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New Life Found in Mourning, Mandy Ogunnowo’s Story

 

Some people think that a life lived on mission for Christ must involve travelling to distant countries to serve as a missionary. However, for Mandy Ogunnowo, a 2008 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University, a life of missional living simply means being flexible and open to God’s calling to serve the people around her each and every day to make a difference in her community.

After becoming a Christian at age sixteen, Ogunnowo found herself living a rather lukewarm Christian life; she merely went through the motions of her faith without seeing it make a substantial difference in who she was. She tended to keep her life compartmentalized, with her work life, social life, and spiritual life rarely overlapping. The Lord opened the eyes of her heart in the fall of 2015 after witnessing the final months of a close friend’s father’s life. Deeply saddened by Jerry’s death, Ogunnowo returned to her hometown of Lawrence, Kansas for the memorial service, and there she saw something extraordinary. While the family was deeply grieving for their loved one, Ogunnowo witnessed the strength and courage that the Gospel gave them as they celebrated Jerry’s life with joy and hope. Hearing Jerry’s family boldly share their hope in Jesus, even in their time of mourning, deeply touched Ogunnowo’s heart, and the Lord used the experience to reignite a passion for following Him with her whole heart, soul, mind and strength.

Since then, Ogunnowo has become a powerful force of change in her community. Through her job as an IT consultant for the Secretary of State in Indianapolis, Indiana, she is able to interact with many people in both the public and private sector. She freely shares her faith with those around her and is always prepared to give a reason for the hope within her. Additionally, Ogunnowo is a member of Nehemiah Bible Church and serves as the Program Manager in the Church’s outreach ministry called Kids Church – a VBS style, Saturday service committed to proclaiming the Gospel to the community’s marginalized neighborhood youth and their families. This includes hundreds of children who attend the service throughout the year. She no longer views her faith and the other aspects of her life as being separate; rather, she tries to achieve excellence in her career as part of her ministry of glorifying God.

As Ogunnowo’s heart continues to be drawn closer to the Lord every day, she plans to move into a community house and disciple young women who are transitioning into adulthood. Ogunnowo continues to follow God’s Spirit wherever He leads her as she continues to be a shining light in her workplace and in her community.


Written by Emily Bays

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Alumni Award Descriptions and Criteria

Indiana Wesleyan University is graced with thousands of alumni who are changing the world for the glory of Jesus Christ.  The following array of awards expands the Alumni Association’s recognition of achievement in a way that intentionally honors alumni from each of the three University’s academic units.  Doing so encourages broader alumni engagement and showcases the breadth of impact Indiana Wesleyan University alumni are having on the world.

Award Categories

Distinguished “World Changer” Alumni Award

This is the pinnacle alumni award granted to an alumnus or alumna who has lived a life in submission and service to Christ and has exhibited a contagious passion for world change that permeates every part of their life as they shine light in this lost and broken world. They demonstrate an exceptional level of excellence in serving his or her profession, community, church, or alma mater in the spirit of Jesus Christ. The life of this individual serves as an inspiration for future generations.

The recipient would speak or be interviewed at the Homecoming Banquet and, possibly, Homecoming Chapel.  He or she will also be recognized at halftime of the Homecoming football game, on the Alumni World Changer Wall in the rotunda of Jackson Library, at www.indwes.edu, and in Triangle Magazine.

Distinguished Alumni Award – Marion Campus

The nominated individual for this award is an alumnus or alumna from the Indiana Wesleyan University’s home campus in Marion, IN.  He or she exhibits excellence in serving their profession, community, church, or alma mater in the spirit of Jesus Christ. This individual has continued to live out the mission of the university in his or her life in the years following graduation from the university. He or she will be recognized at the Homecoming Banquet, halftime of the Homecoming football game, at www.indwes.edu, and in Triangle Magazine.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award – Marion Campus

This award will be granted to an alumnus or alumna who graduated within the last 10 years from the university’s home campus located in Marion, Indiana and also meet all other criteria set above for the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Distinguished Wesley Seminary Alumni Award

This award will be granted to an alumnus or alumna of the Wesley Seminary who has lived out the call God has placed on their lives in serving his or her profession, community, church, or alma mater in the spirit of Jesus Christ.  This individual exhibits excellence in his or her pursuit of faith in action for the sake of seeing the lost get found. He or she will be recognized at the Homecoming Banquet, halftime of the Homecoming football game, at www.indwes.edu, and in Triangle Magazine.

To ensure we are nominating and selecting alumni from the appropriate areas of study for each award, we have included the various programs within The Wesley Seminary:

–           Master of Divinity

–           Master of Arts

–           Doctor of Ministry

–           Master of Practical Theology

Distinguished Alumni Award – National & Global

This award will be granted to an alumnus or alumna of the Online, Adult and/or Graduate College who has dedicated themselves to shine brighter in the workplace, community and home by the spirit of Jesus Christ.  He or she will be recognized at the Homecoming Banquet, at www.indwes.edu, and in Triangle Magazine.

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Two Degrees, One University: Jon-Marc Ream

By: Dezaray Barr

 

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Jon-Marc Ream has obtained two bachelor’s degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) but in two different years.

Jon-Marc Ream and his twin brother, Grant

 

He received his first bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science in 2014 and his second in 2016 in Nursing.

“I first was introduced to Indiana Wesleyan by my twin brother, Grant, who also attended IWU,” Ream said. “Shortly after, I was recruited for the baseball team, but unfortunately was not able to keep playing due to injuries in high school. I stayed at IWU and still believe God brought me there.”

 

As a student, Ream loved being on campus, and he loved developing friendships with fellow Wildcats.

“I still hold many friendships to this day, and was able to meet an amazing woman whom I will share the rest of my life with,” he said.

Ream met his wife, Chloe, while attending IWU. Fun fact: Chloe is also a twin, and her twin also attended IWU!

Ream and his wife, Chloe

Before attending IWU, Ream didn’t have an intimate relationship with God.

Through friends, professors, and other relationships, he was encouraged to learn more about the Lord.

“Most importantly, I was able to see a God who was not judgmental, but loving and positive,” Ream said. “I would not be who I am without the relationships I gained at IWU. I’m very grateful.”

He is now an operating room nurse in Elkhart, Indiana.

Ream believes that IWU helped lay a foundation for him to be a light in a dark world.

“Especially in healthcare, I run into patients and families that are in a very sad place,” Ream said. “I have been given opportunities to show some goodness in the dark places.”

As  nurse, Ream is able to pray for patients when needed, share hope for families when they have none, and he ultimately can be kind to some who feel as if they have lost everything.

It’s true that Ream earned two degrees at IWU, but he left with so much more. He left with a wife, an education, and, most importantly, a newfound, intimate relationship with the creator of the universe.

 

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the IWU Alumni Office. Dezaray is a senior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

 

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2019 Chorale and Wind Ensemble Spring Break Tours

Every year Indiana Wesleyan University’s Chorale and Wind Ensemble each take an extended tour during the University’s Spring Semester. While both ministry groups spend several weekends every semester touring different parts of the Midwest, the Spring Break tour is a time when they travel across the nation. With past tours locations being Florida, California and New York, there is always great focus on the second semester to prepare for this week-long tour. “The students are the highlight of these groups. I am always amazed by the humility in Christ they exhibit while also demonstrating their exceptional talents,” says Krista Brown, who will be traveling with the group to Florida, this year.

The Chorale is spending their tour on the east coast going all the way down to Florida. They leave early Saturday morning, March 2nd, to arrive in time for their first concert at Brooksville Wesleyan Church, Brooksville Florida at 7:00 p.m. Traveling to their next show on Sunday, March 3rd, they spend the day at Harborside Christian Church, Safety Habor, FL, performing for multiple services including the 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
They continue the trip on Tuesday, March 5th performing at the Wycliffe Discovery Center at 11:30 a.m. and Avon Park Holiness Camp at 7:00 p.m. that evening. On Wednesday, March 6th, they will sing at The Village Church – Shell Point, Fort Myers, FL, at 7:00 p.m. On Thursday and Friday, the Chorale will be holding clinics and exhibits at Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers, FL and Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale. Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, FL is hosting the Chorale for a concert on Saturday, March 9th at 2:00 p.m. The final concert of the tour is on Sunday, March 10th and will be held at New Life Presbyterian Church, Fruitland Park, FL.

The Wind Ensemble is headed west for their tour. They kick off their first concert in Mitchell, SD at First Lutheran Church for both of their services on Sunday, March 3rd at 8:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. The Wind Ensemble will be performing and hosting clinics at Mitchell Christian School, Mitchell, SD on Monday, March 4th and Tuesday, March 5th at Rapid City Christian School, Rapid City, SD. On Wednesday, March 6th, the Wind Ensemble will perform in an evening concert at New Hope Wesleyan Church, Williston, ND at 6:30 p.m. Following their previous performing, the Wind Ensemble will stay in Williston, ND on Thursday, March 7th, to perform at Trinity Christian School.

Traveling further west, the Wind Ensemble will host a workshop at Buffalo High School in Buffalo, WY on Friday, March 8th. On Friday evening, the Wind Ensemble will play at Summit Church, Buffalo, WY at 6:00 p.m.
The final concert of the tour is at First Wesleyan Church, Rapid City, SD at 10:00 a.m.

If you are in the area and would like to come to support these ministry teams, they would love to worship with you during their Spring Break!

To view tour schedules visit:
https://www.indwes.edu/ministry-teams/university-chorale 

https://www.indwes.edu/ministry-teams/iwu-wind-ensemble

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An IWU Legacy: 2018 School Counselor of the Year – Lauren Alspaugh

By: Kendra Housel

Lauren Alspaugh and her husband Shawn have already begun talking with their three children, all below the age of seven, about college; specifically, they both have begun attempting to recruit the children to attend their alma mater.

For Lauren, that means talking with them about, Indiana Wesleyan University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and her master’s degrees. There are high stakes in this early recruitment operation, since Shawn attended Taylor University. Not only that, but his entire family—brother, parents, grandparents—all went to Taylor as well. Lauren likes to remind them, however, that Shawn’s other grandmother married Arthur Hodson, the namesake of IWU’s Hodson hall—so while Taylor attendance may run in the family, they also have a child whose middle name— “Hodson”—is on one of IWU’s residential halls. She’s confident that she’ll get her children to take her side—but at the very least, she hopes they choose a Christian university and is thankful for the legacy of Christian education in her family.

After completing her bachelors in three years and graduating with her degree in psychology in 2007, she continued on and got her master’s in counseling in 2009. Though she is originally from southern Indiana, she had not heard of IWU until a couple girls from her youth group, whose faith and academic merit she admired, chose to attend. After their attendance peaked an interest, Alspaugh decided to come on a campus visit for herself. She says that she now often tells young people trying to discern where they’ll go to college that “a visit makes all the difference;” she stepped on IWU’s campus and know that it was exactly where she belonged.

Her time at IWU was spent encouraging others, which she said is one of her spiritual gifts; she was the official encourager for her resident’s hall. She spent much of her time studying, since she did have a twenty-one-credit-hour semester at one point in order to finish her undergraduate degree in three years, but she found time for lots of other things as well. She loved making lasting friendships, with most peers and professors. She was also involved in the psychology honors society and worked in the student support center (which is now called the Center for Student Success). Through both the class curriculum, which allowed her to grow in her personal study of the bible, and through chapel services, she said her faith grew significantly during her time at IWU. Specifically, her prayer life changed quite a lot, because she grew to value it more and understand the importance of it. One of her years, the chapel also gave every student a one-year-bible which she still uses every couple of years to help her keep up a daily habit of being in the Word. Alspaugh says that her time at IWU was so wonderful that she has a dream of returning to work at the school someday.

Currently, Alspaugh works for North Putman High School in Roachdale, Indiana as the Director of Guidance. She primarily serves the 11th and 12th grade students, in academic, social, and emotional situations. Much of her job, since she works most closely with upper classmen, centers on helping students with their post-secondary plans. She came into college predeclared in her major, which she encourages her students to do as well, especially those who are unsure about what they want in the future. She was awarded the school counselor of the year award in November of 2018 which Alspaugh said was both and honor and a surprise. She loves the supportive community of peers and administrators who always encourage her to try out new solutions and programs, to meet the needs of each unique situation her students face. Alspaugh said that graduation is always an incredibly emotional and impactful time, seeing her students finally reach a goal, especially those who “fought tooth and nail to get to that day.” Though NPHS is a public school, she spends much of her time praying silently for her students, who she loves deeply. She always takes comfort in the fact that, though some days can be incredibly difficult as a counselor, that she has a Wonderful Counselor in Jesus Christ who she can run to.

Alspaugh would like to pass on these words of wisdom to current students: “For perfectionistic students, get involved and have fun because the friendships with your professors and your fellow students are something that can last so long— don’t just hide away in your rooms—get involved and put yourself out there—savor every moment—have fun with your dorm and build relationships.”

 

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Written by Kendra Housel, writer for the IWU Alumni Center. Kendra is a junior English and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. She is also a member of the University Chorale. Kendra is passionate about serving Christ through writing, singing and caring for others.

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A Spotlight Day was all it Took: Chloe Tatom

By: Kendra Housel

Chloe Tatom

When junior nursing major Chloe Tatom began her college search, she was not looking at Indiana Wesleyan University. IWU was the school she saw simply as her father’s alma mater, where he had gotten his bachelors through the adult program some years prior.

Tatom was looking into a number of other schools when someone came to her high school and gave a short talk about the opportunities at IWU. It was then that she decided to come to the spotlight on nursing day, and that was all it took.

Tatom described the feeling of just “fitting” on the campus, that her visit solidified a confidence in her that this was the place she was supposed to be.

She enrolled in the nursing program, chose a minor in Spanish and moved onto the residential campus in the fall of 2016 to begin her time as an undergraduate student.

Tatom said that her time at the university has been wonderful and full of involvement. The first thing she mentioned appreciating about the school is how invested and caring her professors are. She has loved learning from and with them, and she expressed that the classes she has taken are invaluable in preparing her for her future.

Along with her academic pursuits, Tatom has committed much of her time here to serving the community, both on and off campus.

During her Freshman year, she got involved in the Student Government Association (SGA) and fell in love with the way the group becomes a family. Tatom found SGA to be a tangible way that she could express her love for the larger community of IWU. She had always been involved in student council during her high school years, so it was a natural next step for her in coming to college. The fact that she could participate in SGA and receive a paycheck was only a bonus for her.

The longer she has been involved the more she has truly felt that this has been where God wants her at this point in life, serving her fellow students.

Now, she is currently on the board as the SGA president. One of her biggest goals for the year is to communicate to the broader student body that SGA is there for their benefit, to help and listen to them.

Chloe Tatom and Wesley the Wildcat.

She has spearheaded this initiative by putting up a booth in the mall way on Thursdays, sending out an increased number of surveys to get everyone’s feedback on different events and ideas, and by creating question and concern papers so students can voice their unique opinions.

Along with her outreach to the students, Tatom meets frequently with the administration, including the board of trustees and the president of IWU, Dr. Wright. She serves in these situations as the voice of the student body.

Along with SGA, Tatom also serves off-campus in many avenues. She was a part of a tutoring program at Frances Slocum Elementary School, which is set up to help students whose first language is not English. She spends lots of time working on student’s literacy skills and reading to and with them. She also serves dinners on Wednesday nights at the local rescue mission.

Through the nursing program, she has been fortunate to be involved in many study groups and will get to serve alongside her church on a medical mission trip this March in Mexico.

As she has prayed and thought through possible options to pursue when she graduates, Tatom has been most drawn to pediatric nursing, since working with children is something that she is passionate about. She hopes to work out-of-state in a larger hospital to develop her skill set more intensely, ideally in a children’s hospital. She sees children’s hospitals as a preferable environment, because of the way they are especially geared towards the holistic wellbeing of the child, counting in valuable things like play, comfort, and excitement, along with medical treatment.

Later in life, Tatom hopes to pursue private practice, but not for some time. For now, she is soaking in her last year and a half at IWU, doing the best she can to serve her community, and remaining thankful for the ways God has opened doors for her to get a wonderful education in such a loving environment.

 

 

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Written by Kendra Housel, writer for the IWU Alumni Center. Kendra is a junior English and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. She is also a member of the University Chorale. Kendra is passionate about serving Christ through writing, singing and caring for others.

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They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

By: Noelle Beans

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Emily Miller

Perform well in nursing school. Work in Residence Life (aka run an entire women’s dorm). Maintain relationships. Figure out where the Lord is calling you. These were challenges that Emily Miller, a 2017 Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) graduate, conquered.

But her initial battle came in deciding where to go to college. Her brother attended IWU, and she didn’t want to just follow in his footsteps.

After a campus visit to IWU, the Christ-centered atmosphere and the great nursing program made it clear to her that IWU was where she was supposed to be.

Throughout college, her schedule was packed. Miller’s job in ResLife ultimately blessed her as she got to meet so many people and spend time with all of them.

She was faced with more challenges from the Lord; therefore, she grew deeper with Him through His teaching and the people who poured into her.

Now, Miller is living and working in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at Spectrum Health at the Meijer Heart Center.

She said, “I work on a Cardiothoracic Progressive Care Unit, and I love it!”

Miller was the ARD of Martin Hall. This is Emily with her RD, Sarah.

She explained that the part she loves most about her job is that she gets to care for people in a difficult and sometimes very vulnerable time of their life.

“God has given me opportunities to pray with patients and encourage them with truth,” she said.

Her prayer every day on her way to work is that her patients would see that this is not just a job for her, but a way that she gets to show them the love of Jesus by the way that she cares for them.

She admits that it is a stressful and demanding job and there are some tough days, but she realizes that she can only continue to have patience and compassion for others with the strength that comes from the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Written by Noelle Beans, a writer for the IWU Alumni Center. Noelle is a sophomore Nursing and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College from Greenville, Illinois.

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Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the John Wesley Honors College

By: Kendra Housel

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In the fall of 1998, Indiana Wesleyan University gained a new academic department, which this year celebrates 20 years of scholarship, growth and community: The John Wesley Honors College (JWHC).

Over the past 20 years, the JWHC has undergone many changes. What began as a program without an official building is now housed on the second floor of Goodman Hall, as well as in Epworth House near the University Court apartments.

This year’s John Wesley Honors College

The curriculum started as honors college sections of the general education courses, where all honor students could take these courses in any order.

Today, using the curriculum that was finalized in 2012, honors graduates participate in an ordered, supplemental curriculum which replaces almost all general education requirements with specialized classes that seek to form students into more aware, God-centered, people-loving individuals.

One of the founding students in the JWHC is Karen Eilers, who graduated in 2001 with a double major in political science and history.

Eilers, along with having two majors and being a member of the honors college during its genesis, also graduated in just three years instead of the traditional four.

Eilers said that she first heard about the JWHC through a mailing that invited her to apply for the JWHC after she had been accepted into IWU.

She valued the idea of smaller classes, and after taking multiple AP and honors classes as a high school student, she was eager to take on the challenge of collegiate honors. The honors college was largely why Eilers decided to attend IWU.

“Everyone was excited to be a part of beginning a new program,” Eilers said of the atmosphere in the budding JWHC.

“We weren’t sure what exactly we were getting into, but we were up for rolling with it,” she explained.

The collaborative effort between students and professors (like founding professors, Dr. Brown and Dr. Bartley, and current head, Dr. Riggs) to learn what would work and what could be accomplished brought a wonderful sense of community.

Eilers ended up serving as one of the honors college’s first student workers with a job helping to tend the office.

During each of her three years, the office of the JWHC moved locations, but according to Eilers, “Each office got a little better than the last.”

During her final year at the university, the third year of the Honors College, the program secured their own building, just north of campus, and Dr. Riggs took over for the two founding leaders.

The course also began expanding, and the actual degree plan became more solidified.

Eilers was one of the first two students to do the Honors Scholarship Project (then called the Honors Thesis), which was made manageable by communicating consistently with the honors professors and with her mentor in the history department.

Eilers looks back on her time in the JWHC as one offond memories, goofy fun and a worthy challenge. The community was invaluable to her and even helped her discover her passion for working with college students.

She went on to get her master’s degree in college student development, and she now works as a Career & College Counselor in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Eilers also owns her own company, Motivated Careers LLC, and also works with University Funding Professionals LLC to counsel high school and college students about possible career and education paths.

She also has a book which came out in December called Find Your Fit, which Eilers said is meant to help students understand how God made them so they can make wise decisions for their lives! Here is a link to view her book on Amazon: http://a.co/d/2PAhTce.

 

 

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Written by Kendra Housel, writer for the IWU Alumni Center. Kendra is a junior Education and Honors Humanities double major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. She is also a member of the University Chorale. Kendra is passionate about serving Christ through writing, singing, and caring for others.

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Quite the Journey: Mauleen Ndlovu

By: Dezaray Barr

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Mauleen Ndlovu, photo contributed from Facebook

Mauleen Ndlovu, an IWU student, spoke at this year’s Indiana Wesleyan University Scholarship Luncheon in October, and her story is one that continues to impact our community.

Her full name is Gugulethu Mauleen Ndlovu. Gugulethu means “our precious one,” and Ndlovu translates to “elephant”.

“Now that you know the meaning of my first name and the translation of my last name, feel free to call me ‘our precious elephant’ from here on out,” Ndlovu said during her speech at the scholarship luncheon, sending a wave of laughter through the crowd.

Ndlovu, a junior computer science major, is originally from Zimbabwe.

She came to the United States as a first grader and grew up in Chicago.

“Getting to IWU was quite the journey,” Ndlovu said. “When I started thinking about the possibilities of college during my junior year of high school, I was ecstatic.”

Like many students, Ndlovu was looking forward to going away to school, becoming independent, and starting a new chapter in life.

“I soon discovered that college is expensive, and I feared that I would not be able to go to the school of my dreams due to finances,” she said. “My family did not have the means to send me to college and continuing my education would be a challenge.”

Because she wanted to continue her education at a Christian institution, Ndlovu knew that her choices were even further limited.

Ndlovu knew of a few people who had attended IWU, and she prayed about the decision a lot.

“[Those I knew] praised IWU for their academics, culture, and the community,” she explained. “By God’s provisions, I was able to start my new chapter at Indiana Wesleyan University. It has been through the generosity of donors that I am able to continue my education and grow in my faith on this campus.”

On IWU’s residential Marion campus, Ndlovu has found a great community and a great group of friends.

“I have developed close relationships with my computer science professors and with professors outside of my department,” Ndlovu said during her speech. “The staff at IWU loves to see the students grow, and they genuinely care about each student’s well-being.”

She said that the community and the encouraging culture is what sets IWU apart, making it different from other universities.

Ndlovu has also had numerous other opportunities on campus. During her sophomore year, she had the privilege of being a teacher’s assistant for a life calling class.

Ndlovu also currently volunteers in the Upward Bound program as a math tutor for underprivileged high school students in the community.

She continued, “In my department, I serve as the vice president of the Association for Computing Machinery, also known as ACM. In ACM, we seek to gain understanding of technology, learn how to use available technologies, tackle technological challenges, and prepare for the future of computing.”

This year, Ndlovu works in the financial aid office on IWU’s residential campus, and she said that they have helped her in multiple ways.

“There’s been some terms that are confusing for my dad [because he’s from Zimbabwe], and the financial aid office has been extremely helpful in that situation,” she said.

As Ndlovu ended her speech at the luncheon, she wanted to thank the donors in attendance.

“Generous donors, like you, have allowed me to do immensely more than I ever imagined and it’s through them that I am able to continue my education here and be so heavily involved on campus,” she said.

“My education at IWU is allowing me to follow my dream of becoming a software engineer. Through my department and this community, I have learned to embrace working with others and asking for help in a Christ-centered environment, so that I can be prepared for when I leave IWU and venture out in the world,” Ndlovu finished.

She continued, “If it were not for IWU, I would not have grown closer in my faith with a group of students and professors who constantly love, support and cheer for me. I would also not have discovered that my life calling is helping others and being the light of the Lord in my major.”

 

 

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the IWU Alumni Office. Dezaray is a senior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.

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2018 IWU Alumni World Changer: Dr. Marvin Hinds

By: Dezaray Barr

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What do Indiana Wesleyan University’s nursing program, the United States Air Force and the defibrillator have in common? Dr. Marvin Hinds.

Dr. Hinds is Indiana Wesleyan University’s 2018 Alumni World Changer. He was also a recipient of IWU’s 1988 Outstanding Achievement Award and IWU’s 1990 Distinguished Senior Alumnus. But you would never know it from him — he’d rather talk about his church, latest woodwork, his decades of students, or his grandkids.

Hinds attended IWU (at the time Marion College) and received his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in 1951. After graduation, he joined the United States Air Force. He was stationed in Mississippi, completed the Air Force’s Radio Operator course, and then taught electronics in the program.

He was an Air Force Staff Sergeant and was awarded the National Defense Service and Good Conduct medals. Few people amass as many awards in a lifetime, and his career was just beginning.

Hinds went on to attend Valparaiso Technical Institute, and he began working at the prominent M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston,Texas, televising cancer surgeries. He moved on to research at Baylor College of Medicine, also in Houston.

After witnessing medical students pursuing their medical degrees, Hinds himself was inspired to return to school. He received his own Ph.D. in Veterinary Physiology from Texas A&M in 1971.

It wasn’t long afterward when Hinds Marion College contacted him to help launch its nursing program, a program that is now ranked as the No. 2 nursing school in the state.

Hinds taught for 23 years in the Department of Biology, also serving as the Pre-Med advisor for students.

A remarkable part of his research journey — some say Providence at work — is what happened nearly simultaneously with his move. His entire research team at Baylor College of Medicine moved to Purdue University in West Lafayette, where he was invited to join—working on defibrillation research and the defibrillator.

Hinds spent the next 15 summers working with this team,  improvingthe defibrillator, lessening the traumatic effects it has on the heart. This research has saved millions of lives and permanently changed the future of medicine and technology.

“My first love was research,” Dr. Hinds said. “When I got the opportunity to serve with this research team, I knew that it was God rewarding me for being obedient.”

Dave Hinds, Marvin’s son, said, “Dad would be very honored and humbled by this award. He was an educator. He felt it was his calling. Several times he told me how blessed he was to have the opportunity to influence the young people he came in contact with as they prepared for their own life’s path. He set the bar high, but tried to help all that he could over it. As I reflect back on Dad’s life and the things he taught me that shaped and changed my world, I’m thankful to have Christian parents and the opportunity to call him my Dad. It means a lot to our family to have him honored in this way. Thank you for adding this to our cherished memories of Marvin.”

Marvin passed away in June, after giving much of the last few years of his life to wife and nearly life-long friend, Hazel Lavera Rush. Shewent to be with the Lord a few months earlier than Marvin, in January 2018.

Marvin’s daughter, Kay Alter, now works in IWU’s Office of Development as the associate director of prospect research (and her colleagues recognize she has the same uncanny love for numbers and logistics as her father, and brilliance).

“Dad would be honored and humbled by this award. He was always quick to recognize any success he had as a result of staying in the will of God,” Alter said. “His first love was research, but in 1973 when he felt the Lord directing him to leave Texas A&M and the research he was doing to come back to Marion College, his alma mater, to teach Anatomy & Physiology so they could start the four-year nursing program, he did so without looking back.”

Hinds volunteered in the Marion community by serving on committees and leading his church’s senior adult group. He volunteered in that capacity for nearly ten years. You can also find his woodwork in various places, including some of the altar pieces at College Wesleyan Church, crafted in part from repurposed wood from former Teter Hall — once the southern anchor of “the Triangle.”

Before passing, Marvin said, “Marion is a nice friendly city. I enjoy the community and activities here.”

Alter, who graduated from IWU in both 1982 and 1996, said, “My brother and I are proud of the accomplishments of Dad and for him to receive this award. Most of all we are thankful for the blessing of a godly dad and the life he lived. The legacy he left us … to always seek God’s will.”

 

 

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Written by Dezaray Barr, PR Specialist for the IWU Alumni Office. Dezaray is a senior Strategic Communication, Journalism and Honors Humanities triple major at Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College. Visit Dez’s website at www.dezaraybarr.weebly.com.