The college experience is different for every student, but Azusa Pacific University prioritizes fostering a community on campus where all students can feel genuinely connected to their academics, extracurriculars, friends, and faith. Kinesiology and honors humanities double major Delaney Raetz ’27 was so positively influenced by the APU community connection in her freshman year that she has become more involved on campus in order to be a light of faith and friendship for others.

Raetz grew up in Nevada. Since she was six years old, she has been passionate about softball. “My first memories are of playing softball,” Raetz said. “It’s taught me so much about perseverance, time management, hard work, and how to get through difficult situations. It’s also a great way to build community.”

When she was 12, Raetz’s older sisters were researching higher education options and received college catalogs. Raetz opened one of them to a random page that happened to be about APU. She read that it was a NCAA Division II school with an honors program. Since then, Raetz said that God kept APU in her heart, and she knew she was being called to attend the university. 

Going to college to continue playing softball was important to Raetz. She attended a softball camp at APU her junior year and was positive that this is where she would go to college. After attending another softball camp in her senior year, Raetz was convinced that her poor playing that day would prevent her from ever playing on APU’s team. She continued to apply to other colleges and had scouts come to watch her play. “Before I knew I was going to attend APU, I turned down some big Division II school offers,” Raetz said. “It was risky, but I felt so much peace with it.” She decided to commit to attending APU even without a spot on the team, but continued to reach out to the softball coach, Carrie Webber, who agreed to come and watch her play. “Usually athletes commit to a school at the beginning of senior year, but I was offered a spot on the team in July, just a month before school started.” 

When Raetz finally reached her childhood dream of becoming an APU Cougar, she immediately fell in love with the curriculum and community of the Honors College.

As Raetz’s freshman year came to an end, she was offered new opportunities to influence the campus culture that she enjoyed so much. “One of my anatomy professors asked if I would be a teacher’s assistant (TA), but I declined because I didn’t think I would have time,” she said. “Later, I received an email from Coba Canales, EdD. (Dean of Students) asking if I would be his TA.” Canales began teaching in the Honors College in fall 2023, and Raetz was one of his first students. After talking about the time commitment and workload involved, Raetz decided to take the position. 

While she hadn’t originally sought out a TA position, Raetz felt called to apply to become a resident advisor (RA). She is currently an RA in Engstrom Hall, the dorm with the Honors College living learning community for freshmen. “I believe that an RA can influence a person’s college experience,” she said. “Being an RA is such a joy. I’m able to help others and be there for students. Being an out of state student, I don’t get to go home often, and I believe that it’s important for students to have somebody on campus that’s in their corner. I love knowing that I get to be that person for some people.” Raetz has a genuine care and passion for helping her residents to feel like they belong at APU.

Raetz’s work as a TA goes hand in hand with her service as an RA. “Being a TA has given me the opportunity to break the ice with some of my residents,” she said. “Visiting Canales’ freshmen colloquy has also been fun. I get to see what they’re reading and remember being in their shoes. It’s also been a testimony to the close knit nature of the Honors College realizing how everyone goes through the same curriculum and has similar discussions.”

Raetz’s sophomore year has only further proven to her that APU is where she is meant to be. The faith integration in all aspects of campus and academic life has deeply influenced her. “I feel so blessed to go to a school where my biology teacher prays for us before class,” she said. “Not many students elsewhere get to experience that. Being able to have conversations about Jesus, the Bible, or theology with my friends is really special. These become everyday conversations that prepare us for having challenging conversations in the real world.” 

Faith is also integrated into Raetz’s athletic life. “You can tell how much coach Webber loves Jesus,” she said. “She doesn’t just care about us as players, but as people and young women of God. She is so spiritually strong, and I’ve never had a coach like her in my life where I can ask for prayers and she will immediately invite me into her office or home to talk about faith.” Raetz understands that the strong faith community her coach has fostered is special, and she constantly reminds herself not to take it for granted. 

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Unfortunately, Raetz suffered an injury that has prevented her from playing softball so far this semester. “It’s been challenging watching my teammates work so hard when all I can do is sit there and support them,” she said. “However, this has reminded me that everything happens for a reason. I don’t know how or why, but I believe that God will make something good out of this.” 

Raetz has continued to grow in her faith during this time by attending the team’s weekly Bible studies, worshiping with her friends, and leaning into her involvement in the APU community.

After graduation, Raetz hopes to get involved in youth ministry. Despite her studies not focusing on ministry, she feels that the Lord has put a call to help others on her heart. “I have time to think and explore career options,” she said. “I was originally thinking about becoming a physician’s assistant within kinesiology, but I’m still figuring my calling out.” Raetz said that she feels she’s being prepared vocationally for ministry through the Honors College. The curriculum includes reading the Bible and diving into challenging theological conversations. “It’s important to acknowledge the bivocational aspect of different studies,” she said about faith being integrated into her majors. “I’ve grown so much spiritually since coming to APU, and being with people in different seasons of their faith is something that I think is important for myself and for a future career in youth ministry.” 

Raetz encourages prospective students to learn about the familial community of APU for themselves. “Everyone talks about the APU community and how great it is, but it’s not just a selling point,” she said. “We were named the top Christian college in California for a reason. The university is genuinely centered around the love of Jesus which brings everyone together. I’ve never been happier. My heart is so filled and I feel fully connected to the Holy Spirit here. The beauty of the overall community and the Honors College have been so special and influential in my college experience.”

Sometimes God calls us to a completely different path than the one we’re on, and it can be daunting to take the leap of faith. Professional nursing student Mika Yagi Kim ’25 followed her heart to pursue a career in nursing when she felt God calling her to help others in ways she couldn’t at her previous job.

Kim graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor’s in social sciences specializing in cognitive science. She went on to receive her masters from the University of Southern California with a specialized degree in architecture with a focus on environmental science. Kim combined the two to get what she believed to be her dream job as an architectural consultant for sustainability but found herself searching for something more. As she began to question what her true calling was, she leaned into the spiritual aspect of her life. “That’s when I realized that to feel fulfilled in my career, there had to be an element of selfless service more than I was already doing,” Kim said. She knew that she was helping people in her job already, but she wanted to work with people firsthand and see the impact for herself. 

Becoming a nurse became Kim’s aspiration, so she applied to multiple nursing programs. She was accepted into all of her top candidates, but Azusa Pacific University’s faith based mission and values aligned with her own, something she couldn’t find anywhere else. APU’s professional nursing program is a two year accelerated course perfect for those who already have a degree in another subject which Kim found fitting as well.

APU encourages professional nursing students to participate in global service trips where they can use their gifts to help people in need in other parts of the world. However, Tanzania was not one of the locations that APU offered. Kim was inspired to serve in Africa due to the nursing trips frequently organized by her current employer, Adventist Health, a non-profit faith-based hospital. Through Adventist Health, she came across a non-profit organization called the International Volunteer Headquarters. The organization planned to travel to Tanzania for three and a half weeks over the summer. They offer programs all over the world, not only in medical fields, but also in education, marine life, and general volunteering. Kim knew that she could make an impact in others’ lives in Tanzania while also growing in her own faith, so she committed to going.

Kim had never been to Africa before, so she didn’t know what to expect but kept an open mind and positive outlook. She was assigned to work in Levolosi Hospital, a 45-bed public healthcare facility in Arusha, where she volunteered in the acute inpatient ward treating those commonly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, malaria, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health disorders. Working alongside Dr. Nathan, the Chief Medical Physician, her responsibilities included daily rounding with the medical team, performing assessments, developing a plan of care, completing treatments, and providing education to patients in a country where access to health care was limited. 

A group of ten doctors and nurses, including Kim, also helped in a medical outreach clinic located in a more remote area where community members without direct access to healthcare could be treated. The team assessed the patients’ healthcare needs and provided treatment and medications. International Volunteer Headquarters also partnered with social workers in Tanzania to further participate in community outreach by putting together care packages of food for families in need.

While Kim signed up for the Tanzania trip to work in healthcare, she found the most emotionally impactful part of her trip to be teaching English to fifth graders at the Burka Primary School. “I came across a student named Grace who I knew was special,” she said. “Many of the girls in the school have barriers that prevent them from completing their education, but this one girl had such a strong desire to learn.” As Kim continued to interact with the little girl, she learned that her dream was to become a pilot, but her family was struggling financially since her father had passed away the year before. 

Kim set up a meeting with the school’s principal and learned that she could help support Grace’s education and career dreams. “There’s a scholarship program between the government and public schools where you can sponsor a child,” she said. “It is a blessing that I can be of support to her and her family so that Grace will be able to continue her education. For her not to pursue her dream because of circumstances out of her control would be heartbreaking.“

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Kim’s time in Tanzania also allowed her to experience and reflect on her faith. She spent a day with one of the local tribes. When she arrived, they were all wearing traditional attire and singing songs in their native language. Despite the language barrier, the Maasai tribe welcomed Kim with open arms into their celebration. “I came back from the trip having experienced God’s universal love,” she said. “Interacting with the community showed me that there was an underlying concept of love that I could only attribute to being God’s love. I’ve visited other countries where I’ve experienced the one love of God, but there was something so special and welcoming about the people I met in Tanzania.” 

While Kim’s main goal is to become a nurse, she believes that there is something bigger than herself or her job that she is called to do. “Even non-believers can be nurses, so I think there may be  more that I am called to do,” she said. “I will be focusing my PhD dissertation on spiritual care, and that’s something that could only be supported at APU. Over the last year, I’ve been contemplating the subject of God consciousness as a healing modality in health care. I hope to be able to make it a priority in nursing in the future.

Kim’s time at APU not only prepared her for the work she did in Tanzania, but has helped to transform her outward faith. “I have found a home in APU, and it’s because of the curriculum involving spiritual care that I see just how integrated it is to nursing,” she said. “I’ve come from institutions where speaking of God was not encouraged, so I never got to fully express my true self as a child of God. But here at APU, we’re encouraged to further our spiritual growth and share that with others. I’m so humbled and blessed by the opportunities I’ve had to strengthen my spiritual foundations alongside receiving my degree.”

The world needs social workers more than ever. From families battling cancer, to adults struggling to make ends meet due to mental health disorders, Kimberly Setterlund, MSW, has been there for people in their lowest moments, drawing them toward the light of Christ, even when all they can see is darkness. As a professor and chair of APU’s Department of Social Work, Setterlund teaches students to carry the Lord’s light in the world, so that every patient they help has hope for a brighter future.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Setterlund has always been immersed in multicultural environments. She seeks to learn people’s stories, meet them where they’re at, and help them work toward improving their wellbeing. When entering college at UC Riverside, she wasn’t sure what that looked like though. Setterlund majored in science, intending to enter allied health, but quickly realized science was not for her. Psychology, however, was intriguing to Setterlund because of its incorporation of behavioral science and holistic healing. 

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After graduating with a degree in psychology, she didn’t plan on going to graduate school. However, working with adults with severe mental health illnesses deeply impacted Setterlund.“I didn’t choose social work. Social work chose me,” she said.  Thinking back to this time in her life, she shed a few tears reflecting on how meaningful it is to care for those who have a hard time seeing a future for themselves. “Hearing their stories and meeting people where they’re at changed every assumption I ever could’ve made.” A mentor encouraged Setterlund to consider a master’s degree in social work, and she knew it was a career worth pursuing.

Prior to teaching at APU, Setterlund spent eight years working in various healthcare settings as a social worker, including  hospitals, a cancer center, and neonatal intensive care unit. Setterlund also has a private clinical practice where she provides individual counseling. “Both psychology and social work share the same theoretical roots, but psychology examines the inner workings of a person’s mental health, whereas social work emphasizes how a client’s environment impacts them,” she said. Setterlund is driven by God’s calling to help the marginalized and suffering.

Setterlund began teaching at APU in 2007. A friend mentioned that the university was starting an MSW program. “I wasn’t looking for a new job, but my friend said she felt like God wanted me here,” she said. Setterlund prayed about it, and every step of the interview process aligned with what she felt God was calling her to do. “Everything fell into place, and 17 years later I can confidently say how grateful I am to be here.” 

Setterlund primarily teaches students earning their MSW. Her hope is that students are equipped to be ethical and caring social workers who put clients at the forefront. She engages in rich discussions with students, seeking to guide them as they apply skills in their practice. “I want to hear what students are learning and struggling with in their internships to facilitate a conversation surrounding real world scenarios,” she said. By approaching students with openness and eagerness to hear their stories, she sets an example of what it means to serve others well. 

“APU is a special place. Everyday I’m grateful I get to work in a community that loves Christ and others.” 

Setterlund’s love for people shines in everything she does, and her students leave her class ready to be difference makers. 

Paul Dennis’ ’91 office in Smith Hall is located in the same place his college dorm was. “I look out at the view of the track field, where my journey began, and I’m reminded of how God chose Azusa Pacific University to fill me with knowledge, build me up for the world, and return with a purpose,” he said. As the executive officer of the Department of Campus Safety, Dennis exudes faithfulness, enthusiasm, and a commitment to do his best in order to ensure students can thrive in a safe environment.

Born in Huddersfield, England, Dennis spent the first eight years of his life in the countryside. He cherishes memories of running around open fields, playing lots of sports, and enjoying tea time in the afternoon. “My mother was Jamaican, and my father Grenadian. They met in England, seeking a better life,” he said. Dennis’ mother pursued a nursing career in the U.S. and later was reunited with her son in Los Angeles. He arrived with a British accent and little understanding of American culture, but soon grew to call Southern California home.

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Dennis attended Covina High School, where he devoted much of his time to playing basketball and running track and field. He learned about APU through his basketball coach, Gary West ’82. Dennis was introduced to APU athletes throughout his high school career, and was especially inspired by four-time Olympian Innocent Egbunike ’85. When Dennis earned a track and field scholarship, he was eager for what the future held at APU.

Dennis recalls his undergraduate years fondly. He studied psychology, was a member of four national championship Track and Field Teams, and met his wife, who also ran track. “Between the friendly atmosphere, and wide support from faculty and staff, being a student at APU were some of the favorite years of my  life. I hope students know that people here genuinely care about each of them,” Dennis said. “We want students to succeed and enjoy their time here.” 

After graduating, Dennis worked for the Azusa Police Department (APD) for 27 years. “I didn’t seek out the job; rather it found me,” he said. Originally hoping to become a correctional counselor in one of the state prisons, Dennis applied for state jobs, but was turned down for not having enough experience yet. Dennis found work in a city jail, and quickly learned that it was not his calling. Fortunately, he had met many police officers through that job, leading Dennis to discover where he was meant to be. “I was drawn to how much time police officers spend outside, as well as the fact that they must have a degree of physical readiness. Since I’ve always loved sports and fitness, it turned out to be what I loved.”

Dennis worked a variety of assignments throughout his time as a police officer. He was a patrol officer, worked on the SWAT team for 17 years (leading it for nine of those years), and served in the detective bureau. Dennis was a corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, and became a captain in 2016. “Being a police officer is rewarding because in many ways, especially as a detective, you pour yourself into figuring out a case with the benefit of trying to help someone, bringing them closure,” he said. In 2018, Dennis retired from APD.

Throughout his time with the police department, Dennis remained in contact with many friends and mentors he had met at APU. Dennis’ former track coach, Terry Franson, encouraged him to return to APU to lead Campus Safety. For the past six years Dennis has given back to the place that shaped and transformed him. “I’m blessed to be in a position where I work with a team of amazing people, collaborating with stakeholders across the university to create a vision for safety that exceeds the present, and lasts into the future,” he said.

Dennis’ 27 years with APD equipped him with an understanding of the city and safety itself, allowing him to serve APU to the best of  his potential. 

“As an 18-year-old, I thought I would come to APU for college and that would be all. I can now say with confidence that God introduced me to the city of Azusa 38 years ago with a purpose that is vividly clear now.”

When Daniel Moore ’11 was introduced to pickleball by his father in 2014, he had no idea the sport would become a major part of his life. A tennis star at Azusa Pacific University, Moore quickly fell in love with pickleball, and decided to train with his father for a national competition. Both Moores won national championships in the senior and open divisions. “That was just the beginning of our pickleball journey,” he said. Over the next decade, Moore would go on to win eight more national championships, before ending his professional playing career and introducing pickleball to Japan and Kenya. 

Originally born in Atlanta, Moore’s family moved to Japan when he was just seven-months-old so his father could pursue a master’s degree at a Japanese university. Although the family had planned to only spend two years in the country, business opportunities arose and they ended up staying for the next 16 years. “Growing up in Japan felt normal at times since it was what I knew from infancy,” Moore said. “At other times, I recognized how much I stood out as one of the only westerners in my city.” 

Moore developed an affinity for tennis, training with his dad and siblings after school every day. He grew his skills and competed in numerous local and national tournaments. During his junior year of high school, Moore’s family moved back to the U.S., settling in Colorado Springs. Although he had visited America every summer as a kid, transitioning to public high school in the U.S. was a culture shock for Moore. Fortunately, he found a way to fit in after leading his school to a state championship in tennis. Moore’s success on the court led APU to recruit him.

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At APU, Moore thrived on the tennis team. During his freshman year, he went 15-5 in singles and 18-8 in doubles, as the team posted a 20-8 record and went all the way to the semifinal round of the NAIA championships.

Moore played for one more season, but made the difficult decision to quit the team in his junior year so he could study abroad through the Middle East Studies Program in Egypt. Through the program, Moore learned about history, politics, and current events in the Middle East and got to speak to diplomats from several countries when his cohort traveled to Israel, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan. “That was a really formative experience for me which broadened my horizons and helped me to look at what’s going on in the world through different perspectives,” Moore said. The semester away also cultivated a desire in him to travel more.

Moore returned to APU for his last three semesters of college, which were highlighted by memories with friends in the Third Culture Kids Club. “TCK had a strong community camaraderie. Even though we grew up in lots of different countries, we had similar experiences,” he said. “It was great to have that core group of friends from TCK at school.” Moore also reflected fondly on an influential senior seminar class. As an international business major, Moore was one of a select group of students who was invited to participate in former APU president Jon Wallace’s senior seminar. In Wallace’s class, Moore enjoyed hearing from several local CEOs, nonprofit leaders, and APU board members about their entrepreneurial journeys. Moore was inspired to write his thesis for Wallace’s class about economic challenges in Africa. “One of my favorite memories from APU is listening to Jon Wallace read my paper in front of the class as an example of what a good thesis should look like,” Moore said.

After graduating, Moore briefly moved to Kenya to work for a social enterprise selling fuel efficient stoves. He enjoyed learning about the country’s culture and gained an appreciation for things Americans take for granted, like electricity and wi-fi, which would frequently go out in Kenya. After a year and a half, he quit his job and traveled across five countries in Africa before moving back to the U.S. and discovering pickleball.

After winning his first pickleball national championship, Moore began playing in tournaments more frequently. He loved the intimate community that the sport cultivated. “Back then, pickleball was so much smaller than it is today. Everybody knew each other. It was very welcoming and inclusive,” he said. “I could show up in pretty much every state in the country and there would always be a place for me to stay, a couple who wanted me to put on a pickleball clinic for their friends.” Moore watched the sport grow rapidly over the next few years in the U.S.

When he wasn’t playing pickleball, Moore worked part-time as a tour guide, showing Japanese tourists around Colorado. Then in winter 2013, he received an opportunity through a family connection to work at a ski resort in Japan, who needed someone fluent in Japanese and English. “Although that job was just for a few months, when I went back to Japan, it really felt like home, and I realized I had to figure out a way to move back permanently,” he said. Moore landed a job at a tour guiding agency in Japan and moved back in 2015.

After returning to Japan, Moore was thrilled to introduce the country to pickleball. Although the sport is still much smaller in the land of the rising sun, Moore has watched it grow steadily. He estimates there are about 10,000 Japanese pickleball players now. “It feels like we’re still gathering more momentum as we grow the sport professionally,” he said. “I’m privileged to know that anyone who plays or will play pickleball in Japan will have some connection to me. It’s so cool to see people having fun and making friends on the court.” Moore enjoys watching people play pickleball for the first time, since it takes just a few minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master. He coaches the best players in Japan to get better at their craft.

From sitting in waiting rooms, nervously praying for the best, to learning the results of a medical test, the hospital is a place filled with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty for what the future holds. Especially for children navigating healthcare struggles, it is essential that they receive the support and care to have hope for healing. It’s fitting that Charity Vasquez’s, PhD, CCLS, name means love. As a child life specialist, she knows how to lovingly engage with children and their families as they walk through difficult seasons. As chair of the department of Child Life at Azusa Pacific University, Vasquez equips students to love others in their time of need.

From Myanmar (formerly Burma) and a member of the Karen ethnic group, Vasquez and her family immigrated to Southern California when she was 12-years-old. “My parents sacrificed a lot for my siblings and I to be in the U.S. so we could have a better future and opportunities for education,” she said. Learning English and adjusting to a new culture was challenging for Vasquez. She overcame the barriers she faced, and her parents’ goal to see their children thrive came to fruition. 

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Growing up, Vasquez wanted to be a pediatrician. In high school she volunteered at a hospital and realized she was drawn to the interpersonal relationships between patients and healthcare workers. At the same time, Vasquez’s mother was pursuing a master’s degree, and one of her professors was a child life specialist. Vasquez met with her and discovered her calling. “A lot of people discouraged me from entering the child life discipline because it’s not very well known,” she said. “My mom told me not to let other people’s opinions get in the way of what God has planned for me.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in child life, Vasquez worked at a children’s hospital for many years. She received a master’s degree and became the childlife director at UC Irvine Medical Center. “Child life exists to help children and their families navigate difficult healthcare experiences,” Vasquez said. “Specialists in the field are there to help kids cope with stress and prepare for medical procedures by incorporating play and talking to them in a developmentally appropriate way.” During her time working in hospitals, Vasquez loved working with different hospital teams to care for the childrens’ whole self.

While reflecting on her journey to APU, Vasquez attributes all the unexpected twists and turns to God’s divine plan for her life. “You have to trust God’s process because often you don’t know the path you’re meant to be on until you’re there,” she said. Vasquez felt called to APU when a few of her family and friends mentioned a job opening they’d heard of. She was not looking for a career change, but Vasquez was intrigued when learning the university was searching for a program director to start a master’s in child life program. To her surprise, the position at APU also entailed taking students to South Africa for a global engagement trip, a dream that had been written on Vasquez’s heart for a long time.

Vasquez has taught at APU since 2017. “I love teaching APU students because I get to be a part of advancing God’s work to instill academic excellence,” she said. “I get to be a tool for students to further their purpose in the world.” Along with sharing the necessary knowledge to perform well as child life specialists, Vasquez hopes to empower students to make a positive difference in the lives they encounter. 

Looking back on her journey, Vasquez is grateful for the ways God has been there, even when she didn’t realize it. “I grew up in a Christian household, and sometimes being around ministry so much can make it feel like a rhythm that’s always in the background,” she said. “But when I think back to all the times I didn’t know where I was going, I see exactly how God was orchestrating my life, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities He’s given me.”

For Karen (Denning) Rouggly ’05, DMin, the dazzling lights that illuminate broadway shows inspired her to pursue a career in theater, as she aimed to become the next famous star. She attended Azusa Pacific University, unexpectedly immersing herself in transformative service opportunities. Through mentorship, relationship building, and developmental experiences on Global Engagement trips, Rouggly discovered that the brightest light in her life is Jesus, and she wanted to be a beacon of His goodness. As a campus pastor and the director of the Office of Service and Discipleship (OSD), Rouggly makes every student she connects with feel seen, cared for, and encouraged to deepen their relationship with the Lord through their calling.

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Rouggly grew up in the Bay Area, and she knew from a young age that she wanted to go to college in Southern California. “I absolutely fell in love with APU’s campus the first time I stepped foot here,” she said. Having gone to public schools her whole life, Rouggly was grateful to find a place where academics and faith aren’t separate. In fall 2001, Rouggly started at APU. “Back then there wasn’t a theater degree, so the closest thing I could study was communications with an emphasis in theater,” she said. “Later in my college career a theater major was introduced and I was able to add it, however, I learned how much I love communications. I love talking, studying how people communicate, and learning about all the ways teams work.” 

Rouggly never lost her passion for theater. “I believe everyone has something artistic that they are so drawn to, something that tugs at their heartstrings because it helps you see the power of art to push boundaries and beautifully capture the stories of those who might be different from you,” she said. 

Rouggly’s posture of empathy and love for knowing others was the catalyst God placed in her heart, leading her to engage in service as an undergraduate. She joined a relief team with students and staff that went to New York after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “I learned so much about what it means to respond to tragedy with hope, knowing we bear God’s goodness in the world,” she said. Rouggly was an alpha leader and completed her leadership training in San Francisco’s tenderloin district, where she started to broaden her interest in urban ministry. When she discovered a Global Engagement trip to South Africa during her junior year, Rouggly knew God was calling her to participate. “I came back from that six week trip a changed woman. I was awakened to new aspects of myself I didn’t even know existed.”

After graduating from APU, Rouggly led an eight-week mission trip to South Africa. She made strong connections with the non-profit the team partnered with, and they offered her a job running the company’s office in the U.S. Later Rouggly worked with an Azusa non-profit called Neighborhood Homework House, where she learned what it was like to devote her full-time career to being invested in the local community. “What God started for me at APU was figuring out how to weave local, national, and international service together to help me grow in my own discipleship while learning what it means to be part of a community,” she said. Rouggly went on to earn a Masters of Intercultural Studies and Community Development at Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree in Leadership and Global Perspectives from Portland Seminary at George Fox University.

In 2011, Rouggly found an opportunity to return to APU. “When I discovered that I could provide opportunities to steward and shepherd students in a pastoral way, I jumped at the chance because APU was incredibly lifegiving for me,” she said. “I wanted to share that same experience with our current students.”

Rouggly has served in a variety of capacities throughout the past 13 years. She worked for the Center of Student Action (now OSD) to connect students with local ministry opportunities, later transitioning into higher roles and becoming the director of the office. When OSD merged with the Spiritual Life team at APU in 2018, Rouggly assumed a campus pastor role. “I love everything about my job. It’s the best job ever!” From selecting partners for service teams, to leading discipleship groups and preaching in chapel, Rouggly faithfully and happily plays a part in transforming students’ spiritual development. 

When she’s not working, Rouggly enjoys spending quality time with her husband Seth ’05, who she met as a student during her undergraduate years. They have two sons, Eli (age 12) and Boaz (age 9). “My children teach me and challenge me to grow,” she said. The Rouggly family can often be found together at APU and with students on Local and Global Engagement trips.“They bring a multitude of joy in my life, and it is a privilege to exemplify what it means to work for God’s glory.”

Azusa Pacific University is unique in its approach to community engagement. Not only are students encouraged to connect with the community through local and global engagement experiences, but many departments participate in academic service learning programs. In these classes, students actively participate in community engagement directly related to their major and career goals. More than 40 service learning courses are offered each semester. APU has a long-standing community partnership between the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and Azusa Unified School District (AUSD) through the College Headed and Mighty Proud (CHAMP) program.

APU and AUSD have collaborated through CHAMP since 1991. Paul Flores, PhD, a professor of Liberal Studies, took over the CHAMP service learning program in 2000. Flores firmly believes in the importance of experiential learning as a teaching technique at the college level. Hands-on classroom experience with small groups motivates college students to develop an intercultural competency and mature in their understanding of classroom diversity. Academic service learning also allows students to better connect to the learning objectives of the class. “Before CHAMP, a college professor would teach the students a lesson and then the students would practice the skill by teaching it to each other,” Flores said. “Experiential learning has a great impact because our students can interact with real elementary school children which adds the unpredictability of how students interact with you as a teacher. That can’t be duplicated in a college classroom.” 

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Each APU student in the class is paired with a group of about 10 fourth graders. Their group meets for an hour once a week at the elementary schools for 10 weeks. Each week focuses on a different aspect of college and vocational life. Week one allows APU students to build rapport with their groups. “Relationship development is essential in building cultural competence in an environment where the children can trust their mentors.” Flores said. Many of the children come from different ethnic, socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds, a challenge that APU students navigate to best help each of their students. Week two focuses on college life where the children are able to learn the basics of what college is like from their mentors. From there, APU students walk their groups through career and major exploration exercises based on their interests, learning about college costs and financial aid, and how to fill out a college application. The final CHAMP experience is a team building day including games and reflection which provided an opportunity for closure. 

One of the weekly visits allows AUSD students to come to the APU Azusa campus for a day. Students are given a tour of both east and west campuses, learn about the different academic departments and resources, and get to hear about all of the opportunities college offers. “The questions and conversations the small groups bring up in their meetings are prevalent during the campus tour, and you can tell that the mentors really make a difference in these childrens’ lives,” said Kayo Kim, an Academic Service-Learning Specialist in the Center for Career and Community Engaged Learning.

While APU students greatly benefit from the realistic classroom experience, AUSD as a community partner has been equally as grateful for the partnership, exemplifying principle four of APU’s five principles of community engagement which focuses on mutual and reciprocal relationships. “Service learning is made to be a collaborative effort that is reciprocally tailored to meet the school district’s needs,” Flores said. “All of the superintendents I’ve worked with have been supportive, and current AUSD superintendent Arturo Ortega has been especially enthusiastic about the program.” Flores has created the curriculum with the help of APU faculty as well as AUSD principles and teachers to make sure that all of the students have a positively enriching experience with their mentors. 

The highly anticipated conclusion of the program is CHAMP graduation day. After nine weeks of meeting with their mentors, AUSD students, parents, and staff are invited to a formal graduation ceremony on the APU campus to celebrate the children’s completion of the program. Students receive a diploma and share their chosen majors and future careers with attendees. “My favorite part is when the students and school representatives share how CHAMP changed the trajectory of their lives,” Kim said. “Some of these fourth graders will end up coming to APU. When I have meetings in the community, people know about the program and how deeply it impacts the children’s long term goals.” Flores seconded the significance of the CHAMP program on students’ future academic endeavors. “It’s nice and encouraging to see our APU students work with the fourth graders who eventually go to college, graduate, and successfully move forward in their professional lives.”

Flores, along with an Azusa High School teacher and students, recently started the Future Teachers Club at one of the AUSD high schools which draws on the values of CHAMP. The club’s initial members were invited after graduating from CHAMP years prior. “This is an ongoing project, but we connect the high schoolers to APU so that they can learn about getting into college and the path to teaching,” he said. “After our first meeting, many of the students came up to tell me about their experience with the CHAMP program, and the relationship with their college mentors that the students cherish. The key to cultural competence is through the relationships that APU students build with AUSD students to develop a positive and appreciative culture.”

Everyone has a unique voice. For Kirsten Lundin Humer, MFA, the power of voice has inspired her to keep following the sound of the journey God’s called her on. That journey is one of traveling the world to be immersed in the world of theater, creating her own voice coaching business, and now celebrating over a decade teaching what she loves in Azusa Pacific University’s theater arts program.

Originally from a Chicago suburb, Humer was surrounded by art growing up. Her father was a literature professor, and her mother was a graphic designer. Humer fondly remembers her father creating stories every night for his kids and having an appreciation for creativity. When she was 13-years-old, Humer and her family traveled to London, and they watched The Wild Duck on the West End. “I loved the show and my dad saw how moved I was, so he took me to see it again,” Humer said. “There was such an amazing actor in the show, and her performance made me want to be an actor.” Humer’s passion for words and stories that touch the heart led her to love acting for the ways it employs language to act as a mirror showing the human experience.

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Humer went to Wheaton College to study English and French, where she performed in plays all four years, under the tutelage of renowned acting teacher Mark Lewis. During college, Humer spent a summer in New York to study acting at Michael Howard Studios in the summer. When she earned a scholarship to participate in a program in France, Humer packed her bags and became enthralled  by Parisian culture, quickly becoming fluent in French. She studied political science and history while interning at an acting agency. 

Living outside the U.S. provided Humer with an understanding of theater that can be difficult to grasp in the states. “Especially in England, there’s a sense of history to the performing arts. People don’t get famous as quickly as they do here and they have to build toward their career over time,” she said. Her faith was also deepened as she faced challenges, both in the states and abroad in the theater industry. “I firmly believe people want to worship something, and if it’s not God, what will it be? I know my identity in Christ, therefore I’m not swayed when I witness others grappling with an intense desire for fame.”

Humer went on to earn her MFA in Acting and Directing at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she met Louis Colaianni, who profoundly influenced her approach to acting, voice, and teaching. Colaianni is a renowned voice teacher who developed Phonetic Pillows, a tactile approach to teaching phonetics and dialects. Humer is certified in Colaianni Speech, and enjoys coming up with creative ways to teach students about how to use their unique voices to provide an individualized approach to acting. She also studied with Patsy Rodenburg, one of the premier voice and acting coaches in the world and became certified in her technique. Humer is one of the first eight Rodenburg teachers in the U.S.

After graduating with her MFA, Humer lived in New York as a full time working actor. She met her husband, a fellow actor, and they moved to Boston for his work. When Humer began her vocal coaching business, she made connections that led her to fully pursue her career in the field of voice. Through her consultancy Vocal Point Partners, Kirsten worked with professional actors, doctors, lawyers, and corporate professionals on the art of the voice, presence and public speaking.

One day Humer was at a birthday party for one of her son’s friends, and she was inspired by a parent who had become a principal. “I felt it on my heart that God was telling me to teach full time, so I searched for teaching jobs in acting and the first thing that popped up was a position at APU,” she said. Humer was filled with excitement when the job description listed everything she loves, from phonetics, to voice, and faith-integrated approaches to theater. 

In 2013, Humer and her family moved across the country to Los Angeles and embarked on a new journey. Looking back on the past 11 years, Humer can’t help but get emotional thinking of where God led her. “I see all the twists and turns, the times I felt like my life was leading nowhere, and I thank God for the way he gave me all these random passions to now be something cohesive.”

The students make Humer’s job worthwhile. “They take their work seriously, and they’re respectful, loving, and supportive of one another,” she said. At the foundation of it all, Humer attributes the quality and fruitfulness of APU’s theater program to keeping God at the forefront. “Acting is an art that can point toward God, because by displaying the truth of human experience, we reveal the importance of grace and redemption in our lives and relationships.”

Teamwork is at the heart of Everett Brooks’ calling and journey through serving in the U.S. Army. “Baseball was my first love, but when that dream wasn’t realized, I knew I needed to join another team,” he said. For 12 years, Brooks served in the military as a veterinary specialist, in charge of food safety and medicine distribution for military animals. He now serves as the executive director of Military and Veteran Services at Azusa Pacific University.

Growing up in the Bay Area, Brooks’ life before joining the military was mostly spent playing sports. Brooks pursued a baseball career while attending community college, but decided to embark on the new path to which God called him. “I wanted to branch out of the environment I’d always known and see what I was capable of,” he said. In November 1987, Brooks began training at Fort Bliss in Texas. “The transition to such a strict atmosphere was difficult, but it made me the person I am today.” Brooks recalls spending his first day there cleaning bathrooms, confused as to why that was an aspect of training. Later, he realized how vital it was to teach the trainees about maintaining a well-kept space, something he carried with him as a veterinary specialist and beyond. 

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Brooks went to Belgium and Holland during his time in the military. “Being a part of the military in different parts of the world shaped me, underscoring the importance of discipline,” he said. The values of respect, reverence, and diligence were instilled in Brooks. 

“When I returned to civilian life, I was confident I’d land a high paying job considering I had earned a master’s degree while in the military and had 12 years of experience,” he said. Brooks remembers an employer sharing with him after an interview that gaining a significant amount of experience outside the military would set him up for success even if he didn’t land a high position right away. This memory stuck with Brooks throughout his life. He often advises the students he mentors to work hard, even when they haven’t earned their dream job yet. “You have to show that you are responsible and are an excellent asset to a company before making it to the top.” 

Brooks spent a decade at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, opening their first Veterans Center. In 2016, Brooks applied to APU, drawn to its faith-based education. “I was curious to see how faith would be embedded in the fabric of the university within Military and Veterans Services,” he said. Brooks loves praying with students and teaching them to put their trust in the Lord during seasons of uncertainty. 

From writing grants, fundraising, and representing APU’s veteran community, Brooks is happy to devote his career to providing veterans students with opportunities to thrive as they earn their degree. “The best part is establishing relationships with veteran students. I always encourage them to build circles with each other because those bonds can last a lifetime.”

Mentorship is something veteran students can count on from Brooks. He fondly remembers a childhood friend who tutored him in math and science in exchange for sports training. “My friend showed me what it means to see where someone is at in their learning process and help them get to where they need to be,” Brooks said. He aims to help students eliminate the barriers standing in the way between them and their dreams, ultimately inspiring them to work hard toward their goals. “I can only do so much, though. Each student has to be self-driven to get to where they hope to be.”

When it comes to working together as a team, Brooks strongly believes in the importance of hearing another person’s story. “You can learn a lot from talking to a veteran, taking a step back to understand what their experience was like,” he said. Brooks’ willingness to listen to student stories and share his own proves just how vital community is to cultivating a strong team. From baseball, to the military, to APU, Brooks is grateful to commit his life to creating enduring relationships with others in whatever team he’s on.