Summer 2010

Vanguard University of Southern California

Summer 2010

Sisters’ Music Trio 6 Student Leader’s Legacy 9 New VP 19 Baseball Team Success 20

TheRight Fit

Entrepreneur and prosthetist

RICHARD MYERS ’85

4 6 9 20

www.vanguard.edu

mission statementAs an Assemblies of God university, the purpose of Vanguard University is to pursue knowledge, cultivate character, deepen faith, and equip each student for a life of leadership and service.

12

contentsvolume 11 number 1 • summer 2010

in this issue

Loving God and serving people with excellence is in Vanguard

University’s DNA. That is apparent throughout this issue,

where you will meet alums who are serving with excellence in

a variety of professional fi elds.

Rick Myers ’85 has a wonderful story. He graduated from

Vanguard and became a successful entrepreneur in the

medical devices industry. There he discovered his passion

for providing amputees with high-quality prosthetics. That

passion eventually led him to step away from the CEO role so

he could personally fi t patients with artifi cial limbs, giving them

caring personal service. You’ll love reading about his journey.

Speaking of passion, the Jung sisters, three marvelous

musicians with degrees from the best music conservatories in

the country, have brought their passion for chamber music to

our music program. They serve students here with excellent

instruction and offer an outstanding example as they perform

in some of the world’s premier concert halls. You will enjoy

learning how this trio of sisters brought their high level of

musical expertise to Vanguard.

Student David Vazquez is also passionate about service, and

as the 2010-2011 student body president he is encouraging

his fellow students to leave a legacy on campus as many

previous generations have done. David is a confi dent, gifted

leader who has a wonderful appreciation for Vanguard’s

rich history and how his generation can contribute to those

traditions. I have no doubt that he’ll succeed.

This issue includes other updates you’ll want to read — from

an alum who works as a producer at Fox News, to another

who is the preferred physical therapist for the U.S. men’s

and women’s volleyball teams, to another who works at

the U.S. Census Bureau. Each of these people refl ects our

University’s goal: to equip men and women to serve God and

others to the best of our abilities. This issue also includes the

always-popular Class Notes, an introduction to our new vice

president for university advancement, and a recap of the most

successful baseball season at Vanguard in nearly twenty years.

Thanks for being part of the Vanguard community!

President, Vanguard University

FeaturesOut on a Limb .................................................4Entrepreneur Richard Myers ’85 helped build successful medical

device companies, until he realized that his passion was fi tting

patients with prosthetic limbs.

Trio of Musical Sisters ......................................6The Jung sisters have played Carnegie Hall, the Disney Concert

Hall and with performers such as Andrea Bocelli. As VU faculty,

they are helping students reach new musical heights.

Aiming for a Legacy .........................................9Student body president David Vazquez wants his generation of

students to leave a lasting legacy at Vanguard as previous classes

have done.

Baseball Reborn ............................................ 20With a new coach and a renovated fi eld, the Lions baseball team

launched into the national tournament and notched their best

season in decades.

DepartmentsMessage from the President .............................1

On Campus .....................................................2

Class Notes .....................................................7

A Vine of His Own Planting ............................. 16

Postcards...................................................... 21

University GovernanceChair, Board of TrusteesDavid Oddo

University AdministrationPresidentCarol Taylor

Provost / Vice Presidentfor Academic AffairsJeff Hittenberger

Vice President for Businessand FinanceBob Allison

Vice President for Enrollment ManagementJessica Mireles

Vice President for Student AffairsAnn Hamilton

Vice President forUniversity AdvancementRon Harris

EditorJoel Kilpatrick

Associate Creative DirectorTawny Marcus

PhotographerChauncey D. Bayes

Director of Alumni RelationsHeather Clements

Associate Director ofMarketing and CommunicationsErin Schell

Chief Communications Offi cerKelly Kannwischer

Vanguard University of Southern California, in compliance with laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, age, disability, national origin, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

vanguard magazine is a free publication published 3 times per year by Vanguard University of Southern California. All contents copyrighted, 2009, Vanguard University of Southern California.

Bulk rate postage paid at Las Vegas, NV. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: VUSC Alumni Relations Offi ce, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

vanguard magazine summer 2010 1

Grad Education Speakers Series Features Alum Daniel AmenVU alum Dr. Daniel Amen ’78 gave a lecture to a packed

Lyceum Theatre as part of a guest speaker series presented

by the graduate program in education. Amen, a physician,

psychiatrist and best-selling author who has appeared on the

Dr. Oz show, Larry King Live and the Today Show, called the

lecture “a homecoming.”

“I am excited to be coming back to Vanguard to share

practical tips on having a better brain and better life,” he said.

Amen offered educators and parents ideas to improve the

use of their own brains and the brains of their students and

children. He discussed his pioneering research in brain

imaging which allows him to observe correlations between

what he calls “brain hardware” and resulting life problems.

Restoring brain function in the affected areas can help resolve

depression and violent tendencies, he said.

“Dr. Amen helped me think differently about dealing with

students,” says Krissy Tolzda, a student in the grad ed

program. “If a student is continuously working hard and still

not ‘getting it,’ there may be something stifl ing his progress

which can be due to the environment, head injuries or the

food they eat. As an educator, my job is to fi nd these reasons

and keep working with the student until we come up with the

correct solution.”

on campus

Amen is the CEO and medical director of Amen Clinics. He

has written more than twenty books, including New York

Times bestsellers Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and

Magnifi cent Mind at Any Age.

For more information on the Vanguard University graduate

program in education or their guest speaker series, visit www.

vanguard.edu/graded.

New Veterans Center OpensVU has offi cially become a veteran-friendly university, offering

a range of services to veterans and helping them connect to

programs which can cover nearly all of their tuition.

“Last year a new GI bill was passed providing veterans of the

Afghanistan and Iraq wars phenomenal education benefi ts,”

says Jamie Brownlee, director of the School for Professional

Studies. “So we asked, how can we better serve and support

veterans here at Vanguard?”

One answer was to establish a veterans center on campus

which offers vets career counseling and academic support,

and helps them fi nd out about their benefi ts.

Another important step came when the undergraduate school

and the School for Professional Studies were approved for the

Department of Veterans Affairs’ Yellow Ribbon program, which

supplements the GI Bill in paying tuition to private colleges.

“This means that tuition for veterans will be completely covered

and they won’t have any school debt,” says Brownlee.

From L-R: Allan Mansoor, mayor, Costa Mesa; Lt. Jim Peugh MA ’01, MTS ’02 CHC, USN; Erin Wendorf ’08, veteran, US Army; Congressman Dana Rohrabacher; Dr. Carol Taylor, president Vanguard University; Adm. Vern Clark, USN (ret.), trustee; Sarah Lee, representative from Congress-woman Loretta Sanchez’ offi ce; Dr. Del Tarr, Jr., trustee; Brent Theobald, current SPS student, veteran, USMC; Jon Basalone, trustee

2 vanguard magazine summer 2010

on campus

In June, Vanguard’s Veterans Center was opened with a

formal ceremony keynoted by VU board member and former

member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Vernon E. Clark,

USN (Ret.). Also attending was the mayor of Costa Mesa,

Allan Mansoor, and Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. The

ceremony recalled the VU campus’s history as a military base

and the school’s long track record of training chaplains.

“It was a phenomenal event,” says Brownlee. “One attendee

said he was proud to be an American that evening, proud to

honor veterans and proud to be part of Vanguard. I think that’s

what everyone felt. We’re going to serve veterans and support

them well. We want veteran students to succeed and to be

satisfi ed with their experience here.”

On Campus, continued on page 18

Faculty BooksCraig Rusch’s ’86 co-authored book Managing the

Millennials: Discover the Core Competencies for Managing

Today’s Workforce was published by Wiley in February.

The book is co-authored

with VU alum and former

adjunct professor, Chip

Espinoza ’87 and Mick Ukleja.

Managing the Millennials offers

research-based solutions for

understanding differences

between generations. It

identifi es nine points of tension

and nine approaches for

building better relationships

between younger workers and

the people who manage them.

Rusch is a professor of

psychological anthropology at Vanguard and chief strategy

offi cer with GeNext Solutions. He received his doctorate

from UCI in social sciences emphasizing cross-cultural

cognition and social networks. His current work is developing

generationally effective leaders. In his university and business

activities Craig works closely with millennials as an educator

and mentor.

Gary Tyra’s book Defeating Pharisaism: Recovering Jesus’

Disciple-Making Method was published by Paternoster in

October. For the past two years

Tyra has served as the chair

of the department of religion,

and is an associate professor

of biblical and practical

theology. The book deals with

the problem of pharisaism in

evangelical churches, offering

church leaders a strategy by

which they can cultivate a

disciple-making environment

that mitigates the presence

of pharisaism (characterized

by legalism, dogmatism,

separatism and hypocrisy) while steering congregation

members toward a more grace-oriented approach to the

spiritual life.

g a r y t y r a

Recovering Jesus’Disciple-Making Method

D E F E AT I N GPHARISAISM

“Carefully study this book” —DALLAS WILLARD


f or twenty years Rick Myers ’85 has been a successful entrepre-

neur in the fi eld of medical devices, founding industry-leading

companies and rising to national leadership in his fi eld. But a few

years ago he made a signifi cant career change, stepping away from

his CEO role to work in the trenches as a prosthetist, the one who fi ts

patients with their new prosthetic limb. Today, Myers serves amputees

one-on-one with caring and professional service at his clinic in Irvine.

“If you sit down and talk with these patients, it doesn’t take two min-

utes to understand the powerful attraction of this from a ministry stand-

point,” Myers says. “It parallels being a pastor, caring for people on the

most basic level. I used to struggle with sharing my faith in a business

context. Not now. Patients have looked me in the face and said, ‘Why

did God do this to me?’ They don’t even know I’m a Christian. We have

two hours together as I’m working on their arm or leg, aligning them for

the prosthetic limb. I often tell them, ‘There’s a much bigger purpose

we have in this world. Lots of times God uses something like this to

wake us up. Do you know Christ?’ People are not offended at all. It’s

the most natural conversation you could ever have.”

Myers’ business record has been golden: he has been involved in

starting, buying, selling and turning around a number of medical

device companies since 1987. He founded Freedom Innovations in

2002, developing it into a leading provider of carbon-fi ber prosthetic

feet and micro-processor controlled knees. He was vice president

of global operations for Ossur, an international leader in orthotics

and prosthetics, and held executive positions at Baxter Healthcare

(working with cardiovascular implants), and Steri-Oss (working with

dental implants). His expertise spans operations, marketing, product

development, business development and acquisitions.

None of it would have been possible without his Vanguard education,

he says.

“Vanguard provided an environment that was safe and effective, with

small classes and professors who were very involved with students,”

he says. “It was an incredible experience.”

Myers came to California from Georgia in 1981 as a new Christian. He

and wife Megan had no plan but to follow God’s leading and evange-

lize the world.

“If you had anybody screaming at you at the Newport Pier in the early

’80s, it was probably me,” he says of his early proselytizing efforts.

Wanting to study for a “ministry-focused” career in medicine, he fol-

lowed the example of his pastor, Edmund Pratt ’79, and enrolled at

Vanguard University.

“The faculty were incredibly instrumental in my life,” he says. “Don Lor-

rance was one of my academic advisors. Larry McHargue was another.

I had a whole bunch of desire and absolutely no discipline. Those guys

formed me in terms of being a systematic thinker, in doing my work as

unto the Lord and in just working hard. They taught me that things don’t

come easily. I’ve always said that two of the most profound infl uences

in my life in terms of business and academics are Don and Larry.”

Another key relationship was with Liesel (Strohschein ’84) and Cecil Miller ’84, then students. Cecil is now professor of physiology and cell

and molecular biology at Vanguard.

“They were good friends and a godly, spiritual infl uence on us as

young parents,” says Myers. “We both had kids pretty young. We

needed people who had been Christians for a while who could help

us. The whole community in married student housing at Vanguard

was powerful.”

Myers won the American Chemical Society student of the year award

for Orange County during his senior year. After graduating he joined

the fi rst dental implant company in the U.S. as their third employee.

“I didn’t really know anything about it, but my training in chemistry and

systematic thinking at Vanguard helped me,” he says.

Within a few years the company was sold to Bausch & Lomb for $23

million. Myers then worked for Baxter Healthcare, and helped turn

around a small medical device company before joining FlexFoot, a

prosthetics company, as part of the executive team that prepared

the company to go public. His role was to clean up operations and

improve the research and development pipeline. There he discovered

the ministry value of prosthetics.

“Amputees have this overcoming spirit. They see meaning and value

in things that other people don’t see,” he says. “That spirit is conta-

gious. After a few weeks in prosthetics I decided I had found a home

for the rest of my career.”

alumni profile

Rick Myers, continued on page 14

Out on a Limb

“Amputees have this overcoming spirit in them. They see meaning and value in things that other people don’t see. That spirit is contagious.”


T hree sisters, Jennie, Ellen and Julie Jung, are VU faculty

members and artists-in-residence, bringing impressive cre-

dentials to the music program. The Jungs are members of a

nationally-known piano, violin and cello trio and hold advanced music

degrees from Yale University, the Juilliard School of Music and the

New England Conservatory of Music.

“They are extremely talented and play with wonderful musicality and

passion,” says James Melton, chair of the department of music.

“Their skills and personalities greatly enhance our music program.

We’re so blessed and thrilled to

have adjunct professors of such

outstanding quality at Vanguard

— musicians who are world-class

performers in their own right.”

The Jungs, who have played

at the Disney Concert Hall and

Carnegie Hall, with various

symphonies and on soundtracks

for popular television shows,

grew up in Toronto, Canada, with

music-loving parents. The sisters played together from hymnals and

Christmas song books, then studied at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory

of Music.

“We would spend weekends at the Conservatory studying theory,

history, chamber music, youth orchestra,” says elder sister Jennie.

“Since then we have always played together.”

But Jennie “never imagined we would become professional

musicians,” she says. She was a pre-med major in college, then

switched to music to see if it might become a career. She soon was

accepted to Yale and then Juilliard to study piano.

For a time, all three sisters attended Yale for graduate work. They

continued performing together at summer programs, in recitals and at

chamber music series.

But when their mother was diagnosed with cancer, they dropped

everything and moved to California to be with her.

“We really didn’t have any plan

but to take care of our mom,”

Jennie says.

The west coast was new territory

for them, but they persevered

through the culture shock and

began teaching private lessons.

After their mother passed away,

Jennie made plans to return to

New York and the familiarity of

the east coast. Before she could, she was invited to play the Easter

services at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church. There she met James

Melton who asked her to teach at Vanguard.

“I thought, ‘This is where I have to stay,’” Jennie says. “I had a very

good feeling about it. Dr. Melton is such a welcoming person. The

people are so warm and friendly. It had been a long time since I’d

A Trio in Life and Music

Jung Trio, continued on page 11

The Jungs sit in for local symphonies and play for televis ion and movie soundtracks and top ten sitcoms. They have performed with Andrea Bocelli, Dave Koz and Barry Manilow.

faculty profile

From L-R: Ellen Jung, Jennie Jung and Julie Jung


’50sMarita (McNutt) Gladson ’56 retired in 1995 from teaching in the Brea Olinda School District. She received

her marriage and family therapist license in 1996 and practices in Fullerton. Her passion is Saboba’s Hope, a public charity that supports the Saboba Medical Centre in Soboba, Ghana.

Betty (Hogan ’50) Seekman and her husband of 50 years, Vic, will celebrate her eighty-fourth birthday this year. Since attending SCBC Betty has been a business owner, piano teacher, and has ministered in a local nursing home. The Seekmans have two children, Valerie and Victor, and four grandchildren. They reside in Beaverton, Ore.

’60sElaine Gomez ’65 and husband Johnny have been missionary evangelists since 1975 (johnnyandelaine.com).

In that time, they built Bible schools in Russia, churches throughout Latin America and sixteen Christian radio stations in Argentina and Madagascar. They have traveled to thirty countries and have been hosts on national Christian television.

Joyce (Smiley ’67) Guerra has been a kindergarten teacher for 27 years and plans to retire this summer. She

has spent 32 years in the public school system and considers it her ministry to children.

’70sMichael Landsman ’75 has been in South Africa for eight years working as the assistant dean of Rhema Training Centre in Randberg, part of the Rhema Bible Church South Africa. Michael is married and has three children and three granddaughters.

Beverly (Thatcher ’71) Littau and husband John live in Woodland. John is a pastor at The Sanctuary, and Beverly

is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a busy practice (cornerstone-counseling.org). They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

Augustine Molina ’73 has worked in consumer affairs for many institutions including the Orange County Mental Health Department, and was recognized for his work by the U.S. Consumer Affairs director under President Ronald Reagan. Molina later served as the military health services administrator in Desert Storm and at the Pentagon. He retired in 2005 and lives in San Antonio, where he is a consultant to federal military agencies. Augie has three children, Stephanie, Stephen and Daniel.

’80sKaiti (O’Brien ’88) Ketner received her educator certifi cate from Lone Star College in January. She lives in

Kingwood, Texas.

Wendy Kliewer ’80 is a psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. She received a Fulbright Award to study in South Africa in 2011. She will be working in Durban and studying parental messages about coping with violence and drug use.

David Rogers ’82 is the senior pastor at Fellowship Bible Church. He and wife Tina have been married 19 years and have three children, Dallas, Alexi and Carson. They live in Bend, Ore.

Jodi (Hanson ’85) Slyter lives in Meridian, Idaho, with husband Gordon, their three children and three pugs. Gordon is the senior pastor and divisional superintendant at Meridian Foursquare Church, which they planted in 1992. Jodi is the women’s ministry coordinator and directs and teaches at the church’s school.

Scott Sorgea ’88 is the director of team

Vanguardon Facebook

The next time you’re on Facebook, join the hundreds of other Vanguard alums who have become fans of our Vanguard University alumni Facebook page! It’s the place to catch up with old friends, see what’s happening at your alma mater and maintain your connection to the Vanguard community. On top of that, it’s great fun!

We have had a growing response all year to the page. People are fi nding old quad-mates and plugging in to current activities at Vanguard — attending sports events, theatre productions and more. Alums from the ’50s through the ’00s are discovering that our Facebook page is a convenient way to stay connected. Some have even organized mini-reunions and posted photos at the page. We like to think of it as a round-the-clock, multi-generational reunion where you can drop in when you like, post a comment or picture or respond to an interesting post.

Speaking of interesting posts, there are plenty of fun conversations taking place in the comments section in response to posts like, “What was your favorite Friday night hangout spot?” or “Who did you sit next to in Bible 101?” One recent

post — “Who was your favorite profes-sor?” — garnered nearly forty responses, all passionate and appreciative. Around graduation time we asked, “What advice or encouragement would you give the graduating class of 2010?” Many people posted their thoughts. We’d love to hear from you, too!

So head over to Facebook and search “Vanguard University alumni.” Our page will come up and you can jump right in to the conversation. See you there!

Heather (Rachels ’02) ClementsDirector of Alumni Relations

[email protected]

class notes

Send us your photos! We would love to showcase pictures of your new baby, wedding or anniversary in Class Notes. Email your photos (at least 1 megabyte in fi le size) to [email protected] or mail your prints (at least 3” by 4”) to: Alumni Relations, 55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Prints will not be returned.

Class Notes, continued on page 8


Dusty’s RidersSarah (Crawford) Williams ’86 left a 16-year career at the Walt Disney Co. to run Dusty’s Riders, a non-profi t organization that invites inner-city kids to interact with horses.

“We take at-risk kids on horse outings,” says Williams, who created Dusty’s Riders and named it after her appaloosa. “They get hands-on time with my horse, Dusty, and a trail ride in Griffi th Park. It helps their self-esteem and self-confi dence.”

Williams started Dusty’s Riders in 2000 after praying about how she could serve others while she pursued a career in acting. She felt prompted to start a horse program for young people.

“I was a horse lover as a kid, but hadn’t been around them for years,” she says. “Then I started riding weekly and Dusty was one of my lesson horses. God gave me the perfect horse for this organization.”

On horse outings, kids brush Dusty, hand-feed him carrots, groom him, take a trail ride on rental horses — and overcome their fears.

“Many have never touched a horse before,” she says. “It’s all about show-ing them new horizons, teaching them

about goals, getting them thinking about the future.”

Some youth organizations and clubs use it as an incentive program.

Williams says she “loved Vanguard and had a blast. The theatre department was great. It taught me self-discipline and planning.”

She hopes to acquire a ranch in the San Fernando Valley where she can run the program all week long. Dusty’s Riders is supported by private donations and fundraisers.

Learn more at www.dustysriders.org.

class notes

Class Notes, continued from page 7

sports and youth sports camps at Bayside Church in Granite Bay. He is married to Laura and has three children.

Constance (Ternes ’80) Wells earned her second doctoral degree in November 2009, in clinical psychology from the California Institute of Human Science Graduate School. In addition to her integrative therapy work, she remains the senior vice president at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Constance lives in La Cañada with husband Ritch and their 12-year-old sons, Spencer and Conner.

’90sAl Contrera ’94 is the president of Almark Sports, which distributes baseball training gloves for kids ages eight and up (greathandsglove.com).

Shannon Dobson ’99 manages a T-Mobile location in Turlock and continues to work as a junior and senior high

youth group volunteer at Covenant Grove in Modesto.

Christy (Varnell ’91) and Bruce Durkee ’90 celebrated 20 years of marriage. They recently helped launch a new

church (shadowrockchurch.net). Bruce is an estate planning attorney and CPA in a private practice in Palm Desert. Christy works as an offi ce manager at the law fi rm. They live in La Quinta and have two daughters.

Matt Fairchilds ’98 was called to be a hospital minister after surviving a traumatic bicycle accident when he was 16. Since graduating Vanguard, Matt attended graduate school and studied counseling and psychology.

Deborah (Gunzel ’94) and Daniel Gatchel ’92 live in Texas with their four daughters. Daniel is completing a BA in information technology; Deborah plans to pursue an MA in education curriculum and instruction next year. The Gatchels helped start a library system in their church and support a private Christian school in the Shama region of Ghana, West Africa.

Kevin Snow ’94 is a member of the Christian band Dust (fromdust.com). They celebrate 10 years of prison ministry in the state of Texas. Kevin lives in The Colony.

Barry Vaudrin ’91 is the founder and host of Cruising Authority (vmanetconcepts.com/talkshow/), a cruise-

related talk show. He has worked on six ships with four different cruise lines. Barry has been

a cruise industry consultant for a number of travel agencies and has been instrumental in the start-up of several cruise-only agencies.

’00sCheriss Bayard ’06 spent a year in China as an English teacher and hosting an English TV show. She then served

as a youth pastor in Palm Springs before returning to Orange County. Cheriss is now the site coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club in Garden Grove. She is also the vocal team leader at Free Chapel in Irvine and is pursuing a career in music.

Jennie Bryant ’04 attended the Bethel Church School of Worship in Redding last summer. She is currently

a dental assistant for a local oral surgeon and continues her babysitting and personal assistance business, Jennie of All Trades. She lives in Orange.

Rachel (Hodges ’06) and Matt Burns ’07 are expecting their fi rst child, Madison Faylynn, in October. Rachel has

worked for JCTV, a Christian youth television network, for the past three years.

Colie Cassidy ’10 was recently promoted to manager of the t.b.d. department at Nordstrom in South

Coast Plaza. She traveled to Costa Rica after



D avid Vazquez has his sights set on political offi ce, and as Vanguard’s student body president he’s getting valuable leadership experience now. Vazquez, a junior, is also help-

ing this year’s student body focus on how they can impact Vanguard well into the future.

“Students help to create the identity of Vanguard,” he says. “Things that are instrumental to our community came from students, like the Cove, which was named by a student. Frontline, our student orientation, was revamped and renamed by a student. One reason I wanted to be student body president was to empower students. My question for them is, what will the student body of 2010-2011 leave as a lasting legacy for Vanguard University?”

Vazquez’s interest in politics goes back to the disputed U.S. presi-dential election of 2000. A fourth-grader at the time, he stayed up all night to watch the drama play out.

“I was fascinated by the election results, the commentary, the back and forth,” he says. “I was trying to understand, who is the president? Since then politics has become a passion. I’m a U.S. history buff.”

He ran for student council in sixth grade and won, lost his next campaign in seventh grade and then ran successfully for offi ce all the way through high school.

“Since I was young I have wanted to help people,” he says. “In the

broadest terms, politics is a vehicle to help others.”

When it came time for college he toured the Vanguard campus and felt “this incredible sense of peace and longing, like, ‘You belong here,” he says. “God was being really obvious. I knew this was where I should go.”

Since coming to VU, he has grown in his passion for the political process, he says.

“I’ve learned to articulate why I feel something is important,” he says. “God has opened speaking opportunities. As a freshman I spoke to the board of trustees and at the Southern California As-semblies of God District Council meeting. I was able to go to Florida for the General Council meeting and represent Vanguard. There have been leadership opportunities at seminars that Vanguard has allowed me to go to. That’s all been confi rmation to me.”

“David is a natural leader,” says Darren Guerra, assistant professor of political science and Vazquez’s academic advisor. “He has a con-

David Vazquez, continued on page 17

student profile

“Students help to create the identity of Vanguard. My question is, what will the student body of 2010-2011 leave as a lasting legacy for Vanguard University?”

Student Leader Aims at Lasting Legacy


graduating and plans to pursue an MBA.

Tina Collman ’06 works at the Cody Rose Salon in Irvine, styling hair and teaching product education classes. Her

blog features her recent work (blowdrythis.blogspot.com). Tina lives in Costa Mesa.

Katie (Boddorf ’06) and Brendan Cotter ’05 live in Laguna Hills. Brendan works at Bentley Prince Street, a

commercial fl ooring manufacturer. Katie is a sales representative for clothing designer BB Dakota (dakotacollective.com) and travels to boutiques throughout the West Coast.

Kristina (Petrosino ’04) Dritan is an equity researcher and analyst of the health insurance industry for First Horizon

Bank in Boston. Husband Tony is a medical

devices engineer from Albania. She received an MBA from Northeastern University and volunteers at the Posse Foundation, tutoring high school students in writing research papers and college preparations.

Jessica and Rudy Estrada ’08 are excited to be back in California among family and friends. Rudy completed

the MTS program at Duke University. Jessica worked for the Duke facilities management department and volunteered at the Durham Crisis Response Center in North Carolina.

Claire Friday ’04 received an MFA in stage management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

in 2008. Since then, she has held stage management positions at La Opera and Walt Disney Concert Hall. She also coordinated productions for various television shows and

events including the Kennedy Center Honors and Warner Brothers TV Gala. She is an on-call assistant production manager for the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and lives in Los Angeles.

Heidi Giacomantonio ’06 spent a year in New Zealand working at a hospital. She is now in the business

development department of a large health organization in Orange County and travels around the U.S. She hopes to fi nish writing her book by the time she is 30.

Dana (Nelson ’05) and Gabriel Goldman ‘04 were married in August 2005 and welcomed daughter Brinley in

January 2009. Gabe furthered his education at Southern California University of Health Sciences to become a doctor of chiropractic. His practice, Grecian Chiropractic and Wellness (gchiro.com), is located in Costa Mesa and provides a chiropractic presence for the Vanguard athletic program, students, staff and alumni. Dana worked as the inquiry coordinator in the Vanguard admissions offi ce and is now a stay-at-home mother. They live in Aliso Viejo and expect their second child in December.

Krystal Hernandez ’09 went to Washington, DC, on behalf of the Vanguard INTERSECT program that

coordinates high school students to serve in local neighborhoods. She is pursuing a teaching credential and MA in education at Vanguard and is excited to participate as an alumna in Hands Across the Border’s twentieth anniversary.

Mikala Hooper ’03 lived in England for a year and is now a drama teacher at Lake Norman Christian School and

the director of college ministry at Ardent Faith Christian Fellowship. She will lead a team of ladies from her church to Uganda to serve at Cherish Uganda (www.cherishuganda.org), a non-profi t organization that nurtures a village of kids with HIV/AIDS.

Rebecca ’05 and Michael Johnstone ’07 live in Apple Valley with son Justin, 10. Michael is a teacher at the Academy

for Academic Excellence, and Rebecca is the front offi ce receptionist. They are raising support to enter into full-time missions to serve students K-12 in Vienna, Austria (johnstonefamilyadventure.blogspot.com).


Screening the U.S. volleyball teamsMatt Swift ’02 has been helping the U.S. men’s and women’s volleyball teams avoid injury and strengthen weak areas in their bodies with a test called the Functional Movement Screen. The test screens the athletes for issues related to mobility and stability with seven simple exercises.

“It’s a good test to do in the beginning of a season to help you avoid injuries and to fi nd your weakest link,” Swift says.

Swift’s Change Sports Physical Therapy Institute is the preferred physical therapy provider for the national teams and shares a facility with them at the American Sports Center in Anaheim. Swift also sees non-professional patients.

He began working with the national teams in 2008, right after the men’s team won the Olympic gold medal. Swift, who has his doctorate in physical therapy, helps non-pro’s with the same problems.

“I’ll see people with knee pain who started running four months ago,” Swift says. “If they had done this screen before, that injury could have been prevented. That’s the whole purpose.”

Swift says he had a “wonderful

experience at Vanguard” where he played on the soccer team, went on several Mexico mission trips and led worship in chapel.

“It opened my eyes spiritually,” he says. “And I met my wife there.”

VU prepared him well for his doctoral program.

“I was ahead of the game compared to other students, mainly because of my experience at Vanguard,” he says. “I felt really good about my preparation.”

For the past several years he has taught pharmacology classes at VU and will be teaching the neuroscience lab course this fall. He and wife Kahanah (Rapport ’01) have two young children, and Matt is an assistant pastor at The Father’s House church in Orange County. Learn more about his practice at sportschange.com.





been in that kind of environment. It

was such a comfort to me.”

Jennie began accompanying the

Vanguard Concert Choir, taught a music

history course and helped with chamber

music. When her sisters were also

hired as faculty, the threesome began

teaching chamber music together.

“The students are very hard-working,”

Ellen, the second sister, says. “It’s

rewarding. I didn’t realize how much

we would get out of it.”

Julie, the youngest, says she enjoys

“the close feeling of community”

and is happy to be able to teach at a

university. “I like my students a lot,”

she says. “They are eager to learn.”

“Teaching at the university level had

always been a dream of mine,” adds

Jennie. “I feel very fortunate that I was able to get a job at Vanguard,

and I have a lot to thank Dr. Melton for. He has been so supportive of

my sisters and me.”

Ben Cave, a music major and fi rst violinist, says the student response

to the Jungs has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

“The string players in particular, myself included, are highly

enthusiastic about the opportunity to study under world-class

performers,” he says. “As an ensemble, they do more than simply stay

in time with one another — it’s as if they’re reading each other’s minds.

It’s obvious they have spent years carefully honing their technique, as

the technical diffi culties of the music are navigated effortlessly.”

The Jungs continue to perform as a trio. Two years ago they played

the Disney Concert Hall.

“That hall is made for an orchestra, not a little piano trio, so the sense

of space was intimidating, but it was exciting to be on such a huge

stage,” says Julie.

They have toured Europe, Asia and

Africa, and Julie and Ellen have

performed in Carnegie Hall several

times with different orchestras.

They now play almost monthly as

a trio, sit in for local symphonies

and play for television and movie

soundtracks, including independent

features and top ten sitcoms.

Ellen and Julie have performed

with Andrea Bocelli, Seal, Vanessa

Williams, Dave Koz and Barry

Manilow. The Jungs’ fi rst CD,

Dvorak’s F minor trio, has been

well-received.

“I feel very lucky to have my

sisters to play with,” says Ellen.

“It’s wonderful to perform all this

music with them. I learn from

their strengths. There is an intuition there that isn’t there with other

instrumentalists I play with.”

The trio will play several concerts at Vanguard as part of the faculty

series. They also join their students in the orchestra for the spring

classical concert and Christmas Fantasia. Julie is leading a student

cello ensemble.

“The students enjoy playing with each other so they are enthusiastic,”

she says.

Jennie dreams of starting a summer music festival and a chamber

music series. For now, all three are enjoying their role as artists-in-

residence at VU.

“It feels like everything happened for a reason,” says Julie. “To play

together as a family, the fact that we’re able to stay close is something

I’m grateful for.

“It’s wonderful to perform all this music with [my sisters]. I learn from their strengths. There is an intuition that isn’t there with other instrumentalists.”

Sarah Kang ’07 is an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea. She works with junior high students and has renewed her

contract to teach for another year.

Dennis Luce ’04 has served as youth pastor for various churches in California and Minnesota since graduating.

His current post is the youth, children and missions pastor at Sheffi eld Family Life Center in Kansas City, Mo. Dennis and wife Necole have been married 15 years and have three children, Grace, Theo and Lily.

Alisa Manjarrez ’04 is the media manager at Paprika Studios (paprikastudios.com), a web-focused marketing

and communication fi rm in Fresno.

Luke Martin ’05 and wife Laurie have been English teachers in Korea for two years. Luke teaches middle

school students, Laurie elementary school. In their free time, they write ROKetship (roketship.com), a comic strip about living in the Republic of Korea, and will publish a book collection this summer.

Rachel Martinez ’06 has worked in the Vanguard music department for four years. She is involved

in worship and youth ministries in various churches including His Place in Huntington Beach. She is pursuing an MA in Christian leadership at Fuller Seminary.

Briana (Helmick ’04) and James Moore ’05, MA ’07 moved to Boston where James is pursing post-graduate work at

Brandeis University. Briana will return to school to become an RN and continues to do freelance photography (labohemephotography.com).

Jung Trio, continued from page 6


Commencement 2010More than 400 students graduated at Vanguard University’s 2010 commencement ceremonies in May

at Mariners Church in Irvine. Student speakers included Crystal Kirch, Dan Hickman and Mike Hartanov,

and VU was honored to have Admiral Vernon E. Clark, USN (ret.) as the commencement speaker.


After selling FlexFoot to Ossur, he founded his

own company, Freedom Innovations, to make

electronic knees controlled by a micropro-

cessor, and high performance carbon fi ber

feet that are recognizable for their “J” shape.

Freedom Innovations is now one of largest

prosthetics manufacturers in the industry.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur,” Myers

says. “I like to work at small companies that

are focused on technology.”

In 2005, Myers had a life-changing experi-

ence. After undergoing surgery for a ruptured

tendon in his arm, he woke up with his left

hand crippled. The surgeon said it would only

be temporary, but it sent Myers into a time of

deep introspection.

“Our company was successful, but I was

traveling all the time and missing out on a lot of

the important stuff — family, faith and friends,”

he says. “With this injury I got a brief glimpse

of what it is like to have a limb difference like

an amputee. My world slowed way down. I

started saying things like, ‘I can’t believe I’m

never going to play piano or guitar again.’ Then

I realized it had been years since I had done

those things with any regularity. What was I

doing with my life? Because of the paralysis I

could no longer throw a baseball or stroke my

wife’s hair. I had been a Christian

my whole life and was very active

in church, but I realized I had

drifted far away from the man I

believed God wanted me to be.

I had slowly put aside most of

what was really important to me

for business. I had forgotten what

God had really called me to do.”

Myers made a bargain with

God: “Give me my hand back

and I’ll serve you. I won’t forget

what you showed me with this

experience.”

Three and a half months after

the surgery, he recovered full use

of his arm. Within a year God

opened a door for him to sell his

interest in the company. Myers

then began seeking a more

ministry-oriented path. He and

several other families founded

Heritage Christian School in

Mission Viejo. He served on the

board of directors at Providence

Christian College and consulted

with Christian businesses. But he

missed working in prosthetics. Then a Chris-

tian friend, one of the most prominent prosthe-

tists in the country, suggested Myers go back

to school to become a prosthetist.

The idea stuck and Myers returned to prosthet-

ic school in 2008. Because of his prominence

in the industry he was already well known

among his professors and fellow students.

Today, at his Southern California Prosthetics

clinic, Myers fi ts and fabricates prosthetics for

amputees. Often, he uses products he himself

helped create.

“God is really blessing the work,” he says.

“You can tell how effective a

product is by the amount of

tears when the person fi rst

wears it. It’s a powerful experi-

ence. Their whole world opens

up when they get their hand or

leg back.”

He also feels he has returned to

his original calling.

“I am convinced I am exactly

where God wants me to be, do-

ing exactly what he wants me

to do,” Myers says. “I always

believed God called me to see patients, from

the time I fi rst went to Vanguard twenty-fi ve

years ago.”

The challenge with prosthetics is to make arti-

fi cial limbs that fi t the body, even as the body

continues to change in shape.

“It’s a very customized process to create

something that will take a person’s weight

comfortably so they can walk,” Myers says.

“Performance, comfort, aesthetics, safety and

durability are all considered. And because

our bodies change, that socket will eventually

need to be re-shaped or even re-made. So it’s

a lifelong relationship. Our philosophy is we’re

going to fi t you and it’s going to be comfort-

able whether it takes one time or a hundred

times. We do our work as unto the Lord.

That’s unusual in this industry.”

His 4,000-square-foot facility is intentionally

cozy, with nice fi tting rooms and a large gym

with a treadmill, stationary bike and basketball

hoops.

“I want patients to come in, visit, fellowship

and relax, like it’s home,” he says. “That’s

innovative in our industry, too. I want them to

enjoy coming back so they’ll come even when

they only need minor changes.”

Rick Myers, continued on page 16

Rick Myers, continued from page 5“Vanguard provided an environment that was safe, with very small classes and professors who were very involved with students. It was just an incredible experience.”



Amy Neville ’05 is a full-time intercessory missionary at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City.

She teaches music and works in the academics offi ce there.

Steve Reese ’00 works at Trinity Christian Center in Tustin. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, writing music and activism to support national sovereignty.

Meghan Reeve ’07 works at Lil’ Lighthouse Preschool day camp and is pursuing an MA in leadership and

spirituality at Vanguard. She hopes to start her own non-profi t called Become Restored (becomerestored.blogspot.com). She lives in Newport Beach.

Chris Reilly ’05 purchased a home in Morrison, Colo., where he lives with his dog. He works with youth in the South Jefco Sports

Association (southjeff.org) and manages a little league baseball team which qualifi ed for the state tournament this season.

Laura (Werbowski ’03) Reyes received her multiple subject credential and is a substitute teacher in local school

districts. She also tutors privately and through Professional Tutors of America. Laura and husband Eduardo were married in 2008 and live in Winchester.

Bethany Schaefer ’06 taught the writing and grammar lab course at VU for three years. Bethany now teaches written

and oral communications courses at Radford University in Virginia where she was offered a scholarship to pursue an MS in English.

Galina Tramposh ’05 worked with David Riley Associates in Orange County before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a

career in residential interior design and is now working on iPad and iPhone television ads for Apple/Chiat Day. Galina and Dan Holechek ’03 plan to wed in October. She resides in Santa Monica with her Pomeranian, Louie.

Vanessa Vargas ’09 lives on the central coast of California where she leads the marching band and color guard at her

former high school. She is involved in children’s ministry at her church.


Alum works at FoxNewsJennifer Rivera ’09 became an assistant producer at FoxNews in New York City after interning there as a VU student.

“I am where I am thanks to a great staff and faculty at Vanguard that polished me and challenged me to work hard,” she says.

Rivera works in the documentary unit, helping to produce investigative reports and specials drawn from the day’s headlines. After her internship ended last year, she beat out scores of applicants for her full-time position. She works with others to write show scripts, gather foot-age and conduct interviews.

“We do everything except hosting,” she says. “It’s a lot of detail.”

Rivera came to VU sight unseen from New Jersey.

“Vanguard was the answer to many of my prayers,” she says. “It has a great communications department.”

She intended to study to be an on-air reporter, but quickly learned she was go-ing to be taught everything from editing to producing.

“That’s one of the biggest reasons I was hired by FoxNews, because I had an opportunity to learn everything at Van-guard,” she says. “Ann-Caryn Cleveland was a key person throughout my whole experience because she challenged me, and I decided to take up the challenge.”

Rivera has helped produce fi ve one-hour FoxNews documentaries on subjects ranging from terrorism to modern sea pirates to education.

“It’s a great privilege to go into some-one’s home every day and have them listen to us and trust us,” she says. “With that comes a lot of responsibility.”

She looks forward to one day stepping into a hosting role.

“I hope this is just the beginning,” she says. “Learning how things work behind the scenes will help me in the future.”

Elise (Loncosky ’00) and Ryan Williams ’00 are parents to sons Ben, 5, and Caden, 2. They are enjoying their recent move to Wilsonville, Ore.

Marilyn Williams ’09 and her husband have served as Wycliffe associates in Kenya and Sudan. This summer they will

travel to the Solomon Islands to help set up a compound to train nationals in Bible translation. Marilyn’s work and testimony have been featured on The 700 Club and were highlighted at a recent women’s conference in London (marilynwilliams.com).

Future AlumniRonni (Hamilton) Ernenputsch ’04 moved to Phoenix in 2004 to participate in an internship at

lifeconnectionchurch.net. She went on to receive an MA in secondary education from

Grand Canyon University in 2009. She is now an English teacher at La Joya High School in Avondale, Ariz. She and husband Brett are proud parents to stepdaughter Kaylee, 6. They expect their fi rst child, Suri Janine, in October.

Rachel (Metzger ’01) and Brenton Fessler ’02 live in Fullerton and work in Brea. Rachel is a fi fth grade teacher.

Brenton has been the associate pastor at North Hills Church since 2001 and received an MA in theology in June. They have two children, Aubrey, 4, Micah, 1, and expect their third child this September.

Alicia (Baldwin ’98) LaJoie and husband Mike welcomed fi rst child, Jonathan, on October 5, 2009. They celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary this summer.

David Lara ’97 and wife Consuelo have been Assemblies of God missionaries in Mexico for


Vanguard’s Department of Theatre Arts, which has won local praise and accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Theatre (see On Campus), can be dated to the spring of 1982.Such plays as Papa Was a Preacher (1963), The Diary of Anne Frank

(1972), and You Can’t Take It With You (1977) had been regularly

staged over the years but were hampered without a resident director,

an inventory of props and costumes, or even a theater. This began

to change in 1980 when Morris Pike joined the faculty and was

charged with developing a theatre program. Over the next two years

he produced The Importance of Being Earnest, The Matchmaker,

Tartuffe and A Christmas Carol, all staged in a converted classroom

or on the green between the library and the dining commons.

With the completion of the new Newport Mesa Church facility

late in 1981, the vacated college chapel was appropriated and,

with assistance from the maintenance department, reconfi gured

by creating a thrust stage surrounded by raised seating. With the

addition of an orchestra pit and a bank of dimmers for appropriate

lighting effects, the new theater was ready for its fi rst production, the

musical Fiddler on the Roof.

Costumes were borrowed, sets constructed, and a twenty-two piece

student orchestra led by Noel Wilson began practicing the musical

score. The thirty-seven member cast drawn from the student body

was augmented with several faculty children. The campus pastor,

Don Baldwin, was given the role of Tevye. His natural gifts, and his

fi ve children, made him perfect for the role.

As the opening performance drew near, campus excitement grew.

The many students, friends and alumni who were participating in

the production, combined with the promise of the new theater,

assured a packed house for each of the six performances. And from

the opening night’s prelude the audience was captivated as it was

transported to the charming Russian village where it could empathize

with the challenges of a persecuted people.

Over the next twelve years two plays per year were successfully

produced including Man of La Mancha (1983), You Can’t Take It With

You (1988), and The Merchant of Venice (1992). Then, sadly, in the

summer of 1994 an unknown arsonist destroyed the theater. But

nearly thirty years later many who participated in, or simply enjoyed,

Fiddler on the Roof fondly remember the musical in which Vanguard

theatre came of age.

Lewis WilsonAcademic Dean Emeritus

The Rise of VU’s Theater Program

a vine of his own planting

Myers has served on the board of directors

of the Amputee Coalition of American since

2004. He still helps to run businesses, but less

so than in the past. And he continues to cham-

pion Vanguard. As a part-time high school

science teacher, he brought his students to

Vanguard every year to introduce them to the

university. As a result more than a dozen have

since attended VU.

“I tell them, ‘Here’s the place I went to school,

and it’s a great place,’” he says.

Rick and Megan have four sons, and their

son Benjamin was a VU student from 2002-

2004. Learn more about Myers’ practice at

scprosthetics.com.

Rick Myers, continued from page 14


fi dence that other students are drawn to. He is well-spoken, ambitious and clearly serious about his faith, which infuses all that he does. I am excited about the plans God has for his life.”

But for a time Vazquez wondered if he should use his gifts in the pulpit instead of in politics.

“I struggled with that,” he says. “When you have a father who is a pastor, a grandmother who was an evangelist in Puerto Rico and a long heritage of family in the ministry, you think about whether you should follow in those footsteps.”

The question was resolved last year in Ed Rybarczyk’s history of Pentecostal-ism class.

“Professor Rybarczyk said something I needed to hear: ‘We’re not all called to ministry or missions, but we’re all called to a missional life,’” says Vazquez. “I wrote that down and have carried it with me. If I want to impact this world for Christ, it’s not just start-ing a church or being a pastor, it’s liv-ing my life for God’s glory in whatever profession I have.”

Vazquez now chairs the legislation committee, which recently updated and revamped the student constitution. Among the changes is a switch in termi-nology from ASBG (Associated Student Body Government) to SGA (Student Government Association) which puts VU in line with other universities.

During the process, Vazquez also dis-

covered VU’s rich history of student involvement.

“I spent time in the Vanguard ar-chives and looked at yearbooks go-ing back to the late 1920s,” he says. “I found out that students really infl u-enced the university. That gave me a vision for the future.”

He cites the student-led Wednes-day night worship service, now called Shine, which was started by students as Prayer and Praise in the 1970s.

“That is one of the biggest strands of our spiritual DNA,” he says. “It’s an awesome experience for our community, and it was started by students. I want to say, what are

we going to do to make this university what we want it to be? To implement things that will make it memorable for students to come?”

One idea he’s considering: commis-sioning a university fi ght song.

After graduating, Vazquez hopes to head east for graduate studies. For now he’s enjoying his undergraduate experience.

“Here at Vanguard I’ve seen many doors open, and I feel liked I’m being developed spiritually, academically and socially,” he says. “I really admire the education I’m getting. I enjoy being around people, hearing their stories, where they came from, how students have this desire to change the world with all these creative ideas. It’s been really encouraging.”

David Vazquez, continued from page 9

“Here at Vanguard I ’ v e s e e n m a n y doors open, and I feel liked I’m being developed spiritually, academical ly and s o c i a l l y. I r e a l l y admire the education I’m getting.”

the two years. Daughter Victoria Raquel was born March 3, 2010.

Beth (Weidler ’02) and Joshua Schultz ’00 are proud parents to Lucas, born in August 2009. Joshua is a teacher at California

Elementary School in Costa Mesa and Beth is a teacher at Friends Christian School in Yorba Linda. They reside in Anaheim.

Just MarriedCorri (Albouy-Vaughan ’08) and Kyo Edmoundson ’95 were married in July 2009 and live in Costa Mesa. Corri is a teaching assistant for Ashford

University; Kyo is on staff in the communication department at Vanguard.

Becky (Lopez ’06) King married Kyle on December 26, 2009, in Downey. Kyle is a sergeant in the Marine Corps and in the offi cer program to

be considered for a lieutenant ranking. Becky is a Spanish interpreter at the local hospital. They live in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Erinn (Rouse ’04) Lunde taught English in Barcelona and travelled throughout Europe for a year before receiving her teaching

credential from Vanguard. She and husband Brent were married September 2009 and moved to Vancouver, Wash. where Erinn teaches kindergarten.

Michael Mulligan ’06 married Kristin in September 2009. He has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, done voice work for Disney and recently

fi nished Bonnie and Clyde at the La Jolla Playhouse, which will debut on Broadway next year. Michael and Kristin are enjoying their new home in New York City.

Elicia (MacLean ’04) and Derek Olson ’05 were married in May 2009. Derek is in the Army, and Elicia is a preschool teacher. They are expecting

their fi rst child in November and will be relocating to Florida in 2011.

In MemoryRev. Dudley Boyd ’44 passed away April 17, 2010.

Sarah (Urshan) Goss ’41 passed away October 14, 2009.

Rosa (Garrett ’89) Griffi th passed away February 23, 2010.

Rev. Lynn Kanaga, professor emeritus, passed away April 9, 2010.

Captain Thomas L. Sanderson ’67 passed away February 14, 2010.



On Campus, continued from page 3

on campus

Summer of Service offers two-month missions experience

Sixteen VU students are participating in the Summer of

Service, a two-month missionary internship that sends

students across the globe.

Jackie Yousef, a senior, felt God calling her back to Ethiopia

after a short-term missions trip there last summer. So this

summer she is returning to spend two months with three

other VU students, working at an orphanage for HIV-positive

children and a home for abandoned women.

“I feel like God might be calling me into missions, so this

longer experience will give me a better feel for it,” she says.

“This is a next step in testing this as a life calling.”

That’s exactly what the program is designed to do, says Josh

Harrison, coordinator of global initiatives.

“The SOS program is for students who’ve gone on a trip with

us before,” he says. “A lot of them come back and think God

is calling them in this direction. So we say why don’t you

spend a summer seeing what that looks like?”

In the Summer of Service, students serve as interns for a

missionary and get a realistic picture of what the life of a

missionary looks like in the fi eld.

Last summer, Nick Billing, now a senior, went on a short-term

trip to Tanzania. This summer, he’s going back with SOS.

“I feel like that’s the next step in practicing my ministry and

going in the direction God would want me to grow,” he says.

Other groups this year are in Eastern Europe, El Salvador

and Mozambique. When students return they attend

workshops where they learn how to continue relationships

with missionaries and how to “psychologically unpack” their

experience overseas, says Harrison.

Theatre program receives prestigious accreditationVU’s theater program has become one of only 170 universities

in the country to receive accreditation by the National

Association of Schools of Theater (NAST).

“This is the culmination of a rigorous process that now puts us

in the company of schools like UCLA, Temple, Penn State and

the University of Arizona,” says Daniel de Roulet, dean of the

College and associate provost.

NAST is the national accrediting agency for theatre and

theatre-related disciplines at the collegiate level. It accredits

programs which meet NAST’s high qualifi cations for

educational quality and institutional probity. NAST also

produces statistical research and provides professional

development for leaders of theatre schools.

VU is now one of two Christian schools in the CCCU with

NAST accreditation.

“Meeting the criteria of this national standard puts Vanguard’s

program in a whole new league,” says Sue Berkompas, the

producing artistic director of the theatre arts department.

“It means that we will constantly be held accountable for

excellence in programming, curriculum and overall quality

of art. It also means a lot for a student theatre major to be

able to say that our program is nationally accredited. It gives

additional credibility to their degree and major.”

VANGUARD UNIVERSITY

PRE-VU 2010Discover what Vanguard University has to offer — a great education, great community, and great location. Meet our faculty, stay in our dorms, and get a taste of college life, at Fall Pre-VU, November 8 & 9!

www.vanguard.edu/prevu800-722-6279 [email protected]


R onald Harris, a veteran of university marketing, fundraising

and administration, has joined Vanguard University as the

vice president for university advancement.

“Everywhere Dr. Harris has worked, he has had a strong impact,”

says VU president Carol Taylor. “He is recognized for building solid

advancement teams and leading by example with the greatest of

integrity and respect for donors.”

Harris brings several decades of experience to his new post. He

began his career in marketing but soon moved into administration

and fundraising at Montana State University. There he wrote grant

proposals that brought in substantial amounts of money for faculty

projects.

“That became my hallmark, being a faculty member but also procur-

ing and administering money for these projects,” Harris says. “I

have always carried this burning in my heart for raising money for

academic institutions.”

He served as the editor of the International Journal for Cooperative

Education at the tender age of thirty-fi ve, and then went to Cal Poly

Pomona where he taught marketing and raised money for the busi-

ness program. After that he served as vice president of advancement

at Bethel University, and was recognized by the Council for Advance-

ment and Support of Education for excellence in fundraising because

of his development program performance. Harris’ accomplishments

at Bethel include achieving over $100 million in all categories of

charitable giving, an increase in the annual fund from $1.5 million

to $2.9 million, an increase in planned giving from $284,000 to over

$4 million each year, grants that accumulated over $3 million and a

capital campaign completed at $39.5 million.

He also was a key consultant for the recently

completed $109.5 million campaign at Bethel.

“We transformed their approach by talking

about the vision and putting resources with it,”

he says.

Harris then became a consultant for various

ministries, groups and schools. That eventually

brought him back to working with universities.

Most recently, he served as interim vice presi-

dent of advancement at Cedarville University

where he helped rebuild their advancement

department while a national search for a per-

manent vice president was conducted.

“Though I loved consulting, I found myself wanting to be back in a

Christian university doing this work of advancement,” he says. “I re-

ally love this setting.”

Harris will help President Carol Taylor strategize and communicate

Vanguard’s vision to alumni and other constituencies, and will help

the university raise the resources to carry out that vision.

“Excellence starts with vision, but the vision must have resources

behind it,” Harris says. “Success takes a dedicated people and

resources to achieve the goal.”

He is enthusiastic about President Taylor’s vision for “positioning this

as one of the great Christian universities in this part of the world,”

he says. “God in his providence is assembling a group of leaders of

substantial gifts at this university. They stand out for their grace and

their eagerness for God. I love working with them. What’s happening

at Vanguard is a leading of the Spirit.”

Harris says that his efforts, and the efforts of the entire University, will

continue to be undergirded by prayer.

“We can’t do any of this without being people of prayer,” he says. “I

will be asking thousands of people around the world to volunteer to

pray for this University and our vision for the future. We will ask them

to meet monthly. Together we will seek God’s wisdom. The history of

this great University is fi lled with people who loved and served God.”

Harris and his wife Barbara have three grown children and fi ve grand-

children.

vu spotlight

Advancing Vanguard University


Vanguard’s baseball team had its best season in decades, setting school records for num-ber of wins and reviving a program which had been in a several-season slump.

Helping to instill new energy is coach Ralph Grajeda, who previ-

ously coached throughout Orange County at the high school and

college levels, and was an assistant coach at UC Davis when the

team fi nished fi fth at the Division 2 World Series in 2003. He came

to VU in 2008.

One of his fi rst challenges was to revamp Vanguard’s playing fi eld.

Grajeda and the players raised $30,000, much of it from baseball

alums, to improve the fi eld and its facilities. Several baseball alums

donated critical materials and services.

The players themselves contributed the sweat equity.

“We did most of the manual labor,” says Grajeda. “Alumni poured

the concrete, fences were installed in front of the dugouts, the team

laid sod, put in custom hat racks and bat racks, even re-did our

bullpens. We put a lot of time and treasure into it.”

The result was not just a vastly improved fi eld, but a sense of opti-

mism and camaraderie that carried into the season.

“We had great team chemistry,” says Grajeda. “Not only was it one

of the best teams I’ve ever recruited, it’s one of the top teams in

terms of work ethic, chemistry and character.”

Vanguard roared into the season, sweeping APU in a four-game

series, a fi rst for the Lions. Then they rolled over Biola, a baseball

powerhouse, 20-5, handing them their worst home loss since 1998.

Soon, VU was nationally ranked for the fi rst time ever, peaking at #6.

“Our players took ownership of the club and had a sense of identity

from building that fi eld,” says Grajeda. “They took this program into

the rankings and into the playoffs.”

By the time they reached the post-season the Lions had set a school

record for home runs for the second time in two years, and had the

best hitter in the conference, Eric Krzysiak, a catcher and designated

hitter who set a school record with 86 hits and a .438 average. He

and Robert Purpura, a relief pitcher, were all-conference selections.

Right fi elder Brandon Young, a junior, received a Gold Glove from the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conference.

Right-handed pitcher Peter Birdwell, a senior, was drafted by the

New York Mets in the 25th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball

draft, the program’s second draft pick in two years.

The team won two games in the fi rst round of the post-season,

including an epic 11-inning upset over #15 College of Idaho,

which Grajeda says is one of the best games he has been part of

as a coach.

“Our players would not give up,” he says. “They kept fi ghting.

Coming from behind was our M.O. all season. Coaches in our con-

ference felt they had to really put it on us to beat us.”

Revitalized baseball team shines in post-season

sports

New energy: Ralph Grajeda coached the Lions to their most successful season since 1997.

Sports, continued on page 21


The Lions lost in the semi-fi nal game of the regional, but set

a school single-season record for 34 wins, with 22 wins in the

Golden State Athletic Conference, considered the toughest con-

ference in the NAIA. It was the Lions’ fi rst 30-win season since

1997 and the fi rst time they played in the national tournament

since 1985 when they took fourth in the College World Series.

Grajeda is most pleased that his senior players got to taste

success after helping to build the team over the past few years.

“They rolled up their sleeves and got it done,” he says. “They

worked hard to rebuild the fi eld, hard in the gym and on the fi eld

of play. This was our breakthrough team. Vanguard is now a

nationally-ranked NAIA program. Those seniors get to leave on a

high note. That was important to me. This was a special group.”

For more information visit vanguard.edu/athletics/baseball.

Sports, continued from page 20

My family moved to Bolivia when I was four. Although I thoroughly enjoyed growing up there, I saw a lot of poverty and inequality. From a young age I wanted to do something to alleviate those problems wherever they existed, and I was driven by the principle that people are entitled to fair treatment and basic provisions. I wanted to help people —but I didn’t yet know how.

I came to Vanguard and started out as a

psychology major. I had been considering

a number of paths: getting a counseling

degree so I could help people on a personal

level, or becoming a lawyer so I could

defend them against unfair treatment. But

a sociology class with professor Elizabeth

Leonard transformed my life. The fi eld of

sociology seemed to open up before me.

Everything she said made sense, especially

learning about social structure and how it

impacts individuals’ lives.

Not only was Dr. Leonard tackling problems

in an academic setting, she was helping

people in the everyday world, especially

imprisoned battered women. I was inspired

by how she used her extensive knowledge

to help real people.

Sociology became my major. When I told

Dr. Leonard, she gave me a big hug and

welcomed me to the department. Every

class I took with Phil Robinette, Ed Clarke,

Vince Gil and Dr. Leonard were fantastic.

The people in that department shaped

the way I thought about issues and about

my own future. Each professor provided

a unique perspective. I learned how to

process information analytically and how to

use my critical thinking skills. I threw myself

into the study of sociology, and joined the

sociology club and Alpha Kappa Delta, the

sociology honor society.

I graduated magna cum laude from

Vanguard and spent the next fi ve years

at UC Irvine earning my PhD in sociology.

Today I am a statistician at the U.S. Census

Bureau in Washington, DC. I received the

U.S. Census Bureau Performance Award

the last two years for my research and

work, and one my articles was recently

used in Senate testimony. I enjoy my job of

designing surveys, evaluating data to ensure

it’s accurate and making it available to the

public. One of the things I work on is the

American Community Survey, the largest

household survey in the U.S.

But I also enjoy the research component

— taking data and fi nding out what it says

about society, then presenting that research

at conferences. I feel I’m working behind the

scenes to help people in the way I always

dreamed of doing.

I still consider Dr. Leonard my mentor. She

took time to get to know students, and she

demonstrated how sociology works in the

fi eld. I ask myself from time to time, how

would Dr. Leonard approach this or that

issue or problem? Like her, I enjoy using

applied research to improve people’s lives.

I’m glad she and the others in the sociology

department helped me fi nd the path toward

a career that counts.

Christin (Anderson ’02) Hilgeman

EDITOR’S NOTE:The column features an essay by a different alum each issue.

Washington, DC

A Career that Counts

postcards


55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

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Summer 2010

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