UMHB Life - Winter 2019

10-year-old gets "big" advice about being small

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CRU FOOTBALL WINS 2018 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

BIG PICTURE | The UMHB flag r un n e r s h e l p g e t t h e c r owd g o i n g d ur i n g a h o m e g a m e .

UMHBLIFE W I N T E R 2 019 | V O L U M E 3 8 , N U M B ER 2 PRESIDENT Randy O’Rear, Ed.D. EDITOR-IN- CHIEF Paula Price Tanner, Ed.D. EDITOR Christi Mays GR APHIC DESIGNER Lauren Mendias PHOTOGR APHERS Jessica Rodriguez ’18 Blair Dupre ’18 Randy Yandell ’99 Matt Lester Steven Neaves CONTRIBUTOR Sarah Harborth James Stafford Jon Wallin UMHB LIFE IS PUBLISHED THREE TIMES A YEAR BY THE DIVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS. UMHB Box 8431 900 College Street Belton, Texas 76513 1-800-727-UMHB life.umhb.edu

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Or update online: alumni.umhb.edu alumni@umhb.edu

UMHBLIFE W I N T E R 2 0 1 9 | VOLUME 38, NUMBER 2

D E P A R T M E N T S

4 | C A M P US L I F E ROTC cadets compete at Ranger Challenge 9 | PHILANTHROPY Grogan Lord Foundation gives $1.5 million to scholarships 10 | AT H L E T I C L I F E Construction begins for new soccer-tennis field house 24 | A LU M N I L I F E Check out what’s happening in the lives of alumni and their families

F E A T U R E S 50 Y E A R S O F N U R S I N G |14 Alumni reminisce about first days of nursing program.

AT T I T U D E OV E R A LT I T U D E |18 Boy learns being a 'winner' comes from the size of your heart, not your body.

O P E N I N G D O O R S |20 Service dogs "open new doors" for their handlers on campus.

O N T H E COV E R | A i d e n R i n e h a r t a n d va r s i t y r un n i n g b a c k M a r q u i s D un c a n #22 .

Photo by Blair Dupre '18

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UMHB wins national championship In its third consecutive trip to compete in the NCAA Division III National Championship game, the UMHB football team brought home its second win at the Stagg Bowl Dec.14, defeating Mount Union 24-16 and avenging last year's loss to the team.

“This group of athletes and players were incredible teammates,” said Coach Pete Fredenburg in an interview with ESPN after the game. “They really worked hard. They wanted to get better. They wanted this game starting in August, and we got it. We got it!”

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The Cru finished the season 15-0, tying UMHB and American Southwest Conference records for most wins in a season. The win closes out the careers of 20 UMHB seniors, who compiled a 55-3 win-loss record in their four years on campus. Mount Union finished with a record of 14-1 and had its 29-game winning streak snapped.

“Anytime you play a team with the legacy and tradition of Mount Union and have a chance to beat them, it says an awful lot about your football team,” Fredenburg said. “There’s been some adversity, but we just kept

driving and working, and it's been the goal since the beginning of fall camp to get back here.”

The game, which was held in Shenandoah, was the first Stagg Bowl played in the state of Texas. UMHB also served as co-host of the game.

The Crusaders had the No. 1 scoring defense in the country this season. They were ranked No. 2 going into the Stagg Bowl, but held the No. 1 Raiders to their lowest point total of the season. The triumph for the Cru avenged its 12-0 loss to Mount Union at last year’s championship game.

Cru is No. 1 Opposite page, the Cru poses with NCAA Division III trophy to celebrate its win over Mount Union for the national championship title.

This page, team members pass around the trophy in jubilation, while fans cheer on and celebrate before, during, and after the game.

Despite weather in the 40s, more than 5,000 alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, and family members of UMHB turned out for the game.

Above right, Coach Pete Fredenburg and the team returns to Belton to a joyous cominghome celebration.

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ROTC competes in Ranger Challenge Out of 13 teams from all over the state, UMHB ROTC placed seventh overall in the 2018 Ranger Challenge Competition in October, held at Fort Hood. The two-day event challenges cadets' mental and physical toughness and helps develop leadership while fostering teamwork.

On Day 1, cadets were given a mission to call in artillery fire support on enemy forces, and a day/night land navigation drill, where each team had to plot coordinates on a map and then navigate to that location. At the end of the first day, UMHB was in first place.

Day 2 events included a modified Army physical fitness test, and roundrobin skills competition. At the end of Day 2, the team was in eighth place.

On Day 3, the UMHB team participated in a tactical ruck march where teams completed a 10-mile march in the shortest time possible carrying a 35-pound ruck, personal equipment, and rifle. The entire team had to remain together and cross the finish line together. The Crusader ROTC team completed the ruck in 2 hours, 30 minutes.

Out of 13 teams from all over the state, UMHB placed seventh overall.

“Historically, UMHB ROTC hasn’t placed very high in the competition, so to win the first day and finish seventh place overall is a testament to the hard work of these cadets,” said Carl Cook, assistant professor of Military Science. “They put in many hours of hard work in preparation for the event, and we are proud of them.”

UMHB’s ROTC program started just 10 years ago in 2008 under

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an agreement with Texas A&M University-Central Texas and moved onto the UMHB campus in 2010.

“We have roughly 30 cadets in our program at any given time, which is less than most larger schools have in their freshman ROTC class alone,” Cook said. “So, for a program this size to hold its own at the Ranger Challenge, and be competitive against schools which have a larger pool of cadets to draw from, is very exciting.”

Cadets competing in this year's Ranger Challenge were, first row, from left, Stone Klingaman, Keaton McDonald, and Matthew Boquiren; and back row, Ashley Matta, Ryan Trenholm, Eunice Chanco, Jeremie Bumpers, Austin Gammage, Alexandra Dalle, Benjamin Kenneaster, Michael McAuliffe, and CPT Charles Wilson.

UMHB employees express high satisfaction with their work environment

UMHB employee satisfaction continues to rank high when benchmarked against similar-sized universities and organizations, according to a recent survey.

“I am very pleased that our faculty and staff have again voiced a high degree of overall satisfaction with their jobs,” President Dr. Randy O’Rear said of the 2018 Survey of Employee Engagement, administered by the University of Texas Institute for Organizational Excellence. This is the third such assessment conducted by UMHB; others were held in 2013 and 2015. The survey measures employee perspectives on a wide range of topics including work atmosphere, compensation, professional development opportunities, technology, and communications.

“The highest marks on the 2018 survey were given in the areas of UMHB’s strategic ability to relate our mission and goals to the external

environment, our physical working environment, and our employee benefits,” O’Rear said.

The institute’s Survey of Employee Engagement is an employee assessment instrument widely used by nearly 200 state and local government agencies and institutions of higher education.

Overall marks typically range from 325 to 375 out of a possible 500 points. For 2018, UMHB’s overall score was 401, and 95 percent of the survey sections had scores that indicated substantial organizational strength. O’Rear said the response rate was also high, with 67 percent of employees accepting the invitation to participate in the survey.

Out of a possible 500 points, employees gave UMHB a score of 429 for being “Strategic – mission-driven and able to quickly relate its mission and goals to environmental changes and demands.” They gave a score of 419

to the “Physical Environment,” saying employees view their work environment as positive with adequate resources.

They also gave a score of 416 to “Benefits,” saying that employees view their benefits package as positive, flexible and offered at a fair cost, making them a useful tool for recruiting and retaining employees.

Dr. Noel Landuyt, director of the institute at UT, said that UMHB should be proud of the results, and that UMHB’s scores continue to be among the highest they’ve seen on this survey.

“We’re proud that our university continues to grow and thrive because of our dedicated faculty and staff and the outstanding work they do with our students,” O’Rear said. “I could not be more proud to serve with them. We will continue to use the survey results to develop and implement initiatives that sustain these impressive scores.”

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Top row, from left: Todd ’12 and Kelly Kunders with their children at the Carnival on King Street.

The 2018 Homecoming King and Queen Joey Mainini and Annah Jane Paschall.

Bottom row, from left: Students show their Cru spirit at the Homecoming football game. Beverly Ward Wood ’61 and several other alumni enjoyed Breakfast with the Presidents in Hardy Hall. Cru Kids, children and grandchildren of alumni, enjoy the Carnival on King Street.

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This year's homecoming welcomed nearly 1,000 alumni and their guests returning to campus to celebrate. The weekend included traditional activities like the carnival on King Street, Stunt Night, and the Pep Rally, as well as some new opportunities for alumni to connect with one another and with current students.

Two of the highlight events were the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the nursing program and breakfast with President Randy O'Rear and Dr. Jerry Bawcom, president emeritus.

The Homecoming game pitted the Crusaders against McMurry University with the Cru winning 80-7.

Top row, from left: Nursing alumni gather at a reunion in the Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center to enjoy a special nursing pop-up exhibit. Junior cornerback Keith Gipson runs onto the field. Josh ’10 and Hope ’09 Saenz and their children pose in front of the photo wall at the Carnival on King Street.

Bottom Row, from left: Becky Adams ’73; Dr. Christi Emerson ’92, ’16; Danisha Bucher ’09, ’16; Bobby Bruce ’11, ’18; and Tia Davis ’16 serve as the nursing panel during the 50th Nursing Reunion. Students hold up their “C” at the Homecoming Pep Rally.

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UMHB, FBB land swap made official

Jim Covington, Sarah Reeves, Dr. Randy O’Rear, and Andy Davis sign the paperwork to make the land swap official.

UMHB and First Baptist Church Belton (FBB) recently made a property exchange that is mutually beneficial to the church and the university.

UMHB owned approximately 62 acres at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Loop 121; FBB

owned approximately 10 acres of property that begins one block away from the south edge of the UMHB campus.

As administrators studied options for the university’s strategic growth in the coming years, they determined

that growth toward the south would offer better opportunities for a unified campus than could be achieved by growth to the west, where the 62 acres is located. Due to its own growth, First Baptist Belton was seeking a location to build a new, expanded sanctuary and educational buildings for its congregation.

In the transaction, FBB acquired approximately 35 acres of the 62 acres of land that belonged to UMHB, and UMHB acquired the 10-plus acres that belonged to FBB. UMHB will also provide some compensation to FBB and allow them to continue using their current facilities for up to ten years during the construction of church buildings at their new location.

Students recognized for Christian leadership UMHB honored seniors Sydney Stolz of College Station and Allison Stevens of Weatherford on Nov. 18, with the Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award, in recognition of the extraordinary time and energy they have devoted to ministry and community service during their years of study. The honor included a $1,000 cash award for each student, a portion of which could be donated to an organization of her choice.

Stolz is a communications major with an emphasis in public relations.

She has maintained a 3.8 grade point average while playing on the women’s volleyball team for the last three years and is a member of

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University Ambassadors. Stolz gave a portion of her cash award to Young Life, a teen outreach ministry that she has been active in during her years at UMHB. Stevens is a nursing major who has maintained a 3.2 GPA throughout her studies. At UMHB, she has served as a leader in First Year Council and Welcome Week. She has been active in Baptist Student Ministries and has taken a leadership role in Heart for the Nations.

The Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award is used to highlight the efforts of students who devote their time and talents to Christian service and to encourage other

Sydney Stolz and Allison Stevens students to follow their examples.

The award is named for Mr. and Mrs. Gary Heavin, who established a generous endowment at UMHB to fund this recognition annually.

Lord Foundation gives $1.5 million to scholarships The Grogan Lord Foundation of Georgetown, Texas, has made a gift of $1.5 million to the Ida Myrtle Roberts Manning Endowed Scholarship.

Sharon Lord Daggett established the endowed scholarship in 1996 in memory of her grandmother Ida Myrtle Roberts Manning. In the years following, Sharon and her brother, Griff Lord, and their families have made frequent personal gifts to the scholarship. They have also facilitated the awarding of grants to UMHB from the Grogan Lord Foundation, established by their father. Since its inception, the endowed scholarship has already helped more than 326 students attend UMHB. “We are very grateful to the Grogan Lord Foundation for this generous gift,” said Dr. Randy O’Rear, president.

“Through the support provided by the foundation and through their own

personal gifts, Griff and Kathy Lord and Michael and Sharon Lord Daggett have created a beautiful tribute to Mrs. Manning that will make it

“Scholarships often make the difference in whether or not students can attend UMHB. This gift will touch the lives of countless students for years to come.”

—Dr. Rebecca O'Banion vice president for development

possible for generations of students to attend UMHB. What a wonderful legacy!”

Ida Myrtle Roberts was 16 years old when she came to Belton in 1905 to pursue her dream of higher education. Her family recalls that she loved her time at Baylor Female College (now known as UMHB), but she missed her family so much that she returned home at the end of her first year. Though her time at the college was short, it made such a strong impression upon her that, for the rest of her life, she maintained a strong commitment to providing opportunities for the education and advancement of young women.

The $1.5 million gift from the Grogan Lord Foundation will make the Ida Myrtle Roberts Manning Endowed Scholarship one of the largest endowed scholarships at UMHB. “Scholarships often make the difference in whether or not students can attend UMHB,” said Dr. Rebecca O’Banion, vice president for development. “This gift will touch the lives of countless students for years to come.”

Construction begins for new soccer and tennis field house at Sportsplex For the first time in program history, the soccer and tennis programs are getting a place to call home. In early December, ground was broken on a new $3.5 million soccer and tennis field house. Located between the soccer fields and tennis courts, the 9,763-square-foot facility will provide lockers and changing rooms, a multipurpose room, three family restrooms, a training room, and a laundry room.

“This new facility will foster community, security, and personal development for our athletes,” said Randy Mann, vice president for UMHB athletics. “This will continue our legacy for providing first-class facilities for our athletes. We are thrilled this will give us home court and home field advantage for our tennis and soccer teams.”

Excitement is brewing among players, former players, and parents of former players who are eager to

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see the new facility open in the fall of 2019.

“This is a big deal!” said Belton resident Tanya Taylor, who played on the first women’s soccer team in 1998 when the program began. “Having this type of facility will allow the program to have the resources they need to succeed during the game season and off season. In a way, the field house is a symbol of UMHB’s commitment to the soccer and tennis programs and ensuring that the teams have the university’s full support.”

The field house will serve as a place for players to retreat from the elements of the weather and provide a private space for teams to prepare for games with pre-game talks and devotionals and to seamlessly connect the players to their game-day field.

“This will be a huge mental, emotional and spiritual boost for the programs,” Taylor added.

Having the new field house will

definitely give players a home-field advantage in everything from recruiting new players to having an amazing game-day experience, said Tucker Glaske, the development director who is leading the #BETHEADVANTAGE fundraising campaign for the facility, which kicks off in January.

“There are so many people out there who love these two programs – players who have been through the soccer and tennis program who had an incredible experience, and parents who continue to praise our program long after their children graduate,” he said. “They know more than anyone else the impact of what a facility like this will have on the program because they went without it.”

Follow the #BETHEADVANTAGE campaign and construction progress, along with team members and coaches on Facebook at Facebook. com/umhbfieldhouse.

Investment Club teaches ups and downs of investing Aspiring traders and financial advisors now can learn first-hand the implications – good and bad – of investing real money in the stock market.

Thanks to a generous $200,000 donation from a UMHB alum, members of the new McLane College of Business Investment Club are coming together every couple of weeks to take a hard look at the equities market and figure out the best way to invest a portion of that money.

Each semester, for the next 10 semesters, members of the Investment Club will receive a $20,000 allotment to invest that semester. The goal is not only to choose Biblically responsible investments to make money but also to be good stewards of someone else’s money over the long haul, said Dr. Ken Smith, dean of the McLane College of Business. “This isn’t a day-trading account,” Smith said.

“The donor is interested in this being run like an endowment. The purpose is to teach stewardship, not only by maintaining and growing the funds but also through the stewardship that comes with philanthropy.”

Senior accounting and finance major Hilary Jez is thrilled to be able to take classroom theory and turn it into a real-world application; she says it will be a beneficial experience to include on her resume.

“This has been an amazing opportunity because it’s familiarizing us with how to monitor and compare companies and giving us the vocabulary, experience, and a mindset of how it all works,” she said.

For her, the Investment Club was an answered prayer. “I had been praying

for God to put me in a real-world setting,” said Jez, who volunteered to serve as the club’s first president. “At the beginning of the semester, I was sitting in my investment class when they announced we were starting up this club. Thank you, God!” Once proceeds from the club’s investments reach a certain level, Smith said the students will vote on how the money goes to help support the mission of the institution – such as into scholarship or building funds.

The Investment Club is led by a board of students from Dr. Paul Ziegler’s finance class. With a set of by-laws that reflect the donor’s intent, Ziegler serves as the club advisor, along with help from Smith and Robb Cabaniss, another finance instructor.

“The first thing we do when we meet is start with prayer,” Ziegler said.

“Trust me; if you’re in the market, you better be praying! We ask the Lord to guide us through this.”

Club members talk about the current position of the portfolio and then analyze market indicators that may impact their investments. Finally, they discuss various stocks and vote on which ones to purchase. Every two weeks or so, the group comes back together to talk about how the investments are doing. Ziegler said the club will invite guest speakers, such as professional advisors, to share their experiences with club members.

This not only gives students additional perspectives on how to view the market but also gives them a chance to network with industry leaders.

“Anything we can do to broaden their internship and job opportunities is a wonderful thing for our students and potential students,” he said. "This hands-on experience will give students a superior advantage when it comes to developing and sharpening practical investment skills."

Board members for the McLane College of Business Investment Club are, from left, President Hilary Jez, a senior accounting and finance major, and Secretary Mitchell Patterson, Vice President Oscar Romero, and Treasurer Mason Schuh, all senior finance majors.

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Volleyball, men's soccer win conference titles The UMHB volleyball team clinched the American Southwest Conference Volleyball Championship with a 3-2 win over the University of Texas at Dallas on Nov. 3, earning a bid to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships. The team made history the following week as the Cru beat Birmingham-Southern College 3-1 to earn the program’s first victory in the NCAA tournament. UMHB also won the second round with a 3-1 victory over Berry College, but fell 3-0 to eventual national champion Emory University in the regional final round, ending its season at 28-5. Junior outside hitter Jenna Gillean and junior setter Miranda Klein were named American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Honorable Mention All-Americans. Junior middle hitter Sarah Paolini and Klein were also

named to the Division III Academic All-District VIII Team.

In men’s soccer, the team earned its second consecutive American Southwest Conference Men’s Soccer Championship with a 1-0 win over UT Dallas Nov. 4, earning a bid to the national tournament. The following week, the Cru won the first round 2-0 in the NCAA Regional against Southwestern University but fell to Trinity University 3-0, ending the Cru’s run in the tournament. Senior midfielder/defender Steven Dang, freshman forward Patrick Roach, and senior defender Caleb Vandergriff were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team. The team ended its season at 16-4-1 and ranked second in UMHB Division III program history in wins, goals (49), assists (36) and points (134).

Junior setter Miranda Klein and freshman middle hitter Hope Hoelscher

Junior midfielder Marcelo Graitan

Vining advances to regionals in cross country

Junior Caroline Vining

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This fall, for the first time in 17 years, the UMHB women’s cross country team had a runner compete in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional Meet Nov. 10. Caroline Vining, a junior who had never run competitive cross country before joining the program this past fall, covered the 6K course in a time of 25:27.28 to finish in 83rd place. She was the second place fin-

isher in the ASC Championship Meet two weeks before.

UMHB reinstated its cross country program this year after disbanding the program following the 2001 season. The women’s cross country team finished in sixth place at the American Southwest Conference Championship, and the men’s team placed ninth.

Special needs fans participate in Members of the special needs community were cheered on as they participated in the second annual TOUCHDOWNS event during Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.

Athletes were invited on the field of the Crusader football game vs.

Hardin Simmons University. With special commemorative footballs, they ran into the end zone during halftime to score a touchdown.

Participants also joined the cheerleaders and Sader Belles on the sidelines and served as honorary football captains and band director. Before the game, the guests were treated to a tailgate party where participants and their families mingled with athletes.

Over 400 members of the special needs community and their families attended the Oct. 6th football game free-of-charge as part of the TOUCHDOWNS event during Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.

ATHLETIC L I F E

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By Christi Mays

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E

die King had dreamed of being a nurse since she was six years old. Growing up in a small duplex in West Texas, she remembers sitting with her neighbor, fascinated by her captivating stories of her days as a nurse. It instilled in Edie a lifelong desire to help others – to make an impact on people's lives.

When it was time for her to head off to college, her mother happened upon an article in the Baptist Standard about a new nursing program that was starting up at Mary HardinBaylor College in Belton. She’d never heard of Belton, Texas, but Edie knew as soon as she stepped foot on campus that it was the place for her, and she became a member of one of the first graduating classes of the new nursing baccalaureate program at UMHB. Edie, who graduated with the class of 1973, said those were the days when nurses still wore white from head to toe.

“When I started, we were lucky if we had one patient mannequin to work with,” said Edie, who works in the labor and delivery department at Baylor Scott & White Health. “We would lay down and pretend to be the patient so everyone could practice blood pressures on us. When we learned to give shots, we thought we were going to get oranges to practice on. Oh no! They told us to ‘pick a friend!’”

She and her roommate practiced giving their first shots on each other, injecting themselves with saline.

And then they practiced starting IVs, which were a little tougher.

“The equipment and supplies were very few and far between,” she said. “We did a lot of talking and classroom work, and then we went out and practiced

on the real patients. It’s much more different now.”

Nursing has come a long way since then with much more sophisticated technology, advances in scientific knowledge, and changes in the health care delivery systems.

Regardless of the changes nursing has seen over the last half-century, one thing remains universally unchanged.

“Patient care is still the same,” said Mike Beimer, who graduated with Edie in the 1973 class. “The nurse’s responsibility is to be the patient advocate. That was drilled into our heads. It was a constant reminder every day in the class and the hospital.” As a nursing educator himself now, he stresses to his students that caring is the basis of the practice.

“People change and society changes, but patient care doesn’t change,” he said.

When he enrolled at UMHB to get his baccalaureate in nursing, he was working as an orderly at Scott & White Memorial Hospital (now known as Baylor Scott & White).

“When I came to UMHB, I really didn’t understand about the quality of education offered here, but now I know the quality of education we got was top shelf,” he said. “It still is, and it is continually getting better. The things I learned there, I’m using with my students today.”

Dr. Linda Pehl, who served as dean of the Scott & White School of Nursing from 2003 to 2008, was also a graduate of the 1973 class. She received her BSN that May and began working as an instructor at the school of nursing the following August, teaching fundamentals of nursing.

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“The basics back then were bed-making, giving injections, putting various tubes in the body, and bathing the patients,” she said. “We learned a lot of those skills practicing on one another. We also went to the hospital to have ‘select’ patients, like presurgical patients whom we could evaluate.”

Over the last half-century, the program has reached significant milestones toward expanding, including implementing a cutting-edge simulation lab, designed to give future nurses realistic, hands-on clinical experiences.

“It gives students a greater opportunity to learn their skills and be comfortable with them before they are taking care of humans,” Pehl said.

am so grateful “toIhave been given a

Christian-led nursing school experience.

—Edie King

”

Over the years, the program has also grown to include a Master of Science in Nursing, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and a Doctor of Education with a concentration in leadership in nursing education.

Most recently, the nursing program became accessible via the internet, allowing registered nurses with associate’s degrees in nursing to earn a BSN online.

“The nursing program, and really everything on campus, has just grown exponentially,” Pehl said. “It’s been fun to watch my students grow and develop in their lives."

Years ago, when she and other leaders in the nursing program started looking at expanding it, they had a curriculum committee perform a needs study to determine if a master’s program would be successful in this area. They suspected it would since there were no other programs between Austin and

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Dallas. Pehl also knew from first-hand experience that the master’s was needed. She was married and working and driving to and from Austin to get her graduate degree so she could continue teaching.

“We were having requests for a master’s program,” she said. “We found, by looking at the (geography of the) state, this oblong strip with no schools. We thought that was our niche.”

The master’s program was initially added to produce nurse educators. “There’s a huge shortage of nurse educators. If you don’t have nurse educators, you can’t have nurses,” Pehl said.

Soon afterward, they also added the nurse practitioner program.

“I think the students may not fully realize the benefits of being here as opposed to other campuses,” she said.

“Most of the time if they’ve had courses at other places and they come here, they know it’s different. They know the faculty has their best interests at heart. We want them to do the very best they can in whatever program they’re in.”

Jerry Caldwell, who along with Beimer was the only other male in the 1973 graduating class, can attest to that.

“For us, it was a lot of work,” he said. "It is not unusual in nursing for classes to start with 50 or 60 students but end up with 20 or 30," he said. "If you talk to anyone going to nursing school, they will tell

How it all began…

Nursing moves from S&W to UMHB

In 1967, the officials of Mary Hardin-Baylor

you it’s not an easy task.”

But the hard work paid off for him. Like many who go into the nursing field, he was able to work in a variety of areas during the span of his career.

“In nursing, the opportunities are endless,” he said, pointing out that he has worked as a charge nurse, staff nurse, flight nurse, in quality management, in the cath lab, and his current job at Baylor Scott & White as the Chest Pain Center coordinator in cardiology.

He and fellow classmate Edie King still wave to each other as they pass in the hallways at work and occasionally chat about memories they had of the early days at UMHB. “I loved caring for patients in different settings and continuing to grow in nursing beside a huge number of peers who worked together as a great team and as mentors,” Edie said. “I am so grateful to have been given a Christian-led nursing school experience.

The wonderful nursing professors initiated my preparation to learn, grow, and in some instances lead or guide, in my blessed profession.”

Top, left to right: members of the 1973 graduating class, including Jerry Caldwell, participate in a candlelighting ceremony; Mike Beimer and other students review EKGs at Scott & White Memorial Hospital during clinicals.

College and Scott & White Memorial Hospital discussed the need for a baccalaureate program in nursing in the community.

Scott & White had trained nurses through its diploma program since 1903, but the medical center was rapidly developing. The need for nurses was increasing – not just locally, but nationally – and methods of healthcare delivery were changing and progressing.

Because of the ever-increasing complexity of healthcare, the decision was made to move the hospital-based diploma program from Scott & White to a four-year baccalaureate degree. Dr. LaVerne Gallman, who taught for 25 years in the registered nurse diploma program at Scott & White, became the first director of the Mary Hardin-Baylor program when the program was transferred to the university and expanded into the four-year degree.

On April 19, 1968, the new baccalaureate nursing program became a reality on the Mary Hardin-Baylor campus, and it was named the Scott & White Department of Nursing. The first nursing students enrolled that fall and graduated in May 1972. The agreement with Scott & White provided classroom, clinical experiences, office facilities, and the use of the Alexander Dormitory on the hospital campus.

From what started as an equivalent of three full-time faculty in 1970, the program has grown to its present roster of 22 full-time faculty and 50 clinical adjunct faculty. Enrollment has grown from the modest first class in 1972 of 28 baccalaureate students to more than 800 nursing majors today – more students than any other major offered at UMHB.

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attitude W over altitude When 10-year-old Aiden Rinehart saw Marquis Duncan walk out on the football field, Aiden finally realized – and believed – that size doesn’t always matter.

By Christi Mays

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eighing only 4 pounds at birth, Aiden has always been a little behind the curve as far as growing goes. Most of his classmates tower over him – he’s pretty much always the smallest one in everything he does, his dad, Jon Rinehart, said. But that’s never stopped Aiden from being a powerhouse on the baseball field. When he steps up to bat, he imposes an impressive might on the ball that leaves many in the stands with their mouths open. He’s always been good enough to play on teams at least one age bracket up, and now, at 10 years old, Aiden plays as pitcher and second baseman for his select team out of Temple.

“When I play baseball, everyone thinks I’m short coming in, but then I just hit it over their heads,” he said. His short stature has made him an easy target for teasing and bullying at school, his dad said. “It hurts when he asks, ‘Daddy, when am I going to grow?’”

But a recent encounter with varsity running back Marquis Duncan #22 has helped change Aiden’s

have a big “heartYouandhaveusetoyour words.

Pick your battles, because you cannot win every time against those bigger guys.

—Marquis Duncan

perspective on size. At 5 feet, 3 inches tall and 158 pounds, Marquis is shorter and smaller than his teammates, but don’t underestimate how fierce and driven he is on the football field. When that ball lands in his hands, he’s like a bullet headed toward its target. He averages over 60 yards rushing every game this season. His determined drive leaves everyone in the stands cheering for more.

When Aiden first saw Marquis at this year’s season opener, his dad said he was so excited that he shouted, “Look! He’s little like me!”

This set the wheels in motion for the two athletes to meet the next week during a pre-game walkthrough.

“Aiden was so star struck, he could not even speak,” Jon said. Remembering the moment, Aiden said it was a dream come true to talk to his new hero. “I was so happy, I was about to cry,” he said.

“He means a lot to me. It felt like I was meeting someone famous!”

Jon said Marquis gave Aiden the best advice that a

”

small guy could give to another small guy: “You have to have a big heart and use your words,” Marquis told Aiden. “Pick your battles, because you cannot win every time against those bigger guys.”

“What inspiring words from a 19-year-old kid,” Jon said of the exchange. “Marquis is very humble.

It shows a lot about how his parents raised him and the kind of university UMHB is.”

Like Aiden, he says he got picked on and people made jokes and said he couldn’t do things, but he proved them wrong.

Marquis started playing flag football when he was 5, and he’s been playing ever since. He never let his size hold him back in sports; he also played basketball and baseball and ran track.

As a senior at Reagan High School in San Antonio, he was an All-State football player and Team MVP his senior year, and he was highly sought after by other schools. He had “a lot of D3 offers, a couple of D2 offers and even some D1 offers as a walk-on,” he said. But he choose to play football at UMHB after a visit to campus. He “heard God speaking” to him, telling him, “This is the place.”

Being an inspiration to Aiden is one more reassurance God put him in the right place.

“Anytime a younger kid looks up to me, I like to be an inspiration to them,” he said. “I’ve been through some of the same things Aiden’s going through, so I want to show him he can do whatever he sets his mind to.”

Jon said Aiden’s confidence has shot through the roof since the encounter. When Aiden gets teased now, he said he remembers his new friend’s heartfelt words of advice.

“He taught me that I have to stay tough through everything,” Aiden said. “When someone picks on me about my height, I learned to let the noise come in one ear and just go out the other.”

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Opening Doors Service dogs open new doors for their handlers on campus.

Maverick

By Christi Mays

As a young high school athlete, Audrey Godley of Temple was devastated when she was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder that left her unsteady on her feet, robbing her of her ability to compete. “I felt like my identity had been taken from me. Sports were everything to me,” she said.

It’s been a long, hard road trying to figure out who she is now, and at times, she’s questioned God. But over the last few years, she’s realized God has put her on a path to begin seeing how her disability is shaping who she is and the plans He has in store.

“It’s been beautiful to see how having this disability has closed certain doors, but has opened so many others,” she said. And one of those “doors” led to Maverick – Audrey’s curly-haired sidekick who helps her through her day, every step of the way, literally.

Maverick is a standard-sized poodle who is trained to work as her mobility service dog. He’s an ever-present assistant who provides a steady brace for her when she walks. He helps her up and down stairs and serves as a sturdy support when her legs fail and

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she needs help pulling herself back to her feet.

“He’s been such a huge blessing to me,” said Audrey, a sophomore at UMHB. As she became increasingly unsteady on her feet over the last few years, she became self-conscious of the stares and raised eyebrows of onlookers. But ever since she got Maverick, she says she is no longer the center of attention.

They’re eyes go straight to him. “It’s a distraction for them, but it’s also a mental distraction for me,” she said.

Maverick started coming to class with Audrey in September, after he completed basic training. Audrey, who lives in Temple with her parents, takes him everywhere she goes. When the duo arrives on campus, she slips on his service dog vest, and he knows it’s time to work. He helps her to class and then stretches out underneath her chair.

“Sometimes, people say to me, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky!

I wish I could bring my dog to class!’” she said. “I would love it if Maverick was just my dog for fun and he didn’t have to work. Bringing him to class isn’t a burden, and I enjoy him and love him, but if I didn’t have to bring him with me and didn’t have a disability, that would be better.”

On the few occasions when she’s fallen in a busy hallway, he stands tall over her, serving as a visual cue to others to give them room as he helps his human up.

“He has made walking hours, her loyal companion around campus so much – a glassy silver and black easier,” she said. She’s in Australian Shepherd mix the process of teaching named Blue – will be there him additional stills to help to warn her of danger. her, like fetching things she As a trained service dog, drops. “It’s a lot of hard Blue was taught to alert work to train a service dog, Cassidy to fire and tornado but he’s a huge help to alarms, emergency sirens, me,” she said. and when her phone rings Audrey plans to stay at – a comforting peace of UMHB through the spring mind for Cassidy since she semester; she then plans is completely deaf, unable to transfer to LeTourneau to hear without her cochlear University in East Texas, implants. where she will finish her “Having Blue with me degree in aviation managemakes me feel more normal ment. She plans to specialbecause she’s able to alert ize in aircraft dispatch. me to things I wouldn’t be Even though his job is able to hear,” said Cassidy, to help Audrey get around a junior interdisciplinary campus safely, Maverick studies major who lives on has proven to do so much campus. “I feel so much more for her. more protected and safe It’s been beautiful to see “He has been a boost of when I go places.” confidence,” she said. “I Since joining Cassidy at how having this disability has struggled with being able UMHB this past spring, her closed certain doors, but has to accept who I was with four-legged friend has settled opened so many others, and this disability. But he has in nicely to life on campus. one of those “doors” led to loved me so much. It’s Every morning at 6:30 weird that a dog can be so sharp, Blue awakens Cassidy Maverick. affirming and validating. I – even on the weekends.

— Audrey Godley think he’s aware that I have Even though she’s lively and physical issues and he’s energetic, Blue knows it’s working for me, but he doesn’t care and loves me time to be “professional” and focused on work when the way I am. He loves me even though I’m not the Cassidy straps on her uniform – a bright red vest athlete I was as a freshman in high school.” that says “Service Animal – Do Not Pet.” With leash in hand, the two head out the door to class each morning, but just a little earlier than For the first time since coming to college almost most to allow time for a potty break along the way. three years ago, Cassidy Menard is able to sleep Everything takes a “little longer” when you have to a little more soundly at night. That’s because she take a dog in tow everywhere you go, said Cassidy. knows if there’s ever an emergency in the wee “The first time I took her to class, I was worried

“

”

Blue

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about what she was going to do,” Cassidy admitted. “Trying to maneuver with a dog was a little strange, but now, if I don’t take her around with me, it’s weird. I feel like part of me is missing.”

During class, Blue sometimes curls up in a little ball, while other times she sprawls out under Cassidy’s chair to snooze. After class, the duo often hit the student union for lunch and then find a grassy area to let Blue stretch her legs and run off some energy. Back at their dorm room, Blue stares at Cassidy until she takes her work vest off. Once it's off, she's "like an energetic puppy, running around and jumping and playing." But even though she’s not wearing her vest, Blue knows she’s still working – ready to cue Cassidy to an emergency. If she hears a tornado siren, she taps Cassidy and spins in a circle. For a fire alarm, she does a little “fire dance;” in the car, if she hears an emergency vehicle nearby, she taps Cassidy’s arm. Blue's favorite job is to alert Cassidy of her phone ringing, and she paws her eagerly each time.

Cassidy’s parents discovered she had moderate hearing loss when she was in kindergarten. For reasons unknown, her hearing continued to decline and by the time she was in fourth grade, she was completely deaf in her right ear. The next year, she had surgery for a cochlear implant for that ear. The following year, she lost her hearing in her left ear, and ended up having to get an implant for that ear as well.

“Once I take my implants out at night, I can’t hear anything,” she said. This was definitely a cause for worry for parents sending their daughter off to college. Now, Cassidy says she and her parents breathe a little easier knowing that, if there is an emergency

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in the middle of the night, Blue will serve as her ears.

Having Blue has opened the door for Cassidy to help teach people about service animal etiquette.

When service animals are out in public and “working,” their vests serve as a signal to others that they are “on the clock.” Their handlers need them to be fully focused on their job and people should avoid petting them when they are in “uniform.”

“Blue gets distracted and forgets about working,” Cassidy explained. “She’s a people-pleaser, so once a person pets her, then she starts looking for others to pet her.”

It’s no coincidence that Cassidy enjoys talking to others about her disability and how her dog helps.

When she graduates, she plans to either teach high school special education or work with deaf students.

“Having Blue gives me an opportunity to educate people,” she said. “When I explain to them I am deaf and how she helps me, that opens up the door for them to ask more questions. I love being able to talk about that and am passionate about advocacy and awareness.”

Opposite page, Cassidy Menard and Blue take a break after class to hang out at Bawcom Student Union; this page, Nate Williams gives a little love to Lucy in his office.

Lucy

Up to five times a day, Lucy jumps up, swipes Nate Williams on the leg with her paw, and locks eyes with him. Her swift action reveals to Nate that his blood sugar is on the precipice of the safety threshold.

Nate calls his four-legged friend his “early warning system” – a predictor and preventer for his Type 1 diabetes. As a specially trained diabetic alert dog, Lucy’s scenting ability is about 100,000-times more sensitive than the human nose. In fact, Lucy alerts Nate about 20 minutes before the $6,000 state-ofthe-art blood sugar sensor he wears to monitor his levels, which over the years have been erratic and volatile.

“Most of my blood sugar struggles – the variations that can cause me to not function as well – have happened during the workday,” said Nate, who has served as the director of Counseling, Testing, and Health Services at UMHB for 23 years. “I have to be sharp because I’m counseling students all day, and if my blood sugar is low, I’m not as sharp.”

Nate was diagnosed with sudden onset diabetes at age 19 and is completely insulin dependent. He describes his disease as “brittle,” as it can unpredictably fall to a dangerous level within minutes. Since Nate got Lucy, however, the notes in his medical charts have gotten better and better, and Nate said he’s gone from having “uncontrolled diabetes” to “controlled diabetes.”

“Getting Lucy was a blessing,” he said. “She’s probably going to extend my life.”

Lucy has been going to work with Nate for over a year and a half now. Part of her “job” is to lay by his desk and take a nap while he types, sit quietly by his side when he goes to meetings, and rest respectfully under his chair as he eats in the dining hall.

As the counselor to students, Nate discovered that having Lucy at work with him has opened other doors beyond helping him control his diabetes. With her gorgeous amber coat and eyes, the Australian Shepherd is a comforting presence to students who find themselves in distress, seeking Nate’s help and advice. Even though it’s against typical service animal protocol, Nate is happy to let students pet her when they visit his office. It helps calm them down, and Lucy loves the extra attention. “She is a comfort to the students who come to me and are upset and crying,” Nate said.

And it doesn’t seem to distract her from doing her job. Her nose is so sensitive, she will wake Nate up at night if his blood sugar spikes. And if she can’t wake him, Lucy is trained to alert Nate’s wife – one of the things he specifically trained her to do if his blood sugar took a dangerous dive and rendered him unconscious.

With the help of online and external resources, Nate trained Lucy to alert him if his blood sugar went beyond a safe range. He’s learned a lot since he started that training almost three years ago, and has started sharing his knowledge to help others find resources to train diabetic alert dogs — another new door opened.

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A LUM N I LIFE photographer with photo credits in the National Geographic Calendar, Korean Air in-flight magazine, and US Embassy and Tourism Bureau publications. His work has been displayed in photo exhibits in South Korea, Japan, and Italy.

’72

Neal W. Proctor retired as associate professor of business from the University of Maryland – Asian Division after 26 years.

He and his wife, MeeHee, live in Okinawa, Japan. Neal is an avid

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’89

Abagail Bernard has authored and published a book, 12 Steps to Sober Leisure.

She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at Conifer Park in Glenville, New York, where she has worked since May 1990. Abagail lives in Rotterdam, New York, with her husband, Joseph, and their daughter, Kira.

’93

Amy Bawcom is now the Associate Vice President for Development at San Marcos Academy in San Marcos, TX.

I n 1978 , f o r m e r p r e s i d e n t D r. B o b by E . P a r ke r c e l e b r a t e d the name change from Mar y H a r d i n - B ay l o r C o l l e g e t o t h e University of Mar y HardinB ay l o r. H e s t a n d s w i t h , f r o m l e f t , C a t hy C l a m p e t , St a r l a Hamm, and Don Owens.

Got news?

We want to hear what's going on in your life! If you have news to share that's happened since October 1, 2018, submit online at life.umhb.edu or send it to: Alumni Relations, UMHB Box 8427, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513 or alumni@umhb.edu.

To make a memorial gift, please contact: Development, UMHB Box 8433, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513, 254-295-4601, or give online at giving.umhb.edu

’14

Kristen Pratt has graduated from University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry and is now a practicing optometrist in Longview, TX.

’18

Dylan Burson has been hired by the Dallas Mavericks organization as an Inside Sales Representative.

’16

David Griffin is now the Baptist Student Ministry director at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, TX.

’16

’05

Jeff Gravens graduated with a Doctor of Ministry from Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

Along with his wife, Katie, and children, Abigail and Wesley, he recently celebrated nine years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Crawford, TX.

Jonathon Rosenaur is now serving as the youth and music minister at First Baptist Church in Sealy, TX. His wife, Taylor (Smith) Rosenauer '17, is teaching first grade at Sealy Elementary School.

Kathryn Groseclose '11 and Rachel Lewis '16 are serving the deaf in Cajamarca, Peru. They work for Signs of Love, whose goal is "to bring language to those who are language deprived, loving them to wholeness, and healing through Jesus Christ."

Trey Johnson '17 joined them on a mission trip from First Baptist Church in Holland, TX.

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BIRTHS

WEDDINGS Zackary Whiddon ’15 and Megan Purswell ’14 & ’17 were married on April 13, 2018, in Temple, TX. Zack is an orthopedic sales representative and Megan is a doctor of physical therapy in Temple, TX.

Kelley Clark '16 and Taylor McClintock '16 were married on March 24, 2018, in Belton, TX.

Greggory Lavelle Miller ’17 and Amberlee Faith Pendleton ’18, were married on August 8, 2018, in Clifton, TX. Both Greggory and Amberlee are music teachers.

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Preston ’16 and Taylor Rambo ’15 announce the birth of their daughter, Blakelyn Joy, July 25.

Paul ’09 and Whitney Dorton ’09 announce the birth of their daughter, Clara June, May 14. She joins big sister Evelyn, and big brother Alexander.

Thomas and Ashley Oliver ’08 announce the birth of their daughter, Sawyer Fae, May 24.

Katie ’15 and Riley Davis ’15 announce the birth of their daughter, Everleigh Ryna Davis, June 27.

Adam ’10 and Sharon Aguilera ’09 announce the birth of their daughter, Mila Marie, December 12. She joins big brother Jade Huntington.

Jonathan ’14 and Lauren VanBruggen ’16 announce the birth of their son, Jeremiah, August 12.

Josh ’14 and Hailey Kondoff ’14 announce the birth of their son, Grant Maddox, July 9.

Amy ’14 and Josh Mathias announce the birth of their daughter, Emma Jane, September 10.

MEMORIAMS Edwin Luther Holt, June 22, in Bastrop, TX. Ed was born in a dog-trot cabin on October 26, 1916, near Elkhart, TX. After being orphaned at age 10, he was raised in Waco, TX at the Methodist Children’s Home. He graduated in 1935 from Waco High School where he was named an All District Guard for football. While enrolled at Mary Hardin-Baylor (an all-female college) from 1936-1938, he worked as a "campus boy" in the college dairy to cover costs of his tuition, room, and board.

Since boys were not allowed to graduate from UMHB at that time, he transferred to complete his senior year and graduate from Baylor University in 1939 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree.

He later earned a master’s degree from Vandercook School of Music in Chicago, IL. During his career as a music educator, Ed directed award-winning bands in cities throughout Texas. He also served as a church choir director in many cities where

Wednesday, April 17 12:30 | 3:00 | 5:30 Luther Memorial Watch for more details at

events.umhb.edu

Special events will be held this year to celebrate the pageant’s inaugural debut in 1939.

• Alumni reception at the Musick Alumni Center and Museum at the Parker House.

• Special reunion and celebration for all former pageant directors, and cast members who have portrayed Jesus and Mary.

• “Easter Pageant Exhibit” at the museum, showing key points of pageant history over the years.

he lived. He is survived by his loving wife of 77 years, Helen (Dreiblebis) Holt, who also attended UMHB from 1937 to 1939.

Mary Robertson Priest, August 2, Salado, TX. Mary was a faithful member of First Baptist Church of Salado, TX. She attended the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor from 1967 to 1968, and remained a loyal supporter of UMHB. She served on UMHB’s Board of Trustees for 11.5 years. During her time on the board, she served on various committees, including two years on UMHB’s Executive Board as chair of the Development and Communications Committee.

Dr. Marge Prydon.

(Professor, Scott and White School of Nursing) passed away on September 19, 2018 after a battle with cancer. Dr. Prydun truly ‘fought the good fight’ and continued teaching until just two weeks prior to her passing. She served with distinction at UMHB for over 13 years and touched the lives of many through her service as a tenured faculty member and nurse educator.

Dr. Prydun held a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Bloomfield College, a Master of Science in Nursing from the

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University of Houston Health Sciences Center, and a PhD in nursing from Texas Women’s University in Houston.

Dr. Prydun was a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in emergency care from 1998 to 2006. She served in various officer positions in Sigma Theta Tau International Eta Phi chapter from 1997 to 2003. Prior to joining UMHB, Dr. Prydun served on the faculties of Alvin Community College, Houston Baptist University, Texas Women’s University Houston, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Prydun joined the faculty of UMHB in August 2005 as associate professor. She was promoted to full professor in 2010 and was awarded tenure in 2011. Dr. Prydun was a member of the graduate faculty. She also served as chair of the UMHB Nursing Curriculum Committee from 2011 to 2015 and was instrumental in developing and implementing a major transition to a concept-based curriculum.

She is survived by her daughter, Regina, and two grandchildren.

Pam Hoelscher Finley ’85.

August 9, Round Rock, TX. Pam graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from UMHB in 1985. She worked for Round Rock ISD for the past thirteen years.

Pam was active in her church, St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, and enjoyed community service. She participated in Christ Child Society, Cedar Ridge baseball and parish ministries.

Doyle Ray Walker ’72, July 25, Plano, TX. Doyle was born and raised in Temple, TX. He graduated from Temple High School, went on to earn his associate's degree from Temple Junior College, and then earned his BS in history and business from University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1972. From 1972 to 1989, Doyle was a teacher and administrator for the Plano Independent School District. For over 20 years afterwards, he was a salesman for Jostens Printing and Publishing and InterState School Photography. He was also an accomplished writer of two children’s books through Belle and Chloe Productions, which was named after his two chocolate labs. Doyle was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas.

Doyle was also part of the Board of Directors for Leadership Plano and the Craig Gilbert Scholarship Foundation in 1987.

Shirley Lott ’63, September 10, Temple, TX. Mrs. Lott was born in Bartlett, TX. She graduated from Academy High School, attended business school in Dallas, and graduated from UMHB with an Elementary Education degree. She worked at the VA Hospital and was a teacher in Temple, Westphalia, Rogers, Bartlett, and Cameron, Texas. Mrs. Lott was a member of Heights Baptist Church.

ALUMNUS SPOTLIGHT

Glorifying God through sports Alex Miller '17 in Berlin

One day, in one of Alex Miller’s sport management classes, a guest speaker talked to the students about how they could use their degree overseas to help spread the Gospel through sports.

It sounded intriguing to him, so Miller tucked it in the back of his mind, thinking it would be good to keep as an option down the road when he graduated. Over the next few years of college, he found himself working at camps and various churches each summer. During his junior year, he and a friend started a sport ministry in Central Texas which they named “Called to Play.” The two went into lower income areas and ran basketball drills with neighborhood kids, had a snack, and shared a Bible story. He looks back now and sees that through all these things, God was preparing him for an overseas sport ministry position. But it wasn’t until his senior year that he remembered the opportunity. He reached out to the company and applied. Soon after graduating in 2017, Miller found himself sharing the Gospel in Germany through sports ministry with EFCA ReachGlobal.

“It is a wonderful opportunity since I love God, people, and sports,” he said.

During the day, Miller’s job is to learn the language, and he goes to language school most of the day. Then, in the

evenings, he hits the courts, coaching an adult basketball team and helping coach teenage boys' teams. He spent the first few months of his job in Berlin, and then his company moved him to a small town called Potsdam, where he was the first person from his organization to start up a sports ministry program.

“What I am trying to do is build partnerships with different sports organizations here for the people who come after me,” he said. “The basketball team I play with allows me to be able to build relationships with adults in the area as well as work on my German. This is considered a relational ministry and allows me to talk with people my age. It has been a really great experience – learning how to trust God with my everyday life.”

Looking back, he sees how instrumental his professors and friends at UMHB were in preparing him for this journey.

“Once I told my advisor that I was looking into moving here, he was nothing but encouraging and really excited about the opportunity I had to move to another country and use my degree to spread the Gospel,” Miller said.

“UMHB taught me to go after the things that make you happy and what you’re passionate about, because God put those things in your heart for a reason.”

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STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Shannon says farewell after 18 years at UMHB Dr. Shawn Shannon followed a scripture passage in Isaiah that prompted her to come to UMHB as the director of Baptist Student Ministries 18 years ago.

“Isaiah 54:2 talks about ‘spreading wide your stakes,’ and it says ‘don’t hold back,’” she said, and that’s exactly what she’s done. Now, after nearly 39 years of faithful service in campus ministry with Texas Baptist Student Ministry, Shannon says she is once again following that verse.

“I thought I would be at UMHB all of my working days, but about three years ago, the Lord began to loosen my roots,” she said. She has been called to serve at a Houston church as its new minister of spiritual formation where she will be creating opportunities for the church team and its members to grow in their relationship with God. “There’s more gratitude than anything else, but leaving is marbled with grief,” she said. “I’m thankful because it’s such a gift to have had a place here and to be a part of the lives here. This has been a place I’ve received so much.

I am a very rich woman for having been here.”

Shannon is loved and respected by many, and she will be greatly missed, said Dr. Brandon Skaggs, vice president for student life.

“During her tenure, Shannon has made Mission Emphasis Week into an anticipated campus tradition, led the Texas BSM in more student missionaries per capita than any other campus, made the BSM a respected entity both on campus and in the Belton community, trained many students in spiritual formation, and counseled many students through personal experiences,” Skaggs said. “She has also made a significant contribution to First Baptist Church Belton, where she has been a member.”

Instead of having occasional missions at UMHB, Shannon said her goal was to cultivate a climate of mission awareness and response “so it would be a normal thing for us to consider missions.”

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“

This has been a place I’ve received so much.

I am a very rich woman for having been here.

“

—Dr. Shawn Shannon, honorary alumna One of the ways she did this was by teaching students to "tithe"—or volunteer—one of their 11 breaks for the “sake of Christ and to teach them to get outside their culture.”

“The students whose paths I’ve crossed, I’ve always asked them, ‘What are you doing this spring break, or this summer or over the holiday?’” she said.

In the 18 years she was at UMHB, she organized and went on nearly 25 mission trips. Even so, she says she’s tried to stand on the principle of investing in the culture, not necessarily the numbers.

“The numbers of people who help with missions is just one of the fruits that comes from that investment,” she said.

Malva Sue Bounds ’62, August 26, Lubbock, TX. Sue was born in Cransfills Gap, TX. Sue graduated from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1962 with a Bachelor of Music degree.

She excelled in many academic activities and was a member of the Royal Academia Club. She was selected as “Miss Bluebonnet” in the 1960 UMHB beauty contest. She also portrayed Jesus in the 1962 Easter pageant. Sue served for 9 years on the UMHB Board of Trustees. She was employed as a teacher and administrator in Lubbock ISD for 36 years. Sue received many accolades throughout her career as an educator, including a certification of excellence in education award.

She was honored with a joint resolution of outstanding education in both the House and Senate of the State of Texas. After retirement, she began a second career as a model and actor in TV commercials. She was a member of Oakwood Baptist Church in Lubbock, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, choir member, and active participant on various committees. Her walk with Christ was very strong, and she joyfully shared her faith through her concerts and music.

Patricia Morgan ’78, August 25, Temple, TX. Patricia was born and raised in Temple.

She graduated from Temple High School and then attended Scott & White School of Nursing. She received her bachelor’s degree from UMHB in 1978 and later her master’s degree from the University of Texas. She was a nurse at Scott & White and Santa Fe hospitals in Temple. Mrs. Morgan was a member of First Baptist Church in Temple.

Linda J. LehrBethke ’78, September 13, Temple, TX. Linda was born in Waco, TX. She graduated from UMHB in 1970 and soon became a remedial reading teacher in Holland, TX. Her desire to help young children led her to earning a dyslexia therapist license. She was a lady of great faith, love, kindness, strength and humor.

M E MO R I A L S

Kent Owens Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens Julia Amason Walker Marsha Wilkes Sara Williamson

Bruce Bowles Betty Sue Craven Beebe Josephine Branton Butler Patricia Lockridge Shannon Martha Smirl Cooper Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom Marietta Parker Gerald and Florence Goldston Pinkston Jim Cornett Robert and Edie Cornett King

Isabelle Pettigrew Drach Betty Sue Craven Beebe Kenneth Ferrell Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom Mildred Todd Gill Patricia Lockridge Shannon Patricia Grandy Robert and Edie Cornett King

Patricia Kay Anderson Marietta Parker

Margie York Hannon Kent Owens Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

R.K. and Josephine Durham Barner Patricia Barner White

Ray Horton Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Helen Louise Hannan Berryhill Jerry and Susan Anderson

Terri Hunt Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom

Sue Purcell Bounds Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom Betty Sue Craven Beebe Dr. Stan and Betty Blevins Bobby and Kathleen Jones Douglas and Susie Moore Dr. and Mrs. Randy O’Rear

Richard Jaramillo Kent Owens and Darius Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens

Elaine Jolly Louis and Jennifer Grinage

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Margaret Cochran Kiefer Patricia Lockridge Shannon Emma Harriet Zimmerman Krause Debbie Rabe Dr. William and Mary Farrow Long Robert and Edie Cornett King Paul and Linda McKeehan Julia Amason Walker Polly McQueen Bobby and Edna Penny Bridges Russell Bridges Helen Morin Robert and Edie Cornett King Dorothy Lane Niesen Norman Niesen Frank O’Banion Edna O’Banion Guy and Stephanie O’Banion Dr. Rebecca O’Banion Jeanne Houff Pavoggi Betty Sue Craven Beebe Marietta Parker George Peladeau Robert and Edie Cornett King Francis Twitty Pittman Betty Sue Craven Beebe Mary Robertson Priest Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom Walter and Pamela Manly Dr. and Mrs. Randy O’Rear Dr. and Mrs. Steve Theodore Dr. Margaret Prydun Denise Karimkhani Dr. and Mrs. Randy O’Rear Nelda Whitis Shipp Beverly Norwine Adams and family Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson

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Ken and Brenda Camp Dale and Jo Griffith and family Kathie Herring Ken and Melva Garner Hobbs Denzel and Margie Holmes Julia Woodyard Nation Jim and Ellice Richardson Shirley Cowan Sommer Kandais Underwood Drs. Bob and Grace Richardson Whitis

Gloria McGregor Combs Eula Woodyard McKown

Elizabeth Harvey Simmons Betty Sue Craven Beebe

Dr. Helen Wilson Harris Diane Gryseels

Lexie Ruth Dunagin Waters Thomas Waters

Bobby Johnson Shawn and Heather Price Hanks Mark and G.K. Merrill

Colin Weeden Eric Weeden Garrett Weeden Eric Weeden Ben White Patricia Barner White Margaret Sandlin Willson Kent Owens Dr. Kerry and Kathy Owens Riley and Carolyn Allison Owens Sunny Fairweather Wilson Dr. Jerry and Vicky Bawcom Betty Sue Craven Beebe Dr. and Mrs. Randy O’Rear

IN HONOR Dorothy Bush Aiken Eula Woodyard McKown Class of 1962 Kenneth and Marjanna Norton

Thomas

Joan Burton Messer Cox Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson Everett Minh Duong Khang and Cara Scott Duong Linda Ruth Jones Haigood Eula Woodyard McKown

Gloria Ray Moore Eula Woodyard McKown Dr. Randy O’Rear Burk and Cindy Breaux Roberts Jeff Sutton Mark and Betty O’Hair Anderson Stan White Patricia Barner White

M

inistry has always been the center of Daegan Fletcher’s life. As a young boy, he lived with his family in Russia for three years, followed by seven years in Poland, doing mission work and helping grow new churches.

When he came back to the states to go to college, he chose UMHB and its Christian Studies program.

“I want to have an impact on people – working with people and helping people,” he said. “I want to do something I’m passionate about, and the only thing I’ve always been passionate about is ministry.”

Since coming to UMHB, he’s found meaningful ways to plug in to begin making an impact, including working as a resident assistant in two residence halls over the last two years.

“That’s a great position that allows me to connect with people and try to fulfill their needs,” he said. He knows God was involved in bringing him to UMHB. “So many other schools were eliminated from the pool because many of them didn’t have scholarships,” he said.

Scholarships didn’t just make it practical for Daegan to attend UMHB—they made it possible.

“For my specific situation, the opportunity to study here was created with scholarships,” he said. “Coming here would have been totally inaccessible to me without them.”

Daegan Fletcher Junior, Christian Studies Houston, Texas

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900 College Street • Belton, Texas 76513

Electronic Service Requested

04/03/2019

UMHB.EDU/PGG

“Faithful giving in the form of scholarships was a large part of how both my wife and I got to enjoy the fruits of what our university had to offer. Our hope is a student will get to experience the same love and joy that God bestows on our family every time we are back on campus. Join us in helping students grow a strong foundation as we continue to grow the leaders of tomorrow.”

- JUSTIN GAIDUSEK ‘04 Alumni Board President