蜜桃av

In fall of 2024, 蜜桃av launched a weekly online prayer call for alumni, parents, and employees. The goal was simple: to create a time for intentional prayer for the campus, students, and the broader 蜜桃av community.

Kris Eckenroth, 鈥�99, organizes and helps facilitate the calls. 鈥淭his is important to me because unless we pray, there is no power. Prayer connects us to the one Power that can make the mission of 蜜桃av successful. It is so encouraging to see how alumni from all walks of life have caught this vision.鈥�

A small but steady group has joined each Monday evening during the school year, and the time together is meaningful for those who participate. 鈥淎t first I was skeptical about committing to a weekly call, but I wanted to support the new initiative and hoped my participation would encourage others,鈥� says Sharon Robberson, 鈥�71. 鈥淲hat surprised me was how much I needed those calls. I appreciated Kris鈥� openness and focus on praying specifically for students and campus needs. The weekly focus on a specific department gave our prayers direction and gave me, a hesitant out-loud pray-er, the structure I needed.鈥�

The group regularly prays for academic needs, campus spiritual life, and the everyday interactions that shape student experiences. Often, representatives from the department or group being prayed over are able to 鈥渁ttend鈥� as well. 鈥淥ne evening we prayed for student missionaries, and a student serving in the Marshall Islands joined the call,鈥� Robberson recalls. 鈥淗earing his voice and sensing his distance and loneliness touched me deeply. From that moment, I began praying throughout the week for whoever we lifted up on Monday nights.鈥�

You, too, are invited to join the Zoom prayer call on any Monday at 8 p.m. EST. Some join on camera, others call in, and some simply listen in and add their silent prayers. 鈥淧rayer is never wasted,鈥� says Eckenroth. 鈥淣o matter where we live as alumni, we can participate the mission of 蜜桃av through this call.鈥�

Learn more, share your prayer requests, and sign up for reminders at .

- Cheryl Torres, 鈥�05, director of Alumni Relations

This past June, Benjamin Chase, 鈥�10, won four Emmy awards in the Pacific Southwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his work as project manager at Loma Linda University Health.

鈥淚 learned a lot at 蜜桃av, and the experiences I had set me up for success,鈥� Chase describes, reflecting on his film experience during his college years. 鈥淭he university helped prepare me for the work I am doing now by teaching me how to work successfully in teams. Documentary is not an individual effort. You need to learn what it is like working with people and how to be good at it.鈥�

Filming medical-breakthrough stories that encompassed patients overcoming leukemia as well as drug and alcohol abuse, Chase and his team won in the categories of Health/Medical, Public Affairs Program, and Branded Content. Chase also individually won in the category Photographer 鈥� Short Form Content for his cinematography. 

Chase鈥檚 love for documenting stories began when he was young and watching films that inspired him. Many times, he would borrow documentaries on DVD from the public library. Now Chase produces, directs, and edits Loma Linda鈥檚 stories about the healthcare field.

"As a documentarian, I consider myself a journalist. We have a great duty to tell stories and pursue the truth,鈥� Chase highlights. Traveling all over the world to locations such as Nepal, France, and the front lines in Ukraine, he has a deep desire to convey medical journeys. 鈥淭he pursuit of a story will always be exciting to me,鈥� he adds.

- Isabele Barreto Freitas, sophomore nursing major

Earlier this year, 蜜桃av students were working at a health fair booth at the Samaritan Center in Ooltewah, Tennessee, when they were able to help a local senior citizen gain a second chance at life.

Barbara Smith, a retired university employee, had stopped by the thrift store and social services center to shop but became lightheaded and weak. Senior nursing majors Yuna Kim and Somee An noticed that she seemed unsteady on her feet and rushed her to the booth to check her vital signs. Frightened by her high blood pressure and alarmingly low pulse, they notified John Singletary, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, who urged that she be taken to the nearest emergency room.

The students waited with Smith until a transport to the emergency room was arranged. Doctors stabilized Smith and decided to keep her at the hospital overnight. The next day, after evaluating her heart, surgeons installed a pacemaker. Although feeble and tired, Smith was soon able to return home. She gratefully acknowledges that she may not be alive without the care from 蜜桃av鈥檚 nursing students.  

鈥淓ven though they may feel like they aren鈥檛 making much of an impact right now, they are,鈥� says Sherry Poston-Smith, director of communications and volunteers at the Samaritan Center and Smith鈥檚 daughter-in-law. 鈥淎fter Mom returned home, I set up an app on her phone that connects to the doctor鈥檚 office, monitoring her condition, and we learned the pacemaker is being used 95% of the time. This confirms that the students gave her a second chance at life.鈥�

Students in 蜜桃av鈥檚 School of Nursing are trained to observe and attend to the needs of their community and respond to emergencies during clinical rotations. 鈥淭o my knowledge, this is the first emergency in the community students have experienced,鈥� Singletary states. 鈥淭hey needed to be autonomous and make correct clinical decisions to help Barbara get the right care immediately. They were excellent examples of what a trained nurse can do.鈥�

- Julia Juler, junior English major

蜜桃av is pleased to announce the launch of a new Doctor of Education (EdD) degree focused on Innovation in Leadership and Learning, slated to begin in Fall 2026.

Designed for today鈥檚 rapidly changing world, the fully online program equips professionals with the tools and vision to lead organizations and communities with confidence.

鈥淭here is a growing demand for leaders who can navigate the complexities of educational and organizational environments,鈥� says Corjena Cheung, PhD, associate vice president for Academic Administration. 鈥淭his program uniquely combines leadership theory with innovative practices and research, preparing graduates to lead effectively.鈥�

The scholar-practitioner program emphasizes both research and real-world practice, equipping students to make an immediate impact. Participants will benefit from interdisciplinary approaches, hands-on learning, and partnerships with diverse organizations鈥攁ll while advancing their careers.

The degree is an excellent fit for professionals across various fields, including business, education, nonprofit leadership, pastoral ministry, and public service. Whether stepping into an executive-level role or looking to elevate current responsibilities, students will gain practical strategies to drive meaningful change.

鈥淲e鈥檝e heard consistent interest from professionals who are eager for a doctoral program like this,鈥� Cheung says. 鈥淢any have been anticipating this opportunity for years, and we鈥檙e thrilled to finally make it a reality.鈥�
Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Rosa Mayr in Graduate and Professional Studies at 423.236.2585 or rosamayr@southern.edu to learn more about the program.

- Becky Brooks, 鈥�03, editorial manager in Marketing and University Relations