Mars Hill Matters

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MARS HILL Matters

description

Annual report from Mars Hill University

Transcript of Mars Hill Matters

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MARS HILL Matters

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Friends,

As we reflect with gratitude on a year of growth, purposeful planning, and

campus-wide enthusiasm, it is altogether appropriate to ask the question,

“Does what we do really matter?” In the pages that follow you will not only

discover our progress during the past fiscal year (June 1, 2013–May 31, 2014),

but you will also read about individuals and hear from a range of voices who

collectively answer the questions: "Does Mars Hill Matter?" and "What does

Mars Hill mean to me?" We think you will find, as we have again and again,

that Mars Hill does indeed matter and that the institution has made a positive

impact on countless lives. Join us as we explore why and how Mars Hill matters,

and as we consider our roles in ensuring that its influence lives on.

Dr. Dan Lunsford ’69, President

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“Mars Hill matters because this institution gives hope to those who never knew they had the potential to receive an education and make a difference in their communities.”

– Rose Smith ’18

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In 2006, Kelly went to work for Macy's Credit and Customer Service Division, where he is now the vice president of learning and development. Kelly says that his journey has taught him the importance of goals, priorities, and balance. As a result, he has developed a mission statement for his life which provides direction: "to use my God-given leadership and analytical skills to help my family and others grow to be all that God designed them to be."

Financial success has also allowed Kelly to give back to organizations in which he’s involved and trusts. Among those organizations is Mars Hill University, for which he serves as a trustee. He says he is selective about his support, but that Mars Hill matters to him because, “Mars Hill provides an environment where holistic transformation takes place. Students there are equipped to positively impact their communities and the world. It’s a place that provides an education, certainly, but students can be transformed as well.”

Kelly says that what he gives in resources and time to Mars Hill is a small amount compared to what he has received, over the years, from his Mars Hill experience. “I want to be part of maintaining that legacy of learning and holistic transformation, so that young people have a chance to experience what I’ve experienced.”

When Mike Kelly was a teenager growing up in Cheraw, SC, his goals for his life

were fairly vague.

“The primary goals for my life at that point were to find a way to get an education and to experience the world. That was it,” he said.

Finding a way to get an education included looking for a way to play basketball in college. That goal came to pass when Jack Lytton, who was the men’s basketball coach at Mars Hill College, recruited him to play basketball at Mars Hill.

That opportunity, he says now, was a “God thing,” that set him on a path of transformation that shaped the rest of his life. At the time, however, Kelly says his first experience at Mars Hill was one of culture shock.

“It was challenging,” he said. “I was an African American coming from Cheraw, SC, where there wasn’t a lot of interaction between whites and blacks. When I came to Mars Hill, it was probably 97 percent white, so, it was quite a culture change.”

Despite the hard work, and the initial culture shock, Kelly looks back now at his years at Mars Hill as a high point in his life.

“I grew as a person in so many different ways,” he said. “And that experience, over those four years, helped me understand that we’re all people. God loves us all and we all have something to contribute. We’re relational beings, and it’s important that we learn to love and serve each other.”

Among the people that Kelly counts as influential in his life during those years, was Dr. Fred Bentley, who was president of Mars Hill College. Bentley, he said, took time for him and modeled the importance of servant leadership.

Leadership, it turns out, would play a huge role in Kelly’s life and career choices. Soon after his graduation, he found a position as a production supervisor for a textile company in his hometown. In that position, and in others that followed, he learned to move away from autocratic leadership, and to adopt a more participatory style that would allow him to develop relationships with the people he managed.

Kelly joined Michelin Tire Corporation as a production supervisor in 1990. From there, his career took a meteoric path. Over the next 16 years, he obtained a master's degree, transferred to Cincinnati, OH, and continued to move up in the company.

Mike Kelly

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Mike Kelly (center) with his wife, Melinda, and one of two his sons: Mike Kelly, Jr.

“Mars Hill left a footprint in my heart that I will forever take with me.”

- Aarika Sandlin ’02

“Mars Hill University matters because it provides an environment where holistic transformation takes place and students are equipped to positively impact our local communities and the world.”

- Mike Kelly ’82 Trustee

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ENDOWED FUNDS CREATED DURING THE 2013-2014 ACADEMIC YEAR:

• Jeanne Gellerstedt Hicks Endowed Scholarship• Dr. Robert Melvin Endowed Scholarship• Dr. Susan P. Gurganus Endowed Scholarship• Mary Jo DeBruhl Endowed Scholarship• Class of 2003 Scholarship• Carolyn and Jack Ferguson Endowed Nursing Scholarship• AGS Scholarship Fund• Ken Horton '58 Endowed Scholarship in Mathematics• James D. and Patricia C. Buchanan Endowed Scholarship

for Adult Students• Alumni and Friends Women's Golf Scholarship

The Mars Hill University Endowment grew to its highest level ($46,856,273) recently. This growth is due in large part to the wonderful, gracious donors who have committed to the idea that supporting students through scholarships is the right path to a successful future.

Creating an endowed scholarship is a simple process that can occur via a one-time gift or through a pledge of up to four years. The minimum to establish this type of endowment is $20,000. The current spending rate, as set by the board of trustees, is 5%. This means that the interest earned through investing will be used to award the scholarships while the principle of the fund will not be invaded. In this manner, the fund will live on in perpetuity and provide support to Mars Hill students for many years to come. In fact, Mars Hill is awarding scholarship today from funds established as early as the 1950s.

If you would like more information on how to establish an endowed scholarship, please call Tim McClain at (828) 689-1435.

“An education from Mars Hill University is a transformative adventure that lasts a lifetime.” - Mark Cabaniss ’82 Trustee

“Mars Hill matters because we take reasoned arguments about ethics seriously.” - Dr. Barry Sharpe Director of Ethics Across the Curriculum

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“Mars Hill matters because the individuals who are drawn to this place want the education needed to become ethical citizens and skilled leaders in their respective domains.” - Dr. Julie Fortney, Professor of Music

“Mars Hill University matters to me because of friendship. I made some wonderful friends while there, and those friendships continue to this day.” - Patricia Robbins Hill ’76

“Mars Hill matters because it gives me opportunities that wouldn’t be available anywhere else.” - Amber Brown ’15

“Mars Hill matters because it understands the spiritual development of students must go hand-in-hand with excellence in scholarship.” - Will Davis ’60 Trustee

“Mars Hill matters because it’s become my home. It’s shown me a whole new world full of opportunity.” – Megan Currie ’16

MARS HILL UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENT

$50,000,000

$45,000,000

$40,000,000

$35,000,000

$30,000,000

$25,000,000

$20,000,000

$15,000,000

$10,000,000

$5,000,000

$01/1/2005 1/1/2006 1/1/2007 1/1/2008 1/1/2009 1/1/2010 1/1/2011 1/1/2012 1/1/2013 1/1/2014

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“Several times, I was ready to pack up and go home, and then these small scholarships would come through.”

Brian says he owes much of what he is today to his student experience at Mars Hill.

“For me, being a shy person and not confident in myself, having the opportunity

to get involved, build my confidence, and begin to lead was such a shift from what I experienced before,” he says. That shy young college student began getting involved in campus life and eventually became a leader in Greek life and other student organizations.

“Mars Hill gave me many gifts, not the least of which was a great education and a greater appreciation of my gifts and abilities and who God created me to be.”

- Suzanne Reece ’93

Brian Matlock

“Students are given wonderful opportunities to discover their dreams and become what they aspire to be. I know because it happened to me and I have watched for over thirty years as it happens again and again to each new generation.”

- Dr. Bruce Boyles ’80 Trustee

Those experiences and lessons learned through a public speaking class “pushed me to go beyond my limits—I got to this point, now let me see what else I can do!”

Part of what he found he could do is give back to the institution which meant so much in his life. Brian says, “I loved it so much; it’s always been a push to try to get others to come experience Mars Hill. “

As a juvenile court counselor, Brian is not bringing home the kind of salary that allows him to make huge gifts. But he knows that the size of the individual contribution is not the only thing that matters. “In my small little way that I can, I want other students to have the same opportunities I had,” he says. He points out that almost anyone can find a small amount to contribute. For some that might mean eating out one less time per month. For others it might be giving up a couple of cups of fancy coffee. If enough people commit to finding their own source for that small amount, he says, the impact on current and future Mars Hill University students can be huge.

“Until I win the lottery and can make a big gift, I do what I can each month. I would love to be able to inspire 300-500 people to say, ‘You know, I can do $10 a month.’ That would add up to a pretty good chunk of money—enough to help a couple of students each year.”

“Small amounts made a big difference.” For Brian Matlock ’98, the Mars

Hill experience was made possible by small gifts which added up to help cover his tuition and other expenses. Today, as a member of the alumni board and as a regular contributor to the Mars Hill Fund, he’s proving that small amounts still make a big difference.

Even though they might seem small and insignificant to those with greater means, he says those small bits of financial aid allowed him to stay at Mars Hill to complete his degree.

“What you need, God will provide. I had the faith that it would happen,” Brian says.

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STATE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTSNorth Carolina 1028South Carolina 94Tennesse 20Virginia 25Georgia 74Florida 68Other 136International 41

North Carolina | 69%South Carolina | 6%

Tennessee | 1%Virginia | 2%

Georgia | 5%

Florida | 5%

Other | 9%

International | 3%

TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS

YEAR ENROLLMENT

2005-2006 989

2006-2007 968

2007-2008 968

2008-2009 1001

2009-2010 1007

02005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400MARS HILL UNIVERSITY COMPARATIVE TRADITIONAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT 2005-2015

YEAR ENROLLMENT

2010-2011 955

2011-2012 1063

2012-2013 1137

2013-2014 1216

2014-2015 1242

“Mars Hill matters because I matter.”

– Codie New ’15

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“Mars Hill matters because its experiential learning molds young men and women into the ethical leaders that will make a difference in their communities.”

- Dr. Keith Leggett ’80 Trustee

MARS HILL UNIVERSITY 2014-2015 GEOGRAPHIC ENROLLMENT

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In 2013, the Fergusons made another major commitment to Mars Hill that will lead the institution into new territory. The Ferguson Health Sciences Building is due to begin construction in the spring of 2015 and will hold Mars Hill’s planned nursing program. The modern lab spaces specifically designed for the nursing curriculum will be crucial in helping Mars Hill graduates navigate in a world where much of our healthcare is accomplished and tracked by computer.

At the same time, the Fergusons made a foundational gift which will establish the Carolyn and Jack Ferguson Endowed Nursing Scholarship for students going through the program.

Residents of Candler, NC, the Fergusons keep busy with a number of community and church involvements. Jack Ferguson is a member of the Mars Hill University Foundation Board, Carolyn

Ferguson has served two terms as a trustee of the university (2001-04 and 2006-09). In 2004, they were named Philanthropists of the Year by Mars Hill, and in 2006, Mars Hill awarded the Fergusons with doctorates of humane letters. In addition to their commitments to Mars Hill, the couple has donated generously to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Mission Hospitals, North Carolina Baptist Children’s Homes, the Oxford Orphanage, and Hominy Baptist Church.

Mars Hill matters to the Fergusons because the university’s mission of providing a quality education in an atmosphere which honors its Baptist heritage is one which they value and hope to support. “Mars Hill is a good school, with a wonderful Baptist heritage. We wanted to do what we could to help the university remain true to that mission,” Carolyn Ferguson said.

“Mars Hill University matters because it’s where life changing, transformational experiences take place. My Mars Hill experience will forever be a beloved indelible thread interwoven into the very fabric of my life.” - Cheryl Pappas ’70 Incoming Chair of the Mars Hill University Board of Trustees

Jack and Carolyn Ferguson

“Mars Hill University matters because it is a Christian institution seeking to develop ethical leaders for a rapidly changing world.”

- Rev. Dr. Dixon Free ’62 Chair, Board of Trustees

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“E ducation is what will build our community,” according to Jack Ferguson.

“Those with a better education have a better chance at a better life.”

This desire to contribute to the western North Carolina community and to enable other people to seek a better life is the primary philosophy that has driven Jack and Carolyn Ferguson to contribute generously to Mars Hill University over the years.

In 2004, the Fergusons made a major gift to Mars Hill University which enabled the institution to build Ferguson Math and Science Center. The building, located at the intersection of NC Highway 213 and Athletic Street, was the first new classroom building constructed at Mars Hill since 1973. The three-story building is 38,000 square feet, and holds state-of-the-art facilities and labs which have made a tremendous difference in the study of math and science at Mars Hill.

When the building was dedicated in June 2008, Carolyn Ferguson said: “Our dream has always been to do what we could so that others would be able to dream their dreams and have a better life for themselves and a better community in which to live and see their dreams come true.” YEAR IN RE VIE W

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“Mars Hill and those beautiful

mountains became a second home to a girl from San Diego who went across the country to go to college on a swimming scholarship.”

- Taylor Bugg ’13

Mr. and Mrs. Ashley N. AbernathyMrs. Bonnie W. AdamsMr. and Mrs. Keith D. AdamsDr. C. Earl Leininger and Mrs. Cathy AdkinsMr. and Mrs. J. Thomas AlexanderMr. Jud AmmonsMrs. Joyce W. AndersonMr. and Mrs. John AppelMr. and Mrs. Frank V. Atlee IIIMr. and Mrs. Joe AycockMr. and Mrs. John S. Ayers Jr.Mr. Richard H. BagleyMr. Richard A. BeaverMrs. Doris P. BentleyMr. and Mrs. Joe B. BinghamDr. and Mrs. Eric BlackwellDr. Frieda Blackwell and Mr. Michael W. WelhausenRev. and Mrs. Ronald O. BrownMr. and Mrs. James R. Bryant Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Doug BuchananMr. Ted R. BucknerDr. and Mrs. Max E. BurginMr. Mark G. CabanissMr. and Mrs. Marcus D. CanipeMr. and Mrs. Brett P. CannadyMs. Maggie Carnevale, AIAMr. and Mrs. M. Kyle Carver Sr.Mr. and Mrs. Jerry H. CatesMr. and Mrs. James L. Cauble Jr.Dr. John W. ChandlerMr. and Mrs. Bud ChristmanDr. and Mrs. Charles R. CobleDr. and Mrs. Corbin L. CooperMr. and Mrs. Larry CoupMr. and Mrs. Louie A. CoxMr. and Mrs. Michael C. CranfordMr. and Mrs. Bill CrumpMr. and Mrs. Charles A. DavisChaplain Lewis E. Dawson and Mrs. Dawson

1856 Society The 1856 Society was established in 2013 to recognize the significance and impact of alumni and friends who make a gift of $1,000 or more in a given academic year in support of Mars Hill University. Below we have listed the charter members of the 1856 Society. The students, faculty, and staff want to thank you for your generosity and confidence as shown through your giving.

Mrs. Mary DeBruhl++Mrs. Sally P. DuyckMr. and Mrs. David A. Evans Jr.Drs. Carolyn and Jack R. FergusonMr. and Mrs. Benjamin G. Floyd IIIMr. John W. Foster Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Dixon FreeMs. Jean S. FreemanMr. and Mrs. Lee J. FrenchDrs. Patsy and Earl J. FryMr. and Mrs. Ken GasqueMiss Gayla M. GreenDr. and Mrs. Stanley G. GriffinMr. and Mrs. Michael V. GroceDr. Susan P. Gurganus and Dr. Albert E. GurganusDr. Caryl GuthDr. Ilda L. Hall LittellMr. and Mrs. Charles S. HammDr. JoAnne H. HardyDr. Virginia HartMr. and Mrs. Tom HicksMr. and Mrs. Wayne HigginsDr. and Mrs. David C. HodgeMr. and Mrs. Milton R. HodgesMr. and Mrs. Ed HoffmeyerMr. and Mrs. Gene HoldwayMr. and Mrs. Bob HolstenMr. and Mrs. A.C. Honeycutt Jr.Mr. and Mrs. John N. Hooper Jr.Mr. Kenneth W. Horton++Dr. John M. Hough Jr.Mr. and Mrs. J.V. Howell, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Bud HughesMiss Thelma J. HutchinsMr. and Mrs. James D. IngramDr. Lloyd F. Jackson Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Roger H. JacksonMr. and Mrs. Stuart JacksonMr. and Mrs. Leo James++ deceased Continued on the following page YEAR IN RE VIE W

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Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. RatcliffMr. and Mrs. George D. RenfroMr. and Mrs. Larry D. RhodesMr. and Mrs. David W. RigginsMr. and Mrs. Tally RobertsMrs. Kim RobertsMrs. Donna N. RobertsonMr. and Mrs. Robert J. Robinson Esq.Mr. and Mrs. David RogersMrs. Virginia B. RuleDr. and Mrs. Rick H. SchlapkohlMr. and Mrs. Delroy S. Seip Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. SharpMr. and Mrs. Andrew J. McDanielDr. and Mrs. David B. SmithMr. and Mrs. David G. SmithDr. Karen M. SmithDr. and Mrs. A.C. SnowMr. Jeffrey R. SouthallMr. and Mrs. Ronald G. StameyMr. and Mrs. Lendell E. SteeleDrs. Larry and Teresa SternMr. Robert G. StrombergDr. and Mrs. Walter L. Stroud Jr.Mr. and Mrs. David A. Teachey

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. ThomassonMiss Que TuckerMr. and Mrs. J. Nelson TunstallMr. and Mrs. Robert T. Van Vliet++Dr. Elizabeth Vogler and Mr. Joseph B. VoglerMr. and Mrs. Ronald L. WagnerRev. and Mrs. Davey L. WardMr. and Mrs. L. Albert Weaver IIIMrs. Lois E. WellsMr. and Mrs. Roger WilliamsMr. and Mrs. Jim WilsonMs. B. Jane WinnMr. and Mrs. Art WoodMr. and Mrs. David WyattMr. and Mrs. Robert S. Wyly

1856 Society

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Dr. and Mrs. Arlo JenningsMr. and Mrs. Leslie JohnsonMr. Rodney L. JohnsonMr. Norman C. McRae and Rev. Linda Judge-McRaeMr. and Mrs. Robert J. KahnMr. and Mrs. Troy A. KauffmanMr. and Mrs. Mike KellyMr. and Mrs. Bill KenneyMr. and Mrs. Brent B. KincaidMr. Wayne KingDr. and Mrs. Keith KramerMr. and Mrs. William G. Lawrence IIIMr. William G. Lawrence Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Austin K. LeeDr. and Mrs. Keith J. LeggettMr. and Mrs. Skip LilesMr. James M. Little III++Mr. and Mrs. David S. Loveland IIIDr. and Mrs. Dan G. LunsfordMr. and Mrs. Eric K. MannDr. and Mrs. Burgess P. Marshbanks Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Joel MartinMrs. Frances W. MasseyMr. and Mrs. William W. McKinney

Dr. and Mrs. Jason D. McNealMiss Diana K. McWilliams++Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. MelvinMr. and Mrs. Tom MerrellDr. Gordon K. Middleton Jr.Mr. Jim MontgomeryRev. Dr. F. Timothy Moore and Ms. Magay ShepardMr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Nash Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Nash IIIDr. Rebeccah Neff and Mr. Harry M. NeffDr. and Mrs. W. Harold NewmanNoel J. Kinnamon TrustRev. and Mrs. Jack A. PainterMr. and Mrs. Chris PappasMr. V. A. Parks Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. PattersonMrs. Barbara B. PeekRev. and Mrs. James A. PittmanMr. and Mrs. J. C. PonderMr. and Mrs. Coolidge A. Porterfield Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Foster E. PoundMr. and Mrs. Michael H. PressleyMrs. Betty O. PurserHon. Raymond C. Rapp and Mrs. Rapp

“Mars Hill University matters because it is a community where students are encouraged to develop their leadership and service skills and to take advantage of the diverse educational opportunities.”

- Gwen Davis Trustee

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++ deceased

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For more information and assistance planning your gift, please contact:

Dr. Dan LunsfordPresident(828) [email protected]

Bud ChristmanVice President for Advancement(828) 689-1194 [email protected]

Tim McClainDirector of Development(828) [email protected]

MARS HILL Matters

“Mars Hill has always been and will always be home.”

- Heather Meadows Kaylor ’07

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