THE EXPERIENCE The magazine of Warner Pacific College
Spring 2010
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY Seven students share insights from their Warner Pacific journeys. Pg. 8
COLLEGE NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
What I have learned about Warner Pacific
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President Andrea P. Cook, Ph.D.
n April, a group of 36 Warner Pacific College students walked a few blocks down Division Street to spend a Saturday evening dancing and conversing with elderly residents at the Courtyard Senior Living Center. The students had organized a 50’s-themed “senior prom” for the residents - and the event was a smash hit. The prom is just one example of the college’s Social Initiative Program, which asks students in our residence halls to engage and enrich the city through social outreach. It was a wonderful, creative event that demonstrates what I have learned and grown to appreciate most about Warner Pacific College. Warner Pacific is a community that puts its core values into practice. We respect students’ capacity to think independently, produce quality work, and maintain their part in the learning process. We expect them to do their best and they rise to the occasion. During their time at Warner Pacific, our students learn the importance of questioning the status quo and wrestling with the paradoxes of life. They struggle with the process of owning their faith for themselves and becoming critical thinkers who can evaluate evidence to inform their decisions. Warner Pacific students work in teams and become friends and colleagues who care for one another. They serve others in our neighborhood, our city, and countries around the world. Overall, our students develop the skills necessary to be life-long learners— prepared to face a rapidly changing world. In this issue of “The Experience,” I invite you to witness the transformative nature of Warner Pacific College, as revealed in the words of students and alumni. Their testimonies demonstrate how the college has had a genuine and meaningful impact upon their lives. In closing, allow me to say how grateful I am for the support of the broader Warner Pacific College community during my first year in office. Alumni and friends of the college are becoming excited by the vision of Warner Pacific serving Christ in the city and for the city. I believe Warner Pacific is poised to become a national leader in Christian higher education. I invite you to join us in our journey. Warmly,
Andrea P. Cook, Ph.D. President
THE EXPERIENCE EDITOR SCOTT A. THOMPSON sthompson@warnerpacific.edu 503.517.1123 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ASHLEE RICHARDSON ’12 KATIE DYE ’12 DAVID DOUGHERTY ’66 PHOTOGRAPHY / GRAPHIC DESIGN SCOTT A. THOMPSON BECKY (QUESENBERRY) VALENTINE ’76 BOB CHRISTENSEN ’67
TheExperience@warnerpacific.edu VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT KEVIN M. BRYANT 503.517.1220 kmbryant@warnerpacific.edu EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COLLEGE RELATIONS LANI E. FAITH 503.517.1369 lfaith@warnerpacific.edu “The Experience” is produced three times a year by Warner Pacific College for alumni and constituents. Opinions expressed are
Cover photograph of Biniam Tadele ’12 by Scott A. Thompson.
503.517.1123 those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect official policies of Warner Pacific. Warner Pacific is an urban, Christian liberal arts college dedicated to providing students from diverse backgrounds an education that prepares them for the spiritual, moral, social, vocational, and technological challenges of the 21st Century. WPC is affiliated with the Church of God, Anderson, Ind. Warner Pacific College 2219 SE 68th Ave Portland, OR 97215 503.517.1020 www.warnerpacific.edu ©2010 Warner Pacific College
Scott A. Thompson
THE EXPERIENCE 4 7
A GLORIOUS NEW SOUND The installation of a modern sound system and recording studio in McGuire Auditorium opens a world of possibilities.
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COVER STORY: WHAT WE’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY Seven students share insights about their Warner Pacific journeys.
MEMORY MATTERS Senior Krystle Edwards ’10 and Dr. Gale Roid collaborate on research for a book on psychology and special education.
12 JOINING THE FIGHT FOR GLOBAL HEALTH MBA candidate Megan Stokke ’04 and medical student Kalen Abbott ’05 research trauma medicine in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Scott A. Thompson
Hannah Kiemele ’09 is one of more than 200 graduates who received their diplomas at MidYear Commencement, Dec. 19, 2009, at New Hope Community Church. It was the largest single group to graduate in the college’s history. Read more campus news on page 4.
Spring 2010
FIRST PERSON: A BLESSED LIFE In the face of a terminal diagnosis, a career minister looks back on his life with gratitude. By Rev. Dave Dougherty ’66 DEPARTMENTS
4 College News 13 Class Notes 14 En Memoriam
READ THE EXPERIENCE ONLINE! To receive the electronic version of “The Experience,” contact us at TheExperience@warnerpacific.edu to be added to our e-mail list.
COLLEGE NEWS
Scott A. Thompson
Photo courtesy of Bob Christensen ’67
Sam Rico ’13, Rachael Toll ’12, and Josh Weir ’11 prepare for a jazz concert in McGuire Auditorium. (Left) Students gather to hear test recordings in the new recording studio last February.
A Glorious New Sound
The installation of a modern sound system and recording studio in McGuire Auditorium opens a world of possibilities.
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he sound of live performances in McGuire Auditorium – and the ability to preserve them – got a little sweeter in February following the installation of a new sound system and recording studio courtesy of donations from two couples: Dr. John and Dr. Betty Thompson, of Portland, Ore., and Mark and Barbara Denton of Shelton, Wash. The Thompsons’ gift provided a new sound system and acoustical treatments in McGuire Auditorium. They made the gift to commemorate the inauguration of college President Andrea P. Cook, Ph.D. “We wanted this gift to honor Dr. Cook as the college’s seventh president,” said Dr. John Thompson.
The Dentons’ gift complimented the new sound system by funding the construction of a recording studio in the lower level of McGuire Auditorium, which will enable live recordings from the stage upstairs or from an adjacent classroom. “This is something that is going to be great in the lives of students,” said Mark Denton. “With this talent and equipment, they’re going to be able to spread love and joy throughout the world.” The need for an improved sound system became obvious in 2009 after the college removed the pews from McGuire and polished the aggregate floor to allow the use of chairs. The floor’s smooth surface looked great,
Warner Pacific receives national recognition for its commitment to community service
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he Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has honored Warner Pacific College with a place on the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service to America’s communities. This is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. It is the second consecutive year Warner Pacific has been so honored. “Warner Pacific is committed to its role as an urban, Christcentered college to reach out to our immediate community and the greater Portland area,” said college President Andrea P. Cook, Ph.D. Warner Pacific was among 621 schools nationwide recognized based on innovation of service projects, student participation, incentives for service, and the level of academic service-learning courses. Service projects in 2009 included painting murals for students with high emotional needs, completing various landscaping projects on school campuses, removing invasive species from Mt. Tabor Park, and organizing elementary school libraries to improve access to reading materials.
The Experience
but it made the room too bright, acoustically. The new system will provide a more balanced, robust sound. In addition, lining the auditorium walls are six large theatre curtains that can be drawn to help absorb sound. “It’s really alive when you want a choral experience, but when you are using bands or orchestras, you can dampen the room down,” said John Walters, a producer with Church of God Ministries’ “Christians Broadcasting Hope” radio program, and the person who led the installation. “You can just hear a lot better in there.” As for the impact upon the music department, faculty and students are ecstatic and have already used the equipment to record concerts. “We are dreaming of the possibilities for our music education and music business programs and for what it can do for performances in general,” said music department faculty chair Jennifer Cameron. “The learning will go so much further.”
College awards “The Shack” author W. Paul Young with honorary degree Warner Pacific recognized best-selling author William Paul Young ’78 with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree during Winter Commencement, Dec. 19, 2009, at Young New Hope Community Church, in Happy Valley, Ore. Young is the author of the spiritual book “The Shack,” which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 languages. During his acceptance speech, Young encouraged graduates to realize that life with God is a wonderful adventure and that they are all significant in His eyes.
Prayer, friends, and spare change add up to a special homecoming Students collect money and surprise Krystal Estrella ’12 with a plane ticket to welcome her brother home from Iraq. By ASHLEE RICHARDSON ’12 “The verse says, ‘He will do for you more than you can ask for,’” said Estrella. “I knew God was going to get me there.” Over the course of the next five days, Sorenson and her friends came up with the $570.00 needed to buy Krystal Estrella ’12 was able to Estrella’s plane ticket for welcome her brother, Adrian, the coming President’s Day back from Iraq thanks to weekend. Three days before donations gathered by friends she would have to leave, at Warner Pacific. Estrella had just finished praying about the person who was going to help her see her brother when Sorenson and her friends arrived with a printed copy of Estrella’s ticket. “I started praising God, then shouting, then jumping up and down and crying,” said Estrella. “It was amazing. I was lost for words.” Estrella spent an extended weekend with her brother, who she considers her hero. He will remain in the U.S. for at least a year and Estrella says the best part now is that she can pick up the phone and call him anytime she wants.
Photo by Amanda Martin
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ne night last February, Warner Pacific students Krystal Estrella ’12 and Chelsea Sorenson ’13 found themselves bonding over their shared military connections during dinner. Sorenson talked about her fiancé, who is in the Army, and Estrella mentioned how much she wanted to see her brother, Adrian, who was set to return from a deployment in Iraq in a week. Estrella is from Las Vegas, Nev., and no one in her family could afford plane tickets for Adrian’s homecoming in Colorado, where he is based. Later that evening, Sorenson had an idea. “[I thought], ‘I’m going to buy her a plane ticket,’” she said. So, Sorenson and a few of her close friends put their minds (and pockets) together. They gathered up money among themselves and then set off around the Mt. Tabor campus to collect donations. They gathered an initial $70.00 in pocket change, alone. “There were a lot of pennies,” said Rachel Cogar ’13, one of Sorenson’s friends who helped collect and count the money. Unbeknownst to Sorenson, Estrella had been praying for weeks about making the trip. She says that at one point, the scripture verse Psalms 50:10 came to her mind, giving her confidence that somehow she was going to make it to Colorado. She even marked Adrian’s arrival date on her calendar as an act of faith.
In February, volunteers from area Churches of God renovated the Warner Monroe Water Garden, located on Warner Pacific’s Mt. Tabor campus.
Scott A. Thompson
Renovated water garden honors two college legends Thanks to some dedicated volunteers from area Churches of God, the Warner Monroe Water Garden received some well-deserved sprucing up this spring. The space is named in honor of a much beloved humanities professor and avid outdoorsman who taught at Warner Pacific from 1943 to 1974. Dr. Monroe originally planted native plants on the Mt. Tabor campus in the mid-1960s so students could do botany research, but the area became neglected over the years. In February, volunteers from Vancouver First, Mt. Scott, and Holladay Park Churches of God led the effort to restore the garden using donated labor, materials, and plants. Special thanks go to Jack Hansen, Michael Murphy (Sunrise Landscaping), and Dick Shaffer (Haskins Electric) from Vancouver First ChOG; and Leslie Marchant of Mt. Scott ChOG, in Portland, for spearheading the effort. A portion of the garden is also dedicated to Gloria (Elias) Law ’46, who died in 2005. Law was a career public school teacher in Southern California. After retiring, she spent fourteen years as a volunteer at Warner Pacific and became a friend and encourager to students and employees alike. Her estate paid for the pathway, benches, and additional plantings. Spring 2010
COLLEGE NEWS
Being Christ in the City This past winter, three prominent speakers visited campus to discuss how Warner Pacific can better impact the city of Portland: author and civil rights leader Dr. John Perkins; Jose Rojas, Director of the Office of Volunteer Ministries (OVM) for the Northwest Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; and author Shane Claiborne. To download recordings or watch videos of their presentations, visit the “news” tab at www.warnerpacific.edu.
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Knights out early at NAIA tourney, but player awards roll in
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Photo courtesy of Becky (Quesenberry) Valentine ’76
By KATIE DYE ’12 team of eight students and four staff, faculty, and alumni from Warner Pacific spent their spring break serving children and the poor in the Mission District of San Francisco, Calif. The team volunteered with various local organizations, including a program that provides nutritional counseling for people with HIV/AIDs, and another that offers free home repairs and renovations to low-income, elderly or disabled San Franciscans. In the evenings, the team spent time at City Crossroads, a recreation center for inner-city youth. Mathematics professor and men’s basketball coach Bart Valentine ’75 and four basketball players also put on a two-night basketball clinic for neighborhood kids at a local park. “It was a wonderful way for the college to support an incredible ministry in San Francisco, while also learning so much about the city—both the good and the unjust,” said Heather McLendon ’08,
Scott A. Thompson
“The church is about a collective group of people who share those sovereign gifts of God and who are acting in unison in relationship to the needs of people within community…That’s the first thing that urban development will teach you.” - Dr. John Perkins “Very often, organizations, schools and churches fall into the habit of just talking about the problem, analyzing the realities of their communities. At Warner Pacific College, you now have the opportunity to do something – to be occupied with meeting the actual needs of the community that surrounds the school.” - Jose Rojas “How do we redefine our lives and our gifts and align them with God’s upside-down kingdom that is all about … living in proximity to those who are hurting in the world?” - Shane Claiborne
Spring break trip offers close-up view of poverty in San Francisco, Calif.
Stephen Harris ’13, Michael Stogsdill ’13, and professor Bart Valentine ’75 fill shampoo bottles to be used in personal hygiene kits for the homeless
who serves as an Americorps VISTA Service Learning Coordinator at Warner Pacific and who helped lead the trip. Team members say they were particularly struck by the close proximity of the rich and the poor in San Francisco, which is one of the most densely populated cities in the United States. “You look across the street one way at the courthouse and everything is all nice and white-washed, then you look back across the street the other way and [you see] poverty, drugs, and injustice,” said junior Tonya Rodriguez ’11. “I came with questions and left with questions about what my role is as a Christian in that [disparity].” The Experience
Kaylone Riley ’10
he Warner Pacific men’s basketball team (22-10) dropped an overtime thriller to Cedarville University (Ohio) 8677 in the opening round of the men’s NAIA Div. II National Tournament, held March 11, in Point Lookout, Mo. It was Warner Pacific’s fifth straight trip to the tournament, but third consecutive first round loss. WP’s Jake Glisson ’10 (who was named honorable mention AllAmerican) had a team-high 23 points, despite playing on a badly sprained ankle. The Knights earned an automatic bid to the national tournament by finishing as runners-up in the Cascade Conference tournament, losing to regular season champion Oregon Institute of Technology 66-64. Three Knights received allconference honors for the season, including Glisson, center Kaylone Riley ’10 (the CCC Defensive Player of the Year), and guard Reggie Guyton ’10.
Lady Knights earn post-season honors
Sophomore Kelsey Mattsen ’12 and Kristina Schumacher ’10 were named First-Team All-Cascade Conference, with Mattsen also named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The Lady Knights finished second in conference, but lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals to Southern Oregon University, 68-55.
Memory Matters Senior Krystle Edwards ’10 and Dr. Gale Roid collaborate on research for a book on psychology and special education. By SCOTT A. THOMPSON
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enior Krystle Edwards ’10 received a crash course in the art and science of analyzing brain scans as part of a collaboration with Dr. Gale Roid for an upcoming book about psychology and special education. Edwards is a dual neuroscience and human biology major, and Roid serves as the college’s Director of Institutional Assessment. They presented a case study of a 33-yearold Oregon woman who had suffered severe brain damage in a car accident thirteen years before, while in college. The woman survived, but her injuries forced her to quit school. Edwards and Roid’s final paper will be a chapter in a book entitled “Comprehensive evaluations by experts in psychology and special education,” edited by N. Mather & L. Jaffe and published by John Wiley & Sons (New York). “The purpose of the assessment was to see how much [the subject] had regained and whether she could start college again,” said Roid, who holds a doctorate in Psychology from the University of Oregon. In the study, Roid administered a series of intelligence tests with the subject, including the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (the Fifth Edition), which he helped develop. The woman had trouble retrieving words and difficulty with her short term memory. However, she proved above average in reasoning and near average in reading. Later, Edwards analyzed electronic scans of the woman’s brain to identify areas of activity and inactivity. She specifically looked at Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, or SPECT, scans taken seven years following the
initial accident. Because the SPECT scans are a newer technology, Edwards had to do research on her own in order to interpret the scans accurately. The clinic in Tacoma, Wash. that conducted the scans was a valuable resource, not to mention the experience she had gained in her neuroscience coursework at WP. “I was able to develop a layman interpretation of the scans and then relate them to what the neurologists said from the clinic,” said Edwards. “What is amazing is how much [the subject] was able to get back after the accident.”
“This was a handson opportunity to put what I’ve learned to use and to also get out there and learn some more on my own.”
- Krystle Edwards ’10
Roid and Edwards concluded that the woman had recovered enough cognitive function to warrant an attempt at returning to school. Edwards is hoping the research experience will bolster her own chances of continuing her education in a Ph.D. program or medical school once she graduates in May. “This was a hands on opportunity to put what I’ve learned to use and to also get out there and learn some more on my own,” she said.
Scott A. Thompson
Dr. Gale Roid (left) and neuroscience and human biology major Kyrstle Edwards ’10 analyze an electronic brain scan online.
Students in Free Enterprise team earns high marks at regionals
Spring 2010
Scott A. Thompson
The WPC Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team of (L to R) Marcus Davis ’11, Chloe Yeldon ’11, Tyeson Wood ’11, Fatina Santiago ’10, and Jared Mace ’10 earned “First Runner-Up” and “Rookie of the Year” awards at the 2010 SIFE USA Regional Competition in San Francisco, Calif. last March. Teams from seven western states gave presentations describing projects they had developed and administered to help their local communities. The WP SIFE team’s projects included a resume workshop, a program to teach children about business, and an ethics seminar.
COVER STORY
What we’ve
LEARNED Interviews and photographs by Scott A. Thompson
Seven students share insights from their Warner Pacific journeys.
along the way
kids with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities feel. I was to select a disorder that was somehow close to my heart. As I studied the characteristics of kids with emotional behavior disorder - such as anxiety, depression, and social aggression - I thought about one of my best friends from the first grade, Rhaczio (pronounced RAH-ggio). When we were in high school, Rhaczio moved to a different school and got involved in a gang. Right after he graduated, he got shot and died. He was 18 years old. Like me, Rhaczio was from a broken home. He didn’t know his dad. He was obviously sad. However, I knew him as a person, not as a gang member. Kids in gangs walk around like they’re tough, but they are really hurting inside. Rhazcio’s only sense of security and family was that gang. He wanted to get out of it. In fact, he was getting ready to go into the Air Force when he died. As I talked to my class about Rhazcio, I got choked up. But it was good, because I knew it was authentic for me. A lot of my peers are not from urban settings, so I was able to give them a feeling for where I’m from. I felt like they could see me in a different way and all the stuff that I had to deal with at home. It opened up their eyes to a different world. I told my classmates that these are the kids we’re going to be working with in schools. They stay underneath this cloud of fear and anxiety and depression like they can’t get out. We will be more than teachers. We will be counselors and surrogate parents. We might be the only source of structure and comfort that some of these kids will see. When I was in school, I devoted my time to sports, theatre, and other extracurricular activities because I hated being home. Home is supposed to be your safe place, but it wasn’t for me. That’s why I have such a passion for inner city kids, because that was me - but I made it. And I thank God that I was able to. It was hard and I didn’t think I was going to, but I did by the grace of God. I know it was Him directing my steps. I marvel at how God would always place people in my life to keep me going that extra step or to give me that little bit of encouragement. Every time I thought I was done, I would meet a grown-up or a friend who would lead me one step closer to Him. The Lord is teaching me that even when my education studies get grueling, it’s ultimately not about me. It’s about Jesus and the kids that I will be able to bring closer to Him through the gifts He has given me. Now I know why I need to teach. I have to be that advocate that tells kids that they can make it. I can’t see myself doing anything else.
We can’t forget the children who need us the most.
Chloe Yeldon ’11 Elementary Education Tacoma, Wash.
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rowing up in Tacoma, Wash., I always knew I wanted to be a first grade teacher. I love kids. That’s my gift and my passion. This spring, I gave a presentation in a class called “The Exceptional Learner,” where we learned about children with disabilities. The class is, essentially, about empathy as we tried to understand how
The Experience
Judy Leach ’10 Management and Organizational Leadership Portland, Ore.
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work as the Director for Marketing and Communications at Adventist Medical Center in S.E. Portland. I entered Warner Pacific’s Master of Science in Management and Organizational Leadership program in 2009 with fear and trepidation. I wondered how I could fit one more thing into a life filled with work, family commitments, and lay ministry. My classmates and I don’t want to miss a single night of class, because the
The value is not in the skills, but the meaning of the work. information is so rich. My work team includes the Deputy Fire Chief for Clark County, Wash; a corporate vice president; and the owner of a construction company. What makes our team click is the way we appreciate the strengths of one another. We call ourselves the “rowboaters,” because our goal is to complete this journey together and to find meaning and purpose along the way. As we study finance, law, leadership, and ethics, I’ve learned that there is a difference between tasks and purpose-driven work. You might have the skill sets needed for a profession, but to have the greater perspective of how to make that journey meaningful and optimize your results is something for which leadership skills are necessary. While I don’t do direct patient care, the work I do is improving the quality of life for others. It’s a joy to look forward to what the next day brings. It’s purposeful work.
Caleb Kowalko ’10 Biblical Studies Calgary, Alberta
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can’t say in words how important it was to step away from my home in Calgary, Alberta to grow as a person in another country. Being away from home is the time I grow the most in the Lord, discover who I am, and strive more for intimacy with Him. Throughout the Bible, main characters like Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Paul spend a majority of their lives on the move. To me, this doesn’t mean that during our whole lives we should be nomadic in order to fulfill what God wants for us. Rather, when people are constantly surrounded by change, the only place to look for stability is in the one that never changes: God. I believe that the stirring of self that happens when we experience the unfamiliar goes hand in hand with the commission of Jesus in Mark 16:15, which states, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” I have experienced the personal growth and spiritual maturity that comes with stepping out my front door. I’m an individualized major in Biblical Studies. Dr. Steven Carver has really influenced my look on the Bible and how to really dig into it. He, like all of the professors here, is more concerned with opening your mind than leading you down a specific path of interpretation. Spending a semester my junior year studying in Uganda really flipped a switch for me. I looked at God and myself with a new perspective. When I came back, I took “Psychology of Religion” with Dr. Lou Foltz, which really completed it for me. I learned that the state of being unknown, where there are infinite possibilities, isn’t one where humans can survive. They need some object permanence to live. As a result, religions have rituals and symbols as a way of bringing structure and order. Yet, the paradox is, as soon as you say what God is, you limit Him by saying what He can’t be. Overall, I’ve learned that God has put things in my path. I don’t have to do a whole lot of searching. I believe it has all been by the grace of God and His eternal plan to give me these opportunities to mold me into whom He needs me to be.
We discover God and ourselves best when we journey to foreign, unfamiliar places.
Spring 2010
What we’ve learned along the way Jenny Marble ’10
Religion and Christian Ministries St. Helens, Ore.
Photo courtesy of Kyron Christman ’11
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Kyron Christman ’11
Business / Social Science Clackamas, Ore.
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ive years ago, I started as a freshman at Warner Pacific and I didn’t have a very successful year. I was a commuter student and I didn’t want to get involved. I ended up flunking out. Part of my life journey has been making it back to Warner Pacific. After dropping out, I worked at a tire shop for a year and half and then at a small business that sells drapery. I was attending New Hope Church,
College is about doing life together. in Happy Valley, Ore. Some good friends of mine with whom I had gone on a mission trip to Africa were enrolling at Warner Pacific. I still wanted to go to college, so I thought, “Why not go to school with my best friends and do life with them?” That was 2008. I’m not only doing better, I’m doing well. The big change happened when I committed to being a part of the community and letting that shape my life. I chose to live on campus in the dorms and I came to love the people I met. I think the college experience is one to be treasured, because it’s not often you get so many people in the same walk of life getting to live and grow together. Professors care about my life and are open to sharing their lives, as well. Given my poor performance as a freshman, I’m grateful for the redemption they have offered me. It was hard to come back to school, but I don’t regret it for a second - and I’m excited to see what will happen as I move on with my life. 10
uring the past six years, I had an unexplainable sickness. My entire body was in pain, but tests and procedures revealed nothing. During my illness, academics became even more important because they were something at which I could excel. Having understanding professors talk to me about what is going on in life has been incredibly meaningful. Knowing that there was so much support pushed me to really fight my illness. There was always something new to look forward to, and deadlines to keep me on a schedule. There was a future. There was hope. Finally, early last year, doctors discovered I have Crohn’s Disease, an auto-immune disease that affects digestion. The diagnosis was the most significant event of my life, because it finally helped me to see that all the years of sickness were not imagined; they were real, there was a diagnosis, and the emotional and physical healing could begin. Crohn’s can affect my body in so many different ways, but it cannot affect my passion to learn. It cannot affect my brain and how I process things and dig deep into ideas. It can’t take that away from me. In my Humanities 310: Faith, Living, and Learning course, we talked a lot about suffering while reading “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok. We talked about how different characters experienced suffering. We also had to wrestle with a paradox in the book. I started to see the benefits of suffering and how you can grow as an individual through that. It really is a time of pruning and learning about who you are and what your character is. I found that in every class I was taking, there was some aspect of suffering that I could relate to. I would study bible characters or learn about different religions and how people suffered for their faith. Suffering is part of the human condition. Because of what I’ve gone through, I’m able to relate to people in different ways, because they have gone through suffering, as well. And what is amazing about this community is that when I share my story, others share theirs. And there are a lot of similarities, because the feelings you have are the same, regardless of the circumstances. I’ve become more empathetic, seeing people the way God sees them. I think that is an amazing thing to learn.
We can find life in the midst of suffering.
The Experience
Tamara Nonamaker ’11 Business Administration Vancouver, Wash.
to launch my own web site and sell clothing, jewelry, and toys for boys. It was very successful, but ultimately became too expensive to maintain. I was again at a crossroads. This is when I felt led to enroll in the Adult Degree Program at Warner Pacific. In my immediate family, I’ll be the first one to have a college education. It’s a goal I’ve always wanted to fulfill. The fact that Warner Pacific is a Christ-centered, liberal arts college is a huge factor. Plus, the atmosphere of the classroom is wonderful because professors really relate it to a business environment. You become comfortable with PowerPoint presentations, working in team environments all things that you will experience within the business world. One incredible class was a humanities course called “War and Peace.” My professor, Bill Dobrenen, was amazing. That class was life-changing for me because it confirmed that I was absolutely on the right path. When people hear I am in college, they become jazzed about wanting to go themselves. They want to find the right environment without making too much of a sacrifice of their family life or work schedule. I recommend the Adult Degree Program, but I let them know that this is an intense, accelerated program. It takes commitment. Time has certainly flown by. I had confidence coming into ADP, but the program has inspired me to do something great with my education after I graduate. That may mean owning my own business again, reaching out more at the community level, or going into the corporate world ready to bring them the best. It has been amazing.
The right learning environment makes all the difference.
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have had an exceptional time learning in the small class settings at Warner Pacific. The level of attention and intimacy these classes provide has increased my understanding of material and fostered relationships with teachers and peers that have allowed me to apply what I’ve learned in the real world. One concept I have been studying in my Sociology class is how people can demonstrate a mind set that is “fixed” or “growth-oriented.” A fixed mind set describes people who are unable or unwilling to face their own shortcomings and who usually fear failure. The growth mindset, on the other hand, is dedicated to honest, healthy improvement. For many years, I feared seeking out unfamiliar experiences. However, things took a shift this past spring when Warner Pacific offered students the opportunity to make a spring break trip to San Francisco to work with youth and the homeless. Initially, the thought of spending my spring break feeding the homeless was intimidating. I had to overcome years of
It is better to pursue growth than fear the unknown.
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hen I graduated from high school, I went to a large state university where I did not do well. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so when a business opportunity arose for me to start my own business, I quit school and became part owner of a landscaping business. That lasted ten years. I later moved on to work as a consultant until I had my son, almost six years ago. My son became the inspiration for me
conditioning that had taught me never to acknowledge the homeless, let alone affirm their value as people. Words can’t express the way this experience changed my perception of life. I was overwhelmed by the gratitude and thankfulness that the homeless people I met offered. Seeing poverty on television doesn’t prepare you for the smell and tangible illustration of lost hopes, despair, and ad- Biniam Tadele ’12 diction. Nothing captured that History more than my visit to St. BoniSeattle, Wash. face Church, where homeless people rest on the pews during the day. I walked the aisles and saw the faces of exhausted men and women. They weren’t statistics, but stories of loss. I wanted to sear their images into my mind and never forget the struggle those faces represented. Homelessness is no longer a term void of meaning or value, but it is tied to an experience that caused an immense paradigm shift in me that will forever change the trajectory of my life.
Spring 2010
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ALUMNI NEWS
Joining the fight for global health MBA candidate Megan Stokke ’04 and medical student Kalen Abbott ’05 research trauma medicine at an emergency hospital in a township in Cape Town, South Africa.
Kalen Abbott ’05 and Megan Stokke ’04 spent two months in Cape Town, South Africa working on a medical research project investigating the risks of using chest tubes in populations with high levels of tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS.
By SCOTT A. THOMPSON On a busy night, the emergency room at the GF Jooste Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa is a picture of chaos. The tiny 40-bed hospital serves a population of over 1.2 million Development at Warner Pacific. “All of the records were paper people, most of whom live in townships where gang violence copies. Most steps took much longer than [they would have] is rampant. Scores of patients bleeding from gun shot or stab in the U.S., but it became more and more exciting the longer wounds will often cram into the waiting area, forcing doctors we did it.” to decide who gets treated first and who waits - quite possibly While the chart project took up all of Stokke’s responsibilities, to die. Abbott split his time between the study and assisting doctors in This is the world that fellow WP alumni Kalen Abbott ’05 the ER. He ended up doing procedures that medical students in and Megan Stokke ’04 entered to work on a two-month medical the United States don’t typically attempt until their residencies, research project last year. Abbott had just finished his first year including spinal taps on meningitis patients and chest tube at the University of Colorado insertions. School of Medicine in Denver “We ran around taking “If it got real busy, like there was a while Stokke was heading blood, trying to interpret labs, into her final year of a dual and report to the attending knife fight at a bar and ten people were MBA and Master’s degree in [physician] when we had no stabbed, we would just spend all night international development idea how to treat a patient,” at the University of Denver. said Abbott, a former Biology suturing and helping them out.” Both had chosen global health major at Warner Pacific. as a specialty. “They would, in turn, teach WP alumnus and medical student Kalen Abbott and Stokke - who us procedures. If it got real are dating - were interested busy, like there was a knife Abbott ’05 on volunteering in an emergency in finding a project they could fight at a bar and ten people hospital in Cape Town, South Africa in 2009. work on together that would were stabbed, we would just satisfy research requirements spend all night suturing and in their respective programs. helping them out.” When Stokke heard Denver physician David Richards speak One service that Abbott and Lieurance offered physicians about practicing trauma medicine in South Africa, she followed involved using an ultrasound machine to check for internal up. bleeding, a technique they had learned back home. With so As it turned out, Richards needed help with a study in Cape few operating tables available, the scanning enabled doctors Town examining the prevalent use of chest tubes to treat to more efficiently decide which patients had priority. In one collapsed lungs. The study theorized that given the high levels case, Abbott and Lieurance scanned a young man with a stab of tuberculosis (an infection of the lungs) and HIV / AIDS wound to the chest after doctors couldn’t decide whether he among the population of Cape Town, chest tubes might actually needed immediate surgery. do more harm than good. “We scanned him and realized his heart had been stabbed,” “There’s been very little research on what the best treatment said Abbott. “The surgeons took him to the O.R. Later that for a [collapsed lung] is,” Abbott said by phone. “If we get night, the surgeon came out of surgery and thanked us.” these patients who have TB, their lungs are scarred up. If Dr. Richards and his team are still analyzing the data that they have TB, they likely have HIV and so they are immune Stokke and Abbott collected in Cape Town. Richards says compromised. Are we doing them a favor by putting a tube in the success of the project depends entirely upon the quality their chest?” of the students taking part, and that Stokke and Abbott were As part of the study, Stokke, Abbott, and a second University impressive. of Colorado medical student named Rusty Lieurance, examined “We absolutely must have students that are self motivated, the charts of 500 patients who had been treated with chest have great communication skills, are skilled in professional tubes. The goal was to cross-reference their ID numbers with interactions, and are culturally competent,” Richards wrote a national tuberculosis database to see if the patients were later via e-mail. “Kalen and Megan were extremely well prepared flagged as having TB and if complications emerged. for this project and their professionalism has set the bar for “All the data had to be put into the computer and a statistical future students.” analysis of the data done,” said Stokke, who majored in Human For more, visit Stokke’s blog at meganstokke.blogspot.com. 12
The Experience
A NOTE FROM DANA
Send class updates to alumni@warnerpacific.edu
There are so many ways to stay connected
CLASS NOTES
60’s WP music professor Ruth Ann (Helbling) ’66 Yerden has recorded a solo CD of classical music on pipe organ and piano, entitled “From the Heart.” Contact Yerden at ryerden@warnerpacific.edu or FRYerden@aol.com if interested.
70’s Robert Moss ’77 has been the senior pastor at Salem Church of God in Dayton, Ohio since September 2008. He is currently in his second term as chairman of the Ministries Council and the General Assembly of the Church of God in North America. R. Joseph Dieker ’79 is the new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He previously spent 21 years at CulverStockton College, in Canton, Mo., where he most recently served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college.
80’s Sean Conley ’87 is the new associate dean of the Marlboro College Graduate School, in Brattleboro, Vt. Most recently, Conley was the chair of the Department of English Language Studies at The New School, in New York City, where he helped launch a new online Master of Arts program in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). He has spoken
• Warner Pacific College Golf Tournament June 15 @ Langdon Farms / Aurora, Ore. Noon registration, 1:45 pm start • Warner Pacific Alumni gathering June 28 @ Park Place ChOG, Anderson, Ind. 5 pm
Dana McGuire, Dir. of Alumni, Church, & Parent Relations
• Concert in Mt. Tabor Park July 6, 2010 Singer Paula Sinclair @ 6:30 pm • 115th Annual Camp Meeting of the Churches of God in Oregon and SW Washington July 25 - 30, 2010 Warner Pacific College, Mt. Tabor campus
at TESOL-related conferences around the world. He resides in Brattleboro with his wife, Lois, and children Amelia, 8, and Iain, 5.
dmcguire@ warnerpacific.edu 503.517.1026
A
lumni tell me that one of the most popular sections of “The Experience” for them is here in the alumni pages, where they hope to check up on the lives of fellow alumni, so we woud love to hear from you. If you have good news to share, such as a wedding, new baby, new job, or great accomplishment, let us know at alumni@warnerpacific.edu. Be sure to mention what year you last attended Warner Pacific and provide a phone number in case we have questions. Next time you’re on Facebook, take a moment to find the Warner Pacific Alumni page. You can also find schedules of upcoming events at www. warnerpacific.edu. Speaking of events, we have some exciting ones coming up.
care administration from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband live in Happy Valley, Ore.
Conley
90’s
Alison Tierney Smith ’06 is a teacher at the Southwest Parent Child Collective in Portland. She also works as an instructor at the Multnomah Athletic Club Rock Gym in Portland, Ore. Tanya (Wood) ’08 and Chris Smith’s first child, Caleb, was born on Feb. 11, 2010.
Maria (Obas) Haigh ’95 recently graduated with her master’s in counseling from Chapman University. She works as an academic advisor and counselor at California State University, San Bernardino. She lives in La Quinta, Calif. with her husband, Dave Haigh ’95, and their children, Logan, 11, and Savannah, 8.
00’s
Kari Knutzen ’08 married Peter Hamilton on July 25, 2009 at Southwest Bible Church in Beaverton, Oregon. They are expecting a baby boy in July. First Independent Bank has hired MMOL graduate Jon Colasuonno ’09 to manage the bank’s Heights branch in Vancouver, Wash. He most recently worked as a branch manager for Advantis Credit Union in Portland, Ore.
Candice (Henrichs) ’00 and Jess Beilman ’00 welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Alyssa Jubilee, on April 24, 2010. She joins sister Ella, 2. Tina (Becker) Lamar ’05 graduated with a master’s in mental health counseling from Capella University in January 2010. She is currently employed as a therapist at the Coastal Center in Coos Bay, Ore. Kate (Guthrie) Pillar ’05 married Evan A. Pillar on Feb. 20, 2010 at Grace Community Church, in Gresham, Ore. Kate works as a medical assistant at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, in Portland, and is pursuing a master’s degree in health Spring 2010
Register at www.warnerpacific.edu 13
ALUMNI NEWS
2010 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS During Alumni Weekend, Feb. 19 - 20, the college honored a group of outstanding alumni for their contributions in the areas of ministry and service. Meet this year’s recipients.
MINISTRY AWARD Paul ’53 and Nova (Petersen) Hutchins ’53 Paul and Nova have spent their entire lives in ministry. Paul served as a Church of God pastor and they worked together as missionaries in Bangladesh and Kenya. They are both graduates of Fuller Theological Seminary. In 1986, Paul became Director of Operation Friendship in the Los Angeles area, helping churches minister to international students.
SERVICE AWARD
Candi (Hemenway) Didier ’86 Candi has worked for twenty-five years for Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, a community mental health provider. She provides a full range of mental health services, including assessment, counseling, outpatient services, and coordination of patient care with other county providers and agencies, including law enforcement and physicians.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Martha Allee (Wilson) Sawyer ’39 Allee became one of the first students at Pacific Bible College. She enrolled in a two year Religious Education course and became part of the first graduating class in 1939. In 1940, Allee married Lloyd Sawyer ’39, and they had five children, four of whom are alumni of Warner Pacific College. She has worked in the church her whole life, teaching Sunday school and later doing visitation with shut-ins.
LEGACY AWARD Herb ’61 and Leta (Moore) Lewis ’61 After beginning his career as a pastor, Herb worked as school counselor, teacher, and coach in the David Douglas and Gresham-Barlow School Districts (in the greater Portland, Ore. area) from 1971 to his retirement in 1996. His late wife, Leta, worked for US Bank for 28 years (see “En Memoriam”), starting as a teller and retiring as a vice president for small business loans.
YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD Dr. Erik Brink ’01, D.O. Erik has served as the chief surgery resident at Memorial Hospital in York, Penn. since July 2006. He supervises medical students and residents in the general surgery department. In 2006, Erik earned his Doctorate from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. He and his wife, Kari (Huston) Brink ’01, and sons Quinton, 6, and Ethan, 4, reside in York.
The Experience
EN MEMORIAM Leta (Moore) Lewis ’61 Leta (Moore) Lewis ’61 died on January 12, 2010, at the age of 70. She was born on May 26, 1939 in Cambridge, Idaho. She married Herb Lewis ’61 on July 10, 1958. Leta spent a 28-year career at U.S. Bank, retired in 1994 as a vice president in small business loans. She is survived by her husband; brothers James Moore ’57, Robert Moore ’58, and Richard Moore ’63; sons Brad and Mark and their wives; and five grandchildren. Roger Helbling ’70 Roger Helbling ’70 died March 17, 2010 in Anderson, Ind. following an extended illness. He was born in Oskaloosa, Iowa Jan. 11, 1951. Roger worked in retail pharmacy management and as an officer and counselor at Pendleton Correctional Facility, in Indiana. He is survived by two daughters, four stepchildren, and six grandchildren. Stephanie Ralston ’09 Stephanie Ralston ’09, an ADP student, passed away Sunday, December 27 from cancer. She was 29 years old. Stephanie lived in Sandy, Ore. and was working toward her degree in business administration. Kay (Nielson) Schlatter ’57 Kay L. (Nielson) Schlatter ’57 passed away peacefully in her Portland, Ore. home on April 5, 2010, at the age of 72. She was born in Pontiac, Mich. on December 26, 1937. She was a homemaker and enjoyed a long career working in a variety of fields. She is survived by five children, including David Schlatter ’90 and Susan Schlatter ’87; and eleven grandchildren. Elmer “Pete” Staton F o r m e r Wa r n e r P a c i f i c custodian Elmer “Pete” Staton died January 16, 2010. He was born in Rockwall County, Texas on January 13, 1915. He began working at Warner Pacific in 1977. Elmer is survived by his daughters, Lenora (Staton) Watson ’58 and Sandra Bos of Gresham, Ore.
FIRST PERSON
A Blessed Life In the face of a terminal diagnosis, a career minister looks back on his life with gratitude. By Rev. Dave Dougherty ’66 high school. She eventually came to Warner Pacific during my senior year and we married a year later. I’ve served three wonderful congregations during my career. In 1972, after finishing seminary, I became senior pastor at Rockwood Church of God, in Portland. It turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life. We started with 44 people. Over time, the church grew and became financially sound. We probably had about 35 Warner Pacific kids come to church every Sunday. Some of them met their spouses and started families in that church. In fact, I left
I married the woman of my dreams. I got a great education. I get paid to love people. And I have more friends than I can count. I’m a blessed man. after six years because the church needed a better administrator to lead its planned expansion. My focus was always on loving and serving people. I was at Edmonds Church of God, in Edmonds, Wash., for twelve years, and it was another fantastic experience. Yet, I was still a small town guy at heart, which is why I accepted an invitation to become senior pastor at Hoodview Church of God, in Woodburn, Ore., twenty years ago. One of the things I’m most proud of is how much scholarship money we’ve helped raise for our church kids over the years. We helped five students from the Rockwood church get their degrees, and three went to Warner Pacific. One became a missionary, one a pastor, and the other an Army chaplain. Every one of those men has become a real blessing to this world. At Hoodview, we raise money outside of the church budget through activities like free throw shooting contests or benefit concerts. We tell our high school students, “We believe in you and we’re counting on you.” They respond and do well. Many of our Woodburn kids are Warner Pacific alumni now. As for my diagnosis, the tumor is inoperable and a transplant is out of the question. My doctor says chemotherapy can buy me some time. We’ll see. I do know I am blessed with two wonderful daughters, Susan and Sally, and grandsons Christian, Jamison and Jeffrey. I’m also grateful for the Church of God. Peggy and I have wonderful memories. I had three churches love me to death, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. Rev. David Dougherty ’66 is the senior pastor of Hoodview Church of God, in Woodburn, Ore.
Spring 2010
15
Scott A. Thompson
I
could tell by the look on my doctor’s face that the news wasn’t good. It was in early January of this year and I had gone to see my doctor to learn the results of a biopsy of a tumor on my liver. I’d survived ten years of liver disease – more than anyone expected – but this was different. Before my doctor even said a word, I knew it was cancer. “Doctor,” I said, “you’ve been dreading to tell me all day, haven’t you?” She nodded. I said, “I want you to know that I married the woman of my dreams. I got a great education. I get paid to love people. And I have more friends than I can count. I’m a blessed man. It’s OK.” And it still is. Having been a minister for 38 years, I’ve walked through plenty of illness and grief with people. I’m the sort of pastor who gets up at 6 a.m. to pray with people when they are in the hospital. That’s the way I was raised. That’s what pastors do. I was raised in a small town, the oldest of four boys. Each of us attended Warner Pacific. Three of us are ministers and the other is a school teacher. And without hesitation we would say our hero was our father, Jim Dougherty. My dad was probably more like Jesus than any man I’ve ever known. He was a farm boy who had impeccable character and gave beyond measure. He and my mother, Doris, met as students at Pacific Bible College in the 1940’s, before it became Warner Pacific. He founded the First Church of God in Pendleton, Ore., and worked in a flour mill to support our family. He was pastor there for eight years and later in Clarkson, Wash. for three. I followed in his footsteps and came to Warner Pacific in 1962 to become a minister. My experience at this college broadened my horizons far beyond my little town and little church mentality. One of the most pivotal experiences I had was being a member of the last transcontinental choir tour in 1964. Dr. Lauren Sykes was the director and we gave fifty-six concerts in Churches of God between Portland and New York City that summer. We visited the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and St. John the Divine Cathedral in Manhattan. It was an eye-opening trip for a small town kid who had never been east of Idaho. It was also on that trip that I first set eyes on my future wife Peggy (Thompson) ’69. The choir was performing at a church in Flint, Mich. led by pastor Herb Thompson. I noticed this gorgeous girl in the audience. Based on family resemblance, I knew she had to be pastor Thompson’s daughter. I didn’t even know her name, but I prayed, “Dear God, there she is!” I figured I would never see her again until two weeks later, when I learned that Pastor Thompson was going to be the new pastor at my home church, Holladay Park Church of God, in Portland. Of course, this meant he was bringing his family with him! Peggy and I went on our first date when she was still in
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Summer Events 12th Annual Warner Pacific Golf Tournament Langdon Farms Golf Club Aurora, Oregon June 15, 2010 1:45 pm start Info at 503-517-1220 or www.warnerpacific.edu WP Alumni gathering Park Place Church of God Anderson, Indiana June 28 @ 5 pm Concerts in the Park Series Sponsored by Warner Pacific Singer Paula Sinclair Mt. Tabor Park July 6, 2010 6:30 pm 115th Annual Campmeeting of the Churches of God in Oregon and SW Washington Warner Pacific College Mt. Tabor campus July 25 - 30, 2010
A Quiet Legacy: William ’60 and Lola Gates Having endured a troubled childhood, William “Bill” Gates ’60 came to Warner Pacific College in 1959 an angry man. What he found was a college community that offered him a level of love, faith, and acceptance that shaped the rest of his life. Bill went on to work as a postal clerk, senior pastor, and food service manager. His wife, Lola, worked for the Oregon Department of Education and Senior and Disability Services. Bill and Lola lived simply and loved greatly. Bill enjoyed wearing his
cowboy hat and telling folks that he was the “other Bill Gates.” Bill never forgot how much Warner Pacific had meant to his life, so he and Lola remembered the college in their will. Bill passed away in 2007 and Lola in 2009. Because of their generous spirits, Warner Pacific recently received a $100,000 donation from their estate — funds that will help the college continue to shape many more lives to come.
And we are grateful for their faithfulness. If you would like to learn more about how you can support Warner Pacfic College in your estate planning, please contact Kevin M. Bryant, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at 503.517.1220 — and create your own legacy.