Students present their public relations proposal to representatives from Hannah’s House and Bridge of Hope.

Sophomore Arielle Byl says her intro to public relations class at Bethel College was more than what she expected.

“It was a memorable experience,” says the communication major.

That’s because the class did more than just reading a text book and studying theories. Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth McLaughlin, Ph.D., brought in a real-life project for the students to practice hands-on experience. Byl and her classmates used the concepts they learned in the first part of their class to help a local, nonprofit organization called Bridge of Hope during the second part of the class. By the end of the semester students had created a public relations strategy that included recommendations for the organization.

“For most of us, when we learned that the project would be helping someone, it became a great incentive,” says Byl. “When you can put a face to your project, it inspires you to want to make it the best it can be.”

Bridge of Hope is an organization that helps single mothers avoid homelessness through the partnership of church groups and a case work system to bring the support necessary to encourage independence. About a year ago, the organization merged with Hannah’s House, another local nonprofit that provides a home for pregnant women. According to a Bridge of Hope brochure, 45 percent of babies born in St. Joseph County are born to single women. This program successfully prevents and ends homelessness for single mothers with an 80 percent success rate.

Students were charged with coming up with a strategy to increase the involvement of area churches in the vision of mentoring single mothers who are accepted into the Bridge of Hope program.

Currently, there are six women in the program. Mike Druley, who is vice president of the board of Hannah’s House, says he hoping to increase that to eight by the end of the year and hopefully more in the future. He says the program can last 12 to 18 months, but it depends on the woman’s strength and her ability to become independent.

McLaughlin says the partnership is win-win for both organizations.

“In the end, students get experience in walking through the process,” says McLaughlin. “And Bridge of Hope will hopefully have a proposal that has some ideas that they can implement.”

Once the students finished their presentation, Druley and Executive Director of Hannah’s House Bill Killilea addressed the students with praise.

“I’m impressed. I think you should all get an ‘A,’” says Druley.

Both men said they liked the students’ ideas to utilize social media, revamp a brochure, as well as the idea of a speakers’ bureau, just to name a few.

Byl said she and some of her classmates hope to stay involved in some way with both organizations, even though class is over.

“Now that we are exposed to this reality,” says Byl. “We’re responsible to do something about it.”

Jennifer Kutcka

Associate Professor in Deaf Studies Jennifer Kutcka will pursue her childhood passion at this year’s 22nd Summer Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria, on July 26 through Aug. 4. Without any formal training, Kutcka has been asked to be one of the four members on the Deaflympics Bowling Team.

Bowling has always been a family affair to Kutcka. After watching her mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles perform in various leagues, Kutcka joined a league of her own when she was only 7 years old. She stopped bowling when she started participating in other sports at Indiana School for the Deaf, but picked it up again after she got married in 2000.

I have never had any formal coaching for bowling,” says Kutcka. “And as a Deaf person, I haven’t even had the benefit of picking up terms, techniques or tips by overhearing other bowlers talk. I’ve learned on my own by observing others and by doing it.”

Kutcka has been involved in many leagues in the St. Joseph and Elkhart area. In fact, it was at a Deaf Bowling Tournament in California five years ago that Kutcka met the coach of the Deaflympic Bowling Team. He told her that she had to have an average in the 170s for three years to try out for the team. Kutcka averaged in the 150s, but she began focusing her technique in the hopes of joining the team someday.

Kutcka at tryouts for the Deaflympics in Dallas.

That day came last August when Kutcka tried out in Dallas, Texas, and was asked to be the fourth member of the team in February. Unfortunately, that only leaves Kutcka with four months to raise the $4,800 needed to participate, since the Deaflympics is not supported with sponsors.

On June 9, Kutcka and another teammate will hold a bowling fundraiser in Fishers, Ind. She will also be hosting a Zumba night in South Bend at Gospel Center Missionary Church gym on June 27 from 6 – 8 p.m. The cost is $10. You can also donate to the USADF via email or to Jennifer Kutcka directly. Check/money order can be sent to her address: 52305 Wood Haven Court Granger, IN  46530.

“I am so blessed that God has given me a talent that is enabling me to participate in an Olympic experience, says Kutcka. “On the bowling alley, I feel normal like anyone else.”

Read the story on Bethel’s athletic site.

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Krissy Hershberger (’13)

Business administration major Krissy Hershberger (’13) always knew she wanted to work with people in some way. So when she went to career services and asked if Matthew Stackowitz knew of any job opportunities in the area of event planning, marketing or public relations, he referred her to Volt Marketing, Inc., a marketing agency that works with national clients to get the word out about their products in places of high customer traffic such as Sam’s Club, Costco, Kroger, etc.

Hershberger applied immediately and, within the next week, had a couple of interviews. She found out that she could start working immediately part time and full time after graduation. Right now, Hershberger works as part of the management training program, a self-paced program that works toward becoming a marketing manager within the office in about a year and half.

“It’s challenging and uncomfortable at times, but it is a great opportunity that God has placed in my lap all at once,” says Hershberger. “I’m definitely excited about it.”

Hershberger says her business and communication classes as well as her participation in Enactus, an organization that brings together students and business leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to help people in need, have equipped her with the skills necessary to succeed in life after graduation.

After this weekend, Hershberger will work full time with Volt Marketing, Inc. with the hopes of becoming marketing manager there, and maybe even expand the office into another region.

Paul Anderson (’13)

Senior liberal arts major in education, psychology and history Paul Anderson is currently a volunteer coach at Five Star, but is on the right track to working toward a full-time job with the organization.

Five Star is an organization in the Michiana area that teaches students to live a “five star” life grounded in courage, respect, integrity, responsibility and sacrifice by connecting with Five Star coaches. Anderson will be starting an internship after graduation and begin the organization’s leadership program in the fall as a full-time head coach.

“I will learn how to lead teams, recruit and train coaches, pull off promotional events, work with administrators and faculty, run summit leadership camp, and network and engage the business community,” says Anderson.

Anderson first heard about Five Star at Bethel. His classes in education and psychology have given him experiences which have helped him understand youth better.

“I want to help change kids’ lives and to see them learn, grow and take steps in order to challenge them,” says Anderson. “These are the types of things I have seen youth experience when they go to Five Star and I want to do my part in seeing them succeed.”

Kapala was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in 2010. After a year’s worth of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Kapala received the news in February that her cancer spread and there was no cure.

“My family and I were devastated by the diagnosis of a recurrence,” says Kapala. “Stage IV meant terminal to us.”

While many would crumble at this news, Kapala decided to fight for herself and her kids. She began looking for other treatments outside the United States and found a possible answer to her prayers in Mexico. This treatment not only offered a possible cure to her illness, but gave her hope — a vital ingredient to the fight against cancer.

“Cancer has had a negative impact on the quality of my life, but it has also initiated a positive change in my outlook on life,” says Kapala. “I definitely have a stronger sense of spirituality and sustainability and feel more grateful for my life. I won’t go as far as saying I am glad I have cancer. The reality of Stage IV cancer is that it has no easy cure and that it can take your life at any moment. I have to live with it but I choose to not live in it.”

Kapala’s motivation to serve the Lord, spend time with her children and see her youngest child go off to college are some of the biggest reasons Kapala continues to remain hopeful for the future.

“I find my motivation in the eyes of my children, but my strength is spiritual,” says Kapala.

It is also the reason she continues her education in pursuit of a degree in organizational management. While she does not know if she will be alive tomorrow, she seeks to achieve her dreams today.

“The degree is most predominantly evidence of my own personal commitment to learning,” says Kapala. “I invested in an experience that provided me with new learning and new ways of thinking, which have become part of who I am.”

Kapala found more than just an education in her classes here at Bethel. When Kapala asked her classmates to pray for her, they not only prayed, but raised funds for her treatment. Sexton set up a Facebook page where he rallied friends to either donate funds or post an encouraging note to The Hope for Laura Fund.

“Laura herself has inspired me,” says Sexton. “Even after she received the news that the cancer had returned with nothing left to do to fight it, she continued to work hard to achieve and complete her degree. If you did not know about her story, you would never know you were seeing someone who had been sentenced to death. She still has five kids that need her, cancer or not. Dying or not. Her humble dedication to serve others goes beyond that of an ordinary mother or friend. Laura’s HOPE through all this is that God’s will is done, whether here on this earth or not.”

“I was completely surprised when Dan told me my classmates were raising money for my treatment,” says Kapala. “I do not feel that my struggles are any more important than anyone else’s struggles and I think that it is incredibly generous of my classmates to reach out in this way. [My] family and friends have provided both emotional and financial support the entire time I have been fighting the cancer. Without them, I would have already lost.”

Sexton will be selling bouquets and water for the Hope for Laura Fund at graduation. To make a donation, visit hopeforlaurafund.org or visit their Facebook page.

Brent Boehner (’12)

I had originally intended to only play one round of Arlo’s Adventure, Bethel alumnus Brent Boehner’s (’12) new iPad and iPhone app. But I quickly realized that was only wishful thinking after an hour of traveling through dungeons, shooting zombies and scaling castles. I was fortunate to speak with Boehner, the man behind the game, and was able to see how a visual art major became the creator of his own app.

Boehner graduated from Bethel with a detailed knowledge of illustrating programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. This knowledge led him to  Kyle McKeever who he later partnered with to create Cinopt Studios, an organization that partners with CrumplePop to create video effects for editing software. Boehner serves as the graphic designer for the company, while McKeever handles the coding of the apps. Together, McKeever and Boehner created a few arcade games for the app store, but decided to devote their time to a larger project.

“We wanted to challenge ourselves by taking on a project much bigger than our previous efforts,” says Boehner.

Boehner and McKeever wanted to create a game that was reminiscent of the retro-inspired games of their youth. The result: a pixelated, multi-level game following a wizard named Arlo whose magical powers were stolen by unknown villains. Arlo must set out on his journey to retrieve his stolen powers and defeat his enemies.

“Expect to feel like a kid in the 1980s playing Nintendo games in the family room,” says Boehner.

Boehner’s app is refreshingly distinct from the other more modern games found in the app stores today. The combination of the pixelated graphics and kitschy music reminded me of my days playing Mario Bros with my siblings. From the classroom to the app store, Boehner has put his education into practice, giving graphic design majors another avenue to possibly follow in the future.

Another App Grad

Boehner is not the only Bethel alum to create and sell his own iPhone and iPad app. Brandon Yates (’12) graduated with a degree in organizational management.

His schooling came in handy when he set out to create a mobile app development company called B2Y2. Yates’ experience at Bethel taught him how to divide the responsibilities of the company between the other owner and himself. Together, B2Y2 created the app Stacked!

Stacked! is a card game based off Skip-Bo and Gin Rummy that allows you to play with friends and also against a computer. Yates’ app is free and offered in the app store.

Lightfoot with Christian artist LaCrae.

The Athletes in Action Coaches Forum: Called to Coach was held at the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four this year and featured Bethel College head coach Mike Lightfoot. Lightfoot was on a panel of coaches and celebrities that featured TNT and CBS analyst Ernie Johnson, former Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett, ESPN basketball analysts Chris Broussard and Christian rap artist LeCrae.

The panel discussed defining moments in their careers when they were called to their life-long mission.

Read more here.

“I remember sitting in the front spot of a Cessna 182 when they opened the door,” says Lovaas. “I looked out and realized we were 3,000 feet in the air and some guy I didn’t even know was telling me to jump.”

This was just the beginning of Lovaas’ skydiving career. Since that first jump in 2004, he’s jumped more than 800 times in 18 different places across the country from Indiana to California. When Lovaas is not diving from heights reaching the thousands, you can find him here at Bethel working in the office of nontraditional programs.

A graduate from Vennard College with a bachelor’s in psychology, Lovaas later received his Master of Business Administration from Liberty University. After working as a trainer and general manager for Dish Network, Lovaas landed the job as Bethel’s assistant program manager for the business degrees in the nontraditional program. While his work life may appear typical, we already know at least one of his hobbies is anything but.

He’s definitely an extreme sports enthusiast, enjoying many perilous activities like scuba diving, ice diving and even swimming with sharks, but his specialty is skydiving.

“It always looked exciting, and I believed I really wanted to experience life! Being on a competitive team raises the excitement,” says Lovaas.

As a member of CSC (Chicagoland Skydiving Center) Inferno’s skydiving team, he competes in challenges where his team must complete as many formations as possible within 35 seconds of leaving the plane. (Watch a really cool video where his team does just that.) This fall, CSC Inferno will be competing in the U.S National Championships.

Skydiving is about so much more than the competition to Lovaas. Through his experience with extreme sports, Lovaas has learned many lessons that are applicable to his own life.

“I’ve become more focused on doing things right,” says Lovaas.  “I have a lot of fun skydiving, but I only have fun because I follow the guidelines that make it safe and fun. I can really enjoy life, but only if it’s lived within the parameters set by my relationship with God.”

Skydiving presents Lovaas with the opportunity to step back from his day-to-day routine and truly appreciate the life he was given by God.

“I spend a great deal of time sitting on planes and looking at the beauty of God’s creation,” says Lovaas. “I experience the brief moments of flight, and I’m amazed at all that God has created around us.”

Lovaas is constantly pushing himself to new and unfamiliar heights, and he encourages others to do the same. Just like his brother encouraged him many years ago to dive in to skydiving, he encourages others who are interested to do the same.

“Do it. Don’t put it on a bucket list for someday. Do it now. Visit a local skydiving center. Talk to the people. Review their safety record — and then jump!”

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It’s a certainty that President Steven Cramer, Ph.D., (’75) has believed for a long time. Mainly because it’s a truth that has woven its way through his life, and it started with his family.

His mother’s uncle was the Rev. Warren Mangus, one of the founding fathers of Bethel College. His grandfather was one of the conference representatives who voted to institute the college. So family connections go back to the beginning.

The oldest of six children, Cramer was 17 when he came to Bethel in the late 60′s. He had been encouraged to attend college by former Bethel Basketball Coach Bob Long, who was coaching at his high school at the time.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” says Cramer of that time in his life.

When a high school guidance counselor suggested that he become a doctor because of his interest and success in science, Cramer decided that was what he would pursue. He now admits he wasn’t ready.

Mentored at Bethel

One of Cramer’s mentors, Myron Tweed, gives musical instruction inside Goodman Gymnasium.

There would be other encouraging mentors along the way during his educational and professional journey; the first being Myron Tweed, Bethel’s choir director at that time. Cramer remembers the day he walked on the stage in Goodman Gymnasium. There was one light, a piano on the stage and a couple professors, including Tweed, sitting there. Then out of the dark, Cramer heard a deep voice.

“It sounded like the voice of God. ‘Steven, what have you prepared to sing?’ I had nothing,” says Cramer.

He would sing a few scales and a suggested hymn. To his surprise, he would become a member of the choir. But a year-and-a- half later, struggling with his premed studies, Cramer went to tell Tweed he was dropping out of college. Instead, after a short conversation with Tweed, Cramer would leave his office, changing his major to music education.

“He convinced me to stay in school,” says Cramer. “He really believed in me before I believed in myself.”

From that point on, music would become an integral part of Cramer’s life. The following fall he would meet his wife, Terri, in the choir. He’d eventually graduate with a degree in music education, and later work at two high schools serving as the choral music teacher and the concert choir director. He would make a couple other career stops in administration before ending up back at Bethel in 1987 as the vice president of institutional advancement.

In 2004, he’d fulfill a secret goal, singing at Carnegie Hall with Terri and the rest of the Bethel Concert Choir. Also in 2004, he would be inaugurated as Bethel’s sixth president. A tradition would begin where he and Terri would close out the Christmas chapel each year singing a Christmas carol during a candlelight service.

“Everything in my life changed because someone pulled me aside and made me believe in myself. That has driven me at Bethel to help provide the opportunity for such an experience for students who have not had that,” says Cramer.

Surviving Challenging Times

In 2008, the college, along with the rest of the nation, faced challenges of worldwide financial upheaval. While many college administrators believed it was a one-year anomaly, it proved to be a paradigm shift for the entire financial world. Cramer says God already gathered a board of trustees with specific skill sets to assist the administration through these changes.

“In those times, you realize that one person does not do it alone. Other people invest in us,” says Cramer.

Today the college has reduced its debt, added several million dollars to the endowment fund, and achieved balanced budgets while building additional cash reserves.

Deep Satisfaction

Cramer holds a deep satisfaction in knowing he has “maintained the mission, spiritual vitality, academic quality and a call to serve.” Some of this is evident by the tremendous spiritual revival that started in a chapel service in February of 2011.

Together as a couple, the Cramers sought to connect with students. They wanted to interact with students, and not be seen as figureheads.

“Some students come and don’t know what a Christian family looks like. We wanted them to be able to say they knew us and they got to experience in part a Christian family through us.”

From a structural standpoint, Cramer is proud of the recently added infrastructure of the new western entrance; new residence hall, The Lodge; Sufficient Grounds Cafe and Campus Store; and the completion of the lab addition to the Middleton Hall of Science where Bethel students have the unique opportunity to conduct cancer research and learn in a cadaver lab — something that is fairly unique on a campus Bethel’s size.

Reflections as President

Cramer views himself as someone who has stood in the gap. He explains that under Norman V. Bridges, Ph.D., the college’s fifth president, the school re-established itself, and he had the opportunity to build on that and help it continue to come of age. Cramer says there will soon be a changing of the guard and he will most likely be the last president who knew and served while at least two of the college’s founding fathers were still on the board of trustees.

“I feel like I was president of a transitional era, and part of my charge was to help set the stage for the college to launch even higher,” says Cramer. “Norman Bridges used to say this, and I still believe it’s true, ‘Bethel’s best days are still ahead.’”

The Cramers’ Next Chapter

While Cramer says he tries not to think about leaving, he knows it is the right time. He and Terri hope to travel, enjoy their family and rest for a bit before seeing what God has next for them.

“We want to keep active, and I’m going to learn to fish that lake.” Cramer’s referring to the lake in the backyard of his Michigan
home.

But the Cramers won’t be far. “Terri and I will stay connected with the college. We’ll help the new president wherever needed, but first, we want to finish our tenure as strong as possible. Bethel means ‘House of God’ and we feel we have helped the college stay true to its name while moving ‘Forward, with Christ at the Helm.’”

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Engbrecht and Cramer, February 1990

They are former Bethel students turned colleagues. President Steven Cramer, Ph.D., (’75) and Senior Vice President Dennis Engbrecht, Ph.D., have ties to the college’s founding fathers, share a love for the school and a deep warmth for each other.

In the late ‘60s, Cramer says he and Engbrecht lived in a Bethel dormitory together. He remembers the girls were always sending cookies down the trash shoot. One time, Cramer heard a girl’s voice say, ‘The cookies are ready.’ So Cramer went to check the trash shoot, but got hit with a glass of water instead. It was a prank by Engbrecht, and it would be the first of many encounters with him.

It wasn’t until 1987, when Cramer would come back to Bethel to work with Engbrecht, that their friendship would deepen. A couple years into their roles, the college was facing a financial downturn.  That’s when Engbrecht and Cramer started running every morning around the soccer field, talking and praying together, making it through a stressful time.

When Norman V. Bridges, Ph.D., announced his presidential retirement, Cramer says it was Engbrecht who talked him into applying for the position, even though Cramer tried to convince Engbrecht to do the same.

“We made a pact that we would serve together and leave together,” says Cramer.

That word is true to this day. Cramer is set to retire on June 30, 2013, and Engbrecht will retire as Bethel’s senior vice president.

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