Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

“Wayland is one of the military-friendly
schools that partners with the Air Force in a
program called the Associates-to-Bachelors
Cooperative. I started with Wayland for my
four-year degree because they accepted my
two-year degree,” he said matter-of-factly.
Padilla spent much of his time in the Air
Force working in nuclear treaty monitoring and
research and development. He and Judi both
are on their third marriage and he acknowledged
that much of his adult life was anything
but conducive to strong family values.
“Judi and I are both divorced twice. This is
our third marriage each. We’ve seen firsthand
what it does to adults and children,” he said as
he explained the choice of an advanced degree
in Christian ministry despite all of his training
and prior education in science and technology.
“I want to educate people to help prevent
divorce and help heal people who have done it
anyway,” he said.
One of his primary focuses will be on the
impact of divorce on children and he plans
to pursue that work by volunteering through
Family Life Ministries and as a writer and
author. In his own experience, he explained,
he heard a lot about how the Bible condemns
divorce and how those who get divorced and
remarry are committing adultery.
“They don’t give practical and day-to-day
solutions,” he said.
Padilla explained that when the Air Force
transferred him to San Antonio, he and Judi
decided that church would be a good place
for their family. However, he acknowledged, he
had not always felt that way.
“As a child I had been raised Roman Catholic.
As an adult, I realized that my childhood
faith was not in Jesus but in the rituals of the
Church,” he said. “I drifted away from anything
even nominally Christian.
“I spent the first 20 years of my adult life
as an alcoholic and the Lord saved me from
that,” he said.
Padilla became a Christian in 2004 and he
and his family attend Northwest Hills Christian
Church. His trip to Plainview for the induction
ceremony into Alpha Chi was a whirlwind affair
that both he and Judi felt was important for
their family.
From a personal standpoint, Padilla said
there were two reasons he wanted to make
the trip. The primary reason was because Judi
said they were coming.
“When I told Judi I was inducted into this
she asked me, ‘When’s the ceremony and
where?’ Then she said, ‘I guess we’re going
to Plainview in two weeks,’ ” he said, adding
that when the time came, the couple pulled
Elizabeth out of school for the day and headed
north.
From his perspective, Padilla continued,
a secondary reason was that the induction
into Alpha Chi provided affirmation for what
he wanted to do with his talents through his
education.
“I’m already in Mensa but Mensa is a recognition
of the gifts God gave me. Alpha Chi is
recognition that I’m using those gifts the right
way,” he said.
The family perspective? Judi responded
to that. She pointed out that because both
she and Stephen are full-time students, their
young daughter “sees a lot of homework”
being tackled at their home.
“It’s important that Libby sees (Stephen’s)
recognition and what she can accomplish, as
well. It’s important that she sees that the hard
work pays off,” Judi said.
As for her take on the trip?
“I’m very proud of him and it doesn’t matter
how far we have to travel,” she said.
Padilla said that he decided to stay at
Wayland for his master’s degree because he
had such a good experience with the school as
an undergrad.
“I had such a good experience with
Wayland philosophically, educationally and
culturally that I decided to stick with Wayland,”
he said.
Once he completes his master’s degree he
plans to become a high school science teacher
through the Troops-to-Teachers program while
pursuing his passion for ministry.
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