Inspire, Summer 2010

a lumnotes If you would like to contact a friend highlighted in this section, please e-mail us at alumni@cedarville.edu . We’d be glad to put you in touch. A Helping Hand For Sharon Acker ’65, retirement is an exciting opportunity to invest in people. The former librarian now serves as the employment coordinator for Rachel’s House, a transition home in Columbus, Ohio, serving eight women in their first 40 days out of prison. After living in the highly structured prison environment, residents are grateful for the Christian community, accountability, and life skills they find at Rachel’s House. As a volunteer, Sharon provides employment coaching as well as transportation so the women can apply and interview for jobs. With a library background that includes hiring and training staff, she brings employment expertise and an extensive community network, making her an effective advocate for women who are re-establishing their lives. As a teenager, Sharon sensed God calling her in this direction. During her college years at Cedarville, she majored in sociology and volunteered all four years with a prison ministry visiting juvenile offenders. Young people are still near to her heart — she volunteers her time as a chaplain’s assistant with Youth for Christ and visits incarcerated teens who are to be tried as adults. Leading inmates to Christ and giving them a second chance at life is immensely rewarding work. “The Gospel message is about redemption,” she said. “When I hear the stories of where some of these women and teens have been and how by God’s grace they are trying to turn their lives around, how can I turn away? These are my sisters, my brothers in Christ.” Rachel’s House is one of many community development programs of Lower Lights Ministries. Learn more about the ministry at www.lower-lights.org . You may contact Sharon at sharacker43@aol.com. In Memory We extend our condolences to the families and friends of these dear loved ones. Cletis (Jacobs) Waddell ’39 passed away on April 14, 2010, at the age of 92 at her home in Yellow Springs, Ohio. She received her associate’s degree in education from Cedarville and taught school until her retirement in the late 1970s. Myra Haydock ’51 went to be with the Lord on March 25, 2010, at the age of 98. Because of financial struggles, Myra’s college education was interrupted during the Great Depression, but she eventually received her teaching certificate from Cedarville by taking one course at a time. She taught elementary school for many years and is survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Rev. Robert McGuckin ’81 went home to be with the Lord on October 22, 2009, after an eight-month battle with leukemia. After graduating from Cedarville, Bob taught in various Christian schools, lived at a children’s home, and served as a missionary in the inner city and with the Pocket Testament League for their Olympic Campaign. He was working on his master’s degree in biblical studies. For the last 14 years, he served as junior high teacher and youth pastor at his church in Philadelphia. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and his children, Willie (16) and Adrianna (12). Shannon Wenger ’94 of Dalton, Ohio, went home to be with the Lord on August 11, 2009. While attending a chapel service as a Cedarville student, she felt God’s call to become a missionary to Russia. From 2003 to 2009, she served with SEND International and ministered among the unreached Buryat people group in Siberia. Shannon enjoyed ice hockey, backpacking, white-water rafting, and playing guitar. Jonathan Cunningham ’00 passed away from cardiac arrest on March 17, 2010. He worked at General Electric as an IT Black Belt at the Louisville Appliance Park Facility. He was a member of Highview Baptist Church, president of the GE Volunteers, and an avid runner and basketball player. He is survived by his wife, Becky (Gleason) ’00 ; children, Abigail, Aidan, and Allison; parents, Jeff and Mary Ellen; and brothers, Jeremy ’02 , Joshua, Joseph, and Jason ’09 . alumni spotlight alumni spotlight alumni spotlight alumni spotlight alumni spotlight alumni spotlight alumni spotlight alumni spotlight To send your updates, visit www.cedarville.edu/inspire or e-mail alumni@cedarville.edu . You may also send them to Alumni Relations, 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314. Deadlines are December 15 for the spring issue, April 15 for the summer issue, and August 15 for the fall/winter issue. The editorial staff has full discretion regarding submissions. CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY 39