Inspire, Winter 2007

Inspire 5 The girl slumped in her chair, eyes vacant, arms crossed, silently screaming. The woman facing her leaned forward, reaching, searching. She could see the hopelessness, the sadness, the pain. “Do you want to talk about it?” the woman would ask. “I don’t know,” came the stoic response. Such began the amazing relationship between Kim Ahlgrim, a Cedarville counselor, and Jennifer Castellani ’02, a depressed, self-destructive freshman in the fall of 1998. Today, Jen is a 26-year-old with vibrant eyes and an easy laugh — and the advancement coordinator at Cedarville. She thanks God for bringing Kim into her life — and saving it. “I was on a downward spiral,” Jen says. “My life plan was to die. That’s how hopeless I felt.” Her small group leader, Karen Young Hayes ’99, quickly inferred Jen’s condition and called counseling services. For the next four years, Kim was Jen’s lifeline back to hope. “It was extremely sad to me,” says Kim. “My heart went out to her. But I caught glimpses of her, there beneath the pain. It was as if she was existing, but not living.” Jen’s problems started as a child. Hurtful experiences left her feeling unlovable, unworthy, hopeless, and powerless. A type A personality, she felt her life spinning out of control and began overeating to compensate, leading to obesity. Spiritually, Jen felt just as lost. Though she accepted Christ when she was four and grew up in the church, attending a Christian school before heading to Cedarville, her heart wasn’t in it. “I mostly went to church out of obligation and duty,” Jen says. “I would force myself to read the Bible every day — out of fear, really, that God would take something away.” She saw God as a heartless judge, keeping track of her wrongs, and Jen felt weak, unable to catch up. But Kim worked with her and helped the young student piece her life back together. Today, Jen is pursuing God, desiring to know Him more. “I want everyone to know how proud I am of Jen,” Kim says. “Here’s a girl who was dead inside, and I saw the spark come back into her eyes. She let the Holy Spirit do intense work in her life. She’s a bold and courageous woman.” After graduating from Cedarville in 2002, Jen went on to earn a graduate degree. All along, she knew she wanted to return to the University as a full- time employee. She also started losing weight, dropping 130 pounds in about two years. But most importantly, Jen wanted to give back to the school that made so much possible and to the woman who helped her get her life back. Kim first came to Cedarville in her early 20s, becoming acquainted with the school through her husband, Tom, a 1982 grad. She’s been director of Cedarville’s Academic Enrichment Center, better known as The Cove, since 2004. “Cedarville invested in me, giving me the confidence and ability to invest in students like Jen,” Kim explains. “It’s a ripple effect,” Jen adds. “That’s why I started the scholarship.” The Kimberly S. Ahlgrim Counseling Scholarship is another dream come true for Jen — an opportunity for her to “pay it forward” into the lives of others. Each year, a senior psychology or social work student will receive a $1,500 award toward his or her schooling. It is Jen’s way of helping to create more counselors like Kim. Cedarville announced the scholarship’s first recipient, psychology major Chelsae Roby ’08, on July 23, 2007. In a letter of thanks, Chelsae wrote, “My heart longs to be the kind of woman who will love deeply and serve others with passion and wisdom.” Anyone can start a scholarship, says Jen. “You don’t need a lot of money.” And, Kim adds, “More people should honor someone while they’re still alive. Don’t wait until they’re gone.” To find out more about the Kimberly S. Ahlgrim Counseling Scholarship, or for information on how you can establish a scholarship, please contact Kim Botta Longo ’02, director of the Cedarville Fund and scholarship services, at longok@cedarville.edu or 937-766-7699. The Circle of Life by Sharyn Kopf Feature : J enni fer Castellani ’ 02 Sharyn Kopf enjoys her new role as assistant director of public relations at Cedarville. She began her career as a newspaper reporter, then saw success as an award-winning radio writer for Focus on the Family. In her free time, Sharyn likes to write novels, work on her nonfiction book, and play the piano. She graduated from Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, with a communications degree and now lives in London, Ohio. You can contact her at skopf@cedarville.edu . Kim Ahlgrim (left) and Jennifer Castellani ’02 take a break in The Hive, a popular CU hangout. Kim Botta Longo ’02, Kim Ahlgrim, and Jennifer Castellani ’02 at the surprise ceremony announcing the Kimberly S. Ahlgrim Counseling Scholarship. I