CIU Today Spring 2017

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Recent Alumni Honored by CIU
Each year, CIU identifies recent alumni for their distinguished accomplishments on the mission field, in the marketplace, or in
church ministry. These individuals, who have graduated within the last 12 years, also exemplify CIU’s five core values. You may
know at least one of them:
Nathan Aylestock (‘03/‘07)
Nathan graduated in 2007 with a
bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry
and a master’s degree with a focus on
education and counseling. He teaches
Bible at Westminster Catawba Christian
School in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
“There are times when it’s hard, but
there are so many beautiful times I just
know I’m at the center of His will. I get to
spend every day teaching God’s word,
and it is so good and so fun.”
Frew Tamrat (‘13)
Frew graduated in 2013 with his Ph.D.,
and today serves as the vice president
for academic affairs at Evangelical
Theological College in Ethiopia.
“Like the apostle Paul who passed on
to his spiritual son Timothy what he
received from the Lord, I feel honored by
being able to pass on what the Lord has
entrusted to me to the next generation
and see its fruit in my lifetime.”
Sarah Bedi
(‘07/‘09)
Sarah graduated
in 2009 with a
Master of Divinity
degree. She lives in
Stockholm, Sweden,
where she ministers
to unreached
people groups and immigrants, while
working with local churches to train leaders
for new church plants.
“I am absolutely convinced that this
is where God desires to use me. It is
amazing to be part of a bigger vision:
Seeing the Swedes engage in finishing
the Great Commission.”
Dawn Baker (‘05)
Dawn graduated in 2005 with a
bachelor’s degree in Communication.
She teaches second to fifth graders who
are deaf or have hearing difficulties at
Mary McArthur Elementary School in
Fayetteville, North Carolina.
“It is very exciting to have kids come
to my class with a huge deficit in their
receptive and expressive language
skills, leave my class ready for regular
education classes either with some
support or completely independent, and
a new confidence in who they are and
who they were created to be.”
Vanessa Torres (‘06)
Vanessa graduated in 2006 with a Master
of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign
Language (TEFL). She teaches Spanish
at Nursery Road Elementary School
in Columbia, South Carolina, and is a
2017 Milken Educator Award recipient,
honoring top educators around the
country (see page 8).
“I want to give my students a love for the
language and the culture. The love of
God is a heart for all cultures. We need
to love the people that are here with us,
and learn to appreciate the diversity they
bring to us.”
Ryan Jorgenson (‘10)
Ryan graduated in
2010 with a Master of
Divinity degree. He is
the founder and senior
pastor of Harvest Bible
Chapel (HBC) Des
Moines and the director
of Harvest Apologetics
Training Center.
“I am dead center in God’s will for my
life, planting and pastoring HBC Des
Moines. I love to know that and to see
the Spirit set people free through the
gospel.”
Other distinguished recent alumni will be featured throughout the year in the Alumni E-news and on the alumni website at
Is there someone you would like to nominate? Contact the Alumni Office at (803) 807-5500 or
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CIU Today Spring 2017