Jessica (Aucoin) Asire (2007)

In April 2010, Jessica's husband Matt graduated from BM ‘A’ School in Yorktown, VA. He is now a 3rd class (boatswains mate).

Jessica says they now live in "Valdez, Alaska, a tiny little town on the border of Prince William Sound, in South Central Alaska. We are 5 hours from Anchorage, the nearest city. Our town consists of the Coast Guard, a few hotels, a few restaurants, a grocery store, a sportsman’s outfitters, and lots of fishing! People ask- you have a Wal-Mart right? And my response is, sure, about 5 hours away! To really get a feel for how small the town is, you should Google it. We love our little town though! It’s so beautiful here" (see picture).

Jessica works for Doyon Universal Services as the Badging Coordinator. Doyon is contracted by the Alyeska Pipeline to take care of security at the Valdez Marine Terminal (the very end of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline).

Jessica says, "I am really loving my job so far, and have already used so much information that I learned at college.

"When we found out we were moving to Alaska, I started looking up churches. Kim Terpstra contacted me via Facebook to tell me she grew up in Glennallen which is about 2 hours from Valdez. She asked if I knew a Becky Fickes (maiden name Smith) from Maranatha. I told her no. She proceeded to tell me that Becky graduated from Maranatha and lives in Valdez with her husband, Brian, and son, Jonathan. I added Becky as a friend on Facebook, and started praying that this meant there was a good church. Sure enough, I got to Valdez and met Becky, and her father-in-law is the Pastor of Valdez Bible Baptist Church. We have a wonderful little church that we have joined and become actively involved in. When Matt is home he has started helping with the Youth Group. I have become involved helping with the nursery and playing the piano. God really worked through this situation. I was praying for a good church we could be involved in, and Becky was praying for a young couple that would help with the youth group. God answered both prayers!!!"

Zach Mortimer (2004)

Zach is now an approved candidate for taking on a State Farm agency of his own. That was August 2. He asked for prayer as he considers various open areas. We have not heard in the last few weeks, but perhaps he has his own agency already. We're sure he will keep us posted!

Ken Clark (2008)

Ken Clark keeps in touch! He and Alysha celebrated their one year wedding anniversary August 1. Now they're expecting a baby in late December!

Ken says,

"Life is really taking off on us; it's all we can do to keep up. Also I recently began a career with New York Life and we moved to Byron, Illinois just south of Rockford to build my practice.

"I feel the Lord has provided this opportunity for me to utilize my business degree and move closer to friends and family."

Will Anderson (2010)

Will and his wife live in Denver were he received a promotion this summer at Dunbar Armored, Inc. to the post of Operations Manager. Congratulations Will. It's a great blessing to hear of God's blessing in your work.

Trevor Walto (2007)

It was great to hear from Trevor recently. He says,

"My wife and I are getting ready to celebrate our second anniversary in about a month. We are attending and involved at Brookside Baptist in Brookfield. It is great to see God’s hand in and to be a part of a growing church.

"I recently finished up my Masters Degree in accounting (MPA) at UW Whitewater which gave me the 150 credit hours I needed to sit for the CPA exam. I then spent the summer studying full-time for the exam using the Becker review program. It is unbelievable the amount of information that one needs to take in to be prepared properly. I took the Regulation section in May, which I passed, and took the remaining three sections in July and August. I just found out last week that I passed all of them except Auditing on my first try. I will retake that section in November before the new changes go into effect.

"I am now starting my fourth week at Deloitte and am working in the tax department in the Milwaukee offices. I am still learning a lot of what my job will entail but generally we work with expatriates and inpatriates both in a tax preparation role and in a tax advisory role.

I consider myself very blessed to be in the position I am right now. As I worked through my Masters program at Whitewater, there were many other students that I talked to that were having trouble finding jobs. God has blessed me with a job in this tough economy and not only that but a job at one of the Big Four accounting firms!

"It is amazing to look back over all of my challenging experiences and see God’s guiding hand. I had my own plans for my career and how it would progress but God’s plan was so much better. If I had not let Him work and tried to do things my own way I may not have experienced it."

Stephen White (2010)

Stephen White shares an update on where God has led him since graduating in December 2009.

"The night before my wedding (May 28, 2010), one of the companies that I had interviewed with in February contacted me and asked if I had found permanent employment. After a four hour interview the week after my honeymoon, I received a job offer. I accepted!

"I am a sales assistant for a manufacturer's representative company outside of Chicago. The company represents suppliers to retail stores (Ace Hardware, True Value, Blaine's Farm and Fleet, etc.).

"Because there are only 7 employees, we all wear multiple hats all the time. I very much enjoy the challenge and risk of the small business. I am responsible for the "upkeep" of relationships with more than 20 different companies. My main role is operational and administrative, but I am always involved with marketing, consulting, customer service and, of course, sales.

"Being a Christian in a small business environment definitely has its challenges and rewards. I would appreciate your prayers as I work at being a light."

Angela (Henry) Silver ('10)

Angela started a new job September 1 as "the accountant for Spread Truth (check out www.spreadtruth.com). It will be mostly bookkeeping, using Quickbooks."

Angela took Accounting Software for Small Business in her final semester at Maranatha last Spring where she learned much about QuickBooks. Pursuing her CPA designation may be in her near future as well.

Angela received special recognition at graduation last May:

"The Department of Business recognizes Miss Angela Henry as the 2010 Student Achievement Award recipient. As an Accounting Management major, Miss Henry earned a grade point average of 3.94 while maintaining an active extracurricular schedule and gaining the respect of her peers and professors. Miss Henry served as a senior class officer and held multiple other offices and on-campus leadership positions while pursuing her education. She participated in campus music and missions ministries. As a Music Concentration student, Miss Henry qualified as a finalist in the 2010 Commencement Contest in piano, while also preparing for her senior music recital. She traveled to South Africa in the summer of 2009 on a College mission trip. Miss Henry served faithfully in the music and children’s ministries at the Stoughton Baptist Church of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Her fellow seniors consistently acknowledged her superior leadership and accounting skills as a team member for her Senior Capstone team project."

Of course, since her wedding this summer she is Mrs. Brian Silver! :^) Brian serves as College Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church of Normal, Illinois.

Matt Evon ('09)

Matt and his wife, Kris, bought a house this year where they live in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They have one child, pictured here. Her name is Ginger.

Matt says, "We are in a VERY good church down here. We have been attending Cross and Crown Baptist Church for 5 months now, and we absolutely love it. The preaching is very good, and the people truly have a heart for the Lord. I’ve been playing the piano consistently for offerings/special music, and Kris and I help out with the youth group on Wednesday nights. Many military personnel attend our church so it is nice to have brothers and sisters in Christ who can relate to the struggles of Army life."

Matt has been training extensively in his finance and accounting role for the US Army. He's also finding some time for golf.

Monica Swaagman ('04)

Monica has been working hard! and succeeding!

She earned her master's degree in Accounting at UW-Milwaukee and then completed all four sections of the CPA exam. In July, she received notification that she passed all four parts on the first try!

Monica Swaagman has been an Assistant Vice President, Controller, at First Bank Financial Centre in Oconomowoc since January 2009. She's quite confident that her work there will qualify for the experience requirements to gain her CPA license. She can submit her application to the Accounting Examining Board on September 23 and, then, wait to hear if the members agree.

Hopefully, we'll have some more good news to communicate then!

Kristen Kowalcyk ('07)

Kristen is moving to the Chattanooga, Tennessee area from her home in Michigan to serve as the Administrative Assistant/Office Manager for the Executive Director of AACS (American Association of Christian Schools).

"[The trip down] be an experience" Kristen says. "[T]his past weekend, TN got 2-3 inches of snow/slush/ice. There is barely any snow in MI right now, but it is cold."

We praise the Lord for this wonderful opportunity for Kristen.

Tom ('08) and Kara ('09) (Kuntzelman) Tyson

Tom and Kara were married October 3, 2009, and spent a week in Jamaica for their honeymoon and loved it (see the happy couple picture here)!

Kara says:

"The day after we got back we packed all my stuff and moved out to Elkhart, Indiana. Tom works in Middlebury still with P and P Imports. He continues to manage and run their store and work with wholesale customers on a daily basis. I work at the Hilton Garden Inn in Elkhart as a Front Desk associate.

"We joined Northside Baptist Church, and we are really enjoying it. The Pastor went to college in Pennsylvania and was taught by my High School Choir director. It's a small world!"

Matt Evon ('09)

Matt says that he "arrived at [his] 'permanent' duty station of Ft. Campbell, KY just before the Christmas season." As a Finance Officer his official "title" is Platoon Leader/Disbursing Officer.

As they prepare to deploy, Matt says: "God has blessed me with a very good Platoon Sergeant who is an excellent leader. I've mostly been observing what my platoon does on a day-to-day basis and thinking of ways to make our training better."

One of the next steps in Matt's training will repelling out of Blackhawk helicopters! He's excited about that prospect: "cannot wait." Sure! This is exactly what all of his former professors would be saying if they had the same opportunity! NOT! :^)

Fellow Business Alumni, please pray for Matt and his wife as he serves our Country. We are very proud of him and understand that God must protect and guide him.

Pictured here, we dug out of the archives one of (young) Matt's color guard pictures.

New Accounting Major: 150-hour, CPA-track

Maranatha’s Department of Business faculty announced this month the addition of a 150-hour Accounting major that may lead a graduate to pursue the designation of Certified Public Accountant. This augments the Department’s current Accounting Management major which has led several on the path to become CPAs after completing additional education beyond its 128-hour program.

Expectations for growth in the accounting world exceed many other industries, which means that future accountants will have numerous job opportunities, especially if they hold a bachelor’s degree and their CPA designation.

Professors Ron Miller, CPA, MBA, and Corey Pfaffe, CPA, PhD, will lead the implementation of the 4½-year track, including the introduction of four new courses—required courses Advanced Accounting and Accounting Information Systems; elective courses Federal Income Tax II and Government & Not-for-Profit Accounting.

The new courses will first be offered during the 2010/11 through the 2012/13 school years. Fall 2010 freshman in the 150-hour program begin their studies right away in Financial Accounting. Current Maranatha juniors entering the Fall 2010 semester who are currently enrolled in the Accounting Management major will be able complete all 150-hour Accounting major requirements by the end of the Fall 2012 semester, if they so desire.

Both Mr. Miller and Dr. Pfaffe anticipate applying their considerable experience in private and public accounting to prepare the next generation of Christian financial leaders.

Michael Johnson ('09)

Michael and his bride were married June 13, 2009. Mike started his accounting job with Jaguar Communications in Owatonna, Minnesota in the same month. Mike says,

"God orchestrated the entire scenario [housing and jobs] for us to stay close to our families, and provided us both with wonderful jobs (working at the same place), and a great place to live. We can work the same hours, take the same lunch break, and go home together every day!

"[In January 2010] we signed the papers for our new house that we are having built for us in Owatonna. God provided us with decent jobs and the financial training necessary to be able to be debt free from school, and still be able to put more than 25% down on our house. So, in that aspect, thank you [business faculty] for your part of that financial training.

"It has been very exciting to get out and apply what I learned in school in the real world. I have enjoyed my job very much. I have been working here seven months now, and was promoted to the Accounting Manager last month. I was able to come in and set up some principles and guidelines for their accounting methods, as well as do some coding and data base work for their accounting software.

"I know that it is nothing more than by the grace of God that I am where I am. He provided my wife and I with what we have and where we are at, and I owe Him so much!"

Praise the Lord, Michael. We like that attitude!

Jeremy Crooks ('98)

Jeremy writes:

"Our kids continue to grow. Jared is 9, Vanessa 8, Olivia 2 and Erica 1. Even now, we are preparing financially for them to be able to go to MBBC when they finish school. Speaking of school, we are really blessed to have our older 2 in Wyong Christian School.

"In terms of an update of what is happening with us. This year we planted a new church in Wyong (it looks to be about 100 kilometers north of Sydney). It is located in a 'socially needy area' and so getting the right balance of meeting people's physical and spiritual needs is a constant challenge. However, we are encouraged with t

he new relationship inroads we are making into lives of people who have no church background. Don Lawson, Phil Patch and I are elders and we share preaching and pastoral responsibilities. It is a challenge time-wise as we all work vocationally too. However, it means we are able to see a new work established without requiring salaries.

"Stephanie unexpectedly lost both her grandparents this year. We were actually in the US when her grandmother died, so she was able to make the funeral. However, this Christmas has been hard for her - particularly when thinking about her family who she doesn't see often.

"Work-wise, I continue to operate my own HR consultancy business. The Lord has blessed with plenty of work and finances this year, inspite of the financial crisis. While the longer term business outlook is uncertain, I am blessed to have regular and stable clients in the short to medium term. This year I also had Peter Prusak (MBBC business senior) join me for an internship - which was an encouragement."

Andrew Carlson ('05)

Andrew became engaged to Jeanna Cleland on Monday night 12/21/2009 and also started a new job the same day! We're very grateful for God's accomplishments in Andrew's life.

Andrew says: "Jeanna and I have dated since September 2007. She is a nursing graduate from Loyola University in Chicago. She has been working at a hospital in Waukegan, IL for six months and just got a new job at La Rabida Children's Hospital in Chicago starting January 4th. We are hoping to get married in the fall in Chicago.

"After four interviews with LAZ Parking in Chicago and spending considerable time praying and reflecting on what the right decision was, I decided that I should take the new job with LAZ as their Director of Business Development in Chicago.

"Since these new life developments have not kept me busy enough, I have also gone back to school at the University of Chicago's Grahm School of General Studies to complete their Financial Decision Making Certificate. It is a six course MBA prep program and I begin my next two courses on January 5th. I will then take courses five and six in May and then decide when to start the MBA program."

Kim (Marks) Petrutiu ('98)

Kim says: "As we finish the year out, we are very grateful for some recent blessings:
1) Marcel got a job!! He is now a courier for Pegasus mailing service. His hours are reasonable along with the pay and he gets to bring the truck home at night eliminating a commute to work.
2) We sold the Land Rover! After one year of constant repairs, we sold the truck to a mechanic who might be better able to take care of it. We are just happy to be rid of it and have the cash to stash because the biggest news is. . . .
3) WE ARE MOVING TO CANADA! We have been praying about this opportunity for a while and the Lord has been opening doors. On November 27, we had an interview with a Canadian official who granted us permanent residence visas contingent on background checks and medical exams. We are currently waiting for our FBI records (or non-records) to process and hope to move to the Montreal area by summer 2010. Montreal is a bilingual city (English & French) in the French area of Canada (Quebec). We are hoping that Marcel will be able to finish his medical degree at one of Montreal’s eleven universities and we both will become fluent in French to prepare us for future ministry. (Marcel studied French in school and I have been working with a tutor for over 2 months so we have a good start.)"