Alumni Updates

Amber (Schmidt) Waldeier ’97 created the product Zipplicity Un-Luggage, a zippered, packable neck pillow for travel storage and comfort. The utility patent was granted in August, fulfilling her lifelong dream. Zipplicity donates packs to foster and adoptive care families. 01

Richard Welch ’09 successfully thru-hiked (southbound) the 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail, June through November on the trail name Alpine. He is one of the very few of his age (fewer than 20 over age 65) on record to have successfully thru-hiked SOBO since the early 1990s when they started keeping records.

Sam Deck ’20 ’22 and Averee (Gumm) Deck ’21 were united in marriage on Jan. 06 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Elizabeth Flora-Swick ’16 published a book titled “Undefiled Access: Healing the Worldview Divide between Charismatic Christianity and the Disability Community.” What began in 2021 as a few chapters addressing problems in Christian healing practice, transformed into a 275-page book, attempting to heal the worldview friction between disabled people and charismatic/Pentecostal Christians in Western culture. 04

Jeremiah Moore ’16 and Tyler Dees ’16 were both elected to the Arkansas State Legislature in November. Dees won his election to represent Senate District 35, and Moore won his election to represent House District 61. Moore 05 Dees 06

Gene A. White Jr. ’19 started a new position as associate dean in the School of Business & Industry at Odessa College in January and recently defended his dissertation for an Ed.D. in educational leadership at Maryville University.

Stephen ’90 and Ann Page ’88 Zupke launched into full-time ministry as “pastors to missionaries” with International Messengers, serving God’s children. They said raising 11 children was their proving/training ground and now are ready to bring the father’s heart to God’s ministers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

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