Jen Kerr ’16 is a Psychology major and is minoring in Social Work, and she transferred to Grove City in the fall of 2013.
What college did you transfer from and why?
I transferred from the Community College of Allegheny County. I wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted to go after graduation and the community college was a temporary situation.
How did you find Grove City?
I live outside of Pittsburgh and have known about Grove City for years. A lot of people from my church are associated with Grove City as well.
What made you eventually decide to transfer to Grove City?
I initially did not want to come to Grove City. I felt that it was too close to home and I knew a lot of people here and I wanted a different experience. I finally gave in and went on a tour around campus and fell in love with it. Throughout my freshman year at CCAC I would come up and stay with friends to get a true feel of the school.
4. What made you stay?
Everything. The academics were challenging enough for my attention, the Christian environment was refreshing, the professors are personable and of course my amazing, wonderful friends.
5. What ways did Grove City offer to help you get assimilated when you first came?
My connection group leaders through OB. They were the most helpful, useful and insightful people who gave us the true low down on Grove City and didn’t treat us like freshman, but also understood that we were still new to the school and didn’t know much about the school. OB was the most helpful but that was about it.
How will this experience influence your future after you graduate?
Grove City has prepared me for graduation. This school has instilled a strong work ethic and a strong Christian worldview. It helped me find my passion for social work and grew my passion for serving others.
High-schoolers flood the stairs, pushing and shoving to get down as fast as possible. The bass is booming, strobe lights flashing, and kids are wildly jumping up and down. Controlled chaos seems to be the best descriptor for what’s taking place. But really, what’s going on? Did someone just eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with that girl’s feet?
Every week over forty Grove City (and a few Slippery Rock) students sacrifice a considerable amount of their time to hang out and build relationships with high school, middle school, and special needs students all over Mercer County. Why? They believe in the ministry of Young Life, an organization whose mission statement is “introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. ”
Penn West YoungLife Leaders 2015
As a whole YoungLife, an international organization, has a few different components – YoungLife is a ministry for high school students, Wyldlife is for middle schoolers (a fitting title), and Capernaum is for kids with special needs.
To help you understand basically what Young life does as a whole, they broke it into four ‘C’s’:
Club – where kids go nuts, can be themselves, and hear about Jesus
Campaigners – going more in depth about what a relationship with Jesus looks like
Contact Work – leaders hanging out and building relationships with kids
Camp – the best week of your life
After the initial craziness of club described above, everyone quiets down and listens intently to a leader share about this guy Jesus. Some kids who won’t step foot in or go near a church sit enraptured for ten minutes, some hearing for the first time about the God of the universe who loves them so much he sent his only son to die for them.
This is the reason you’ll find Young Life leaders in the student sections at high school football games, at tennis matches, or even tutoring middle-schoolers in math. Not because of the crazy songs sung, hilarious skits, or borderline stomach revolting games, but because the leaders desperately want to make a difference in the lives of kids in Mercer County by building life-long relationships, but also by showing them who Jesus is.
Senior Tierney Kearns, a WyldLife leader in Sharon, PA (half an hour west of Grove City) shared with me one of her most memorable moments as a leader:
“One day I was doing contact work at the school, and I was talking to one of the girls that regularly hung out with us (came to club, campaigners, etc). She stopped to talk to me but was in a hurry because she said some girl from school told her she was going to beat her up. I told her to run home and not to stop until she got there. As she sprinted out of the school another girl whom I had never met before walked right up to me. She asked if I was just talking to “that girl.” I clearly had been, so I replied with a yes. She proceeded to tell me using some colorful words that she indeed was the girl who was going to beat my friend up, and proceeded to try to intimidate me into telling her where she went. Needless to say standing in front of an angry middle-schooler who was bigger than me was not something I had ever anticipated. My response? Logically, bribe her with ice cream. I don’t know how it worked, but I told her if she didn’t beat my friend up I would buy her ice cream. Three days later I bought her ice cream, one week later she came to WyldLife club, and two years later I brought her to WyldLife camp where she sat across from me at a picnic table and started a relationship with Jesus.”
This is also Tierney’s response when I asked her if it’s worth it to be a leader:
“Some days it doesn’t seem that way: middle school kids are loud, smelly, and dramatic. But they are also at an age where even though they don’t appear to like it, they listen and observe during club, and it shapes them. Middle schoolers ask questions you haven’t even thought of, and they haven’t mastered “faking it” quite yet so you see them in their most organic state. I have seen God work more in the time of being a WyldLife leader than any other time in my life. Not only have I seen kids go from death to life, but I have learned and grown in my own walk with Christ. I have broken down, been challenged and emptied, but I have been built up, comforted, and filled even more.”
Tierney and Sharon middle-schoolers at Wyldlife Camp
But as either an incoming Freshman or current student, why should you consider becoming a leader? If any of the following apply, being a YoungLife (or Wyldlife or Capernaum) leader at Grove City may just be up your alley:
You may already be familiar with YoungLife from participating in high school
You want to make a difference in the community surrounding Grove City
You want to share the love of Christ with lost kids and make a difference during your four years in college
Becoming a YoungLife leader at Grove City High School has been one of the most impactful and best decisions I have made during my four years at Grove City, and I hope you take a little bit of your time to learn more about this awesome ministry!
It may have been the cinnamon crunch bagels. Or the bonus points. But whatever attracted the crowds of students to hear Blaine Hurst, they did not leave disappointed.
Hurst, the executive vice president and chief transformation & growth officer at Panera and the husband of a Grove City grad, delivered a fascinating and lively lecture about the restaurant’s recent tech innovations. In the past several years, the traditional Panera has transformed into Panera 2.0, replete with kiosks for customized ordering, rapid pickup options and mobile orders.
As the self-described entrepreneur in residence at Panera, Hurst has worked daily to “challenge the way we’ve always done things.” From his start with with fast casual restaurant chain, the VP has stressed the mentality of “innovate or die.” For most companies, innovation has simply translated to developments in mobile apps, responsive design and strategic use of big data. However, to Hurst, disruptive innovation requires a holistic view and transformation of the customer experience.
In his talk, Hurst delineated six lessons on innovation that have been instrumental to Panera’s success. These lessons included the importance of an unbound, focused team, the recognition that there is more than one way to innovate and the idea that innovation is a journey.
Panera has certainly seen the positive results of Hurst’s work. In May, the company was named the #1 brand of the year by Fast Casual. In 2015, it was also recognized by Fast Company as one of the world’s top 50 most innovative companies. It maintains the leading loyalty program in its industry. But these accolades have not come without difficulties. When Hurst’s team first rolled out Panera 2.0, the websites crashed. And this was at a time when he was striving to get the Board to increase funding. But he fixed the situation by owning the problem. “Stand up with courage when you’ve made mistakes,” he encouraged.
Hurst’s final point was to warn young innovators to expect the unbelievers. Your “commitment can’t waver,” he said. As a leader, “if you lose your head, all others [on your team] will run backwards.” And in an original one-liner, Hurst summed up the difficulty of innovation: “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” But progress, as Hurst knows and Panera can attest, will never come without change.
To read about more interesting lectures like this one, check out the posts under the Neat Speakers category.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Thane Feldeisen, the president of the Nu Lambda Phi fraternity. The following is what transpired:
What do you like the most about your fraternity?
The ability to be open with guys and know that they have my back. For the first time in a long time I was able to be truly real with people about my struggles and past. My brothers are supportive and caring, checking up on me when it seems I’m not being myself. Not only is the fraternity supportive, but they are also constructive. My brothers will call me out when I do something out of line, and whereas I may not always appreciate it at the time, it’s all with the best intentions for me to grow and mature. I like that being in a fraternity isn’t just being with a group of friends, but it’s being with a group of brothers. No matter how corny or annoying it is when people refer to their fraternity as “brothers” or sorority girls flooding instagram with “I love my sisters!”, family is the best way to describe the relationship I have with the rest of the guys. We may not always get along or like each other, but ultimately we’re in this together and have each other’s backs.
What is your greatest memory of being a Nu Lamb?
My greatest memory of the nu lambs has to be when a group of us played tackle football in the snow. It was early February and the field was covered in about two feet of fresh snow, but that did not stop us. We formed teams and played for a long time. By the end of it I couldn’t feel my feet, but it was the most fun I have ever had at the college.
Your Fraternity puts on a lot of events, do you have a favorite?
My favorite even that we put on would have to be the Lamb Roast. We have put on the Lamb Roast during the fall semester for the past two years and it has been a lot of fun. Typically we hold it on a Saturday afternoon and we have a lot of food and a variety of lawn games such as flag football, spikeball, corn hole and sand volleyball, just to name a few. It’s a good way to just relax, have some good food and spend time hanging out with old friends and making new ones as well.
Does your fraternity support a specific charity or organization through fundraisers?
Recently, the Brothers of Nu Lambda Phi held an event known on campus as The Amazing Race. The goal of this event was to raise funds and support the local Young Life Ministry. After weeks of preparation and over 100 participants, Brother of Nu Lambda Phi, in partnership with the Sisters of Alpha Beta Tau, raised over $200 to donate to Young Life. Our support of Young Life stems not only from the call that Matthew makes in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” and our agreeance that Young Life answers this call so well, but also from the current and past involvement of Nu Lambs within the Young Life Ministry.
Can you tell me a little about your faculty advisor and what he means to the Nu Lambs?
The faculty advisor to the Nu Lambda Phi fraternity is Joe Cirelli. Joe is the assistant head of Residence Life at Grove City College and beloved by many of the students on campus. Without question, Joe has a strong passion for fostering community in the residence halls at Grove City and that passion is clearly shown through his advisory position within the Nu Lambs. Not only does Joe make himself available on a regular basis to the Nu Lambs as a group, he is intentional on the individual level. He invests in each of the members, especially the leaders within the fraternity with whom he meets with on a regular basis. Without a shadow of doubt, the Nu Lambda Phi fraternity appreciates Joe’s role within the fraternity and hopes to be able to have his continual assistance in the future.
Can you speak to the friendships you’ve made as a member of the Nu Lambs that you might not have made otherwise?
Even before I was officially part of this fraternity the Nu Lambs gave me friends I never would have met on this campus and strengthened the relationships I had with others. The four of us that first wanted to restart this fraternity may not have been as close had we all not agreed to talk to the alumni freshman year. Since then, I’ve had the honor of meeting a lot of great guys who I would trust with a lot. I am really looking forward to getting to know the new guys better and getting to know a new pledge class in the spring.
I recently had the opportunity to interview James Plante, the President of the Beta Fraternity, about his experiences with the fraternity. The following is what transpired:
What do you enjoy most about your fraternity?
I know it sounds cliché, but just the guys that join the group. When I first joined the Betas I always thought that we had to recruit to get good guys to join the group. If I have learned anything it is that the best guys we get are the ones who know what they are looking for and find it in our group. The ability to walk up and down a hall of 30 guys and walk-in to any of their rooms just to talk about anything (serious or not) is something I will always cherish.
What is your greatest memory of being a Beta?
I had the honor of serving as president of the Betas this past calendar year. This was one of the best experiences, and greatest learning experiences, probably of my life. This past year we fulfilled our goal of raising $25,000 for our fraternity scholarship that goes to one member of the fraternity. This fall we were actually able to reach $42,000. This has been my greatest memory of being a Beta. I know all the hard work that went into the vision for the scholarship and raising the money over the past 3 years.
Your Fraternity puts on a lot of events, do you have a favorite?
Easy. Monster Mash. I would argue it is one of the best dances on campus and I think others would agree.
Does your fraternity support a specific charity or organization through fundraisers?
From Monster Mash we actually raise close to $1,000 every year for the Alpha Omega crisis pregnancy center in Slippery Rock, Pa, which provides women with the resources necessary to ensure a safe delivery and life for their baby.
Can you tell me a little about your faculty advisor and what he means to the Betas?
Anyone who knows Professor Tim Sweet knows the kind of guy he is. He became our advisor my sophomore year and has been a tremendous help with our fraternity. With him leading our group we have been able to fulfill our goal of raising $25,000 for our scholarship.
Can you speak to the friendships you’ve made as a member of the Betas that you might not have made otherwise?
I have made some of the best friends in my life from my fraternity. We are each very different but I know we will be friends for life. In fact, 4 of my 6 groomsmen in my wedding next year are guys I pledged with 3 years ago.
Cliff Hovis graduated from Grove City College in 1989 with a degree in Marketing. He met his wife Lynn (Johnson) Hovis ’89 while at Grove City College, and they have two children who are currently attending GCC.
Cliff J. Hovis, a 1989 graduate of Grove City College, knows that God, family, a good education, and a lot of hard work are the keys to success. He is president of the family owned business Hovis Auto & Truck Supply in Mercer, PA. Cliff is highly involved in not only his business but the automotive industry as a whole. He is on the AWDA (Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association) Education Committee, and a board member for the University of the Aftermarket Foundation. He has received the Mort Schwartz Excellence in Education Award, the Art Fisher Memorial Award, and the Federated Industry Advocacy Award. But his most recent accomplishment is his induction as chairman of the AWDA in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 1st. He also knows that training and education are important tools for his industry; he built a 10,000 square foot training facility to further educate his customers through hands on and classroom training.
With a smile on his face and his family by his side he arose from the audience, as the announcer declared Cliff chairman of the AWDA. His speech was titled “Exceeding the Curve through Hiring, Training, and Developing”, a topic he has been passionate about ever since his Grove City days. He is eager to share with his industry the lessons he learned from those times.
Cliff highlighted some statistics about the automotive industry; it is the third largest employer in North America, providing 4.3 million jobs and contributing more than 2.3% of the U.S. GDP. But in order for youth to be successful in the automotive industry, they need to be adequately educated and trained. Cliff has two children currently attending Grove City College, Clifford ’16 and Grace ’19. After talking with their friends he knew that his industry needed to create an established program for today’s college students seeking jobs after graduation.
As a member of the AWDA Education Committee he recently established a scholarship program for college students majoring in programs that have a direct application to the auto care industry. These scholarships help ease the financial burden of temporary relocation for students who pursue internships more than 100 miles from their permanent address. He ended his speech by inspiring and encouraging everyone in the room to mentor today’s youth, because they are the future of the automotive industry. Cliff is thankful for the time he spent at Grove City and he continues to share the legacy of the principles he has learned with everyone he meets.
Since 1988, the Grove City women’s cross country team has made it their annual tradition to capture the President’s Athletic Conference (PAC) championship title. Their 2015 win was no exception to the streak. This year, the team, lead by three time PAC champion Emily Rabenold (’16), earned a stellar score of 20 points, with five runners placing in the top seven.
What’s the secret to their success? 12-year coach Sean Severson will tell you that it’s the result of hard work and straight priorities; namely, that Christ and teammates come before oneself. Both in life and in running, there is a great emphasis on living for God’s glory. Before each race, the women pray as a team and then agree to pray for the woman on their right during the competition. For captain Stevie Huston (’16), running cross country from this perspective has been huge. “Not only did it teach me what it meant to train like an athlete, it also taught me how to train for something bigger than myself.”
The team has several mantras that reflect this ethic, including “unbreakable” and “focus on what you can control.” To Huston, the former means “not giving up in the face of adversity and being strong for one another, not yourself. But most importantly, I think it means to center our thoughts and mind on Jesus who is truly unbreakable and finding our strength in Him.”
To Maty Zeckzer (’19), focusing on what you can control was an idea that helped her to improve physically and mentally. “I liked this idea because in my past experiences, cross country was very focused on beating the other runners in the race,” she reflected. “You’ll never be able to control the weather, the course, or other runner’s performances, but too often as runners that’s what we like to focus on and worry about. But with this idea, it takes the focus off of others (who you can’t control) and allows you to concentrate on giving your best effort in that specific moment.”
With their priorities straight, the women work very hard at improving their speed and form through lifting, core work, controlled breathing and flexibility. Of course, they spend most of their practice time simply running in preparation for their 6 kilometer races.
Some prospective students are legitimately concerned about the amount of time that participating in a collegiate sport will consume. However, to captain Emily Townsend (’16), “cross country has been my stress-reliever, and the team has been a source of continual love and encouragement in the middle of the difficulties of school.”
And there is certainly much to make the demanding season fun. On homecoming weekend, the team sponsors an alumni 5K for GCCXC veterans. The event includes much reminiscing, great music and lots of chili.
Coach Severson also works hard to include at least one meet per year at a destination location. In October, before competing with over 100 teams at the Greater Louisville Classic, the team had the opportunity to visit the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. Later in the month, the GCC runners participated in the Gettysburg Invitational after touring the battlefields.
The women’s XC team has a tradition of working hard, but that tradition also applies to playing hard. On the day before the PAC championship, everyone dresses up in 80’s clothes and runs around campus singing hits from the same decade. It’s a great way to de-stress before the most important race of the season.
Rabenold, who was a 2015 captain and MVP, will miss the warm and friendly dynamic of the team. “There’s no drama,” she says. “Everyone gets along with everyone and there’s no talking behind people’s backs. You don’t find that in a group of twenty girls very often.”
For more information about the women’s cross country team, visit the Grove City athletics website here.
Senior Aimee Lynch is probably one of the most Christlike and humble girls on campus. She remains unassuming, while possessing an unusual mix of interpersonal and intellectual talents.
Having had a strong interest in science from an early age, Lynch completed two summer internships at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center while still in high school. Even before attending Grove City College, she knew she wanted to minor in astronomy.
This semester, she’s taking Observational Astronomy, where she enjoys utilizing the campus observatory. “I love being able to identify constellations at night, and to be able to actually understand what is going on in the sky,” she enthuses.
As a communications major, Lynch also directs Lambda Pi Eta, the honorary for senior communication studies majors. In October 2015, the group hosted Anna Watson Carl, a GCC alum and author of The Yellow Table, an award-winning, Paris-inspired cookbook. According to Lynch, “the honorary is a great way for motivated students to get involved in the department and to have an avenue to put [their] ideas to work.”
Lynch has had plenty of practice being a leader. As an RA during her sophomore and junior years, she enjoyed great friendships with staff and students as well as the constant learning opportunities that came with the job. “Our weekly staff meetings were filled with interesting discussion, learning how to live reflectively, and affirming our first responsibilities to the Lord,” she reminisces. This year, although she misses being a resident assistant, she has decided to explore her other interests, one of which is learning Farsi.
With a passion for language, Lynch is considering graduate school for linguistics. She has also applied to the State Department’s competitive Critical Language Scholarship, where she aspires to further develop her Farsi skills in Tajikistan.
If that doesn’t pan out, she’s also applied to a study-abroad program in New Zealand and for a product innovator position at ThinkFun. “It’s exciting to think that I could be absolutely anywhere a year from now!” she says. “I know that it can often be stressful for seniors to try to decide where to go after graduation, but I am enjoying the process of brainstorming right now and I know that the Lord has it all planned out already.”
4. What made you stay?
