family A
AFFAIR
How Franklin College became home for one family
T
he Beasley family is no in organizational leadership. He now serves as a stranger to Franklin College. United States Army officer in Fort Irwin, California. Having sent four boys through the Sophomore Elijah Beasley, the youngest college under the watch of their father, a Beasley brother, said he was drawn computer science professor, and now their mother, to the familiarity of life on campus. a leadership and mathematics professor, the “People already knew me,” he said. Beasleys’ roots run deep with the college community. “It was nice to not start from zero.” Robert Beasley has called Franklin College’s In fact, Elijah Beasley has been actively involved computer science department home for the past on campus since high school when he took Running 20 years. Before teaching at Franklin, Robert Start classes offered to high school students. Beasley worked at a university in Kentucky. Unlike his brother, senior Nathan Beasley admitted He later realized that the environment was that he considered alternatives to Franklin College. not the best fit for his wife and growing family. “I came here to play soccer,” Nathan “Somebody told me life’s too short to be somewhere Beasley said. “But I also was interested in that your wife doesn’t want to be,” Robert Beasley other schools. Just like any other senior or said. “So I put out job applications, and I was offered junior, I got a lot of mail from other schools.” a job here the same week I was offered a job at the The deal-breaker came in the form of application University of Indianapolis.” fees and a lack of interest. The choice came down “But I think, to some degree, I It’s all very natural and to the atmosphere. Robert was meant to be here,” he said. organic. I have a great Beasley described the small “With Intervarsity in particular, community of Franklin, just on I’ve grown a lot through the people relationship with my the outskirt of Indianapolis, as I’ve met just through being here. It’s sons. “attractive” to his young family. incredibly shaped me as a person.” ROBERT BEASLEY, His wife, Elizabeth Beasley, As a born-again reader, Nathan COMPUTER SCIENCE has taught at Franklin Beasley also identifies with one PROFESSOR College three separate times. of the college’s core values—the While she now teaches pursuit of lifelong learning. Until leadership courses in the Johnson Center for his junior year, he lacked interest in reading for Fine Arts, she formerly led mathematics courses. leisure and personal growth. Now, he reads dozens After attaining her master’s degree in of books, primarily those detailing religious topics. educational mathematics, Elizabeth Beasley— Unlike the majority of students, each Beasley with no job commitments standing in her brother shares personal memories of a childhood way—resolved to homeschool her four children. spent on and near the college’s campus. Nathan “I was known to say I would never homeschool,” Beasley, for example, recalled playing in a band, she admitted. “Both my husband and I are 4th Normal Form, a reference to their shared educators, and we loved school growing up.” passion for computing, with his father and brothers. Despite this, and Robert Beasley’s initial discomfort, The family also values learning through each parent recognized the benefits of a homeschool experience, primarily through their several education, namely personal independence and journeys to Taiwan for mission work. academic mastery of topics. However, both also As each Beasley grows older, the appreciated learning concurrently with their children. concept of family, and a nurturing of their “I loved my class of four,” Elizabeth Beasley said. relationships, plays a more dominant role. Years later, this class of four followed their teachers “Especially now that my oldest brother is in to Franklin College. Three trailed in the steps of their Florida, and my second oldest is in California, father, studying computer science. Before Nathan, 21 I realize that, as I get older, my brothers are and Elijah, 19, arrived at Franklin, their brother Zach, really good friends,” Nathan Beasley said. 24, was also a student in the program. He now attends “It’s all very natural and organic,” Robert Beasley graduate school at the University of South Florida. said. “I have a great relationship with my sons.” The fourth sibling, Isaac, 23, opted for a major
“
ERICA IRISH | STORY & PHOTOS erica.irish@franklincollege.edu