She and her band have performed for legions of fans before Seattle Reign (National Women’s Soccer League) games and at Seattle Kraken (National Hockey League) games. But singing the national anthem as part of a choir with Charlie Puth at Super Bowl LX—in front of 70,823 fans at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and 124.9 million viewers watching on TV—was the largest audience she had ever played for.

Despite the massive crowd, she said she didn’t feel any nerves. “It’s harder for me to perform in a small space or more intimate setting,” she said. 

‘All under wraps’

So how was the 91����Ƶ alumna able to land such a high-profile gig?

Since March 2023, Murray has been a member of the , directed by Terrance Kelly, which for the past four decades has made it its mission to inspire joy and unity through Black gospel and spiritual music traditions. Murray typically sings tenor in the choir but sang alto for their national anthem performance.

She said the production team working with Puth—the singer of such hits as See You Again and We Don’t Talk Anymore—reached out to the gospel choir and selected 10 performers. Ten members of the , an ensemble based in Charlotte, North Carolina, directed by Dennis Reed Jr., were also chosen.

“This was all under wraps; we couldn’t talk about it or anything,” Murray said. “But all of this happened within a week and a half, so we didn’t actually get our arrangements or parts until the Monday before the Super Bowl.”

On Friday, two days before Super Bowl Sunday, performers from the two choirs boarded a bus from Oakland, California, to Levi’s Stadium for sound check, where they were fitted for in‑ear monitors and the robes they would wear on the field.

“It was such a huge production,” said Murray. “In the same time span Brandi Carlile was singing America the Beautiful, we were singing our part with Charlie and the orchestra, and they were practicing videography for the flyover. All of that was being rehearsed at the same time.”

“It was pretty wild to have Brandi’s vocals live in my in-ear monitors because she’s one of my favorite contemporary singer-songwriters,” Murray added. “She’s a force to be reckoned with, so it was special to be in her orbit that way.”

The big day

On Sunday morning, the choirs arrived at the stadium, passed through security, and prepared for their performance at a nearby soccer field that had been turned into a green room. They shared the space with the orchestra and the performers dressed in grass suits who were part of the set for the Bad Bunny halftime show.

They walked through the same tunnel that Green Day, Carlile, and Bad Bunny used to enter the stadium. When the TV cameras cut to commercials, that’s when they took their places on the field.

Watch their performance below!

After they sang, they walked back out the tunnel, gave high-fives to some new “bush friends,” got on the bus, and were home by the fourth quarter, Murray said.

She said that working with Puth was “a total pleasure.”

“I don’t even think it’s really sunk in how much talent that man has,” she said. “Honestly, the same goes for Brandi. To be sandwiched between two incredible talents was a moment of a lifetime, for sure.”

Intercultural in Guatemala-Mexico

Born and raised in Seattle, Murray attended Seattle Mennonite Church and said she had “a lot of musical influence from growing up there,” but it wasn’t until well after her days at 91����Ƶ that she began getting into music as a performer.

She attended the University of Washington for two years before spending a year in Washington D.C. through Mennonite Voluntary Service. She finished her last two years of her undergraduate degree at 91����Ƶ, graduating in spring 2008.

She credited her intercultural experiences in Guatemala and Mexico as being particularly formative. “That never would’ve happened if 91����Ƶ didn’t require it for its students,” she said. “I think, now more than ever, it’s important to stay connected to the larger world community and value people’s place in it, beyond what can feel convenient or easy.”

After graduating from 91����Ƶ, she participated in Serving and Learning Together (SALT), Mennonite Central Committee’s yearlong, cross-cultural voluntary service program. She also taught English in Guatemala and ran an after-school program in El Salvador before returning to Seattle and plugging into the city’s music scene. She moved to Oakland in November 2022.

Looking back over the past week, Murray said one of the biggest highlights was working with Reed, director of the Sainted Trap Choir, who arranged the background vocals for their rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.

“He’s so talented, and it filled my heart to work closely with him and sing in harmony with such skilled singers,” she said.

Just before wrapping up her speech at the annual Rally in the Valley conference late last month, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed invited the ballroom full of students to pull out their phones and add her cell phone number to their contacts. 

“I’ve always said I would use my platform to provide endless opportunities for those who need me,” said Reed, who serves as director of alumni engagement and community connections at 91����Ƶ. “Some of you are going to need jobs. Text me. Let me know your name and where you’re from. I’ll make sure to get back to you.”

The two-day event, held from March 27-28 at the Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center in Harrisonburg, brought together about 200 undergraduate students, faculty and staff from a dozen accredited social work programs across the state. The annual conference is sponsored by the Virginia Social Work Education Consortium (VSWEC) and provides a place for bachelor of social work (BSW) students to network and connect, share resources and ideas, and learn about graduate school and career opportunities in a professional conference milieu. 

Fifteen students and four faculty members from 91����Ƶ’s social work program attended the conference. Among them were three students who collaborated with peers from James Madison University and Virginia Union University to plan and organize the event. The theme of Rally in the Valley 2025 was “Learning Beyond the Classroom.”

In addition to her role as mayor, Reed co-founded On the Road Collaborative, an afterschool program that empowers middle and high school students with educational opportunities and hands-on career experiences. The Harrisonburg-based nonprofit has also provided internships to many social work students over the years. “Social work is not just a profession,” Reed said in her speech welcoming students, faculty, and staff to Harrisonburg. “It is a calling to build and strengthen communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.” 

Reed, recently named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Virginia for 2025, was introduced on stage by 91����Ƶ Social Work juniors Abadit Desta and Ekram Siraj, who served on the conference planning committee. The two students participated in On the Road Collaborative as middle schoolers and credited the program with helping them succeed. 

This year marked the first time that students from Blue Ridge Community College attended Rally in the Valley. Students graduating from a community college with an associate’s degree in human services can easily transfer to a school like 91����Ƶ and earn their BSW in two years, said Professor Deanna Durham, director of the social work program at 91����Ƶ. 

A job fair at the conference, featuring representatives from local community service boards, hospitals, the state Department of Corrections, and other employers, gave students an opportunity to learn more about available positions in the workforce. “There are a lot of job openings in mental health right now,” Durham said. “The demand is greater than the supply. What I love is that some corrections programs are leaning into restorative justice, which aligns with the ethics and philosophy of our 91����Ƶ students.”

Students could also meet with admissions counselors from several schools to explore graduate programs. At a table stocked with brochures and resources, Merry Yirga and Lexi Brown from undergraduate admissions worked to spread the word about 91����Ƶ’s offerings. “The conflict transformation program has really been a draw for people looking at master’s degrees,” Brown said.

Through what is called an accelerated or advanced study, BSW graduates from 91����Ƶ can earn their master of social work in just one year if they meet GPA requirements. That’s the result of 91����Ƶ’s full accreditation with the Council on Social Work Education.

91����Ƶ senior Cecilia Rafael Castelan said she was looking forward to attending a pair of workshops, including one focused on budgeting skills for new social workers. Castelan said the conference helps her connect not only with other BSW students from around the state, but also with her own 91����Ƶ classmates. “Since we’re all busy with our practicums, we haven’t had time this semester to debrief as much as we usually do,” she said. “It’ll be nice to spend time with them.”

First held in 1980 at Massanetta Springs in Harrisonburg, Rally in the Valley was created by faculty from JMU and 91����Ƶ. Today, the 13 colleges and universities in the Virginia Social Work Education Consortium take turns planning and hosting the statewide conference. Students attended the 2025 conference from: Blue Ridge Community College, 91����Ƶ, Ferrum College, George Mason University, JMU, Longwood University, Mary Baldwin University, Norfolk State University, Radford University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University.

Allen, of Weyers Cave, Virginia, was presented with the award on Friday, March 22, at the NASW chapter’s annual conference in Norfolk. She said it was an honor just to be nominated for the award and was shocked to find out she had won. Joining her at the conference from 91����Ƶ was Professor Carol Hurst.

“I was excited to have one of my professors and my family in the same place because they’ve been there for me and encouraged me along the way,” Allen said.

The 91����Ƶ senior, whose mother is a social worker for the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board, said she’s always enjoyed helping others.

This semester through a full-time senior practicum, Allen is working side-by-side with a school social worker and helping students at Riverheads Elementary School become more engaged in their academics. As part of her field placement with Augusta County Public Schools, she meets with kids weekly and works to get them caught up through mentoring, fun activities, academic support and motivation.

The top of their list

Professor Deanna Durham, director of the social work program at 91����Ƶ, said Allen was a unanimous pick from the nomination committee.

“There are three faculty in social work and we all brainstormed about who would be a good person to nominate,” Durham said. “We all had Bri at the top of our list.”

A nomination letter sent to the NASW noted Allen’s engagement in intercultural relationships and her direct work with children and their parents through and the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

“Bri’s leadership and interpersonal strengths stand out,” the letter reads. “She has been a warm and energetic organizer of others.”

It lauds Allen in her ability to lead her softball teammates and social work classmates in service projects. It also notes her positive contributions in class as well as her aptitude for clinical social work practice.

“Brianna Allen is a caring, empathetic social worker and member of NASW who will make an impact on our field,” the letter states.

A rewarding part of the job

Allen said her classes at 91����Ƶ and the support she’s received from professors have prepared her well. 

“I see the things I’ve learned play out in my practicum all the time,” she said.

After graduating from 91����Ƶ in May, Allen will begin an accelerated online program at Virginia Commonwealth University to earn her master’s in social work. As part of the three-semester program, she said she looks forward to being placed in an internship where she can continue making a difference.

“In social work you meet individuals who need help and sometimes don’t know where to start,” Allen said. “Maybe you can’t solve their problems, but you can give them the tools they need. Seeing them take those tools and either turn their life around or change a part they need to work on — that’s really rewarding.”

Small but mighty

91����Ƶ’s social work program has been continuously accredited by the Council on Social Work Education () since 1976. Only about 15 programs in Virginia, including 91����Ƶ, are fully accredited, Durham said. Thirty-three social work majors make up the program.

While the award received by Allen will draw more attention to the quality of students at 91����Ƶ, Durham said the program has already set itself apart from its peers.

“We’re small but mighty, and we have students who are digging in deep in the profession and contributing amazing energy and creative imagination to our local community,” Durham said. “This will be another time for other programs to look to 91����Ƶ and say, ‘Wow, way to go.’”

Hickman, a December 2021 graduate of 91����Ƶ’s social work program, now works as an independent living specialist at (VAIL). She teaches skills such as money management, organization, and grocery shopping to individuals with disabilities. She has recently been transitioning into a service coordinator position that focuses on serving low-income individuals. 

VAIL is one of 17 different independent living centers in the state of Virginia. The organization provides transitional services, house modification services, options counseling, technical and waiver assistance, and peer support services. VAIL is also consumer-driven – 51% of VAIL’s staff and board of directors are people with disabilities.

Learn more about studying social work at 91����Ƶ.

The distinctive 91����Ƶ experience with its values on community and intercultural learning provide a fabulous home for a social work program.

Professor Carol Hurst, director of 91����Ƶ’s social work program

Internship and intercultural: two best 91����Ƶ experiences

Besides her intercultural semester abroad, Hickman says the internship at VAIL was her best experience at 91����Ƶ. “It gave me insight on how to put theory to hands-on work. It showed me what lies beyond 91����Ƶ’s walls.”

The connection to VAIL was made when Gayl Brunk ‘92, the organization’s executive director, came as a guest speaker to a class in social policy analysis. Hickman was inspired by Brunk’s account of policy work on behalf of disability services and immediately drawn to the work of VAIL.

Like many college students, Hickman recalls that her career path was not initially clear. She transferred her second year to 91����Ƶ, unsure of what major to pursue. She thought social sciences might be for her, and after networking with students and staff, had a conversation that proved to be a turning point.

“I have to give thanks to Deanna Durham,” Hickman says.

Durham, a professor of social work, helped Hickman think about the possibilities of future jobs with a bachelor’s degree in social work and all the different areas in which she could work in the Valley. “Tessa clearly expressed her desire to work with people in direct service and wanted to jump right in,” Durham says. 

A couple years later, Hickman had a job before she even graduated. “In April 2021, I got an interview for my practicum at VAIL during midterms,” Hickman says. “A few days later they wanted me back for a job interview.”

Social work majors grow in unique 91����Ƶ community 

Hickman says her experience was “unique in a good way.”  During practicum she worked with Brunk as her field instructor and was immersed in learning about VAIL’s work in the community, day to day work with consumers, and the organization’s policy efforts.

91����Ƶ’s social work program is a professional degree program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, meaning students can go straight into professional social work roles with their BSW degree.

“In social work, we call field [work] the ‘signature pedagogy,’” says professor and social work program director Carol Hurst. “We mean that a social work education is not complete without really working with people. You can’t really know how to practice without doing it.”

While the practicum requirement is an essential part of the social work program, Hurst says that what really makes the program unique is the fact that it is a part of 91����Ƶ. “The distinctive 91����Ƶ experience with its values on community and intercultural learning provide a fabulous home for a social work program,” she says. “Professional social work values demand respect for the dignity and worth of every person, and emphasize the importance of human relationships, service, and work for social justice.” 

After graduation, Hickman and her supervisors regrouped and thought through her ideal position. She took on a new caseload and is now figuring out her role while expanding her knowledge. “There have been a lot of exciting times building rapport with consumers,” Hickman says. Hickman is extremely passionate about the disability community, having a disability herself. “This opportunity seemed like the stars aligned.”

From assisting DC’s own public defender service to podcast production for a prominent video production company, 15 students are gaining professional experience this semester at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC). The center, located in the nation’s capital since 1976, is a program of 91����Ƶ.

These 15 students, including five from Bluffton University and one from Viterbo University, are living and working in Washington DC in a range of professional internships in fields from youth work to immigration services.

The semester-long experience is also a “community-building endeavor,” with students living together in the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington DC. They explore Washington’s cultural and historic attractions, and learn about urban issues such as gentrification.

This semester’s placements include several organizations that are long-time hosts of 91����Ƶ students, highlighting WCSC’s deep ties within the region. Many alumni can trace their careers back to a pivotal experience at WCSC. 

Read more about WCSC success! Grads Tessa Waidelich and Terry Jones find full-time work after their internships.

Read on to learn more about the students, their placements and the organizations they are involved with. 

Ethan Ball, an engineering major from Poland, Ohio, is with working on an introductory project to design an HVAC system for the engineering office space.

Cassidy Bush, a social work major from Bluffton, Ohio, is interning at the (LAYC). She is working on coordinating a tutoring program there and will mentor teens coming into the center. LAYC provides services to youth such as safe housing, food, mental health, and virtual learning opportunities.

Andrea Deeds, a sociology major from Ruckersville, Virginia, is with the , an organization that offers after-school, Saturday, and summer arts education programs. She helps the instructors provide students with creative learning opportunities such as rehearsing for and performing in theater shows, dances, and art showcases.

Celesta Hartman, a psychology major at Bluffton University from Lima, Ohio, is interning with the . She goes through meeting minutes, faculty and staff information, classes, and more from when the school was in operation with the goal of staging an exhibit. The Charles Sumner School, established in 1872, was one of the earliest schools for African Americans in Washington DC.

Paige Hurley, a political science and history major from Franklin, Tennessee, is interning at the . She is working on proofreading and application reading, and goes over weekly projects such as preparing for the 2023 Folklife Festival. [Read an article about a past intern with the Smithsonian.]

Jake Kiger, a psychology and criminal justice major at Bluffton University from Columbus, Ohio, is at the , assisting public defenders in their duties. This ranges from paperwork and attending meetings to going out into the community to interview possible witnesses of a crime.

Justine Lesniewski, a psychology and criminal justice major at Bluffton University from Mantua, Ohio, is working with the and the . With the Hyattsville PD, she is helping to develop a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The program will help train officers in how to properly respond to mental health behavior situations. With the Greenbelt PD, she is learning about lines of communication from within the department to the community.

Sara Poiry, a graphic design major at Bluffton University from Graytown, Ohio, is with . Alongside several other small projects, she is first working to get a streaming podcast up and running.

Noah Robinson III, a psychology and criminal justice major at Bluffton University from Urbana, Ohio , is with (VSC). VSC supports incarcerated and newly-released individuals in their transition back to the community and reunification with their families.

Blake Schaar, a political science and economics major from Orange, Virginia, is with the . He is helping create a dynamic online dashboard of access to capital resources for DC businesses, assisting applicants with their application preparation, and creating a roadmap for financial management best practices for micro businesses.

Stephanie Sesvold, an ethics, culture, and society major at Viterbo University from West Salem, Wisconsin, is working with to advocate for proper wages and better working conditions for tipped workers in the Washington DC area. She  assists in conducting research, organizing events, and targeting specific businesses in the area.

Allison Shelly, a political science major from Collinsville, Mississippi, is with (CAN), an organizing network of congregations that provide support to those who fear being detained or deported. She helps CAN in their efforts to restructure as an organization, lobby for immigration policy to be included in the Build Back Better Act, and to plan a national forum in DC for all Faith in Action federations.

Karen Valdez, a political science, global development and peacebuilding major from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is with . She works on tracking House and Senate bills that pertain to immigration, healthcare, police reform, and tenant rights for undocumented Marylanders. CASA provides critical services to immigrant and working-class families, and advocates for their rights.

Navy Widyani, a political science major from Jakarta, Indonesia, is interning with the . She assists MCC in asking congress to address environmental justice, build global resilience to climate change, and provide constituents with educational resources on environmental justice and climate change.

Jeremiah Yoder, a math major from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, is working with , an organization that provides housing, support, and care for adults with intellectual disabilities. He works directly with one of the core members, helping him accomplish goals, have engaging experiences, and assisting his navigation of day-to-day life.

Jamie Reich, WCSC’s associate director of communications and retention, and Kate Szambecki, content writer, collaborated on this article.

In spring 2020, as churches began to reopen after months of pandemic closure, 91����Ƶ social work instructor Debbi DiGennaro, heard a statement that made her curious.

“A Mennonite pastor said to me, ‘If people don’t go back to church after COVID, it’s probably because their priorities weren’t right in the first place.’ It can’t be that simple, I thought. What else is going on?

DiGennaro, who has researched in the context of faith communities, designed a project to explore pandemic-era changes in religious practices.

She interviewed 20 millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) from a Mennonite background in the Harrisonburg, Va., area, about what spiritual practices they had started or stopped during the pandemic. The results highlight that millennials find spiritually meaningful practices outside of the church setting.

A synopsis of her findings was published in Anabaptist World.

DiGennaro says she’s noticed considerable interest in her research. “Since the article was published, I’ve had a number of in-person conversations and am actively seeking a broader audience with the Virginia Mennonite Conference and Mennonite Church USA. I’m also considering making it a longer-term project by tracking with the participants over the course of several years to watch how their practices and perspectives evolve post-Covid.”

DiGennaro is a consultant and trainer for successful cross-cultural adaptation.  She published a book called Acclimated to Africa: Cultural Competence for Westerners (2017), drawing on 11 years of living in east Africa, and has published a number of other articles. She is an alumna of 91����Ƶ and holds an master’s degree in social work from Ohio State University.

This fall, students are working in schools, theaters, research labs and medical clinics as part of the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC). The center, located in D.C. since 1976, is a program of 91����Ƶ (91����Ƶ) and welcomes students from all universities to apply.

The following 10 students, nine from 91����Ƶ and one from Goshen College, are living together this fall in the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood. From there, they’ll learn how their academic fields can be applied to the workforce, and explore some of Washington’s cultural and historic attractions.

Andrea Acevedo, a nursing major from Harrisonburg, Va., is with . She assists doctors with medical interpretation, accompanies doctors in diagnosing patients and exams. She has enjoyed spending one-on-one time with patients, which will be a continuing part of her work as a nurse, as well as “helping [her] patients engage with their doctors and identifying the best treatment programs for them.”

Sarah Grossen, a biochemistry major with minors in neuroscience and coaching, is in the at Georgetown University, where mouse models are being used to study Parkinson’s disease. She is learning lab procedures while collecting and analyzing behavioral data. 

Olivia Hazelton, a peacebuilding and development major from Philomath, Oregon, is with . She has researched available resources for incoming Afghan refugees and country conditions for clients filing for asylum in the U.S. She’s also contacted legal experts to help out with cases. “I have also had the opportunity to attend different seminars and trainings centering around immigration issues and learned a lot about the process of immigrating to the United States, especially how long and difficult it can be,” she reflected.

Adam Jacob, a history major and political science minor, is with , an organization which “offers rising generations opportunities for networking, mentoring, leadership and community engagement through our national network and extensive array of programming.”

Stephanie Kniss, of Chambersburg, Pa., assists with the aftercare program at . She is a sociology and writing double major. But she is not just limited to that: “Sitar is an organization where everyone wears many hats,” she says. “So some days I find myself helping to set up an art gallery or decorating the lobby for the holidays. Working at Sitar has already pushed me to be more comfortable in a leadership position. I’m finding it easier to say yes to things I would’ve been afraid of doing in the past. It’s an open and caring environment that allows me to feel safe, to fail, and be supported in any new ideas.”

Rachel Loyer, from York, Pa., is helping with ’s Pathway to Citizenship campaign. This is a series of public actions and rallies happening in response to the current budget reconciliation bill that is moving through Congress. Loyer, a sociology major with a minor in Spanish, is helping to track the status of the bill, hold response meetings, and organize events that will increase the pressure on the Democratic senators and Vice President Kamala Harris. “Following the latest administration, this is a critical time for immigration reform,” Loyer says. “Engaging in work that I am passionate about, feeling more connected to my culture, and supporting immigrant communities are some of my greatest takeaways thus far.”

Kylie Smith, of Yuma, Arizona, is working in the Office of Student Services at . The school employs a learning model called “two-generation learning,” in which children and parents learn together. “We believe, and research shows, that children’s school achievement is linked to their parents’ literacy and education levels,” according to the website. “At Briya, families ensure lasting outcomes by learning together.” Smith, a psychology major, is assisting a teacher with child development presentations, and providing updates to the school’s website lists for access to resources. She is also planning an event for students “to talk about their experiences as immigrants and how to make a new place feel like home.”

Rachelle Swe, from Harrisonburg, Va., is working in the . She is a double major in political science and peacebuilding and development. The organization partners with other church-affiliated organizations to work on various issues such the resettlement of Afghan refugees, climate change, and demilitarization. Swe is helping organize a series of webinars on the topic of US-China policy; she’ll be doing webinar promotion, speaking/discussing with the wider ecumenical working group, and reaching out to potential speakers and moderators for the webinars.

Avery Trinh, a psychology major with minors in neuroscience, math, and theater, is teaching peace in schools and at a homeless shelter for men with . The organization equips people with tools that create peace within oneself and various techniques to foster an environment of peace. “We do this by going into communities and facilitating peace circles and teaching essential social/emotional skills to answer conflict and violence,” Trinh said. “I think my most important learning experience will be having to work through and discuss the mental health of many individuals, particularly young children, and find creative ways to mediate conflict.” He is exploring the field of counseling as a future profession. 

Benji Wall, from Goshen, Indiana, is  a general communications major with minors in art and theater from Goshen College. He is set-building and assistant stage managing the show N at , in its 25th anniversary season. 

Jamie Reich, WCSC associate director of communications and recruitment, contributed to this article.

George Johnson ’11 was used to being the person who others came to for help. He grew up in northside Richmond, and through his work ethic and entrepreneurial savvy, he built multiple successful businesses by his early 20s that employed his friends and family. Several of those businesses are mental healthcare providers that serve low-income youth in Virginia, Texas, and Missouri.

It wasn’t until Johnson went through the most painful challenge of his life – being hounded by federal prosecutors in a years-long saga, during which he was betrayed by members of his own family – that he considered seeking mental health services for himself. 

“I’m a prideful guy,” Johnson said. “I’m the one who everyone comes to asking for things … I never thought about myself needing this assistance.” 

Johnson has chronicled his life: his childhood in Richmond, his success as a , his meteoric rise as an entrepreneur, his federal trial, and the healing he’s found through therapy, in his self-published memoir, , which came out earlier this year. 

He first started writing as a therapeutic form of journaling while on house arrest last year. After two months, he had filled two notebooks, and began to consider sharing his story with the world. He thought about the “lack of education of mental health awareness” that he’d seen growing up in a Black, inner city community. 

“I knew who I’d be appealing to,” he said. “I look a certain kind of way. I sound a certain kind of way.”

Now he’s spreading the word even further, through conversations on podcasts and Instagram live and in articles. And people are responding. 

“I get a lot of people, every day, saying, ‘Man I never shared this,'” Johnson said. “Because I shared my story, it’s helped young kids and adults … all over the world.”

Early stardom

Before the book, before the trial, and before most of the businesses, Johnson was already making waves as a basketball player. Readers may remember his pivotal role in 91����Ƶ’s most decorated basketball season, when the Royals advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight in 2010. Coach Kirby Dean had recruited him from the Miller School of Albemarle, where Johnson had enrolled for his senior year of high school. 

“He was just a really sharp kid … he was really articulate and had a lot of personality and was easy to talk to,” Dean said. “We just had a good chemistry from the get-go.”

Johnson said that learning to navigate uber-wealthy circles at the Miller School and Mennonite culture in college – especially when he faced disciplinary consequences from the administration for having a child with a classmate, out of wedlock – taught him how to communicate with, and earn respect from, just about anyone.

Being able to “graduate and do everything I did on the basketball court – it was, early in my life, basically an example of what I needed to do when I left 91����Ƶ,” he said.

After graduating in 2011, Johnson was preparing to play professional basketball overseas when he was mugged and beat up (one of the many stories he shares in his book). His injuries kept him in the U.S., and he played semi-professionally in Richmond for two years before joining his brother’s mental health company as an office manager. 

Living and working with his brother proved to be untenable, though, and Johnson struck out on his own, offering administrative services to mental healthcare providers. As he started other businesses, he brought on friends and family to work for him. 

Despite his success, Johnson feels he was “operating out of fear,” similar to others he grew up around, he said. Where others might cope with anxiety and PTSD with drugs or alcohol, Johnson coped through workaholism – which made him a good financial provider, but took a toll on his relationships.

“That balance is a daily struggle still, but I do have a better outlook of how important these relationships are,” he said. “I’m more conscious of that. My daughter is around me a lot. I go back home more now.”

The trial

Johnson was immersed in the grind, living in Houston, when he heard that his brother – the one he’d had a falling out with – had been charged with fraud and tax evasion. And before long, his brother tried to implicate him in his crimes. Johnson entered a hellish two-year whirlwind of FBI interrogations and accusations. They only stopped once his brother’s attorney admitted in court that they couldn’t produce any evidence of Johnson being a so-called “co-conspirator.” 

91����Ƶ a year later, though, his lawyer called to tell him that the lead prosecutor had picked the case back up, but with entirely different charges: subscribing to a false tax document.

“I asked him why,” Johnson writes in Double Crossed. “I had thought it was done, thought we had won. He told me, you can never really ‘beat’ the federal government. They either decide to stop pursuing you or they don’t. And if they don’t eventually, one way or another, they will win. They always win. And something about me had triggered something in them. They weren’t going to stop until they won.” 

Another of Johnson’s brothers, his oldest, had prepared his taxes for years. Johnson and his attorney discovered that he hadn’t reported income from two different companies over four years – income that the brother knew about, but hid from the IRS. 

Johnson decided to sign a plea deal, and explained to the feds that he hadn’t known about the omission, but would pay back the taxes owed from those four years. His sentence was to be set in October 2019, and Johnson hoped for leniency for his honest mistake. The prosecution, however, pushed for the maximum sentence possible, because Johnson’s brother – the oldest brother Johnson had trusted throughout this whole ordeal – was going to testify against him to save his own skin.

Johnson asked friends, mentors, and colleagues to write to the judge attesting to his character. Word got around, and even more letters were sent than he asked for – almost 20 in all.

The judge “had never had such a wide range of people reach out to him,” from a high school athletic director to a retired mayor to incarcerated men who he’d counseled, Johnson said.

Kirby Dean was one of those writers. 

“I wanted him to know that George was a good kid,” he said. “He had been a great kid in high school. He had been a great kid in college, and he’d spent his whole life doing things the right way … he deserved some grace.” 

In the end, the judge was somewhat lenient – Johnson was to sell off his most lavish possessions, be on house arrest for a year, and pay back the government over $100,000 in back taxes. Thankfully, though, he was not given any time in prison. 

Finding strength through vulnerability

It was on house arrest last year that Johnson finally put pen to paper and set out to express all the trials – literally and figuratively – that he’d been through.

“With everything I was dealing with for three or four years, I never had a chance to just sit down and breathe,” he said. For the first time, “I could literally just decompress.”

Now that he’s free once more, Johnson said he’s “hit the ground running” in the business world. But with both the book and a heap of emotional healing under his belt, he’s doing it with his mental health and relationships as priorities.

“I think he’s on the track now that he was on originally, to do really great things,” Dean said. “It’s how you respond to adversity that defines who you are.”

Johnson has chosen to respond with self-healing, and by working towards forgiving his brothers. 

That vulnerability “didn’t make me less of a man. It actually made me stronger,” he said. “I can’t express how powerful that is.”

First published 9/3/2021

91����Ƶ welcomes several new faculty for the 2021-22 academic year. (This article features only full-time faculty).

Tarek Maassarani JD, visiting professor of restorative justice, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice 

Tarek Maassarani will teach at CJP and in SPI, advise graduate students in practica, staff the Zehr Institute, and consult on a pilot program sponsored by the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Maassarani is currently assisting in establishing restorative diversion programs, facilitating restorative justice processes with a focus on cases of sexual harm, directing a religious peacebuilding project in Chad and Cameroon, and offering training for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

In 2015, Maassarani co-founded Restorative DC, a community-based initiative of the organization SchoolTalk, that provides technical assistance and professional development to help schools implement restorative justice practices, as well as divert arrested youth out of the juvenile system.

Previously, Maassarani worked in a variety of dialogue, youth development, restorative justice, and environmental and social justice advocacy settings, such as the Latin American Youth Center in D.C. and Seeds of Peace in Maine. He has also taught at Georgetown University, the American University School of International Service, and other institutions. 

He holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a juris doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. 

Maassarani co-authored the Corporate Whistleblower Survival Guide: A Handbook for Committing the Truth (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011), and published a variety of journal articles on human rights and USIP religious peacebuilding action guides. 

Gaurav J. Pathania PhD, visiting professor, sociology and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Guarav Pathania brings research and teaching expertise on social justice and critical inquiry, with special interest most recently in the South Asian diaspora in the United States. His ethnographic research examines the intersection of caste, class and ethnic politics and explores issues of education and health among socially marginalized communities. 

He comes to 91����Ƶ from teaching positions at Georgetown University, Catholic University,  George Washington University. His current research affiliations include the Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California; and as researcher at a project for the Pacific University supported by the Commission on Global Social Work Education.

He is the author of The University as a Site of Resistance: Identity and Student Politics (Oxford University Press, 2019), which explores the ways in which student activists mobilize, network and strategize on and off-campus, leading to dynamic and transformative social movements and change.

Pathania holds a doctorate in sociology and two master’s degrees in the sociology of education and sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, as well as master’s degrees in public administration and English literature from Kurukshetra University. His anti-caste poetry has appeared in the J-Caste journal of Brandeis University.

Kyle Remnant DMA, director of bands

Kyle Remnant will direct 91����Ƶ’s wind ensemble, jazz band and pep band, as well as teach and offer solo lessons. He earned his BA in music at Bridgewater College and an MM and DMA at James Madison University. A trombonist, Remnant has appeared with the Charlottesville, Waynesboro and Middletown, Ohio, symphonies, in the Staunton Music Festival and with the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra. He debuted internationally with the Sulzbach-Rosenberg International Music Festival. In addition to his work at 91����Ƶ, he serves in adjunct teaching roles at Bridgewater College and James Madison University, and directs the jazz band at Harrisonburg High School.  

Allison M. Wilck PhD, assistant professor of psychology

Allison Wilck joins 91����Ƶ’s psychology department. She earned her doctorate in cognitive psychology at University at Albany, State University of New York, in 2021 while also teaching several courses, including statistics for psychology and memory and cognition. Her dissertation, recognized  by the university with a Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award, was titled “Intense News: The Role of Emotion in the Perception of (Fake) News.”

Wilck was honored in fall 2020 with the Daniel and Wendy J.L. Keyser Teaching Excellence Award by the College of Arts and Sciences, University at Albany. The award is for a graduate student who shows outstanding teaching ability.

She also holds a master’s degree in psychology from University at Albany and a BA with High Honors in psychology and sociology from State University of New York Geneseo.

Wilck spent five years as a supervisor within the Cognition and Language Laboratory, and has conducted research, published and presented on numerous topics, including the bilingual brain, metacognition, memory, emotions, conflict and child development, and the survival processing effect.

Ashok Xavier MA ‘04, PhD, Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence, social work

Ashok Xavier comes to 91����Ƶ from Loyola College in Chennai, where he has been head of the social work department since 2014 and a faculty member since 2000. He is also the current academic director of the Caux Scholars Programme, Asia Plateau, based in Switzerland, and an adjunct faculty member at the Management Centre in Austria.

He holds a PhD from University of Madras. He earned an MA on conflict transformation while a Fulbright Scholar at 91����Ƶ’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and also holds a master’s degree in social work from University of Madras.

Xavier has advised, consulted and provided training within projects related to human rights advocacy, capacity building, organizational structures, peacebuilding and mediation, and social and microcredit enterprises. He’s worked with refugees, displaced persons, HIV/AIDS patients, churches, nonprofit organizations, and tribal communities, among many other groups.

He has also written scripts and produced 11 documentary films, as well as explored the power of theatre for healing trauma. 

Florina Xavier MA ‘04, PhD, Practitioner In Residence, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Florina Xavier will be a Practitioner in Residence at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and teach one class in the spring semester.

She balances teaching roles at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute, Philippines, and in the Caux Scholars Program, Switzerland with regular consulting work. A recent role was as a regional return and reintegration advisor with projects and partnerships in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Myanmar for the Australian organization ACT for Peace. She worked with Afghan refugees through Tabish Social Health Education Organization (TSHEO) and with Kyrgyz Republic refugees through UNHCR. 

Xavier is a graduate of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at 91����Ƶ. She also holds a master’s degree in social work from Madras College and a doctorate in social work from Osmania University. She is a Fulbright Scholar and Oxford Fellow. 

She has conducted trainings in more than 30 countries on a range of topics including psychosocial healing, mediation, trauma healing and gender-based violence. Xavier brings extensive experience in project management and consulting, including a recent tsunami relief project managing a budget of $5M with multiple international partnerships among nonprofits and the United Nations. 

The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at 91����Ƶ welcomes several new faculty and staff for the 2021-22 academic year.

“CJP is blessed to have highly qualified faculty members joining us on temporary appointments this year,” said Jayne Docherty, CJP’s executive director.  “In addition to their excellent academic credentials, they bring field experience and access to networks of practitioners that will enrich our learning community. As the hiring process evolved, I was struck once again by the way the universe so often aligns to bring an interesting mix of people to CJP. 

Docherty pointed out that three additions –Tarek Maassarani, Joao Salm, and Jon Swartz – will “expand conversations and activities in restorative justice.”

Ashok and Florina Xavier were slated to arrive at CJP last year, but were delayed by the pandemic.

“Their arrival now coincides with the presence of Gaurav Pathania, and we all will no doubt have interesting conversations about justice and peacebuilding in India and South Asia more broadly,” Docherty said. 

Tarek Maassarani JD, visiting professor of restorative justice, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice 

Tarek Maassarani will teach at CJP and in SPI, advise graduate students in practica, staff the Zehr Institute, and consult on a pilot program sponsored by the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Maassarani is currently assisting in establishing restorative diversion programs, facilitating restorative justice processes with a focus on cases of sexual harm, directing an religious peacebuilding project in Chad and Cameroon, and offering training for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

In 2015, Maassarani co-founded Restorative DC, a community-based initiative of the organization SchoolTalk, that provides technical assistance and professional development to help schools implement restorative justice practices, as well as divert arrested youth out of the juvenile system.

Previously, Maassarani worked in a variety of dialogue, youth development, restorative justice, and environmental and social justice advocacy settings, such as the Latin American Youth Center in D.C. and Seeds of Peace in Maine. He has also taught at Georgetown University, the American University School of International Service, and other institutions. 

He holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a juris doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. 

Maassarani co-authored the Corporate Whistleblower Survival Guide: A Handbook for Committing the Truth (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011), and published a variety of journal articles on human rights and USIP religious peacebuilding action guides. 

Gaurav J. Pathania, PhD, visiting professor, sociology and Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Dr. Pathania brings research and teaching expertise on social justice and critical inquiry, with special interest most recently in the South Asian diaspora in the United States. His ethnographic research examines the intersection of caste, class and ethnic politics and explores issues of education and health among socially marginalized communities. 

He comes to 91����Ƶ from teaching positions at Georgetown University, Catholic University,  George Washington University. His current research affiliations include the Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California; and as researcher at a project for the Pacific University supported by the Commission on Global Social Work Education.

He is the author of The University as a Site of Resistance: Identity and Student Politics (Oxford University Press, 2019), which explores the ways in which student activists mobilize, network and strategize on and off-campus, leading to dynamic and transformative social movements and change.

Pathania holds a doctorate in sociology and two master’s degrees in the sociology of education and sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, as well as master’s degrees in public administration and English literature from Kurukshetra University. His anti-caste poetry has appeared in the J-Caste journal of Brandeis University.

Jonathan Swartz MA ‘14, associate director, Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice

Jonathan Swartz joins the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice in a co-leadership role. He is director of student accountability and restorative justice at 91����Ƶ. In his work with Zehr Institute, he will develop new opportunities for teaching, training and consulting, and connect the institute and CJP to restorative justice on campus.

Swartz brings experience partnering and collaborating with many of CJP’s programs, including with ZI, the Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) program, and with graduate students in practica for both the conflict transformation and restorative justice programs. One example was Swartz’s involvement in co-creating and facilitating a multi-day training on restorative justice, trauma awareness and resilience for the National Park Service. [Read more about this work in partnership.]

Swartz holds certification as a trainer for the Green Dot violence prevention program. He’s also created, led or co-led workshops on sexual harm prevention, has guest-lectured in graduate and undergraduate courses on restorative justice, and taught courses in restorative justice, leadership, college transitions, and Bible and religion.

Swartz holds a master’s degree in conflict transformation from 91����Ƶ, a Master of Divinity degree from Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and a BA in psychology from Bethel College.

Joao Salm, PhD, visiting fellow, Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice

Joao Salm, a native of Brazil, is an associate professor of criminal justice at Governors State University in Illinois. He will join 91����Ƶ in February for a number of activities, including class visits and the presentation of a university colloquium on the application of RJ to environmental conflicts in Brazil. 

He holds a PhD in justice studies from Arizona State University, and a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in law from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. 

Salm is a co-founder, with noted expert Elizabeth Elliott, Brazilian judges, and the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of an international cooperative agreement between Canada and Brazil in restorative justice. He was also a consultant to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and the United Nations Development Program in the area of restorative justice in Guinea Bissau and Fiji.

He is co-editor of the book, “Citizenship, Restorative Justice and the Environment — A dialogue between Brazil, the United States, Canada, Spain and Italy” (Lumen Juris).

Ashok Xavier MA ‘04, PhD, Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence, social work

Xavier comes to 91����Ƶ from Loyola College in Chennai, where he has been head of the social work department since 2014 and a faculty member since 2000. He is also the current academic director of the Caux Scholars Programme, Asia Plateau, based in Switzerland, and an adjunct faculty member at the Management Centre in Austria.

He holds a PhD from University of Madras. He earned an MA on conflict transformation while a Fulbright Scholar at CJP, and also holds a master’s degree in social work from University of Madras.

Xavier has advised, consulted and provided training within projects related to human rights advocacy, capacity building, organizational structures, peacebuilding and mediation, and social and microcredit enterprises. He’s worked with refugees, displaced persons, HIV/AIDS patients, churches, nonprofit organizations, and tribal communities, among many other groups.

He has also written scripts and produced 11 documentary films, as well as explored the power of theatre for healing trauma. 

Florina Xavier MA ‘04, PhD, Practitioner In Residence, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Florina Xavier will be a Practitioner in Residence at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and teach one class in the spring semester.

She balances teaching roles at the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute, Philippines, and in the Caux Scholars Program, Switzerland with regular consulting work. A recent role was as a regional return and reintegration advisor with projects and partnerships in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Myanmar for the Australian organization ACT for Peace. She worked with Afghan refugees through Tabish Social Health Education Organization (TSHEO) and with Kyrgyz Republic refugees through UNHCR. 

Xavier is a graduate of CJP who also holds a master’s degree in social work from Madras College and a doctorate in social work from Osmania University. She is a Fulbright Scholar and Oxford Fellow. 

She has conducted trainings in more than 30 countries on a range of topics including psychosocial healing, mediation, trauma healing and gender-based violence. Xavier brings extensive experience in project management and consulting, including a recent tsunami relief project managing a budget of $5M with multiple international partnerships among nonprofits and the United Nations. 

For students who want to explore a possible call to ministry, a summer program at 91����Ƶ (91����Ƶ) allows them to experience ministry firsthand. The Ministry Inquiry Program (MIP) is a summer service-learning experience that places students in an eleven week full-time internship with a congregation or congregational setting of their choice.

This year’s Mennonite Church USA MIP participant, Elizabeth Eby, has a varied workload at Ridgeway Mennonite Church this summer: leading worship, preaching, conducting children’s services, and visiting congregants. Eby, who hails from Goshen, Indiana, is double-majoring in peacebuilding and development and Bible, religion, and theology. 

“I’m approaching MIP as an opportunity to further explore any gifts I might have related to pastoral ministry to see how I might best be of service one day. And so far, I’m really enjoying what I’m getting to do,” she said. “I’m excited to keep learning. I look forward to learning through reading, growing relationships, and growing skills such as learning how to structure a sermon.”

Program participants are also expected to delve into books and media relevant to their placement and ministry interests. Eby’s been reading books that her pastor recommended in response to her questions about theology.

“For example, I had some questions about the Christian understanding of Hell and was recommended a podcast and a documentary, Hellbound, on the subject,” she said.

MIP is a program of Mennonite Church USA held in conjunction with Mennonite colleges, conferences and congregations, designed to nurture gifts for ministry in college aged students.

Traditional MIP participants each receive a $2,000 scholarship from the program, to be applied to college or seminary tuition in the next academic year. The scholarship is paid for (jointly) in part by the Mennonite Church USA, the student’s home congregation, the home and host church conferences, and 91����Ƶ. The host congregation also provides housing and a $500 stipend for living expenses. 

Another 91����Ƶ student is also engaged in a ministry internship this summer. Natallie Brown, a Bible, religion, and theology major from Bowling Green, Virginia,  is working in youth ministry at Divine Unity Community Church in Harrisonburg.

“My hope through this internship is that an affirmation of my calling will be revealed to me,” Brown said. 

She specifically chose this church because it’s part of the congregational network , which Brown hopes to work for some day.

“They purposely plant churches in college towns as they believe that leaders are found and formed on campus; I love that,” she said. “Divine Unity Community Church is a product of Every Nation and my internship gives me an opportunity to see a glimpse of what that looks like.”

As a youth ministry intern, Brown plans events and lessons for the church’s young people, and provides childcare for some of the church leaders. 

“The most exciting part about this experience is being able to plan events and create a space that is fun and engaging for our youth to know and grow in Jesus,” she said. “My prayer is that we can build a firm foundation for our youth that will lead them to Jesus and promote community.”

91����Ƶ’s faculty MIP director, Carmen Schrock-Hurst of the Bible, religion and theology department said she is “thrilled we were able to arrange two ministry intern placements in this first summer following the intensity of COVID restrictions. It is a blessing that we had students willing to participate, and congregations willing to do so as well.”