Cedarville Stories

Sandstone and Dinosaur Bones   It was his eighth grade earth science class that sparked John Whitmore’s love of science and fossils. He decided at a young age that he wanted to be a paleontologist.   During his freshman year at Kent State University, John’s worlds of science and Scripture began to collide. As a scientist and a believer, he tried to weave together evolutionary theory and Scripture...

As a 16-year-old, Jeff Bates worked in a small grocery store in Gladwin, Michigan, his hometown. This store had a small drug store called the Prescription Shop, and Jeff was inspired by its pharmacist’s service to the community. This pharmacist offered himself to the community, and that greatly inspired Jeff to pursue pharmacy in the same way. Jeff loved science and chemistry, and he wanted to use...

Sports as Ministry   Whether it was basketball, baseball, or golf, athletics were always an important part of Chris Cross’ life. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Chris made sports a very central part of his life, starting in middle school and continuing all the way through college.   In 2014, Chris began serving as Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance at Cedarville University, a...

Equipping Thousands Mark Klimek taught every nursing student at Cedarville University over his 38-year career before his retirement this summer. His NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) preparation courses have helped thousands of students at Cedarville, across the country, and around the world to pass the test to become registered nurses. This tremendous legacy began in Youngstown, Ohio...

Bonnie Rutledge didn’t know where she saw herself professionally, but staying in her small town of 800 people to run a local newspaper was the furthest idea from her mind. Bonnie grew up in the small town of Jewett, Ohio, went to a private Christian high school, and accepted Christ at a young age. She was eager to begin her college years at Cedarville University when she enrolled in 2016.  While a...

Miracles and Compassionate Hearts   It was a Wednesday night church service that changed the trajectory of 8-year-old Echo Vanderwal’s life. After hearing missionaries share about the healthcare they provided for the underprivileged in the Congo, Echo knew she was called to medical missions overseas. Echo and her husband, Harry, graduated from Cedarville University in 1996. Echo is a physician ass...

When Stuart Li enrolled at Cedarville University, he had his career path laid out in his mind. He was going to be a leader in the financial sector, helping others effectively manage their money and build a nice nest egg for himself. After all, this is the "American Way." Little did he know that the life lessons instilled in him from his college professors would be instrumental in Stuart having a c...

On the surface, they were connected by their love of sports, particularly, basketball. But their relationship goes much deeper than coaching or playing a sport.   Coach Don Callan and Mark Womack share an intense bod that is centered around the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which they shared today on the Cedarville Stories Podcast.   Don Callan became Cedarville’s men’s basketball coach in 1960, and he...

Present struggles are often essential for future success. This doesn’t make it easy on individuals who are dealing with tragedy or difficult situations in their life.  Becky Dufresne can relate.  In the prime of her life, Becky was active in sports and outdoor recreational opportunities. Her love of ice hockey, which she cultivated as a high school hockey manager for the boy's team at her high sch...

As a young boy, Paul Miller lived in fear. Initially, it was a fear of death. Not necessarily his own death but the death of his parents because he was unsure of what came after death and he didn’t want to live alone.  This fear led to Paul accepting Christ as his Savior.  Still, Paul admits that the fear of man remained strong in his heart as he struggled to speak like every normal pre-school chi...

If you live long enough, you are bound to experience some level of grief. It’s inevitable.  So, how can you deal with grief? Betsy Linnell is a clinical counselor who strives each day to come alongside people who are dealing with difficulties. But for Betsy, helping others at a time of immense grief for herself has been difficult.  Betsy’s pain comes from the final month of walking with her mom (M...

Transformation. We see it all around us through creation. It’s especially noticeable when winter turns to spring and the withered flowers from the cold season springs to life in a bouquet of colors.  The same is true in the lives of everyday people. And, the ultimate transformation takes place when a broken, or fallen, heart is changed and moved toward a relationship with Jesus Christ.  For Ben Jo...

Christ Is All He Needs  For Paul Dixon, from the beginning of his relationship with God through all the decades of his leadership at Cedarville to his retirement years when he continues to impact the lives of many, Christ is all he needs.  Dr. Dixon was first known on the campus of Cedarville College as a frequent speaker in chapel. He was often invited to preach by then-president Dr. James T. Jer...

Marvelous Mayor Mays Maybe 2008 Cedarville alumna Sarah Mays should wear a giant ‘M’ on the front of her clothing for mom, mentor, and, last but not least — mayor. Sarah wears many hats. She is an amazing wife to her husband, Adam, and marvelous mom to three kids — Freddy, Layla, and August. She is a ministry assistant at her lifelong church home, Emmanuel Baptist in Xenia, Ohio, where she also in...

God’s Timing and Provision Why would a man happily immersed in a great family life, fulfilling ministry, and a job he loved make a major move and uproot all this blessing? Because the Giver of all that blessing had called, and His timing and provision can be trusted. 1999 alumnus Jason Grahame is Director of Cedarville’s up-and-coming physician assistant (PA) program, which is scheduled to begin i...

Compassion Defines Greatness Mike Weller has had a phenomenal career. As associate professor of athletic training , he has instructed, mentored, and coached hundreds of Cedarville students into careers that span high school, college, and professional sports. He is helping lead Cedarville’s program to new heights with the start of the Master of Athletic Training degree in June 2022. Beyond Cedarvil...

The Special Kindness of a Social Worker’s Heart She’s a faculty member in Cedarville University’s social work program. She works part-time at Crossroad Hospice and Dayton Children’s Hospital. In the end, however, Melissa Brown is honored to have a front-row seat to the issues facing Americans on a daily basis. These social work situations are not always nice and neat. There’s a lot of baggage and...

Trusting the One Who Holds the Future     Classes at 3 a.m. Worshipping with chapel from behind a computer screen halfway around the planet. A worldwide pandemic delaying her Cedarville experience for a year. Charis Chen has persevered through a number of trials to pursue her degree in psychology.    Charis, a junior from Malaysia, was set to begin classes at Cedarville in fall 2020, but the COVID...

Hannah Bradley is a walking, talking, dancing miracle.   Hannah, a sophomore theatre major from Pittsboro, Indiana, was 15 years old when she contracted a life-threatening case of bacterial meningitis and was placed in a medically induced coma. Her parents weren’t sure if she would survive. They surrendered their beloved daughter to the care and will of the Lord.   After 12 days in the hospital, H...

Finish Line  How does a young man from halfway around the world, with no knowledge of Cedarville University before his mom started receiving University emails, end up as one of the most well-known, well-loved, and respected students on campus? If you ask Rufus Mathew, his answer will be quick and straightforward: Jesus.     Rufus arrived as a freshman computer science major at Cedarville in 2018....

Catalytic Spark of Movement Mover and a shaker. Change agent. Growth agent. Whatever you might call Joel Wayne, lead pastor at Chapel Pointe in Hudsonville, Michigan, one thing is certain: When he steps into church leadership, God works in amazing ways to transform the culture, mission, and soul-winning of churches. Joel is a builder. He learned that quickly as a business major at the University o...

A Capital Opportunity When Sage Showers sought out an internship in Washington, D.C., last fall, she faced lots of rejection. Undaunted, she pressed on. She finally received a ‘yes,’ and that one positive response has opened what could be many potential doors of opportunity.   Showers, a junior political science major from Hammon, Oklahoma, spent the fall in our nation’s capital as part of D.C. Se...

S6 Episode 15 │ Jessica Wiebe Memories of Home, Horrors of War Memories of home: a familiar restaurant visited after church every week, the crowded public transportation and redefinition of personal space, the bustling and beautiful downtown, the smell of bortsch cooked up by mama, spending time with dear friends. For Jessica Wiebe, her heart returns to these beautiful sights, smells, and emotions...

Wars and Rumors of Wars    Is the conflict in Ukraine the beginning of World War III?     According to Dr. Glen Duerr, associate professor of international studies, while the illegal Russian invasion of its neighbor to the south began as a localized conflict, it has the potential to become something far larger and more dangerous.    While there is much yet to happen in world history prior to the r...