Category: Stories In Focus

From career workshops with VOCA to Dean Jordan’s “Beyond the Bubble” chapel series, Houghton students are frequently reminded that they will not be college students forever. The prospect of leaving Houghton for the working world may seem as daunting as it does exciting. Fortunately, there are recent graduates setting an example by establishing themselves in career paths related to their work in college. Brady Robinson, Moeun Sun, and Kevin Miranda, graduates of Houghton’s class of 2015, have each found employment in fields that they were prepared for by their experiences at Houghton.

Robinson, a former Media Communications and Visual Arts major, now works on contract as a Media Specialist in the marketing department for the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. During his junior year, Robinson says he was specifically looking for an internship in Colorado in which he could work in videography and photography. He found such a position with the YMCA of the Rockies through the online job board Cool Works, and worked for the organization in the summer of 2014. At the beginning of the spring 2015 semester, Robinson informed his former supervisors that he was interested in returning to the YMCA. By the end of February break he had completed the job application process.

“I accepted the position shortly after returning back to school from break,” said Robinson. “Knowing that I had a job after graduation took a lot of weight off my shoulders and allowed me to concentrate on coursework.”

Sun, another a recent graduate, also found her current position through an internship she worked during the summer before her senior year. Sun now works in Washington, DC as a Communications Fellow at the Alliance to End Hunger, a coalition that works with institutions to address world hunger. A double major in International Development and Business Administration, Sun gained a lot of work experience during her time at Houghton through positions as an RA, an ARD, a TA, and as a student coordinator for the Faith and Justice Symposiums. It was ultimately her position as an intern for the Bread for the World Institute, an organization that works also works to end hunger, that helped her find the position she holds now at the Alliance, a sister organization to Bread for the World.

“My supervisor at Bread knew that I was looking for a job for after graduation,” said Sun. “He told me about an opening at the Alliance. When I interned, I worked really hard and tried to make a lasting impression on my supervisors. The staff at the Institute were able to provide good references, which I think is what helped me get this job.”

Miranda, who recently began his career in New York City working for the accounting firm KPMG, did not find his employment as the direct result of an internship. He graduated this past year with a degree in Business and Accounting, and while he never had an internship in his field, he says that he was able to interview for the job at KPMG with confidence due to what he had learned at Houghton. He also credits the connections his Houghton education provided him.

“I found my position through networking with professionals in the city,” said Miranda. “Most of them I found through Houghton alumni and they were very helpful in not only guiding me towards a good connection, but also towards God.”

Robinson also emphasized the importance of networking in order to find the right position. He highly recommends that any student looking for work start using a LinkedIn account as if it were Facebook.

“If networking hasn’t been drilled into you enough yet, I’d urge you to be intentional about your profile by posting content that displays your interests, skills and experiences,” said Robinson when asked what advice he would give current students. “I’ve been able to make connections with other creatives and learn from people who are doing what I one day hope to be doing.”

Sun recommends that students hoping to find work next year start building contacts now so that they will have someone on the inside to reach out to when organizations post job vacancies. She also encourages students not to feel discouraged when looking for jobs, despite how arduous the task may be.

“I applied to a ton of positions in DC before I even got an interview,” she said. “Even though it was really hard, you just have to keep applying without giving up. Something will come up eventually.”

On the whiteboard in Professor Ransom Poythress’s office, there is a quote that says “Be unwavering in the things that matter.”  On the wall above his desk, there are superheroes which cling to it, and a Captain America figure on a motorcycle. Christmas lights hung over his bulletin board unlit. Barnyard animals cover the remaining wall space. Poythress explained that when he first arrived at Houghton, his office was so empty that some of the students decorated it for him.  This explains the variety of decorations.

Poythress is a new professor to Houghton and this fall marks the beginning of his second year.  With classes such as Biology Senior Seminar, Molecular/Cell Biology, Comparative Animal Physiology, and General Biology, he has the opportunity to teach a wide range of classes that he is passionate about.  Though the semester is really busy for him, he is enjoying it nonetheless.

During his classes, he likes to take a break to do something called “soapboxes.”  Soapboxes generally refer to a speaker who has a point they are trying to get across.  Poythress calls them “mid-class devotions.”  While biting into his sesame seed PB&J bagel, he explains that Christian world view and sciences have influence on everything and Christ is preeminent in everything.  He says that there is usually a disconnection between school and spiritual life and he does these devotionals to connect the two.  For example, when discussing water molecules in science, he will talk about how water plays a role in the Bible.

Mainly with the upper level classes, he likes to present his students with a “skeleton” for a project and they need to make something that fits it, such as an experiment or technique that excites them. He says it gives the students ownership of the project, and it is interesting to see what they come up with.  In the upcoming spring, Poythress would like to start a project to find out whether or not it is possible to convert by mutation one protein into another functional protein.  

Poythress didn’t always want to be a teacher though. He grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, and during his time in high school he thought about doing research or zoology.  However, he really thought bioinformatics, or the science of collecting and analyzing complex biological data, would be what he wanted to do because it “sounded cool.”  

After graduating high school, he went to California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. From there, he went on to Boston University where he received his PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry. One of the requirements in his first year at Boston University was to teach two semesters in an intro level biology class. Poythress enjoyed it so much he decided to pursue it further.  A short time later, he went to Westminster Theological Seminary of Philadelphia where he received his Master’s degree in counseling.  “I always say, if you don’t know what to do with your life, just keep going to school until you figure it out,” Poythress said of his extensive education.

After graduating college and during his schooling at Westminster Theological Seminary, he worked simultaneously at UPS and CVS loading and unloading boxes from trucks, mainly overnight.  It definitely wasn’t his “dream job,” but he said “you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.”

Poythress enjoys getting to know his students and loves the opportunities to interact with them on a more personal level outside of class.  This may include just praying for them, inviting them to dinner, dessert, or a movie at he and his wife Lisbeth’s house.  Poythress said that it means a lot to him that he and his students can get acquainted on a different level in the terms of friendship because it helps in the way of learning and improves involvement in the classroom.  

The Poythress’s recently got married towards the end of June.  As he looked at his watch to check the date, he proudly says, “Four months and one week” to be exact.  In the future he said he would like to add to their family, but maybe start out with a pet first.

A gray wolf stares out into the distance with a calm but intent gaze that betrays its predatory nature. Farther to the right, an entire pack of canines gather around each other, playfully nipping at one another’s heels.

Wolfe joined Houghton’s ranks in 1988 as a professor of biology. Wolfe, who had never heard of Houghton before, was at once drawn to Houghton’s woodland location. He stated that his passion for nature was “very strange for a kid who grew up in suburbia and parents from New York City.” The North east has been his home for the majority of his life, having been born in New York City but growing up in Norwalk, Connecticut. Wolfe received a B.A. in biology from Gordon College, his M.S. in botany at Oklahoma University, and finally his Ph.D. in biology at the University of Rhode Island.

Having accumulated over twenty-five years of teaching experience at Houghton, Wolfe has taught a large variety of classes ranging from genetics in the classroom to field courses out in the Alaskan wilderness.

“Dr. Wolfe is definitely one of my favorite professors at Houghton,” said sophomore Vivian Chappell ‘18, a student from his Alaskan field course. “He is incredibly knowledgeable about the earth and the environment.”

Besides instructing students, he displays his passion for nature through his ongoing research on lake and stream ecosystems in Allegany County and in the Adirondacks, which has been his focus over the last ten years.

Wolfe has new plans for the upcoming semesters. During an interview with him, Wolfe sketched out a study of coyotes he will be conducting in the upcoming months. Sitting in his office chair, he scooped up a gray collar off the floor by his feet. The collar, he explained, fastens around the coyote’s neck and transmits a signal to a GPS system whereby Wolfe can monitor the animal’s movements.  Pointing to a knob that protrudes from the collar, Wolfe explained how the knob will “pop” out and sever the collar after a set period of time.

Wolfe’s love for these four-legged creatures can be seen in the pictures posted about his office space. Right now, Wolfe has two Alaskan Malamutes which he said much resemble wolves, each weighing over a 100 pounds with long fluffy coats.

Over his years at Houghton, he has had four dogs. His first dog, Wolfie, was actually a stray some students had found. The students asked him to adopt the “puppy” as they called it (leaving out the fact that the dog was already full grown). The professor hemmed and hawed for two weeks before accepting.

“It became a sort of tradition,” Wolfe said. After Wolfie died, he adopted another stray called Ranger, and finally the two Alaskan Malamutes he has presently, Kiska and Kenai.

His dogs are a large part of his life,which is evident to his students. Chappell remarked that he “shows his passion for God’s creation through the love he has for his dogs.” Dr. Wolfe loves the opportunity to introduce them to his students. “Many of my students have met my dogs,” Wolfe said.

 

A gray wolf stares out into the distance with a calm but intent gaze that betrays its predatory nature. Farther to the right, an entire pack of canines gather around each other, playfully nipping at one another’s heels.

Wolfe joined Houghton’s ranks in 1988 as a professor of biology. Wolfe, who had never heard of Houghton before, was at once drawn to Houghton’s woodland location. He stated that his passion for nature was “very strange for a kid who grew up in suburbia and parents from New York City.” The North east has been his home for the majority of his life, having been born in New York City but growing up in Norwalk, Connecticut. Wolfe received a B.A. in biology from Gordon College, his M.S. in botany at Oklahoma University, and finally his Ph.D. in biology at the University of Rhode Island.

Having accumulated over twenty-five years of teaching experience at Houghton, Wolfe has taught a large variety of classes ranging from genetics in the classroom to field courses out in the Alaskan wilderness.

“Dr. Wolfe is definitely one of my favorite professors at Houghton,” said sophomore Vivian Chappell ‘18, a student from his Alaskan field course. “He is incredibly knowledgeable about the earth and the environment.”

Besides instructing students, he displays his passion for nature through his ongoing research on lake and stream ecosystems in Allegany County and in the Adirondacks, which has been his focus over the last ten years.

Wolfe has new plans for the upcoming semesters. During an interview with him, Wolfe sketched out a study of coyotes he will be conducting in the upcoming months. Sitting in his office chair, he scooped up a gray collar off the floor by his feet. The collar, he explained, fastens around the coyote’s neck and transmits a signal to a GPS system whereby Wolfe can monitor the animal’s movements.  Pointing to a knob that protrudes from the collar, Wolfe explained how the knob will “pop” out and sever the collar after a set period of time.

Wolfe’s love for these four-legged creatures can be seen in the pictures posted about his office space. Right now, Wolfe has two Alaskan Malamutes which he said much resemble wolves, each weighing over a 100 pounds with long fluffy coats.

Over his years at Houghton, he has had four dogs. His first dog, Wolfie, was actually a stray some students had found. The students asked him to adopt the “puppy” as they called it (leaving out the fact that the dog was already full grown). The professor hemmed and hawed for two weeks before accepting.

“It became a sort of tradition,” Wolfe said. After Wolfie died, he adopted another stray called Ranger, and finally the two Alaskan Malamutes he has presently, Kiska and Kenai.

His dogs are a large part of his life,which is evident to his students. Chappell remarked that he “shows his passion for God’s creation through the love he has for his dogs.” Dr. Wolfe loves the opportunity to introduce them to his students. “Many of my students have met my dogs,” Wolfe said.

Imagine you see Professor of Communication, Douglas Gaerte, and three people from the advancement office sit down at a small table for dinner in the dining hall. The automatic assumption would be that this is a business dinner. It is just as likely, however, that you are witnessing a family dinner. Doug, his wife, and their two children Andrew Gaerte and Emily Spateholts all work for Houghton College.

The Gaerte family hasn’t always been associated with Houghton. Doug and his wife Phyllis met and started dating at Grace College in Indiana, a college not entirely unlike Houghton. Doug said they had a great experience there and upon graduation he decided he wanted to do something similar. The couple had family in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, so Gaerte sent resumés to colleges all over the North East. At that time Houghton had a communication professor who was looking to retire, and Doug was offered the job. According to Doug their original plan was to only stay for a couple years, but they fell in love with the are the wonderful students, and colleagues they found here.

They stayed and Phyllis began work for Houghton as the Director of Alumni and Community Engagement. When it was time for Emily and Andrew to choose their prospective colleges, they both said their parents encouraged them to look elsewhere. However, they knew the people here and knew they could get a great education at Houghton.  Ultimately, both Andrew and Emily decided to attend Houghton.

Andrew graduated from Houghton in 2008 and returned in October 2013, to take the position of  Regional Director of Development at Houghton. He said he was never opposed to coming back to Houghton, but never planned on it. However, he realized that Houghton was doing new and exciting things and he wanted to be a part of it.

Emily Gaerte, now Spateholts, graduated in 2012. After graduation she worked in the campus store as the office and course materials manager. She left in the Spring of 2014 to help her friends start a business. When the business was established, she returned in January 2015 as the Development and Reunion Specialist.

The Gaertes all mentioned how much they enjoy working together. Since three of them work in  the Advancement Offices, their jobs tend to overlap. Emily mentioned how she specifically enjoys getting to work together on something they are all passionate about.  Another unique opportunity this offers is for parent and child collaborations. Doug and Andrew were able to team up with Professor Ryann Cooley, the Associate Professor of Digital Media and Photography, and get the college a $10,000 grant for a new lighting studio. Doug summed up their family’s involvement best when he said “the mission of Houghton College has become such an important thing for our family”. By working together they can serve their family and the college they have all grown to love.

Students and Faculty Work Side by Side

While most students spend their summer sitting by the pool, traveling, or working, this summer a group of students spent their summer on campus, conducting research and experiments.

Physics professor Mark Yuly, helps lead and guide students through research each summer.“It’s a time when professors and students can work on research projects during the summer… and stuff.” Yuly laughed. “It’s nice, because during that time—during the rest of the year, professors and students are still working on research, but in the summer you can really focus.”

According to its webpage, the Summer Research Institute (SRI) allows students “to interact with faculty in a much more collaborative sense than in the classroom setting” through research in physics, chemistry, biology, math or computer science. This research ranges from studying genetic modifications in influenza viruses, to exploring spam message detection on Twitter.

Yuly has been involved with the SRI since it began, writing the initial proposal for the program. He then worked with computer science professor Wei Hu to make the SRI a reality.

Hu is the director of the SRI. He coordinates the research projects, in addition to doing his own research with students each year. Hu said he and Yuly met with Ron Oakerson, the Dean of the College, in 2006, and received approval to launch the program in 2007.

Seniors August ‘Gus’ Gula and Thomas Eckert worked with Yuly this summer on research involving inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Yuly explained ICF as a process “when you take a little tiny pellet of nuclear fuel and hit it with laser beams from every direction.” This results in an implosion which is incredibly dense and hotter than the core of the sun.

Unfortunately, the scientific instruments which may be used to study the implosion are too delicate to withstand the experiment. Therefore, as an alternative, scientists “put a piece of carbon in [the test chamber], a piece of graphite, and the neutrons that are coming out of the explosion cause the graphite to undergo a nuclear reaction.” This can hopefully be used to determine what happened inside the implosion, said Yuly.

For this technique to work, scientists need to know “how likely it is that a neutron would interact with the graphite and not just go right through it,” said Yuly. Until recently, no one knew what that likelihood was, so Yuly and his two students spent the summer finding out.

Yuly’s days at the SRI started early. “A typical day for me would be to get here at 5:30, and work for a couple hours before Gus and Thomas came,” Yuly said.

Once the students arrived, they would meet with Yuly to review their plans for the day. Each student had a focus area, tailored to their individual strengths. “Thomas mostly worked on simulating the experiment using computer codes,” said Yuly. “Gus primarily worked on collecting data.”

The objective of the research project, according to Yuly, was gradually tweaking and improving Eckert’s simulation, so it coincided with the data Gula collected. Yuly said by the end of the summer, all the collected data, aside from one set of results that Yuly is “still not completely sure” about, aligned with the final simulation Eckert had created.

For science students interested in going to graduate school and someday carrying out their own research, hands-on experience during undergraduate school is crucial, said Yuly. “You won’t get [research experience] in a graduate school unless you have some experience that you can point to.” he said. Yuly said the reason graduate programs want students with hands-on experience is because it teaches them key skills that will help them in later research.He said, “You learn a lot of things that you wouldn’t learn just by taking a normal class or listening to a lecture.”

According to Hu, faculty members benefit from the program, as well, “Our SRI faculty learn how to work with students in research, which is not possible in a standard course work.”

While some students may be waiting for a “ring by spring”, four current Houghton students are learning what it’s like to be a student while being married. Juniors Rachel Brunea and Dan Bellerose, as well as seniors Cherith Sylor and Ben Yuly got married over the summer.

Rachel and Dan met as freshman and dated for a year before they got engaged. Both Rachel and Dan lived in the dorms their first two years.  Now they live with their dog Mandy in a rented apartment on route 19.

Cherith and Ben first met in second grade when they played on the same T-ball team.  They forgot about each other after attending separate middle and high schools, but met again during their first year at Houghton. The couple dated for six months before they got engaged. Both Ben and Cherith have been commuters throughout their time at Houghton and are now living in a rented apartment, attached to a professor’s house, on Fancher Drive.  

Although it is a lot of responsibility, both couples have enjoyed having a sense of freedom as well as leaving the dorm atmosphere and living in a real house. Rachel commented, “It’s been a little stressful as we are both working 15-20 hours every week and doing school. It’s been difficult doing that as well as home life and making time for friends.”

In taking on the responsibility that comes with being married, one of their biggest challenges has been finances, both Rachel and Dan doubled their work hours in order to pay rent and taxes.

Dan said, “We had to form a plan and realize, sometimes school isn’t always the most important thing. It’s easy to get sucked into work and school, but it’s important to make sure Rachel and I spend time together.” The couple reflected on a time they got home from classes and instead of doing homework right away, went to Moss Lake, to spend time together.

While being married in college can be difficult, it also has its advantages. As the dynamics of social life around campus have changed for both couples, they have enjoyed the changes and feel like they are not missing out on college life.

On the weekends Rachel and Dan try to fit in everything they haven’t been able to do during the week, like hanging out with friends. The couple take their dog for a walk every Saturday, and carpool with friends to Mt. Irenaeus every Sunday morning for Church. However, despite being busy, the couple has been striving in the classroom. Dan said, “Academically, this has been my best semester yet.”

Cherith and Ben have also had to adjust to the daily life of marriage, but overall they have felt it is less stressful. In the past it was very difficult to try and find time to spend together because they were both commuters, living in separate towns, without cars. While they still don’t have a car, it is much more convenient to be with each other.

Cherith’s father works at Houghton, so she would have to rely on his schedule to get a ride to and from school every day. She commented, “It has been great to sleep in a little bit, walk to school when I’m ready, and just come home and hangout at the end of the day.”

Ben and Cherith eat all their meals at home together and enjoy supporting local businesses when they go out. Ben commented, “Dinner’s not always glorious, sometimes that means ramen on the couch while watching TV, but we love getting to share our meals together.”

On the weekend, they catch up on homework from a busy week and attend church every Sunday. Since both of their families live close, they try to  see them at least once a week. Ben commented, “We see our families pretty consistently on Sunday or we invite them over during the week.”

Since they were both commuting from home, Ben and Cherith have enjoyed the freedom of living away from their parents. They have felt like they have more independence and control in their lives. Ben said, “It’s nice to have our own place to go back to and get away from people when we want.  You can force yourself to relax.”

Cherith commented, “It’s been difficult trying to juggle being my mom and being a student.” In the past both Cherith and Ben could focus on school and work while their parents took care of the house. Now, they have had to create a plan to take on all of the responsibility.

Through the busyness of school life both couples agreed that they still see friends as much as usual. They’ve really enjoyed having a place where they can invite friends. Cherith commented, “We spent more time with friends now because we have a place to invite them to.”

With graduation quickly approaching, both couples have started thinking about future plans. Ben and Cherith will graduate this spring. The couples will move out of Houghton after graduation and travel to a new home based on the outcome of Ben’s grad school applications for Fall 2016.

Dan and Rachel will study abroad in Tanzania this spring semester and will be the first married students to enroll in Houghton’s Tanzania program. Following graduation in 2017, the couple wants to move to Oregon where Dan will attend grad school and Rachel will find a job working with plants and botany.

While Ben, Cherith, Dan and Rachel are all living different lives compared to most college students, through their marriages, they are really very similar to regular students. They take on the same activities and schedules of the everyday student. Marriage has simply made their relationship easier as they get to be with each other every step of the way in a home they can enjoy together.

As you walk into the counseling office in the Campus Center, you immediately feel welcomed by a smile, beautiful paintings, and a quiet atmosphere. This sense of acceptance continues as you walk into Bill Burrichter’s office, the new Director of Counseling Services at Houghton. After graduating from Houghton, Burrichter thought it would be great to return to Houghton someday. Now, 23 years later, he’s back.

While speaking with Burrichter, he reflected on his time in Lancaster, PA where he has spent most of his life. He also spent time working in the Boston area, Philadelphia, and even spent a year in Venezuela. In Venezuela, he served as a house parent alongside his wife, who served as a school nurse where he counseled. “I kept trying to go other places, Burrichter said, but God kept bringing me back to the Lancaster area,” he said. After meeting his wife at a summer camp in Pennsylvania and then marrying, they they pursued their common goal of overseas missions. However, their plan to stay overseas was short-lived when they felt God calling them back home to the U.S. Burrichter said, “Sometimes His path doesn’t make sense to us, but He directs them in ways that we never would’ve imagined.”

Burrichter graduated from Houghton with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. Following his four years at Houghton, he went on to graduate  school at Villanova for counseling and later earned his doctorate from Walden University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Burrichter and his wife now have three kids, who are still making the transition from Lancaster to Houghton. He reiterated, “God has a plan” and is hoping to buy a farm near Houghton for their family and their pets.

Burrichter worked in Lancaster for 15 years, including teaching at Lancaster Bible College, where he started and directed a counseling center for students. While teaching full-time and working at a private practice in addition to his work in the counseling center, Burrichter was contacted by Michael Lastoria , the former counseling director, about the position at Houghton. Lastoria told him that he was retiring and Burrichter fairly quickly declined. After receiving more emails from Houghton faculty about the position opening, Burrichter decided to ask his wife and kids about the job. Upon hearing their approval instead of the “no’s” he was expecting, Burrichter knew he should listen to God. He applied and was offered the job last April after extensive interviews.

When asked about his passion for counseling and reaching students, he replied , “Seeing lives changed, seeing lives impacted by the services they get, it keeps you going.” His love for counseling can be traced back to the  Introduction to Psychology Burrichter took with Professor Richard Stegen, in which he realized he wanted to interact with people and help them. Burrichter also said, “One of the things I think is really cool about Houghton is that it has a Christian faith foundation.” For Burrichter, “the ability to freely integrate [his] faith with what [he does]… and to be able to talk about faith issues is pretty exciting.”

Burrichter is happy to be back at Houghton, to see students and how far they have come and will come, and to be back to the slower pace of life in our open and rural community.