UMHB Life | Spring 2011

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

Students explore Holy Land during 15-day study-tour PLUS: Campus master plan | New graduate programs | Charter Day

Spring 2011 | Vol . 30 • No. 3

features

in New 14 Growing Directions The $100 million master plan calls for big changes on campus.

20 A Journey of Faith One student shares her experiences on a study-tour to the Holy Land.

14

departments

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Campus Life New graduate programs, College of Education’s partnership with Abernathy ISD, new construction, Charter Day celebration, and more.

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. Athletic Life 12

Men’s basketball advances to Sweet 16; football head coach Pete Fredenburg named to AFCA Board of Trustees.

13 . Philanthropy

31

Shannon family establishes an endowed scholarship in memory of longtime university benefactor.

28 Alumni Life

Check out what’s happening in the lives of alumni and their families—plus alumni profiles on Ryan Rush ’93, Elena Abercrombie ’09, and Matt Blackburn ’03.

On the cover: Senior psychology major Jenna Keefe stands in front of one of Herod’s great palaces in Caesarea during a 15-day study-tour to the Middle East.

(Photo courtesy of Jenna Keefe) UMHB LIFE | 1

CALENDAR

APRIL 1 4-6 12 19 20 22 29 29

Stunt Night, W. W. Walton Chapel, 7 p.m.

Spring Revival, tent in the quad, 7 p.m.

Wind Ensemble & Bell County Symphonic Band Concert, First Baptist Church Salado, 6:30 p.m.

Concert Choir Spring Concert, Hughes Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Easter Pageant, Luther Memorial, 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m.

Good Friday holiday (campus closed) Midnight March Senior Robing & Ring Ceremony, Manning Chapel, 7:30 p.m.

Education Pinning, Lord Conference Center, 7:30 p.m.

Nurses Pinning, W. W. Walton Chapel, 7 p.m.

Social Work Pinning, Manning Chapel, 7 p.m.

Spring Commencement, Bell County Expo Center, 10 a.m.

Senior Saints Summit Memorial Day holiday (campus closed)

JUNE 1 1 6-10 13-16 13-17 26-29 30

Summer I & II Advising and Registration Summer I classes begin (day and evening) Kindermusik camps Middle school band camps Kindermusik camps All State Choir camp Additional Summer II Registration

JULY 4 10-14 11-24 30

Volume 30, Number 3 Spring 2011 President Randy O’Rear, Ed.D. Editor-in-Chief Paula Price Tanner, Ed.D. Editor Jennifer Meers Jones ’08

MAY 6 6 6 7 16-19 30

UMHB LIFE

Independence Day holiday (campus closed) Drum Major & Color Guard camp Youth Summer Musical camp – “Hello Dolly” Summer Commencement, Mayborn Campus Center, 10 a.m.

Contributing Editor Carol Woodward Photographers Jennifer Meers Jones ’08 Carol Woodward Randy Yandell ’99 UMHB Life is published three times a year by the Division of Communications and Special Projects. Please send comments, story ideas, or letters to: UMHB Life UMHB Box 8431 900 College Street Belton, Texas 76513 Alumni Life is compiled by the Office of Alumni Relations. Please send any information for publishing or change of personal information to: Alumni Relations UMHB Box 8427 900 College Street Belton, Texas 76513

AUGUST 18 18-19 22

University housing opens Advising & Registration (day & evening) Campus classes begin

Jennifer Jones

crusader knights

2 | UMHB LIFE

Contestants Ryan Frusha and Cody Henley perform a group dance number during the Crusader Knights competition Feb. 18-19. This year’s theme was ‘Man vs. Wild,’ and included a variety of outdoor-inspired videos and skits performed by the 17 contestants. At the close of the competition, junior Brett Land was crowned Mr. Crusader Knight 2011.

alumni@umhb.edu 1-800-727-UMHB

www.umhb.edu

CAMPUS L I F E

Master’s programs provide new opportunities

Two progressive new programs prepare students for high-demand careers UMHB graduate programs are expanding to include two new degrees preparing graduates for careers currently in high demand in the community. Classes for the Master of Education in Administration of Intervention Programs (with preparation for educational diagnostician certification) start this June. The Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner track will begin classes this fall.

The College of Education revamped its current Education Psychology track to meet the increasing need for trained interventionists who can serve in leadership roles for intervention programs.

“Many schools have interventionists, but no one is really trained how to run these programs, how to put all the pieces together, and how to administer professional development for those teachers whose students need special assistance,” said Dr. Karen Estes, associate professor and director of the master’s program in education.

The revamping was recommended by professor Kris Ward, who previously worked with the Region XII Education Service Center. As Ward and Estes began researching master’s degrees focused specifically on administering intervention programs, they discovered nothing comparable in Texas.

“This program will offer graduates training and skills in areas that are needed by the public schools, but are not provided elsewhere in the state,” Estes said.

The 36-hour cohort program will be offered in an alternative delivery format that includes five core courses in common with the other M.Ed.

The newly-developed Family Nurse Practitioner track will begin classes this fall.

This program is offered in addition to the Master of Science in Nursing’s Nurse Educator and Clinical Nurse Leader tracks.

programs. During the fall and spring semesters, students will attend class one Saturday a month and one night a week and will participate in one online course. Students will take three courses each summer, which include online work and three, week-long sessions in the classroom (one week a month). The program is designed to be completed in just 15 months.

Dr. Margaret Prydun, professor and director of the master’s program in nursing, said the Family Nurse Practitioner track was developed in response to overwhelming demand within the community. The only Central Texas school offering a similar program is the University of Texas at Austin.

“We have received a tremendous number of calls from people who have wanted an FNP program here,” she said. “Becoming a family nurse practitioner really broadens a nurse’s horizons. FNPs can leave the hospital

setting, they can open their own clinics, they can work out in rural settings, they can do missions work. They are direct providers of care, as opposed to regular nurses who work under the direction of a physician.”

The first year of the 48-hour program includes core coursework, with students beginning the nurse practitioner track the second year. The program is designed to allow students to maintain a full-time job while pursuing their master’s degree.

“We expect our students to continue to work as nurses,” Prydun said. “We meet on campus once a month, and the rest of the coursework is done online.

The classes are clustered so they meet back-to-back one weekend; that way students only have to take off one period of time each month. We hope the program’s alternative delivery is an attractive option for those wanting to further their education.”

UMHB LIFE | 3

CAMPUS L I F E

College of Education students inspire children to pursue higher education through partnership with Abernathy ISD and banners. The children learned the school’s songs and got the chance to interact with college students through pen pal programs.

“We want our students to be exposed to different universities so they can begin thinking about college,” Muse said. “In my opinion, college is a means to both advance academically and build character.”

Muse selected Mary Hardin-Baylor in honor of her paternal grandmother, who graduated from Baylor Female College in 1927.

The College of Education faculty have involved each of their classes with projects for Muse’s class.

Carolyn Owen’s classes wrote pen pal letters to each student, describing why they chose to attend UMHB and what their experiences have been like.

Austin Vasek’s master’s students sent decorated journals for each student to encourage them to develop their writing skills.

Jodi Pilgrim’s classes created bookmarks, Joan Berry’s classes provided Scholastic magazine subscriptions, and Judy Trotti’s classes wrote letters sharing their favorite children’s book with each student.

Carolyn Allemand’s classes made children’s book activities, Christie Bledsoe’s classes created math manipulative materials, and Kris Ward’s classes raised money for sports items.

Sharon Woodall’s classes shared videos of the campus, digital learning resources, and a scrapbook of information about the university.

Karen Estes’s classes sent a UMHB T-shirt activity, and Jeff Russell’s classes worked on activities related to diversity and culture.

“My students have really enjoyed this partnership,” Muse said. “UMHB has gone out of its way to make this partnership the best in our school, and that is no exaggeration.”

— Sharon Woodall, Ed.D.

Sara Muse

A little over a year ago, Sara Muse, a teacher in Abernathy ISD, contacted faculty in the College of Education about creating a partnership with her fourth-grade class. Located in west Texas, the 2A district has experienced recent commercial growth due to its accessibility to the railroad. However, teachers in the district are concerned that most students are unaware of higher education opportunities.

“Abernathy Elementary is a small school with approximately 70 students per class. Of those, over 50 percent are on free or reduced lunch, and around 60 percent are considered ‘at-risk’ of failing or dropping out. We are determined to do everything we can to end the cycle that many of our students are in,” Muse said.

The teachers of Abernathy Elementary introduced their students to six different higher education schools this year. They decorated part of the classroom with the school colors, brochures,

Left: Fourth-graders Dianna Peters, Cody Ellis, and Joby Lopez enjoy the latest edition of Scholastic News magazine.

Students in Joan Berry’s classes provided a year’s subscription for each child. Right: Abby Mendoza and Samantha Flores read through the personalized journals graduate students in Austin Vasek’s classes created for the class.

4 | UMHB LIFE

University hosts first-annual Canstruction®Belton event

A teacher from Central Texas Christian School leads her class in a tour of the seven Canstruction®Belton structures.

How many cans of tuna does it take to build a sevenand-a-half-foot-tall sculpture of King Tut? According to members of Architectural Edge: 4,104.

The Temple-based company was one of seven local teams to participate in the first-annual Canstruction®Belton competition, benefiting Helping Hands Ministry, a Belton-area food pantry. During the three-day fundraising event, held Feb. 10-12 in the Mayborn Campus Center, teams built structures made entirely of canned goods.

The teams had three hours to build their structures, creating designs ranging from King Tut, to an image of Bono from the band U2, to a scene from the Disney movie Ratatouille. The public was then invited to view the sculptures, with an admission requirement of one canned good or $1 per person.

The event brought in an estimated 18,000 cans of food, all of which was donated to the Helping Hands food pantry.

Over $10,000 was raised through the gala dinner, silent auction, and public donations. These funds will directly benefit Helping Hands Ministry.

Financial aid alleviates tuition increase On Feb. 16, UMHB’s Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase of $45 per credit hour for the 2011-12 school year.

Undergraduate tuition per credit hour will increase from $645 to $690; master’s tuition will increase from $665 to $710; and doctorate tuition will rise from $720 to $765.

The price for room and board will increase by three percent to reflect increases in the costs of campus dining services and utilities. For the third year in a row, there will be no increase proposed for student fees. In total, the cost will increase 5.5 percent for the typical residential student, which keeps the cost of attending UMHB competitive among Christian universities in the southwest.

With the nation in the midst of a slow economic recovery, the university continues to make increasing financial aid a top priority. In 2007, the university began a concerted effort to annually increase the amount of scholarships available to students.

Next year, student scholarship funding will increase by $3.5 million.

With this increase, the university will offer students more than $14 million in institutionally funded financial aid for the 2011-12 school year. This number only includes financial aid funded by the university’s budget. When federal, state, and other financial aid opportunities are added to these funds, the total financial aid available is expected to exceed $50 million.

Jennifer Jones

all-decade team With just 13 seasons under its belt, the football team was honored with five former players named to D3football.com’s All-Decade Team.

FIRST TEAM J E R R E L L F R E E M A N (2 0 0 4 -2 0 0 7 ) JO S H K U BI A K (2 0 0 3 -2 0 0 6)

SECOND TEAM DE R R IC K W I L L I A M S (2 0 0 5 -2 0 0 8)

THIRD TEAM PR E S TO N M E Y E R (19 9 9 -2 0 0 2) J E F F O L I V E R (2 0 01-2 0 0 4)

UMHB LIFE | 5

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Construction underway on four-story housing complex A new apartment complex is expected to be completed in time to provide an additional 163 student beds this fall. Construction on this $7 million facility began in February.

The 82,750-square-foot building will house 31 twobedroom units, 24 three-bedroom units, and 20 fourbedroom units. Each unit consists of private bedrooms and private baths with a shared living space.

The complex is the first to be built on the west side of University Drive, overlooking Nolan Creek. For more information about the residential zones outlined in the campus master plan, please see page 14.

“Sanctifying Every Life” was the theme for a series of lectures presented

by Dr. David P. Gushee on Feb. 23 and 24. Gushee presented three lectures on biblical references to the sanctity of life and how the concept has influenced groups from the earliest days of Christianity to modern times.

“Sanctity of life is the biblical conviction that all human beings are to be perceived as sacred, as persons of equal and immeasurable worth and of inviolable dignity,” Gushee said. “This includes human beings at any and every stage of life, from womb to tomb; in any and every state of consciousness; of any and every race, color, and ethnicity; of every level of intelligence; whatever their religion, language, nationality, or gender; of every type of character and behavior, physical ability or disability, potential, class and social status; and whether they are friends, strangers, or enemies to us.

Everyone. No exceptions.”

Gushee noted that writings of the 6 | UMHB LIFE

early Christians reflect a strong commitment to recognizing the sanctity of all people. “Christians once changed the world through their Christdrenched love for the abandoned of the world—lepers, slave, prostitutes, beggars, abandoned infants, and those condemned to die,” he said. Today, sanctity of life is an idea which many associate with discussions of abortion or capital punishment, but its implications are actually more far reaching than those issues, Gushee said.

“The sanctity of life is not a slogan.

It cannot be confined to a single issue, and it is not owned by any political party. The sanctity of life is God’s will for the world he has made. Honoring that sanctity is our comprehensive moral obligation as Christians. If God has decided that each and every life is sacred, then God’s people have no choice but to do the same.”

A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Southern Baptist Semi-

Jennifer Jones

Dr. David P. Gushee presents lecture series on sanctity of life

nary, and Union Theological Seminary, Gushee serves as Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University and writes regularly on the subject of ethics for the Associated Baptist Press and the Washington Post. His lectures were sponsored by the UMHB Center for Baptist Studies and the university’s Honors Program.

— Paula Price Tanner

Dr. Grace Labaj, former dean of the Scott & White College of Nursing, recently published The Continuing Legacy of Caring, a book about the history of the Scott & White College of Nursing from its beginnings as a BSN degree program in 1968 through 2008.

Labaj said the book is of interest to alumni of the nursing program and the general public.

“Hopefully, nursing graduates will relive those exciting moments of their educational experience, and I hope it will inspire the next generation to pursue nursing as a career.”

Published by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Press, the 146-page book was released in December 2010.

It is currently for sale in the campus bookstore for $20 plus tax.

Jennifer Jones

Former dean authors book about nursing program history

Dr. Grace Labaj signs copies of The Continuing Legacy of Caring during a public book signing Feb. 8 in the Townsend Memorial Library. Labaj, a 1958 graduate of the Nursing Diploma program when it was still at Scott & White, served as dean of the UMHB nursing program from 2000 to 2003. Labaj has taught at the university for over 37 years and currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Master of Nursing degree program.

Congratulations December 2010 grads—the university’s 154th graduating class!

205 Top five majors 32 NURSING 22

E D U C AT IO N

STUDENTS RECEIVED DIPLOMAS [178 BACCALAUREATE DEGREES, 24 MASTER’S DEGREES, 3 DOCTORATES]

graduates Texas.

95% ofwerethefrom

from places as 5% hail diverse as: AU S T R A L I A INDIA

12 E X ERC ISE SC I ENC E 10

PSYCHOLOGY

CHINA GEORGIA VIRGINIA

Almost twice

as many women as men graduated.

134 W O M E N

|

71 M E N

OHIO F LOR I DA

10 BIOLOGY

About a third of the Class of 2010 were first-generation graduates.

OKLAHOMA

20 AGE OF YOUNGEST GRADUATES 61 AGE OF OLDEST GRADUATE UMHB LIFE | 7

CAMPUS L I F E

Around the campus Dr. Derek Davis, professor in the College of Humanities, recently publishedThe Oxford Handbook of Church and State in the United States.

The book features 21 essays by the field’s leading scholars addressing the complex relationship between church and state.

Davis has served as author or editor of 17 books and has published more than 150 articles in various journals and periodicals.

In large part due to his body of work on the subject of religious freedom, Davis was recently named recipeient of Baylor University’s Abner V. McCall Religious Liberty Award. This award honors Baylor alumni or friends whose life exemplify a commitment to religious liberty. Davis earned his undergraduate, law degree, and master’s degree from Baylor University. He went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Texas-Dallas in 1993.

Brent Harris was appointed associate vice president for information technology in February.

For the last six years Harris has served as Belton Independent School District’s director of technology services. In addition, he has taught graduate courses in educational technology at Baylor.

Harris completed his Bachelor of Science in Education at Baylor, with certification in technology applications and economics. He earned his Master of Science in Education with a cognate in technology from Baylor.

8 | UMHB LIFE

In this role, Harris will oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of the university’s information technology division, including academic technology services and support, network and hardware infrastructure, and the CruCard program.

Rob Frost was named head volleyball coach in February. Frost comes to UMHB from NCAA Division I Bowling Green State University, where he served as an assistant coach for the Falcons volleyball team for the last four seasons. Frost has also coached at Belhaven College, Cleveland State University, Taylor University, and Moody Bible Institute.

Frost is a 1999 graduate of Moody Bible Institute, earning a degree in Education and Youth Ministry. He completed his master’s degree in sports management at Cleveland State University in 2005.

Michael L. Ball was appointed senior director of development in February.

Ball brings a successful track record in marketing, business development, and fundraising. Most recently, he served more than six years as the Executive Director of Advancement at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. Michael previously worked 15 years offering investment, retirement, and financial planning services for VALIC Financial Services.

During his time at Regent, Ball

helped build and shape a professional development office, leaving Regent with a 300 percent increase in annual gift revenue over the year he started.

For the past four years, he spearheaded Regent’s fundraising efforts in the southwest following a move to Boerne, Texas.

Ball earned a B.S. in Political Science from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., in 1987. Ball and his wife, Liz, have four children.

Bethany Chapman was recently named institutional research coordinator. Chapman has served as the publications coordinator in the registrar’s office for the past five years and has served in an interim role in the IR office since January.

“Bethany has done an outstanding job and will be a great addition to this area as we move forward,” Assistant Provost Tammi Cooper said.

Dr. Jamey Plunk, exercise and sport science professor, was named Professional of the Year at the Southern District of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Recreation Convention in Greensboro, N.C., Feb. 19.

The award is presented to outstanding professionals who have made contributions through teaching, research, and leadership in recreation.

Plunk was also honored as the 2010 Recreation Professional of the Year by Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.

WE’RE ONLINE! www.life.umhb.edu Visit UMHB Life’s new website for online exclusives we couldn’t fit inside the magazine!

View archived digital copies of the magazine going back to Spring 2004 Read exclusive stories and view photo galleries and videos available only online Click to read articles featured in the magazine, with bonus content you can see only on the website Clicking this image will bring up a PDF of our most recent issue Contact us with any comments or questions, subscribe to the print edition, or submit a class note Follow us on Facebook and Twitter; sign up for the RSS feed so content comes to you Like what you see? it on Twitter or it on Facebook Find other stories that may interest you in the ‘Related Posts’ section at the end of each article Let your voice be heard! Respond to any article in the comment section and participate in reader polls about topics important to you UMHB LIFE | 9

CAMPUS L I F E

charter day trivia 1. Was Texas a republic or a state when the college’s charter was signed?

2. Which president was inaugurated on Charter Day? 3. What was the original title for Miss MHB? 4. How was the Easter Pageant performed before 1942?

5. What was the original prize for Stunt Night?

6. What year did the Dubbing Ceremony begin?

@

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS ONLINE AT LIFE.UMHB.EDU 10 | UMHB LIFE

Jennifer Jones

Belated birthday celebration Statewide rolling blackouts and freezing temperatures lead to rescheduled Charter Day The cake was bought and decorations were hung, but plans for a university-wide birthday party in honor of the college’s 166th birthday had to be put on hold due to the winter storm which gripped most of the country Wednesday, Feb. 2.

With temperatures dipping into the teens, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas began issuing rolling blackouts that morning to preserve energy and prevent a statewide energy crisis.

Much of the campus was affected by these power outages, and the university officially closed at 11 a.m. that day.

Even so, students braved the bitter cold to honor tradition and lay a wreath on Judge Baylor’s grave. All other Charter Day events were postponed until Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Director of Alumni Relations Rebecca O’Baninon said one of her goals when planning for this year’s celebration was to get more students involved and excited about learning about the university’s rich heritage.

Students were invited to visit the alumni center and museum for coffee and a trivia game. Students who completed a quiz about the university’s history and traditions were entered into a drawing for an Xbox 360 Kinect.

The winner was announced later that day at the university birthday party.

“Like many other long-standing traditions, Charter Day has evolved throughout the years,” O’Banion said.

“It was great to see so many students excited about the 166th birthday of our university.”

This page (left to right): Junior Landra Davidson and President and First Lady Randy and Julie O’Rear prepare to blow out the candles during the university’s 166th birthday party; Student Alyssa Robins celebrates Charter Day with a cupcake. Opposite page (clockwise from top left): A student searches the museum walls for answers to the trivia quiz; Student Foundation members Seth Dickinson, Colton White, Kassidy Harris, and Matt Day walk the wreath to Judge Baylor’s grave; Freshman Amy Kester dons a purple party hat during the festivities Feb. 16; Edward Hall enjoys free food in the SUB during the campus-wide birthday party; Clayton Giraudin was the proud winner of the XBox giveaway; Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Melissa Ford chats with Director of Student Organizations Kristy Brischke.

UMHB LIFE | 11

AT H L E T I C L I F E

The men’s basketball team danced all the way to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history and faced one of the best programs in Division III, Augustana College, March 11.

The team’s first trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Sweet 16 took the Cru to Rock Island, Ill. The team took on the host Augustana Vikings in the first-ever match-up between the two schools.

The two teams played in a see-saw battle for much of the first half, but the Cru was unable to keep up in the second half, losing 70-57. UMHB ended the season with a 23-8 record.

The 31 games were the most played in a single season since the team’s move to Division III in 1998.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament March 3rd, the Cru took on UT-Dallas in Belton in an American Southwest Conference semi-finals rematch, winning 86-77.

David Morris

Men’s basketball team advances to NCAA Sweet Sixteen

Marlon Miller shoots a free-throw against UT-Dallas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, held in Mayborn Arena March 3rd. The Cru won the game 86-77.

In round two against McMurry University March 5 in Abilene, the Cru landed some big early punches but couldn’t knock McMurry out until the final bell. The Cru posted a 70-67 victory in an NCAA Division III National Championship Second Round game, guaranteeing the Cru

as spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

This was the fourth time in the last five seasons that the team advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Entering this year’s tournament, the Cru had only won one NCAA Tournament game in program history.

Fredenburg named to prestigious AFCA Board of Trustees Coach Pete Fredenburg was a well-established and well-respected football coach before he ever set foot on campus. But the job he has done building the Cru football program has certainly raised his profile across the country. In the latest show of respect for Fredenburg’s work, he was voted to the Board of Trustees for the American Football Coaches Association.

Fredenburg will help formulate policy and decide the direction of the AFCA in his new position. It is a huge responsibility, with a membership of more than 11,000 football coaches 12 | UMHB LIFE

from across the country.

Fredenburg joins a distinguished group of coaches on the AFCA board, with representation from every level of college coaching.

Fredenburg is the university’s first and only head coach, building the program from scratch in 1998. He has an overall record of 121-32, guiding the Crusaders to eight American Southwest Conference titles and nine

appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Fredenburg has been named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year five times (2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010).

Fredenburg said he is looking forward to the impact he will make as an AFCA Trustee.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to serve and to work closely with Coach Teaff and the other members of the board. To sit on a board that develops policy and impacts the culture of American football is an awesome opportunity and I am very honored,” Fredenburg said.

PHILANTHROPY

Family establishes an endowed scholarship in memory of longtime university benefactor John Harold Shannon, Sr. to help and advise and work with the university,” Bawcom said.

After serving in the United States Navy, John used his G.I. Bill to attend Baylor University. While attending First Baptist Church, Belton, he met his future wife, Pat Lockridge, a student at Mary Hardin-Baylor College. John and Pat enjoyed 48 years of marriage, raising a family that now includes three children: son John H. Shannon, Jr.; son Patrick and his wife, Judy Shannon; daughter Patsy and her husband, Donald Deere; and five grandsons.

Prior to retirement, John was an accountant in civil service for the U.S. Army for 30 years at Fort Hood, Texas; Orleans, France; and Mannheim and Bremerhaven, Germany. An active member of First Baptist Church in Killeen, he was a teacher, Sunday School superinten-

dent, and chairman of the deacons.

Over the years, the Shannons have generously supported many campus projects, including an office in the Paul and Jane Meyer Christian Studies Center; the Education Dean’s Suite in the Parker Academic Center, and the Student Lounge in Mayborn Campus Center. Always a great champion of the university, John was named an honorary member of the Alumni Association in 1998.

Pat said the endowed scholarship honors the legacy her husband left behind.

“I think John would be pleased. He loved the college; he saw how students were challenged and loved and cared for. Those who work on this campus are really the ones to be thanked. You keep taking care of our kids, and we’ll keep working to get them to come.”

— Jennifer Meers Jones ’08

Carol Woodward

Fourteen years ago, unbeknownst to his wife, John Shannon met with then-president Dr. Jerry Bawcom to establish the Pat Lockridge Shannon Presidential Endowed Scholarship in his wife’s honor.

Recently, Pat Shannon ’53 returned the favor.

The John Harold Shannon, Sr., Endowed Scholarship was established by the Shannon family as a tribute to John, who passed away in 2001.

“The real measure of a man is his family,” Shannon said. “This scholarship was not my idea; it was the kids’ idea.

But of course, I was happy to go along it.

John loved UMHB, and I am so pleased that we will be able to help students attend this wonderful university through this scholarship,” Shannon said.

Friends and family gathered on campus at the Shannon Commons building—named in honor of John— Jan. 12 to commemorate the event and unveil the plaque that will be placed on the wall of Presidential Endowed Scholarships outside of Sanderford Administration Complex.

Dr. Bawcom, a longtime friend and golf buddy of John’s, spoke about him during the event.

“John was the best example I know of a dedicated and enduring UMHB spouse. There is no telling how many homecomings, class meetings, and other UMHB gatherings John joined in with Pat. He was immensely supportive when Pat served as president of the alumni association. And when Pat was named a trustee at the university, it was just like getting another team partner

Patsy Deere, John Shannon, Jr., Pat Lockridge Shannon ’53, and Patrick Shannon pose for a picture at the plaque unveiling Jan. 12. The John Harold Shannon, Sr., Endowed Scholarship was awarded to its first recipient at the start of the 2010-11 academic year.

UMHB LIFE | 13

Growing in New Directions Big changes ahead: $100 million master plan calls for substantial campus expansion

By Paula Price Tanner UMHB’s future, he asked the campus planning team to put their efforts on hold until the “visioning” process could be completed. When consensus was reached and trustees approved a stated vision and imperatives for future growth in May 2010, the campus planning process was resumed.

Administrators worked collaboratively with trustees, faculty, staff, and students to identify the projects most needed for the university to move forward in its academic programs and campus life. After many weeks of discussion and analysis, a cluster of priority projects emerged:

WHAT IS NEEDED?

Student Housing: One of the university’s imperatives for future growth is to foster a robust residential campus community. To do this, on-campus housing must be provided for a majority of full-time students. As enrollment has steadily increased in recent years, this goal has become a moving target.

The university constructed and opened the 142-bed Garner Hall in 2010, but there were still more requests for campus housing than could be filled, and a record-breaking enrollment last fall convinced university administrators that this portion of the master plan

Work on a new campus master plan began in 2008, when the university hired a campus planning team from Performa Higher Education to help devise a plan for facility additions and improvements. The consultants worked with campus administrators to gather data on the size, condition, and use of each building on campus as well as information about enrollment trends and areas of perceived need. When Dr. Randy O’Rear, then executive vice president, was asked to lead the campus community in articulating a vision for 14 | UMHB LIFE

needed to move to fast-track status. As a result, another apartment complex that will house 163 students is now under construction on University Drive; the complex is scheduled to be complete by fall 2011.

College of Nursing Building: Another area where demand currently exceeds available space is in the university’s Scott & White College of Nursing. In recent years, the university has had to limit the number of students entering the program to about 70 per semester, simply because classrooms and clinical laboratories could not hold more nursing students. The university has had to turn away qualified students because of a lack of classroom space at the same time that the need for more nurses has become critical. Administrators recognize that the College of Nursing could help meet the need for more nurses if expanded and updated classrooms and labs were available, so this building has become a top priority for campus growth.

Visual Arts Center: For many years the art department has been housed in the basement of Presser Hall, in crowded rooms which offer little natural light.

Chris McAlister

A

fter two years of benchmarking, brainstorming, forecasting, analyzing, and praying, the trustees approved a new campus master plan on Feb. 18, 2011. The result is a plan that has brought nothing short of a “WOW!” from students, faculty, staff, and citizens of the surrounding community. With $100 million in new construction proposed for the next three to seven years, the plan is a bold step forward for the university—one which is calculated to move the school closer to the vision of being the university of choice for Christian higher education in the Southwest.

UMHB LIFE | 15

Moving the art program into better facilities has been a priority of the College of Visual and Performing Arts for some time; the creation of a center for visual arts will give the art department quality instructional spaces, faculty offices and studios, and a gallery to display works by students, faculty, and visiting artists. It also will also ease crowded conditions in Presser Hall for the Department of Music.

Performing Arts Center: Currently the campus offers only two venues for musical or theatrical productions: Hughes Recital Hall, which seats up to 200, or Walton Chapel, which seats more than 1,000. Neither location has a proscenium stage or fly space for scenery. In recent years, the university’s top-notch opera and musical theater productions have had to be staged in an off-campus venue, an arrangement which places

serious limitations on the number of days the stage is available to students for rehearsals and building scenery. The creation of a performing arts center will give the university a theater with mid-range seating (500 to 600 seats) and will provide an appropriate venue for excellent productions which can be enjoyed by students as well as people from the surrounding communities.

Student Union Building: In recent years, the dining facilities in Hardy Hall have not been able to meet the needs of a growing student body. A new student union building will solve this problem by offering expanded and updated residential dining, plus appealing retail dining for faculty, staff, and students who are not enrolled in the meal plan.

The student union will also be designed to encourage involvement in campus activities by providing recreation/gathering

spaces for students and prominent areas for student organizations.

Football Stadium: The football program initiated in 1998 has proved to be extraordinarily successful in establishing a winning tradition and generating school spirit among the students.

Through a cooperative agreement with Belton ISD, UMHB has been able to play its home games at Belton High School’s Tiger Field. However, longrange plans call for Belton to build a second high school in the near future, with both schools using Tiger Field for athletic events—a situation which will make it more difficult to accommodate UMHB’s playing schedule. Administrators believe that building a stadium on the UMHB campus will not only draw more student spectators but will also bring more visitors onto the campus on game days. And by positioning the

FUNCTIONAL ZONES: These areas cluster university buildings by their intended purposes.

Activity Residential First-Year Experience Academic

16 | UMHB LIFE

stadium in tandem with the student union building, planners say that the result will be a distinctive activity center which will be unmatched at any other Division III university.

Band Hall: Formed in 1998, the university band is a relatively new addition to UMHB’s music program. The only room in Presser Hall large enough to accommodate band practices is a room originally designed for art classes on the fourth floor. Acoustics in the room are poor, and the only way students can move large instruments out for performances is to load them into the building’s small service elevator, then lift them up or down stairs to exit the building.

Andersen Field House Expansion: UMHB’s field house was constructed in 1998 to meet the needs of 100 players and their coaching staff; however, the football team has included an average of 175 student athletes each year for the past 13 years. An addition is needed to provide sufficient locker rooms, meeting rooms, fitness facilities, and storage and laundry facilities.

Perimeter Parking: To improve aesthetics and pedestrian safety, King Street and Moore Avenue need to be converted to pedestrian walkways. By relocating Facility Services to property west of Texas Loop 121 and moving Crusader Way closer to the railroad tracks, parking lots can be added along the inside of Crusader Way to replace parking eliminated by new construction at the center of the campus.

ALL ABOUT LOCATION Once planners had identified what needed to be added to the campus, the question arose of where those buildings should be located. The planning team looked at existing buildings, pedestrian traffic patterns, and adjacent properties owned by the university. When current buildings were analyzed according to their use, some clear zones emerged.

Buildings which contain classrooms and faculty offices are mostly located on the south end of the campus along Ninth Avenue, from the Meyer Christian Studies Center and the Parker Academic Center at Pearl Street back to Presser Hall on King Street. When clustered together, these facilities form an academic zone.

The campus quadrangle along Moore Street is ringed by dormitories, which house a primarily freshman population. This area was dubbed the first-year experience zone.

The freshman housing on the quadrangle is one of four residential zones.

A second major residential area is at the north end of campus, where the Independence Village apartment complexes stand. The newest residential zone is on the west side of University Drive, where a new multi-story apartment complex is being built this year, overlooking Nolan Creek. The fourth residential zone will emerge at the west end of University Drive, when a longstanding contract with the builders of College View Apartments will result in that apartment complex becoming part of the campus in the year 2014.

With these zones identified, plan-

ners tackled the most difficult question: where should the student union building be built? A study of growth patterns and the way that buildings are currently zoned made it clear that the center of the campus is gradually shifting to the west, away from the Luther Memorial on Vann Circle and toward the area around the Mayborn Campus Center. To place the student union building with its residential dining facilities at the crossroads between the four residential zones, planners found that the best location for the student union would be south of the Mayborn Center, where outdoor recreational courts and the parking lot for Presser Hall currently stand.

By pairing the new student union building with a football stadium, planners saw that an exciting new student activity zone could be created: the dining and activity areas of the student union and stadium could complement facilities which already get a great deal of student traffic—the Mayborn Campus Center arena and fitness areas, and the intramural fields to the north, where students gather to play every afternoon and evening of the week. Planners saw that placing a new band hall in this area as well would provide easy access for students’ transporting instruments and would keep the practice hall in close proximity to Presser Hall.

The identified zones made the location of the three new academic buildings a relatively easy task. With current academic buildings clustered along Ninth Avenue, the logical step would be to erect new academic buildings nearby.

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A band hall will provide 5,600 square feet of practice and storage space for the band program, in close proximity to Presser Hall.

The visual arts center will offer 21,000 square feet of space for classrooms, faculty offices, studios, a student lounge, and a gallery to showcase student and faculty works.

The 27,000-square-foot performing arts center will seat 500 to 600 for opera or musical theater productions.

The master plan therefore calls for the new nursing building to be constructed on the south side of Ninth Avenue, across the street from York Science Center and Townsend Library. The new visual arts center will be built on the same side of the street but to the west, keeping it in close proximity to Presser Hall, which houses the other programs in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Planners also will locate the new performance hall on Ninth Avenue, but it will be several blocks to the east, at the front edge of the campus, to accommodate traffic drawn to performances from the surrounding community.

FILLING IN THE GAPS The campus master plan is not just about new buildings; the plan also calls for the renovation of older structures to create learning environments geared for student success. As new facilities are completed and occupied, older buildings will become available for renovation and repurposing. When the new 18 | UMHB LIFE

A multi-story building for the College of Nursing will include simulation labs, classrooms, a large lecture hall, and faculty offices, plus space for future growth in health science programs.

student union building becomes the center for campus dining and student life activities, the Mabee Student Center and Hardy Hall will be freed up for use in other ways. Planners envision the Mabee Center being converted into a student success center housing tutoring services, career services, counseling, testing, and health services, and other core student service programs. Hardy may serve as short-term relocation space for programs displaced during construction; eventually, Hardy’s location in the first-year experience zone may call for it to be repurposed as a residential facility or an academic building.

When the nursing program moves into its new facility, the space currently occupied in Wells Nursing and Science Hall can be converted for use by other programs.

The plan also recommends a remodeling of Townsend Library, with the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching moved to a more prominent location.

The plan calls for the new performing arts center to be complemented by

renovations to Walton Chapel, to make it acoustically suited for choral and instrumental concerts. Presser Hall is also in line for a facelift, with special attention to updating seating and surfaces in Hughes Recital Hall.

MAKING IT HAPPEN What makes the new campus master plan an unusual one for UMHB is the plan’s ambitious time frame of three to seven years. In the past, the university has added major facilities one at a time, taking several years to raise money for the facility, design it, and then construct it. The new plan could be achieved in the same way, but trustees and administrators have set a goal of accelerating the pace by tackling several of the projects simultaneously.

“We’re serious about accomplishing our vision of being the university of choice for Christian higher education in the Southwest,” said President Randy O’Rear. “We cannot achieve that vision without a physical campus which offers

The football stadium will offer seating for 8,000 to 10,000 spectators; in addition to locker rooms, concession areas, and restroom facilities, the stadium will include a press box, meeting rooms, and suites for entertaining university guests.

The 100,000-square-foot student union building will offer residential and retail dining, a bookstore, a post office, areas for student organizations, and student gathering areas. The building will form a backdrop for the visitor’s side of the stadium, and the dining areas will feature windows overlooking the stadium interior.

the facilities our students need. If we try to make these improvements one project at a time, it could take 10 to 15 years to accomplish what we believe we can do in a very short amount of time.

We have a visionary Board of Trustees that believes the time is right to make a significant investment in campus facilities as we plan for our bright future.”

To make this possible, administrators have assembled several teams of faculty and staff to work with architects on the features needed for each facility.

These planning committees have logged many hours interviewing and selecting architectural firms and touring outstanding facilities at other universities to gather ideas about state-of-the-art features that could be incorporated back home. By March 15, architects had been selected for the nursing building, the field house expansion, and the stadium, with interviews proceeding to select firms for the other facilities.

“Some of these projects are well under way, but others are just getting started,”

said Edd Martin, Vice President for Campus Planning and Support Services.

“We hope to have construction documents completed for the visual arts center this year and to complete the plans for the nursing building, the student union, and the stadium in early 2012.”

Technically, the first project of the campus master plan to be built is the new residential complex, which was already under construction when the plan was approved in February; administrators broke ground on the project

The campus master plan calls for the construction of six new facilities: a performing arts center (1), a nursing building (2), a visual arts center (3), a student union building (4), a football stadium (5), and a band hall (6)

to support the various projects.

The Board of Trustees agreed that the campus master plan should be funded through a combination of gifts and grants, debt, funds already set aside for campus improvements, and future designations of year-end surplus funds.

Donor support is a critical part of the formula, said O’Rear.

“The high hopes and dreams we have for the future of the university will come about when our alumni and friends invest in our vision,” O’Rear

“With the strong support of all who care about Mary Hardin-Baylor, I am confident we can execute this plan.” - D R . R A N D Y O ’ R E A R last fall because the need for additional housing was so great.

From this point on, the order in which the projects take shape will depend on the completion of construction documents and the decisions of donors

said. “Fundraising is a significant part of the $100 million investment in campus facilities. With the strong support of all who care about Mary HardinBaylor, I’m confident we can execute this plan.”

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A Jour A sk God, tell His people It’s never been easy for me to ask others for help, especially when it comes to asking for money. After applying for the Israel-Jordan Study Tour earlier this fall, I found myself in one of those uncomfortable situations of needing help. To attend, I would need to raise $4,800.

I am a college student. I eat PB&J at least four times a week. Where am I going to get $4,800?

That question had played in my head weeks before making the decision to apply for the trip, and even the weeks following my application. Never before had I been in a position of needing to trust God for such a large amount of money.

While the thought of asking others for support unnerved me, I felt the Lord very clearly prompting me to write a support letter and send it—simply 20 | UMHB LIFE

asking God, and telling His people.

One week after the letters hit the mail, I realized the deadline for payments-due was sooner than I had originally expected. With less than $200 and the Friday deadline quickly approaching, my fears and worries multiplied rapidly.

That Wednesday I opened my mailbox to find the first support checks had arrived—all very significant amounts.

I cried as I opened the envelopes. That same evening, my cell phone rang and a friend informed me that a large portion of money had been provided to them and they felt the Lord was urging them to give it away. My trip fund had been specifically placed on their heart, and another large check was in my hand by Thursday morning. Even more remarkable than the large amounts given so

generously was the incredible means by which it came to me. Through only six donors and in less than 48 hours, exactly $1,600 was provided!

However, this was still $2,900 short of what was needed to complete my payment. Claiming God’s sovereignty, I asked for His grace to guard my heart as I contacted the travel agency to inquire about options of paying late fees for sending my payment in after the deadline.

I prayed over the call for two days, then dialed the travel agency. As I began to explain my request, I was stopped mid-sentence.

“Honey, you do not need to pay a late fee. We can work with you. Right now, we need to get your plane tickets purchased. Now you said you have $1,600. The tickets will cost $1,580, so

Each winter, Christian Studies professor Stephen Von Wyrick takes a group of students on a study-abroad trip to Israel. This year’s TWO-WEEK TRIP included stops in Jordan, Petra, and Jerusalem.

STUDENT JENNA KEEFE SHARES THE EXPERIENCE:

ney of Faith

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNA KEEFE '11

Departure day that works perfectly.”

As I hung up, and all I could do was laugh out loud. Of course God comes through! Of course He does.

Over the next couple of weeks, the entire trip fund was paid in full by friends and supporters. At the last minute, I received more checks in the mail, one from a person I have still never met. The total equaled exactly what was needed, and in God’s perfect timing and sovereignty my trip was paid off!

Every circumstance is perfectly orchestrated and purposed by God’s divine sovereignty. He numbers the stars, He counts the hairs on our head, and He is powerful to move in the hearts of believers who write checks for a little college student perfectly equaling the amount needed for a study trip, at the proper time they are needed.

Despite initial setbacks from flight cancellations due to blizzards in New York, our trip to Israel finally commenced Wednesday, Dec. 29th.

We landed in Tel Aviv-Yafo and navigated the large Ben Gurion Airport from our terminal down to passport control. The long walk to stretch our tired legs was refreshing after nearly 15 hours on airplanes.

Exiting the airport, our group was immediately ushered to our tour bus where we were met by our trip guide, Pitch (“Peach”), an Israeli gentleman in his sixties. He greeted us in Hebrew and English, remaining quite stoic as he made witty jokes, spoken in a deep, Israeli accent: “Please walk quickly, boys and girls, we have a long drive!

This is why it took the children of Israel 40 years in the desert.”

Driving three hours from Tel Aviv to our hotel off the Sea of Galilee, Pitch managed to keep us (mostly) awake with his animated stories and commentary on the sights around us. Taking the toll road up to Galilee—the fastest and most direct way of travel—we were still met by thick traffic, as Thursday evening in Israel (the day before Sabbath) is like Friday in the US and is the heaviest traffic day of the week.

With surprisingly westernized highway systems, Israeli vehicles travel on the right side of the road and follow traffic regulations and signs quite similar to those in America.

However, the driving etiquette observed on our UMHB LIFE | 21

way from the airport served ass quite a source off entertainment.

To say the least, Israeli driving is more aggressive than anything you see in the US. Houston rush hour traffic now appears mild.

Honking constantly in mobs of thick stop-and-go is mandatory. Changing lanes occurs with no blinker or any pre-warning to the driver beside you.

Cutting people off, or even out of the road in some cases, is not rude, it’s just driving. In fact, missing your exit does not even mean you must fix your mistake by way of a looping overpass.

Course 2, of 4: Freshly baked pita with hummas, stuffed eggplant, fresh cucumber salad with dill ,

green salad, spicy carrots (a popu-

lar dish), fish from the Sea of Galilee (only yards from our hotel), chicken

with sesame seed sauce , chicken over rice with honey sauce.

Simply reversing back down the exit ramp, probably into oncoming traffic, will suffice. (This was indeed seen on many occasions, and experienced on our own bus when our driver missed a turn on a two-lane highway!) Israeli’s are quite efficient, really.

Around 8 p.m. we arrived at our hotel, the Kibbutz Ginosar on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. We ate a three-course gourmet Israeli meal while

our bags were unloaded. Luckily, I’m a very adventurous eater, and quickly piled everything colorful and appealing on my plate to sample different tastes.

With full bellies and drooping eyelids, my roommate and I walked from the main office after dinner and straight to our room in a building across the lawn from the dining room.

We were asleep before our heads hit our pillows.

“On this rock I will build my church” The next morning, we piled into the bus and arrived at our first site within half an hour. At Hazor (“HAATzor”), ruins of the powerful Canaanite city destroyed by Joshua, we walked through the entrance to one of Solomon’s three palaces (mentioned in 1 Kings 9:15).

Leaving Hazor, we traveled to the Old Testament city of Dan. As we crossed a bridge built over the head waters of the Jordan River, we learned from Pitch’s expert description that in Hebrew, the words “Yar” and “Dan” combine to create the name for the river. “Yar”, meaning “flows from”, and “Dan”, the name of the city, become the “Yar-Dan” River, expressing the geographical point from where the river starts.

Continuing on to Caesarea Philippi, we visited the Hermon Streams, within 22 | UMHB LIFE

the kingdom of Herod the Great. Near the streams, we walked to the Temple of Pan, a pagan temple built for sacrificial worship to the false god Paneas.

This historical site is the spot mentioned in Matthew 16, where Jesus said: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Our trip sponsor, Dr. Wyrick explained that the passage begins with Jesus’ question: “Who do the people say the Son of Man is?”

Doctrinally, this question is not only significant to the disciples’ affirmation that Jesus is the Son of God, it is also culturally appropriate that Jesus would ask such a question at a place of pagan worship. In essence, Jesus asks, “Am I another one of these pagan gods or prophets? Or am I something more?”

That’s a pretty fitting location to ask such a question, don’t you think? It’s amazing to see scripture in the context of its own historical location come alive!

A su sunset set viewed from fro a

boat on the Sea of Galilee:

beauty that truly cannot be captured with a camera .

Herod’s palace and a glimpse of N azareth We began the next day with a stop at the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Some of the students abandoned their shoes at the parking lot and took off towards the water. Florida’s crystal clear waters are pretty but could not be half as beautiful as what we saw of the Mediterranean Sea. The waves are the most deep, aqua blue you can imagine.

With barely 20 minutes on the shoreline, we dried our feet and returned to the bus to drive up to see the ruins of ancient city of Caesarea.

The wonders of archeological excavation continued to fascinate me during this trip. Under large hills of sand and gravel, ruins of vast cities have been unearthed to reveal the most precisely engineered architecture.

We had the opportunity to see one

of Herod’s great palaces, positioned perfectly on the shoreline of the sea.

Archeological excavations uncovered a Herodian amphitheater with room for over 10,000 spectators. The huge area between the seating and the beach was likely used for horse racing and large sporting events. Not only did Herod pick a primo spot to build his mansion, he spared no cost to create a giant playground to go with it.

After visiting Mt. Carmel and the city of Megiddo, we drove through

Our first st eps in the Medite rra nean

Sea . From the left: Heathe r Whit lock,

a fe llo w UMHB st uden t; m e; David

Worceste r, a co lle ge past or from Ca lif.; an d Jessica Guest, a junior at Ba y lor .

the city of Nazareth. h Traveling at a break-neck speed can be nice when we approach less interesting sites, but looking out over Nazareth, the home city of Jesus himself, made us all wish we could have stayed for hours.

One of the trip’s most exciting events was a boat O

rride on the Sea of Galilee. Our hotel in Tiberias sat oon the shores of the Galilee , but this evening was my first opportunity to look at the water from m closer than our dining room window. We know c

absolutely from biblical texts that this is the exact a sspot where Jesus walked on water and taught

multitudes of people on shore during his years p

of ministry on earth . Floating

on a boat in the middle of the

very sea where Jesus had been,

and looking out over the misty

w waters, imagining a boat carry-

iing the 12 disciples, was truly

a an awe-inspiring experience.

UMHB LIFE | 23

Entering Jordan, traffic jams, and answered prayers Next up on the itinerary was a three-night stay in Jordan. A 45-minute drive brought us to the gates of the Jordanian border control. Led by Pitch, we passed through several pre-check points guarded by armed soldiers before reaching the steps of the initial clearance office. Without a single glitch, exactly as we had prayed, our group made it through without delay.

We commenced our drive toward Petra, listening to lectures by Firas (our Jordanian guide) and Dr. Wyrick.

After a few hours, we approached the first bit of thick traffic. Our speed

slowed gradually until we came to a complete stop, where we waited for nearly 15 minutes before Firas could discover what was causing the standstill. Negotiations were made, and our bus was given clearance to bypass the traffic by off-roading for a bit to reach a different highway.

After another 20 minutes of travel, we stopped at a rest area to use restrooms and briefly stretch our legs.

Returning to the bus, the last leg of our trip began. We continued to the hotel and arrived around 8 p.m.

The next morning, Firas announced that the large traffic jam the night before had been caused by political upheaval that escalated to violence,

leaving at least two people dead. Other tour buses that had been behind us were stuck on the road, not allowed to pass for over seven hours. They did not reach their hotels near Petra until 3 a.m.

The night before, the road police were told that our bus of tourists only needed to get through to reach the rest stop 20 minutes away. They were not aware that we were traveling towards Petra, which was two hours past the rest stop. Without realizing the potentially dangerous situation we might have found ourselves in, the Lord miraculously caused our bus to be the only one that passed immediately that night. We had prayed, but did not know what our prayers had accomplished until that next morning.

Pausing for a quick photo with our trip sponsor, Dr. Wyrick

and his wife. This was Dr. Wyrick’s 33rd year to be involved in travel and study in Israel . He provided our group with tremendous insight at each location we visited.

One of the O t seven wonders of the modern world Just past 8 a.m., we arrived at Petra—for many, the most anticipated site of the whole trip.

Once we were past the front gates, we walked at least an hour into the mountains and in between cliffs to reach Petra’s main attractions.

Luckily, Firas had plenty of history and geology to explain to us, which made the walk less monotonous.

Even the rugged cliffs bordering the long path towards the Treasury became interesting to look at after his explanations.

The crowds of people walking with us through the mountain path soon became more excited up ahead and camera flashes went crazy. We rounded 24 | UMHB LIFE

the final corner and could see, just barely, through the last hundred feet of the path, our first glimpse of the great Treasury! The cliffs opened up into a large open area in front of the amazing structure, and the hard surface of the ancient road we had walked transitioned into loose, dark red sand; it felt like walking in a giant sandbox.

Of all places visited thus far, the great structure before my eyes should have been the most picturesque of all.

Walking up to a giant, thousand-yearold carved rock, realizing that it is now recognized as one of the seven wonders of the modern world, was a bit unreal.

But I was a bit disappointed to not be more awestruck by the grandeur of The great Treasury at Petra

the giant rock. The reason (very clear to me now) was the comparison of the enormously great, man-made structure before me in contrast to the absolutely magnificent presence of the Lord at previous and future sites we walked.

While visiting an ampitheater in Jerash , we met local Jordanian men working as

bagpipe players. They were very friendly and good-naturedly agreed to pose for a picture holding up the Crusader “C.”

They couldn’t stop laughing as I tried to teach them how to “throw up a C.”

A walk down the V ia Dolorosa Of all my incorrect expectations about Israel, the Via Dolorosa was the biggest shock. I had always imagined a long, dusty road leading towards Calvary, located a distance outside of the city and removed from large groups of people or gathering areas. Our guide explained to us that the scenery had probably been the exact opposite: busy, bustling streets leading through a heavily populated and crowed part of town towards the place of crucifixion.

Contrary to my third-grade Sunday school imaginations, we were further informed that the crucifixion of Jesus had most likely not taken place “on a hill far away.” Jesus traveled through the heart of the city in plain view of the people, and was nailed to the cross in a more public area on flat ground, at the eye level of his beholders. We walked 12 feet below the buildings of Jerusalem to see the original street of the Via Dolorosa. Initially, I was a bit

flustered to stand in what should be the most significant street in the world surrounded by commotion with mobs of people pushing past me. But I realized that this scene was a picture of what Jesus was all about. In complete sinlessness, the creator of the universe became one of us so that he could stand in the midst of sinful people—souls in need of saving grace—and with them brushing past Him, his offering of grace remained unaltered.

Leaving Israel: one last look After two weeks of visiting places of such deep biblical significance, I was surprised that my first tearful moments came only in the last few minutes on Israeli soil. With our jet barreling down the runway towards takeoff, an unexpected mixture of emotions suddenly emerged, and I cried as I watched the lights of Tel Aviv disappear below the clouds. I wondered if that final glimpse of Israel would be my last sight of the Holy Land before the coming of the new heaven and new earth. I dried my eyes and quietly began praying for the peace of Israel.

This trip not only fulfilled a life-long dream of mine to visit the Holy Land, but the experience I received through a

study-abroad program also far surpassed any sight-seeing trip to the Near East I could have joined on my own. Having the option to travel with an archaeologist from my own university allowed for a rich and unique environment of hands-on learning that simply cannot be matched in the classroom.

With a traveling group of 45 people, Dr. Wyrick focused on developing and maintaining personal relationships with each of his student travelers before, during, and after the tour, which is the trademark of a Mary Hardin-Baylor education. I’m confident that I gleaned more knowledge through this experience than I could have hoped to retain from any 16-week course.

Jenna Keefe is a senior psychology major from Huntsville, Texas. You can read more about her study-abroad experience in the Holy Land in her blog: umhbisrael-jordanstudytour.blogspot.com

UMHB LIFE | 25

ALUMNI L I F E

ALUMNI LIFE

Jennifer Jones

December 2010 graduate Chad Morales pauses for a photo op following the ceremony. Of the 207 graduates, 181 students received baccalaureate degrees, 23 students received master’s degrees and three students received doctoral degrees.

Alumni Life reports news received October 15, 2010, through February 15, 2011. If you have news to share, send it to: Alumni Relations, UMHB Box 8427, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513 or send via email to alumni@umhb.edu

1970s Nancy Irvin Williams ’74 has authored a book released by Bethany House Publishing, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Secrets to Parenting Your Adult Child is a guide to help parents navigate the changes and challenges of their relationship with their adult children. While attending UMHB in 1973 and 1974, she won the Sul Ross Award for stories published in the Baylorian Literary Magazine. For more information, Nancy may be reached at www.nancywilliams.net.

26 | UMHB LIFE

1980s Yvonne M. Lozano ’82 earned her doctorate of applied gerontology from the University of North Texas in December. Her dissertation was on Texas domestic violence shelters meeting programming needs for women over 60 years old. She is assistant professor of long-term care administration at the School of Healthcare Administration at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Jana Hause Beckhusen ’85, M.Ed. ’88, was named Teacher of the Week in December at Cameron Elementary School. She taught third grade for 14 years and has taught fourth grade for 11 years. She currently teaches fourth grade writing and math. Jana served on the Cameron Independent School District Community Goal

Setting Team, has been a Student Council sponsor, serves as campus coordinator for the St. Jude’s Math-a-Thon, and has been a mentor teacher for several student teachers from UMHB. Sandra Danley Haney ’89 had a book signing at the Hansford County Library on October 11.

Sand Crab Sentiments (A Tide Pool of Poetry) was printed by Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC., and was released November 23. The book consists of poems Sandy wrote for family and friends through the years to commemorate births, graduations, empty nests, anniversaries, and deaths. The purpose of the book is to persuade the reader to stay focused on God through every circumstance.

1990s

Kirby Taylor ’07 had his first novel published.

Broken Justice, a detective novel, was released in March and is available through Amazon.com and in most major book stores.

Jada Thompson Parker ’08 was named Teacher of The Week at Cameron Elementary School in December.

Mayra Velez ’91 was awarded a teaching grant from the Belton Educational Enrichment Foundation for the project “Teach-ology: Classrooms of the Future.” This project will use class wikis, blogs, Web 2.0 sites, podcasts, and computer gaming to create an innovative digital learning environment where educators and students can communicate, collaborate, and access 21st-century digital content. Mayra is a third-grade bilingual teacher at Southwest Elementary School in Belton and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Technology at Texas State University.

Katy Heinlein ’95 is showing her artwork at the Sue Scott Gallery in New York during February. This three-person exhibition was selected by Time Out New York as one of the best five arts events of the week. It also received critics’ pick on Artforum.com.

Cathy Duke Bollinger ’97 was named Teacher of the Year at the Jourdanton Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet in September. She has been teaching for 15 years.

After graduation she began a home daycare center and later became assistant director at a local daycare center. This experience led to teaching pre-kindergarten in a parochial school. She taught fifth grade in Jourdanton for five years, then began teaching the gifted and talented program for K-5th grade. Cathy is now working with children of many ages and developmental levels. She is listed in Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

2000s Victor Agosto ’01, MS, ’06, has finished his course work for the Hispanic Studies doctorate at Texas A&M University.

Nicole Greener Bradshaw, CPA ’05 was named governmental audit manager at the accounting firm Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P. She has worked at the firm since 2006.

Kyle Tubbs ’08 received a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Care from Logsdon Seminary at Hardin-Simmons University December 11.

He is a minister at Trinity Baptist Church in Sweetwater. His wife, Kaily Luckett Tubbs ’09, is administrative coordinator at the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing and is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Hardin-Simmons University.

Kelly Suggs ’09 to Samuel Moore, November 19, in The Woodlands. Kelly teaches first grade at Birnham Woods Elementary in Conroe Independent School District.

Jeff Cone ’10 to Jody Schmitt, July 31, in Baytown. Jeff is employed by TWSCO, a welding supply company, and Jody is a kindergarten teacher.

Kennan Newman ’10 to Marcus Buckner, October 16, in Devine.

2010s Jithender Reddy Nalia MS ’10 is working at Lincoln Financial Group in Omaha, Neb., as an oracle applications database administrator (DBA).

WEDDINGS Albert Lawayne Thompson II ’05 and Jessica Elaine Brenek ’09, November 13, in Westphalia. Albert is an IT manager at MooreCo. Inc., and Jessica is employed as a junior staff member at Ralph Wilson Youth Clubs in Temple.

C. Tanner Vaughan ’08 and Ashton Brooke Miller ’08, September 18. Tanner is working with Documation in Austin, and Ashton is employed at Journyx in Austin.

Khali Theresa Creek ’09 to Jeremy Scott Bittle, November 13, in Belton. Khali is a teacher at Rancier Middle School in the Killeen Independent School District, and Jeremy is a plumber with Nagy Plumbing of Belton.

Taylor June Davis ’09 to Michael John Millender, November 20, in Temple.

Taylor is currently attending graduate school at Dallas Baptist University, and Michael works at 84 Lumber Company.

BIRTHS Justin ’04 and April Fouts Gaidusek ’03 announce the birth of their daughter, Audrey Michelle, December 19, 2009.

She joins big sister Madalyn. Justin is VP of Sales and Marketing with Rollo Insurance, and April is a stay-at-home mom. They may be reached at ajgaidusek@yahoo.com.

Janna Davis Haik ’96 and her husband, Jon, announce the adoption of their daughters, Olivia Kate, born September 4, 2008, and Macy Elizabeth, born February 13, 2009. Janna is a stay-at-home mom, and Jon is a chemical engineer for ExxonMobil.

They may be reached at 14340 Sharpshined Dr., Gainesville, VA 20155 or thehaiks@yahoo.com.

Melissa Parker ’96 announces the adoption of her daughter, Ella Christian, December 10. She was born on March 23.

UMHB LIFE | 27

ALUMNI L I F E Mary was a long-time member of Green Acres Baptist Church Care and Share Class and the Bodies Reborn Exercise Class, and she was a volunteer at KVNE and PATH. She was also a member of the Smith County Retired School Personnel Association and the Exxon Annuitants Club.

Kevin ’01 and Jolee Woodward Cornelius ’00 announce the birth of their daughter, Kenlee Caroline, April 19. She joins big sisters Jentri, Landri, and Aleigh. Kevin is the pastor at First Baptist Church in Karnes City, and Jolee is a stay-at-home mom and is opening a new business.

Courtnie Newman Larson ’01 and her husband, David, announce the birth of their son, Bradley Guy, October 26. He joins big brother Brady and big sister Avery.

Lucy Garcia Zaragoza ’02 and her husband, Robert, announce the birth of their son, Aiden Robert, July 28.

He joins three-year-old big sister Mia. Shannon Knoll Schumacher ’07 and her husband, Stephen, announce the birth of their daughter, McKenzie Sue, November 15.

DEATHS Leila Miles Crosby ’30, September 15, in Tyler. She taught in several schools in different states and retired in Dallas.

Vera Nichols Sherrill ’40, November 11, in Turlock, California. She taught English literature and Spanish. At the outset of World War II, she went to Washington, D.C., to serve on the “Home Front” as a secretary for the Navy Department. She later resumed her teaching career in Merced County schools in California, serving as a substitute teacher for ten years.

Mary Price Simmons ’40, September 17, in Henderson. Her first teaching job was in a one-room schoolhouse in Plum Grove, and she taught for more than 40 years in several east Texas towns until her retirement in 1979.

28 | UMHB LIFE

Virginia Moore Neely ’43, January 10, in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She retired from Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system after 28 years of service and had a second career as an award-winning cake decorator. Virginia was a dedicated church member serving as an Elder Emeritus at Central Steele Presbyterian Church before moving to Rock Hill, where she joined Oakland Avenue Presbyterian Church.

She was a volunteer at Hope House and with the ESL program at Oakland Baptist Church.

Beaty Curry Lewis ’47, December 30, in Houston. She succeeded at several careers, including banking, insurance, retail, and real estate.

Margaret Newburn ’70, December 13, in Temple. She served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. She taught at Thornton Elementary School in Temple for 18 years. Margaret was a member of First Baptist Church of Temple.

Juanita James Burns ’71, December 8, in Belton. She taught second grade at Southwest Elementary School in Belton.

Juanita was involved in the Bell County Youth Fair. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Belton.

Malcolm McKay, January 13, in Houston.

He was the husband of Vicki Higgason McKay ’71.

Christine Ivey Sutton ’75, January 11, in Nolanville. She was a driver’s education instructor for many years in Central Texas.

Her husband, Alvin Sutton CB ’51-’54, preceded her in death.

James Hubbard ’79, November 7, in Palestine.

Johnny C. Means, November 18, in Harlingen. He was the husband of Lee Holcomb Means ’47.

William P. Purcell, Jr., November 19, in Landsdown, Pennsylvania. He was the husband of Mary Hamilton Purcell ’47.

Mary “Janie” Stephens Hogg ’48, January 22, in Tyler. She was a teacher for more than 40 years in the communities of Longview, Gillette, Nixon, Refugio, Woodsboro, Pearsall, Temple, and Tyler. From 1987 to 1995 she was a teacher at Hogg Middle School. The wife of a Baptist minister, Janie also led Bible study for many years. She was the mother of Gina Hogg Mahaffey ’87.

Dorothy Lane Niesen ’48, December 22, in Fort Worth. She was a retired teacher who taught in Reagan, Hillsboro, and Fort Worth. Dorothy was a member of Agape Baptist Church (formerly Ridglea West Baptist Church), where she taught a Sunday School class for many years. She was a member of lota Pi Delta Kappa Gamma International since 1973, a member of Fort Worth Retired Teachers Association, Texas Retired Teachers Association, The National Education Association, and Texas State Teachers Association.

William H. Sheppard, January 11, in Temple. He was the husband of Kate Taylor Sheppard ’66 and the father of Molly Sheppard Mikes ’82 and Julie Sheppard Maxfield ’94.

Sharon Hunter McCabe ex ’67, September 18, in Moore, Oklahoma.

Lesta Reese ’80, January 28, in Temple. She retired from civil service employment at Fort Hood and was a member of First United Methodist Church of Temple.

Paul W. Yenger ’81, December 28, in Temple.

He retired from the United States Army as Chief Warrant Officer-CW2 after serving 20 years. His decorations, medals, and citations include: Vietnam Service Medal with one Silver and one Bronze Service Stars; Bronze Star Medal; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Good Conduct Medal Clasp, Bronze, three Loops; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with palm; SS (Carbine); Good Conduct Medal 1st Award; Expert (Rifle M1); and MM (Rifle M14) GCM 2nd Award. Paul was also a welding instructor and department head at Temple College for ten years. He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Temple; past master of the Hiram Masonic Lodge No. 819 in Ludwigsburg, Germany; honorary past master of the Robert Burns Masonic Lodge in Round Rock; and the past master of the King Solomon Masonic Lodge No. 1427 in Temple. He was also a past patron and treasurer of the Vashti Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star.

Joseph L. Simmons ’86, October 19, in Belton. He served as a juvenile detention officer and taught school at Belton Independent School District, where he also served as a school board member. Joseph was a pastor of the Love Unlimited Church of God in Christ for 22 years.

continued on page 30

Elle Mendenhall

The Rush family, left to right, Reagan, Lana, Lily, Ryan ’93, and Ryley.

BREAKING DOWN WALLS

In his most recent book, author Ryan Rush ’93 tells how the challenges his family faced allowed him to tear down his own spiritual walls

BY J E N N I F ER M EER S JON E S ’0 8 Five years ago, Ryan Rush ’93 thought he pretty much had life figured out. He had a job he loved, serving as pastor of a large Baptist church in Austin. He and his wife of nearly 20 years felt settled and content, raising two preteen daughters and already planning for the day when an empty nest would allow time for big trips and easy living.

Then along came Lily.

The Rushes’ youngest daughter, now 4, was a surprise baby. She was born with a large hole in her heart, which led to many emergency hospital trips and surgeries. Then, at age two, Lily was diagnosed with autism.

The agonizing experience of watching helplessly as his daughter suffered inspired Rush’s latest book, Walls: Why everybody’s stuck (and nobody has to be).

“In Walls, I have the privilege of telling the story of how God brought down walls in my own life through some very

difficult, painful days in the life of our youngest daughter,” Rush said.

According to Rush, walls are anything that block you from an intimate relationship with God. “There is a gap between what we know of Jesus at church and the Jesus we really know at home. When we overcome the barriers that separate that relationship, we begin to see real change.”

Rush, who has pastored Bannockburn Baptist Church since 2004, has spent the last twenty years speaking and writing about connecting church life and home life. He published his first book, Home on Time, in 2003 and has hosted radio and television programs on the subject of family life.

He currently hosts a daily talk radio show on Austin’s WORD 98.5/99.3.

Rush grew up in the Austin area and decided

to attend UMHB to play basketball for the university.

“Mary Hardin-Baylor was the perfect fit for me,” he said. “I immediately fell in love with the family atmosphere. Every element of campus life I encountered was a new blessing.”

Rush said the insights he gained from the professors and friends he encountered on campus helped prepare him for a life of ministry.

“It’s hard to imagine my life without the influence of my days at UMHB. It was more than academic rigor; it was a culture that challenged everyone to dream big. To do anything less than change the world would be a disservice to my time at Mary Hardin-Baylor.”

This fall, Walls will be the centerpiece of the “City Walls” campaign in Austin. Congregations from multiple denominational and cultural backgrounds—representing nearly 100,000 Austinites—will participate in small group Bible Studies built around the concepts of the book.

UMHB LIFE | 29

ALUMNI L I F E Louise Cate Eatmon ’88 , February 4, in Temple. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Belton for more than 20 years, where she sang in the choir and was in the singles club.

Pauline Young ’90, January 8, in Temple.

She was a teacher for 24 years and had taught fourth grade in Westphalia Independent School District for the past five years.

Dianna (Buff) Dean Williams Bowman ex, September 21, in Crockett. She taught piano and voice lessons in Crockett, and served as organist and pianist for the First Baptist Church. Buff served as a trustee of the Crockett Independent School District. She was a 41-year member of the Major Jarrell Beasley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she served as chaplain of the organization. She was Sweet Heart and member of the Crockett Lions Club and a member of the Crockett Chamber of Commerce, where she worked as an ambassador for the Chamber.

Dorothy Bischoff ex, November 15, in Sugar Land. She taught in the Joshua Independent School District and at Crestview Elementary School in Waco. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Austin Avenue Methodist Church, and the Garden Club and was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

Kathleen Farmer Calhoun ex, January 18, Corsicana. She taught in public schools before she married. Kathleen was a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Sally Woy Deane ex, December 20, in Butte, Montana. She was an accomplished musician singing for weddings and funerals and teaching music out of her home.

Polly Leon Denton ex, October 31, in Odessa.

She taught elementary school in Texas and New Mexico for nearly 40 years. She was an active member in the United Methodist Church.

Roger Green ex, January 10, in Temple. He was a member of Oak Grove Valley Baptist Church of Valley Mills, and he was a biblical scholar.

Harriet Franks Neuman ex, December 8, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She was a nurse at a local hosptial and then worked at the Gatesville State School for Boys, from where she retired at age 65. She was a member of First United Methodist Church and Fire Belles, an organization of firemen’s wives.

Mary Pendleton ex, in October, in

30 | UMHB LIFE

Farmersville. She worked for the Community Public Service and later worked at the TexasNew Mexico Power Company for 45 years.

She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Culture Club, the Garden Club, and the Farmersville Historical Society.

MEMORIALS

Dina Everett Smith ex, December 18, in Fort Worth. She taught school and was active in church and civic activities. In Fort Worth, Dina operated a fitness salon and then was employed in the medical field. She was a member of Broadway Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday School, participated in mission work, served as a Shepherd minister, and was the oldest living member of the Chancel Choir.

Robert O’Day Anderson Amy Bawcom

Rose Steger ex, November 4, in La Feria. She taught in the Pflugerville and LaFeria School Districts.

Nora Dowdy Singler ex, October 5, in Franklin. She taught school in the Robertson County area for several years. Nora and her husband, Alvis, helped establish the Bremond Church of Christ. After her husband’s death, she moved to Franklin Church of Christ.

Robert Clark Thomas ex, October 15, in Copperas Cove. He served in the United States Army, where he received the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal for his service in the Vietnam War. Robert was a teacher for Killeen Independent School District, Copperas Cove Independent School District, the University of Central Texas, and Tarleton State University. He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Copperas Cove and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Marjorie Weimer ex, January 18, in Fort Worth. She was employed with West Texas Utilities in Abilene. She was a member of Broadway Baptist Church, a member of the Women’s Club, and participated in several square dance and bridge clubs.

Roger Green, former faculty, January 10, in Temple.

Florence Lee, former faculty, February 5, in Killeen.

Joe Vaughan, former faculty, January 15, in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Cara Lois Allison Joe & Lori Arnold Jeff & Lisa Bennett Judd & Tish Houser Bill & Sue May

Vivian Moon Arthur Shirley Brown Barfield-Cockerham Johnson Don Basco Claude & Delma Garner Jacks Leonard Belota Dr. & Mrs. Jerry G. Bawcom Eleanor Beyea Carilane Newman Vieregg Kristi Billington Richard & Karen Ridgeway Amy Elizabeth Blundell Dave & Beverly Oyler Janice Muehlstein Caldwell Dr. William F. & Kathy Fagan Long Bob Carl Carilane Newman Vieregg Luke Ceballos Julia Amason Walker Dick Crawford Dr. & Mrs. Leroy Kemp Kerry & Kathy Owens Dr. & Mrs. Ron Owens Riley & Carolyn Allison Owens Frances Webb Davis Leah Davis Lee Shirley Cowan Sommer Julia Amason Walker Derrill Elmore Carilane Newman Vieregg Louis Estill Dr. & Mrs. Jerry G. Bawcom Sarah Sims Furey Lou Provence Laine

continued on page 32

her own work of art

BY J E N N I F ER M EER S JON E S ’0 8

Recent graduate opens art studio in Temple, fulfilling her lifelong dream

Five years ago, Elena Abercrombie ’09 was a stay-at-home mom who had never worked with ceramics.

Fast-forward to May 2010, when Abercrombie opened the doors of Elena’s One and Only Art Studio for the first time.

The walls of the Temple studio are lined with shelves of creamy white ceramic animals, vases, and seasonal items, just waiting for eager artists to come paint.

Abercrombie has thousands of ceramic molds, which she pours and fires herself. People of all ages and levels of art expertise visit the studio to paint the ceramic pieces. Abercrombie then fires their handiwork in an on-site kiln, and a few days later customers can take home their own work of art.

All of this, Abercrombie said, would not be possible without the education

she received at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

“The ceramics class I took with Phil Dunham had a huge influence on me,” she said. “I had never worked with clay before.

Phil taught me to just jump in and give it a try; it doesn’t have to come out perfect.

Little did I know that I would not only grow to love ceramics but I would also make a living at it.”

As a child, Abercrombie lived in a number of cities in Florida and Texas.

Her father was in the construction business, so the family moved wherever the building boom took them.

“I was born premature, and then I did everything slow. I didn’t talk until I was five or six. And because we moved around a lot, I was extremely shy. My mom put me in art lessons because she thought that would be a good way of expressing myself.”

After high school, Abercrombie enrolled in college with plans to major in biology and become a doctor. Then life took over, and finishing her degree was put on hold. She met her husband, Gary, and together they now have four children, Garry III, 17; Thomas, 16; Meagan, 10; and Brian, 7.

When her youngest son was in preschool, Abercrombie decided to go back to school.

“Even though I tried a couple of times

to go back to college, I just never felt comfortable,” she said. “What I gained most from attending UMHB was definitely the confidence that I could do it.

With Mary Hardin-Baylor, it all came together, and I graduated. And once I graduated from college, I just thought, ‘I can do anything.’”

About a year after graduating, Abercrombie opened Elena’s One and Only Art Studio in Temple.

“One thing after another, opening the studio just fell into place.”

The studio offers a diverse selection of classes and private lessons, including ceramics, painting, stained glass, mosaics, and welding. The studio can also be reserved for birthday parties, which Abercrombie said has been one of its most popular features.

Abercrombie hopes her studio will attract a wide variety of artists.

“My concept is ‘art for anybody.’ We want both those who have no art experience and those who have done art all their life to be able to come in, feel comfortable, and create art.”

Looking around the studio, Abercrombie reflected on the results of a dream made reality.

“Without UMHB I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this. It was the small atmosphere that made all the difference.”

UMHB LIFE | 31

ALUMNI L I F E Dr. Martha Villalobos Galligan Mr. & Mrs. Charles Bell Bob & Pat Brightwell Bob Galligan Rebecca Gay Jones Terry Key Lance Kirby Anita Lozano Ivan Perez Rudy Salinas Pat Lockridge Shannon

Mildred Brust Haddick Dorothy Minten Esther Minten Janie Minten Jay Hagberg Carilane Newman Vieregg Mildred Ham Debbie Stapp Daniel Ed Hogwood Cindy Taylor

Thelma Wood Gamblin Isabelle Pettigrew Drach

Dr. William F. Hutmacher Marian Christy Nolan

Irene Garard Carilane Newman Vieregg

Marjorie Hyden Jonnie Atkison Barron

Dr. A. C. Gettys Ruth Tucker Hess Rev. Elmer Glazener Elizabeth Timmons Glazener Clifford Gotcher Beatrice Ivey Riley & Carolyn Allison Owens

Lillie B. King Kay Anderson Riley & Carolyn Allison Owens Dr. & Mrs. Ron Owens

Richard & Doris Lightfoot Beatrice Ivey Dr. William B. Long Dr. William F. & Kathy Fagan Long Birdie McCrary Marilyn Gore Phillips Laura Stringer McLallen Shirley Brown Barfield-Cockerham Johnny Means Marion Walker Barren T. Edward Mercer Jonnie Atkison Barron

Florence Ellen Lee Drs. Robert & Grace RichardsonWhitis

Margery Meyer Carilane Newman Vieregg

Jack Lewis Dr. Aida Smith Sapp

Arthur Lee Miles Morris S. Tyson, Sr.

success story Former Cru football player Myke Gobert ’10 signed a contract with the Louisiana Swashbucklers of the Southern Indoor Football League in January.

Gobert was an offensive lineman for the Cru from 2006-2009, and he was a two-time American Southwest Conference All-Conference selection.

Gobert also earned All-South Region honors as a senior in 2009. He was a talented and versatile lineman for the Cru, playing tackle, guard and center during his career. Gobert is a native of Houston and graduated from Cy-Ridge High School.

The SIFL season kicked off with Louisiana facing the Albany Panthers March 11th. The Swashbucklers are based in Lake Charles and the team went 5-6 last season to finish in fourth place.

“Coming to UMHB was a true blessing,” Gobert said. “Not only did the football program prepare me for professional football, but it helped me prepare for life after football. Offensive Line Coach Joe George had a great impact on me. He challenged me to never accept anything but the best for myself and my teammates. I will carry that with me forever.”

Jennifer Jones

Mary Beaty Curry Lewis Marion Walker Barren Amy S. Boyd Fred & Mary S. Boyd Fred & Mary Roberts Bull Fayly Hardcastle Cothern

John & Alice Minten Dorothy Minten Esther Minten Janie Minten Kathy Montgomery Dr. & Mrs. Jerry G. Bawcom Julia Amason Walker Elma Gonzalez Morales Alice Bell Dorothy Lane Niesen Jim & Tammy Ekrut Jeanette Kelley Mitchell Shirley Thedford Shirley Stender Nolte Betty Reinhard Hamilton R. T. & Ara Lee Normand Jonnie Atkison Barron Buck & Clara Oldham Janice Torgeson Dr. Bobby E. Parker Linda Breaux Lorraine Mai Parker Florence Simons

continued on page 34 32 | UMHB LIFE

BY A RT I E PH I L L I PS ’12

As a student, Matt Blackburn ’03 signed up for a donor registry list; years later he returned to campus to meet the woman whose life he saved

Ashley Taylor and Matt Blackburn ’03 met for the first time October 19, 2010.

my clean bill of health, I was diagnosed with leukemia. My body was so weak they knew either the chemo or the cancer would kill me if they couldn’t get the bone marrow.”

That was when Blackburn received that fateful call, telling him he was the only match avaliable for a particular person at that time. The doctors asked if he would be willing to donate.

“At that point, I said, ‘Who wouldn’t donate?’ It was an opportunity to save someone’s life,” Blackburn said.

Without hesitating, he immediately volunteered for the transplant, and Taylor’s life was saved.

This past October, six years after the call that brought them together in spirit, Blackburn and Taylor met for the first time at a medical forum

Amy Blackburn

After graduating from UMHB in 2003, Matt Blackburn had no idea that an extra credit project he participated in during college would one day help him save a young woman’s life.

Now the head softball coach at Belton High School, Blackburn majored in exercise sports science.

“We were offered a minuscule amount of extra credit if we would go over to the health fair that UMHB was putting on,” he said.

One of the booths Blackburn visited that day was the national marrow donor program booth. He was told about their donor registry list, which notified potential donors if they were a perfect match for someone needing a transplant.

Blackburn was told that he was more likely to win the lottery than receive a call as a perfect match; still, he decided he’d donate on the off chance he was ever called. Despite never expecting to be asked, he knew he’d help in a heartbeat.

Just a few years later, Ashley Taylor, a 19-year-old from Indianapolis, Ind., was told she had leukemia, and her only option for survival was a risky bone marrow transplant.

“I was 18 when I was diagnosed with my first cancer, which was a bone cancer, and I completed 10 months of chemotherapy and radiation,” she said. “About three months after

held on campus. “I felt this instant bond between us, like we were already family,” Taylor said.

While it may have been the first time they met, Blackburn and Taylor were far from strangers.

“On the one-year anniversary of the transplant, Ashley called me to thank me,” Blackburn said. “Ever since then we have tried to call each other on or around the anniversary of the transplant.”

After meeting, they had trouble saying goodbye to one another.

“We both told each other we didn’t usually get emotional, but neither of us wanted to leave,” Taylor said. “We are already planning a trip to visit this summer.

It was an amazing experience. We felt like we were twins separated at birth.”

UMHB LIFE | 33

ALUMNI L I F E

young alumni board

Jennifer Jones

The Young Alumni Board was recently established to serve, support, and strengthen ties with recent graduates. Young alumni are defined as anyone who has graduated within the past ten years. Brandon Skaggs ’03 was appointed the board’s first president; Haley Walker ’07 serves as vice president, and Mary Beth Kelton ’10 is secretary/treasurer. Projects the 23 members are currently working on include using social media to increase Members of the Young Alumni Board crowd communication with young into the Alumni Center’s new elevator during alumni, creating an event to help their first meeting Feb. 19. Pictured, from graduating seniors get involved left: Ryan Eastman ’08, Brandon Skaggs with the Alumni Association, ’03, Justin Gaidusek ’04, Sarah Robeson and establishing a missions ’07, Maggie Curry ’10, Aaron Barnett ’05, Mark Arrazola ’05, Haley Walker ’07 endowment scholarship.

Denny Pickett Dr. Aida Smith Sapp

John Sammons Dr. & Mrs. Jerry G. Bawcom

Dr. Donald Pohl Carilane Newman Vieregg

Mary Scharth Ret. Col. Otto P. Scharth

Charles Porter Riley & Carolyn Allison Owens

John H. Shannon, Sr. Pat Lockridge Shannon

William Powell Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Bridges

William H. Sheppard Susan Akers Bills Tommy & Kathy Calhoun Family Laura & Perry Cloud Peggy Hayes Craik Dr. LaVerne Gallman Glenn & Janet Odstrcil Kenneth & Bridget Odstrcil Dr. Linda Hood Pehl Jimmie & Janey Hardt Roush Richard & Aida Smith Sapp Special Education Department of Temple I.S.D. Marie Taylor & Family Barbara Lyon Thomas

Stacey Price Preston Amy M. Bawcom Dr. & Mrs. Jerry G. Bawcom Marietta Parker Shirley Cowan Sommer Julia Amason Walker Bill Purcell Marion Walker Barren Mary Roberts Bull Fayly Hardcastle Cothern Callie Louis Alcorn Purser Maxine Alcorn Bill & Pat Reaves Cynthia Entzminger 34 | UMHB LIFE

Alice Bagby Smith Dr. & Mrs. Jimmye S. Hillman

Robert Stanecek Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Bridges Christine Elizabeth Ivey Sutton Marilyn Gore Phillips Sammie Sullivan Talley Louis C. Talley Murrel L. Thompson Evanell Rawson Shepperd Paula Trienens Jane Truettner Carilane Newman Vieregg Dr. & Mrs. William H. Vann Mary Roberts Bull Henry Wallace Kerry & Kathy Owens Riley & Carolyn Allison Owens Michael A. Whitley Dennis & Marilyn McCall Medlin

HONORARIA Evelyn Fry Aker Delia Lucky Stephens Adrienne Akins Meredith Akins Glynis L. Akins Marjorie Elam Bailey Lou Beth Birdwell Marion Walker Barren Betty Donnelly Bell Amy Bawcom Mark & Betty O’Hair Anderson Dr. Jerry G. Bawcom Oleta Henry Cox Betty Sue Craven Beebe Geneva Bridges Baker Sarah McGlamery Grantham Lou Provence Laine Mary Sandlin Billeck Eula Woodyard McKown Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Bridges Debbie Stapp Daniel Dr. Edna Penny Bridges Helen Wilson Harris Shirley Cowan Sommer

Class of 1951 Shirley Huckabee Kirk

Dr. Cliffa Foster Mark & Betty O’Hair Anderson

Gloria Cloud Judy Young

DJ Reinhard Hogwood Cindy Taylor Melissa M. Taylor

Quincy Daniels Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Bridges Dr. Wallace E. & Patsy Davis Mark & Betty O’Hair Anderson W.C. & Bernice Evans Riley & Carolyn Allison Owens Faculty of 1947-1951 Shirley Huckabee Kirk

Kenneth & Betty Payne Huber Kathy Huber Dr. Beatrice Huston Velva Schrader Riddle Curtis Janke Dr. Aida Smith Sapp

Bobby J. Johnson Amy Bawcom Mildred DicusWalker Meredith Amy Lei Long Mary Farrow Long Aleece Lunde Amy Lunde Anita Newell Green Ron & Evelyn McNeill Nicholas & Jennifer Meers Jones Kathy McNeil Moore Claude & Delma Garner Jacks

Save The Date Homecoming 2011, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2011 Event s:

Stunt Night, alumni tailgate, foot bal balll game vs. Louisiana Col Colllege, pep rall rally and burning of t he let ters, out door carnival wit h live music, dessert part y, and reunion dinners

LIFE | 35(40-year) Classes hosting reunions: 2006 (5-year), 2001 (10-year), 1991 (20-year), 1981 (30-year),UMHB and 1971

ALUMNI L I F E Dr. Randy O’Rear Nancy Madsen Jeff W. Smith Novella Orrick Ernestine Orrick Van Buren Marietta Parker Linda Breaux Mary Hamilton Purcell Mary Roberts Bull Lillie Otera Rogers Mary Rogers Kirby

Phyllis Rogers Claude & Delma Garner Jacks

Delia Lucky Stephens Bill Stephens

Dr. Michelle RouechĂŠ Dr. Sandra Kay Oliver Kelly Godfrey Russell Marilyn Gore Phillips

UMHB Ambassadors UMHB Student Foundation Dorothy Minten Esther Minten Janie Minten

Sara Pearson Smith Donnetta Baggett Byrd

Doris Watters Wood Jane Wood

Dr. Rita K. Spinn Dr. Aida Smith Sapp

Randy Yandell Mary H. Winn

Save The Date Charter Celebrat ion Weekend, April 20-21, 2012 Event s:

Midnight March, Robing Ceremony, Senior Ring Ceremony, alumni chapel wit h awards, alumni dinner and Candlelight ing, student musical entertainment, dessert part y wit h Circle of Songs, Historical Phila and Royal Academia recept ions, class reunion luncheons Classes of 2007 (5-year), 2002 (10-year), 1992 (20-year), 1982 (30-year), 1972 (40-year), and 1962 (50-year) 36 | UMHB LIFE will have this date as an option for class reunions. Classes may also choose to reunion at Fall 2012 Homecoming.

Why I Give Graduating from UMHB was a dream come true. I knew I was called by God at a very early age to become a nurse, and UMHB was exactly where I needed to be because God led me there. My parents, neither of whom were college graduates, instilled in each of their four children the importance of education, and in particular, the setting for that education. A small, Christian, woman’s college (at the time) was the setting in which I would transition from child to young adult. What a transformation!

The love, support, and sacrifice of my parents and the total commitment of the faculty and staff helped me grow as a Christian, as a person, and, eventually, a nurse. I know that my purpose is to give back so that others can have the experience I had. I cherish my education from UMHB, for it provided the foundation upon which everything else has been built.

Giving is the ultimate act of receiving. Giving to help others, to make the university stronger, and to support students is the best example of living a Christ-like life that I know. I am grateful each and every day for having been a student at UMHB and getting the love, support, and encouragement from faculty and staff. It has been a distinct pleasure to watch my alma mater grow into what it is now and to live out its mission daily. UMHB has been in my family now for two generations with me, my youngest daughter and her husband, and my brother and his wife—all graduates of the university. What a gift!

Pat H olden-H uchton ’74 Dean of the College of Nursing, Texas Woman’s University

UMHB LIFE | 37

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