vanguard magazine - spring/summer 2012

GLOBAL EFFECTTHE HELBLING FAMILY

MIKA: DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES

SPRING/SUMMER 2012

AN OPEN DOORSUMMER MISSIONS

SHARINGYOUR

STORY

THE MISSION OF VANGUARD UNIVERSITY IS TO EQUIP EACH STUDENT FOR A

SPIRIT-EMPOWERED LIFE OF CHRIST-CENTERED LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE.

10

6 21 24 22

vanguard magazine SPRING/SUMMER 2012 1

I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME.

Whenever I ask members of

the Vanguard community what

they appreciate most about this

University, they are certain to

mention the mentoring relationships

they continue to enjoy that

began here at 55 Fair Drive. The

generational transfer of wisdom, knowledge and a sense

of calling defines a Vanguard education as much as the

outstanding academic preparation we offer.

In this issue we focus on mentoring relationships, taking special

note of the mentors who played a role in the lives of these

students and alums. You will read about Juan Carlos ’88 and

Colette (Smith ’87) Gonzalez, missionaries to Japan, who were

powerfully helped by a Vanguard faculty member who became

like a second father to them during a critical time of decision.

You will enjoy the story of Barbara Gilliam ’03. Her path to

pastoral work and academic excellence may seem unlikely and

even dramatic, but it was helped along by mentors here

at Vanguard.

Ryan ’96, MTS ’11 and Stacy (Hembree ’97) Helbling MA

’05 are now serving orphans in Africa in part because of

the influence of Vanguard faculty members. Others, such

as Mariners Church junior high pastor Jared Kirkwood ’05

and Mika co-founder and current graduate student Christine

Brooks, say that Vanguard’s education and professors continue

to shape their ministry.

I am sure that you can point to your own mentors here at

Vanguard as well. As you read I invite you to reflect with

thanksgiving on your experience here, and perhaps even

send a note to that person who made a difference in your

life. Mentorship matters, and nowhere is it happening more

intentionally and more fruitfully than at Vanguard University.

PRESIDENT, VANGUARD UNIVERSITY

FEATURESGlobal Effect ................................................. 10Ryan ’96, MTS ’11 and Stacy (Hembree ’97) Helbling MA ’05 are exploring innovative ways to care for the forgotten and the poor, an approach largely formed under the mentorship of people at Vanguard University.

Three-culture Ministry ....................................... 14Juan Carlos Gonzalez ’88 went from poverty in El Salvador, to studying at Vanguard and becoming a missionary to Japan with wife Colette (Smith ’87) — all with the help of mentors.

Redeemed to Serve ......................................... 17With God’s help, Barbara Gilliam ’03 overcame drug addiction and hopelessness to become senior pastor of a church in Long Beach. Today she’s a counselor with several higher degrees and a frequent speaker at women’s conferences.

An Open Door ............................................... 22When Bethany University in Scott’s Valley closed its doors after 92 years of service in the Assemblies of God, Vanguard University welcomed its students, providing personalized assistance and integrating them into campus life.

DEPARTMENTSMessage from the President ................................. 1On Campus ..................................................... 2Sports ........................................................... 28Class Notes ................................................... 30My Story ....................................................... 36A Vine of His Own Planting ............................... 37

UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCECHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEESDavid Oddo

UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIONPRESIDENTCarol Taylor

PROVOST / VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRSJeff Hittenberger

VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCELettie Cowie

INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENTKim Johnson

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENTKelly Kannwischer

SPRING/SUMMER 2012 | VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 1

in this issue

EDITORJoel Kilpatrick

ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTORTawny Marcus

PHOTOGRAPHERChauncey D. Bayes

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONSErin Hales

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND DIGITAL MEDIAHolly Clinard

Vanguard University of Southern California, in compliance with laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, age, disability, national origin, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

vanguard magazine is a free publication published 2 times per year by Vanguard University. All contents copyrighted, 2012, Vanguard University.

Bulk rate postage paid at Las Vegas, NV. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Vanguard University Alumni Relations Office, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

2 vanguard magazine SPRING/SUMMER 2012

PENTECOSTAL LEADER SPEAKS IN SERIESIn March, the Lewis Wilson Institute for Pentecostal Studies welcomed James Bradford, general secretary of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, as their spring Pentecostal Leaders series speaker. Two hundred people attended an evening service at Newport Mesa Church where Bradford spoke on the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

“It was a night of worship, preaching and altar time,” says Derrick Rosenior, associate professor of communication studies at Vanguard, and director of the Lewis Wilson Institute for Pentecostal Studies. “We created this leaders series to be not a seminar or lecture, but a service. It takes place in the evening at a church and is usually a much bigger event.”

This is the third year for the Pentecostal Leaders series. Previous speakers are George O. Wood and Jack Hayford. The series offers a way for pastors to connect with Vanguard University by coming to campus and hearing a noted Pentecostal leader. The events are always free.

“Pastors get to come to campus and see what we’re doing, and we get to be a blessing and benefit to them,” says Rosenior. “The series is also for the Vanguard community — students, faculty and staff. It’s a good crossover between the academic community and the church community.”

Next year the series will be a special collaboration with Hispanic ministries and churches in the area.

ON CAMPUS

on campus

CLINIC BRINGS KIDS INTO THE PRIDEVanguard held its first basketball clinic for children during Homecoming in February, drawing 30 kids to the Pit for fun, skill development and competition preceding the Homecoming basketball games.

“We put on a free clinic to get the family involved during Homecoming, and to work on their skills and have fun together,” says Rhett Soliday, the men’s basketball coach who is in his second season at Vanguard. “The games are a big part of homecoming. Doing the clinic during the day helps tie the two together and get the young kids involved with what mom and dad are coming for.”

Kids from nearby neighborhoods also attended and “experienced what Vanguard is all about,” says Soliday. “We did a lot of skill development, games and competitions. We closed it out with a teaching on one of our five core values: sportsmanship.”

That evening, the kids who returned were treated to an exciting game with a last-minute victory for the Lions. Soliday plans to put on the clinic again next year.


SIFE CONFERENCE PROMOTES THE GREEN LIFEVanguard’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter held its annual conference in February, drawing 100 attendees from Vanguard, nearby colleges and the business community.

“We want to educate and empower the Orange County business community, giving people the tools to maintain sustainability in business and domestic life,” says Samantha Hawkins, a marketing major and the SIFE chapter’s director of brand and project management. “It was an extremely valuable event for networking students with alumni who were there for homecoming week, and connecting them to members of the Orange County business community.”

Nicole Suydam ’95, former vice president of development for Goodwill of Orange County, the largest human services organization in Orange County, spoke about how Goodwill maintains environmental sustainability in its day-to-day operations. Nicole recently became the CEO of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

“As a Vanguard alumnus, I was thrilled for the opportunity to share ways we can change our behaviors and practices to make our communities environmentally sustainable,” Suydam said.

Keynote speaker Andrea Robinson, founder and director of ARC Sustainability, a Los Angeles-based environmental consulting firm, gave a lecture about “The Path to Corporate Social Responsibility.” ARC helps movie studios, conventions, corporations, concerts, hotels and non-governmental organizations “go green” with energy efficiency, water conservation, waste diversion, transportation minimization, supply chain productivity, food and beverage sourcing and more.

“Beyond being simply the right thing to do from an ethical perspective, sustainable businesses are efficient businesses,” Robinson said.

Jennifer Schwab, chief sustainability officer for Sierra Club Green Home and a widely quoted media analyst who has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox News and numerous times on ABC’s Good Morning America, spoke about the importance of supporting socially responsible companies.

The event also provided real-world experience to Vanguard’s SIFE members “and empowered us to grow as leaders,” says Hawkins. “It’s an invaluable experience to plan and host a conference like this. SIFE gives students fundamental leadership skills to be successful in whatever area we take our education.”

WORLD PREMIERE

A Musical Revue about the joys, tensions and rhapsodies of loveCreated and Directed by Vanda Eggington

September 14-16, 20-23 & 28-30

COMING TO THE LYCEUM THEATER AT VANGUARD

V A N G U A R D T I C K E T S . C O M

Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, was the keynote speaker at Vanguard’s

2012 commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5. Both events were held at Mariners Church in Irvine, California. Visit vanguard.edu/live to watch a full recording of the undergraduate ceremony.

DR. GEORGE O. WOOD SPEAKS AT VANGUARD COMMENCEMENT


ENSURE JUSTICE BUILDS MOMENTUMNearly 300 people attended the annual Ensure Justice conference at Vanguard University in March, to learn how to stop the sexual exploitation of girls.

“The conference was highly successful at building capacity for collaboration in our community to end exploitation of our own domestic victims of human trafficking,” says Sandra Morgan, director of Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice. “People left the conference saying the magic word: collaboration. Our role is to create space for the conversation and be a clearinghouse for best practice resources. We felt like we really accomplished that.”

Highlights included a panel led by Douglas Hatchimonji, presiding judge of the Orange County Juvenile Court. The panel looked at the complicated issue of prosecuting juvenile offenders vs. protecting juvenile victims. Keynote speakers included Jeremy Kohomban, president and CEO of The Children’s Village in New York; Mary Wickman, chair of the Nursing Department at Vanguard; and Carissa Phelps, survivor, legal advocate and author.

“The workshops were very engaging, personal, relevant, and promoted personal and community engagement,” said one participant.

Some attendees flew in from out of state to attend the conference. Morgan capped the conference with a passionate plea to continue what was started over the weekend to end the sexual exploitation of girls.

For a recap of the event featured in the latest issue of Coast magazine, visit vanguard.edu/press.

Next year’s conference is “Cyber-Exploitation: Prevention, Protection, Demand Reduction” to be held at the Vanguard campus on March 8-9, 2013.

on campus

STAY VU.$200 FOR 2 NIGHTS FOR A FAMILY OF 4!Includes linens and breakfast for 4 guests.

Email [email protected] for more information.

OFFER VALID FROM MAY 26 TO JUNE 30, 2012.

VACATION.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

It’s a pitcher’s field – coastal winds keep the ball in the park much of the time, allowing the Lions softball

team’s strong defense to hold opponents to few runs. The Lions cruised to a winning record this season

but the squad is hungry to return to the national tournament for the first time since 2007. Playing in the

nation’s toughest conference ensures stiff competition, but with a tradition of family, character and pride –

and with the support of Lions fans – they know they’ll get there sooner rather than later. Go Lions!


AT VANGUARD, MENTORSHIP COMES IN MANY FORMS...

i t’s the professor who walks across campus with you, discussing a topic from class or catching up on how life is going over lunch.

It’s the RA who listens and gives advice, sometimes late into the night or at times of real need.

It’s the staff member who sets a strong, quiet example of how to serve others.

Every story in this themed section, and countless others not featured here, point to Vanguard’s unique strength as a mentoring institution. At Vanguard, mentorship happens on purpose, every day. Knowledge, wisdom and character are passed from one generation to another. People who are a little further ahead in life offer a living example, a fitting word or helping hand at critical times.

You know it’s real mentorship when your former professor asks you out to coffee ten years after you graduated, or responds immediately to an email asking for advice. At Vanguard, that kind of thing happens all the time.

In these stories we highlight the lifelong growth that takes place as members of the Vanguard community live out “truth, virtue and service” together, fulfilling God’s call on their lives in the context of mentoring relationships.


:global effect


:global effectAS MISSIONARIES IN TANZANIA, RYAN ’96, MTS ’11 AND STACY (HEMBREE ’97) HELBLING MA ’05 ARE TAKING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH TO THEIR WORK, EXPLORING INNOVATIVE WAYS TO CARE FOR THE FORGOTTEN AND THE POOR. IT IS AN APPROACH LARGELY FORMED UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF PEOPLE AT VANGUARD UNIVERSITY.


“The experience I had at Vanguard was priceless,”

says Ryan. “I found my identity there. So much

beyond the classroom shaped who I am.”

The Helblings have served for three years in Africa

and are involved in several ministries. They are

creating an alternative approach to caring for

orphans by placing them in families. They host

weekend retreats for pastors and leaders on the

slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

One of their most unusual projects is starting a

Starbucks-style coffee shop in a remote village that

sits on a well-traveled safari road. The shop will

cater to western tourists and offer the first drive-thru

coffee in the nation, plus clean bathrooms.

“People can get their Starbucks fix, and every

penny of profit will go into that village to support

an orphanage, foster care, a sex trafficking safe

house and medical clinics,” Ryan says.

The Helblings want their projects to be financed

locally, “to empower people to start their own

businesses and sustain it themselves,” says Ryan.

Ryan first experienced the mission field with

Vanguard’s Hands Across the Border Mexico

outreaches, when he tagged along as a high

schooler with older sister Andrea (Helbling)

Arevalo ’94.

As a VU student, Ryan earned a degree in athletic

training and Stacy a degree in church leadership.

Ryan counts Terry Zeigler, professor in kinesiology,

as one of his mentors.

“I remember feeling intimidated and overwhelmed

when I first chose that field of study,” he says. “As I

interacted with Terry in and out of the classroom, I

was amazed at how professional and excellent she

was, and down-to-earth. Being around her really

boosted my confidence and helped me feel like I

was in the right place. She was a huge inspiration.”

Zeigler was also Stacy’s softball coach.

“Ryan and Stacy always had a heart to serve

people,” Zeigler says. “They’re such a perfect

match for each other. They’re not afraid to

sacrifice their lives and comfort. They are giving

up everything so they can help people. Ryan’s

medical degree gives him a whole subset of skills

for wound-management, taking care of injuries

and taking care of those around him. It’s a great

degree for missionaries.”

Stacy, who came from a small town, says

Vanguard gave her the confidence to believe she

could make a difference in the world.

“Vanguard opened my eyes to the world around

me and the potential in my own life,” she says.

“Seeing the commitment of the support staff at

Vanguard — people like Grandpa Carr, Art and

Betty Price, John Cheng and the cafeteria staff,

Mel Covetta and the library staff, Lynell Brooks and

the facilities staff — was amazing. They served

selflessly because they knew they were a part of

something bigger. There is a part of them in me as

I serve over here in Africa.”

The Helblings count many more who encouraged

them on their journey including Frank Macchia,

Don Baldwin, Jerry Camery-Hoggatt, Byron Klaus,

Bill Dogterom, and William Williams.

“I especially appreciated my female professors,

Beverly Johnson-Miller, Nancy Heidebrecht and

Sheri Benvenuti,” says Stacy. “I loved seeing these

brilliant ladies functioning in their area of gifting.”

Tom Bohnert was a “driving force for Stacy and I to

go into missions and to get our master’s degrees,”

says Ryan.

“All my life I’ve wanted to make a significant

difference in the lives of people,” he says. “To go

into a village where people had never heard of

Jesus, and to see Tom’s excitement, his love for

God and serving people — that propelled us into

what we’re doing today.”

Ryan and Stacy earned master’s degrees from

Vanguard in theological studies and leadership

studies, respectively, and worked as an admissions

counselor and in the spiritual formation department,

respectively. Ryan was a resident director for

five years.

“We calculated that we have eaten 11,000 meals

in the dining commons between us,” he says.

Ryan finished his degree from Tanzania, Skyping

in to Ed Rybarczyk’s class at 3 a.m. every Tuesday.

Today, the Helblings welcome Vanguard short-term

missions teams every year, and are assisted by

VU alums Lydia Schaeffer ’88 and Melissa

Herrman ’03.

The Helblings have four children and say their

biggest ministry may be simply modeling healthy

family life to people whose families are broken.

They have also experienced many moments of

financial breakthrough and physical healing which

allowed them to continue.

“When you have those experiences, you can’t

deny God’s power,” he says.

The vision for their work is in the name of their non-

profit organization: Global Effect.

“As we deeply impact the people right in front of

us, it creates a ripple effect that goes around the

globe,” Ryan says. “We’re living our dream and

following the vision God has given us.”

helbling family

THE HELBLINGS SAY THEIR BIGGEST MINISTRY

MAY BE SIMPLY MODELING HEALTHY FAMILY

LIFE TO PEOPLE WHOSE FAMILIES ARE

BROKEN. THEY HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED

MANY MOMENTS OF FINANCIAL

BREAKTHROUGH AND PHYSICAL HEALING

WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO CONTINUE.

PHO

TOS C

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RTESY OF TH

E HELBLIN

G FA

MILY


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d community. Beyond integration. Beyond ac

ademics. Beyond the expected.

“SEEING THE COMMITMENT

OF THE SUPPORT STAFF AT

VANGUARD... WAS AMAZING.

They served selflessly

because they knew they

were a part of something

bigger. There is a part of

them in me as I serve over

here in Africa.”

STACY HELBLING

Missionary in Tanzania


three-culture ministry

AS A POOR BOY GROWING UP IN EL SALVADOR, JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ ’88 DIDN’T IMAGINE HIS JOURNEY WOULD BRING HIM TO VANGUARD UNIVERSITY AND THEN JAPAN. BUT WITH THE HELP OF MENTORS ALONG THE WAY, GOD HAS TAKEN HIM BEYOND WHAT HE THOUGHT POSSIBLE.

Now, Gonzalez and wife Colette (Smith ’87) are back at Vanguard spending a year to train and mentor students for missions work.

“Juan Carlos and Colette have done what few people can do in Japan — pioneered a church and are pastoring that church in one of our most difficult fields,” says John Bueno, former director of world missions for the Assemblies of God and father of VU grads Bob ’84, MA ’94, Steve ’87, Ron ’90 and David ’93. “Juan Carlos is one of the brightest stars we have on the mission field, along with Colette. I believe God has placed them there for strategic purposes.”

The Gonzalezes have served as missionaries in Fukuoka, Japan, for 17 years, planting churches and starting ministries to children, families and the homeless. Their call to the mission field came while they were at Vanguard.

“Choir director Noel Wilson became like our pastor at Vanguard,” says Juan Carlos. “He shaped us, had devotions with us, talked about our future and what God wanted for us. He also opened the door to go to Japan with the Vanguard choir. I told him I couldn’t afford a trip like that, and he paid my way. That decision changed my life.”

Colette, whose parents Donald E. Smith ’63 and Mary J. (Risner) Smith ’90 were Vanguard alums, says Wilson was “like a father figure” to her, and the choir became her family.

“The professors at Vanguard were fantastic,” she says. “They made a serious impact on my life.”

As a result of the Japan tour, Gonzalez felt called to missions work there. Colette had been raised in Japan by Assemblies of God missionary parents, but was intending to become a teacher in the U.S. While touring Japan with the Vanguard Singers, a new journey began.

“I felt God speak to me directly saying I needed to be a missionary to Japan,” she says. “I definitely didn’t want to do that. I wanted to live in America with a two-story house, white picket fence, two kids and a dog. But on that tour I felt God saying, ‘This is where I want you to be. You’ve already been here twenty years. You understand the language and culture.’ I knew better than to argue with God


* It was one of those moments when I didn’t understand why

God was calling me


so I just said, ‘Then you’ve got to make it happen.’ I watched over the next ten years as God made it happen.”

Juan Carlos and Colette married in 1988 and arrived on the southern island of Kyushu, one of Japan’s four largest islands, in 1997 after eight years of training and preparation. It was an unexpected journey for a poor boy from El Salvador. Juan Carlos had grown up a sponsored child in Latin America Child Care (LACC) schools. That’s where LACC co-founder John Bueno took notice of him.

“Juan Carlos was a little baby when I first knew him,” says Bueno. “He studied in our schools and we provided a way for him to go to Vanguard and finish his studies there. He is a brilliant young man with all kinds of talents. I’m so proud of him, since he is one of the great results that has come out of our school system in El Salvador.”

Gonzalez attended Vanguard on a presidential scholarship and joined the choir at Wilson’s request, which led to his life-changing experience in Japan.

“It was one of those moments when I didn’t understand why God was calling me,” Gonzalez says. “You take a little boy raised in a third world country and God says, ‘Go to Japan.’ It doesn’t really make sense at first.”

Juan Carlos had to get used to not hugging or shaking hands with Japanese people when greeting them.

“That drives someone from my culture crazy,” he says. “You don’t have the contact, the physical touch that you would expect. But the camaraderie happens at a different level.”

Today, living in three cultures has become a way of life for the Gonzalez family.

“You should see my Facebook page,” Juan Carlos says. “People say, ‘Translate that, please. Can you say that in Spanish? In Japanese?’ Having a three-country background creates incredible balance for us.”

“It’s fun for me,” Colette says of her three cultures. “I take the best of wherever I am.”

Colette relies on the teacher training she received at Vanguard “all the time” in ministry, she says. “To be able to use my teaching skills and to see the excitement in people’s eyes as they are learning about God, that’s priceless. But the reality is quite harsh in Japan. It takes years for someone to become a Christian. You can put your heart and soul into people and they turn around and walk away. But when someone does become a Christian, it’s tremendous.”

The Gonzalezes planted a church that ministers to homeless and disaffected people, and have seen hundreds of children accept Christ at their vacation Bible schools.

“We love reaching children, because of my background and what God did for me as a child,” Juan Carlos says. “I’m trying to plant seeds in the children knowing that they will be the next generation in Japan.”

Last year the Gonzalezes were assigned to be missionaries-in-residence at Bethany University. When that school closed, VU invited them to serve in its outreach department, helping students go on missions trips around the world.

“I’m giving a year of my life to mentor students,” Gonzalez says. “My mission field right now is at Vanguard. Even today I’m co-teaching a class with Doug Petersen on current issues in missions. He was one of my teachers here at Vanguard, an incredible

connection. He would speak on Latin America in ways that brought passion to my heart, and allowed me to share in his classes. Now we’re saying, ‘Pinch us. It’s a dream to work together like this.’”

Petersen, LACC co-founder and Margaret S. Smith distinguished professor at Vanguard, calls Gonzalez “one of the joys of my life.”

“Team-teaching a class with him is so rewarding to me,” says Petersen. “To see him progress into the ministry and become this father and minister — it reminds you of what happens when a kid’s life is changed and they get a chance.”

The Gonzalezes are spending this year preparing Vanguard students for missions work across the street and around the world.

“It is exciting to be here at Vanguard,” Juan Carlos says. “We bring our philosophy of ministry knowing it’s okay to go abroad but even better to do things locally. That is the heart of God as well. We’re sending people to Santa Ana to work with kids and Teen Challenge.”

“I draw a lot from what I learned from Noel Wilson and my math teacher, Wayne Peterson,” Colette says. “We’re really glad we have this opportunity to mentor students and make a difference in their lives, the way people did in ours.”

The Gonzalezes will take a group of Vanguard students to Japan for two weeks of ministry this summer.

“We are praying God would birth this awesome desire to be a missionary, overseas or here locally,” Juan Carlos says.

juan carlos gonzalez

VANGUARD’S MISSIONARY IN

RESIDENCE JUAN CARLOS GONZALEZ

TALKS WITH STUDENTS TAKING PART

IN THE EURASIA EXPERIENCE.


BEFORE BARBARA GILLIAM ’03 BECAME SENIOR PASTOR OF GLAD TIDINGS TABERNACLE ASSEMBLY OF GOD IN LONG BEACH, PARTS OF HER LIFE SOUNDED LIKE A MOVIE PLOT. SHE WAS IN LEGAL TROUBLE FROM A YOUNG AGE. HER FATHER BUSTED HER OUT OF REFORM SCHOOL WEARING A WOMAN’S WIG, AND SHE FOUND HERSELF LIVING ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK, ALMOST DEAD FROM DRUG ADDICTION.

REDEEMED TO SERVEbeyond community:

But God redeemed her story and placed her in the position she has held for 13 years. Gilliam is a counselor with several higher degrees and is a frequent speaker at women’s conferences. Her church serves the needy in its poverty-stricken neighborhood, helping people with issues of drugs, gang violence, immigration, parenting, education and vocational goals.

“We’re a loving community of honest, hardworking people,” Gilliam says. “We’ve got people with mental illness, drunks and accountants. Sometimes I sit there and say, ‘God, I don’t know how you do this. I never dreamt in a million years.’ But I love being a pastor. I see how God equipped me for this.”

Gilliam’s childhood home was torn apart by alcohol and violence. By 14 she was often truant from school, and was arrested for breaking and entering. She landed in reform school where her heart grew harder until God answered her prayer for release — in an unusual way.

“I was sitting outside and saw this car driving slowly by in the middle of these Iowa cornfields,” she says. “I felt drawn to it. The lady driver beckoned me to come. I went by faith and saw it was my dad dressed like a woman.”

On the lam and with an all points bulletin out for them, the duo ended up in Florida where Gilliam started anew, earning her GED and working in the travel business.

“I was having a great old time traveling and partying a lot,” she says. “I believed that if I just got money and power then I would be okay.”

But soon she was hooked on alcohol and drugs and mixed up with the mafia.

“Inside I hadn’t changed. I still hated myself and wanted to get rid of pain and emptiness,” she says. “My life went down the tubes. I ended up almost homeless and dead on the streets of New York City.”

Waking up one morning in a psychiatric unit, she recalled the Walter Hoving Home, a Teen Challenge

center for women she had heard about. She joined the program, got clean and attended Evangel University, her airfare and first semester paid for by a stranger she met on an airplane who wanted to help. Gilliam graduated with a 3.9 grade point average.

A strong call overseas tugged at her heart, but doors opened instead to work with Teen Challenge in Times Square, setting up a crisis hotline for prostitutes and pimps. She then enrolled at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary near Boston, living for a year with Gordon and Maudine Fee, the renowned New Testament scholar and his wife.

“I went through such a depression at that point,” Gilliam says. “I was driven by performance and didn’t know what it was like to live by grace. I was busy in the ministry. God was tapping my shoulder and telling me, ‘You need healing in areas of your life.’ He used the Fees and other godly people to help me. Dr. Fee was one of the greatest servants. He had such balance between intellect and humility, I’ve never seen any thing like it. The Apostle Paul wrote that ‘we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.’ The Fees lived that out.”

While living in Boston and earning her master’s degree in religious education she married Rick Gilliam, a friend from Evangel. They moved to southern California where Barbara worked in psychiatric counseling and earned another master’s degree in marriage, family and child counseling.

In 1995 she preached at a storefront church in Long Beach, located between a liquor store and a furniture store. This congregation, which had planted 166 churches worldwide in 56 years, needed a pastor and chose Barbara, who was licensed with the Assemblies of God. Two years later, the congregation merged with Glad Tidings Assembly of God church. Today it is a mix of groups including Cambodian, Filipino, white, black and Samoan.

“One day I got up to preach and God said, ‘Remember I told you go into all the nations and

preach the gospel? They are right in front of you,’” says Gilliam. “The Holy Spirit is the glue that keeps us together.”

In 2000, Gilliam joined the first Vanguard cohort for women in the master’s degree program in organizational leadership.

“That saved me. It really did,” she says. “I was so discouraged at the time. I didn’t know what to do. How would I grow this church? All the tithers had died. How did I keep this building open? Going to Vanguard was like going on a retreat. Norm Shawchuck, Roger Heuser, Sheri Benvenuti and the other women in the cohort all encouraged and reassured me. It was wonderful experience. I still look at my notes.”

Heuser, one of Gilliam’s professors, says that “Barbara’s journey has equipped her for faithful, persistent and joyful ministry in difficult circumstances. She leads authentically from the inside with freedom and joy. I continue to admire Pastor Gilliam’s persistence and resilience, and multiple gifts in the service of others.”

That kind of mentorship is why Gilliam is where she is.

“I’m so grateful to the people who have helped me, and I get to pass it on every day,” she says. “If there’s hope for me, there’s hope for anyone.”

“NORM SHAWCHUCK, ROGER HEUSER, SHERI BENVENUTI AND THE OTHER WOMEN IN THE COHORT ALL ENCOURAGED AND REASSURED ME.”


MIKA:A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR CHANGE

WHETHER IT’S ORGANIZING

A NEIGHBORHOOD TO BUILD

A COMMUNITY GARDEN, OR

PROVIDE AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING

OR COMPUTER CLASSES, MIKA

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAS BEEN

WORKING TOWARD LONG-LASTING COMMUNITY

CHANGE IN WESTSIDE COSTA MESA SINCE ITS

FOUNDING IN 2003 BY A GROUP THAT INCLUDED

VANGUARD ALUMS.

PICTURED AT LEFT: CHRISTINE BROOKS AND KETURAH KENNEDY

ABOVE PHOTOS BY JOSHUA SEALE, COURTESY OF MIKA


Today, Mika continues to operate with strong support

from Vanguard students and professors, including

current Vanguard graduate student and Mika executive

director and co-founder Christine Brooks, and director

of operations Keturah Kennedy ’04.

“My studies at Vanguard got me to a place where I

wanted to make this my life’s work,” says Kennedy.

“Vanguard gave me a solid education, and Mika has

given me the context to put that education to work. I

walk out the things I’ve learned at Vanguard. I get to

very practically use my degree on a regular basis.”

Mika, which takes its name from the biblical book

of Micah and points specifically to Micah 6:8,

was inspired by and modeled after Ron ’90 and

Michelle (Negron ’93, MA ’97) Bueno’s

Enlace ministry in El Salvador. Mika identifies and

equips leaders from low-income neighborhoods

to build better communities. This includes working

with residents to improve the community with new

landscaping, adult education classes, English classes

and computer classes.

“Our process is long-term commitment,” says Brooks,

who is earning her master’s degree in theology at

Vanguard. “We’re not in a hurry to tell people what

they need. We take time to build trust.”

Before becoming a Vanguard student, Brooks worked

with Vanguard professor Doug Petersen in his role as

co-founder of Latin America Child Care. Brooks spent

three years with LACC in Venezuela building a school.

Seeing Petersen interact with the poor in Latin

America “showed me his heart of compassion and

his ability to mobilize thousands of people out of that

compassion. That’s no small feat,” she says.

Now learning from Petersen in the classroom

“helps me see that in retrospect his understanding

of the scriptures is what he’s been operating out of

all this time. It has made me hungry to have that

understanding of the scriptures, to be rooted in the

scriptures and let my life and work flourish out of

that. It has been a real joy for me to learn from him

academically. There’s real trust. Vanguard has brought

depth to the way I think of my work and ministry.”

Kennedy says the cultural anthropology professors,

particularly Jamie Huff, were important in pointing her

to community development.

“I’ve always been drawn to other cultures and people

groups and expected I would probably be working

overseas,” she says.

But upon graduating from Vanguard in 2004 and

starting a master’s degree program at Fuller Seminary,

Kennedy joined Mika and came on staff in fall 2006.

“Jamie Huff, Craig Rusch and Vince Gil were all

really influential in my education in various ways,”

she says.

Brooks says studying at Vanguard is helping her build

a better foundation for the next season of Mika.

“We’re only eight years in,” she says. “We’re at

a good place to wrestle through concepts of what

undergirds our work. Being around Vanguard I

have had pivotal conversations that have influenced

my life. Professors speak into my life and live it out.

I’m grateful for that and for Vanguard’s influence in

our community.”

mika

CHRISTINE BROOKS

Mika Community Development Corporation

“IT HAS MADE ME

HUNGRY TO HAVE THAT

UNDERSTANDING OF THE

SCRIPTURES,

to be rooted in the

scriptures and let my

life and work flourish

out of that.”

PHO

TOS BY JO

SHU

A SEA

LE, CO

URTESY O

F MIKA


UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF VANGUARD PROFESSOR ED WESTBROOK, KASONDRA KOMADINA ’06 GRADUATED WITH THE HIGHEST GPA IN VANGUARD’S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT. SHE IS NOW IN HER FINAL YEAR AT LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES AND HELPED PROJECT FOR THE INNOCENT EXONERATE A MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER, DRAWING NATIONAL HEADLINES.

FREEING THE INNOCENTbeyond the classroom:

“HE’S [PROFESSOR WESTBROOK] BEEN MY MENTOR SINCE [MY FIRST YEAR AT VANGUARD]. I BRING ANY PROFESSIONAL QUESTIONS TO HIM. HE WAS THE INSPIRATION TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL.”

“Ed Westbrook was the most important person to me,” Komadina says. “My first year at Vanguard he gave an invitation to students to go to lunch with him, so I took him up on it. He’s been my mentor since then. I bring any professional questions to him. He was the inspiration to go to law school.”

Komadina enrolled at Loyola in fall 2009 and says it reminded her of Vanguard in its size and “atmosphere of trust.” Still, she wasn’t convinced law school was the right fit until she joined Project for the Innocent and found her niche. Project for the Innocent helps inmates who may have been wrongly convicted. Komadina read inmate letters and evaluated their claims of innocence, and soon took on an administrative director role.

At the time, Project for the Innocent was working on behalf of Obie Anthony. At age 20, Anthony and a co-defendant were convicted of killing a man in South Central Los Angeles.

Fourteen years later, evidence came to light that the main witness for the prosecution had lied

in exchange for a lighter sentence. Other important information had been withheld from the jury.

“I sat in court almost every day doing anything we needed: looking up codes, faxing, sending emergency emails and getting in touch with people at the school,” says Komadina. “We found the witness received a sweetheart deal for his testimony. He hadn’t witnessed the crime and ended up

recanting. We were able to prove that all these things would have led to a different result with the jury the first time around.”

After more than 17 years in prison, Anthony was freed in October 2011.

“It was incredible,” Komadina says. “Through this experience I have decided to practice in the field of criminal defense. People say how can you defend those people? I can because at one point Obie was a criminal defendant and needed someone to give him a proper defense. It’s important not to convict innocent people.”

Komadina also works at the Juvenile Justice Clinic representing children, a choice inspired in part by Westbrook’s support of her during tough times in her life.

“To have someone go to bat for you when no one else will was something I learned from him and something I value,” she says. “That plays into the field of criminal defense where you stand up for someone when no one else will. I feel like if I can have half the respect and accomplishments of Ed’s life and all the people who look up to him, I will have done well. He’s been there every step of the way for me.”

Westbrook calls Komadina “extremely smart and tenderhearted. I believed in her from the very start. I felt like she was a unique person with unique capabilities and could go a long way. She has found her passion and would be a great defense attorney or public defender. I’m really proud of her.”

Komadina graduates from Loyola in May and will take the California bar exam this summer.


WHEN BETHANY UNIVERSITY IN SCOTT’S VALLEY CLOSED ITS DOORS AFTER 92 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD, MANY STUDENTS FOUND THEMSELVES LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO FINISH THEIR EDUCATION.Vanguard University opened its doors to Bethany students, providing personalized assistance to transfer their units, offering scholarships and grants, and making them feel welcome at their new campus home.

“Vanguard’s leaders worked closely with Bethany to assure as smooth a transition as possible for students who chose to transfer here following Bethany’s closure,” says Jeff Hittenberger, Vanguard’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Vanguard’s commitment to serve Bethany’s students was rooted deeply in our common history as colleges birthed out of the Pentecostal movement.”

Vanguard academic administrators and faculty advisors worked closely with Bethany transfers to maximize the number of units Bethany students could apply toward meeting major requirements at Vanguard. Vanguard also volunteered to support the vast community of Bethany alumni, more than 10,000 former students, by requesting and receiving approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to serve as the permanent repository for Bethany’s records, including student transcripts. Beginning July 1, 2012, Bethany alumni will be able to obtain their Bethany transcripts from the Vanguard registrar’s office.

Faith Hall of Petaluma was going into her senior year when she learned that Bethany would be closing. While not easy, the transition was made easier with Vanguard’s help.

“I had a good experience at Bethany and met some of my best friends there,” she says. “For me, the only other place I had in mind or any desire to attend was Vanguard.”

Her family was concerned about the distance and affordability, but “throughout that process Vanguard was generous in their need-based grant for me, which was a big deciding factor. I already knew I liked the community feel because I’d come to visit.”

One of the most encouraging things happened at a Pre-VU day for Bethany students, when President Carol Taylor addressed them.

“It was genuine, impacting and caring, like she gets it,” Hall says. “She’s feeling for us. She’s on the same page. She said it was an advantage for Vanguard to get these students, and it was genuine. That really spoke to me. Vanguard did its very best to make the transition an easy process for us. I was thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s my senior year. I won’t know anyone, won’t have any sort of community where I graduate.’ But I feel I do have a community here. The staff and students were very welcoming and sympathetic. Friendships have formed and I’m helping out in student leadership, which is awesome.”

Hall, a psychology major graduating in May, is now involved in planning events for prospective Vanguard parents, acting as a liaison between them and her new school.

“Being part of that has definitely been helpful,” she says. “It’s encouraging to know you’re a valuable team member even though you went through something difficult.”

She says friendships formed at the senior camping trip while playing games on the beach and sitting around the campfire.

“The other students were very accepting and warm, and did their very best to include the Bethany students, which means a lot since they’ve been

friends since freshman year,” says Hall. “I see it as a huge blessing. I’ve been able to meet new people, form new connections. I love getting to know the professors. I feel a great passion in their teaching.”

Her parents are pleased with the school and thrilled that Faith is enjoying her classes and getting involved.

“This whole experience has made me a lot less afraid of the unknown,” Hall says.

Kelley Weeks, a sophomore from Madera was a music major at Bethany. She, her brother and her boyfriend all transferred to Vanguard this year when Bethany closed its doors.

“We all really like it here,” Kelley says. “I was sad to see Bethany go, but I’m thankful I was able to go there for a year. All the kids were so tight-knit.”

One of the main draws to Vanguard for Weeks was the theater department. She switched her major to theater arts, with a minor in music, and dived right in to the fall theater production.

“Being part of the show A Child’s Christmas in Wales has been a highlight so far,” she says. “I got to know a lot of people in the theater department, and had a speaking role. I think my experience at Vanguard has been better than I expected. Going into a university theater department was intimidating, but getting cast in the play was really exciting. I like the location, the dorms, the people I’ve met. It’s been a good change. I can’t imagine a better school to go to.”

Weeks also joined the women’s chorus and sang in the Christmas Fantasia concert. There has been just one drawback: fewer visits home.

“My mom was a little bummed because Santa Cruz was two hours away, and now I’m four-and-a-half hours away, so my brother and I don’t go home to visit as much,” says Weeks.

But overall the change “made me realize that so many things can be temporary. The main things that matter are your family, God and doing what God wants you to do.”

AN OPEN DOOR


AN OPEN DOOR

KELLEY WEEKS AND FAITH HALL


SHARING YOUR STORYEVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL, AND THAT STORY CAN BE EXPRESSED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. THE WRITING LANDSCAPE MAY SEEM BEWILDERING, YET NEVER HAVE THERE BEEN SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPRESS YOURSELF. LET ME SUGGEST SOME AVENUES OF EXPRESSION AND PUBLICATION TO HELP YOU SHARE YOUR STORY.

DIY AND GO TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Last year, a group of Vanguard students and I participated in a walk to help fund a cure for breast cancer. In the crowd that day, one of my students was passing out copies of a beautiful little printed and stapled booklet (called a “chapbook”) written by a friend who passed away of cancer. The slim volume shared this friend’s thoughts and faith in Christ as she walked through her journey.

The book was modestly assembled, but its impact was powerful. The author’s love for Jesus rang through clearly, and I’m sure her words affected a number of people that day.

You can do the same. With simple desktop publishing software (such as Microsoft Word), a printer and a stapler, you can produce an elegant and relatively inexpensive chapbook to express your story. For just a few dollars per book you can try DIY (do-it-yourself) publishing by taking your chapbook to a printer. Such books may have full-color covers and perfect-bound spines, and you can order just a handful or however many you need.

OR EVEN MORE ECONOMICAL: CREATE A PDF OR EBOOK FILE AND SHARE YOUR STORY ACROSS THE DIGITAL UNIVERSE

Take your story where your community is! People were interested in reading that young woman’s story that day because we were all there for the same cause. Find people who will have a special interest in your story — and go straight to them.

START A BLOG OR VLOG

Writing is like anything: you improve with practice. Blogging is a great way to practice. Many of my students blog. It is a way to share your heart and talk about things you care about. Writing for online audiences also means sharing your story concisely. Best of all, blogging is free and immediate.

One of my current English majors is interested in motorcycles. He visited my office recently and shared about video logs, or vlogs, in which people ride motorcycles with small video cameras attached to their helmets. I’ve seen snowboarders do the same thing. It’s not writing, but it is an adventurous way of telling a story that’s spontaneous in our increasingly visual and internet-driven culture.

You might start a blog and give yourself an assignment to post daily. Perhaps those posts, when gathered together, could form the basis of a book or magazine article.

JOIN A WRITING GROUP OR GET A DEGREE

Writing groups and workshops encourage you to polish up your writing, and this interaction can be very useful. To take it to the next level, consider taking college courses or earning a degree. Intensive study of the craft will make anyone a better writer, especially when you get feedback from others.

SEEK A PUBLISHER

Thoroughly research each literary press you are considering. The more you understand the kinds of books they publish or represent, the more likely you will be to find the “right one.”

In the midst of all these pursuits, keep your passion. Have faith in the value of your story, work at it and

watch where God takes you.

KAREN LEE is a professor of English at Vanguard University. She earned degrees at Brown University and the doctoral program in English at UC Berkeley. Lee has received national recognition for her writing, including being published in The Best Spiritual Writing of 2012 (Penguin).


Kelly Kannwischer714.966.5451 / [email protected]

God is telling a wonderful story through

Vanguard University. And you are a critical part

of that story through your giving.

When you give to the Annual Fund, you provide

more financial aid, better facilities, top-notch

faculty and a continued high-quality educational

experience for students. You touch the lives of

every student on campus. You empower Vanguard

to pursue its singular and vital calling within the

Christ-centered tradition in higher education. You

strengthen our foundation for the future.

Since 1920, Vanguard University has offered an

educational experience unique among Christian

universities. We are nationally recognized for our

academic strength, and our education takes place

within a classroom and campus community where

God works powerfully in hearts and minds.

The most powerful and immediate way to

support Vanguard students, is by giving to the

Annual Fund. The Annual Fund supplies financial

aid and scholarships to students. Fully 84% of

our students receive some form of financial aid.

Only the generosity of Vanguard supporters like

you makes this remarkable figure possible.

When you give to the VU Fund, you reflect the

heart of Christ. His highest command is that we

love him and love one another, and by giving

you help us serve students as Christ serves His

body. God is telling wonderful stories through

these students, and your giving brings those

stories to life. It also makes possible the entire

Vanguard experience, supporting everything

from outstanding faculty and classrooms, to safe

and attractive facilities, a welcoming campus,

vibrant cafeteria, research library and much

more. The VU Fund allows Vanguard to meet its

basic promise to students to provide a top-tier

educational environment empowered by the life-

transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Great faculty, dorms and playing fields, lively

classes and chapel services, and a robust learning

experience give every student a sense that

Vanguard is moving into an exciting future. The

entire community of students, faculty and staff

feel the support from those who give to make the

Vanguard experience possible.

The very heart of our mission depends on the VU

Fund — and donors like you who give generously.

Your story matters. When you give to the VU

Fund, your story touches countless others,

ensuring that students continue to receive the

outstanding education and spiritual formation

that Vanguard has provided for nearly a century.

PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID FOR DESERVING STUDENTS

SUPPORT PROFESSORS THAT SERVE AS MENTORS

ENHANCE STUDENT LIFE

ADVANCE THE CHRIST-CENTERED MISSION

SUPPORT OUR AREAS OF GREATEST NEED

YOUR GIFT: Improves access to qualified students, regardless of ability to pay

Helps recruit and support strong teachers

Expands and improves both the physical campus and information technology infrastructure

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

THE VANGUARD UNIVERSITY FUND


“Our hearts wrap around Vanguard University,”

says Adele. “It is the first place we look to put our

investments in every way, both time and money.”

The reason is that Vanguard’s education supplies

more than just information — it gives the basis

for understanding that information.

“Knowledge comes from the Lord,” Adele says.

“Without that basis, information doesn’t change

lives. It doesn’t transform the culture in which we

release these young men and women. We believe

there is a fundamental necessity for a moral

education to go with knowledge. Vanguard is

committed to that.”

Many members of the Oddo family have attended

VU, including David’s sister Darlene (Oddo)

McGee ’71 and her husband Rick ’73, who met

there; their son Rick III ’94 who is lead associate

pastor at Newport Mesa Church; David and

Adele’s daughters Angela (Oddo) Carlson ’96 and

Anastasia. Their son Ryan, pastor of a church in

Rancho Santa Margarita, has been working on a

master’s degree at VU.

“Vanguard provides opportunities for

transformational ‘Aha’ moments with God,

not just at chapel services but in the interaction

that takes place in the dorm rooms and in the

classrooms with professors,” says David. “There

are so many choices of where to invest money.

We want to invest in young people who are

otherwise being bombarded from other directions

with nonbiblical worldviews. The integration of

faith and learning is terribly important. Without

that Christian worldview they cannot make an

impact that is beneficial for the kingdom of God.”

The Oddos have given generously to help

construct buildings, renovate the new Towers

lobby and support Vanguard in many other ways.

“We love to find ways to bless the students of

the campus and to support the growth of the

University,” says Adele. “That is where our

joy is. To find a project and get behind it with

everything we’ve got.”

The Oddo family foundation every year examines

the many opportunities for giving, and “Vanguard

is always at the top of our list,” says Adele.

David is a gifted entrepreneur who takes small

businesses and makes them more profitable

through strategic decision-making and market

positioning. His family sold their Superior

Window Products nine years ago, and currently

have another business, Pinnacle Precision Sheet

Metal in Anaheim. He is also president of a real

estate investment company.

The ultimate purpose of their businesses, the

Oddos say, is to make funds available for ministry

such as the ministry of a Vanguard education.

“The last three years at Vanguard have been

absolutely amazing as we see the favor of God

in everything from student morale to donors

and enrollment,” says David. “There’s been

tremendous response and resurgence of energy

that I account to God’s favor. The new Towers

lobby, the Veterans Courtyard, the student-led

worship on campus — it all tells me we’re in a

new day that God has planned for the University.

It’s exciting to be part of it.”

STRATEGIC SUPPORT

beyond community:

ADELE AND DAVID ODDO MBA ’07 BELIEVE STRONGLY IN THE MISSION OF VANGUARD

UNIVERSITY AND HAVE GIVEN GENEROUSLY FOR MANY YEARS TO A VARIETY OF CAMPUS NEEDS.

DAVID, AN ALUM OF THE VANGUARD MBA PROGRAM, ALSO HAS SERVED ON THE BOARD OF

TRUSTEES FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, AND IS PRESENTLY THE CHAIR.

“WE LOVE TO FIND WAYS TO BLESS THE STUDENTS OF THE

CAMPUS AND TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE UNIVERSITY. THAT

IS WHERE OUR JOY IS. TO FIND A PROJECT AND GET BEHIND IT

WITH EVERYTHING WE’VE GOT.” ADELE ODDO

vanguard magazine SPRING/SUMMER 2012 27DAVID AND ADELE ODDO WITH DAUGHTER ANASTASIA


THE LIONS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM NOTCHED THEIR MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON IN YEARS, EARNING A SPOT IN THE NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT WITH A DYNAMIC GROUP OF PLAYERS AND FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH ERYN LEJA, WHO MAINTAINS A STRONG MENTORING RELATIONSHIP WITH PREVIOUS HEAD COACH MARISSA (COTHRAN ’05) BOOKER MA ’10.

“I had a feeling we’d be very competitive,” says Leja. “The personalities went together really well. The seniors wanted so badly to win. The new girls had come from winning programs so they wanted to win. The combina-tion was perfect. Marissa has been such a support to me in this transition since it’s my first head coaching job. We talked weekly and bounced ideas off each other.”

The Lions twice beat NAIA powerhouse Fresno Pacific University, a team Vanguard hasn’t beaten in 18 years. The Lions went 23-14 overall and 10-8 in GSAC.

“We knew we wanted to make it to nationals and be successful,” says player Jamie Heenan, a psychology major and outside hitter who was named an NAIA second team All-American. “All the girls on the team bought into that goal.”

Leja says a deep bench, returning talent and players recruited from three Division 1 schools and “incredible club programs” created strength in the program. Leja came to Vanguard from assistant coaching with one of the top volleyball clubs in the nation. She was VU’s assistant coach last year.

“I learned a lot on the mentorship side from Marissa because she is such a great person, and the girls felt comfortable going to her about athletics or academ-ics,” Leja says. “I learned about being a coach and always being available to the girls. Marissa is one of the most humble people I know, and so supportive and excited whenever I talked to her.”

Booker, who was head coach at Vanguard for three years, now coaches at Corona Del Mar high school. She took her volleyball team to the state playoffs, los-ing in the CIF finals, and was named CIF Division IA coach of the year.

“The Vanguard volleyball program keeps going up a level as time goes on, which is awesome,” Booker says. “[Former head coach] Erikka Gulbranson ’09 did

an amazing job training me into the role I had. She was always willing to hear other people’s opinions. That’s what I tried to pass on to Eryn. A lot of coaches don’t ask for help because it’s seen as a sign of weakness. But the resources around you help build your program.”

Booker cites Bob Wilson, VU’s athletics director, and Russ Davis, the women’s basketball coach, as examples.

“They are a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in how to run a program,” she says. “They gave me great advice whenever I asked for it.”

With the support of the coaches around her and a roster of talented players, Leja and the Lions surprised many observers who had not even ranked the team nationally in pre-season rankings. The Lions beat ranked teams in the first two tournaments, including Southern Oregon, College of Idaho and Oklahoma Baptist, and jumped to #17 in the nation.

“The girls loved the feeling and didn’t want to stop winning,” says Leja.

A mid-season loss to Azusa Pacific prompted some collective soul-searching and a team meeting where the girls made changes they felt they needed to become a consistently winning team.

In their next match they did the impossible, toppling Fresno Pacific in an away game. FPU had won the national title four years in a row.

“We broke the top ten in the nation for a while, which was a huge accomplishment for us,” says Leja.

Lisa Morgan, a senior accounting major who received the team’s Champions of Character award for her servant leadership, character and responsibility, and was an NAIA scholar-athlete, says the team’s biggest accomplishment was to adopt a winning mentality.

“The seniors took responsibility to be role models and lead by example,” she says. “We decided we needed to play harder and be more competitive in practice. That relayed into the games. Everyone’s intensity went up.”

She also says the team’s off-court focus on character-building and Bible study made a big difference. Leja says the team had a “wonderful mentor from Fellow-ship of Christian Athletes who did team Bible studies with us every week. The girls wanted to dig deeper in their relationships with God. Having that was a big part of our being successful.”

Morgan says the Bible studies related to volleyball and could be applied on the court.

“The Bible study brought us closer together as a team,” she says. “The freshmen girls even sought him out to do a separate Bible study just for them in addition to the main Bible study. The girls on our team were prob-ably the best girls I’ve ever played with.”

The Lions traveled to Iowa for the NAIA tournament but their season ended with a five-set loss to Lee University, the #3 team in the nation. The Lions ended the season ranked #14 in the nation and tied for the highest GSAC finish in Vanguard history.

“For my first season, I couldn’t be happier,” says Leja. “I put lot of emphasis on playing well and winning, but at same time I want a team of character that works hard in classroom and Bible study. This team has surpassed those expectations. Almost every one of our freshmen had above a 3.5 GPA, which was incred-ible. It was a great season athletically, academically and spiritually.”

“What the team accomplished this year was phenom-enal,” Booker agrees. “I am so proud of Eryn. She is doing a great job with the program. There’s very a bright future for Vanguard volleyball.”

LIONS ROAR ON THE COURT

sports


“I LEARNED A LOT ON THE

MENTORSHIP SIDE FROM

MARISSA BECAUSE SHE IS

SUCH A GREAT PERSON,

AND THE GIRLS FELT

COMFORTABLE GOING TO

HER ABOUT ATHLETICS OR

ACADEMICS.

I learned about being a

coach and always being

available to the girls.”

ERYN LEJA

Head Coach, Vanguard Women’s Volleyball


’60sMike McGuire ’69 and wife Shelley live in Irvine. Mike has been supervising student-teachers at Vanguard since retiring from the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District in 2004 where he was a teacher, coach and principal for 34 years. The McGuires have six children and ten grandchildren, and are active members of Mariners Church. When time allows, Mike hunts and fishes with family and friends.

’70sJudy (Rider) and Jerry Pickens ’70 live in Gardena and have fond memories of helping to create the alumni department at Vanguard many years ago with good friend Rosemary Jackson ’84. In that time, they enjoyed visiting other alumni at USC, APU, Chapman, Cal Baptist and many others to make connections for their alma mater. They appreciate the continued dedication of the Vanguard alumni relations office.

’80sChris Gallup ’82 is a construction inspector. After 29 years in San Diego, he and wife Arlene moved to Antioch when Chris is senior project inspector with the Pittsburg Unified School District. The Gallup family includes six children ages 22 to 29.

Jerry Godsey ’81 and wife Lanette have two sons, a grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Jerry is the

scientific investigations supervisor for the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office and co-pastors Remnant, an independent church. He has written a newspaper column, The View from the Pew, for the Imperial Valley Press for 15 years. A collection of his columns was recently self-published for Amazon Kindle (see jerrygodsey.com).

Joe McCarthy ’89 is the director of communications at The Church on the Way in Van Nuys. He and wife Libby, along with daughters Eliana, 4, and Gabriela, 2, have lived in Brea since 1996.

Ron and Vonda (Dickson) Schaefer ’87 recently moved to Montecito. Ron is the CEO and president of the Montecito Retirement Association, which owns and operates Casa Dorinda, a retirement community. Vonda continues to work as a psychotherapist, a clinical supervisor for MFT Interns and a part-time college instructor. Ron and Vonda are proud parents to three daughters: Kayla, who will graduate from the University of London this year; Kendra, a freshman at UCLA; and Kate, a junior in high school.

Scott Theede ’86 and wife Michelle celebrate 23 years of marriage and live in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. Prior to living

in Michigan, Scott was a police officer in Port St. Lucie, Florida, for nearly nine years. He continues to work in law enforcement as a school liaison officer and head of security at Flint Central Church of the Nazarene. Scott and Michelle have four children: Kameron, 21, Kolin, 17, Karsen, 7, and Kyndall, 1.

’90sBecky (Olsen) Aylor ’91 has worked in juvenile corrections. She and husband Dude have two children, Sebastian Boehm, who will be

attending Vanguard this fall, and Josie, 10. Becky finishes her master’s degree in education from Willamette University in June. The Aylors attend Westside Church in Bend, Ore.

Michelle Bannigan ’98 is proud to be a Vanguard accounting alum, especially in her new role as the accounting manager for the city of San Juan Capistrano.

Brandon Johnson ’97 and wife Dr. Kristina live in Santa Cruz. Brandon is a pastor at Gathering by the Bay and also pastors a spiritual community called Firestarters House Church.

Markita Roberson ’98 serves her alma mater as an adjunct professor of biblical and women’s studies at Vanguard. She published her first novel, The Law of Jealousy, in October. It can be purchased on Amazon and has received great reviews.

Tara (Henken ’98) Rynders is a production specialist with WDP&R Creative Entertainment Productions at the Disneyland Resort. The Rynders family lives in Anaheim.

Troy ’99 and Cita (Montemayor ’01) Taylor live in Bakersfield and are proud parents to Issac, 5, Asher 4, and Reagan,

2. They are in the process of launching a Master Commission site soon and hope to become

Send us your photos! We would love to showcase pictures of your new baby, wedding or anniversary in Class Notes. Email your photos to [email protected] or mail your prints to: Alumni Relations, 55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Prints will not be returned.

class notes

CLASS NOTES


Assemblies of God missionaries to Ghana, Africa. Troy and Steve Henning ’00 would also like to see a Vanguard Super Fans comeback, but claim that age is slowing them down.

’00sLeslie (Schaefer ’00) Ballard pursued a dream to start her own business, Peritus, which provides training, workplace learning design, and learning management consulting. Leslie and husband Mike love living in the Nashville area.

Victoria Boulding ’07 has been director and marketing consultant in the entertainment industry for the past eight years. She is self-employed and volunteers as a youth ministry teacher.

Patricia (Serrato ’06) and Cesar Castellon ’04 live in Los Angeles county with son Liam. Patricia is an associate producer for

the nationally syndicated entertainment news show Extra with host Mario Lopez. Cesar received his MBA from Azusa Pacific and works as the west coast sales marketing coordinator for the Cystic Fibrosis Pharmacy Foundation. Their son Liam has his own entertainment career and can be seen on a Lowe’s commercial.

Cecilee (Glaus ’09) and Matt Jones ’06 were married October 16, 2010, and live in central California. Cecilee is finishing her

master’s degree in Islamic Studies and teaches music. Matt teaches for the California Community Colleges Foundation. Together they are preparing for their next step overseas.

Ashley Kammeraad ’06 earned a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in special education from

Point Loma. She is an education specialist at Sequoia Middle School in Bakersfield, where she teaches algebra. She will be married on June 30, 2012.

A LEGACY OF SUPPORTSince the 1940s, the Prettyman family has been a strong part of the Vanguard community as students, choir director and athletics director. Now Joseph Prettyman ’69 and wife Carolyn are supporting Vanguard

in their planned giving as well.

“Being an alumnus, I’m behind the school 100 percent,” Joseph says. “I promote Vanguard strongly and encourage people to consider it when they’re looking for a college to attend. We also give on a monthly basis because we believe in the mission.”

The Prettymans, both remarried after losing their first spouses, have nine children between them. In their estate planning, they decided to split their estate ten ways, giving a tenth to each child and a tenth to Vanguard.

“We’re having a delightful time being part of the school,” says Joseph. “We’re still tied into it after all these years. In my opinion it’s the greatest school in the Assemblies of God.”

Joseph was born just eight years after the founding of the Assemblies of God. He attended Vanguard when it was called Southern California Bible College and was located in Pasadena. He went on to serve as minister of music and pastor at a number of churches in California. In the 1960s, Vanguard asked him to serve as its music director, which he did for three years, creating and touring with the Vanguard Chorale.

At 89 years old, he now pastors the Assembly of God church in Seal Beach Leisure World and leads two services per week.

“The Prettymans are a true delight,” says Mark McAnlis, director of planned giving at Vanguard University. “Their estate gift is a tremendous blessing and helps give us the ability to advance the University. They give monthly as well to the annual fund, which is the lifeblood of the school. It allows us to stay in the black, keep the lights on and keep the best teachers.”

Joseph’s children, Ken ’70 and Ronald ’77, both attended Vanguard, as did his daughters-in-law Carol ’86 and Caroline ’86, his granddaughter Shara ’00 and his grandson Peter ’94.

Ron, who played basketball and tennis at Vanguard and earned a bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation, was director of athletics at Vanguard for 13 years in the ’80s and ’90s. When Vanguard hired him at age 27, he was the youngest athletics director in the nation at a four-year school. He also served as associate professor and head coach for several of the teams. He then made the leap to the NCAA Division 1 and serves now at Indiana State University.

“My experience at Vanguard prepared me for my career better than any textbook could have,” Ron says. “I got a great education there, and having my first collegiate job in the athletics profession at Vanguard set the foundation for my philosophy. It molded my life and set the tone for my career.”

Joseph and Carolyn Prettyman belong to the Needham Society, which is for donors who make a planned gift to Vanguard University. To find out how you can support Vanguard through planned giving contact Mark McAnlis or visit give.vanguard.edu.


Deborah (Candelaria ’03) Kirkwood is a guidance counselor at Christian High School in Arvada, Colo. She

continued to pursue a career in music after graduation that included joining The Internationals, a singing group that toured through Israel. In March 2012, she married Micah; they are expecting their first child. Debbie recently recorded her first album, A New Heart, which is a mix of worship and upbeat songs. The album is available on iTunes.

Susy Medina ’08 is an expense analyst at Deacon Industries in Orange. She is a member of a Salsa, Tango and Rhumba dance group called Familia de Los Pies based out of Buena Park. Susy is also proud to have run her first two marathons. She hopes to incorporate all of her passions into a restaurant one day.

Heather (Enns) and Ryan Nelson ’02 live near Manitowoc, Wisc., where Ryan is a value stream manager for Parker Hannifin Corp.

Heather is a busy mother and homeschools their five children: Zac, 8, Tatum, 6, Jadyn, 4, Malachi, 3, and Shilo, 1. Follow the Nelson family adventures at learninglovingteaching.blogspot.com.

Catherine (Riley ’09) Santiago and husband CJ have been married two years and live in Colorado with their bulldog puppy.

Catherine is a student attorney at the Community Economic Development Clinic and is attending the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. She plans to graduate in 2013.

David ’05, MBA ’09 and Roshele Snyder ’04 live in Costa Mesa. Roshele opened a law firm that specializes in estate and business planning, trusts and probate. The Snyder family includes Vanguard students Sarina ’12 and Lauryn ’15, and Allyson ’16, who will start at Vanguard in the fall.

’10sRachel (McKenzie ’10) and Daniel Cook ’10 were married August 6, 2010. Daniel is a leasing consultant for the

Irvine Company while Rachel is an event manager at Hornblower Cruises and Events.

Patricia Delgado ’11 lives in Orange and is pursuing a master’s degree in teaching.

Caryn (Fitzgerald ’10) and Mark Fields ’07 live in Santa Ana and are excited to welcome their first daughter into the world

this spring. Mark is a youth pastor at Zoe Christian Fellowship of Whittier. They are both thankful for the opportunities Vanguard provided and are ready to take on this next season of life.

Lauren Francis ’10 finished a full-time internship with TOMS Shoes in Santa Monica, where she worked in the marketing department to

raise awareness on high school and college campuses. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Christian education at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada. Lauren leads worship, works with high school students and writes blogs at Rock Harbor Church.

Paul Fulmer ’11 worked as a media coordinator at his parents’ advertising agency. He is now the account coordinator at

Marshall Advertising and enjoys it very much.

Amanda Lawson ’10 lives in Huntington Beach where she is a full-time legal assistant for Satori Law Group. She volunteers with School on

Wheels and tutors homeless children throughout

Orange County. Amanda was recently accepted into the Peace Corps and is excited to begin teaching English in eastern Europe.

Jeremy Plumb ’10 lives in Vacaville where he is a driver and in sales for the Maltby Electric Company. He volunteers at the Vacaville Storehouse, a distribution center for food and clothing to families in need, and also provides food for the homeless in San Francisco through Friday Night Strike at The Mission Church.

Melody Prado ’11 is an independent contractor with UCI’s clinical skills center. She also volunteers for the Society for the Advancement, a professional development club, and is the founder of the Career Advancement Coalition, a new online community for the Class of 2011. Melody lives in Irvine.

Tiffany Redwing ’10 lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she teaches junior high and high school math and is a yearbook

advisor at Rio International School. She has lived there since July 2010 and is excited about her international teaching endeavors.

Brooke (Rankin ’11) and Nehemiah Rogers ’11 relocated to the Bay Area for Nehemiah’s job as a worship pastor at a

church in Richmond. Brooke is pursuing her teaching credential and master’s degree in education.

Marlena Smith ’11 was the student speaker at Vanguard’s SPS Commencement. She lives in Torrance and is now studying at the University of Redlands.

Christine (Aquino ’10) and Brian Stephens ’07 were married August 14, 2010, and live in Costa Mesa. Christine is an

assistant art management coordinator at Stampington & Company in Laguna Hills. She was

class notes


recently promoted to assistant editor. Brian is a Life Group Shepherd at Rock Harbor Church.

Just MarriedJamie (Hartson ’11) and Devin Aguilera ’11 were married April 21, 2011, at Living Stones Church in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Melody (Sullivan 2001-2004) Buckley married Jeremy on August 21, 2011, at the Royal Princess Yacht in

Newport Beach. They live in Costa Mesa. Melody is applying for grad school.

Charis (Medina ’96, MA ’98) and Trevor Meyer were married in Westminster on November 19, 2011. They live in Anaheim.

Carrie (Pilcher ’02) married David Papstein on August 20, 2011, in San Diego. Carrie is a behavior support specialist for San Diego Unified School District.

Brittany (Larson ’10) and Kiel Peterson ’10 were married July 15, 2011, at the Leo Carrillo Ranch in

Carlsbad. They live in Point Loma where they both work for Ashford University. Brittany received her teaching credential last May and plans to begin teaching.

Jon Primrose ’06 married Jessica Stephens on January 21, 2012. The ceremony was held in Needham Chapel

with the reception aboard the Eternity Yacht in the Newport Beach Harbor. Jon is a client services manager at NM Incite, a Nielsen McKinsey Company. He also volunteers for various Vanguard events, represents his class on the alumni board of directors, and attends Mariners Church in Mission Viejo.

A RISING QUILTING STAR

Five years after taking up quilting

as a serious hobby, Amy (Shaw ’99) Ellis is the author of a

popular blog and a quilting book

published a year ago by Martingale

Press. The book, Modern Basics: Easy Quilts to

Fit Your Budget, Space, and Style, features

14 of her original quilt designs and is in its

fourth printing.

“My patterns are simple yet interesting, I hope,”

Ellis says. “I like saturated, bold colors. They

can be completed in a week or two versus six

months or more for other patterns.”

Ellis came to Vanguard from Washington state

with the aid of a campus service grant. She

earned a degree in liberal studies and married

Joseph Ellis ’00, MA ’10.

“I loved Vanguard,” she says. “I was involved

with outreach ministries, leading Hands Across

the Border teams and eventually becoming the

HATB director. I always encourage people to

jump in and get involved because those things

change your outlook on life.”

After working in Vanguard’s financial aid

office for two years, she and her growing

family moved to Park City, Utah, where they

now reside. Amy taught herself quilting while

pregnant with their fourth child.

“I found it soothing and comforting to have

a project I could see through to the end,”

she says.

Soon she was sketching her own patterns with

vibrant colors and non-traditional designs. She

published some on her blog, amyscreativeside.

com, which she says has 2,500 daily readers,

and the response was tremendous.

Still, “It was a big jump to think of doing

a book,” she says. “It took a leap of faith

in myself.”

After her book proposal was accepted, she

worked four months solid to complete the

designs, most of which produce quilts 5 feet by

6 feet. Published in February 2011, the book

has already gone to a second printing.

Ellis continues to blog “late at night when the

house is quiet,” and is organizing an online

quilt festival for bloggers, to foster the kind of

community she experienced at Vanguard.

“I’m an organizer,” she says. “Working with

outreach ministries at Vanguard was always

fun, interacting with people, getting details

lined up. I like to keep things moving forward.

Now I’m doing that in the quilting community.

Vanguard gave me the skills and the love for

community, which I’m trying to encourage.

Quilting is not something I ever envisioned

for myself, but it’s been an exciting path for

my life.”

34 vanguard magazine spring/summer 2011

ALUMNI HONORED AT VANGUARD HOMECOMING

At a luncheon during Homecoming week, four alumni were honored by Vanguard University.

Ron Prettyman ’77 was named Alumnus of the Year for contributions

to college athletics in 30 years of service. His first job as athletics director was at Vanguard University (1983-95), followed by Cal State Dominguez Hills (1995-2005) and Indiana State University in 2005. Under his direction, ISU’s athletics program has enjoyed greater success on the field, in the classroom and in its regional stature.

Prettyman has twice been named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Administrator of the Year (2004, 2011) and has served on several NCAA national committees. He is a past president of both the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association and the California Collegiate Athletic Association. While at Dominguez Hills, Prettyman played an integral role in the construction of the $200 million Home Depot Center, a USA Olympic Training Center. During his 13 years at Vanguard, Prettyman was an associate professor and head coach for numerous teams.

The recipient of the Career Achievement Award was Rick Francis ’87 who graduated cum laude in religious education. He serves now as Costa Mesa’s assistant chief executive officer. He has spent more than 22 years in government service, much of it with the Orange County Probation Department. His most recent work included time as a lead policy adviser for the Orange County Supervisors responsible for wide-ranging issues dealing with public safety, land use, transportation and finance. Rick also served as the administrative pastor at Newport Mesa Church in Costa Mesa from 2003-2006.

The Distinguished Service Award was given to David G. Clark ’68 who was professor of New Testament and Greek in Vanguard’s division of religion for 35 years (1974-2009). He chaired the department of biblical studies and division of religion, and was adjunct professor for Fuller Theological Seminary.

Clark earned a PhD in biblical studies from the University of Notre Dame, and has written many articles and led workshops on C. S. Lewis and biblical themes. At the invitation of Blackwell Publishers (Oxford) he wrote C.S. Lewis: A Guide to

His Theology (2007) and just completed C.S. Lewis Goes to Heaven: A Reader’s Guide to The Great Divorce, the only full-length study of Lewis’ imaginary trip to Heaven. Clark continues to work with D. Min. students at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri.

Young Alumna of the Year Marsha Caradonna ’00, MBA ’08 graduated with a degree in accounting and finance and then earned her MBA. She started as an intern at Ronald Blue & Company, a biblically-based financial and investment management firm managing approximately $5 billion in assets. Caradonna became a licensed Certified Public Accountant in 2004 and rose through the ranks of the company. This year she became the youngest female to join as an owner of Ronald Blue & Company.

Marsha is active at Newport Mesa Church and volunteers in the Solid Rock youth ministries. She also is involved in Vanguard’s business student gatherings.

View photos from all of the Homecoming 2012 events on our alumni Facebook: facebook.com/vanguardalumni

ALUMNI WINNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES GATHERED AT THE 2012 HOMECOMING TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS. (LEFT TO RIGHT) MARSHA CARADONNA AND FAMILY, RICK FRANCIS AND

FAMILY WITH VANGUARD PRESIDENT CAROL TAYLOR, AND RON PRETTYMAN AND FAMILY WITH CAROL TAYLOR.


Future AlumniHeather (Rachels ’02) and Caleb Clements ’02 are proud parents to Emily Ruth, 3, and Charles “Charlie” Timothy, born

in September 2011. Heather now works part-time as the assistant director of alumni relations at Vanguard to allow her to be home with the kids more. Caleb is the worship pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine. The growing Clements family makes their home in Costa Mesa.

Jennifer (Reynolds ’10) Jahn and her husband are proud parents of their first daughter, Avery Georgia Jahn, born

September 15, 2011.

Ashley Luster ’05 and husband Levi welcomed their first son, Teagan Levi, on March 7, 2010. They live in Glendale, Ariz.

Danielle (Fuson ’03) Porcho and husband Stephen are proud parents of daughter Adeline Estelle Kate Porcho, born November

6, 2011. The Porchos live in Bakersfield where Danielle is a music teacher.

Hannah (Krakauer ’06) Sivilay is a stay-at-home mom to Isla, 2, and Neva, born in August 2011. Her husband is a deputy in

Riverside County. The Sivilays live in Menifee and are involved in college ministry at Faith Bible Church.

Mark West ’94 and wife Rani live in Vallejo where they are proud parents to Jonathan, 10, and twin daughters Abigail Grace and

Isabella Joy, born May 31, 2011. Rani is a stay-at-home mom while Mark is a window and door salesman. In last seven years Mark has traveled to Colombia, England, Scotland and India on short-term mission trips. Both Mark and Rani hope to pursue more missions opportunities as the Lord enables them.

In MemoryJerry Biffle ’71 passed away September 9, 2010.

Dean Duncan ’43 passed away February 1, 2012.

Dean M. Harvey ’61 passed away October 26, 2011.

Paul Finkenbinder “Hermano Pablo” Honorary Doctorate ’93 passed away January 27, 2012.

Donald “Bud” Hittenberger ’60 passed away December 14, 2011.

Ray Hunt ’52 passed away in October 2011.

David Jenkins ’55 passed away January 25, 2012.

John A. Lindvall ’50 passed away July 14, 2011.

Audrey McBride ’56 passed away in July 2010.

Ray Powers 1959-1961 passed away December 7, 2011.

Dr. Craig Rusch ’86 beloved former Vanguard faculty passed away February 1, 2012.

Christine (Luce ’95) Serrat passed away in September 2007.

Joel Torres ’58 passed away in 2007.

vanguard tweets

@tabithajade0714 Tabitha Espineli

Touring other colleges makes me so incredibly thankful for the professors, staff, family, community, and location of @VanguardU

@BrandonMuchow Brandon Muchow

Thank you @VanguardU for an incredible night of worship last night. It was good to be home. God is so Good. See you soon.

@brenenbeeler Brenen Beeler

Nice to be back on @VanguardU campus and see some of my old profs and great friends now working there as well.

@BiancaOlthoff Bianca Juarez

Speaking to @VanguardU students about @TheA21Campaign. If I work in a reference to Justin Bieber’s new song, I’ll TOTALLY sound cool, right?

@MrCookPhoto Mr. Cook

Thank you @VanguardU for providing an epic APA Style Essentials format on your website. 6 Yrs after graduating and you’re still teaching me!

@kappaluppa KappaLuppa

Headed home after a very long week of college visits. She picked Vanguard University! @VanguardU here we come!

TWEET @VANGUARDU SOME LOVE AND YOU JUST MIGHT END UP IN THE NEXT VANGUARD MAGAZINE!


Equipped for youth ministryI WAS 18 YEARS OLD AND A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN I BECAME A CHRISTIAN, AND SUDDENLY MY PLANS FOR ATTENDING COLLEGE CHANGED. I’D HAD MY SIGHTS SET ON UNLV IN MY HOMETOWN OF LAS VEGAS, BUT NOW I FELT GOD CALLING ME INTO MINISTRY. BEING NEW TO CHURCH, I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW CHRISTIAN COLLEGES EXISTED UNTIL MY YOUTH PASTOR RECOMMENDED VANGUARD. I APPLIED AND SOON WAS SITTING IN A COLLEGE CLASSROOM LEARNING ABOUT JESUS.

Vanguard’s education became foundational to my new faith. In the dorms I became part of a community of people who believed the same thing I did. In the classroom, professor Bill Dogterom became a major influence in my life. The knowledge and wisdom he brought to the table were incredible. I learned that the most important thing I have to offer anyone is my own relationship with Jesus. I listened closely to how he taught the Bible. The classes I took with him still bring me back to my first principles.

As a youth ministry major, one of the best decisions I made was to volunteer in a local church right away. A guy in the dorms invited me to Mariners Church and within a year of becoming a Christian I was leading a small group of seventh-grade guys. I took everything I learned in class at Vanguard and applied it to real ministry situations. In class I could say, “Here’s what I did last night in my youth group. Here’s what this seventh-grader said to me.” I brought junior high kids to class to be part of our conversations to see if what we were discussing really worked.

My relationship with Mariners bloomed. After a few years of volunteering, the high school pastor, who I’d never met, came to me one day and said, “I’ve heard about you. I need you on my team.” Mariners offered me a position on their staff before I graduated Vanguard. After I finished my degree I came on full-time.

Today I oversee junior high ministry at Mariners. Most of my energy is spent developing the staff and volunteer team to love each other the way we want our kids to love each other. We try to model the kind of community we want kids to have.

We also put a major emphasis on serving the community. We don’t just let church be about the students. We want the students to be missionaries in their local context the way Jesus was. Our students know the church exists for their friends and they are living models of who Jesus is in their schools. Our students feed the homeless and serve with churches in Santa Ana. We give shoes to kids in Mexico and raise money to build wells in Haiti. We put a key emphasis on discipleship.

What I do now still goes back to what I learned at Vanguard, especially in Professor Dogterom’s classes. The things he taught me are the things I teach to my staff. His classes were huge in my development as a Christian and a youth leader. When I’m feeling empty, I go back to what I learned in his spiritual disciplines class and remind myself that who I am in Jesus is the most important thing and everything else flows from that.

I’m thankful for my experience at Vanguard and the mentorship that equipped me to do what I do today.

my story

JARED KIRKWOOD ’05 is

the junior high pastor at

Mariners Church where he

oversees a full-time staff

of four and dozens of

committed volunteers.


a vine of his own planting

CAROL (BREWER ’62) COLE SAYS SHE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE STUDENT BODY VOTED HER THE HOMECOMING QUEEN.

“I never thought about it,” she says. “I came back to campus one day and was told I had carried the vote.”

She and student body president Eldon Graberger ’62 were photographed at a banquet for the “royal court,” and he escorted her to the football game because in those days there was no Homecoming king.

Cole recalls the great camaraderie at SCC, now Vanguard, during those years.

“I loved being on campus,” she says. “I was part of the prayer bands that met and prayed for the Islands of the Sea. You planned social activities around that. I was also an RA for my hall. Some of the friends we have from that era are our very best friends today. You get together with them and pick up right where you left off.”

She and husband Paul ’62 live in Eugene, Oregon, and enjoy the ’60s reunions for their “great spiritual times as well as reminiscing.”

Graberger became a school teacher for 29 years in Las Vegas, and sold real estate. He met and married his wife at Vanguard. He remembers his year as president mostly for the achievement of purchasing and relocating the gymnasium from Orange Coast College. It was cut in two and transported to 55 Fair Drive on trucks.

“I loved Vanguard,” Graberger says. “It was an exciting time.”

55 FAIR DRIVE, COSTA MESA, CA 92626

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