Experience Magazine Winter 2019

fall – w inter 2019

2019 P R E S I D E N T ’ S REPORT ENCLOSED

WPU “LIFE CHANGING” F O R J O N AT H A N M AY E S , ’78

r elevan t

experience the magazine of Warner Pacific University

NEW VICE PRESIDENTS ANNOUNCED p. 3

p. 7

President Cook announces leadership transition p. 2 t h e mag azine o f Warner Pacif ic University

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ways R ENew L E VA N T to earn your degree

Imagine if you could pair a strong liberal arts foundation with cutting-edge cybersecurity, web and mobile development skills.

Now you can. sourceU is one of Warner Pacific’s newest academic options. Students earn degrees with specialties in web and mobile development design or cybersecurity. In partnership with Portland’s leading web development and cybersecurity educators, students acquire highly marketable skills in communication, writing, team engagement and technical coding.

Have a daughter, son, cousin, neighbor, friend or grandchild who wants to enter Portland’s fastest growing career track?

Visit sourceu.warnerpacific.edu or call 503.517.1518 3

CONTENTS

fall–winter 2019

experience

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Relevant Cook announces transition and new administrators

3 Experience magazine is a publication of Warner Pacific University intended to express

Living the Mission Update on strategic plan

the mission of Warner Pacific University by providing authentic information and stories that engage and encourage University constituents­­—especially alumni, donors and friends—to pray, volunteer, promote, attend campus events, give and

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Relevant WPU faculty accomplishments cited

advocate for the University. editor-in-chief

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Molly Smith

Heart of WP Meet Linda, Marcos and Jonathan

contributors Rick Bailey, Andrea Cook, Caroline Diggins, Ryan Hubbard, Jon Sampson,

President’s Report Included in This Issue

Abby Wilson, Vandella Wright, Rob Zinkan photos Tom Galliher, Josh Thomas ’18, Grant Benesh

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Alumni News

president of warner pacific university Andrea P. Cook, PhD director of alumni relations

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Knight Tales

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Partners with Portland

Stephanie Harvey

New agreements with Dress for Success and Volunteers of America

facebook linkedin-in Twitter @warnerpacific Instagram @warnerpacificu youtube @warnerpacificuniversity ©2019 Warner Pacific University warnerpacific.edu

“What do I do now that I know?”

With each issue of Experience, we intend that you’ll be inspired, entertained and certainly better informed about Warner Pacific University. Whether you read cover to cover (you do, don’t you?) or spot-read throughout the pages, we want you to be empowered to act on what you read. Among our core values is to innovate toward experiential learning and to cultivate curiosity, creativity and purpose. To live our values, we invite you to engage with what you glean from this publication.

Following most articles, we’ve added icons representing actions you may take in response to what you learn: i c o n leg en d represents P R O M O T I N G , by telling others what you’ve learned about WPU

represents G I V I N G , which we encourage you to do through the Annual Fund,

or recent news and achievements worth sharing by social media or word of mouth.

estate planning or other forms of contribution.

represents V O L U N T E E R I N G , which may mean giving your precious time

represents A D V O C AT I N G , which may include representing WPU, alerting

in service as your schedule permits.

civic or government leaders in support of WPU, or engaging others in support of WPU.

represents P R AY I N G , which we trust you are doing anyway, but we’ll note

represents V I S I T I N G , when we’ll encourage your presence at events.

special prayer requests.

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R E L E VA N T

President Cook announces transition year Andrea Cook, PhD, announced that she will step down as president in June 2020 at the conclusion of her 15th year at Warner Pacific University and 12th year as president. “I’m more passionate about our mission and vision today than ever,” Cook, the seventh president of the

“ I’ll continue to give everything I’ve got...

WPU’s best days are ahead, and I will be all in.”

University stated. “I have deep conviction that Warner Pacific’s commitment to our communities is prophetic, and we are incredibly positioned for the long run. It’s simply time for me to recalibrate life after twelve years as president.

“I am committed to radical excellence,” Cook remarked, “and I’ll continue to give everything I’ve got to ensure that 2019–20 will be marked as a year when Warner Pacific went through a healthy transition resulting in increased vibrancy for our mission and vision.

WPU’s best days are ahead, and I will be all in.”

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The board has launched a search following the development of a Presidential Search Committee comprising representative University stakeholders with the intention of appointing a new president by April.

“Andrea Cook has been a remarkable president,” said Greg Englund, a local attorney who serves as chair of the 23-member Warner Pacific Board of Trustees. “While she was under contract until June of 2021, she has determined that this is a good time to depart, and she initiated early termination of her agreement. The Board has reluctantly honored her request and accepted her decision to leave earlier than planned. As a board, we continue to be fully supportive of Andrea and the work ahead this year. We appreciate that she has given us ample time to conduct an extensive and thorough search for her successor.”

In her 2009 inaugural address, Dr. Cook made a declaration that Warner Pacific’s urban identity would become its organizing principle. Believing that calling comes to and from a place, Dr. Cook has courageously led the institution to explore how to best serve and be defined by the beauty of Portland’s historically marginalized communities. Since that time, Warner Pacific has grown to expand service beyond its Mt. Tabor campus to include regional centers for working adults and online classes offered in nearly 40 programs leading to a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Today, students of color represent more than 60% of the student body.

Warner Pacific is the first and only Oregon four-year campus designated by the Department of Education as Hispanic-serving. More than 35% are first-generation students. More than 57% qualify for Pell Grants.

U.S. News ranks Warner Pacific University as a Best Value, and current tuition rates make Warner Pacific the most affordable private four-year university in the Pacific Northwest.

During Cook’s administration, WPU entered partnerships with a wide variety of community organizations to undergird increased opportunities for underserved students and their families. Likewise, WPU completed campus facilities improvements including the renovation of Egtvedt Hall in 2008 to add a new dining hall and the Tabor Grind Café during Cook’s tenure. In 2018, Cook led Warner Pacific College to University status; in the past two years, programs in criminal justice, medical laboratory science, sports and recreation management, sports medicine, nursing, finance and human resources have been added. Further, an MBA and a Master’s in Education were added to the graduate program offerings. In June of this year, sourceU, a joint effort with Epicodus, Riperia and Warner Pacific University, launched in downtown Portland offering associate and bachelor’s degrees in cybersecurity, web and mobile development and digital product design to support the burgeoning software industry in Oregon.

Read the 2019 President’s Report included in this issue of Experience magazine. ▪

Molly Smith – Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing Dr. Molly Smith joined Warner Pacific in October, bringing twenty years of professional enrollment and marketing experience from six

prior institutions including Azusa Pacific University, William Jessup University, Regent University and most recently Judson University in Elgin, Illinois. She recently earned her Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University. Dr. Smith is a team builder and passionate leader who is committed to providing students educational access and opportunity to achieve their goals through Christ-centered higher education.

“Warner Pacific is a special place serving a unique group of students in Christian higher education,” notes Smith. “I am passionate about WPU’s Christ-centered, urban, diverse focus on liberal arts, and I am honored to be selected to lead such an incredible team in the enrollment and marketing efforts.

It’s truly a blessing to be able to share the compelling message of Warner Pacific.” ▪

Shannon Johnson – Vice President for Institutional Advancement Shannon Johnson returned to Warner Pacific in July as Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Johnson previously served

the University from 2013 to 2015 as Assistant Director for Donor Development as well as an Adjunct Professor of Grant Writing and Nonprofit Fundraising.

Shannon gained additional advancement experience as Gift Officer/Director of Development at George Fox University and as the Senior Gift Officer and Campaign Strategist at Multnomah University. Johnson holds an MA in Counseling from George Fox and a BA in English from Seattle Pacific University. She is excited to share her passion for the mission and vision of Warner Pacific and to deepen relationships with alumni and friends on behalf of the University.

Of her belief in the value of education, Johnson says, “Education opens doors and changes opportunities, not just for the students earning a degree but for their families as well. A college education has far-reaching implications for the students who attend Warner Pacific University, and it’s a privilege to help unlock doors of opportunity in the work I do with donors. I’m thrilled to share this story with donors and invite them to participate in opening opportunities to students through supporting the University.” ▪

Strategic Plan Updates As Dr. Andrea Cook shared details about the Presidential transition at the Board of Trustees meeting this October, she also said the strategic plan, which outlines four top-level imperatives and identifies key initiatives for the next year, sets clear priorities that build WPU’s capacity to serve students well and prepare for a new President: Innovate Models of Education Continuously and Efficiently, Lead with Excellence in Equitable Education, Upgrade Strategic Infrastructure for the Future, and Enhance Market Position.

L I V I N G TH E M I S S I O N

President Andrea Cook announced two new vice presidential appointments at Warner Pacific.

“ I fully expect that the commitments we’ve made to our city will grow in the years ahead,” Dr. Cook shared with the Board. “Implementing our plan is a top priority this year. It’s important work that will set a new president up for success.”

Projects currently under way that support the strategic planning priorities include piloting a design thinking group, submitting Federal grant applications, launching a student retention and success task force and an Information Technology working group, creating a deferred maintenance plan, launching a new marketing plan, implementing new admission recruiting software, and initiating new advancement and fundraising strategies.

Team leads will begin meeting monthly to communicate and share updates on progress. Additionally, a team will be convened to begin a design thinking process surrounding selected potential high-impact initiatives. Their goal will be to create ideas and pilot potential new solutions by the end of the academic year.

— Dr. Jon Sampson VP of Student Life and Dean of Students

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R E L E VA N T

Faculty News Warner Pacific welcomed a number of new adjunct faculty members, as well as new full-time administrative and teaching faculty members. In the Division of Natural Sciences and Health, Dr. Steve Waters joins WPU as Professor of Mathematics, and Sherry Bonekat joins WPU as instructor for Exercise Science and Health. In the Education Program, Dr. Kathleen Vincent, Education Accreditation Manager, and Dr. Kevin Spooner, Education Program Manager, join WPU. Through the co-creation and support of faculty, the Core Studies Committee completed the development of the new General Education Core that supports the Mission Statement of Warner Pacific University. Additionally, the Core Themes of Warner Pacific (Cultivating a Christ-Centered Learning Community, Collaborating with and for Our Urban Environment, Fostering a Liberal Arts Education, and Investing in the Formation and Success of Students from Diverse Backgrounds) are represented in the student learning outcomes, and courses have been chosen to represent the various outcomes.

Elizabeth DuPriest, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, has been active in research in the past year. An article was published with collaborators from the University of Southampton, England, in the American Journal of Physiology: “Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.” A second paper has been accepted for publication with the journal Reproductive Sciences, and is in press. A third article is nearly ready for submission to Biology of Reproduction, a peer-reviewed scientific journal and the official journal of the Society for the Study of Reproduction. All this work has been done in collaboration with investigators at Oregon Health & Science University. In addition, Dr. DuPriest chairs the Division of Natural Sciences and Health. In this role, she supported Dr. Smirla Ramos-Montanez in submitting a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for Improving Undergraduate STEM Education; specifically, the grant application track was for HispanicServing Institutions (HSI) that have not received NSF funding in the past. Finally, Dr. DuPriest is enjoying teaching Mammalian Physiology this semester; she is again taking her class on a service-learning field trip to the Oregon Humane Society.

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Amy Engilis, Associate Professor of Sports Medicine, Division of Natural Sciences & Health, recently (2019) coauthored an article published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. The article outlined original research and was titled, “Prior history of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction associated with greater risk of subsequent ACL injury in female collegiate athletes.” She collaborated on this project with Jason Brumitt (George Fox University), Alma Mattock (Northern Kentucky University), Dale Isaak (George Fox University), and Jeremy Loew (Lewis and Clark College).

“The primary purpose of this study was to determine the relative risk of a subsequent ACL injury in female collegiate athletes with prior ACLR when compared to age-matched controls.

The secondary purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of jump and hop tests to discriminate ACL injury risk.”

Gary Robert Laustsen, PhD, APRN, RN, FAANP, FAAN (Associate Dean and Professor of Nursing) was involved in numerous activities throughout the summer and into the fall that supported community and professional nursing. In May, Dr. Laustsen taught a Master’s-level nursing course in Community Health to baccalaureate nurses in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Since June, he has participated as a regular volunteer Family Nurse Practitioner at

the Free Clinic of SW Washington. “The mission of the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington is to provide and facilitate access to free, compassionate, quality health care for children and adults who are otherwise unable to obtain such services.” Patients are predominantly from the Vancouver-area Hispanic population. Gary attended the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) meeting of the Report Review Committee (RRC) in July 2019. CCNE is the accrediting organization for nursing programs in the United States. Each meeting, the RRC, composed of 12 members, reviews over 100 accreditation reports from nursing programs across the country and makes recommendations to the CCNE Board of Directors regarding accreditation status of university nursing programs. In October 2019, he participated as the CCNE Team Leader in an accreditation site visit of a large state university’s baccalaureate and Master’s degree programs.

Dr. Laustsen achieved 5-year Board recertification as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and successfully met the requirements for renewal of his Registered Nurse and Family Nurse Practitioner licenses in Oregon.

Additionally, he provided peer review of two manuscripts for the Nursing Outlook journal and three manuscripts for the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Gary participated as a member on Warner Pacific University’s Accreditation Committee and Campus Safety Committee. He was recently elected to the Promotions Committee.

Latrissa Lee Neiworth, EdD, returns this academic year as Dean of Business. In this new role, she has been tapped for several different external outreach opportunities. Locally, she has been asked to sit on the Portland Business Alliance’s Education Committee, which includes business and education leaders in the region. She has also been asked to be a part of Elsevier International’s research advisory committee. The company is headquartered in The Netherlands and is a modern-day global information analytics business, and a leader in initiatives that drive the way information is reviewed, validated, archived and disseminated.

The WPU Business Department also became a member of the National Business Education Association this fall, which is the nation’s leading professional organization devoted exclusively to serving individuals and groups engaged in instruction, administration, research and dissemination of information for and about business.

Cassie Trentaz, PhD, Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics, and Church History (Interim Chair, Division of Arts and Letters), is engaged in several other activities this fall in addition to her work in the classroom.

She continues her work as a member of the American Academy of Religion’s (AAR) Committee on the Status of Women in the Profession and had several responsibilities at the annual meeting for the AAR in November. These included participation and leadership in a mentoring luncheon for young women scholars and young scholars of color, providing leadership in a panel conversation on taking risks and taking care in the work of the academy and community organizing/engagement, and presenting a paper on engaged pedagogy, growing out of her work with our students in the classroom, entitled, “Crossing Borders and Raising the Stakes: Bridging Higher Education and Community Organizing to Get Real Work Done in Real Time, a Model.” In addition, Dr. Trentaz was invited to write an article highlighting the Ministry and Community Engagement Program at WPU for the Journal of Christian Higher Education for an upcoming special issue. That article, exploring the question of “What does it mean to be an engaged institutional neighbor?” through self-study and place-based community engagement methods is in the final editing stages. She also served on the design team for this year’s Collins Summit through Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and participated in leadership in both the breakout sessions during the day and in conversation with the keynote speaker in the evening event on October 16. In addition, Dr. Trentaz is in conversations with the leadership of the Church of God (Anderson, IN) regarding the possibilities and paths for the Pacific Coast Collective project. She continues to participate in a transnational cohort (from Mexico, Peru, Spain, Brazil and the USA) of social justice and faith leaders. They met together in Mexico City this fall.

Aundrea Snitker, PhD, Director of Assessment and Institutional Research, Faculty Lead, MA in Human Services, presented “In Isolation: Stay-at-home Fathers and Masculinities” at the Conference on Masculinities and Gender: Research, Practice, and Community Activism to Promote Social Change at Pacific University on a panel titled “Dads and Bods: Early Adulthood Masculinities.”

heart of wp

New Dean of Nursing Is Moving Mountains Linda Campbell, PhD, RN, CNS, CNE Dean and Professor, Department of Nursing Dr. Linda Campbell, Dean of Nursing, joined the faculty of Warner Pacific University in November 2017. Dr. Campbell holds a BSN

cohort of 15 BSN students started in January 2019. Cohort 2 began in September 2019, with 26 students enrolled. Under Dr. Campbell’s leadership, interest in the program continues to flourish. We anticipate Cohort 3 in the spring and Cohort 4 to begin in the fall of 2020.

What initially brought you to Warner Pacific?

from Arizona State University, an MS in Nursing from the University of Colorado, and a PhD in Nursing, also from the University of Colorado. She has split her career between clinical and educational roles, making her the ideal leader to launch Warner Pacific’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program.

Soon after Dr. Campbell joined the University, she recruited Dr. Gary Laustsen, a long-time colleague, as Associate Dean and Professor to assist with the development of the program. Together they created a program approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing, and the first

In April of 2017, a search firm sent me (and likely dozens of others) an email asking me to apply for the position of Dean of Nursing.

Normally, I would have just deleted an employment solicitation because I was focused on my private Christian nursing practice, called Moving Mountains Health, Education, and Leadership Services (HEALS). This time, though, was different. I had recently returned from my third three-week stint of teaching MS students in Nursing at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. These teaching immersions were energizing and rewarding, and I had grown restless working from my home office. I missed the vibrancy of a college campus, so I followed up with the search firm. In short order, I had the sense this was the opportunity I had prepared for during my 30-year career in professional nursing. I completed a thorough hiring process with the search firm, culminating in a two-day campus visit in September.

Simply put, I adored everyone and everything, including the beautiful city of Portland, which looked like the land of the Lord of the Rings, especially on mesmerizing Mt. Tabor.

By the end of my visit, I felt called to join the WPU community. I valued its mission, vision, values and core

themes, not to mention the opportunity to launch a BSN degree program for which the overarching goal was to increase diversity in the nursing workforce. I was thrilled when Dr. Cook offered me the position.

What has made you want to invest here?

I’m all in. The position tapped what I call “wheelhouse” pursuits: (1) to bring Glory to God and make Him known in the world through gifts and grace, (2) to be a steward of the dean role, and (3) to be an effective contributor to the WPU community.

It took a year to create a high-quality BSN degree program, one developed from a curriculum framework of selected nursing essentials, standards and desired outcomes, as well as WPU’s context: Christ-centered, urban, grounded in the liberal arts and diverse. Half a year into the development phase, my colleague of 20 years, Dr. Gary Laustsen, joined the effort as Associate Dean and Professor. We have complementary areas of expertise and experience and had written two editions of a nationally distributed textbook with one more colleague. A key contribution was publication of a “domain definition”: Nursing is stewardship of holistic human health and healing. Collaboration with Gary maximized our ability to gain needed approvals during three mandatory hearings with the Oregon State Board of Nursing. We launched the program in January 2019 with a cohort of 15 students, now in their second semester, which includes two clinical rotations. We added Cohort 2 this fall, with 26 students. We are blessed to have five adjunct faculty teaching with us in

the classroom, skills lab, and simulation lab. We are beyond grateful for all the support we have received from the WPU community, clinical partners, the Murdock Charitable Trust, Dr. Betty Thompson and other generous donors.

Who are the people you want to educate?

I value the notion of self-actualization, which draws me to people who have a heart’s desire to become a nurse and who have faced obstacles in their pursuit. In this program, we particularly seek to educate men and women who will increase diversity in the nursing workforce.

As Dr. Cook says, it’s a Jesus issue.

We also appreciate those students who are consciously capable: those who want to address the misdistribution of BSN-prepared RNs across Oregon and who will commit to “spectral” thinking in all endeavors.

Ultimately, we aim to graduate BSN-prepared nurses who will (1) pass the NCLEX-RN when they take it, (2) establish a career trajectory of rewarding service, and (3) engage actively in a constantly changing and challenging health care delivery system.

Anything else you want to add or feel is important to share?

I love my profession of nursing.

It is much more than a career; it is truly a calling to exchange courage with recipients of care. One area of my private practice is to coach new graduates to pass nursing’s licensing exam, called the NCLEX-RN. I enjoy “moving mountains” to facilitate their ability to stay on a path to self-actualization. ▪

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HEART OF WP

Discovering opportunity on the road less traveled

leap of faith and go all in for this major, and I am strongly passionate for what I want to do. I believe receiving my education at Warner Pacific, along with the connections and relationships I build here, will assist me to do just that! So this experience was special because it truly felt like it was meant to be.”

Marcos Romero Turner Freshman Major: Social Entrepreneurship

Upon learning the financial commitment, he thought attending WPU would not be possible. Then his counselor at Mt. Scott told him about the Act Six Scholarship, a leadership initiative that brings together diverse multicultural urban leaders who want to use their college educations to make a difference on campuses and in their communities. Marcos shared, “I put my all into that process and I prayed to God with my counselor at Mt. Scott, ‘Dear God, if this is the place I am meant to be, then please help me make it so.’ That’s another reason I believe there is no question; I am meant to be here.” Marcos’s dreams came true when he learned he was one of 14 students in the Portland area to receive the fulltuition Act Six Scholarship. The once “impossible” dream of pursuing a college degree was becoming a reality at Warner Pacific University.

class to hear a guest speaker, Dan Gaul, the cofounder of Digital Trends. After Dan shared his professional journey with the class, Marcos was the only student to walk up and thank him for speaking. As they spoke, Dan heard the dreams and determination Marcos carried.

Soon after, Dan contacted Marcos and insisted on being his mentor and sponsored Marcos for a Marcos’s grandparents helped pave business program in Portland called this road for him by stepping up to Young Entrepreneurs Business raise Marcos when there was Week (YEBW). This program along, nowhere else to turn. Marcos says with the Mt. Scott Learning Center, the most influential person in his helped Marcos see the value of his life is his grandfather, “He has been education. When it came time to a big part of showing me how to consider college, Marcos knew he have integrity and work hard.” As could do it—and he did—becoming Marcos grew up, and as the reality of the first person in his family to his story and troubling past came to pursue higher education. light for him, his grandparents As Marcos toured a few local committed to providing him the best education possible. They found universities, something stood out to him about the Warner Pacific Mt. Scott Learning Center in community. “I registered for the Portland, and Marcos first enrolled in the middle school program, where overnight stay, and I remember getting the whole experience in a he felt welcomed by the community. day. I knew this was the place I When faced with the opportunity to wanted to spend the next four years enter the Learning Center’s high instantly because the campus was school program or attend a public easily accessible for me and I could school, Marcos chose Mt. Scott. get around to the places I needed to “Staying at Mt. Scott was the best be at in no time! More importantly, decision I made. The Mt. Scott staff that day I discovered a major that are family to me, and they looked speaks to me “that was super unique” out and noticed the passion I had and that was Social for education. Opportunities began Entrepreneurship. I want to impact to arise, and when I see an my community and start a nonprofit opportunity I go for it.” organization to supply homeless Opportunities indeed arose for people in need with my own Marcos. After class one day, one of branded apparel. This major fits this his counselors invited him into his almost perfectly. I wanted to take a First-generation college student Marcos Romero Turner has overcome many obstacles to enroll at Warner Pacific University to begin his bachelor’s degree in Social Entrepreneurship this fall.

Abandoned by his parents at the age of three, Marcos bravely chose the road less traveled and is cultivating a brighter future.

“ The family-like connections, warm welcome, diversity and the fact I can be myself here is amazing.”

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Marcos is currently in the first semester of his degree in Social Entrepreneurship and is enjoying his Warner Pacific experience. He says, “The family-like connections, warm welcome, diversity and the fact I can be myself here is amazing. I had to be here, and somehow God blessed me with this opportunity to make it happen.” Marcos has big plans to impact the Portland community through social justice and innovation.

He continues to embark on the road less traveled and is beginning to bring friends and peers along with him on this path of impact. ▪

Starting with 2018 – 2019 Warner Pacific University President’s Report

Why

Radically Transformative Work

living our why

By President Andrea Cook “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” In his famous TED Talk from a decade ago, now viewed by more than 45 million people, author Simon Sinek explains that few organizations know why they do what they do. Driven by a cause and a purpose, organizations that inspire and exceed expectations start with “why.” The journey to finding Warner Pacific’s why— our calling—and living it has led to amazing and profound work.

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W

hen I came to Warner Pacific fifteen years ago, I had no idea we would be doing the radically transformative work that we are doing today. I had previously worked at four other colleges, ranging from a two-year private to private four-year institutions to a large public university. But my first job in higher education focused on financial aid, and I believe that work was foundational in framing some of my understandings about the mission and calling of Warner Pacific in this season.

Financial aid programs were originally designed, in the ’60s and ’70s, to provide level access for all students. Yet, over time, the explosion of merit aid offers led to the escalation of institutional costs, and with that came increased competition for students who could “shape” the class most appealingly in the national rankings. So,

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students who presented the highest financial need and were at risk due to factors like being educated in economically challenged high schools, or maturing away from the dominant cultural experiences that framed selection processes, had the least hope of being able to pursue higher education.

So much for level access.

Then as now, access to education and degree completion skewed largely toward those more systemically privileged students— students who lived in more affluent neighborhoods, attended betterfinanced high schools, and had ready access to preparation for college entrance exams—which were developed and written in a manner that reflected the knowledge and the culture of their neighborhoods.

At Warner Pacific, we’ve taken radical steps to level the playing

field. For us, level access to higher education—true level access—isn’t a lofty ideal; it’s a practice.

When I first came here in 2005, I had no idea we would be able to do that. I also had no idea I would be serving as president and that we would soon engage in work that would result in Warner Pacific University being the most diverse and first four-year Hispanic-serving institution in the state of Oregon. In 2005, 11.4 percent of our student body identified as students of color.

Today, that number is more than 60 percent. Neither did I expect then that we would have one of the highest percentages of students receiving Pell grants (58%) and be recognized for charging the lowest tuition of any private institution in the state.

How did that happen? When I arrived at Warner Pacific, we assessed our circumstances and

considered how we might best prepare for the future of the institution. We went through a discernment process that caused us to think about what our unique calling might be as a Christ-centered liberal arts institution located in an urban setting. In the midst of that season of discernment, I attended a conference where I heard a speaker talk about institutional calling. She described calling as being specifically related to location considered from three different vantage points.

First, she suggested we evaluate our physical location, which for us is in the heart of southeast Portland.

The public schools around us were significantly impacted by gentrification; families moved to our part of the city because they could no longer afford living in north and northeast Portland due to escalating home values and property taxes.

We are in a part of the city where, for the same reasons, our neighbors were becoming more diverse— socioeconomically, culturally, racially and religiously—and where refugees displaced from their homes abroad were finding community and a fresh start. In reality, our surrounding neighborhoods became reflective of a multicultural/ multiracial mix that is more reflective of the globe than other parts of the city. Compelled by our urban identity, we have undergone an institutional transformation to provide a private education for students who historically have been on the margin of Christian higher education.

The second location she asked us to consider is theological location.

Warner Pacific was founded by the Church of God, Anderson, Indiana.

The Church of God is rooted in the

Wesleyan Holiness branch of Christianity, and our Wesleyan heritage and worldview serve as core rationale for why we do what we do.

John Wesley is often attributed as having said that there is no personal holiness without social holiness.

Personal holiness and social holiness are the practice of obeying Jesus’s great commandments of loving God fully and loving our neighbors as ourselves; we believe that means all of our neighbors.

Jesus points us toward this in Luke 4 when he reiterates the purpose of his ministry as it was announced in Isaiah 61: to preach the gospel to the poor, release the captives and set free those who are oppressed.

Certainly, the historic lack of access to higher education has contributed to poverty, oppression and often financial captivity. Even though the value of higher education is increasingly questioned today, the evidence is still clear that a person

In 2005, 11.4 percent of our student body identified as students of color. Today, that number is more than 60 percent.

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with a college degree will have greater earning power and financial stability throughout their lifetime than one who does not.

“why” is powerful. While our unique calling puts us in a radical middle, I am reminded that historically this has always been so.

Finally, the third location she asked us to evaluate is what we are uniquely called to do — and where we are called to do it.

I will never forget a time when I was speaking about our calling at a meeting and an alumna from the 1940s stood up, moved by having recognized her own story within ours. “That was me,” she said. “That was me! Poor, immigrant, a first-generation college student.

Going to Warner Pacific changed my life forever.”

For Warner Pacific that means providing Christ-centered higher education in the unique and evolving setting of southeast Portland. While disrupting the paradigm of the status quo, this unique calling has informed and energized our ideas and efforts to aggressively address the obstacles often faced by historically underrepresented student populations at private colleges.

When these three factors of location come together to inform our calling and vocation, the Warner Pacific

We decided we were going to provide a great education for all students, and we weren’t going to chase the rankings, elitism, prestige or accolades...

Yet, what’s happened is this: Despite our focus on our clear calling of what’s truly best for all students, we’ve been noticed by the ranking organizations.

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What we are doing is absolutely countercultural—decreasing the cost of education, ensuring that we are serving students who have been traditionally underserved by private— yes, and even Christian colleges.

While many institutions have become caught up in the comparison game of enhancing rankings with the goal of

What we are doing is absolutely countercultural— decreasing the cost of education, ensuring that we are serving students who have been traditionally underserved by private—yes, and even Christian colleges.

attracting more affluent students, we are providing true level access to a life-changing education. As one indication of this transformative educational experience, we’ve seen our four-year graduation rate jump more than 35 percent in just the past six years.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re happy to have affluent students, and they will be charged tuition that is 52.7 percent lower than the average private college tuition in the state of Oregon, just like our students who have been historically underserved.

Our commitments mean that we think first about how we can make a high-quality, Christ-centered education affordable. How do we empower those students who most need it with access to an education that will change their lives and the future of their families? It means we

must think differently to provide different systems of support. We offer wraparound services to bolster retention and graduation. We have redesigned our cost structure. In 2018 we reduced our cost by $6,000, or 24 percent, for all students; we did not increase tuition for 2019. For fall 2020 we will increase tuition slightly, but only because we are including books as part of tuition so that every student has ready access to the learning resources they need to succeed academically.

walls or exorbitant scholarships for students with the highest S.A.T. scores. Instead, we committed to leveling the playing field. We committed to running every decision we made through the lens of what it means to provide a private education for students who historically have been on the margins. We committed to making affordability and access the cornerstones of our calling, not just talking points for our recruitment materials. Yet, what’s happened is this: Despite our focus on our clear Here is something I find interesting: calling of what’s truly best for all students, we’ve been noticed by the We decided we were going to ranking organizations. Our provide a great education for all affordability and strong academic students, and we weren’t going to chase the rankings, elitism, prestige programs, the diversity of our student body, how we manage or accolades that often cause student debt, being a great value institutions to spend millions of college and contributing to students’ dollars on amenities like climbing social mobility have resulted in our

V

leading to being ranked higher and for more reasons by organizations like U.S. News & World Report than at any time in WPU’s past. For instance, Warner Pacific is ranked as a top institution in advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students who are less likely than others to finish college.

Here is what I have learned that’s important: We can’t hedge against the world and at the same time be God’s instruments in the world. Our love of God compels us to love—and serve—our neighbors. That means we don’t build institutions that out-price people. That means we work alongside the presidents of our local community colleges and our area school districts to explore possibilities for collaboration that will change the lives of our students.

VI

That means we welcome students from Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or no faith background, and love them as Jesus has called us to do. That means we introduce our Christian students and employees to people that they can love and share their faith with in an authentic, relational manner. That means we bring everyone to the table.

with long-term economic prosperity.

As such, Warner Pacific is also the most relevant institution in our region because they are doing what others only talk about.”

Dan Ryan, the former Executive Director of our city’s most forwardthinking K-12 organization, All Hands Raised, says this of the important work we’ve done here:

If you listen carefully to my friend Dan’s words, you can hear how what’s happening at Warner Pacific echoes Jesus’s mission in Luke 4. We are responsive. We are upgrading.

We are empowering graduates.

We are knitting together racial equity justice with economic prosperity.

We are doing what others only talk about. We are driven by “why.”

“Warner Pacific has become the most responsive institution in our market. Degree options have been upgraded, empowering graduates to ignite prosperous careers. And those students are first-generation college graduates from communities we have historically failed. WPU has knitted together racial equity justice

What we see happening is amazing and profound; it is extremely challenging to make this work happen with thin margins. But we trust that God is going to take this mustard seed of faith and make it flourish for the sake of His Kingdom here and now, and yet to come.

78 24 %

of incoming first-year traditional students identify as persons of color.*

57% of incoming traditional transfer students identify as persons of color.

PGS undergrad: Now (2019) 37.4% are students of color compared to 27.1% in 2015, a 38% increase in percentage.

PGS grad: Now (2019) 45.5% are students of color compared to 28.3% in 2015, a 61% increase in percentage. * Traditional undergrad: Now (2019) 62.3% are students of color compared to 50.3% in 2015, a 24% increase in percentage.

%

increase in percentage of students of color.* * Now (2019) 62.3% are students of color compared to 50.3% in 2015.

344 100

$

median expected family contribution, traditional undergrad, fall 2018.

%

increase in percentage of full-time faculty who are racial/ethnic minority from 2015 (11.1%) to 2019 (22.2%).* * 22.2% = 6 of 27 full-time faculty. Based on the 2018–19 academic year.

wow 2018 –2019 President’s Report

VII

37 19 %

increase in graduation rate from 2008 cohort to 2012 cohort.*

* PGS undergraduate cohort graduation rate (6-year)

%

increase in number of graduates (traditional undergrad) from 2008 (31) to 2012 (37). 10% increase in traditional undergrad enrollment from fall 2018 to 2019. 47% overall transfer student population in 2018.

75

%

increase in endowment since 2015 when it was $10,833,738. 17% increase from 2018 ($16,195,704) to 2019 ($18,928,126).

52% lower

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report

Best College Rankings In the Pacific Northwest

2020 Best College Rankings

tuition than the average NW private college or university tuition. Based on the 2018–19 academic year.

# 2

28

# 7

Top Majors

# 1

Most Ethnically Diverse College in the Pacific Northwest

# 2

Best Value College in the Pacific Northwest

# 3

Greatest Social Mobility College in the Pacific Northwest

# 3

Best Regional College in the Pacific Northwest (three Pacific Northwest States)

Most Ethnically Diverse College in the West (15 Western States) Best Value College in the West

# 11

Greatest Social Mobility College in the West

# 12

traditional majors

(1)Business Administration (2)Nursing-BSN (3)Biological Science (4)Social Work (5)Criminal Justice (6) Sports and Recreation Management

9:1

student–faculty ratio

11

professional and graduate studies majors

54.9% F 45.1% M

student demographics

6

campuses and online

Best Regional College in the West

ONLY

4-Year University in Oregon Named a HispanicServing Institution

Financial Benchmarks Composite Financial Index

Budget Revenue

Budget Expenses

Investments

Tuition 67% Contributions Grants, Endowments 18% Auxiliaries 15%

Personnel 58% Operations 35% Depreciation, Interest 7%

Endowment Trusts

$15M $4M

Strengths: low long-term debt ($5,900,000) Areas to improve: liquidity (available cash)

Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Target 3-Year Average

Index 3.5 1.6 3.6 2.8 2.3 2.0 5.2 2.9 3.0 3.3

Department of Education Financial Ratio (Required 1.5 or higher) Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Index 2.6 2.2 2.1 2.6 2.1 2.5 3.0 2.5 2.4 IX

R E L E VA N T

Jim Carr, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics “ Dr. Cook’s leadership while serving on the NAIA’s Council of Presidents the last three years has been invaluable. Her expertise also helped lead the development of the NAIA’s Return on Athletics® initiative, which measures the value of athletics at NAIA institutions. The NAIA is a better organization as a result of Dr. Cook’s involvement.”

David L. Warren, PhD, President, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities “ A visionary higher education leader, Dr. Andrea Cook’s stewardship of Warner Pacific has enabled thousands of first-generation students to achieve their college dreams and lay the foundation for a brighter future.”

Shirley V. Hoogstra, JD, President, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities “ Dr. Andrea Cook is an outstanding president and stellar colleague. Dr. Andrea Cook has made an indelible mark on Christian higher education, and we have been grateful to see firsthand the impact she has made.”

Ben Sand, CEO, Portland Leadership Foundation “ Leadership is an art. Great art creates and critiques culture. When Dr. Cook became the President at Warner Pacific University, she set out to demonstrate that private liberal arts education can be ahead of deep cultural trends.

When considering the investments Warner Pacific has made in historically underrepresented leaders, the results are clear. Higher education leaders across the country are watching Warner Pacific. Make no mistake, President Cook made art.”

Dr. Latrissa Lee Neiworth, Associate Professor and Dean of Business, Warner Pacific University “ Dr. Cook has been a history-making first female president for this institution and in the true Oregon spirit has been a trailblazer for our mission and values.”

Kay D. Toran, President/CEO, Volunteers of America Oregon “ President Cook’s leadership at Warner Pacific has provided strong evidence that embracing diversity and inclusivity at every level of an organization— administration, faculty, curriculum and students—results in students from diverse backgrounds being inspired to achieve at the highest level.”

Carmen Rubio, Executive Director, Latino Network “ Dr. Cook has done so much for the university, but more importantly, she has made a tremendous impact on our community and the lives of so many students who otherwise would not have a chance to attend college and build a life in this community.”

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heart of wp

A Lifelong Learner Jonathan Mayes, Esq. Senior Vice President External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Albertsons Companies

“ [Warner Pacific University] provided a strong academic foundation for success in law school and beyond and solidified my commitment to being a person of character and integrity.”

Commitment, perseverance, grit, dedication and service are all words to describe the life of Warner Pacific alumnus Jonathan Mayes ’78.

Growing up, Jonathan Mayes always wanted to be a lawyer. Specifically, he wanted to help economically disadvantaged people receive fair and equal treatment under the law.

Equity, Jonathan believed, was at the core of justice.

Mayes came to Warner Pacific in 1976 knowing the education and experiences the college would afford him would offer a strong foundation for his chosen career. Jonathan reflects on his Warner Pacific experience as “Life-changing. It’s where I met my phenomenal wife, Varetta, and many lifelong friends who have taught me a great deal over the years. It provided a strong academic foundation for success in law school and beyond and solidified my commitment to being a person of character and integrity.”

One step on the WPU campus and it’s easy to see that the student profile and demographics of Warner Pacific have changed since Jonathan was a student here, though our commitment to opening opportunities for all our students and our surrounding community remains constant. Commenting on this change, Jonathan notes, “While Warner Pacific is the same place today as when I attended, I am happy to see the progression of the University to reflect and serve the community.”

With a Bachelor of Science in Social Science, a wife and incredible friendships, Mayes began law school at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. There he served as Vice Chairman of the Moot Court Board and was inducted into the Order of the Barristers for his exemplary advocacy skills.

Mayes began his legal career at Donahue, Gallagher, Thomas & Woods before becoming Senior Counsel at Lucky Stores in 1991 and Senior Counsel at Safeway Inc. in 1994. In 1996, he was named Safeway’s Director of Government Relations and began to rise through the company’s ranks. Mayes was promoted to Vice President, and Group Vice President of Government Relations and later named Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Government Relations, and Sustainability and Philanthropy in 2010. He continued in that role when Safeway merged with Albertsons in 2015. In 2017, he took his current position overseeing Government Relations, Sustainability and Philanthropy and serving as Chief Diversity Officer.

Mayes’s impressive résumé and experience represent his commitment to learning and his persevering character. He has consistently exemplified the grit and dedication it takes to lead and develop himself and his team, as well as the service he has prioritized to help other organizations learn

and grow. His passion for learning— fueled during his transformative years at Warner Pacific—has become a lasting life lesson. Mayes advises, “Never underestimate the importance of being a committed, lifelong learner — someone who reads and grows daily, while taking the time to encourage and bless others.” ▪

t h e mag azine o f Warner Pacif ic University

7

ALUMNI NEWS

2015

in tribute to our classmates

Connor Smalling ’15 is now Residence Director at the University of Indianapolis. Connor earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Warner Pacific, and earlier this year he completed a Master of Science in College Counseling and Student Development from Azusa Pacific University. “It was really my experience as an undergrad at Warner Pacific as a student leader in service learning and peer mentoring that made me realize my calling in life is to work with college students,” he reflected. Connor is excited about his future, and Warner Pacific celebrates him as he launches his career, impacting students on a daily basis.

Marjorie (Midge) Skinner Shaw, class of ’53 was born in Alluwe, Oklahoma, in 1927 and died July 2016. Marjorie married Myrle Shaw, class of ’55, in 1953 and they were married sixty-three years. God blessed them with five children; however, two passed away early on in their lives. They then adopted two children and opened their home to foster children as well as hosting children from the streets of Oakland, California. Besides loving children and her Lord, Marjorie was a gifted singer and in one oratorio sang three different parts. She is missed but Heaven has gained a gifted singer and a great mom and wife.

2018 Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development, Josh Thomas ’18 has been giving back to the urban youth in Portland through his work as Academic Advisor at Rosemary Anderson High School.

Outside of his work in education, Josh is a sports photographer (@ shotsbychubbs). Josh continues to grow as a person and says he’s grateful for his Warner Pacific degree.

“It allows me to be an example for young African-American children.

It allows me to show them that no matter how many times the world tries to label us, break us down or tell us ‘we can’t,’ we still can!”

Daniel Patrick Dougherty ’69 entered into Heaven on April 25, 2019. Dan was born December 25, 1949 in Lynnwood, California, to James ’47 and Doris Dougherty ’43. He was the third of four boys. He grew up a pastor’s kid and loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart. The family started the Church of God in Pendleton, Oregon, where they lived for a number of years. Dan graduated from Caldwell High School and studied at Warner Pacific College. He went on to be a teacher for the Vallivue School District for the next 40 years.

Dan was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish. After his retirement, he began writing an outdoor column for Christian Living magazine. Dan was loved by his children, wife and extended family and is deeply missed.

Richard Louis Hubacek ’59 was born on May 20, 1935 in Jackson, Minnesota.

He became a Christian at the age of 14 on the front steps of the local Baptist church during Vacation Bible School. In 1954, Richard graduated from Mankato High School and took the train across the country by himself to pursue his calling at Pacific Bible College (now Warner Pacific University). Richard and Eve (Moore) ’58 began dating and after three years, were married at the Lents-Gilbert Church of God on June 27, 1957. Richard graduated from college in 1959 and was ordained as a minister in the Church of God in 1960. As their family grew, ministry led the Hubaceks all over the Western US and Canada. Richard leaves a legacy of showing Jesus to people.

Dora Helen Nelson ’48, age 97, of Seattle, Washington, transitioned to her heavenly home on Friday, October 18, 2019. Dora was born on June 3, 1922 in Garfield, Wisconsin, the sixth child of George and Stella Moore. Dora was raised on the 80-acre Moore Family Farm in Wanderoos, Polk County, Wisconsin. She completed the Christian Education program in 1948 and Bachelor of Theology in 1952 at Pacific Bible College (now Warner Pacific University) in Portland, Oregon. While working at the Pacific Bible College Library she met the love of her life, Loren Nelson, class of 1951. She and her husband served in churches in Montana, Nebraska, California, Washington, and Kobe, Japan. Dora is survived by her husband, Loren, of 68 years. She was a loving child of God, wife, mother, grandmother and friend of many.

She will be dearly missed.

Tracy Diane (Moody) Allen ’06 passed away Aug. 31, 2019. She was born on July 20, 1982 and raised in Portland. She married Avery Allen May 7, 2016. Tracy’s life was filled with music from an early age. In addition to earning a B.S. in Music Education from Warner Pacific, Tracy taught piano lessons, accompanied hundreds of musical performances and shared her gifts through worship teams at church and mentoring students in worship arts. She will be remembered for her deep faith in Jesus, sense of humor and caring presence. Tracy is greatly missed by her husband, Avery Allen; grandparents, Herbert and Janet Hohn; parents, Douglas and Lori Moody; mother-in-law, Kathy Allen; sister, Allison Schreck; brother-in-law, Josh Schreck; sister-in-law, Courtney Allen; niece and nephew; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and dear friends.

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CCCU Young Alum Nominee: Ricardo (Ricki) Ruiz Madrigal ’16

Calling all knights.

Join us!

to Warner Pacific University with an entrepreneur’s heart, and through classes such as Entrepreneurship Enterprise, he discovered that his own experiences growing up could lead to an impactful project that could benefit his community. Ricki helped cofound and became the CEO of the Rockwood Initiative, a community-based group with a vision to create safe environments for local youth.

my degree really prepared me to go back to Gresham and begin highly needed community work. I didn’t have to wait until graduation to begin that work. I felt well equipped and had great support to begin working back home by my junior year of college. My degree and community work most definitely helped me get a job with the City of Gresham as a Community Services Coordinator.”

Ruiz Madrigal graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Entrepreneurship Degree in 2016

Ricki recently announced his candidacy for Oregon House of Representatives District 50. ▪

“ Most of the classes that led me to my degree really prepared me to go back to Gresham and begin highly needed community work.”

Each year the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) in Washington, DC, identifies individuals and groups whose exemplary leadership merits national recognition. The Young Alumni Award is presented to individuals who have graduated within the last 10 years from one of their 180 member or affiliate campuses and have achieved uncommon leadership or success in a way that reflects the values of Christian higher education.

The CCCU recently identified Ricki Ruiz Madrigal, Warner Pacific University Class of 2016, as a candidate for this year’s award.

As a first-generation college student, Ricardo (Ricki) Ruiz Madrigal came

and has spent his last five years serving his home community of Gresham, Oregon. Ricki has been working for the City of Gresham running youth recreation programming, family education advocacy, public safety education, and improving Gresham parks.

He was elected to serve on the Reynolds School Board in 2017, being the youngest school board member at 22, and was reelected this year to serve through 2023.

Celebrating 20 Years of Athletics and Coaches Past and Present

FEBRUARY 13 warnerpacific.regfox.com/night-of-knights

What’s going on with you?

WPU alumna and Director of Alumni Relations Stephanie Harvey wants to hear the scoop about you: marriages, new jobs, professional recognition, service awards, accomplishments, updates. send your latest news to warnerpacific.edu/about/alumni

When asked what fuels his impact, Ricki said, “I have a passion for public and community service, and that was made possible thanks to the experience I had at Warner Pacific.

Most of the classes that led me to t h e mag azine o f Warner Pacif ic University

9

K N I G H T S TA L E S More than 40% of Warner Pacific students represent the University as scholar-athletes. We invite you to follow the Knights by attending athletic events to cheer for our teams, visiting wpuknights.com for the latest news, and following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

On September 28, 2019, a crisp, fall Portland day, the Warner Pacific University Softball Team, in their brand-new Columbia Blue jerseys with slate-gray helmets, batted off against Clackamas Community College in a Fall Ball Scrimmage, the Knights’ inaugural competition, as softball is reintroduced at WP.

Men’s soccer ended the season with a tough run, after a remarkable final home game for Senior Night. On the eve of celebrating the seniors, head coach Troy Ready said, “As a coach I would describe this as my most talented team in my three years at Warner Pacific University.”

23 Knights Named to U.S. Bank Academic All-CCC Team Twenty-three Warner Pacific Knights were among the studentathletes honored by the Cascade Collegiate Conference for their outstanding academic efforts with the following requirements for nominations: must be at least a sophomore in academic standing and maintaining a cumulative 3.20 grade point average at the University.

Men’s and Women’s Soccer both led the way with eight scholarathletes each, followed by Women’s Volleyball.

The student-athletes honored are: Men’s Soccer (8) Enrique Chavez, Juan De Dios Inzunza, Elia Kisimba, Brison Manandic, Luis Mercado, Jose Ramirez, Elias Soto, Babucarr Touray Women’s Soccer (8) Gaby Bowman, Kendyl Cone, Mikayla Dart, Emalee Fisher, Megan Getman, Ashley Giesbers, Alyssa Guthrie, Joie Lopez Volleyball (5) Margie Brammer, Macy DuCouer, Audree Gormanson, Mercedes Massey, Haley Yoder Women’s Cross-Country (2) Martina Avendano, Lindsay Mackenzie

10

“This is an exciting time for Warner Pacific University Athletics, as this is the first time a ball has been thrown off a mound for the Knights,” said Athletic Director Mike Wilson. “The women played extremely well and with contagious joy and energy. It is going to be an exciting spring for the Knights!”

New head coach Nathan Ohta and the Knights are preparing for their first season in the spring. “It has been an exciting and productive fall, as we have been working on and off the field to build a foundation for the upcoming year,” Ohta said.

“Being our inaugural season, there has been a lot of work to do, but the team has been up to the challenge and I’m excited for what lies ahead.” ▪

On Senior Night for the Knights, the team scored three goals in under ten minutes to complete the comeback and seal the victory 3–2 in OT over the University of Providence Argos.

After 84 minutes of play and two unanswered Argos goals, the energy began to deflate and it seemed the Knights might be shut out on Senior Night, but coach Ready and the team were not going to let Providence off that easy. In the 84th minute, the Argos fouled Arturo Bahena in the box. Knights senior Franklin Cordon took the penalty kick and found the net. With just 6 minutes to play, the Knights were down by 1. In the 87th minute, they got a break. Cordon passed the ball to the chest of Bahena, who used one touch to send it past the defender from 18 yards out. With two and a half minutes to play, the Knights had tied the game to send it to extra time.

As the whistle for the first overtime blew, both teams attacked at every opportunity. The Knights’ defense held their own, and in the 93rd minute, Arturo Bahena flicked the ball past the defender and dribbled into the box. The Argos keeper tackled Bahena, but Arturo gathered himself, found the ball and before the keeper could get on his feet, slipped the ball into the net. And

just like that, the Knights completed the comeback and sealed the 3–2 victory by scoring three goals in less than 10 minutes.

“Passion, grit and adoration were the components to this historical, memorable and Knight way of competing this weekend,” said Senior Captain Oscar Padilla on the win. “To come back from a 2–0 score within less than 10 minutes and then go into OT and win was one of the biggest games of many of our lives!

None of this would have been possible without the coaching staff, the team and the crowd! Their support was beyond measure. All glory to the Big Man above for giving us all that we needed to make history tonight. Our time is here, and it is a winning culture from here on out so stay tuned and watch out!” ▪

On Senior Night, the Knights wanted to leave an imprint on their home season, and that they did. “I thought this was the best game of the season” junior Mikayla Dart said. “Everyone gave their all for the seniors. We wanted to make their last home game one to remember, and I think we did that.”

In his first season at the helm of WPU Women’s Soccer, coach Josh Westermann has managed to lead the Knights to a 3–9 record in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The team’s three wins are the most conference wins for the program in six seasons. It’s safe to say Coach Westermann and Women’s Soccer have some exciting years ahead. ▪

MEN’S BASKETBALL The Knights have a big spot to fill on their roster this year, as All-American Colin Malcolm graduated in May. New players expected to step in are Kadeem Strickland, J.D. Esters and Eskari Carter.

Coming off a winning season in 2018–19, the Knights will look to newcomers for important contributions in 2019–20. “We are a few weeks into practice and have a bunch of new faces,” said Head Coach Jared Valentine. “The team is working hard to get ready for a very difficult schedule and a challenging conference that includes the national runners-up from last year.” ▪

WOMEN’S SOCCER Knights Keeper Alyssa Guthrie had a remarkable season with 112 saves earning her All-Conference Honorable Mention by the Cascade Collegiate Conference for a second year.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Warner Pacific University’s Amelia Pullen has twice been named the Red Lion Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week this season and was recently named 2019 Cascade Collegiate Conference Women’s Cross-Country Individual Champion and Female Runner of the Year.

Head Coach Matt Gregg, beginning his 12th season leading the Knights, is entering the 2019–20 year with plenty of optimism. “Over half our team is new, so there is a lot of re-teaching,” Gregg commented. “I am not sure I have had a team work this hard in practice in several years.

We are going to be fun to watch this year. This team is looking to get up and down the floor and press teams into submission. It’s a great day to be a KNIGHT!”

The true freshman from Washougal, Wash., posted her second individual first-place finish with a time of 18

minutes, 23 seconds and a 12-second lead. Pullen took first at the Warner Pacific XC Classic out of 125 runners, from all divisions: NAIA, NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as community colleges and clubs.

Pullen began running seven years ago when her fuzzy canine companion, Cienna, came into her life.

Cienna runs every day alongside Pullen and the five other women’s cross country runners, and the running duo continues to motivate each other through Pullen’s success.

In her freshman campaign thus far, Pullen finished first in both the CCC Preview in September and the Warner Pacific Cross Country Classic in October. She was selected as the NAIA National Runner of the Week following her first win and named the Red Lion Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week after her second victory.

The Women’s Cross Country team competed in the NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, Wash., and Warner Pacific University co-hosted this championship event. Amelia Pullen added All-American honors to her stellar freshman season at the NAIA Cross Country Nationals. ▪

k n i ghts tales

Senior Ashley Giesbers scored her 27th career goal, making her the All-Time Leading Scorer for the Knights. “I didn’t even realize I had the most career goals. I just came out every game with the mentality that I was going to score, and I guess it paid off,” Giesbers said about her record.

Coach Gregg has a couple of exceptional shooters on his 2019–20 team; in opening weekend games, Gabby Bruno put up 23 points on Friday, and Darbi Pink who led all players on Saturday with 21 points.

Pink was 6–11 from the field, 3–6 from the arc and 6–7 from the free throw line.

“After these two games, I’m really excited for the rest of this season!” said senior Darbi Pink after the

weekend. “As a team we’re figuring out all of our kinks and finding out what works and doesn’t work for us.

Everyone is establishing their role on this team, and as long as we work hard to fulfill our roles, we are going to be a solid team.”

Beyond their work on the basketball court, the Women’s Basketball team regularly serves a Sunday afternoon meal to our houseless neighbors through “Potluck in the Park.” ▪

t h e mag azine o f Warner Pacif ic University

11

PARTNERS WITH PORTLAND

In the City, for the City In the city, Warner Pacific’s emphasis on collaborating with and for our urban environment (WP Core Theme 2) leads us to partner with organizations to provide opportunity and access for higher education. Partnerships play a vital role in fulfilling one of our five values: to serve and care for our city. The University inked agreements with two additional nonprofit organizations. The new partnerships with Dress for Success and Volunteers of America will continue to foster relationships and serve our community in the coming years.

Dress for Success Partnership Dress for Success Oregon empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Their vision is to see a world where women are treated with dignity and respect, where they can strengthen their families and shape their communities.

Warner Pacific is partnering with Dress for Success to offer their clients an opportunity to earn a degree, build their résumés and strengthen their confidence to improve their professional careers.

In turn, Warner Pacific students will have the opportunity to benefit from services of Dress for Success by selecting professional attire, partaking in interview practice and building job seeking skills all in preparation to join the workforce and pursue their vocation and calling. ▪

“ I am excited because I believe that together we can help transform the lives of women in need. There is much mission alignment between the two organizations, helping students and clients from diverse backgrounds secure the tools to succeed in a changing and challenging world.”

Shari Dunn

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Jonathan, Deb Bethany, David Raquel, Darya Matalasi, Lora Savannah, Joe Shaun, Crysta Mercedes, Sle Kristopher, Nic Volunteers Jazmin, Rebec Isabel, of America Leslie, Cindy, Louis, G Partnership Jacob, LaShaw Carrie, Greggo Volunteers of America Oregon Kal-El, Nailah, works to change lives by promoting Ryan self-determination, building Thomas, strong Edward, Gena communities, and standing for social justice. From at-risk youth to Andrea, victims Hann of domestic violence, recovering Rachael, Shan addicts and seniors, Volunteers of Melissa, Juan America provides a range of Camille, Joshu supportive and empowering services Zion-Grace, D to our area’s most vulnerable Megan, Mia, C populations. The goal is to help Jayson, Heath clients rebuild their lives and reach Andrea, Anna their full potential.

Katie, Susan, G The partnership with Volunteers of Lokelani, Robi America Oregon will provide their Phillip, Raegan 350 employees an opportunity for Christina, Tyle continuing their education and Brigitta, Joshu equipping them to serve Portland’s most vulnerable population. Brison, Sara, M Christopher, A “Many of our employees have not Irene, Brandon had the opportunity to obtain a Jasper, degree and are now at a pointAlexis, in Meg their lives where they would Madison, like to advance their education. TheTyAnna, Ryan partnership with Warner Pacific Darbi, Bradlee helps them reach their goals.”

Noemi, Jaquel (Gloria Martin, Human Resources Dorothy, Rach Director) ▪ Codi, Jaylene, Stephon, Zach Aleathea Ma Stella Joshua, L Nima, A Victoria, Ramontr Jessi, Ch Kathleen Lauren, Maggie, Johntai, Jennifer, Gabriel, Nancy, Je Isabel, M Cindy, Lo Joe, Jaco Amelia, Jasmine, Taylo Sarah, Mayra,

borah, Adanna, Blake, Juande Dios, Eryka, Amal, Courtney, Daytreiona, Katie, Susan, Grace, Julia, Makayla, Sara, Alondra, Deano, Andrew d, Gregory, Jennifer, Lauren, Isai, Brandee, Teresa, Anastasiya, Lokelani, Robin, Deepika, Nichole, Yvan, Nathan, Allyson, Nicole, Daraysha, Eri a, Abikaila, Mikhelle, Makenzie, Sandra, Iwikehauokalewa, Phillip, Raegan, Mya, Elia, Alnissia, Brandy, Karina, Gabriella, Jonathan, Tear’Sa a, Terina, Pooja, MarTiesha, Naomi, Nathaniel, Nicole, Christina, Tyler, Carly, Alexander, Lidia, Julie, Madelynn, Alisha, Enrique, Savanna elle, Shannon, Janel, Sydney, Jason, Leslie, Misty, Melisa, Brigitta, Joshua, Dusty, Araceli, Joie, Cesar, Guadalupe, Crystyan, Pamela, London, al, Andrea, Oscar, Lindsay, Patryk, Owen, Jackline, Dallas, Brison, Sara, Mathewos, Jessi, Christopher, Katie, Nicholas, Siella, Gerardo, Makay etta, Sharyce, Ruthann, Evangeline, Denise, Scott, Chase, Christopher, Andrea, Katherene, Lashawn, Sandra, Makenna, Kathleen, Kelsey, C cholas, Scott, Dustin, Isha, Nathan, Arnold, Lizbeth, Celeste, Irene, Brandon, Mark, Nancy, Brittany, Martha, Luis, Lauren, David, Alexandra, C cca, Destiny, Taylor, Josefina, Juan Pedro, Samantha, Chloe, Alexis, Jasper, Deidre, Jazlyn, Loy, Andrew, Maggie, Victoria, Mohamed, Sahay Meghan, Kassie, Lyllian, Katherine, Quentin, Shene, Allie, Madison, Megan, Yvonne, Tavis, Julie, Johntai, Mariah, Ashley, Carlos, Jonathan, Gwen, Marites, Cherry, Daniel, Lisa, Eric, Kennedy, Heidi, TyAnna, Ryan, Ahsia, June, Jennifer, David, Monica, Simon, Geneva, Eva, Chelse wn, Niki, McKenzie, Ruslan, Ashley, Candace, Samantha, Darbi, Bradlee, Yasa, Gabriel, Anna, Theresa, Tarnisha, Monica, Valerie, Grace, Sav ory, Teo, Roberto, Jose, Katharina, Dennis, Wendy, Analy, Noemi, Jaquelyn, Nancy, Jessica, Nicolas, Nolan, Melissa, Vanessa, Ashleigh, Cynthia , Lexsea, Rachel, Amy, Cortez, Kayla, Danelys, Rebekah, Dorothy, Rachel, Jorge, Kimberly, Melissa, Marcos, Joshua, Shania, Lakia, Rachel, n, Hugo, Justin, Luis, Taylor, Meuy, Althea, Tom, Carolina, Codi, Jaylene, Mauricio, Sarah, Ananda, Kelly, Rubisela, Joel, Darian, Artur, Gabrie aveve, Kyrie, Matthew, Sostenes, Breno, Carmen, Askina, Stephon, Zachery, Katie, Candace, Noe, Alex, Katherine, Khloe, Rylee, Chanda, R na, Sammy, Elias, Ronald, Pilate, Julia, Cashnita, Megan, Aleathea, Sarah, Alison, Alicia, Megan, Matthew, Dylan, Andrew, Amie, Darryl, Br nnon, Germina, Joseph, Aaron, Christie, Niang, Lottie, Ma Stella, Mia, Vianna, Isaac, Saleen, Jami, Terri, Toyonnia, Elvira, Brandon, Jennifer, Carlos, Lauren, Perry, Jennifer, Amari, Corey, Joshua, Lakrea, Maryah, Jane, Alexander, Kaleb, Michelle, Babucarr, Brittney, Amanda, Katie ua, Jasmine, Meghan, Zachary, Alex, Grace, Nima, Amanda, Jesus, Marisol, Juan, Deanna, Hunter, Aaron, Lisa, Magdalena, Irina, Alvaro, N Darya, Anna, Chau, Rebekah, Kelly, Phyo, Victoria, Austin, Ann, Ticole, Brandon, Muriel, Vincent, Taylor, Kendall, Lindsey, Debra, Heather, S Cody, Jacob, Payton, Matthew, Luis, Charles, Ramontre’, Shaela, Wanda, Marlo, Erika, Tyler, Sylvia, Carson, Anne, Heidi, London, Lauren, Sydne her, Na, Donna, Jenelle, Haley, Malkayvien, Anne, Jeremy Elsy, Camille, Lucas, David, Jason, Kaitlin, Jacqueline, Alanna, Lisa, Timothy, Cor a, Eva, Sarah, Rebecca, Justin, Jarrell, Malik, Caleb, Joy, Cayci, Stefanie, Ann, Jonathan, Deborah, Adanna, Blake, Juande Dios, Eryka, Amal, Grace, Julia, Makayla, Sara, Alondra, Ana, Deano, Andrew, Ann, Robin, Andrea, Bethany, David, Gregory, Scott, Jennifer, Lauren, Isai, Brand in, Deepika, Nichole, Yvan, Amy, Nathan, Allyson, Nicole, Daraysha, Erika, Lisa, Mark, Lauren, Raquel, Darya, Abikaila, Mikhelle, Makenzie, San n, Mya, Elia, Alnissia, Brandy, Karina, Gabriella, Jonathan, Tear’Sa, Tom, Kali, Jordan, Dustin, Matalasi, Lora, Terina, Pooja, MarTiesha, Nao er, Carly, Alexander, Lidia, Julie, Madelynn, Alisha, Enrique, Savannah, Jae’don, Domenica, Savannah, Joelle, Shannon, Janel, Sydney, Jason ua, Dusty, Araceli, Joie, Cesar, Guadalupe, Crystyan, Pamela, London, Heather, Harley, Osta, Shaun, Crystal, Andrea, Oscar, Lindsay, Patryk, O Mathewos, Jessi, Christopher, Katie, Nicholas, Siella, Gerardo, Makayla, Mario, Ana, Briana, Mercedes, Sletta, Sharyce, Ruthann, Evangeline Andrea, Katherene, Lashawn, Sandra, Makenna, Kathleen, Kelsey, Charlissa, Dominique, Kristopher, Nicholas, Scott, Dustin, Isha, Nathan, Ar n, Mark, Nancy, Brittany, Martha, Luis, Lauren, David, Alexandra, Corey, Sandra, Chrissie, Jazmin, Rebecca, Destiny, Taylor, Josefina, Juan Pe Deidre, Jazlyn, Loy, Andrew, Maggie, Victoria, Mohamed, Sahaya, Rashelle, Nebnoma, Leslie, Isabel, Meghan, Kassie, Lyllian, Katherine, gan, Yvonne, Tavis, Julie, Johntai, Mariah, Ashley, Carlos, Jonathan, Karen, Chelsea, Oscar, Cindy, Louis, Gwen, Marites, Cherry, Daniel, Lisa n, Ahsia, June, Jennifer, David, Monica, Simon, Geneva, Eva, Chelsea, Emily, Melissa, Joe, Jacob, LaShawn, Niki, McKenzie, Ruslan, Ashley e, Yasa, Gabriel, Anna, Theresa, Tarnisha, Monica, Valerie, Grace, Savannah, Vitaly, Amelia, Carrie, Greggory, Teo, Roberto, Jose, Katharina, D lyn, Nancy, Jessica, Nicolas, Nolan, Melissa, Vanessa, Ashleigh, Cynthia, Jasmine, Taylor, Julie, Kal-El, Nailah, Lexsea, Rachel, Amy, Cortez, Ka hel, Jorge, Kimberly, Melissa, Marcos, Joshua, Shania, Lakia, Rachel, Sarah, Mayra, Tyrone, Thomas, Ryan, Hugo, Justin, Luis, Taylor, Meuy, A Mauricio, Sarah, Ananda, Kelly, Rubisela, Joel, Darian, Artur, Gabriel, Brenda, Holly, Tara, Edward, Genaveve, Kyrie, Matthew, Sostenes, Br hery, Katie, Candace, Noe, Alex, Katherine, Khloe, Rylee, Chanda, Rian, Mandy, Zachery, Andrea, Hanna, Sammy, Elias, Ronald, Pilate, Ju a, Sarah, Alison, Alicia, Megan, Matthew, Dylan, Andrew, Amie, Darryl, Brandi, DeAngelo, Luke, Rachael, Shannon, Germina, Joseph, Aaron, a, Mia, Vianna, Isaac, Saleen, Jami, Terri, Toyonnia, Elvira, Brandon, Jennifer, Leah, Michele, Rachel, Melissa, Juan Carlos, Lauren, Perry, J Lakrea, Maryah, Jane, Alexander, Kaleb, Michelle, Babucarr, Brittney, Amanda, Katie, Thien, Daniel, Khan, Camille, Joshua, Jasmine, Meghan Every single listedTaj-Destiny, on this pageZion-Grace, is studying right Amanda, Jesus, Marisol, Juan, Deanna, Hunter, Aaron, Lisa, Magdalena, Irina, Alvaro,student Nathaniel, Darya, Anna, Chau now in a Warner Pacific University program. , Austin, Ann, Ticole, Brandon, Muriel, Vincent, Taylor, Kendall, Lindsey, Debra, Heather, Shawn, Nicholas, Scott, Megan, Cody, Jacob, Payt re’, Shaela, Wanda, Marlo, Erika, Tyler, Sylvia, Carson, Anne, Heidi, London, Sydney, Colby, Mahlet, Jayson, Heather, Every Lauren, single student listed on this page is influenced and Janel, Anne, Je hristopher, Katie, Nicholas, Joe, Gerardo, Makayla, Nicholas, Kali, Evangeline, Denise, Scott, Chase, Andrea, encouraged toward success

by Christopher, your annual fund gift. Katherene, Lashaw n, Kelsey, Charlissa, Dominique, Kristopher, Nicholas, Scott, Dustin, Isha, Nathan, Arnold, Lizbeth, Celeste, Irene, Brandon, Mark, Nancy, Every single student on this page is grateful for David, Alexandra, Corey, Sandra, Chrissie, Jazmin, Rebecca, Destiny, Taylor, Josefina, Juanlisted Pedro, Samantha, Chloe, Alexis, Jasper, Deidre your gracious support of their dreams.

Victoria, Mohamed, Sahaya, Rashelle, Nebnoma, Leslie, Isabel, Meghan, Kassie, Lyllian, Katherine, Quentin, Shene, Allie, Madison, Megan Mariah, Ashley, Carlos, Jonathan, Karen, Chelsea, Oscar, Cindy, Louis, Gwen, Marites, Cherry, Daniel, Lisa, Eric, Kennedy, Heidi, TyAnn Thank you for your gift. , David, Monica, Simon, Geneva, Eva, Chelsea, Emily, Melissa, Joe, Jacob, LaShawn, Niki, McKenzie, Thank you for making a difference.Ruslan, Ashley, Candace, Samantha Anna, Theresa, Tarnisha, Monica, Valerie, Grace, Savannah, Vitaly, Amelia, Carrie, Greggory, Teo, Roberto, Jose, Katharina, Dennis, Wendy, A essica, Nicolas, Nolan, Melissa, Vanessa, Ashleigh, Cynthia, Jasmine, Taylor, Julie, Kal-El, Nailah, Lexsea, Rachel, Amy, Cortez, Kayla, Rash warnerpacific.edu/yourgiftmatters Meghan, Kassie, Lyllian, Katherine, Quentin, Shene, Allie, Madison, Megan, Yvonne, Tavis, Julie, Johntai, Mariah, Ashley, Carlos, Jonathan, ouis, Gwen, Marites, Cherry, Daniel, Lisa, Eric, Kennedy, Heidi, TyAnna, Ryan, Ahsia, June, Jennifer, David, Monica, Simon, Geneva, Eva, C ob, LaShawn, Niki, McKenzie, Ruslan, Ashley, Candace, Samantha, Darbi, Bradlee, Yasa, Gabriel, Anna, Theresa, Tarnisha, Monica, Valerie, G Carrie, Greggory, Teo, Roberto, Jose, Katharina, Dennis, Wendy, Analy, Noemi, Jaquelyn, Nancy, Jessica, Nicolas, Nolan, Melissa, Vanes or, Julie, Kal-El, Nailah, Lexsea, Rachel, Amy, Cortez, Kayla, Danelys, Rebekah, Dorothy, Rachel, Jorge, Kimberly, Melissa, Marcos, Joshua, Tyrone, Thomas, Ryan, Hugo, Justin, Luis, Taylor, Meuy, Althea, Tom, Carolina, Codi, Jaylene, Mauricio, Sarah, Ananda, Kelly, Rubisela, Joel,

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Join us for these upcoming events! mark your calendar s now for these experiences...

FEBRUARY 13

NIGHT OF KNIGHTS C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S O F AT H L E T I C S AND COACHES PAST AND PRESENT

For

In

A P R I L 16

I N T H E C I T Y, F O R T H E C I T Y C E L E B R AT I N G T H E L E G A C Y O F A N D R E A P . C O O K

Celebrating the legacy of Andrea P. Cook

Members of Warner Pacific University’s new women’s softball team lined the steps to greet students at Richmond Elementary School in Portland on the first day of class this fall.

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