ANCHORING HIS DREAM JOB — KENNY KING ’10 — Since he was in 2nd grade, Kenny King dreamed of a career in television. After graduating with a degree in broadcasting, he landed a job as a TV reporter and three months later was promoted to full-time anchor and producer for the live evening newscasts at KSAX-TV (ABC) in Alexandria, Minn.
At Northwestern, King pursued hands-on opportunities to learn broadcasting. He hosted shows on the campus radio and TV stations, and sharpened his experience with internships at two major-market TV stations. “I am so glad I was able to go to Northwestern, not only for the broadcasting opportunities, but also to make Christian friends,” said King. “The support system I have with professors, friends and coworkers from NWC has been helpful as I’ve moved into my career. The things I learned at NWC about my career and about my spiritual life are being practiced and lived out every day.”
BECOMING A DIFFERENT KIND OF DOCTOR — HANNAH OREM ’10 —
As captain of the track team and an honors scholar in college, Hannah Orem ’10 was a determined achiever. After struggling with injuries that limited her athletic performance, Orem was frustrated; however, she refused to give up. She began seeing a chiropractor and experienced significant healing. “I felt like someone had just given me a new pair of legs!”
Her health restored, she achieved her long-standing athletic goals, including anchoring a relay for a conference championship and setting a new college record. As a biology major, Orem knew she wanted to go in to health care. With guidance from her professors and coach, she decided to become a chiropractor. She is now studying at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa, with a goal to “help people recover their health, hope, and future, so they can experience life to the fullest and function at their highest potential.”
ACCOUNTING FOR SUCCESS — NICK OLSON ‘10 —
These days, it can be challenging to secure a job after college graduation, much less before. But six months before he graduated, Nick Olson was offered a position as an Audit Associate with KPMG, a leading U.S. tax and audit organization.
Olson’s success also extended to athletics. As a competitive golfer with the Northwestern Eagles, he received the 2010 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Scholar-Athlete Leadership Award. But his experience as a student athlete reaped benefits beyond the green. While on the golf team, Olson learned to balance a busy schedule and budget time—skills he is grateful to carry with him into his career. “All of my accounting classes gave me a base of accounting that I have been able to build on with the training provided through the firm,” said Olson. Now, he is enjoying building his career at KPMG, “getting to know people from different colleges and working together on a team.”
EQUIPPED TO SERVE — ALEX ARMENDARIZ ’10 —
When Alex Armendariz received Northwestern’s first annual Intercultural Unity Award in 2010, she felt deeply honored. Her peers nominated her for the award, which recognizes servant-leadership in intercultural educational efforts to increase awareness and promote Christian unity.
Her ability for intercultural leadership and her heart for service led to a position with the Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, working directly with the Latino community. As an immigrant from Mexico herself, Armendariz enjoys the opportunity to serve immigrant families. She works closely with families who are learning English, teaches the Word of God, and develops children’s programs. She credits Northwestern for providing her “with practical knowledge and tools for equipping other people.”
EDUCATION THAT LEADS TO DOING GOD’S WORK — NEHIL BEJARANO M’10 —
Colombia native Nehil Bejarano came to Minnesota in 2006, and in 2007 began his studies at Northwestern to pursue a Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS).
While at Northwestern, Bejarano joined the pastoral staff of New Hope Church (Minn.) and helped start a Hispanic-Latino Ministry. He is now enrolled in the Ph.D. in Philosophy—Intercultural Studies program at Trinity International University in Illinois. For Bejarano, the MATS program at NWC was a good fit. “It provided the elements to combine theology and philosophy along with a pragmatic perspective for someone doing ministry in the capacity of a founding pastor,” he said. “The quality of the teachers and education I received proved Northwestern was the right choice.” With a goal to continue work in multicultural ministry settings, Bejarano seeks to live out the words he shared at commencement with his fellow 2010 graduates: “As we continue in intellectual growth, we must go beyond the discourse and its academic confines. We must fully engage in the changes taking place in our present times...using our knowledge to effectively do God’s work in the streets, offices, or pulpits.”
FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR TEACHES IN TURKEY —RACHEL GRAMMER '10 — In the spring, Rachel Grammer ’10 became the college’s seventh Fulbright recipient in the last seven years. Grammer, an English major from McHenry, Illinois, was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Grant that gave her the opportunity to teach English in Turkey for nine months.
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