Each year at Homecoming, NNU honors alumni for their accomplishments and service since graduation. This year, four individuals will be recognized on Friday, November 8 at 10 a.m. during chapel in the Brandt Center’s Swayne Auditorium.

Alumnus of the Year
Patrick Gray graduated from NNU in 1997...

On October 11, Cynthia Ulrich Tobias will be leading a seminar based on her best-selling book, You Can’t Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded). She will be sharing her own strategies for bringing out the best in strong-willed children, and give parents, grandparents and teachers clear insight on how to...

By Patrick Gray, Class of 1997 and 1999

Life is full of lessons big and small. Everywhere I turn, there are opportunities to learn something new about others, about myself, about God. These lessons can be found through time spent with my kids, quiet evenings with my wife or conversations with...

This fall, I began my tenth year working in higher education. When I graduated from NNU, I had no idea that I would find a passion in higher education, but here I am, and I love what I do! My first three years were at one of our sister Nazarene schools, Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville,...

By Courtney Ritchey, Class of 2022

After spending time across the country and researching in the neotropical region of the world, NNU biology alum David Hille (’03) returned to NNU earlier this year to become an assistant professor in the biology department.

While majoring in biology as a...

Kenton Lee (’07) is the founder of Because International, a non-profit organization formed in 2009 committed to leveraging innovation to develop projects to improve daily life for people living in extreme poverty. Their first project, which was created by Lee, is The Shoe That Grows, a shoe that...

Dorothy Ackerman graduated from the Department of Chemistry in 2013. Since then she completed the organic chemistry doctoral program at Vanderbilt University and her research was published in and featured on the cover of ACS Infectious Diseases journal.

Q. What do you hope you accomplished...

This April, NNU alumnus Dr. Jeren Rowell (’83) was elected as the 11th president of Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS). This election followed a comprehensive search process that began in July. Dr. Rowell was approved by the trustees of NTS on October 12, 2017.

“In his forty years as a pastor...

by Maxwell Moser, Class of 2014

The sun is hot and stifling, beating down like a heavy rain. If only it were rain; I’ve never seen a place so dry. We’re tumbling through a sea of dust and jagged rock—what Mohammud refers to, jokingly, as a road—and slow to a halt as the Land Cruiser in front of...

Northwest Nazarene University alumna Geraldyne “Geri” Shaw celebrates her 100th birthday on Wednesday. She was born on October 5, 1917 in International Falls, Minnesota. Later, she and her family moved to Meridian, Idaho where she enrolled at NNC in 1938.

On campus, Geri roomed with her best friend...

by Amanda Marble (’01) and Zach Marble (’04)

It is difficult to think of one’s college experience and not remember time spent in the campus dining hall, which we fondly referred to as “The Dex” during our college years. Others may remember it as Saga, The Rot, or other such endearing names. But...

Erick Gutierrez, NNU class of 2014, majored in graphic design with a minor in marketing. Currently he is combining his skill sets in his role as marketing communication coordinator for the Treasure Valley Family YMCA where he designs, organizes, and runs digital campaigns.

Q. Erick, what does your...

Mikayla (Michaelson) Keating graduated from the Department of Art & Graphic Design in December 2015. Since then she has gone on to a career at Decorist, an innovative online interior design company that specializes in affordability of design.

Q. Mikayla, will you tell us about what you do at...

Matt Larson, 2012 alumnus of the Department of Art & Graphic Design, talks about his work as a designer for Seattle-based Brooks Running Co. and how his NNU education helped prepare him for success.

Q. Hey Matt, would you tell me a little bit about yourself as an NNU student?
A. I was a student in...

Monday, August 8, a group of 220 NNU alumni gathered to watch the Seattle Mariners defeat the Detroit Tigers 3-0 at Safeco Field in Seattle.

"A great chance to reconnect with friends on a beautiful night," commented one alumnus from the 1970's. Included in the group of 200 were several alumni that...

The Payette River rushes below. Sunshine pours onto the valley floor. The aroma of pine trees and grilled burgers tarries. Whether you want a savory meal with an incredible riverside view or a quick snack for the road, Banks Store and Cafe is worth the stop. NNU alumni Mike and Stephanie Hammer have...

by Carly Gilmore, class of 2017

Author, speaker, musician, actor, pilot, painter, photographer, videographer, cyclist, scuba diver, and mountain climber—NNC alumnus Dr. Allen Johnson (’68) does not have a shortage of hobbies, nor is he hesitant about pursuing new ones. From his time at NNC to...

by Alex Reich, class of 2016

“People need healing through love and personal relationship,” says Joel Ryman (’09), public communication graduate and former NNU basketball player. His desire to satisfy this need has come to fruition through Hoops4Hope, a basketball academy for refugee youth and an...

by McCrea Nirider, class of 2016

A ripple effect occurs when a single event causes a pervasive and unexpected impact. Saying “yes” to attending NNU four years ago was like dropping a rock into a huge body of water, creating a ripple that continues to carry me farther than I could have imagined. NNU...

Attend gatherings for your academic discipline

Remember that college math professor who finally explained a complex problem in a way you could understand? How about those students who helped make your business classes so much fun? Connections made and relationships built at NNU are invaluable, and...

For the past five months, Jonathan Hawkins has found himself in the center of a professional basketball whirlwind.

Hawkins, who in March went from substitute teacher in Washington D.C. to helping Jurmala in the Latvian LBL league make history, headed to Gold Coast, Australia this fall to play...