September 14—Northwestern College has announced its 2011 alumni award recipients. Four alumni will be recognized for their accomplishments and service at a recognition dinner on Oct. 6 and during Homecoming festivities on Oct. 8.
The awards and recipients are:

• Distinguished Alumnus Award — Matt Bostrom, D.P.A.
• Buckles-Hannah Service Award—Neil Stavem, M.A.
• Athletic Hall of Fame—Tim Aalsma and Emily (Buchner) Sheplee

Matt Bostrom, Distinguished Alumnus

In November 2010, Bostrom was elected sheriff for Ramsey County, the second largest county in the state of Minnesota. Prior to that he served more than 28 years with the Saint Paul Police Department. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at Saint Mary’s University, Northwestern College and Hamline University.

Bostrom graduated from Northwestern’s FOCUS program in 1992 and also holds degrees from the University of St. Thomas (Master of Education) and Hamline University (Doctor of Public Administration). He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a certified State of Minnesota Emergency Manager.

A native of St. Paul, Bostrom graduated from Johnson High School. He is a member of the leadership team at Cross Cultural Church on St. Paul’s East Side. He lives in St. Paul with Cheryl (a 2000 NWC grad), his wife of over 28 years. They have three adult children: Emily, Grant, and Luke.

Neil Stavem, Buckles-Hannah Service Award

Stavem is the director of programming for the Faith Radio Network—a six-station group in the Upper Midwest owned by Northwestern College and Northwestern Media in St. Paul. He has been with Northwestern and its flagship station KTIS in St. Paul for 35 years, serving in a variety of on-air and programming capacities. He currently hosts the interactive talk show Connecting Faith from noon to 1 p.m. daily on the Faith Radio Network.

Stavem is a 1995 graduate of Northwestern’s FOCUS program and earned his Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Northwestern College in 2008.

He and his wife, Shari, live in suburban St. Paul. They have three married adult children and two grandchildren with another on the way.

Tim Aalsma, Athletic Hall of Fame

Aalsma, from the Class of 1998, is the only player in Northwestern men’s basketball history to own places in all four of the program’s elite statistical groups: the 1,000 Point Club, 500 Rebound Club, 250 Assist Club and 150 Steals Club. While wearing an Eagle jersey he amassed 2,141 career points, which bests all players throughout the team’s 38-year history. Northwestern won conference championships in each of Aalsma’s four years, and earned berths in the NCCAA National Tournament in 1995 and 1998.

Since college Aalsma has taken his talents to a different educational stage by teaching and coaching in private and public school settings. He lives in Brillion, Wis. with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.

Emily (Buchner) Sheplee, Athletic Hall of Fame

A 2002 graduate, Sheplee was an all-around volleyball player and an all-around student-athlete during her time at Northwestern. Leading the Eagles to a pair of UMAC Championships, Sheplee still remains the program’s top performer in kills per set in a season, kills per set in a career and total blocks in a career. An NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2002, Sheplee earned NCCAA and NAIA Academic All-American awards in 2001 and 2002.

Following her playing days, Sheplee taught sixth grade and tutored high school math students for several years. More recently, she and her husband, Corey, have welcomed three children—Eliana, Adaline and Graden—into their family and live in Bloomer, Wis.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to an alumnus who has demonstrated God-honoring leadership to humanity and service in his profession as well as leadership in the home and church.

The Buckles-Hannah Service Award recognizes and honors an alumnus who was or is currently a member of the Northwestern College community and who has given outstanding service to Northwestern and its mission.

The Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes former athletes and coaches for their NWC athletic achievements and evidence of a continuing commitment to the claims of Christ in their lives.