Connecting alumni and friends with San Diego Christian
Tennis Ranked No. 8 in the Nation p. 7
Celebrating the Class of 2015 p. 12 1
Celebrating Alumni Graduates p. 18
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May/June Issue #12
TABLE OF CONTENTS
7 FEATURES
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TENNIS PLACES 8TH SDC Men’s Tennis team advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in their inaugural year and placed 8th in the nation.
CLASS OF 2015 View images from Graduation Banquet and Commencement and hear from five SDC graduates as they discuss their post graduation plans.
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ALUMNI GRADS SDC Biology alumni Jacqueline Flores (‘12) and Kaitlen Laine (‘12) discuss future goals after completing their graduate studies.
Cover photo: Adult and Professional Studies graduates Summer Alexander and Shahri Taylor.
TRUTH P U R P O S E IM PAC T 200 Riverview Parkway
Santee, CA 92071
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(619) 201-8700
sdcc.edu
CONTENTS 6 7 8 10 12 14 16 18
From the President News Flight Championships Awards Night Graduation Banquet Commencement Ceremony Future Plans Alumni Grads
UPCOMING EVENTS
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6.8.2015 and 7.6.2015 SDC YOUTH SUMMER CAMP Click here to register!
LETTER FROM THE VP FOR ADVANCEMENT We have enjoyed celebrating our Class of 2015 and are excited to see the impact they have in their families, careers, and communities. Although this time is often met with great celebration, it is easy for feelings of anxiety to be felt. Grads begin to ask questions such as, “Am I ready for life after college?”, “Will I be able to find a career I enjoy?”, or “Will the promotion I’ve been working towards happen?” I was reminded in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We were each made for something greater. We were created for God, to bring glory to Him. So in the midst of all the questions we may have about our next big decision, let us be reminded that God so masterfully created us to do good works so He would be glorified. As you pursue your passions, remember the greater purpose Christ has for you. We welcome the Class of 2015 into the SDC Alumni Association! Sincerely,
Robert Jensen, MSEL
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear SDC Alumni, This past May we celebrated the graduation of our largest graduating class from both our Traditional and Adult programs. We know these students are well-equipped to be change makers in the world. As we enter the summer season, several of our students will live out the vision of global impact by traveling abroad on mission trips. Some of the countries that students will be traveling to include Laos, Thailand, Poland, and Nicaragua. Please pray people will come to know the Lord as a result of their service to our King. We are excited to share great news with you concerning our recent meeting with Western Association of Schools and Colleges. They have officially given SDC interim approval to move forward in the implementation of our first graduate degree, a Master of Arts in Teaching. This approval gives us the ability to enroll our first set of graduate students this fall. As we look forward to this coming fall semester, I ask you to join me in praying over the new and returning students as they pursue their education at SDC. It is a joy and blessing to see the continual dedication of our staff and faculty pouring into the lives of students so they can make a difference in the world for Christ. Blessings,
Paul Ague, Ph.D. President
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NEWS
MEN’S TENNIS RANK NUMBER 8 IN THE NATION SDC’s Men’s Tennis team traveled to Mobile, Alabama to compete in the 2014-2015 NAIA Tournament, which consisted of 24 teams. They had a bye in the first round of the tournament and then won in the next round against No. 9 William Carry. This advanced them to the quarterfinals, where they fell to the No. 1 team, George Gwinnett. The men’s tennis team finished 8th in the nation during their inaugural year. We are very impressed by their skill and proud of how far they advanced. In addition to the tournament, they spent part of their trip teaching the children at Austin Elementary school how to play tennis as part of the NAIA Champions of Character program. The team enjoyed sharing their passion for the sport of tennis.
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SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN COLLEGE FLIGHT TEAM COMPETES IN NATIONAL SAFECON FLYING TOURNAMENT AT OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY The San Diego Christian College (SDC) Flight Team returned from the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) championships after a week-long competition with the top 29 aviation college teams in the country. The SAFECON events, which stands for Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, are held annually to determine the top collegiate pilots, this year being won by Southern Illinois University. SDC’s aviation flight training program trains at SAA Int’l on Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA. The Flight Team consists of 10 competitors who try out for the team and compete in regional championships to earn an invitation to the national championships. SDC hosted the Region II event last November and this was the 6th national championship for SDC in the past 7 years. College flight teams compete in precision flying and aviation skills including “power-off ” spot landings, precision navigation, message drop accuracy, instrument profiles, and crew resource management exercises in the simulator. Team Captain Kenny Travis stated, “I’m very proud of our team this year. We had a very junior team with no seniors and none of the current team had been to a national SAFECON before. Despite that, we finished 22nd in the country.” Led by SDC’s Director of Aviation, Captain Denny Breslin, the team flew 3 planes to the competition, logging over 3,800 miles round-trip through Texas, the plains states, and the Ohio Valley. Breslin praised his team saying, “Flying across the terrain and weather through the Ohio Valley is always a challenge, but it is also a testament to the excellent training at SDC. It shows our pilots are technically sound, make good decisions, and can fly safely anywhere in the country.” 8
SDC was awarded the coveted Red Baron Team Sportsmanship Award, recognizing the servant leadership demonstrated by the team throughout the event. SDC President, Dr. Paul Ague was thrilled with the team’s performance, “The students worked hard for this and we are extremely proud of them. We are especially pleased that their humble team spirit was recognized by their fellow competitors in receiving the Red Baron trophy.” The aviation competition is a visible demonstration of the safety training that takes place in college aviation programs around the country. The next generation of safe pilots are educated and developed thanks in part to these competitions.
Contact: Captain Denis Breslin, Director of Aviation San Diego Christian College Aviation Department Phone: 619-980-8941 Email: dbreslin@sdcc.edu 9
EVENTS
AWARDS NIGHT: CELEBRATING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Four years ago, Andrew Thompson and the Student Life department decided to put a spin on the traditional student awards ceremony by creating a night of glamor, lights, and musical performances by SDC’s talented artists. This year, the 4th Annual Awards Night was hosted at the Allen Airways Flying Museum. Students, staff, and faculty arrived in their suits and dresses to honor fellow classmates who have shown excellence in their studies, athleticism, or service. To begin the night, Amy Smith was announced as the Valedictorian for the Class of 2015. Following her award, Dr. Paul and Lorri Ague announced the female and male recipients of the Heritage Award and President’s Award. The Heritage Award is given to a female and male senior who have reflected the spirit of SDC. Communication major, Veronica Martinez, and Biology major, Brandon Jarosin, received this award. The two juniors who received the President’s award and $500 scholarship were Micah Parks and Rachel Uy. Other awards given out included the Hawk Award from Aviation, which was given to Vince Stanley for his diligent and distinguished service. The Outstanding Greek Student award went to Tedd Sutton. The Industry Champion award, given to the winners of the Business Strategy Game, went to Michael Lambert, Joseph Bridgeforth, Bryan Wray, and KC Lee. Students acknowledged for being Outstanding in their department included Amy Smith (Biology), Abigail Northcutt (History), Lauren-Nicole Wiley (Kinesiology), Brittney Beam (Kinesiology), Terra Klem (Kinesiology), Janelle Wilson (Music), Luke Johnson (Psychology), Kaisha Hartwick (Psychology), and Amanda Massey (Psychology). Several additional awards were handed out in admiration of the academic success and service of students.
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GRADUATION BANQUET Our annual Graduation Banquet was hosted at the Allen Airways Flying Museum. Four hundred guests attended in celebration of our Class of 2015. Dr. Lem Usita spoke on behalf of the faculty and Dr. Ague followed his presentation with the tradition of having each graduate receive a Servant Scholar towel as a reminder to lead in service and humility. To end the evening, families and friends stood and joined in praying over their graduate and the next phase of their life.
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COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY Many families, friends, and supporters attended SDC’s 43rd Commencement Ceremony to celebrate our 2015 graduates. Dr. Rob Zinn, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, opened in prayer, followed by a performance of The Prayer by soloists Janelle Wilson (‘15) and Aaron Jaramillo (‘15). Valedictorian Amy Smith and Adult and Professional Studies Honors Student Stephanie White both presented inspiring speeches to spur each graduate to pursue their passions, while keeping Christ at the center of it all, and to take time to reflect on the experiences and people that have brought them this far. The guest speaker, who is a great supporter of SDC, was Assemblyman Brian Jones. Brian explained the necessity for individuals with a Biblical Worldview to be the salt and light this world needs in any field they are involved with.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS!
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CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2015 SDC graduates share their future passions and thank their biggest supporters.
Kevin Brandt and Rachel Teters Aviation
Lynette King Human Development
Kevin and Rachel are both looking forward to getting married this summer! They plan on moving to Portland, Oregon where they will be working as Certified Flight Instructors. Additionally, they plan on obtaining their Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic Licenses, which will help them in their pursuit of serving as missionary pilots in the future. They hope to use the gift of aviation specifically to advance the Gospel in areas that are more difficult to reach by land.
Lynette completed her degree through SDC’s online modality while living in Texas. She is currently employed with Tapestry, a non-profit organization in the Dallas, TX area. Tapestry provides resources, education, and support to families involved in foster care and adoption. Her work with Tapestry aligns with her love and passion for orphaned children as well as those in foster care. She and her husband hope to one day start the adoption process. In addition to her goal of adopting, she would like to travel through Europe and discover various cultures.
They would like to thank their families and home churches, as well as the community here at SDC. Their involvement led to wonderful relationships with the staff and faculty, like Steve and Malia Jenkins, Robyann Oakes, Steve Whitten, and countless others. They are extremely thankful for the life-long friendships they have made and feel God blessed them with an incredible community that prayed for, encouraged, and helped in pointing them to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Lynette would like to first and foremost thank God for opening the doors that allowed her to fulfill her dream. She would also like to thank her husband, family, and friends for their invaluable love, support, prayers, and encouragement. Lastly, she would like to thank the faculty at SDC for investing their time, energy, talents, and knowledge to support her journey. 16
Jackson Woodbury Biblical Studies
Kevin Toyer Business Management
Jackson completed his degree in Biblical Studies and was recognized as a Global Servant Leader for his involvement in SDC’s Global Outreach program.
Kevin worked full time in the Information Technology industry while attending SDC. He recently transitioned into working for a new company as their IT Help Desk Technician.
On June 8th, Jackson plans on completing the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in order to continue his education. He hopes to enroll in a law school this fall, while managing his private athletic sports business. Jackson expresses, “I think so many times we become consumed with the plans of post graduate life that we can easily take our eyes off of Jesus. I am excited for where God is leading me in this season of life and I am hopeful for the many transitions that will come as I seek to glorify God outside of San Diego Christian.”
With the completion of his degree, Kevin is looking forward to investing more time in pursuing his passion for the church community. His goals for the future are to retire at a reasonable age, travel the world, and further his education by completing his Master’s in Business Administration. Kevin would like to thank Professor Kennedy and Professor Pulcipher for supporting him during his academic journey.
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ALUMNI UPDATES Kaitlen Laine (‘12) Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University Now that I’ve completed my degree, my goals are to move back to San Diego to be closer to my family, and work in a place that keeps me on my toes and keeps me learning. Currently, my top choices are in the Emergency Department or in General/Reconstructive surgery. The medical profession has allowed me to serve others in so many ways, and now that I have completed my studies, I am excited to use the knowledge I have acquired to give back to those who need it most. I definitely see some medical missions in my near future. The list of people I’d like to thank is endless. My family has been there through it all...through my switching of career paths a couple times through college and watching me go through the emotions of crying, laughing, frustration, and joyfulness. They put up with a lot and supported my heart through it all, and I am forever grateful for their love. I am thankful for my friends, who have distracted me in a healthy way along the path I have chosen, to you: thank you for keeping me accountable and sane. To the countless professors and teachers that reach back to elementary school who believed in me, it has been my joy to stay in contact with you all and grow alongside you knowing that I learned so much from your dedication. I thank those individuals for pouring their lives into my education. Last but not least God has been my number one fan through this journey. It was not by chance that I ended up at SDC or Western University. God has used these places for His glory, filling them with supportive staff to form friendships with, amazing opportunities for me to grow and give back, and priceless stepping stones that will form the future for myself and many other students. I am blessed to have been given this opportunity to help heal others through His hands while serving in the medical field. I plan to live my life deliberately and with purpose for my God, and give back to my community and those who have given so much for me.
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Jacqueline Flores (‘12) Master of Science in Global Medicine from University of Southern California After completing my degree at USC’s Master of Science in Global Medicine program, I plan on pursuing a career within global healthcare. My dream is to one day be part of the World Health Organization whose primary role is to support developed and, most importantly, non-developed countries by helping them reach their health objectives. I would like to thank God for never leaving me alone through this journey, which was extremely difficult at times, but He never failed to show me the light at the end of each dark moment. I also want to thank my parents. I am where I am because of their hard work and never-ending support. Lastly, I would like to give a huge thank you to my SDC Academic Advisor and Professor David Hillaker. His immense support, which has continued till this present-day, has allowed me to take on life changing opportunities!
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SUMMER CAMPS AGES 5 - 17
June 8 – 12
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