“I get out of the car and these two girls are running by and, all of a sudden, one of them says, ‘Hi, Dottie,’” said Weber. That student turned out to be Maria Longenecker, a senior biology major who had Weber as an eighth grade teacher.

“Maria was one of the students I wanted to see,” Weber said. “And here she was, the first person I meet on campus. It’s unbelievable.”

Her husband Tim chimed in: “You have to understand, we could be at the top of Mount Everest and she’d know somebody. We could go anywhere and inevitably someone will say, ‘There’s Dottie!’”

Weber recalled last being on campus in 2005 to cater the wedding reception of alumna and former faculty member Catherine R. Mumaw. She was one of nearly 70 members of the Class of 1975 making a special trip back to EMU this weekend for their milestone 50th reunion during Homecoming 2025. 

As she and a group of classmates sat at a table in the Seminary Building on Friday leafing through a Shenandoah yearbook from 1975, they marveled at old photos and reminisced, sharing stories and memories from their time at EMU. 

“It’s amazing who I can remember from these photos,” someone says. 

Another alumna asks, “Does anyone remember taking classes in the old chicken house? Is this the building where it used to be?”

One of those classmates, Julia Shultz King ’75, traveled all the way from Melbourne, Australia, to attend the homecoming festivities. After graduating with a nursing degree, she worked for the Medical College of Virginia and eventually the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, before serving as a missionary with Youth With A Mission. She has lived the past 13 years in Australia. 

She shared a story about putting out a fire in the Northlawn dormitory, after someone had left a candle near the window and a curtain had caught alight. This was the first reunion she could remember attending. She had missed the 50th reunion for her high school in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, because Australia had been in lockdown in 2021, and so “it made me extra want to be here,” she said. 

“I’m happy to be well enough that I could travel alone to get here,” King said.

Her friend, Weber, said something similar: “Who knows, at this age, you might not be able to come back in another five years.”

This group of alumni, said Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, who serves as director of alumni engagement and community connections at EMU, was the only graduating class to ever create a two-volume yearbook. The Class of 1975 welcomed Alex Haley, author of Roots, to campus as part of a lecture music series. And the cross country team made EMU history, becoming the National Christian College Athletic Association cross country champion that year. 

“There was also a unique tradition that happened during y’all’s time here,” she said. “Newly engaged students were thrown in the fishing pond. A lot of people got engaged that year, from what I’ve learned.”

Homecoming weekend is all about celebrating and reconnecting with one another, with this campus, and with the values that make EMU such a special place, Reed said during the on Saturday morning. “Whether you’re an alum returning after many years or a student just beginning your journey, this is a time to remember that EMU is family,” she said. “And there’s always a place for you here.”

Keep reading for highlights and photos from the weekend’s events!

Seated on a couch in the Student Union, Doris Horst Toll ’79 and her husband Marvin took the morning on Saturday to relax and unwind as they sipped on a hot cocoa from Common Grounds and flipped through the latest issue of The Weather Vane student newspaper. The couple from Michigan had returned for Homecoming to connect with old friends and had attended the at Lehman Auditorium the night before. “It brought back a lot of good memories of being in that chapel as a student,” she said.

Hall of Honor

MainStage Theater was packed to the gills on Saturday for a ceremony celebrating this year’s four Hall of Honor inductees: 

• Athletics events coordinator Phil Guengerich ’70 was introduced by EMU Athletic Director Carrie S Bert ’97.
• Volleyball middle blocker Justin Reesor ’10 was introduced by former teammate Ben Yoder ’08. 
• Soccer forward Mitchell Leap ’12 was introduced by former coach Roger Mast ’85.
• Basketball center David Falk ’15 was introduced by former coach Kirby Dean.

An alumna attending the ceremony, Debbie Swartley ’08, of Penn Laird, Virginia, ran cross country and track while at EMU, and said she typically comes to Homecoming every year. “It’s just so much fun to be back on campus,” she said. “We typically walk around to see the changes for people who haven’t been here in awhile, and the kids love it.”

Gatherings and reunions

The weekend featured several gatherings, including:

• one celebrating the 50th anniversary of EMU’s social work program and the tenure of Professor Deanna Durham, 
• a gathering of alumni shaped by their experiences in the Middle East during 50 years of faculty-led interculturals to the region, 
• and a 50th anniversary get-together for alumni of the recently rebranded EMU Washington Semester program.

An alumnus of the D.C. program, Avery Trinh ’22, was attending the lattermost gathering with his mother, Rebecca Dietz ’79. Both of them were in the program while it was called different names (Trinh was in WCSC in Fall 2021, while Dietz was in WSSY from 1977-78) and under different program directors (Trinh was led by Ryan Good, while his mom was taught by Ryan’s father, Nelson Good). In fact, Trinh said, his mom used to babysit Ryan Good. 

It was his first homecoming since graduating from EMU, Trinh said, and the D.C. reunion offered a way for both him and his mom to get involved. 

“There’s always a lot of chatter about how EMU is changing,” he said. “The reason I really enjoyed my time here is the professors who taught me. They were in it to help students grow. So, as long as people like them stick around, I think EMU is in good hands.”

It had been a little more than a decade since Chris Fretz ’05 had been back to Harrisonburg. But for the economic development grad, who now works as a web developer for a marketing agency in Lancaster, the 20th reunion was enough of a draw to bring him back to campus. His wife, Lindsey Frye ’04, was a student and staff member for the D.C. program and so they also attended the 50th anniversary gathering. 

Some of the biggest changes he’s noticed since he’s been gone include Common Grounds’ move upstairs and the renovation of the old gym into the MainStage Theater, though other changes less visible have been just as significant. 

“It’s been encouraging to see the growing diversity of EMU and to see that the administration is really looking to meet students where they’re at,” Fretz said. 

Meet-and-greet with Interim President Dycus

At a meet-and-greet with EMU’s interim president inside the Campus Center, the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus answered questions from first-generation student and senior nursing major Emily Suarez Nunez. Dycus spoke about her path to EMU and to the leadership position she’s held since July 1, as well as what excites her most. 

She called on alumni to loudly and proudly share the stories of EMU’s successes and talk to others about how EMU has impacted their lives, their children’s lives, and the ways their families have been nurtured by the university.

“We’re not proud enough about who EMU is, but we have an amazing community here, a meaningful mission, and it shows up across the world,” said Dycus, who is the first Black woman to serve in the role. “And I am most excited about being able to be the person who gets to advocate for that everywhere I go.”

TenTalks

At the annual hosted at Martin Chapel on Saturday afternoon, EMU’s three 2025 alumni award winners each had 10 minutes to impact, influence, and inspire the audience. This marked the first time that alumni award winners presented at the event.

The speakers were: 

• Jessica “Jess” King ’96, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, has led equity-driven public sector organizations for more than 20 years. She spoke on the theme of fear and the role it’s played in her career and in her life.
• Outstanding Alum of the Year Brittany Caine-Conley MDiv ’14, one of the lead organizers for Congregate Charlottesville, shared her experiences making connections with local justice groups leading up to the white supremacist rally in 2017 and spoke on the importance of solidarity.
• Alum of the Year Fabrice Guerrier MA ’15 (conflict transformation), founder and CEO of the first collaborative worldbuilding production house for science fiction and fantasy storytelling, spoke about the power of imagination. He invited audience members to close their eyes and picture building a city on a new planet in the year 2035.

Royal City Celebration

Outside on the Front Lawn, the Royal City Celebration had everyone grooving to live music from the Richmond-based Premiere Band and savoring bites from food trucks offering barbecue, tacos, and ice cream. The crisp fall temperature and clear skies could not have been more perfect for the occasion.

The event also featured EMU’s second annual crowning of a homecoming court, which included:

• Seniors Jamaury Starks and Royale Parker
• Juniors Christopher Varone and Janaria Kenreich
• Sophomores Bennett de Tenley and Shawna Hurst
• First-years Johnathan Badowski and Logan Turchetta

Johnson shared insights from her research on kidney disease using zebrafish at Notre Dame this past summer as well as her personal journey of falling in love with research. After an EMU professor asked her to present research from an EMU organic chemistry lab at UVA’s Chemical Society meeting, Johnson realized that she loved sharing her work with others. 

Johnson adheres to the personal motto “just keep swimming” from the movie Finding Nemo to guide her career choices. Her professors also highly influenced her journey into research through their constant encouragement and by providing opportunities including a trip to Australia to research fruit flies. “They have taught me to dream big and go for things I never would have expected myself to do,” she said.

Between nursing school and finishing her debut novel “Heartache on the Play Stage,” Mellinger was used to putting herself last. After a series of hardships while trying to become a licensed nurse post-graduation, she shared her realization of needing to prioritize herself.

“Trying to pour from an empty cup isn’t going to work,” she cautioned, detailing the ways in which she has begun to practice self-care, from sleep hygiene to exercise to choosing more nutritious foods. “Self care is not optional. It is essential for a healthy lifestyle,” she said.

Mark Sawin is a name known to many on campus, but his work is not limited to the classroom. Sawin spoke about his recent research and efforts to preserve Mrs. Isa Mae (Banks) Francis’ Green Book house where traveling Black folks stayed when hotels turned them away. Listed in the Green Book from 1953-1961, the house sits at 252 N. Mason Street. It is the last remaining Green Book house in Harrisonburg and was kept in its original state by siblings Henry and Lois Rouser, descendants of Mrs. Isa Mae (Banks) Francis.

William Reed, father of EMU’s own Mayor Deanna Reed, inherited the property from Lois Rouser in 2022. The Reeds called in experts, including Sawin, with the hope of further honoring the house’s legacy. Sawin has been researching the property and the family’s history because he says “being a historian is honoring people by telling their story.”

The perennially popular TenTalks during Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024 will feature three speakers each representing a different stage of the EMU journey: current student Adesola Johnson, alumna Ashley Mellinger ’24, and faculty member Dr. Mark Metzler Sawin.

The speakers will each have 10 minutes to “impact, influence and inspire” the audience, and then answer questions from the crowd. The format is modeled on TED Talks presentations.

The free event will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, in Suter Science Center 106. Registration is required for this event. It will be livestreamed on the EMU .��

Register for events !

Investigating the Role of Retinoic Acid on Podocyte Development

Johnson, a senior biology major from Dallas, serves EMU as a hall director, executive Royal Ambassador, DEI student leader and a tutor in the Academic Success Center.

This summer she had the opportunity to conduct research at the University of Notre Dame, where she investigated the mechanisms regulating kidney development using zebrafish as a model organism. She is deeply passionate about advancing scientific research and said she looks forward to presenting her findings to the EMU community at TenTalks.

The Art of Self-Care

Mellinger, of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, had one busy senior year. The Cords of Distinction recipient  published her debut novel, Heartache on the Play Stage, in January and graduated from EMU with a BSN in May. In the meantime, she’s been working on earning her RN license. 

Mellinger said her presentation will focus on “the art of self-care.” “This summer provided me a lot of freedom and downtime to recoup from the stress of nursing school and I learned how to truly take care of myself,” she said. “I’d like to share some tips with you all!”

Mrs. Ida Mae Francis and her Green Book House

Sawin, professor of history at EMU and co-director of the honors program, is part of a team of researchers helping preserve the history of a Harrisonburg, Virginia, house listed in The Green Book.

During the Jim Crow era, The Green Book was a guide created by and for African Americans that listed open and safe places for them to eat, visit and lodge while traveling. Sawin’s presentation will look at Harrisonburg’s primary Green Book property, Mrs. Ida Mae Francis’ Guest House, telling its history and the story of the thriving, entrepreneurial Black community it serviced for 50 years (1912-1962).

Sawin, an EMU faculty member since 2001, has spent two decades working with members of Harrisonburg’s Black community to help tell the story of Newtown and the Northeast Neighborhood before it was devastated by urban renewal projects in the early 1960s.

For a full list of Homecoming and Family Weekend events, visit: emu.edu/homecoming

“This year’s festivities will feature a ‘lion’s share’ of new and exciting events, including the Royal City Celebration, which invites all class reunions, affinity groups, department and club gatherings to meet at Thomas Plaza and the Front Lawn for food, fellowship and fun!” said Deanna Reed, Harrisonburg mayor and EMU director of alumni engagement & community connections. “In addition to the gathering, which promises to be the largest at Homecoming, all are invited to follow the ‘yellow brick road’ to campus for musical theater showings, athletic events, and the return of the ever-popular TenTalks presentations. This year there’s no place like HOMEcoming!”

The homecoming website is your complete source for events, updates, and registration.

EMU’s alumni award winners are:
Dr. Lee Roy Berry Jr. ’66; Kendra Conrad Bailey ’03, MA ’05; and Seth Crissman ’09. MDiv ’15.

EMU Athletics will recognize four Hall of Honor awardees:
longtime employee and coach Roland Landes; standout jumper and sprinter Michael Allen ’13; volleyball, basketball and softball player Gina Campbell Troyer ’93; and basketball star Bianca Ygarza ’14.

Look for the ⓕ Facebook icon that denotes a livestreamed event. Go to the to view these events; recordings will also be available after the event. You do not need a Facebook account to view the livestream.

Athletics events will be streamed through the website.

Here are a few highlights of the weekend. See the full schedule for more details.

Friday

– Jubilee Alumni, those who have graduated 50 years ago or more, will gather for a program and luncheon that includes the induction of the class of 1974. * ⓕ

– Art Gallery Opening, from 4-5 p.m. in the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery, features artworks from EMU alumni artists Rebecca Souder Gish ’09, Rhoda Miller ’03, and Jon Styer ’07. 

– Musical Theater Production of “Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” EMU students and community members play multiple roles in this epic rock musical version of Rick Riordan’s beloved young-adult novels about an underachieving kid who discovers he is a demigod. Tickets for the show, held in the Studio Theater at 7 p.m., are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children 18 and younger, and $6 for college students. 

Saturday

– Recognizing Hall of Honor and alumni award winners, the Opening Celebration Breakfast features a welcome by President Susan Schultz Huxman.

– A Hall of Honor Ceremony at the MainStage Theater from 10-11 a.m. will celebrate this year’s inductees.

– New to this year’s lineup of events, the Royal City Celebration invites all class reunions, affinity groups, department and club gatherings to follow the yellow brick road for food, fellowship, and fun! Meal tickets to the gathering, held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thomas Plaza and the Front Lawn, are $20 for adults and $9 for children ages 5 to 11. *

– See Royals athletics in action on the brand new Turf Field with Field Hockey vs. Sweet Briar at noon, Women’s Soccer vs. Guilford at 3 p.m., and Men’s Soccer vs. Lynchburg at 6 p.m. The Women’s Volleyball team takes on Lynchburg in Yoder Arena at 2 p.m.

– Prepare to be impacted, influenced and inspired at the annual EMU TenTalks. Modeled on TED Talks presentations, this event in Suter Science Center 106 from 2-3 p.m. features alumna and novelist Ashley Mellinger ’24; Adesola Johnson, senior biology major; and Dr. Mark Metzler Sawin, EMU professor of history, speaking for 10 minutes each with a Q&A at the end.��* ⓕ

– Turn out for the new track & field complex dedication at 3:30 p.m.

– “Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” Another chance to catch this exhilarating spectacle starting at 7 p.m. in the Studio Theater.

Sunday

– Worship with EMU Chamber Singers at 9:30 a.m. at Park View Mennonite Church.

– “Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” A third and final showing of the epic rock musical, capping Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024, starts at 7 p.m.

*Registration required

The speakers — soprano Madeline Bender ’93, runner Ryan Gehman ’16 and leader Kevin Ressler ’07 — will each have 10 minutes to “impact, influence and inspire” the audience, and then answer questions from the crowd. The format is modeled on TED Talks presentations.

The free event will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, in Suter Science Center 106. Homecoming registration is not required to attend. Email alumni@emu.edu for instructions on how to access the Facebook livestream of the event.

A complete list of events and activities is on the Homecoming and Family Weekend website.

Divine dissatisfaction

Madeline Bender ’93 will share the story of her journey from rural Mennonite kid to international opera singer, arts entrepreneur and educator.

In 2012, Bender founded , which offers classes to children in the fields of music, theater, dance and filmmaking. Her innovative arts programs are taught in esteemed private and public schools across Manhattan.

She has created performances including Instrumental Storytellers at Symphony Space in Manhattan, the annual Creative Stage Spectacular! and, most recently, produced and directed Summer Shebang!, sponsored by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. 

Her work has paired her with notable opera directors such as Sir Peter Hall, Robert Wilson, David McVicar, Paul Curran and Sir Jonathan Miller.

She, along with artistic partner Timothy Long, is the founder and director of Voices of Hope, an annual opera gala that has raised more than $250,000 to provide life-changing education to severely underprivileged children around the world.

Bender, who has a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, lives in New York City with her husband Paul Whelan, a bass-baritone opera singer, and their 14-year-old son.

Her TenTalk will investigate what makes citizen artists tick, as well as the forces that drive them to seek to make radical change in the world through the arts.

Run for your life!

Diagnosed with autism at four years old, Ryan Gehman ’16 struggled with anxiety and other mental health challenges growing up. 

But when Gehman discovered running, he says it literally saved his life.

The Millersville, Pennsylvania, native has run four marathons to date, including two Boston Marathon races. He finished the 2023 Boston Marathon this past April in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 31 seconds, which placed him 103rd overall.

In 2014 while at EMU, Gehman won the NCAA South Southeast Regional Cross-Country Championships and was named Southeast Regional Athlete of the Year.

Gehman says he runs to help himself navigate life on the spectrum and aims to be a source of hope for other neurodiverse people, as well as anyone in need of strength to face adversity.

He is a former cross-country and track coach at Lancaster Bible College and Lancaster Mennonite High School. These days he shares his passion for fitness as a wellness assistant at Landis Homes, where he fosters the movement of others.

TenTalks attendees are invited to hear his story, from the heartwarming and humorous way his running began to the dream he’s now chasing: qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Trials.

“Break all the rules, build a better world”

Kevin M. Ressler ’07, M. Div., was not afraid to break some rules as a child.

As a third grader, Ressler refused to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance because of his discomfort with war. 

During a semester-long simulation of the Revolutionary War, the middle-schooler was named governor of Pennsylvania and then disrupted class when he demanded freeing slaves as part of the Declaration of Independence.

His life, he says, has been spent seeking ways to bring about an equitable peace and justice for all.

In a summary of his TenTalk, Ressler says that people are raised to maintain the status quo of the system even when they might not realize it.

“We are taught that … if you follow the rules and apply yourself that you will get rewarded with comfort and security,” the community activist and leader says.

“But, if you actually care about a better world, you have no choice but to break the rules and risk losing everything so that others might gain.” 

Ressler leads , where he’s been CEO since July. The nonprofit organization serves the greater Coatesville, Pennsylvania, community by focusing on improving its health, social, emotional and economic conditions.

He graduated from EMU with a bachelor’s degree in Justice, Peace and Conflict Studies and spent a year with Mennonite Voluntary Service and with AmeriCorps VISTA. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in 2013.

Ressler was executive director of Meals on Wheels of Lancaster from 2014 to 2020 and president and CEO of the United Way of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from 2020 to this June. He has served on multiple boards including for Meals on Wheels of Lancaster, United Way of Pennsylvania and Everence Federal Credit Union.

He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife Melissa and their two daughters, Acacia, 9, and Iriana, 6.