QuickNotes | December 2025

In fall of 2024, Southern launched a weekly online prayer call for alumni, parents, and employees. The goal was simple: to create a time for intentional prayer for the campus, students, and the broader Southern community.

Kris Eckenroth, ’99, organizes and helps facilitate the calls. “This is important to me because unless we pray, there is no power. Prayer connects us to the one Power that can make the mission of Southern successful. It is so encouraging to see how alumni from all walks of life have caught this vision.”

A small but steady group has joined each Monday evening during the school year, and the time together is meaningful for those who participate. “At first I was skeptical about committing to a weekly call, but I wanted to support the new initiative and hoped my participation would encourage others,” says Sharon Robberson, ’71. “What surprised me was how much I needed those calls. I appreciated Kris’ openness and focus on praying specifically for students and campus needs. The weekly focus on a specific department gave our prayers direction and gave me, a hesitant out-loud pray-er, the structure I needed.”

The group regularly prays for academic needs, campus spiritual life, and the everyday interactions that shape student experiences. Often, representatives from the department or group being prayed over are able to “attend” as well. “One evening we prayed for student missionaries, and a student serving in the Marshall Islands joined the call,” Robberson recalls. “Hearing his voice and sensing his distance and loneliness touched me deeply. From that moment, I began praying throughout the week for whoever we lifted up on Monday nights.”

You, too, are invited to join the Zoom prayer call on any Monday at 8 p.m. EST. Some join on camera, others call in, and some simply listen in and add their silent prayers. “Prayer is never wasted,” says Eckenroth. “No matter where we live as alumni, we can participate the mission of Southern through this call.”

Learn more, share your prayer requests, and sign up for reminders at southern.edu/alumnipray.

- Cheryl Torres, ’05, director of Alumni Relations

This past June, Benjamin Chase, ’10, won four Emmy awards in the Pacific Southwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his work as project manager at Loma Linda University Health.

“I learned a lot at Southern, and the experiences I had set me up for success,” Chase describes, reflecting on his film experience during his college years. “The university helped prepare me for the work I am doing now by teaching me how to work successfully in teams. Documentary is not an individual effort. You need to learn what it is like working with people and how to be good at it.”

Filming medical-breakthrough stories that encompassed patients overcoming leukemia as well as drug and alcohol abuse, Chase and his team won in the categories of Health/Medical, Public Affairs Program, and Branded Content. Chase also individually won in the category Photographer – Short Form Content for his cinematography. 

Chase’s love for documenting stories began when he was young and watching films that inspired him. Many times, he would borrow documentaries on DVD from the public library. Now Chase produces, directs, and edits Loma Linda’s stories about the healthcare field.

"As a documentarian, I consider myself a journalist. We have a great duty to tell stories and pursue the truth,” Chase highlights. Traveling all over the world to locations such as Nepal, France, and the front lines in Ukraine, he has a deep desire to convey medical journeys. “The pursuit of a story will always be exciting to me,” he adds.

- Isabele Barreto Freitas, sophomore nursing major

Earlier this year, Southern students were working at a health fair booth at the Samaritan Center in Ooltewah, Tennessee, when they were able to help a local senior citizen gain a second chance at life.

Barbara Smith, a retired university employee, had stopped by the thrift store and social services center to shop but became lightheaded and weak. Senior nursing majors Yuna Kim and Somee An noticed that she seemed unsteady on her feet and rushed her to the booth to check her vital signs. Frightened by her high blood pressure and alarmingly low pulse, they notified John Singletary, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, who urged that she be taken to the nearest emergency room.

The students waited with Smith until a transport to the emergency room was arranged. Doctors stabilized Smith and decided to keep her at the hospital overnight. The next day, after evaluating her heart, surgeons installed a pacemaker. Although feeble and tired, Smith was soon able to return home. She gratefully acknowledges that she may not be alive without the care from Southern’s nursing students.  

“Even though they may feel like they aren’t making much of an impact right now, they are,” says Sherry Poston-Smith, director of communications and volunteers at the Samaritan Center and Smith’s daughter-in-law. “After Mom returned home, I set up an app on her phone that connects to the doctor’s office, monitoring her condition, and we learned the pacemaker is being used 95% of the time. This confirms that the students gave her a second chance at life.”

Students in Southern’s School of Nursing are trained to observe and attend to the needs of their community and respond to emergencies during clinical rotations. “To my knowledge, this is the first emergency in the community students have experienced,” Singletary states. “They needed to be autonomous and make correct clinical decisions to help Barbara get the right care immediately. They were excellent examples of what a trained nurse can do.”

- Julia Juler, junior English major

Southern is pleased to announce the launch of a new Doctor of Education (EdD) degree focused on Innovation in Leadership and Learning, slated to begin in Fall 2026.

Designed for today’s rapidly changing world, the fully online program equips professionals with the tools and vision to lead organizations and communities with confidence.

“There is a growing demand for leaders who can navigate the complexities of educational and organizational environments,” says Corjena Cheung, PhD, associate vice president for Academic Administration. “This program uniquely combines leadership theory with innovative practices and research, preparing graduates to lead effectively.”

The scholar-practitioner program emphasizes both research and real-world practice, equipping students to make an immediate impact. Participants will benefit from interdisciplinary approaches, hands-on learning, and partnerships with diverse organizations—all while advancing their careers.

The degree is an excellent fit for professionals across various fields, including business, education, nonprofit leadership, pastoral ministry, and public service. Whether stepping into an executive-level role or looking to elevate current responsibilities, students will gain practical strategies to drive meaningful change.

“We’ve heard consistent interest from professionals who are eager for a doctoral program like this,” Cheung says. “Many have been anticipating this opportunity for years, and we’re thrilled to finally make it a reality.”
Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Rosa Mayr in Graduate and Professional Studies at 423.236.2585 or rosamayr@southern.edu to learn more about the program.

- Becky Brooks, ’03, editorial manager in Marketing and University Relations