COFFEE WITH THE CRU
Hannah Franks ‘20, Aja Wiley ’21, and Lauren Burns ’20 joined other recent graduates for coffee and networking with the Young Alumni Board during Homecoming 2023 festivities.
UMHB LIFE
SPRING 2024 | VOLUME 44, NUMBER 2
PRESIDENT
Randy O’Rear, Ed.D. ’88
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Rebecca O'Banion, Ed.D. ’93
EDITOR
Christi Mays
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Lauren Mendias
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Jennifer Jones ’08
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Hannah Van Beusekom
CONTRIBUTORS
Keely Mills
Ashley Smith ’03
Lauren Turner
UMHB LIFE IS PUBLISHED THREE TIMES A YEAR BY THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT.
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UMHBLIFE
SPRING 2024 | VOLUME 44, NUMBER 2
DEPARTMENTS
02 | CAMPUS LIFE
UMHB sends first group of students to Germany for student exchange program.
05 | CAMPUS LIFE
Christian Evangelist and Missionary Franklin Graham challenges students to “start moving” in 19th McLane Lecture.
11 | SPORTS
Women’s and men’s soccer, women’s cross country and volleyball have winning regular seasons.
24 | ALUMNI NOTES
Merritt Johnston ’00 connects people and stories from across the globe and Mary Lou Robinson ’90, 96 recalls a last-minute cross-country trip to attend UMHB nursing school.
FEATURES
FORGIVING DAY | 12
Students learn about a forgotten tradition called Forgiving Day that started in 1878.
UNBREAKABLE BONDS | 18
Roommates recall the special memories and fun on campus, and how they stay connected even decades later.
WALKING THROUGH GOD'S
OPEN DOORS | 22
Director of UMHB Arts Academy shares how her life and career serve as a “testimony,” including when she won a Dove Award for her VeggieTales musical.
ON THE COVER |
UNBREAKABLE BONDS
Freshmen Charlee Northrup and Chloe Galvez have already bonded as lifelong friends since rooming together their first semester, and Charlee says it was an “answered prayer” to find a roommate like Chloe.
PHOTO BY Hannah Van Beusekom
A Global Perspective
UMHB PARTNERS WITH GERMANY ACADEMY FOR STUDENT EXCHANGE
After signing a letter of intent last spring with the Johanniter Academy of Germany for a three-year international student exchange program, the first group of UMHB students spent two weeks this fall in Leipzig, Germany. The first cohort, made up of UMHB nursing, teacher education and social work students, experienced German campus life and shadowed partners in their field placements. This spring, the German students will visit UMHB for two weeks, spending time on campus, in class and shadowing the UMHB students in the cohort.
“We could not be more excited about our partnership with Johanniter,” said Dr. Stephen Baldridge, dean of UMHB's College of Humanities and Sciences. "This exchange program allows our students to see their vocation from a global perspective, use their skills in a completely new context, serve others and use their passions in ways they would never have without this exchange. I can't think of a more perfect way for students to find their true calling than an experience like this."
BGCT Honors '89 UMHB Graduate
At this year’s Homecoming, Mark Fitzwater ‘89 was given the BEST—Baptist Educators Serving Texas award. Each year, the Baptist General Convention of Texas gives the BEST award to teachers or administrators who live out their faith in the service of students. Each recipient must be an alumnus of a BGCT educational institution, a member of a Texas Baptist church and serve in a Texas public school.
Mark has spent the last 16 years serving with the Belton Independent School District and received the Big Red Heart Award, designed to recognize staff members for high service to students, families, schools, and the community. He is well-loved by his students and equips them for success. The Fitzwater family has several generations of graduates.
Voice Majors Excel at Annual Event
Five music performance majors brought home some exceptional wins from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) TEXOMA Regional Conference this past semester, including first- and third-place titles.
Competing against approximately 550 singers in various categories according to their age and level of study, five out of the seven UMHB students at the event advanced to the semi-finals and two students won.
Sophomore Joshua McMiller was the overall winner of the Hall Johnson Spirituals Competition, which is a separate category of competition than the age-group competitions. The purpose of this competition is to restore authenticity to the performance of the classically-arranged spiritual, one of America’s unique contributions to world culture. Joshua not only won first place in this category, but he also received a scholarship to study this summer at the
AIMS (American Institute of Musical Studies) in Graz, Austria. AIMS is one of the leading summer music programs in Europe. The program is designed to prepare students for a career as a professional musician. Joshua was also a semi-finalist in the Sophomore Men category.
Junior Kenneth McCall took thirdplace in the finals Graduate Men category.
The three other students who made it to semi-finals were Natalie Crayton - Sophomore Women; Benjamin Perkinson - Senior Men; and Marissa Sanchez - Freshman Women.
“NATS is a wonderful opportunity for our voice majors to not only compete at a high level, but to watch professional recitals, attend masterclasses and clinics, and network with colleagues and university professors in the Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico region,” said Dr. Samantha Balboa, assistant professor of music. “The UMHB music department is incredibly proud of their success. They work hard, support one another and leave with a wealth of knowledge and experience.”
Pictured above, left, Junior Kenneth McCall (left) took third-place in the finals Graduate Men category while Sophomore Joshua McMiller won the Hall Johnson Spirituals Competition and was named semi-finalist in the Sophomore Men category. Some of the contestants of the NATS TEXOMA Regional Conference are, from left, Natalie Crayton, Adam Funderburg, Kenneth McCall, Dr. Samantha Balboa, Marissa Sanchez, Lisi Clarke, Joshua McMiller, and Associate Professor Richard Novak.
New
UMHB Podcast Launches
This past fall, UMHB launched a new podcast called “Into the Future” with student host Allie Berg, junior English major. Four episodes are available to rewatch on the UMHB YouTube channel or listen to on the Spotify channel. The first episode features 1999 graduates Brian and Christy Guenther who share inspiring stories from their faith journey. Charles “Skeeta” Jenkins ‘00 joins Allie in Episode 2 to share stories of hope and encouragement from his time at UMHB and beyond. In Episode 3, Larry Locke, a professor in the McLane College of Business discusses how God kept him grounded and taught him humility as he experienced success in his career, and in Episode 4, Will '13 and Beth ‘03 Norvell converse about obedience through worship. Watch or listen to the UMHB podcast at youtube.com/@ maryhardinbaylor or search “Into the Future” on Spotify under “Podcasts.”
Picture above, Junior English major Allie Berg with 1999 alumni Christy and Brian Guenther for the first episode of the new “Into the Future” podcast.
ALUMNI MEETUP IN NYC TO SEE CHOIRS PERFORM AT CARNEGIE HALL
The UMHB Concert Choir performed with internationally acclaimed composer, arranger and orchestrator Heather Sorenson at Carnegie Hall this November.
The choir, along with other performers, presented Sorenson’s newly commissioned work, “Requiem,” in honor of those lost during COVID-19. “Requiem” was written to bring hope and healing to all who have experienced loss.
Members of the UMHB Alumni Association connected with around 40 alumni and friends in New York to cheer on the UMHB choirs as they performed. They also enjoyed Italian cuisine at Trattoria Del’Arte.
“This trip provided a great opportunity to connect with our alumni in the New York area, share stories of our days at UMHB, and support our choir students as they performed an amazing concert in Carnegie Hall,” said Jeff Sutton ’07, director of Alumni Engagement.
Businessman Drayton McLane Jr. Encourages Business Students
Successful entrepreneur and businessman Drayton McLane Jr. spoke to business students this semester at the McLane College of Business, encouraging them to always focus on moving forward and never remaining stagnate.
“I encourage you to expand your thoughts and to move forward and think how you can live a more caring, interesting and challenging life,” he told the students.
McLane told the students how getting his degrees at Baylor University and Michigan State university helped propel him forward to take on and grow his family’s grocery distribution business into the McLane Company, an international firm he led as president and CEO for 30 years. He grew McLane Co. into a $19 billion company before it merged with Walmart in 1990.
Photo above, Watching the performance are, Adrian and Pauline ’62 Brody, Sara Lee ’63, Harry and Annie ‘63 Tsang, Paul and Taryn ’06 Daniels, and Dr. Rebecca O’Banion ’93. Photo below, The Leftwich family.
Christian Evangelist and Missionary Franklin Graham Speaks at 19th McLane Lecture
More than 2,500 students and guests welcomed Christian evangelist and missionary Franklin Graham as the featured speaker for the 2023 McLane Lecture on Oct. 11 in the Frank and Sue Mayborn Campus Center arena.
The fourth of five children of the late evangelist Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, Franklin Graham is the president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), which proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. He actively works with hurting people in areas affected by war, famine, disease, poverty, disaster and persecution. Proclaiming the Gospel in the far corners of the globe, he has shared the hope of Jesus through more than 325 evangelistic outreaches in
over 55 countries and territories and in all 50 states.
As a speaker and author, Graham regularly addresses current moral and social issues, calling Christians to stand for Biblical values and challenging them to make a difference in the world for the sake of the Gospel. He is editor-in-chief of BGEA’s Decision magazine, the “Evangelical Voice for Today,” which features solid scriptural teaching as well as timely articles with a Biblical worldview about issues and events in today’s culture, including many topics that affect the freedom of believers to live out their faith.
Graham challenged the crowd to “get it right!” He said, “We’re all on a journey called life. You only have one shot at life. You don’t want to miss it. You don’t want to mess around. You want to get it right. Make your life count. Don’t waste
your time. Have some fun, but know what you want to do and do it!”
Graham went on to say, “Proverbs 3: 5-6 – ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him; he will direct your path.’ That doesn’t mean you don’t use your understanding or education. It just means that you don’t depend or lean on them. You have to trust the Lord. Acknowledge him. And then, start moving!”
This is the 19th McLane Lecture sponsored by Elizabeth and Drayton McLane Jr. The purpose of the McLane Lecture is to bring outstanding individuals to the UMHB campus to share their experiences and insights about leadership, government, business, and faith. Franklin Graham joins a long list of exceptional McLane Lecture speakers, including Dr. Tony Evans, Charlie Duke, President George W. Bush, Chuck Norris, Mary Lou Retton, George Foreman and more.
Minister recounts decision to stay and help Ukrainians after Russia invasion The Good Samaritan
When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February last year, Dr. Ivan Rusyn helped rush his seminary faculty, staff and students away from the artillery and missile strikes while he and other key administrators bunkered down a mere 1,000 feet from the Russian front lines to assist those who couldn’t leave.
From that first day of the war, Rusyn, who is president and professor of missions at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, and his team have been actively involved in a relief ministry, providing care to those suffering from the atrocities of war.
Rusyn, who visited a chapel service this fall, shared with students how he stayed behind to help, placing himself in grave danger, because “the church cannot serve people without being among the people. We have to walk the same path.”
To help students understand his decision, he challenged them to look at the parable of the Good Samaritan through “Ukrainian lenses amid a fullscale war.”
“A Samaritan was ready to help when it was dangerous,” he said. “He gave the most important thing to the one who was wounded—time and resources. He demonstrated compassion.”
After spending more than 600 consecutive days serving in the war-torn country, Rusyn looks back, knowing Jesus challenged him to stay.
“Our first reaction is to run away from the suffering—from the places where danger is—but Jesus is the incarnation, teaching me to go to the epicenter of the suffering,” said Rusyn, who is also an ordained minister of the
Ukrainian Evangelical Church and copastor of Christ Temple Church in Kyiv.
Just as he can see Jesus in the beaten man in the parable, Rusyn says he also sees Jesus in the traumatized people of Ukraine.
“When I see that innocent people, children, women, and people with disabilities are suffering, I know that Jesus suffers as well because He is in them. We are created in His image.”
He said he also sees Jesus in those helping, just as the Samaritan helped.
“As I witnessed people being killed— soldiers and civilians—I realized I didn’t see Jesus as a supernatural figure, but I’m quite sure I hear His voice when an old lady receiving some help says, ‘Thank you.’”
Rusyn said that in stressful situations, the best way to serve the Lord is by caring about our neighbors, which is a “great confirmation that we love the Lord.”
The bullet holes left in his campus walls are a constant reminder of why he remains to help.
“Compassion, for me, means to suffer together—to suffer in the same way as others have and to have the same scars as society has,” he said.
He encouraged the students to continue to pray even when the war ends because more than seven million “children of war” will grow up with deep-rooted trauma that will follow them their entire lives.
“Be the voice of Ukraine in your society. Let your government know that you care,” he added. “And be the people who are committed to the ministry of transformation. The world needs competent and faithful people who, by the profession of ministry and integrity, will transform the world.”
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
The Office of Kingdom Diversity partnered with the UMHB Hispanic Student Association and the College of Visual and Performing Arts to host the Fiesta en la Calle Latino Festival this fall. The event featured a Hispanic music concert and street festival with members of the Ballet Folklórico Guzmán, a group out of Round Rock, Texas. Festival goers also enjoyed food, games, face painting, photo ops and a UMHB sticker. Pictured are dancers with Ballet Folklórico Guzmán.
MARCH 27, 2024
12:30PM | 3:00PM | 5:30PM
Receptions for alumni will follow each show at the Alumni Center.
March 4-8, 2024
Join us for UMHB’s biggest fundraising event of the year! Alumni, friends, businesses and more will unite to support UMHB’s unique vision for Christian higher education. Learn about how UMHB is helping students find their purpose and how you can be involved in this week-long event.
It’s never too late to contribute! Visit umhb.edu/pgg for details. To become a Purple Gives Gold Business Partner, visit advance.umhb.edu/pgg-business #purpleGIVESgold
BY LAUREN
A Chance Encounter
PA student recounts chance experience helping distressed cyclist
Sept. 15 was an ordinary day of clinical rotations for Michael Yencho, a graduate student in the physician assistant program at UMHB. However, on his commute from Belton to Darnall Army Medical Center on Fort Cavazos, he noticed a scene of distress at a nearby gas station.
“On the side of the road, there were two cars stopped and a cyclist was hit by a vehicle near the Exxon on I-14 frontage and FM 1670,” he explained. “I pulled into the gas station parking lot and assessed the situation. There was one person, an ICU nurse, rendering first aid.”
Michael served as a field artillery officer for 10 years before deciding to attend the PA program at UMHB. Once he knew medical assistance was needed, his Army experience and PA education kicked in.
“I ran inside the gas station, purchased two gallons of water and used that to help wash and clean the wounds,” he said. “I adjusted the tourniquet on their arm, making sure it was above the wound as well as tight.”
Michael and other nearby medical professionals stayed with the cyclist until EMS personnel arrived at the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition.
“I assisted in rendering aid, but again was thankful the first person on scene was an ICU nurse … We were blessed so many medical personnel were there to really provide aid to this person,” he said.
Unfortunately, Michael did not learn the name of the cyclist and was unable to receive any updates on their condition.
“I was shocked, surprised and saddened. This person was simply cycling and was struck by a vehicle,” he said. “As unfortunate as the situation was, this person was blessed in some regard that it happened in a location where people could respond and not isolated in some rural area.”
As a precaution, Michael received post-exposure prophylaxis care to make sure no blood-borne pathogens
had been spread while he assisted the victim and then continued with his 12-hour OB-GYN clinical shift. Maj. Merry Fontenot, his preceptor for the day and chief of midwifery at CRDAMC Women’s Health Clinic, commended Michael on his performance and quick action.
“He is very knowledgeable already, but also very eager to learn,” she said. “Even after everything that occurred, he still gave 100 percent during a busy labor triage shift. I’m very proud of the work he has done, and I know he’ll be a wonderful provider.”
Even with his education and Army experience, responding to this emergency still left a lasting impact on the PA student.
“You never know what is going to happen on any given day,” Michael said. “I would encourage others to just think of where they live as their community and how you can help each other. It doesn’t even have to be a [traumatic experience] to make a difference. Simply treating others with respect and being kind and understanding to people goes a long way.”
Making Connections
Students Learn From Sports Industry Professionals at Symposium
Six sport management students spent time this fall networking with 200-plus college students and learning from sport industry professionals at the annual UNT Sport Entertainment Symposium at AT&T Stadium.
The symposium and career fair, hosted by the University of North Texas, is designed to help prepare students for the sport and entertainment industry. It featured presentations from the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Legends, Dallas Stars and the Allen Americans Professional Hockey Club. Jerry Jones Jr., chief sales and marketing officer and executive vice president of the Dallas Cowboys, was the keynote speaker.
Dr. Lester Sombito '96, associate professor, says exposing students to experiential learning and growth opportunities creates lasting memories that contribute to their learning and professional growth.
“We want them to know that their educational investment has a return,” he said. “Our students should know that their educational experience supports the creation of opportunities for what they seek in the sport industry.”
The event also gave students and the UMHB program visibility, which is essential for prospective job opportunities and bringing speakers to campus.
“Relationships are important in the sport industry, so the opportunity to network with sport organizations, industry professionals and educational colleagues is essential,” Sombito said.
Attending the symposium are, from left, Associate Professor Dr. K.B. Shim, sophomore Tyler Lesko, junior Noah Laufer, senior Daniel Weires, senior Jalon Burns, junior Brooke Grissom and assistant professor Dr. Jesse Mala. Senior Yanelle Licona and Assistant Professor Dr. Lester Sombito also attended.
First MPH Graduates Receive Diplomas
Jen Sutton ’07, ‘23 (right) and Ashley Watson ’22, ‘23 walked across the December graduation stage as the first two students to receive a Master of Public Health (MPH) graduates. As part of the growing list of degrees available in the Mayborn College of Health Sciences, the new Public Health Program (PHP) offers three degree options: the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), the Master of Public Health (MPH), and a five-year, fasttrack BSPH-MPH combined degree. To learn more about the program, visit umhb.edu/programs/ public-health. NOTEWORTHY
New Dean of Education
Named
Dr. Craig Hammonds started in his new role this January as Dean of the College of Education. As a member of the faculty for almost 13 years, he began serving as director for the Master of Education Program in 2012, and in 2018 began serving as the associate dean in the College of Education. He holds a Master in Teaching from City University of Seattle and received a Doctorate of Education in 2011 from UMHB.
10 Years of Band Starts New Tradition at Homecoming
RETURNING TO THE FIELD: Band alumni join current members on the field for practice and to celebrate 10 years of Cru Spirit Band.
Basketball and football seasons were Christina Cruz’s '23 favorite times at UMHB. This was when she got to play with the Spirit Band. As joy and anticipation bubbled up inside her on game days, she would don her black uniform, pack up her trombone and head to the field or arena with her fellow band members.
Playing the UMHB fight song along with her dearest friends was something she cherished most about her time on campus while she was a student.
This past fall marked the Cru Spirit Band’s 10th anniversary and also saw a new tradition born. At all future Homecomings, the spirit band’s alumni are invited to perform during the game. This was thrilling news to Christina who recently graduated in May of 2023. Now, each year, she has the opportunity to relive her glory days as a band member.
“I was excited when they asked alumni to return.” Christina said. “I recently graduated but I enjoyed seeing the current and past members again. It’s a new tradition I’m going to look forward to now!”
More than 25 band alumni attended this year’s reunion and joined in for morning rehearsal. They then performed with the band during the CRUise, during pregame on the field and in the stands throughout the game. The Spirit Band’s directors, Dr. Jared Hunt and Michael Garasi, happily welcomed the alumni back.
“You often hear the word ‘family’ when referring to organizations in college, and that does not end when you walk across the stage at graduation,” said Hunt. “I still feel a connection to my college marching band and believe hosting events for our alumni is a special way to maintain that connection. I would love for this event to be something our alumni look forward to each year and for our current band members to have the desire to come back and attend in the future!”
He said this year’s participants spanned back to 1994 with a widespread representation of instruments, including flute, clarinet, trumpet, mellophone, baritone, trombone, tuba and percussion.
Christina said being in the band at UMHB helped her develop as a person and musician, and the directors pushed her and the other members to be the best version of themselves. The memories she made with fellow band members will always be near and dear to her.
“I couldn’t believe how much I missed playing in the Spirit Band,” she said. “It was gratifying to be performing with everyone again.”
Hunt, who has taught band at UMHB for two years, said he enjoyed meeting band members who were here before him and he is excited to start the new tradition at UMHB.
“I look forward to our numbers growing, our alumni band growing, and finding more ways to incorporate our alumni band members into the gameday experience for Homecoming each year at UMHB.”
Women's Soccer
The UMHB women’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament but was eliminated by Emory University in a penalty kick shootout following a 2-2 tie. UMHB ended its 2023 campaign with an overall 16-1-2 record and an American Southwest Conference regular season title. The team’s only loss of the season was to Hardin-Simmons University in the ASC Championship. This year’s NCAA Tournament appearance was the team’s third in program history and its first time to host.
Women's Cross Country
The UMHB women's cross country team advanced to the NCAA Division III West Region Cross Country Championships after finishing second in the 2023 ASC Cross Country Championships this fall where the team ran a 2:02:53 with an average time of 24:34 to finish second. McMurry University won The ASC meet with a 2:02:27 and an average time of 24:29.
Men's Soccer
The men's soccer team won its third consecutive regular-season title and ended its season 9-5-2. The team advanced to the American Southwest Conference Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Semifinals and ended its season in a one-goal loss to UT Dallas.
UMHB Volleyball
The Cru volleyball team earned the regular season ASC title while going 13-1 in conference play after falling to East Texas Baptist University 3-0 in the championship game. The UMHB volleyball team closed its 2023 campaign with a 27-2 overall record.
The Forgotten Tradition
Anne Luther
Students quarrel. Feelings get hurt. Relationships break. It happens every day on every college campus, even a Christian one. Almost 150 years ago, Anne Luther, the president’s wife, devised a plan to help end the festering feuds and help heal broken relationships among the all-woman student body. Thus began a since-forgotten tradition she called “Forgiving Day.”
The idea came to Anne just before Thanksgiving in 1878. Determined to promote peace before their holiday feast, she and student Elli Moore Townsend tasked faculty and staff to mediate between squabbling students to get them to bury their differences and start anew. They believed one couldn’t truly be thankful during Thanksgiving without first reconciling their grievances, said Beth Norvell '03, associate director of museum and alumni engagement.
Then, on Thanksgiving Day, as a symbol of reconciliation, each girl had to present a “token of forgiveness” in the form of a hug, handshake, note or word of kindness to any other students with whom she had a grievance. They did this with Anne as witness.
Many girls saw this tradition as challenging and uncomfortable, but as one student said, “We would do anything for Mrs. Luther.”
ASKING THE LORD FOR HELP
Perhaps the idea of “Forgiving Day” formed from Anne’s own grievances from a life filled with ups and downs. But even in bad times, the lessons she learned are a testament of a woman of great faith and forgiveness, which Beth believes contributed to Anne putting so much stock in teaching the virtues of forgiveness to her students.
One such instance happened after the death of Anne’s first child—the first of four who died during her lifetime. According to Anne’s memoirs, she went into a heavy depression she couldn’t pull out of.
“She gave the Lord a timeline and said, ‘Lord, I will lean into this, and I will trust you even though I don’t feel like it,’” Beth recounted from the memoir. Anne gave the Lord a specific amount of time to heal her grief and by the end of that time, her heart was still broken,
and she was devastated.
“Soon after, however, Anne’s heart was flooded with peace and joy, and she never gave the Lord a timeline on healing after that,” Beth said. “It was pivotal for her.”
FORGIVING TODAY
With Thanksgiving around the corner last year, Beth said it was an opportune time to create an exhibit in Bawcom to share the history of the tradition with students.
When Danielle Kenne spotted Elli Moore Townsend’s letter in the display, she was intrigued.
“I was very curious as to what the story behind the forgotten tradition was and was touched by its contents,” said the senior health science pre-occupational therapy major. “I love UMHB history and traditions, so I was super excited to learn about an old tradition I’d never heard of before. It’s such a touching tradition.”
Forgiving others is essential, and she said learning about the forgotten day caused her to think about Thanksgiving in a new light.
“I love the concept of intentionally forgiving people right before Thanksgiving so you can be thankful with a grateful and unburdened heart,” Danielle said. “I never really considered how forgiving others could affect my ability to be truly thankful, and it made me want to spend time in prayer about forgiveness before Thanksgiving.”
Like most everyone, Danielle said she sometimes struggles with forgiveness but tries to remind herself that we are supposed to forgive because the Lord first forgave us.
“I’ve slowly learned that forgiving others is necessary for my own heart, so that I can be in a steadfast relationship with the Lord.”
She says she would love to one day see the old tradition revived at UMHB: “It’s often forgotten by most college students, especially with the chaos of the end of the semester.”
WHAT IS FORGIVENESS?
For the Christian, UMHB Chaplain Jason Palmer describes forgiveness as “a response to the love Jesus demonstrated in which He willingly set aside His right to prioritize justice for the wrongs we had done and, instead, decided to relentlessly pursue relationship with us.”
Anne Luther’s Forgiving Day tradition continued off and on for years but slowly faded into obscurity after students began going home for Thanksgiving. But as Jason points out, “EVERY day is a good day to practice forgiveness!”
HISTORY LESSON
Opposite page, Associate Director of Museum and Alumni Engagement
Beth Norvell '03 shares an excerpt from one of Elli Moore Townsend’s Thanksgiving letters to the Cottage Home girls. At left, Associate Director of Student Organizations Katy Hartt '10 peruses the temporary “Forgiving Day” exhibit set up in Bawcom Student Union prior to Thanksgiving last semester.
“Focusing on forgiveness helps us keep our perspective fixed on things of eternal significance while setting conditions for the mending of hearts—both ours and those of
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- Colossians 3:13
others,” Jason said. “Colossians 3:13 is a favorite verse of mine regarding forgiveness because I’m reminded that the Lord has already set the example that He is asking me to follow.”
TimelessBeauty
The afternoon Mia Hanks laid eyes on the exquisite crimson velvet and tulle evening gown stored in the museum archives, she was mesmerized by its old
She knew before she even tried on the 70-year-old treasure, it was perfect for her to wear in the evening gown portion of the 2024 Miss MHB Pageant. When she slipped it on and looked in the mirror, the length and bodice fit perfectly—like it
“I felt like it had a personality of its own,” said the junior studio art major. “It told a story without me really having to say anything.”
And soon, she learned what that story was.
THE DISCOVERY
Since coming to UMHB, Mia has served as a student worker in the Musick Alumni Center and Museum at the Parker House. She and her supervisor, Beth Norvell ‘03, loved going through the various pieces of clothing alumni have donated over the years. One quiet afternoon, they trekked over to the warehouse looking for dresses.
Chosen to represent Student Foundation in the Miss MHB Pageant, Mia originally planned to wear the gorgeous A-line, bubble-gum pink dress she bought for her prom but never got to wear since the event was canceled during the COVID-19 outbreak.
But the second Mia laid eyes on the exquisite red velvet, she was awestruck and knew it was the dress she was supposed to wear. What neither Beth nor Mia knew at the time was the full story behind the dress, which had been donated to the museum years before. The gown originally belonged to Betty (Bass) Hiles ’56 who passed away earlier last year. According to Betty’s sister, Peggy (Bass) Albin ’58, Betty had worn the dress in the 1955 Miss Bluebonnet
UMHB FEATURES BY CHRISTI MAYS
Pageant—a beauty pageant that eventually evolved into today’s Miss MHB Pageant.
Beth and Mia opened the 1955 Bluebonnet yearbook and found the photo showing Betty wearing the red gown and placing sixth in that year’s beauty pageant.
“It just seemed like it was fated to be worn again,” Beth said, and Peggy agreed, thinking it was a “lovely use for that dress.”
WINNING THE CROWN
Mia was over the moon when she was crowned Miss MHB 2024, and wearing Mrs. Hiles' dress made it that much more special, she said.
“I just loved it so much,” said Mia, whose dream job is to one day work in museum curation and management at the Met or Smithsonian. “I’ve always been really passionate about history and I love stories and old pieces of clothing and art that have someone’s story. It was so meaningful to me.”
Some of the other pageant contestants thought Mia’s dress was an interesting choice and said it looked “very Shakespearean and old.”
“I was like, ‘YES! Exactly!’” Mia said, pumping her fist. That was precisely what she loved about the dress.
The first thought that came to her when she donned the dress was it looked like Rosemary Clooney’s dress in “White Christmas,” which is her mom’s favorite Christmas movie.
“I’ve seen it a thousand times. It was just so unique and distinct. When I learned the year it was from, it just sparked my imagination wondering what it was for.”
in the interview portion of the Miss MHB Pageant, but with only five minutes, she knew her answers would be limited, and opted instead to keep mum about its history.
"I cherish getting to work in Alumni Engagement and representing StuFo. I just have such a heart to interact with alumni, specifically our older alumni. I love their wisdom and the stories they hold.”
Because she wore the dress in the pageant, Mia had the opportunity to have lunch with Peggy and Lorie Hiles, Betty’s daughter. As they chatted during lunch, the trio discovered so many chilling parallels exist between Mia and Betty—like the fact that Betty loved playing piano, and that is what Mia chose as her talent to showcase in the Miss MHB contest.
“It was just another coincidence to learn that and super meaningful to Lorie that I played piano too and got to wear her mom’s dress,” Mia said. Until that lunch, Peggy and Lorie didn’t even know Mia had won the Miss MHB contest, so that made it even more special for them.
“I felt really honored to get to represent Betty,” Mia said. “I know it was not a coincidence that I got to wear this dress. It was totally the Lord.”
The red velvet dress, as well as other Miss MHB dresses, are currently on display at the Musick Alumni Center and Museum at the Parker House.
THEN: MISS MHB 1955 NOW: MISS MHB 2024
Charlee Northrup & Chloe Galvez
Lori Bundrick-Hasse, Tamra Lewis, Kathryn Sowell, Melissa Bell & Danielle King
UNBREAKABLE
College offers countless memories—both good and bad—but for many alums, one of the best is the deep bond they form with their roommates that keeps them connected many decades later.
James Henderson ‘05 thought he’d lucked out his senior year when he was told he wouldn’t have a roommate in the small campus apartment he signed up for at the last minute. He and his roommate from the previous semester hadn’t been as compatible as he’d hoped, so he was looking forward to peace and quiet as he finished his last year.
James’ excitement was short-lived though, after getting a phone call from Mark Williams '04, a guy on his ultimate frisbee team. The two seniors had been assigned to the same room. James hung up the phone confused since he was planning to have the whole place to himself and a little leery of another disappointing experience.
But from day one, the two roommates hit it off after discovering many similarities, like being left-handed and loving basketball. Each of them also had girlfriends they were planning to propose to soon.
“It was amazing how God worked because it was almost an immediate connection,” James said. “We clicked and became best friends.”
Almost two decades later, the two are still best friends—celebrating birthdays, vacationing together, serving in each other's weddings and watching their kids grow up.
“Mark has definitely been a very integral part of my life,” James said, admitting that if Mark hadn’t been randomly assigned to room with him, his college
James Henderson & Mark Williams
BONDS
Jennifer Butenschoen, Monica Bender & Stephanie Bernard
ROOMMATES RELIVE THE MOMENTS THAT BOUND THEM FOR A LIFETIME
BY CHRISTI MAYS
experience wouldn’t have been the same.
“You run into so many people throughout your collegiate experience, and the people that you think are going to be your friends forever—and you say you’re always going to keep in touch with—a lot of them just fizzle and fade out over the years,” he said. “But someone like Mark—someone I really trusted and loved and respected—to have a relationship with him felt like a divine appointment from God.”
RELIVING THE GLORY DAYS
Squeezing two random 18-year-olds and all their stuff into small quarters for five months sometimes leaves roommates with strained patience and stories of woe to tell their future children. But for many, this shared experience during these formative years forges a camaraderie that lasts a lifetime.
"Blessed" is how Jennifer (Harper) Butenschoen '08 describes her living situation in college. She didn't have one, but two roommates she’s remained close to throughout
the years—Monica Bender '07 and Stephanie Bernard '08. The three share sweet memories of doing typical college activities together, like the weekend trip they took with a big group of friends to a cabin in Oklahoma, where they bonded by playing games, exploring the land and sitting around the campfire. After a fun day, the three girls retreated upstairs, laughing for hours until they finally drifted off to sleep.
“The sweetest memory I have of my roommates is chatting and giggling in bed at night,” Jennifer said. “It was always so fun to go to sleep next to a good friend.”
She remembers how she and Monica took turns telling each other silly bedtime stories each night in their room. “We’d giggle and laugh until we cried most nights.”
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One of Jennifer's favorite memories about living with Stephanie was Stephanie’s determination to find Jennifer the “perfect man,” which she succeeded in doing after introducing her to Dean '09, whom she married shortly after graduation.
THE BIG DAY
“Stephanie would secretly invite us both to hang out at different places, and I’d show up, and there he was!” Jennifer recalled. “We eventually got to know each other in these hangouts, and the rest is history!”
apartments and were inseparable (which sometimes became a point of contention with their girlfriends).
Their days together in college were amazing, but shortly after graduation, Sergio moved to Mexico to pursue a business opportunity, and they lost track of each other.
For more than a decade since leaving UMHB, the trio and their husbands and children gather each July at Monica’s house to reminisce and catch up. Plans always include lunch together but almost always extend long into the evening as they catch up on careers, kids and marriage.
Finding her lifelong friends in college meant so much to Jennifer, and it’s hard to imagine a different college experience.
“You’re learning how to become an adult; you’re on your own for the first time; you’re growing in responsibilities. It’s all so special and hard and fun. The friendships that see you through all those transitions are so special—there’s such a bond,” she said. “I love that I’m still friends with Stephanie and Monica because they have seen me through every second of my adult life. We may not talk every day, but we’ve consoled each other through losses, miscarriages, babies being born, changing careers and everything in between.”
LIFELONG FRIENDS
Conrad Rodriguez ‘93 and Sergio Martinez ‘95 became friends on the soccer field, playing for UMHB. Conrad lived at home in Belton his freshman year and often invited Sergio to his house for lunch between classes. During the off-season, the two played in recreational leagues, traveling together every weekend for games in Austin or Waco. The following year, the two decided to room together at the College View
The most amazing coincidence happened several years later, though. Conrad had been working his dream job as a state trooper in Waco and was at the Waco airport as security for President George Bush when he suddenly heard someone yelling his name. Sergio, who was part of the entourage of the Mexican president, had just landed in Waco. Conrad was shocked to run into his buddy again and even more surprised over what seemed like a remarkable coincidence that both were working for presidents!
A few years later, Conrad, who was living in Rockwall, discovered that Sergio was back in Texas, living in Austin. He hit the road for a visit (since they only had a moment to say “hello” in Waco when they ran into each other). Even after living thousands of miles apart for years and getting married and having kids, when the two reconnected, it was as if they hadn’t missed a day. “We were still laughing, cutting up and making fun of each other,” Conrad said. The two now get together at least once or twice each year, sharing old memories and making new ones.
Conrad says his college days probably would have been “much more boring” if he hadn’t had Sergio to share that part of his life with, and he couldn’t imagine now not having him to relive the fun moments.
“Having somebody like Sergio to reconnect with is awesome,” he said. “It’s like having a brother you didn’t have growing up.”
THE TEST OF TIME
When college roommates become lifelong friends, every get-together becomes a walk down memory lane. But multiply that by five (four roommates and an honorary roommate), and the memories are endless. Just ask Class of 1998 roommates Kathryn (Byrum) Sowell, Melissa (Millikan) Bell, Tamra (Kemp) Lewis and Lori Bundrick-Hasse and their “honorary roommate,”
Groom James Henderson with roommate and best man Mark Williams and bride Monica Bender with Jenn Butenschoen and Stephanie Bernard.
blast from the past
UMHB FEATURES BY LAUREN TURNER
2014 DOVE AWARD
Cherry Garasi, director of the UMHB Arts Academy, sits with the Dove Award she won in 2014 from the Gospel Music Association for her musical using VeggieTales music and video.
WALKING THROUGH God's Open
Four schools, many hours of undergrad education, and hundreds of unique experiences—this is the simplest way to summarize the life of Cherry Garasi, the director of the UMHB Arts Academy.
Garasi started her education at Converse University in South Carolina as a music performance major. Through different vocational changes, Garasi found herself at the University of South Carolina, Julliard, and eventually at Samford University.
“My parents met me in Birmingham, and Dr. [Claude] Ray met us on the steps of the music building. It was like a movie. He literally put his arms around me, and he and his faculty helped me finish school.” she said. “I finished my degree. With many, many, many, many, many undergraduate hours.”
Her degree is in piano performance, but she also has the equivalent of a music education degree and holds two minors in social science and English.
All of her educational experiences led Garasi to make professional connections with people across the music and Baptist worlds—one of her many jobs was at Warner Brothers Publishing. Her experience there opened her eyes to the world of legalities of music publishing, knowledge that would come in handy for her next position at Lillenas Publishing Company.
“One of the things that [Lillenas] had proposed was that we form some kind of relationship with VeggieTales … They had never allowed anyone to publish any of their music that they used on their shows or anything else,” she said. “I came up with the idea of doing a musical for children that used VeggieTales music and video images because it had never been done before.”
Her interactive musical included visuals from VeggieTales and live music. Garasi was acknowledged for her trailblazing work in 2014 when she received a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association for one of her musicals, "God Made You Special." In conjunction with writer Pamela Vandewalker, the piece won Youth/Children’s Musical of the Year.
But the Dove Award was not the end for Garasi. A new door had opened.
“We were living in Boca Raton, where everyone wants to go and retire. We just thought this is it! My husband, Michael, got a call from the dean and from the search committee, who were looking for a director of bands here at UMHB,” she said. “We didn't even know who UMHB was. We didn't know anything about Central Texas.”
Despite the complications of the pandemic, Garasi’s
Cherry Garasi’s Story Isn’t Traditional—
It’s a Testimony
Open Doors
husband, Michael, was able to come to UMHB and meet the faculty. A short while later the couple found themselves and their music library moving to Texas.
“We feel like the answer to ‘Why are we here?’ and ‘How did we get here?’ is God called us here,” Garasi said. “We have no doubt in our minds about that whatsoever.”
But just a few months after the move, Garasi was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder that causes the muscles in the heart to wear down. She had to have open heart surgery and was unsure if she would be able to return to work. As she was having lunch one afternoon with Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Kathryn Fouse, she told Fouse she was “bored to death” not working.
“Be careful what you say,” she said laughing. “But I had told God, that if he let me live, I would do anything, and that I wanted to wear myself out doing for Him, because that's my testimony—I wouldn't be anything or do anything without God's guidance in my life and His strength.”
That lunch conversation led to Garasi being hired as a staff member for the Music Conservatory in the fall of 2022. Now the director of the Arts Academy, Garasi is responsible for transforming and reviving the
conservatory program and making it into the academy it is today.
“You know, I could sit at home. I hurt every day. I feel tired every single day. I'm reminded that I have a condition. But we all have a choice in how we live our lives,” Garasi said. “We don't always have a choice in what happens to us, but we do have a choice in how we respond and how we act in the face of that.”
Garasi says her doctors think the joy she finds in her work is what has kept her heart going all this time.
“I have the opportunity and the need to interact with our faculty. I love the respect that we have for each other and the support that I find here with them. I love being in this academic atmosphere,” she said. “I have such a heart for our college students—Michael and I both do. They are the reason we're here.”
Garasi is the perfect example of a lifelong learner. She’s soaked up academic material, life lessons and one-of-a-kind experiences as God has steered her path.
“My story is God's story, not mine. And I would have never, ever dreamed that my life would be as exciting as it has been,” she said. “I encourage young people to always walk through every open door. If God doesn't intend it, He will close it. And that's an answer too, and sometimes it saves us from doing things that we really shouldn't be doing.”
ALUMNI NOTES
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Merritt Johnston ’00 shares about her work broadening awareness of the Baptist World Alliance and serving as executive director of Baptist World Alliance Women.
ALUMNI LIFE
MERRITT JOHNSTON ‘00
Sharing the Stories of Others
Alumna Serves to Connect People and Stories from Across the Globe
Merritt Johnston ‘00 came to UMHB having never been on a plane and having no idea where the future would take her. Now, 23 years after graduating as a triple major in mass communication, psychology and performance studies, Merritt travels around the world as the director of communications and media for the Baptist World Alliance.
“I seek to broaden awareness globally about the mission and ministry of the BWA as well as deepen engagement among the 51 million Baptists within our global network,” she said.
Merritt achieved her position with the BWA through years of education, leadership and connecting with others. After graduating from UMHB, she earned a Master of Biblical Studies and Master of Divinity from Grace School of Theology, received a digital marketing certificate from Cornell University, and is currently completing her thesis for a Master of Arts in Communication Leadership.
And she keeps raising the bar. Merritt also serves as the executive director of Baptist World Alliance Women.
“I serve our network of Baptist women in more than 150 countries. We strive to encourage and equip women for community, leadership and advocacy,” she explained.
Merritt assumed her role as director of communications and media at the beginning of 2019 and followed with the role of BWA Women’s executive director in November 2021. Although she always felt called to ministry and communication fields, she never saw herself in the position she has today.
“From a young age, I loved to write. I served on my high school newspaper staff and then served as editor of The Bells for two years while at UMHB. Through those experiences, I knew that communication was a part of my calling,” she said.
After graduation, Merritt took on the role of women’s ministry director and communications associate for Lakepointe Church.
“This enabled me to combine two facets of my calling,” she said. She also worked in communications for a hospital, seminary, multisite church, and international broadcast ministry and says each of those opportunities helped prepare her for this season leading communications for the BWA.
Merritt was connected with the BWA through UMHB alumnus, Dr. Elijah Brown '02, the organization’s general secretary and CEO. When Merritt heard he would be accepting the role of secretary, she reached out to him and his wife, Amy '02.
“I reached out to let them know I would be praying with and for
them,” she explained. “When a role in the communications department later became available, we connected and began praying about the possibility of me joining the team. After a series of interviews with a global search committee, I was honored to be chosen for the job.”
Through her position with the BWA, Merritt touches the lives of millions of people. Her work involves teams funding literacy initiatives in Papua New Guinea, groups providing vocational training in Cameroon, and attending conferences such as the Asia Baptist Women’s Union General Assembly. Merritt also leads a delegation at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, an event that allows leaders from different social networks to come together and develop solutions for problems facing women.
“When I return from traveling, people often ask, ‘What did you see?’ And I respond, ‘The people.’ I have certainly been blessed to see some amazing sights over the years, but the most important and most beautiful part of every trip is the people,” Merritt said.
Her first international trip was serving with the Baptist Student Ministry as a summer missionary, which “opened the floodgates.”
“I am grateful to UMHB both for my formal education and my field experience as a ministry leader,”
continued on page 29
IN MEMORIAM
1950s
JoAnna C. Peek '53
July 13, 2023
Loyce Kenneday '53
October 4, 2023
Frances I. Ewing '54
June 30, 2023
Mary Lundy '56
July 7, 2023
Audrey M. Alcorn '58
September 15, 2023
Elizabeth Harris '59
August 15, 2023
UMHB profoundly mourns the loss of our alumni, faculty, staff, students and retirees. We express our deepest sympathy to their family and friends, and honor each of them here.
Gloria McCreary EX '66
August 31, 2023
Faye M. Miller '66
September 23, 2023
Verna J. Mohr '67
October 13, 2023
Dorothy F. Mosier '67
October 12, 2023
Linda F. Graham '68
July 24, 2023
Grace R. Whitis '68
August 16, 2023
Barbara J. Leschber '69
August 27, 2023
1960 s 1970 s
Jo D. Cooper '61
July 20, 2023
Jackie Bartee '65
August 25, 2023
Belvia J. Cason '65
July 16, 2023
Sharon Jernigan '65
August 14, 2023
Carol Marshall '65
August 2, 2023
Sandra S. Lorenz '70
September 18, 2023
Mary J. Benoit '72
August 20, 2023
Carroll G. Burchell '72
August 25, 2023
Lantis T. Cawthon '72
September 24, 2023
Deborah K. Kelley '73
September 29, 2023
Lita S. Hrbacek '74
September 22, 2023
Gayle L. Lindner '74
September 18, 2023
1980 s
Norma V. Crawford '86
July 15, 2023
Jane F. Davis '88
August 8, 2023
1990 s
Ruth E. Dotson '90
September 21, 2023
Kathy Y. Phillips '91
August 7, 2023
Jill M. Guy '93
October 7, 2023
Jimmy C. Holliman '94
July 19, 2023
Barbara A. Caffrey '96
September 13, 2023
David W. Phillips '96
September 4, 2023
2000 s
Jennifer R. Dulgher '02
October 9, 2023
Cody B. Estes '08
August 10, 2023
Lucille Roane '08
September 13, 2023
Jeffrey D. Adam '13
October 11, 2023
Tracy H. Simmons '14
August 22, 2023
Norman A. Niesen HA '16
September 12, 2023
Friends of the University
James M. Hinton, Former Trustee
August 18, 2023
Betty Jo Sanders, Former Staff
September 16, 2023
John W. Meredith, Former Faculty
September 22, 2023
Cleatus Rattan, Former Faculty
October 7, 2023
MEMORIAL GIFTS
June 23, 2023 - October 20, 2023
Maxine Alcorn
Lucinda Wilcoxen
Randy Andrews
Kent and Katrina Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Johnnie Back
Bill and Sue Allison May
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Jackie Haynes Bartee
Julia Woodyard Nation
Tommy Bennett
Kathy Owens
Kent and Katrina Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Louise Sharp Black
Lynn Whyburn Clarke
Curtis Breaux
Burk and Cindy Breaux Roberts
Dean Brisbin
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Rev. W.D. Broadway
Carolyn Allison Owens
Darlene Bunte
Kathy Owens
Kent and Katrina Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Norma Coakley-Lowery
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Dannelley
Thomas Dannelley, Jr.
Dr. Patricia Davis
Charles and Velma Leverkuhn
Chesnutt
Rev. Frank Dearing
Gary and Sharon Baxley
Jennifer Caldwell Dulgher
Mildred Burkhalter
Jerry Caldwell
Sulphur Creek Urgent Care
Calvin and Nancy Snowden Ellis
Joan Sanders Harrington
Northwest Animal Hospital
Philip and Jean Houck
Johnson Brothers Ford Lincoln
George and Mary Marusak
Julie Messner
Randy and Julie Wheeler O’Rear
Gary Page
Linda Hood Pehl
Melinda Murff Phillips
Cody Estes
Carolyn Allison Owens
Frances Roach Ewing
Cathy Allen
Bobbie Baird
Tony and Vera Bangs
Tricia Biever
Shaunna Black
Amy Darrow
Julie England
Wanda Gass
Charlotte Kinsman
Monte Mahrer
Terry Moseley
Jean Petrauskas
James and Lynn Prude
Jane Pucci
Samuel and Diana Self
Deborah Sooley
Joyce Van Galen
Shirley Fannin
Julia Amason Walker
Dorothy Olson George
Floyd Niemann
Richard Niemann
Doris Fay Graham
Mac and Sheri Criswell
Lynn Etchart
Bobby Hargrove, Jr.
Kent Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Shirley Bowers Harkrider
Walt and Pam Manly
Candace Herrick
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Rev. Jimmy Hinton
Julia Roush Butler
Lott, Vernon & Company, P.C.
Lafon Eary
Tom Fleishman
Mark and Kathey Hannah
Joann Harral
Mary Nell Hesse
Emmie Kivell
Kent and Marilyn MacDougall
Walt and Pam Manly
Randy and Julie Wheeler O’Rear
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Kathy Spillane
Joanne Weidman
DJ Reinhard Hogwood
Betty Reinhard Hamilton
William "Bill" Howse
Annette Craddock Howse
Laura Manly Hunt
Walt and Pam Manly
Sharon Spurlock Jernigan
Julia Woodyard Nation
Linda Kelso
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Wendy Knecht
Avery Jo Moore
Ezra Arnold Leschber
Christopher and Tiffany Davis Leschber
Gayle Lindner
Janice Andrews
Sandra Sayre Lorenz
Robin Payne
Dr. Harry Macey
Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson
Becky Phillips Mahoney
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Max Marks
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Evelyn May
Kathy Owens
Kent and Katrina Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Dr. Dan McLallen
Julia Woodyard Nation
Lillian Miller
Mary Miller Werlinger
Dorothy Minten
Esther Minten
Janie Minten
Randy and Julie Wheeler O’Rear
Jo Lynn Powell
Gary Moore
Kathy Owens
Kent and Katrina Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Caleb Morgan
Katherine Kinard
Dorothy Lane Niesen
Michael and Beverly Vaughn
Norman Niesen
AAA Life Group-Hunters Glen FBC
Lisa Adams
Jim and Tammy Ekrut
Amy Frerichs
Helen Miller
Frances Nix
Rebecca O’Banion
Randy and Julie Wheeler O’Rear
Michael and Beverly Vaughn
Kenneth Oldham
Carolyn Allison Owens
Jack Pausman
Walt and Pam Manly
David Phillips
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Erma Sharp Polk
Lynn Whyburn Clarke
Nan Webb Pryor
Rocky Vaclavick
Dr. Dave Raymond
Jim and Jan Lundbeck
Patsy Humphrey Reynolds
Marian Corbin Wood
Jerry Roberts
Jerry and Vicky Bawcom
Joshua David Rogers
Walt and Pam Manly
Betty Jo Bounds Sanders
Eric and Erica Dragoo
Penny McPherson
Rebecca O’Banion
Randy and Julie Wheeler O’Rear
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Linda Hood Pehl
Steve and Grace Theodore
Jay Frank Schultz
Kendra Smith
Lee Scribner
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Addie Hobson Simpson
Lydia Simpson
Rev. D.D. Simpson
Lydia Simpson
Jo Reinhard Smith
Betty Reinhard Hamilton
Helen Spurlin
Carolyn Allison Owens
Jim Stepp
Kathy Owens
Kent and Katrina Owens
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Isabel E. Tanyag
Kenneth and Elvie Pope
Lounette Templeton
International Mission Board
Dr. Michael Thomas
Jerry and Vicky Bawcom
Harold Thompson
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Tessa Varner
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Dr. Grace Richardson Whitis
Jean Becker
Jerry Caldwell
Kenneth Crawson
Mike and Patricia Head
Garland and Sara Hector
Ken and Melva Garner Hobbs
Denzel and Margie Holmes
Dixie Murr Kaye
Jeff and Jeannie Ludwick
Jean Miller
Lynch
Bruce and Valerie Perry Mercer
Ralph and Shirley Clarke
Montgomery
Julia Woodyard Nation
Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens
Linda Hood Pehl
Rebecca O’Banion
Randy and Julie Wheeler O’Rear
Theodore and Melinda Murff Phillips
James and Ellice Richardson
Bob Whitis
Dillard and Karolyn Norwine Whitis
Jay Whitis
Jennifer Whitis
Katy Andres Whitis
Marian Corbin Wood
Wendell Williams
Jerry and Vicky Bawcom
HONORARY GIFTS
Dr. Joan Berry
Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson
Ron Brown
Amy Bawcom
Jerry and Vicky Bawcom
Justin and Abigail McPhail Flores
Alexia Bowe
Mac Hickerson
Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson
Dr. Mickey Kerr
Jerry and Vicky Bawcom
Sharing the Stories of Others continued from page 25
she said. “My academic studies equipped me as a communicator, and the various opportunities I had to serve on campus equipped me as a minister. I learned how to build and lead teams, plan and host events and launch and grow ministry initiatives.”
The experiences she’s enjoyed over the last five years have opened her eyes in new ways to God’s global mission and introduced her to incredible people who are impacting the world for Christ every day, she says.
UMHB
DeAnna Daniel Kinsey
Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson
Jan Lundbeck
Nancy Hoxworth
Sammy Marshall
Gary and Mary Ann Morton
Dr. Rick Novak
Gary and Mary Ann Morton
Marietta Parker
Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson
Dr. Linda Hood Pehl
Mary Lou Robinson
Cindy Breaux Roberts
Mary Lou Robinson
Carol Traylor
Sue Brown
Rev. Ardene and Mrs. Burdine Wuthrich
Gina Winkler Krause
“For a girl who had never been on an airplane when I arrived at UMHB for college, it has been an adventure I never could have dreamed of to serve God now all over the world.”
One common theme that unites Merritt’s career is telling the stories of others. Whether she’s leading conferences, praying with victims of ethical conflicts or sending out email notices to BWA connections, Merritt is sharing stories.
Have you moved or gotten married? Visit the UMHB Alumni Association page to update your information and keep in touch! umhb.edu/alumni
“Every person has a story, and it is a privilege to be invited into it,” she said. “Jesus was such a gifted storyteller, so it’s a joy to join Him in that impactful work. I hope to keep telling stories for years to come.”
Merritt currently lives in Brenham where she gets “far too easy access to Blue Bell Ice Cream,” with her husband—a fellow Crusader—and their three children.
by Lauren Turner
FOLLOW US CONNECT
Follow the UMHB Alumni Association on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news and information! umhb.edu/alumni
Meet up with all your former roommates and friends at one of our alumni events, or find out about what’s going on at UMHB! umhb.edu/alumni/ events#1845
On a Wing and a Prayer
1990 Graduate Recalls Cross-Country Trip to UMHB Nursing School After Last-Minute Phone Call
The year was 1986, and Mary Lou Robinson sat down at her typewriter and pecked out 66 letters to every nursing school in the country that offered a fouryear program. UMHB was one of those 66 schools, but when Mary Lou heard back from UMHB, the school explained they had run out of catalogs, so Mary Lou crossed it off her list. Even though the 26-year-old Florida resident had been born in Texas, she had never heard of UMHB in the tiny town of Belton anyway, so she never gave it another thought.
Soon after, she received an acceptance letter from a school in New York and began making plans to head north. Just days before she set out, a copy of UMHB’s school newspaper, The Bells, arrived in her mailbox. As she perused the articles, she spotted a story about a student from Tanzania who was about to graduate, and his sentiments about his time at UMHB spoke deeply to Mary Lou: “Thank you so much for loving me and being my family,” she recalled it saying.
“As an Air Force brat who lived a nomadic life up until this point, I yearned for stability and to be more than just another nameless student,” she said.
A LAST-MINUTE DECISION
Mary Lou suddenly realized she yearned to be at a place like UMHB—where she felt loved and at home. Even though she says she had a dreadful GPA from an earlier stint at community college, no financial aid lined up, and assumed the application deadline was long past, she picked up the phone and called UMHB.
“You come, and we’ll make sure we find a way for UMHB to be affordable,” a financial aid officer assured her.
She was skeptical but checked the mailbox daily that next week for the official acceptance letter. The night before she needed to leave Florida to start school in either New York or Belton, she still hadn’t received the letter from UMHB, so she called again.
“I need to know where to point my car in the morning—north or west?” Mary Lou asked.
“West. Come West!” then-registrar Ralph Montgomery told her, and just “on his word,” she decided to switch from the New York school she planned to attend and drove more than 1,000 miles to UMHB. It’s been her home ever since.
“I love this school. There is no other place like it,” she professed with tears in her eyes. “UMHB was, and is, the place for me because of
the many confirmations I received during my last-minute switch.”
Mary Lou graduated in 1990 with a double major in nursing and psychology and then returned to earn a master’s degree in 1996.
Mary Hardin-Baylor kept good on its promise to help her find a way to afford school. First, she got a job in the business office and then a work-study job at the health center. By the time she was a senior, she had moved from her room at Stribling Hall into one of only a handful of bedrooms at the health center (which used to be inside the Frazier building). Only upper-class nursing students were chosen to stay there and run the clinic in the evenings. The job paid her room, board and tuition.
HERE TO STAY
Just like she thought she’d never come to Belton, Texas, for nursing school, Mary Lou never thought she’d still live here more than 30 years later. Her dream was to move up to the east coast of Maine and spend her nursing career living in a log cabin, enjoying the cool mountain air. During spring break in her senior year, she set out to the New England state to interview with prospective employers along the coast in all the places she’d dreamed of living.
“But the doors just closed, and closed, and closed,” she said. And after she interviewed at her top choice on her list, she discovered it was not what she wanted. “Their philosophy of nursing was not along the lines of mine. It didn’t have the spiritual dimension to it.”
DUBBED 'CRUSADER FOR LIFE'
Mary Lou Robinson’s ’90, ’96 dream to be dubbed finally came true during this year’s Homecoming. President Emeritus Dr. Jerry Bawcom did the honors during the 1990s Reunion.
Mary Lou returned to Belton and applied to a mental health facility in Killeen. If she didn’t get the job, she resigned to move back to Florida to be close to family. They hired her on the spot.
Since then, she worked in child-adolescent psychology and in home health care before landing at the V.A. Hospital in Temple, where she’s worked as a registered nurse for the last 26 years, most recently as a patient care coordinator. Living just a few blocks from the campus she loves so much, she cherishes hearing the bells from Chapel chiming each morning and has been a football season ticket holder since the stadium opened.
Mary Lou was thrilled to learn that Dr. Jerry Bawcom (who was president when she received her master’s degree) would be at Homecoming this past year,
dubbing students who graduated prior to the Dubbing Ceremony becoming part of Welcome Week in the spring of 1995. The tradition was born after students requested a ceremony to “create closer emotional ties to the university.”
“I have loved all of the traditions at UMHB, and getting dubbed reinforced my feeling of belonging,” she said.
Today, more than 36 years later, she is thankful she stepped out on faith and pointed her car west that fateful morning.
“The UMHB friendships I formed and continue to maintain demonstrate my feelings of family and belongingness,” she said. “These friendships are once again confirmation that UMHB is my earthly home and THE place for me.”
Bringing History to Life
Engineering Students Partner With Museum to Create Storytelling Phone That Shares Life of Elli Moore Townsend
Thanks to the help of three engineering students volunteering their skills and free time this last semester, a fun, new interactive phone will help bring the stories of Elli Moore Townsend to life at the Musick Alumni Center and Museum at the Parker House.
In a collaboration between the museum and the engineering department, the future engineers took an antique pay phone and stripped its inner workings. They added the components needed to play recorded stories through the receiver, and a text display for anyone with hearing impairments. Whenever someone walks by the phone, a motion detector activates it to ring to capture attention.
Participants can choose one of 10 stories from the days Elli ran the Cottage Home for girls. One such story narrates how the girls who lived in the Cottage Home would often save
their stamp money by not writing their weekly letter home. They gave the pennies they saved to the Cottage Home so other girls could come too.
“There are constant stories of God’s provision at the exact time when Elli needed it,” said Beth Norvell, associate director of Museum and Alumni Engagement.
Many of Elli’s stories have lived untold in the museum archives for more than a century. Most of the voices sharing the stories on the phone are of students or alumni who received the Townsend Memorial Scholarship, which makes the project even more special.
The phone will be part of the new Elli Moore Townsend exhibit that will be ready for visitors in April. Once renovated, the room will resemble one of the original cottages where the girls lived, featuring shiplap
DIALING INTO THE PAST
Engineering students Caden Kuhn, Ali Mohamed Jassani and David Darrah, along with their professor, Dr. Matt Kuester, prepare to install the new interactive phone at the museum.
wood paneling and a map with an overlay to show where the small dwellings were probably located on campus.
For more than a year, Beth and Dr. Matt Kuester, assistant professor of engineering, have been brainstorming to find the perfect project that his students could work on with the museum. For several days each week throughout the semester, junior David Darrah, freshman Ali Mohamed Jassani and Caden Kuhn, a dual-credit high school junior from Salado, worked on programming and assembling the phone.
“I really appreciate the fact that students created this,” said Beth. “It’s really important to have elements in the museum that we’ve partnered with other departments on.”
Elli Moore Townsend
Elli Moore
Townsend was an alumna, teacher and tireless fundraiser for Baylor Female College. She started the work-study program for women in 1893—the second in the nation and the first in Texas. The “Cottage Home Girls” as they were known, worked six hours each day, seven days a week in exchange for their room, meals, laundry, medical fee and tuition.
Paige Talbert’s professors describe her as a “stand-out student filled with compassion and positivity that radiate the room.”
While maintaining an impressive 4.0 throughout the didactic phase of the physician assistant program, Paige continuously impressed her classmates and teachers. Before the first exam, she decorated the classroom and brought donuts. She invited classmates, who didn’t get to go home for Easter, to her family’s house for the weekend, and even helped organize a pancake breakfast during finals week. Outside the classroom, she mentors undergraduate students, and for several days each week, she leaves the house before 5 a.m. to meet other classmates for Bible study before starting clinical rotations for the day.
Her classmates say it’s impressive how Paige’s faith shines through every single day and she “portrays an amazing example of what it means to walk with Christ.”
For demonstrating such outstanding leadership, Paige was awarded the Mayborn College of Health Sciences Leadership Scholarship. The money she received couldn’t have come at a better time. With unexpected expenses, she and husband Jake had been praying God would provide extra funds for school.
As Paige finishes her final semester, she can see how God was coordinating all her steps that got her to this point—like when she moved to Branson, Mo., after graduating from Baylor University in 2018 with her bachelor’s in nutrition sciences.
“I knew I wanted to go to PA school, but when the Lord opened this realm, I said, ‘OK, I’m going to walk faithfully here and thought the PA door had closed.’”
The one-year stint at the leadership in Biblical studies program led to another opportunity at a Christian sports summer camp where she met her husband and got married. After a few years, she started to feel the Lord calling her back to PA school. When her husband received an unexpected job offer at Baylor, the two packed up and headed to Texas. She applied to UMHB’s PA school and “let God do the rest.”
“UMHB was my top choice anyway because it has such a strong foundation in faith and the staff and faculty have relationships with the Lord. I just didn’t think it could get better!”
Each step along the way, she sees God’s plan now—from putting off school to strengthen her faith, to meeting her husband, to getting into the PA school where God wanted her.
“That year in Branson was pivotal for me. I was really focused on PA school and my faith was kind of second. But that year, the Lord captured my heart in its entirety.”
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