蜜桃av

Congratulations to the eight incredible recipients of this year鈥檚 Alumni Awards. While tough to narrow down to each year, these top nominees and their accolades are a great reminder of the truly impressive and impactful community we鈥檙e a part of as alumni and friends of this university.

Distinguished Service | Carley 鈥淓lle鈥� Cole-Cavins, 鈥�04
Alumnus of the Year | Scott Hodges, 鈥�75, DO
Young Alumna of the Year | Abigale (Choi) Madonia, 鈥�21
Graduate Studies Alumnus of the Year | Benjamin Jones Jr., 鈥�01
Honorary Alumni | Marty Hamilton and Gary Patterson
Ladies of the Year | Harriet (Finney) Snyder, 鈥�68, and Barbara (Holland) Wear, 鈥�62

about each of these individuals, and celebrate with them as they are recognized at the Kick-Off Banquet and Ladies鈥� Luncheon events, which are part of Homecoming Weekend 2026. See the full schedule and register now to reconnect with friends and former professors at one of the many meaningful events.

Held on October 2 at The Chattanoogan Hotel in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, 蜜桃av鈥檚 fourth annual A Taste of 蜜桃av gala invited guests to sample what our amazing university has to offer, join in honoring community organizations and individuals with awards, and support first-generation college students. More than 300 local professionals attended the gala, raising in excess of $182,000 toward 蜜桃av鈥檚 endowed scholarship for college students who are the first in their families to earn bachelor鈥檚 degrees.

Iliana Klaczynski, sophomore business and marketing major, was a scholarship recipient this school year. 鈥淏eing the first in my family to go to college is opening a new door for my family,鈥� she says. For those who have donated toward the scholarship, she shares, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even thank you enough for this opportunity. It鈥檚 something that I never would have been able to experience without your sacrifice, without your help, without your generosity. It鈥檚 truly a blessing, and I鈥檓 so beyond grateful that I don鈥檛 even have the words to express it.鈥�

New this year, 蜜桃av recognized individuals and organizations in the Chattanooga area with three awards, honoring efforts to serve the community, support emerging talent and career growth, and represent Christ in the marketplace.

The 蜜桃av Impact Award is presented to a 蜜桃av alum, student, or employee who excels professionally while representing Christ in the marketplace. This year鈥檚 recipient was Sherry Campbell, 鈥�11, co-founder and executive director of Welcome Home of Chattanooga.

鈥淚 saw such courage with the professors and the founders of the Master of Social Work program at 蜜桃av,鈥� Campbell shares. 鈥淚 had no idea at the time that I wanted to start Welcome Home, but I knew what leadership looked like, and I felt like God was saying to 鈥榡ust put one foot in front of the other, and I鈥檒l show you the way.鈥欌��

Campbell followed God鈥檚 lead, and the nonprofit is now celebrating 10 years of hope, healing, and compassion for those facing a serious illness or death and needing safe shelter.

Recognizing an organization or individual in the greater Chattanooga area who demonstrates a deep commitment to community through service or philanthropy, the Partners in Service Award was awarded to the CHATT Foundation.

鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 be the organization we are today without partnerships,鈥� says Baron King, chief executive officer for the nonprofit meeting basic needs of hungry, homeless and vulnerable people in the local area while offering a clear path to self-sufficiency. 鈥淥ur partnership with 蜜桃av Adventist University has been really fantastic. I used to work in higher ed, and I鈥檝e always loved giving young people who are striving to improve themselves real hands-on opportunities to use the skills and talents that they鈥檙e learning and put them to use for a good cause for a good purpose.鈥�

The Career Pathway Award honored a local business that creates meaningful opportunities for emerging talent and career growth, with Erlanger receiving this year鈥檚 distinction.

Rachel Harris, executive vice president and chief nursing officer for Chattanoogan鈥檚 leading teaching hospital system, shares her vision, saying, 鈥淣urturing nurse talent is not just a strategy. It鈥檚 a foundation, and it鈥檚 our commitment to nurses. If we build those nurses, we are building our future of healthcare. We鈥檙e building the nurses that will take us into the next century, taking care of us.鈥�

Janee Cantrell, clinical coordinator for 蜜桃av鈥檚 School of Nursing, notes, 鈥淭he School of Nursing has sent more than 600 students to Erlanger鈥檚 various institutions over the last two years for their clinical rotations. This semester alone, we are sending about 325 students.鈥�

View videos from all three award winners and place your nomination for next year here at .

The evening also showcased a live demonstration from the university鈥檚 blacksmithing club, presentations highlighting the recently expanded engineering program, and dinner entertainment from the Nashville-raised and New York-trained Annie Moses Band, accompanied by a string octet of 蜜桃av students. Guests were also invited to attend a pre-show archaeological lecture by 蜜桃av professor Michael Hasel, PhD, and peruse the exhibit 鈥淧eace and War: The Assyrian Conquest of Lachish.鈥�

Sponsors for this year鈥檚 event included the Irvin C. and Evea J. Bainum Foundation, San Sebasti谩n Development, the 蜜桃av Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Grant and Pam Tuttle, Maurice and Karen Simpson, Morning Pointe Senior Living, Plainview Outdoor Advertising, SouthEast Bank, and others.

Visit  to view photos of the event.

- Becky Brooks,鈥�03, editorial manager

For nearly two decades, hundreds of students at 蜜桃av have inspired positivity in long-term patients through thousands of bright, creative works completed during a simple art class.

Introduced by alum and adjunct instructor Dana Krause, 鈥�80 and 鈥�82, who began teaching in the School of Nursing in 1992, Creative Arts is a one-hour, elective nursing course offered during fall and winter semesters each school year. Enrolled students paint acrylic canvases with verses of scripture, nature scenes, and other inspirational themes, and the completed pieces are donated to nursing homes, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities in Chattanooga and surrounding communities. Bible verses often reflect the native languages of the artists who come from abroad to study at 蜜桃av.

Krause started the class in 2006 after brainstorming about ways to involve her students in lightening the hearts and lives of people who require advanced nursing and medical care for months or even years at a time.

鈥淚n a way, it鈥檚 a community service class,鈥� she explains. 鈥淎rt can help decrease pain by shifting a patient鈥檚 focus to a creative, interactive activity. Similar to forming new brain pathways, we are using positive reactions to increase serotonin while also reducing constant activity at pain sites.鈥�  

Open to non-nursing majors as well, the course can include up to 20 students per semester. Most of the aspiring painters are nervous to try something new, so initial pieces often require several class periods to finish. Subsequent paintings take half the time.

鈥淎rt comes naturally to me and has been part of my life for a long time,鈥� Krause adds. 鈥淚t is where I find joy, as others do in cooking or sewing or singing. But a student in this class doesn鈥檛 have to excel at painting to achieve the curriculum鈥檚 goals; instead, the main objective is to explore a new form of expression that serves to alleviate others鈥� pain and bring a little peace into their lives.鈥�

Paintings are initially hung in AdventHealth Hall, the campus building that houses the nursing program, before finding permanent places to be displayed. An estimated 2,000 completed pieces have been shared locally, and some from Krause鈥檚 very first class can still be found hanging on the fourth-floor walls of Memorial Hospital in downtown Chattanooga today.

- Alexis Dewey, 鈥�24, and Tina Frist Smith, 鈥�89 and 鈥�23, communication manager

During the past school year, junior animation majors from the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) collaborated with the School of Music to produce both the visuals and soundtrack for an animated short film.

The film, titled Deep Space, is about a boy, Juno, who finds beauty in his circumstances after his original venture into space takes an unexpected turn. The film was created by 11 SVAD students and guided by a powerful score composed by music majors and professors and also recorded live by the 蜜桃av鈥檚 Symphony Orchestra.

鈥淚t was an incredible experience,鈥� describes Shelby Brautigan, senior character animation major. Among other roles, Brautigan was the lead animator for the project. 鈥淚 grew as a leader and was able to push myself to work harder than I think I ever have,鈥� she adds.

During their junior year, students seeking a fine arts degree in animation are required to complete Collaborative Studio, a year-long course that emulates a real-world setting. Future animators learn how to work together to develop an animated short project. While resources are typically employed through other peers within SVAD, last year鈥檚 class decided to try something new.

鈥淚 was thinking in my head, 鈥極h, we need music,鈥欌�� recalls Deep Space director Evan Eslava, junior character animation major. After further thought, Eslava asked the School of Music if they would be willing to collaborate.

鈥淭his sounded like a fascinating new opportunity, so I immediately took advantage of it,鈥� says recent music theory and literature graduate Matthew Kimbley, 鈥�25. He and two other students fabricated the ideas for the film鈥檚 soundtrack and composed the music themselves.  

鈥淚t was stressful at times, but fun through all of it,鈥� notes co-composer Susanna Ziesmer, junior psychology and music theory and literature double major. 鈥淭he teams I got to work with, both in the music and film schools, were very supportive and encouraging.鈥�

Eslava echoes this sentiment. 鈥淒espite some challenges,鈥� which included calibrating the soundtrack to an unfinished film, 鈥渢he story still resonated with the composers.鈥� He adds, 鈥淲orking with them, I would say, was the greatest part of the experience because of the energy they brought in. It was amazing!鈥�

Course professor Zach Gray, MFA, who also serves as dean for SVAD, emphasized how well everyone involved seemed to click. 鈥淚 want to give a lot of credit to Evan and the animators as well as those at the School of Music. Each person contributed significantly, and it couldn鈥檛 have been done without every person on the team.鈥�

Samuel Vargas, senior music theory and literature major, helped with the composition of the soundtrack and oversaw the live recording with the orchestra. 鈥淚鈥檇 definitely love to see 蜜桃av continue to do this,鈥� he exclaims. 鈥淚 thank the Lord for the ability to be part of this experience. It did get very intense at times, but thankfully, we had each other.鈥�

鈥淥ne of the great things about animation is the music part of the story,鈥� notes Jesse Rademacher, MFA, associate professor for SVAD. 鈥淗aving 蜜桃av be responsible for the animation and the music is a really great testament to the power of creativity, of the things that we can accomplish on this campus. I hope we do more of that.鈥�

Deep Space is expected to be released in 2026. Meanwhile, the short has already been selected for screening by four film festivals and won two awards, one for Best Original Score from the Indie Short Fest and a jury award for Best Debut Animation from the Athens International Film Festival.

- Isabele Barreto Freitas, sophomore nursing major