Southeastern Alumni Magazine Winter 2021

SOUTHEASTERN ALUMNI AND FRIENDS MAGAZINE

WINTER 2021

ALSO FEATURING

COMMENCEMENT 2020

Heather Brinckerhoff Joel Hartman Craig Maddox Blake Thomas Andrew Viator

SOUTHEASTERN

TABLE OF CONTENTS WINTER 2021

FEATURES

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26

30

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PROSPECT DUGOUT With the help of their online presence and app Prospect Dugout, Craig Maddox ’07 and Joel Hartman ’06 provide effective tools, widespread exposure and accessible resources for young athletes looking to enter the world of college or professional baseball.

MINISTRY IN THE MARKETPLACE Through his business Viator Design and Construction, Andrew Viator ’05 handcrafts custom pieces for his clients and fulfills his call to ministry within the marketplace.

INSPIRING JOY As the director of social media for Magnolia, Heather Brinckerhoff ’12 ignites excitement with each piece of original content she creates for the company’s multiple social media channels.

TRANSFORMING HEARTS AND MINDS By promoting racial equality and reconciliation within his position as director of intercultural programs, Blake Thomas ’15 strives to create a culture of unity at Westmont College.

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10 WELCOME CENTER OPENS Get a glimpse of the newest building on campus.

Students, staff and faculty came together to dedicate the Welcome Center and celebrate the university's 85th anniversary.

14 EXPANDED HEALTH SERVICES Through a partnership with Lakeland Regional Health, Dr. Megan Wagner '08 is providing enhanced medical care for students on campus.

36 ADVOCATING FOR DIVERSITY Dr. Kenneth Stephens uses his passion for racial equality and equity to serve SEU and beyond.

38 A BITTERSWEET FAREWELL After diligently serving Southeastern in varying roles for 37 years, Dr. Terris Neuman ’77 officially retired at the close of the 2019-20 academic year.

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IN EVERY ISSUE 10 ON CAMPUS 18 ATHLETICS 42 CLASS NOTES

ON THE COVER Victory Field provided the perfect location to celebrate Southeastern University’s 2020 graduates.

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SOUTHEASTERN PRESIDENT

Dr. Kent Ingle

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Dr. Chris Owen ’93, ’06 (M.A.)

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Dana Davis

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Priscilla (Pennington) Burr ’14

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Joel K. Johnson ’92

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mabelle Ramírez-Ortíz

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Elena Espinoza ’20; Grace Jicha ’20; Loree Rowland

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Priscilla (Pennington) Burr ’14; Dana Davis; Grace Jicha ’20;

Donnie Smith; Skylar Worthington ’20 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

863.667.5400 SEU.edu alumni@seu.edu Published two times a year by the Office of University Advancement for Southeastern University’s alumni, faculty, staff and friends. Please send comments and contributions to: Southeastern University University Advancement 1000 Longfellow Blvd.

Lakeland, FL 33801 Submissions should be accompanied by the name, address, phone number and e-mail address of the sender.

Contents of Southeastern may not be reproduced or redistributed in any manner, either whole or in part, without prior permission from Southeastern University. Southeastern reserves the right to edit and/or not publish content provided for submission into the magazine.

Please send address changes or Class Notes updates to: alumni@seu.edu, the address above or online at SEU.edu/alumni.

Telephone: 863.667.5400

Facebook.com/seuniversityalumni Twitter @seu_alumni Instagram @seu_alumni

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

W

hen our students returned for the 2020-21 academic year, we were faced with circumstances we had never dealt with as a university. Our campus life looked different. For the safety and health of our community, we wore masks, socially distanced and reduced the occupancy in our indoor spaces. These precautions led to a new experience for our students as they were introduced to a hybrid learning format. Although it meant that we had to make sacrifices, I watched creativity flourish and saw our university unify as we worked together to keep our campus safe.

around the world to make an impact for his kingdom.

As our nation still grapples with the uncertainty of the pandemic, I believe this is a time for us to be reminded of God’s calling on our lives and hold strong to his word.

I know many of you have encountered challenges and made sacrifices over the past year. It hasn’t been easy. As a university, we have prayed for you, and we want to stand with you during this time. I believe that in this season, God has called us to be Made for More.

There are also many new happenings on our campus. Over the summer, we launched the Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Task Force to advance racial diversity and work toward racial reconciliation on our campus. In the fall, we announced a new collaboration with Lakeland Regional Health to provide premier healthcare opportunities for our students through a clinic on campus. Finally, we ended the academic semester with a historic commencement ceremony. For the first time, we celebrated our spring and fall graduates in a special ceremony, complete with fireworks, at Victory Field!

This year, God has placed on my heart the message that we are Made for More. The destiny God has for our community demands that we become something new, something fundamentally different from what we were before. Once this transformation has taken place, we cannot go back to the old way of life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

A great reflection of how we are living out the destiny God has designed for us can be found in the stories of our alumni. I always look forward to reading their stories and seeing how God is using their giftings

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In this winter issue of the magazine, you will read how several graduates have been living out the call God has placed on their lives. As a 2015 alumnus, Blake Thomas is working to foster unity at Westmont College through promoting racial equity and reconciliation as the director of intercultural programs.

Heather (Davis) Brinckerhoff is creating content that brings joy to people as the director of social media at Magnolia. Finally, you will read about how Joel Hartman and Craig Maddox started Prospect Dugout to help young athletes take their skills to the next level.

Although we have encountered challenges, we continue to see God working on our campus. My prayer for you, as alumni, friends and family of Southeastern, is that God continues to show you how you are Made for More and that you are reminded of his faithfulness in 2021. I hope you know that we are here for you and continue to pray for the health and safety of you and your families. Thank you for all you do for our students and university!

LEADERSHIP REQUIRES A FRAMEWORK Join Kent Ingle as he talks to the world’s most innovative leaders about how they develop thriving teams.

NEW Framework Leadership podcast released every Monday.

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LETTER FROM THE ALUMNI DIRECTOR

JOEL K. JOHNSON ’92

Y

our alma mater and fellow

Brand new alumni are now beginning

alumni are accomplishing

careers and fulfilling their divine design.

great things. In the fall of 2020, President Kent

In a year of worldwide turmoil and

Ingle

our

crisis, the Lord has helped SEU meet the

campus with the Word for the Year, “Made

challenges laid out before us. We could not

for More.” It is within times of trial and

have done it without you. Your prayers for

struggle that we have the opportunity to

our students and campus are invaluable.

show exactly what that “more” can be.

Please continue to lift up our students,

Here are some ways our SEU community

faculty, staff and leadership daily.

encouraged

has shown that we are made for more.

In addition, your financial support has Alumni teachers have been overcoming

changed hundreds of lives. By giving to

many challenges to educate our children

the Student Relief Fund and the end-of-

and grandchildren. Our students have

year Press On campaign, over 120 students

been navigating an academic environment

were able to stay in school. These are new

never seen before. Alumni pastors have

pastors, missionaries, teachers, doctors and

been exploring new methods, practices

leaders who are one step closer to fulfilling

and platforms to minister to people. Our

their calling. Thank you for your part in

students have been finding new avenues to

helping them achieve their “more.”

impact our local community in Lakeland.

Alumni business owners and professionals

Great things are in store for SEU. Please

have been implementing ways to meet the

be looking for ways to help us “Carry the

needs of their clients. The leadership team

Torch” and discover how we are all made

at SEU has led with wisdom and strength,

for more.

devoted to our students and their safety.

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The lighting of the "Eternal Flame" during the Dedication Ceremony for the Welcome Center

On November 4, 2020, the university held a torch-lighting and dedication ceremony for the new Welcome Center. The date coincided with the university’s 85th anniversary. The “Eternal Flame” structure will always be lit as a reminder for everyone who walks by it to let their light shine. The 31,200-square-foot facility acts as the official front door to the university, providing a space to introduce SEU to the thousands of students and their families who visit the campus each year. The facility includes administrative offices and a banquet hall.

WELCOME CENTER

TORCH-LIGHTING AND DEDICATION CEREMONY

Welcome Center lobby display of SEU's history 10 SOUTHEASTERN

Welcome Center first floor lobby SOUTHEASTERN 11

Staircase from the second to third floor of the Welcome Center

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Front entrance of the Welcome Center

Welcome Center first floor lobby

Lake Bonny Room

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Dr. Kenneth Stephens and Sylvia Blackmon-Roberts discuss the task force with President Ingle and Dr. Bethany Thomas

DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUITY TASK FORCE Dr. Megan Wagner examines a student at Health Services

PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR CAMPUS CARE Early in August, Southeastern announced a new collaboration with Lakeland Regional Health (LRH) to provide enhanced medical care for students beginning in fall 2020.

Through this partnership, the university is able to provide full care and urgent care services on campus.

“We are very excited and grateful to be able to partner with one of the leading hospitals in our state,” said President Kent Ingle. “Lakeland Regional Health has provided many opportunities for our students to gain experience off campus, so we are looking forward to partnering with them on campus. This opportunity will help us offer premier health services for our students and enhance our on-campus experience as

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we look to provide a healthy and safe environment for our community.”

DR. MEGAN (VENDLINSKI) WAGNER ’08 was hired by LRH as a physician assistant to provide health services to students on campus.

Previously, Megan was an assistant professor in the College of Natural & Health Sciences for five years and has also worked as a physician assistant.

Megan is a nationally-certified Physician Assistant (PA-C) practicing in family medicine for the past 10 years.

“The young adult demographic has a lot of age-specific needs and requires clinicians to take time to educate them.

I want to ensure students learn how to make informed health care decisions and have access to the best healthcare

services. That is why we teamed up with Lakeland Regional Health, to allow students access to not only excellent care on campus but access to an amazing healthcare network,” said Megan.

In her new role, Megan oversees medical and counseling services on campus. The partnership with LRH provides practical experience for undergraduate students in the nursing and counseling fields to work in the department.

Smith Hall was also renovated to house all of Health Services, including sick and well campus services. The updated building includes four patient exam rooms and on-site laboratory testing.

In July of 2020, President Kent Ingle introduced the launch of a Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Task Force. The purpose of the task force is to advance racial diversity on campus and work toward racial reconciliation.

“In light of recent tragic events, my eyes have been opened to the culture of racial injustice that still exists in our nation,” said Ingle. “As a university, we want to be an active part of the healing and restoration of racial justice.We believe we can do this by engaging in conversation with those who have been affected by inequality.”

This task force team includes the university’s associate vice president of community relations, Sylvia BlackmonRoberts; vice president for student development, DR. BETHANY THOMAS ’19 (Ed.D.); director of

multicultural affairs, RAY ALLEN ’08, ’15 (MAML); chief of staff, DR. MICHAEL STEINER ’14, ’15 (MBA); professor of public theology, Dr. Chris Green; chair of the department of human services, Dr. Kenneth Stephens; director of residence life, Charlie McNulty; and SEU board member, Scott Williams.

“Our work is legacy, not reactional work.

We are going to take our time and get it right.”

Spearheading the task force as chair, Blackmon-Roberts says they plan to spend the first year analyzing data and listening to the SEU community with

the aim of releasing a proposal at the end of the academic year. One of the first early initiatives of the task force is the introduction of cultural awareness and development programs for all university employees and students.

“We know that change won’t be easy and change won’t be quick,” said BlackmonRoberts. “Our work is legacy, not reactional work. We are going to take our time and get it right.”

The task force is in addition to SEU’s Department of Multicultural Affairs, established in the fall of 2017. The goal of the department is to raise awareness of how different cultural perspectives impact society. The department works to ensure that there are times and spaces where conversations happen, voices are heard and actions are planned.

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THEN & NOW HISTORIC CAMPUS TOUR

AN ACCELERATED PATH TO MINISTRY Beginning in the fall of 2021, a new degree path known as the Pastoral Accelerator Program will be available for student enrollment within the Barnett College of Ministry & Theology, Southeastern’s church partnership site network and online. Designed to help students earn both a bachelor’s degree in a ministry-related program and a master’s in divinity, it creates the opportunity to complete both degree programs within five years as opposed to the typical six or seven.

The program’s formation was made possible through a $2.1 million grant from The Kern Family Foundation, an organization that provides funding to faith-based institutions specifically for the development of accelerated degree programs in the field of ministry and theology.

Utilizing a 2+3 model, the undergraduate portion is designed to be completed in two years and the work of the master’s degree in three years. This is made possible through several acceleration strategies.

Ideally, students will enter the program with their general education requirements

already completed, but may also earn additional credits online in the summer or by taking additional coursework during the academic year. Students can also earn credit by assessment when appropriate.

Once the undergraduate requirements are fulfilled, students are awarded 24 credits of advanced standing into the master’s program, greatly accelerating the M.Div. and making it more affordable.

The remaining 48 credits of the M.Div. are split between one year of standard classes and two years in residence at one of Southeastern’s high-impact church partner sites.

“We’ve developed degree plans to accommodate any student, no matter where they stand with credits,” said Dr. Mike Cuckler, executive director of the Pastoral Accelerator Program.

Many courses will be brand new and highly relevant with a focus on developing a theoretical foundation of biblical literacy, orthodox Judeo-Christian theology and ministerial leadership. In addition, the coursework completed in residence will be extremely experiential. Students will be fully immersed in their assigned

church setting, gaining practical ministry experience and learning the best practices and strategies that correspond directly with their classes.

As a new addition to the Southeastern website, “Then & Now” offers a historic campus tour designed to show the development of the university. Alumni, current students and visitors can now read the stories behind each building on campus, ranging from academic buildings to residence halls. Accompanied by picture galleries from the past and present, the site also features quotes from alumni, who recollect their favorite memories tied to each building. To take the tour, visit seu.edu/then-now-tour.

Every student in the program will also be enrolled in a virtual cohort experience, available through the MyFire portal. The virtual cohort will include interactive discussions, community development among students and content from President Kent Ingle and many other leaders from across the country.

“Our hope is the Pastoral Accelerator Program will become a premier ministry preparation degree delivered at SEU and throughout its partnership site network,” Cuckler said. “The program creates a truly integrated model of academic vitality and practical ministry experience, which will provide churches the opportunity to have fully prepared Master of Divinity educated students, equipping them to be field-ready and employable upon graduation.”

For more information about the Pastoral Accelerator Program, contact Cuckler at jmcuckler@seu.edu.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION 10% Discount at the SEU Bookstore (online or on campus)

Discount off athletic tickets

10% off Homecoming package pricing

On-campus dining discounts (Tuscana Ristorante and Portico)

If you love SEU, you will love being a member of the SEU Alumni Association.

Access to the campus pool and exercise facilities Access to Steelman Library and online databases

Join the SEU Alumni Association at SEU.edu/alumni or by calling 863.667.5400.

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ATHLETICS UPDATE VOLLEYBALL The Fire finished their 2020 campaign with an overall record of 4-12, going 1-10 in conference play. Southeastern was swept by Ave Maria in the quarterfinals of the Sun Conference tournament.

Senior Emily Boehlein was a bright spot once again for the Fire, earning her third consecutive All-Sun Conference First-Team recognition. She led her team with 145 kills, 35 blocks and 15 service aces. Boehlein was also one of five SEU players named to the Academic AllSun Conference list. Joining her were sophomore Jessica Hidden, junior Maggie Seagren, junior Jordyn Stiger and senior Morgan Swanger.

WOMEN’S SOCCER The Fire capped off an impressive fall schedule by capturing their second Sun Conference Tournament title, defeating Keiser 4-2 in penalty kicks after tying 2-2, and marking the first time the team won the regular season and tournament titles in the same season. There were plenty of standouts for the Fire this year as seven student-athletes were named to the First or Second Team All-Sun Conference.

Aisha Solorzano, Naira Lopez, Holly Eddins and Sierra Clayton made the first team while Freshman of the Year Anne-Clara Couturier, Jennifer Luna and Gabriela Labrador were named to the second team. Solorzano and Lopez were integral to the Fire attack as Solorzano led the team with 12 goals and 30 shots on goal, while Lopez led the nation in assists with 12 and had a team-high of 83 shots.

Southeastern (12-0-1) clinched a spot to the NAIA National Tournament, which begins at campus sites on April 15, 2021.

MEN’S SOCCER The Southeastern men’s soccer team finished their fall schedule with an overall record of 10-6, with a 5-5 mark in conference play.The Fire were knocked out of the conference tournament after a loss in the semifinals to St. Thomas.

Four student-athletes landed on All-Sun Conference teams with junior midfielder Julian Hall leading the way on the first team. Hall was the team leader in goals (7) and points (17). On the second team were Colin Horn, Skylar Funk and Shawn Hardy. Additionally, both Hall and Hardy were named to the All-Conference Tournament team. The Fire continue their season in the spring looking to earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY The Fire continued recent success this season by capturing their second consecutive Sun Conference championship, and their third in four years. At the conference championship, Julia Rohm finished with a time of 18:36 to earn Sun Conference Runner of the Year and First-Team All-Sun Conference.

The junior won every race she ran. Joining her on the first team were Raeanna Pabon, Isabel Oliveto, Makenzie Johnson and Emma McLaughlin. Kathy Macedo and Madison Lilienthal placed 13 and 14 to land on the second team. Coach Paul Kurtz was named the Sun Conference Coach of the Year, the fourth time since 2016. Rohm and Johnson also placed on the Academic All-Conference list and were joined by Liliana Baker, Mikayla Kalapuch, Joy Spears and Emma Woltjer.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Southeastern won its first Sun Conference title this season as four student-athletes earned first team All-Sun Conference recognition. John Perez-Dunn, Jordan Gonzalez, Stephen Ward and Christopher Pinedo all made the first team while David Milburn and Drew Knobl placed on the second team. Coach Paul Kurtz was named Sun Conference Coach of the Year after leading the program to their first title. The Fire were victorious in five of the six meets they participated in. Making the Sun Conference Academic All-Conference list were Pinedo, Grant Gorc, Luke Kathman and Lucas Sheridon.

Emily Boehlein serves against Keiser on Senior Day.

Goalkeeper Holly Eddins dives to make a key save in penalty kicks against Keiser in TSC Final.

3.4861 i n

FOOTBALL In their first season under head coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval, the Fire finished 5-1 and 3-1 against Sun Division opponents in an abbreviated season. The Fire were buoyed by a defense that ranked in the top five in both total defense and scoring defense, allowing just 242 yards per game and surrendering just 13.5 points per game. Defensive back Cory Rahman was key to their success with 34 tackles and three interceptions, which tied for the lead in the division. Leading the way on offense were quarterback Cooper Jones and receiver Eugene Witherspoon. Jones compiled 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air, both of which led the Sun Division. Witherspoon was also on top of his position group in the Sun Division with 24 catches for 453 yards and six touchdowns.

Senior defender Shawn Hardy sends a ball forward against the Warner Royals.

Julia Rohm leads the pack at The Sun Conference championship.

Jordan Gonzalez crosses the finish line at The Sun Conference championship.

Running back Bryan Bell looks for daylight during the Homecoming victory over St. Thomas.

WWW.FIRE.SEU.EDU 18 SOUTHEASTERN

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FURTHERING THE VISION Director of Athletics DREW WATSON ’18 (MBA) continues to make an impact at the national level, now as the NAIA Athletics Directors Association’s 2nd Vice President.

DREW WATSON ’18 (MBA) DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Watson was voted in as an officer by fellow members of the NAIA-ADA. He had previously served on the Board of Directors for the organization over the past four years.

Each officer position is a one-year term followed by a promotion, which means Watson is slated to serve as NAIA-ADA President for the 2022-23 membership year.

“It’s such an honor to be voted into this position by my peers and not something I take lightly,” shared Watson. “The ADA board plays a key role for our membership and I look forward to working with the rest of the officers as we listen to ways we can represent our athletic directors more effectively.”

In his eight years as athletic director at Southeastern University, Watson has significantly grown and enhanced the athletic department through his vision, execution and ability to nurture both students and coaches.

Under Watson’s leadership, the department has grown both in size and achievement, expanding from 134 student-athletes in eight sports to 430 athletes in 18 sports.

Watson is also a two-time National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Under Armour AD of the Year Award winner, a three-time Sun Conference Athletic Director of the Year and the NAIA Athletic Director of the Year for 2018-19.

Whether for philanthropic pursuit or for love of sport, consider investing in transforming the lives of SEU Fire student-athletes.

SUCCESS IS GARNERED BY GRADUATIONS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS. For more information on your involvement, visit SEUFire.com/fireclub.

Drew Watson with Hall of Fame shortstop and Detroit Tigers special assistant to the general manager, Alan Trammell 20 SOUTHEASTERN

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FEATURE STORIES

PROSPECT DUGOUT

Y

outh sports is a multibillion dollar industry: one that many parents simply cannot afford.

Between equipment, team membership fees, showcases, private training lessons and tournaments, thousands of dollars are being spent on young athletes. Families skip out on vacations to travel for weekend tournaments. Kids miss out on birthday parties and outings with friends to attend sports practices and games.With over 60 million participants, youth sports has become an incredibly large and competitive industry.

The motivation for many players is being recruited to play college-level sports, and with that, receiving high-ticket scholarships, as well as the opportunity to one day play professionally. NCAA schools give $3 billion in scholarships,

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(left to right) Craig Maddox, Nick Swisher and Joel Hartman

Craig Maddox speaking at a 2020 Prospect Dugout event

and only 2 percent of high school athletes go on to play at the highest level of college athletics. These statistics show just how competitive and selective college athletic teams are.

CRAIG MADDOX ’07 and JOEL HARTMAN ’06 know what it’s like to start out as a student-athlete with dreams of one day playing professional baseball. Coming from the professional leagues to help young athletes in the junior leagues, Craig and Joel saw a need within the baseball community and filled that need with Prospect Dugout.

Their goal is to give tools, exposure and resources to young athletes who want to take their skills to the next level, whether that is playing college or professional baseball.

“Our background in baseball helped us to identify the need in the market and

we did independent research online to learn social media strategy. Having a partnership with someone who really picks up where your weaknesses are has been so beneficial to Joel and me,” said Craig.

Craig and Joel both played baseball for the SEU Fire. Craig was one of the first Southeastern baseball players to land a professional contract after college, and Joel played professionally as well. The two reconnected at a Southeastern alumni baseball game which led to the founding of Prospect Dugout.

Craig and Joel saw that many young athletes lack exposure because they cannot afford to attend expensive tournaments and showcases. As a solution, they founded Prospect Dugout, a free online space featuring young talent. Craig and Joel built the

platform to reach mass amounts of people quickly.Their posts reach over one million people each month, giving widespread exposure to the highlighted players.

“We have maintained the account for four years, and we have reached over 320,000 followers now. Our activity and engagement rates are off the charts,” said Craig.

Athletes of any age or skill level can send photos and videos to Prospect Dugout in hopes of being featured on their Instagram page. Many college coaches and recruiters follow the page, as well as some professional athletes.

In the beginning of 2020, former New York Yankees player Nick Swisher reached out to Prospect Dugout to team up with their work in helping young athletes achieve success. In March of 2020, the

three began their partnership with a live virtual call-in show. The partnership has grown as Swisher has become an active participant in Prospect Dugout, interacting with players and working as a business partner with Craig and Joel.

Prospect Dugout is an online community network where players can create a profile to interact with fellow players, as well as upload their own contact and be discovered by college programs across the country.

Craig and Joel launched their first version of the Prospect Dugout app in 2018, amassing over 20,000 downloads on iOS. In the summer of 2021, they are releasing an updated Prospect Dugout app with more forward-thinking integrations relevant to the current social media climate, along with an Android version.

The main feature of the Prospect Dugout app is its Player Database featuring an advanced search function where coaches and scouts can find specific players to recruit based on position, skill level, location and more. The app also includes rankings, game and showcase stat records, a social news feed called the Dugout, messaging and a Prospect Planner for college coaches/scouts.

Players can upload their game schedules to make sure recruiters know which events to attend and where to find them on the field. They aim to keep their services affordable in order to give every athlete the opportunity to be a part of their community and have access to their resources.

“Essentially, the player’s Prospect Dugout profile becomes an online resume to send to coaches and recruiters,” said Craig.

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SPRIN G 2 02 1 PERFORMANCE SERIES

JANUARY 21

6:30 P.M.

Art Exhibit: Best of Fall 2020

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9:00 A.M.-4 P.M.

*Dr. Breathitt Seminar: Imagination, Creativity, and Dreams

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7:30 P.M.

Faculty Recital: Dr. Charles Hulin

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9:00 A.M.-5 P.M.

Expressions Storytelling Institute & Writers’ Conference with Austin Kleon

FEBRUARY 1 9- 2 0

Craig Maddox with his wife, Caitlin, and daughters

Joel Hartman (left) with son Lucas

MARCH Craig and Joel are also making strides to extend Prospect Dugout’s influence beyond the online community. In October of 2018, Prospect Dugout landed a contract with the Atlantic League Player Showcase, one of the top independent leagues in the country.

Under this contract, Prospect Dugout hosts and runs player showcase weekends in Florida.

The first player showcase was held in March of 2019 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. The showcase hosted 300 professionally qualified players, and 12 of them had earned professional contracts by the end of the day. Over the course of 2019, 41 players from their first annual showcase went on to sign professional contracts.

In March of 2020, Prospect Dugout hosted another showcase, helping a number of players become recruited and recognized by collegiate and high-level teams.

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Prospect Dugout celebrates dozens of success stories, which all began with their first Instagram post that featured Joey Erace. After being featured on Prospect Dugout, the then eight-year-old increased his social media presence and quickly gained followers by posting photos and videos from games and practices. Two years after his debut on Prospect Dugout, Joey was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in 2017. He credits Prospect Dugout with helping him create his online brand and grow a large following.

“It was kind of a full-circle moment that took us back to our roots,” recalled Craig.

I was able to try new things and better shape who I am today as a person. I met lifelong friends and made lifelong memories,” said Joel.

Both Craig’s and Joel’s experience at Southeastern had a large impact on their decision to start Prospect Dugout, and it is the reason they formed a partnership together.

Craig and Joel continue to use Prospect Dugout to help young athletes achieve their goals through social media exposure, information and instruction. The duo keep moving forward and working hard to further their influence to help others.

“My time at Southeastern allowed me to meet so many people and introduced me to many different cultures and individual belief systems. Being in this environment

*Fire Film Festival

Joel is currently living in Bradenton, Fla., with his son, Lucas, who will be playing D1 baseball at Western Carolina University. In his free time, he enjoys crossfit and spending time with his family.

Craig is living in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, CAITLIN (SANTO) ’08, and two daughters. He spends his days off teaching baseball to youth and high school players in his community.

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7:00 P.M.

Torch TV

9

7:30 P.M.

Mixed Instrumental Concert

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7:30 P.M.

Opera Scenes

30

7:30 P.M.

Percussion Ensemble Concert

APRIL 1

7:30 P.M.

String Orchestra Concert

5

7:30 P.M.

Spiritus Concert

7

7:30 P.M.

Jazz Ensemble Concert

8

6:30 P.M.

Art Exhibit: Best of Spring 2021

10

10:30 A.M.

*Oracle Release Event

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7:30 P.M.

Choral Concert

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7:30 P.M.

Brass Quintet Concert

15

7:30 P.M.

Contemporary Band Concert

21

7:30 P.M.

Wind Ensemble Concert

22

7:00 P.M.

Spring Film Showcase

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7:00 P.M.

Torch TV

The Spring 2021 Performance Series will be livestreamed via the CAM website. *These events will offer limited in-person attendance.

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FEATURE STORIES

ANDREW VIATOR

MINISTRY IN THE MARKETPLACE

Andrew and Danielle with daughters Elliana and Jovana

M

inistry can be performed in the church, at a nonprofit, overseas or simply in the community. For ANDREW VIATOR ’05, ministry is in the marketplace. After studying ministry at Southeastern and later working in a church, Andrew launched his construction business, Viator Design and Construction. One of his custom pieces now sits in Southeastern’s Welcome Center.

Andrew first learned about Southeastern from his pastor and mentor, MARK HADINGER ’08 (MAML). Florida’s sunny climate in contrast to chilly Ohio winters was a big draw, and after visiting friends who were students, he decided to enroll as a pastoral ministries major.

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During his first semester, Andrew met his wife, DANIELLE (RABER) ’05.

years, while Danielle worked for MakeA-Wish Foundation in Orlando.

“An F-250 Super Duty diesel painted cherry red with a six-inch lift and knobby tires rolled onto campus, and this beautiful brunette stepped out. I had a crush, and she had a boyfriend. This is a story of persistence and pursuit. It took a couple of years, but as we got to know each other better, we were a good fit,” remembered Andrew.

“As Dr. Rutland often said, ‘A turtle on a fence post didn’t get there on his own.’ My story is full of great mentors and teachers, a huge testament to the value I hold for the faculty and staff at Southeastern,” said Andrew.

A traditionalist, Andrew drove 12 hours to have breakfast with her parents and ask for her hand in marriage. He and Danielle got engaged in 2007, and were married in 2008.

After graduating, Andrew started a fulltime job as an admission counselor for Southeastern where he worked for two

In 2007, Andrew accepted a staff position at Winston-Salem First Assembly of God, which brought him to North Carolina.

For two years, he worked as a special projects manager helping to strategize community-focused events and programs.

After leaving his position at the church, Andrew launched Viator Design and Construction in 2009. “Ministry, for me, was in the marketplace,” said Andrew.

The company mainly operates out of

SOUTHEASTERN 27

Custom-built table in the SEU Welcome Center

North Carolina, but they have done work spanning from New York to Florida. He leads a team of enthusiastic workers. “We have a fun team and people want to be a part of it. I look for people with a good work ethic, character and intangibles. We will teach the rest if necessary,” explained Andrew.

“Life is about stewardship.

Do well with what you have in your hands, and God will be faithful. Wake up, do your absolute best, and treat people well.”

Andrew had his first construction job in 2005 while he was working at Southeastern when Dr. Gordon Miller, now dean of the School of Honors, hired him to install wood floors and a tile patio at his house. “I credit him for the launch of my business and for my constant inclination to take on jobs I don’t know how to do, buy the tools and then figure it out,” said Andrew. He worked in construction as a side job while being employed at Southeastern.

Viator Construction does both commercial and residential work. “If you can imagine it, we can bring it to life,” he said.

28 SOUTHEASTERN

“We love building legacy furniture and production equipment, though business upfits are great too,” said Andrew.

Andrew grew up around construction learning from his dad, grandfather and uncles, who all taught and treated

Designs by Viator Design and Construction

him like a son. “They showed me the importance of work ethic, which can be taught in theory, but is learned through experience,” said Andrew.

He has learned from mentors and family over the years, and his father-in-law helped him launch the metal fabrication portion of his company. “I still rely on his experience and wisdom to this day,” said Andrew.

“Life is about stewardship. Do well with what you have in your hands, and God will be faithful.Wake up, do your absolute best, and treat people well. Everything we build will one day be left to ruins. A relationship should always be the guiding light,” said Andrew.

Things came full circle when, in the fall of 2019, Andrew constructed a 20foot long by five-foot wide table for Southeastern’s new Welcome Center designed in collaboration with the executive leadership team. Andrew fashioned the table from walnut tree wood with the slabs laid out in a strategic way so that each end of the table can see the whole story of the tree.

“Working with solid slabs is tough as they like to move and twist. The custom base we welded in an effort to be minimal, allowing the top to float on air. We installed lights underneath for an accent glow and power for practical purposes,” explained Andrew.

Andrew remembers his time at Southeastern fondly both as a student and staff member. “Southeastern connected

“Southeastern connected me to the world in a way other universities would not have worked for me. It taught me who I was, not because of what I do, but rather in spite of what I do.” me to the world in a way other universities would not have worked for me. It taught me who I was, not because of what I do, but rather in spite of what I do.

Southeastern challenged me to separate who I am from my failures and successes.

I’ve had many people over the years comment, ‘You’re not using your degree.’

I always think, didn’t Jesus study theology and work as a tradesman?” Andrew said.

Andrew and Danielle currently live in Winston-Salem, N.C., with their daughters Elliana and Jovana. Danielle works for Taylor Companies, a business development company.

On the weekends, their family loves exploring the mountains and going on adventures. “We all go to the local establishments we’ve helped to build and talk with our friends there. WinstonSalem is a great city. It tends to draw us to its center, which is why we call it home,” said Andrew.

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FEATURE STORIES

F

rom the moment HEATHER (DAVIS) BRINCKERHOFF ’12 graduated from Southeastern, she was propelled into what has been a wild and amazing career working alongside companies as grand as Disney and as popular as PlayStation. Currently the director of social media for Magnolia, Heather determines the social media content representing the company owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple most known from their show “Fixer-Upper” on HGTV.

HEATHER BRINCKERHOFF

INSPIRING JOY

Originally coming to Southeastern on an acting scholarship, Heather was majoring in broadcast journalism and interested in getting involved in films. It wasn’t until some of her professors and advisors recognized certain skills and abilities within her that she considered a change in her intended career path.

They suggested a reroute into the field of public relations.

Heather recalled, “At the time I didn’t even really know what public relations was.”

Trusting the insight of her advisors, Heather changed her major and began journeying down the road that would lead to her passion for social media marketing.

“Looking back, I really appreciated that my professors at Southeastern genuinely cared about me and invested in my future,” said Heather. “I still stay connected with some of them even to this day.”

It was also during her time at Southeastern that Heather met her husband, COREY BRINCKERHOFF ’12, who currently works remotely as the associate director of graduate enrollment for Southeastern.

Immediately after graduation, Heather took a position at a public relations

30 SOUTHEASTERN

Heather, Kanon and Corey

agency known as Porter Novelli, helping with the social media for both Disney and PlayStation. By the time she was ready to move on to the next venture, she had worked her way up to senior account executive, managing social media publishing programs for the teams at both Disney Parks and PlayStation.

“It was a really fun job, but it was challenging too,” said Heather. “We would end up publishing about 40 pieces of content a day between both Disney and PlayStation,” said Heather.

Never restricted to the typical office setting, Heather would often travel between Disney World and Disneyland parks promoting and capturing content for various events and grand openings.

Similarly with PlayStation, Heather would fly out for product launches or national and global gaming conventions.

She would then manage behind-thescenes elements of that event, working

to catch the best highlights, whether that was guests trying out the technology for the first time or posting content about gaming announcements in real time.

Heather eventually felt as if she had hit her peak at the agency. It was during that time that she was scouted and recruited for a position overseeing LEGOLAND Florida’s social media.

Within this role, Heather created a strategy for the brand’s social media, building everything from the ground up. She was also physically in the parks producing and directing videos, casting talent, taking photos, and analyzing and reporting on the performance of that content.

A year and a half into her time with the company, Heather was promoted to senior global social media manager and subsequently put in charge of all nine LEGOLAND Parks’ worldwide social

SOUTHEASTERN 31

media programs. In addition, she acted as a spokesperson for the company during interviews both in the studio and with other media that came to visit the park.

Heather often worked with celebrities that came to the parks.

“One of my favorite memories was bringing Howie Dorough from the Backstreet Boys and his sweet family to be the first to stay in our new LEGO Movie-themed rooms,” said Heather.

“I always loved watching our guests experience new things at LEGOLAND for the first time.”

Heather representing LEGOLAND on NBC with news anchor Gayle Guyardo.

Although Heather thoroughly enjoyed her employment at LEGOLAND and all the fun that came along with it, she once again reached a point where she felt ready for a new opportunity. Not long after she began feeling this way, Heather discovered a post advertising a job opening with Magnolia as the director of social media.

Already a fan of the Magnolia brand, Heather decided to apply and went through numerous interviews before being offered the position.

“If I could sum up why I love working in social media, it’s the opportunity to create content that brings people joy,” said Heather. “I genuinely love what the brand is doing. Chip and Joanna are bringing inspiration and positivity to the world through Magnolia, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Since April, Heather has been residing with her family in Waco, Texas, the company’s home base. She currently oversees five different social media accounts across 18 social media channels, representing several different parts of the company.

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Heather visiting Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando with LEGOLAND's pirate character, “Brickbeard.”

When reflecting on the content she’s created so far, one post sticks out for Heather. It was a video she and her team created in honor of Father’s Day. She had Magnolia’s Twitter followers submit their favorite dad jokes. Heather said, “The idea was to take all those jokes and have Chip read them to his kids to answer the age-old question, ‘Are dad jokes actually funny?’”

The video turned out to be a fan favorite, holding the record as the most viewed Instagram video of all time for Magnolia.

It also received national media coverage from People.com.

Constantly looking for new and innovative ways to share or promote things on social media, Heather and her team have to stay on top of the trends and what’s current and popular on each separate platform.

“There’s a lot more to it [social media] than people realize,” said Heather.

“Working in social media you wear many hats, from content strategy to crisis management, copywriting, data analysis and creative direction, to name a few.”

As the director of social media, Heather is engrossed in creating and setting strategies for her team, building content calendars months in advance and consistently giving approvals for her team members’ projects. Sitting in on meetings with various teams and senior leadership, Heather is also responsible for understanding the company’s big picture goals and priorities. It is then her duty to give effective direction to her team so that the content they’re producing properly communicates and reflects those goals to all of their followers.

Although Heather acknowledges the unique stressors that come along with having a career in social media, she

wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

“I’ve never felt like I’m going to work because I’m truly passionate about what I’m doing,” said Heather.

Oftentimes, people look at Heather’s career journey and wonder how she got so lucky with what many would consider dream jobs. Heather recognizes the opportunities she’s earned as a product of hard work, long hours and God’s hand in her life.

“A major theme throughout my career has been risk-taking. Every single position I’ve had at first felt unattainable. I’ve learned that hard work and persistence make up for a lot of unknowns. You eventually get the hang of it,” said Heather. “I’ve never regretted the times I’ve jumped in the deep end.

My confidence has always come from my faith that God has placed me in roles specifically meant for me.”

Outside of her work, one of Heather’s passions lies with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where she has been a wish granter since 2011. As someone who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of one, Heather understands the weight and impact of fulfilling a once-in-alifetime wish for a child enduring a lifethreatening illness.

“It’s been amazing to work and spend time with so many inspiring kids and families,” said Heather. “I feel so lucky to be a very small part of the life-changing work the Make-A-Wish Foundation is doing.”

The rest of Heather’s free time is occupied with raising her one-year-old son, Kanon.

Originally from a small country town, Heather loves being outdoors, exploring and spending time with friends and family.

SOUTHEASTERN 33

FEATURE STORIES

A

midst the current social tension dividing the United States, BLAKE THOMAS ’15 strives to create a culture of unity by promoting racial equality and reconciliation within his position as director of intercultural programs at Westmont College.

Located in Santa Barbara, Calif., Westmont is a Christian liberal arts college where Blake oversees and advises six intercultural organizations and contributes to numerous committees that address race and unity on campus. Leading a number of educational efforts, Blake does it all with the intent of driving the Westmont community toward charitable and equitable change.

“My goal is to build bridges, foster trust and provide the necessary support for students of color while they’re here,” said Blake.

Prior to starting this position in June of 2020, Blake had been working with The Forge for Families, a nonprofit organization that focuses on Christian community development in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas.

Blake originally took a part-time position with The Forge after his graduation from Southeastern. He had moved to Houston while discovering where God was calling him and exploring his options. Although at first perceived as a temporary job, Blake was offered a full-time opportunity that put him in charge of creating an entirely new ministry within The Forge’s organization, focusing specifically on poverty, culture, and race and reconciliation.

BLAKE THOMAS

TRANSFORMING HEARTS AND MINDS 34 SOUTHEASTERN

Blake built and directed the program, and it became known as Bridge-Builders.

“It sort of looked like an inner-city missions trip, but paired with intentional education components,” said Blake.

As time went on, Blake’s role as director transitioned, giving greater focus to consultation with churches and organizations on the issues of race and reconciliation. At the same time, he was also serving as a youth pastor at a Presbyterian church in downtown Houston.

While actively involved with both of these commitments, Blake began pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from the Houston campus of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., in January of 2019. He first learned of a job opportunity at Westmont through one of his hybrid classes. One of his classmates was married to a Westmont professor, and after the class, she reached out to him to see if he knew anyone who might be interested in the open position.

“She said she was praying about it and my name came to mind,” said Blake. “Right away I thought I might be interested in it myself, and soon enough God made it apparent that’s where he was trying to move me.”

Shortly after sending in his resume and cover letter, Blake received confirmation he was chosen for the job and moved out to Santa Barbara with his wife, Janelle.

As the director of intercultural programs, Blake reports to the vice president of student life. He is responsible for properly conveying student concerns as well as providing feedback on the school’s support system for students, specifically students of color.

Blake also teaches a course called “The Racial Justice Series.”The class covers the history of racial injustice and racist ideas, social and ethnic identity development and post-colonial theology.

Outside of the classroom, the majority of Blake’s time is spent meeting one-on-one with students.

“My heart is for ministry, so I really appreciate the fact that my role is more relational than I expected,” said Blake. “I really feel like I’m getting to minister to people.”

Similar to the rest of the nation at this time, Westmont faces its own challenges of frustration, distrust and disharmony when dealing with the topics of race and

about what is just is because they have the stamp of the divine on their heart and the Holy Spirit within them.” Through all these conversations, Blake has been able to help both students and colleagues make the connection between why and how their faith is related to social justice.

“My biggest goal is to see students walk away from Westmont with their faith strengthened and affirmed, knowing that they serve a God who loves justice,” said Blake.

Blake and Janelle

unity. Blake emphasizes how critical it is to first develop relational equity before trying to go about mending that broken trust. Before he could attempt to open dialogue on these topics, he first had to lay the foundation and build genuine relationships and connections.

“My biggest goal is to see students walk away from Westmont with their faith strengthened and affirmed, knowing that they serve a God who loves justice,.”

“It is rarely fruitful to try and have conversations about such difficult issues without the presence of a relationship,” said Blake. “I had to show students that I cared about them, and that I was for them.”

Blake soon began to notice that one of the most common issues students seemed to wrestle with was the feeling that there was no room to talk about issues of injustice within the church. “Many felt as if they had to go outside of the church in order to care about racial justice,” he said.

Blake continued, “My response was to reassure students that the reason they care

Blake facilitates similar conversations about racial justice with pastors and key church members around the country as he continues to consult and conduct training for various churches.

Typically, church leaders reach out to Blake after hearing about his race and reconciliation curriculum. His most recent connections found him through his involvement on the board of Restoring Justice, a faith-based organization that works to combat disparities within the court system. As a board member, Blake takes part in fundraising, casting vision, preparing for future growth and ensuring the organization is effectively accomplishing its mission. He’ll often sit on individual committees to aid with internal decisions relating to salaries and position changes and additions.

The purpose of Blake’s consultation work is not to spread knowledge but to aid the church in its movement towards reconciliation and restoration.

“I love to see bridges being built internally and people’s hearts changing,” said Blake. “It’s always impactful for me to see the fruit of the work we did together.”

In his free time, Blake enjoys spending time with his brother, DANA THOMAS ’14, who lives nearby in Los Angeles, working in the entertainment industry.

They both share an affinity for music, leading Blake and Dana to often work on various projects together.

SOUTHEASTERN 35

that encompass and engage Floridian practitioners.

Stephens came to Southeastern in 2007 after he felt God call him away from a government position to move back to Florida.

He was hired as the coordinator of distributive learning, which was then Southeastern’s online program.

“During my time at Southeastern, I’ve enjoyed pouring into the lives of young and seasoned students and making myself available to them not only as their professor but as a man of God and a mentor,” said Stephens.

DR. KENNETH STEPHENS

Advocating for Diversity at SEU & Beyond

D

r. Kenneth Stephens has been an active advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity both within the Southeastern University community and beyond.

He grew up during a time of racial segregation in the U.S. and carried deep anger and resentment toward white men after his older brother was killed by two white men in a murder-for-hire scheme.

“Early on in my lifetime, I had a distrust for white people simply because of various interactions and the murder of my older brother. I mainly socialized with my small circle of African-American friends. My perspective was that I had to get to know you before I would let my guard down,” said Stephens. He now uses his passions for racial equality and equity to serve the 36 SOUTHEASTERN

Southeastern students and staff as well as the Polk County community.

“What drives me the most is that I don’t like seeing people in need or people who are hurting physically or spiritually. My heart hurts for those who are hurting.

I am passionate about respect, compassion and love for everyone, regardless of who they are and what they look like,” said Stephens.

Before stepping into his role on the university’s Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Task Force, Stephens had hosted forums on racial relations, spoke at town halls and pursued his own personal projects, including a spoken word called “Can You See Me?” As a member of the task force, Stephens has developed training programs for faculty, staff and students to bring inclusivity and

diversity to their classrooms and programs.

He is working to build an offensive and defensive strategy to help eradicate hate and racism and create a place that promotes equity and encourages diversity.

“It is key to address these issues from a standpoint of awareness and training,” said Stephens.

Dr. Stephens with his daughter, Gloria (Stephens) Thornton ’16, ’17 (MA), at her graduation

Throughout the past 14 years, Stephens has also worked as a training officer in Human Resources. He also served as a professor of human services in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences before transferring to the College of Unrestricted Education. He currently serves as the program coordinator for Online Human Services. Stephens has also recently taken on the role of program director for SEU’s aviation program.

“The community here at SEU — hands down the faculty, students and staff and interactions with like-minded Christians — has kept me here,” said Stephens.

Stephens was recently featured in The Ledger, a local newspaper, with former Southeastern faculty member Dr. Richard Harris. The article details how different Stephens’ and Harris’ lives were and how they came together to teach an interracial communications class at Southeastern.

While Stephens is active in the Southeastern community, he is also active in the Polk County community. In October of 2020, he spoke at a town hall in Bartow on diversity and inclusion. He has also hosted forums on racial relations with the mayor of Bartow, Scott Sjoblom, and plans to continue these events in the future.

Harris was a former KKK member, and Stephens firsthandedly experienced racism in the U.S. during that time. “Dr. Harris challenged my perspective in the most profound way in that we both valued what each other had to bring to the table,” said Stephens.

“It is his actions that are on display daily that helped me to truly see that whites that once hated can be a part of the healing and helping.”

Additionally, Stephens was elected as vice president of the Florida Organization of Human Services (FLOHS), a subdivision of the National Organization of Human Services. FLOHS aims to create professional networking and development opportunities, facilitate community and advocate for social justice.

The organization hosts conferences

Currently, Stephens is an associate pastor of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, the church he grew up in. During his free time, Stephens enjoys spending time with his wife, Esylen, reading the Bible with his Bible study group and fishing. He also loves to garden and plants vegetables in his family’s yard.

He believes that change begins with listening to the stories of people and understanding the core of who they are.

“Interracial communications, or being able to speak across different cultures, is something that the staff and faculty have to model for students as well,” said Stephens.

“I love the training aspect of it. I had previously done a lot of training during my time in the Army; it’s a part of my DNA,” said Stephens.

Dr. Harris and Dr. Stephens

Dr. Stephens with his family

SOUTHEASTERN 37

DR. TERRIS NEUMAN

A Bittersweet Farewell DR. TERRIS NEUMAN ’77 has been an integral and irreplaceable member of Southeastern University for 37 years.

Whether he was teaching as a professor of religion or working in student life as dean of men, he always served with excellence. Neuman officially retired at the end of the 2019-20 academic year.

He intended to stay a year longer but decided to retire earlier due to the health risks posed by COVID-19.

heard a message that led him to God’s call to attend Southeastern.

Originally beginning his long-running history with Southeastern as a student, Neuman enrolled in 1973 as a freshman majoring in pastoral ministries. He had given his life to Christ two years before, after Yancy Spencer, a widelyknown professional surfer, witnessed to him behind his surf shop in Pensacola, Fla. Shortly after, he began attending a local church with Spencer and Spencer’s brother, John. During this time, Neuman

It was during his first semester at Southeastern that Neuman met his wife, SHARON (PIPER) NEUMAN ’76.

Sharon went on to have a successful 32year career in education, only recently retiring from her role as principal for the local school board. They first met in Bush Chapel, which was brand new at the time. Once the second semester rolled around, Neuman tried his luck and asked her out on a date.

38 SOUTHEASTERN

“I remember hearing John 15:16, ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit — fruit that will last — and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you,’” said Neuman.

“That’s when I knew where God wanted me.”

“I got so lucky,” he said. “One of my favorite memories with my wife as students was seeing her become homecoming queen.”

After graduation, Neuman ended up in Midland, Mich., where he spent two years as a youth pastor before moving to attend Wheaton College in Illinois for his master’s degree. At Wheaton, Neuman worked 40 hours a week as the first janitor in the new Billy Graham Center. He then went on to graduate from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., with his master of theology (Th.M.) and doctor of ministry (D.Min.) degrees. When he received the opportunity to return to Southeastern, Neuman was pastoring a local church in Albion, Mich.

Although he originally applied for a faculty position, Neuman returned to

Dr. Terris and Sharon Neuman

Southeastern as the dean of men in 1982, and it wasn’t until 1986 that a position opened up for a full-time faculty member.

As dean of men, Neuman oversaw all of the male dorms and was responsible for handling any necessary disciplinary action concerning the students within those dorms. He also offered them spiritual counseling when needed.

“One time the boys in Bauer Hall pranked me by moving all of my books and bookcases into the shower,” recalled Neuman. “Another time someone had put a greased pig in the library during finals week — we had fun.”

As a professor of religion, Neuman taught courses covering the books of Romans and Hebrews, the pastoral epistles, the prison epistles and the general epistles.

His favorite class to teach was The Life of Christ, and he loved any class he had with freshmen.

Neuman said, “I enjoyed trying to relate the gospel to students of all different majors.”

DR. WILLIAM C. HACKETT, JR. ’19 (Ed.D.), provost and professor of practical ministry.

He also had both of his sons, CHAD NEUMAN ’01 and NATHAN NEUMAN ’02, in class. Nathan is a manager at Publix Corporate Headquarters in Lakeland, and Chad is currently the chair of the Department of Design & Communication for the College of Unrestricted Education at Southeastern.

After his retirement, Neuman was made professor emeritus, which allows him to return to Southeastern’s campus to have lunch at Tuscana Ristorante and utilize various amenities including the library and sports facilities.

“Whenever I was in the classroom with students in front of me, I felt at home,” said Neuman.

His passion for educating was evident to students and faculty alike.

“Dr. Neuman has been a legend at SEU. He has impacted thousands of lives because of his incredible teaching,” said

He plans on using his time to do the things he loves, and when it’s safe to do so, travel. He looks forward to exploring and finding new areas for biking, kayaking and paddleboarding. Surfing and staying active are also important to Neuman and a regular part of his routine. Neuman’s dream destinations are Hawaii and the mountains. He also enjoys writing about nature and dedicates time to writing poetry. He is currently in the process of getting a collection of his works published.

SOUTHEASTERN 39

A PASSING SHADOW

By Terris Neuman “But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.”

(Luke 4:30)

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

I could not see him but I heard what he was saying — speech that enraged his hearers.

I caught his fleeting shadow out of the corner of my eye.

It slipped through the door, past the threat-filled air out into the open, where his shadow blended with others.

I went outside just to get a glimpse, just to see the face that went with such outrageous words that could hardly be true.

But he was gone, blended in with the rest of a shadow-casting humanity.

So I turned and left, not knowing the time would come when he would cast a shadow of a very different kind, where his face showed the truth of his words.

DR. DANIEL GORDON

DR. CAMERON MCNABB

DR. RALPH SALVATORE

Dr. Daniel Gordon, professor of choral music education, has accepted a new position in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) as the Repertoire and Resource Chair for Music in Worship for the ACDA Southern Region. His largest responsibility in this position will be to organize the worship services at the ACDA Southern Region Convention in Raleigh, N.C., in 2022.

Dr. Cameron McNabb, associate professor of English, published her first book, “The Medieval Disability Sourcebook: Western Europe.” It is an interdisciplinary volume on medieval Europe that combines historical records, medical texts, and religious accounts of saints’ lives and miracles, as well as poetry, prose, drama and manuscript images. The book exposes the varied and complicated attitudes medieval societies had toward disability.

Dr. Ralph Salvatore, professor of chemistry, serves as an editorial board member on a new journal named Coronaviruses, which publishes original research articles, letters, reviews, clinical trials and guest-edited thematic issues on all aspects of coronaviruses. The journal also covers case reports and studies on the outbreak of coronaviruses, their symptoms, related diseases, prevention, treatment and development of new therapeutics.

9

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SOUTHEASTERN 41

VINCENT “VINCE” GIL ’67

GLORIA (PARKER) STEPHENS ’75

DAVID COWGER ’84

CHRISTOPHER MCDERMOTT ’84

CARL and LINDA (TOEREK) ETHRIDGE ’93

RAY HADLEY ’94

HANNAH HAUGEN ’14

CASSIE COOPER ’16

LAUREN DION ’19

1967

___________________________ VINCENT “VINCE” GIL has retired

IN THE LIVES OF SEU ALUMNI KATIE (RADCLIFFE) MAKAR ’09

from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., after 43 years of instruction and research. He left as an awarded professor and mentor, with over 45 peer-reviewed publications and a record of international health collaborations on HIV/AIDS and social epidemiology projects. He and his wife, Magali (Mikki), are going on 52 years of marriage. He is still active, writing and living near his family.

1975

SEND US YOUR CLASS NOTES All submissions due by April 23, 2021, for the next issue. | Email: alumni@seu.edu | Submit online at SEU.edu/alumni Mail to: University Advancement | Southeastern University | 1000 Longfellow Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33801 42 SOUTHEASTERN

CARL and LINDA (TOEREK) ETHRIDGE have been reappointed as

Assemblies of God World Missionaries.

1994

___________________________ KEN and GLORIA (PARKER) STEPHENS are retired and living in

RAY HADLEY launched a church plant

1984

JIREH LUGONES ’19

1993

___________________________

___________________________

Alabama. They enjoy spending time with their five children and five grandchildren.

LUKE GAMBILL ’98

East London as a neighborhood mediator and supporting young people to develop non-violent conflict resolution skills.

Since 2014, he has been employed as an Anglican priest and the lead chaplain at the University of Sussex in Brighton. He is also a Ph.D. researcher.

in Ada, Ohio, in 2014. He continues to explore new and creative ways to reach the lost and hurting in the local community.

1998

___________________________

___________________________

DAVID COWGER moved to Orlando

LUKE GAMBILL has completed his

in 2018 with his wife, Susan, and began working in residential construction as a warranty manager.

CHRISTOPHER MCDERMOTT has

been living in the U.K. since 1987, originally working in the inner city of

doctorate in worship studies at The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. After spending 20 years in the Christian music industry in Nashville, Tenn., he is now an assistant professor of music business at Lee University.

2009

___________________________ KATIE (RADCLIFFE) MAKAR and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their son, Owen William, on May 24, 2019.

Katie is a full-time mom, graduate student and pastor’s wife. She is working toward a master’s degree in ministerial leadership at Southeastern University. Matthew is the young adults’ pastor at Grace Community Church in Sarasota, Fla.

2014

___________________________ HANNAH HAUGEN has accepted a position as the director of bands at Lincoln High School in Leon County, Fla.

2016

___________________________ CASSIE COOPER is attending graduate school at Florida State University’s College of Music, where she was also accepted into the doctor of philosophy in music education degree program and offered a full assistantship. Cassie is an elementary music educator at Gerald E. Talbot Community School in Portland, Ore.

SOUTHEASTERN 43

IN MEMORIAM

1955

____________________________ CAITLYNN (CHRISTENSEN) ENSLEY ’16

JOSE QUILES MARTIN ’16

JOHN MORGAN ROE ’17

JACOB CARTER ’19

HAYLEY (ROSALES) CHRISTIE ’19

JOAN CONNORS (Ed.D.) ’17

STEPHANIE BANASHAK ’20

named “Implementing a Comfort Care Cart: A Quality-Improvement Nurse Driven Initiative in the Intensive Care Unit.” Additionally, Joan presented at the National RN-BSN Faculty Forum in September 2020.

Careers at Southeastern University. He also attends and serves at Access Church in Lakeland, Fla. Recently, he published a book on whole-life discipleship and will be launching a podcast on the book’s themes soon.

2017

JOHN MORGAN ROE has accepted a position as a string music educator at Williams Middle School and Wilson High School in Florence, S.C.

JIREH LUGONES is an elementary music educator at Union Park Elementary School in Orange County, Fla.

___________________________

2019

___________________________

ALDERMAN

CAITLYNN (CHRISTENSEN) ENSLEY

has accepted a position as an elementary music educator at Milford Elementary School in Milford, Neb. JOSE QUILES MARTIN has been

promoted to senior vice president, TTS Senior Client Executive for Citibank in Tampa. ___________________________ ANDREA

ANDREA ALDERMAN ’17

has been accepted into the master of vocal performance program with a concentration in classical voice, as well as an advanced certificate program in vocal pedagogy at New York University.

GEORGIA BAYLIS lives in Atlanta,

Ga., and works as the executive director of a nonprofit called The Pack Youth that partners with public and private schools to offer mentoring and character development. She is also a licensed Assemblies of God pastor.

JOAN CONNORS (Ed.D.) teaches

nursing at Polk State College as the coordinator of the RN to BSN program.

She recently had an article published with a BSN graduate in a medical journal, Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing,

44 SOUTHEASTERN

JACOB CARTER is a youth pastor at

Journey Assembly in Bradenton, Fla., and also works as a graduate assistant in the office of the president at Southeastern University.

HAYLEY (ROSALES) CHRISTIE is an

elementary music educator at Evergreen Elementary School in Marion County, Fla. LAUREN DION moved to Nashville, Tenn., last year and currently works for the band For King & Country, handling all tour marketing and social media coordinating.

ANTHONY JARRELL works for the COMPASS Center for Calling and

2020

STEPHANIE BANASHAK has accepted a position as a social media director at Moffett Road Assembly of God in Mobile, Ala. BRIAUNA JAMES has accepted a position as an elementary music educator at Highlands Elementary School in Seminole County, Fla. She was also accepted into the master’s in sport and performance psychology program (with a concentration in positive coaching) at the University of Western States in Portland, Ore.

Reverend WILLIAM “BILL” WYNN passed away on December 9, 2020. Bill pioneered churches in Douglasville, Ga., and Brandon, Fla. He also served as a senior pastor at several churches in Florida before returning to the church he founded in 1959, Brandon Assembly of God. He was the senior pastor from 1974 until his retirement in 1997. After retiring, he and his wife, Barbara, moved to the community of Chicora in south Polk County, where he enjoyed growing citrus on their 29 acres. Bill is survived by his wife of 69 years, Barbara J. (Hinson) Wynn; their sons, Stephen and Michael; three grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

1962

____________________________ DR. EDWARD LEE passed away on February 8, 2020, after a long battle with cancer. Dr. Lee taught Bible and theology courses at Southeastern from 1965 to 1969.

In the 1970s, he and his wife, Louise, returned to Georgia, where he pastored for several years before returning to Southeastern in 1982. He served as the vice president for academic affairs from 1982 to 1988.

The Lees then moved to Springfield, Mo., where he was a senior professor of theology and academic dean at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS). He returned to Southeastern in 2010 and served as the vice president for academic affairs once again until 2011. After retiring, Dr. Lee taught Sunday school at Victory Church in Lakeland for many years. Dr. Lee is survived by his wife, Louise, and their two children, Kimberly Lee Chappell and Brian Lee, as well as several grandchildren.

1970

____________________________ RODNEY S. DUKES passed away on April 9, 2020, in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating from Southeastern, he went on to spend 45 years in full-time pastoral ministry as an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He also served as a district youth director in Kentucky and sectional and executive presbyter in Ohio. Throughout his life, he planted many churches, served on multiple non-profit boards, and established ministry and missions programs locally and abroad. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Milner Dukes, children and grandchildren.

1982

____________________________

JOHN B. BICE passed away on August 19, 2020. John served in the Army for 23 years in the 82nd Airborne Division and as a Special Forces Green Beret during the Vietnam War. He received numerous awards and decorations during his military career, including the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal. Following his military service, John came to Southeastern at the age of 41 and earned his degree in pastoral ministry. He served as a pastor for several years, including pastoring a home church in Fayetteville, N.C. John is preceded in death by his wife, Sherry, and survived by two sons, one daughter, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. ____________________________

ATHENA (REGISTER) RABURN passed away on February 9, 2020. Athena was the wife of TERRY RABURN ’08 MAML & ’20 D.Min., chair of the Southeastern board. She was an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God (AG).

Athena and Terry served as missionaries in Beirut, Lebanon, pastored Mount Zion Assembly of God in Plant City, Fla., served as the district youth directors of Peninsular Florida and the national youth directors for the AG, and led the AG national division of church ministries. In 1996,Athena and Terry were elected to serve as superintendents of the Peninsular Florida District Council of the AG. Athena worked as the administrative assistant for the superintendent’s office until her passing. ____________________________

Reverend KARL D. STRADER, pastor and former dean of men at Southeastern, passed away on March 20, 2020, in Lakeland, Fla. Reverend Strader graduated with a master’s degree in theology from Bob Jones University in South Carolina and also received an honorary doctorate degree from Oral Roberts University. He was an Assemblies of God minister for over 65 years and had been active in ministry until 2019, when he fully retired. He was preceded in death by his wife of over 60 years, Joyce. Reverend Strader is survived by his four children, ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

SOUTHEASTERN 45

Student speaker Kary Perez

Professor Ed Bryant

COMMENCEMENT Congratulations to the Graduating Classes of 2020!

For the first time in history, Southeastern held a ceremony for both spring and fall graduates at Victory Field on campus. A total of 1,524 students qualified to march, with 535 participating in the ceremony. This commencement brings the total number of graduates since Southeastern’s conception to 18,777.

The ceremony featured the first graduate from Southeastern’s Link program, one of the few faith-based post-secondary transition programs in the U.S. The commencement speaker was Scott Williams, chief executive of the strategy firm Nxt Level Solutions and a member of the Southeastern board of trustees. The student commencement speaker was KARILYS “KARY” (RODRIGUEZ) PEREZ ’20.

46 SOUTHEASTERN

President Kent Ingle

Scott Williams

Sierra Yoder

SOUTHEASTERN 47

HOMECOMING 2020

85

1935

SOUT H E AST E RN

2020

U NIV E RS I T Y

HOMECOMING 2020 For this year’s Homecoming, we welcomed many alumni back to campus with a few adjustments to the schedule to keep everyone healthy and safe. The Annual Alumni Dinner on Friday night was moved to an outdoor reception in the new Welcome Center courtyard. The weekend concluded with a tailgate party, alumni cheering on the Fire Football team and fireworks at Victory Field. (left to right) Joel Johnson ’92 with Fire Football alumni Tyler Hilgers ’19, Jacob Carter ’19 and Warren Johnson ’18

J ’95 and Cory Toro

(left to right) Brett Short ’94, Matthew Francis ’92, Bruce Smith ’93, Dave Ternent ’91, Eric Conner ’92, J Toro ’95, Brice Bossardet ’93

Joel ’92 and Sandy (Kyre) Johnson ’92 with Scorch

Sibling alumni Dave Ternent ’91 and Cathy (Ternent) Dyer ’94

Alumni from the ’80s and ’90s celebrate with their families

48 SOUTHEASTERN

Student Relief Fund scholarship recipient Michelle Williams and her family

Marvel (Moser) and Gene Combs ’78

Director of Alumni Relations Joel Johnson, Vice President for Enrollment & Marketing Roy Rowland and President Ingle with several recipients of the Student Relief Fund Scholarship

Brice Bossardet ’93 with his daughters, Coco and Collins, and guest Rachael Ruiz

Lenny ’71 and Cheryl (Finch) ’72 Moser

Sandy (Aucoin) Dennis ’88 and Dr Marisol (Parez) Peltzer ’87 SOUTHEASTERN 49

PERSPECTIVE

SPIRITUAL FORMATION AT SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY “The human spirit is an inescapable, fundamental aspect of every human being; and it takes on whichever character it has from the experiences and the choices that we have lived through or made in our past. That is what it means for it to be ‘formed.’”

PLEASE JOIN US AUGUST 2 - 6

– Dallas Willard, “Renovation of the Heart.”

DR. BEN GOMEZ ’17 (MAML), ’19 (M.Div.) CAMPUS PASTOR

At Southeastern University, we believe spiritual formation is the process of becoming like Christ in the form of loving God and neighbor as ourselves.This is a vital aspect of the Christian walk.

Our approach to spiritual formation at Southeastern University is one centered around a personal journey with Christ that is neither focused on a one-time event or a powerful moment, but rather a daily commitment.

As one of the campus pastors here at Southeastern, I focus on helping emerging adults balance individuality and community.

I want them to interdependently discover meaning in the most comprehensive dimensions of their life experiences. I do this by walking alongside students to help them discern what the Holy Spirit is prompting in their lives.

In our Pentecostal heritage, we understand that God cares about otherness so much that he places the other in the center of personal and corporate social redemptions. For this reason, at Southeastern we intentionally create space for students to engage in conversations with the other. As Dr. Frank Macchia eloquently states in “Jesus the Spirit Baptizer,” “The path towards the likeness of God demands one’s continual Christic transfiguring which calls for sanctification of personal will and desires, for fasting from oneself on behalf of the other in expression of an incarnated love towards God and neighbor.”

50 SOUTHEASTERN

Over the last five years, I have witnessed thousands of students face some of the hardest decisions and circumstances of any generation and, yet, they are able to still hold fast to the blessed hope in Jesus. In the midst of it all, their Christlike character speaks volumes about the depth of their spirituality.

Spiritual formation goes far beyond our chapel services. One of the most important aspects of spiritual formation is that “One encounters the Spirit not only in religion but in experiences of every kind. God is in the love we feel for one another… The Spirit is not restricted to religious spaces; he is the giver of life itself and present in all aspects of it,” (“Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit”).

I see the Lord working in the new generation in the classroom, on El Prado and on the field. Spirituality is not something they do, but it is exemplified in who they are, in every sphere of their lives.

None of this can be attributed to any one person. It is embodied in our community because it is something that started very long ago. Spiritual formation is ingrained in the very fabric of our campus.

at General Council 2021 in Orlando, Fla.! SEU will have an incredible booth set up in the exhibit hall all week.

ALUMNI & FRIENDS RECEPTION 2021 GENERAL COUNCIL

The Alumni and Friends Reception will be held on Thursday, August 5, at 8:30 p.m. in the Valencia Ballroom of the Orange County Convention Center. This event provides a great time to reconnect with friends and to make new alumni connections.

In 2019, over 800 alumni attended, so please make plans to join.

You do not need to attend General Council to come to the Alumni and Friends Reception. It is open to all, and there is no charge to attend the reception. For more details, email alumni@seu.edu or call 863.667.5400.

I feel abundantly blessed and humbled to be a small part of the transformation of students that are now serving people around the globe. If I have helped emerging adults to live by this credo, to embody loving God and loving others, I believe I’ve aided them in stewarding their relationship with God during their time at Southeastern.

SOUTHEASTERN 51

NOW A FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! MARCH 11 | Noon to 3pm EST

PREPARE TO STEP UP AND LEAD LIKE NEVER BEFORE — WITH THE 2021 FORUM AT SEU

This FREE, 3-hour virtual event will show you how to rise above the rest in times of uncertainty.

This year’s speakers include:

TONY DUNGY

BOB GOFF

Pro Football Hall of Fame Sports Analyst & Former NFL Coach New York Times Bestselling Author

New York Times Bestselling Author Honorary Consul to the Republic of Uganda Attorney & Founder of Love Does

NONA JONES Head of Faith Partnerships at Facebook Bestselling Author Host of The Nona Jones Show

REGISTER NOW at SEUforum.com

FORUM AT SEU | Southeastern University | 1000 Longfellow Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33801 | E: SEUforum@seu.edu | P: 877.FORUM2021 52 SOUTHEASTERN