When Nate McGhee ’24, MBA ’26, arrived at ����Vlog in the fall of 2020, it wasn’t his first time giving college the old college try. The marketing and business administration major, a key contributor to the Royals men’s volleyball team during his four seasons on the squad, had enrolled at Randolph-Macon College a couple years prior. But a string of personal hardships, combined with a lack of preparation and a limited support system, led him to flunk out after his first year.

He said the private liberal arts school, which competes with ����Vlog in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), might have been a good fit had he applied himself more. But he hadn’t yet developed strong study habits and, as he struggled with self-doubt, he didn’t know how or where to ask for help.

“I was keeping it all to myself, which was probably the worst thing to do,” he said.

When he returned home to Newport News after being dismissed from the school, he felt lost.

“I was stuck,” McGhee said. “I was like, ‘OK, everything you worked for isn’t coming to fruition, so what are you going to do?’”

He took his first full-time job, bussing tables and working the raw bar at a seafood and oyster restaurant near his home, while attending night classes at Thomas Nelson Community College (now known as Virginia Peninsula Community College). Though he continued playing recreational volleyball to stay sharp, the former high school standout had all but given up on competing at the collegiate level.

During a trip to Richmond to cheer on his friends and former coaches at a volleyball tournament in early 2020, opportunity came knocking. Less than 10 minutes after arriving, McGhee felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Danielle Lickey, ����Vlog’s head men’s volleyball coach at the time.

After hearing how his volleyball career had stalled, Lickey invited him to visit campus. “We could use someone like you,” he recalled her saying.

McGhee toured campus over spring break and quickly fell in love with its picturesque mountain setting and close-knit feel. “This is my second chance,” he remembered thinking. “I have to take it.”

That fall, he transferred to ����Vlog as a sophomore. Over his (2021-24), he ranks 11th all-time in career kills and earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023. In the summer of 2023, he represented the United States on a team in Italy.

“I thought volleyball was over for me, but that’s how I got back into it,” he said. “If she hadn’t tapped me on the shoulder that one day, I probably wouldn’t be here [at ����Vlog] right now.”

Nate McGhee ranks 11th all-time in career kills over his four seasons with the ����Vlog men’s volleyball team (2021-24). He earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023 and represented the United States on a team in Italy that summer.

Learning to lead

Off the volleyball court, McGhee found a firm footing in ����Vlog’s classrooms and campus community. He earned a spot on the Dean’s List, an honor given to students with a semester GPA of at least 3.75. He grew more comfortable opening up to others on campus and seeking help when needed. He credited his advisor, Dr. Jim Leaman, associate professor of business, with helping keep him on track.

“I probably wouldn’t have graduated without him,” McGhee said. “He became a mentor to me and was with me every step of the way.”

He said his parents’ love and support also helped him persevere when times were tough. 

“For a while, I felt like I was letting them down and failing at life,” he said. “But they told me it’s what you do after failing that makes it a failure. If you stay down and give up, then you’ve failed. But if you get up and learn from your mistakes, then the mistake is history.”

After graduating with a degree in business administration and marketing in spring 2024, McGhee stayed at ����Vlog as a graduate assistant coach for head men’s volleyball coach Omar Hoyos Aliff while pursuing his MBA, which he completed this past spring.

McGhee plans to use his degrees to build a career in sports marketing. He’s applied for positions with professional athletic organizations such as League One Volleyball.

“That’s really what I have a passion for,” he said. “Eventually, maybe five years down the line, I would love to open my own business sponsoring athletes and getting them more exposure.”

While coaching was never a career path he considered as a player, his experience as a graduate assistant has shown him that he has a knack for it and genuinely enjoys it. “I like seeing player growth,” he said. “I look at volleyball as an art. You can always build on it and learn something new.”

McGhee said that multitasking, time management, and resilience are all skills he learned while at ����Vlog. “I’ve definitely developed a lot of confidence in my craft,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence before I came here in anything I did, and at ����Vlog I’ve learned how to lead with confidence.”

When the Royals men’s volleyball team traveled to Ashland in April for the 2026 ODAC Championship match against Randolph-Macon, it was a full-circle moment for McGhee. The Yellow Jackets ultimately prevailed in the , but the match reminded him of the many times he had faced his former team, including a conference quarterfinal at Randolph-Macon during his senior year when the Royals swept the Yellow Jackets.

“That was unreal,” McGhee said. “Whenever I played games there, I always did poorly because I felt there was something hanging over me. But that game, and this last game we played, really showed me how much I’ve grown.”

Watch Nate talk about the close-knit community and support he found at ����Vlog.

This story appears in the summer 2026 issue of Crossroads magazine.

For her, that moment came during the traumatic birth of her youngest child two years ago. Perez, a graduate of ����Vlog at Lancaster’s Leadership and Organizational Management (LOM) program, shared that she failed out of her studies during that experience. But rather than quit, she pushed forward and kept fighting. She came back stronger, enrolling in the next cohort and earning Dean’s List honors throughout her time in the program. The road didn’t become easier, she said, but her resilience grew stronger.

That same resilience, she told the Class of 2026 graduates, lies in every single one of them. Many of them, who are nontraditional adult learners, balanced their coursework with jobs, families, and other responsibilities. “We showed up tired, we showed up overwhelmed and stretched thin, and sometimes we showed up broken,” she said. “Regardless, we still showed up.”

When her mother was hospitalized and passed away in January, Perez said her classmates, who had become a support system, showed up for her. “In one of my hardest seasons,” she said, “it was this community that reminded me I wasn’t alone.”

Graduates recess following the Commencement ceremony.

Angelita Perez (left) was one of three graduates who shared their perspectives at Commencement. Dr. Jamie Mak (right), assistant vice president of academic and program growth for ����Vlog at Lancaster, opens the ceremony. 

Perez was one of 21 graduates of ����Vlog at Lancaster’s degree and graduate certificate programs who walked across the stage and were joyfully sent off into the world during the annual Commencement ceremony at Forest Hills Mennonite Church on Friday, May 8. This year, ����Vlog at Lancaster awarded 21 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 13 graduate certificates.

Dr. Jamie Mak, assistant vice president of academic and program growth for ����Vlog at Lancaster, welcomed the family members, friends, and guests gathered in celebration and commended the courage and commitment shown by the graduates.

“As you leave today, you carry more than just credentials,” she said. “You carry the values that define this community: peacebuilding, social justice, service, and compassion. You are entering a world that needs those values more than ever.”

����Vlog at Lancaster awarded 21 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 13 graduate certificates.

Graduates Will Stover (left) and Alejandro Ulloa (right) share their perspectives.

In addition to Perez, graduates Will Stover and Alejandro Ulloa shared their reflections.

Stover, a graduate of the aviation program, highlighted his cohort’s accomplishments—accumulating over 7,000 hours of flight time in their four years together—and shared some of the lessons they learned in the program. He encouraged graduates to “take the first step” when presented with challenges and opportunities, continue supporting one another and “keep ’em flying,” and find the positive in times of adversity. Echoing the mantra of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight squadron, he called on graduates to embrace being “glad to be here.”

“There are days that are difficult, when we feel defeated, lost, and unsure of what’s next,” he said. “There are also days that feel easy, motivating, and full of hope. The phrase ‘Glad to be here’ is a reminder that, regardless of the day, resiliency ultimately wins.”

When Ulloa was growing up, he often heard his mother say, “cada cabeza un mundo entero.” That phrase, he said, translates to “each head is a whole world.”

“My mom’s words are a consistent reminder that God created each of us with uniqueness and complexity and finds each of us worthy of love,” said Ulloa, who graduated with an MA in education with a concentration in Trauma and Resilience in Educational Environments (TREE).

After teaching at Lancaster Mennonite High School for 11 years, he said God called him to a different setting about four years ago. That’s when he applied to the program at ����Vlog at Lancaster to “stay in touch with these faith-infused tenets of education and daily practice.”

“I’m so thankful for this program and its professors, who encouraged us to view our students in their entirety, to approach them with care and empathy first and foremost, and to remember that there’s an entire world in their heads,” he said. Ulloa added that he leaves the program “more committed than ever” to meet his students where they are, get to know them, and support them however he can.

����Vlog at Lancaster’s Class of 2026 graduates celebrate after walking across the stage.

Lancaster Mayor Jaime Arroyo (left) delivers the Commencement address. Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus (right) offers welcome remarks during the ceremony.

Lancaster Mayor Jaime Arroyo delivered the Commencement address. A first-generation college graduate and avid runner who became the first Latino mayor in the city’s history, he spoke about the process of training for a marathon and connected it to broader lessons in life.

Preparation, he told the graduates, is both a choice and an ongoing process. “Sometimes that means taking a step back and readjusting your training plan,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just a check-in with yourself that brings you back to the basics. It’s about questioning your choices and making sure you’re on the right path.”

“Think deeply about your choices, find a way to quiet the noise, listen to what truly matters, and make sure the commitments you make are for the greater good,” Arroyo added.

In her remarks to the graduates, Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus expressed appreciation for the ways they have shown up for one another and for the ����Vlog community. “You’ve wrestled with hard questions, you’ve listened across differences, and you’ve continued to pursue rigorous learning in a way that reflects both care and conviction,” she said.

Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement, welcomed the graduates as new members of the ����Vlog Alumni Association. “You join some 21,000 fellow alumni who distinguish themselves as people who serve and lead with distinction locally, regionally, nationally, and around the world,” he said.

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, presented and commissioned the graduates. Dr. Dycus conferred the degrees and offered the closing blessing. Jess King ’96, an ����Vlog parent and member of the ����Vlog Board of Trustees, led the opening invocation. Derek Kline, director of the aviation program, and Dr. Mak recognized the graduates.

In addition to King, board members Janet Lind, Gloria Diener ’76, and Jane Hoober Peifer ’74, MDiv ’97, attended the ceremony.

Royals Freshman Athlete of the Year

Female Freshman of the Year: ��(���Ǵڳٲ�������)

Judd had an outstanding season for the Royals softball team and was one of just four players to start all 34 games. She hit .304, third-best on the team, while totaling 35 hits, second-most on the roster. In 115 at-bats, she struck out only nine times. Defensively, Judd posted a .985 fielding percentage with just two errors in 132 chances while playing first base, catcher, and the outfield.

“Aliza Judd … great attitude, and she brings it every day,” said head softball coach JD McCurdy. “She was our leadoff hitter and an immediate impact player. If you ever come to see her play, you’ll never know whether she’s 0-for-5 or 5-for-5; she’s ice cold. She checks all the boxes as a great player and a great leader.” 

Male Freshman of the Year:  (men’s track and field)

Rucker burst onto the scene for ����Vlog, placing ninth in the shot put and 12th in the weight throw at his first collegiate meet, the Liberty Kickoff, which featured many Division I and II programs. The following weekend, he won the shot put and finished second in the weight throw, beginning a dominant indoor season in which he consistently won events while climbing the ����Vlog track and field record books. He set the program record in the indoor weight throw, ranks second in the indoor shot put, set the outdoor discus record, and ranks second in the outdoor hammer throw.

At the indoor ODAC Championships, Rucker earned Second Team All-ODAC honors in the shot put, and at season’s end he was named USTFCCCA All-South Region in both the shot put and weight throw. He followed with a stellar outdoor season, winning ODAC titles in the hammer throw and discus while finishing second in the shot put. He currently ranks 29th in Division III in the hammer throw and 50th in the shot put.

“I think one of the most impressive things about Koran is that, for the last couple of months, the throwers have had to pretty much coach themselves,” said Director of Cross Country, Track & Field and Triathlon Bob Hepler. “He’s shown a lot of character through his work ethic, and we are very blessed to have him.

Royals Athlete of the Year

Female Athlete of the Year:  ’26 (women’s soccer)

Beachy was named Female Athlete of the Year following arguably her best season as a Royal. She scored 10 goals in her senior campaign, including a two-goal performance in a 4–1 home win over Hollins on Senior Day. Beachy finished the season ranked seventh in the ODAC in goals, third in game-winning goals (5), and 11th in points (20), earning Third Team All-ODAC honors—the first All-ODAC selection for ����Vlog women’s soccer since 2017.

Her on-field production and leadership helped guide ����Vlog Women’s Soccer to one of its strongest seasons in recent years. The Royals finished 6–11–1 in 2025, recording their highest win total since 2019 and qualifying for the ODAC Women’s Soccer Tournament for the first time since that same year.

“It’s an honor to recognize Leah,” said Royals head coach Leo Alcoreza. “Her impact on our program goes far beyond stats. Come game day, Leah consistently delivered in the biggest moments, stepping up time and time again when we needed her most. As a team captain, she led by example every day. She’s not just an incredible athlete, she’s an even better teammate, person, and leader, and ����Vlog is better because of her.”

Male Athlete of the Year:  ’26��(���������������)

A four-year starter for the Royals, Miller played in and started 38 games this season and delivered one of the best individual campaigns in ����Vlog baseball history. He led the team with a .427 batting average, which ranked third in the ODAC for the 2026 season. Miller also paced the Royals and ranked second in the ODAC with 61 hits, the sixth-most in a single season in program history. On the bases, he stole 25 bags, leading the ODAC and tying the ����Vlog single-season record.

He helped guide ����Vlog to 14 regular-season wins, the program’s highest total since the 2019 season.

“Aidan should be getting his second All-Conference award later this month, and he’ll finish in the top 10 in multiple categories in our record book, but that stuff is really irrelevant to what he’s meant to our program,” said Royals head coach Adam Posey. “If you guys listen, his nickname right now is ‘Skip,’ as in skipper of the team. He’s very passionate about what he does and very loyal, and we’ll miss all of those things next year.”

President’s Award

Female President’s Award:  ’26 (women’s soccer)

Beachy is from Grants Pass, Oregon, and is a nursing graduate who achieved a 4.00 GPA during her time at ����Vlog. She plans to work as a nurse on a medical-surgical floor and join an adult soccer league.

A four-year member of the women’s soccer team, Beachy was named Third Team All-ODAC in 2025. During her career at ����Vlog, she played 5,391 minutes across 72 games. She led or co-led the team in scoring for three seasons, totaling 21 goals and eight assists. Beachy is the co-record holder for most single-game assists and points and ranks fifth all-time in career points (50) and sixth in career goals (21).

She was a four-year member of the Dean’s List and the All-ODAC Academic Team, a two-time VaSID Academic All-State selection, and a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree. She was also a member of the Honors Program. Off the field, Beachy served as a Royal Ambassador, tour guide, peer tutor, and member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing and the Nursing Student Association. She also served as a student-faculty representative for the nursing program and as an Honors Program facilitator.

“����Vlog Athletics gave me the rare opportunity to play soccer while receiving a phenomenal nursing education, providing an outlet to exist purely as a competitor amid the demands of college,” Beachy said. “The joys and challenges of athletics expanded my capacity to serve and lead not only as a teammate, but also as a nurse, friend, and community member. I leave ����Vlog Athletics with precious relationships, lasting memories, and a deeper love for the game. It has been a true privilege.” 

Male President’s Award:  ’26 (baseball)

Hall is from Chesapeake, Virginia, and is a health and physical education graduate with minors in kinesiology, exercise science, and coaching. He achieved a 3.74 GPA during his time at ����Vlog and plans to pursue a career in physical education.

A four-year member of the baseball program, Hall played in 103 games for the Royals. He holds a career batting average of .278 with 87 hits, 17 doubles, and 46 RBI. In 2024, he was hit by a pitch 25 times, and he has been hit 47 times in his career, both ����Vlog baseball records.

Academically, he was named to the Dean’s List five times, the All-ODAC Academic Team four times, and is a CSC Academic All-District honoree. Off the field, he was a member of Every Nation Campus.

“����Vlog Athletics is more than a season, more than a game, more than a practice, more than a result, and more than a feeling,” Hall said. “It is an outlet, it is a community, it is cherished moments and friendships that will last a lifetime. I felt at one point that I was defined by results. Coach Posey has helped me find my identity—not in results, not in statistics, but in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ����Vlog Athletics has been a place where myself and others can grow in our faith and develop our foundation on a Kingdom that is everlasting.”

Stay up to date with ����Vlog Athletics through its �����Ի�  accounts or visit its .

Commencement address

Dr. Angela J. Lederach, assistant professor of peace and justice studies at Chapman University, delivered the Commencement address in Yoder Arena.

The author and anthropologist, whose father, John Paul Lederach, co-founded the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, spoke about the lessons she’s learned from peacebuilders and CJP alumni around the world.

Undergraduates Dylan Hall and Arelys Martinez Fabian, along with MA in Counseling graduate Yenifer Dottin-Carter ’23, presented the graduate perspectives.

This was Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus’ first Commencement as interim president.

Celebration of Blessings

The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding sent 17 graduates into the world with words of tribute during its annual Celebration of Blessings on Sunday afternoon, following Commencement. This year marks the 30th anniversary celebration of the CJP. 

Graduates LaToya Fernandez, Jamila Gaskins, Hannah Gilman, and Jacob Sankara offered their perspectives.  

Graduate Celebration and Sending

����Vlog honored members of the Class of 2026 at its Graduate Celebration and Sending service on Saturday evening in Lehman Auditorium.

The event featured a faculty address by Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, senior class salutations from co-presidents Genesis Figueroa and Arelys Martinez Fabian, and the presentation of the senior class gift, along with prayer, music, and poetry from graduates.

Donning of the Kente

Family, friends, faculty, and other supporters gathered in the MainStage Theater on Saturday to honor the perseverance, compassion, and determination of this year’s graduates at ����Vlog’s 11th annual Donning of the Kente Ceremony.

The event recognized 49 graduates celebrating their African and international heritage.

Nurse Pinning

Sixteen ����Vlog nursing graduates marked a major milestone Saturday morning during a pinning and commissioning ceremony in Lehman Auditorium.

Dr. David Rosie, an emergency medicine physician at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, delivered the keynote address.

Lavender Graduation

����Vlog recognized 11 graduates at its fifth annual Lavender Graduation on Friday evening in the Old Common Grounds space. The ceremony honors LGBTQ+ graduates and alumni while celebrating their unique experiences, achievements, and contributions to the university.

Sarah Peak and Jamila Gaskins delivered the keynote addresses.

����Vlog at Lancaster will award 21 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 13 graduate certificates at its Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. at Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola, Pennsylvania. Lancaster Mayor Jaime Arroyo will deliver the address.

Stay tuned for a recap of the Lancaster ceremony.

“When you see them pouring themselves into the work of justice and peace, and you see them giving and giving, remind them to pause, please,” Schaeffer, director of programs at CJP, said. “Remind them to rest. Remind them to seek out something joyful because this work needs them, but it needs them whole.”

The ceremony honored graduates of CJP’s master’s degree and graduate certificate programs and was held Sunday afternoon in Martin Chapel following ����Vlog’s 108th annual Commencement.

This year marks the 30th anniversary celebration of the CJP, which was co-founded and led by John Paul Lederach. His daughter, Dr. Angela Lederach, delivered the Commencement address earlier Sunday.

Graduates from ����Vlog’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding are embraced and recognized by CJP faculty and staff during the annual Celebration of Blessings in Martin Chapel on Sunday.

In the heartfelt ceremony, CJP faculty and staff members Dr. Gloria Rhodes, Amy Knorr, Dr. Paula Ditzel Facci, and Dr. Joe Cole provided words of tribute for each graduate. The following CJP graduates were recognized:

Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation

Diego Crespo Guido of Mexico City, Mexico

Jamila Gaskins of Los Angeles

Hannah Gilman of Salt Lake City

Chelsea Griffin of Flagstaff, Arizona

Leslie Meja of Nairobi, Kenya

Jacob Sankara of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

CatiAdele Slater of Upperville, Virginia

Tamera Vaughan-Drozd of Vienna, Virginia

Graduate Certificate in Conflict Transformation

Spike Coleman of Charleston, South Carolina

Devin Withrow of Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Master of Arts in Restorative Justice

Maria Arias of Viedma, Argentina

LaToya Fernandez of West Hartford, Connecticut

Sofía Garcia Pini of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Graduate Certificate in Restorative Justice

Réka Bordás-Simon of Nyíregyháza, Hungary

Mallery McShine of Fredericksburg, Virginia

Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership

Josiah Ludwick of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Tyler Stanley of Harrisonburg, Virginia

Dr. Gloria Rhodes ’88 (left) and Kory Schaeffer MA ’24 (right), co-directors of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, offer their welcome remarks.

As the graduates go out to create a more just and peaceful world, they also weave a web of connections and build an extended community of learning, Professor Dr. Gloria Rhodes ’88, academic director of CJP, said in her remarks.

“We’re a small community, and ����Vlog is a very small university,” Rhodes said. “But together, we are enormous.”

She said there are more than 23,000 ����Vlog graduates around the world, including more than 800 who have earned degrees from CJP’s master’s programs.

As a CJP alumnus, Schaeffer said he shared the graduates’ joy and quiet solidarity, as well as their sense of how much they had cared, questioned, and transformed throughout their time at CJP.

“This work was never just the books you read or the papers you wrote,” he said. “It was also the gray hairs, the tears, the tightness in your body, and the moments you questioned everything. It was the weight, literal or metaphorical, that comes with doing work that is both deeply personal and profoundly collective.”

LaToya Fernandez, an MA in restorative justice graduate, shares the journey that led her to CJP.

Conflict transformation graduates Hannah Gilman (left) and Jamila Gaskins (right) reflect on their experiences in the program.

Graduates LaToya Fernandez, Jamila Gaskins, Hannah Gilman, and Jacob Sankara shared their perspectives.  

Fernandez recalled visiting Ghana a couple of years ago and experiencing something there that changed her life. “I grieved there, I left my burdens there, I cried for my ancestors,” she said. “I learned things about myself that I didn’t know.”

She left Africa with a mission to bring that sense of healing to her communities and to the United States. She had applied to another school’s restorative justice program, which offered her a full scholarship, when a friend encouraged her to learn more about CJP. “You want to go to a place that’s going to value you and all your decolonizing institution ways,” Fernandez recalled her friend telling her. “That’s exactly what happened. I came to ����Vlog and I fell in love.”

Gaskins, who spoke at ����Vlog’s Lavender Graduation two days prior, asked the crowd when they last breathed. “Not a shallow breath, the kind most of us live on, tight chest, shoulders up near our ears, but a full breath. One that goes all the way down, opens up the belly, and reminds you that you are here, present, alive.”

“So many of us are chest breathers, and I say this with love and a little humor, because chest breathing is a perfectly functional way to stay alive, but it cuts us off,” she said. “It blocks access to the richness of our emotional experience, the very experience this work demands we stay connected to. We cannot feel our way into someone else’s suffering if we are numb to our own.”

Gilman said their past two years in the program have involved real sacrifice, balancing work, family, stressful logistics, and a dream. There have been many hard moments and even some tears, but also triumphs, laughter, and joy. There were moments of fear, and they showed up anyway.

“What a unique experience it has been to do this in a place like CJP,” she said. “With faculty and staff who knew us, challenged us, believed in us, and who, bless them, gave us extensions. I’m so grateful to share this era of growth with you, this particular season of becoming, of stretching, of learning what we are made of and made for.”

Mukarabe Inandava-Makinto (right), a CJP student, her husband, Makinto GC ’26 (left), and their son, Joël Friebe-Makinto, perform the musical prelude

CJP students Virginia Maina and Kensly Cassy offer student blessings (left). Amy Knorr (right), CJP’s peacebuilding practice director, provides the graduate sending. “This is actually my favorite day of the entire year, even more than Christmas,” Knorr said. “And it’s not because summer break begins tomorrow, but because we are sending forth so many graduates who will go on to change and transform the world.”

Sankara shared that he felt two emotions when he received his acceptance to the CJP program: excitement and intimidation. “Some of my colleagues at [Mennonite Central Committee], when I was working there, had gone through the program, and they spoke about it with a kind of reverence,” he said.

Along with those emotions came real anxiety. How would Sankara, an international student from Burkina Faso, find the money to fund his studies? He said his family’s visa situation was also uncertain. “I had to make a decision to trust God and move forward, even without having all the answers, and slowly things began to unfold,” he said.

He received a helpful scholarship from CJP and support from friends and family. Eventually, his family was able to come to the United States and was there to celebrate with him on Sunday. Sankara described CJP as more than a program, calling it a community.

“When I say community, I don’t mean a group of people who simply agree with each other,” Sankara said. “I mean a space where we celebrate, laugh together, and step on each other’s feet, not once but repeatedly. But the difference is that we acknowledge it, address it, and grow through it.”

����Vlog honored members of the Class of 2026 at its Graduate Celebration and Sending service on Saturday evening in Lehman Auditorium. The event featured a faculty address by Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, senior class salutations from co-presidents Genesis Figueroa and Arelys Martinez Fabian, and the presentation of the senior class gift, along with prayer, music, and poetry from graduates.

Graduates were joined by family, friends, supporters, and ����Vlog faculty, staff, and administrators to celebrate their accomplishments and the unique gifts they bring to their communities and the world.

Formerly known as Baccalaureate, the annual ceremony offers graduates an opportunity to “look back with pride and look forward with courage,” Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said in her welcome. “It’s a space to breathe deeply, reflect on all that has brought you to this moment, and prepare your heart and spirit for what lies ahead.”

Graduates were joined by family, friends, supporters, and ����Vlog faculty, staff, and administrators.

Senior class co-presidents Arelys Martinez Fabian and Genesis Figueroa deliver the senior class salutations (left). Dr. Tynisha Willingham welcomes the audience in Lehman Auditorium on Saturday evening (right).

In a shared address highlighting their close partnership, Figueroa and Martinez Fabian reflected on their experiences at ����Vlog and encouraged graduates to carry what they’ve learned into every space they enter.

From late-night study sessions at Common Grounds Coffeehouse to “those dreadful group assignments,” campus became not just a place to take classes, but where they discovered who they are, the senior class co-presidents said.

“����Vlog has a way of pushing us, not just academically but personally,” they said. “It asks us to think critically, engage with people who are different from us, and consider how we want to show up in the world.”

“����Vlog doesn’t just prepare us for what’s next. It challenges us to think about why we do what we do,” they continued. “To consider how we can contribute to something bigger than ourselves, whether in our careers, our communities, or the everyday choices we make.”

Ethan Neufeld, senior class business manager, and Maria Longenecker, senior class secretary, presented the class gift to Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus. Each year, the senior class selects a meaningful gift that reflects their shared experience and leaves a lasting legacy. This year, the Class of 2026 chose to fund improvements to the ����Vlog Game Room in the University Commons, expanding options for students, faculty, and staff.

Eli Stoll performs the opening song, “The Lord Lift You Up” (Voices Together 832).

Dr. Tara Kishbaugh (left) delivers the faculty address. Ethan Neufeld, senior class business manager, presents Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus with the senior class gift (right).

In her address titled “Go bravely…but please call,” Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success, urged graduates to keep a firm belief in themselves and hold onto their optimism. The longtime professor drew from her chemistry curriculum, likening the graduates’ situation to molecules in a transition state.

“This transition state is a normal part of transformation,” she said. “Butterflies don’t force it. The struggle is part of the becoming.”

She also reminded graduates that they didn’t arrive at Commencement weekend alone. “Look at the love that has brought you here,” she said. “…You belong to each other, and you belong to us. You’ve left a mark on ����Vlog, and hopefully you will see the imprint of ����Vlog in your future selves as little ripples.”

Graduate Celebration and Sending featured gathering music from Naomi Kratzer; an opening blessing from Sarah Prroj; an opening song from Eli Stoll; a performance of Stephen Paulus’ “The Road Home” by senior Chamber Singers members Erin Batten, Lauren Kauffman, Naomi Kratzer, Hollyn Miller, Jacob Nissley, Eli Stoll, Joshua Stucky, and Sean Swartley; poetry readings from Miranda Beidler and Emily Suarez Nunez; a sending blessing from Brian Martin Burkholder; sending music from Makinto; and reflections from senior class advisors Mark Metzler Sawin and Jonathan Swartz, who also handed out ����Vlog pins.

Graduates received pins representing the wisdom they’ve shared and the investment and commitment they’ve made during their time as students. They were encouraged to wear the pins at Commencement and beyond, honoring how ����Vlog has supported them in their learning and growth.

Mark Metzler Sawin and Jonathan Swartz, senior class advisors, offer their reflections.

Miranda Beidler (left) shares original poetry, while Sarah Prroj (right) gives an opening blessing.

During their four years at ����Vlog, much has changed, Metzler Sawin told the graduates. Presidents, both nationally and at ����Vlog, have changed, as has the power and scope of artificial intelligence. “But most importantly, yourselves,” he said. “You’ve grown in many ways during these same four years.”

Much has also stayed the same: “The significance of human connection, the value of genuine relationships, and the core values that made you the unique and significant person you were when you arrived here and still are today,” he added.

In her opening blessing, Prroj reflected on the moments that have challenged her and the relationships that have shaped her into who she is today. ����Vlog didn’t just educate her, she said, but also formed her, teaching her how to lead, listen, care, and become part of something bigger than herself. Sharing the words of pastor Rick Warren, she said that when people take their final breath, no one asks for their trophies, achievements, or diplomas.

“They asked for the people they love,” she said. “Because in the end, it’s not what we accomplish that matters most. It’s who we share our lives with. And that’s what makes ����Vlog so special. It’s not just a place of learning, but a place of community where we’re known, supported, and shaped by one another.”

Watch a video recording of the ceremony below!

Hosted by Celeste Thomas, director of multicultural student services and CoachLink coach, and Micah Shristi, director of international student services, the ceremony featured a musical drum performance led by Makinto and his son, Joël Friebe-Makinto.

Since 2016, the ceremony has celebrated graduates who honor their African and international roots. Each receives a handwoven stole of kente cloth, a symbol of prestige in many African societies, or a satin sash featuring the flags of countries they feel connected to.

Sashes at Saturday’s ceremony bore the flags of Albania, Argentina, Barbados, Burkina Faso, the Cherokee Nation, China, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, Iceland, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Oromia, Palestine, Peru, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Sudan, and Uruguay.

Class of 2026 graduates take part in Saturday’s Donning of the Kente Ceremony in ����Vlog’s MainStage Theater.

Joël Friebe-Makinto (left) honors his father, Makinto. Celeste Thomas (right) welcomes attendees to the ceremony.

The ceremony celebrates achievement, encourages recipients to continue striving for excellence, and provides an intimate end-of-year experience. Each recipient selected a family member, friend, mentor, administrator, or faculty or staff member to place the stole or sash around their neck and offer remarks, sharing joyful and heartfelt stories and words of praise about each graduate.

Graduates wore the stoles and sashes at Commencement to honor their collective heritage and reflect on shared struggles and successes.

“Our hope is that they feel the support of their village,” Thomas said. “Additionally, we hope the ceremony signals the college’s desire to meet the needs of all its students.”

Micah Shristi honors a graduate during the ceremony.

Since 2016, the ceremony has celebrated graduates who honor their African and international roots.

Participants

The following graduates were recognized:

Makinto, a general theological certificate major from Harrisonburg, was donned by Mukarabe Makinto Inandava and Joël Friebe-Makinto.��

“You’re a clear example of how, no matter your age or where you are in life, you can accomplish anything,” Friebe-Makinto told his father. “You are a continuous inspiration for me and someone I can always look to for guidance.”

Esdras Burgos, accounting and business administration major from Charlottesville, Virginia, was donned by M. Esther Showalter.

Arelys Martinez Fabian, a Spanish language & Hispanic studies and education (PreK–12) licensure from Winchester, Virginia, was donned by M. Esther Showalter.

Zazkia De la Vega, a marketing and business administration major from Cusco, Peru, was donned by M. Esther Showalter. 

Ankita Adhikari, a computer science major from Pokhara, Nepal, was donned by Micah Shristi.

Donovan Arnason, a digital media, photography, and design major from Stafford, Virginia, was donned by Phyllis Braxton Arnason.

Elili Asefa, a nursing major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was donned by Baati Ayana.

Irais Barrera Pinzon, a political science, Spanish language and Hispanic studies major from Richmond, Virginia, was donned by Wendell Shank.

Mimi Bayongwa, a social work major from Riverdale, Maryland, was donned by Dia Mekonnen and Perpetue Kaimba. 

Lemi Amanuel Bekele, a biochemistry major from Kansas City, Missouri, was donned by Micah Shristi.

Shristi recalled receiving an email from Bekele, who was waiting for his admissions decision in 2019. “He sent me the following email, and I quote: ‘Please answer me. To wait for your answer I am in the forest in a tree to get data and it’s too dark and cold,’” Shristi read aloud. “That same determination carried Lemi through his years at ����Vlog.”

Jean Betancourt, a business administration major from Meridian, Mississippi, was donned by Angel Betancourt.

Nia Boyd, an art and writing studies major from Richmond, Virginia, was donned by Lenice Sudds.

Kylik Daquan Bradshaw, a liberal arts major from Crewe, Virginia, was donned by De’Andra Oliver, Te’Ahra Oliver, Theron Oliver, and Kayanna Bradshaw.

“Through every season, you have shown resilience, courage, and determination beyond your years,” Bradshaw’s mother said. “But your greatest gift has always been your heart, your love, your loyalty, and your strength. Even when you were challenged with difficulties, you never let it break you.”

Chase Comer, a political science and history major from Timberville, Virginia, was donned by Amy Miller.

Ruach Dhieu Ruach Deng, a computer science major from Bor, South Sudan, was donned by Micah Shristi.

Odesa Elezi, a nursing major from Harrisonburg, was donned by Luis Elezi.

Jasmin Escamilla Ruiz, a digital media, photography, and design major from Bluemont, Virginia, was donned by Irma Ruiz Ramirez. 

LaToya Fernandez, an MA in restorative justice major from West Hartford, Connecticut, was donned by Lyric Bryant.

Genesis Figueroa, a political science, Spanish language and Hispanic studies major from Millersburg, Ohio, was donned by Mia Figueroa.

Leah Frankenfield, a psychology major from Moraga, California, was donned by Rachel Tusing.

Sofia Garcia Pini, an MA in restorative justice major from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was donned by Joe Cole.

Jamila Gaskins, an MA in conflict transformation major from Los Angeles, was donned by David Evans.

Emily Guin, a nursing major from Lovettsville, Virginia, was donned by Juan Guin.

Jacqueline Jackson, a nursing major from Staunton, Virginia, was donned by Jacqueline Badger-Jackson.

Jayda Lenae Jones, a social work major from Goodview, Virginia, was donned by Kim Jones.

Yohanna Kebede, a computer science major from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was donned by Haweni Tolosa.

Emae Klompenhouwer, a social work major from Newport News, Virginia, was donned by Remco Klompenhouwer.

Ramata Lam, a biomedicine major from Baltimore, was donned by Kaitlyn Upshaw.

Mallery Salemah McShine, an MA in restorative justice major from Fredericksburg, Virginia, was donned by LaToya Fernandez.

Dia Mekonnen, a social work and political science major from Silver Spring, Maryland, was donned by Deanna Reed.

Abraham Mekonnen, a computer science major from Harrisonburg, was donned by Noel Abeje. 

Last summer, Mekonnen interned at Morgan Stanley in New York City. This summer, he is headed to Northern California, where he will work for Palo Alto Networks. “How many people can say they’re hopping from Wall Street to Silicon Valley at 23 years old?” his close friend Abeje said. “Here’s the thing about Abraham: when the rest of us go to a mall, we typically just shop. Abraham asks the storekeepers how much they made that week and whether they’d recommend entering the industry. He’s constantly studying the world, ambitious, resilient, and relentlessly curious.”

Fadi William Michael, a marketing major from Bethlehem, State of Palestine, was donned by Jim Leaman.

Diego Morales Torres, a computer science major from Ponce, Puerto Rico, was donned by Team Oosthuizen.

Zipola Nayituriki, a social work major from Harrisonburg, was donned by Mary Ann Zehr.

Tasia Ocaranza, an MA in education major from Staunton, Virginia, was donned by Kathy Evans.

Taylor Helenna Parker, a digital media, photography, and design major from Charlottesville, Virginia, was donned by Mikaela Brooks Fauver.

Royale M. Parker, a business administration and psychology major from San Bernardino County, California, was donned by Ruby Parker and Roy Parker.

Jennifer Perera, an MS in biomedicine major from Miami, was donned by Jose Perera.

Robyn Chardaé Pratt, an MA in education major from Newport News, Virginia, was donned by Sandra Pratt.

Sarah Prroj, a business administration major from Shkoder, Albania, was donned by Micah Shristi.

Sharon Salinas Morales, a restorative justice in education major from Harrisonburg, was donned by Andrew Claassen.

Jacob Sankara, an MA in conflict transformation major from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was donned by Gloria Rhodes.

Roumany Sefin, a business administration and medical lab science major from Port Said, Egypt, was donned by Jim Leaman.

Zoe Seifu, a nursing major from Harrisonburg, was donned by Nati Seifu.

Anisa Yousef Sharhabeel, a business administration major from Rockingham, Virginia, was donned by Rita Tutu.

Shayleigh Michelle Sims, a biology and secondary education (6-12) licensure major from Palmyra, Virginia, was donned by Kathy Evans.

Emily Suarez Nunez, a nursing major from McGaheysville, Virginia, was donned by Silvana Nunez.

Guadalupe Tenorio Ramirez, an accounting and business administration major from Hopewell, Virginia, was donned by Lindy Backues.

Cheylan Ury, a psychology major from Staunton, Virginia, was donned by Shaion Ury.

Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus poses with Class of 2026 graduate Emily Suarez Nunez following the ceremony (left). Alumni returned to campus on Saturday to honor friends at the ceremony (right).

“We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together,” Shristi said in his closing remarks. “What a beautiful space.”

The Donning of the Kente Ceremony is sponsored by Multicultural Student Services, International Student Services, and the Black Student Alliance.

Watch a video recording of the ceremony below!

Organized by the Student Government Association, College Conservatives, and Young Democrats, the series was funded by an Inclusive Excellence Grant from ����Vlog’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as a Pluralism Project Grant. ����Vlog 50 students attended each session, held at the University Commons Student Union on the evenings of March 12, March 19, and March 26.

Senior biology major Maria Longenecker, who helped organize the series as SGA co-president, said she hopes it can serve as an example for others to follow. At a time of heightened political division, she said, it’s more important than ever to bring people together.

“����Vlog encourages us to work toward peace and justice and resolve conflict, and this feels so woven into our values,” she said. “I think we created something we saw was missing, and we see that missing in the world more broadly. It’s so tempting to disengage, but I hope this can serve as an example for how to lean in and continue to care for one another.”

‘The elephant on campus’

“Disagree Together” formed in response to tensions that student leaders felt on campus last fall. After a campus vigil for Charlie Kirk sparked arguments in the Royal Radar group chat, Longenecker said it became clear that students needed a space to discuss political issues.

“That demonstrated to us how much energy and conflict is under the surface here at ����Vlog that we often don’t address,” she said. “It feels like the elephant on campus.”

SGA leaders heard from students across the political spectrum who said they felt ostracized and misunderstood because of their beliefs, with no clear place for them on campus. Longenecker and fellow co-president Leah Frankenfield believed it was important to pull in many perspectives to dream up a way forward. They met with the College Conservatives and Young Democrats to develop a space where students of all political persuasions could feel comfortable.

Dibora Mekonnen, co-president of Young Democrats, said the series created a meaningful space for students to engage in difficult and sometimes uncomfortable conversations in a respectful way. “I believe it has positively affected students by helping them become more open-minded and more willing to engage with perspectives different from their own,” she said. “In shaping the campus, the series has contributed to a culture of dialogue, understanding, and community-building by showing that disagreement does not have to lead to division, but can instead become an opportunity for learning and growth.”

Jacob Dwyer, president of College Conservatives, said he also felt the event was a success and was encouraged by the turnout. “I think it’s important that we engaged in meaningful dialogue,” he said. “Going into it, I knew we might not agree on everything, but because we were able to have open conversations, we gained a better understanding of why we each think about certain issues the way we do.”

Longenecker said she was surprised by how willing people were to be honest with one another. “I thought it would be harder to get people to have conversations about the things they disagreed on,” she said. “But once people got in a room, sat down, and started asking questions, it was beautiful to see that engagement happen.”

The Why and the How

The series unfolded over three sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of disagreement.

The first session centered on the question, “Why do we disagree?” Students mapped their identities to better understand how their experiences shape their beliefs and examined how those views are formed. Kory Schaeffer, director of programs for the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, facilitated the discussion and offered guidance on creating a respectful environment for disagreement.

The second session was titled “How do we disagree?” and featured a panel discussion on politics and Christianity. “We thought that was important to discuss because ����Vlog is an Anabaptist institution, and it’s such a central part of our values,” Longenecker said.

The third session, “Practice disagreeing,” invited students to sit in small groups and ask one another questions about political topics or anything else they were curious to explore. “It was beautiful to look around and see people, who I’ve never seen talk to each other before, sit down and have these deep conversations about their beliefs,” Longenecker said.

She said she believes new relationships have formed as a result of the “Disagree Together” series, especially during the third session. “I hope people walked away feeling like someone new sees them as a person first and is also interested in hearing their beliefs,” she said. “I hope it’s started conversations that will continue.”

As members of the SGA executive board prepare to hand off leadership to their successors, she said they’ve developed a plan outlining how future boards can respond and create similar spaces for students to engage in difficult conversations if another contentious event arises on campus. “I see this as a beginning, not the end,” she said.

As one of the university’s most valued, cherished, and meaningful awards given each year, the Cords of Distinction honor recognizes those who have positively influenced on-campus communities, actively pursued ����Vlog values, engaged in and valued social and community involvement, and reflected academic excellence and social accountability. Recipients of the award are nominated by faculty, staff, administrators, and students and are chosen by the Cords of Distinction selection committee.

“These students participate in high levels of engagement outside of classes and recognize the importance of the social and civic aspects of engaging in the local community,” said Celeste Thomas, director of Multicultural Student Services, CoachLink coach, and co-chair of the Cords of Distinction committee. “They embody ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’ They have chosen to make the community better than when they entered it, and we thank you all for that.”

The 10 recipients were presented with blue and gold cords to wear at Commencement, which will be held Sunday, May 3, 2026.

They are:

• Sophia Armato
• Irais Barrera Pinzon
• Leah Beachy
• Leah Frankenfield
• Genesis Figueroa
• Arelys Martinez Fabian
• Dibora Mekonnen
• Sarah Prroj
• Roumany Sefin
• Emily Suarez Nunez

Click each recipient’s name above to jump to their section.

Sophia Armato

A Spanish language & Hispanic studies and education (PreK-12) licensure major from Manheim, Pennsylvania, she was honored by Sydney Metz, head field hockey coach.

Armato embodies what it means to be a Royal, choosing excellence in the classroom, dedicating hours of service to others, and living out her faith by loving like Jesus, her coach said. She has also raised the standard of integrity within ����Vlog’s athletic community, Metz said, recalling a conversation they shared about the culture they hoped to build for the field hockey program.

“Our program was in a fragile place, and even one wrong move could set us back further,” Metz said. “But in that conversation, we also talked about what it means to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. … You showed a willingness to lean into this challenge, to start a standard, and to grow in every area of your college experience.”

Metz said that Armato has made the most of her ����Vlog experience. “You could find ‘Soph’ coming to practice after a long day of student teaching, then leaving practice to help others understand a Spanish conversation,” she said. “She would end her evening working at home on projects for her small business, continuing her homework, only to wake up early to serve coffee at Common Grounds. And through it all, she was living out her faith daily.”

Irais Barrera Pinzon

A political science and Spanish language & Hispanic studies major from Richmond, Virginia, she was honored by Celeste Thomas, director of Multicultural Student Services.

The first time Thomas met Pinzon, she knew immediately the student would change the tapestry of ����Vlog.

Pinzon, with her infectious smile, high energy, and “urgency to get down to business,” motivates those around her to “get on board and, not just say something, but do something,” Thomas said. “You exude kindness toward everyone and have a genuine concern for the well-being of others. You are always seeking ways to make the world a better place, and when you set out to do something, you do not stop until you reach the goal.”

That was especially evident in the menstrual hygiene project she led, securing a $1,200 grant and installing 10 dispensers across campus, Thomas said. Pinzon also served on the board of the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA), fed the unhoused, and participated in the International Food Festival, the Latino student banquet, and Hispanic Heritage Month events.

“Being a first-generation immigrant college student with your own challenges, you were able to look beyond your own needs and assist others who may be less fortunate,” Thomas said. “You shared that your goal was to inspire other first-generation Latino students to keep dreaming by showing them that no goal is too big.”

Leah Beachy

A nursing major from Salem, Oregon, she was honored by Dr. Kate Clark, associate professor of nursing.

Beachy represents the very best of what it means to be both a nurse and a servant leader. She demonstrates keen intellect, discipline, perseverance, and a deep sense of purpose. “But what makes Leah truly exceptional goes beyond academics,” Clark said.

During her four years on the women’s soccer team, Beachy exemplified courageous leadership, advocating for change, gathering teammate feedback, engaging administrators, and pursuing solutions grounded in accountability, Clark said. As senior captain, she helped rebuild trust and integrity within the program, contributing to one of its strongest seasons both competitively and culturally.

Through ����Vlog’s nursing program, Beachy learned to unite clinical excellence with justice-oriented patient care, seeing health care not just as treatment, but as a pursuit of dignity, equity, and compassion. Shaped by her intercultural experiences in Guatemala and Mexico, she helped facilitate a trauma-informed support group at Our Community Place for individuals recently rehoused after homelessness.

“And yet, even with all these accomplishments, Leah is most known for her warmth, her authenticity, and her limitless joy,” Clark said. “Whether serving as a tour guide, an ambassador for ����Vlog, or simply showing up for others, she builds community wherever she goes and has a lot of fun doing it.”

Leah Frankenfield

A psychology major from Moraga, California, she was honored by Annalise Livingston, project coordinator for Royal RISE.

Frankenfield has been involved in just about every part of campus, always making an effort to connect with and support others, Livingston said.

“You are one of the most compassionate, driven, and engaged people I know, and your persistent dedication to caring for and including those around you is wildly inspiring,” she said. “Your determination to ensure that everyone feels they belong and have a safe space to be themselves, drawn from your own experience and vulnerability, shines through in your many involvements across campus.”

Through her leadership across various clubs and organizations, including Asian-Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APISA), University Women’s Empowerment Network (UWEN), Student Government Association, and Royal RISE, the senior psychology major—who will join ����Vlog’s graduate counseling program this fall—planned programs and events to create welcoming environments and encourage connection. 

Frankenfield also served as a TA and peer tutor, ensuring students felt seen and supported. She’s provided students with a warm, friendly presence through her work at Common Grounds, the dining hall, the advancement and admissions offices, the library, and beyond. “You embody authenticity and humility,” Livingston said, “managing your hectic schedule in a semi-baffling way that leaves everyone around you wondering how on earth you do it all.”

Genesis Figueroa

A political science and Spanish language & Hispanic studies major from Millersburg, Ohio, she was honored by Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus.

From her first day on campus, Figueroa has shown up consistently and with care, Dycus said.

As a conversation partner with the Spanish community and through her leadership roles—first as a senator, then secretary, and eventually co-president—Figueroa has shaped ����Vlog in ways both visible and deeply felt, building connection and belonging across campus. Those roles require navigating complexity, listening deeply, and representing others with integrity, Dycus said, and Figueroa has carried them with a steady, grounded presence.

“What stands out most is not just what you’ve done, but how you’ve done it,” she said. “Again and again, people describe you as someone who listens deeply, brings warmth, and helps others feel seen. That kind of leadership shapes culture. That’s what you’ve done for ����Vlog.”

Figueroa carried that spirit into the Latinx Student Alliance, as president of Young Democrats, and as a senior class officer, helping others learn together.

“One nominator said it best: ‘Genesis rises to any occasion, leading with initiative, creativity, awareness, and a deep commitment to collective learning and action,’” Dycus said. “Alongside it all, you remain committed to your academic work, bringing discipline, focus, and purpose as a political science and Spanish major, as well as engagement with immigrant communities in Harrisonburg.”

Arelys Martinez Fabian

A Spanish language & Hispanic studies and education (PreK-12) licensure major from Winchester, Virginia, she was honored by M. Esther Showalter, instructor of Spanish language and Hispanic studies.

In a fast-paced world, Martinez Fabian knows when to pause and be fully present with others, actively listening and walking alongside those in need, Showalter said.

During Martinez Fabian’s first year at ����Vlog, Showalter’s childhood best friend unexpectedly passed away. In the midst of that loss, the student came to her office to offer support. She brought a small houseplant to honor her friend, and over the years, it has grown from a foot tall to four feet high. “It is by far my healthiest plant,” Showalter said. “Many people comment on how great it looks, and I tell them the story of my friend and how you, Arelys, have comforted me in my time of need, as you have for so many others.”

Along with Figueroa, Martinez Fabian served as co-president of the Student Government Association, becoming the first Latinx women in that role. She led with heart and humanity, Showalter said, strengthening communication between students and administrators and ensuring student voices shaped key campus decisions. Her leadership also increased involvement from underrepresented students, contributing to a more inclusive and engaged campus culture.

“Arelys has lived the ����Vlog experience to its fullest,” Showalter said. “She is an inspiring leader, a curious learner, and an empathetic friend.”

Dibora Mekonnen

A political science and social work major from Silver Spring, Maryland, she was honored by Deanna Durham, associate professor of social work and sociology.

Whether leading the social work student organization, the Young Democrats, or the University Women’s Empowerment Network (UWEN), or serving as a Community Advisor, hall director, dialogue facilitator, student chaplain, or development office assistant, Mekonnen has consistently worked toward a vision of ����Vlog at its best. She has also been involved with the Campus Activities Council, Student Government Association, and the ����Vlog Washington Semester. “Over the past four years,” Durham said, “is there anything you did not say ‘yes’ to?”

Mekonnen’s leadership and deep commitment to building a more inclusive and welcoming university have touched every corner, building, and space on campus, Durham said. This past semester, that impact extended into the local community through her senior social work practicum, where she worked with Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed. “You are a multitasker extraordinaire,” Durham told Mekonnen. “Your ability not only to generate ideas but also to bring others along with you is impressive. You have embodied the belief that we are always better together.”

As hall director of Elmwood, Mekonnen fostered a community grounded in inclusion, social awareness, and belonging, Durham said. “You have pushed for change on campus and have never remained silent when there was potential for harm to another student.”

Sarah Prroj

A business administration major from Shkoder, Albania, she was honored by Tyler Goss, director of student engagement and leadership development. 

Goss remembers his first interaction with Prroj. The International Student Organization (ISO) was preparing for its popular International Food Festival. Dozens of cooks would soon gather on Thomas Plaza, and he and other volunteers were setting up decorations, including more than 50 flagpoles. Each flag came with its own challenge, Goss said, noting the political significance of their placement. 

“In the midst of all that chaos and decision-making, there was Sarah, a first-year student, stepping up, directing, delegating, and leading with confidence and ease,” Goss said. “That moment was just the beginning.”

The Albanian international student dedicated her four years at ����Vlog to the ISO, but her impact extends beyond that community. She served as a Community Advisor and Royal Ambassador and led the Good Business Gathering Club. At Common Grounds, she began as a barista and became its financial manager. She also served as student government treasurer. Away from campus, she volunteered at Young Life camp and shared her story at the Perspectives of World Missions Conference.

“From ISO president to community volunteer to SGA treasurer, and all the hours of Common Grounds’ financial tasks in between, Sarah leads every space with dependability, vision, and a deep desire to help each community flourish,” Goss said.

Roumany Sefin

A business administration and medical lab science major from Port Said, Egypt, he was honored by Dr. Jim Leaman, associate professor of business.

It’s the rare undergraduate student who publishes original research and presents it at a prestigious academic conference, Leaman said, yet Sefin did so halfway through his undergraduate career. “Then, he leveraged that innovation to launch an entrepreneurial venture to serve the needs of others,” the professor said.

Sefin combines world-class science with a true heart for service. As a dedicated researcher and founder of ROUMATICS, he’s already made a mark in the medical field, Leaman said. “His cancer research at ����Vlog and Harvard was chosen for an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting, a huge honor for any scientist.”

One of his nominators wrote: “In my many years as an instructor and mentor, I have seldom seen a student with more commitment to academic and moral excellence.”

Sefin supports his peers on campus by tutoring across three academic disciplines and guiding international students as they navigate English and adjust to life in the United States. He is also an active volunteer at a local nonprofit and serves as a deacon at his church.

“Whether he’s leading Bible study or teaching DNA workshops locally, Roumany leads with kindness and excellence,” Leaman said. “He truly represents the best of this community.”

Emily Suarez Nunez

A nursing major from McGaheysville, Virginia, she was honored by Allen Clay Jr., associate dean for campus life. 

From student chaplain to hall director, Suarez Nunez’s time at ����Vlog has reflected her deep commitment to the well-being of the campus community, Clay said.

As hall director, she led first-year students with poise and compassion. She approached difficult conversations with empathy and clear boundaries, and worked through conflict in ways that built both accountability and belonging.

“Her supervisors speak of her as a trusted leader who embodies ����Vlog’s values of academic excellence, peace, justice, and social responsibility,” Clay said. 

Suarez Nunez’s impact reaches well beyond residence life through her involvement in the Student Government Association, student chaplains, and Y-Serve. She has spent countless hours in service, led spring break trips to Atlanta and Puerto Rico, and helped coordinate volunteer opportunities that connect ����Vlog students with communities in need.

Her coworkers describe her as someone who can brighten a room, even while balancing the rigorous demands of a nursing degree. “Her patients will encounter not just medical expertise but a caregiver who knows how to listen, honor difficult moments, and help people feel seen,” Clay said. “That is a gift that Emily will carry forward in the next steps of her life.”

In his closing remarks at the ceremony, Jonathan Swartz, dean of students and co-chair of the Cords of Distinction committee, noted the many things the recipients will carry with them after graduating from ����Vlog: their cords, degrees, relationships, and memories.

“You also carry responsibility, because the world you are entering does not need more impressive resumes nearly as much as it needs people who are willing to live with clarity, compassion, and courage,” Swartz said. “[It needs] people who will ask not just what can I achieve, but what can I repair; not just where can I succeed, but where am I needed? If these cords mean anything beyond today, it’s this: you’ve already begun to answer those questions with your lives, and we trust you will keep answering them.”

The 2026 Cords of Distinction committee members: Jonathan Swartz, Celeste Thomas, Kate Clark, Deanna Durham, Justin McIlwee, Dawn Neil, and Aundrea Smiley. Special thanks to Jennifer North Bauman for her help and to Thaddeus Jackson ’25, who performed music for the event.

Watch a video recording of the ceremony below!

Junior vocalist Elie Hoover (soprano) and senior saxophonist Jadon Harley will perform as student soloists with the ����Vlog Orchestra at its spring Concerto/Aria Concert at 7 p.m. this Friday in Lehman Auditorium.

We caught up with Hoover, a social work and music interdisciplinary studies major from New Carlisle, Ohio, ahead of the event.

What piece will you perform at the concert?

I will be performing “Una donna quindici anni” from Mozart’s Così fan tutte. My voice teacher helped me choose a piece that fits my voice well. It’s a lively selection that I have a lot of fun singing.

Is there a specific teacher you’ve been training with?

Shannon Kiser has been working with me to make this piece the best it can be. He encourages me in many ways and always offers insightful guidance to help me improve. [Music Professor] Benjamin Bergey has also worked hard to prepare the orchestra and integrate me into the process.

What excites you most about this concert?

I’m especially excited to sing in this concert because it’s a unique opportunity to perform as a soloist with such a large and talented group of musicians as an undergraduate student. It’s truly an honor to share the stage with my peers as well as musicians from the community. I hope they have as much fun performing with me as I do with them.

What’s your favorite thing about ����Vlog Music?

The ����Vlog Music Department has been a home for me over the past couple of years. The ensembles and classes vary in size and level, allowing them to meet students where they are. I always know I have people who will help me improve and classmates I can grow closer to and share this journey with.

Livestream the concert on the .

����Vlog held its ninth annual Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival on Wednesday and Thursday. The campuswide event, hosted by the Provost’s Office and organized by its Intellectual Life Committee, offered students opportunities to learn and engage with one another and to showcase their research, creative projects and papers.

In her opening remarks before the festival’s keynote address on Wednesday, Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus described the ACE Festival as a “celebration of student scholarship.”

“It’s where ideas take shape, not only in papers and research, but also in art, performance, and creative expression, and in the courage it takes to share one’s thinking with others,” she said.

“Here, students learn from one another,” she added. “We engage perspectives across our fields and practice the kind of communication and collaboration that will shape our lives beyond today and this semester.”

Career fair

Students connect with local employers at a career fair in the Hall of Nations on Thursday.

A new addition to this year’s ACE Festival was a career fair held Thursday inside the University Commons Hall of Nations. The event, hosted by the Alumni Engagement Office, gave students a chance to interact directly with employers, connect with alumni professionals, explore career options, and pursue internships or jobs.

Employers represented a range of industries, including Augusta Health, Merck, Park View Federal Credit Union, and Momentum Earthworks. 

One of those employers was Kirby Dean ’92, director of parks and recreation for Rockingham County. He previously served as head coach of the ����Vlog men’s basketball team for 15 years, leading the “Runnin’ Royals” to the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Although his department didn’t have any full-time job openings, he said he’s always hiring part-time workers to staff the rec center desk, rake fields during baseball tournaments, or mow grass. He said the career fair was a great way to build relationships and connect with students.

“I feel like there are just good kids here,” Dean said. “They were good when I went here from 1988 to 1992, they were good when I coached here from 2003 to 2018, and they’re good now. They’re the kind of people I’m generally looking for.”

Another employer at the career fair represented the local school division. Jeron Baker, assistant director of human resources for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, said the division typically looks to fill between 50 and 60 jobs each year, mostly teaching positions in math, science, elementary education, and English Language Learner (ELL) classes.

The former associate director of ����Vlog admissions said ����Vlog graduates have a natural understanding of the diversity and complexity within Harrisonburg’s student community.

“They sense the nuances of the human component and understand that education is not just about outcomes, but about process,” he said. “The process of knowing our students more deeply and understanding their systems more fully—it’s just something that comes naturally to ����Vlog students.”

����Vlog 60% of students in the city’s public schools speak Spanish at home, Baker said, and 50 to 60 languages are spoken by students across its two high schools. 

“����Vlog’s ability to create cross-cultural experiences for its students while also bringing in international populations helps students develop cultural competency in ways that are unique to ����Vlog,” he said. “That supports our populations, our students, our families, and the broader vision HCPS has for its students.”

In an last week, ����Vlog sophomore Francisco Rodriguez said the event offered him a chance to look at a lot of different career paths.

“Sales is a big passion of mine,” he told the newspaper, “but understanding there are other options available here, it’s really nice to be able to check it all out.”

Presentations

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP PHOTO: Senior nursing majors Emily Guin, Kristina Suslaev, and Reina Landa give a presentation on the effects of social media use on mental health in children and adolescents. | Senior engineering major Levi Stutzman discusses gentrification trends in Washington D.C. and Denver during a poster session at the Suter Science Center. | Chase Comer, a senior majoring in political science and history, presents research on shifting voting patterns in Virginia’s Buchanan and Rockingham counties. 

Students from a wide range of majors presented their academic research Thursday in oral presentations and poster sessions across campus. Topics included the concentration of antioxidants in cinnamon bark, the effect of data centers on surrounding infrastructure and resources, the relationship between trauma and homelessness, and the impact of immigration enforcement on local communities.

Senior Emily Guin, part of a group of nursing majors presenting at Martin Chapel early Thursday morning, said her favorite thing about the ACE Festival was attending other presentations and supporting her peers. “I feel like I learn something new at every presentation,” she said. For instance, she said that last year she learned childhood obesity rates in Harrisonburg were higher than the national average.

Guin will work at Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Emergency Department after graduation. Her group presented on the relationship between social media use among children and adolescents and their emotional well-being and mental health. She said they researched the topic because of how relevant and new it is. 

“I think it’s crazy how impactful social media is, both positive and negative,” Guin said. “I can’t imagine growing up in such a digital time now. It makes me feel so old to say that, but I can’t fathom having everything posted on social media.”

Like many students on campus, engineering senior Levi Stutzman had a busy day of presentations. He was part of a cohort that tracked ����Vlog’s carbon emissions and presented findings showing the university is not on track to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 (as outlined in its Climate Action Plan).

He also delivered a poster presentation analyzing census data from 2000 and 2020 for areas of Washington D.C. and Denver to chart gentrification in those cities. Later that afternoon, he and three other students gave an engineering capstone presentation on a “single-axis shake table” they designed to simulate sesmic movement and its impact on structures. 

“It’s exciting to show off your projects and see what everyone else is working on,” Stutzman said. “It’s a special time of the year.”

Another engineering major, junior Micah Mast, presented a 3D printer he revived and upgraded. ����Vlog purchased the printer, a Makerbot Replicator+, in 2018. Because the machine’s parts and software were discontinued, it had largely been unused for several years. 

“It was always the printer nobody wanted to use because the prints were low quality,” Mast said. “It just kind of sat there.”

For his project, he replaced the printer’s proprietary control system with modern open-source electronics, resulting in improved print quality, a faster workflow, and long-term serviceability, all for about $150. The upgraded MakerBot adds a fourth working printer to ����Vlog’s collection. 

“This goes along with sustainability, using things that otherwise would’ve essentially been thrown in the trash,” he said. 

Mast said his favorite thing about the ACE Festival is showing the rest of the school what he spent an entire semester working toward.

“There were countless hours of trying to get it to do what it’s doing right now,” he said, pointing to the machine, which was successfully printing tugboats known as the “3DBenchy” test print.

Art exhibition

Senior art students Donovan Arnason, Daisy Buller, Hollyn Miller, Jasmin Ruiz, and Allie Watkins presented their capstone projects during an opening reception Thursday afternoon at the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery. The exhibition will remain on display through May 1.

Student recital

A student recital at Lehman Auditorium featured performances by vocalists Mac Rhodes-Lehman (bass) and Eli Stoll (baritone), pianists Rafael de Tablan and Micah Wenger, violinist Miriam Rhodes, violist Monica Ehrenfels, flautist Nina Dunsmore, and guitarist and vocalist Erin Yoder (alto). The musicians were accompanied by Harold Bailey and Dominic Baldoni on piano.

A wind ensemble concert was held that evening, followed by a university choir concert on Friday as part of the weeklong ACE Festival lineup. View recordings of those concerts on the .

Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation

The 17th annual Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation recognized and celebrated the winners of ����Vlog’s Excellence in Teaching Awards. Faculty members Dr. Ryan Good, Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas, and Kevin Carini were announced as this year’s recipients. 

Click the post below for testimonials about each recipient, the winners of the student writing and academic awards, and the faculty and student authors recognized for their published scholarly works.

Keynote address

A keynote address by Dr. Deborah Lawrence, chief scientist at Calyx Global, opened the ACE Festival on Wednesday morning. Lawrence, who taught at the University of Virginia as an environmental sciences professor for more than 25 years, reflected on Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, ����Vlog’s Common Read this year, and spoke about her research on forests in Borneo, Mexico, and around the world. 

Read our recap of her address below:

The ACE Festival is hosted by the Provost’s Office and made possible by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Center for Interfaith Engagement; and the Daniel B. Suter Endowment, which supports ����Vlog’s commitment to fostering curiosity, discovery, and scientific learning. 

For a full schedule of ACE Festival events, visit .

Photos by Aric Berg and Jon Styer/At Ease Consulting

ACE Fest Keynote Address
Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Location: Lehman Auditorium
More info:

Dr. Deborah Lawrence, chief scientist and director of forest and land at Calyx Global, will open the 2026 Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival as keynote speaker at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, in Lehman Auditorium.

At Calyx Global, a Colorado-based carbon credit ratings agency, Lawrence ensures the scientific integrity of its greenhouse gas ratings. She spent 25 years as an environmental sciences professor at the University of Virginia, where she conducted global forest and climate research.

She also served as a science advisor to the U.S. Department of State and established SilvaCarbon, a U.S. federal program for forest carbon measurement and monitoring, according to a staff listing on . 

Lawrence holds a BA in anthropology from Harvard University and a PhD in botany from Duke University. 

Her keynote address will reflect on “our connections to nature and how they have changed over the course of my life,” Lawrence said, “informing my scholarship, my work, and my daily life.”

Jennifer Ulrich, chair of the Intellectual Life Committee, said Lawrence’s teaching experience, research, and international background were key factors in selecting her as keynote speaker. 

She said Lawrence readily embraced both the university’s annual theme of environmental sustainability and its Common Read, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, as she developed her address.

“I am grateful for her willingness to speak with us and look forward to her keynote address,” Ulrich said.

����Vlog ACE Festival

����Vlog’s Academic and Creative Excellence Festival provides an opportunity for students to learn from their peers and to showcase their own research, creative projects, and papers. It’s also an opportunity to continue conversations sparked by ����Vlog’s Common Read for the year.

In addition to poster and oral presentations held throughout the day on Thursday, April 15, ACE Fest events include a music department student recital at noon in Lehman Auditorium, an art exhibition opening for senior capstone projects at 4:45 p.m. in the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery, and a wind ensemble concert at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium.

The 17th ����Vlog Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation will be held from 3:45-5 p.m. in Old Common Grounds (University Commons 177) on Thursday. The annual event, hosted by the Office of the Provost, recognizes and celebrates winners of the university’s Excellence in Teaching Awards and recipients of student writing awards, as well as ����Vlog faculty, staff, and students who have published scholarly work since Jan. 1, 2025. The awards presentation part of the program will begin at 4:30 p.m.

An ����Vlog Career Fair, hosted by the Alumni Engagement Office, will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday at the Hall of Nations. It will provide an opportunity for students to interact directly with employers, connect with alumni professionals, explore career options, and potentially secure internships or employment. 

The ACE Festival is hosted by the Provost’s Office and made possible by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Center for Interfaith Engagement, and the Daniel B. Suter Endowment, which supports ����Vlog’s commitment to fostering curiosity, discovery, and scientific learning. 

For more information about the festival and a schedule of events, visit .

The Cords of Distinction Award honors the efforts of up to 10 graduating students each year who have made outstanding contributions to the university, community, or society. It was established in 2000 to recognize and honor graduates who have demonstrated creative learning and achievement, exemplary leadership and engagement across communities, and a commitment to the values of the university: academic excellence, peace and justice, and active faith.

The cords are blue and gold. Blue honors the strength of conviction that one person can help restore hope across communities. Gold celebrates excellence and the courage to practice and pursue peace.

The 2026 Cords of Distinction recipients are:

• Sophia Armato, with majors in Spanish language & Hispanic studies and education (PreK–12) licensure from Manheim, Pennsylvania;

• Leah Beachy, a nursing major from Salem, Oregon;

• Arelys Martinez Fabian, with majors in Spanish language & Hispanic studies and education (PreK–12) licensure from Winchester, Virginia;

• Genesis Figueroa, with majors in political science and Spanish language & Hispanic studies from Millersburg, Ohio;

• Leah Frankenfield, a psychology major from Moraga, California;

• Dibora Mekonnen, with majors in political science and social work from Silver Spring, Maryland;

• Emily Suarez Nunez, a nursing major from McGaheysville, Virginia;

• Irais Barrera Pinzon, with majors in political science and Spanish language & Hispanic studies from Richmond, Virginia;

• Sarah Prroj, a business administration major from Shkoder, Albania; and

• Roumany Sefin, with majors in business administration and medical lab science from Port Said, Egypt.

Nominees are:

• Miranda Beidler
• Nia Boyd
• Kylik Bradshaw
• Chase Comer
• Anne Marie Cornelius
• Zazkia De la Vega
• Benjamin Friesen Guhr
• Madelynn Hamm
• Jackie Jackson
• Sara Kennel
• Lydia Longacre
• Maria Longenecker
• Ethan Neufeld
• Jenna Oostland
• Royale Parker
• Marianne Short
• Eli Stoll
• John Stover
• Joshua Stucky
• Levi Stutzman
• Guadalupe Tenorio Ramirez
• Erik Wilkinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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