Every year at homecoming, during the alumni dinner, Geneva College recognizes some of its alumni who have shown exceptional service to the college, community, and God. There are three specific types of awards that can be awarded.
Young Alumni Award Recipients
This year, Joshua M. Ehko '19, MAHE '23, Michael R. Kearney '17, Rebekah M. Locke '20, MBA '22 each received the Young Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni who have graduated from Geneva within the past ten years and are demonstrating outstanding service and leadership in their church, career, and community.
Joshua M. Ehko has been involved with serving Geneva College for eight years. He was a student for four of those, then after graduating with his undergraduate degree in elementary and special education, he and his wife returned to Geneva so he could work on his Master of Arts in Higher Education while he was the Resident Director of Pearce Hall. Ehko now works at Geneva as a Student Success Coach in the Student Success Center. While Ehko is on the job he enjoys meeting with students and mentoring young men through conversations and shared experiences. He is passionate about relationships and strives to support those around him to the best of his ability. He is thankful for the ways the Lord has gifted him and desires to continue serving Him through these passions.
Michael R. Kearney graduated with a communication degree in 2017, and since then briefly worked for Geneva’s Institutional Advancement office after graduating and served a term on the Alumni Council. He is currently a PhD student and graduate teaching and research assistant in the Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies at Duquesne University. He has published eight scholarly articles, three book chapters, one essay in conference proceedings, and one co-authored book. He received Top Student Paper awards from the Pennsylvania Communication Association and the Eastern Communication Association, the 2022 Article of the Year Award from the Religious Communication Association, and a 2023 Centennial Scholarship from the Eastern Communication Association. Kearney also serves on the board of Reformed Fellowship and on the Program Committee for the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
Rebekah M. Locke, after graduating in 2020 with a degree in Biblical studies, began working full-time as an Enrollment Counselor at Geneva. While in this role, Rebekah obtained her MBA in 2022 from Geneva College. After working for two and a half years in this position, she transitioned into her current position as an Associate Director of Program and Institutional Engagement at Portage Learning, giving her the opportunity to work more broadly in the world of higher education. She also works part-time as a Network Pastor at Crossroads Church—Cranberry Campus where she works in ministry and invests in her church family. Rebekah plans to begin her MDiv in 2024.
Alumni Award Recipients
Noah M. Bailey '06, Shaka J. Sydnor '10, MAHE '12, and Bryan R. Wolfe '98 received the Alumni Award, given to alumni who have demonstrated faithful service to God and neighbor, servant-leadership, and achievement in their career while embodying the values of unchanging biblical truth in a complex and changing society.
Noah M. Bailey didn’t originally plan to attend Geneva College. He was expecting to go to boot camp, but after a shoulder injury, he decided to attend the same college as his high school sweetheart. He ended up double-majoring in Christian ministries and history, with a minor in philosophy. After Geneva, Bailey got a Master of Divinity from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. After seminary, Bailey and his wife planted a church in Enid, Oklahoma. The next eight years they helped plant RP churches in Texas, Kansas, Wyoming, and Colorado. They returned to the northeast when he agreed to be the pastor of First RP Church of Cambridge, MA. When they are not homeschooling their kids, they fill their free time with hobbies like walking, hiking, cycling, coffee drinking, cultivating a conversational community, and reading and collecting books.
Shaka Sydnor graduated from Geneva in 2010 with a communication degree as a first-generation college student. After graduating, Sydnor got his Master of Arts in Higher Education degree in 2012 from Geneva while serving as a graduate assistant for multicultural student services. After graduating, he worked at the University of North Carolina at Asheville as a Community Director. Then, he decided to work alongside his wife running a transitional living program called Cornerstone, which served women who were survivors of assault, giving them a safe place to live and regain their footing. After Cornerstone, Sydnor served as a Residence Hall Director and Area Coordinator at the University of Cincinnati. Then he moved back home to Virginia to be the Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Virginia. Currently, he is serving as the Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Dean of Students office at Virginia Tech.
Dr. Bryan Wolfe graduated from Geneva College in 1998 with a degree in student ministries. After graduation, he was involved in church-based student ministries for six years before transitioning to the world of education. Bryan’s change in career path led him to pursue a master’s degree from Trinity International University, followed by a doctorate in educational leadership from Grand Canyon University. Bryan has served as Dean of Students at Westminster Christian (Miami, FL), High School Principal at Trinity Christian (Honolulu, HI), and most recently, Head of School at Winston-Salem Christian School (Winston-Salem, NC) for the past ten years. Most notably, Bryan led WSCS in the transition from a church-run school to an independent Christian school that serves six continents and twenty-two countries around the world. The growth and development of WSCS has been a blessing that has impacted the local community in Winston-Salem.
Distinguished Service Award Recipients
Finally, the Distinguished Service Award is presented each year to alumni of Geneva College for service above self, who embody the principles for which Geneva College stands, and whose efforts on behalf of the college, the community, and the nation have been exemplary. This year, it was awarded to Mark W. Fiscus '77, Walter Mueller III, Ed.D. '78, and Robert E. Shaw '85.
Mark W. Fiscus graduated from Geneva in 1977 with a degree in elementary education and an instructional 1 teaching certificate for Pennsylvania. After graduation, Mark started his career at Middletown Christian School as a teacher. In 1989, Mark completed his master’s degree in educational leadership from National Louis University. After graduating, he worked in construction until he earned his Pennsylvania 2 teaching certificate and Principal’s Certificate for Pennsylvania. Currently, Mark is in his 34th year as a middle school coordinator and teacher at West Fallowfield Christian School. Mark has taught multiple subjects and led thousands of young learners in the way of the Lord. Mark’s life has been full of leading camps, coaching multiple sports, leading young men in Christian Service Brigade, coaching championship Envirothon teams, mentoring young teachers, and leading missions trips. He is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and a member of Stillwaters PCA.
Walter Mueller III, ’78, EdD majored in Sociology. After graduation, Walt worked with the Coalition for Christian Outreach, doing campus and youth ministry. He went on to graduate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and served as the Youth Pastor at the Supplee Presbyterian Church. He then felt called to launch the ministry of The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, an organization working to equip parents and youth workers in their efforts to nurture children for a lifetime of Christian discipleship. He has written ten books on youth culture and ministry, hosts the Youth Culture Today and Youth Culture Matters podcasts, writes for periodicals and journals, has been interviewed on major news outlets, speaks regularly at conferences, and has taught youth culture classes at a number of institutions. He currently serves on the faculty of The Coalition for Youth Ministry Excellence in Canada, and the Doctor of Ministry faculty at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Robert E. Shaw graduated in 1985 with a double major in business administration and economics. After graduating, he went to work for RR Donnelley & Sons, the largest commercial printer in North America. He started in regional sales and 15 years later was the Sr. Vice President of a Business Unit. He then made a career change to technology in Silicon Valley, becoming the CEO of a start-up in the IT network visibility and security market. Shaw’s company was successfully acquired, and he remains an investor and Board Member for many start-ups. Shaw and his wife of 35 years, Deb, are the Co-founders of Champion the Challenges Organization. Their nonprofit foundation is focused on helping stroke survivors and their families access all the cutting-edge technologies and services for those who, like Deb, have survived a stroke. Shaw believes that Geneva helped him get on the right path and think broadly.
All nine of these godly, motivated people have exemplified Geneva College and its values to the world abroad. They have diligently served God in a variety of ways, something Geneva wishes for all their students. They earned through their hard work and dedication the recognition that they received through these awards.
-Anna Eshelman '24
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