Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2018

Jeremy Schultz ’20, a mechanical engineering student from Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, always knew he wanted to come to Cedarville. But if not for the generous gift of a donor- funded scholarship, his dream of pursuing an engineering degree in a committed Christian environment would not be reality. Cedarville got on his radar in seventh grade, when he served with his Calvary Baptist Church (Parkertown, New Jersey) youth group at the Gospel Mission in Dayton, Ohio, during summer missions trips in 2010, 2014, and 2016. His group stayed overnight in campus residence halls, then served during the day at the mission. “We ran a vacation Bible school at night and would do service projects during the day,” he explained. “They would inform us about someone in the church or the community who needed help with house repairs. We served lunches to the homeless.” By junior year of high school, when Jeremy began thinking of his postsecondary options, Cedarville was number one on his list. He made a campus visit and toured the Engineering and Science Center, with Thomas Thompson, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, as his guide. “Math and science have always interested me,” he said. “I really enjoyed precalculus, calculus, and physics. I also grew up very hands-on because my dad is an aircraft mechanic. So whether it was fixing a car or working on a dirt bike, when something would break, we would always work on it together. That whole world of how machines work pushed me in the direction of engineering.” Although Cedarville was clearly his top choice, he knew family finances might require him to consider other options, such as attending a state university closer to home. “There were times when things were tight, but God always provided,” Jeremy said. “We weren’t ever in a place of real economic need, but we just didn’t have a lot all the time. There wasn’t much excess.” But then he learned about the Gladys York Memorial Scholarship, established by fellow Calvary Baptist Church member Al Stevens and his late wife, Joanna, in honor of Joanna’s mother, Gladys. “Gladys was a godly example to her family and served faithfully in her local church,” noted Al. “I loved to hear her sing solos in church on a Sunday morning and to share a meal with her. I still recall her homemade bread. We loved each other in the Lord. The Lord took her home at a young age, while Joanna was still in high school.” Al is an emeritus member of Cedarville’s Board of Trustees, and Stevens Student Center is named for Joanna and him. The scholarship was established to encourage graduates from Calvary Baptist; Kings Christian School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Baptist Regional High School in Haddon Heights, New Jersey; or The Pilgrim Academy in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, to attend Cedarville. It is also available for the children of full-time employees of the OPEX Corporation, of which Al is Chairman of the Board. “When Joanna and I started the scholarship program, we did not have any of our church's graduating seniors headed to Cedarville or any Christian college or university,” noted Al. Now, students like Jeremy have a chance to experience Cedarville’s rigorous professional preparation and its life- transforming culture. “Cedarville was my first choice,” Jeremy said. “I really liked the Christian atmosphere when I came to visit. I liked chapel and the Christian community. There weren’t too many other Christian schools that also offered a good engineering program; that was very attractive. I thought of doing something else if it didn’t work out with Cedarville. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go there.” YORK SCHOLARSHIP OPENS DOOR FOR CEDARVILLE ENGINEERING STUDENT BY CLEM BOYD ADVANCING CEDARVILLE 22 | Cedarville Magazine