Spire Spring 2018

S P R E a ma g a z i n e f o r b l u e f i e l d c o l l e g e a l u m n i a n d f r i e n d s

SPRING 2018

ALUMNUS BARAKA KASONG0: Helping Others Overcome Language Barriers | 10

Photo copyright, The Roanoke Times, republished by permission.

BREWSTER HELPS KIDS LOVE TO LEARN: 4 | GRADS FIND SUCCESS IN SCIENCE: 12 | ALUMNI CELEBRATE HOMECOMING: 28

Spire is the official magazine for alumni and friends of Bluefield College, 3000 College Avenue, Bluefield, Virginia 24605. The magazine is published annually by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. Available online at bluefield.edu/spire. S P R E a magazine for bluefield college alumni and friends EDITORS Chris Shoemaker (executive editor), Chris Catron, Josh Grubb, Nicole Kaklis, Hal Keene, and Vanessa Scruggs ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Mr. Brandon Caldwell (’02) - president Mr. Zachary Smith (’08) - vice president Mr. Joshua Grubb (’07) - secretary Ms. Sarah Pauley (’19) - STAT president Mrs. Valerie Burrell (’09) Ms. Hallie Elder (’13) Mr. Morgan Lloyd (’13) Mrs. Fran Webb Louthan (’60) Mr. Tim Mann (’88) Mr. Howard Mayo (’88) Mrs. LeAnn Lane Montgomery (’05) Mr. Matthew Moore (’13) Mr. Sammy Poindexter (’86) Mr. Robert Ratcliffe (’09) Mrs. Sara English Rutherford (’96) Mrs. Courtney Robertson Tucker (’10) Mr. Steve Underwood (’17) ADVISORY COUNCIL Dr. Randall Belt (‘94) Mrs. Kathy Fogg Berry (’75) Mrs. Peggy Emert Bickford (‘71) Mr. Steven Bickford Dr. Jeff Bloomer Dr. Glenda Farrar Camp (‘63)

contents

SPRING 2018

A Word from the President | 3 President David Olive Talks about the Changing Skyline at Bluefield College

Vision-Mission | 4 Alumna Jennifer Brewster: Helping Kids Love to Learn BC’s Ellen Johnson Uses Volleyball to Mentor Youth Missionaries Share Experiences with BC Students

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Features | 10 Baraka Kasongo: Helping Others Overcome Language Barriers

Outcomes | 12 Bluefield College Grads Find Success in Science Settle Appointed Superintendent of Virginia State Police

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BC Psychology Grads Providing Critical Care to Those who Need it Most Bluefield College ‘Paves the Way’ to Success for Alumnus David Kessler

News | 19 College Launches $2.7 Million Science Center Expansion Project BC School of Education Addresses Regional Teacher Shortage College Honors Employees with Year-end Awards 146 Seniors Accept Diplomas during 96th Annual Spring Commencement Students Celebrate 40th Annual Mud Pig Day Board of Trustees Approves New Academic Programs BC Hosts Eighth Annual Celebration of Appalachian Heritage and Coal Culture Current Students Solicit $30,000 from Former Students for BC Fund Veteran Professors Honored with Walls-Farmer Criminal Justice Scholarship Historic Gift Allows BC to Create Caudill School of Business Music Alumni Return to Campus for Reunion and Concert Scholarship to Pay Tribute to Professor Will Gordon College Receives $651,000 for Scholarships and Campus Improvements Bluefield College Introduces Two More Master’s Degrees 78 Seniors Receive Diplomas during 26th Annual Winter Commencement College Presents Dr. Donna Watson Goodness and Light Alumni Award College Celebrates Record Enrollment BC Ranked Among Top Tier Colleges in the South by U.S. News College Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Men’s Soccer BC’s New Opportunity School Provides Hope for Disadvantaged Women

Ms. Cindy Carter (’75) Dr. Donald W. Caudill Mr. Jim Dill (ex-officio) Mr. Bill Gilmer Mr. Bobby Griffin Mr. Chip Hardy (‘98) Mr. Jim Jenkins (‘60) Dr. Garry Jones (‘74) Mr. Don Kidd (‘69) Ms. Jennifer Mitchell (‘08) Dr. Charles B. Nunn, Jr. Mrs. Rebecca Peterson

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Mr. Jeff Philpott (‘93) Mr. Eddie Rader (‘03) Mr. Neel Rich (‘52) Mrs. Cindy Whittaker Sheets (‘91)

Dr. Craig Sherouse Rev. Bill Tuck (‘55) Mr. Jerry Turley

Dr. Donna Hardy Watson (‘80) Mrs. Lisa Robinson Yost (’07) BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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Mr. Gordon W. Grimes, II (’94) - chair Mr. C. Todd Asbury (’93) - vice chair Dr. Christopher E. Lawson (’01) - secretary Mr. William “Bud” Acken Dr. David L. Bailey, Jr. (’60) - emeritus Mr. John P. Beckett, Jr. Mrs. Martha Dodd-Slippy (’05) Mrs. Patricia “Patsy” Douglas Dr. Janelle B. Duremdes - emeritus Dr. T. Keith Edwards - emeritus Dr. Daniel E. Grabeel, Sr. (’55) - emeritus Rev. Rodney J. Hale (’60) Mr. Michael P. Harris (’97) Mr. Douglas B. Hawks, Sr. (’57) - emeritus Mr. David Kirk Mr. J. Sidney Lanier, Jr. (’74) Mr. David T. Larimer, II (’92) Mrs. Margaret Newcomb Leonard (’55) - emeritus Dr. Brenda Long Rev. Jack A. Marcom, Jr. (’62) Dr. Charles B. Nunn, Jr. - emeritus Mr. Joshua D. Cline (’09) Mrs. Terri Nash Cole (’85) Mr. Joshua S. Cornett (’03)

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Alumni | 24 Caldwell Gives Back to BC as President of Alumni Association Don’t Miss Homecoming and Family Weekend 2018 Alumni Celebrate ‘Special’ Homecoming 2017

Class Notes | 31 Alumni Share Their Latest Professional and Personal Transitions

Mr. Jackson E. Reasor, Jr. Mrs. Sarah Jolly Reid (’68) Mr. Thomas R. Scott, Jr. Mr. David A. Skidmore - emeritus Rev. Craig F. Stout Mr. William S. Winfrey, II

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The Last Word | 35 Leave Your Mark on BC’s Science Center Expansion Project

from the president

Dear Alumni and Friends:

The skyline is changing at Bluefield College! The long- awaited expansion of the Science Center is occurring as steel is being erected to make way for a third floor. The $2.7 million project will provide new academic space for biology and nursing. The additional space also will allow for expansion of our nursing offerings to include a four-year undergraduate nursing program. We are excited about the educational enhancements this added space will bring, as well as grateful for the visionary leadership of those 25 years ago who designed the Science Center and have made this expansion possible. Visit the college’s website to see the progress: bluefield.edu/sciencecenter. As I reflect on the past academic year, I am amazed by what was achieved and how richly God has blessed Bluefield College. While you will read in the pages that follow about many of these blessings, there are several that stand out as significant mile-markers in the life of the college, including: • the successful launch of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree (the college’s third master’s program); • the approval to start in the coming academic year a Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences in Blacksburg on the campus of Via College of Osteopathic Medicine; • the first named school at the college: the Dr. Donald W. Caudill School of Business; and • the creation of an associate’s degree in ministerial leadership with initial church partners being

Highlands Fellowship Church in Abingdon, Virginia, and Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, Virginia.

More importantly than what we construct or create, our focus remains on our students and our mission to develop transformational servant leaders within the context of a Christ-centered learning community who will impact the world. We seek to graduate students who understand their life calling and are committed to living into that calling through their vocation and service. You will learn about several alumni who are doing just that, graduates like Baraka Kasongo and his language interpretation company; Jennifer Brewster who is fulfilling her calling to teach; and David Kessler and the impact he is making through sports. These are just a few of our heroes. There are many, many more who are making a difference in the lives of others in the communities in which they work and serve, and we salute all of you! Bluefield College is an amazing place with a tremendous mission. We have phenomenal alumni and friends, and we give thanks to you for your involvement with and investment in our students and our collective mission of transforming lives!

Partnering with you in faithful service,

1 David W. Olive President

vision mission

Alumna Jennifer Brewster: Helping Kids Love to Learn

More than likely, your favorite teacher in school was the one who made learning fun – the one who taught you to love learning. When Jennifer Brewster was a substitute teacher in a third-grade classroom in Tazewell County, Virginia, she said, “A little boy kept asking me to read things for him, telling me he couldn’t read. ‘Well, why don’t you just try,’ I said. ‘Show me what you can do.’ And he started reading, and I said, ‘Who told you that you can’t read? Because you can read beautifully.’ He said, ‘My teacher told me I can’t read.’” That was one of the many times, Brewster said, she felt like God was telling her, “This is why you need to be a teacher.” Students, she added, need a teacher who encourages them and helps them learn to love what they are doing. “I’d always wanted to be a teacher since I was little, but I didn’t have any type of certification or degree,” said Brewster. “So that was one of the moments that helped me to finally realize it was time to step out and pursue my dream.” Her husband, Mark, a 1982 Bluefield College graduate, encouraged her the most, suggesting that she inquire with BC. Their boys, Scott and Morgan, were getting older, so he told her, “Go back and do it now. There is no better time. You’ve always wanted to do this, and you know we can’t have three in college at the same time.” “I went over to Bluefield with no appointment,” recalled Brewster. “I just walked in and said I wanted to talk to someone about starting college. When I left there, I had my class schedule for the fall. It was so easy and nothing like I had expected. So, it was my time to further my education. At the age of 38, I went to college.”

Alumna Jennifer Brewster (‘08) is fulfilling her calling to teach, thanks to the training she received at Bluefield College.

Brewster’s parents moved to Bluefield to help with the kids, while she pursued a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with teacher licensure for elementary education. She completed the program in three-and-a-half years as a full-time traditional student, graduating in 2008 with memberships in the Alpha Chi National Honor Society and the Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society for Educators. “The staff and faculty were all so friendly and nice. It was like family,” said Brewster. “I made friends, and I was even in a few of my classmates’ weddings. What makes Bluefield College so special is the togetherness. Everyone works together like family.” Dr. Thomas Brewster, dean and associate professor of BC’s School of Education, said, “We are especially proud of students like Jennifer who chose Bluefield College’s Teacher Education Program after developing their passion to be a teacher from prior experiences. Stackable licensure and credentials give our students the opportunity to advance within the field of education, providing continuous learning and added financial incentives.”

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“She’s an exemplary graduate of the Teacher Education Program at Bluefield College, and she spreads goodness and light in her classroom each day.”

Having a career as a teacher, Brewster agreed, has taken the burden off of her husband to be the sole provider for their family. Her paycheck, she added, provides for their boys, who are both now in college: Scott, a pharmacy resident through East Tennessee State University’s College of Pharmacy, and Morgan in graduate school at Radford University after earning his bachelor’s degree from Bluefield College in 2016. But while the financial benefits have been a tremendous help, Brewster said, they’re not all she gained from her BC experience. “It gave me a sense of fulfillment that I earned something on my own that nobody else could do for me,” said Brewster about her Bluefield degree. “It empowered me to do other things – make decisions and carry on conversations with people I’d never dreamed I could talk to before. Looking back, before I went to Bluefield College I was very insecure with low self-esteem. I was so wrapped up in my little circle – just my family. I’d use every excuse not to step out of that circle, but I’m glad I had the support to pursue my degree. Not only did my degree help me build my skillset and earn a better paycheck; it gave me the confidence and self-assurance that I could make a difference.” And make a difference she is. Dr. Donna Watson, former dean of BC’s School of Education, said that since graduation Brewster has served as a mentor for other students in the Teacher Education Program. “She’s caring and creative,” said Dr. Watson. “She holds high standards for her elementary students and an even higher standard for herself. She’s an exemplary graduate of the Teacher Education Program at Bluefield College, and she spreads goodness and light in her classroom each day.”

— Dr. Donna Watson, former dean of BC’s School of Education

Jennifer Brewster speaks to fellow graduates during Winter Commencement 2008.

teaching and her fourth year as a fifth-grade teacher at Graham Intermediate School in Bluefield, Virginia. She’s proof that education is more than a diploma and that Bluefield College is realizing its mission of helping students understand and fulfill their calling. “I’ve seen a lot of students who don’t have much,” said Brewster. “I want to teach them to love learning and to be empowered. I want them to succeed, and this is my way to invest in them.” Original article by Briana Morris Fillers, United Way of Southwest Virginia. S andra Lima Argo (left), founder of Liaison America, with biology student Rutger Allen (second from left), biology professor Dr. Martin Offield (second from right), and biology student Jarrett Garland.

This past fall, Brewster began her 10th year

helping students fulfill their calling

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vision mission

BC’s Ellen Johnson Uses Volleyball to Mentor Youth

“Ellen’s very encouraging, and she also pushes you to the best of your ability,” said Lady Rams teammate Victoria Chapman. “Her belief in Christ and her quotes before the game really encourage us to be better as athletes and people. She is very reliable and very consistent. I don’t think there’s any better person we could have chosen to be our captain.” However, it was Johnson’s trip abroad last summer that showed as much about her servant leadership as anything. While in San Jose, Costa Rica, with Beyond Sports, a company of former college athletes, educators, coaches and international adventurers, Johnson competed in three volleyball matches against a university team, a semi-pro squad, and a Costa Rican national team, but more importantly she helped lead two volleyball clinics – one sponsored by Special Olympics for special needs children and another for at-risk kids from the inner cities of Panama. “The clinics were undoubtedly my favorite part of the trip,” said Johnson, who graduated in May with a triple-major in criminal justice, psychology, and forensic science. “There are few things that bring more joy to one’s heart than seeing a smile light up a child’s face. To hold a small role in brightening those children’s days is something for which I am grateful. Having to overcome a language barrier and still be able to communicate enough to play with each other made the experience all the more rewarding.” Johnson’s Beyond Sports volleyball team traveled with a soccer group on the tour, and during the clinics the teams would divide the children into two groups to work with them on each sport. The first clinic, she said, they worked with special needs kids who were interested in athletics. “I think the kids benefitted the most from these clinics because it allowed them to be kids and to enjoy being carefree, if only for a short time,” said Johnson, a native of Little River, South Carolina. “Special needs and at-risk children don’t have the luxury of being able

Graduating senior Ellen Johnson (right) receives the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for exemplary service and character.

Bluefield College student-athlete Ellen Johnson is making a difference in more than just her play on the court for the Lady Rams volleyball team. Johnson is using her volleyball gifts to serve and mentor youth with Beyond Sports, a world leader in international sports tours that took Johnson and other college athletes to Cosa Rica this past summer to offer service- learning volleyball clinics to local youth. Already known around campus for her leadership, Johnson has served as vice president of BC’s Student Government Association, treasurer of Alpha Delta sorority, a member of the Honors Program, a study leader for Pursuit Women’s Ministry, and a member of Psi Chi and Alpha Chi national honor societies. On the court, she is co-captain of the Lady Rams volleyball team, a three-time National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) First Team All-Mideast Region selection, a two-time NCCAA Scholar-Athlete, a two-time Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) All-Academic Team member, and a Second Team All- Conference choice.

developing servant leaders

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“Ellen basically embodies [servant leadership], and I think that she is a

wonderful example to everyone around her on what a servant leader is,” said classmate Jacquelyn Chick. “Whether it’s staying up late studying, being part of the women’s ministry Bible study, or giving it her all on the athletic court, I think she does a great job of just living out her faith.” Johnson was recognized for her servant leadership during Spring Commencement as a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for exemplary service and character. Established by the New York Southern Society in 1925 in memory of Algernon Sydney Sullivan, a southerner who became a prominent lawyer, businessman and philanthropist in New York City in the late nineteenth century, the awards seek to perpetuate the excellence of character and humanitarian service of Sullivan by recognizing and honoring such qualities in others. “Being a student at Bluefield College, I am constantly reminded of the importance of servant leadership,” said Johnson. “Jesus gave us the ultimate example of putting others’ needs before our own, and it is clear that so many people in this world could benefit from a fraction of our time. On a trip that involved so many exciting events and exotic sightseeing, it would have been easy to be self-centered and focus on our own desires, but it had been engrained in me to think otherwise. I have had so many professors and peers invest in my own life at BC that I want to share that love with others.” Story by BC student marketing associate Mikaela Hurst.

BC’s Ellen Johnson (right) displays her servant leadership as a volunteer counselor for a sports clinic for at-risk youth in Costa Rica.

to fit in with other people their age, and they are all too often pushed to the wayside in society.” During the second clinic, Johnson said they worked with children who grew up in broken homes, surrounded by drugs and violence, and with little to no access to opportunities for success. “It was part of the mission of Beyond Sports to invest in these kids and let them know that they are just as important as everyone else,” said Johnson. “We were given the most wonderful platform, through the sports for which we are passionate, to show that love knows no boundaries — not geographic, socioeconomic, or linguistic. I hope that (the kids) felt special for knowing that college athletes from the United States cared enough to invest time in them and encourage them to strive to do their best in every endeavor.” With a mission to graduate servant leaders who understand their life calling and transform the world, Bluefield College, Johnson said, has helped her appreciate the importance of service above self. Through experiences like this, she said, she is not only able to demonstrate God’s love to others, but also be reminded of how truly blessed she is.

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vision mission

Missionaries Share Experiences with BC Students

Jonathan and Amanda Brown are long-term missionaries. They’ve been serving on the mission field for four years now, spreading the Gospel all across Central Asia, even where it once was the former Soviet Union. But they took a break from their mission work this year to rest and replenish on sabbatical at Bluefield College as part of the school’s Missionary-in-Residence Program. “Amanda and I really enjoyed being back on campus and remembering a lot about when we were students here and seeing all the changes on campus,” said Jonathan about he and his wife, former Bluefield College students who actually use pseudonyms now for their safety as missionaries in high-risk, anti-Christian environments. “We so enjoyed being involved with as many students as we were able.” Jonathan and Amanda were back on the BC campus through the college’s Missionary-in-Residence Program, which offers missionaries a place for respite and study during a much-needed sabbatical from their duties. A partner in Christian ministry with the Baptist General Association of Virginia since 1922, BC’s

Missionary-in-Residence Program is a commitment to help Virginia Baptists carry out the purpose of missions at home and abroad. The program, which provides missionaries not only rest and rejuvenation, but also the opportunity to share the value and realities of mission work, drew even greater attention in 1992 when the college dedicated a cottage on campus to furlough housing and in 2006 when the school renovated its old president’s home into the spacious missionary accommodations that now exist. “Bluefield College has a historic relationship to the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and as Baptists we have always had a strong emphasis on taking the Gospel where Christ is not known,” said Dr. Henry Clary, BC’s campus pastor. “Hence, the college seeks to emphasize the importance of missions in the life of the believer.” During their stay at Bluefield, Jonathan organized and led an on-campus missions club, which averaged about 10 students during its monthly meetings. He also served as a guest speaker for Dr. Clary’s Introduction to Missions class. In addition, he helped train and prep a team of BC students who traveled on mission to Panama during Spring Break. “The Missionary-in-Residence Program is important for Bluefield and other colleges, because it gives students opportunities to talk about missions, both on a local level and an international level,” said Jonathan. “It gives us as missionaries the opportunity to share real- life experiences with students and give them a very real picture of mission work. It also allows missionaries the opportunity to meet and bless students by hosting them for dinners, meeting with them one-on-one, getting involved in their activities on campus, and just plain loving on them as we are able to.”

Student Evan Abbey (right) said BC’s Missionary-in-Residence Program helped him better understand the realities of a lifetime commitment to international missions.

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Bluefield College students served on mission in Panama this spring. Long-term missionaries Jonathan and Amanda Brown helped prepare the students for the trip — just one of the many roles they played as missionaries-in-residence at BC this academic year.

Jonathan said he also met with students one-on-one to talk about missions, including several who met with him multiple times to discuss a potential call to the mission field, like BC junior Evan Abbey who attended the missions club meetings and met with Jonathan personally on four separate occasions. “They were so kind and open to having all of the students in their home and to be a part of their lives while they were here,” said Abbey about his experiences with the Browns. “Also, they were very invested in us and were always available when we needed them. They were completely honest with us. I went to them with a lot of questions, and I feel like I got an honest answer every single time.” Abbey added that the Browns did not shy away from discussing the most difficult aspects of missions. They spent a lot of time, he said, talking about the wonderful parts of work in the mission field, but they never neglected sharing the sacrifice and difficulties of it. “Mission work is something that is on the heart of many young (college-age) Christians,” said Abbey. “It’s a very difficult calling to work through by yourself. The missionaries-in-residence help the students work through their thoughts and feelings by pointing to the Bible and their own experiences.”

Dr. Clary noted the great benefit of students being able to spend personal time with a real missionary who has the ability to give first-hand evidence of the missionary life. The Missionary-in- Residence Program, he added, gives students a well-rounded viewpoint of missions in an international context. “My sincere desire is to continue to promote the Missionary-in- Residence Program and to see it thrive at Bluefield College,” said Dr. Clary. “My sense is that God is blessing Bluefield College as BC blesses missionaries.” On campus for nearly the entire academic year, the Browns also visited and spoke about missions at 12 different churches throughout the region. “We enjoyed our time back at Bluefield College so much,” said Jonathan, “and really look forward to another potential opportunity to come back and work with students some more.”

Story by BC student marketing associate Mikaela Hurst.

Christ-centered

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Overcome

Kasongo:

Language

Baraka

Others

Barriers

Helping

A

through, they really helped me to become stronger and grow to who I’ve become.” Today, Volatia is a company that offers on-site, over-the-phone and video remote interpretation services, along with translation services in more than 280 languages. The company employs more than 3,000 interpreters and translators in more than 37 states as it seeks to provide “language interpretation and translation services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.” “The ability to communicate with others is a privilege and a fundamental human right,” said Kasongo. “It is the basis to our freedom of speech. Language barriers, however, limit access to services and cause disparities. Sometimes it’s a matter of life or death, other times it’s a matter of assimilation, but in all cases one’s ability to communicate is key to living a full and productive life. Our vision with Volatia is to bridge language gaps in every community of the United States by making language solutions available to everyone, everywhere, anytime.” Volatia’s clients stretch from the healthcare industries to government, businesses, the legal community, and schools. “As of now, as long as you have a device with internet and a camera, we can put an interpreter on the screen just like that,” said Kasongo. In addition to his work with Volatia and the Roanoke Fire Department, Kasongo is a real estate investor, the owner of a vending machine company, a volunteer for the Roanoke Diversity Advisory Council, and a member of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce Global Business Owners Steering Committee and the United Way’s Big Brothers One-to-One Mentor Program. For his efforts with Volatia, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 by the Roanoke- Blacksburg Technology Council. That same year, he was named an Inspiring Leader for WFXR News’ “Virginia at Work” program. He also received the 2016 Small Business People’s Choice Award from the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. And while the public acknowledgment is nice, Kasongo says that something else entirely motivates him. “The idea that I could help other people rather than myself really drives me,” he said. Story by BC student marketing associate Nathalia de Lima Elias. Photo copyrights, The Roanoke Times, republished by permission.

kid from Rwanda walks into an American earth science classroom – the first classroom he’s been in for six years – with minimal English-speaking skills. For some, it might be the beginning of a joke, but for Baraka Kasongo, it’s a distressing moment from his not-too-distant past. Kasongo and his family – refugees fleeing genocide in Rwanda and the Congo – lived in five different countries over a period of seven years before arriving in the United States in 2001. He remembers his time in his first class in this country. He couldn’t speak, read or write English. “I would literally just have fun doing the tests,” he said. But, if he had the opportunity to do so, he said he would love to “redo” his entire high school experience, adding, “now that I am able to communicate in English.” Finding a way to help others deal with those same struggles to be understood in daily life – struggles experienced by many immigrants and refugees in the United States – has become Kasongo’s calling and led to his founding of Volatia Language Network, a Roanoke, Virginia, based company that offers interpretation and translation services. Kasongo only has to look to his personal experiences to see the beginnings of what would become Volatia. During the family’s first year in the U.S., his mother was pregnant and not a single person in the hospital could help translate during her delivery. “No interpreter was provided to her during the entire ordeal,” he said. Experiencing these and many other communication difficulties is what motivated Kasongo to come up with the idea of Volatia. In fact, in 2003 while still in high school, he began volunteering his services as a translator. He helped out in schools, social service departments, hospitals, and even at the local fire department, where he still works to this day. After graduating from high school, he tried college for a few years, but realized he was ill prepared for the rigors of higher education. He stepped away from his studies and devoted his time to developing Volatia, but would return about a decade later to earn a bachelor’s degree in management and leadership from Bluefield College in 2016. “The more a person endures challenges, two things are going to happen,” said Kasongo. “It’s either, we are going to rise above it and grow from that, or it’s going to impact us in a negative way and we quit. For me and my experience, all of the challenges that I lived

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outcomes

Bluefield College Grads Find Success

Students who study science at Bluefield

SCIENCE

College are finding much success after graduation.

in

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O n any average day, Noah Hamlett deals with drugs. Methamphetamines. Marijuana. Heroin. Fentanyl. You name it, and he handles it in his role as a special agent forensic scientist with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

“One of my friends was coming to visit during an open house, and I decided to tag along,” said Thurman, who admitted he had never heard of Bluefield College until his senior year in high school. “I instantly knew that BC was going to be my college.” And he’s thankful it was, not just for the rigor of the academic experience that prepared him for his career, but also for the personal attention and relationships that provided added value to his higher education. “As most Bluefield students will agree, the personalized attention is a definite draw to Bluefield,” said Thurman. “The small class sizes just can’t be replicated elsewhere. If I ever had a question, it was no trouble to go see a professor. Other colleges and universities are likely to send you to a teaching assistant. At Bluefield, you get the real deal, and there’s no replacement.” After earning his degree, Thurman found himself back in Bedford, his hometown, looking for work. Chemistry teaching jobs, he said, are relatively hard to find since school systems only have a few of those positions at most, and rarely do such positions involve teaching just chemistry. But, he was fortunate to find exactly what he was looking for and now, he said, he spends each and every day demonstrating to students how important science really is. “I have the job I have now simply because God opened the door for me at the right place and right time,” said Thurman. “His timing is always perfect. I wanted to be local to my hometown, and the job opened in a local school. I applied and got the job.”

In fact, Hamlett is just one of many Bluefield College graduates finding success and fulfillment in life after college, thanks to their BC science studies. A 2017 Bluefield College graduate, Hamlett points to the training and experiences he had in BC’s College of Sciences – the long

Noah Hamlett (‘17)

hours in classes, the one-on-one time with faculty, and the time spent working with solvents in the college’s laboratories – with helping him to land his dream job. “The professors have done a great job to tailor their lesson plans and experiments for real-world application,” said Hamlett. “Dr. (Joe) Saunders, my chemistry professor, and Dr. (Emily) Lambert, my biology professor, put in extensive work to make sure I had all the resources, procedures, and instruments I needed to be successful post-college. The science program, in a whole, is extraordinary with extraordinary people representing it.” Hamlett said he was fascinated with science in high school. It was his strongest subject. But, he always found himself drawn to the application of science to the criminal justice field. That led him on a quest to find a college that gave him both the proper tools to be successful in a career and one that offered a forensic science major. In the summer between his junior and senior years at Bluefield College, Hamlett was accepted into the National Forensic Academy Collegiate Program, an intensive three-week training program designed for criminal justice undergraduate and graduate students. Hosted at the University of Tennessee-Martin, the program provides training and hands-on experience in crime scene management, digital photography, latent fingerprint processing, crime scene mapping, forensic anthropology, shooting incident reconstruction, and bloodstain pattern analysis. With his Bluefield College forensic science degree and the training from National Forensic Academy, he applied for the job with TBI and has been there ever since.

Ben Scearce, a 2016 BC grad, said that he’s using his training from Bluefield College to help grow and move his career, even though he isn’t employed in a science-oriented field. While science has always been one of his passions, he currently works at a private security firm that specializes

Ben Scearce (‘16)

in commercial security consulting. His training at Bluefield College, especially in the sciences, he said allowed him to refine critical thinking skills that are useful in all areas of life, no matter the career path. “The biggest thing the Science Department prepared me for was the ability to critically think my way through any situation,” said Searce. “The scientific method is not only limited to experiments and classroom settings. It can be manipulated, while keeping the basic concepts and system, into any situation in life. Whether it be a problem at work, preparing yourself for the future, or working through the cause-and-effects of a decision that needs to be made, the critical thinking aspect is one of the most important tools I acquired through the Science Department.”

But, Hamlett’s not the only recent BC science graduate to find success after college. Ben Thurman, a 2009 alumnus with a chemistry education degree, currently teaches at Liberty High School in Bedford, Virginia. However, his experience at Bluefield College and eventual success thereafter nearly never happened.

Ben Thurman (‘09)

Story by BC student marketing associate Mikaela Hurst.

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outcomes

VIRGI BC

T he Virginia State Police has a new leader, and it’s 2002 Bluefield College graduate Colonel Gary T. Settle of Rappahannock County, Virginia, a 32-year veteran of law enforcement. Settle assumed the position in February of 2018 after being appointed to the post by Virginia governor Ralph Northam, and while he’s grateful for the opportunity to lead Virginia’s state troopers, he admits it’s one he never envisioned. “Law enforcement is a special calling and has been a career that has provided me with many unique experiences and rewarding interactions with people all across the Commonwealth,” said Settle. “I didn’t start out with the Virginia State Police thinking I would be the superintendent one day. My ambition 32 years ago was quite simple – to pursue a career where I could make a difference and help others.” And that he has done. After graduating from the Virginia State Police Academy in 1986, Settle began his career as a trooper in the Culpeper Division where he had the opportunity to campaign and educate Virginians on the life-saving importance of the state’s new seatbelt laws. He served four years from 1996 to 2000 as sheriff of his native Rappahannock County before returning to the State Police as a sergeant with the Culpeper Division. There, in 2001, he led the Tactical Team to the Pentagon to assist with perimeter security during the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Colonel Gary

Settle (‘02)

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NIA STATE POLICE Superintendent Grad Appointed of

“I appreciated the challenges that came with doing the research and being exposed to new ideas and theories related to criminal justice,” said Settle, who went on to earn a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School. “I also greatly benefited from the collaboration with other law enforcement professionals and students, as well as from the instructors of the various courses I took.” Now as superintendent of the Virginia State Police, Settle will command a department of more than 2,000 authorized sworn workers and nearly 1,000 civilian personnel within the Office of Performance Management and Internal Controls (OPMIC), Office of Internal Affairs, Public Relations, Executive Protective Unit, Bureau of Administrative and Support Services (BASS), Bureau of Field Operations (BFO), and Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). He said he hopes to maintain the department’s proud traditions and esteemed reputation. He added that he’s also committed to advancing the agency and preparing its personnel, programs, policies, technologies, training, and equipment to meet the demands of an ever-changing society. “We must continue to diversify our workforce so our members better reflect those we are sworn to serve and protect,” said Settle. “We must consider new and innovative ways to attract the most qualified sworn and civilian candidates to join the department in order to uphold our reputation of excellence and professionalism. I welcome 2018 with a continuing commitment to excellence and new enthusiasm for the challenges and achievements in store for me and the Virginia State Police in the weeks, months, and years to come.”

Later, as a lieutenant assigned to the Wytheville Field Office, Settle responded to Virginia Tech to assist with managing the State Police investigation into the mass shooting at Norris Hall on April 16, 2007. As a captain back in the Culpeper Field Office, he initiated town hall meetings to help residents in the Shenandoah Valley severely impacted by the rapid influx of heroin and opioid-related overdoses plaguing their communities. “I have been very fortunate with the many career opportunities afforded me during my tenure with the Virginia State Police, which is what makes this department such a great place to work,” said Settle. “Being able to serve and protect our communities through traditional and community policing has been the true highlight of my career.” As he progressed through the ranks, Settle served the State Police as a tactical team supervisor, narcotics and general investigations special agent, firearms instructor, and a member of the State Police Honor Guard. Prior to his appointment to superintendent, he was the deputy director and then director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). “Being selected for the position of superintendent is truly the most humbling honor in my 32 years in public safety,” said Settle. “Growing up in rural Rappahannock County, I was inspired by the integrity, dedication, and service to others demonstrated by the state troopers and local law enforcement officers in my community. During my tenure with the Virginia State Police and Rappahannock Sheriff’s Office, I have strived to live up to those very ideals that first motivated me to pursue a career in law enforcement. Now, as colonel, I am even more committed to maintaining those values in all that I do.” In the midst of his rise to the top of the Virginia State Police, Settle decided to earn a college degree – something he believed would better qualify him for service in law enforcement. He chose Bluefield College and its accelerated, flexible adult degree-completion program. “Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice was a natural step for me as I progressed through my law enforcement career,” said Settle about the BC degree he earned in 2002. “I had been elected Sheriff of Rappahannock County and was seeking a way to enhance my proficiency as a law enforcement administrator. I had a decade of great, practical field experience, but wanted the additional insight into the facets of management, budgets, personnel, and strategic planning that a college degree could provide.” When asked what he valued most about his BC experience, Settle said he remembers doing a lot of writing throughout his studies. He also spoke about the value of collaborating with professors and other law enforcement professionals.

Bluefield College alumnus Gary Settle (right) is sworn in as the Virginia State Police’s 13th superintendent since 1932.

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outcomes

Psychology Grads Bluefield College Providing Critical Care T O T H O S E WH O N E E D I T MO S T

F rom cancer victims to Alzheimer’s patients, Bluefield College alumna Courtney Robertson Tucker (’10) is surrounded by people who need critical care. As a hospice nurse, she travels to patients’ homes and has long conversations about their conditions and the important decisions they need to make regarding the inevitable final days of life.

projects, being challenged to think critically, and the practical knowledge she gained from internships – prepared her to be the hospice nurse she is today. “I distinctly remember one assignment to formulate a mission statement for our lives,” recalled Robertson, who earned her bachelor’s

Oftentimes her patients share they only want to be comfortable. Others wish to enjoy some of the simple activities of life – the beach, a movie or fishing – while some hope to fulfill longtime goals or dreams. And while not an easy job, but one with tremendous value, Tucker and her team of nurses, social workers, chaplains, volunteers and aides associated with Liberty Home Care and Hospice in Danville, Virginia, work to make those wishes come true. And because of their efforts, patients are able to travel to dream destinations, restore relationships with family and friends, and fulfill a number of other worthwhile wishes. Tucker is quick to give credit for the work she’s able to do to Bluefield College. She said her BC experience – the long hours studying for exams and completing research

Alumna Courtney Robertson Tucker (‘10) is using her BC psychology degree to fulfill her calling as a hospice nurse.

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degree in psychology from BC in 2010. “It is still a driving part of my spiritual, academic, professional and personal life: ‘Above all, I will translate my caring spirit as I seek to provide psychosocial interventions to patients and families as I long to draw others to the Kingdom of God.’ I want that to be my legacy, and I’m grateful for the time taken by professors to not just teach me material from a textbook, but to make the material come to life.” Tucker said she realized Bluefield College was the place she could grow both academically and spiritually when she witnessed while visiting campus how welcoming the students were and how caring and genuine the professors were. She said she firmly believes the small class sizes and quality professors contributed to accomplishing her goals and helping her get to where she is today. “Bluefield offers something that’s hard to find – a Christ-centered education with small class sizes,” said Tucker, who also serves on the BC Alumni Association’s

Alumna Katie Warren Waugh (‘11) attributes her success as a counselor to her training in the BC Psychology Department.

“Bluefield prepared me to have professional success, but more importantly it prepared me to have personal success,” she said. “The professors push you academically, but they push you even more spiritually. They encourage you to grow deeper in your faith, and they show examples of how to do that in their own personal lives” One professor in particular – Dr. Robert Boozer, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology – Waugh said was the most influential. He set the bar for a department of professors who care about their students’ success, both professionally and personally. It’s a mentorship, she added, that lasts well beyond graduation. “We get to know our students really, really well,” said Dr. Boozer about the closeness of the student-professor relationship at BC. “And we get an opportunity to talk about ‘what is your passion in life’ and ‘what it is you want to do’ and we talk about this thing called ‘calling’ quite a bit and the response to the needs of the world and the things that give you joy.” Dr. Boozer said the psychology program develops within students a broad-based appreciation for the multiple perspectives currently active in the discipline. He said it also helps prepare students for graduate study. In short, he added, the psychology major “enables students to pursue their dreams through the behavioral sciences.” “I cannot think of a student who has graduated from this program since I’ve been here that desired to get into a graduate program and did not,” said Dr. Boozer. “Those who wanted to go on to grad school have been able to do that, and they have been successful. We’ve got a lot of alumni that have a master’s degree in their hands now, and a few of them are working on their doctorate, while many others are already making a difference and fulfilling their calling in the workforce.”

Board of Directors. “I never once doubted that my degree was equivalent to that of someone who graduated from a big or more well-known institution. I am grateful for all that Bluefield had to offer, not just academically, but with all of the extra-curricular activities I was involved in on campus.” And while Tucker, who is also a child life specialist, works only with adults in hospice care, she said she hopes to one day provide services to the pediatric population. That, she said, “is one thing that I dream of creating – child and adolescent hospice services, especially in places that do not have them.” However, Tucker is just one of many BC psychology graduates making a difference as a result of their Bluefield College experience. Katie Warren Waugh graduated from BC in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to earn a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Gardner-Webb University. “If you are or were a psychology major, then you know that it was a pretty demanding major, and the professors expect near perfection,” said Waugh. “When I went to graduate school, it was a breeze because of the level of learning and application I was used to at Bluefield College.” Now, Waugh is a counselor at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston Salem, North Carolina, where she also serves as an instructor in the Human Services program. “There is no average day for me,” said Waugh. “One of the things I like the most about working here is there is so much variety in what I do. One day I could be advising students who want to transfer to a four-year university, the next I could be counseling an individual in a crisis situation, or doing new student orientation, or leading a training or presentation. There is so much versatility.” It was Bluefield, Waugh said, that prepared her to think more critically about situations, interact with people, and integrate her faith into the workplace.

Story by BC student marketing associate Mikaela Hurst.

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outcomes

Alumnus David Kessler (‘85) in one of his many roles for the Atlanta Show professional basketball team.

W hen Bluefield College alumnus David Kessler says that his time at BC in the 1980s paved the way for his future success, he’s not stretching the truth. A native of Hurricane, West Virginia, Kessler was a standout athlete during his years at Hurricane High School where he played football his freshman year and four seasons on the boys’ basketball team. In basketball, he was named All-Putnam County, All-Metro West, and was All-State Honorable Mention. His dream of playing basketball at the collegiate level was first fulfilled at Ohio Valley College in Vienna, West Virginia, where he played from 1979 to 1981. Since at that time Ohio Valley was just a two-year college, Kessler said he began looking for a new place to finish his academic and athletic career. “On my visit to Bluefield, I was immediately very comfortable with everything about Bluefield College,” said Kessler, “from Coach [Darrell] Becker and the basketball program, the administration and faculty, to the beautiful campus setting. It really just felt right and turned out to be a great fit.” Kessler played both basketball and baseball for BC from 1982 to 1984. Still needing a year of study to earn his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, but having exhausted his playing eligibility, he was asked to join the basketball staff as an assistant coach – an invitation he said he gladly accepted. As a member of the coaching staff under head coach Mark Blevins, Kessler helped lead the Rams to one of the most successful campaigns in program history with a runner-up finish in the National Little College Athletic Association National Tournament. That coaching experience, he said, served as a stepping stone to what has become a nearly three-decade career in coaching. After additional study in teacher education at Georgia State University and earning a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Paves the Way Bluefield College for Alumnus David Kessler to Success

Concordia (CA) University- Irvine, Kessler became an associate head coach at South Gwinnett

High School in Georgia, where he helped lead the team to the 2004 Georgia State 5-A Championship. He continued his high school coaching career at North Atlanta High School, Prince Avenue Christian School, Schley County High School, and finally Brandon Hall School, where he led that team to its first-ever state tournament appearance.

Today, Kessler is most recognized as the owner, founder and head coach of the Atlanta Show, a minor league professional basketball team, one of 21 teams in the North American Basketball League (NABL). In its first season ever in 2016 with Kessler serving as president and head coach, the Show completed a perfect 17-0 record en route to winning the NABL championship. As a result, Kessler was named NABL Coach of the Year. “I feel like Bluefield College laid the foundation for and has played a huge role in the success I have experienced to this point in my life,” said Kessler, who was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. “All the successes I’ve had over the past 30 years are the result of the foundation I received right here at Bluefield.” In addition to winning championships, Kessler said the mission of the Atlanta Show is to provide role models and developmental opportunities for the youth of Greater Atlanta. Players and staff host clinics and other activities for children in economically disadvantaged schools. They also provide free game tickets to school-age children for each of the team’s home games. “My Bluefield experience was a true blessing in so many ways,” said Kessler, who also met his wife to be, Jaynee Yost (’85), at Bluefield College. “It not only allowed me to get a great college education and continue my basketball playing career beyond high school, but it also launched my coaching career. It gave me an opportunity to be around and learn from outstanding people on a daily basis and develop many lifelong relationships.”

David Kessler (#34) and his teammates from the 1985 Rams basketball team.

Story by BC student marketing associate Victoria Chapman.

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