Mark Gobrail: Listening to God’s Call

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Mark Gobrail ’22 took a leap of faith and answered God’s call to travel across the globe to attend graduate school, immigrating to the U.S. from Cairo, Egypt in August 2021 to complete his Master of Science in Organizational Psychology degree at Azusa Pacific University. “I wanted to pursue a degree at a university that would share my Christian values and enhance my professional career in HR,” he said.

A graduate of Ain Shams University in Cairo with a degree in business, management, and marketing, Gobrail began his foray in the corporate world working in human resources at Deloitte, one of the big four accounting firms. “I learned a lot working there. I could see how my faith integrated with all my decisions at work,” he said. “It enabled me to keep my integrity while working remotely during the pandemic. My managers saw a difference in my performance because of my honest work ethic.”

Although he grew up in a Christian household and regularly attended church as a child, Gobrail came to know Christ when he was 16 years old. He was praying in his room one day and cried out to God, “I’ve been practicing Christianity for a long time, but I don’t have a relationship with You. Please reveal Yourself to me.” At that moment, he felt God’s presence for the first time. “From that day on, I’ve grown in my personal relationship with God.”

Gobrail said that sharing his Christian testimony in a predominantly Islamic country was challenging. “I have a lot of Muslim friends, and I have to be very careful with my words,” he said. “I’ve lost some friendships because of sharing my faith. I can point them to the Gospel, but they need to take that step. I can only show them the way.”

Attending APU, Gobrail is able to contribute to his program in meaningful ways, incorporating his unique cultural and professional experiences into class discussions and assignments. “I’ve loved learning from professors who truly integrate their faith with the course material,” he said. “In my classes, we’ve talked a lot about sharing the truth in a graceful, meaningful, loving way.”

Recognizing the benefits of Gobrail’s international perspective on the organizational psychology field, his professor David Dunaetz, PhD encouraged his scholarship. Gobrail recently published an article entitled, “Around the World in Two Strategies: Maintaining a Successful Performance Management System in Cross-Cultural Situations” in Training Industry Magazine. “I’m very grateful for my professor’s support. I would never have thought about approaching a magazine and asking them to publish a paper that I wrote without his encouragement.” The article explores the different steps organizations can take to help their employees from different cultural backgrounds thrive instead of seeking promotions based on numbers only. “So far, I’ve gotten good feedback from colleagues and friends, and I plan on writing more in the future. English is my second language, so it's very difficult to find the words for what I want to express, but I work on improving my writing consistently.”

As Gobrail completes his degree and looks to the future, he draws inspiration from the Bible, especially from his favorite verse: Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (NKJV). “This Scripture shows how compassionate God is, how much he loves us,” he said. Gobrail wants to go into full-time ministry someday, trusting in the Lord and following His plan whenever He calls him.

Denney Premkumar: Building Community through Music

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

“It's not about working hard on music to make yourself feel good; rather, it’s to encourage and impact the lives of those listening to and watching you. I try to incorporate that in everything I do so that I can truly serve others and, hopefully, inspire them to serve as well.”

Denney Premkumar ’23 has 33 brothers who use their musical talent to bless others at Azusa Pacific University. Though they may not be related by blood, the members of Men’s Chorale, led by Premkumar as president, have found ways to bring the APU community together in the midst of the pandemic while classes and performances were held virtually and upon APU’s return to campus. From holding Star Wars watch parties to making pancakes for students on Cougar Walk, the group embraces Premkumar’s vision of unity through connection and service.

“Being a part of Men’s Chorale is such a rewarding experience,” Premkumar said. “It’s about relationships with my brothers in the ensemble. This includes learning about each other’s uniqueness and loving them for who they are and where they are in life.” Premkumar learned these lessons from current Men’s Chorale director John E. Simons, DMA, as well as past directors Harold Clousing and Galen Clark. “I use my leadership position to encourage the guys to follow the examples of Christ, of what it means to be a man, how to love like Christ, stand up for the right thing even in hard situations, to inspire good, and to encourage compassion and community, not through words, but through our actions.”

Premkumar moved from Singapore to the United States when he was five years old. His father was in ministry and a job opportunity helped the family find their current home in California. Premkumar said he grew up attending Hispanic churches where he felt God’s presence in the worship.

This connection to God continued to grow as Premkumar fell more in love with music. He sang publicly for the first time at age four, a Christmas ballad in front of his church. Although he continued singing throughout his youth, his first choral experience wasn’t until his freshman year at Pasadena City College (PCC). Premkumar transferred to APU on the recommendation of multiple mentors where he decided to pursue a degree in music education with an emphasis in choral music.

“Music is definitely something that keeps me going. There have been really tough moments in my life where I’ve felt far from God, but something about music always made me feel connected to Him. If I feel stressed or discouraged, I can turn a song on and it will remind me God is still present and everything will be okay,” he said.

Along with the impact of Men’s Chorale, Premkumar said he has acquired more knowledge and wisdom than he could have imagined from APU’s School of Music faculty. “My professors, including Dr. Stephen Martin, Professor Michelle Jensen, Dr. John Sutton, Dr. Alexander Koops, Dr. John Burdett, and Professor Christopher Russell are well accomplished and have done amazing things, yet they’re always so kind, humble, and genuinely concerned about me and all the other students,” he said. “Furthermore, they’re willing to share about the obstacles they’ve had to overcome in life and that encourages, inspires, and gives me hope and motivation to keep going.”

As a servant leader, Premkumar seeks to spread this motivation through events that involve the entire APU community, not just members of his ensemble. With movie nights, free food, and even a Valentine’s Day giveaway, the group extends their impact on campus. “We’re bringing ministry through community and music,” Premkumar said.

After graduating in May, he aspires to become a music educator. “I want to teach choir, but I’m open to what God has in store,” he said. “Whatever I do, I want to show God’s love through it, through my actions. That’s what I tell my guys in Men’s Chorale—anybody can preach, but it’s your actions that speak louder than anything else—and I try to exemplify that, even if it’s just making sure people on campus feel like they can be a part of what we’re doing, that they’re not alone.”

Karla C. Alejandro Meza: Following God’s Lead

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Choosing to pursue leadership positions as an APU college student was a transformational decision for Karla Consuelo Alejandro Meza ’22. From becoming a residence advisor her sophomore year to serving as president of Azusa Pacific University’s Student Government Association (SGA) her senior year, Meza follows God’s call to lead. “I want to advocate for students and amplify their voices,” she said. “I love APU students. I love people. I’ve been surrounded by amazing leaders here who have inspired me. When I took a leap of faith in obedience to serve, that’s the moment God started using me to make a difference for His Kingdom.”

Meza is guided by her abiding faith. She recognized God’s call early in her life, seeing Christ’s love and service modeled by her family. Her father ministered at a small church in Mexico City, Mexico, prior to moving the family to Sunnyvale, California when Meza was eight months old. “My grandfather was also a pastor. Ministry runs in my family,” she said. Meza followed in their footsteps, giving her first sermon at age 10.

“I was just sharing with kids at first, but I moved on to preaching to the adults as well. Those are the moments I feel closest to God, when I connect with Him powerfully. It’s the best feeling, just letting the Gospel flow through me.”

While living out a vibrant relationship with Christ, Meza admits that she has struggled with her faith at times. During her senior year in high school, Meza and her family faced a series of challenges and loss. “That was a tough year,” she reflected. “We celebrated the birth of my brother, but the next day, my grandfather died.” Then just weeks after Meza came to visit APU as a prospective student, her kitchen caught on fire, causing financial hardship for her family who lacked insurance to fund the repairs. “I clung to my faith.”

Meza, who grew up going to public schools, said she felt called to APU, believing that attending a Christian university would allow her to thrive spiritually, academically, and socially. Though her family’s financial situation posed a challenge, “God came through. He has been so good about providing scholarships and opening doors,” she said.

This included the chance to be a residence advisor. “A lot of people told me that no one gets selected to be an RA as a sophomore, to wait until next year to apply,” she said. “I felt God telling me to apply, so I did, taking a leap of faith. It was definitely the right decision.”

Two years later, after talking to former SGA presidents Tayo Agbalaya ’20 and Camila Gaona Galvan ’21, Meza contemplated running for office. Again she was hesitant, partially because she wouldn’t be allowed to continue serving as an RA if she was elected, a role that enabled her to make meaningful connections and provide support to residential students in her living area. Then that rule changed. “I was also nervous because I didn’t want to be known as the person who lost the election, but I realized I needed to put that aside and respond to God’s prompting,” Meza said. “Those moments of obedience have been a big part of my faith journey.” As SGA president, Meza represents the interest of APU’s undergraduate students to university administration with the goal of enhancing the student experience.

“It’s been a truly humbling role and I’ve learned that it’s okay to not be perfect. I’m doing important work serving my community while growing in my faith and as a leader.”

Meza is majoring in psychology with a concentration in industrial organizational psychology and a minor in communication studies. She plans to pursue a master's degree after graduation and aspires to work in the medical or tech field to help organizations better care for their workers, a career she sees as a ministry. “I want to support and advocate for others in the workplace to help meet their needs,” she said. “I’m excited for what’s next and my time at APU has prepared me to lead well.”

APU Grad Shows Resilience with Medal Win in Tokyo Paralympics

This article was originally published on APU’s website.

Trenten Merrill ’15 went to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games on a mission. He was determined to succeed in the long jump and represent the U.S. on the podium after falling just short in his Paralympic debut at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Although his jump in Rio was a personal best and it broke the American record, it placed him fourth and just off the podium. 

“Rio was an amazing experience. Tokyo was incredible, but more laid back without all the fans there,” he said. Although he felt much more prepared going into his second Paralympic games, Merrill didn’t have an auspicious start in Tokyo. “I tripped up on my second jump and just ate it in front of everyone.” 

Although the jump was painful and hurt his chances at attaining a medal, Merrill was not daunted by a little adversity. He had overcome much greater obstacles in his life.

When he was 14 years old, Merrill and his best friend were riding dirt bikes to his house in San Juan Capistrano, California. They came to the final turn before the house, looked both ways, and began to cross the street. “We didn’t see the car when we checked, and they didn’t see us, because there was a divided median with trees and shrubs that obstructed the view,” he said. “I woke up in the other lane and it felt like the whole thing was a dream at first. Then I looked over and saw my friend Scott on the ground, screaming. I realized it wasn’t a dream. It was real.”

Merrill felt a numb sensation in one of his feet and could tell from looking at it that it was broken. He grabbed his cell phone and called his dad, who arrived followed by two ambulances. They first took Scott, who was in critical condition with a broken back, chipped pelvis, punctured lung, and a bruised face from hitting the car’s windshield. With much medical intervention and prayer, Merrill’s friend eventually made a full recovery. 

Merrill remained in the hospital for the next month and a half. After several weeks of effort to avoid the unthinkable, the doctors at Mission Hospital delivered the news that he would need his right leg amputated, just below the knee. Merrill began to cry, panicking at the thought of a life without one of his legs. He reflected on his identity, which was largely rooted in athletics. 

Growing up, Merrill played numerous sports—soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, swimming, and motocross racing. “I remember watching those old Gatorade commercials with Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm and falling in love with sports,” he said. “My dad taught me to play basketball when I was in preschool and we’d play every night until dinnertime, but I would only come in to dinner if I was winning; otherwise we’d keep playing.” This passion for competition grew with time. When he was asked to think about his dream career, Merrill always answered he would be a professional athlete. 

“I felt like my identity was gone when they told me about the amputation. My heart was broken and I didn’t know what my life would be like,” he said. “Then my friend’s mom walked into my hospital room and started praying over me. I felt the Holy Spirit and I sensed God telling me He had big plans for me.” Merrill decided to place his trust in God, and at that moment his uncertainty and anguish were replaced by peace and hope. 

Soon after Merrill received his prosthetic leg, he was up and moving again. “I was walking on it that first day, and jogging by the end of the first week. Once I knew I could run with my prosthetic, I just wanted to go back to playing sports. I allowed myself to be me again, to try everything, and not be afraid to fail.”

Merrill continued playing sports in high school, including two new ones for him, volleyball and wrestling. It wasn’t until college that he began competing in track and field. He always knew he was fast, even outrunning some of his teammates during wrestling practice, but he didn’t find out about the Paralympics until his sophomore year at Saddleback Community College. He was invited to a running clinic hosted by the Challenged Athletes Foundation where he met Joaquim Cruz, a retired Brazilian Olympian sprinter who now coached Paralympians. Merrill instantly recognized that this was the move he needed to make—his new dream was to become a track and field Paralympian.

To take the next step in his journey, Merrill decided he needed to transfer to a university. “I had heard a lot of Azusa Pacific ads on my Lecrae/Christian rap Pandora radio station. Then I was watching track and field videos on YouTube and came across Bryan Clay training for the 2012 Olympics at APU,” he said. “The last sign came one day when I was heading to the gym and reached into a pile of workout shirts and pulled out an ‘APU Track & Field’ shirt. I had gotten it at a camp from a friend named John Ellis, who had gone to APU. I decided three signs were enough.” 

Merrill began to research APU. He reached out to then-coach Kevin Reid, who got back to him immediately and said the team would love to have him. “I went to check out the school in person,” said Merrill. “As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew this was the place I belonged. God brought me to Azusa.” Merrill competed for the Cougars from 2013-14. He went professional in 2015 and finished up his last few APU classes online.

His years of hard work and perseverance paid off in Tokyo. After his second long jump, Merrill crawled out of the sand pit determined. “I told myself to keep going, to fight. It was a mental battle. I focused on taking it one jump at a time, not worrying about anything else,” he said. He jumped three more times, including a 7.08-meter jump that placed him third in the T64 category. “To put the U.S. on the podium and see that American flag raised, that was an incredible feeling. To get a medal was such an amazing experience,” he said. “It’s now a part of history. I’ll always be grateful.”

Merrill celebrated his achievement, but is by no means resting on his laurels. He aspires to keep competing and setting personal bests, has broken the American record three times, and strives to set more records, including becoming only the second jumper in his category to jump over 8 meters (his current record is 7.75 meters). If he can jump that far, Merrill has a shot at beating Markus Rehm, an undefeated German jumper.

Merrill plans to compete in two more Paralympic games, and he dreams of ending his athletic career at home in Los Angeles in 2028. That goal, and his desire to bring glory to God, are what drive Merrill. “Faith is what helps me in the best and worst of times,” he said. “All this is meaningless without it. It gives me a purpose. It gives me the fuel to keep going. God created me to be an athlete. He hasn’t told me that I’m finished yet, so I’m going to keep going.”

Why I started wearing masks again

First of all, I’m not telling you that you need to wear a mask. I think you should (for the time being), but it is your life, your right, and your choice to wear one or not to. I am simply laying out the reasons why I’m wearing masks again when I go out in  public. 

I had stopped wearing masks this summer after the CDC changed their guidelines in May. When they changed the guidelines back again in July, I continued not wearing a mask at first. My logic was that I’m vaccinated, so I didn’t need one. Then I found out that even vaccinated people can get covid and spread it to others and I sat down to have a good long ponder about it. I did something that most people find near impossible and I found incredibly daunting at first. I changed my mind.

The reasons I’m wearing a mask again:

• Although my state has not implemented a mask mandate again (and it’s extremely unlikely they will, given how strongly against masks most Republicans are, Tennessee being one of the most red states in the country), the CDC currently recommends people to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.  Again, this is not a law right now in my state, but it should be. I consider myself to be a law abiding citizen, therefore I plan on following the law. My school district’s superintendent also just recommended this, based on CDC and ADA guidelines, and I will follow my school district’s rules.

• I don’t want to get other people sick. I don’t have Covid right now and I don’t plan on getting it anytime soon, but I could easily get and spread the virus without even knowing it. The virus, as we all know by now, affects everyone differently and a large portion of people who are infected by it are asymptomatic. This means we could have the virus and give it to many other people even if we never have a cough, fever, etc. I value other people’s lives, safety and well-being and do not want to get others sick. Even more than that, the thought that scares me most — I do not want to kill anyone. I cannot stand the idea of me getting the virus, giving it to someone else, say an elderly person in poor health, and that person dying. I know this is extremely unlikely, but it is not impossible and I doubt I would ever be able to get over it if I was the cause of someone’s death.

• I don’t want to get sick. I hate being sick. Being sick sucks. If you like getting and staying sick, there is something legitimately wrong with you. I know that I am in good health and am very unlikely to die if I get Covid (though there is still a microscopic chance). But again, I hate being sick and would rather avoid it if it’s at all possible. When I’m sick, I feel like shit and can only think about getting better. If you think it makes me weak to wear a mask again and it seems like I’m afraid of getting sick, I’d ask you to stop and think for a second of the last time you got sick. I bet you felt weak. I bet you weren’t functioning at anywhere near 100% capacity. I bet you wished more than anything else that you could get better as quickly as possible. This is how I feel when I get sick. I remember the last time I got sick. In March of this year, I had a cough and a fever for a few days and felt like death. It wasn’t corona, I got tested and it came back negative. I had to take my first sick day from work — ever — and I hated it. I hated having to ask my school to scramble to find a sub for my class. I hated letting someone else teach my class. I hated how far behind the class was when I got back to school. I hated every second of being sick. I know that getting sick is a part of life and it’s bound to happen again at various points in my life. I also know that wearing a mask will help prevent me from getting sick right now when Covid rates are skyrocketing from the Delta variant. If the simple act of wearing a mask again can help prevent (I know it’s not foolproof) me from getting sick, then you can be damn sure that I’m going to wear one in public.

• I want to set a good example for others. I know that my wearing a mask will most likely not change anyone else’s decision of whether to wear one or not, but that’s not important. What is important is me setting a good example, being a role model for my kids (students), my friends (a good number of whom are strong conservatives and are vehemently against masks), my family (also mostly strong conservatives), and even random strangers (such as the people who get in my car for Uber rides). Perhaps by my wearing a mask, I can make an impact in the lives of others. Perhaps by my putting a cloth covering with elastic straps around my ears for a few hours at a time when I am out in public, others will be more likely to reciprocate my actions and stay safe and healthy themselves. Perhaps by me performing this incredibly simple act, I can save a life, and others in turn can save countless lives.

I know this might sound like hyperbole or abstract nonsense, but the fact of the matter is this, there is no single more important thing I can do right now to fight this pandemic than wearing a mask (I have been vaccinated for months).  I hate how little power I as an individual have in fighting something so big. I usually like to believe that I can take down any opponent I face. I’m a big strong man who loves competition. This virus is a rival I can’t beat, but you can be damn sure I’m not going to let it beat me.

Call me a sheep if you want. I love it. As a Chrisitian, I consider myself to be a sheep. To understand why I say this, I ask you to read Psalm 23. You’ve probably read or heard it many times in your life even if you’re not a Christian (it’s one of the most famous Psalms/chapters in the Bible), but I’d ask you to reread it again from the perspective of a sheep. “The Lord is my shepherd,” (Psalm 23:1 NKJV). I believe in God and I believe He will take care of me. I believe when I die (not if), I will go to Heaven. I also believe that I have a lot of work to do on Earth before that happens, work that God has called me to do, and there is no reason to put myself or others at risk by not wearing a mask in the midst of a worsening pandemic. 

Before you get mad at me for asking you to consider wearing a mask again, I ask that you sit down and have a good think about it like I did. Think about why you feel the way that you do about masks. Do you actually find it to be such an imposition that you would put others’ lives at risk by choosing not to wear one? Or are you sticking to your guns for the sake of sticking to your guns? By this, I mean, are you so against masks because you hate being told what to do? I bet if you stop and think about the risk you’re putting yourselves and others in by not wearing one, you might not be so steadfast. 

***

PS- If you see me not wearing a mask when I’m outdoors, that’s because all the data that I’ve seen suggests it’s very unlikely the virus will spread when you’re outside, unless you’re in an incredibly crowded area. 

Remembering Jon Wallace

In just two conversations, Jon Wallace made an indelible impact on my life.

When I heard of his passing earlier today, I thought back to those two interviews — both of which felt much more like him interviewing me. In the first, he broke the tension by making fun of me, a rookie reporter interviewing the most important man on campus.

“So I’ve read some of your articles,” he said. “It looks like you cover mostly sports. They sent the sports guy to interview me, huh?”

“Yes, sir. I do write mostly sports stories. But I also cover hard news and politics and I-”

“Can’t take a joke?” he laughed.

I laughed too, realizing I had just been roasted by the president of my university. The interview quickly improved as I turned to my list of questions for our special issue on politics. Jon responded enthusiastically, encouraging students to engage politically, especially at a local level.

Jon wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He wrote former President Trump, condemning an executive order banning immigrants from several countries in the Middle East.

“Many in our diverse communities come to our campuses on the shoulders of immigrants. Indeed, we all share pages in that American heritage of welcoming the vulnerable, extending hospitality, and inviting participation in the great experiment of these United States … Scripture calls us to care for the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the refugee. It also urges us that we work with respect for the authorities of our nation with fidelity to our Christian identity. We contend that every person bears the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”

Unlike the president he wrote, Wallace advised others to treat each other with respect and to speak life. 

“Students need to express their voice and encourage conversation with their friends around issues that matter,” he said.

In the years that followed, Azusa Pacific students would take up this mantle, leading the charge for change on campus. The university became more inclusive as voices that had shouted to empty ears for so long were finally heard.

Through this, Jon battled cancer, a recurrence. At the end of my sophomore year, he announced his decision to retire in a morning chapel.

Thousands of APU students and alumni felt the shock of the announcement. Jon had led APU for the better part of two decades and was as enthusiastic as ever whenever you bumped into him on campus. He still loved talking with students and meeting new friends around Cougar walk, but after much discussion and contemplation with his wife of five decades and his family, Jon knew the time was right.

…

When I asked my former editor-in-chief Sharon Lee if I could take the J. Dubs story as a freshman, I was terrified. I had never talked to a president before, even if he just oversaw the operations of a midsize Chrisitian university. I was a sports guy, but I knew I wanted to be more.

I remember waking up that morning and chugging two cups of coffee because I wanted to be sure I didn’t look tired in front of the president. Then I got super jittery and started worrying that I wouldn’t be able to sit still for the thirty minute interview. I decided to review my questions to make sure I was prepared, but that led to me worrying that I wouldn’t have time to ask all my questions.

By the time I walked into his office, I was honestly so relieved to hear that he had even read any of my work, I forgot all of my other concerns. Jon had that effect on people. He knew that as a leader, it helps to live like a servant, to not be bigger than anyone else in the room. 

When I heard he was retiring, I knew I wanted the chance to speak with him again. This time, I was accompanied by my friend Brandon Rodriguez, the newspaper’s sports editor at the time. 

Jon welcomed us into his office and proceeded to roast me for a second time in two interviews. As he and Brandon laughed at me, I began contemplating angles to take for the story. At that point, it was the biggest story of my career. 

How do you capture someone’s legacy? 

Is it the impact they had on an institution? Is it in the memory of the family they are blessed to call their own? Or is it in the advice dispensed from one generation to the next?

That day Jon told me something that had taken his whole life to truly learn. He had worked at the university for the better part of a century in a variety of areas, including as a custodian, in the cafeteria, for campus security, the bookstore, and the print shop. Many career changes led Jon to the position of dean of students, and eventually the presidency.

“I stayed in Azusa because I was continuously chosen,” Wallace said. “When you’re chosen it means that someone believes in you enough to let you fail.”

This stayed with me as I experienced the truth of his words firsthand. Just months later, I was chosen to lead the news staff, something that I would fail at time and time again. 

Some articles were published prematurely, before they had gone through the whole editing process, making us look sloppy. Sometimes my reporters would enrage big people on campus with their stories and I would take the heat for it. Sometimes I would fall asleep on my keyboard while editing articles because I was working four jobs and taking 18 units. 

Each failure was demoralizing. Each failure was bearable.

I knew my faculty advisor still believed in me. I knew my staff wasn’t going to give up on me. I knew this because of what Jon told me. 

“When you’re chosen it means that someone believes in you enough to let you fail.”

I bet Jon failed a lot too. But that didn’t stop him from making an ineffable impression on thousands of students during his 18 years as president of APU. That didn’t stop him from leading each Candela in the fall and speaking at Chapel each spring. That didn’t stop a custodian from climbing the totem pole to the top.

Talking to Jon was like talking to an old friend. He embodied true servant leadership, a feat that most are unable to achieve. You didn’t work beneath him, you worked alongside him. 

In the interview, Jon talked a lot about his faith, including his life verse Galatians 2:20, “. . . and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

It is easy to be lost in sorrow today, but part of me is smiling at the thought of Jon being up there, making bread and greeting others with his trademark salutation.

Shalom, Jon, go with God.

APU students make an impact, working for biotech leaders developing COVID-19 drugs

This article was originally published on APU.edu.

When David Dyer, Ph.D., became the executive director and professor of the newly designed M.S. in Biotechnology program at Azusa Pacific University, he may not have anticipated the significant work his students and graduates would be doing just three years later when COVID-19 struck. Dyer, a researcher and industry consultant for drug development and testing, led the nation’s first multi-campus biotech graduate program for California State University before launching APU’s Master of Science in Biotechnology in 2017. With a focus on training California’s growing high-tech workforce, APU’s program, housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, helps numerous students land prestigious internships and jobs at major companies in the industry.

One of these biotech leaders, Gilead Sciences, located in San Dimas, has developed a promising medicine for the coronavirus called Remdesivir. “Gilead is a highly ethical pharmaceutical company that does things the right way,” Dyer said. Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day pledged to donate 1.5 million doses of Remdesivir to those afflicted with COVID-19. This will enable up to 140,000 patients to receive the potentially life-saving medicine.

Keep Reading: The Benefit of Hands-On Experience in Biotechnology Graduate Programs

Graduate student Najeh Salamah, M.S. ’20, interns at Gilead, where he has logged more than 900 hours so far working on a data integrity project. He is happy to work for a company striving to find a solution to the pandemic. “The manufacturing department is working around the clock with a huge demand and need for Remdesivir, the experimental drug to treat COVID-19,” Salamah said. “Medicines help diagnose and cure illnesses, which enable us to live a safer and better life. Because of continuous mutations of viruses, we need to have tangible technological advancements in order to keep up with epidemics and pandemics. The coronavirus exemplifies this acute need.”

Several APU biotechnology students work at Grifols, another industry leader. Grifols is currently working on a medicine called Anti-Coronavirus Hyperimmune Globulin, made from the plasma of COVID-19 survivors. The drug contains the antibodies of patients who beat the coronavirus and may help others fight the virus if they become infected. Graduate student Helke Criado, M.S. ’20, interned at Grifols for seven months before securing a full-time position. Prior to Grifols, Criado worked as a clinical laboratory scientist for six years, but chose to make a change. “I decided to transition to the biotech field and found APU’s program. It was the best move I’ve made in my career,” she said.

Keep Reading: California’s Biotech Industry Boom and What It Could Mean for You

Criado selected APU because of the program’s success with placing students and graduates in jobs. According to Dyer, the biotechnology industry experiences up to a 40-50 percent employee attrition rate in new hires. “It’s expensive for businesses to hire and train new people. If they move on within a year or so, the enterprise loses that investment,” he said. “At APU, we also focus on the business side of biotechnology, including project management and regulatory affairs. This way, our students are more prepared and well-rounded and companies don’t have nearly as much turnover. Our industry partners love our students.”

According to Dyer, 92 percent of APU’s biotech students get hired immediately after graduation. Many students, like Criado, are hired at the companies where they intern. He believes that Gilead, Grifols, and other pharmaceutical companies also choose APU students because of their strong moral character. Biotechnology professionals often face ethical situations in the development of new drugs and treatments.

“Gilead and other leading industry partners are interested in partnering with APU to create groundbreaking ethical training for the entire industry,” Dyer said.

Passing the Baton: Reflecting on my time at ZU News

This article was originally published in ZU News.

Unlike a lot of college students, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I arrived at Azusa Pacific my freshman year. I had worked for my high school newspaper, Hoofprints, all four years and I was excited to demonstrate my skills for APU’s newspaper, The Clause. 

I met the editor-in-chief at the time, Regina Ender, and she gave me the opportunity to start writing as a freshman. I remember how shocked she was, as was the rest of the editorial staff, that I volunteered to take two stories my first week as a staff writer. 

No one took more than one story a week—for good reason. Stories take a lot of time and effort to write, and busy college students don’t have an abundance of either to spare for extra stories. Fortunately, I was a freshman without a job, so I was able to handle those stories and many more in the weeks that followed.

Although I was only a freshman, I made great friends with many upperclassmen in the journalism department. My sports editor, Brandon Rodriguez, showed me the ropes of covering collegiate sports. My news editor, Erika Hunt, showed me the details to look for when covering newsworthy events. My opinion editor, Sharon Lee, showed me how to integrate my opinions in a well-thought argument. And my lifestyle editor, Jamie Roebuck-Joseph, taught me what to include and not include in great reviews.

The Clause Staff in spring 2017. Photo courtesy of Nathan Foster.

After 16 stories and a lot of real world learning, I was hired on as the opinion editor during my second semester freshman year. Although op-eds were never my cup of tea, I tried to make the section as intriguing and informative as possible. I have a lot of fond memories from freshman year, including staying up until 3 a.m almost every Monday night to put the newspaper together, among other things.

I moved to serving as the news editor during my sophomore year and helped student media transition from four separate outlets to one convergent organization, ZU Media. The Clause became ZU News and we went from releasing stories days after an event happened to just hours after. Our office also thankfully moved from a tiny, sweltering room where Starbucks is now located on East Campus to the back of Darling. We grew in numbers and the quality of content we produced grew in turn.

Then I left for a semester in New York City, where I interned at Newsweek, and learned from professional journalists in the capital of journalism. It was an amazing experience and I returned to APU with lots of ideas for how to improve ZU News.

However, when I got back, many things had changed. We had moved into the new Convergent Media Center; our stories had garnered national attention in the fall; and the school was vastly different after all the handbook changes. Nonetheless, I was excited as I began my role as editor-in-chief, a position I had been dreaming of for years. 

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year and a half since then, let alone four years since college began. I watched as many students took the ZU Media workshop for the first time and improved their writing tremendously in just months. We increased our output, story quality, and production pace dramatically. Then we did it again last fall and again this spring. 

Then COVID-19 struck and everything changed. We were sent home and I, along with countless other seniors, saw our dream ending of our collegiate career disappear. While it was an abrupt transition, my staff and all the students in the workshop picked up right where we left off. It’s a bummer constantly reporting bad news about the coronavirus, but I am extremely proud of all my writers and how they responded to the situation.

This is not the ending I anticipated, not at all. However, I am eternally grateful for all the memories from my time at ZU News. I’ve written more than 100 stories, interviewed hundreds of students and faculty, made many lifelong friends, and helped create a brand that will keep growing long after I’m gone. 

The newspaper is quite different than when I first started writing for it four years ago, as is APU itself. I’ve watched as countless friends graduated and moved on into the real world. Now, it’s my time to do the same. 

Before I go, there are some people I’d like to thank.

First, Kent Walls, assistant professor of journalism and lead advisor of integrated student media, thank you for inspiring me to pursue my dreams and for pushing me out of my comfort zone in Digital News Gathering. You gave me the opportunity to work for ZU News and have set a fantastic example to follow. Thank you for being the best role model I could ask for.

Second, Regina Ender, Sharon Lee and Jamie Roebuck-Joseph, thank you for showing me what a great editor-in-chief looks like. I owe so much of my growth and editing skills to you. The Clause/ZU News was your baby before it was mine and I tried to take good care of it before passing it along to the incoming EIC. 

Third, Brandon Rodriguez, thank you for demonstrating an unparalleled work ethic and dedication to your job. I would not be the sports journalist I am today without learning from you. I worked three jobs and more than 50 hours a week for most of the past year and I still think I slept more than you. 

Fourth, Jessica Sherer, Ismael Medel, Allison Oster, Courtney Davis and my other journalism/PR faculty, I learned so much in all of your classes. I was never a great student in high school because most of the subjects didn’t interest me, but I loved going to all of your classes and I know I’ll continue to use what I’ve learned from you in my career.

Finally, to my staff, thank you all. I could not have done it without your help. You guys don’t make my job easy all the time, but you make it a lot more enjoyable. Anna Savchenko, you are the best writer I know and I love how much you care about helping your writers improve. APU is lucky to have you for another year. Brenda Covarrubias, you’re the only person I’ve met at APU who writes as much as me. I definitely thought you were going to break my record of the most stories—and I would have been proud if you did. You’ve done so much for ZU News in the past two years alone. I wish you would have been on staff earlier. Jasmine Campos, you write killer op-eds. You never cease to amaze me with your political opinions and your ability to defend them. You’re going to be a great EIC someday. Brendan Fretwell and Jordan Green, you guys literally anchored the sports section for over a year. I always had fun talking sports with you and I’m excited to keep up with your stories. Ruby McAuliffe, you were a fantastic copy editor, and I know you’re going to be an even better EIC. Just don’t play too much Taylor on production nights. Joelene Milan, I’m glad that you told me about your interest in being an editor that one day at Mexicali, we were lucky to have you. Charissa Enns, you brightened every one’s day with your smile and personality. I’m so happy you got to go to New York too. 

I’m excited to keep up with ZU News stories in the future. I know it’s in good hands.

ZU Magazine: Fragility

This article was originally published in ZU Magazine.

As each day of quarantine passes, hundreds of millions of Americans around the country are stuck in their homes asking the same question: how did we get here? 

The United States prides itself as being one of the best, if not the best, countries in the world. We have remained at the top of the world’s economy since 1871, and our GDP makes up almost a quarter of the global economy. Yet, in just two months, the economy crumbled as nearly every day for weeks brought about record losses. The Dow Jones fell from an all-time high of $29,551.42 on Feb. 12 to $18,591.93, the lowest it’s been since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. It has since climbed back up a fair amount, but many economists are skeptical of how long it will take to readjust.

The U.S. is also considered the cultural epicenter of the world. Hollywood produces countless big-name movies and shows every year. It’s closest competitor is Bollywood, which produces far more movies, albeit with far fewer profits and cultural acclaim. The top music artists, for the most part, also reside in L.A., or elsewhere across the U.S. 

However, even celebrities are not impervious to the effects of the coronavirus. All of the major movie theater chains across the country have closed, as the closure of thousands of box offices cost Hollywood millions of dollars in losses. Broadway, home to the most prestigious plays and musicals in the world, has shut down indefinitely as actors struggle to make ends meet. Even musicians, both small and large, have been affected since they are unable to perform in concert. Countless concerts and festivals have been canceled or postponed. According to John Ochoa of Grammy.com, “the financial fallout is virtually immeasurable at this point.”

America’s other biggest form of entertainment, sports, has also suffered massively during this time. For sports fans across the country, the calendar year revolves around the four seasons of basketball, baseball, football and hockey. Minor sports, such as tennis or soccer, have their place too, but the big four produce more than $34 billion per year.

Then, one-by-one, all the major sports leagues shut down. The NBA postponed the rest of their season, some 259 regular-season games and the playoffs. MLB canceled the rest of spring training and postponed the beginning of the season indefinitely. The NHL postponed the rest of their season which was nearing its end, and star players don’t think it’ll resume. Although football season doesn’t start again until August, NFL teams are suffering and the second biggest event in football, the draft, was moved to a virtual format. Many experts don’t think sports will start again for a long time, and when they do, they may be in front of empty audiences.

All of these institutions seemed rock solid at the beginning of 2020. The economy was at an all-time high yet now it may be in a bear market. Prominent national cultural events, from basketball games to Coachella, were scheduled to proceed as normal, yet are now postponed indefinitely or canceled. In mere weeks, the U.S. went from the superpower of the world to the country most affected by COVID-19.

However, like all things, the coronavirus too shall pass. When it eventually does, hopefully sooner than later, the U.S. will rebuild itself. Herein lies a silver lining. While the U.S. seemed unsinkable, much like the Titanic, it was rather fragile underneath the surface. Recovering from the coronavirus may take years, but it allows us to take a deep look at how we can improve our systems for the future.

On a personal level, individuals have the opportunity to examine their lifestyle. Maybe they didn’t have nearly as much money saved up as they thought. Maybe they only had enough toilet paper to last a few weeks. Maybe they spend too much money on things like coffee every morning and drinks every night. While it is different for each person, people will certainly need to examine their lifestyle and what changes they need to implement. Individuals will also have the opportunity to make a fortune on stocks as the market rebounds.

On a business level, employers have the opportunity to create a more solid infrastructure. So far, nearly 17 million people have filed for unemployment. While businesses could not have anticipated the impact of COVID-19, they could have had a more stable model that allowed them to retain their employees for at least a few weeks or months. It may not be feasible for every business to do so, but those who make a significant profit can set aside money for an emergency fund should another pandemic or catastrophe destroy the economy again.

On a cultural level, celebrities and organizations can change the way they operate to ensure they have stronger foundations. Musicians might consider a trade-off of cheaper tickets to attract more fans. Theaters might offer special screenings to attract millions of Americans away from Netflix and other streaming services. Sports leagues may shrink their schedule to reduce the risk of their seasons being impacted. Cities may reorganize themselves to be more environmentally friendly.

Pandemics, by nature, are unpredictable. The last major pandemic (on a similar scale) happened more than 100 years ago, when the Spanish Flu swept across the world, claiming more than 50 million lives. The next one may happen in a matter of years or a matter of centuries. We cannot control that. What we can control is how we prepare for it. The response to COVID-19 has been almost purely reactive. If we are proactive in how we approach it, the next pandemic might not have nearly as harsh of an impact on the country.

Best of the decade: The 2010s

This article originally appeared in ZU News.

While some may accuse me of recency bias for saying the 2010s held some of the greatest sports moments ever, the 2010s truly did house a number of the best spectacles American sports fans have ever seen.

It is incredibly hard to pick just one moment from the big four leagues, and since we already wrote about the best NBA Finals and World Series ever, I’m going to choose two other moments for the NBA and MLB.

Here are the best sports moments of the 2010s:

MLB: MadBum is not human (2014)

As a die hard San Francisco Giants fan, this is a biased selection (though I also could have chosen when the Los Angeles Dodgers lost the World Series in 2017, or 2018). However, any baseball enthusiast could tell you that Madison Bumgarner’s postseason performance in 2014 was unparalleled. He did what Barry Bonds could not do in the 2002 World Series — carry his team to victory.

Let’s start off by looking at the stats. During the 2014 postseason, Bumgarner pitched a record-breaking 52.2 innings with a 1.03 ERA. This included a complete game shutout in the wild card round over the Pittsburgh Pirates and three quality starts where he only allowed five earned runs and struck out 18 batters in the NLDS and NLCS. But it was his performance during the 2014 fall classic against the Kansas City Royals that truly made Bumgarner “Mr. October.”

Bumgarner started Game 1, tossing seven innings and allowing just one run on three hits and a walk while fanning five. The Giants claimed victory 7-1 and held a 1-0 series lead. Then the Giants dropped Game 2, 7-2, and Game 3, 3-2, before drawing the series even at 2-2 with a 11-4 win in Game 4. Bumgarner started his second contest in Game 5, dominating the Royals with a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits while striking out eight. The Giants grabbed a 3-2 series lead, but the Royals crushed San Francisco 11-0 in Game 6, bringing it to a winner-take-all Game 7.

Both starters struggled early, as Tim Hudson only made it 1.2 innings after allowing two runs for the Giants, and Jeremy Guthrie was pulled after allowing three runs in 3.1 innings for the Royals. Jeremey Affeldt pitched 2.1 innings of shutout ball for the Giants, and that’s when the world’s eyes turned to the 6’4” southpaw coming out of the bullpen. 

On just three days of rest after already pitching 16 innings in the series, Bumgarner was coming in. 

It didn’t start out well, as he allowed a single and a sacrifice bunt, leaving a runner-in-scoring-position with no outs. But Bumgarner rallied, getting 13 straight outs before allowing a single which turned into a triple thanks to an error by Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco. With two outs and a man on third, Bumgarner went to work trying to get the final out of the World Series against Salvador Perez. Perez popped up a pitch in foul territory and Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval caught it, ending the series. 

No pitcher has ever had a postseason performance like Bumgarner did in 2014. The Chicago Cubs World Series victory in 2016 was perhaps the biggest moment of the decade, but MadBum’s heroics were more memorable.

NFL: Malcom Butler says goodnight to the Seahawks (2015)

It seems like the New England Patriots own so many of the best moments in the NFL over the 2010s, and while their victory over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI was the better game, Malcolm Butler’s interception to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX was the better moment.

To give some context, the Seahawks were the best team in the NFL at the time. They had dominated the past two seasons, going a combined 25-7 in the regular season, and destroyed the Denver Broncos 43-8 in the previous Super Bowl. Seattle’s “legion of boom” was perhaps the best defense in the history of the NFL, allowing just 14.25 points and 239.6 yards per game. Led by the NFL’s best cornerback (at the time) Richard Sherman and Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas III, the Seahawks held one of the strongest secondary groups in league history.

However, down 28-22 with less than a minute remaining, the Seahawks were counting on their offense to win the game. Though he’s surely a Hall of Famer now, quarterback Russell Wilson was still young and inexperienced then. But Wilson had ice in his veins, as he completed three passes for 75 yards to get the Seahawks to New England’s five-yard-line with just over a minute remaining. Star running back Marshawn Lynch, also known as “Beast Mode,” charged up the middle on the next play to the one-yard-line. 

The whole world expected Lynch to finish the job on the next play, but head coach Pete Caroll decided to throw the ball (resulting in countless memes), and Wilson was picked off by Butler in the end zone, sealing the victory for New England. It was their first Super Bowl victory in a decade, and they would add two more titles in the next five years, while the Seahawks haven’t even been back to the NFC Championship since then.

NBA: Ray Allen saves Heat on last second three (2013)

Steph Curry’s dominance over the past five years from beyond the arc may make fans forget that he wasn’t always the three-point king. Ray Allen was the original, and still holds a fair amount of records (that Curry will likely break), but none of his triples were more significant than his game saving three-pointer against the San Antonio Spurs in 2013. 

It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals and the Miami Heat were down 3-2 against the Spurs. The Spurs held onto a 10-point lead, 75-65, entering the fourth quarter and did everything they could to shut down the best player in the game, LeBron James. The Spurs were somewhat successful in this, holding James to 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but even they could not contain him forever. 

James rallied the Heat and their defict was at three with under 20 seconds remaining. However, James’ three point attempt in the closing seconds was too strong, but Chris Bosch grabbed the rebound and slung it to Allen in the corner who drilled the three with five seconds remaining, tying the game at 95-95. The Heat would go on to win it in overtime, 103-100, and win the Finals in Game 7 by a score of 95-88, and giving Miami their second consecutive championship.

NHL: Patrick Kane ends Blackhawks title drought (2010)

So what if this happened in the opening year of the decade? It was still a part of the 2010s. I was tempted to go with the Las Vegas Knights’ spectacular inaugural season, or with the St. Louis Blues’ first title in 2019, but this was the best moment of the decade. 

The Chicago Blackhawks hadn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1961, a drought only trumped by the Cubs 108-year stretch between winning the World Series, at least in Chicago fans’ eyes. The Blackhawks put together a strong 2009-10 season, going 52-22-8 during the regular season, winning the Central Division and securing the second seed in the Western Conference. Then Chicago took out the Nashville Predators in the quarterfinals (4-2), then the Vancouver Canucks in the semifinals (4-2), and swept the San Jose Sharks (4-0) in the Western Conference Finals.

The Blackhawks squared off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final. The Flyers weren’t as strong of a squad, but they still had a respectable 41-35-6 regular season record, before taking out the New Jersey Devils (4-1) in the quarterfinals, the Boston Bruins (4-3) in the semifinals—in which the Flyers came back from a 0-3 series deficit making them the third team in NHL history to do so—, and the Montreal Canadiens (4-1) in the Conference Finals. 

The Blackhawks claimed Game 1 (6-5) and Game 2 (2-1), but dropped Game 3 (4-3) and Game 4 (5-3). Chicago rallied for a 7-4 victory in Game 5, setting the stage to end the 49-year-drought in Game 6. The Blackhawks struck first, scoring on a goal from Dustin Byfuglien, but Philadelphia tied it up. 

In the second period, the Flyers grabbed the lead on a goal by Daniel Briere, but the Blackhawks tied it up and then grabbed the lead again on goals by Patrick Sharp and Andrew Ladd. The Flyers tied it up once more before the end of regulation. 

Then, in overtime, winger Patrick Kane took a short angle shot and started celebrating. Kane was the only one cheering at first, since the puck got lost and no one knew if it was a goal, but then the entire team joined him when it was confirmed. Kane brought Chicago it’s first Stanley Cup in nearly half a century, and helped them win it again just two years later and again in 2015 making the Blackhawks the NHL dynasty of the 2010s.