umhblife_winter2023

FAMILY WEEKEND

Logan Gerhart (left) and Londyn Weinzapfel (right)

Villalobos,

UMHBLIFE

WINTER 2023 | VOLUME 43, NUMBER 2

DEPARTMENTS

03

| CAMPUS LIFE

Christian Studies senior Thomas Henderson recognized with prestigious award from U.S. Marine Corps.

07 | ATHLETICS

Men's and women's soccer teams claim conference championships.

07 | ATHLETICS

Field at Crusader Stadium is named "Fredenburg Field" in honor of beloved, longtime Head Football Coach Pete Fredenburg.

FEATURES

CONTINUING TO 'LIVE ON PURPOSE' | 08

Two students and a professor show what it means to live out the new UMHB brand 'Live on Purpose.'

TRANSFORMATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 16

Students find perfect combination of business and ministry in new Transformational Development degree.

FINDING HOME | 20

Getting connected is key to feeling at home as an international student.

ON THE COVER | 24

UPPING THE GAME Hall-of-Famer golf legend Ben Crenshaw (left) teams up with acclaimed sports venue architect Earl Santee to create new golf facilities on the UMHB campus.

PHOTO BY Hannah Van Beusekom

A Vessel for God's Glory

Student Received Prestigious USMC Commandant Trophy

Last semester, the U.S. Marine Corps presented senior Christian studies major Thomas Henderson with the prestigious Commandant Trophy for outstanding leadership and superior accomplishments.

Thomas, who graduated in December, was an active leader on the UMHB campus, serving as Student Foundation president, a student leader for UMHB33, and other ministry roles in the community.

In the spring of 2021, Thomas was selected for the Platoon Leaders Class Program, an undergraduate commissioning program that allows full-time enrolled college students to pursue a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps without interrupting the academic school year. He attended officer candidate school the past two summers in Quantico, Va. Throughout the six weeks of training, he distinguished himself and

ultimately finished first over 223 other graduating candidates from Lima Company and was selected as their honor graduate. Though hundreds of candidates from across the country trained at OCS this summer, Thomas was one of seven to be recognized with the Commandant’s Trophy.

“The most significant thing about this award to me was seeing how proud my parents were. I remember first finding out that I would receive this award. I was so overwhelmed with emotions,” Thomas said. “I truly know God was with me during my time at officer candidate school. Yes, I worked hard and put a lot of effort forward, but I recognize God was working in me and through me.”

In addition to the framed certificate Henderson received, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor received a trophy in recognition of the outstanding preparation of students. Thomas is from Keller and is the son of Jerry and Penny Henderson.

Miss MHB

The

Miss Student Foundation, Shayden Spradley, was named Miss Mary Hardin-Baylor 2023 on Oct. 22, in the annual Miss MHB Pageant. Shayden is a junior transformational development major from Belton. She is involved in Student Government Association, Student Foundation, and Hope for the Hungry. Her personal platform was “Providing Special Needs Families with Community Connections.”

reigning Miss MHB, Samantha Cardenas, crowned Spradley at the end of the evening’s contest. Also recognized were the fourth runner-up, Jessica Jorczak, Miss Nursing Student Association; third runner-up Yanelle Licona, Miss Hispanic Student Association; second runner-up Jenna Kurburski, Miss Gamma Sigma Epsilon; and first runner-up, Ella Stockton, Miss Healthy Minds.

Shayden Spradley Crowned Miss Mary Hardin-Baylor 2023

Your PURPOSE for God's Glory

PASTOR AND CHRISTIAN BROADCASTER DR. TONY EVANS DELIVERS 18TH McLANE LECTURE

UMHB was honored to welcome pastor and syndicated Christian broadcaster Dr. Tony Evans as the featured speaker for the 2022 McLane Lecture on Sept. 28.

Evans is the long-time pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, is heard daily on more than 1,400 US outlets and 130 countries. Named as one of the "12 Most Effective Preachers in the EnglishSpeaking World," Evans has published more than 150 books, booklets and Bible studies. Evans, who is the first African American to earn a Doctor of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, also served as chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks.

He spoke to students about making a difference in this fast-changing world. A culture "without direction –that is existing in confusion."

Evans encouraged the crowd

of more than 500 students and community members to “live a life with purpose.”

"You don’t want to live your life meandering, looking back, and then saying, ‘I don’t know why I was here,’" he said. "To live on purpose is to serve the purposes of God. If you never get around to serving the purposes of God, you will never have lived; you will have existed for whatever amount of years you were on this earth."

This is the 18th 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. Dr. Tony Evans joins a long list of exceptional McLane Lecture speakers, including Charlie Duke, George W. Bush, Chuck Norris, Mary Lou Retton, George Foreman, and more.

NEW ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT

Rose Morales ’00 has been named the new Alumni Board president. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UMHB in 2000. Rose is currently a first-grade teacher at Leon Heights Elementary. She and her husband, Tony’02, live in Temple and are Cru sports fans. Read Rose's full story at umhb.edu/life

STICKER STOP

One of the fun ways the Marketing & Communications team has engaged students this semester is through monthly pop-up Sticker Stop events.

Close to 1,300 alumni and their families and friends gathered on campus Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to celebrate the traditions and special activities for Homecoming 2022. Activities included Stunt Night, pep rally, carnival on King Street, and a Young Alumni Coffee Hour. Reunions were also held for Legacy Families, the Class of 1981, Class of 1982, Class of 1992, Class of 2007 and Class of 2012. The Crusaders walked away with a 38-7 win against Austin College.

UMHB LIFE

Two Programs Receive Accreditation

Two of UMHB’s academic programs received accreditation in 2022. The Strength and Conditioning Education Program (SCEP) within the exercise physiology major was the first in the country to receive accreditation from the Council of Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning (CASCE).

The SCEP prepares undergraduate students to serve as leaders who demonstrate excellence in improving human performance, maximizing athlete safety and mastering athletes’ needs. The program provides an innovative and dynamic curriculum that reflects a scientific basis for understanding, contemporary strength and conditioning practice, exercise testing and technique, program design and program administration.

“It’s important that as a profession we standardize strength and conditioning education so we can optimize athlete peak performance, but more importantly, ensure athlete safety,” explained Dr. Colin Wilborn, executive dean for the Mayborn College of Health Sciences and director of the Strength and Conditioning Education Program. “We could not be more honored to be recognized as the first program in the country to receive CASCE accreditation. This accreditation opens so many doors for the future of UMHB’s exercise physiology graduates.”

The engineering program is also now accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied

and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

"ABET accreditation assures that UMHB's engineering program meets the quality standards of the engineering profession and is a key milestone in the continued growth of our program," said Dr. Paul Griesemer, associate professor and engineering department chair. "We are excited about the opportunities our accreditation will open up for our students."

Charter Celebration

Alumni Engagement hosted Charter Celebration on Aug. 27, celebrating the 50-year reunion for the class of 1972 and the 60-year reunion for the class of 1962. Reunions were also hosted for Historical Phila, Royal Academia and the Campus Boys. More than 160 alumni and friends participated in the event. Pictured above is the class of 1972, celebrating its 50-year reunion.

The Cru football team claimed the conference championship for the 18th time in program history, and advanced to the national semifinals. It was the team’s eighth time to make it to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs.

First-year head coach Larry Harmon was named the American Football Coaches Association Division III Region 3 Coach of the Year. Under his leadership, this year’s team included the American Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year (senior quarterback Kyle King of Milano), Defensive Player of the Year (senior defensive lineman Sante Parker Jr. of Katy), Offensive Lineman of the Year (senior offensive lineman Ethan Ruckman of San Antonio), and Special Teams Player of the Year (senior return specialist K.J. Miller of Orange who also broke the NCAA record for punt return yards with 1,680 punt returns in his four years with the Cru).

ASC SOCCER Champions

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams claimed the American Southwest Conference championship titles this season.

CROSS COUNTRY

Runners-Up

The UMHB women's cross country team finished as the American Southwest Conference RunnersUp at the 2022 ASC Women's Cross Country Championships this season. The team advanced to the NCAA DIII West Regional meet where they placed 18th overall. The men’s cross country team finished eighth at the ASC Championship meet.

UMHB men’s soccer made it to the NCAA DIII first round, finishing the season with a 13-3-2. The men’s program has now won three conference championships and has made four appearances in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Tournament. Women’s soccer also closed their season in the NCAA first round after a record-breaking 17-1-1 record. The Cru went undefeated in the regular season and claimed the 2022 ASC Conference championship title for the first time in program history, and its second NCAA appearance.

Cru football makes its eighth semifinal appearance

UMHB LIVE ON PURPOSE BY CHRISTI MAYS

In the last issue of UMHB Life, we introduced the new UMHB brand, which encourages students and the campus community to “Live on Purpose.” A sea of purple signs and banners all over campus encourage students to also “grow, learn, believe, lead, serve, excel, play, etc.” on purpose.

In this issue, we highlight two more students and a faculty member who embody our brand.

WORK on PURPOSE

Dr. Kerry-Ann Zamore Byrd

Assistant Professor & Director, Social Work Field Education

It is virtually impossible to summarize all the volunteer work Dr. Kerry-Ann Zamore Byrd has done over the years. Some of her earliest memories as a child are of helping her parents at church events on the island of Dominica, where she grew up the first 11 years of her life. After moving to Washington, D.C., she has fond memories of dishing up food in soup kitchens and assisting at homeless shelters. When she was 15, she volunteered to hold and soothe AIDS and drug-affected babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital where her mother worked. She continued throughout college serving hungry people in soup kitchens and collected barrels of food, clothing, shoes and books to send to a mission in Belize, where her parents worked. Zamore Byrd’s childhood revolved around serving others.

It was really no surprise to her family and friends when she decided to study social work in college so she could continue helping others. But that is where

Zamore Byrd’s story takes an unexpected twist, and as a new social work graduate, she found herself in the exact position of those she was trying to help. Married to her college sweetheart, who was an officer in the military, Zamore Byrd became a victim of domestic violence (or, as she likes to say, a “survivor” of domestic violence.) That violence escalated for 14 years to the point it almost ended her life.

“I was almost killed in that relationship,” she said. “The police saved my life, and my nine-yearold son saved my life at that time.”

Zamore Byrd started sharing her experiences with colleagues at conferences, which seemed therapeutic for her at the time. But at one particular meeting in 2013, as she recounted her story in front of 3,000 police officers, social workers, and nurses, all she could think about was, ‘they already know this. The people that really need to hear this are not in this room.’”

That realization helped hatch the idea of telling her story of domestic violence through stage plays and sharing them with the community.

That was about 20 years ago. And since then, Zamore Byrd, who has worked full-time for four years as an assistant professor of social work at UMHB, has launched her film and play business. About two years ago, she created a non-profit branch of her business, the Zamore Foundation,

so she could further grow her mission. Since moving to Texas in 2010, she has written more than 30 plays and short films that her company has performed. All of her stories are ministry-centered and mission-focused, and most are centered around social issues that impact people and communities – like family dynamics and marginalized populations. Most of her team members and actors joining her plays are military veterans, and she’s noticed over the years that many have utilized theater to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The storyline for Zamore Byrd’s first play came to her in a dream. Her cast and crew performed for three sold-out shows with about 600 in each audience.

“At the end each night, we had people – men and women – come up to me in tears, saying ‘this is me. This is my life,’” she said. With her connections, she could point these people to resources and services for help.

Another part of her organization’s mission is to give back.

“Every play we do, we tithe back to the community, whether it is to a domestic violence shelter, a sexual assault shelter, sex trafficking programs, foster homes, etc., we tithe back,” she said.

Zamore Byrd’s community service doesn’t stop there, though. She also works with the many ministries in her church in Killeen, her parent’s mission in Belize, and her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, bringing free mammograms into marginalized communities and providing education on heart disease and diabetes.

A PRESIDENTIAL AWARD

These endeavors just skim the surface when it comes to listing all the community service, and mission and philanthropic work Zamore Byrd has involved herself in over the years. Perhaps

the fact that the White House recognized her with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 4,500 hours of service helps put into perspective how much Zamore Byrd has done toward making this world a better place.

Without her knowledge, she said a friend and mentor nominated her for the award. This past October when she received the proclamation signed by President Joe Biden and an invitation to the White House, she said she was shocked and a “little embarrassed.”

“I was looking at all the different people who received the award, like medical doctors, Doctors Without Borders — you know, people who have done amazing things. I don’t know how I can be measured with them! I’m just somebody telling stories.”

Zamore Byrd said she would much rather the spotlight be on her workers behind the scenes and the actors on stage.

“I’m not doing what I do to be seen. My hope is that it’s not about me. It’s all about Him. And if one person can get the message of Jesus Christ through what I do, and be saved, then that’s

"MY HOPE IS THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. IT'S ABOUT HIM. AND IF ONE PERSON CAN GET THE MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH WHAT I DO AND BE SAVED, THEN THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT."

—Dr. Kerry-Ann Zamore Byrd

what it’s all about,” she said.

“I have really good people who help me, and that’s the truth,” she said. “It takes a team and is not something one person can do.”

There was a time in Zamore Byrd’s life when she questioned God.

“’Why me? Why did I have to have so much pain?’” she would ask. “There were times I didn’t want to wake up. It caused a lot of trauma, a lot of selfdoubt.”

But over time, God allowed her to see His will. The experiences allowed her to be empathetic with others.

“I can truly meet people where they are, and even when they’re in the direst places,” she said. “I am able to say ‘God is still a restorer. He’s still a healer. He’s still a Savior.’”

PATH TO UMHB

Five years after surviving her abusive marriage, Zamore Byrd went into another marriage before she was fully healed. God showed her it was not His plan for her, and she was able to leave, but she had to restart with nothing. She found herself working 60 hours a week as a single parent, and it was too much. She

had to put her stage plays and film production on hold.

“I had been praying, ‘Lord, I just need you to show up,’” she said.

One afternoon when she was guest-lecturing at UMHB, Dr. Isaac “Dr. G” Gusukuma told her he was retiring and that she should apply for his job. At the time, she only held a master’s degree and doubted she would be hired without her doctorate. That evening, she listened to a sermon, and the message was about how God “qualifies us.”

After a lot of prayer, she took a leap of faith and has never regretted the decision; she says God has provided every step of the way. Four years later, when you ask Zamore Byrd about making the move, she tears up.

“Working at UMHB has been better than anything I could have imagined for me,” she said. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. When I come to work, I can pray with my students. I pray with my coworkers. I’m able to do ministry. I’m just so grateful to God! He has me in a place where I feel like I belong. I can see all the bad was for a purpose. It was for His glory.”

Far left is the medal Dr. Kerry-Ann Zamore Byrd received as part of her President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden. Middle, Zamore Byrd pictured with the cast and crew for Prodigal. At right, Zamore Byrd and her business partner, Nicole Williams, prepare boxes of clothing to send to a local charity.

"MAMA'S DAUGHTERS" COMING TO UMHB

Dr. Zamore Byrd brings her latest stageplay, “Mama’s Daughters” to UMHB Feb. 17-18. Learn more at kzamore.com/events.

"I

UMHB

EXCEL on PURPOSE

Price Peden '21

Business Graduate Student | Flower Mound, Texas

Price Peden '21 remembers the day he visited UMHB to check out the soccer program. He noticed a different culture in the program than all the other universities he had visited. The coaches emphasized not only the athletic growth of each player but their spiritual growth as well. After choosing to make UMHB his place of study, Price played soccer all four years as a defender and forward, helping the Cru claim the American Southwest Conference championship title in 2018 and the regular-season title in 2021.

"It was truly a blessing to grow spiritually with my teammates throughout my four-year career as a soccer player at UMHB," said Price, a native of Flower Mound.

His desire to make a difference didn't end when he stepped off the soccer field. Price served in numerous campus and community organizations, including Feed My Sheep, Love of Christ Food Pantry, Temple Baptist Church, and a local middle school student mentorship program. On campus, he helped with the Easter Pageant, Soccer Kids' Camps, and Champs Day events. He also assisted the university's Alumni Engagement office as a member of Student Foundation and served as a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Because of his involvement, strong faith and high GPA, the American Southwest Conference award-

ed him two prestigious awards: the 2021-22 ASC Community Service Men's Athlete of the Year and the inaugural ASC Man of the Year.

The new ASC Man of the Year award is presented to a graduating student-athlete who has distinguished himself throughout his collegiate career in academic achievement, athletics excellence, community and campus service and leadership. Selected by the Council of Senior Woman Administrators, the Man and Woman of the Year awards are among the highest individual honors presented to a student in the conference.

Price attributes all his accomplishments to the Lord for leading him toward those who have pushed him to be the man God wants him to be. He thanks his parents, coaches and teammates for being great role models and guiding him spiritually.

"I am truly thankful for their role in developing me as a soccer player and a great future husband, father and boss," said Price.

He also thanks his teammates for always being there for him and for the opportunity to grow with them. He says being with them helped him push through and gain the right mindset.

"These awards are not possible without my brothers because they are the ones who taught me to be selfless and to want to be the best for those around me," he said.

Price, who graduated magna cum laude in May 2021, is now studying to get his MBA in finance at UMHB. He praised his professors and others who helped him throughout his undergraduate journey.

"I am truly grateful for what UMHB has done for me spiritually, physically, and mentally as a man of God, and I look forward to seeing how the university will continue to change people's lives for Christ.”

— Neika Daniel

CARE on PURPOSE

Neika Daniel

Senior Social Work Major | Belton, Texas

Instead of spending the Christmas holidays with her family and friends this past year, Neika Daniel traveled 17 hours by plane and bus to reach Tinca, a tiny, impoverished town in Romania. Neika, a senior social work major, is active in student leadership and passionate about serving others. Under the direction of UMHB’s Spiritual Life department, Neika led a team of fellow students on a weeks-long trip to serve disadvantaged populations in both Romania and Hungary.

The team’s original plan was to work at a Ukrainian refugee camp in Romania, but the quickly-changing war and political situation caused the Ukrainians to move out of the area. Instead, the students headed to a village of impoverished Romanian gypsies, where the team spread the hope of the Gospel by providing daily church services and programs for the children as well as food, gifts, and one-on-one visits with families.

“As representatives of Christ, we were there to look these people in the eye as equals and listen to what they have to say. We were well aware that we may have been these folks’ only interaction with the Gospel,” Neika said. “These shorter trips are all about serving others and listening. My education in social work has taught me how to listen and relate to others and establish rapport. In order to share the

Gospel in the right way and at the right time, I have to know a little bit of someone’s story.”

In Hungary, the students delivered Christmas gifts and needed resources to the homes of underprivileged children and their families. The team also worked with the Hungarian Baptist Aid, which is similar to the Hungarian Salvation Army, by serving in their soup kitchen and helping to meet physical and spiritual needs.

No stranger to serving others, Neika recently spent a month in Turkey, working with natives and Iranian refugees. She has also taught ESL (English as a second language) classes at her home church, First Baptist Church of Academy, and has served in various roles in outreach at both her church and the college.

“For me, the global mission is an essential component of my faith in Christ,” Neika said. “I believe that the purpose of all Christians, young or old, is to share the Gospel in your neighborhood, 14,000 miles away, and everywhere in between.”

Neika’s service to her own community here in Central Texas includes a recently-completed year internship at the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) where she worked exclusively with the geriatric population in Central Texas. One of Neika’s main roles at the AAA was in long-term care: helping people find a nursing home or other care for elderly parents, walking with clients through end-of-life anticipatory grief, and generally holding people’s hands and being there for them.

“People are not only physical or mental, we are impacted by the social, emotional and spiritual as well,” said Neika. “When you approach people this way, you stop seeing them as clients or patients but as people with unique stories and circumstances that require an individualized solution.”

(This story originally published in the Tex Appeal Magazine, an independently owned and operated publication not affiliated with UMHB.)

Christian Business?Studies? BOTH.

Students Find Perfect Combination of BusinessandMinistryinTransformational byDevelopment

ChristiMays

A yoga class was the last place Robert Patterson expected to discover a new interdisciplinary degree at UMHB that could simultaneously offer the business skills he needed and the ministry component his heart craved. Looking back now, three years later, he sees how God choreographed every step of his journey leading him to discover the Bachelor of Transformational Development.

ROBERT’S JOURNEY

School had never come easy for Robert. After a tumultuous freshman year in which he suffered a career-ending football injury and some heart-wrenching family issues, the distressed business major dropped out and eventually moved back home to Austin. Determined to get his head straight, he reached out to his former high school trainer, who owned a nearby gym. Robert offered to work for free at the gym. For almost a year, he diligently showed up for the 5 a.m. workouts six mornings each week to help train young athletes.

Robert was surprised to learn that training wasn’t the only thing the gym offered. The owner was also a preacher who not only taught his athletes about God during their workouts, but also converted the gym into a church each Sunday. It was Robert’s first look at “business as ministry,” or “BAM,” as some call it. He found himself engaged and inspired in the teachings and even got the chance to preach. Robert, who had always grown up in a Christian home, grew closer to God and was baptized. His mentor encouraged him to give school another chance, and a year and a half later, Robert found himself packing his belongings and heading back to UMHB to finish his business degree. He was determined to make it work this time, but after only a few days, he felt something was amiss and found himself reconsidering his decision to major in business. He liked his classes and professors but yearned for a ministerial component. That’s when he ended up in yoga class.

DISCOVERING HIS CALLING

As people filed in and began setting up their mats that morning, Robert was chatting with the instructor about how he wished there was a degree that mixed business and ministry. Colleen Lewis, who had worked in the Christian studies department, overheard his dilemma.

“She looked over at me like she knew me and asked, ‘Have you heard about the transformational development major?’” he recalled. She told him it was exactly what he was describing!

Robert was intrigued and decided to look into it. After days of praying, he still felt uncertain about switching

majors since the program had just launched that semester. But a few days later, as he was eating lunch with a friend, a sudden wave of urgency overcame him to get up and go switch majors at that very moment.

“I felt God telling me to change my major. Not an audible voice, but it was like an idea that I would have never thought about myself,” Robert said. “When it came to me, it was more confirmation. I needed to go change it right now!”

Three years later, Robert graduated this past December with his BTD, is married to his high school sweetheart, Aubry (an education major at UMHB), and is expecting twin girls this spring. With plans to get a master’s degree in theology and sports studies from Baylor University, Robert hopes to one day open a gym to minister and mentor youth, just as he was ministered to during his roughest time.

“I felt like everything was so pointless in the beginning,” he said. “But now, I look back and every single season I was in was for a reason.”

Robert Patterson ‘22 was selected as the fall semester student speaker at Chapel. After finally discovering the “perfect” degree for him in a yoga class, he graduated in December with his Bachelor of Transformational Development degree.

What is Transformational Development?

Launched in 2019, the Bachelor of Transformational Development (BTD) is a unique degree at UMHB that combines a variety of courses in Christian theology and missiology with foundational courses in business. The degree prepares students to be servant leaders as they create and sustain mission-based organizations, churches, ministries, non-profits and for-profits, both locally and globally.

“We wanted to create something unique,” said Dr. Timothy Crawford, dean of the College of Christian Studies. “I don’t know of anything exactly like this anywhere else.”

Crawford said Christian Studies partnered with McLane School of Business to design the degree to fill a niche of students who want to do “business as ministry,” which broadly means working in business with a Kingdom-focused vision.

Its name has both spiritual and business innuendos, which can be useful to students planning to work abroad, especially in countries that are reluctant to let in missionaries or those with Christian studies degrees.

“Since transformational development has a big dose of business courses, it is much more welcome,” he added.

MIND-BLOWING DISCOVERY

When Dannah Fritschle ’22 blew out her knee playing soccer her sophomore year of high school, the full-ride scholarships she was offered from several DI schools vanished. But this devastating turn of events led her to UMHB, where she eventually discovered a new degree that proved perfect for her future career — the Bachelor of Transformational Development.

Dannah, who grew up watching her mother work at a nonprofit, spent much time in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. As a young girl, the work and progress she witnessed in those countries deeply impacted her, and she dreamed of one day becoming a missionary. There was only one part of that career path that dissuaded her.

“I don’t want to be the stereotypical missionary and have to fundraise my whole life,” she explained. “I want to work and do ministry. My achiever mindset actually wants to have a day-in, day-out job and structure to my life.”

Determined to find a way to do both, Dannah decided the best route in college was to double-major in business and Christian studies. One afternoon while discussing this plan with a friend, Madeline Hill, Madeline quizzically looked at Dannah and asked, “Have you heard about my major, transformational development? It’s literally half Christian studies and half business!”

“It was kind of like an awestruck moment of realizing the Lord’s faithfulness,” Dannah said.

FIRST GRADUATE

At that point, Dannah had already taken most of her Christian studies classes, so switching her major to transformational development helped her graduate a semester early this past May. Dannah walked across the stage to receive the first BTD diploma awarded at UMHB. With a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average

Last May, Dannah Fritschle ’22 walked across the graduation stage as the first student to receive a Bachelor of Transformational Development degree at UMHB. She is currently doing mission work for Greater Europe Mission.

and acceptance into Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Dannah thought her path was set toward her academic dream of getting a law degree and eventually working at a nonprofit. But then came the email from Greater Europe Mission (GEM) in Germany, saying they had an open spot for her on their team. It was an opportunity she couldn’t pass by, so she deferred law school for a year and hopped on a plane in September to Germany to begin business-as-mission work with GEM doing data analytics, logistics for short-term teams and social media and marketing. Dannah is waiting to see what the Lord has in store for her – whether to continue doing mission work with GEM or head to California for law school this fall. One thing is for certain; she said she is happy that God brought her to UMHB with His perfect timing to be the first student to graduate from the BTD program.

“Literally, I loved every single part of it,” Dannah said. “I think it’s incredible because it gave me a lot of freedom with the options within it. I got to take classes I actually cared about the whole time and really got to tailor my degree more to what I wanted to do. And the professors who taught the classes were top-tier.”

ON THE RIGHT PATH

When Madeline Hill was 13, some missionaries came to her church to speak. “I remember sitting there thinking I would never have the boldness to share the Gospel with anyone,” she recalled. “I was really adamant about not doing anything missions-related and thinking the Lord would never call me to do that because I thought I wasn’t good enough for ministry work.”

Just a few years later, during her sophomore year of high school, she felt the Lord calling her into missions.

Madeline, who just graduated in December with her BTD, already has a jump on working in business-as-missions. She spent the last two summers interning with mission organizations in Macedonia.

“When I was interviewing for the position, they asked what I am studying,” she said. “When I told them about transformational development, they said, ‘That’s perfect! That’s what we do.’ My degree was perfect for

their organization and working in business-as-missions.”

Madeline described her work as creating personal relationships with business clients, gaining their trust and showing them Christian love.

“They aren’t used to people genuinely caring about them,” she said. Blatantly sharing the Gospel can be a big turnoff there, she said. Madeline, instead, learned to say things to her clients such as, ‘My foundation is Christ, and I love Christ, so I love you too and want to see you thrive, both spiritually and economically.’”

The work was so fulfilling, and the relationships she built were so meaningful that Madeline hopes to go back and work long-term at some point.

Growing up near Houston, Madeline learned about UMHB from a high school friend. Even though she applied and got into three different schools, for reasons unknown to her at the time, she knew she was supposed to be at UMHB.

“I didn’t even come for a tour. I just trusted that this is where God wanted me,” she said. “When I found out about the transformational development degree plan, it was exactly what I wanted to do, but also confirmation about coming to UMHB.”

Madeline Hill ’22, who just graduated in December, is planning to pursue work in business-as-missions with her transformational development degree

BY CHRISTI MAYS

Finding Home

8,799 miles away

Remember back to the day you left home for college. Along with your newfound freedom came so many new life lessons — figuring out time management, living on a budget and operating a washing machine. Now, imagine having to figure this out in a foreign land halfway around the world.

When Kanishka Upreti from India first arrived at UMHB to study, she remembers how excited she was to be here, but also experienced severe “culture shock.”

Raised as a Hindu, Kanishka was stumped when her Old Testament professor instructed the class to open their Bibles to a verse in the Book of Psalms. While other students flipped right to the middle of the Bible, she had no idea where to start.

“I knew UMHB was a Christian university, but I didn’t know we had to study the Bible. I didn’t even know who Adam and Eve were!” she chuckled.

She didn’t realize that Chapel would also be mandatory, however, when she walked in the first day, she instantly “felt at home.”

“I loved Chapel so much, I used to attend both sessions,” she recalled, adding that she always sat in the front row. “It gave me comfort because I was away from my family. It was hard for me to open up to anybody, but people welcomed me with open hearts. Even though I didn’t know any of the people in Chapel, it was the first place where I felt like home.”

Finding connection is key to feeling at home as an international student

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This year, 106 international students from 35 countries selected UMHB to call their “home away from home.” For many of them, life as a teenage international student includes facing many challenges like language barriers, social and cultural differences, religious differences and academic dissimilarities. One of the things many of them suffer from is feeling isolated –miles away from family, friends and all things familiar.

“One day, the Chapel speaker was talking about something and it just hit me and I started crying because I was missing my mom,” Kanishka said.

After the service, Jason Palmer, dean of UMHB Spiritual Life and university chaplain, came to comfort Kanishka. “I just connected. He was like a big brother, a dad-figure,” she said.

It was that connection that proved to be a turning point in Kanishka’s experience at UMHB. For her entire freshman year, she had been living in Austin with relatives and taking an Uber back and forth to campus every day. Not only was it a massive $160 daily dent

in her budget, but living so far from campus made it difficult to connect and make friends. For her sophomore year, Kanishka had an opportunity to move just minutes away from campus, and she quickly found herself meeting more people, making new friends, and joining in activities, including Missions Emphasis Week, the Psychology Club and Bridges International, a social group that promotes connections between international and domestic students. Kanishka helped organize the annual multicultural program that year, as well as her junior year. She got to share a little of her culture when she cooked Indian food, dressed in traditional Indian attire, performed a Bollywood-style dance and offered henna hand drawings. Kanishka is now in her last semester as a psychology major preparing to graduate this May. Until then, you can find her smiling face behind the counter at the campus Chick-fil-A where she works, but what she’s most excited about this year is serving as the international student representative for the Student Government Association (SGA). Her platform was “helping international students build connections on campus.”

“I know that there’s a gap. A lot of our international students feel very isolated,” she said. “So, hopefully, we can find ways to help them connect.”

BREAKING OUT OF COMFORT ZONES

Dr. Elizabeth Tanaka, director of UMHB International Student Services, agrees that international students often take a while to break out of their comfort zones. Some students are better at plugging in, like Kanishka, who has thrived since becoming active on campus. Others, take a little longer.

“International students tend to socialize only with those from their home country,” she said. “It’s understandable because that is their comfort zone, and so much here is new. But this tends to isolate small groups of students who become dependent on each other rather than becoming part of UMHB as a whole.”

The international students who take an active role in becoming a member of the campus family have experienced great success, Tanaka says.

“They are happy and busy because they get invited to do many activities, even just going to HEB with

"Even though I didn’t know any of the people in Chapel, it was the first place where I felt like home."

Kanishka Upreti Senior psychology major from India

UMHB FEATURES

American friends,” she said. “They also tend to be academically successful because they are at ease with hearing English at a fast pace, and they have friends to study with.”

Tanaka and her team are always trying to find ways to help international students get involved. There are many reasons they choose not to. Sometimes, they are shy about making a mistake in English and “appearing foolish,” she said. Another reason is because in their free time, instead of joining into activities on campus, they are Facetiming and Zooming their friends back home rather than trying to make new friends here. Cultural differences also come into play, Tanaka added, because many international students are not as comfortable taking initiative as their American counterparts.

“Someone has always told them what to do, when to be there, etc. and they are just fairly passive about anything that is not a requirement,” she said. During her international student orientations, she stresses to students that they will have a much more fulfilling

experience, both socially and academically, if they will just “GO TO SOMETHING!” she stresses. “Participate! Get a couple of people from your country to go with you. Even if you sit on the sidelines and do nothing for a while, it will get easier and easier to interact.”

She also stresses to give American students a chance to get to know them and build a friendship.

“Say ‘hello’ to someone from your class that you see outside of class. Say ‘hello’ to your professor! Go to a sporting event; everyone is there for the same purpose and no one will ask you to do anything other than watch and applaud.”

WHERE TO START

Top tips for new international students:

• Say ‘hello’ to someone from class.

• Attend a UMHB sporting event.

• Ride with an American to HEB.

Tanaka pointed out some of the ways UMHB encourages international students to get plugged in, including the International Orientation Day her office offers each semester before classes begin. The Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) hosts events, such as Texas Night, for international students to familiarize themselves with "all things Texas." The BSM also has an international committee that hosts events such as learning to bake a cake and game night. Bridges International publicizes regular meetings for international and American students to build friendships, and the library has hosted events specially for international students.

“We will continue to offer as much as possible in hopes of catching the elusive students who are looking for a way to plug in and take advantage of activities,” she said.

One interesting fact she has noticed is that a single student (who is the only one from his or her home country) usually participates more often and becomes comfortable on campus much more quickly than those who have a bigger “comfort zone” group to hang out.

“The single students tend to live on campus longer too because they don’t have a group to rent an (off-campus) apartment with, and I think that encourages more participation as well,” she said.

Dr. Elizabeth tanaka Director of UMHB International Student Services

OUT OF HER BUBBLE

Tran Ho Bao “Cherry” Le of Vietnam started classes at UMHB from her laptop, sitting inside a small room she rented from a family friend in Dallas. It was fall 2020 when COVID-19 was peaking and many students opted to take classes online. She missed out on touring campus. There was no Cru Camp and no Welcome Week.

“Technically, I didn’t know anything about UMHB,” said the bubbly nursing major who is now a junior. “That was not what I imagined of college. Not at all.”

Before college, Cherry had spent the last two years in an American high school. Her American “dad,” Rodney Marshall, who had briefly attended UMHB, was the one who convinced her to come to UMHB.

Because she didn’t experience college the way she envisioned that first year, she was considering transferring, but her American parents convinced her to give it another try “in person.” Cherry applied for a summer job as a student worker with the UMHB Center for Academic Excellence, and got hired. She moved into Burt Hall, enrolled in some summer classes and went to work, helping with Cru Camp. She finally got to experience all the things she missed that first year!

“I didn’t get a chance to do my Cru Camp, so that’s why I was there!” she said.

When she started classes in the fall, a friend who served in SGA suggested Cherry run for the international representative position, so she did, and just like Kanishka, Cherry got involved in the multicultural festival, as well. This year, as a junior, she helped design sets for Stunt Night and is involved in Bridges International. During one of her Christmas breaks, Cherry joined other students from around the country for the Vision Conference in Washington, D.C., and this past semester attended a fall retreat to Burnet with Bridges International. She’s also been involved with the college group at Taylor's Valley Baptist Church in Temple.

Getting involved was not easy for Cherry, but she is happy she pushed herself “out of her bubble.”

“My freshman year, I will say I definitely felt like an outsider all the time,” she said. But finding activities

changed that for her, and she hopes to see more international students “breaking out of their bubbles” as well.

Just because some international students may not have many (or even anyone else) from their country attending UMHB, they should not let that hinder them from living their best life here, Cherry said. And getting plugged in and meeting new people is one of the best ways to do that.

“I realized that friends do not define us. I do not see them as ‘American’ or ‘international’ friends. I just see them as ‘friends,’” Cherry explained. “You can just go out there and make friends with people – any of them! If you’re nice to them, they will be nice back.”

Looking over the last two years on campus, Cherry is thankful she found the courage to open her mind to new experiences, and hopes to inspire other international students to do the same.

“I feel like UMHB is my family now and I would love to have other international students feel and experience the same things that I have.”

"My freshman year, I definitely felt like an outsider all the time... I feel like UMHB is my family now." Tran Ho Bao 'Cherry' Le Junior nursing major from Vietnam

BY CHRISTI MAYS

The scene was the 1999 Ryder Cup Saturday night press conference. A downtrodden American team had a disappointing day on the course, and the outlook for a comeback was dismal with the Europeans leading 10-6. Leaning into the mic, U.S. Captain Ben Crenshaw had a determined look. To the audience and the sports fans at home, he made a profound prediction.

“I’m going to leave y’all with one thought… I’m a big believer in fate. I have a good feeling about this.”

The following day, his team rallied to overcome the European’s lead to secure one of the most impressive comeback victories in sports history.

Perhaps fate is at hand once again.

The Hall-of-Famer and golf legend is teaming up with acclaimed sports venue architect Earl Santee of Populous to create a golf clubhouse and practice facility for the UMHB golf programs. The clubhouse will sit just south of the Yvonne Li Tennis Center, with an adjacent short-game practice area. Across Nolan Creek, three golf holes and additional practice areas will span south toward Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.

“It is so exciting to see how God continues to bless UMHB. On this project, we have two amazing individuals who are at the top of their class in the world working together for the benefit of Mary Hardin-Baylor. What a team – Ben Crenshaw and Earl Santee! Does it get any better than this?” said Dr. Randy O’Rear, university president.

Crenshaw, who is a Texas native and calls Austin home, enjoyed an illustrious playing career that spanned three decades with 19 PGA Tour victories, including the 1984 and 1995 Masters. He has always appreciated the design and construction of golf courses worldwide, which led him to pursue his love of golf architecture. Crenshaw and his business partner, Bill Coore, operate Coore & Crenshaw architectural firm, which has created some of the game's most esteemed courses over the past 30 years, including Sand Hills Golf Club in Nebraska.; Bandon Trails and Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon; Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii; and Cabot Cliffs in Canada.

Crenshaw’s design philosophy is fluid and natural, uniquely following the topography and progression of the land without unnecessarily disfiguring the terrain.

“We don’t try to build golf holes so much. We try to just lay them in on the property quietly,” he said. “It’s a very old idea. There are a lot of people in my business who can manufacture holes – move large-scale earth. But we don't like to do that. We think that the more dirt you move, the more unnatural it becomes. Nature does the best work!”

Crenshaw and his wife, Julie, were first introduced to campus during trips to visit their youngest daughter, Anna Riley, who is graduating from the physician assistant program in May.

“Our trips here have been so pleasant – seeing the campus, which we love. This (partnership) just sort of happened,” he said. “Both the women’s and the "It is so exciting to see how God continues to bless UMHB. On this project, we have two amazing individuals who are at the top of their class in the world working together for the benefit of Mary Hardin-Baylor."

- DR. RANDY O'REAR President

GAME CHANGER

Hall-of-Famer and golf legend Ben Crenshaw (right) and acclaimed sports venue architect Earl Santee stand at the location of the new home for Cru golf.

men’s golf teams have done so well. When we were introduced to the property around campus and then around the athletic facilities, we thought it'd be nice to have a facility for the golfers. If we could do that, it could be a great recruitment tool for them, and something fun for them to practice with.”

O'Rear says this is another first-class facility to add to the UMHB campus.

“We already have a rich history of success in our golf programs, and the new clubhouse and practice facility will elevate our programs to an even higher level,” he said. “Our men’s and women’s teams have thrived over the years, even with no place on campus to call their own. The university is blessed to be able to provide this excellent new home for UMHB golf.”

Santee, who will be designing the golf clubhouse, has served as the university’s campus master planner for more than 10 years. He is the designer of UMHB’s Crusader Stadium, which opened in 2013, and other world-class, award-winning venues such as Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, N.Y.; Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn.; and Minute Maid Park and NRG Stadium in Houston.

“The first time I came to meet Randy (O’Rear) was with Drayton McLane (Jr.), and as I walked around the campus with them, I just felt welcome here. It felt like a really great campus,” he said. “If I were a student, UMHB would be an option for me!”

He said he built a bond with administrators over the years, and now UMHB is one of his “favorite clients.”

“It is such a special place.” Santee said. “I have been brought into the culture of UMHB over the years, and I appreciate it. It’s something I cherish in a lot of ways.”

Santee said he is excited to team up with Ben Crenshaw, and like him, he loves the idea of sustaining the beauty of the area.

The university anticipates the practice areas will be completed and ready for the golf teams to use this fall.

“Our men's and women's golf programs have a proud, consistent history of excellence that has resulted in a championship culture for both teams,” said Dr. Mickey Kerr, vice president for athletics. “I am very excited for our current and future players to have a first-class practice facility and clubhouse that will have its home on our beautiful campus. Our coaches will also benefit from superb teaching opportunities associated with these incredible venues.”

The men's golf program began in the early 1970s and has won the American Southwest Conference championship nine times. The women's golf program was founded in 1996 and won the NAIA National Championship in 2000. The program has won the American Southwest Conference Championship 13 times and was the first UMHB athletic program to win an NCAA Division III National Championship in 2013.

“I am so grateful for the vision of our university leaders and their dedication to excellence in all things,” said Men's Golf Head Coach Jordan Cox. "Having world-class designers like Ben Crenshaw and Earl Santee working on this project is mind-blowing, especially when you see how excited they both are about working together for UMHB. I cannot wait to see the dream of this facility come to fruition.”

Women’s Golf Head Coach Jackie Ralson said this will be a “game-changer” for UMHB.

“It will elevate UMHB’s golf program both within our conference and at the national level,” she said. “It will attract many talented players to consider UMHB when looking for a university that offers opportunities of excellence on the golf course and in the classroom.”

Ashley Smith '03 contributed to this article.

"Having world-class designers like Ben Crenshaw and Earl Santee working on this project is mindblowing, especially when you see how excited they both are about working together for UMHB."

- JORDAN COX Men's Golf Head Coach

ALUMNI NOTES

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Dr. Juantina Johnson ‘97 loves her job as chief medical officer of a large health system in Tennessee because she feels she is making a difference.

ALUMNI LIFE

DR. JUANTINA JOHNSON ‘97

Big Dreams = Big Success

care medicine and was a part of the recovery team in New Orleans that helped the rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Being an administrator was not what Dr. Juantina Johnson ‘97 set out to do originally when she started her career in medicine.

She is the chief medical officer (CMO) of Indian Health Service (IHS) which includes 26 states for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From her Nashville office, she supervises the health programs, clinical standards and quality of care of American Indians and Alaska natives for states west of Tennessee into part of Texas, down to Florida and up to Maine.

When she was a little girl, she was in a terrible car accident that almost took her life. In the hospital, one of her physicians made a huge impact on her and inspired her to want to change the world. She began studying many different areas of medicine, mainly focusing on emergency medicine and intensive care. When she started her training in emergency medicine/internal medicine, there were only nine joint programs with only 16 slots total in the U.S., but she applied and was accepted. In order to be well-rounded and prepared to encounter any patient, she trained for eight years in emergency, internal, pulmonary and critical

“My goal was to have the skills to take care of any condition that walked through the doors of my hospital because I know doctors serving under-resourced areas wear many hats,” said Johnson.

After finishing her training, she went back to her hometown to start practicing medicine which she said, “fulfilled a lifelong dream.” Working in the emergency department in her hometown was very enjoyable for her. While in the emergency room one night, she was able to save the life of one of her former teachers. Because of her extensive training, she was asked to become the medical director of the clinic where she worked. Eventually this promotion led to becoming the CMO for the Mississippi Band Of Choctaw Indians, a Native American Tribe in Mississippi, then later was promoted to her current position.

“My favorite part of my job is that I get to make a difference in the world,” said Johnson.

As CMO of the Nashville Area Indian Health Service, the quality of health care for the American Indian and Alaska native population are top priority. American Indians have an average lifespan that is statistically 15 years shorter than the average

American. Johnson helps deliver high quality healthcare and puts plans in place to resolve any problems. Even though she was already helping many people through her work, she still did not feel like she had changed the world until the pandemic hit.

During COVID-19, she was awarded the “IHS Heroism Award for COVID-19 Response” for her role in creating the IHS Critical Care Response Team (CCRT). This team worked all over the United States to train healthcare workers how to take care of critically ill individuals at the IHS facilities. These were patients who may have died without the expertise of someone who knew how to properly care for them. It wasn’t until after she was able to help assemble and be a part of this response team that she truly felt like she made a difference in the world.

Johnson says UMHB is one of the reasons for her success because she was able to study while also having a family. She also wants to thank her UMHB biology professors for helping her and encouraging her throughout college.

Johnson’s encouragement to students is that “UMHB will help prepare you and will give you what you need in order to succeed. You can do this!”

Johnson loves making a difference as CMO of large health system

IN MEMORIAM

1950s

Mary L. Buenger EX '51 June 28, 2022

Mary E. Chamlee '52 Sept. 11, 2022

June Rueter EX '53 June 30, 2022

Jane C. Vardiman '55 Aug. 10, 2022

Betty Hiles '56 July 1, 2022

Nan Pryor '57 Aug. 12, 2022

Virginia Bond EX '58 June 21, 2022

1960 s

Barbara E. LaBaw '62 July 11, 2022

Troy D. Hood EX '67 July 14, 2022

Jim E. Sims '69 July 9, 2022

Suzanne Davis '70 Aug. 29, 2022

Billy G. Shiller '71 Sept. 22, 2022

Sarah G. Ramos '75 Sept. 17, 2022

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.

Friends of the University

Glen E. Latimer '81 Sept. 17, 2022

Leone J. Dipboye '84 Aug. 16, 2022

1970 s 1980 s 1990 s

Diann Dillingham '76 Aug. 2, 2022

Lanny B. Walker '78 Sept. 22, 2022

John E. Barron '79 Sept. 14, 2022

Bobbye Robinson '79 July 19, 2022

Timothy W. Dana '90 Sept. 9, 2022

Gary C. Jackson, '90, '96 Sept. 16, 2022

Martha J. Crosley '91 Sept. 8, 2022

Patricia S. Meisels '91 Aug. 27, 2022

Glenda K. Bush '92 Aug. 12, 2022

Karen A. Durbin '93 July 17, 2022

Stephanie G. Ratts '93 Aug. 8, 2022

Joyce P. Butler Sept. 16, 2022

William P. Vann Sept. 3, 2022

William R. Walker July 15, 2022

Charlie Wise Aug. 29, 2022

MEMORIAL GIFTS

June 16, 2022 - October 6, 2022

Richelean Ables

Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens

Donald “Bubba” Adcock Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Ron Bishop Carolyn Allison Owens

Patsy Jean Bledsoe Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Doris Speed Bollinger

Peggy Bass Albin

Jim Brock Bill and Janis Holmes

Glenda Barton Bush Jerry Caldwell Drs. Bob and Grace Richardson Whitis

Mary Glasscock Chamlee Ric Gilbert Janet Kulig Suzette Meacham

Mary Clark

Janet Byrne Otto Rev. Dr. Karin Stork-Whitson

Garland Daniel Kent Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Leone Dipboye Bruce and Tina Bolick Robert and Edie Cornett King

Andrew C. Eller

Cynthia Schwertner Jackson

Jim Fitzhenry

Ricky and Linda Hitt James Morris

Dr. Iva Mildred Fussell

Janet Byrne Otto Rev. Dr. Karin Stork-Whitson

Preston George

Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Sarah McGlamery Grantham Robert and J.A. Mathews

Charles Groseclose Larry and Karen Zabcik

Betty Bass Hiles

Peggy Bass Albin Dick and Kay Smith Archer Leesa Calhoun Green Irene Stach

Dorothy “DJ” Reinhard Hogwood

Gordon and Barbara Conner Bill and Barbara Jennings Catherine J. Petrey Ronald and Diane Riley Keith and Pamela Wilson

Troy Hood Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom

Carolyn Harp Howard Dr. Paxton Howard Jr.

Leta Lehew Howell Kathy Kruse

Owen Hutcheson Keith and Pamela Wilson

Lucille Davis Jackson Brent Jackson

Carol Jones Messer, Potts & Messer, Attys.

Dr. Doris Ruth Kemp

Peggy Bass Albin Dr. Weldon Cannon and Patricia Benoit Covington Real Estate Inc. Terri Covington David and Patsy Fritz Daniel Melba Mabry Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Dr. Linda Hood Pehl Marian Corbin Wood

Ricky King Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Reagan Little Kelly and Mindy Boggs

Gail Mairs Asa and Pat Waterman

Bernice Maners Bill and Janis Holmes Dr. Henry A. Mayer Jr. Joyce Mayer

L.D. (Bud) Milliorn Bill and Sue Allison May Kent Owens

Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Mark Nalley Robert and Edie Cornett King

Frank O’Banion Edna O’Banion Guy and Stephanie O’Banion Dr. Rebecca O’Banion

Dr. Walt Olson Carolyn Allison Owens

Colonel Thomas W. Otto, Jr. Janey Byrne Otto Rev. Dr. Karin Stork-Whitson

Rev. William “Bro Will” Passmore Carolyn Allison Owens

Carmen Perez Shamalee and Tommie Perez Haliman

Sidney W. Post Kay Post

Nan Webb Pryor Dr. Rebecca O’Banion Joe and Nancy Webb Paul Webb T. Foster Webb

UMHBLIFE magazine

Find additional articles and news at umhb.edu/life or read the magazine online at umhb.edu/life-magazine

HONORARY GIFTS

Vanny Brown Bolsins Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson

Dr. Kindyle Brennan Drs. Dudley and Vivian Baker

Linda Flentge Brook Dr. Sandra Kay Oliver

Morgan Chao Jane Huang College of Education Dr. Bobbie Ward Reeders

Teresa Crothers Jimmie and Janey Roush

Caroline Havens Teresa Crothers

Eddie Humphrey Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson

Darla Kirby Calvin and Donna Graham Lee

Dr. George Loutherback Sherry Barsch

Debora Arnold Malone Jeffrey and Cynthia Malone Bailey

John C. Sharp

James and Lynn Whyburn Clarke

Billy Shiller

Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom

Sarah Shipes Bill and Janis Holmes

Evan Smith Mark and Chris DiSomma Rahm

Toni Standridge Ginger Standridge

Cary Torgeson Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom

Charles Whitson Janet Byrne Otto Rev. Dr. Karin Stork-Whitson

Gordon D. Wiggers

Bryan Denman Rowena Miller

Mary Winn Jimmie and Janey Roush

Dr. J. Campbell Wray Janet Bryne Otto Rev. Dr. Karin Stork-Whitson

Dee Dickson Curb Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Scott Eaton Doreen Doyle Hancock

Ben Gamble Kathryn Mitchell Gamble Tom Gamble Kathryn Mitchell Gamble

Chad Hammonds

Dr. and Mrs. Craig Hammonds

Ashlyn Haney Teresa Crothers

Mia May O’Rear Nancy Seiler

Dr. Randy O’Rear Rev. and Mrs. Ed Spivey

Rebeka Retta Donald and Kimberly Werner Mouser Jarrod and Emily Rackley Robinson

Jan Evans Thomas Dr. Helen Wilson Harris and Mr. Don Harris

Emma Trojacek Teresa Crothers

Rylee Wilson Teresa Crothers

As the 2023 director of Crusader Knights, junior graphic design major Latrell Bowen is hoping to create the same impact the event has had on him.

Even though Latrell is on the cross-country team, Baptist Student Ministry lead team, and a member of Student Foundation and the American Institute of Graphic Arts Design Club, he says being involved with Crusader Knights has been one of his most influential experiences while at UMHB. He knew after participating in previous years that he wanted to direct the event and help create the same experience for other students.

“Crusader Knights is my favorite event because of the bond I was able to build with all who were involved with it my freshman year, and it really helped me with handling my anxiety,” said Latrell.

His love of computers and art is what led him to pursue a degree in graphic design.

“I took a class for it my senior year of high school and immediately developed a passion for it,” he said.

Latrell was born in Washington DC, but has lived all over the country since his father is in the military. Moving around a lot has helped him learn to serve others and adapt to new surroundings, he said. Latrell decided that UMHB was the school for him after receiving an invitation to tour campus.

“I felt like this was the place the Lord called me to be in order to grow spiritually and mentally,” he said.

Latrell is very thankful for all the donors who help students just like him get the opportunity to study and experience all UMHB has to offer, especially events like Crusader Knights. “It’s an amazing campus and atmosphere you will not find anywhere else.”