“That first or second week, I thought, ‘I’m not gonna make it. This is my last semester here, and I’m not coming back,’” she recalled.

But then, she said, she began forming deep connections with her professors.

“Going to school with students nearly half my age, I felt a little more connected with my professors than with my fellow students,” she said. “When I started making those connections, I had this feeling that I was going to be OK after all.”

She had met her advisor, English Professor Dr. Kevin Seidel, during an open house the previous fall. “He checked in one day to make sure I was doing all right,” Beachy said. “We talked about how my experience was going, and that was super helpful.”

Beachy graduated with degrees in English and writing studies last spring after five semesters at 91����Ƶ. She had transferred to the university from online classes at Blue Ridge Community College. By the time she enrolled at 91����Ƶ, she had already spent four years teaching at the church school she graduated from and another 10 years developing curriculum at in Harrisonburg.

When Beachy, who lives in Staunton, expressed interest in pursuing a bachelor’s degree, a co-worker at Christian Light recommended 91����Ƶ. He thought the close-knit community would be a good fit for her, and he was right.

“The fact that 91����Ƶ is small makes it more personable,” she said. “I feel like you get to know your professors better. I didn’t know that when I started, but I’ve enjoyed that.”

She mentioned Dr. Marti Eads and Chad Gusler as faculty members she’s grown close to. “I appreciate the connections I made here, and I feel that some of my professors are still my friends,” she said. “They’re people I connect with when I see them, which is really useful.”

Beachy worked part-time at Christian Light while taking classes as a full-time student and tried to find courses that fit her busy schedule. When the registrar suggested she take a sociology class, she enrolled in Dr. Gaurav Pathania’s class.

She described the sociology professor as “very personable” and fondly recalled that he served chai and cookies in class. “That was something I always enjoyed,” Beachy said. “We would have discussions outside of class, too, and it was interesting to hear his perspectives on life in India versus life here.” She enjoyed his introductory sociology class so much that she signed up for more classes with Pathania. Those sociology classes helped her think about the world differently and better understand social issues.

Pathania remembers Beachy as never missing a class and demonstrating a level of thoughtfulness and maturity that set her apart. “Joyce is truly one of the most exceptional students I have encountered in my five years of teaching at 91����Ƶ,” he wrote.

Through a “Local Context” intercultural program, Beachy spent a summer studying various neighborhoods and social groups in Harrisonburg. That experience led her to try different ethnic restaurants in the area. “I still enjoy doing that to this day,” she said.

Last spring, Beachy served as an editorial intern for 91����Ƶ’s marketing and communications department, writing many well-received articles for 91����Ƶ News. She attended the 2025 Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship Conference and wrote a recap about it. Her story about the intercultural to Guatemala and Mexico was one of the most read stories of 2025. She also wrote about an initiative by the Latinx Student Alliance to distribute “Know Your Rights” cards to members of Harrisonburg’s immigrant community. At the same time, she volunteered to help adult English learners at 91����Ƶ’s Intensive English Program, which was at the heart of another article written by her.

Near the end of her time at 91����Ƶ, Beachy was promoted to the role of literacy coordinator at Christian Light Publications. She said her employer is helping reimburse her for tuition costs.

“In the (conservative Mennonite) setting where I come from, it’s not as common for people to pursue higher education,” she said. “They didn’t have any program in place to help with tuition costs, but now they want to offer it to others who want to go to college, which I’m really excited about. It means some reimbursement for me, but it also opens a path for other people.”

Beachy said there are advantages to attending college as a nontraditional, older student. She met students who knew what they wanted to do and were serious about studying, as well as others who were in college because their parents wanted them there. “They didn’t know what they were doing,” she said. “I always felt sorry for them and wished they could just go out and work for a couple years and figure out what they actually wanted to do.”

She mentioned reading The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald that was turned into a Brad Pitt movie a couple decades ago.

“It’s about a guy who’s born an old man, and he goes through life backwards,” she said. “I’ve thought about that story sometimes with my experience at 91����Ƶ. I felt like I was doing things backwards. Most people go to school and then start their careers. I did my career first, then went to school. But I’m really glad I did it. Now, if I have friends in their 30s who say, ‘Oh, I want to go to college,’ I tell them, ‘Yeah, you should. It’s absolutely worth it.’”

Watch Professor Pathania’s star turn in Origin

See the 2023 feature-length film that Variety called “a masterpiece.” Dr. Gaurav J. Pathania, assistant professor of sociology and peacebuilding at 91����Ƶ, portrays Indian scholar and social reformer Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in this film (available to stream on Hulu) about historical caste systems. 

Read our story about how he landed the role, and watch the trailer below.

Warm up your winter with a cafeteria favorite

Just because you can’t make it to the caf doesn’t mean its tasty, comforting dishes can’t come to you! Try making your own tomato basil pie, a favorite among faculty, staff, and students alike, at home using this recipe lovingly provided by Darren Campbell, food service director for Pioneer College Caterers.

Need a little extra pick-me-up? Here’s a Common Grounds-inspired drink recipe from Tyler Goss, director for student engagement and leadership development.

Read Professor Evans’ new book

The latest book from Dr. David Evans, professor of history and intercultural studies and associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Damned Whiteness offers an unflinching look at the efforts by religious white progressives in the fight for Black freedom. Grab a physical copy of the page-turner at Parentheses Books (76 W Gay St., Harrisonburg) or download one online as an .

Seeking something a little more fantastical? Check out the series from Liesl West ’18 and by Christine Benner Dixon ’04.

Share your favorite indoor snow day activities in the comments below!

That someone turned out to be Dr. Gaurav J. Pathania, assistant professor of sociology and peacebuilding at 91����Ƶ, an anti-caste activist and lifelong . Pathania, who worked to help Seattle become the first U.S. city to ban caste-based discrimination , makes his acting debut when Origin releases in theaters on Jan. 19. 

The drama, written and directed by DuVernay and starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, follows journalist Isabel Wilkerson on her journey in writing her 2020 New York Times bestseller Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. As Wilkerson, portrayed by Aunjanue-Ellis (King Richard), endures personal losses and dives into her writing, she travels abroad and digs deep into historical examples of caste systems. 

From a in The New York Times: “One is set in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, another in Depression-era Mississippi and a third in India over different time periods. This last interlude focuses on Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar (Gaurav J. Pathania), who helped draft India’s Constitution and championed the rights of Dalits, people once deemed ‘untouchables.’”

Ambedkar “is the most important figure in politics in India,” Pathania said during an interview in his Roselawn office last month. A Shepard Fairey-inspired blue-and-red print of Ambedkar, akin to the Obama “Hope” poster, hung on the wall behind his desk. “He’s like the MLK of India, so no political party can do their politics without putting his face on their banners. If you ever go to India, there are thousands of statues of him.”

Ambedkar was born a Dalit, the lowest stratum of India’s caste system, but was able to earn degrees from the University of Mumbai, Columbia University and the London School of Economics — something unheard of for someone in his caste. He would serve as India’s first law minister after its independence from Britain in 1947 as well as chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. He is widely regarded as one of the most educated and revered Indians throughout history.

“Every day of his life was spent bringing some social change and structural change,” Pathania said.

The 91����Ƶ professor graces the silver screen in Ambedkar’s trademark three-piece suit and tie, his hair slicked back and his eyes behind a pair of thick-rimmed round glasses. If he appears stouter on the screen, it’s because he donned a fat suit for the role. Researchers for the movie spent two years learning all they could about the historic figure. That included studying which books he carried and what types of pens he used.

“There are movies made about Ambedkar in India, in other languages, but this is the first Hollywood movie that offers an introductory portrayal of Ambedkar,” said Pathania, who is originally from India. 

Before the cameras started rolling, DuVernay offered some tips to the acting newbie. Pathania recalled: “She told me, ‘You’ve studied this man for your whole life. So, just think about him when you’re on set. You don’t need any training; you have him in your heart.’”

Although his role in Origin has no speaking parts and totals a handful of minutes, the experience offered him a glimpse into the world of filmmaking. 

Pathania traveled to Savannah, Georgia, on three separate occasions to film his parts. One of his scenes, set in 1920s-era India, captures him stepping off the boat onto a pier, surrounded by members of the Dalit caste played by local extras. 

“The river was about 50 feet deep, so we had lifeguards standing around, and so I learned about all those things,” he said. “Cameras were in every direction; there was even someone standing in the water holding a camera.

“One simple scene might take almost eight hours, the whole day. When it appears on the screen, it appears for a few seconds, but it took all day to film.” 

Before arriving at 91����Ƶ, Pathania taught at Georgetown University, Catholic University of America and George Washington University. He is an anti-caste poet, writer and community builder, and mentors emerging scholars through the Ambedkar International Center Authors’ Lab.   

To land the role, Pathania answered an open casting call submitted to the online Ambedkarite community in October 2022. He said he went through a lengthy audition process and was selected from a couple-dozen others. 

“I asked Ava, ‘How did you choose me?’” said Pathania. “And, she said, ‘We weren’t just looking for the facial resemblance, but also looking for the scholarly resemblance, because you are a professor and you are an Ambedkarite who has been teaching for a long time and your scholarship is around caste.’”

Pathania has watched the movie several times and said DuVernay has been receptive to the changes he’s suggested. He described Origin as “the most global kind of movie.”

“If you see the cast, there is an English-speaking cast, a German-speaking cast, Hindi, and then now, with the addition of the song by Stan Walker, a member of the New Zealand Maori tribe, I see it as a movie that actually reaches out to the entire world,” he said. 

Origin has a runtime of two hours and 15 minutes. It is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving racism, violence, some disturbing images, language and smoking.