do know to reach your goal.”

In addition to understanding weather sciences and overcoming the occasional nerves, there is an element of acting involved in broadcast media. Emily focuses on hand gestures, facial expressions, and vocal inflection, putting forth a friendly yet professional personality the moment cameras start rolling. Some mornings, it’s easy. After all, her personality is friendly and

professional by nature. Other mornings, though, poor Rupp threw up in his doggie crate overnight, and Emily had to clean it up, and she didn’t fall back asleep before her alarm went off for work. If Emily does her job well, viewers will never be able to tell that day from an easy day. They get the same Emily regardless.

What frustrates her is when strangers chastise her for being less than 100 percent correct about her weather forecast or when they recognize her in public, look her up and down, and go, “Well! You’re not fat! Those cameras make you look fat.”

To the first, she explains, “We’re literally trying to predict the future with our forecasts. And we’re human. We’ll get it wrong sometimes, and we’re sorry.”

To the second, she just shrugs it off and laughs. “I mean, what do

you say to that? That’s such a backhanded compliment. It’s not even really a compliment. I don’t know what it is.”

Her life nowadays looks a lot different than when she was at Mississippi State University working on her master’s in geosciences. Those days were full of classes, studying, and practicing poise on camera – and the most exciting thing she and her classmates did: storm chasing. In April 2011, Emily “caught” her first tornado on her birthday. “Actually, two that day,” she adds. A bonus birthday treat. Later that month, she chased again and caught part of an EF-4 tornado. (The most powerful tornadoes are EF-5.) Nobody knew that tornado would rip through Mississippi and Alabama, developing into one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history.

She hasn’t been chasing since.

“Weather became more serious to me after that,” she says. “It’s real life; it’s impacting somebody. Ultimately, storm chasing is meant to teach us more about tornadoes so we can get warnings out quicker to save lives. And now that I’m a broadcast meteorologist, I’m in the station during severe weather to get the word out so people can be safe.”

Really, that’s what it boils down to: keeping people safe. So long as Emily has assessed the forecasts correctly and gotten the word out effectively so people can plan their day, she’s succeeded. She’s done her job, she’s enjoyed herself, and she’s happy. Now for another McDonald’s iced coffee.

Since 2004, WCCR was an outlet for Cumberlands students to express themselves, share the music they love, and sharpen their communication skills. But, after eighteen years of being on air, WCCR streamed for the last time on Friday, April 29, 2022.

“We had a good run,” said Dr. Keith Semmel, former Department Chair of Communication Arts and retired communication arts professor. Semmel ran the station from its beginning and hosted its last aired show, “Strictly the Sixties.” The final episode featured tracks from The Rascals, The Association, and The Monkees, among other groups.

As a dedicated leader of the radio station, one would think Dr. Semmel planned to head WCCR from its inception, but that was not the case. In 2004, the communication arts department was still under the English department. But the Academic Dean at the time, Dr. Joe Early, saw the potential of communication arts and had a vision for what the program could be. The college radio station was a major piece of his vision. Dr. Early pursued that goal and got permission

to build the station through the Federal Communications Commission. Once they launched the initiative, Dr. Early, Dr. Semmel, and others searched for someone to manage the station. Unexpected obstacles prevented them from hiring anyone for the position, so they suddenly had a new radio station but nobody to run it.

“I remember meeting with all the dignitaries, and I said, 'Well, I have a little bit of experience with it, and I'll be glad to run it until we get it up and running.’ That's how I ended up being the general manager for the radio,” said Dr. Semmel.

Dr. Semmel's temporary position turned into an 18-year gig, but he has no complaints. He looks back on WCCR fondly.

“I really loved it,” he said. “It was timeconsuming, and sometimes it was a tough experience, but most of the time, it was a joy. It was the thing that I most looked forward to."

Debatably the toughest experiences were when the radio station was struck

by lightning – twice. The first time was in the middle of the night, but Dr. Semmel remembers the second time vividly.

“It was one of those big afternoon Stephen Spielberg lightning storms. I was in my car, and I was going out to lunch. I always had WCCR on, and the radio went down. I thought, ‘Oh boy, we’ve lost power.’ What had happened was the lightning had hit the tower, and the charge had come all the way through the building, across the lobby, all the way down the upstairs hallway to the radio station, to the board, and blew out our board and other pieces of our equipment,” said Dr. Semmel. The damage was expensive, but luckily insurance covered the costs, and the station was able to recover.

The radio station’s regular listeners were thrilled when it got back up and running. Really, the community that WCCR formed was one of the most rewarding aspects of the station.

“People sometimes get the idea that radio is an individualized form of communication, and that's certainly true, but I think radio can and should be

a collaborative effort as well," Semmel said. The formal and informal support from the campus and the local community was very impactful. For example, Semmel received a letter a few years into the radio show.

“I was so paranoid when we first went on the air that we were going to do something wrong,” he said. “So, when a letter arrived addressed to me, and it was from a law office, I went, 'Oh, no.’ Fortunately, it was just a note saying we had a fine radio show," which was a tremendous relief as well as an encouragement. “Those kinds of things keep you going.”

The support of professors, staff, and students on campus matched the encouragement given by the community. One professor, Dr. Geraldine Allen, played WCCR for her students during her studio art sessions.

She said, “WCCR offered unique and varied programming. I believe the students appreciated that it was produced on campus, and I appreciated that we heard some music there that we otherwise would not have.”

WCCR did not function like the average station because it did not confine itself to one genre. Semmel’s students, the hosts of the radio programs, each chose different types of music to play during their one-hour shows. You could turn on WCCR one minute and hear Billy Idol, then turn it on the next and hear Dolly Parton. Dr. Semmel understood that not everyone would like the inconsistent style of the station’s programming; however, he saw it as advantageous because it gave students more freedom and introduced listeners to new music.

Brett Birnberg, ’18, said some of his favorite Cumberlands memories revolved around the transitions between the shows.

Brett said, “Whether it was coming into the station as Keith "Junior" DeVeaux, ’15, wrapped up a smooth hour, or John Patrick ‘JP’ Kirby, ’22, finished a sidelong song from a legendary or lesser-known Prog Album, or listening to Andrew Buschbacher, ’16, with his fine choice of metal to pump the energy up for my show, we all worked off one another to create something beautiful in our own ways.”

Though Dr. Semmel loved the idea of introducing as many people as possible to new artists and genres, WCCR was limited in its reach. The station started as an onair low-power radio station.

“It was 100 Watts total. We got pretty good coverage out of that. We covered about a ten-mile radius. Before we began broadcasting, some people said there would be no way we could hear it even as far as Main Street, but we always heard it just fine for the full 10 miles,” said Dr. Semmel.

New technology eventually brought the opportunity to expand WCCR’s reach. After four years of being on-air, the station began to stream its radio shows. “That really opened things up, which was terrific because so many of the students who were doing the radio shows had parents, friends, and family that weren’t in Williamsburg,” said Dr. Semmel.

Said Amanda Kelly, ’17, “I swear my dad was the only person listening. He would tune in every week for my set. He’d send me Skype messages with his requests, so it was really my dad’s dream radio show.”

And parents weren’t the only ones listening outside of Williamsburg.

“I remember once, a male student went on, and the phone rang during the show,” recalled Semmel. “He picked it up and said it was a guy calling from Arizona that wanted to hear a certain song. Another time, a student who led a progressive rock program once got in touch with an upand-coming band. They were from Finland

or Sweden or something like that, and he began to correspond with them. They listened to his show, and they sent him demo recordings of their debut album to play.”

The impact that WCCR had on a local, national, and sometimes global scale was exciting, but the lifelong impression it left on the students was priceless.

James “Clark” Embree, ’11, attributes WCCR for helping him get where he is today.

“WCCR helped cement my love of journalism and broadcasting. Without it and UCTV, I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career,” he said.

WCCR will be greatly missed. It was a creative outlet and learning experience for students and a way to hear new music, and it became a community within itself. But it’s important to adapt with the times. As the Department of Communication Arts at Cumberlands closes one chapter, it looks forward to opening another –the beginning of a podcasting class. As culture and technology change, so do communication channels. WCCR opened the door for Cumberlands students’ voices to be heard in new ways, and now students will continue enjoying that kind of opportunity for years to come – even if it looks a little different.

“This is WCCR, Cumberland College Radio, signing off.”

Modern Sherlock

The smartphones in our pockets are digital recordings of our lives. That’s a bad thing or a good thing, depending.

Bad thing: when criminals use their cell phones to arrange or execute harmful illegal activity.

Good thing: when a digital forensic examiner like Cheryl Purdy, PhD ’21, uses special tools to find evidence of that criminal activity stored within the cell phone, evidence which then lands the criminal in a jail cell so they can’t hurt society anymore.

Our cells tell our stories.

Cheryl taught in public school before retiring at age 48. She now teaches cybersecurity classes for law enforcement and volunteers part-time at the McClean County Sheriff’s Department in western Kentucky.

Because nothing says “enjoying a relaxing retirement” like fighting crime.

She’s a Type A personality who selfadmittedly doesn’t know how to “take

it easy,” and her volunteer work is helping justice be served throughout Kentucky. Most of what she does for the Department is mobile forensics.

“These little devices record our GPS locations, messages, calls, social media, financial information, contacts, and more,” Cheryl says. “Probably the biggest one people don’t realize is that connection between your phone and cell towers. There is a constant ping there. For instance, if you’re in Eastern time zone and drive into Central time zone, your phone automatically changes its time because of the ping from a cell tower. The cell tower knows.”

It starts with the seizure of the device. A deputy or detective, usually, will obtain a search warrant and then hand Cheryl the device and the warrant. Cheryl then uses multiple methods to acquire data from the devices, which she gives back to the detective or other law enforcement professional.

Some cases are straightforward enough that they don’t warrant a full-blown analysis, while others are more involved and require one.

“Generally, I don’t do an analysis if it’s a drug case because there are a lot of moving parts. Your connections among people and so forth,” she says. She can find out all she needs to know pretty quickly. Meanwhile, “An analysis involves looking at the metadata, which includes date and time and hash values, that kind of thing. Seeing how they fit in. Hash values are, in many ways, a digital fingerprint of a file. Most cases, you’re looking at social media, chat logs, pictures stored on the device, and any kind of communication.”

After she runs the reports, Cheryl “tags,” aka “bookmarks,” the especially important stuff. One cell phone report consists of thousands of pages. Thousands. Detectives, lawyers, etc. don’t have time to study every page, so bookmarking useful information for them helps streamline the process.

In fact, all of Cheryl’s work streamlines cases. According to Cheryl, there is a digital component to virtually every case. Without digital forensics examiners working regularly on cases, those digital components aren’t discovered for months after a crime has been committed. Even with them working on cases, there is always a backlog. Depending on the case, some (potentially innocent, potentially guilty) suspects are allowed to roam free until they stand trial, which can be anywhere from a few months to more than a year away. Though Cheryl only comes into the sheriff’s department a day or two per week to work on cases (remember, she’s technically retired, and a volunteer), her work has helped cases move forward at a much faster pace than what the department experienced before.

Knowing her work makes a difference is rewarding for Cheryl. The department is happy with it as well, expressing gratitude and showing support for Cheryl’s work from day one.

Her biggest supporter, though, has been her husband, the original crime fighter of the family. He worked in various capacities within the criminal justice field for 23 years before retiring as a lieutenant in the juvenile division. Sharing criminal justice-related experiences with each other has been therapeutic, helping both Cheryl and her husband to vent, relate, process, and move on when work gets tough.

For instance, child sexual exploitation cases. Cheryl used to work on a lot of those at a different department. She’s a mother and grandmother, and finding digital content related to sexually exploiting children was very hard for her at times. Her “mama bear” instinct sometimes wrestled with her professionalism.

“There have been a few cases that were hard to handle, but knowing that justice is served makes it less difficult,” she says. “A couple cases come to mind here. One predator is currently serving 50 years in federal prison, and another was sentenced to 70 years in the Commonwealth. The likelihood the predators will hurt another child is slim to none.”

Good enough for this mama bear.

As a volunteer for a specific sheriff’s department, Cheryl takes on that department’s cases first. When she’s caught up with those, she takes cases from other “agencies,” like Kentucky State Police, other Kentucky counties’ police departments, and so on. The cases that temporarily halt all others are missing child cases, since they’re a race against the clock. In every case, the importance of teamwork cannot be overstated.

“It’s all teamwork,” says Cheryl, “it really is. Detectives work hard to identify all victims, which is important so they can receive help. Prosecution gets involved later. Criminal investigators, digital forensic examiners – it takes everyone.”

Unlike on TV, where forensic analysts work in ultra-high-tech labs, Cheryl works in a normal-looking office space. And her technology isn’t advanced enough to zoom in on tiny portions of a photo and the photo miraculously not be pixilated (though she wishes that part of crime shows was true). Her work isn’t glamorous, but to her it’s very worthwhile. She’s helping people, working hard, and constantly learning.

Who knows? Maybe one day she’ll even learn how to “take it easy.” Until then, she’s got work to do.

Window of

Every day Brynna Lawson, ’24, walks by the Grace Crum Rollins building, she’s reminded of the older sister she never knew.

Jessica Brynn Lawson passed away from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) when she was three months and eleven days old. Brynna, whose first name hearkens back to her older sister’s middle name, was born 13 months after her older sister passed away. It’s the stained-glass “Window of Hope” on the second floor of Grace Crum that reminds Brynna of her sister; she’s represented by the baby wearing a burgundy outfit. The image of baby Jessica has angel’s wings, made in the shape of her parents’ hands.

The window was designed and handmade by the girls’ grandfather, William “Bill” Rogers, a Williamsburg resident.

Said Brynna, “My papa has always been an extremely crafty person, and he loved making stain glass pieces. I would say this window is the piece he’s most proud of making. It has a lot of meaning for my family.”

The window was commissioned in 2002 and took approximately 904 hours to complete. Bill helped install the piece in 2005.

Sixteen children are memorialized in the Window of Hope: Jessica Lawson, Anne and Paxston Haake, Jim Taylor, Doug Bartee, Ryan Sargent, Jill Partin, Drew and Jeremiah Smith, John Foss, Hannah Martell, Justin Ratliff, Tina Mayne, Michael Jackson, Lisa Rains, and Shi Richie. Bill designed the panels for these children in tandem with their parents, creating images that coincided with the children’s personalities.

Although the window is primarily meant as a memorial, Bill designed it to have religious symbolism as well. For example, the dove at the top of the central panel symbolizes Christ and His resurrection. To add to this, the three butterflies symbolize

the resurrection in the aspect that a butterfly forms a cocoon as a caterpillar and emerges as a beautiful butterfly – the transformation of one life into a new, more beautiful life. The name "Window of Hope" came from the hope that parents have of seeing their lost loved one again someday in Heaven. It also comes from the hope that Christians have of being in Heaven with Christ one day.

Today, Brynna carries with her the hope to meet her big sister Jessica in Heaven someday. Brynna tries to live life to the fullest, not taking anything for granted. She is a member of the pre-health club at Cumberlands and is studying biology with hopes to enroll in the university’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program after completing her bachelor’s degree.

Shi Richie Hannah Martell

Jessica Lawson

John Foss

Anne & Paxton Haake

Drew & Jeremiah Smith

Jim Taylor

Jill Partin

Doug Bartee

Ryan Sargent

Lisa Rains

Justin Ratliff

Michael Jackson

Tina Mayne

CLASSNOTES

1960s

John M. (Wilson) Jeronimo, ’67, is the chairman of the Board of the Florida Architectural Foundation of the American Institute of Architects. He currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Atlantic Center for the Arts, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The ACA, for over 40 years, has been and continues to be the world's leading interdisciplinary artist's residency.

1970s

Danny Blair, attended ’77-79, is the founding director of the Center for Deaf Studies and is an assistant professor at California Baptist University. He has been working on a documentary film called Breaking the Silence — A Story of Deaf Refugees.

Jim Tarrant, ‘86, retired after 18 years as professor of music and director of choral studies at Southwest Baptist University. His 37-year career in music also included the music industry and church music. He and his wife, Katie (Nichols), ’84, reside in Missouri, as do their two daughters, Sarah and Brittany.

John Mitchell, ‘87, has been named executive director with the Heart of Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross in Murfreesboro, TN.

Connie Belcher, ‘88, retired after serving as an administrator for 30 years at Oneida Baptist Institute.

1990s

Angela (Beaty) Bailey, ‘90, is the new business manager of the Finance Office at Lenoir City Schools, TN.

Elementary School in Garrard County, Kentucky. Jennifer began her teaching career in 1990, teaching 2nd grade.

Erin (McCorkle) McCracken, ‘95, started a new position with Hapag-Llyod as the senior manager procurement intermodal rail for North America.

Regina (Callihan) May, ‘99, began her own optometry practice, Eyes on Lex, in Lexington, KY.

2000s

Nicole (Curtis) Gordon, ‘01, passed the CPA exam and became a licensed CPA in June 2022.

1980s

Dr. John B. Bunrasi, EdD ‘82, retired as math educator and math department Chair at Jefferson Middle School, Oceanside, CA, and is now living on The Big Island, HI.

Tony White, ‘91, and Jennifer (Mason) White, ’90 celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in the Bahamas. Tony retired from the Mercer County Health Department in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, in 2017 after serving as environmental director. Jennifer is currently the library media specialist at Camp Dick Robinson

Jonathan Lawson, ‘05, was selected as 1 of 10 elementary teachers from across the country to serve on the Go Math! advisory council for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Hannah (Rogers) Lane, ‘05, accepted a new job as a demand planner for Readerlink Distribution Services, LLC.

Mitchell (’87)

Blair (‘77-79)

Jeronimo (’67)

Belcher (’88)

Bailey (’90)

2010s

Cindy (Kaeser) Train, ‘10, has been promoted to associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Eastern Kentucky University.

Sherri Matthews, ‘17, received the Teacher of the Year award for LeGrande Elementary School in Hart County, KY, for 2022.

Jennifer Lee, ‘19, joined Wake Technical Community College in

Raleigh, NC, as an instructor in the Web Technologies Department.

2020s

Kryss Shane, ‘21, a cast member of the TLC hit show, "I Am Jazz," just released her third book, and is currently providing international trainings throughout the U.S., Canada, England, and Romania — with more events being scheduled daily.

Dr. Robinson Tombari Sibe, MSDF '21, PhD '22, was admitted into the Forbes technology council. Forbes described Sibe as a “Rivers-born cybersecurity wizkid.” Its technology council is said to be reserved for world-class technologists ranging from chief information officers (CIOs) and chief technology officers (CTOs) to form global technology executives. executives.

i do.

Michael Rice, ‘12, and Susanna (Shelley) Rice, ‘12, were married on November 20, 2021.

Mackenzie (Smith) Jones, ‘20, married Austin Jones on July 2, 2022.

Thomas Cook, ‘14, and Madison (Mitchell) Cook, ‘15, were married in St. Lucia, Carribean in August 2022.

Caleb Kirby, ‘16, and Courtnie (Carr) Kirby ’19, MBA ’20, were married on June 10, 2022.

Michael Monday, ‘18, and Falon Bell, ‘21, were married on August, 27, 2022.

Train (’10) Lane (’05) Sibe (’21, ’22)

Lawson (’05) May (’99)

The following members of Cumberlands family have passed away since the publication of our last magazine. We send our thoughts and prayers to their families and will forever remember their impact on the Cumberlands Community. Alumni

Betty (Ballou) Wood, ’41, passed away on May 24, 2021.

Nora D. (Taylor) Roberts, ’42, passed away on June 28, 2022.

Anna (Cooper) Watts, ’43, passed away on March 2, 2022.

Ida M. (Mullins) Judy, ’49, passed away on September 3, 2022.

Louise (Taylor) Crabtree, ’50, passed away on September 26, 2022.

Theda (Johnson) Marlow, ’50, passed away on January 15, 2022.

Norma (Taylor) Moses, ’50, passed away on May 22, 2022.

William L. Claybrook, ’51, passed away on June 12, 2022.

Herman Tolle, ’51, passed away on November 8, 2021.

Norma A. (Sawyer) Kelley, ’53, passed away on July 29, 2022.

Carl L. Burnett, ’53, passed away on November 27, 2021.

Ervin B. Pack, ’55, passed away on July 2, 2022.

Kathleen (Johnson) Werner, ’55, passed away on August 28, 2022.

Marjorie (Smith) Asher-Grout, ’57, passed away on May 21, 2022.

Henderson "Farrell" Henegar, ’57, passed away on May 25, 2021.

Margaret J. (Smith) Shackelford, ’57, passed away on June 6, 2022.

Viva S. (Combs) Sumner, ’57, passed away on July 28, 2022.

Bert Boggs, ’58, passed away on August 3, 2022.

Wanda "Carole" (Mahoney) Siler, ’58, passed away on April 13, 2022.

Sue (Wininger) Tomlin, ’58, passed away on March 23, 2021.

Marielyn (Newport) Hardin, ’59, passed away on August 3, 2022.

William E. "Bill" Mayne, ’61, passed away on July 21, 2022.

Christine (Stephens) Chalek, ’62, passed away on May 14, 2022.

James H. Hall, ’62, passed away on June 23, 2022.

Mary Phyllis (Hensley) Lathrop, ’62, passed away on August 16, 2022.

Grace J. (Miller) Abbott, ’63, passed away on May 26, 2022.

Clifford R. Morris, ’64, passed away on September 8, 2022.

eBetty (Dodson) York, ‘64, passed away on September 8, 2021.

William D. Taylor, ’64, passed away on September 27, 2022.

Kay Norman, ’65, passed away on April 1, 2022.

Robert B. Ohler, ’66, passed away on June 13, 2022.

Dr. Robert D. Mantooth, ’67, passed away on May 20, 2022.

Donald D. White, ’67, passed away on September 28, 2022.

William "Darrell" Hansel, ’68, passed away on September 21, 2021.

Betty R. Sharp, ’68, passed away on July 10, 2022.

Darren Bell, ’69, passed away on April 10, 2022.

Linda (Swart) Meadows, ’69, passed away on September 17, 2022.

Ronald W. Redmon, ’69, passed away on August 3, 2022.

John Williams, ’69, passed away on March 18, 2022.

Linda (Jenkins) Teague, ’70, passed away on February 5, 2022.

Alan Threlkeld, ’70, passed away on April 16, 2022.

Douglas E. Williams, ’71, passed away on September 22, 2022.

Donald L. Disney, ‘72, passed away on April 22, 2022.

John J. Harmon, ’72, passed away on January 19, 2022.

Gerald S. Overstreet, ’72, passed away on August 20, 2021.

Willis Hubbs, ’73, passed away on March 25, 2022.

David Y. Higgins, ’74, passed away on June 26, 2022.

Donald L. Bryant, ’77, passed away on September 2, 2022.

Janet L. Johnson, ’77, passed away on July 2, 2022.

Dr. Donald M. Black, ’78, passed away on July 25, 2022.

Grover Lynch, ’78, passed away on July 14, 2022.

Wayne Seivers, ’78, passed away on July 15, 2022.

Rebecca (Stoneciper) Stewart, ’78, passed away on May 19, 2022.

Joseph J. Dallas, ’79, passed away on August 19, 2021.

Linda Cassada, ’83, passed away on July 11, 2022.

Lisa K. (Gibson) Burrows, ’84, passed away on August 30, 2022.

Ray D. Foley, Jr., ’86, passed away on May 28, 2022.

Rex Gregory, ’86, passed away on April 11, 2022.

Michael D. Philpot, ’86, passed away on May 16, 2022.

Richard A. Evans, ’88, passed away on July 24, 2022.

Janet E. Ball, ’90, passed away on August 16, 2022.

Karlie (Dezarn) Daniels, ’90, passed away on January 31, 2022.

Daphne (Loudermilk) Loze, ’94, passed away on October 19, 2021.

Cecil Hollen, ’00, passed away on March 21, 2022.

Dr. Julie (Turner) Whitis, ’11, passed away on April 18, 2022.

Debbie (Stogner) Burdon, ’12, passed away on April 20, 2022.

Gregory "Rudy" Strahan, Jr., ’16, passed away on April 23, 2022.

Farren Young, ’18, passed away on April 8, 2022.

Lonnie D. Walden, passed away on June 15, 2022. He was a Trustee at Cumberlands for sixteen years.

C umberlands C ouple ^^

Josh Hash, ’22, and Tristan (Gibbs) Hash, ’22, grew up in Corbin, Kentucky, and met back in middle school, though they didn’t begin dating until they were seniors in high school. Their first date was in spring 2018, after one of Josh’s baseball games; they went to Dairy Queen and ate ice cream cones.

Tristan transferred to Cumberlands after a year at a state school, and Josh spent all four years of his undergrad at Cumberlands. The small campus size helped both of them develop friendships, which made their college experiences very special. Tristan especially liked the small class sizes, as it helped her get to know her classmates and professors better.

Both Josh and Tristan were involved in Campus Ministries activities, volunteered with their local church, and served as campus ambassadors in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Immediately following their commencement ceremony in May 2022, Josh proposed, and Tristan said “yes.” They were married three months later, on August 27, 2022.

Josh is working on his MBA at Cumberlands while serving as a Residence Hall Director on campus. Tristan is working at a local restaurant while applying to dental schools. If (though, we say, WHEN!) she is accepted into a dental school, the couple will move to be closer to the school, so she can attend classes.

“It has been fun to watch one another grow up into the people we have become today,” said Tristan. “Now that we are married, we are looking forward to doing the rest of our lives together and watching one another grow into a parent, grandparent, and much more!”

atriot SALUTE

Ms. Worthington

Communicating the Cumberlands way

Dr. Keith Semmel and Ms. Marianne Worthington were the dynamic husband and wife duo of the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts until their retirement in May 2022. The couple moved to Williamsburg in the fall of 1990 with their two-year-old daughter Katelyn to begin teaching at Cumberlands. Both had previously taught at Ball State University.

“We didn’t really have culture shock at all,” said Worthington. “I was raised in Appalachia and was very happy to be back close to home and near my parents. Keith grew up in the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania in a very small town like Williamsburg, so he felt very comfortable here too. We had both been teaching at a huge state university, so we were excited to come teach at a private liberal arts college.”

Dr. Semmel co-founded the Department and was appointed chair, serving through 2020. Both he and Ms. Worthington were instrumental in building the curriculum that eventually became the communication arts major at Cumberlands, especially specializing in teaching analytical and critical writing (Worthington) and media studies (Semmel).

Semmel taught classes in journalism, mass media, film history, video production and radio broadcasting, as well as special topics courses in the Beatles, Steven Spielberg, animation history, and others. Worthington primarily taught persuasion theories, critical writing, and journalism courses, including media writing, literary journalism, and feature writing. She also directed the senior capstone projects for many years.

Semmel volunteered as general manager for Cumberlands’

campus radio station WCCR and hosted the weekly radio show “Strictly the Sixties” for 18 years. In 2002, when Cumberlands relaunched its campus newspaper as The Patriot, Semmel served as one of its faculty advisors. From 2002-2004, he produced and hosted the UC Fine Arts Film Series. Semmel also helped with two Reaffirmations of Accreditation, serving as Editor of the Accreditation Report in 2016. Semmel received Cumberlands' Teaching in Excellence Award (2005), the John Broome Honored Professor Award (2001) and the Mansfield University Distinguished Educator Award (2016).

Worthington received the Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council and artist’s grants from Kentucky Foundation for Women and the Berea Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowship. She has published essays, reviews, and poetry for over 30 years in regional and national publications and has edited four anthologies of creative and critical writing. She has also published two books of poems, and her most recent collection, The Girl Singer, won the prestigious Weatherford Award for Poetry from the Appalachian Studies Association in March 2022. In addition, Worthington co-founded and serves as an editor for the online literary journal Still: The Journal.

Overall, the couple doesn’t have any grandiose plans for retirement; they’re enjoying all the relaxation they can after the last couple unprecedented years of teaching. Semmel enjoys drinking coffee on the porch most mornings and is continuing his collection of all things Hanna-Barbera; his "toy room," as the couple calls it (pictured above) is like a miniature museum of the cartoon company's work. Worthington is enjoying reading and writing more, crafting, and teaching creative writing courses.

Since Cumberlands’ founding in 1888, many things have changed about this institution in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. In this section, we peel back the layers of time for a glimpse at what life was like “back in the day” to see what is different – and what has stayed remarkably similar – from then to now.

The history of the University of the Cumberlands' tennis program has its highs and lows. If you were a student in the early '80s, you might even be thinking, "We had a tennis program?" Here's a quick look at the program's early days, its reintroduction in 1985, and its evolution into what it is today.

Earliest History

It's uncertain how long Cumberlands has had an established tennis team, but we know that students have played the game for decades. Old black and white photos reveal a gated tennis court behind Moss (Roburn) Hall. Other images show a more make-shift court gated with wood and netting. Guys and gals alike enjoyed the game, sporting such attire as trousers and visors for the men and long skirts and short bobs for the ladies.

for the team and eventually became its formal coach. According to Tan, the newly re-established team played on a clay court where the music building is located today. Later teams played on courts located on what is today a grass soccer field.

The Program Today

Dr. Tan was named head coach of the team in 1989. He has coached many accomplished individual players, led many teams to impressive victories, and has received recognition for his excellence as a coach. His wife, Dr. Juile Tan, has also contributed to the program through recruitment and other needed support. International students are an important part of the program, and Cumberlands' reach extends around the world. Cumberlands has many international players because the sport has become increasingly globalized. Coach Tan himself is from Malaysia, and he has established a robust pipeline with the country that he hopes to see grow from other Asiatic countries. As of today, the tennis program has recruited players from Argentina, France, Spain, Austria, England, Italy, Brazil, and other nations.

Tennis of the 1970's

The 70's was an interesting period for Cumberland tennis. Players of this time opted for shorts, polos, and shaggy hair rather than trousers and visors worn by their early predecessors. The 70s also saw at least one big win and the addition of an international player. In 1970, the team won a KIAC championship title. In 1971, Josh Turner, Canada’s 5th seeded singles player of 1970, signed with Cumberland. Both events made headlines in the Corbin TimesTribune, and the coach at the time, Ted Clark, believed that the international player’s signing was a breakthrough for Cumberland Tennis.

The Re-establishment of the Program

The current tennis coach, Dr. Chin-Teck Tan, explained that, prior to 1985, the program was cut due to a violations issue. So, in 1985, Dr. Tony Johnson led Tan and a few others in re-establishing the tennis program. IT Professor Dr. Barbara Doyle became the sponsor

The most noticeable physical difference today are the facilities used by our current tennis teams. They're recent additions to the campus, located across from the Hutton School of Business. The facilities' production got underway in summer 2020 and was finished by early 2021. We now call that general area "Patriot Park." Coach Tan says, "The new tennis facility is the envy for all of our opponents. For our players, we feel proud of our courts, and we continue to marvel at its beauty. Being on campus, it serves an extra impetus for our players when we are practicing or competing.”

Office of Alumni Services

6075 College Station Drive Williamsburg, KY 40769

ucumberlands.edu