A Night of Celebration

Just weeks ago, Shepherds College celebrated their second graduating class, the Class of 2012. June 8 was set aside as a private time for the graduates, their families, and faculty to gather and reminisce the past three years. It was a beautiful celebration designed to honor these seven students and their accomplishments.

The night began with the opportunity for family photo shoots provided by Jim and Cathi Leibforth of Leibforth Photography. Many students and their families took advantage of this wonderful service. These families will now have lasting memories of a very special night.
 

 

The celebration was held in the commons area of the first year dorms. This recently renovated area was warm and inviting. The room was decorated beautifully, incorporating the school colors and flower arrangements designed with flowers growing right on campus. Delicious hors d'oeuvres and desserts were provided by Director of Shepherds Enterprises Allan Castelli.

Tracy Terrill, Executive Director of Shepherds College, set the bar high with his opening statement for the night.

"I know last year this night was one of the most special nights of my life, and I expect nothing less tonight," he said.

Dean of Shepherds College Angela Houk began the program with a quiz for the graduating class. Each student was asked to share one thing they had learned during their time at Shepherds College. Some answers included learning specialized skills in Culinary Arts and Horticulture, developing abilities to live independently, and nurturing a stronger relationship with Christ.

Several faculty members were asked to share their thoughts about one specific student. The teachers told the families how their students had developed and grown throughout their three years at Shepherds College. They encouraged the students to remember the lessons they had learned and to continue in the habits they had formed. It was a unique way to honor the students individually.

"When Seth made a decision to follow Jesus, he made a decision to succeed," Chef Brett McCarthy said.

"I'm very proud of you for reaching this day and becoming a college graduate," Residential Life Manager Brian Canright said to Kyle.

Students were also given the chance to present a speech. They thanked their family, friends, and teachers and challenged their classmates with one final thought. It was very moving to see these students clearly present their thoughts and ideas in front of a crowd.

"Thank you to my classmates for being good friends and supporting me," Rachel said.

"Just remember to seek God in everything you do," Kyle said.

Dr. Bill Amstutz, president of Shepherds Ministries, concluded the program with a devotional for the graduates. He encouraged them to view the Bible as their spiritual GPS. He asked the students to look to the Word of God for direction when facing life's choices. Dr. Amstutz used Proverbs 3:5-6 to support his points.

"Lean on God's Word. It will never lead you in the wrong direction," Dr. Amstutz said.

This night provided a special time of reflection for students and their families. It was exciting to see the smiles on the graduates' faces. They finished. They made it. And their time at Shepherds College has equipped them with what they need to move forward in life.

Tracy Terrill smiled at the students as he offered the closing statement for the night.

"We're so very happy you've spent the last three years of your life here at Shepherds College."

The Class of 2012

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.

Teacher Tuesday: Gloria's Thoughts

When I want to know something about a teacher I’ve never met before, I usually look to other students for advice. My friends and I are always sharing the scoop about professors we’ve had, so others will be able to feel comfortable in those classes, too. It’s helpful to know what to expect about your teachers because then you feel like you know them before you even meet. It relieves some of that first-day-of-school stress.

That’s what Gloria would like to do for you today. Gloria was part of the first graduating class from Shepherds College in 2011. She is living independently and holding down two jobs, but she is still actively involved at Shepherds by volunteering as a tutor at Shepherds College and by being a part of the Catalyst program for Shepherds Ministries.

Gloria would like to introduce you to a faculty member who has made a special impact on her life. She has learned a lot of life lessons from this teacher, and Gloria can’t wait for you to meet her, too. So, meet Mrs. Brasch through Gloria’s eyes.

By Gloria Pavuk

Hello. My name is Gloria Pavuk, and I am one of the first alumni students.

Shepherds College has wonderful teachers that have really impacted my life over the three years I was there. However, there is one particular teacher that has really impacted my growth during college. Her name is Jenna Brasch.

Mrs. Brasch helped me through my struggles with guys, boundaries, and relationships. She showed me tough love, but now when I look back, I am so glad she did. I had no clue when it came to boundaries. I did not know what it meant to set up boundaries in my life; I just wanted to live life!

Mrs. Brasch showed me and taught me that I can still live life, but have boundaries set up in my life. I learned that having boundaries in your life helps you to protect yourself and most importantly, to keep yourself and someone else from getting hurt.

I did get hurt emotionally because I did not have those boundaries set up in my life. It took a long time, but now I do have boundaries set up in my life, and I keep those boundaries. I am enjoying life the way God intended it.

Since then, I have kept healthy relationships with my friends and family. God has also blessed my life with two part time jobs and even a relationship. I basically surrendered everything to God and simply said, “I give up God!” He took that and changed my life around.

Jenna Brasch is a blessing to many, including myself. I cannot thank her enough for what she has done in my life during my three years at Shepherds College.

A student cooks a meal with Mrs. Brasch

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.

Friday's Top Five

We have a lot to be thankful for at Shepherds College, and we want to share those blessings with you. So, every Friday, we plan to produce a list of our top accomplishments, moments, memories, and of course, blessings. Every list will be a little different, but they’ll all communicate the amazing things that are going on at Shepherds College.

Today, we want to share with you the top five most exciting things that have recently happened at Shepherds College:

1. The start-up of our blog!

Shepherds College blog, Time to Fly, went live on June 15. We are eager to see this blog reach more potential students, their parents, and education professionals. This blog will be used to share the stories of the students and faculty at Shepherds College because after all, they are the true face of the college. We hope to introduce you to our teachers through Teacher Tuesdays and the college’s main office staff through the weekly segment, The Office. So, if you haven’t taken the time to peruse the previous posts on our blog, read them and spread the word about Time to Fly.

2. The Class of 2012 has graduated!

June 9 was a bright and beautiful day, the perfect day for seven Shepherds College students to become graduates. After spending three years at Shepherds College, the second graduating class completed their program and received their certificates. Family, friends, and Shepherds College students and staff were there to celebrate with the graduates. It was an emotional day for everyone in attendance as it was easy to see the excitement and sense of accomplishment on the students’ faces. Congratulations, Class of 2012, on a job well done!

3. Photos from the 2012 Commencement Celebration are in!

On the night before graduation, Shepherds College graduates gathered with their families and college staff to celebrate their accomplishments. It was a special time for students and faculty to share their experiences from the last three years. Jim and Cathi Leibforth of Leibforth Photography volunteered their time and services to provide beautiful, professional photography for the students and their families. The Leibforths delivered the disk of original photos to Shepherds yesterday! The photos look wonderful, and we can’t wait to share all of them with you.

4. Shepherds College has been approved for Federal Student Aid!

Shepherds College students are now able to file for federal funding. Just like other college students, families can fill out FAFSA forms and apply for grants and loans to help them offset the cost of tuition. This new accomplishment is huge for the college. It took about 15 months for Shepherds College to receive the federal aid approval. We can’t wait to see how this exciting event will impact our current and future students.

5. Shepherds College is getting some attention!

Between the 2012 graduation and the recent approval for Federal Student Aid, Shepherds College has been generating some attention from various media sources. Check out this article at My Racine County.com to read about the graduation. Read this article in the Racine Journal Times or this article at My Racine County.com to learn more about the FSA approval. Also, check back with us as we plan to see some articles about Shepherds College in other publications in the near future.

As you can see, God has blessed us in several incredible ways in the last few weeks. Join us again soon to see what else we have to be thankful for.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.

Meet the Flight Crew

Think back to your first day of school – maybe your first day in kindergarten or high school or college. What were some of the things you were most concerned about? What did you wish you knew before you headed off to school that day?

The biggest thing I worried about on those first days of school was what my teachers would be like. How would they teach? Were they nice? Would they take their class on field trips? Would they like me? Would they make learning fun?

Well, what if there was a way to find out what your teacher is actually like before that nerve-wracking first day of school?

That’s a task we’d like to take on here at Shepherds College blog. Welcome to Teacher Tuesdays!

Miss Sheppard and Mrs. Luchterhand

Every Tuesday, one of the Shepherds College faculty members will be featured in our post for the day. The post might be a profile of a teacher, helping you get to know that faculty member a little more personally. Or faculty members might write the post themselves, telling you what to expect in their classroom. The post might even be written by a past or present student, giving you true insider’s knowledge on the faculty members.

Chef McCarthy and 2012 Graduate Seth

However we do it, Teacher Tuesdays are sure to be a lot of fun! You’ll feel like you know your teachers before you ever step onto campus. And that’s a great way to ease the nerves on your first day of school.

So, prepare yourself to get to know your Shepherds College teachers like you’ve never known your teachers before. Who knows what you might have in common? This could be the start to a lifelong friendship.

Miss Luchterhand and 2012 Graduate Jocelyn

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.

Fly with Us

Welcome to the brand-new, beautiful blog for Shepherds College!

Are you looking for up-to-date information about what’s going on at Shepherds College? Are you interested in discovering what Shepherds College is really all about? Do you want to be engrossed in the heart and soul of this educational program?

Then, this is the blog for you.

The best way to introduce Shepherds College to you is by sharing stories – our stories and the stories of our students and faculty. These stories will touch your hearts and open your eyes to the importance of Shepherds College. They will help you understand who we really are and what we actually do.

Yes, we offer an educational program for students with intellectual disabilities, but we don’t stop there. There is much more about our program that goes way beyond being just an educational opportunity. And we can’t wait for you to get to know us even better!

So, whether you have stumbled upon our blog by accident or visited us on purpose, we welcome you. Thank you for coming along with us on this journey. We hope to inspire you, encourage you, amaze you, and challenge you to look beyond the disabilities and see instead the abilities that reside in each and every one of us.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.org.