Alumni Awards
Alumna of the Year
Nadine (Terrill) Hennesey '87
When you shine your candle in a dark place, your light seems to burn a little brighter. Nadine Hennesey's mission is to shine a light of hope for children orphaned by the 1999 war in Kosovo. In 2001, Nadine founded the House of Laughter Educational Center in Mitrovica. The Center offers classes in English, math, history, computers, and character training and provides five hot meals each week for approximately 160 children who have lost one or both parents. Summer programs include day camps and camping trips in the mountains, often led by teams of Cedarville University students.
Nadine's vision for the House of Laughter has expanded, and she is now working to start the Kosovo Leadership Academy, a private school for grades one through twelve. Other new initiatives she is working on include a teacher training center and a community ethics course, Careers With Character.
Nadine's character-building career began while a student at Cedarville. She spent much of her free time serving in local church ministries like Awana, Vacation Bible School, and backyard Bible clubs. She also coached volleyball and basketball at Xenia Christian School while pursuing her degree. After graduation, she held teaching positions in Ohio, Michigan, and Florida before joining the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) in 1994 for a short-term teaching opportunity in Peru. She joined ABWE full time in 1999 and moved to Albania where she designed and taught curriculum for children ages 7–12 at the House of Children orphanage.
What drives her to take on such big tasks? Simply this: God is trustworthy. "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever," she said. "His power has not changed. He asks us to do things we know we cannot do, but when we take that step of faith, He does it through us."
Young Alumna of the Year
Stephanie Carlton '02
Stephanie Carlton has her thumb on the pulse of the health care debate. She began her career as a labor and delivery nurse at Georgetown University Hospital before becoming involved in politics. In her second year out of college, she joined the staff of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), one of two physicians serving in the Senate, writing the Patients' Choice Act, a comprehensive health care reform bill praised by The Wall Street Journal.
Stephanie now serves as health policy advisor for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a member of the United States Senate Finance Committee. This committee makes key decisions about health care reform with jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid. Her position has put her "in the room" during key negotiations over health care reform. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Stephanie was selected to brief then-candidate John McCain on health care issues.
While at Cedarville, Stephanie was an involved student taking on leadership roles while maintaining an exceptional GPA. She was recognized with the Nursing Class Academic Achievement Award and the Kimberly Kerr Memorial Scholarship. Stephanie is grateful for the nursing faculty who made a significant investment in her life.
"I will always remember the many hours my advisor, Dr. Jan Conway, poured into conversations with me," Stephanie said. "She was and is a busy lady, but she always made time to help me think through questions about my walk with the Lord and what He wanted me to do with my life. I wouldn't be doing what I am today if she hadn't walked with me in seeking the Lord's unusual direction in my life. Cedarville taught me that being a Christian doesn't always mean serving the Lord in Christian ministry. God also calls Christians to serve him in other ways to impact the world. For me, serving Him has meant impacting national politics."
Alumni Impact Award
Justin Spann '06
As a student, Justin Spann rose to leadership positions in nearly every activity he pursued. By his senior year, he had served as a resident assistant, attended National Christian Minority Student Leadership Conferences, become a team leader with HeartSong touring teams, and student-directed the OneVoice Gospel Choir.
His student involvement opened up the opportunity for a staff position in Cedarville's Christian ministries department where Justin directs OneVoice full time. "I love my job," he said, "because I spend so much time with Cedarville students — which are the best students in the world, by the way. I've also had the opportunity to be a student advisor. I'm far enough ahead of the students to be able to offer advice, but I'm young enough to relate to their circumstances."
OneVoice's national tours and mission trips abroad are some of the most rewarding aspects of his career. Justin especially enjoys the close interactions and lasting relationships that result from a team traveling and ministering together. God is using the ministry of OneVoice to change lives, and Justin is especially awed to see his students leading others to Christ.
Justin is grateful for the love and support of his family, especially his mother who was his hero, his mentor, and his biggest cheerleader. He looks forward to starting a family of his own with his new bride, Latice (Strickland) '07. "I wish I could say she was my college sweetheart," he said with a smile, "but I spent more of my college life chasing her." No wonder he encourages students to be diligent in chasing their dreams!
"My entire Cedarville experience impacted me in ways I never thought it would," he said. "I guess that's why I love my job so much — I see the way God uses my interactions with students to change their lives."
Distinguished Service Award
Marv Troyer '61
As a married student, Marv attended morning classes so he could be home with his young son while his wife, Jan, worked evening shifts as a nurse. Yet he still found time to nurture his pastoral calling at Cedarville, preaching and teaching with ministries to prisoners and orphans and serving as president of his senior class.
Two weeks after his graduation, Marv started a church in Churubusco, Indiana, and he hasn't stopped serving people since. Although his primary job title was "pastor" for more than 40 years, Marv's responsibilities branched out in many directions during his career. He became the chaplain for the Oakland Athletics baseball team and directed Cedarville's involvement in the NAIA's Champions of Character program. He also provided leadership on several organization boards including the Indiana Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches, Calumet Baptist Schools, and Cedarville University.
In his retirement years, Marv can be found most days at the University's recreation center where he leads the Senior Jackets, a fitness program encouraging a healthy lifestyle for local senior citizens. He recently celebrated 51 years of marriage, and he and his wife enjoy their four children and six grandchildren. Marv counts these blessings among his greatest rewards this side of heaven.
Marv's life is verse is Proverbs 3:5–6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." Marv's path is marked by 50 years of friendships with Cedarville classmates, faculty, staff, and students.
Honorary Alumna of the Year
Kim Ahlgrim
In 1983, Kim visited campus for the first time with her boyfriend, Tom Ahlgrim '82. They were engaged that same weekend. Kim didn't just marry into the Ahlgrim family — she married into the Cedarville family as well!
Kim Ahlgrim began working at the University in 1990 as resident director of Printy Hall. She pursued a master's degree in counseling and, in 1995, became a student life counselor where she served students with unique needs for nine years. Since 2004, Kim has directed the activities and programs of The Cove, Cedarville's academic enrichment center.
Kim's advocacy for students in each of these roles has made a tremendous difference in hundreds of students' lives. In 2007, a Cedarville graduate established the Kimberly S. Ahlgrim Counseling Scholarship in gratitude for Kim's influence in her life. Kim's enthusiasm is contagious, and she works tirelessly to create a supportive and welcoming Cedarville experience for the entire student body.
The number of students taking advantage of services offered at The Cove has skyrocketed as students understand they have a dedicated supporter in Kim Ahlgrim and her staff. "My investment in students flows from the investment others in the Cedarville family have made in me," Kim said. "Cedarville University has been an outstanding community for me to become a leader and grow in my faith."
Distinguished Educator Award
Frank Jenista '68
Adjusting to college life can be difficult for some freshmen, but it can be more difficult for an American student who grew up as a "missionary kid" in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Frank Jenista arrived at Cedarville hoping to specialize in Asian studies, but there were neither courses on Asia nor professors to teach them. But he soon found caring faculty with an outstanding commitment to student success.
"In particular, Dr. J. Murray Murdoch and Dr. Allen Monroe believed that my goals made sense," Dr. Jenista said. "They created reading courses, independent studies, and seminars that didn't exist in the catalog. When I entered my graduate courses, I found I was as well prepared as those who came from formal programs."
In 1975, Dr. Jenista became a United States diplomat serving in Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand, South America, and the Philippines. He received numerous Honor Awards for exceptional service during his 25-year diplomatic career, and he is regarded as one of the Department of State's foremost Philippine specialists.
In 2000, Dr. Jenista retired to accept an appointment as professor of international studies at Cedarville University. He teaches courses on international relations, global issues, diplomacy, Asia, and Latin America. Dr. Jenista now chairs Cedarville's International Task Force, encouraging greater global engagement throughout Cedarville's academic curriculum.
Dr. Jenista has twice been named in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, and he was recognized with the 2006 Award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching by the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education. He and his wife, Barbara (Lepine) '70, fund a scholarship for MK students.
