蜜桃av

During high school at Greater Miami Academy, Barbara Eades, 鈥�78, 鈥�02, and 鈥�12, was sure of two things: she wanted to go to 蜜桃av, and she wanted music to always be part of her life. One of those dreams became a reality in 1973, when she arrived on campus with a small scholarship and a heart full of hope.

Eades studied music education with an emphasis on vocal. She fondly remembers beloved professors like Dorothy Ackerman, Don Runyan, Bruce Ashton, and Robert Sage, attended. 鈥溍厶襛v was a spiritual anchor for me,鈥� Eades recalls. 鈥淎s an only child, I missed home terribly, but the campus, the teachers, and the focus on the Lord really carried me through.鈥�

After graduation, Eades taught music in Hamilton County schools for six years before transitioning into nursing. She returned to 蜜桃av to earn her RN and went on to serve in many healthcare settings鈥攆rom home health to dialysis to psychiatric care at Moccasin Bend downtown. 鈥淣ursing gave me the chance to help people in a new way,鈥� she notes. 鈥淚 always tried to encourage patients to seek healing in the Lord, whether in body or soul.鈥�

Several years of working the night shift limited her opportunities to keep music central in her life. When she retired in 2021, she was thrilled to be able to rejoin Choral Arts of Chattanooga, a community group she鈥檇 sung with years earlier.

In 2024, the group was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall鈥攁 milestone that still fills Eades with awe. 鈥淲hen our director told us we had the chance to go, I was thrilled. My husband was completely on board, too, in support of me.鈥�

Eades sang mezzo soprano and joined dozens of other singers in performing Haydn鈥檚 Te Deum and Vivaldi鈥檚 Magnificat, both in Latin, accompanied by a full orchestra. 鈥淭he sound, the majesty鈥攊t felt like a glimpse of heaven. And I got to grow closer to my fellow altos, which was such a blessing.鈥�

The weekend in New York was intense but unforgettable: rehearsals from morning to afternoon, a final dress rehearsal, and the Sunday afternoon performance, followed by a celebratory skyline cruise. 鈥淚t was a dream come true,鈥� she says. 鈥淢usic lifts the spirit. I can鈥檛 wait to praise the Lord forever in heaven. I believe even those who can鈥檛 sing now will have perfect voices there.鈥�

Eades is also navigating life with early-stage Alzheimer鈥檚. 鈥淚 was devastated at first,鈥� she admits. 鈥淏ut then I said, 鈥楴o. God鈥檚 always been with me, and He鈥檚 still with me.鈥欌�� 

Her diagnosis has only strengthened her resolve to share her faith and help others. She鈥檚 now involved with the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association, offering support and encouragement to others facing similar journeys.
鈥淚鈥檓 doing well,鈥� she says with a smile. 鈥淚 forget things, sure. But I still sing. And I still have purpose.鈥�

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

A long-standing tradition at 蜜桃av is to begin each semester with service. The Fall semester kicks off with 蜜桃av Serves Day, when new students incorporate service into orientation week. The Winter semester launches with MLK Service Day, held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. At each of these annual events, 蜜桃av partners with local organizations to meet specific needs in the community. 
 
鈥淚 deeply value the ongoing partnerships we have,鈥� Cheryl Craven, 蜜桃av鈥檚 director for Christian Service, notes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always a core response: 鈥榊es, sign us up! We love 蜜桃av students.鈥欌�� 
 
Renita Moore, First Year Experience coordinator and co-organizer of 蜜桃av Serves Day, explains why including community service as part of new student orientation is important to her. 鈥淚t helps us show freshmen what this school is about,鈥� she says. 

As Paul writes in Galatians 5:13, 鈥淵ou, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.鈥� 
 
鈥淚 enjoy service,鈥� shares Gwen Loney, freshman English major, who volunteered to play cornhole with residents at a local assisted living center. 鈥淚t connects us on a different level with people we wouldn鈥檛 normally interact with,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭he elderly don鈥檛 get to be around the younger generation much anymore and joked that we help keep them young.鈥�
 
Esel Choi, freshman psychology major, worked with a group writing letters to people with depression. 鈥淚t was a blessing to me that I was able to send messages of encouragement to people who are losing hope,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淪ervice is giving without expecting anything in return.鈥�

Opportunities like these help students see firsthand the differences they can make in others鈥� lives. 鈥淚 want students to catch the joy that comes from being others-focused and make it a way of life,鈥� Craven adds, 鈥渂oth during their academic careers and following graduation.鈥�
 
Dedicated service days aren鈥檛 the only way 蜜桃av serves; students and staff answer the call to minister throughout the year. In 2024, Logan Johnson was one of several upperclassmen awarded the Rita Vital Endowed Scholarship for Faith and Service Learning, which enabled each to continue prioritizing an others-centered way of life. Johnson鈥檚 testimony demonstrates service in action even when not on the university鈥檚 campus.
 
A junior biology biomedical major, Johnson served at Kendu Adventist Hospital in Kenya as a student missionary during the 2022-23 school year. Outside the hospital gates was Nyaburi Integrated Primary School, a learning center and orphanage for disabled children. Johnson first visited to help with vespers and then quickly recognized a deep need. 
 
The children at the orphanage struggled to get consistent meals, and their beds were soiled by bats that lived in holes riddling the ceilings. Immediately after visiting, Johnson and fellow student missionary and senior biology major Gabriel Brown decided they needed to step in. 
 
鈥淭here was no hesitation,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e the only chance someone has for reasonable living conditions, the responsibility is unavoidable.鈥� 
 
The two young men created a short documentary showcasing the children鈥檚 testimonies and needs. They showed the video in churches back at home with the goal of raising $30,000. 鈥淢ore than $50,000 in donations came in,鈥� Johnson reports. 鈥淚t was truly a miracle.鈥� Through a contractor willing to do the work for the cost of materials, Nyaburi School got a full facelift. 
 
Now back on campus, Johnson feels called to become a mission doctor, saying, 鈥淪ervice gives me a purpose on this earth.鈥�

See the , which was featured in 蜜桃av Tidings, and watch an accompanying video.

鈥� Chehalis Eno, senior English major and Becky Brooks, '03, editorial manager

Each semester, students in the Principles of Marketing course offered through the School of Business raise funds for an organization to learn event marketing. Last year, students raised more than $1,563 for Child Impact International (CII), a global nonprofit providing care for children worldwide that鈥檚 headquartered in Collegedale. This year, students taking the course were determined to raise the bar even higher. At the conclusion of the project, they shared $2,100 with the nonprofit. 
 
The inspiration for this student-led fundraiser came as Ben Schnell, assistant professor of business, brainstormed about how his students could gain experience in event marketing while focusing on philanthropy rather than profit. He decided all proceeds from students鈥� efforts would be donated to his favorite project supported by CII: Asian Aid School for the Blind in Andhra Pradesh, India, where he volunteered years ago. The result has been an academically and spiritually enriching experience that Schnell鈥檚 students continue to cherish.
 
鈥淥rganizing the fundraiser with my group was a great learning experience,鈥� shares Cesia Beltran, sophomore public relations major. 
 
In the classroom, Schnell teaches foundational event-marketing strategies and explains the process for requesting and reserving spaces on campus. Offering a guiding hand, Schnell lets the students take the lead and maintain responsibility for spearheading their projects. 
 
鈥淭hey do everything!鈥� Schnell says. 鈥淭hey choose what type of event they want to run, where they want to run it, and how much they will charge. I set the date and time of the event, along with some rules to keep it fair.鈥� 
 
Over the past four years, students have creatively organized and managed a variety of events, including sports tournaments, petting zoos, and dating game shows. Whenever difficulties arise, such as an initial lack of interest in certain events, class members 鈥渂and together and overcome challenges by thinking outside of the box and asking for help, ultimately learning how a united group can achieve more together,鈥� Schnell notes. 
 
鈥淭hese initiatives provided crucial financial support for our mission and helped cultivate a philanthropic mindset among students,鈥� says Christopher Dubois Atib, director of development at CII. 鈥淭he impact was so noteworthy that we shared Schnell鈥檚 model with one of 蜜桃av鈥檚 sister universities on the West Coast to inspire a similar student-led initiative.鈥� 
 
Since the first fundraising event, a total exceeding $4,000 has been donated directly from marketing classes to CII. Beyond the financial numbers, Schnell emphasizes the intrinsic value students gain through the fundraising process. He also remains optimistic about achieving the newly set goal of surpassing $2,000 in proceeds from a single event.


鈥� Julia Juler, junior English major

Marinela Cruz, junior math and chemistry double major at 蜜桃av, presented her research titled 鈥淐ycles in Grid Graphs and Toroidal Variants鈥� at the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM), the largest mathematics conference in the world, earlier this semester. 

鈥淚 wanted to do research before deciding if graduate school was something I should pursue, and through the 蜜桃av Scholars honors program, I was pointed to Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs,鈥� Cruz explains. REU programs exist at universities across the United States, providing undergraduate students crucial investigative experience.

鈥淢uch of the current research in mathematics is not accessible to undergraduate students since they lack the necessary foundations to complete this work,鈥� says Patricia Anderson, PhD, professor in 蜜桃av鈥檚 Mathematics Department. 鈥淲hen a student can contribute to mathematical research through an REU, it provides a preliminary introduction to the vast arena of knowledge that is mathematics.鈥�

Cruz joined the summer REU program at Andrews University in Michigan, a sister school of 蜜桃av. She worked with knot theory, graph theory, and combinatorics to generalize the constraints of a Hamiltonian cycle inside a traditional grid graph as well as within a toroidal graph.

蜜桃av鈥檚 math courses provided Cruz with a strong foundation for the research undertaking. 鈥淏efore the REU, I took Set Theory and Logic, which is 蜜桃av鈥檚 introduction to proofs class,鈥� she explains. 鈥淢ath research is all about proving, and that class taught me to think in the very specific way needed to demonstrate truth and existence mathematically.鈥� Cruz also learned how to use LaTeX, a typesetting software used across research in the discipline to type equations. 

Cruz applied to present her summer research findings in the undergraduate poster session at JMM held in Seattle earlier this year. Not only was she accepted, but she also applied for and earned a grant from the American Mathematical Society to cover all travel expenses for the trip.

鈥淚 loved being in a community that matched my passion for math and research,鈥� Cruz shares. 鈥淚鈥檇 never attended a conference before, and it was interesting learning about everyone鈥檚 unique area of interest in such a broad discipline.鈥� Throughout the conference, she visited several other presentations, including a graduate school fair. 

鈥淚 was impressed by the quality of Marinela鈥檚 work and her enthusiasm,鈥� notes Anderson. 鈥淚t can be daunting for an undergraduate student to present at a conference filled with professional mathematicians, and she did a credible job.鈥�

鈥� by Chehalis Eno, senior English major

蜜桃av鈥檚 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program has grown quickly since its introduction in Fall 2022, attracting students from across the country who are seeking certification and excellence in the art of teaching.
 
Beginning with three students, enrollment in the MAT program jumped by 15 students the following Fall semester, and in Fall 2024, 34 students were exploring classroom management techniques while fine-tuning a philosophy of teaching, far exceeding projected numbers. 
 
鈥淚n response to the nationwide teacher shortage, our program is one of the best methods for teachers to become certified,鈥� shares Jasmine Johnson, EdS, EdD, program director and associate professor in 蜜桃av鈥檚 School of Education, Psychology, and Counseling. 鈥淧araprofessionals, substitute teachers, and those switching careers can all learn to manage and support their own classrooms.鈥� For previously certified teachers, the MAT helps meet continuing education requirements and can lead to new opportunities and wage increases.
 
Johnson explains how being fully online is one of the benefits of 蜜桃av鈥檚 MAT. 鈥淕raduate students often have families and full-time jobs. Having access to a degree that individuals can work into their schedule is super convenient,鈥� she says. 
 
Another key element that sets 蜜桃av鈥檚 program apart is its Christ-centered focus. 鈥淪tudents learn how to become the teachers who God has called them to be,鈥� Johnson says. 鈥淲e encourage each other to emulate God鈥檚 role as Master Teacher while also desiring to walk in His ministry and purpose. Our students are equipped not only with the knowledge of best practices in the classroom but also the tools to teach others about Christ.鈥� 

鈥� By Chehalis Eno, senior English major

Students in 蜜桃av鈥檚 School of Business have been working hard, participating in competitions and tackling projects simulating real-world business scenarios both regionally and worldwide. 
 
In a simulation of managing a startup company in the upper-level International Business course, one of 蜜桃av鈥檚 teams placed first out of the five locally competing teams, and in the 99th percentile of more than 1,000,000 simulation teams worldwide in 2024. 
 
In another business strategy challenge, three of 蜜桃av鈥檚 teams ranked as Global Top 50 Performers out of 685 teams from 58 colleges and universities worldwide for the performance of their GLO-BUS business strategy simulations during the week of June 17-23, 2024.  
 
蜜桃av鈥檚 team of finance students also placed second among the 10 participating colleges and universities in last year鈥檚 Greater Tennessee Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Research Challenge. 
 
In the Fall 2024 semester, 蜜桃av participated for the first time in the HSI Battle of the Brains, a national intercollegiate pitch competition for Hispanic-serving Institutions. 蜜桃av鈥檚 team of students made it to the finals along with six other teams after formulating and presenting strategies to solve a business challenge that was presented at the start of the event. 
 
Fabian Lubis, senior finance major, participated in the CFA challenge and shares how the practical experience helped him further develop his skills. 鈥淏eyond the competition, the experience was invaluable. It was one of the truer tests of putting what I learned in the classroom into practice,鈥� he shares. 鈥淔rom late-night financial modeling to presentation prep, we continually had to think on our feet; defending our valuation, adjusting forecasts based on new data, and ensuring our story aligned across all financials. The CFA Challenge pushed me to develop sharper critical-thinking skills, refine my ability to communicate complex assumptions, and recognize the reality that finance is never just about the numbers, but the story they tell.鈥�

鈥� Becky Brooks, 鈥�03, editorial manager

We鈥檙e proud to see our students recognized through media outlets. Here are a few recent highlights:

Student Creates Interactive Traffic Map to Help Reduce Accidents 鈥� Story on
Physics Club Students Teach Quantum Basics at Local Schools 鈥� Story on
Hope Studios and 蜜桃av Adventist University Partner on Film 鈥� Story on
Computing Podcast Makes Academic Research Accessible 鈥� Story on