When pursuing church ministry, I always thought teaching would be a part of my vocation. Little did I know that working in education would come to dominate my calling and be my career, both as an instructor and as an administrator. While I continue doing very limited pastoral work as an ordained deacon, my everyday job for the past twenty or so years has been in higher ED administration. The job of a deacon is one of service, but also has its educational aspects in preaching, directing retreats, promoting religious education, and offering catechesis & faith enrichment. Check out Professor Cummings's published article in Christian Academia Magazine! Read more about Jim Cummings’s journey.
People often ask me “when did you move to Los Angeles?”, and by that, what they really mean is “when did you start pursuing acting?” LA is such a mirage that thousands land here each day, from all around the world, to pursue that ever elusive dream of being on the silver screen. That’s why anyone who is here in acting “must have” come here to LA to pursue acting. I didn’t. Read more about Dr. Petra Lo’s journey.
When reflecting on the journey of the past 7 years, a journey through academics, work, family and faith, it is amazing to realize the capacity of the human being and our ability to find balance in our lives. I completed my Ph.D. in Business Administration from Northcentral University in April 2017, a journey which included many challenges of managing full time employment, raising 3 children, balancing my relationship with my wife and during my final steps, caring for and saying goodbye to my father and grandmother. Read more about Dr. Joseph Siegmund’s journey.
Everything I do today is inextricably linked to my past and our family values. Everything. I have faced revolution, war, property losses, financial disasters, and difficulties, but they all made me a “tough guy”. None of these, however, made me tough enough to face my darling wife’s unexpected life-threatening illness: cancer. Despite her health condition, she supported me to continue my studies. I vividly remember sitting in her doctor’s office while the doctor explained her findings to us. All this “tough guy” could do was cry! Read more about Dr. Vahick Yedgarian’s journey.