Why GRTS?
I chose GRTS because of a desire to serve God overseas and to get an excellent seminary education.

Involvements;
I served on the GRTS Student Council, delivered Bibles behind the Iron Curtain with Slavic Gospel Association (summer of ’81), and founded “Lunch Bunch Informal Forums” for more relaxed faculty-student interaction.

How was Your Life Transformed?
I thoroughly enjoyed my three years of intensive study of the Bible, missions and Christian thought. It opened my eyes to the many needs and opportunities worldwide to serve and bring the love of Christ into people's lives.

Influential Contributions:
Dr. John Balyo’s teaching was phenomenal. I appreciated his legal mindset and Socratic method of teaching, and he was a delightful, very real person. John and Gail Lillis and Brian and Kathy Jackson were good friends and fellow seminarians.

How Have Experiences at GRTS Prepared You?
I received an excellent grounding in biblical interpretation – including how culture, the narrator’s personality, and the limits of human understanding (esp. in technologically primitive cultures) shaped the biblical texts. It was a time of personal healing also, having grown up in a home with an alcoholic father.

What You Want Others to Know:
After my four children reached adulthood, and after more than a decade as a writer and associate creative director for Focus on the Family, I enrolled in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver with the goal of starting a new career with a global humanitarian organization or the federal government. I don't believe in retirement; and after decades of observation and reflection, I've come to believe that more Christ followers should pursue careers outside of churches and ministries if we are to truly impact the world. I earned my MA in International Studies in June 2011 -- with concentrations in Communication, Human Rights and International Security. I also won a Presidential Management Fellowship -- the Fed's premier fast-track management program (pmf.opm.gov). However, given the current economic climate and unique difficulties faced by Baby Boomers launching new careers, the job hunt has been challenging. So while I continue to look for a full-time position, I'm working as a contract writer, editor and PR consultant. 

What Would You Share?
GRTS was an excellent, caring school in a wonderful city that I'm still homesick for!