Alicia Poplett Archives - EMU News /now/news/tag/alicia-poplett/ News from the ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř community. Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:58:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 Runner, leader, speaker, writer: senior Jolee Paden considers the future /now/news/2015/runner-leader-speaker-writer-senior-jolee-paden-considers-the-future/ Fri, 13 Nov 2015 15:32:04 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=25976 Whether you’re playing soccer, cross-country, tennis or golf, a strong core is key. There’s no avoiding it: athletes of all kinds have to work their abs.

ABS is a convenient acronym, then, for the weekly Athlete Bible Study that’s begun meeting over lunch on the ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř campus this semester – and just one manifestation of senior cross-country runner Jolee Paden’s efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of her fellow athletes and classmates.

Jolee Paden with fellow Bridge House residents after the Oct. 31 ODAC cross country championships: (from left) Brooke Lacock, Jolee Paden, Hannah Chappell-Dick, Juni Schirch, Louise Krall, and kneeling, Alicia Poplett. Bridge House is an intentional community adjacent to campus where residents host social gatherings designed to bring together upper- and underclass students.

Last January, she also helped launch a monthly event called Athletes Speak, during which students gather over pizza to hear athletes and coaches talk about their lives and faith. Both events are affiliated with EMU’s chapter of the (FCA), in which Paden has been a leader since she was a first-year student.

At the time, FCA didn’t have a particularly large or active presence on campus, and so, just as she’d done previously at her high school in St. Joseph, Illinois, Paden threw herself into the task of building it up.

“FCA is for athletes and coaches to have the opportunity to encounter biblical truth and authentic community,” said Paden, a double-major in and . “Over the last three years and going into the fourth, it’s just done a complete 360 in terms of getting people involved.”

One of the ways she’s promoted the ABS and Athletes Speak events was dropping any reference to FCA from their names. She decided to do so after discovering that some student-athletes didn’t understand the purpose of the group or had developed negative impressions of it in high school.

Jolee Paden greets well-wishers after her chapel presentation: (from left) head cross country and track coach Britten Olinger, campus pastor Brian Martin Burkholder, and physical education professor Sandy Brownscombe.

This decision, said EMU athletics director , “demonstrated her sensitivity and creativity” as a leader.

“Jolee has provided the most critical ingredient for any successful program aimed at student athletes – student leadership,” King continued. “Sustainable programs have quality student leadership and Jolee has provided that.”

Paden is also a pastoral assistant with EMU’s , and spoke in chapel in late September. (Audio of her talk is available .)

“Jolee brings energy and focus to spiritual life on campus. She is always noticing and discerning opportunities for ministry among her peers,” said campus pastor . “She presents with confidence and poise. There’s no doubt that she will continue to develop as a keynote speaker and preacher.”

In addition to her work on campus, Paden is an intern at Grace Covenant Church in Harrisonburg, and helps lead the congregation’s ministry for college students. She has also published a running-themed devotional book, , writes , and begun accepting more public speaking invitations.

Jolee Paden signs a copy of her book “The Spiritual Runner,” for a fellow student.

“I think God has just really blessed me with the capacity and the grace to do so much, because I still find time to relax and have a weekend sometimes. It’s kind of amazing,” said Paden.

As the fall semester slips by, she’s thinking more and more about life after EMU. Perhaps she’ll enter seminary. Maybe she’ll go back to Washington D.C., where she lived last summer and loved working for , a nonprofit that uses running to empower people experiencing homelessness. As she weighs those options, she’s also intent on making sure that the FCA and affiliated events that have been so important to her time at EMU will continue to thrive after she’s gone.

“I’ve put a lot of my heart and hopefully the Lord’s heart into this,” said Paden. “Building up other people who are passionate about it is really, really important to me.’”

As a practical matter, that’s meant handing over more and more responsibility to students who will return next year. One of them is Amanda Williams, a sophomore soccer player who helps schedule speakers for the Athletes Speak events. Williams hopes that she and her peers will continue building on Paden’s efforts to enrich the spiritual lives of EMU athletes.

“I think Jolee has an authentic relationship to God and displaying her faith just comes naturally to her,” Williams said. “She has a different perspective on the Bible – it’s refreshing to me, just to hear the things that God reveals to her.”

Regardless of what, exactly, next year might bring for her, Paden plans to continue on the same general path she’s followed through EMU – sharing, speaking, encouraging and nurturing the spiritual lives of the people around her.

“My dream would just be to tour and talk to young people and athletes,” she said. “But it’s just a matter of how the Lord is opening those doors.”

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A ‘Royals’ following: Siblings find EMU the right place to thrive and grow /now/news/2014/a-royals-following-siblings-find-emu-the-right-place-to-thrive-and-grow/ Fri, 07 Nov 2014 20:53:48 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=22462 Dig a bit into the student population of this “Christian university like no other” and you’ll find about 100 who are sharing their campus experience with siblings.

Basketball players, religious studies majors, Iraqi STEM students, and missionary kids are among the siblings who have chosen to attend ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř together. Some commute from nearby homes; some crossed the continent to get here; some are Mennonite, but many aren’t.

The EMU database contains 46 family names associated with siblings enrolled in the fall of 2014. Three families have a trio of offspring enrolled, including two sets of parents who themselves graduated from EMU: Steve and Lois Alderfer, class of 1986, parents of first-year Andrew, third-year Josh, and fourth-year Elizabeth; and Pat and Kathy King, class of 1981, parents of triplets who are sophomores, Emma, Isaac and Rachel. A third trio of sophomores includes Kennedy I. Okereke, and twins Chidera T. and Chinazo A. Nwankwo, children of Theodora Nwankwo.

Front row, from left: Sarah Longenecker, Becca Longenecker, Huda Mansoor, Suha Mansoor. Back row: Travis Trotter, Trina Trotter Nussbaum. (Photo by Jon Styer)

“Something very profound takes place for both the family and the EMU community when siblings share a common college narrative,” says , vice president for enrollment. “Experiencing Mennonite education can strengthen the family while at the same time benefiting the college with the sharing of their individual strengths and uniqueness.”

Not surprisingly, the largest cluster of siblings (14 sets) come from Harrisonburg and vicinity, but some siblings have traveled hundreds of miles in Virginia to attend EMU, including a pair each from Bristol on the Tennessee border and from Chesapeake on the Atlantic.

Other home states of siblings: Pennsylvania (12 families in nine municipalities); Ohio (eight families, all in different locations), two sets of siblings from Maryland, and one set each from Goshen, Indiana; Wellman, Iowa; Rochester, New York; Plymouth, Minnesota; Puyallup, Washington; and Charles Town, West Virginia.

The 46 surnames of siblings culled from EMU’s database in October 2014 are: Alderfer, Baltimore, Barrett, Beachy, Bills, Bishop, Blosser (two different families), Clemens, Cox, Driediger, Dutcher, Ferrell, Gallardo, Gish, Gonzalez, Graber, Hartzler, Jones, Kauffman, King, Kiser, Kratz, Longenecker, Luther, Mack-Boll, Mansoor, Martin, Mast, Miller, Mumaw, Myers, Nafziger, Nussbaum, Okereke, Patterson, Poplett, Raber, Salladay, Shenk-Moreno, Sprunger, Treichel, Trotter, Weaver, Wengerd, Ygarza, and Yoder.

Interviews with three sets of EMU siblings yielded this common thread: They tend to maintain separate identities and friend groups, while supporting and inspiring one another – be they healthcare providers like the Ardrons, budding psychologists like the Treichels, or activist musicians like the Popletts.

“Even though the siblings may have very different experiences here, they will have the same alma mater, a bond which will benefit both themselves and our entire community over the long term,” observes Hartman.

The Ardrons

The Ardron brothers (from left): Austin, Aaron and Adrian. (Photo by Kara Lofton)

Last year, the three Ardron brothers – Austin, Adrian, and then first-year student Aaron – all commuted to campus from their home in Fishersville, 30 miles south of Harrisonburg. The attraction of EMU was its strong reputation in and .

With both a mother and a father who are nurses, the Ardron brothers come from a family of healers. Among their immediate and extended family are more nurses, pharmaceutical representatives, physical therapists, an ophthalmologist, and a pediatric allergist.

“It’s just what we’re drawn to … we’re good at medicine, at making people feel better,” says Austin, who wrapped up his EMU coursework this summer, passed his nursing boards, and started as a registered nurse at the University of Virginia (UVa) hospital – all within 30 days.

As the first to enroll, Austin came to EMU because of the “holistic approach” to nursing, which emphasizes emotional as well as physical healing. Now working on the medical-surgical floor, Austin applies this mindset to patient advocacy, what he terms “explaining in human terms what the doctor just said.” He also values his ability to be a comforting presence and “that extra safety net for the patient” before procedures.

Austin’s older brother, Adrian, started at the College of William and Mary and circulated among a couple of university settings and majors before following Austin into the nursing program. Also a 2014 graduate, he now works as a registered nurse in UVa’s urology, surgery and burns unit.

Aaron based his college decision partly on his brothers’ positive experience. The pre-med major was also impressed by EMU graduates’ nearly 90 percent acceptance rate into medical school.

Commuting from home has allowed the Ardron brothers to gain work experience, and to maintain close ties to their family and their Seventh Day Adventist church.

Austin paid his way through school by working as a nurse’s aide at UVa. For all four years of college, he attended school Monday through Friday, and worked 20 hours over the weekend.

Aaron’s extracurricular activities take the form of church leadership: he is a head deacon at his family’s church. The Seventh Day Adventists’ calling is “to help heal, help promote growth,” he says. That environment shaped his interest in helping people through medicine. After many years of schooling, he hopes to carry on the family’s healing tradition as a healthcare professional in an intensive care or trauma setting, perhaps as a cardiac or ocular surgeon.

The Treichels

Kevin (left) and Shawn Treichel. (Photo by Randi Hagi)

Shawn and Kevin Treichel’s childhood instilled in them a fascination with the human mind and an appreciation of brotherhood. From Kevin’s perspective, many people coming to college see their siblings as an annoyance, and their family as a constrictive atmosphere to leave behind. But the Philadelphia-raised brothers grew up without an intact family to chafe gently against – they were in and out of foster care.

Some students enter college lacking independence and resilience. Not these brothers, says Shawn: “We’ve been to youth delinquent centers for a year at a time …We can do college!” (In the Philadephia area, the centers often double as temporary homeless youth shelters.)

Shawn was the first to learn about EMU. His family began attending a Mennonite church after an event flyer was posted on their door. Through that youth group, he became acquainted with Lani PrunĂ©s ’14. Her descriptions of EMU helped sway him from the original conviction that he would not pursue post-secondary education. He is now a third-year major whose studies may lead to ; however, he’s waiting to see what opportunities life brings: “I’ve never really had a straight and narrow path,” he explains.

Kevin is also at EMU because of those church connections. He came in knowing he wanted to go into nursing, and liked EMU’s reputation in that field. Specifically, he says, “I want to work in a psychology setting with children.” He plans to attend graduate school for a masters in applied behavioral analysis.

“The end goal is to have the knowledge and the context in order to take a much more holistic approach towards psychology than I ever witnessed myself,” he says.

Coming to EMU, the Treichels had to adapt to both small-city living and local culture. If they drive five minutes in their home setting, they’ve made two blocks; if they drive five minutes here, they’re in a cornfield. Neither of the brothers see themselves returning to Philadelphia. “Been there, done that,” says Kevin.

Wherever their careers take them, the Treichels express appreciation for having attended EMU simultaneously and maintaining their mutually supportive relationship.

“It would probably be weirder not being on campus with my brother,” says Kevin. “Due to our specific circumstances, we learned pretty early the value of relying on family.”

Yet, he adds, EMU might still be the right choice for siblings who don’t feel as close as he and Shawn. “The [campus] world’s not as small as you might think it is.”

The Popletts

Alicia (top) and Katrina Poplett. (Photo by Randi Hagi)

Alicia and Katrina Poplett, of Plymouth, Minnesota, grew up immersed in music, listening to their mother playing piano. Competition between the two young violinists became “a quite contentious part of our lives!” says Katrina, who switched to the viola in eighth grade. Thereafter they played together in school and in Mennonite church groups with less angst.

In the high school pit orchestra, the year before Alicia left for EMU, “we started becoming friends,” says Katrina.

Alicia is now a junior majoring in and .

After two years of visiting her sister on campus and feeling “very at home here,” Katrina arrived this fall to study .

Again attending school together, the two have built upon their high school bond, sharing yoga classes and musicianship.

Yoga is Alicia’s interest, but “Katrina begrudgingly comes along,” Alicia says. “She has a lot of strengths, but sitting still and perhaps balancing are not some of them.” The two exchange smiles over antsiness and arduous poses during class.

The sisters also still practice music together, their individual skill augmented by the ability to read one another well. Sometimes, though, they still need to take breaks to cool down between instrumental arguments.

The sisters hope to enter humanitarian work after graduation. Alicia imagines teaching overseas or in an inner city school – “somewhere that would continue to challenge me!” Katrina sees herself working with women and children in a foreign context.

Wherever they go, the sisters want to make a difference, a goal that stems from their upbringing: “We were raised to be involved and to be present where you are,” says Katrina. An example of this was their recent participation in the New York City People’s Climate Rally on Sept. 21. “It took stamina!” says Alicia, of the three-mile walk with more than 400,000 participants.

Their mantra of presence and involvement also applies to their relationship.Ěý Alicia recommends attending college with a sibling, as it’s an interesting way “to both grow together.”

Katrina has especially appreciated the presence of someone who knows her well as she transitions to university life. The hardest thing about starting college, she explained, is the absence of peers who know you deeply. Even though Alicia has been Katrina’s “in” to social networks, people on campus do not treat the sisters as one unit.

“You are related, but you’re your own person,” says Katrina.

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EMU breaks record for all-academic honorees /now/news/2014/emu-breaks-record-for-all-academic-honorees/ /now/news/2014/emu-breaks-record-for-all-academic-honorees/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2014 19:57:18 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=20922 ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř once again set a new high for student-athletes named to the annual Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, as 96 Royals were honored.Ěý Last year a total of 80 Royals were named to the list, which had also been a high over the previous year’s total of 61.

All of EMU’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.Ěý Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth year in a row.Ěý With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.Ěý He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet atĚý. ĚýDon’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC onĚýĚýand followĚýĚýon Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.ĚýĚý

EMU’s ODAC All-Academic Team
Elizabeth Alderfer – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Aylor – Softball
Becky Barrett – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Tyler Brenneman – Men’s Soccer
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Lauren Campbell – Softball
McKenna Carter – Women’s Volleyball
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Robert Cook – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Hannah Daley – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Paige DeBell – Field Hockey
Tyler Denlinger – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Eckman – Women’s Cross Country
Mariah Foltz – Softball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Erica Garber – Women’s Track & Field
Carlos Garcia – Men’s Track & Field
Abi Gardner – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Joe Hall – Baseball
Rebecca Hardy – Women’s Volleyball
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Morgan Hill – Women’s Soccer
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Brendan Jeschke – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Viktor Kaltenstein – Men’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Louise Krall – Field Hockey
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Landis – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jordan Leaman – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Jake Lind – Men’s Soccer
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Mariah Martin – Field Hockey
Tim Martin – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dilmer Martinez – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Brad Matthias – Baseball
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Macson McGuigan – Men’s Soccer
Chris Miller – Men’s Track & Field
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Nisly – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Ian Norris – Baseball
Nora Osei – Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball
Jolee Paden – Women’s Cross Country
Jesse Parker – Men’s Cross Country
Hannah Patterson – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dylan Polley – Men’s Soccer
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
D Probst – Women’s Volleyball
Casey Racer – Softball
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Krista Rittenhouse – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kyle Salladay – Baseball
Juni Schirch – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Caleb Schlabach – Men’s Golf
Chanel Shands – Women’s Basketball
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Molly Smith – Softball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Ashten Spencer – Women’s Soccer
Mandy Stowers – Field Hockey
Ryan Thomas – Men’s Soccer
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Londen Wheeler – Men’s Track & Field
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Alex Wynn – Men’s Track & Field
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chris Yoder – Men’s Basketball
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

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Royals Set New High For ODAC All-Academic Team /now/news/2013/royals-set-new-high-for-odac-all-academic-team/ Tue, 16 Jul 2013 20:18:49 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=17599 ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř set a new high for student-athletes named to the annual Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, as 80 Royals were honored.Ěý Last year EMU landed 61 on the list.

All of EMU’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.Ěý Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the seventh consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fourth year in a row.Ěý With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,459 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2012-13 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.Ěý He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.

Nels Akerson – Cross Country, Track & Field
Elizabeth Alderfer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Sonja Anderson – Field Hockey
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Ruthie Beck – Softball
Jennifer Blankenship – Women’s Basketball
Jessica Blanks – Field Hockey
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Cross Country, Track & Field
Hannah Clemmer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Alli Eanes – Cross Country, Track & Field
Katie Eckman – Cross Country
Ryan Eshleman – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Estrada – Baseball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Chantelle Garber – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Patrick Graber – Cross Country, Track & Field
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Holly Jensen – Women’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Janna Kaufman – Women’s Soccer
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Lanae Kreider – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jonathan Leaman – Men’s Golf
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mattie Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Rachel Lehman – Women’s Volleyball
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Owen Longacre – Men’s Basketball
Karla Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Katie Martin – Women’s Volleyball
Phillip Martin – Track & Field
Ian Mast – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Cross Country, Track & Field
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Thomas Millary – Cross Country
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Michelle Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Kaitlyn Morris – Softball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Joel Murray – Men’s Golf
Dan Nafziger – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jolee Paden – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jesse Parker – Cross Country, Track & Field
Hannah Patterson – Track & Field
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Sara Ritchie – Women’s Volleyball
Krista Rittenhouse – Cross Country, Track & Field
Adriana Santiago – Field Hockey
Meghan Schaefer – Cross Country
Juni Schirch – Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Aaron Sloan – Track & Field
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Aaron Springer – Cross Country, Track & Field
Andre Swartzentruber – Men’s Golf
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Kegan Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Tyler Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey

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EMU “Honors” 53 Incoming Students /now/news/2012/emu-honors-53-incoming-students/ Fri, 11 May 2012 13:58:24 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=12729 ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (EMU) will welcome in 53 incoming students to the honors program, the largest class in the program’s history.

In addition, two incoming students, Hannah Chappell-Dick, a senior at Bluffton High School in Bluffton, Ohio, and Charlie Good, a senior at Warwick High School in Lititz, Pa., were recognized as Yoder Scholars, the highest academic award an incoming student can receive.

“I’m very excited about the number and caliber of students who applied this year,” said Mark Sawin, program director and chair of history at EMU. “Hannah and Charlie are both wonderfully creative and curious people with wide-ranging interests and strong leadership abilities. I’m grateful they’ve decided to join us as next year’s Yoder Scholars.”

Honors student candidates are evaluated on academic performance, community and extra-curricular involvement, creativity, clarity of thought and leadership potential. In addition to being in the honors program, candidates submit a portfolio of their high school achievements, write a series of essays and meet with a member of the honors faculty for a one-on-one interview.

“The interaction with faculty mentors and each other in a variety of settings provides an opportunity for highly motivated scholars to develop as thinkers and wrestle with big questions,” says Sawin, a 2008-09 Fulbright Scholar at University of Zagreb in Croatia.

Chappell-Dick is an incoming biochemistry major while Good plans to major in chemistry.

The students accepted into the honors program are:

Alex Bender from Sarasota, Fla., Pine View School

Malachi Bontrager from Westbrookville, N.Y., Iowa Mennonite School

Rachel Bowman from Archbold, Ohio, Archbold High School

Kristoffer Broadley from Wichita, Kan., homeschooled

Anne Brothers from Rockville, Md., Montgomery Blair High School

Ashley Cox from Mountville, Pa., Hempfield High School

Melissa Cox from Mountville, Pa., Hempfield High School

Patty Danaher from South Chesterfield, Va., Matoaca High School

Isaac Driver from Harrisonburg, Va., Eastern Mennonite High School

Amy Feeser from Lancaster, Pa., Penn Manor High School

Rehana Franklin from Modesto, Calif., Modesto High School

Derek Harnish from Strasburg, Pa., Lampeter-Strasburg High School

Kate Harrold from Millersville, Pa., Penn Manor High School

Amanda Helfrich from Bradford, Ohio, Greenville Senior High School

Caitlin Holsapple from Harrisonburg, Va., Eastern Mennonite High School

Melissa Jantzi from Albany, Ore., Eastern Mennonite High School

Brianna Kauffman from Harleysville, Pa., Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Andrea King from Lititz Pa., Warwick High School

Kari King from Harrisonburg, Va., Harrisonburg High School

Sierra Kiser from Stuarts Draft, Va., Stuarts Draft High School

Jaclyn Kratz from Telford, Pa., Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Rachelle Kratz from Telford, Pa., Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Brooke Lacock from Paradise, Pa., Pequea Valley High School

Olivia Mast from Lancaster, Pa., Lancaster Mennonite School

Katie Miller from San Antonio, Tex., Louis D. Brandeis High School

Maddie Miller from Wellman, Ia., Iowa Mennonite School

Elise Mitchell from Elkhart, Ind., Elkhart Central High School

Erin Nafziger from Archbold, Ohio, Archbold High School

Jolee Paden from Saint Joseph, Ill., St. Joseph-Ogden High School

Aaron Patterson from Midlothian, Va., homeschooled

Alicia Poplett from Plymouth, Minn., Wayzata Senior High School

Emilie Raber from Dalton, Ohio, Central Christian High School

Jesse Reist from Lancaster, Pa., JP McCaskey High School East

Jess Rheinheimer from Manheim, Pa., Lancaster Mennonite School

John David Satriale from Gap, Pa., Lancaster Mennonite School

Lauren Sauder from Smoketown, Pa., Lancaster Mennonite School

Michelle Sauder from Linville, Va., Eastern Mennonite High School

Carissa Sherer from Joy, Pa., Donegal High School

Kritika Shrestha from Germantown, Md., Clarksburg High School

Rachel Springer from Minier, Ill., Olympia High School

Seth Stauffer from Lebanon, Pa., Northern Lebanon Jr-Sr High School

Sarah Sutter from Urbana, Ill., University Laboratory High School

Kate Swartz from Spring City, Pa., Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Sam Swartzendruber from Kalona, Ia., Iowa Mennonite School

Ryan Swartzendruber from Sellersville, Pa., Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Stephanie Toth from Lake Milton, Ohio, Cardinal Mooney High School

Aaron Wile from Telford, Pa., Christopher Dock Mennonite High School

Alena Yoder from Elkhart, Ind., Bethany Christian High School

Kegan Yoder from Plaine City, Ohio, Jonathan Alder High School

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