COMING TO SOUTHERN: - Southern Adventist University

BRIDGE TO THE FUTUREA Message from the PresidentJust before fall semester, I received an email from a student who was reaching out forhelp to somehow come to Southern. She had attended one semester and wanted to comeback but felt that finances presented a formidable obstacle for her. She was getting no helpfrom her parents.I decided to call the student and at least offer an encouraging word. My assumption wasthat she and her student finance counselor had explored all the available options. Sometimesstaying out of school and working to earn money before returning is the only option left.“But,” she said, “I already have my plane ticket.” She felt she must come, not becauseshe could afford to, not because she received a super scholarship, but because she just couldn’tstay away. She had tasted Southern and it was good. I sensed that she felt truly at home here.There are students for whom Southern is home. This is where they feel their lives willstart to count for something. This is where they find peace and purpose. We can reason thatit makes no financial sense, but it is not just about financial sense. It’s about Southern as abridge from the past to a positive, hopeful future.In the next few pages you will read about other students who, thanks toscholarships, have been able to make themselves at home at Southern. The need forstudent aid is critical. Thank you for stepping forward and helping to bridge thegap. We may not know, this side of heaven, the size of the impact you made in astudent’s life when you decided to give.Thank you.In Christ,Gordon BietzSCHOLARSHIPS MAKE A DIFFERENCERUTHIEAttending the Medical Missionary Conventionheld last year at Southern Adventist Universitybrought a fresh desire to Ruthie’s heart to be amissionary doctor. She’s a junior biology major withplans to become a pediatrician.During her freshman year, Ruthieattended a state college because she didn’tthink she could afford Southern. By secondsemester, however, she felt impressed to switch.“At first I was very scared because I had noclue where the finances would come from,” shesays, “but God assured me that He would supplyall my needs according to His glorious riches. Ilive by that promise every day.”Ruthie received the E.O. Grundset-Bainum Scholarship and is grateful for thegenerosity of the contributors whohave, as she says, “taken part inthe wonderful blessings thatGod is pouring upon me.”In the future, Ruthie saysshe plans to “give back to thecommunity that has so generouslyassisted me in the pursuit of mydreams.”VolodymyrReligionVOLODYMYRCuriosity attracted Volodymyr to an evangelisticseries in the Ukraine in 1993. The meetings were beingheld by Americans, and he wanted to see “what theylooked like and how they talked.” Besides meeting theAmerican preacher, Volodymyr met and fell in love withJesus and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church.After earning a baccalaureate degree at the ZaokskiTheological Seminary in Russia, Volodymyr served for fouryears as a pastor in the Southern Ukrainian Conference.Last year he came to the United States with his wife andtwo children, and as a recipient of the McKee Foods GraduateReligion Scholarship, Volodymyr is pursuing a master’s degreein religion at Southern.He misses full-time ministry, so he takes everyopportunity to be involved in local churches. He plans toreturn to the Ukraine, where he believes God has called himto be a pastor and work with young people.RuthieBiology2l PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL REPORT 2007-2008SCHOLARSHIPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE l 3