Rachel Moffett ‘09 - Elementary Education major

Every Tuesday afternoon Rachel Moffett ‘09 boards a bus to work with inner-city youth at the Allison Hill Community Center in Harrisburg. After four years of helping with homework, cleaning, serving meals, and lending a shoulder to cry on, this elementary education alum bids farewell to the individuals that have helped shape her life, broaden her horizons, and strengthen her fortitude. Read the rest of this entry »

Quinn Dillon ‘11 - Business administration major with a concentration in leadership from Exeter, Maine

All things lead to Messiah College for the eclectic Quinn Dillon ‘11. A former potato picker, golf supply salesman, and farmer, the unabashed Quinn has accepted virtually any job that brought him closer to his educational and professional goals. Along the way, he has welcomed the hard work, and kept it fun.

This summer, as the newly named Rascal the River Monster - the official mascot of the Harrisburg Senators - Quinn, who is contagiously optimistic, will rally thousands of City Island fans in support of the minor league baseball team’s 70 homes games. Then he will return to the Grantham campus for a lower profile but equally rewarding job on Messiah’s maintenance crew. “I love hard work and using my hands,” said Quinn, a Provost Scholarship recipient and Eagle Scout. Read the rest of this entry »

Anthony Thomas ′06 - a Computer Science major from Kochi, Kerala, India

An admissions counselor’s uncompromising commitment to finding every available financial aid option helped a promising international student to become his true self - a servant, ministry leader, and mentor.

“I really needed financial aid and was ready to give up,” said Anthony Thomas ‘06. “[Admissions counselor] James Hubbard must have seen what I didn’t see in myself. He talked to me for a long time and through a lot of digging made it possible for me to attend Messiah.” Read the rest of this entry »

Aaron Dahlstrom ‘03 - Engineering major from King of Prussia, PA

Aaron Dahlstrom came to Messiah from Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, PA. In search of a Christian college with an excellent engineering program, Messiah’s engineering faculty impressed Aaron with their approachability, vision, and creativity.

While at Messiah College, Aaron helped start a student organization that addressed the humanitarian hazards caused by landmines abandoned in conflict zones. His team created an educational minefield that sounded an airhorn when entrants triggered simulated mines. This project was then used as an educational tool with students at Messiah and with diplomats in Washington, D.C. Read the rest of this entry »

Well, another week of college has gone by. I took some tests, turned in some projects, and tried my best. Now that all my work is done, it is time for the weekend. Time to get ahead on some work and time to relax. But…this may not be the most relaxing weekend here at Messiah, because it is Homecoming weekend and we are celebrating 100 years! I am still amazed at the amount of activities planned for this big event. I don’t think anyone could possibly be bored! There are athletic events, plays, reunions, festivities, speakers, comedians, etc. This campus couldn’t be any busier, people are everywhere. Read the rest of this entry »

This semester I am taking my Bible general education class. Considering this is a class most Messiah students take as a freshman, I was pleasantly surprised to walk into class on the first day and see a number of upperclassmen including two girls from my First Year Seminar. After being in the class for four weeks, our first test is on next Tuesday. Having your first test or paper in any class is always hard. You never really know what to expect. How harshly is the teacher going to grade it, what does he/she see as most important in assessment, what type of questions are they going to ask and in what amount of detail etc. etc. Read the rest of this entry »

Todd Holtzman ‘08 - Accounting and Politics double major from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Todd Holtzman ‘08 is a natural leader both on-and-off camera - a skill he may find helpful someday if he continues with plans to run for public office.

As a student spokesperson assigned to media relations for the Compassion Forum - an internationally televised conversation among faith leaders and leading democratic presidential candidates (the republican candidate declined the invitation) hosted by Messiah College in April 2008. As student spokesperson, Todd expertly fielded media inquiries regarding Messiah’s role as a “small Christian college in rural Pennsylvania,” instead, turning reporter’s attention to why the College was chosen as the host site for the unprecedented event. Read the rest of this entry »

Kevin Driver ‘03 - Biochemistry and Philosophy double major, currently a resident in Internal Medicine at Duke University Medical Center

In the spring of 2007, Messiah College Honors Program alum Kevin Driver received his medical degree from Columbia University’s highly regarded College of Physicians and Surgeons. Kevin grew up in suburban Philadelphia and came to Messiah from Christopher Dock Mennonite High School. He chose to attend Messiah largely because of the College Honors Program. “The honors program at Messiah,” he says, “was a place where I could feel comfortable but would still provide social, intellectual, personal and spiritual challenges as well as opportunities to grow.” Read the rest of this entry »

Delight Yokley ‘98 - History major currently employed Director of College Diversity and residence counselor at Kings College

Serious contemplation of vocation did not occur for Delight Yokley until her senior year of high school, when she decided to slacken her course load a little and take an easier level social studies class. The teacher realized that Delight was not being challenged and promoted her to an advanced placement course; Delight believes this “was a life-changing event.” Because of that teacher’s insight, Delight realized her passion for history, and by the time she entered Messiah as an incoming student, she adds, “I couldn’t think of being anything else but a history teacher.”

Although she appreciates her time in Grantham, Delight calls the year she spent off campus “the best year in her college experience.” During her senior year she took advantage of two off-campus study opportunities: a study abroad program with Daystar University in Nairobi and a semester at Temple University through MCPC (Messiah’s Philadelphia campus). Read the rest of this entry »

Anne-Marie Robinson ‘08 - English and Spanish double major from Roanoke, Virginia

Part of Anne-Marie’s hesitation about Messiah College stemmed from her preconceptions about what a small Christian college might be like—but those notions quickly vanished.

Life is what happens when you have other plans, or at least that’s how 17-year-old dance enthusiast Anne-Marie Robinson ‘08 saw it. Despite a dogged determination to attain a spot on a pre-eminent school’s dance team somewhere south of the Mason Dixon, the Roanoke native landed at Messiah College, a school without a credentialed dance team, in a state she never dreamed of living in, and, recalls a chuckling Anne-Marie, “against my will.” Read the rest of this entry »