Future Alumni Anna and Matt Sonnenberg ’98 welcomed their third child, Caleb Allen on April 22, 2012. When he was born, Caleb only weighed 14 oz. and now he weighs over 11 lbs. He is their miracle baby. You can read their story at www.ocregister.com/news/caleb-381651sonnenberg-anna.html Dene (PerLee-Lange ’04) Carroll and husband, Sean, are thrilled with the gift of their frst child, Calvin James born September 27, 2012. Dene is a social worker with the County of Sonoma, Family, Youth & Children’s Services. They live in Sebastopol, CA. Kelly (Channing ’04) and Ken Newell welcomed their frst son, Wyatt Kenneth, November 8, 2012. They reside in Orange.
In Memory Sharilyn Klahn ’89 passed away in December 2012. Glenn Kraiss, brother of Wayne Kraiss, passed away in January 2013. Randy R. Mesquite ’13, passed away February 11, 2013. Cyril Schwab ’67 passed away February 26, 2013.
SenD uS youR PhotoS! We would love to showcase pictures of your new baby, wedding or anniversary in Class Notes. Email your photos to alumni@vanguard.edu or mail your prints to: Alumni Relations, 55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
MISSION TO SERVE Compassion for others is not a foreign concept to Gabe Corona ’13. He spent eight years in the Marine Corps, where he was honor-bound to commit his body and mind to a life of service to our country. As a soldier, Gabe’s mindset was one of willing submission to the needs of the nation that it was his honor to protect. So it is no surprise that when he arrived at Vanguard, he quickly found himself ftting in with the spirit of generosity that pervades the campus. Prior to his arrival, however, Gabe says his faith was struggling. “Spiritually, I was separated from God,” he recalls. Due to layoffs, he had just lost the job he had held for years after completing his service in the Marines, and when he frst began classes at Vanguard, he felt alone and isolated. He was older than his classmates, and he was infuenced by a completely different set of experiences. That’s when he met Brent Theobald, another Marine, who at the time was leading Vanguard’s outreach to military veterans through the Veterans Resource Center. “He showed me how Vanguard wanted to create a community for vets,” says Gabe. “And he enlisted my help.” Gabe was soon the president of the Vanguard Veterans Club, leading meetings and soliciting other veterans on campus to join. “We want to create an awareness for vets. We want them to know that they’re welcome here, and cared for.” Gabe helped coordinate events like the Veterans Chapel Service, with the aim of introducing these newlywelcomed vets to Vanguard’s larger community. The Veterans Club held Bible studies, and also organized a Christmas toy drive. All of these events helped fll Gabe with a new sense of purpose.
His feeling of separation from God also met its match at Vanguard. “God’s timing was perfect,” he says. “When I got to Vanguard and took, for example, Professor Gary Tyra’s Foundations of a Christian Life, I gained a completely new perspective on my faith. I was able to discover who Jesus was. I asked Professor Tyra for advice about a good church to attend, and he guided me to The Garden, a place where I felt a tremendous connection.” It’s diffcult for Gabe to identify just one professor who had an effect on him. “Every professor had an impact,” he insists with a smile. Now Gabe’s vision for helping military veterans is expanding beyond Vanguard. He has just become the new commander of American Legion Post 455, a branch of the veterans organization that had lain virtually dormant for years. The American Legion has created ways for veterans to connect to one another since 1932, but its most active days were in the years when WWII vets began to retire. Gabe wants his revitalized branch of the American Legion to renew its commitment to uniting and supporting veterans, especially those returning from active duty in the Middle East. However, Gabe won’t be content with simply meeting together to hang out and eat food. As a Kinesiology major at Vanguard, he is passionate about strength and conditioning, and one day plans to open his own personal ftness center. Until then, he intends to ensure that the veterans in Post 455 will beneft from the knowledge he’s been acquiring at Vanguard. His leadership in this area will particularly bless veterans who return from overseas with bodies that are injured or disabled. Gabe sees his work with the Veterans Resource Center at Vanguard and the American Legion as a continuation of his military mission: to meet the needs of others with a servant’s heart.
Prints will not be returned.
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