September 2015 Impact

IMPACT

VOL. 6 ISSUE 6 SEPTEMBER 2015

A P U B L I CAT IO N O F R EGE N T UN I V E R SI T Y

PREPARED FOR

BATTLE Regent Law interns gain invaluable legal experience while helping the hurting around the world

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nlike law schools criticized for too much theory and not enough skill building, Regent Law develops graduates who are practice ready and prepared to serve others. This summer, 19 Regent Law students worked with various legal organizations in four states and nine countries as part of the annual internship grant program with Regent’s Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law (CGJ).

“Summer internships, clerkships and apprenticeships are excellent opportunities to get hands-on experience while putting the knowledge and skills our students have gained to use serving others,” explains School of Law Dean Michael Hernandez.

CGJ offers one of the university’s most-high profile summer programs. Their interns don’t just observe. Each was fully engaged and fully

C H R I S T I A N

L E A D E R S H I P

prepared for legal (and spiritual) battles to combat human trafficking, advance the rule of law, protect children, secure religious freedom, and tackle other related human-rights issues.

“Through this donor-funded internship program, students’ lives are changed every summer,” says Ernie Walton, CGJ’s administrative director. “God confirms their calling to be human rights attorneys who advocate for the oppressed.”

Second-year law student Daniel Tirle served in his native country of Romania, working with People to People Foundation. The Christian

INSIDE:

TO SAVE A STRANGER

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DESIGNING WOMAN

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Assembly Hall at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France PREPARED FOR BATTLE — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

charity helps institutionalized and poor children with their basic needs, such as food, health care and education. “Regent University offered me the tools and the platform necessary to impact the lives of the people I worked with,” Tirle says.

“I am thankful for this amazing honor to be in Romania and to serve these children.”

“Newlyweds” Christy and Palmer Hurst traveled to Strasbourg, France as CGJ interns with the European Centre for Law and Justice, which is a global partner of the American Center for Law and Justice. On day one of their six-week internship, the Hursts were tasked with helping prepare a 35-page petition, which was presented to the European Parliamentary Assembly, urging them to adopt legislation that would criminalize partial-birth abortion and neonatal infanticide across the continent.

To write the petition, the Hursts found themselves analyzing 35 to 40 testimonies of European doctors, nurses and midwives who recounted the killings of aborted babies who were born alive. “It was a spiritual battle. When we got home, we had to sit and really just pray,” Christy remembers. “We were doing this work so that this could be brought to light and so

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that every single country can come to the aid of these babies.”

Palmer adds, “What was hardest for me was reading testimonies from doctors who wondered how they can continue practicing medicine knowing what they have done.”

While the Hursts are still waiting for word on a final vote by the Parliamentary Assembly, Christy believes the work they did could change the course of entire nations: “The fact that my training from Regent has allowed me to potentially change European law so that no babies will ever, ever have to suffer that way ever again, it’s incredible. We’re not talking one country; we’re talking 35. It’s almost unfathomable.”

Courtney Marasigan’s internship took her to Kampala, Uganda, where she worked with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the equivalent of the U.S. Justice Department. While admitting that she felt “overburdened” at times during her internship, the third-year law student says her faith – and the spiritual support of her professors and fellow students – sustained her.

“It pressed heavily on my heart when advocating for proper prosecution procedures under (Uganda’s) anti-torture law, catching a glimpse of discrimination as a foreigner, and merely witnessing the persevering spirits of beautiful people

REGENT UNIVERSITY

in a third-world country.” Marasigan continues, “Though difficult for one to shoulder the burden of such experiences alone, my first year at Regent Law sufficiently equipped me to cope in the best way possible.”

liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage and family around the world. Her next assignment, with Freedom Firm in India, brought her face to face with victims of human trafficking – women and girls who have been sold into the commercial sex trade.

Joseph Kohm III traveled the farthest for his internship. He spent six weeks in Tangerang, Indonesia at Universitas Pelita Harapan, a Christian undergraduate university with a law school that focuses on fighting sex and labor trafficking, protecting believers from persecution, and other Rule of Law issues.

“I was thrown into the deep end,” Delille explains.

“I freaked out, of course, because it was my first legal internship. But then I realized that I’ve done this in my research and writing class. I’ve been reading these types of cases, so I was prepared, and I was confident that this was where God wanted me to be. Regent had a lot to do with that academically and spiritually speaking.”

Kohm says Regent Law’s focus on and integration of the Bible uniquely equipped him for his internship experience: “Because of that education, I was fortunate enough to be used by God to communicate His principles through the law to Indonesian law students. Regent has consistently prepared Christ-focused law students to make a difference for the Kingdom the world over, and I feel immensely blessed to be one of them.”

Participating in one CGJ internship over the semester break wasn’t enough for Natasha Delille, so she did two. Delille started off her summer with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International in Vienna, Austria, where she worked to help the Christian legal organization protect religious

While the goal is to continue strategically placing students both nationally and internationally, Dean Hernandez says Regent Law needs significant help to make that possible: “We greatly appreciate the support of the many faithful donors who have funded Global Justice internships, and we would welcome additional partners who support our mission and are passionate about seeing justice pursued and achieved worldwide.”

Since 2010, more than 100 Regent Law students have served as CGJ interns around the world. For additional information about the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law, call 757.352.4660 or visit regent.edu/globaljustice.

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TO CHANGE THE WORLD

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just three days later: “Before the surgery, God was constantly reminding me that He was in control.

I tend to need a schedule; I need a routine.

So, I was shocked by my lack of anxiety I had throughout the process, which I attribute to God 100 percent.”

TO SAVE A STRANGER

Regent Law student Molly Bricker donated part of her liver to a five-year-old girl life. But in December 2014, one such Itripperson’s changed two lives forever. While waiting to

t isn’t often that a visit to the nail salon saves a

have her nails manicured, Regent Law student Molly Bricker saw a TV news story about a fiveyear-old girl from Portsmouth, Virginia, who needed a new liver: “I remember thinking, This little girl is so cute and so small and so happy.”

As an infant, Sage was stricken with a rare form of leukemia. That illness required a bone marrow transplant, which resulted in her blood now being a different type than her family members’.

Bricker knew immediately that she had to help: “In that moment, God made it really clear that I had to do something.” Having no idea that a person can donate a portion of their liver, Bricker spent the next hour on the phone, finding out if her and Sage’s blood type

“Everyone needs to know that God is the focal point. That’s all I really want.” matched. What may be even more impressive is that Bricker began the donor-application process just one hour before a final exam!

After learning that several other people were ahead of her on the donor list, Bricker returned her focus to her legal studies and even began making plans to spend her summer working as a law clerk. But those plans changed in late spring, when she received a phone call that would change two lives: “I’d almost forgotten about it when they told me I was on the top of the donor list.”

Tests on June 1 proved Bricker was a match, and she donated a portion of her liver to Sage

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Today, Sage is recovering nicely, supported by a portion of donated liver that will continue to grow as she does. Bricker’s liver is expected to heal to its full size in a matter of months: “I heard from Sage’s family recently that she is doing well. She still has check-ups but had a fun summer and started kindergarten this fall. God is good!”

Designing WOMAN

Dede Robertson, the wife of Regent’s founder and chancellor, continues adding her special touch on campus

“They have been wanting to have a big place where they could gather for years,” she said of Regent’s on-campus students. “I’m involved with the students, and I want to make this place as nice as I can for them. I’m hoping our students will feel at home in the new lounge. We want them to feel comfortable. This is their place. They can move the furniture around and do anything they want.”

Sage’s mother, Athena Alexander, insists that Bricker saved her daughter’s life: “She wouldn’t have made it another month. It was heartbreaking knowing that I couldn’t save her. I had to rely completely on a stranger. It took a long time to find someone, and it was just in time. There’s no way to even begin to say thank you for that. We owe her so much.”

The lounge, which opened in September, is located in an area previously occupied by the Regent Bookstore. The transition to a fully online bookstore this summer opened up space for the new lounge and a gift shop for Regent gear. Early next year, a coffee shop will open in a section that adjoins the new lounge.

Bricker says she also is doing well and that her recovery process has involved eating lots of protein – specifically hamburgers. “The body craves what it needs, I guess. I’m a hungry, hungry person,” she laughs.

“Before the surgery, God was constantly reminding me that He was in control.”

But the Massachusetts native is also courageous and caring. Not many people would be so concerned and giving to someone they have never met: “It was definitely a challenge, but because I felt so sure that this was what the Lord wanted me to do, I just trusted that He would sustain me. I am very thankful and encouraged by God’s faithfulness.”

Her inspiring story has made the second-year Regent Law student a bit of a celebrity. But whether she’s being contacted by the local news or People magazine, Bricker wants to make sure God remains at the center of her story: “It has been a very humbling experience for me, but I am blessed to be able to share about God’s goodness and glorify Him in the process!”

She adds, “Anybody who’s asked about my experience, I’ve just wanted them to hear about God’s sovereignty. He’s the only reason I applied and the only reason the surgery was successful.

Everyone needs to know that God is the focal point. That’s all I really want.”

To learn more about Regent Law, call 877.267.5072 or visit regent.edu/law.

REGENT UNIVERSITY

Robertson and three friends – Linda Comer, Gloria Slosser (former Regent president Bob Slosser’s widow) and Jaquie Visser (wife of former trustee Dr. Roger Visser) – spent several hours one day in late August, lovingly painting several pieces of furniture in cheerful shades of blue, green and peach. And as the four of them painted, Robertson shared how meaningful this project is.

Virginia Beach, Virginia, often compliment V the stately neo-Georgian architecture, the beauisitors to Regent University’s campus in

tifully manicured landscapes and the exquisite Colonial-era colors and décor. The 70-acre complex was recognized recently by Christian Universities Online as number 15 on their list of the “50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges & Universities in the World.”

Full credit for this striking and sophisticated beauty goes to Dede Robertson, wife of Regent chancellor, founder and CEO, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson. For decades, Mrs. Robertson has been at the helm of all interior design for Regent and the Christian Broadcasting Network.

This past summer, she devoted her elegant touch, keen eye and artistic talent to a different kind of project – decorating and furnishing a new lounge in the university’s Student Center.

The look of this new space is a departure from the Georgian and Colonial themes found across the rest of the campus.

“I’m doing this in what I call ‘eclectic grunge,’” she said, taking a quick break from mixing paint on a recent afternoon. “We found some old furniture that we’re going to paint. We’ve also been to various stores where the furniture is reasonable, and we’ve picked up some of that.”

“I hope this will be a place where they can glorify the Lord in everything they do. That’s the most important thing.”

Although Robertson admits “eclectic grunge” is not her personal taste, she clearly has put student preferences ahead of her own. Before committing to a design, she visited local coffee houses to see what design trends might appeal to students.

Always hands-on, she also embarked on multiple shopping excursions to area furniture stores and thrift shops, searching for just the right pieces, which include plenty of sofas and chairs where students can relax and socialize.

The lounge, which is quickly becoming a magnet for students, will be the site of numerous informal gatherings over the coming years, providing a warm welcome for the university’s students, as well as faculty, staff and guests.

Robertson has just one desire for students as they enjoy this new lounge: “I hope this will be a place where they can glorify the Lord in everything they do. That’s the most important thing.”

Undergraduate and graduate tours of the Regent campus are available Monday through Friday. Call 757.352.4206 or visit regent.edu/tours for more information.

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EQUIP A

A Message From the Chancellor

WORLD CHANGER

Dear Friend,

There has been a dark cloud hanging over higher education in America for quite some time. A number of colleges have gone downhill; they’ve gone into bankruptcy or out of business. But I was confident that wasn’t the course for Regent.

In the past year, we have had some amazing things happen at this university. In fact, I want you to know that, as a student, alumnus, supporter or friend of Regent, you are part of a miracle! We’re going ahead. We’re not going down. We are headed to victory!

Become a World Changer Sponsor Today!

You can help change the world with a 100 percent, tax-deductible gift to Regent University. Your financial and prayer support are needed to equip our students to become future World Changers. Visit regent.edu/worldchanger to give online, or use the postage-paid envelope provided to donate by check or debit/credit card.

regent.edu/worldchanger 800.335.4409

REGENT WORLD CHANGER

Kristen Waggoner ’97 Alliance Defending Freedom Seattle, WA

JOIN US ON CAMPUS OR ONLINE

Kristen Waggoner is senior vice president of legal services and senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an alliance-building, nonprofit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith. A 1997 graduate of Regent University’s School of Law, Waggoner has been passionate about defending religious freedom since the age of 13, when she first felt God calling her to law.

Regent not only offers a vibrant oncampus educational experience, we also have a thriving online community.

Students entering any degree program can go from initial application to registered for classes in about two hours.

Visit regent.edu/apply to enroll today!

Today, she finds herself on the front lines of ADF’s efforts to fight for the First Amendment rights of ordinary Americans as lead counsel in one of America’s most high-profile religious freedom cases. Waggoner currently represents Barronelle Stutzman, a florist sued by the government for referring a long-time customer to a different floral service for a same-sex wedding.

Waggoner says the School of Law was invaluable to her career: “Regent gave me many opportunities to develop into an effective advocate. The university not only challenged me to pursue academic excellence, but it gave me the foundation and encouragement to explore and debate difficult issues that affect the moral fabric of our society.”

There has been a remarkable change at Regent in the past 12 months, and it is nothing short of miraculous. God has placed us in the world for this time. We are going to see a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit in Asia, South America and Africa. We’re going to be leading these people and providing the courses and the instruction in how to organize and build a society based on biblical values. That’s why this university is here: Christian leadership to change the world!

With your prayer and financial support, it’s going to get better and better here at Regent. So, hold on to your seat. The rocket engine has been mobilized, and we’re not going to slow down for one minute. We’re going to press the lever forward and push the pedal to the metal. We’re going at warp speed. You’re part of a miracle!

Thank you for your continued friendship and support. God bless you!

Sincerely,

Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson Founder, Chancellor & CEO Regent University

BE A BLESSING Regent provides more than $17 million in tuition assistance every year. We need your help to sponsor even more Regent World Changers. Call 800.335.4409, visit regent.edu/give or use the postage-paid envelope provided to bless current and future students with your tax-deductible donation today!

Please join the entire Regent University community in praying for the work of Kristen Waggoner, September’s Alumni World Changer.

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For the summer of 2015, our inquiries are up 296 percent. Our newstudent applications have increased 66 percent. Our new-student enrollment is up 56 percent. Regent’s business and law schools, along with our online adult undergraduate program, have seen a new-student summer enrollment increase of 100 percent over the previous summer.

REGENT UNIVERSITY

“HE HAS SHOWN YOU, O MAN, WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTLY, TO LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?” MICAH 6:8 (NKJV)

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TO CHANGE THE WORLD

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Regent University’s Impact is published monthly by the university’s Office of Advancement, free of charge, for alumni and friends of the university. Regent University admits students without discrimination on the basis of race, color, disability, gender, religion or national or ethnic origin. Regent University is certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to operate campuses within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Regent University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associates, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Regent University. Opinions expressed in Impact are those of individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of Regent University’s board, faculty, administration or staff. Regent University accepts news submissions from readers but reserves the right to edit based upon clarity, length and content.

The university may decline to print material at its discretion.

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