The SPU Voices Podcast: Recent Episodes
Seattle Pacific University
The SPU Voices Podcast is a Seattle Pacific University monthly interview show dedicated to telling inspiring and compelling stories. Everyone has a story. We showcase those which are both artistically rich and relevant to current culture. The more personal the story, the more universal the impact.
When Paige Johnson ’15 first started exploring job opportunities for hospital dietitians, she was amazed by the demand for different dietetic specialties and services. Johnson started her career at Seattle Children’s Hospital’s milk lab, mixing formulas or fortifying a mother’s breastmilk, then moved to pediatric oncology. After four and a half years working at Seattle Children’s, Johnson recently accepted a new clinical dietitian position at Harborview Medical Center.
Fern Donaghy found theater early in life and came to SPU to study Theatre Education, hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow alum and Roosevelt High School Theatre teacher, Ben Stuart. But when COVID made student teaching more difficult than ever, Fern leaned in to passion for working behind the scenes in wardrobe and costume. Now, only a year and a half out of college, Fern works for Pacific Northwest Ballet, Paramount Theatre, and Climate Pledge Arena dressing for both locals shows and world tours.
Dr. Deana L. Porterfield was elected in January of 2023, to be Seattle Pacific University’s next president. Porterfield is the 12th president in the university’s 133-year history and its first female president. She assumed her duties on July 1, 2023. With more than 35 years of experience in Christian higher education, including almost nine years as president of Roberts Wesleyan, Dr. Porterfield is known as a visionary leader with a passion for faith-based higher education which promotes transformational learning and hope.
Cami Ostman began her career as an English teacher. Then, after getting her master's in Marriage and Family Therapy from SPU in 2000, spent the next 20 years as a therapist. Upon writing a successful memoir and seeing first-hand the transformational power of writing one's own story, she started The Narrative Project: providing everything you need to get your book done. Now, after watching hundreds of lives grow and blossom, she is bringing those transformational lessons to non-writers as well with The Phoenix Lessons.
Alexia Estrada, class of 2020,is the granddaughter of farm workers and director of operations at Semillero (Nursery) de Ideas, a nonprofit centering around farm workers as the leaders of innovation. She spent her summer running an innovation challenge, speaking with farm workers about their ideas of how to make the cherry harvest safer and more efficient for themselves and the growers. In August of 2023, they presented the winner with a chance to patent his product and reap the rewards of his invention.
We took a look at three generations of Noel with the long lost Christmas poem by JRR Tolkien written in 1936, the song Cry of a Tiny Babe by Bruce Coburn written in 1990, and a spoken word piece written in 2020 by our own Philip "Sharp Skills" Jacobs. Enjoy these readings by SPU alumni and podcast guests. Merry Christmas!
After 18 years serving as a probation officer with the Lewis County Juvenile Court, Lee Montgomery ’89, saw how easily kids without a strong support system found themselves getting into trouble. He had to do something to help slow the cycle of poverty and incarceration, so he started the Lewis County Youth Mentorship Program with a mission to inspire youth through meaningful relationships to make positive choices that build resiliency, encourage growth and enable them to pursue a successful future.
Tod Yansomboon, currently in his final quarter at SPU, is an international student from Thailand. Tod left his home at the age of 15 to attend high school in the US in pursuit of his overarching goal: to understand business and how business can help others. After three years of high school in three different U.S. states, Tod arrived on the SPU campus to study business administration and found his dreams all coming true ... until COVID hit. Forced to return home without much hope of returning, Tod turned to social media for community and support. He is now a true influencer with over one million subscribers, and his videos have been being viewed over 200 million times.
2020 grad Jacoby Miles describes herself as a business administrator, lover of the arts, apologetics enthusiast & lover of people. At the age of 15, she was paralyzed from my chest down due to a gymnastics accident. She has worked hard to gain her strength back but is still confined to a wheelchair with limited mobility. She says her life has never been the same after the accident, but it has changed in the best way, too.
Rev. Dr. Katie Douglass, Associate Professor of Educational Ministry and Practical Theology at Seattle Pacific,and her team have recently received 1.3 million in grants for the Faith Formation Project. The project is all about partnering with congregations and families in the Pacific Northwest to help kids grow in faith. If you are a parent, you know today’s fast-changing world is making your job even harder. Prof Douglass is here to help.
Cara Wall-Scheffler is a Professor and Co-Chair of Biology at SPU. Her research focuses on the evolution of how men and women differ physically, particularly in the context of balancing body temperature and long-distance locomotion. She has been working on this problem for over 20 years and has published numerous papers along with her students. Her work shows very clearly how different selection pressures have acted on men and women, and that women in particular have a rare ability to work both efficiently and economically when carrying loads. Why is this meaningful for us today? Listen and find out...
Pastor Rebecca Worl was born and raised as a missionary kid in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After returning to the states, she finished school in Bellingham and went on to receive her undergraduate degree in Theology from Seattle Pacific. Becca then earned her Masters in Theological and Biblical Studies from Fuller Seminary, and subsequently served as Associate Pastor on staff at Cedarcreek Covenant in Maple Valley. In 2022, she joined the Pine Lake Covenant Church team as Student Ministries Pastor, in addition to being a retreat speaker and an itinerant preacher in the ECC.
Dr. Hedman, SPU class of ’95, served in a joint appointment for the departments of English and Theatre at High Point University, teaching courses at the intersection of performance and literature. He now serves as director of the honors program as well. Nathan recently returned from advising a group of students studying abroad in Prague.
Professor Brent Ruby graduated from SPU in ‘89 with a degree in Exercise Science. He now serves as a professor at the University of Montana where his research includes the physical and mental toll fighting wildland fires has on the people who battle these blazes. Being away from loved ones can also weigh on firefighters, which led Ruby to write a children’s book called “Wrango and Banjo: On the Fireline,” that tells the story of a canine fire crew battling wildfires, with the goal of helping the children of these heroes better understand the demands of their parents’ job.
When Vanessa Aniteye’s indoor track season started in December of 2022, she was a decorated 400-meter runner moving up to the 800 meters. At that point, she had raced the 800 just three times in her life. Three months later, in March of 2023, Vanessa became a national champion at that distance. Then a senior at Seattle Pacific, she brought home a first-place win, clocked the fastest time of the season, and also pocketed her ninth All-American honor. All this achievement would be difficult enough for any student, but Vanessa was also returning to the sport after giving birth to her son.
Dr. Frank Spina was a professor of Old Testament at SPU for four and a half decades. Dr. Spina often heard from students that he had taught their parents — or their grandparents. Considered tough and fair, he was named Professor of the Year by these very students. Dr. Spina is an Episcopal priest, serving as associate priest at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Bellevue, Washington, he speaks regularly in the Northwest and beyond, and currently hosts a podcast called The Bible You Thought You Knew.
Esther Williamson graduated from SPU in 1998 with a double major in Theatre and English, then earned her Masters of Fine Arts from The Academy for Classical Acting at The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. Now, she’s an actor and teaching artist based in Brooklyn, New York. A proud member of Taffety Punk Theatre Company, Esther has been praised by The Washington Post and numerous local critics for her deft handling of heightened text and her grounded, soulful onstage presence. With Taffety Punk, she has performed over half of Shakespeare's canon as well as several new and classic works. She has also acted and taught with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Seattle Shakespeare Company; Book-It Repertory Theatre; Opera House Arts in Stonington, ME; and many others. Find her at estherwilliamson.com
Michael Henry is a retired pastor and missionary. Michael’s ministry included serving as a missionary in Mexico, where he encountered intense spiritual warfare, and planting and pastoring churches in Washington state. Now retired, Mike pursues writing novels, screen plays, and film production- including an award-winning documentary film entitled “Kidnapped Redemption.” The story of missionary Phyllis Sortor’s harrowing adventure in Nigeria.
Phyllis Sortor had served as a missionary with Free Methodist World Missions in Nigeria for 10 years when she was kidnapped by a terrorist group hoping to end her work with the Fulani, an indigenous nomadic people group. A new feature-length film has recently been released documenting her kidnapping and time in Nigeria. She immediately returned to Nigeria and built Schools for Africa, an organization providing schools, primary healthcare, grazing reserves, and water and grass restoration for the Fulani people. And she is Seattle Pacific University’s 2023 Alumna of the Year.
Bob Ekblad took a break from his studies at SPU to travel. Though he would return to graduate, his call to share with and gain insight from other cultures would steer the rest of his journey. Bob with his wife Gracie, 2014 SPU Medallion Award winners, are founders and co-directors of Tierra Nueva in Burlington, Washington and New Earth Refuge, a home-based retreat center in the Skagit Valley. These organizations work with a team of staff and volunteers to serve immigrants from Latin America, inmates, homeless people and people struggling with addictions. Bob is also known internationally for his courses and workshops on reading the Bible, emphasizing discipleship, holistic healing, and liberation.
Gabrielle Turner graduated Seattle Pacific University in 2017 with a degree in Music, but she was just beginning to find her voice. Building on her general music degree, she immediately began working on her vocal strength and building up her courage as a soloist. Now she is the Seattle Sound Music Awards Best Female Vocalist.
Peter Choi '17 came to SPU as an international student from Korea to study journalism. His career took off immediately after graduation, working as an international correspondent for the Korean National News during the pandemic, which left Peter and his new wife quarantining on opposite sides of the globe. They were recently reunited when Peter became a local multimedia reporter for KXLY in Spokane.
Nansi Carroll recently visited SPU as a guest lecturer and brought a new original piece for our choir. She is a composer who has written over 300 vocal, choral, and piano works in her positions as Music Director of St. Augustine Church in Gainesville, FL, Artistic Co-Director of A Musical Offering, and as a faculty member at the University of Florida, Stetson University, and The Walden School. Carroll’s music focuses on settings of African American Spirituals.
George Scranton taught theatre at Seattle Pacific for more than four decades. Dr. Scranton has written or adapted a dozen plays, five of which received national awards. He enjoyed an academic and professional acting career and directed more than 90 plays in both educational and professional venues. Yet one of his most exciting achievements involves the hospitality he and his wife shared with both SPU and the local theatre community.
Rev. Dr. Rah is a Professor of Evangelism at Fuller Theological Seminary and was the founding senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church in Cambridge. He has degrees from Columbia, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Harvard; Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; Duke. He is a nationally recognized speaker and author of several books, including his most recent publication, Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery.
Lori Brown '20 is the Director of the Center for Career and Calling at Seattle Pacific University. She likes to say that she is a matchmaker at heart and loves connecting people and organizations to create win-win situations. And today, she’s going to help us envision how to create some of those situations for ourselves.
In her new book Discovering Dyscalculia, Laura Jackson ('02 grad in Christian Ministries) writes about her child’s struggle with numbers, their shared discovery of dyscalculia, and her family’s journey supporting their daughter in school and in life. Though Dyscalculia impacts about 1 in every 20 children and adults, it is not widely recognized or understood. This math learning disability not only affects individuals in educational settings but also impacts their everyday life when it comes to handling money, telling time, measuring quantities, and performing basic calculations.
Speaker and author Dr. Bob Petterson has carried on the time-honored tradition of storytelling, weaving unique, life-changing, and inspirational stories into all of his personal interactions with his readers. He has been senior pastor at some of America's most well-known churches, counselor to community and industry leaders, has served on the boards of major nonprofit organizations, and was adjunct faculty at Covenant Theology Seminary. Petterson is in demand worldwide as a speaker and has addressed audiences across America and in 30 countries internationally. Post-retirement, he began a new work with the Legacy Imperative.
*Please note there are some vivid descriptions of abuse in this episode. Listener discretion advised.
Speaker and author Dr. Bob Petterson has carried on the time-honored tradition of storytelling, weaving unique, life-changing, and inspirational stories into all of his personal interactions with his readers. He has been senior pastor at some of America's most well-known churches, counselor to community and industry leaders, has served on the boards of major nonprofit organizations, and was adjunct faculty at Covenant Theology Seminary. Petterson is in demand worldwide as a speaker and has addressed audiences across America and in 30 countries internationally. Post-retirement, he began a new work with the Legacy Imperative.
*Please note there are some vivid descriptions of abuse in this episode. Listener discretion advised.
Amanda Heath Stubbert '95 and Corbett Stubbert '97 present a special Christmas episode, the personal story of Jesus Christ. There are many different readings at Christmas, if you go to Christmas services, including Christmas carols and concerts. One of the most loved traditional Christmas festivals is the Nine Lessons and Carols, which are broadcast every Christmas Eve from King's College, Cambridge.
When Karen Springs '04 graduated from college at SPU in 2004 with a degree in theater and communications, she had no idea her future would include living in Ukraine and working with a Christian broadcasting network to promote adoption. Her new book, Adoption Through the Rearview Mirror, comes out of her latest adventure crisscrossing the US and interviewing over 60 families who had adopted children from Ukraine.
Former SPU soccer player and assistant coach Bobby McLaughlin '89 shares his journey toward becoming a kidney donor. It started when he had a bicycle accident in 2016 and, through a life-giving surgery, he is showing the world how active and healthy live organ donors can be.
Philip “Sharp Skills” Jacobs is a modern-day renaissance man, as an entrepreneur, award-winning hip-hop artist, speaker, author, consultant, and inventor. He was the first executive director of Washington Employers of Racial Equity or WERE, a coalition of 80 plus companies in Washington state, committed to making the region equitable for Black Washingtonians and all people of color. He's here with us today to talk about his latest book, Elephant in the Room: A business parable about race and equity conversations in the workplace.
Links:
Book:Elephant in the Room: A business parable about race and equity conversations in the workplace, by Philip Jacobs
Album: “Making Up 4 Lost Time,” by Sharp Skills
Pam Nolte '76, co-founder, actor, and teaching artist at Taproot Theater Company, has been teaching improv classes to Alzheimer's patients since 2010. Not only has this work been rewarding for Pam, but her students have also been experiencing incredible results.
Scott Nolte '76, co-founder and producing artistic director at Taproot Theatre Company for 44 years, recently retired. And in 2018, in preparation for that retirement, Scott took the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, the Way of St. James, walking nearly 500 miles in just 32 days.
Rhoda Becher-Russell recently attended her 50-year reunion at Seattle Pacific University, and she has lots of fun stories about her legacy on campus and her life of intentional community.
We sat down with Ineliz Soto-Fuller, the director of Undergraduate Admissions at Seattle Pacific University. She was a first generation college student and is passionate about access to higher education. She didn't set out to work in admissions, but has now spent over 13 years helping students find their way. This episode originally aired Oct. 17, 2019.
Jamie Crespo '12, an applied human biology major, was already a healthcare worker when she suddenly found herself caring for not one, but both of her parents. Her newfound passion for running provided her escape and a new community of support when she needed it the most. She is now using that passion to raise money and awareness for the prevention of colon cancer.
If you are a fan of the podcast, you know we love to end interviews with our famous last question: "If you could have everyone in Seattle wake up tomorrow and do one thing differently that would make the world a better place, what would you have us do?" Here are ten of our favorite answers to that question. You’ll hear from nursing professors, a Nobel Prize nominee, our athletic director, a filmmaker, and others who are changing the world for the better every day.
As a therapist (she received her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from SPU in 2000) and a writer, Cami excels at helping people figure out what it is they really have to say. She is the author of the quest memoir Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents.
This episode originally aired on March 25, 2019.
Terresa Davis '07 is an accountant, a lawyer, a dedicated mother of four, a Kung Fu student, and an orange belt in Kenpo karate. She and her husband are the masterminds behind incredible Seattle restaurants including Blueacre Seafood, Steelhead Diner, Orfeo, Zane and Wylie’s, and Tempesta Coffee and Doughnuts. Born and raised in Australia, Davis recalls her journey to the United States and how her experience at Seattle Pacific University strengthened her feelings of self-worth and helped launch her career in the restaurant business. This episode was originally released on October 3, 2019.
Kimberly Segall, PhD, directs the social justice and cultural studies major at Seattle Pacific University. In this episode, she talks about her her podcast on the comic book series Ms. Marvel.
Chantel Vinson is a senior wellness instructor at Culver Academies where she has coached volleyball and basketball. Prior to that she taught health and physical education at Plymouth High School and coached junior high basketball. She has won awards for her selflessness and is beloved by so many students and parents because she has chosen to pay forward the gift she was given growing up. Listen to her story on this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast.
JoAnn Flett, PhD, is the executive director of SPU's Center for Faithful Business, a leading think tank on the integration of faith and business. She's a frequent speaker, collaborator, and organizational consultant, teasing out the intersection of faith and business that promotes human flourishing.
Jeff Van Duzer's teachings draw on his distinguished career in higher education, law, and financial management. At Seattle Pacific University, he held several positions including provost, dean of the School of Business and Economics, and professor of business ethics and business law. He practiced as a partner with the international law firm Davis Wright Tramaine for more than 20 years and is the author of Why Business Matters to God: (And What Still Needs to Be Fixed) along with many other articles in academic and popular journals.
Lauren Pattie ’09 serves Seattle Pacific University as a content manager for Pivot NW, a team that works with Seattle area faith communities to better understand the experiences of young adults by working with them to design, launch, and evaluate new ministries. In this episode, we sat down with Laurie to discuss why young people aren't going to church and what to do about it. Stream online now or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Andy Ekblad '84 is the founder and director of Beautiful Gate Ministries and provides training to pastors and leaders in developing nations, principally in Africa. He received much of his training in The School of Life, raising a profoundly disabled daughter until her death in 2013 and serving as a pastor for 30 years. Andy holds a master's of divinity and a master's of theology, and was further trained in spiritual direction at Soul Formation's Academy of spiritual formation and the school of spiritual direction.
Emma Burke graduated from SPU in 2021 with a degree in psychology, but she saw her education as more than a degree. She saw a ticket to the rest of her life. After working in a national park and volunteering with an interpretive park ranger, she hopes to spend the first chapter of her career playing outside.
After graduating from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in individual and family development, Carina Durkin Taylor ’12 experienced a series of tragedies, leaving her in a new city with a new trajectory, but filled with hope for the future. When she and her husband were expecting their first child, they discovered that they both carried the gene for sickle cell anemia, and starting their family would now be a game of Russian roulette. The journey that followed is a story of faith and triumph.
Doctors of nursing Bomin Shim and Julie Pusztai are working together on a qualitative study exploring the spiritual life of those suffering from dementia. Prior to Seattle Pacific University, Dr. Shim worked with those caring for loved ones with dementia and Dr. Pusztai did her doctoral work on the process of aging.
Tim Hanstad ’85 is the chief executive officer of the Chandler Foundation. Prior to his work there, Tim co-founded and was the longtime CEO of Landesa, the world's leading land rights organization. Tim led its growth from a two-person team to a leading global NGO with more than 20 offices around the world and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. He has been personally recognized by the Scholl Social Entrepreneur Award and as a World Economic Forum Outstanding Social Entrepreneur. He holds two law degrees from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree in history and political science from SPU, where he was honored in 2017 as the alum of the year.
Professor Mischa Willett talks about SPU's Ascent Program, which is a cohort-based model that helps students build relationships and navigate challenges they may encounter during their undergraduate years. Stream now or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Rick Newell '93 shares his journey through personal struggles early on in his tech career. After hitting rock bottom, he felt called by God to "wake up," and moved to Seattle where he began working at the Rotary Boys & Girls Club in the Central District. Through his interactions with young men at the Club, he saw the hardships they had to overcome and came to firmly believe in the need for positive, near-peer, male role models. He founded the Mentoring Urban Students & Teens (MUST) mentoring program, which incrementally adds youth and mentors, and adapts based on feedback from those who were being served. Now, he's on to a new project supporting children and teens in foster care. You don't want to miss this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast.
The holiday season ushers in many time-honored traditions — wrapping gifts, sending out greeting cards with the latest family photos, unpacking beloved tree ornaments we haven’t seen for a year. But what many most anticipate is gathering around the table with those special dishes that truly mark the arrival of the season.
The celebrations might include turkey and stuffing, but in our multiethnic Seattle Pacific University family, other culinary traditions abound. In this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast, international faculty and staff share favorite foods and traditions from their native countries.
Allie Roth had an established career in teaching but in 2013, when she discovered that one of her elementary students had lived in three different foster homes in as many months, her life changed. Allie tried to find resources for her student, but she grew discouraged after realizing that resources for kids were hard to find. That is when she decided to start With Love, an organization in Portland, Oregon that supports foster families with vital resources.
Dr. Katie Kresser is Seattle Pacific University's resident art historian, and she says great art teaches us empathy, unveils human nature, and forces us to think outside the box. Visual art can reveal the thought processes of people living far away or in our distant past, and for her, art history has been an unparalleled journey of the imagination. If art can help us understand the past, it can surely help us understand our neighbors. Dr. Kresser received her bachelor's degree from Indiana University, her master's and PhD from Harvard University, and has been at SPU since 2006.
Chris Baron is passionate about visual storytelling. Over the past 15 years, he's worked as director and cinematographer on many television and documentary productions, including the Emmy-winning documentary series Intervention and the Oscar-nominated documentary Food Inc.
Chris is uniquely adept at storytelling thanks to years of experience collaborating with some of the best storytellers in the business, including Oscar-winning directors, Jessica Yu and Jessica Sanders, as well as Oscar-nominated director, Robert Kenner. Chris also directed the acclaimed documentary short The Time to Heal for SPU recently.
Jackson Stava joined Seattle Pacific as the athletic director in July 2016, and is the school’s fifth athletic director since Seattle Pacific began sponsoring intercollegiate sports in 1946. In this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast, Jackson shares inspiring stories about his atypical educational and professional path toward college athletics. He also walks us through the moment that the COVID-19 pandemic first impacted SPU Athletics and how the coaches successfully pivoted, providing meaningful opportunities for SPU's athletes even when they couldn't play.
We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. Dr. Julieta Altamirano-Crosby came to the U.S. with limited English and faced incredible hardship by the language barrier. Once she improved her English speaking skills, she became an advocate for others. Altamirano-Crosby now works in both Washington State and Guerrero, Mexico and has a long track record of collaboration and relationship-building in education and government settings. Her work is centered on the belief that a person's identity and growth are closely tied to their understanding of culture and language. Listen to her story on the SPU Voices Podcast.
Kevin Ticen, a staff member on the Seattle Pacific University Advancement team, shares stories about writing his new book, When It Mattered Most, which tells the forgotten story of America's and Seattle's first Stanley Cup champions and the war to end all wars.
Kevin is a former catcher on the University of Washington baseball team and played professionally in the Anaheim Angels Minor League system, then overseas in Austria. Post-playing, Kevin was the director of marketing and communications for the Seattle Sports Commission and coached baseball at the University of Washington and a Seattle high school summer program.
Upon receiving his B.A. from Seattle Pacific University in 1992, Broel spent the next six years gaining insight and experience through travels around Southeast Asia and as the patineur for the Walla Walla Foundry. Near the end of 1997, Broel left the Walla Walla Foundry to open Broel Studio. Employing his education, knowledge of art history, and experience as patineur, Broel is painting and sculpting to visually express everyday objects and experiences with thoughtful honesty and reflection. Broel’s current work continues in a variety of dimensions to explore the derivations of his abstract botanical paintings. Moving between works of large-scale and diminutive stature celebrates the inherent physicality of the creative process itself, and how changes in process build and affect meaning.
His work is in numerous private and public collections: examples include the Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum, Swedish Hospital (Seattle, WA), Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA) and the City of Walla Walla. Broel has participated in solo and group exhibitions throughout the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Vietnam, China and Indonesia.
After spending a semester abroad studying art history in Italy, Ashley Rodriguez fell in love with food and decided to make it her passion. Now she’s the creative genius behind the award winning food blog Not Without Salt, author of bestselling cookbooks, and host of a YouTube series called Kitchen Unnecessary.
Michelle Lang-Raymond is the co-founder and executive managing director of Acts on Stage Theater, a theater company that serves various artistic communities within the Pacific Northwest while increasing access and opportunity to artists of color and activists of faith. This artistic project is a culmination of Michelle's years of work combining her gifting in the arts with her commitment to her faith. Michelle has served as a youth pastor, a director of campus ministries at Warner Pacific University, and as the training director for youth pastors at World Vision. During her time at World Vision, she also completed her degree in organizational behavior and development at Seattle Pacific University.
Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of the emergency department at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, and a University of Washington associate professor of emergency medicine, shares about his non-traditional path to becoming a doctor. The SPU alumnus describes what it’s like to care for people in a remarkably intense time while also balancing his own self-care.
Dr. Mitchell also talks about the COVID-19 pandemic and how he helped build a unique platform called WAHealth that collects data from every hospital in Washington state and keeps track of capacities so facilities don’t become overwhelmed.
Dr. Steve Mitchell is featured in the short film Time to Heal.
Tech veteran Shauna Causey founded WEEKDAYS in 2019 while she was a Partner at Madrona Venture Labs and pregnant with her second child. Frustrated with the lack of childcare options in her neighborhood, she started working on the early stages of WEEKDAYS. Months later the pandemic hit and the entire industry was upended. The demand for micro-schools has accelerated and today WEEKDAYS is on the forefront of the changes.
As a student, John Glancy served as a two-sport athlete and a double major scholar. After graduation, he spent most of his career within the Seattle Pacific University community, holding no less than six distinct roles, including two director positions. He is affectionately known as "Mr. SPU" and now, though retired, John has a new project that will serve the University for years to come.
Tim Stuart '02 received a degree in business finance from SPU. While at SPU, Tim started as an intern at Microsoft, and after various promotions and 19 years is now the CFO of Xbox. Under Tim's supervision, Xbox released the Xbox series X and S, acquired gaming titan Bethesda, and re-imagined the way that video games are purchased through their game pass system.
Annie Jameson '14 is one of the founders of Eden Por Salud, an all-natural wellness company based in Guatemala. The company sells products handcrafted by local entrepreneurs. Eden Por Salud provides accessible income opportunities to people with disabilities throughout Guatemala. Annie got her degree in special education at Seattle Pacific University and has spent her entire career serving and advocating for people with disabilities, both at home and abroad.
Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, an institute committed to whole leader development with a focus on grit and resilience. As one of the first women to fly an Apache helicopter in the US Army and to lead line units on three continents, Shannon now shares her firsthand experience and knowledge with world-class companies and organizations like Gradient Corporation, Boston Scientific, and Microsoft.
SPU doctoral student Glenda Shepard has spent decades caring for patients as both a labor and delivery nurse and as a hospice/palliative care nurse practitioner. After overcoming childhood obesity, she wanted to bring holistic well-being to her family and to all of her patients. Now a competitive bodybuilder, wellness coach, and proud mother of two grown daughters, Glenda has dedicated her career and life to improving the health of others. Listen to her heartfelt and inspirational story on this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast.
Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of the emergency department at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, and a University of Washington associate professor of emergency medicine, shares about his non-traditional path to becoming a doctor. The SPU alumnus describes what it’s like to care for people in a remarkably intense time while also balancing his own self-care.
Dr. Mitchell also talks about the COVID-19 pandemic and how he helped build a unique platform called WAHealth that collects data from every hospital in Washington state and keeps track of capacities so facilities don’t become overwhelmed.
Dr. Steve Mitchell is featured in an upcoming short film Front-line Falcons, to be released on April 12.
Pam Marmon graduated with her master of business administration from SPU in 2012. She's the CEO of Marmon Consulting, a change management firm that provides strategy and execution services, to help companies transform. Pam is also the founder of Threefold Tribe, a consulting firm that helps growing churches multiply. From fortune 50 to startups, Pam brings unparalleled change expertise and insights as a practitioner, a speaker, and the bestselling author of No One's Listening, and It's Your Fault. Marmon was an adjunct business professor at Wheaton College and has been featured in Christianity Today and Entrepreneur Magazine.
With more than 30 years experience at Seattle Pacific University, recently retired Dean of Multi-Ethnic and Wellness Programs Susan Okamoto Lane is someone who has seen big changes. As the diversity of the student body grew, the need for every student, faculty, and staff member to increase an understanding of what it means to be reconciled to God, and to one another, grew as well. As we learn to make room for each other, we make room for God. Susan has been described as the iron fist in a velvet glove and as someone who builds things that last. Listen to her powerful story on this special episode of Inside Voices.
Megan Swanson Chao '09 is the U.S. executive director and co-founder of Hope for Life in Rwanda. Her organization helps Rwandan children escape homelessness and back into healthy families through outreach, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Her role as the ministry’s U.S. executive director and co-founder, Megan was recognized as Seattle Pacific’s GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) 2018 Alumna of the Year.
Jeffrey Overstreet is recognized in The New Yorker, TIME, The Seattle Times, Image, and Christianity Today for his writing on cinema, Overstreet, an assistant professor of English and writing at Seattle Pacific University, teaches creative writing, English literature, academic writing, and film studies. He earned his bachelor's degree in English literature and his master of fine arts in creative writing from Seattle Pacific.
Provost Laura Hartley oversees undergraduate and graduate faculty and academics working with President Dan Martin to establish and champion an academic and faith-based vision for Seattle Pacific. Prior to stepping into the role, she was the associate provost for student academic success and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at George Fox. And in the classroom, Provost Hartley taught linguistics, intercultural communication, and first-year experience courses. Her discipline of linguistics gives her an appreciation for the incredible diversity that is part of the human family.
Sharelle Klaus '92 is the founder and CEO of DRY Botanical Bubbly, formerly DRY Soda, and the author of the Guide to Zero-Proof Cocktails. DRY Botanical Bubbly is sold in more than 9,000 stores and top restaurants in Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco include it as a featured menu item. Recently, it appeared as a featured cocktail in SPU’s Behold! A Sacred Sounds of Music Virtual Experience downloadable viewing packet.
Industrial-organizational psychologist and SPU professor Dr. Helen Chung defines "work narrative" and shares personal stories that illuminate how narratives are influenced by motivations. Hear more about her story and work on this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast.
Channah Hanberg ’03 graduated with a degree in business administration and started working in radio and TV advertising soon after. She is the general sales manager for Spirit 105.3 FM at CRISTA Media. In this interview, she shares how radio is still relevant despite alternative audio sources and how the COVID pandemic has shifted listener behaviors. Hear more about her story and work on this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast.
This episode, we sat down with Dr. Ryan Ellis. He serves as Seattle Pacific University's Director of Choirs, in addition to the music director at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Bellevue, and artistic director of Choral Sounds Northwest of Northwest Associated Arts. Prior to starting a doctorate at the University of Washington, Dr. Ellis was director of the Bermuda Chamber Choir and co-founder of the Bermuda Festival Orchestra. He led an active performance season with those two ensembles that included several national television spots. He's an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association of Music Educators.
Dr. Danny Helseth directs the symphonic wind ensemble at Seattle Pacific University. He's recognized as an exciting and spirited euphonium soloist, and has been a featured artist throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, and China. A champion of music education, Professor Helseth has presented masterclasses and clinics to students of all ages throughout the United States and Asia. He holds degrees from Central Washington University, the University of North Texas, Royal Northern College of Music, and he has received his doctorate from the University of Washington in 2017.
Beth Ann Bonnecroy is in demand as a conductor, singer, and teacher of voice. Her foundation as a singer and extensive experience as a voice teacher shapes her priorities as a conductor as well. Healthy singing and the development of a singer's personal vocal technique are emphasized in her choir she conducts and it contributes to the free and beautiful sound her choirs achieve. She joined SPU as a voice teacher and conductor of the treble choir in 2013.
Conductor, violinist, composer, pedagogue, and musicologist, Christopher T. F. Hanson enjoys working with a large variety of musicians and educators in multiple communities from around the world. As a violinist and composer, Christopher Hanson has premiered several works in multiple genres and serves as the chief arranger and first violinist of the Sacred Ensemble with Dr. Shana Mashego. Christopher currently serves as an assistant professor and director of music, education, and orchestral activities at Seattle Pacific University.
Phillip Ferrell II has been making music for most of his life, both vocally and as a keyboardist. He began professional training at the age of 12, first studying classical music and ultimately jazz. Eventually, Phillip became as fascinated with the technical aspect of creating music as he had been performing it. Consequently, he began working with bands and singers all over the country. He continues to be in demand as a guest worship leader, songwriter, and producer, traveling throughout the country and abroad.
We sat down with Dr. Brian Chin. He's a musician, educator, and cultural entrepreneur. Trained in western cultural jazz and world traditions, Brian's musical focus is only part of his larger vision as the founder and executive director of Common Tone Arts and the chair of the Music Department at Seattle Pacific University.
With a wide array of musical activities, Brian moves seamlessly between soloing as a trumpeter, freelancing for world-class orchestras, composing new music, performing with the contemporary chamber ensemble Torch, and producing socially conscious multi-arts events.
As if teaching, conducting, performing, writing, and singing the national anthem for the Seattle Sounders didn’t keep Dr. Stephen Michael Newby busy enough, he has embarked on a journey of radical reconciliation that brought him from Michigan to Seattle to a graveyard in Georgia.
Listen to Carlene Brown, professor of music and director of music therapy, tell us how music can be used to help both body and mind.
Pam Marmon graduated with her master of business administration from SPU in 2012. She's the CEO of Marmon Consulting, a change management firm that provides strategy and execution services, to help companies transform. Pam is also the founder of Threefold Tribe, a consulting firm that helps growing churches multiply. From fortune 50 to startups, Pam brings unparalleled change expertise and insights as a practitioner, a speaker, and the bestselling author of No One's Listening, and It's Your Fault. Marmon was an adjunct business professor at Wheaton College and has been featured in Christianity Today and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Recognized in The New Yorker, TIME, The Seattle Times, Image, and Christianity Today for his writing on cinema, Jeffrey Overstreet, an Assistant Professor of English and writing at Seattle Pacific University, teaches creative writing, English literature, academic writing, and film studies. He earned his BA in English literature and his MFA in creative writing from SPU.
Overstreet is the author of five books. His “memoir of dangerous moviegoing,” Through a Screen Darkly (Baker Books Books 2007), has become a popular textbook in classes on film, faith, and artistic engagement. His four novels — Auralia’s Colors, Cyndere’s Midnight, Raven’s Ladder, and The Ale Boy’s Feast — have been translated into French, German, and Dutch.
Traveling internationally, he has presented lectures and hosted workshops on faith, art, creative writing, and film interpretation. A prolific blogger and arts critic (he has contributed more than one hundred film-focused essays and interviews with artists to Image, and served as the senior film critic at Christianity Today), he blogs at LookingCloser.org.
Jeffrey and his wife, a published poet, are active members of the Chrysostom Society. Together they served as writers-in-residence at Covenant College in 2013.
Megan Swanson Chao '09 is the U.S. executive director and co-founder of Hope for Life in Rwanda. Her organization helps Rwandan children escape homelessness and back into healthy families through outreach, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Her role as the ministry’s U.S. executive director and co-founder, Megan was recognized as Seattle Pacific’s GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) 2018 Alumna of the Year.
Across the nation, college costs rise every year, representing a consistent barrier to students accessing the college of their choice. Over the last decade, the average cost of college has risen by more than 25 percent. We caught up with Assistant VP for Enrollment Operations and Student Financial Services Jordan Grant to discuss SPU's big "Tuition Reimagined" announcement. Beginning in autumn 2021, the new annual tuition will be reduced by 25 percent to $35,100 — before financial aid is factored in, which 95 percent of SPU students receive. Learn more about all the details in this episode of the SPU Voices Podcast.
Pike Place Market Foundation Executive Director Lillian Sherman ’91 shares some history about Pike Place, including the little known fact that people live there, and how the Pike Place Market Foundation cares for them. She also highlights how vendors have adapted during the coronavirus pandemic, including the famous fish throwers and popular flower sellers.
Vice Provost of Academic Affairs Cindy Price talks about preparing for the upcoming school year and the best way help the college-aged people handle change.
Richard Dahlstrom '79 has been the senior pastor at Bethany Community Church for 25 years. Richard talks about his road to being a pastor, things he learned in the Alps while on sabbatical, and his advice for pastors.
Bruce Congdon, professor emeritus of biology, draws on his 35 years of higher education experience to help explain his views on the intersection of science and faith.
This episode will be different from previous episodes. We invite you to listen to a recent chapel that was held on-campus titled, “Prayer and Lament”. Hear from Chaplain Lisa Ishihara, Dr. Stephen Newby, Caenisha Warren, Ashlee’ Thomas, Kelsey Rorem, and Priscilla Onyedikachi Ozodo as they share their experiences, and the experiences of students, on our campus with race and injustice. Listen to the stories of hardship and sorrow in this time that is set aside for lament.
Listen to Carlene Brown, professor of music and director of music therapy, tell us how music can be used to help both body and mind.
In April of 2019, Melissa Glenn '05 became the first library social services provider in Washington state. Melissa is a licensed mental health counselor who graduated from SPU in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. After earning a master’s in counseling psychology from The Seattle School in 2012, she worked in a variety of community mental health and education settings before joining this ground-breaking program.
Learn how answering his call has taken Donald from health care, to the military, to getting his Master of Divinity degree.
When Danny Ciaccio was an SPU student, he started working as a game day media assistant for both the Sounders and the Seahawks, while also being the sports editor for The Falcon student newspaper. After graduating in 2015 with a degree in communication journalism, Danny worked his way up within the Sounders FC organization to his current role as manager of social media, giving him a front row seat for all three of the team's MLS Cup Finals.
Take a break from the news and walk down memory lane with the Browns and Stubberts as they share beloved memories of their time at Seattle Pacific University.
Seattle Pacific University alumna Margo Engberg ’89 is the founder and CEO of PinkaBella Cupcakes and PB Franchising. After 20 years of running a successful housecleaning business, she started baking cupcakes for children who had never had a birthday party. Engberg shares her incredible story of becoming a successful businesswoman and community leader.
Seattle Pacific University's Chaplain Lisa Ishihara didn't anticipate a life in ministry when she was younger, but early on she found a love for worshipping God through her mom's musical dance choir. As a business major in college, she didn't focus on ministry, but her love for learning scriptures led her to the seminary where she earned two master's degrees from the Talbot School of Theology. She went on to serve as director of chapel programs at Biola University for 10 years. In 2018, God tapped her on the shoulder to uproot her life and do ministry in Seattle at Seattle Pacific University. Listen to her full story on the SPU Voices Podcast.
SPU Voices Podcast host Amanda Stubbert led a live recording of the podcast, where she chatted with SPU professors about what Christian faith means at SPU. Faculty on the panel included Professor of English Christine Chaney, Professor of New Testament Studies David Nienhuis, Assistant Professor of Psychology Jenny Vadich, and Professor of Business Ethics Kenman Wong.
With more than 30 years experience at Seattle Pacific University, recently retired Dean of Multi-Ethnic and Wellness Programs Susan Okamoto Lane is someone who has seen big changes. As the diversity of the student body grew, the need for every student, faculty, and staff member to increase an understanding of what it means to be reconciled to God, and to one another, grew as well. As we learn to make room for each other, we make room for God. Susan has been described as the iron fist in a velvet glove and as someone who builds things that last. Listen to her powerful story on this special episode of Inside Voices.
Sandra Mayo is Seattle Pacific University's vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Mayo provides leadership in Seattle Pacific's ongoing work of reconciliation by providing strategic opportunities to fulfill SPU’s institutional mission. In this episode, we caught up with her to talk about her incredible journey to Seattle Pacific. Born in New York to parents who immigrated from Jamaica, she talks about what it was like to be the first generation in her family to be born in the United States. She believes in the possibility for empathy and bridge-building when we hear each other's stories, and when we realize that there are some common themes throughout our lives, even though they may play out very differently.
Jacqui Smith-Bates has been the director of the Center for Career and Calling for the past 21 years, and she currently serves as the dean of career and learning support at Seattle Pacific University, overseeing the Center for Learning and the Center for Career and Calling. Jacqui loves that the Center for Career and Calling helps students discover how God has uniquely created them to serve the world, and then helps them find and connect with people and organizations who share their passions and interests.
Alissa Shattenberg is the founder of the Sarobidy Maternity Center in Madagascar. She got her nursing degree in 2000 from SPU, then went on to receive a master's degree in nursing and a degree in midwifery. When she and her husband moved to Madagascar where they have only one doctor for every 8,500 people and the highest teen pregnancy rate in Africa, Alissa responded to that need. The maternity center provides a year long program for women and children, including prenatal, labor, and birth, and postpartum care.
Jeff Keuss is a professor of Christian ministry, theology, and culture at Seattle Pacific University, and executive director of Pivot Northwest. In this special episode of Inside Voices, we caught up with Keuss to talk about his new book, Live the Questions.
Jamie Shattenberg ’99 graduated from SPU with a degree in biology and returned to Madagascar, where he was born, to do the work he felt God called him to do. He is the international director of Eden Reforestation Projects in Madagascar, directing large-scale reforestation work, which provides income for over 1,200 men and women throughout the year while restoring the devastated ecosystems. To date, they have planted more than 240 million trees, empowering the Malagasy people to make a difference and take care of their own needs in ways that are sustainable.
Shattenberg has been named SPU's 2020 Co-Alumni of the Year, along with his wife Alissa Wuertz Shattenberg ’00, and will be recognized at this year's Alumni Awards Dinner on February 8, 2020.
Seattle Pacific University Vice President for Student Life Jeff Jordan is responsible for collaborative planning with SPU's academic leaders, student leaders, and student life staff. As if overseeing eight on-campus departments wasn't enough, Jordan also recently launched a leadership studies minor where he serves as professor and mentor. In this episode, Jordan talks about his career journey in higher education and raising up the next generation of leaders.
Seattle Pacific University Vice President for Student Life Jeff Jordan shares his best advice on how parents of college students can relate to their children when they return home for the holidays.
Dr. Julieta Altamirano-Crosby came to the U.S. with limited English and faced incredible hardship by the language barrier. Once she improved her English speaking skills, she became an advocate for others. Altamirano-Crosby now works in both Washington State and Guerrero, Mexico and has a long track record of collaboration and relationship-building in education and government settings. Her work is centered on the belief that a person's identity and growth are closely tied to their understanding of culture and language. Listen to her story on the SPU Voices Podcast.
This episode we sat down with Ineliz Soto-Fuller, the director of Undergraduate Admissions at Seattle Pacific University. She was a first generation college student and is passionate about access to higher education. She didn't set out to work in admissions, but has now spent over 13 years helping students find their way.
Ineliz Soto-Fuller, the director of Undergraduate Admissions at Seattle Pacific University, shares her top three tips for applying to college.
Terresa Davis '07 is an accountant, a lawyer, a dedicated mother of four, a Kung Fu student, and an orange belt in Kenpo karate. She and her husband are the masterminds behind incredible Seattle restaurants including Blueacre Seafood, Steelhead Diner, Orfeo, Zane and Wylie’s, and Tempesta Coffee and Doughnuts. Born and raised in Australia, Davis recalls her journey to the United States and how her experience at Seattle Pacific University strengthened her feelings of self-worth and helped launch her career in the restaurant business.
Seattle Pacific University's longtime gymnastics coach Laurel Tindall '75 recently retired after 46 years of coaching. She is nationally recognized as a champion of her sport. Her teams have won three national championships, her gymnasts have taken 31 individual titles, and in 2003 she was honored as national coach of the year for the fourth time. Perhaps the most impressive run of success was Seattle Pacific's 20 consecutive top-four national finishes from between 1984 to 2003. In this episode, Tindall shares how gymnastics shaped her life from the time she was a young girl to the time she retired.
Martha Hiefield serves as CEO for the Americas of POSSIBLE, a worldwide marketing firm. Her goal is to optimize organizational strategies of the business while helping employees realize their best selves. She is dedicated to making the best agency and the best place to work, and it's evident in her work each day.
In this episode of Inside Voices, meet Seattle Pacific University alumnus Kyle Brown '15, producer of the SPU Voices Podcast, as he shares his student journey and beyond at Seattle Pacific. After earning a degree in communications, Brown landed his first job at Seattle Pacific but shortly after faced an unexpected health challenge that taught him about the benefit of having a supportive work place.
Philip Jacobs '08, SPU's 2019 Medallion Award Honoree, talks about legacy and how he hopes his life and work inspires youth despite the challenges they may encounter. Jacobs is a leadership speaker, hip-hop artist, father, and founder of the R.E.B.E.L (Redeemed Entirely by Elohim’s Love) firm. He is also a consultant and project manager at Greatheart Consulting where he develops business solutions for companies interested in increasing workplace diversity and inclusion.
In this special minisode, meet Seattle Pacific University alumna Amanda Stubbert '95, host of the SPU Voices Podcast, as she shares about her student journey at Seattle Pacific and the people who impacted her along the way. After earning a degree in psychology and theatre, Amanda performed improv and taught theatre before returning to SPU.
After spending a semester abroad studying art history in Italy, Ashley Rodriguez fell in love with food and decided to make it her passion. Now she’s the creative genius behind the award winning food blog Not Without Salt, author of bestselling cookbooks, and host of a new YouTube series called Kitchen Unnecessary.
Seattle Pacific University President Dan Martin shares his journey of self-discovery that led him to become a university president, and he discusses his approach to leadership during unexpected challenges.
Jaymes Lackey discusses why he decided to run for school board in his community and why his education was important to him physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Laurra began her a career as a schoolteacher with no intention of returning to Peterson Cheese, a family-owned and -operated food distributor founded by her father and uncle. But along the way she discovered that running a company with, by, and for families was a calling she couldn’t ignore.
As a therapist (she received her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from SPU in 2000) and a writer, Cami excels at helping people figure out what it is they really have to say. She is the author of the quest memoir Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents.
How do you leave a legacy for your own children or for your community? Is there more to legacy than finances? Bobby Martin ’98 is the founder and director of 118 Designs, an organization giving job training and life skills to young men striving to leave the gang life behind. This life of service was modeled for him by two parents who also lived in service of others.
As if teaching, conducting, performing, writing, and singing the national anthem for the Seattle Sounders didn’t keep Dr. Stephen Michael Newby busy enough, he has embarked on a journey of radical reconciliation that brought him from Michigan to Seattle to a graveyard in Georgia.