Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

From a Friend
Dr. Joel Boyd
Bachelor of Science ’97
Dr. Joel Boyd, BS’97,
served on the faculty
of the School of Mathematics
and Sciences
from 2001-2010, was
co-chair of the Division
of Math and Science
for one year and was
then associate dean
of the School of Math
and Science for a year.
For the past two years,
he has been Associate
Professor of Chemistry
at Gordon College
in Wenham, Mass. He
has been a consistent
contributor to various
Wayland scholarships
for the past several
years.
28 footprints
Building endowment
important to education
My wife, Kerri (WBU ex, and
Houston Baptist alumna),
and I have contributed to
various endowed scholarships at Wayland
over the past several years. It has
never been much, and the gifts have
been spread out over a period of years,
but Alumni Director Danny Andrews recently
asked me to give a short description
of WHY we give to WBU endowed
scholarships. I think the answer is pretty
straightforward, and can be summed up
in a few simple points.
Christian higher education is
extremely important, but increasingly
expensive. As both a product and employee
of a Christian academic institution,
I am keenly aware that there is no
better education available anywhere.
The illumination of God’s word and the
influence of his people really do make
an enormous difference in the process
and outcomes of higher education.
Kerri and I benefitted greatly from
our time at Wayland, and hope that our
kids have a similar experience when the
time comes. Unfortunately, the cost of
a college education has been growing
at a pace that far outstrips the rest of
the economy. WBU is the most affordable
Christian college that I know of,
but even Wayland’s tuition costs have
been subject to significant increases in
recent years. College costs are going to
continue to increase for the foreseeable
future, and the best way that I know of
to keep WBU tuition costs affordable for
students of modest means, is by building
the WBU scholarship endowment.
Wayland has been blessed with
some incredibly dedicated and talented
faculty through the years, and an
endowed scholarship in their name is
a great way to acknowledge the contributions
that they have made to our
lives and to WBU. Kerri and I have had
the honor of contributing to scholarships
named for Dr. J. Hoyt and Joanne
Bowers, Dr. Harold and Audrey Temple,
and Dr. Vaughn and Johnene Ross.
Collectively, these folks have done more
for my family and my alma mater than
I can ever repay. It is truly a privilege
for us to help acknowledge their service
through permanently endowed scholarships
in their names.
We know exactly where these funds
are going, and exactly how they will
be spent. As stewards of the financial
resources that God has given our family,
it is very important to Kerri and me that
we not only give back a portion of these
blessings, but that we carefully consider
how we invest God’s money. A contribution
to an endowed scholarship at WBU
is an investment that we know will be
properly and conservatively managed,
and we trust that God will use these
funds to reap dividends beyond our
ken in the lives of generations of young
people.
I hope that you’ll add your own contributions
to the WBU endowed scholarship
of your choice – or to any Wayland
endeavor – soon. Collectively, our little
contributions spread out over many
years can make a huge difference in
what WBU can do for students seeking
a truly Christ-centered education.