The 91����Ƶ Washington Semester program started off in the fall of 1976 as a “high-risk proposition,” recalls Phil Baker-Shenk ’79.  

“It was a high risk for the college, a high risk for us individual students, and certainly a high risk for (program founder and director) Nelson Good ’68 and Arden Shank, who staffed it,” said Baker-Shenk, one of the first students in the yearlong program (then known as the Washington Study-Service Year or WSSY) from 1976-77. “It was a high risk all around, and yet people with good ideas decided to plunge in, take that risk, and make it happen.”

Fifty years later, that big gamble has paid off.

Alumni of the urban studies program—the only such program offered at Anabaptist-affiliated institutions—credit it with giving them improved professional confidence, greater clarity about career direction, more comfort in working with people different than they are, and an increased awareness of systemic injustices.

Each semester and summer, students from 91����Ƶ and partner schools such as Bethel College, Bluffton University, and Goshen College converge at the Nelson Good House in the culturally diverse and multiethnic Brookland neighborhood of Washington D.C. It’s there that they learn to live in a shared community, cooking and eating meals together, managing a collective budget and household responsibilities, and navigating conflict with maturity.

Students gain real-world professional experience in their chosen field of study through internship placements, study the history and social dynamics of the city, and immerse themselves in the rich culture and vibrancy of the nation’s capital.

Baker-Shenk was among the 60 alumni and supporters of the 91����Ƶ Washington Semester, from its beginnings in the 1970s through today, who gathered at the Busboys and Poets restaurant in Brookland on Saturday, Feb. 14, to share their memories and experiences from their time in the program and celebrate its 50-year legacy. The milestone reunion included remarks from Program Director Ryan Good, 91����Ƶ Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham, and many students and alumni from the past five decades. 

Since its inception, more than 1,000 students have called the program home for a season of their lives, said Dycus. They’ve taken courses at and built relationships with institutions such as Catholic University of America and Howard University. And students have learned to live with difference, practice shared leadership, and carry conviction into real work.

“We’re celebrating a living, evolving experiment in education,” Dycus told the crowd. “One that has asked generations of students to take learning seriously enough to put it to work. Since 1976, this program has woven together community living, academic study, and vocational reflection right in the complexity of our nation’s capital.”

As the story’s been told, shared Dycus, Nelson Good came to D.C. as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War era. “And, out of that experience, he helped build a program committed to servant leadership and social justice, and an education shaped by peace, responsibility, and courage to see the city as it is.”

Nelson Good directed the program until his retirement in 1987, mentoring it through major transitions. When the time came to find a new home closer to public transportation and academic partners, he personally helped find and secure the building at 836 Taylor Street that became the Nelson Good House. 

“He did that work even while facing a cancer diagnosis and died a few months before the facility’s dedication (on Aug. 20, 2005),” Dycus said.

Alumni of the 91����Ƶ Washington Semester gather to celebrate the program’s 50-year legacy.

The 91����Ƶ Washington Semester offers a built-in social and professional network for its alumni, many of whom find long-term careers in D.C., thanks to the web of connections and relationships they build through the program.

Aerlande Wontamo ’06 was among the first cohort of 15 students to live at the Nelson Good House during the spring of 2006. She interned at the Ethiopian Community Development Council while taking classes at Howard University.

“It was such a meaningful experience for me because I got on (Howard’s) campus and I looked like everybody else,” said Wontamo, who is originally from Ethiopia. “There was another person in our group, I think from Goshen, who was also at Howard, and she was white. We would go to school, and that was the first time she felt like a minority. It was this wonderful experience for both of us.”

Like many alumni of the 91����Ƶ Washington Semester (it was known as the Washington Community Scholars’ Center or WCSC after 2002), Wontamo stayed in the city. Twenty years later, the economic development grad is still working in the refugee and immigrant services field as senior vice president of U.S. programs for World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization.

“It was my internship that was such a meaningful experience for me and led me through all of the steps to get to where I am,” she said. “So, I’m a huge fan of the program.”

Anisa Leonard ’21, a social work grad originally from Kenya, interned at Voices for a Second Chance, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals returning home from incarceration, during her spring 2021 semester in the program.

“The WCSC program was absolutely foundational in getting me to where I am now,” said the social worker. “It sparked my interest in working with people who are marginalized in so many ways, especially in a city so impacted by race and gentrification.”

Genesis Figueroa joined Ryan Good on stage for a conversation, reflecting on her experiences in the program during spring 2025. The 91����Ƶ senior, who is double majoring in political science and Spanish, interned at Catholic Charities in its immigration legal services department, where she provided translation, interpretation, and administrative work. She said she hopes to become an immigration lawyer.

“It definitely solidified what I want to do after college and what type of work I want to do,” she said. “It solidified my passion for it.”

Another 91����Ƶ senior, Dia Mekonnen, remembered living at the Nelson Good House with 13 other students during summer 2025. “It was really packed,” she said. “But it was really nice to connect with them. It was nice to cook together, to be able to share our perspectives, and we still hang out.”

Baker-Shenk credited Nelson Good, along with many other heroes, with the courage and vision to implement and sustain the idea of the D.C. program over the years.

“One of the many things he taught me, and it was a little hard for me to take back in the ’70s, was that institutions deserve our love and our commitment and our care,” he said. “Fifty years later, here’s an institution that has carried each of us in this room in one way or another, and it happened because it was nourished and encouraged.”

Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement, is a proud member of the third cohort of students in the program (1978-79). He told guests there were many ways to support the program. One such opportunity is through the Dr. Kimberly Schmidt Endowed Scholarship, which was dedicated during the program’s on-campus reunion at Homecoming 2025.

“Financial aid is such a critical part of the story for every student, and it’s an obstacle,” he said. “It’s an obstacle to participation in this program and others. And so what we can do to mitigate that through donor-funded aid is an opportunity we want to focus on.”

Learn more about the 91����Ƶ Washington Semester at .

Read more:

• Sept. 2025: Rebranded 91����Ƶ Washington Semester celebrates 50 years of career-building and community
• Nov. 2016: Forty years of service and learning celebrated at WCSC’s Nelson Good House
• Aug. 2015: Washington Community Scholars’ Center celebrates 10 years at the Nelson Good House in Brookland
• March 2014: The history of the Washington Community Scholars’ Center

Kirk Shisler ’81 wants to make one thing very clear: He’s not retiring. At least not anytime soon. After 21 years of faithfully serving his alma mater as its vice president for advancement, he’s simply switching gears. 

This summer, Shisler will transition from his lofty perch as VP to a new position specially carved out for him that utilizes his unique qualities and strengths in a way that benefits 91����Ƶ best. He said his new role as senior gift planning advisor will allow him to focus exclusively on securing major gifts to sustain ���ѱ�’s mission.

“We recently crossed the halfway point of ���ѱ�’s five-year, $40 million Forward Together campaign, and I am pleased to report that we have already raised $29 million, or 72% of the goal, which puts us ahead of schedule,” Shisler said. “I look forward to increasing our fundraising momentum even more as I assume my new role.”

Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus will formally announce the news of Shisler’s transition via email on Thursday, Jan. 22. With the announcement, 91����Ƶ officially enters into a national search for its next vice president for advancement.

For several years now, Shisler said, he’s anticipated a transition like this one. By passing his administrative responsibilities on to a successor, he can directly focus his energies toward the aspects of advancement he enjoys most and where he will have the greatest impact. And, despite the various headwinds straining higher education, Shisler said he believes 91����Ƶ is poised to transcend those challenges.

“We have a strong leadership team in place under Interim President Dycus, and a tremendous faculty and staff,” Shisler said. “���ѱ�’s value proposition includes a proven track record for the employability of its graduates, who also benefit from an education that blends rigorous academics with soft skills in leadership, conflict resolution, and other skills needed to succeed in today’s work environment.”

‘An enduring imprint’

���ѱ�’s presidents, past and present, commended Shisler for his effective fundraising, steadfast leadership, and deep commitment to the university over the past two decades. 

Dycus, interim president of 91����Ƶ since July 1, credited Shisler with “shaping a culture of generosity rooted in mission” and strengthening alumni and donor relationships. “Kirk’s steady, values-driven leadership will leave an enduring imprint on this institution and the countless students whose lives have been changed through his work,” she said.

Dr. Loren Swartzendruber ’76, MDiv ’79, president of 91����Ƶ from 2003 to 2016, noted that he had recruited Shisler twice to 91����Ƶ: first as an admissions counselor when Shisler was a high school senior, and later as president when Shisler was hired to lead the advancement division. “No university president can be successful without a person of Kirk’s caliber in that office,” said Swartzendruber. “His continuing efforts to attract leadership gifts will pay dividends for years to come.”

And President Emerita Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, who led the university from 2016 to 2025, expressed gratitude for the “enormous positive impact” Shisler had “year after year for 20 years without fail,” advancing ���ѱ�’s mission, supporting its students, contributing to its financial health, and ensuring its donors felt special and important. 

“Without ‘Captain’ Kirk’s can-do spirit, relational genius, and organizational prowess, there is no first-ever 91����Ƶ comprehensive campaign for people, programs, and facilities,” said Huxman, referencing the Forward Together (2023-28) campaign. “There is no audacious $40 million five-year goal, half of which we raised in just the first two years. This bold and successful campaign has been the crowning achievement of his great legacy in executive administration at 91����Ƶ.”

Indeed, there have been many crowning achievements for Shisler over the years. Whether it’s the completion of ���ѱ�’s state-of-the-art track and field complex—regarded among the finest athletic facilities in the conference—the transformation of laboratories and classrooms in the Suter Science Center through a $12 million campaign (2007-15), or renovations to the south section of University Commons, he’s always kept his eyes squarely on the prize: ensuring 91����Ƶ not only survives but also thrives long into the future.

Less visible, but just as impactful as those capital improvement projects, is the membership growth of ���ѱ�’s throughout his tenure. The group of alumni and donors name 91����Ƶ in their estate plans, supporting the future financial stability and security of the school. “We have grown the society from roughly 150 members, when I arrived in 2005, to over 600 today,” Shisler said. “We often refer to these future gifts as ���ѱ�’s Book of Futures. The approximate future value of these estate commitments currently exceeds $35 million.”

Clockwise from top: Kirk Shisler, vice president for advancement, with Phil Helmuth and Graham Stauffer, during Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day 2023. | The longtime advancement VP speaks during a gathering celebration at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2021. | Shisler accepts a hard hat from Braydon Hoover ’11, MA ’21, then-associate vice president for advancement at 91����Ƶ, during a groundbreaking ceremony for the track in 2023.

Focus, patience, and tenacity

One key ingredient to Shisler’s success is the length of his tenure, which has allowed him to build close connections and enduring relationships with alumni and donors.

According to a from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, fundraising administrators have a median of five years of service in their position, slightly below the median for all higher ed administrative positions (5.5 years). Those figures are well below the 21-year span that Shisler has served at 91����Ƶ.

During those 21 years, he estimated, working with advancement teams and the three aforementioned presidents, he helped raise about $120 million for 91����Ƶ. Last year, thanks to a combination of generous donors and several large bequests, the university achieved its second-highest fundraising total on record.

“Those who have been involved in higher ed and nonprofit fundraising for as long as I have know that it takes significant focus, patience and tenacity to secure gifts of significance for our organizations,” Shisler said. 

Doug Mason, an advancement consultant who has advised ���ѱ�’s team for 15 years as well as many other schools, said his most successful clients have leaders who “stick with it and really invest in the mission of their institution.”  

“Donors really appreciate continuity,” Mason said. “Having somebody like Kirk, who’s been there for over two decades, is quite unusual, and it’s been extraordinarily beneficial to 91����Ƶ.”

So why exactly has Shisler stayed for so long? He said the societal impact of ���ѱ�’s alumni around the world continues to motivate him and sustain his commitment to the university’s mission. He added that, through the years, he’s been blessed to be part of “highly motivated and supportive teams of advancement professionals,” and that he’s continually inspired by the dedication and high-quality work of ���ѱ�’s faculty and staff.

A seasoned fundraiser

Growing up in Telford, Pennsylvania, Shisler said his parents taught him at a young age the importance of giving generously and of tithing to the church. But it wasn’t until later, after entering the workforce, that he realized his skills in storytelling and communications could be used to fundraise for causes he cared about. The Dock Mennonite Academy alum graduated from 91����Ƶ with a bachelor of arts in English in 1981. He then began a quarter-century career at Laubach Literacy International, a nonprofit now known as ProLiteracy.

In 2004, Swartzendruber called Shisler to ask whether he would be interested in the VP position, succeeding Richard L. Gunden. After an interview that summer, Shisler accepted the offer (he started in the position in April 2005). “Loren said to me, ‘Well, Kirk, you will have served Laubach for 23 years. I’m really hoping that you’ll give the same amount of time, or more, to 91����Ƶ,’” Shisler recalled. “And here we are. With my transition to a different role, I may end up serving 23 years.”

As a result of his change, the avid fly fisherman said he’ll spend less time on the road and more time with his family—he and his wife, Mary Ann, have two sons, Ben and Andy. He’ll also spend less time in meetings as he devotes his focus entirely on working with major donors to design “charitable gifts of significance” for 91����Ƶ.

Back when he was first hired at the university, Shisler told the late Jim Bishop, former public information officer for 91����Ƶ, in a 2005 news article: “91����Ƶ is at a very exciting juncture in its history. I believe the school is truly a vehicle for healing and hope in our troubled world, and I look forward to joining the 91����Ƶ community as, together, we advance its mission.”

Twenty-one years later, those words still ring true.

If you’ve ever attended an art show at the gallery that bears her name, stepped foot inside one of the many buildings on campus she helped to finance, or benefited from her endowed scholarship fund, you’re likely already familiar with the name Dr. Margaret Martin Gehman. What you might be less familiar with is the legacy of generosity and selfless service she embodied at 91����Ƶ.

Gehman received a two-year degree from 91����Ƶ in 1942 and joined the faculty in 1944; she taught art and physical education classes until her retirement in 1987. The professor emerita taught a watercolor class through 1996 and served regularly as a volunteer on campus and with other local organizations. She was among ���ѱ�’s most generous philanthropists, establishing an endowed scholarship fund as well as program endowments for athletics, the humanities and special buildings on campus. In 2005, she became the first recipient of the eponymous “91����Ƶ Philanthropist of the Year” award. She died in August 2019 at age 97. 

Nearly a half-dozen years after her passing, Gehman’s boundless generosity continues to flourish and shape lives at 91����Ƶ. A recent $400,000 gift from her estate will bolster the Margaret Martin Gehman Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides general financial aid to undergraduate students. The gift increases the endowment fund to more than $500,000, which is expected to generate about $25,000 in direct financial aid each year.

While the fund previously supported one to two students each year, it can now benefit at least five students annually, according to Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement. “Margaret loved 91����Ƶ,” he said. “She maintained continuous loyalty and appreciation for the students, alumni, many of whom remained her friends, and the strong sense of community she enjoyed throughout her many years here.”

As one example of her love for 91����Ƶ, look no further than the time she donated her beloved 1967 blue Volkswagen Beetle in 2010 to support student scholarships. “91����Ƶ has been good to me over the years, and this is another way I can express my appreciation,” she said in an article about the donation. 

Shisler said the latest gift from her estate brings Gehman’s total contributions to 91����Ƶ to just under $2 million. “This puts an exclamation point on her many decades of support,” he said.

In a 2012 article celebrating her 90th birthday, Gehman credited her parents with “teaching the value of a lifestyle of simplicity and generosity.” “The Lord … has blessed me with the ability to serve and the opportunity to share with others,” she said. 

For much of her time at 91����Ƶ, Gehman was affectionately known as “Speedy.” A student had bestowed the nickname on her, not only for introducing the game of speedball to campus but also for her energy, athleticism, and swiftness. “She would dash across campus between classes,” Shisler said. “She would practically run from one place to another.”

Even in her later years, the speed never left her. Braydon Hoover ’11, MAOL ’21, vice president for enrollment and long-time advancement professional at 91����Ƶ, recalled watching his wife, Heidi Hoover ’10, escort Gehman to the art gallery named after her. “I will never forget the image of ‘Speedy,’ at 94 years old, taking off down the hallway with my dear spouse having to jog to keep up with her, walker and all,” he said. Hoover, like many on ���ѱ�’s advancement team, also knew the longtime donor by another name: “Saint Margaret.”

One lesser-known detail about “Saint Margaret” was her love for lending money to people and organizations in need. On several occasions, Shisler said, she loaned money to 91����Ƶ to fund certain projects. “Sometimes, she would turn around and forgive those loans, converting them into outright gifts,” he added.

The fleet-footed philanthropist was a trailblazer, ahead of her time in many ways, as her nickname might suggest. She was among the first women graduates of 91����Ƶ to earn a doctorate, receiving hers in art education from George Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University) in 1962. Despite her plain dress and head covering, which may have given the impression that she was conservative, Gehman “flowed with the times,” according to Shisler. “Her loyalty to 91����Ƶ never wavered, even through periods of change and various cultural headwinds,” he said.

91����Ƶ President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman described Gehman as “one of the most interesting, engaging, joyful and nonconformist” donors she’s ever met. Former 91����Ƶ President Dr. Loren Swartzendruber has praised Gehman for her “incredible gift for frugality and generosity, a rare blend that you do not typically find.”

It was this frugality that became the stuff of legend. Today, those on campus who were lucky enough to have known her exchange stories of her resourcefulness and ingenuity with a smile. Gehman was known to keep her lights off as long as possible to save electricity. In the evenings, as the sunlight faded, passersby could spot her silhouette in the window, leaning toward the nearest streetlamp with a book in her hands to get enough light for reading. 

Your generous support helps students pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 9th annual Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future 91����Ƶ students. Together, we can help write ���ѱ�’s next chapter. 

Read the previous profiles in our A Royal Tale series:

The photo below is not the beginning or the end of this story. It’s one moment in many years of strangers becoming family, of kindnesses repaid upon kindnesses, of how opportunity — whether a tragic event, a life-changing surgery, or four years at a university — can be transformative.

Meet Dr. Ron David ’60, his wife Dr. Susan Lewis Pillsbury David, and Alejandra Rivera Tejada ’18. Here they are three years ago on the occasion of Alejandra’s graduation from 91����Ƶ. A native of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, she graduated with honors and a degree in nursing.

Here’s more about how this moment came to be:

Dr. Ronald David ’60 was 12 years old when his life took a catastrophic turn: his mother died. David said his father wasn’t equipped to raise him after losing his wife, so he arranged for David to spend the summer on a family friend’s farm in Denbigh, Virginia.

“I don’t know what would have happened to me if not for the Weavers’ willingness to take someone as ornery as me,” he said. “That’s how, basically, I got connected with Mennonites and the Mennonite church.”

Once being taken in by the Weaver family that summer, David never left. He became the youngest sibling in a vibrant, bantering family that encouraged him to follow in the other children’s footsteps – Sara Jane Weaver Wenger ’42, Kenneth Weaver ’52, Samuel Weaver ’66, and future Royals parent Lloyd Weaver Jr. – and attend Eastern Mennonite College. Others at the Mennonite Church the Weavers attended also saw potential in the young David, and pitched in for his tuition.

“So not only did they give me love and discipline, but they also took on a financial burden,” David said.

He went on to graduate with honors from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, became a child neurologist, and founded the Virginia Center for Autism and Related Developmental Disorders. He had four children of his own – and it was through one of his son-in-laws that David got involved with a Presbyterian medical missions program in Honduras. He and his wife, Dr. Susan Lewis Pillsbury David, started traveling there every Christmas season to provide healthcare to people who lived out in remote, mountainous corners of the country. 

While on these trips, David noticed a high prevalence of cataracts, to the point where people were going blind at a young age. He co-founded the nonprofit to provide free cataract surgeries and other eye care to people in southern Honduras. 

In doing this work, he was introduced to Melvin Tejada, the administrator of an eye hospital in the eastern part of the country – and the two became fast friends. Tejada’s daughter, Alejandra Tejada Rivera ’18, said that David quickly became “like family” to them. 

Alejandra Tejada Rivera was also interested in a career in healthcare. In her late teens, she started volunteering with the medical brigades as an interpreter. 

“We were in the mountains – very poor areas,” she explained. “A lot of those people don’t go to the hospital because they don’t have the transportation or money to pay for healthcare. So they come for women’s health problems, pediatrics is a big one, and just family medicine.”

As she started to envision her future career, David suggested she apply to 91����Ƶ. He wanted to sponsor her studies – to pay forward the help he had received from the Weavers and others who had provided for his education.

As David puts it, “I said, ‘well, maybe we can do for Alejandra what the church did for me.'” 

Tejada Rivera entered the nursing program at 91����Ƶ. She excelled in her studies, met her fiance Drew Diaz ’18, and graduated with honors. She’s now a registered nurse certified in orthopedics and pediatrics at Sentara RMH in Harrisonburg – and she and Diaz now participate in the same medical missions through which she first met David.

“I feel like that’s my calling,” Tejada Rivera said. “I would like to give back to my country, because there are many in need over there.”

Seeing his young protegé excell in her own career and help others, David “can’t help but be proud of her accomplishments,” he said. 

Most of all, he hopes his story will inspire others to support educational opportunities for youth who can’t afford them. 

“There are a lot of gifted people, particularly in Central America, that could use a little helping hand,” said David.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all, which is why these stories of paying-it-forward generosity are so meaningful,” said Vice President for Advancement Kirk Shisler.

Those interested in contributing to student access, affordability, and belongingness at 91����Ƶ can learn more about the Forward Together Campaign at emu.edu/campaign.

“Donors to the Forward Together Campaign could be the bridge students need to experience 91����Ƶ’s transformative programs during a particularly challenging season,” Shisler said.

Responding to financial challenges prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and new initiatives to increase student access and opportunity, 91����Ƶ donors and alumni generously contributed over $5.1 million during the 2020-21 fiscal year. This represents a five percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

Contributing focal points for generous donors were the launch of the new Forward Together campaign and another successful, record-breaking Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day in April.

“91����Ƶ exists to prepare our students to lead together now and in the future to create a more just and sustainable future,” said Kirk Shisler, vice president of advancement. “This is a mission that our Royals family of 3,000 donors and alumni stand behind and support with whole hearts. We hear again and again that our 91����Ƶ-educated leaders are serving, unifying and healing in their communities worldwide.”

The Forward Together campaign focuses on three strategic initiatives, each of which gained significant donations during the first year of a multi-year campaign: 

• The University Fund for Resilience totaled gifts of $1,772,511. In addition to unrestricted gift support, this includes annual gifts for the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and Athletics.The fund helps provide student tuition support, student life services, collaborative faculty-student research, technology upgrades, cross-cultural programs, and infrastructure, among other operating expenses.
• The Student Tuition Relief Initiative gained a total of $2,307,026. This included $278,291 for direct tuition relief assistance for students in need; $705,322 in direct grant scholarship awards, and $1,323,413 in named endowed scholarship funds;
• The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund, buoyed by the new leadership of Dr. Jacqueline Font-Guzman as executive director of DEI, accrued total gifts of $111,264. [Read more about her work and .]

���ѱ�’s Lov91����Ƶ Day helped to launch the Forward Together Campaign, raising a record-breaking $280,653 from 1,017 gifts (30 percent more than in 2020).

91����Ƶ will celebrate the dedication of Suter Science Center West this fall during Homecoming 2021. Suter West’s multi-million dollar renovations supported ���ѱ�’s engineering majors with several labs and spaces for faculty/student collaboration; a new welcoming and open main entrance to lead visitors into the S-106 lecture hall, to be named in honor of President Emeritus Loren Swartzendruber and his wife, Pat; and renovated space to display artifacts from�� The D. Ralph Hostetter Collection.

Two clubs at 91����Ƶ did their best to get out the vote this month ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election – and contrary to the fraught and divisive national scene, they did so harmoniously.

The effort, which included a jointly staffed booth on multiple days outside the dining hall and one virtual evening session, was intentionally “bipartisan,” according to Adam Peachey, co-president of the College Republicans, and Luke Wheeler, co-president of the Young Democrats. ���ѱ�’s Student Government Association, an elected group of student leaders, helped to start the conversation and contributed staffing.

“SGA thought this drive would be a perfect opportunity for the political clubs on campus to lead together and show unity during this extremely polarizing election season,” said Theo Yoder, SGA vice-president. “We hope that we made a difference in our community by helping give students the opportunity to practice their right to vote. SGA is also planning to work closely with them in the future to plan more events revolving around this election.”

The clubs have also met with faculty, staff and administrators to consider ways to promote respectful and civil dialogue about the debates and the election in the coming weeks. 

Publishing a joint statement, via email to the campus community, was one high-profile way that group sought to elevate discourse, urge empathy, and raise awareness about how some aspects of the current election were impacting more vulnerable members of the community, specifically those “lacking in physical safety or an empowered voice.” The message lifts up ���ѱ�’s community-building values and a shared priority to “move through these next weeks rooted in the values that define 91����Ƶ as peacemakers rooted in Christian understandings.” 

An excerpt from the 10/16 email

Intentional 91����Ƶ community invites us to the following actions:

• Vote! As you are eligible, participate in the important decisions impacted by all of the roles on our ballots.
• As a learning community, lean into the critical thinking and questioning invited by this political moment. 
• Hold together communication priorities of speaking for self, listening to understand, welcoming discomfort as an opportunity for self-awareness, acknowledging history that is racialized and gendered.
• Continue to affirm our Non-Discrimination Policy stating 91����Ƶ does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any legally protected status. Not only do we not discriminate, but we also affirm individuals of these identities. 
• Build a relationship or have a meaningful conversation with someone who sees things differently than you.

The statement was signed by Peachey, Wheeler, SGA co-presidents Justice Allen, Anisa Leonard, Allison Shelly, Dean of Students Shannon Dycus and Provost Fred Kniss.

A convocation on Oct. 28, which will include some of these same student leaders, will focus on the value of civic engagement and “promoting community values in this politically polarized time,” Peachey said. “We want to focus on ways to depolarize or handle things in ways that people can maintain or even find new friendships despite political differences.”

Also on Oct. 28, historian and author Rick Shenkman, of George Washington University’s History News Network, will speak in a University Colloquium on “Why is Democracy So @#$&!  Hard?” The event from 4:15-5:15 p.m. will be livestreamed at on ���ѱ�’s Facebook page. 

Discussions around campus climate during this tumultuous political season began at a September meeting attended by campus leaders representing students, faculty, student life and administrators, according to political science professor Ji Eun Kim, who advises both clubs.* 

“We have specific ‘Life Together’ commitments which help to guide us all into situations like this,” said Dycus, who convened the meeting. “We want and need our students to be engaged civically. What does it look like to listen respectfully and share our opinions in ways which show compassion and build relationships? As we all care about and contribute these discussions as contributing citizens, centering our commitments towards wisdom, accountability and Christian peacebuilding help us do this in the right spirit.”

The voter registration drive was the main focus of the two clubs, especially because other events, such as debate or election night watch parties, have been difficult to plan with COVID-19 precautions for on in-person gatherings, Peachey said.

Sponsoring a voter registration drive shows that ���ѱ�’s student leadership holds representation at the polls to be an important individual right, the two leaders said.

“…Both clubs agree that the more people that vote, the more representative our government is and that, even if the people we are registering disagree with us politically, we still want those people to be represented,” Wheeler said. “Our desire for a representative election was a big driving force for the collaboration and SGA also helped to connect us and to encourage the bipartisan effort.”

The voter drive is also an effort to encourage healthy ways of participating among the student body, Peachey said. The volunteers helped students check if they were already registered, register to vote in Harrisonburg or apply for an absentee ballot, he said.“Especially with covid, we want to encourage other options besides driving home to vote.” 

Reflecting on his experience, Peachey said that while 91����Ƶ has “a reputation as a liberal campus,” he’s experienced “a lot of affirmation of anyone expressing different views.”

“I’ve been encouraged by a lot of discussion going on about fostering a better political environment on campus and the desire to hear from both sides of the political spectrum,” he said.

For his part, Wheeler says he’s learned a lot in “really productive and interesting” conversations with Peachey.

“I have learned that we really are not that different, even with what might seem like vastly different views on the surface,” Wheeler said, adding he appreciated Peachey’s “devotion to the political process and to helping everyone to vote,” even as they may not share the same political views.  

*The meeting included Peachey, Wheeler and Young Democrats co-president Reuben Peachey-Stoner; SGA co-presidents Justice Allen and Anisa Leonard; Dean of Students Shannon Dycus; Provost Fred Kniss; Director of Student Programs Rachel Roth Sawatzky; Professor Mark Sawin, president of ���ѱ�’s Faculty Senate; and Vice President for Advancement Kirk Shisler.

Responding to financial challenges prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, 91����Ƶ donors and alumni generously contributed over $4.9 million during the 2019-20 fiscal year, and set a��new record for annual unrestricted support.

This financial support is also a gift of hope, said Kirk Shisler, vice president for advancement. “91����Ƶ exists to prepare our students to lead together now and in the future to create a more just and sustainable future. The generous response of our Royals family, nearly 3,000 donors and alumni strong, says loud and clear that they stand strong with 91����Ƶ and our mission of preparing students to serve and lead in a global context.”

Donors gave generously to two funds specific to COVID-19 relief:  Nearly $1.8 million for the University Fund for Resilience and approximately $88,000 for the Student Tuition Relief Fund. 

���ѱ�’s Lov91����Ƶ Day, an annual event in April, shattered records, helping to raise $214, 683 from 732 gifts.

Shisler noted that the record year exceeded the previous year’s unrestricted giving by 8 percent and met division fundraising goals by more than 4 percent.

Nine new endowed scholarships totalling over $700,000 have been established, as well as two direct grant scholarship funds of at least $20,000 each, to support student access to an 91����Ƶ education.

���ѱ�’s continues to draw significant donations, including two matching grants totaling $35,000,  to celebrate its 25th anniversary. CJP offers graduate degrees in conflict resolution, transformative leadership and restorative justice, as well as professional training in those topics and other work connected to social and racial justice.

“Our alumni have again shown us through their support that they value how 91����Ƶ has prepared them to meet and respond to the pressing challenges of this time, and they want to help 91����Ƶ continue to provide that educational experience to others,” Shisler said. 

Shisler also noted the spirit of generosity among ���ѱ�’s board of trustees, faculty and staff, including retirees and “the tenacious, positive work of the Advancement team whose efforts contributed significantly to the positive outcomes.”

With help from rallying donors across all 50 states and an impromptu head-shaving challenge, ���ѱ�’s fourth annual Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day on April 8 raised a record $214,683 from 732 gifts.

This amount is an increase of nearly $100,000 over the 2019 totals.

Thank you to the many, many supporters who have “shown up together” in big ways for the people that make 91����Ƶ the special place it is – our students, faculty, and staff.

The historic day was a surprising and uplifting result at a time when many other university fundraising events are being cautiously rescheduled or even cancelled. Much of the event’s momentum in past years carried over from on-campus activities, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed outreach in the digital space to an audience ready to respond.

Royals supporters were equally as generous with their time and energy, sharing videos and photos online and sending love to 91����Ƶ in a way “that made the day feel inclusive in a way it’s never been before,” said Braydon Hoover ’11, director of development and annual giving and chair of the event committee. “We truly are one big family.”

Social media was a-buzz with tiny tots and kids of alumni in Royal blue, field hockey players batting balls, volleyball athletes challenging their fans, musicians and triathletes and cross country runners and artists all sharing their love for 91����Ƶ.

“Our theme this year was ‘Show Up for 91����Ƶ’ and that happened in a big way at a hugely important time for all of us,” said Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement. “Lov91����Ƶ Day brought us together in a way that no other event could.”��

As if the excitement could not be contained, the 24-hour outpouring of love began even before April 8 and stretched into the morning of April 9, with more donations accumulating even in this morning. Target goals on the challenges were met quickly with tallies eventually far exceeding the goals.

Other highlights of 2020 Lov91����Ƶ Day:

• Raising $53,253 for the Emergency Student Compassion Fund.
• Raising $146,981 for the UFund for Resilience.
• Unlocking $70,000 in challenge match funds.
• Winning the 50-state challenge (thanks, Arkansas and Louisiana!).
• Helping the Education Program, Women’s Volleyball Team, and the Black Student Alliance to win $1,000 each.
• Hearing the many reasons why donors Lov91����Ƶ (for a few, read on!).

A Few Reasons We Lov91����Ƶ

• The life-changing opportunity 91����Ƶ gave me to live and learn in another country!
• Our granddaughter loves the school and volleyball.
• I have loved 91����Ƶ since my first year on campus, 1963 — lifelong friends, caring professors, and a new perspective on our church and world.
• I can’t repay what 91����Ƶ/CJP gave me, but this is a good day to give something back!
• I really love the new tagline, “Lead Together!” I am forever grateful for the opportunities I experienced as an undergrad (class of ’86) to develop leadership skills in various settings. That could only happen with committed faculty and staff who encouraged me in those opportunities. I’m the person I am today because of my 91����Ƶ experience. Forever grateful!

As he always does in his traditional role as Lov91����Ƶ Day MC, Hoover watched the totals on the leaderboard tick up with delight. This year, he kicked coverage off with a “Morning Show”-style greeting, clutching a mug of coffee and wearing a plush Royal blue robe over his Lov91����Ƶ Day t-shirt. 

Chats throughout the day followed with Royals “celebrities,” including Herm the mascot (retiring soon), The Hon. Deanna Reed, mayor of Harrisonburg and a member of the 91����Ƶ Board of Trustees; JD Richardson, co-president of Black Student Union; 91����Ƶ President Susan Schultz Huxman; alumnus Trent Wagler ’02, with guitar, of The Steel Wheels; and Student Government Association co-presidents Seth Weaver and Leah Wenger. [And Yankees catcher and 2019 Alum of the Year Erik Kratz ’02 sent in a video greeting. Thanks, Erik!]

In a moment of delirium, caused by lack of coffee at 10 p.m., Hoover joked that he would shave his head if donations reached $200,000. “I thought I was safe,” he later recalled. Not so.

To the attempted rescue came Louise Otto ‘79 Hostetter, hoping a $225,000 threshold might  #SaveBraydonsHair. 

While an unprecedented number of gifts came pouring in the hour before, Hoover began shaving with a few minutes to midnight before signing off. “Even if we couldn’t save my hair,” he said, “I’m happy to donate it to the cause in support of our people!”

Words of prayer, poetry, thanksgiving and anecdotes both humorous and moving lifted up the life and work of three former faculty members during last week’s Advanced Chemistry Lab dedication ceremony. The renovated lab — where former faculty members Dr. Glenn Kauffman, Dr. Gary Stucky and Robert Yoder worked, taught and mentored in more than 90 years of collective exemplary service — was filled with several generations of family members, grateful alumni, current and former faculty and donors to hear reflections on their powerful legacies.

In the words of Dr. Ed Sandy ‘81, who thanked all three men for helping him to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a doctor, “the words and deeds of these three mentors, living amongst so many young people like me, created a generation of scientific leaders and their works that have bettered the world around the world. Thank you, Robert Yoder. Thank you, Glenn Kauffman, and thank you, Gary Stucky, for all you have done for so many of us. Your legacy of mentorship continues to inspire us all.”

The lab renovation and dedication was one of the final projects of the larger Suter Science Center transformation, accomplished with nearly $12 million in philanthropic support from more than 600 alumni and donors, said Kirk Shisler ‘83, vice president for advancement, in his welcome. 

A final, larger scale dedication of Phase II or “Suter West,” is being planned for Oct. 17 during Homecoming and Family Weekend.

The event was followed by a reception and a Suter Science Seminar by Dr. Brian Stauffer ‘91, professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Colorado.

In a short speech, Dr. Glenn Kauffman ‘60, with daughter Keri Kauffman ‘00 and wife Mary Kauffman, paid special tributes: to his former colleagues at 91����Ƶ  and former dean Dr. Lee Snyder for their support in helping to grow the chemistry program and expand research opportunities; to colleagues at James Madison University for collaboration on faculty and student research; and to ���ѱ�’s chemistry graduates, who have supported the program through their own work and through equipment donations like that of Dr. Shawn Ramer ‘83, who arranged for 91����Ƶ to be gifted an electron microscope from MIT during his postdoctoral at Harvard.

Science, Kauffman concluded, is action and activity: “I have always believed and thought that science is a verb, not a noun, not an encyclopedia of facts and numbers, but then the answering of questions, solving of problems and puzzles and creation of the language that extends our understanding of our planet and its place in the cosmos.”

The family of Robert Yoder represents four generations at the dedication ceremony. Lois Yoder (front), Robert’s wife, is flanked by their daughters Kim Yoder (left) and Karen Dean ’84 (right). Robert’s son Kent is in the far left of the back row with his wife Diane to his left. Behind Karen Dean is her husband Bill. Grandson Justin Yoder was unable to attend; his wife Heather Bauman Yoder ‘04 (left) brought her sons, and Robert’s great-grandsons Judah and Ellis. Robert’s son, Doug, was unable to attend. 

Yoder brought years of expertise (and many stories, remembered Dr. Ed Sandy ‘81) of “that secondary temple, the hospital.” He and other aspiring pre-med students listened avidly “to what it was actually like to be in a clinical lab.”

Janet Harder Stucky, widow of Gary Stucky, with Dr. Ed Sandy ‘81, a special guest who has fond memories of all three professors. Sandy is executive director of Speciality Services Provider Solutions, Blue Ridge region, for Sentara Healthcare, and past president of Sentara RMH Medical Group. 

Sandy’s first experience in the chemistry lab years ago was “a little scary,” he remembered, to the laughter of the crowd. It was Gary Stucky’s class that first caused his boyhood dream of becoming a doctor to begin fading away, but it was the same professor’s invitation to return the next semester and take an even more difficult chemistry class that eventually changed his life.  “I said, yes, I’ll do it. I took that advice…it eventually became the spark to my learning and it changed my trajectory, changed me from biology to chemistry, gave me the desire to work and learn. And it truly gave me my career.”

When Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, now dean of the School of Sciences, Engineering, Art and Nursing, joined the chemistry faculty in 2004, she often was called “the new Glenn.” Kishbaugh heard that metaphor as a way of asking what traditions and values would be carried by the new generation of educators. As much has changed, she says, much of the values of the Kauffman-Yoder-Stucky generation remains. Practical rigor in the classroom and student-led research, she said, is highly valued. “Our students learn to think and act and be scientists.” And the community of care fostered by all three professors, so apparent when Kishbaugh first arrived on campus, lives on as well:  “Students repeatedly say, you listened to me, you believed in me … The emphasis on caring and education for the whole person is just central to who we are.”

Professor Matt Siderhurst, who teaches in the Advanced Chemistry Lab, with Kirk Shisler ‘81 (right), vice president of advancement. Siderhurst is among the many faculty who continue to support the culture of student-led research that Kauffman and his colleagues began. Also present at the dedication was Professor Emeriti Joe Mast and Kenton Brubaker, former chemistry lab hygiene officer John Spicher ‘58, and Professor Emeritus Roman Miller, who is honored each spring, along with Kauffman, when the Kauffman-Miller Research Awards are made to support undergraduate students in summer research projects.

President Susan Schultz Huxman shares remembrances from Dr. Shawn Ramer ‘83, who was unable to attend. Ramer earned a PhD in organic chemistry and did a postdoc at Harvard Medical School after graduating from 91����Ƶ. He served in a variety of roles as senior executive and information technology, science and healthcare and is a member of the President’s Second Century Advisors.

Ramer thanked Glenn Kauffman for creating a nurturing environment that supported his interests and held him to high scholarly standards. “  I am forever grateful for the mentorship, instruction and friendship, which you provided during my time at 91����Ƶ … please know that I think of you frequently and always with much gratitude. I’m delighted to be part of honoring your contributions to 91����Ƶ and the gifts you gave to those of us who had the privilege of being your students.”

Huxman also offered a blessing to the space, beginning her prayer with this invocation:

Here in this space, our Suter Science Center, our faculty and students do not shy away from but readily embrace the wonders of God’s vast kingdom even as they study the laws of nature and what is humanly observable. The distinction of Mennonite education as practiced by 91����Ƶ faculty is Testament to the idea that knowledge is not sufficient.

Practice is not sufficient unless this is connected to a witness grounded in Christ, committed to peace and practiced in community. We thank professors Kauffman, Stucky and Yoder for practicing this rare and beautiful distinctive of Mennonite higher education and I thank all of you for being the great cloud of witnesses that blesses this space in honor of these three devoted and selfless educators. 

With a record-setting number of gifts on April 10’s , 91����Ƶ donors helped students access valuable courses, get to know caring professors, go on their cross-cultural and enjoy a transformative higher education experience.

Thank you!

More than $115,210 was given from 731 gifts during the 24-hour period — and givers were also generous in their reasons why they donated. A few students among the record number of student participants wrote the following:

• I love 91����Ƶ because it has molded me into the person I am.
• 91����Ƶ helps you grow as an entire person and embrace who God wants you to become.
• I love that I get to play basketball but still focus on academics and the future!
• I love the atmosphere of home, hospitality and care for everyone!

Attendance was big at several reunion events around the country, as well. Jeff Shank ’94, director of alumni and parent relations, said the day not only helped support ���ѱ�’s future and its students but also helped to build strong connections between 91����Ƶ alumni ��and the 91����Ƶ community. “We had 156 alumni attend six events in four states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio. At the Harrisonburg event, Doug Alderfer ‘92 talked about feeling a lot of pride when he looked around the room and saw so many good people doing good work in his community. I know others experienced similar feelings.”

Challenges Met!

The number of givers exceeded goals in several of the challenges. Target goals of 50 were met quickly during

• the Lunch Hour Challenge (87),
• the Parent/Grandparent Challenge (98),
• the Faculty and Staff Challenge (85) and
• the Sweetheart Challenge (54).

The Alumni Challenge also logged 320 gifts to an anticipated total of 300.

With each donation, donors were prompted to vote for an academic department, athletics program and student club. Top vote-earners were awarded $500. Winners were the education department, field hockey and the Black Student Union.

Next year, look for the 50-state challenge to return. The $5,000 gift went unclaimed. Do you know someone (anyone!) in Wyoming, Nevada, North Dakota and Utah? We’re also looking for supporters of 91����Ƶ in Alabama, New Hampshire and Rhode Island so that we can unlock the $5,000 challenge.

Big Crowdfunding Support!

The event was also record-setting in another way, said Vice President for Advancement Kirk Shisler ’81. “That 91����Ƶ is truly a place of inspiration and vision has just recently been affirmed to us all. Inside of one month, approximately 1,000 alumni and friends have raised nearly $230,000 in support of Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day — and for the MJ Sharp Peace and Justice Endowed Scholarship through the incredible MJ Sharp Dream Hike to the top of Kilimanjaro that gained worldwide attention.”

“These alumni were often medical professionals or working in the science fields, and remembered with great affection the mentorship of these professors,” Shisler said. “Naming the Advanced Chemistry Lab in their honor is a perfect way to commemorate their legacy of teaching, mentorship and scholarship. Of course, these gentlemen are part of a long, rich tradition of exemplary science instruction at 91����Ƶ that continues to this day.”

The new Advanced Chemistry Lab in the renovated Suter Science Center is a learning space for upper-level students and the faculty who mentor them in labs and research related to analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology.

“Their fine legacy continues today with the recent and prestigious accreditation by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of our biochemistry program and the large number of students who go on to graduate and professional schools and successful careers afterwards,” he said. “It seems like nearly every week, we celebrate the successes of alumni like Ruth Maust ’13, who just earned a three-year graduate research scholarship from the National Science Foundation, or Blake Rogers ’14, who was National Physician Assistant Student of the Year.”

A gift in support of the lab naming honors past teachers and mentors and supports professors who are having similar impact today, he added.

To join in honoring these professors, visit the Suter Science Center campaign website.

Glenn M. Kauffman

In addition to chairing the chemistry department for many years, Glenn M. Kauffman is a Renaissance man who is skilled and conversant in a broad range of areas, including philosophy, theology, music, gardening and sports. His academic contributions extended beyond his specialty of organic chemistry to the pre-professional health sciences and the sciences in general. In retirement, Dr. Kauffman continues his many extra-curricular activities, including gardening. He is active in the American Rhododendron Society.

Gary L. Stucky (1941-2005)

Gary L. Stucky came to 91����Ƶ to teach chemistry after several years with a private lab, including one year in tropical disease research with Mennonite Central Committee in Africa. He taught at 91����Ƶ from 1972 to 1993, and also at Bethel College, University of Rochester (New York) and James Madison University. An enthusiastic teacher, he was also remembered for his care for others. He completed pastoral studies training at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and was commissioned as a chaplain by the Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA in 2003.

Robert D. Yoder (1929-2005)

Robert D. Yoder taught human biology, microbiology and immunology courses at 91����Ƶ from 1963 to 1995 and was advisor to ���ѱ�’s medical technology students. A 1957 graduate, he earned a master’s degree from James Madison University and then served as a lab assistant to Dr. Daniel B. Suter in 1962. After completing the medical technology program at Rockingham Memorial Hospital during a 1977 sabbatical, Mr. Yoder worked in the laboratory there part time during the week and full time during summers doing blood chemistry analysis until his retirement. He also volunteered many hours at the Harrisonburg Free Clinic and as a laboratory technician in the Suter Science Center. An avid angler, birdwatcher and environmentalist, he was a former president of the Massanutten chapter of Trout Unlimited.

To join in honoring these professors, visit the Suter Science Center campaign website.

More on science at 91����Ƶ

• Do I really want to be a doctor? ���ѱ�’s PPHS program prepares students for medical careers.
• More grants than ever are helping to fund student summer research at 91����Ƶ.
• Blake Rogers ’14is the national Physician’s Assistant Student of the Year.
• Ruth Maust ’13 earns three-year doctoral research fellowship.
• Three students team up to carry on water quality research in Virginia mountain streams.
• A record number of chemistry students earned National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) in 2016.
• And if you’re curious about who is supervising this major project, here’s an article about Phil Martin ’81, who returned to his alma mater after “retiring” to provide oversight to the renovations.

The university will receive $672,000, primarily to be used for student scholarships and capital improvement, according to President Susan Schultz Huxman.

“We are thrilled with this very generous gift from Mr. Beatty,” said Huxman. “He was a true ambassador for the kind of holistic education we deliver to students to shape them into excellent citizens and workforce ready employees. We are here to assist students, including Virginians in rural areas who are first-generation college students, a special focus of the Virginia College Fund.”

The gift, from the Guy E. Beatty Revocable Trust, is the largest in the organization’s history. Beatty was a former board member. The VCF was one of several beneficiaries in a large charitable trust.

The participating members, all of which received portions of the bequest, include 91����Ƶ, Ferrum College, Bluefield College and Averett University.

“Mr. Beatty’s gift is an affirmation for the quality of the educational programs that are offered by the participating members of the Virginia College Fund, in that we provide generous financial support for low- to moderate-income students, minority students and also first-generation students who are interested in a smaller college or university,” said Kirk Shisler, vice president of advancement.

Beatty was president and CEO for the family-run, global Beatty Management Company, located in McLean, Virginia. He joined the VCF board in the 1990s and was supportive of the VCF’s goals, “especially in helping students who might not otherwise have the opportunity achieve a college education and better themselves,” said Jim Dill, executive director and president.

“This is a transformational gift for The VCF,” Dill said in a press release. “We are grateful to Guy, his widow Betty, and the Beatty family for their long-term generosity and belief in a private college education. Guy was a long-time board member and fully believed in our schools and the students they produce.”

The four VCF beneficiaries are members of the Council for Independent Colleges in Virginia and the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia, and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The VCF has raised over $23 million in its 53-year history. The funding comes from individuals, foundations and corporations.

Vice President for Advancement Kirk Shisler said the event is one small way to thank the many alumni and 91����Ƶ community members for their philanthropic support. “It is especially gratifying to know that more than 3,200 donors and alumni stand strong with 91����Ƶ and the bold mission we serve,” said Shisler. “We are in the final months of to��support our growing engineering program and thriving science majors, and our University Fund and other projects continue to benefit from a very loyal core of alumni donors and individual friends of the university.”

This year’s banquet was scheduled between a host of other Centennial-related activities: many guests came across University Commons from the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery which hosted an , and an expedited program after the dinner left time to walk across campus to Lehman Auditorium for an evening performance of the .

Mission-makers, game-changers

“I don’t just see donors and supporters,” President Susan Schultz Huxman noted in her keynote address. “I see mission-makers and game-changers. I see bold visionaries, and third-way kingdom-builders, people who see a different kind of return on their investment in giving to 91����Ƶ.”

Huxman offered listeners an overview of the institution’s Centennial history, drawing four parallels between the pioneers of 1917 and those carrying on the legacy in 2017.

“The similaries between then and now are striking and comforting,” she said, “a reminder that the apple seed does indeed bear an apple tree.”

���ѱ�’s faith foundation “was mission critical in 1917 and it’s still mission critical in 2017,” she noted. “Here where we connect faith and service and academic learning, we are a community of learners committed to be the reconciling love of Jesus.”

Creation care was important then, with one of the first standard courses offered being soil study and crop production, and now, as 91����Ƶ curriculum and facilities continues to prioritize sustainability.

The university’s first woman president also pointed out that the class of 1917 included four women and three men, learning together in a co-educational environment long before many colleges in the state valued such equity.

And the spirit of rigorous intellectual inquiry continues today, she said, as was shown early in the exhaustive search for the first president, a portion of whose favorite quotation from Alexander Pope appears on the banner of the first literary society. “That expectation of high-end academic achievement has always been the abiding ethos at 91����Ƶ.”

“Happy birthday, 91����Ƶ!” Huxman concluded. “May you flourish for another 100 years as we bring scholarship, service and shalom to the Shenandoah and beyond.”

Testimonies from students

Junior nursing major Esther Ghale and seminary graduate student Valerie Showalter offered the traditional student addresses to thank donors for their generosity.

Ghale, who moved to Virginia from Nepal at age six, said her choice to attend 91����Ƶ had been clear for some time, based on high reviews of the nursing program. As a student, she’s been “greatly blessed” by professors of high character, small class size, the community atmosphere, and opportunities for extracurricular and spiritual involvement, including her recent cross-cultural experience in Guatemala and Colombia.

These programs “would not be available for students like me, without everyone’s generous donation to 91����Ƶ,” she said. “I want to thank you all individually, with a grateful heart for your thoughtful and kind-hearted gifts to this wonderful school that I have come to call home.”

After returning from a three-year international service assignment with Mennonite Mission Network, Showalter took an online course at Eastern Mennonite Seminary with Dorothy Jean Weaver. Her calling, she says, was soon revealed. Showalter benefited from a ministry leadership scholarship, an investment both in her and in the future of the church.

Now associate pastor at Shalom Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Showalter urged those gathered “in the community united by 91����Ƶ” to “each find a way to share our gifts with one another, equally beloved participants in the Kingdom of God.”

The donor banquet was sponsored by Sentara, BB&T and ColorQuest Custom Printing.

“Gifts to 91����Ƶ are key to making the 91����Ƶ experience accessible to all, including those from varied socio-economic, academic and culturally diverse backgrounds,” explains Kirk Shisler, vice president for advancement. “Now more than ever, this is key to ���ѱ�’s mission to prepare undergraduate, graduate and seminary students to serve and lead in a global context.”

Challenges and activities

Gifts of any size on this day – with close to $30,000 available in matching gifts by primarily anonymous donors – will support any fund the donor designates for undergraduate, graduate or seminary students. A variety of and special activities are planned throughout the day.

• President Susan Schultz Huxman will match every alumni gift of $10 or more with $10 of her own, up to $1,000, for the Huxman Challenge.
• Additional challenges include current students (t-shirt incentives!), lunch-time special, faculty/staff, parents and grandparents, and current and former Board of Trustee members.
• Kiosks across campus will provide on-the-spot opportunities for students to jump in with a spontaneous gift of any size. They might also text grandparents, uncles, aunts and others who are supportive of the 91����Ƶ experience their loved one is having at 91����Ƶ.
• When making an online gift, donors will be invited to about 91����Ƶ; the program earning the most votes will win $500 for their program/department use.
• The 91����Ƶ advancement team will gather in a central location to make calls, take calls and pledges, monitor the incoming gifts, answer questions and visit classes with donuts and other incentives. ���ѱ�’s mascot Herm will be along for the ride.

Why Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day?

“Alumni often say how much they ‘loved’ their 91����Ƶ experience,” says , director of alumni and parent engagement. “They mention friends, a professor, an athletic or cross-cultural experience.. Lov91����Ƶ Giving Day invites people to remember what they love about 91����Ƶ and share that love.”

The size of the gift does not matter. While all alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends are challenged to participate, Shank and other planners hope to particularly engage young alumni.

“Younger alumni have different giving patterns than previous generations,” says Shisler. “We want to challenge people to give from the heart, spontaneously, in the same way they do, for example, when touched by a KickStarter or other campaign for a specific cause.”

The cause, both Shisler and Shank note, is making 91����Ƶ affordable so every student can become equipped for success in the job market or further academic pursuits, within the context of a supportive community.

Throughout the day, people can watch and social media for updates on amounts raised and challenges that still need a boost.

Who benefits?

“���ѱ�’s financial aid is as generous as we can make it for both merit-based and need-based undergraduate student aid,” says , financial aid director. The average for an undergraduate student in 2016-17 was $30,000. Over $12 million in aid was awarded by 91����Ƶ in 2014-15.

“We work with each family, knowing that college study is a significant investment,” she said. “We believe 91����Ƶ is a worthwhile investment and need more support to make it available to all who seek to be part of our community.”

Plan to Show the Love

Please plan to show your love for 91����Ƶ on April 4 by giving a gift online, phoning in a pledge at (540) 432-4200 or (800) 368-3383, or emailing your intentions to devoffice@emu.edu.

Share your love and Royal pride in the comments section now or on April 4 when you make your online contribution. Tell us what you loved, learned and remember from your 91����Ƶ experience.

Swartzendruber is retiring after 13 years as 91����Ƶ president on June 30.

“… But I mean this,” Braaten added. “The most important thing is you have to love people, love the mission, have humor and humility. And isn’t that Loren? What an opportunity to say to this community, ‘You have experienced the best of college presidents.”

Braaten was among nine speakers at the gathering of 135 guests at the Spotswood Country Club celebration; she knows the college presidency well and will retire herself next month after 14 years in the role at Ferrum College in Virginia.

Robert Lambeth, president of Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia since 1983, also remarked on the great respect held for Swartzendruber among his colleagues, who voted him to a term as board chair in 2009-10.

Braaten and Lambeth joined James Madison University president Jonathan Alger in representing the higher education community. Alger remembered the warm welcome and hospitality the Swartzendrubers offered the Algers when they moved to the community in 2012. This relational style helped to strengthen the ongoing collaboration between the universities, he said. Alger also noted the joy their daughter has experienced as a chorister in ���ѱ�’s .

The celebration included family, friends, past and current members of the board of trustees, and President’s Cabinet. Former presidents Myron Augsburger, with his wife Esther, and Joe Lapp, with his wife Hannah, were also in attendance, as well as Sara Wenger Shenk ‘75, president of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and her husband Gerald, and Jim Brenneman, president of Goshen College, and his spouse, Terry.

Though much of the evening was spent in laughter – Swartzendruber’s sense of humor being a characteristic warmly lauded by all speakers –Kay Nussbaum ’78, Board of Trustees chair, and Basil Marin, MDiv. ‘05, Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) board member, each presented lengthy resolutions in honor of the couple.

Andy Dula ’91, former board chair, commented that Swartzendruber always served “with dignity, precision and grace,” and offered thanks for remaining composed in the face of controversy over and over again and “for your mission, focus and passion.”

, MDiv. ’94, professor of Bible and religion, praised Swartzendruber’s “refusal to see a conflict between his love for the church and the work of the academy,” displayed in his giving of space to ask tough questions with the classroom and the academic community and his steadfast support of faculty “despite high personal cost.”

“Over the years of Loren’s presidency, I remember feeling more and more assured and free to teach as I was led,” she added.

I Corinthians 13:4-7 was offered as a benediction by Kirk Shisler ‘81, vice president for advancement.

^��Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ^��It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ^��Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ^7��It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

“These words and phrases we can all correlate to encounters we’ve had with you and we’ve observed in your relationship with parents, students, faculty and staff, alumni, donors, leaders of Mennonite church and other denominational leaders and our community. You have demonstrated this quality of Christ-centered love in your work and you’ve done it authentically … go with our gratitude and love.”

Those speaking in appreciation also included James Rosenberger ’68, chair of the 2003 Presidential Search Committee and former Mennonite Education Agency board member; Rick Stiffney, CEO of Mennonite Health Services Alliance; and ’10, a current 91����Ƶ employee who completed undergraduate and graduate degrees at 91����Ƶ and first met Swartzendruber as her high school graduation speaker at Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite High School.

In closing, Swartzendruber noted that his accomplishments listed on the resolutions were “built on the legacy of those who came before” and “with a team of people on campus.” He recognized Orville Yoder and Carlos Romero, former colleagues at Mennonite Education Agency; pastors Phil Kniss and Barbara Lehman, of Park View Mennonite Church; as well as family friends, Mim and Deryl Kennel, and Betty Brunk whose late husband, Truman, preached Loren’s ordination service in 1975.