A Salute to MBU Senior Educators
Educators for the Future
College is designed to be a time of growth, learning, and development. Specifically at MBU, teacher education is built to train effective leaders in the classroom and send them out to make a difference as educators
Commencement is a time to celebrate their accomplishments. But it is also a celebration of their purpose to develop more leaders in their own future classrooms. To celebrate the future ministry of our senior Education majors, we want to highlight their growth at MBU that foreshadows the impact they will have as educators for years to come.
Savanna Paruch
Originating from Colorado, Savanna came into college with a big heart ready to love and work with kids. As she worked through classes and fieldwork, Savanna began to see the impact that she could have on a child’s life and the significance of being a child’s teacher.
Through her extension church and her personal walk with God, Savanna learned that her God has a personal plan for her life. She saw His faithfulness and grace in each step of her life through His Word and the encouragement of fellow Christians that focused her mind on Christ. We celebrate Savanna going to not only teach 2nd and 3rd graders in northern Wisconsin, but to show them Jesus as well.
Alexis Plumer
Kansas City native Alexis Plumer entered Teacher Education at MBU with a burning passion to make a difference in the lives of her students. Her mindset toward education expanded as she began to see that different learning styles don’t inhibit a student from learning.
Alexis faced the years of college with many obstacles, but found Jesus to be a faithful friend that enabled her to persevere. The challenges ultimately made her a better educator. Again, it was her extension church that served as a foundation through the ups and downs of her college years. After Commencement, she will pursue multiple Master’s degrees in order to expand her platform to influence students.
Katlyn Cashner
Katlyn came into MBU excited to teach and ready to learn. She soaked up every ounce of her experience at Maranatha. Between choir, orchestra, society leadership, and dorm leadership, Katlyn plunged headfirst into leadership development. Along the way, God used unexpected trials, financial difficulty, and timely relationships to grow her dependence on Him and empathy towards her future students and parents.
Beneath it all, her extension church acted as her rock both emotionally and spiritually. Extension was the oasis that showed her the value of God’s family. Katelyn has been trained to be an educator in multiple facets for four years and as she moves past Commencement, we share her excitement as she steps into her K-4 classroom in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Gabrielle Carpenter
Education can be a fast and furious lifestyle for both the educators and students. Gabby is ready. She moves into her teaching career with a passion for students and science alike. Her four years at MBU have taught her to rest in God’s overwhelming peace and His plan for her life. She has learned to savor each moment – whether it be a win or loss on the volleyball court, or an overwhelming week of projects and deadlines.
Her dual-threat of being a student athlete and student teacher have broadened her perspective to see that everything truly is to the praise of His glory. So, as she transitions from college to teaching high school science and coaching volleyball in her home state of Michigan, Gabby is ready to do it with passion, perspective, and most importantly, compassion. “Love is your greatest weapon,” Gabby says. This is the heart of a Christ-centered leader moving into the classroom to change students’ lives in the lab, on the court, and with the Gospel.
Caleb Hudson
The best educators are learners. In fact, once you teach an idea, you begin to truly learn the concept. Senior Caleb Hudson has been transformed by a simple but powerful idea – you never stop learning. Whether through serving in his kids church program or alongside student-workers in the kitchen, Caleb has seen the beautiful art of possibility.
Even when faced with the problem of not being able to afford his education, Caleb saw God turn a seeming setback into a display of His grace and provision. He goes out from college as an educator that realizes that regardless of the context, difficulty is possibility — the possibility to learn and grow in Christ, in school, and in life. He sets out to teach high school math students in Indiana with a simple but powerful idea – you never stop learning.
Marisa Hassenplug
Hailing from Wisconsin, Marisa came into education with many wonderful ideas. As God led her through her four years, He continued to show her that “except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain.” Teacher education can be a powerful tool not just to grow your pedagogy, but your personal life as well.
For Marisa, part of that growth was meeting her husband while learning at MBU along with becoming a fan favorite in university plays. Her theatrical flair will be loved by her students as she transfers all of her knowledge and experience to her classroom in Florida. Marisa leaves her time at MBU as a well-rounded, firmly-grounded, and grace-bounded educator who is ecstatic to show her students Jesus through the various abilities He has granted and grown in her.
A Purpose Fulfilled
MBU’s mission for each of these seniors was to develop them into leaders for their local church and their classroom to the praise of His glory. We celebrate our seniors continuing that mission in the world to develop their own leaders each in their own classroom.