Cedarville Stories

A Life of Yes: Dr. Craig and Carolyn Williford   Dr. Craig and Carolyn Williford, Cedarville University’s 2025 Alumni of the Year, have walked a beautiful path of ministry — one paved with prayer, servant leadership, and steadfast faith. Their journey began in the 1970s at Cedarville, where their deep love for Christ and hearts to serve took root and began to flourish.  Craig led with purpose and...

Spring Break in Maui: A Trip of Compassion and Calling When wildfires swept through Lahaina, Maui, in 2023, they left more than ashes behind — they left a community in mourning. Homes were destroyed, lives were uprooted, and hope felt fragile. However, during a recent spring break, hope arrived in the form of a team of students and faculty from Cedarville University led by Col. (Ret.) Greg Thompso...

Cedarville’s Connection to Maui’s Healing When wildfires tore through Maui in August of 2023, they left behind a trail of devastation — homes lost, lives uprooted, and hearts heavy with grief. For Mark and Dawn Brown, longtime Maui residents and faithful servants in their local ministry, the fire hit close to home — literally and spiritually. But even in the darkest smoke, God’s light came shining...

Engineering Hope: Ken Atkinson and Brian Reiff In the heart of rural Zimbabwe, where roads often wash away during the rainy season and clean water is scarce, a powerful partnership has formed — one that blends innovation with compassion. Faculty and students from Cedarville University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science have teamed up with Karanda Mission Hospital to tackle these serious...

A Lifelong Song of Service: John and Lou Ann Mohler John and Lou Ann Mohler’s story began on the campus of Cedarville University, where a Michigan girl met an Ohio boy in concert chorale. What started with a warm February day, a convertible ride to the Indian Mound, and a first date filled with talk of old girlfriends (John’s idea of charm, perhaps?) bloomed into a 46-year marriage built on shared...

Matt Black: The Road to House of David Cedarville University junior Matt Black is living proof that storytelling — when fueled by faith and purpose — can open extraordinary doors. A broadcasting, digital media, and journalism major, Matt is the founder of Matt Black Media and a rising force in performance photography. But his latest endeavor has taken him from concert stages to biblical epic: he’s...

Cam Arminio’s Full-Court Mission: More Than Just a Game   At Cedarville University, Cam Arminio is known for helping students get ready for life after graduation. As the Associate Director of Career Services, he coaches them through résumé prep, mock interviews, and LinkedIn tips — all with the heart of someone who truly wants to see others succeed.   From Day One to Day 1,000, Cam is in their cor...

Biblical Truth for Little Hearts: Dr. Kevin Jones Dr. Kevin Jones knows that time is a gift — and he’s not about to waste a minute of it. From his early years teaching Sunday school to now leading the School of Education and Social Work at Cedarville University, Dr. Jones has always seen education as a mission field. With conviction, he knows that “Man cannot live on bread alone, but on every word...

Courtroom Calling: Col. Greg Thompson and Katie Baker Practice may not always make perfect, but at Cedarville University, it launches futures. The University’s mock trial team is preparing students for legal careers and inspiring them to model the love of Christ in the courtroom. Colonel (Ret.) Greg Thompson, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, brought his...

From Cuba to Cedarville: David Molina’s Journey of Faith and Freedom David Molina walks the campus of Cedarville University with a sense of wonder and gratitude. As a freshman majoring in nursing, his path here wasn’t just unlikely — it was miraculous. Born and raised in Cuba, one of the world’s last remaining Communist nations, David never imagined he’d one day study in a place where professors s...

Twins, Talent, and Testimony: The Forensics Team’s Journey at Cedarville If you wander down the halls of Cedarville University’s communication building, you might hear echoes of passionate conversations, bursts of laughter, or a well-timed, dramatic pause. It’s not a theatre troupe or a sermon prep class — it’s the beating heart of Cedarville’s forensics team. No, not fingerprints and crime scenes...

A Return With Purpose: Dr. Bob Lutz’s New Chapter at Cedarville Dr. Bob Lutz’s journey starts in the quiet stretch between Noblesville and Anderson, Indiana. He grew up in a pastor’s home, where faith was woven into everyday life — where church softball games and pickup basketball shared space with Scripture and community. It was there, in the ordinary rhythms of life, that Bob first encountered t...

From the Heartland to High Places: How Two Cedarville Graduates Are Launching Their Dreams As nearly two million students prepare to turn their tassels and step into the unknown, there are a few whose paths seem guided not just by their own hard work, but by something deeper — faith, community, and calling. Two such students are David Reid and Emily Wollschlager, proud members of the Cedarville Un...

A Place To Call Home Bryn, Reyna, and Erin Golson have always known that “home” isn’t just a spot on a map — it’s where your family is and where your roots grow deep even when planted in foreign soil. The three sisters grew up hand-in-hand in the small town of Knysna on the southern coast of South Africa. As missionary kids, they learned early that family is more than just important — it’s everyth...

God Restores the Soul: Susan Troth Susan Troth never imagined that the trials of life would lead her to a podium at the United Nations. Yet, in March 2025, she found herself standing before the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, sharing her journey of faith, healing, and hope with women from all over the world. Susan shares her story of struggle, resilience, and surrender on th...

From Curiosity to a Career in Foreign Affairs Payton Arbuthnot’s story began in Springfield, Colorado, where she found herself captivated by the news often as a curious young girl. It wasn’t just the stories — it was the fact that through the news, she could know what was happening all over the world. She’d sit by the radio, her small fingers tracing the words in her schoolbooks as the voices from...

Legislating From a Perspective of Faith and Youth Imagine being the youngest face in the room as you try to find your footing among seasoned legislators. That is the struggle Ty Mathews, one of the youngest legislators at the Ohio Statehouse, has had to face as he follows his faith in Jesus and forges a clear path for his constituents in the 83rd District. In this episode of the Cedarville Stories...

Faith, Service, and the Reality of Border Security Patrol Agent in Charge Jodi (Quint) Williams and Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge Jerami C.'s roles with the United States Border Patrol are more than a job; they’re a calling. Each day presents a fresh set of challenges, unexpected situations, and moments that test their resolve, but through it all, one unwavering constant remains: their commitment...

A Cedarville Connection Across the Borderlands Jodi (Quint) Williams and Jerami C. walked the same halls at Cedarville University in the 1990s, but their paths never crossed — not until years later, in one of the most unexpected places. These two Cedarville alums met not in Ohio, but in Washington, D.C., as two U.S. Border Patrol agents serving on opposite ends of the country. They first met in 20...

A Heart for Giving: Connie Jenkins’ Mission to Equip the Next Generation for Christ Connie Jenkins wears many hats — devoted follower of Christ, champion of women’s ministry, wife, mother, philanthropist, deer hunter, and trustee at Cedarville University. But above all, she is a woman on a mission to make a lasting impact for God’s Kingdom. Connie’s unwavering dedication to Christian education and...

Writing With Excellence for God’s Glory Words have power — power to inform, inspire, and glorify God. For three Cedarville University students and alumni, the journey into journalism and public relations has been about more than just telling stories. It’s about writing with excellence, integrity, and purpose for God’s glory. Sarah Mummert and Ben Konuch, two seniors preparing to graduate, and Kath...

From Resound Radio to Focus on the Family Chloe Hunt, a 2023 graduate of Cedarville University, has transformed her passion for storytelling into a thriving career in Christian broadcasting. With a degree in broadcasting, digital media, and journalism, she now serves as an assistant producer for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she identifies and interviews guests for their...

Dr. Will   Smallwood’s Journey of Faith, Strength, and Healing Imagine being in your 40s, healthy, full of energy, and leading the most significant fundraising campaign of your career. Then, out of nowhere, you receive devastating news: You have cancer. And not just any cancer, but an aggressive form with a prognosis that gives you only six months to live. This was the reality for Dr. Will Smallwo...

Kindred Spirits in Commitment to the Word of God In this episode of the Cedarville Stories podcast, Dr. Thomas White, President of Cedarville University, sits down with Dan Jacobsen, grandson of the late Warren Wiersbe — one of the most influential Bible teachers of the 20th century. Known as “the pastor’s pastor,” Wiersbe’s ministry at Chicago’s Moody Church and with the “Back to the Bible” radio...

Diana Ivanikhina – From Orphan to International Athlete and Missionary Diana Ivanikhina is an international student, a tennis superstar, and a young woman whose journey from adversity to hope is a testament to God’s faithfulness. After her father abandoned the family and her mother faced financial difficulties before suddenly passing away, Diana and her brother were placed in a Christian children’...