Adopted into a multi-racial family of 15, Ryan Scott Bomberger’s acceptance into a loving Christian home fostered his own passion for adoption and seeking God’s purpose in his life.  Today, he and wife Bethany Koopalethes Bomberger ’97 are co-founders of The Radiance Foundation (www.theradiancefoundation.org), a life-affirming organization that seeks to empower people by building their sense of purpose. 

Over the years, Ryan has spoken to hundreds of thousands of individuals about adoption advocacy, foster care, race relations, and life choices.  On college campuses and in churches, at conferences and major events, his words of encouragement and application of biblical truth bring hope and healing to those who hear his story.  “We know that when people understand that they are deliberate creations with purpose, not just some random consequences of chaos, we have helped them either refocus or simply discover their potential to live meaningful lives,” says Ryan from his home base in Atlanta, Georgia. 

To promote his passion for encouraging mothers to consider adoption rather than abortion, Ryan launched ShouldHaveBeenAborted.com.  “The ‘unwanted child’ propaganda perpetuated by some groups obscures the beauty of adoption,” he says.  “I rely on something simple—my life story, a tangible example of an adopted child—someone who is living a life of meaning.  And because of my biological mother’s choice for life, I am able to share my heart with others.”

Ryan, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Messiah College in 1993, went on to receive a master’s degree in communications from Regent University.  His experience in communications and specialization in graphic design, radio, and film, serve him well as a creative professional and in his community endeavors.  This fall he is featured in a documentary “Life Happens” featuring well-known politicians, professional athletes, and musical recording artists.  The project is a positive exposition of lives spared from abortion who are impacting the world around them.  

While at Messiah, Ryan was an active participant, and leader in many on-campus and outreach programs, serving as the Student Activities Board Director, student senator, college radio station disc jockey/music director, vocalist in several musical groups, Special Olympics coordinator, Big Brother, and a member of Phi Omega Chi.  “Messiah provided an environment where I was challenged academically, relationally, theologically, politically and emotionally,” says Ryan.  “And I believe those I spent my time with changed me far more than I could’ve impacted them.”

Tshana (Guiswite) Jamara ’09

Contributed by Erin Kriner ’09

As a broadcasting major with an emphasis in production, Tshana Jamara ’09 took full advantage of her Philadelphia campus experience by landing an internship at the local ABC television affiliate, WPVI-TV, Channel 6. 

Working with the production staff, Jamara contributed to interviews, served as associate producer to several news magazine segments, and worked on annual television specials such as The Philadelphia Flower Show, the Philadelphia Car Show, and Best in Class. She also wrote several stories for local shows produced by the station and performed voice‐overs for commercials. 

On only her second day, Jamara went along with a co-worker to interview the legendary singer-songwriter Billy Joel for a special on The Electric Factory, a popular performance venue in Philadelphia. Jamara worked on different parts of the special throughout her internship. 

“Some of my most memorable experiences at WPVI‐TV include spending all day shooting B‐roll at the DuPont Mansion in Wilmington, Delaware, covering Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; and interviewing Billy Joel,” said Jamara.

In addition to her experience in the urban setting of Philadelphia, Jamara has also traveled to Honduras with the Messiah College Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research to film, edit, and produce a promotional video. For her senior honors project, Jamara created a short documentary featuring students from Messiah’s Collaboratory and their recent trip to Burkina Faso where students provided educational materials to schools and facilitated financial education for church workers in the village of Nindangou.

“I love the opportunities I have had as a student in the communication department at Messiah,” said Jamara, “especially my time in Philadelphia and my internship. I also appreciate the faculty in the communication department, and their genuine interest and care for their students.”

Currently, Jamara lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and is working on a promotional video for the Roswell Tree—an annual charity race that takes place every July in Roswell, Georgia. Jamara filmed the race and edited the video footage, which can be viewed on the organization’s Web site.

Rachel Moffett ’09

Every Tuesday afternoon Rachel Moffett ’09 boards a bus to work with inner-city youth at the Allison Hill Community Center in Harrisburg.  After four years of helping with homework, cleaning, serving meals, and lending a shoulder to cry on, this elementary education alum bids farewell to the individuals that have helped shape her life, broaden her horizons, and strengthen her fortitude. 

On this particular Tuesday, Moffett is eager to talk to Norberto, one of her favorite students, to see how his recuperation is going.  His family, struggling to make ends meet while also overcoming a language barrier, had a difficult time acquiring proper medical care for Norberto’s Lyme’s Disease, which paralyzed the left side of his face.  

Moffett says the work has enriched her life in ways she never imagined.  “I have been encouraged, challenged, and stretched.  I have cried, laughed, played, cleaned, and eaten a lot of amazing sweet potato pie!  I have critically questioned injustice with the kids, families, and staff members,” she said.

Moffett extends her outreach effort well beyond Central Pennsylvania.  Traveling to Nicaragua as a team member of Messiah’s Agape Center, she spent two weeks serving with Food for the Hungry, handing out health kits, and working with residents.  “I remember standing in a two-room hut with a mother younger than myself and her infant daughter,” recalls Moffett.  “As she shared with me her difficulties as an abandoned wife and as a scared and worried parent, I wept with her.  My eyes were opened to injustice and poverty in a new way.  I knew I would be forever be changed by that experience.”

Moffett cites Messiah’s commitment to service and learning through hands-on opportunities as the instruments that led to her spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth while in college and considers the “life changing and life defining experiences” as an integral part of her overall education.  “I am thankful for how much I have grown during the past four years and am continuing to grow as a person,” says Moffett. “I have realized that to serve and be a faithful follower of Christ, I don’t have to be perfect or even successful in others’ eyes.  Rather, I need to have an open mind and humble heart to grow and learn from others and challenge myself to do new things and get involved in ways that I never expected.”

Cameron Rutt ‘08

Lions and tigers and bears? How about leeches, leopards, and pit vipers? Collecting data from bird’s nests in Borneo, Southeast Asia comes with unexpected dangers and welcome rewards for this biology alum from Messiah College.

On daily treks through the Bornean jungle, a region known for its unparalled biodiversity, Cameron Rutt analyzes bird nests to capture data on avian lifespan, gestation periods, number of offspring, and more. His work, part of a National Science Foundation research project, is far from typical. From peeling dozens of leeches from his feet and ankles (and occasionally from his belly button), to sharing space with masses of cockroaches, and even sidestepping snakes tucked snugly in birds’ nests, Rutt finds himself in a world far removed from Grantham, yet one always close to his heart.

“Fieldwork does not go without its perils and hitches,” says Rutt. “I’ve encountered pit-vipers, skimmed by leopards and orangutans sleeping on riverside branches, and even had parasites from a nest infect my scalp.” Yet, according to Rutt, life on the world’s third largest island has its rewards: such as chasing down Bornean endemics (species found only in Borneo) like the Barbet, Blue Flycatcher, and Whitehead’s Spiderhunter. Even the unusual Rafflesias catches Rutt’s attention. The species is credited as having the largest individual weight of any flowering plant. “But the most interesting thing about the Rafflesias is that it smells like rotting flesh!” he exclaims.

My time at Messiah College helped me to cement my desire to intertwine birds and my vocation. Participating in biological travel courses, landing bird jobs during summers, and garnering an intellectual background in the science were all critical in helping to prepare me for this experience. The foundation that my biology training at Messiah provided was fundamental in achieving this end.

– Cameron Rutt

Scott Hoeckele ′

Welcome to the world of a transfer student. Unlike traditional first-year students, transfers come to Messiah College with at least a year of college experience under their belts.  They have an inkling of what to expect.  Yet, they’re not like sophomores either.  Transfers don’t know anyone, haven’t established themselves in clubs and student organizations, and are unfamiliar with the territory.  “It’s like being new and not new at the same time,” says Scott Hoeckele ‘11, a pre-med transfer student who gave up a free ride at a college closer to home to get into Messiah’s highly regarded science program (see sidebar).

Messiah College, recognizing these unique challenges, offers support through personalized events and programs that ensure a transfer student’s transition is successful.  Here, Hoeckele cites just three of the many ways Messiah supported his transition.

Creating a plan. First, while enrolled at another college, Hoeckele used Messiah’s online course catalog to map out the general education courses he knew would transfer.  “With careful planning and with ongoing guidance from Messiah’s Registrar’s office, all except one of my classes transferred over and that one was pretty minor,” he says.

Making connections. Secondly, says Hoeckele, transfer students are grouped together during Welcome Week, with activities created especially with them in mind.  A transfer student picnic, a small group led by a junior or senior transfer student, and participation in a campus-wide service project are just a few ways new students make friends and become acclimated.  Transfer students also attend a personalized orientation program in the fall and spring.

Living in community. Lastly, Messiah’s transfer students bunk together in the dorm, which strengthens their bond and facilitates familiarity.  So much so, that when the time came to request roommates for the following year, Hoeckele chose a transfer student he met the previous year.  “Many of us have become pretty good friends,” he said.

Academically, Hoeckele finds Messiah’s biochemistry major more than meets his expectations.  “The program is compelling and competitive.  I’ve got excellent relationships with my professors and, as a sophomore; I’m already participating in a research project.”  This summer, Hoeckele is serving as a research assistant to associate professor of chemistry Anne Reeve.  The team is developing a chemical synthesis of a compound called aspernigrin A that is a potential treatment for colon cancer.  Reeve, Hoeckele, and the rest of the research team will present their findings to the School of Health and Natural Sciences this spring.

Emily Rainville ′04 
English Literature major
Currently residing in South Asia

Study abroad experiences in West Africa and France shaped this student’s view of the world and convicted her about the investment she could make in the lives of those outside her immediate circle of influence.

Today, Emily Rainville’s circle includes not only colleagues at International Justice Mission (IJM) in south Asia, but also potentially thousands of young women victimized by slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. Last September, after two-and-one-half years working at the IJM headquarters in Washington D.C., Rainville deployed to South Asia for a one-year assignment in an office dedicated to eradicating commercial sexual exploitation. “Sex trafficking is one of the most brutal forms of modern-day slavery one can imagine,” says Rainville from her office in a bustling metropolitan city in South Asia. “We work to rescue trafficking victims and to transform our community so that more young women and girls are not subjected to this unthinkable abuse.”  

UNICEF estimates that there are nearly two million children exploited in the commercial sex trade worldwide. IJM lawyers, investigators, and other professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators, and to promote functioning public justice systems.

“Our work is important to me in countless ways,” says Rainville, a member of  the national English honors society, Sigma Tau Delta. “I love being part of a work that is taking seriously God’s call to transform our world — and that allows us to see Him work in unbelievable ways when we step out in faith to take on dangerous and complex challenges.”

Rainville demonstrates her commitment to IJM and God’s calling for her life by taking on whatever roles she can that will contribute to the team’s objectives—this time through administrative support in the finance department. “Our investigators put their lives at risk daily when working undercover; our lawyers work relentlessly to push cases through a terribly bogged down court system; and our social workers face hostility all day,” she says. “Throughout all of my assignments here, I’ve been granted the deep satisfaction of seeing how my support enables the team to do the work of justice that God has called us to.”

Gearing Up

So when Blossey faced a season of bench time as the team’s back-up goalie, he committed himself to following Stockdale’s example, remaining relentlessly positive. “Like Stockdale, I never doubted that I would earn a spot as a starter,” says Blossey.  “I worked hard every single day toward achieving that goal, knowing that I was doing it not just for myself but for the team.”

And it’s not just talk for Blossey, who sees the rewards of turning difficult events into inspiring displays of brotherhood, toughness, and positive attitude, just like Stockdale. “During a long practice, we take it as a personal challenge to stop focusing on how much we hurt physically, and instead yell out encouragement to the rest of the team. Or when we play teams who foul, curse, and spit on us, we take it as a challenge to give everyone watching a display of strong, classy Christian athletes,” he says.

Getting it Done

And then came the defining moment for Blossey. A times-up, 1-1 draw against Stevens Institute of Technology during the 2008 NCAA Division III men’s soccer national championships and head coach Dave Brandt calls Blossey to his post. “He’s a great shot stopper,” says Brandt.  “We felt if we went to PKs [penalty kicks] today, we were going with Blossey.”

“I knew what I had to do,” recalls Blossey.  Inspiring one of the most dramatic game endings in Messiah College soccer history, Blossey thwarted three straight penalty kick efforts by Stevens, earning him the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor, and solidifying yet another national championship for Messiah’s men’s soccer team.

Says Blossey of his achievements, “Controlling your attitude frees you from being at the mercy of whatever your current circumstance is. I find that to be truly amazing.”

Jess Unick ′04
Exercise Science major
Rockaway, NJ

Research design and development, presenting at conventions, and publishing in national journals, gave Jessica Unick, a 2004 exercise science alumna, a distinct advantage when applying for graduate school and beyond.

While at Messiah, Unick’s talent was unmistakable to associate professor of health and exercise physiology professor Scott Kieffer. As with many faculty/student relationships at Messiah College, Kieffer became Unick’s mentor, encouraging her to dig deeper by participating in a host of research studies, presenting her work at state conventions, and submitting her studies for publication. The Acute Effects of Static and Ballistic Stretching on Vertical Jump Performance in Trained Women, by Unick, Kieffer, and Wendy Cheesman, senior lecturer of health and human performance, was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, February 2005.

Unick’s work caught the eye of a professor at Appalachian State University who helped her to secure a graduate assistantship to do research and teach a few classes. While at ASU, Unick realized the value her undergraduate research. “I felt prepared in every aspect of the research process and seemed to be ahead of the game as compared to other students who did not have prior research experience,” says Unick. “That turned out to be another great learning experience and gave me more confidence as I continued to pursue my degree.” Currently, Unick is finishing a Ph.D. in exercise physiology at the University of Pittsburgh, and plans to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University in the fall, 2009-one of the leading centers on obesity research in the country, if not the world. 

While at Brown University, Unick will research behavioral treatment of obesity and the prevention of weight regain following weight loss. With her, she takes a love for learning and a commitment to continuing the mentoring relationships that inspired her at Messiah College.

“Without Dr. Kieffer’s support, I probably would have never gotten into the field that I am in today,” says Unick. “When a student has a passion for something and a professor takes the time to invest in you, it can be a great learning experience and it can significantly impact your life.”

Lawrence A. Q. Burnley, M.Div., Ph.D.

Extending education beyond the classroom helps faculty members like Lawrence Burnley develop students’ appreciation for cultural traditions significantly different from their own, including contemporary and historical tensions and contradictions.

During a recent, three-week cross-cultural experience in South Africa, Burnley and Kate Quimby, senior lecturer in Humanities, led 11 Messiah College students through an examination of the emergence of apartheid, the role the Church played in supporting and then dismantling apartheid, and the effectiveness of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).  The group traveled as members of Messiah’s Racial Ethnic and Reconciliation Immersion Program (RECRIP), in partnership with Cornerstone Christian College, and the Religion and Theology Department at the University of the Western Cape.

RECRIP, created by Burnley and Quimby, asserts that in order for a Christian to be effectively engaged in the ministry of racial reconciliation he or she needs to critically examine the contradictory role the Church has played in supporting and opposing racial ideology.  The South African journey allowed students to do just that.

“It is critical that students examine how the church’s role in social, economic, and political dynamics have contributed to the impoverished conditions in South Africa and at home,” says Burnley, the associate dean for multicultural programs and special assistant to the provost for diversity affairs at Messiah. “Only through such examination can students develop a critical understanding of the realities of poverty, discrimination, and ultimately reconciliation.”

“We could see the students transform right before our eyes,” says Burnley.  “At first they seemed awestruck by the intensity of what we witnessed-mothers forgiving murderers, prisoners extending grace to guards, survivors of massacres seeking peace, churches reconciling guilt. Then, students become more engaged, and the nature of their conversations became more sophisticated in terms of their depth of understanding of reconciliation.”

One of the most memorable and poignant moments on the trip—a tour of the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum in Soweto—paired Burnley, Quimby, and students with a survivor of the massacre that killed 572 protesting students in 1976.  Says Burnley, “We were profoundly touched that this man, who had never stepped foot inside the museum until that day, did so to honor our visit.”

Later, the Messiah contingency met with the South African Council of Churches, the South African Human Rights Commission, and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation. They then visited Stellenbosch University-where the theological foundation of apartheid was engineered. The group was so well received that Burnley was invited to share his views on 180 degrees, a national morning television show similar to NBC’s Today Show.

Perhaps no one is more suited to define reconciliation than Burnley, who has dedicated his life to unfolding the critical and dramatic implications of what has been described as the “costly discipleship.”

“It’s a journey that begins as a response to God’s love,” says Burnely, “where those involved seek to create healing and wholeness where incredible pain and brokenness prevail.  Where individuals must be willing to speak truth, candidly, in love, realizing that engaging in that kind of journey can be very painful but also very liberating.”

Paul Cohen ′09 

A gifted performer and composer, Paul Cohen ‘09 uses his musical talent to delight and faithfully inspire audiences from Grantham, Pennsylvania, to Rome, Italy.  

Cohen, whose main concentration is piano, has been involved with numerous musical ensembles at Messiah, including Jazz Singers, Concert Choir, Symphonic Winds, and New Light (Messiah’s traveling summer music ministry team).  Yet nothing could have excited him more than an opportunity to serve as pit director for Messiah’s spring theatre production, The Spitfire Grill-a touching story of love, hope, and reconciliation noted for its soaring melodies and uplifting spirit.  Traditionally, the pit director role is filled by one of Messiah’s talented faculty members, such as Tim Dixon, director of Orchestral Activities.  But when Dixon went on sabbatical, music and theatre department faculty approached Cohen, knowing he was up for the challenge. 

 ”Even as a student, I’ve had many opportunities to gain professional experience here at Messiah,” says Cohen.  “And working as an accompanist for Messiah’s production of Godspell last year, as well as the classes and ensembles I’ve been a part of here, really helped prepare me to take on the pit director’s job.”

One of Cohen’s most memorable college memories was his semester spent at the Contemporary Music Center (CMC) in Martha’s Vineyard, a program where students from Christian colleges across the country get hands-on experience working in the music industry.  At the CMC, Cohen learned about the ins-and-outs of the music business as he managed and promoted other students as performing artists, produced concerts, and recorded in the studio. He even got to do some performing himself.  “When I visited Messiah as a senior in high school and learned about the CMC program, I knew I had to come here,” said Cohen.  “It was an incredible experience.”

 -Contributed by Melissa Paolangeli  ‘09

Lacey Ward ′09

Throughout the 2009 academic year, Lacey Ward hit the streets and the books as both a student at Messiah’s Philadelphia Campus [MCPC] and a teacher’s assistant at William Penn High School, ultimately earning her the right to stand among Philadelphia’s finest young educators.  Now, as she prepares for her greatest challenge—the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows program—Ward looks back to what got her started on this unexpected journey.

“I grew up in a very small town and never imagined I’d live and work in a big city,” says Ward. “Then, in my sophomore year at Messiah’s Grantham campus, a friend suggested the Philadelphia Campus [at Temple University]. From what I had heard, it was a wonderful program and offered many diverse opportunities to work in the city. I decided to go for the fall semester of my junior year, with no intention of staying longer.  Next thing I know, I’m carrying at full course load at MCPC, and working 24 hours a week as an English tutor at the high school—falling in love with teaching, the students, and the city.”

Teaching in the inner city is a lot more than ABCs and 123’s, as Ward quickly learned.  “Many of the students are from struggling families, many lack motivation,” she says. “I try to react with understanding of each student’s particular situation and work toward finding a solution rather than simply assuming there is none.”

The assignment, spanning nine months, was no easy task, says Ward, and could have taken an emotional and physical toll if not for the continual encouragement she received from faculty and staff at MCPC.  “I never would have made it without the incredible support I received from MCPC staff. They talked me through major decisions and gave me direction.  While it was an extremely rigorous and sometimes stressful time, I loved it.”

Now, as Ward prepares to enter the coveted Philadelphia Teaching Fellows program—which recruits outstanding professionals and recent graduates to teach in critical need areas such as special education, mathematics, physics, and chemistry—she is determined to succeed.

“My experience at William Penn has made me proud of my career choice,” she says. “My interactions with those students were the stepping stones into the teaching fellowship. Without that experience, I don’t know that I would feel as directed with my life as I do now.”

Amanda McMillan ′08

Amanda McMillan ‘08 is on a crusade for conservation. In just her first two months on the job as the executive assistant to the president of a worldwide Christian environmental protection organization, McMillan travelled from New York City, to Barcelona, and then back to the company’s operation in southern France. The team’s next destination could be within any one of the 18 countries A Rocha serves. But the late nights and red-eye flights won’t break their unyielding commitment to raising awareness of the need for an international environmental movement that recognizes God as Creator.

A Rocha, or “the rock” in Portuguese, is a Christian nature conservation organization promoting stewardship based on Biblical principles. The organization keeps its message simple: First, God made the world and entrusted it to the care of human beings. Second, the way to achieve lasting conservation of God’s natural world is to build positive, sustainable relationships in local communities; and to conduct research by drawing on the insights and skills of people from diverse cultures.

McMillan’s role is to support A Rocha’s efforts in the Vallee’ des Baux region of Southern France by building relationships locally and internationally either through speaking engagements, fundraising events, managing volunteers, overseeing communications, and even assisting scientific teams in the field. “I also join researchers in their study of local agricultural methods,” she says.

“I am so excited about this position and being able to contribute my time and skills towards an organization that reflects the gospel and my vocational calling,” says McMillan, an honors program student who majored in politics and environmental studies at Messiah. “I am passionate about reconciling people with creation and with their Creator.”

Ryan Witmer ′09
Environmental Studies major
Hometown:  Wooster, Ohio

Planting gardens in abandoned lots strewn among Philadelphia’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods is more than a beautification project. To Ryan Witmer ‘09, and others studying at Messiah College’s Philadelphia campus (MCPC), the ongoing service project is an effective way of combating gang warfare, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, in addition to supporting ecological sustainability among the historic city’s 30,000+ vacant lots.

Urban greening projects provide a variety of economic, environmental, health-related, and social benefits, according to Witmer, an environmental studies major who serves with Urban Tree Connection (UTC)-a community development organization that transforms Philadelphia’s vacant lots into parks or gardens. Abandoned spaces, once home to drug traffickers and gangs, are revitalized by local homeowners, students, and other volunteers-resulting in safe and functional places that promote positive human interaction.

Witmer says the transformations also allow neighborhoods to overcome ‘urban food insecurities,’ or limited access to necessary nutrients. UTC’s gardens not only beautify neglected areas of this historic city, but also provide affordable, healthy alternatives to the prepackaged, artificially produced foods Witmer claims rob residents of healthy lives. “Many urban poor cannot afford fresh produce,” he says. “So the alternative is fast food chains or prepackaged meals, processed at an artificially low cost, which contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The nutritional dilemma has become so widespread that it has on occasion been termed the ’silent epidemic.’”

In 2008, 39 MCPC students, including Ryan, helped to manage 14 inner-city gardens—that’s 100,706 square feet of fresh fruits and vegetables for more than 4,200 Philadelphia children. The organization is currently researching the impact of improved diets on those families.

As an MCPC student, Witmer has been afforded many opportunities to explore his vocation in an urban context-including urban farming. “Temple offers classes you can’t get at the Grantham campus, and vice versa, which is great because it allowed me to expand my interests in all sorts of ways.”

Although the two campuses vary greatly, Witmer says one thing remains the same. “The student-professor relationship at Messiah is phenomenal. If the student reaches out to a professor for any reason-academic, personal, spiritual-the professor will respond willingly, with care.”

Richard Hughes
Distinguished professor of religion and senior fellow, Ernest L. Boyer Center
Messiah College

Is America a Christian nation? Not likely, according to Richard Hughes, distinguished professor of religion and senior fellow of the Ernest L. Boyer Center at Messiah College. Listen to excerpts of Hughes’ new book, “Christian America and the Kingdom of God,“ to draw your own conclusions. 

Early reactions to Richard Hughes’ new book, Christian America and the Kingdom of God (University of Illinois Press, summer 2009) may well ignite a blaze of scrutiny from scholars, fundamentalists, and even some more liberal-thinking Christians, which is exactly what Hughes expects, and why he teaches at Messiah College—a place where discourse and constructive debate reflect the College’s commitment to the unrestrained exploration of ideas.

“Christian colleges and universities are a richly diverse group, yet there is no college anywhere in America like Messiah College,” shares Hughes, whose welcome of dissenting voices seem to symbolize his—and the College’s—passion for intellectual conversation.

“I expect that there will be people upset by my conclusions, maybe even some on campus,” he says. “But the beauty of Messiah is that we recognize and embrace how fractured we are-we have so many different perspectives, yet we are all rooted in a common commitment to the Christian faith on the one hand, and a common commitment to the life of the mind, on the other.”

In the book, Hughes, a distinguished professor of religion and senior fellow at the Ernest L. Boyer Center who has written 16 other books, asserts that the notion of a “Christian America” by Biblical standards undermines both the integrity of Christian faith and of our nation. Hughes presented his work at this year’s Spring Humanities Symposium, “Faith in the Public Square,” and drew heightened if not highly charged responses from audience members during the public, yet productive, discourse that followed.

Christian American and the Kingdom of God, has been applauded nationally by authors, scholars, and columnists who find the work courageous, persuasive, and vigorously penetrating. Endorsements include “meticulously researched, brilliantly reasoned, and carefully written,” to “may well be the best book ever written about American civil religion and our peculiar penchant for fashioning a god in Uncle Sam’s image.”

Hughes, who holds a doctorate in the history of Christianity from the University of Iowa, teaches Created and Called for Community, and Religion in the United States at Messiah. In addition, he and his wife Jan team-teach a first-year seminar on Learning to Tell our Stories. Hughes also serves as a senior fellow at the Boyer Center—which seeks to enrich American education and society by modeling the work of Ernest L. Boyer.

(See what best-selling author Brain McLaren of the Washington Post has to say about Hughes’ book.)

Becca Knight ’03
Majored in Sociology
Director of Home Repair Ministries
Appalachia Service Project, Inc. (ASP)
Johnson City, Tennessee 

The national housing crisis has been in the news lately but housing problems are not new to Appalachia (pop. 20 million)—one of the poorest, most isolated regions of the United States. Yet, as the economic downturn deepens and the number of troubled families continues to rise, there are those who plan to not only meet the need, but to double their efforts.  Becca Knight ’03 is among them.

As the newly appointed Director of Home Repair Ministries for Appalachia Service Project, Inc. (ASP)—a nonprofit organization that provides home repair services for low-income families in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky—Knight is working to increase the number of families her organization serves from 500 to 1,000—a courageous ambition considering the nonprofit’s operating resources continue to dwindle.

“ASP aspires to be the leader in eradicating substandard housing in Appalachia,” claims the confident Knight. “Despite decreases in charitable donations and budget cuts, we hope to double the number of families we serve in the next five years by doubling our volunteers from 15,000 to 30,000.”

Knight derives her bold confidence and unyielding energy from living and working among the people she serves. “In 2000, I helped build a home addition for a young family of four in southwest Virginia,” she recalls. “They had been living in a three-room house, all sharing one bedroom, and had no indoor plumbing. Social Services had been threatening to take the children away. Our work enabled the family to remain together—in a dry, safe, warm home. It was one of the greatest joys of my life.”

Knight’s experience at ASP is a natural extension of her earlier life at Messiah College. Active in the Agape Center for Service and Learning, Knight, who has since earned a master’s in nonprofit management, led programs to combat hunger and homelessness, which allowed her to gain experience in managing and organizing people who serve.  “I believe that affordable, safe, sanitary housing is a basic human right. ASP’s goal is to address housing needs in Central Appalachia while transforming the lives of volunteers, staff, and the families we serve.”

To learn more about Appalachia Service Project, visit www.ASPhome.org.

Paul Gustafson ’09
Engineering major
Chester, Vermont

“Whatever your plans are for the summer, cancel them. I’ve got the best job for you that you’ll ever have.” Those immortal words—etched indelibly in Paul Gustafson’s memory—led to a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this Messiah engineering major and honors program participant.

At the time, Gustafson ’09, was trying to land a summer internship at NASA. When time passed without an offer, he figured “God knew something better was coming my way.”

So when Don Pratt, Messiah College professor of engineering, invited Gustafson to join him on the PBS award-winning show “Design Squad” in Boston for the entire summer of 2008, Gustafson knew God had been faithful, and eagerly packed his bags for the new adventure.

“I chose engineering because God blessed me with a technological/math- oriented mind and here was an opportunity to use that gift and enjoy myself at the same time.” 

“Design Squad”, viewed by more than one million teens each week, guides two groups of high school contestants as they design, build, test, and present products for a real-life client, while keeping their eyes on the grand prize—a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Intel Foundation.  Gustafson joined Professor Pratt and fellow engineering student Emily Howell ’10 in designing ten engineering challenges for the cast of high school students. “We prepared for each challenge several weeks before filming for that episode started, and then we built prototypes or mockups to see how feasible they were.”

The exact details of the technical challenges designed by Messiah’s team remain a secret, only to be disclosed during episodes scheduled to air in late summer 2009.  Pratt, however, says the projects involve a Jamaican dog sled team, hurricane relief work, and wheelchair rugby—areas requiring both relevant and creative engineering (link here for an insider’s view of the team’s work on the program).

Gustafson, a student homeschooled through the twelfth grade, says the “Design Squad” experience opened new doors for him. “My experience with ‘Design Squad’ will be helpful on my résumé since I learned a lot about the process of engineering, from recognizing a need all the way through the repeated overhauls at the end to make sure everything works.”  And of his hopes for the millions of “Design Squad “viewers:  “Kids will see that engineering isn’t just for geniuses!”

Scott A. Heintzelman, ′89
Partner, McKonly & Asbury, CPA, CMA, CFE

For the unstoppable Scott Heintzelman, success is a journey, not a destination. At 42, this self-directed, self-proclaimed “exuberant accountant” holds a list of noteworthy achievements that reads like a who’s who of Pennsylvania movers-n-shakers, yet he’s only just begun to live a life of significance.

A 1989 graduate of Messiah College’s nationally ranked accounting program, Heintzelman quickly advanced through the ranks at McKonly & Asbury, LLP—a regional consulting and accounting firm consistently recognized as a “best place to work in Pennsylvania” and also as one of the “top 50 accounting firms in the nation to work for” according to Best Companies Group and Accounting Today, 2008.

Promoted from accountant to partner at age 32 (the average age of a partner in U.S. accounting firms is 55), Heintzelman focuses his professional practice on two areas—consulting with and serving family-owned businesses, and leading the firm’s forensic accounting and fraud prevention team. One of his fondest passions, however, is speaking to businesses and groups about performance and the importance of shared language among employees. “I love to share what I’ve learned about employee engagement with business leaders,” he says. “At McKonly & Asbury, we’ve broken traditional views that all employees are the same. Instead, we encourage managers to get to know each employee’s individual strengths so that tasks are aligned with talents.”

What’s next for the “hard-wired” accountant who grew up beating everybody at Monopoly? “I’ve achieved more than I ever dreamed,” says Heintzelman, a 2001 recipient of the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal’s “Forty under 40” award. “The challenge now is to determine what impact God wants me to have on kingdom building. That’s how I transition my success into significance.”

Leaving a lasting impression of God’s love is important to Heintzelman who feels the accolades and achievements of his career are merely a manifestation of his obedience to the Lord, citing the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:5. “Blessed are the meek is misunderstood,” he explains. “It’s actually translated ‘blessed are the easily directed by the master.’ As Christians, it is our responsibility to place ourselves in positions where we can be used by God to further His kingdom.”

Heintzelman’s commitment to servant leadership within his community and leading a life of significance is unmistakable. He currently serves on a variety of public and private sector boards including the Messiah College Board of Trustees, Central Pennsylvania M&T Bank Advisory Board, Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Military Liaison Committee, The Second Mile—a youth mentoring organization, and the Naaman Center—a faith-based drug and alcohol treatment center. Married, a father of three, and an active church member, Heintzelman keeps pace with the demands of a rigorous lifestyle by keeping fit, remaining faithful, and sticking to a routine. “I’m up at 4:30 a.m. every day for a morning workout,” he says. “The exercise keeps my head clear so I’m able to focus on the day ahead.” 

Read Scott Heintzelman’s blog, The Exuberant Accountant, here.

Chris Book ’78
Religion major
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Chris Book ’78 views his years at Messiah College as the formative years that confirmed God’s call to a life of Christian service. Now executive director of Paxton Ministries in Harrisburg, Book and his wife Marlys have a goal of continuing in service that makes a direct impact in improving the quality of life for people in a way that honors God.

Service is nothing new to Book, who spent the first fourteen years of his life in Zimbabwe where his parents served with BIC world missions. At Messiah he studied religion and also completed a Bible minor. After graduation, he and Marlys spent three years in Zambia, serving at the Sikalongo Bible Institute.

Book has served the past twenty years at Paxton Ministries, which operates two homes—Paxton Street Home and Hudson Street Apartments— dedicated to serving low income and disadvantaged adults challenged with social, mental, or emotional needs. “Here people are given dignity and hope. I believe that what is occurring at Paxton Ministries gladdens God’s heart, and I am privileged to be part of this ministry.”

In recognition of his heart for others and lifelong commitment to serving God, Book received the 2008 Alumni Christian Service award. The award is given to admirable alumni who dedicate their lives to serving God at home and abroad.

–Contributed by Melissa Paolangeli ’09 

Do you know a Messiah College alum making a difference in the world?  Nominate him/her for an Alumni Christian Service award or simply share their story at  http://www.messiah.edu/offices/alumni/events/awards/nominate.html

It’s game time at Messiah College. Soccer fans eagerly seek bleacher seats in anticipation of what most believe will be game of the century-the NCAA tournament’s Final Four. Shoemaker Field, home to the College’s six-time national soccer champions, abounds with nervous anticipation … and the alluring smell of the infamous, grilled “cheesy dogs.”

Ten years ago Patrick Wolfkill ′89, Todd Suessmuth ′90, Troy Suessmuth ′93, and Sandy Bush, director of athletic training, began coordinating tailgate parties at Messiah men’s soccer games, seeing it as an opportunity to fellowship with friends and alumni. Since then, the effort-funded solely by its coordinators and individual contributions-has expanded to include parents of players, providing an opportunity for moms and dads to experience the deep, committed relationships formed by team members and alumni.   

Patrick, Todd, and Troy see tailgating as not only a celebration of Messiah College’s outstanding soccer program, but as a ministry. “The tailgating helps different generations of players and their families connect on a personal level. It was the spirit of giving shown to me while I attended Messiah that I wanted to pass on,” says Todd, the all-time leading scorer for Messiah’s men’s soccer team and an All-American player.

And the food’s not bad either. Who can resist the smell of sizzling cheese dogs and hamburgers on a brisk autumn afternoon? Not many, according to Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Jay McClymont ‘92, who is grateful for the support of alumni and the traditions they create and preserve. “Todd, Patrick, Troy, and Sandy are great role models for our students and alumni. They have found a way to give their time and resources to serve the Messiah College community in an area of life (soccer) that they love.”

Since 2006, Patrick and Todd have expanded their outreach to include Messiah soccer fans around the globe by providing game commentary, simulcast live via the College’s student-run radio station WVMM, 90.7 FM. “The most important thing we do as radio announcers is keep the Messiah fans, parents, and alumni connected to the team when they are unable to visit Shoemaker Field. We talk about the vision of the program and how these young men are playing for something bigger than themselves,” says Patrick, who played three years of junior varsity soccer for the College.

Todd enjoys announcing as well. “Many families make sacrifices to send their sons and daughters to Messiah,” he says. “We help to serve by bringing their son’s soccer experience to them and their extended families.”

LINK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS FOR MESSIAH BUSINESS ALUMNI.
The purpose of the Messiah Business Alumni Association is to foster increased interaction and stronger relationships between Messiah’s business alumni; to serve as a resource for current business students within the same field of study; to act as an advocate for the Management & Business Department; and to develop business relationships with individuals representing public, private, and not-for-profit organizations.

Steve Sylvester ’09

Steve Sylvester might be a self-proclaimed “nerd” but to most who know him, including the Department of Defense (DoD), that’s a good thing.   

 Sylvester, a lifelong gamer who enjoys making costumes of video game characters to wear at conventions, has a natural affinity for software development, animation, and computer programming—the latter catching the attention of Sycamore.US, Inc.—a federal contractor for the United States government specializing in network security and satellite technology.  Six months prior to graduation from Messiah College, Sycamore.US offered Sylvester a software engineering position in their Frederick, Maryland facility—a position requiring approval from the DoD.

“I need high-level security clearance for the job,” says Sylvester. “So as we speak, the CIA is contacting my friends and neighbors to check me out.” Sylvester, a business information systems major and recipient of a Messiah College Provost Scholarship, isn’t worried. His life is an open book. “I’m pretty much known on campus as a nerd,” he jokes. “But I see myself as a bridge between those who sit in their rooms all day and play video games, and those who have a semblance of a social life.”

Sylvester has found a home here at Messiah College, participating in Dance Dance Revolution competitions, serving as a member of the Anime’ club—a group of about 30 Messiah students who enjoy Japanese culture and cutting-edge, creative animation—and taking part in gaming and web design social networks. “I’m a jack-of-all-trades,” says Sylvester, who, as a two-year member of the highly competitive Messiah College Concert Choir, toured the Czech Republic and Austria. “Even my degree is versatile, which is why I chose business information systems.”

According to Sylvester, Messiah’s BIS degree integrates a technically-inclined computer science curriculum with management and business courses, providing students with a wide range of skills and better preparing them for the job market. “I wanted something versatile that would apply to several different fields,” says Sylvester. “And I’m really glad I chose Messiah. The College allows me to maintain my adulthood and my freedom, but still provides the structure and shared values we all need.” He adds, “It’s a nice feeling to know I’m graduating in May and already have a great job.”