����Vlog announced on Thursday it has named Nathan K. Leopard as its new vice president for advancement. Leopard, who most recently served as director of development for Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business, starts in the role on June 1.

Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus announced the appointment in an email to faculty, staff, alumni, and friends on Thursday morning. The hire concludes a nationwide search that began in January.

Leopard succeeds Kirk Shisler ’81, ����Vlog’s vice president for advancement since 2005, who is transitioning to a new role as senior advisor for gift planning. Shisler has said the transition will allow him to focus exclusively on securing major gifts to sustain ����Vlog’s mission.

Leopard will continue a comprehensive advancement operation encompassing fundraising, alumni and constituent engagement, communications, and advancement services. He will also expand connections among alumni, donors, faith communities, foundations, and regional partners in support of the university’s mission.

“As vice president for advancement, I look forward to strengthening our culture of generosity, expanding our philanthropic reach, and helping secure the resources necessary to sustain and grow this mission,” Leopard said.

Dr. Dycus remarked on Leopard’s “genuine alignment” with ����Vlog’s mission and community. “What stands out most about Nathan is his values-driven, relational approach to advancement,” she said. “He views fundraising not as a series of transactions, but as a meaningful partnership that invites alumni and friends into a shared vision for impact.”

Two decades of experience

Leopard brings two decades of fundraising and advancement experience leading alumni relations, annual giving, event-based fundraising, and interdisciplinary major gifts.

At Virginia Tech, he led fundraising and stewardship operations for the Pamplin College of Business, where he personally secured more than $17 million in gifts since August 2022 and helped direct development efforts that generated nearly $50 million in support for the school. He also co-led the college’s Giving Day strategy, which saw substantial growth in donor participation.

Prior to that, Leopard served as senior director of major gifts at Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business, where he played a key role in the college’s success during the six-year A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence fundraising campaign. The $2.2 billion campaign generated more than $116 million in gifts and commitments for the college, exceeding its goal by more than 22%.

He also served as associate director of development for Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College, where he led the development and launch of an initiative that significantly boosted parent giving.

Leopard’s nonprofit experience includes serving as the first distinguished giving director for the American Cancer Society.

He holds an MS in college student personnel from Miami University (Ohio) and a bachelor’s of science in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University. The Show Me State native, who began his career in student affairs and whose wife, Dr. Jennifer Grossman Leopard, is the director of student life at James Madison University, described himself as a “big believer” in the holistic experience.

“The people I’ve met at ����Vlog have been genuine, thoughtful, and caring,” he said. “Having the opportunity to be at a place like ����Vlog, where I can embrace the whole person and support others in embracing their full selves, is truly meaningful.”

����Vlog’s focus on preparing graduates who make the world a better place aligns with his personal mission, Leopard said. “They’re not just going out and leading companies, reforming laws, treating illnesses, or educating people, but they’re changing the world,” he said. “I want to help people change the world.”

Building on positive momentum

Leopard joins the university at an exciting time. ����Vlog is three years into its first-ever, five-year Forward Together comprehensive campaign, which has raised more than $32 million, or 80% of its $40 million goal. Enrollment is also on the upswing. The university announced this week it received 3,000 undergraduate applications for the first time in its history.

In addition to building on that positive momentum, Leopard said he looks forward to getting to know each of the members of the advancement team and working with Dr. Dycus and the board of trustees to shape their vision for the future of ����Vlog while connecting with donors.

Leopard lives in the Harrisonburg area with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Caroline and Jack. Their daughter has participated in ����Vlog’s Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir and in several camps held on campus.

Quoting the soccer coach from the comedy series Ted Lasso, Leopard said he aims to “be curious” as he steps into his new role.

“I’m going to be a sponge and learn as much as I can about ����Vlog, including about our students, our alumni, our stakeholders, and our events and culture,” he said.

In our series of student and alumni stories, social media posts, and letters and emails, we invited you to become part of Lov����Vlog history by making this year’s Giving Day the best one yet. You answered the call, giving $402,722 to scholarships and financial aid, direct support for faculty and staff, ����Vlog’s life-changing intercultural programs, and, for the first time, resources for first-generation college students.

Together, we surpassed the $400,000 goal set by Lov����Vlog organizers and topped our previous record of $365,512, raised last year, by an impressive 10%.

In an email sent Thursday, Nicole Litwiller ’19, MA ’20 (conflict transformation), annual giving and donor communications specialist, expressed gratitude for the generosity shown by ����Vlog alumni, friends, and fans.

“It is inspiring and humbling to witness the outpouring of support our community showed—with every gift, text to a family member or friend, or post to social media, you helped us meet our goal. We are incredibly grateful.” she said.

Among the highlights from this year’s Lov����Vlog Giving Day, she shared, were:

• Unlocking every challenge of the day;
• watching hundreds of alumni, employees, donors, and students connect and celebrate during the Lov����Vlog Community Meal; and
• welcoming 19 future Royals who visited for the day into the ����Vlog community.

“Thank you again for showing up for ����Vlog,” Litwiller said. “Your support has a direct impact on current students, future students, and the entire ����Vlog community.”

Students, faculty, staff, and alumni fill Yoder Arena for Wednesday morning’s Lov����Vlog Pep Rally.

The day kicked off with the third annual Lov����Vlog Pep Rally at Yoder Arena. The rally had it all: a dramatic entrance by Herm on an e-bike, the return of the BaZOOKa T-shirt cannon, and performances by the top three athletic teams from the previous night’s Lip-Sync Battle.

Read a recap of the pep rally below!

Sights and sounds from the University Festival: Past, present, and future Royals meet with Herm (top photo), snap pics at the Lov����Vlog photo booth (left), and bob for apples (right) at one of the Student Union club booths.

Following the pep rally, the University Festival in the Hall of Nations connected faculty members with prospective students and featured games and activities hosted by student clubs. 

Mathematics Professor Dr. Daniel Showalter brought his two daughters and his dad, Dennis Showalter ’73, to the event. He said he gives to scholarships such as the HDH and Flora Showalter Endowed Scholarship, which supports math and computer science students, on Lov����Vlog Giving Day.

“This is my dream job,” he said. “I want to do whatever I can to keep the atmosphere vibrant and living. I feel really grateful that I get to wake up every morning and go to a job that is meaningful and enjoyable.”

Jacob Horsley ’22, MBA ’25, associate director of undergraduate admissions, said he chooses to give back to the university on Lov����Vlog Giving Day because he’s a “repeat Royal.”

“I’m a double-alumnus,” he said. “I have experienced the impact of this supportive community, and I want to make sure that it continues.”

The Lunch & Lawn Party returned to Thomas Plaza with a free student lunch and various lawn games.

The campus community enjoyed Wednesday’s warm weather at the Lunch & Lawn Party on Thomas Plaza, where they savored Korean beef bowls and competed in lawn games. The annual student appreciation lunch, free for all students and hosted in partnership between Pioneer College Caterers and the Campus Activities Council, included the traditional egg toss and a Bubble Bus that filled the Front Lawn with giant bubbles.

From 2 to 4 p.m., members of ����Vlog’s MA in Counseling program led self-care activities at the Student Union.

As ����Vlog’s night owls kept the energy alive, Lov����Vlog participants had plenty more activities to enjoy. Back by popular demand and hosted by the Student Government Association, the Real Life Mario Kart Race returned to the University Commons indoor track, where teams of three raced on scooters, dodged obstacles, and collected prizes. Later, from 10:30 p.m. to midnight, the Art After Dark craft event featured live music from ����Vlog’s jazz trio.

View the full schedule of events at .

Leaderboard competition

The winners of the 2026 Lov����Vlog leaderboard competition are:

Academic program

• First place ($1,000 prize): Nursing
• Second place ($500 prize): Natural Sciences
• Third place ($250 prize): Education

Student club/org

• First place ($1,000 prize): Muslim Student Alliance (a new org formed this year!)
• Second place ($500 prize): Black Student Alliance
• Third place ($250 prize): ����Vlog Outdoor

Athletic team

• First place ($1,000 prize): Women’s Volleyball
• Second place ($500 prize): Women’s Basketball
• Third place ($250 prize): Men’s volleyball

Challenges (all unlocked)

Donors unlocked all $170,000 in challenge match funds for the University Fund, student scholarships, intercultural programs, athletics, and, new to Lov����Vlog this year, support for first-generation college students.

Lov����Vlog Early Challenge: We received more than 120 gifts before the start of Lov����Vlog Giving Day to unlock $15,000 for the University Fund.

All-day challenges

Loyal Royal Challenge: More than 250 alumni made gifts to ����Vlog during Lov����Vlog Giving Day to unlock $20,000 for student scholarships.

Friends of ����Vlog Challenge: More than 175 non-alumni made gifts to unlock $15,000 for the University Fund.

Future Royal Challenge: Because 19 prospective students who were in attendance on Lov����Vlog Giving Day paid their tuition deposit, either on the day or beforehand, we unlocked $19,000 in scholarship funds.

Timed challenges

Early Herm Gets the Worm: We received 75 gifts before 9 a.m. on Wednesday to unlock $15,000 for student scholarships.

First-Gen Match of 10: In a first-ever Lov����Vlog challenge of its kind, a “match of the match” through a NetVUE grant, we raised $10,052 to support first-generation students.

Lov����Vlog at First Sight: We received 110 gifts between noon and 3 p.m. to unlock a whopping $30,000 for the University Fund.

What a Wonderful World: We received 80 gifts from 5-7 p.m. to unlock $20,000 to ensure all students are able to access ����Vlog’s impactful intercultural experiences.

The Generosity Marathon: We received 55 gifts from 7:30-9 p.m. to unlock $10,000 for ����Vlog Athletics.

Late-night Leadership: We received 100 gifts from 9 p.m. to midnight to unlock $20,000 for the University Fund.

Thanks to everyone who donated, shared their time to celebrate their love of all things ����Vlog, and joined in the festivities on campus! Special thanks to the 2026 Lov����Vlog planning team: Nicole Litwiller, Arelys Martinez Fabian, Cassandra Guerrero, Kyle Dickinson, Leah Frankenfield, Luke Litwiller, Maria Longenecker, Omar Hoyos, Steve Johnson, and Tyler Goss.

Swipe through our photo album from the day below!

Herm was missing. The crowd of faculty, staff, students, and alumni at Yoder Arena for Wednesday morning’s Lov����Vlog Pep Rally called out his name. They searched high and low. But he was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the roar of a motorcycle engine filled the gymnasium. Moments later, everyone’s favorite friendly blue lion glided onto the hardwood on a sleek new e-bike.

The e-bike, announced Nicole Litwiller ’19, MA ’20 (conflict transformation), Lov����Vlog organizer and pep rally emcee, was a new addition to the Sadie Hartzler Library, thanks to a generous donation from an ����Vlog alum, the diligent work of senior Joshua Stucky, and a partnership between library staff and the Shenandoah Bicycle Company. 

Starting Monday, students can check out the bike from the library at any time and “easily bike all over campus and Harrisonburg,” she said.

Herm’s dramatic entrance was just one of many memorable moments that energized the crowd with the Lov����Vlog Giving Day spirit. Wednesday’s pep rally had it all: a current student exclaiming her love for ����Vlog, a future student officially declaring ����Vlog as his school for next year, and performances by the previous night’s Lip-Sync Battle champions. 

“It’s sure to be the best Lip-Sync Battle this side of the Shenandoah,” promised fellow pep rally organizer and emcee Tyler Goss, director for student engagement and leadership development.

Scroll down to the bottom of this article to watch a video recording of the pep rally.

Students snagged free Lov����Vlog shirts shot into the crowd by the BaZOOKa T-shirt cannon.

Throughout the event, engineering lab tech Henry Bowser and engineering student Max Fritts fired shirts into the stands using the BaZOOKa T-shirt cannon. The launcher, which debuted at last year’s pep rally, was funded by 2019 alumni Ben, an engineering graduate, and Kayla Zook.

Lov����Vlog Giving Day is an opportunity to pause and celebrate all the incredible things about ����Vlog, which include “our amazing academic programs, our incredible athletic teams, our impactful clubs and orgs, and our supportive community as a whole,” Litwiller said. “Part of how we can express that celebration is through generosity.”

Funds from Lov����Vlog Giving Day benefit current and future students, faculty, and staff by making education more affordable and providing them with the facilities and resources they need to access an outstanding education. Since the first Lov����Vlog Giving Day in 2017, the university has raised more than $2 million on annual giving days. 

Thanks to the generosity of supporters, this year’s Lov����Vlog Giving Day was the best one yet, with over $402,000 raised, according to the .

The pep rally began with the premiere of the official Lov����Vlog Giving Day video. It celebrates the past nine giving days and sets sights on the future, featuring voiceovers from Litwiller and Marketing and Communications Project Manager Aric Berg, along with cameos from faculty, staff, students, athletes, and alumni. The video was produced by Macson McGuigan ’17.

Watch the official hype video below!

Sophomore Ari Smart speaks about finding her fit at ����Vlog (left) and future student Brady Crisp (right) rings the cowbell.

Ari Smart, a sophomore majoring in art education, shared her experiences at ����Vlog. The Stafford, Virginia, native, who serves as a Royal Ambassador and plays on the field hockey and lacrosse teams, spoke about finding her place in a community that made her feel seen, supported, and valued. “This is a place that pushes me to grow,” she said. 

Through classes that challenge her to think differently, clubs that let her explore new interests, and experiences that prepare her for the future, she has gained confidence, independence, and the ability to take initiative.

“This university has given me more than an education; it has given me a sense of belonging, a community that feels like family, and experiences I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

“It has helped me grow into a stronger, more confident version of myself, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.”

The pep rally crowd also welcomed a future Royal to the ����Vlog family. Brady Crisp, a senior from Fluvanna County High School who will join the men’s soccer team this fall, took part in the cherished tradition of ringing the cowbell to celebrate his commitment. 

Each time a prospective student who was in attendance on Lov����Vlog Giving Day paid their tuition deposit—as Crisp did—either on the day or beforehand, the university unlocked an additional $1,000 in scholarship funds. The Future Royal Challenge, funded by two graduates from the Class of 1958, raised $19,000 in scholarships on Wednesday.

The women’s volleyball (left) and lacrosse teams (right) perform lip-sync routines at the Lov����Vlog Pep Rally on Wednesday.

The third annual Lov����Vlog Pep Rally showcased performances by the top three athletic teams from the previous night’s annual Lip-Sync Battle, hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The women’s basketball and lacrosse teams competed for second place, with the basketball team prevailing after a crowd vote. The women’s volleyball team, this year’s champions, combined lip-syncing with a carefully choreographed routine to a medley of songs from High School Musical.

Senior Admissions Counselor Lexi Fotis-Brown MA ’25 (organizational leadership) led this portion of the pep rally, hyping up the teams and the crowd. “Absolutely electric,” she told the teams. “Just remember, you’re all winners in my heart.”

Earlier in the event, emcees Litwiller and Goss exchanged some lighthearted banter. 

Goss said, “Wait, so you’re telling me we do all this to make the student experience at ����Vlog the best it can be? What are you going to tell me next? That the generosity of donors helps fund student scholarships, improve campus facilities, and even keeps the lights on?”

“I mean, yeah, you said it,” Litwiller replied.

Watch a recording of the pep rally below!

A fall 1981 intercultural to Jerusalem left a lasting impression on the late Christine Good Shenk ’83. 

The accounting grad, who passed away in July 2024, formed friendships that semester that endured long after she graduated from ����Vlog. Nine of her fellow students on the intercultural became part of a close-knit circle of friends known as “The Gang,” which has continued to gather regularly for decades.

Her widower, Ed Shenk ’83, was not part of the intercultural. At the time, the international agricultural development and biology education major was studying at Pennsylvania State University. Over the years, though, as the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, couple attended biannual reunions in major cities, members’ homes, beach houses, and even aboard a Caribbean cruise, he deepened his friendships with members of The Gang.

In her memory, he donated $90,000 to establish ����Vlog’s new Intercultural Programs Alumni Grant Fund and intends to make additional gifts going forward. The fund provides financial support for students who want to participate in intercultural programs but may not have the means to afford them. 

����Vlog’s intercultural programs have impacted thousands of graduates, offering opportunities to engage in different cultures, build global relationships, and experience a new perspective.

“When I began to think about the impact of intercultural programs, it was the friends, the experiences, and the exposure to other cultures that really lasted for her,” Ed Shenk said. “This is something she would’ve supported.”

His donation marks the largest-ever gift from an alum specifically for intercultural programs, according to Tim Swartzendruber ’95, senior regional advancement director for ����Vlog. 

“This is the first fund, in the 53 years of excellence in crosscultural learning at ����Vlog, that will go 100% to undergraduates who need financial support to seize this life-changing opportunity, and stipends for our adventuresome professors who lead interculturals!” he wrote in a recent Facebook post.

Christina Harrison, director of ����Vlog intercultural programs, called the grant fund a “game changer” for students. “This alumni-funded support will eliminate financial barriers for so many students who may be unable to consider an intercultural travel program due to lack of resources,” she said. ����Vlog leaders said they hope the fund will reach $500,000.

For more information about ����Vlog’s unique experiential intercultural learning opportunities, including future programs, visit .

Note “IPAGF” when you and you will join alumni like Ed Shenk who are paying it forward in a meaningful way for today’s students. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘An enduring imprint’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Focus, patience, and tenacity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A seasoned fundraiser

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

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

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

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

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

“I get out of the car and these two girls are running by and, all of a sudden, one of them says, ‘Hi, Dottie,’” said Weber. That student turned out to be Maria Longenecker, a senior biology major who had Weber as an eighth grade teacher.

“Maria was one of the students I wanted to see,” Weber said. “And here she was, the first person I meet on campus. It’s unbelievable.”

Her husband Tim chimed in: “You have to understand, we could be at the top of Mount Everest and she’d know somebody. We could go anywhere and inevitably someone will say, ‘There’s Dottie!’”

Weber recalled last being on campus in 2005 to cater the wedding reception of alumna and former faculty member Catherine R. Mumaw. She was one of nearly 70 members of the Class of 1975 making a special trip back to ����Vlog this weekend for their milestone 50th reunion during Homecoming 2025. 

As she and a group of classmates sat at a table in the Seminary Building on Friday leafing through a Shenandoah yearbook from 1975, they marveled at old photos and reminisced, sharing stories and memories from their time at ����Vlog. 

“It’s amazing who I can remember from these photos,” someone says. 

Another alumna asks, “Does anyone remember taking classes in the old chicken house? Is this the building where it used to be?”

One of those classmates, Julia Shultz King ’75, traveled all the way from Melbourne, Australia, to attend the homecoming festivities. After graduating with a nursing degree, she worked for the Medical College of Virginia and eventually the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, before serving as a missionary with Youth With A Mission. She has lived the past 13 years in Australia. 

She shared a story about putting out a fire in the Northlawn dormitory, after someone had left a candle near the window and a curtain had caught alight. This was the first reunion she could remember attending. She had missed the 50th reunion for her high school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, because Australia had been in lockdown in 2021, and so “it made me extra want to be here,” she said. 

“I’m happy to be well enough that I could travel alone to get here,” King said.

Her friend, Weber, said something similar: “Who knows, at this age, you might not be able to come back in another five years.”

This group of alumni, said Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, who serves as director of alumni engagement and community connections at ����Vlog, was the only graduating class to ever create a two-volume yearbook. The Class of 1975 welcomed Alex Haley, author of Roots, to campus as part of a lecture music series. And the cross country team made ����Vlog history, becoming the National Christian College Athletic Association cross country champion that year. 

“There was also a unique tradition that happened during y’all’s time here,” she said. “Newly engaged students were thrown in the fishing pond. A lot of people got engaged that year, from what I’ve learned.”

Homecoming weekend is all about celebrating and reconnecting with one another, with this campus, and with the values that make ����Vlog such a special place, Reed said during the on Saturday morning. “Whether you’re an alum returning after many years or a student just beginning your journey, this is a time to remember that ����Vlog is family,” she said. “And there’s always a place for you here.”

Keep reading for highlights and photos from the weekend’s events!

Seated on a couch in the Student Union, Doris Horst Toll ’79 and her husband Marvin took the morning on Saturday to relax and unwind as they sipped on a hot cocoa from Common Grounds and flipped through the latest issue of The Weather Vane student newspaper. The couple from Michigan had returned for Homecoming to connect with old friends and had attended the at Lehman Auditorium the night before. “It brought back a lot of good memories of being in that chapel as a student,” she said.

Hall of Honor

MainStage Theater was packed to the gills on Saturday for a ceremony celebrating this year’s four Hall of Honor inductees: 

• Athletics events coordinator Phil Guengerich ’70 was introduced by ����Vlog Athletic Director Carrie S Bert ’97.
• Volleyball middle blocker Justin Reesor ’10 was introduced by former teammate Ben Yoder ’08. 
• Soccer forward Mitchell Leap ’12 was introduced by former coach Roger Mast ’85.
• Basketball center David Falk ’15 was introduced by former coach Kirby Dean.

An alumna attending the ceremony, Debbie Swartley ’08, of Penn Laird, Virginia, ran cross country and track while at ����Vlog, and said she typically comes to Homecoming every year. “It’s just so much fun to be back on campus,” she said. “We typically walk around to see the changes for people who haven’t been here in awhile, and the kids love it.”

Gatherings and reunions

The weekend featured several gatherings, including:

• one celebrating the 50th anniversary of ����Vlog’s social work program and the tenure of Professor Deanna Durham, 
• a gathering of alumni shaped by their experiences in the Middle East during 50 years of faculty-led interculturals to the region, 
• and a 50th anniversary get-together for alumni of the recently rebranded ����Vlog Washington Semester program.

An alumnus of the D.C. program, Avery Trinh ’22, was attending the lattermost gathering with his mother, Rebecca Dietz ’79. Both of them were in the program while it was called different names (Trinh was in WCSC in Fall 2021, while Dietz was in WSSY from 1977-78) and under different program directors (Trinh was led by Ryan Good, while his mom was taught by Ryan’s father, Nelson Good). In fact, Trinh said, his mom used to babysit Ryan Good. 

It was his first homecoming since graduating from ����Vlog, Trinh said, and the D.C. reunion offered a way for both him and his mom to get involved. 

“There’s always a lot of chatter about how ����Vlog is changing,” he said. “The reason I really enjoyed my time here is the professors who taught me. They were in it to help students grow. So, as long as people like them stick around, I think ����Vlog is in good hands.”

It had been a little more than a decade since Chris Fretz ’05 had been back to Harrisonburg. But for the economic development grad, who now works as a web developer for a marketing agency in Lancaster, the 20th reunion was enough of a draw to bring him back to campus. His wife, Lindsey Frye ’04, was a student and staff member for the D.C. program and so they also attended the 50th anniversary gathering. 

Some of the biggest changes he’s noticed since he’s been gone include Common Grounds’ move upstairs and the renovation of the old gym into the MainStage Theater, though other changes less visible have been just as significant. 

“It’s been encouraging to see the growing diversity of ����Vlog and to see that the administration is really looking to meet students where they’re at,” Fretz said. 

Meet-and-greet with Interim President Dycus

At a meet-and-greet with ����Vlog’s interim president inside the Campus Center, the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus answered questions from first-generation student and senior nursing major Emily Suarez Nunez. Dycus spoke about her path to ����Vlog and to the leadership position she’s held since July 1, as well as what excites her most. 

She called on alumni to loudly and proudly share the stories of ����Vlog’s successes and talk to others about how ����Vlog has impacted their lives, their children’s lives, and the ways their families have been nurtured by the university.

“We’re not proud enough about who ����Vlog is, but we have an amazing community here, a meaningful mission, and it shows up across the world,” said Dycus, who is the first Black woman to serve in the role. “And I am most excited about being able to be the person who gets to advocate for that everywhere I go.”

TenTalks

At the annual hosted at Martin Chapel on Saturday afternoon, ����Vlog’s three 2025 alumni award winners each had 10 minutes to impact, influence, and inspire the audience. This marked the first time that alumni award winners presented at the event.

The speakers were: 

• Jessica “Jess” King ’96, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, has led equity-driven public sector organizations for more than 20 years. She spoke on the theme of fear and the role it’s played in her career and in her life.
• Outstanding Alum of the Year Brittany Caine-Conley MDiv ’14, one of the lead organizers for Congregate Charlottesville, shared her experiences making connections with local justice groups leading up to the white supremacist rally in 2017 and spoke on the importance of solidarity.
• Alum of the Year Fabrice Guerrier MA ’15 (conflict transformation), founder and CEO of the first collaborative worldbuilding production house for science fiction and fantasy storytelling, spoke about the power of imagination. He invited audience members to close their eyes and picture building a city on a new planet in the year 2035.

Royal City Celebration

Outside on the Front Lawn, the Royal City Celebration had everyone grooving to live music from the Richmond-based Premiere Band and savoring bites from food trucks offering barbecue, tacos, and ice cream. The crisp fall temperature and clear skies could not have been more perfect for the occasion.

The event also featured ����Vlog’s second annual crowning of a homecoming court, which included:

• Seniors Jamaury Starks and Royale Parker
• Juniors Christopher Varone and Janaria Kenreich
• Sophomores Bennett de Tenley and Shawna Hurst
• First-years Johnathan Badowski and Logan Turchetta

For the more than 200 ����Vlog students participating in the university’s fourth annual Royals Go Downtown presented by Everence on Thursday, the foods available to try ranged from sweet sips (mango lassi from Taj of India), savory snacks (dumplings from Mashita), and the wacky and wonderful (pickles on a stick from Sage Bird Ciderworks).

That’s not to mention the dozen other mouthwatering dishes students could sample from downtown Harrisonburg restaurants, businesses, and organizations including Magpie Diner, Aristocat Cafe + Tea House, Court Square Theater (serving their own popcorn), Broad Porch Coffee Co., Rockingham County Circuit Court and Clerk’s office (handing out gavel-shaped pencils), Billy Jack’s Wing & Draft Shack, Texas Inn, Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn, OASIS Fine Art & Craft (giving away lollipops), Klines Dairy Bar, and Benny Sorrentino’s.

Royals Go Downtown introduces ����Vlog students to the restaurants and other businesses that make the Friendly City so special. Students gathered, by the busload, at alumna-owned Magpie Diner to begin their cross-town culinary crawl, where they were greeted by Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus. “This is a time where we get to be community together,” Dycus told students. “We are in downtown Harrisonburg because this is home for us.”

Groups of students strolled through the heart of Harrisonburg along a guided walking route, led by faculty, staff, and student volunteers. They stopped at partner locations before coming together at Turner Pavilion for a dance party, hosted by DJ Adam Wirdzek (also known as EBRO), web content and strategy manager for ����Vlog marketing and communications, and Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at ����Vlog, who offered students a warm welcome to Harrisonburg.

“It’s like my favorite event of the year,” ����Vlog senior Lauren Kauffman, of Goshen, Indiana, told the Daily News-Record () about Royals Go Downtown. “There’s all kinds of good food. Good food, fun, and friends.”

Another student, first-year Eli Monroe of Poquoson, Virginia, told the paper, “It was absolutely phenomenal. I got some free things, I got a nice water bottle out of it, and I got to hang out with my best buds.”

Joni Wiederman, a first-year nursing major from Spotsylvania County, Virginia, attended the food tour with her field hockey teammates and said it was her first time experiencing downtown Harrisonburg. “I like how friendly everyone was,” she said. “It was pretty welcoming.”

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the event a resounding success, including the planning committee (Amy Springer Hartsell, Atma Khalsa, Deanna Reed and Sara Wittig), 15 participating downtown businesses, Mayor Reed, 23 faculty and staff volunteers, seven student volunteers, our mascot Herm, various ����Vlog offices and departments (Athletics, Student Life, Facilities Management, Pioneer College Caterers) and our businesses who sponsored this event.

These business partners include:

• Presenting Sponsor: Everence
• Court Square Champ Sponsors: CT Assist, LD&B Insurance Services, Matchbox Realty, Rockingham County Circuit Court and Clerk’s Office, The Mark-It, Friendly City Food Co-op, and Kline’s Ice Cream.

We will soon begin planning for next year’s Royals Go Downtown event. Please let us know if you have any feedback from this year or suggestions for next! 

It might be the quietest spot on campus. 

����Vlog’s new Astral Recording Studio, which opened this semester in the former Astral Hall building atop the ����Vlog Hill at 1304 Hillcrest Drive, has been precisely engineered with one goal in mind: providing the ultimate environment for recording and mixing audio. From its comprehensive acoustic treatment to its full suite of top-tier audio equipment, every square inch of the space is designed to help producers capture the sounds they want while eliminating the ones they don’t.

For starters, take the physical structure of the building itself. The studio, featuring a 175-square-foot control room and two isolation rooms measuring 81 and 83 square feet, sits on its own concrete slab, separate from the rest of the building to minimize vibrations. Inside its walls, a 4-inch air gap makes the space practically soundproof from outside noise.

“If there’s noise or rattling, you end up spending too much time editing it out,” Guerrero said. “We’re aiming to replicate the professional studio environments of Los Angeles and New York City to better prepare our students for work in those settings.”

Take a look inside the studio and it quickly becomes clear just how much thought went into creating the optimal environment. Acoustic panels on the walls and ceiling absorb the high and mid frequencies, while bass traps in the corners absorb the low ones. Thirteen speakers are positioned around the control room, all directed toward the center of the room, where a control surface allows producers to mix dozens of channels with precision. 

The control room is calibrated for Dolby Atmos 7.1.4, one of the highest standards in music production, which means that it has seven ear-level speakers, one subwoofer, four overhead speakers, and an additional subwoofer for bass management. Together, they create a three-dimensional sphere of sound that envelops the space. The studio can produce 3D audio, sometimes known as “spatial audio,” as well as binaural audio, delivering a more immersive listening experience than standard stereo.

“Not many studios near us have something like that,” Guerrero said. And almost none of them are open to members of the public, who can rent the ����Vlog studio by the hour.

Astral Recording Studio is open to ����Vlog students, faculty, staff, and community members for recording and mixing music, videos, podcasts, or any other audio projects. 
Learn more about the studio at .

Guerrero said students in his Introduction to Music Technology and Video Game Music and Culture classes this semester will use the space as a hands-on lab to collaborate on projects. The studio has already hosted a few successful recording sessions for local musicians, and reactions to the space have been overwhelmingly positive.

When he’s not playing with his jazz group around town, Thaddeus Jackson ’24 can be found operating his own home recording studio. “It’s kind of amazing that a university this small has a studio like this,” he said, while he shredded on a guitar at a recent open house. The vocal performance and guitar grad helped Guerrero assemble much of the equipment in the ����Vlog studio this summer, along with John Evans of Master Craft Construction and his apprentice, Kortney Bostic. 

The studio could also serve as a space for audio research projects, Guerrero said. That might include comparing different microphones or other technologies, or using the controlled environment to study how we perceive and process sound.

When he was hired on as faculty a little more than two years ago, Guerrero had two objectives: build a recording studio and eventually develop a music technology major at ����Vlog. He said a number of music students over the years had expressed interest in recording their own music and exploring audio production, often mentioning the need for a studio. He credited an initial $95,000 donation from a generous couple, who have said they wish to remain anonymous, with kickstarting the project, as well as consistent support from ����Vlog administration and Music Program Director Dr. David Berry.

“The studio has been a dream in the making for many years now and it is wonderful to see it open its doors,” Berry said. 

“It’s an amazing space with lots of capabilities,” he added. “I’m excited about all the possibilities it represents by giving access to more students, staff, and members of the community the ability to make music in new ways and explore their passions.”

Guerrero said music technology programs, like the one he envisions creating at ����Vlog someday, have been shown to boost enrollment by appealing to students from nontraditional music backgrounds. “These are the students making beats at home or producing tracks, but who aren’t necessarily in marching band, orchestra, or choir,” he said. “If we can bring them in and help them see a future not just at ����Vlog, but in a music career, I think the potential is huge.”

Now that the studio is finally open, Guerrero is excited to welcome people in. “Let’s collaborate,” he said. “Let’s work on something together.”

����Vlog the professor

Guerrero holds a PhD in music education from the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.), a master’s in music technology from New York University, and a bachelor’s in drum set performance and contemporary writing and production from Berklee College of Music (Boston). While a college student, he worked at Apple stores in Boston and New York for three years, teaching workshops in GarageBand and Logic Pro. He previously taught at James Madison University and El Paso Community College in his hometown of El Paso, Texas.

He traces his interest in immersive audio back to the first time he watched Rush in Rio in 5.1 surround sound more than 20 years ago, and recalled attending an Audio Engineering Society conference at Dolby Labs in 2012, where he witnessed the first public performance of Dolby Atmos. “The sense of immersion was incredible,” he said.

����Vlog the space

Built in 1955, the terraced, one-room Astral Hall building next to the Vesper Heights Observatory hosted astronomy lectures and Astral Society meetings. Read more about the early days of the building here.

In the early 1970s, the building was renovated into a recording studio for WEMC, the ����Vlog student- and staff-run radio station that began broadcasting from Lehman Auditorium in 1954. Guerrero said the renovation set it up well for acoustic treatment, and some original features, including the windows and doors, remain in place today. “There were a lot of things that were done right in the design of this space,” he said.

Before the clock struck midnight on Wednesday, April 2, Lov����Vlog Giving Day 2025 achieved its fairy tale ending. A generous outpouring of support from all members of the ����Vlog community—alumni, faculty, staff, current and prospective students, and friends—resulted in a record-breaking $365,313 raised by 360 unique donors during the ninth annual 24-hour extravaganza. That total surpasses the $350,000 goal set by Lov����Vlog organizers and tops the $340,512 raised last year (a 7% increase).

Donors gave early and often, unlocking all $152,000 in challenge match funds for The University Fund, student scholarships, athletics, facilities, and intercultural programs. Because 27 prospective students who registered to attend Lov����Vlog Giving Day paid their tuition deposits, donors matched their commitment by contributing $27,000 to student scholarships. That’s nearly double the $15,000 raised for that challenge last year!

The 2025 Lov����Vlog leaderboard competition was fierce and fun-spirited, with the winners named below:

Academic program

• First place ($1,000 prize): Education
• Second place ($500 prize): Music
• Third place ($250 prize): Business and leadership

Student club/organization

• First place ($1,000 prize): SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Council)
• Second place ($500 prize): Earthkeepers
• Third place ($250 prize): Pickleball

Athletic team

• First place ($1,000 prize): Men’s soccer
• Second place ($500 prize): Women’s volleyball
• Third place ($250 prize): Men’s volleyball

Nicole Litwiller, annual giving and donor communication specialist, said that a highlight for her was seeing the whole ����Vlog community come together to embrace their pride for ����Vlog. “There were some moments yesterday where we were coming down to the wire to meet a challenge goal, but without fail, our community came through and helped us unlock every single one,” she said on Thursday. “Thanks to their support, Lov����Vlog Giving Day was a huge success, and we once again beat last year’s record. I’m so grateful for everyone who showed their support.”

Seeing septuple?!

Four ����Vlog staff members and two students channeled their inner Royal-in-chief for the first-ever President Huxman Lookalike Contest, held on Monday at the Student Union to kick off Lov����Vlog week. The contest honored Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, who has served as ����Vlog’s ninth president since 2017 and is retiring this summer. Tyler Goss, director for student engagement and leadership development, hosted the competition, dispensing with his typical flair for the dramatic. 

The half-dozen contestants modeled their blue outfits and recited their favorite Huxmanisms. Determined by raucous cheers and selected by Huxman herself as judge, the winners of the contest, students Mana Acosta and Leah Beachy—the latter of whom wore a bald cap to portray Huxman’s husband—received an offer of a fancy dinner at the president’s residence along with three guests of their choice. 

“It’s spooky because I use all of those words,” Huxman said, before announcing her pick. “You all used the correct enunciation and everything.” Following the contest, Litwiller announced that the Lov����Vlog Early Challenge had been reached, which unlocked $10,000 toward The University Fund. for more photos from the event.

Getting hyped at Herm’s House

By the time the second annual Lov����Vlog pep rally began at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, donors had already contributed more than $54,000, or about 15%, of the day’s fundraising goal. The event, held at Yoder Arena, started with a screening of the official 2025 Lov����Vlog video (watch it on YouTube) featuring some of your favorite campus characters. Frequent emcee duo Braydon Hoover and Deanna Reed hyped up the crowd. 

Naomi Kratzer, an ����Vlog junior from Goshen, Indiana, majoring in music performance and history, shared her own “Royal Tale” leading her to ����Vlog. For more Royal Tales of students and alumni, check out our series of stories here. As she decided on which college to attend, the Mennonite-raised Kratzer “began scouring” the five Mennonite colleges in the U.S. It was ����Vlog’s campus that kept catching her eye, she said, due to its beautiful setting in the Shenandoah Valley, its strong music education program and its vibrant student community. “My story didn’t begin when I stepped onto campus, and neither did any of yours,” she said. “But ����Vlog is known to be a home for all of our vastly diverse, chaotic, and ever-complicating plots. ����Vlog’s resilience is in the people.”

In a dazzling display of musical mastery, Goss, dressed as the jester from the Lov����Vlog video, pulled a flute from his sleeve and performed the theme to Sesame Street. He was joined by Makinto, an internationally known musician and seminary student, who challenged him to a flute battle. Watch the pep rally . The flute duel begins at the 38-minute mark.

Royal Tales 

A Royal Tales panel discussion hosted by Litwiller with ����Vlog professors Dr. Gaurav Pathania, Dr. Benjamin Bergey ’11, and Dr. Kate Clark ’07 detailed their journeys to ����Vlog, the challenges they’ve overcome, what excites them about the future, and what they love most about ����Vlog. 

Clark graduated from ����Vlog’s nursing program, worked as a nurse for several years, and then returned to teach at ����Vlog in 2011. She gave a shout-out to the Graham Central Station ice cream flavor at the cafeteria—“I’ve never had it anywhere else,” she said—and added that her job at ����Vlog is the best one she’s ever had. “I love that ����Vlog has a point of view,” she said. “It’s a place that has a perspective. … I love working for a place that I feel stands for something, and it’s something that’s important and needed in the world.”

Sanctuary of sound

Music Professor Ben Guerrero led tours of the new recording studio inside the Astral Hall on top of the ����Vlog hill. Built in 1955, the former lecture hall was once home to the astronomy society. Starting in the early ’70s, it housed the WEMC radio station run by ����Vlog students and staff. Today, it’s a state-of-the-art studio with two isolation rooms and a Dolby Atmos control room for mixing immersive or 3D audio. The space can be used to produce full records, music videos, and informational and instructional videos. The studio officially opens this fall.

A ‘wheelie’ good time

����Vlog students, staff, and anyone daring enough to brave a gauntlet of projectiles and obstacles took part in a race around the indoor track, modeled after the popular Mario Kart video game. Participants rode scooters, dodging yoga balls and dodgeballs, grabbing prize boxes, and weaving their way around aerobics step platforms and hurdles laid out on the track, to fight their way to the finish line. Meanwhile, on the Yoder Arena courts down below, the ����Vlog men’s volleyball team won a five-set thriller over Randolph College.

Challenges (all unlocked)

Lov����Vlog Early Challenge: We received more than 120 gifts (100 gifts were needed) before the start of Lov����Vlog Giving Day to unlock $10,000 for scholarships. 

Loyal Royal Challenge: ����Vlog alumni gave more than 270 gifts (250 gifts were needed) over the 24-hour span to unlock $20,000 for The University Fund.

Friends of ����Vlog Challenge: Non-alumni deepened their commitment to ����Vlog by contributing more than 180 gifts (175 gifts were needed) throughout the day and unlocking $15,000 for scholarships.

Future Royal Challenge: Because 27 prospective students who registered to attend Lov����Vlog Giving Day paid their tuition deposit, we unlocked $27,000 for scholarships.

Rise ’N Shine, Royals! Challenge: Early birds helped reach this challenge by giving more than 80 gifts (75 gifts were needed) between 6 and 9 a.m. to unlock $15,000 for The University Fund. 

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fund Our Facilities Challenge: Donors demonstrated giant-sized generosity by awarding at least 65 gifts (65 gifts were needed) between 10 a.m. and noon to unlock $15,000 for improvements to campus facilities.

What Magnificent Academics We Have! Challenge: To celebrate ����Vlog’s stellar smarts, supporters donated at least 100 gifts (100 gifts were needed) between noon and 3 p.m. to unlock $15,000 for scholarships.

A Whole New World Challenge: ����Vlog’s intercultural programs have impacted thousands of graduates, offering opportunities to engage in different cultures, build global relationships and experience a new perspective. Donors contributed 80 gifts (75 gifts were needed) between 5 and 7 p.m. to unlock $10,000 for intercultural programs. 

The Mighty Royals Challenge: Athletics supporters showed their love for ����Vlog sports by pitching in 60 gifts (50 gifts were needed) between 7:30 and 9 p.m. to unlock $10,000 for ����Vlog Athletics.

Before The Clock Struck Midnight Challenge: ����Vlog’s night owls stayed up late to celebrate, giving at least 100 gifts (100 gifts were needed) between 9 p.m. and midnight to unlock $15,000 for The University Fund.

Thanks to everyone who donated, shared of their time to celebrate their love of all things ����Vlog, and joined in the festivities on campus! Special thanks to the Lov����Vlog planning team: Arelys Martinez Fabian, Genesis Figueroa, Tyler Goss, Cassie Guerrero, Liz Heilbronner, Steven Johnson, Luke Litwiller, Nicole Litwiller, and Arushi Sachan; Advancement; Marketing & Communications; Student Government Association; Undergraduate Admissions & Royal Ambassadors; ����Vlog Facilities; Pioneer College Caterers; Athletics; Information Technology; and all other faculty, staff and students who provided support by creating decorations or volunteered their time to help with events.

For more photos from the day’s events, swipe through our gallery below:

The list of luminaries, published online by Women We Admire on Feb. 10, features leaders who are “instrumental in shaping the state’s continued growth and success.” Women We Admire is a membership organization comprised of some of the most accomplished women executives and leaders across the U.S. and Canada, its states.  

Read the full list of awardees here (Reed is at No. 49): 

Reed said she was honored and humbled to be selected for the list. 

“It’s truly amazing to be recognized as number 49 of 50 incredible women across the state who are making a difference and leading with passion and purpose,” she said. “I’m deeply grateful for this recognition and for all the amazing people and colleagues who have supported and inspired me along the way.”

The list recognizes Reed for her community service work through Precious Gems Academy, an afterschool mentorship program she cofounded, and her role as program director for , a nonprofit that connects low-income youth with academic support, career enrichment classes and leadership development. 

“Driven by her love for her community and its children, she began attending city council meetings and was struck by the absence of female members at the time,” the Top 50 article states. “Motivated to create change, she decided to run for office…”

A pioneering political leader, Reed was elected to Harrisonburg City Council in 2016 and was appointed mayor the following year. She is the first Black woman elected to the council and also the first to serve as mayor. In November, she was reelected to a fourth term, from 2025 to 2028.

The Harrisonburg native was named in 2018 to Essence magazine’s “.” She has been recognized by the Virginia Library of Congress as part of the “,” and honored with the 2015 Citizen of the Year Award by Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst. She was ����Vlog’s commencement speaker in 2020 and has been an active contributor to campus life, participating in convocations and special events such as ����Vlog’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. In 2023, she joined ����Vlog as its regional advancement director.

More than 120 alumni who attended ����Vlog (then Eastern Mennonite College, or EMC) 50 or more years ago gathered for the Jubilee Luncheon in Martin Chapel on Friday. Eighty of those in attendance represented the class of 1974 and were inducted into the Jubilee Alumni Association.

Alumni traveled from near and far to attend the luncheon, sharing treasured memories and lessons learned from their time at ����Vlog. Jackie Sullivan Smoot ‘74, who taught in the Shenandoah school system for 37 years, talked about her life-changing intercultural experience teaching for a summer in Atlanta. “I grew up that summer. My appreciation for my family, for life in general, grew that summer,” said the Shenandoah, Va. alumna.

For Joe Fretz ‘74, the questions raised at ����Vlog served as a sort of anchor, grounding him through loss and his faith journey long after graduation. “The courage to question turned out to be the great gift I received from ����Vlog,” said the Colorado-based alumnus.

June Smucker-Handrich ‘74 traveled from Oregon. Patricia Lehman ‘74 traveled 41 hours from Washington state, and Kirk Martin ‘74 and Callie Kan flew over 9,000 miles from Singapore. Alumni who attended the luncheon came from a total of 14 states and three countries.

Friday afternoon continued with an art opening at ����Vlog’s Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery. The packed exhibition featured the work of Becca Gish ‘09, Rhoda Miller ‘03 and Jon Styer ‘07. The alumni spoke about how the natural world inspired their pieces and about their artistic journeys during and after ����Vlog.

Styer says he developed a love for combining arts forms—drawing, painting and graphic design—at ����Vlog where he had the opportunity to “explore all of the arts.”

View the exhibition through Nov. 8! The gallery is open Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Friday night came to a close with the Royal Appreciation Reception: Royals in the Land of Oz in University Commons. More than 190 alumni and donors chatted over hors d’oeuvres prepared by food service director Shannon Grinnan and her Pioneer College Catering team. Attendees, which also included student leaders, enjoyed gourmet cheeses to apple pie pot stickers to a ginger apple mocktail with fresh mint from the ����Vlog gardens.

President Susan Schultz Huxman shared updates about the university at the event; she punctuated each update with an on-theme quote from The Wizard of Oz. “There’s no place like a welcoming and inclusive home,” Huxman said. “Creating spaces for all students to be seen and validated is an ongoing, collective effort across the university.”

President Huxman kicked off the Opening Celebration Breakfast on Saturday in University Commons. “This morning we celebrate achievements. We celebrate careers. We celebrate memories.” The breakfast recognized Seth Crissman ‘09, MDiv ‘15 with the Outstanding Young Alum Award; Kendra Conrad Bailey ‘03, MA ‘05 with the Alum of the Year Award; and Dr. Lee Roy Berry Jr. ‘66 with the Distinguished Service Award. (Crissman, Bailey, and Berry are pictured left to right above.)

Following the breakfast, a separate ceremony celebrated Hall of Honor inductees Gina Troyer ‘93 (volleyball, basketball, and softball); Bianca Ygarza ‘14 (basketball); Roland Landes (professor and coach of men’s cross-country, baseball, men’s basketball, women’s cross-country, and track and field); and Michael Allen ‘13 (track and field). Each inductee was introduced by a family member, friend, or coach. (Troyer, Ygarza, Landes, and Allen are pictured left to right above.)

More than 300 people—alumni, affinity groups, clubs, programs and departments—filled the Front Lawn for food, fellowship and fun at the Royal City Celebration. Music by the ����Vlog Gospel Choir, music professor Dr. David Berry, and the Walking Roots Band featuring Seth Crissman ‘09, MDiv ‘15; Perry Blosser ‘18; Greg Yoder; Kristina (Landis) Yoder ‘09; Mitchell Yoder ‘09; and Lauren Yoder ‘09 provided the backdrop for the sunshiny setting. Deanna Reed, mayor of Harrisonburg and director of alumni engagement & community connections, brought the emcee energy.

The Royal City Celebration also brought ����Vlog’s first crowning of a homecoming court. The court included first-year students Ella Richer (environmental science) and Jack Gallagher (business); sophomores Caleb Metzler (political science, sociology, Spanish) and Kaylene Todd (psychology); juniors Leah Beachy (nursing) and Joshua Stucky (nursing); and seniors Adam Stolzfus (engineering) and Adriana Jacobs (physical education). (Gallagher, Todd, Beachy, Stucky, Stotzfus, and Jacobs are pictured left to right above; Richer and Metzler are not pictured.)

The two students elected from each class were chosen by the student body as role models, leaders, and contributors to the campus community. Laughter and cheers ensued as members were introduced and crowned with glittering tiaras by Ka’Shea Jones-Mitchell, administrative assistant for advancement.

Modeled after TED Talks, ����Vlog TenTalks featured three speakers—Ashley Mellinger ‘24; Adesola Johnson, senior biology major; and Dr. Mark Sawin, ����Vlog professor of history and honors program director—sharing their stories for 10 minutes each with a Q&A at the end.

Read a longer detailed write-up or

Saturday afternoon also included a Track & Field Complex Dedication featuring a planned program with remarks from donors and ����Vlog leaders. A pole run and relay race marked the official opening of the track where attendees were able to test out the surface for themselves.

Read a full write-up of the event.

Sports fans had a number of opportunities to get their fix during the weekend: an alumni baseball game that pitted grads against ����Vlog’s baseball team, Women’s Field Hockey vs. Sweet Briar, Women’s Volleyball vs. Lynchburg, Women’s Soccer vs. Guilford, and Men’s Soccer vs. Lynchburg.

Topping off the festivities was a Sunday morning worship service at Park View Mennonite Church with the ����Vlog Chamber Singers. Additionally, alumni from the Black Student Alliance, Latinx Student Alliance, Asian Pacific Islanders Student Alliance, and Queer Student Alliance gathered on- and off-campus during the weekend.

����Vlog Theatre premiered its production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical on Friday. The show continues on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.

Check out the for any recorded events. We hope to see you again next year!

Kirk Shisler ‘81, vice president for advancement, introduced alumni in attendance spanning eight decades. Among them were Bob Hostetler ‘59 who “still runs the 100-meter dash like a jackrabbit,” according to Shisler; Roland Landes, an ����Vlog cross-country coach for nine seasons starting in the ’60s and a 2024 Hall of Honor inductee; Hannah Chappell Dick ‘16, a five-time NCAA DIII All-American ����Vlog runner with countless awards and seven school records; and Ryan Gehman ‘16, a star ����Vlog runner, advocate, and speaker at the 2023 ����Vlog TenTalks.

The program also featured remarks from Carrie Bert ‘97, director of athletics; Ray Ray Taylor, MS ‘24, an All-American track and field athlete; and Jim ‘68 and Gloria Horst Rosenberger ‘70 who put forth an early gift of $600,000 and a recent $400,000 challenge fund to encourage support for the track and field.

It’s not too late to give to the project! Donate now.

More than $4 million has been raised toward the $6 million campaign goal. President Susan Schultz Huxman thanked the “salt-of-the-earth, visionary supporters who stepped up with unwavering conviction going back nearly a decade.” And with student-athletes making up 43 percent of the first-year student population, she said it has been a long time coming.

Before attendees could set foot on the new track, Laura Rosenberger ’03 (����Vlog pole vault record holder for 21 years) and sophomore Micah Mast did a symbolic run with a pole, followed by a ceremonial relay lap with alumni, donors, students, and faculty/staff. These served as a “passing of the baton” to future generations of athletes who will use this state-of-the-art complex for years to come.

Perhaps the greatest love in his life—other than his wife, Frances, and their children—was aviation. Hartman, an instrument-rated pilot since 1959, managed a small airfield east of Charlottesville in the 1960s. He enjoyed flying through the skies above his home “low and slow” in his 1966 Cessna 172, recalled his friend and legal adviser Marshall Yoder. Hartman delighted in taking his family on his flights and seeing the scenery from a fresh perspective.

“Len was a skilled pilot,” Yoder said. “He would float down and there would barely be a ‘thump’ when he’d land.”

As he entered his 90s, Hartman stopped flying his plane as often and began talking to Yoder about parting with it. He wanted to leave it in the right hands, where it could do the most good. But, he hadn’t yet found the right cause.

When Yoder told him about the burgeoning aviation program at ����Vlog Lancaster and how his plane could greatly impact the next generation of pilots, Hartman found his answer. Before his death in February 2022, Hartman ensured that his beloved Cessna, as well as 25 percent of his estate, would be gifted to ����Vlog. Because the gift was unrestricted, the university and its advancement division could decide how best to use it.

“Len knew there was a worldwide shortage of pilots, and he knew there would always be people interested in flight,” said Braydon Hoover, who worked with Hartman and Yoder on establishing the endowment. “And so, to honor his memory, we decided to put it all into a scholarship named after him.”

The J. Leonard “Len” Hartman Scholarship for Aviation will provide more than $17,000 in funds each year, starting in fall 2025, for aviation students at ����Vlog Lancaster who demonstrate financial need.

The Hartman endowment totals about $345,000, which includes $20,000 from the sale of the Cessna. Hartman’s gift will help ����Vlog live into its vision of opening new pathways of access and achievement, a vision outlined in the university’s 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders.

“It has quickly become one of our larger named endowed scholarships,” Hoover said, “for one of the fastest growing programs at ����Vlog.”

You can contribute to scholarships for future aviators at ����Vlog by donating online at and typing “J. Leonard Hartman Aviation Scholarship” or “Scholarship for Aviation” into the text field. Contact kirk.shisler@emu.edu for more details on how to support this worthy cause.

John Sibole, director of aviation at ����Vlog Lancaster, said the scholarships will allow the program to further diversify its student body and recruit students from new areas.

“We at ����Vlog Lancaster would like to express our sincere gratitude for the implementation of the Len Hartman scholarship fund for our aviation students,” Sibole said.

“The flight training component of their education is expensive, and these scholarships, which will be awarded in part on a needs basis, will provide new pathways of access into the aviation profession for underserved young people,” he added.

����Vlog’s aviation program soars

Word is spreading throughout the aviation industry about the strength of ����Vlog’s program and the quality of its graduates. As a result, the ����Vlog aviation program continues to grow in popularity. The program, which began in 2018 with five students, will welcome 24 students this upcoming semester—its largest cohort yet. Current enrollment in the program is at 49 students. A total of 21 students, in three cohorts so far, have graduated from the program to date.

Students enrolled in the four-year Leadership and Organizational Management (LOM) major with an aviation concentration earn a bachelor’s degree and the FAA credentials they need to become professional pilots. Students are paired with flight instructors though ����Vlog’s flight training partner at the Lancaster Airport in Lititz, Pennsylvania. While the program provides at least 270 hours of flight time, many students earn up to 1,000 hours by the time they graduate, said Sibole, noting that nearly 100 percent of their students find jobs within their first year of graduating.

One of the benefits of an aviation program the size of ����Vlog’s is that students are given guaranteed weekly flight training slots with access to aircraft and an instructor. That’s something, Sibole said, that isn’t available at a lot of larger schools.

It’s a major reason Will Stover, a third-year aviation student, chose to attend ����Vlog.

“You’re going to be flying pretty much from day one,” he said. “And you have guaranteed flight slots, so there’s no question you’ll be flying and you’ll be flying regularly.”

When students enter their senior year, they are required to complete a supervised internship with an established aviation organization for a full semester. For many aviation graduates, those internships translate into full-time careers.

During her senior year, Ivy Kreiser, a member of the program’s first cohort, interned at , a private charter and aviation services company in Lancaster. She landed a job there after graduating in 2022 and now works there as a second-in-command.

Becoming a pilot can be expensive. The affordability of ����Vlog’s aviation program, compared to other schools, was a big draw for her.

“The ����Vlog program is great because you’re going to get the education you need, the experience you need, and the flight schools you need,” Kreiser said. “You’re going to meet with professors who will give you the connections you’re hoping for and that you want. And you’re not going to spend as much money as some of the other big programs out there.”

Hartman leaves a legacy

In addition to donating to ����Vlog, Hartman gifted parts of his estate to a library, school, retirement home and church, Yoder said.

The attorney fondly recalls spending afternoons on Hartman’s front porch, talking about everything from politics and religion to Virginia Tech basketball.

“He was such a decent, nice person,” Yoder said. “I miss being able to talk to him. But I think he would be really happy knowing where his bequest is going.”

For more information about ����Vlog’s aviation program, visit: