LeTourneau University NOW! Spring 2019

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M A G A Z I N E

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L E T O U R N E A U

U N I V E R S I T Y

R.G. LeTourneau

From engineers to educators and pilots to nurses, LeTourneau builds entrepreneurs who can change the world. Tomorrow’s leaders are equipped with a heart for Christ and incomparable ingenuity to impact every workplace in every nation.

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FULL FRAME

Colton Shambaugh welds a part for this year’s Baja car.

Materials joining is a hybrid program that combines the fundamentals of materials, mechanical, structural and electrical engineering. Materials joining engineers invent new, safer and more efficient processes, create engineering specifications and contribute to the performance and integrity of everything from consumer products to space vehicles.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

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CONTRIBUTORS

THE MAGAZINE OF LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY

DALE A. LUNSFORD, PH.D. Publisher

DONALD K. EGLE Executive Editor

LEAH GORMAN Managing Editor

Jenna Pace Jenna Pace, Assistant Director for Content Marketing, has been with LeTourneau University Marketing & Communications since 2013 and enjoys getting to know students and sharing their stories.

JEREMIAH SHEPHERD Creative Director / Photography

JANET RAGLAND Editor & Senior Contributing Writer

KATE GRONEWALD JENNA PACE MARK ROEDEL NATHAN O’DAY REBEKAH BROWNING Copy Editors

GAIL RITCHEY Class Notes

Tom Bevan Tom Bevan is the Executive Director of the LeTourneau University Foundation. With over 20 years of experience in financial planning, trusts, annuities, estate and legacy planning, Tom knows which plans and financial instruments can help people ensure that the things the Lord has entrusted to them are safeguarded for generations to come as their final legacy.

NIEMAN PRINTING Printing

NOW EDITORIAL CONTACT INFORMATION: Web: www.letu.edu Email: NOW@letu.edu ADMISSIONS OFFICE Phone: 800-759-8811 ALUMNI OFFICE Phone: 800-259-5388 DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Phone: 800-259-LETU LeTourneau University is the premier Christian polytechnic university in the nation offering more than 140 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across a range of academic disciplines and delivery models. Students are enrolled in programs on ground at LETU’s residential campus in Longview, Texas, as well as in hybrid and fully online options at educational centers in the Dallas and Houston areas. Academic majors include aviation, business, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, health care administration, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, nursing, psychology, the sciences and theology.

LeTourneau NOW is published by LeTourneau University, 2100 South Mobberly, Longview, Texas 75602. Sent free upon request to Editor, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607. Postmaster: Send address changes to LeTourneau NOW, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607. Email us at NOW@letu.edu.

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Bill Peel, D.Min. Dr. Bill Peel is the founding Executive Director of The Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University, established to revolutionize the way Christians think about work and to help them experience Christ’s transforming presence and power in their workplace. For 30 years, Bill has coached thousands of men and women to discover their calling, grasp their significance to God’s kingdom and become a spiritual influence in their workplace. He is an award-winning author and leader in the global faith-at-work movement.

Matt Kinney Matt Kinney is the Sports Information Director at LeTourneau University. He is the primary media contact for all 17 of LETU’s varsity sports and is in charge of administering the school’s athletic website as well as the athletic department’s social media accounts. Matt is also responsible for coordinating all game-day operations and media activities for home events, as well as producing media guides and game programs for the Yellowjackets.

Jamie DeYoung As a student, Jamie DeYoung was involved in several organizations including Peer Advising, Themelios, and Student Foundation before earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2003. She has spent over a decade in higher education, working at both state and private institutions in admissions, registration, and development. In 2014, she returned to her alma mater in the role of Director of Alumni & Parent Relations. Jamie earned a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership in 2012 from Minnesota State University – Moorhead and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree through the University of Glasgow.

CONTENTS

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Living Legendary Former students reflect on their time at LeTourneau University and Dr. Bill Graff’s impact on their lives.

Building The Workplaces of the Future Student entrepreneurs balance studying and starting successful businesses during their time at LeTourneau.

Strength to Endure Student body president, Josh Raies, has learned how difficult and rewarding balancing school, sports, work and activities can be.

“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of our salvation.”

- 2 Cor. 6:2

Follow to Lead Even when the path seemed uncertain, these LETU alumni have continued to listen to God’s call in their lives.

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Features 8 AEET 11 Alumni Focus 16 Graduation 34 Your Story: Worth the Investment 43 Athletic Hall of Fame 44 Inspiring New Entrepreneurs 46 Distinguished Seniors In Every Issue 6 From the President 36 News & Notes

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Class Notes Faith & Work

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

THE MAGAZINE OF LETOURNEAU UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES – PAUL ABBOTT BILL ANDERSON PHIL BURKS TOM BURT DOUG DOUGLAS DAVID DYKES, D. MIN. KIMBERLY FISH GENE FROST, ED. D. ROBIN GUYER JIM HOOKER LOREN LEMAN JULIE LIVESAY JIM MAULDIN, M.D. BUD MCGUIRE LARRY MERCER, D. MIN. KEN MOORE JAMES NOLT ROGERS POPE, JR. MIKE SCHUTT WAYNE STEEGE MERLE STOLTZFUS WAYNE TRULL WENDY TURNER BOB WALKER DEAN WASKOWIAK TRUSTEES EMERITUS – DR. JOEL CARPENTER, IV DR. BILLY J. HARRIS

NOW EDITORIAL CONTACT INFORMATION: Web: www.letu.edu Email: NOW@letu.edu ADMISSIONS OFFICE Phone: 800-759-8811

At LeTourneau University this month, we are celebrating our graduates as they leave the familiarity of our Christ-centered campus community to become a part of workforces around the world.

We have charged them to see those workplaces as their mission fields for Christ! Our graduates are prepared to be competent professionals in their chosen fields and have developed godly character and integrity. We pray they will also take the spirit of entrepreneurship with them and become leaders of Christ and pioneers of industry.

R.G. LeTourneau was a man of unapologetic faith, a revolutionary entrepreneur and unparalleled vision. We celebrate the ingenuity, resourcefulness and skill of our students who have already embraced the entrepreneurial spirit while pursuing their degrees and look forward to seeing the impact of their innovation in the future.

LeTourneau University is a significant building block in every LeTourneau student’s story. In this issue of LeTourneau NOW we celebrate entrepreneurs and the important part they play in building the workplaces of the future. We are excited to feature a few of the many transformative alums and students who embody the essence of true entrepreneurship.

LeTourneau Built is a source of pride for students and alumni, and this year has included life-changing experiences — from our engineering program being featured in a Super Bowl commercial, to the LETU choir singing at Carnegie Hall this summer.

LeTourneau University is the Christian Polytechnic University, and we remain committed to building our students into skilled professionals and Christ-centered leaders in their workplaces and communities.

ALUMNI OFFICE Phone: 800-259-5388 DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Phone: 800-259-LETU LeTourneau University is the premier Christian polytechnic university in the nation offering more than 140 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across a range of academic disciplines and delivery models. Students are enrolled in programs on ground at LETU’s residential campus in Longview, Texas, as well as in hybrid and fully online options at educational centers in the Dallas and Houston areas. Academic majors include aviation, business, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, health care administration, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, nursing, psychology, the sciences and theology.

LeTourneau NOW is published by LeTourneau University, 2100 South Mobberly, Longview, Texas 75602. Sent free upon request to Editor, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607. Postmaster: Send address changes to LeTourneau NOW, P.O. Box 8001, Longview, Texas 75607. Email us at NOW@letu.edu.

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Dale A. Lunsford, Ph.D. President, LeTourneau University

LeTourneau NOW began in 1936 as the weekly newsletter for R.G. LeTourneau, Inc. as one of R.G.’s platforms for evangelism, devotionals and company news.

It became the official newsletter of LeTourneau Technical Institute in 1946 with the founding of our school and has been running continuously for 83 years – now as the magazine of LeTourneau University. Pictured above is a visual history of the NOW masthead from its first appearance on May 29, 1936 to its most recent update in 2019.

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ACADEMY OF

ENGINEERING & ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY INDUCTION

Keith E. Anderson of Coweta, Oklahoma James M. Berge of Shreveport, Louisiana Anver Classens, Ed.D., of Matthews, North Carolina Daniel DiFrancesco of North Tonawanda, New York DeWayne D. Egle of Holly, Michigan Daniel J. Harding, PE, of Longview, Texas Jeffrey D. Johnson, M.S., of Longview, Texas Darwin P. Kauffman of St. Paul, Minnesota Bobby A . Mihlhauser of Carthage, Texas James A . Minton, Jr., of Longview, Texas James R. Nolt, Jr., of York, Pennsylvania Murrey J. Rabenhorst of Longview, Texas Robert “Alabama” O. Shepherd, Jr., of Birmingham, Alabama William C. Slothower of New Holland, Pennsylvania Robert W. Walker of Fort Collins, Colorado Owen J. Watkins of Downgintown, Pennsylvania James Kent “Tennesee” Wilson of Gallup, New Mexico Royce Yoder of Longview, Texas Explore the academy induction at letu.edu/aeet

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JANET RAGLAND

“Pop LeTourneau was a genius. His mind was gears and wheels and motors and we got to work with him in the plant. To have been here when Mom & Pop LeTourneau were alive was indeed a special thing.”

Robert “Alabama“ Shepherd, Jr.—‘68

“The training I received at LeTourneau helped solidify the position I interviewed for, and that was the beginning of my career.”

Dr. Anver Classens—‘78

“The professors on this campus were leaders, and they taught us how to be a man—a godly man.

It was important in lives of young men to have those kind of role models.”

James “Tennessee” Wilson—‘66 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

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LIVING

L E G E N D A R Y

by Leah Gorman

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hen people discuss the legacy of Dr. Bill Graff’s career as a professor at LeTourneau University, the word legendary is fitting. After more than 40 years as both a full-time and part-time faculty member, Graff is retiring from LETU. The

difference he has made in students’ lives during his tenure is immeasurable.

Graff’s influence on his students’ lives stretches far beyond the four walls of a classroom. He has not just been a valued teacher, but also a mentor, a spiritual guide and a friend. Several of his former students shared what he meant to them during their time at LeTourneau and even in their current lives.

LIVING LEGENDARY

[ Leg-end-ar-y ] adj.

Remarkable enough to be famous; very well known.

Synonyms- famous, celebrated, famed, renowned, acclaimed, illustrious, esteemed, honored, exalted, lauded, notable, noted, well known, distinguished, great, eminent, outstanding, remembered, unforgettable.

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LIVING LEGENDARY

How did Dr. Bill Graff impact your life?

He taught me not just electrical engineering, but he set an example as a man who made living out his Christian faith 24/7 in all aspects of his life an integral part of who he was. He showed me that it’s okay to be “weird” in the world’s eyes in regard to living for Jesus. He and his beloved [wife] “Igliss” really went the extra mile to pour themselves into ministering to and mentoring students, regularly inviting us into their home. When students were struggling in class, he would often have some of us over in the evenings where he’d work example problems to help us climb the steep learning curve that’s part of a solid engineering education. More than anything else, he and Igliss showed love for us.

— Victor Paul (’80, B.S. Engineering-Electrical Option) Beel (Bill) was not only one of my professors, but he was my Sunday school teacher at Pinewood Alliance Church and became a dear friend. He welcomed students into his house on Sunday evenings, and we would sit around and sing psalms and praise songs, pray, and read God’s word.

[His daughters] Misty and Marly were still home at that time, and they would join in the evening Bible study and prayer time. Bill and Igliss counseled me and Rhonda, my fiancée, as we prepared for marriage and helped us through some rocky parts after we were married.

His guidance on spiritual matters. The correct way to view the world, however, is as one piece, where our faith in God permeates everything we do, from praying over difficult work problems to discipling believers to studying for a test. God is not limited, and our faith shouldn’t be either.

— Chris Mounce (’09, B.S. Computer Engineering, ’10, B.S. Electrical Engineering, ’11, M.S. Electrical Engineering) He had an illustration he used in one of his devotions that I think of often. He would draw two sets of slanted intersecting lines to represent possible paths our lives can take. If we fail, we jump down to a lower line and can never get back up to a higher line, but all the lines are going in an upward direction, so we go upward no matter what. In a sense, our failures just delay our improvement. It’s a wonderful analogy of God’s grace.

— Bryan Johnson (’96, B.S. Engineering-Electrical Concentration) Dr. Graff taught that there is no “leap of faith.” God will prove Himself to you in enough areas of your life that it will be only logical to trust Him in all areas. And, it’s fine to question God. After all, He does have all the answers.

— Kevin Stoddard (’90, B.S. Electrical Engineering)

— Russell Davis (’85, B.S. Computer Science and Engineering) Dr. Bill Graff impacted my life in a variety of ways. I was fortunate to be one of those students who he and Mrs. Graff chose to “adopt” and extend special friendship and hospitality to. I knew I was always welcome in their home. There was an unconditional love and acceptance that they poured out on me. It was particularly meaningful as I was struggling to adapt to a new culture, having grown up abroad. Bill Graff invested in my life, modeling grace and helping me find assurance and security through a genuine dependence on God.

—David Russell (’82 B.S. Electrical Engineering)

Is there something that Dr. Graff taught you that you still use or remember today?

He did a devo one time on the “two pot” vs “one pot” systems of viewing the world. Many people view the world as two separate pieces: the secular world where we work, play, drive and spend a lot of life and the spiritual world where we meet and talk with God and seek 12

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What is your favorite memory with Dr. Graff?

My favorite and cherished memory with Dr. Graff is the time he helped me understand a particular homework assignment/problem, and when the college professor/tutor part was over, he’d ask about life and let me ask questions. He offered to disciple me through the Book of John.

— Stanley Carlson (’83, B.S. Electrical Engineering) My favorite memory with Dr. Graff is a summer that we spent together in Israel. It was the entire Graff family (both parents and three girls) plus five LeTourneau students. We assisted a technology company in Tiberias that had as its ultimate objective the development of fruitful disciples of the Lord Jesus. We experienced many new things together and developed bonds that have lasted a lifetime.

— David Russell

LIVING LEGENDARY I fondly remember a photo of him being presented with a t-shirt at a senior banquet emblazoned with the phrase: “I FIGHT GRADE INFLATION!” And boy, was that the truth! To his credit, Bill Graff never graded on the curve. You didn’t pass his courses unless you had demonstrated that you had adequately comprehended (if not mastered) the material. I went looking through my old yearbooks and found that photo on page 108 of the 1978 Pioneer yearbook.

— Victor Paul

If you could say something to Bill Graff about his impact on your life, what would that be?

Beel (Bill), you and Igliss have been a tremendous blessing on my life, Rhonda’s life and our children’s lives. As we pass on the things you have taught us, they also teach them to their children. I know you have been a blessing to so many students that have passed through your classes and your Sunday night studies, and those blessings will continue to ripple down to future generations. Thank you, Jesus, for Bill and Igliss and thank you, Bill.

— Russell Davis Thank you for encouraging and challenging me in engineering skills, all the while weaving in a loving and mentoring father’s heart. Your love was reradiated from the Heavenly Father. A perfect and practical demonstration of the reciprocity theory.

— Stanley Carlson Thank you, Bill, (and Igliss!) for pouring your lives into your students, even those who weren’t taking engineering. You taught me not just how to do circuit analysis and find my way around a Smith chart, but you showed me how to grow in my faith and love others.

— Victor Paul

Thank you for your investment in my life. I am a better husband, a better father, a better human being than I ever would have been without your influence. Sorry (well, a little bit sorry, anyway) for beating the system in EE Lab.

— Kevin Stoddard My main message to Bill Graff is that I can clearly see how the Lord brought him into my life around 41 years ago to help equip me for a fruitful career. Thank you for being available as God’s instrument back then and for continuing to be part of my life ever since!

— David Russell I thank the Lord for your love for Him, for His people, and for engineering His world. You have greatly impacted my walk as a faithful, thoughtful Christian.

— Bryan Johnson Your investment in my life through your teaching, your devotionals, and your marriage counseling have been incredible treasures to me that I will carry throughout my life. Your life has been and continues to be an inspiration to me and all who know you. I pray for all the best for you and Igliss, and once again, thank you for your investment in my life and that of so many others.

— Chris Mounce Watch Dr. Graff tell his story: letu.edu/graff-video

You can purchase Dr. Graff’s devotional book, Engineering Your Faith, by visiting letu.edu/graff-devo All proceeds will go to the Dr. R. William Graff & Agnes Graff Endowed Scholarship.

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StayingConnected Alumni Council Makes a Difference for LETU

By Jamie DeYoung

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uring each commencement ceremony, I have the honor of inducting graduates into the LeTourneau University Alumni Association. Now over 22,000 strong, the Association reaches across the globe and into all areas of work and life. We couldn’t be prouder of each of you!

Because LeTourneau alumni are our strongest advocates in spreading the word about the incredible work God is doing through our university, the association is represented through the Alumni Advisory Council. The council is made up of 14 members across decades, majors and locations. Charged with the tasks of communicating with and fostering relationships with students and fellow alumni, the Council works alongside and advises the Office of Alumni & Parent Relations.

Having said that, we could not ask for a better group who wholeheartedly serve and care for the university and our office.

They spend long hours preparing for events, discussing new

programs and hearing updates from across the university. The council chair also sits on the Board of Trustees as a non-voting member and alumni representative.

I assist at college fairs in an effort to boost recruiting efforts and the LETU image in my community. I have enjoyed the annual college days events but, most importantly, I believe in LeTourneau’s mission.

J. Elaine Tippett Bachelor of Business Management, 2010

The diversity of the Alumni Council generates useful dialogue which enables us to offer our perspective to the leadership team for consideration. I consider it a privilege to be part of the council and have enjoyed the opportunity to be back on campus, in particular, visiting with students.

Curt Fitchett Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, Aeronautical Concentration, 1997

Serving on the Alumni Advisory Council is just one way to connect with your alma mater. To learn about more options, visit letu.edu/alumni/giving-back.html.

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BUILDING THE LETOURNEAU STORY

By Tom Bevan

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n a previous NOW article by LETU Vice President for Development, Dr. Terry Zeitlow, Terry pointed to the fact that all of us have a story to tell. Time and again, it has been a privilege for both Terry and me to interact with alumni who have a compelling story of how the Lord led them here and how they benefitted both academically and spiritually from the time they invested in this place. As each one has recounted how they went on to excel in their careers and live out their faith, many have expressed a desire to see future generations take encouragement from their story. The hope is that these generations will also feel the urge to pave the way for future students that follow them.

Assisting you in crafting your story and empowering that story with intentional, charitable giving is what the LeTourneau University Foundation is all about. Now that arm of the university is charged with growing the university’s endowment and assisting our many alumni and friends with the more complex forms of tax-wise giving. Our Foundation can uniquely assist you in arriving

at your ideal plan. With more than 20 years of experience in estate and succession planning, the LeTourneau University Foundation can help you assemble the “building blocks” of your unique estate plan–one that addresses the “unforeseen things” we all potentially face.

Working alongside your advisers, our goal is to assist you in assuring that the stewardship you have sought to consistently demonstrate throughout your life is reflected in your estate planning. Giving solutions that can first serve you during your retirement years or when seeking to provide for a surviving spouse, or that can simply be part of your overall estate and legacy plan are all part of how the foundation can be meaningful to you.

It’s been said that the certainty of death is what lends urgency to the gospel message.

This same certainty and urgency is what makes intentional estate planning so very important. What do we risk if we discount the power that our story might have upon future generations? Furthermore, what happens if we make no strides toward assuring that the ministries that have impacted our lives and

those of our family are perpetuated through the charitable giving we do through our plan? In short, we run the very real risk of duplicating a tragic event that occurred in the life of Israel–of a “generation rising up who knew not the Lord nor the works which He had done” (Judges 2:10) How tragic that would be.

We can and should encourage others with our story and in so doing assure that all that the Lord has done in our lives becomes possible in the lives of those who would follow us. The LeTourneau University Foundation would love to assist you in this task, and we stand ready to share ways in which your giving to LeTourneau University (giving that assures that this work continues) can be part of the solution to all you might have in your heart to accomplish.

Do you have a comprehensive plan in place? Do you have questions about the most tax efficient ways to give? We would love to be of service to you in this most strategic way.

letu.edu/alumni/giving-back.html

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNA PACE & JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

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by Janet Ragland

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

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WORKPLACES OF THE FUTURE

Zac Poorman

Generation X Solutions Zac Poorman, 20, a computer engineering major from Longview, Texas, started his own business, Generation X Solutions, during the second semester of his freshman year at LeTourneau.

Poorman is in his second year of college, classified as a junior by credit hours due to all the dual credit courses he took while in high school. He plans to graduate in May 2021 with his computer engineering degree.

His company creates custom IT solutions for residential and commercial applications.

“I’m really good with computers and networks,” he said. “Most of my business comes from word of mouth and can range from repairing computers, cleaning out viruses, helping someone build a new computer, installing a home network, configuring the whole network, installing new systems, installing software, in general, anything under

the sun.” His business started with people he knew who referred him to others.

“Now I have clients locally in the Longview area and as far away as Dallas,” he said. “I provide general, all-purpose computer repair, both hardware and software.”

Last June, as an extension of Generation X Solutions, Poorman started developing mobile phone apps.

“My mobile app clients are individuals who have ideas and the financial backing to make their ideas a reality,” he said. He hopes to have his first product in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store by May. “One of the things I’ve gotten from R.G. LeTourneau through reading his biography and being around the school is that the guy never sat still,” Poorman said. “He was always fiddling with something or thinking about the next big thing to do. He didn’t let reality stand in his way.

“R.G. has had a huge influence in my life because my parents came to LeTourneau, both graduated and stuck around the area,” he said.

“They’ve given me the mindset of shooting for the stars, and if you hit dirt, at least you were looking in the right place.”

Gabe Johnson Johnson Prototyping Gabe Johnson, 26, a recent LETU engineering graduate from The Woodlands, Texas, is owner of his own 3D printing company, Johnson Prototyping.

Johnson earned his Bachelor of Science in Materials Joining Engineering and his Master of Science in Engineering in 2018.

“I started doing business as Johnson Prototyping at the beginning of 2018, but I have been in the 3D printing business since 2014,” Johnson said. “The business sort of started itself. I don’t remember thinking about how to get into this business. I just saw the potential of 3D printing, became proficient in the use of the technology, and jobs started coming in.”

Johnson got his first 3D printer as a senior in Dr. Jesse French’s senior tech elective, Maker Machines.

“After I built the printer, I began printing parts for the freshman 3D printer project,” he said. “After that, a few senior design teams contacted me to produce parts.

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“Toward the end of 2016, I found a website that provided listing services for 3D printing companies. They helped me win some larger jobs which encouraged me to keep with the printing business. I now advertise on a similar website called Treatstock.com, along with several other service providers.”

Johnson Prototyping is a partnership. Gabe’s business partner is an LETU engineering alumna, Amber Keith, who earned her bachelor’s in 2015 and master’s in 2018, along with Johnson.

Their company has produced a little bit of everything, from toys and figurines to functional prototypes, replacement parts and end-use components. They are advertised at various locations like Longview Artwalk and Tyler MiniMaker Faire, as well as online and through word of mouth.

“I have learned that proving a solid reputation is the most reliable, sustainable form of marketing,” he said. “Throughout the course of Johnson Prototyping, I have spent some long nights fixing up printers to keep a promised deadline with a customer. Our reputation as a company that delivers quality components on time is valuable, which I’m sure is an opinion R.G. LeTourneau would share.”

WORKPLACES OF THE FUTURE

Sady Cheyenne Worthington SCW Equine Therapy Sady Cheyenne Worthington, 24, a freshman professional flight major from Jacksboro, Texas, grew up around horses, running barrel races and team roping as part of a rodeo family. Today she runs a mobile business known as SCW Equine Therapy to provide care for horses including preand post-performance therapy, injury and wound therapy and massage therapy.

Worthington’s decision to become an entrepreneur came after she interned as a junior in high school with a veterinarian.

After high school, Worthington attended dental school for horses in Colorado, then learned equine physical therapy at a school in Virginia. She provides equine respiratory therapy and operates a vibrating thera-plate that horses stand on to care for strains and soreness in their muscles, as well as increasing blood circulation to promote faster healing.

Worthington says the reason she liked being an entrepreneur was, in one word, freedom.

“I could set my own schedule,” she said. She can choose when she wants to work. She used to be available 24/7, she said, but now she works around her school work at LETU where she is studying to be a professional pilot.

“I’m a major workaholic,” she admits. She has worked for clients in multiple locations, including Georgia, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. I have traveled all over and set up booths at team roper competitions and rodeos.”

Because of her name recognition and years in working rodeos, so many people knew her and trusted her. Word of mouth exploded.

Her late, great aunt, Jackie Worthington was a founding member of what is today the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, and she held competitive all-around titles and world championships in rodeo events including bull riding. She also was a licensed pilot.

Worthington said during her first week at LETU, when her lab ended at 3 p.m. on a Friday, she drove to South Texas for 8 hours and worked with horses over the weekend, then made it back in time for classes on Monday. While she appreciates the heritage she’s grown up with, she knows when running a business, “You run your own race.”

Justin Jones

Hawkspan UAV Aerial Photography Justin Jones, 18, from Athens, Texas, is an aviation major seeking two bachelor’s degrees: one in Aviation Management/ Professional Flight and the other in Unmanned Aerial Systems with a pilot concentration.

He started his own business, Hawkspan UAV Aerial Photography, during his junior year in high school in April 2017, shooting aerial photos of high-end properties or large rental properties for real estate clients and shooting proof of rooftop hail damage after a storm for homeowners. Jones’s business startup costs included the purchase of a DJI Phantom quad-copter with a quality camera and the cost of his drone pilot license.

The son of two entrepreneurs, Jones said his dad and mom inspired him to start his own business. His dad, a full-time Agricultural Science Teacher, has owned multiple businesses. His mother has her own

business as a financial adviser. He said the best advice his dad gave him was to make sure everyone knows your name and do good work.

“I went to a real estate office and left business cards and brochures,” he said, adding, “Three of my first calls came from there.”

He knew he wanted to get close to the aviation industry even before going to college. At 16, he took the FAA certification exam for commercially flying unmanned aircraft systems and passed it on the first try. He took ground school online and transferred in 59 college credit hours to LETU as a freshman.

“I have loved aviation since I was a little kid,” Jones said, “and this was a good way to make money to pay for gas.” Now he is using that money to pay for college.

“The first time I flew my drone, a red-tailed hawk knocked it out of the air,” he said. The event inspired his company name. “Luckily, they are hardy drones.”

Jones sees the work he is doing as similar to that of R.G. LeTourneau in one key aspect.

“R.G. found a need and filled it,” Jones said. “That’s what I do, too.”

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WORKPLACES OF THE FUTURE

Ben Ellis

Ellis 3D Printing Ben Ellis, 22, a senior engineering major from Austin, Texas, started his own 3D printing business when he built his first 3D printer as a high school student. It started by word of mouth to classmates who wanted trinkets and gadgets printed.

“I wanted a disposable income and was too young to get a job at the time,” Ellis said. A serial entrepreneur, he also ran a candy business that made him thousands of dollars throughout his four years in high school.

Ellis is a sole proprietorship, but he will outsource orders to other students and friends if he has a large influx of demand for 3D printed items. His website is under construction after migrating to a new web hosting service, but most of his business is still by word-of-mouth.

One project Ellis worked on received some national attention. Ellis 3D printed an assistive device that LETU engineering student Drew Miles designed for a 5-year-old girl in Florida, Neriah Rhodes, who

wanted to learn to play the violin, despite being born without her left hand.

“I don’t remember the exact number, but I think there were roughly 10 total prototypes made, testing a few design iterations and plastics,” Ellis said.

Drew would design it. Ellis would print it. Engineering professor Dr. Ko Sasaki would review it.

“The cycle continued until the final design was made,” Ellis said.

“For Neriah’s device, we used a Nylon blend so that it would be more resilient for a child’s lifestyle.” Ellis said he has printed with other materials, like rubber for orthopedic insoles and metal-mixed plastics which he uses for weight, not structure.

Neriah’s assistive device to play the violin wasn’t Ellis’ first foray into helping others by printing assistive devices. He has worked with U.S. veterans at a VA hospital in San Antonio teaching them how to design using additive technology with 3D printers.

“The Vets did most of the design work, and I made sure they stayed within the project scope and gave engineering input when needed,” Ellis said.

Shane Goslin

New Age Cinema - Outdoor Movies Shane Goslin, 20, a junior materials joining engineering major from Bakersfield, Calif., worked in high school for an outdoor media company setting up inflatable screens to show movies after dark at community events. When he got to Longview for college, he looked around and didn’t see anything like it, so he started his own company, New Age Cinema - Outdoor Movies.

“I started with one 16-foot screen,” Goslin said. Now he has several screens to rent out for events and employee trainings in a variety of sizes: two 10-foot Fast-Fold indoor screens, a 12-foot inflatable, a 16-foot inflatable, a 20-foot inflatable and a 26-foot inflatable screen. Goslin employs trustworthy LETU students on campus to work for him and set up the screens at events. His entrepreneurial business is helping him pay for college so he can graduate debt-free.

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“Super Bowl parties, kids birthdays, company trainings, company picnics—community events like a ‘movie in the park,’ are a lot of what I do,” Goslin said, adding that his customers include organizations like the Longview Parks and Recreation Department and the Gregg County Courthouse, as well as corporate clients like Shivers and Maude Cobb Convention Center.

“It allows me to entertain people without having to be entertaining,” he said. “I just stand up and push the button to start the movie.”

New Age Cinema isn’t Goslin’s first entrepreneurial venture.

“When former first lady Michelle Obama had candy taken out of the vending machines in the high schools due to trying to make kids healthier, I went to Costco and spent $500 at a time and sold candy at school,” he said. “I got in a little trouble but made a lot of money selling candy bars. That was my first opportunity to make money.”

A go-getter, Goslin says his current entrepreneurial venture doesn’t get in the way of his classes or his weekday engineering job working at Trinity Rail Cars where he works 10-20 hours during the semesters and 40 hours a week during summers. He says he plans to work for Trinity after he graduates with his engineering degree and plans to keep the side business going on weekends.

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by Matt Kinney

art of the college experience is to not only find something that you are passionate about to major in, but to then get experience in that career field. This experience is likely to help your prospects of landing your first job out of college.

For LeTourneau University baseball student-athlete, Josh Raies, his college experience fits this idea. The Midland, Texas native has turned a passion in fitness and strength training into an opportunity to help LeTourneau University student-athletes with their strength and conditioning needs.

A kinesiology exercise science major, Raies realized early on just how important weight training can be when trying to enhance athletic performance. He recently obtained his certified strength and conditioning specialist certification and is working with the LeTourneau University softball, men’s and women’s golf, women’s soccer, and volleyball teams with their strength and conditioning needs.

Working with five sports and nearly 90 student-athletes might seem like a fulltime job, but Raies is also serving his second term as student body president and is finishing out his senior season as a baseball player. Even with this full schedule, Raies has found a way to manage through various skills that he has learned in his four years at LeTourneau.

“Juggling a full schedule is a daily process and I make a lot of mistakes throughout that process” said Raies when asked about how he handles his grueling daily schedule. “There’s been a lot of lessons learned in terms of adding too much to my plate, but thankfully by God’s grace I have been able to excel in the areas where I was most needed while prioritizing everything on a daily basis.” He has discovered that even though the daily schedule can be extremely taxing, being able to see these athletes excel due to their training is extremely rewarding.

With his certification as a strength and conditioning specialist, Raies knows that each sport has many of the same basic needs, but also knows the importance of focusing on sport specific training needs. “With golf for example, we look a lot at the health of the spine and the congruency of the hips and the spine.”

He also focuses on the foundation of strength development for each studentathlete and believes that their work in the weight room will translate into success on the field.

There’s been a lot of lessons learned in terms of adding too much to my plate, but thankfully by God’s grace I have been able to excel.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY GRANT BRIDGMAN

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

by Leah Gorman & Janet Ragland

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eTourneau University was founded by businessman, inventor and entrepreneur R.G. LeTourneau, and his legacy of entrepreneurship is still evident today. That legacy is evident in the different fields of classroom

instruction and the creative spirit that is fostered all over campus. LETU builds future leaders, businesspeople and entrepreneurs who listen to God’s calling and will for their lives.

2 Peter 1:10 (ESV) says, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

Mark Blessing, Kristal Childs and Stephen Casey are all LeTourneau alumni who took that scripture to heart, knowing that they had the educational background to be successful and trusting God’s direction for their careers. Even when their futures might have seemed uncertain, each of them confidently called upon their faith to direct them in their journeys.

Electrical Engineering (’86)

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ETU electrical engineering graduate and former stand-out collegiate wrestler, Mark Blessing, is using his engineering skills in a fresh way, applying them to what he calls “human engineering.” Blessing is an entrepreneur and franchisee of more than 10 Great Clips hair salons in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and plans to open four more soon in Abilene.

“A haircut is no different than calculus,” he said. “It’s all about elevation and angles. Cutting hair uses Piecewise Linear Equivalence, using a straight line to approximate a round object.”

While Blessing leaves the haircuts to the professionals, he realizes it’s not the typical kind of business for a man who was Nebraska’s undefeated high school state champion wrestler before coming to LeTourneau in 1981. As a college athlete

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answer the question: how do you grow people at LeTourneau, Blessing started racking up into being the best they can be? Blessing said first place wrestling awards in the NCCAA he was surprised to discover that many of his championships his freshman and junior years, initial employees had never been held to a high with 3rd and 2nd place finishes his sophomore standard of punctuality or responsibility. He and senior years, respectively. LETU recently said he had to let some employees go at first inducted Blessing into its Athletics Hall of but was willing to give second chances once Fame as the school’s top wrestler of all time. they grew in maturity if they wanted to return.

After achieving two patents for his “We do know we are part of God’s plan for inventions during a successful engineering and them,” he said, “but they might not be part of consulting career, Blessing became a Great Clips franchisee in April 2004 with his first salon in Granbury, Texas, “A haircut is no just south of Fort Worth. Suddenly, he was the employer to a group of different than calculus.

20-something, artistic young ladies.

“I wrestle, coach and motivate in It’s all about a certain way, but I found it doesn’t work with ladies,” Blessing said. elevation and angles.”

That’s when the idea of “human engineering” came to his mind to

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God’s plan for us. We provided a structure to many employees who had never had structure before. I was interested in creating a space for them to flourish, and they were given an opportunity to succeed that they didn’t know was possible. It became a family, like many had never had.”

As owner and CEO, Blessing saw that salons with the best managers don’t have a lot of turnover, and when he demoted two managers, his retention reports showed improvement.

One of his best hires, he admits, is his office manager Susie Sanford, whom he hired after replacing 13 assistants in two years.

She handles whatever he doesn’t, which led him to call her the COEE, for “Chief of Everything Else.”

“She handles payroll for nearly 90 employees, nearly all of them ladies,” he said. “She anchors me. She’s like the mom of the organization.”

Sanford had 30 years of banking experience. But when she relocated to Granbury, she found no job openings in the banking industry. She responded to Blessing’s Craigslist advertisement for an office manager, and the two have worked side-by-side for the past six years.

Sanford described Blessing as generous with his employees, remembering a time when an employee came to him needing an advance for her house payment.

“We paid it,” Sanford said. “She never showed up again.” She said they erred on the side of generosity but don’t regret it. “We do what God tells us to do. We don’t always know what the plan is.”

Blessing said while his business is successful today, he remembers leaner times that required them to exercise their faith.

“My favorite example was once when we knew we would be short on payroll one Thursday,” he said. “We prayed about it. Susie was in the office by 8 a.m. Our operating account didn’t get debited, and yet everyone all got paid. That next Monday was a federal holiday, so the credit card deposits showed up Tuesday morning, before the payroll was then debited. God gave us a float for 4 days. You don’t get faith until you have to step out and use it. We understand the other side of being generous.”

Managing the Granbury Great Clips location is Candace Brockett, who was named Manager of the Year in 2018. She’s worked

with Blessing for the past five years and said she appreciates that he encourages teambuilding opportunities like attending national conferences that help build relationships and make work more like a family.

“Mark is the best franchisee I’ve ever worked for,” she said. “I’ve always felt like more than just a person standing behind a chair. He always believed in me and gives me freedom to manage the salon the best way I can. I’ve never been so happy with my worklife balance.”

Blessing’s emphasis on “human engineering” includes keeping the customer in mind since Great Clips is so much of a people business.

“We have a unique opportunity for oneon-one relationships with people,” he said.

“For many of our Great Clips customers, the only time they are touched by another human being is when they have their hair done.”

Realizing this, Blessing says the goal is to create an atmosphere to brighten someone’s day and even witness to them.

“There’s a positive spirit in the salon,” he said. “It’s vibrant, growing. People want to be here, and they want to come back.”

Blessing said reading R.G. LeTourneau’s autobiography, Mover of Men and Mountains, in 2009 reminded him that his business is more than just a way to make money.

“I got into this business to make money,” he said, “but realized there is a ministry here.”

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Education (’06)

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hen Kristal (Arden) Childs was considering college options, she wasn’t sure where she was going, but she didn’t think her future included LeTourneau. “My mom worked at LeTourneau; I grew up in Longview and while I knew I wanted to go to a private Christian school, I didn’t think it would be LETU,” Childs said. Even though she received scholarships to other schools and visited them, she didn’t feel God’s direction until she stepped out of her car at LeTourneau’s preview weekend.

“I knew, the moment I put my feet on the ground on campus that this is where I was

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supposed to be. I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to LeTourneau, and I knew in that moment that this is where God wanted me,” Childs remembered.

From then on, she never looked back and fully embraced life at LeTourneau by living on campus and eventually becoming a Resident Advisor her sophomore year. “I was 1 of 7 people who didn’t have a declared major when I started,” Childs said. However, she knew that her ultimate calling in life was to be a mother, and God revealed to her that being a teacher would allow her to live out that calling and have a career, so she became a part of the education program. God also revealed

another part of Kristal’s future to her when He brought Doug Childs (’03) into her life.

“Meeting Doug was just another part of God’s plan for me to be at LeTourneau. He was a senior and I was a freshman when we met, and we got married the summer of 2006 after I graduated,” said Childs.

Kristal and Doug began their lives together as she joined him in the education field, her teaching first grade and him teaching math and coaching competitive academics. But, almost immediately following their wedding, Kristal began to be contacted from others either asking to use some of the items from the Childs’ wedding or asking for her help

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“Of course I was nervous, but I prayed for God’s direction and He opened the doors for me.”

in styling their own weddings. “I started to think, this might actually be a thing, and I thought that I should see where it could go,” said Childs. So, she started Pursuing Eden, a specialty rental and retail business. She helped others style their events and had several pieces available for purchase or to rent while continuing to work as a full-time teacher.

After five years of teaching, it became evident that God’s intent for Kristal was to build her event and retail business into a fulltime endeavor. “Of course, I was nervous, but I prayed for God’s direction and He opened the doors for me,” Childs said. When she left teaching to focus on the business, she was fully trusting in God’s plan and knew she could use her creative talents to help others

tell their love story as they start their lives together. “A wedding can be the most stressful day in a person’s life, and all of that stress can wipe away the joy of the day. I just try to alleviate that stress and help a couple build their foundation as husband and wife, which I believe helps to build and grow the Kingdom of God,” said Childs. The journey even led to Kristal providing rentals for the weddings of two members of the Robertson family from Duck Dynasty.

As her event and retail business grew, people also began to seek Kristal’s expertise in designing and styling their homes. “Again, I knew I had the ability and enjoyed it, but I just trusted in God to direct me as my business evolved,” Childs said. For over two years, Kristal partnered with Kim Whyte to form Abide, an interior design duo and storefront, where she enjoyed sharing in the design journey with another believer. Kristal helps families design and style their homes and businesses. “It is an honor for people to ask me to help make their house a home and their safe place,” said Childs.

Kristal’s business life is not the only thing that has grown and evolved over the years.

She and Doug have two daughters, 4-year-old Arden Rose and 1-year-old Sybil.

“I have always known that my calling was to be a mother and to build a family, but I have also had the chance to help others start their futures, build their foundations and make a home for their families. I am thankful God has used me to be a part of their lives,” Childs said.

“I have always strived to follow God’s purpose for my life. Even when I was unsure, I knew He would put me where I needed to be.

He brought me to LeTourneau so I would be exposed to people different from me, people who would challenge me to think bigger. I have prayed for His will in my life, and He has opened doors and I have jumped when He has told me it was time,” Childs said of her faith in God. She encourages others to be open to God’s will as He will never lead anyone astray.

“Everything has a season; things evolve, and it’s important to be open to transition. If it lines up with God’s Word, no one should be afraid where He will lead them.”

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History - Political Science / Biblical Studies (’03)

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ETU alumnus and entrepreneur Stephen Casey has launched a new Austin-based technology company, Datapoint Media Group, revolutionizing the way media content providers engage with their audiences.

This innovative app-based platform ranges from passive uses like providing radio stations with audience listening patterns and real-time, immediate, accurate marketing data on which to base their advertising rates to full liveevent audience interaction using smart phone camera-based augmented reality.

Casey said what led R.G. LeTourneau to think outside the box and challenge the status quo was often the thought that “there has to be a better way to do this.”

“That’s the same thought that led me to think about this, initially as a radio problem, and to find a better way,” Casey said, adding that the current rating systems are antiquated, taking 21 days in the top 50 markets for results and often using a statistically irrelevant sample size.

His new product, called Audion, uses digital receiver code put into apps available on Apple and Google platforms that listens for a silent, specific inaudible signal to trigger interaction with a smart phone. This two-way engagement provides the platform to transform media content for Casey’s clients.

Casey showcased it recently at the 2018 National Association of Broadcasters “Radio Show” conference and has been testing it in Seattle, Wash.

“Companies want to know who is listening and if their advertising is effective,” Casey said. “By recognizing that the smartphone serves as a hub of consumer interaction, we turn casual, passive encounters with media into active, fun opportunities for engagement.

“What truly adds value comes from the broad spectrum of use cases we offer,” he said.

“For example, we can display an audience on a graphical map where media providers see not just the zip code of where the audience lives, but where they spend their day. If someone commutes an hour, you don’t want to advertise a sandwich shop that’s by their house while they’re on the other side of town. We can geofence it, target advertising, layer ads if people do simulcasts.”

Casey said on the other end of the spectrum, a smartphone could represent a virtual sports moment, like swinging a tennis racket or throwing a baseball, enabling the user to “play along” with a game.

“There are lots of great opportunities that we bring to the table,” he said. “There’s this strategic vacuum in the market, and we are just stepping right into it.”

After initially offering this market solution to radio stations, Casey realized that God’s vision was much larger than only serving radio.

“Any media can simply spout marketing information and rely on one-directional interaction, yet true dialogue in media engages the audience in a two-way conversation,” Casey said. “In a way, it represents the

“God’s like, ‘Look, I didn’t call you here because you have all the street cred, I called you because you were willing to be there...” development of our relationship with God. We can launch one-directional prayers, but growth of interaction is when we dialogue and grow in intimacy with our Savior.”

Four years ago, Casey contacted LETU computer science professor Dr. Brent Baas to enlist the help of some LETU computer science students to do the “real-world” research to prove the concept would work. The LETU senior design team provided the research that Casey used to launch the new company.

“They did a great job with a proof of concept and proved the vision I had could be done,” Casey said.

Datapoint Media Group isn’t Casey’s first entrepreneurial venture. Casey doublemajored in history/political science and biblical studies before receiving a divinity degree and law degree from Regent University in Virginia. In 2009, he launched his own law firm, Casey Law Office, P.C., near Austin, Texas. He recently closed it to pursue launching Datapoint Media Group.

“Launching out as an entrepreneur is a serial LeTourneau-ism,” Casey said. “God

used the law firm to teach me how to run a business. My time there was for a purpose.

Then he moved me somewhere else.

“God’s like, ‘Look, I didn’t call you here because you have all the street cred, I called you because you were willing to be there.

But I’ve taken you through these previous experiences, and all these things are going to come to bear,’” Casey said. “It’s all about Him, not you. God tells us ‘You play the position I have created for you because I’m the head coach. Trust me and grow in intimacy with me. Then you will hear My voice, follow me, and learn to trust Me more.

I make good decisions.’”

Casey said his ultimate goal, frankly, is to become a philanthropist like R.G. LeTourneau. He wants to endow scholarships, subsidize Christian work around the world, and change our culture through kingdom-focused strategies to make an impact on the future.

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by Jenna Pace

our story is important; invest in it with a LeTourneau University degree. Going to— or back to—college may seem daunting, especially when schedules are already filled with work and family. LeTourneau, however, got its start providing a college education to working adults. Our founder, R.G. LeTourneau, believed in the importance and investment of a degree while not giving up a full-time job; we’ve been making college accessible for the better part of a century.

An undergraduate degree delivers value, and a graduate degree even more so. The numbers are clear—according to Forbes, adults with a bachelor’s degree earn, on average, 57% more than those without. U.S. News & World Report’s latest data details that employees who hold a Master of Business Administration make an average of $25,000 more per year than those who hold only a bachelor’s degree.

At LeTourneau, though, the return on investment goes beyond monetary value. Students build relationships, grow in their spiritual walk and accomplish new goals. Longview local Shan Bauer, BBA, ’13 and MBA, ’18 says, “I was led to LETU in 2009 after the acceptance of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and encouraged by the love I have for the city of Longview.

The spiritual growth I’ve experienced has come in several forms. I’m honored to serve as a Longview ISD Trustee, emphasizing equitable education for all students. My life has improved by the lasting friendship with fellowship, limitless resources and community.”

Halfway through his career, business alum Richard Luchak decided to choose LETU all over again.

“As an alum of LeTourneau, it was a natural fit to follow up my BBA (1999) with a LeTourneau MBA, albeit almost 20 years later. I was a working student throughout my time at LeTourneau, working in the IT field. I was able to apply and actively utilize what

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I learned at LeTourneau to grow within my field, and I now hold the position of president of a financial services company,” Luchak said.

Harold Cobb earned his MBA in 2012 and has since been named Houston’s 2019 Engineer of the Year. He is an executive vice president of the 4,000-employee engineering consulting firm Terracon and says of his LETU experience: “Thank you LeTourneau! I am grateful for what I gained from your MBA program. It was a worthwhile investment!”

LeTourneau University’s online programs are designed to meet the student where they are in their life’s story. Faculty and staff—including Dr. Sherry Chance, an expert in online learning who has established satellite programs for universities like Belhaven and Tulane—work to make college a reality for each student.

Programs are flexible for the student, but still rigorous enough to provide the skills they need to stand out in the job market. A broad spectrum of degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level are offered, and payscale.com consistently rates LETU as a top performer in return-on-investment for the student.

To add even more return to the investment, right now, students who enroll in at least six credits for the Summer 2019 term will receive a $500 scholarship for undergraduate credits and $750 toward graduate credits for the Fall 2019 semester.

Alumni from LeTourneau’s online programs start businesses, manage hospitals, grow corporations, provide healthcare, advance education and so much more.

Join their ranks today by going to letu.edu/apply, emailing enroll@letu.edu or calling 866-873-5388.

Janet Abron Master of Education—‘19

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNA PACE

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LETU Sting Flight Team Competes at Nationals

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ETU’s “Sting” Precision Flight Team placed 4th in the nation — the highest overall ranking in LETU’s history — at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s SAFECON 2019 flight competition hosted by the University of Wisconsin, in Janesville, Wisconsin, May 13-18. Coached by Jered Lease, LETU’s NIFA team outranked the U.S. Air Force Academy (5th), and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityDaytona (6th), among the 30 schools participating.

LETU Welcomes Andrew Roberts, Karl Rove as Guest Speakers

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istinguished British historian, educator, bestselling author and public speaker Andrew Roberts was a featured speaker and guest lecturer at LETU, along with his friend Karl Rove, the former senior advisor to President George W. Bush, prominent commentator on public affairs and bestselling author, during a daylong visit to Longview on Tuesday, Feb. 19. Roberts talked about his definitive research on the life of the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Rove discussed President Trump, the GOP and a realignment of American politics during a classroom lecture.

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LETU Aviation Professor Receives Master Pilot Award

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n May 3, LETU aviation professor Lauren Bitikofer, pictured at right, received “the most prestigious award the FAA issues to pilots,” the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, in celebration for his distinguished 50 years of safely piloting aircraft. Bitikofer grew up loving airplanes. He began taking flying lessons at age 15, soloed at 16, got his private certificate at 17 and became a commercial pilot at 18. He is retiring following his 42-year career in aviation education at LETU.

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LETU Engineers Win 1st Place in Disaster Shelter Competition

LETU Sophomore Bound for Summer Medical Internship

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or the second consecutive year, LETU engineering students designed and built a rapidly deployable emergency disaster shelter, called “SafeHome,” that won 1st place in the 8th Annual Disaster Shelter Design Competition sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse International.

ETU sophomore biology major Benjamin Tebbe-Trujillo is headed to medical school this summer with his first internship after his recent acceptance into the Texas Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP). The program guarantees him acceptance into one of the nine medical schools in Texas once he completes his undergraduate degree at LETU. Tebbe-Trujillo grew up in South America where he saw great need in healthcare overseas, which encouraged him to pursue a career as a medical doctor.

LETU Chemistry Professor Awarded Fellowship in Technical Engagement

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ETU chemistry professor and patent agent Dr. Gary DeBoer will work in the technical engagement office of the U.S. Air Force Research Lab for the summer of 2019 on a summer faculty fellowship grant. He will work in intellectual property and technology transfer with scientists to identify their patentable research.

LETU Presents Spring Masterworks Concert April 15

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90-voice mass choir, full orchestra and soloists under the direction of LETU Director of Fine Arts Dr. Jim Taylor were featured during the free Spring Masterworks Concert April 15 in the Belcher Center. The evening included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, and Pergolesi’s Magnificat, as well as the premiere performance of Taylor’s Cambridge Songs Suite No. 2, a 17-minute suite for choir, orchestra and soloists. Taylor’s composition is one that LETU choir members will present as part of a 125-voice choir and orchestra on June 10 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Taylor’s original composition is based on an 11th century manuscript housed at Cambridge University for two centuries, which is said to be the most important collection of Latin poetry between Charlemagne and Carmina Burana.

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LETU Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Madras Christian College in India

Dr. Vicki Sheafer Named Dean

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ETU psychology professor Dr. Vicki Sheafer was named dean of the School of Psychology and Counseling, effective Feb. 1. A two-time Selby Award winner for excellence in teaching (2010 and 2016), Sheafer earned her master’s and doctorate in psychology from Miami University in Ohio before beginning her teaching career at LETU in August 1994.

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adras Christian College President Dr. Alexander Jesudasan and LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford signed a Memorandum of Understanding partnership agreement between LETU and MCC, a top 10 college in India, for student and faculty exchanges. Dr. Jesudasan also spoke in chapel and lectured in various classes. The MOU was a result of LETU’s Office of Global Initiatives which partners with organizations and institutions around the world to expand LETU’s rich heritage of global influence.

LETU Professors Present, Win Awards at English Conference LETU Students Present International Gala to Showcase Cultures

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he International Student Club at LeTourneau University showcased their cultures Tuesday, April 9, through ethnic food, a fashion show of cultural costumes, choir performance, spoken word, Mongolian rap, artifacts and other cultural cues from around the world during a classy evening that highlights the international student body at LETU. The event attracts hundreds of students from across the campus. The event was a visual opportunity to share the international flavor of the LETU campus, which has more than 100 international students from 30 countries.

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ETU English professors Dr. Randy Compton and Dr. Stan Coppinger both won awards at the 2019 Conference of College Teachers of English (CCTE) conference in Kingsville Feb. 28-March 2, hosted by Texas A&M University—Kingsville.

Compton won the Creative Writing Award for Poetry and Coppinger won the Creative Writing Award for Creative Non-Fiction.

Both English professors also presented at the conference. Compton presented “Waiting for Amnesia,” a collection of poetry. Coppinger presented “Broken Pieces and Crossword Puzzles,” a creative nonfiction collection.

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Drew Miles Featured in Super Bowl Commercial

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eTourneau University engineering student Drew Miles was featured in a national Mass Mutual television commercial that ran during the Superbowl in January. Miles invented a device so a little girl with one hand could learn to play the violin. Miles was chosen as an “unsung hero” in the company’s national advertising campaign. See the commercial at massmutual.com/cm/theunsung.

LETU Female Pilots to Race Across U.S. in Annual Air Race Classic

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hree women pilots from LETU will compete this summer in the 43rd annual, all-female Air Race Classic, covering about 2,400 miles across the country from June 18-21. Racers include Meyon “Cecelia” Kim, Laura Laster, and Erica Swenson. They are coached by Claire Cassel.

The Air Race Classic, founded in 1929 by Amelia Earhart and 19 other pilots as the First Women’s Air Derby, originally ran from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio. Now the epicenter of women’s air racing, the Air Race Classic draws pilots from ages 17 to 90.

LETU Associate Vice President Presents on Retention in Hawaii

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ETU Associate Vice President for Global Student Success Carlton W. Mitchell presented his research on student retention success at the 17th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education Jan. 5-9.

Selected following a peer review process, Mitchell’s paper, “An Overview of a Comprehensive Plan to Facilitate Persistence to Degree Completion and Increase Retention of Online Student Populations,” described strategies that LETU has implemented to impact student retention.

WalletHub Ranks LETU in Top 10 Among Best Schools

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eTourneau University was among the top 10 Texas schools in the personal finance website WalletHub’s 2019 Best College and University Rankings. LETU ranked 8th in the state among schools including Rice University, University of Texas at Austin and Trinity University which took the top three spots, respectively. WalletHub compared 951 colleges and universities using student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes and career outcomes to determine rankings.

Based in Washington, D.C., WalletHub is a personal finance website owned by Evolution Finance, parent company of the CardHub.com credit card website.

LETU Hosts Free Civil Right Exhibit January 18 – March 1

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eTourneau University’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences presented a free, public exhibit on civil rights that ran for six weeks and attracted more than 400 visitors to campus. “The Road to the Promised Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement” featured photographs, facsimiles of landmark documents and quotations by the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others engaged in the struggle for civil rights.

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by Janet Ragland

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eTourneau University is the Christian polytechnic university in the nation

SCOTT

anson

where educators engage

students to nurture Christian virtue, develop competency and ingenuity in their professional fields, integrate faith and work, and serve the local and global community.

The department chairs of the diverse academic majors in engineering lead their disciplines with respected industry experience and pedagogical prowess. They each bring exceptionalism and are part of the extraordinary faculty of the LETU engineering experience.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT: letu.edu/engineering

Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering Professor of Mechanical Engineering SCOTT ANSON, PH.D. has taught at LETU since 2013 and today leads one of the largest residential academic programs on the LETU campus, mechanical engineering.

A first-generation college student originally from New York, Anson earned an associate degree in engineering science at Broome Community College before completing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at SUNY Binghamton.

He completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering and doctorate in systems science at Binghamton University.

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JOONWAN

kim

Department Chair of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Professor of Electrical Engineering JOON WAN KIM, PH.D. is originally from Changwon, South Korea, and became an American citizen in 2014.

He completed his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Daegu University in South Korea. In 1994, he came to the U.S. to attend graduate school at the University of Alabama, where he completed his master’s and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering. He was hired to teach electrical engineering at LETU in 2003.

As an electrical and computer engineering professor, Kim teaches classes on microprocessors and microcomputers, digital electronics and digital signal processing.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

RICHARD

baumer

Department Chair of Welding/ Materials Joining Engineering Assistant Professor and Omer Blodget Chair of Welding/ Materials Joining Engineering

RICHARD BAUMER, PH.D. is a 2008 BSE graduate of LeTourneau University with a concentration in Materials Joining Engineering, who earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2013.

He has taught at LETU since 2017 and is the Omer Blodgett Chair of Welding/Materials Joining Engineering and the Graduate Program Coordinator.

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DAV I D

DITTENBER Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

DAVID DITTENBER, PH.D. earned his undergraduate engineering degree from LETU before getting his master’s and doctorate in civil engineering from West Virginia University where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and an ASEE/NSF Engineering Innovation Fellow.

He is the adviser of the SafeHome senior design project, which has won a national shelter design competition sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse each of the last two years. He is the sponsor for the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapter and the Habitat for Humanity Club.

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JEFF

JOHNSON

Department Chair of Engineering Technology Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology

JEFF JOHNSON, M.A. is a 1994 LETU alumnus who earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology with a mechanical concentration. He came to LETU to teach in 2010 and says the move was an easy decision for the ability to train and mold the next generation of engineers.

Engineering graphics is his specialization, wanting students to gain confidence in graphical skill sets to make them more effective engineers. His industrial experience in mechanical and civil engineering equips him to teach engineering based on realworld engineering problems.

Christin Mickelboro Haney Erica Crim Christin Mickelboro Haney is one of the most decorated softball players in LeTourneau history.

Haney helped lead LETU to their most wins in program history in 2011. Haney still holds multiple career records for softball. A three-time All-ASC East Division First-Team selection, Haney was also named National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region three consecutive years and an NFCA Second-Team All-American in 2010. Christin was a civil engineering major at LETU and is employed as a civil engineer in the Environmental Affairs Department of Eastman Chemical. She and her husband Paul, a former LETU tennis student-athlete, reside in Longview with son, Bennett. They are joyfully expecting their next son in a few months.

Erica Crim is the first women’s soccer player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 2006 American Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Crim was a threetime ASC First-Team Selection and was a 2006 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Second-Team All-West Region selection. With Crim, LeTourneau would make the American Southwest Conference women’s soccer tournament for the first two times in school history, and she still holds the career record at LeTourneau for points, goals, shots attempted and assists. Erica majored in Interdisciplinary Studies – Early Childhood Education at LeTourneau University and currently resides in Mt. Crawford, Virg. with her husband, Jason, a 2005 graduate of LETU. They have four children; Riley, Samantha, Kyle and Keegan.

Mark Blessing Sara Vestfals Mark Blessing becomes the fourth LeTourneau University wrestler to be selected to the LETU Athletics Hall of Fame. Blessing wrestled for the YellowJackets between 1981 and 1986 and was a two-time National Christian College Athletic Association National Champion (1982, 1984) while finishing second in 1985 and third in 1983.

Blessing also served as player/coach during his final two years, helping to keep the wrestling program alive and allowing those in the program to finish their collegiate careers. Mark majored in electrical engineering at LeTourneau University and is currently a Great Clips franchise owner of multiple shops in the DFW area. Mark resides in Granbury, Texas, and has four children.

Sara Vestfals was a multi-sport athlete for the YellowJackets, excelling in every sport that she played. After spending one year at Ranger College, Vestfals came to LeTourneau to play women’s basketball and would also compete in women’s soccer and softball. At LeTourneau, Sara majored in mechanical engineering.

Vestfals was named a three-time American Southwest Conference All-East Division, a Second-Team D3hoops.com South Region selection in 2002-03, and 2002-03 ASC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Serving as a goalie for the LETU women’s soccer team, Vestfals would finish her career number four all-time in career wins at LeTourneau, and number 10 all-time in saves after playing just two seasons on the pitch. Sara is currently employed by SWEPCO as a plant manager at Flint Creek Power Plant in Gentry, Ark.

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by Leah Gorman

T

he entrepreneurial spirit is ingrained in the history of LeTourneau University, dating back to our founder, R.G. LeTourneau, and his legacy of innovation. This fall, LETU’s School of Business brings that spirit of ingenuity into the classroom in a special new program for incoming freshmen from any academic major to learn in a hands-on way what it means to start a new business.

Students will develop innovative attitudes and entrepreneurial mindsets as they explore the many contexts of business, industry, social enterprise and mission. From finding a need and a unique way to meet that need, to developing a business plan, to finding funding sources, to analyzing product costs and marketing, these firstyear students will be immersed in every aspect of a business startup.

One-on-one guidance from LETU business professor Dr. Kathleen Mays and mentoring from local small business owners and social entrepreneurs will help students learn the potential challenges new businesses face, as well as the possibility and costs of failure.

“LeTourneau University was built with the entrepreneurial spirit as one of its cornerstones,” said LETU Dean of Business Dr. Van Graham. “It’s only fitting that we offer our students the opportunity to explore and learn more about the creativity, ingenuity and hard work that comes with being an entrepreneur.”

Graham describes the new program as more than just regular classwork.

“We want our students to have a hands-on understanding of the process involved in starting and running a business,” he said. Partnerships with other academic disciplines across the LETU campus, he said, should help students identify successful enterprises.

“We are a resource for students in all of the other academic areas,” Graham said, “and we stand ready and willing to help.”

To learn more about the School of Business and the entrepreneurship experience, go to letu.edu/entrepreneurship

“We want our students to have a hands-on understanding of the process...We are a resource for students in all of the other academic areas, and we stand ready and willing to help.”

—Dr. Van Graham, dean of the school of business PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

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CharissaPuttbach Civil Engineering The best way to describe my time at LeTourneau is as both life-changing and life-giving. By attending LeTourneau, I have had the privilege of being a part of a strong Christian community that supports and encourages each other through tribulation and shares in their joy. I have gained lifelong friends who have taught me a lot about myself and my relationships with others. These past four years have been a time of spiritual and intellectual growth as I have experienced the power and abundant grace of God in many aspects of life. His presence has guided me through a variety of on-campus leadership opportunities that have shaped me into who I am today.

IanThompson Engineering, Materials Joining Concentration My time at LeTourneau has been characterized by extraordinary depth and breadth. I have had the opportunity to experience academics, residence life and extracurricular opportunities down to the newest engineering innovations, the late hours of the evening with guys on my floor, and the finals of intramural sport tournaments. But with this depth, I have also been able to have the breadth of theoretical research to making weld after weld in the lab, small adventures with my roommates to large shared events with other residence halls, and every YAC, LSM, club activity or intramural sport available. All of this has been incredibly formational in who I am as an individual and what kind of an engineer, friend and leader I will be.

CarissaPitman Nursing As I look back on the past four years at LeTourneau, I can see how much I’ve grown spiritually, been challenged through academics and grown lifelong friendships. While I would not say these years in nursing school have been easy, I have seen how the Lord has used hard situations to grow me and see how faithful He truly is. The community of people at LeTourneau has been the greatest blessing that I have found—from the staff and faculty to the other students here.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT BRIDGMAN

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JoshRaies Kinesiology-Exercise Science When I think about my time at LeTourneau, I would consider it to be far from ordinary. I came in assuming I was here to simply receive an education and play baseball, and ended up having the privilege of serving the university on an incredibly large scale. I believe God has called all of His followers to be like Christ in practicing servant-leadership. That belief was made firm in my first year at the university. I immediately was plugged in to an incredible community of people who were likeminded and ready to serve Jesus in whatever place we are in.

This led to opportunities to serve incoming freshmen in their first year as a Peer Advisor and eventually to where I have been blessed to serve as Student Body President. The world says that your college years are all about you. Jesus calls us as Christians to die to self. That includes your time in school. Yes, we honor God through working diligently in our studies, striving in athletic pursuits and enjoying our leisure, but these moments are never simply for ourselves. They are meant to be platforms of service and care to those God surrounds us with. This is what makes the LeTourneau experience unique; there are no ordinary experiences. We are challenged to be extraordinary for the glory of God and the good of his people. LeTourneau helps you find ways to fulfill your call to leadership through service to others.

ThomasAlley Professional Flight, minors in Aircraft Dispatch & Flight Instruction My time at LeTourneau has been challenging and intense, but I have grown a lot as a person because of this. I chose to attend LeTourneau because it had a good reputation for producing competent graduates, and it was where God was leading me at the time.

To learn more about these distinguished seniors visit: letu.edu/distinguishedseniors19

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT BRIDGMAN

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38 student-athletes from the athletic department earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the 2018 fall semester

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39 student-athletes were recognized by the ASC Conference on its Fall AllAcademic Honor Roll

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Both the women’s cross country and women’s soccer team earned the ASC SAAC Team Sportsmanship Award

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Men’s and women’s Cross Country both qualified and competed at the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional in Newport News, Virginia

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Junior Alexis Segura matched the best individual finish by an LETU runner in school history by finishing 10th

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Men’s soccer qualified for the ASC Tournament for the first time since 2011 and placed five players on the ASC All-Conference teams

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Women’s soccer reached the ASC tournament for the fourth consecutive season, advancing to the ASC Tournament Semifinals for the first time in school history

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Six student-athletes from women’s soccer earned All-ASC honors and senior Sarah Harder became the first female studentathlete in school history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors as a first-team Academic All-American

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Volleyball placed three on AllConference teams including ASC: East Division Freshman of the Year Kianna Crow and qualified for the ASC Tournament for the second time in school history

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Men’s basketball earned postseason recognition from the ASC, Senior Caleb Loggins was the ASC East Division Defensive Player of the Year and Andrew Eberhardt was the ASC: East Division Freshman of the Year

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Women’s basketball earned post-season recognition with two players named to the All ASCEast Division teams

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Men’s and women’s indoor track and field set numerous records and saw great success in their sophomore campaigns as the YellowJackets set numerous school records

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Alex Hindman, Austin Parrish, and Jack Miller all qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Track National Championship Meet in the pole vault, with Hindman qualifying for the second consecutive season. All three student-athletes, along with freshman Collin Jones were also named USTFCCCA All-South/ Southeast Region for ranking in the top 20 in their region in their respective event. At the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, Hindman would go on to become the first All-American in program history with a sixth-place finish while Hindman finished 11th and Miller would take 16th.

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starting his own business. He is an AWS senior certified welding inspector and has served many years in leadership with the AWS New Mexico chapter. He and his wife, Martha, have been married for 45 years and have three children and seven grandchildren.

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Timothy McGuire (’77 MABS) has a new job as a professor of computer science and engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station. He and his wife, Denise, have three grown children.

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Jim Willis (’61 ATBS) of Locust Grove, Georgia, returned to his alma mater this year and toured the Abbott Aviation Center. Willis was one of the first aviation students.

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Nick Wetzel (’62 MES) has retired after 30 years of maritime (seagoing) employment. He and his wife, Bonnie, live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

They have three grown children.

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Verlan Snodgrass (’66 MT) is a retired woodworker who has recently moved with his wife, Barbara, to Cedarburg, Wisconsin. They have four grown children.

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Jonathan Hyland (’73 MT) retired Oct. 15, 2018. He and his wife, Cindy, have two grown children. They live in Concord, North Carolina.

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Mike Thomas (’76 WT) was recently featured in the American Welding Society magazine for his exemplary career in welding engineering. Born and raised on the Navajo reservation in western New Mexico, he was a first-generation college student who worked 25 years in sales before

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Gary Holeman (’80 ET/ATBS) has joined the Board of Trustees at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina. Holeman has been a higher education chief information officer for over 20 years and served at LETU. He now works for Ellucian, the largest software and services vendor dedicated solely to the higher education market.

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Gary Martin (’81 WT) is retiring from GE after more than 29 years. He started his welding career at 15 after his grandfather gave him a Miller AC transformer welder, beginning his nearly 45-year passion for welding. He worked at Marathon LeTourneau as a night shift welder when he was a student, joining the student chapter of AWS in 1977 and maintaining membership throughout his lifetime. He earned a master’s degree from The Ohio State University before beginning work at the GE aircraft engines facility in Evendale, Ohio. Career moves with GE took him around the world.

the airline maintenance industry, having worked 20 years with Delta Airlines and 14 years with American Eagle. Today, he is president of Starbuck’s Cone Factory Inc. and Starbuck’s Cone Factory Rentals L.L.C., along with being an International Dairy Queen franchisee. He and his wife, Parvin, live in Bloomington, Minnesota.

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Bryan Colombo (’86 ATBS) has a new job as a first officer on a 777 with Southern Air Inc. in Florence, Kentucky. He and his wife, L. Christine, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and have a son, Daniel, 20.

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Bill Fosbenner (’86 AUT) has a new job as a service advisor at Gentilini Chevrolet in Woodbine, New Jersey.

He and his wife, Karen, live in Beesleys Point, New Jersey, and have two children, Rachel, 22, and Zac, 13.

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Julie (Fontenot) Drouin (’87 SPEC) is the owner of Drouin Cruises, LLC, specializing in luxury travel, specifically ocean and river cruises, but also exotic experiences such as African safaris.

As a part-time student, she worked fulltime at LETU maintenance department and mail center. She earned her master’s in speech language pathology at UT Austin. She and husband, Rene, are the parents to three grown children.

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Scott Dunn (’83 MT/ATBS) works as a sustaining engineering manager for SW Murphy Production Controls, LLC and lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. His late father, Dr. Thomas Dunn, taught science at LETU and died February 6, 2019, at the age of 89.

Scott Smith (’91 BBM) was named the new police chief of Greenville, Texas, in March 2019.

He had served as acting police chief for the previous nine months and had been the assistant chief since 2004.

He and his wife, Karen, have three children, three stepchildren and six grandchildren.

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Todd Anderson (’86 BIAT/ AU) retired in March 2018 from

Jason Borsheim (’96 BUBS) was recently promoted to product

CLASS NOTES

definition coordinator, supply chain management with Volkswagen Group of America in Michigan. He and his wife, Kristina, are the parents of two sons, Collin, 14, and Nathan, 12. They live in Clarkston, Michigan.

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Marshall Mullinax (’98 BAIS) completed his Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership through Crown College and is a senior consultant in an organizational development role with Ambassador Enterprises in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He and his wife, Babs, are the parents of a son, Russell, 13.

06

Nikita Latrinda Mumphrey (BA ’03, MBA ’06, PACT 2010) is the principal at Bramlette Elementary STEAM Academy in Longview, Texas, that recently won a national award as a Flippen Group Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School for the 2018 -2019 school year. The program acknowledges schools that treat students as valuable, create a better campus culture and decrease discipline referrals.

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Daniel Wynja (’03 ASFL) recently was promoted to captain at Gurley Leep Automotive in Mishawaka, Indiana.

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Shari (Irving) Hufft (’04 ISE1) and husband David Hufft (’06 ME) of Redding, California, opened their own business, The Math Tutoring Center, on August 7, 2018. Their website is

themathtutoringcenter.com. They have two children Ozias, 10, Malachi, 5.

04

Aaron Sullivan (’04 CSBS) has recently published his first book on the history of the American Revolution titled “The Disaffected: Britain’s Occupation of Philadelphia During the American Revolution,” published by University of Pennsylvania Press.

Sullivan earned his doctorate at Temple University and has served as a history instructor at Temple University and Holy Family University in Philadelphia and at Rider University in New Jersey. His book is an outgrowth of his doctoral research at Temple University. It is found on Amazon.com and is referenced on his website at aaronsullivan.com.

He is married to LETU alumna Sarah (Plymale) Sullivan (’04 EE). They live in Abingdon, Pennsylvania, and have two children, Grace, 6, and Ted, 3.

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Ben Luckert (’05 ACCT) of Aledo, Texas, was promoted to fund accounting manager at Oak Hill Advisors, L.P. in Fort Worth. He and his wife, Mandy, have two children: Nora, 3, and Juliette, 1.

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Trisha Williams (’05 EN) has a new job as dean of students for Veritas Press in Lancaster, Illinois.

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Darci (Garnett) Dodd (’06 BBA) is engaged to O’Neil Murty and has moved to Katy, Texas. She is retired due to battling her second round of cancer.

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Todd Brigham (’07 ME) is the executive director and his wife, Emily Lee (Grimes) Brigham (’07 ISBS), is the program manager for a youth ministry they founded in Alaska called THE COMPASS. After graduating from LETU, Todd worked for Kohler Engines in Wisconsin before moving back to Nikiski, Alaska, where he and Emily grew up. Back in Alaska, Todd worked as an engineer for Tesoro and ConocoPhillips in the Oil and Gas Industry. Their heart for youth and the next generation led them to start THE COMPASS, which is a youth center/outreach ministry 501c3 non-profit. Todd left his job at ConocoPhillips in May. THE COMPASS opened in September, attracting over 200 youth. The website is thecompassak.com

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Charles Pulliam (’07 BBM) recently accepted a position as the chief executive officer for Bay Area Church and Bay Area Christian School in League City, Texas. He and his wife, Jenee, and family live in Houston, Texas.

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Dr. Brooks Green (’10 BYBS) and his wife, Erin (Myers) Green (’10 ME) own two dental office locations in southern Indiana. He earned his master’s in biology from Purdue University in 2011, then his doctorate in dental surgery from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 2015.

They live in Lyons, Indiana, with their two children, Claire, 3, and Emmett, 1.

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Tawana Riddle (’10 BBA) has recently moved to Lewisville, Texas where she is an order fulfillment specialist for Ericsson.

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Amber (Pickett) Johns (’11 ACCT) has a new job as a finance manager at Cabot Norit Activated Carbon in Marshall, Texas. She and her husband, Michael, live in Gladewater, Texas, and have two children: Ayden, 11, and Aristyn, 4.

the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE).

WEDDINGS

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Jonathan “Johnny” Reigle (’17 AFFS) has a new job as a first officer at Envoy Airlines in Dallas, Texas.

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Aaron “Levi” Midcap (’11 ME) recently moved to Houston, Texas, where he is a design engineer II at Burrow Global Services, LLC. Jill (Robertson) Lane (’12 BBA) has been promoted to enterprise experience manager—team lead at ExponentHR, where she has worked since 2011. She has moved from Dallas to Wylie, Texas, and has a son, Joshua, 13.

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Paul Ambler (’14 CST) recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he is software developer for Epic Systems.

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Darla Parsons Telchik (’16 ISE1) is a first-grade teacher at Tahoka ISD in Tahoka, Texas. Her husband Zach Telchik ( ’15 BSME) works as a mechanical engineer at BSA Consulting Engineers, PLLC in Lubbock, Texas.

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Meagan Beshears (’17 BSH) has a new job as a care manager at PhyNet in Longview. She has three children, Emma Watts, 14, Claire, 7, and Wyatt, 4.

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Deborah Osomo (’17 ISE1-BS) is a master’s degree candidate at New York University in international education and was recently featured by the George Clement Bond Center for African Education at Columbia University with a piece titled “The Right to Accessible Education: Why Does Adequate Funding for Public Education in Nigeria Matter?” Her master’s thesis is a study on public education in Nigeria. She is also an editorial assistant for the Journal on Education in Emergencies, published by

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Erika Becker (’18 GBFI) is the Electronic Campus Security Supervisor at Austin Community College and lives in Pflugerville, Texas.

Daniel Wilson (’13 AFMI) married his best friend, Bekah Joy, on Sept.

22, 2018. He is a first officer for Endeavor Air. They live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ethan Sikes (’17 CSBS) recently took a job as a Full Stack Engineer with Cognizant Digital Engineering in Irving, Texas.

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Drew Rogers (’18 NURS) has a new job as a nurse at Christus Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview, Texas.

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David Schroeder (’18 BSME) has a new job as a research and development engineer at HerdX in Boerne, Texas

BIRTHS

06

Matt Reeves (’06 ASFL) and his wife, Jessica (Kaufman) Reeves (’07 ISE1-EC-4) welcomed their new son, Andrew James Matthew “AJ” Reeves, on Feb. 21, 2019, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was 9 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20 ½ inches long.

Matt is a First Officer at United Airlines. The baby joins sisters Annabel, 6, and Addelyn, 2.

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Lance Meier (’16 AFMI) and his wife, Kara, were married November 11, 2017, and live in San Angelo, Texas, where Lance is a flight instructor.

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Joshua Workman (’17 CSE) and Devon Cairnie (’19 NURS) were married June 3, 2018, in Longview, Texas.

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Barnabas Grant Bridgman (’12 CMCC, ’15 MBA) and his wife, Rachel (Brand) Bridgman (’15 PSYC) welcomed their baby daughter, Julianna Cheryl, born May 14, 2019. She was 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Julianna joins her brother, James, 2.

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Zachary Anderson (’18 MJE) and Rachel Martin-Anderson (’18 BSME) were married on July 29, 2018.

Zack is an engineer with General Dynamics Electric Boat in North Kingstown, RI.

CLASS NOTES

Please share your class

MEMORIALS

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Craig Cowles (’57 MES) died Dec. 18, 2018, in Independence, Oregon. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Eleanor; sons, Dan, Jon and Tim; and one grandson. He worked for various manufacturing engineering companies.

His hobbies were ham radio, flying and building airplanes.

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Ted Gargantiel (’58 MES) died Nov. 10, 2018. He faithfully attended the homecoming banquet each year and was a friend to the original Alpha Omega members.

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Paul Schade (1959) died April 13, 2018, in Oak Grove, Missouri, at the age of 81. He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; sons, Craig and Bradley; stepson, Russell Smith; stepdaughter, Linda Strickland; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren and other family members.

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Gerald Hall (’70 AMT) died January 8, 2019, in Carthage, Texas, at the age of 82. He is survived by his daughters; Janice and husband, Ray, Laurent and Dr. Delinda Hall (’85 ACCT); son, Dwight and wife, Angela; eight grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, as well as siblings, many nieces and nephews as well as a host of friends.

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Douglas R. Mooney (’79 BUBS) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, died Oct. 24, 2018, after a short illness.

He is survived by his stepmother, Dorothy Seymour Mooney; brothers, Gordon and Kevin; sisters, Elaine Miodowski and Sheila Lin Lloyd; four nephews and three nieces.

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Gary L. Koch (’84 PE) died June 26, 2018, of a 9/11/01 World Trade Center related illness. He served as a police officer in the New York Police Department from 1990 to 2010 when he retired from service. Like thousands of other uniformed officers, he rushed to the city on that fateful day and spent months at ground zero in the aftermath, breathing the toxic air that so many thousands of uniformed and non-uniformed workers and volunteers have become sick from. Gary was added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. May 13 during a ceremony honoring fallen officers across the United States. He was survived by his wife, Leah.

notes & photos with us on the Alumni Association web page, letu.edu/alumni or by emailing Gail Ritchey at gailritchey@letu.edu

The loss of a loved one, friend or colleague often inspires us to ensure that their memory lives on.

Many people find that supporting LETU is an ideal way to honor someone who has passed away. Gifts made “in memoriam” offer a lasting honor to a loved one while providing family and friends with the satisfaction of knowing they have helped others. If you would like to give a memoriam to LETU, please call 1-800-259-5388 or donate online at www.letu.edu/ give. The family will be notified of your generosity when a memoriam is made.

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by Bill Peel D. Min.

V

isit Encore Multimedia in downtown Longview, and you’d never guess that starting the business terrified Dean Waskowiak.

In 1980, Dean attended the student mission conference at LETU, where the plight of persecuted Christians captivated his heart and imagination. The new husband and new Christian felt called to the mission field. But God had a different mission field in mind for Dean—one with a broader, deeper impact for God’s kingdom than he ever imagined as a young college student seeking God’s will for his life.

As graduation approached, Dean wrestled between foreign missions and a job opportunity with an audio-visual production company in East Texas. Looking for God’s guidance, he read Ecclesiastes 11:5-6, “Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle

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in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.”

“It was like God was telling me you don’t know how bones are formed, and I’m putting something in front of you that I want you to do.

Sow your seed right now because this is what you have in front of you.”

Dean decided to take the job in front of him. Inspired by Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings,” he focused on doing quality work. Dean’s innovative ideas and commitment to excellence created satisfied customers who encouraged him to start his own company—an outlandish idea in his mind.

“The thought of me starting my own business was beyond me,” he said. “I wasn’t raised as a risktaker. Even though I pushed this off, it just kept coming back. So, I started asking God, ‘Lord, is this what you want me to do?’ ” After several confirmations, Dean became a reluctant entrepreneur.

“God had spoken to me in every way. In my heart I wanted to do it, but I was afraid. Even though I was chicken, God was saying, ‘Read

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

“

The thought of me starting my own business was beyond me. I wasn’t raised as a risktaker.

my book. You are going to have to trust that I’m going to take care of you. This is something bigger than you can imagine, and I have a plan that you don’t know.’ ” Encouraged by his boss as well as God, Dean took a step of faith.

Encore started in Dean’s garage 25 years ago, and today the company employs 20 high-horsepower, creative individuals who serve the marketing needs of over 300 clients through video production, web development, graphic design, creative development, strategic planning and public relations. Crowded shelves at Encore display over 200 awards—regional, national and international— that reflect Dean’s belief that God deserves our best work.

Dean loves to create great jobs, not only for his own employees, but also through Encore’s marketing services that drive customers to client companies that employ over 50,000 people.

What happened to Dean’s call to missions?

Dean is still called to missions—as are we all—and claims Encore as his primary mission field. But his impact for God’s kingdom extends beyond Encore through his involvement with other mission initiatives. He leads a Christian business leaders’ roundtable, serves on several boards and seeks to be a witness to his customers, vendors and community. He has also participated in mission trips all over the world.

Following R.G. LeTourneau’s example, the Waskowiaks capped their lifestyle so they can invest in kingdomoriented ventures such as his alma mater, LeTourneau University, and overseas projects that promote physical and spiritual health for thousands by providing fresh water, the good news of Jesus Christ and His Word translated into their own language.

Despite Dean’s initial reluctance, it was no accident that he became an entrepreneur. The God that implanted the desire in us to make something of this world loves to use people who see business as their mission.

We help Christians close the gap between Sunday worship and Monday work.

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When the Lord has a job for you to do, He’ll give you the strength and the ability to do it.

— R.G. LETOURNEAU

SPRING 2019

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LeTourneau NOW P.O. Box 8001 Longview, TX 75607

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMIAH SHEPHERD

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