TRIANGLE IWU ALUMNI AND FRIENDS SHAPING A COMMUNITY THROUGH LEADERSHIP STRONG LEADERSHIP SINCE 1920 TO THE TRADITION FUELED BY PASSION 2015 HOMECOMING WRAP UP FNL FLASHBACK, RECEPTIONS AND REUNIONS John Maxwell inducted into A PUBLICATION OF INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WINTER 2015 Society of World Changers FALL 2015 VOLUME 96 NO. 1 Life Calling Experience ON THE The complete IWU Life Calling Experience helps you discover how your foundational COVER FEATURESTORIES values, unique design and personal leadership traits link together to shape your life calling. If you are undecided about your major or future career to pursue, or even if you have already chosen a major area of study, the StrengthsQuest© assessment can benefit To The Max you academically, professionally, relationally and socially. John Maxwell is inducted into 08 Society of World Changers FEATURING: Tradition Fueled The IWU community honors successful businessman and by Passion leadership expert John C. Maxwell Tom Sloan recounts as the 2015 World Changer. 12 his journey at IWU Here's how it works: Submit your Admissions application. Receive a StrengthsQuest© assessment code. Take the StrengthsQuest© assessment and learn your 5 top strengths. INSIDEIWU 04 News Briefs There is no cost or obligation. By simply applying to Indiana Wesleyan University, you're on your way to getting more value out of your college experience whether you 05 Wildcat Spotlight attend IWU or another great university. Homecoming 2015 IWU celebrates 16 95 years of community 22 News and Events 24 Athletics 27 Alumni News The magazine name, Triangle, represents the Leading through original configuration of the Marion College campus, Stewardship 31 Student Culture renamed Indiana Wesleyan Josh and Julia Fisher are University in 1988. passionate about giving back 18 INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | TRIANGLE | PRESIDENT Dr. David Wright '77 | CEO OF RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Keith Newman | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Janelle Vernon | PRODUCTION Jennifer DeBoy '12 | PHOTOGRAPHERS Jer Nelsen '09, Hannah Whelchel '16, Christy Miller '05 | DESIGNERS Kelly Moses '11 | Amy Tews '17 | Rachael Gouvan | WRITERS Ashley Foote '14, Alan Miller, Kyle Schmidt | The TRIANGLE (issn 10666893) is published three MICHAEL MATTI is a 2013 graduate of IWU and now works as an outdoor/adventure photographer based out of Seattle, Washington. times per year, free to alumni, by IWU. Second-class postage paid at Marion, Indiana, and additional cities. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Indiana Wesleyan University, 4201 S. Washington Street, Marion, Indiana 46953-4974. WEBSITE indwes.edu ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ..............IN A SNAPSHOT NEWS BRIEFS NEXUS FINANCIAL DISCIPLESHIP CENTER TO OPEN FALL 2016 The NEXUS Financial Discipleship Center is a discipleship ministry of Life- trained student coaches established to help students and the community with financial discipleship. The Center, Relationships established by the Ron Blue Institute Impacting for Financial Planning, is planning an official grand opening during Fall Semester 2016. Student coaches will be tasked with conducting one-on- one student coaching sessions, giving group presentations around campus and within the community, conducting research, and posting helpful tips for students to walk away with a renewed understanding of money and THIRD GENERATION CEO BEN CONNER REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY TO THE TOP NEW SONGWRITING MAJOR CROSSROADS ON WIWU- money management from a biblical EXPANDS ACADEMIC TV CELEBRATES 10TH perspective. PROGRAMS ANNIVERSARY en Conner, who graduated in coached three sports at Heritage Christian cared for students. IWU is one of only two institutions in A special 10th anniversary program 2006 with a bachelor’s degree and the IWU men’s tennis team. the Council for Christian Colleges and of WIWU-TV's Grant County in Finance and Management, is “I had some great professors and never Universities (CCCU) to offer a Bachelor newsmagazine "Crossroads" aired on having a very good year. “Mark had been my basketball coach since I regretted that I chose to attend IWU,” he said. of Arts in Music with an emphasis in Oct. 19. The program featured a look was in fifth grade and, during my sophomore Since Conner joined Conner Insurance, the Songwriting. The major blends the back at many highlights from over a In January, Conner became year, he took the men’s team to IWU to play a B firm has doubled in size, the number of disciplines of writing, literature and decade of stories focusing on local the third-generation president and CEO of scrimmage game with the IWU men’s team,” clients has quadrupled and the number of theology with the purpose of providing people and places. Indianapolis-based Conner Insurance. Four Conner said. “I had never seen the campus, advisors has tripled. The business has 30 students a safe place to practice months later, on April 11, he married Alyssa but I looked around and thought to myself, employees, and offers both personal and songwriting skills and receive critique of Schnitz. ‘This place is really nice.’ commercial property, and casualty insurance their efforts before trying to launch their IWU RANKS THIRD Conner began working at the family insurance “After that initial contact, Mark arranged for plus employee benefits. work into the marketplace. NATIONALLY FOR business a few weeks after graduation. me to return to campus to meet with the INCREASING LOW-INCOME basketball coach and the head of the Business At 31, Conner already is starting to share STUDENT ENROLLMENT “It was never an expectation that I would department. Terry Munday, who was the the lessons he has learned with others. He TRIANGLE SCHOLARSHIP join the company, but I always assumed it is vice president for Advancement, drove me is active in Edge mentoring, an affiliate of In a "Washington Monthly" article INCREASES ENROLLMENT what I would do,” he said. “I felt fortunate to around campus. I got the royal treatment.” Truth at Work, which pairs business leaders OPPORTUNITIES published in September, IWU ranked enjoy our family lifestyle when I was growing with recent college graduates. He currently third in the nation for institutions that TRIO PROGRAM RECEIVES up, and I always was impressed with the During his years at IWU, Conner served as has four graduates, two of them from IWU, A total of 125 students from Grant and have increased enrollment of low- $1.4 MILLION FIVE-YEAR the surrounding counties are attending relationships and friendships that my father the women’s basketball team manager, under in his mentoring group. income students between 2008 and GRANT had established through the business. Coach Steve Brooks. IWU’s residential campus this fall as a 2013. Rankings were based on each The U.S. Department of Education has result of the new Triangle Scholarship. university’s predicted Pell enrollment “But I still remember vividly my first day of “That was a great experience,” Conner continued funding under the Student The scholarship, ranging between rate –the percentage of students work, June 6, 2006, when I walked up those said. “Steve is a tremendous coach. He is a Support Services (SSS) Program called $2,000 and $4,500 annually, is awarded enrolled at a college who receive a steps, put my hand on the door and then perfectionist, who pays attention to details. TRiO. TRiO supports first-generation to students who are local, students of federal Pell Grant compared to the thought to myself, ‘Wow, I really hope I like That is why his teams are so good year after and low-income students, as well as color, first-generation college students, percentage who would be statistically this. It could really be tough if I do not.’” year.” or students who have a family expected expected to enroll. IWU exceeded its students with disabilities beginning contribution (EFC) under $10,001 as predicted Pell enrollment rate by 17.1 with their transition from high Conner credits the late Dr. Mark Richards Conner said he also appreciated Dr. Harriet calculated by the U.S. Department of percent. school and ending with their college ’77 with changing the course of his life. Rojas, chair of the Division of Business for Education from the FAFSA. graduation. The five-year grant, totals In addition to being a physician, Richards the way her entire staff encouraged and nearly $1.4 million. 4 WINTER 2015 TRIANGLE INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 5 The convocation featured the presentation of a life-sized church body in the areas of leadership and laity involvement, bust of Maxwell. The bust is permanently on display in the and ultimately saw the church grow from an average of 1,100 Jackson Library rotunda amongst 11 other busts depicting to 3,000 members. Then, in 1995, God called him to step people such as Frank Peretti, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Ben down as pastor and commit to working full time for INJOY. Carson, David Green and Elizabeth Dole. In 1997, the Michigan native moved INJOY’s headquarters The bust, however, is not the only item on campus that from San Diego to its current location of Atlanta, Georgia. "Life is bears the Maxwell name. The Maxwell Center, built in Eventually, INJOY became The INJOY Group made up of 1997, is named after Maxwell, his brother, Dr. Lawrence W. three different companies—The John Maxwell Company, Maxwell, and his father, Dr. Melvin Maxwell. The building The John Maxwell Team and EQUIP—that are each is home to the Residential campus Admissions Office, and committed to developing and training world-class leaders. the divisions of Business and Social Sciences. This summer, To date, Maxwell has trained more than 5 million leaders in 10% what the Admissions Office and adjacent lobby were renovated 188 countries across the globe. with new wildcat decals, couches, high-top tables and an interactive projection screen for visitors to learn more about Maxwell’s leadership philosophy is, “Everything rises and campus.