LETU Alumni Conversations

Join us for our final Alumni Conversation episode of this Spring's Season 2. In this special finale, rather than sit down with alumni, we've gone back to a point in time (c. 1968) when alumni had the opportunity to sit down with our founders, R.G. & Evelyn LeTourneau, and hear from them in chapel. Enjoy this special edition, where R.G. answers student's questions, shares his great accomplishment, and both R.G. & Evelyn (affectionately known as "Mom & Pop") share about their love for Jesus and their love for LETU students! Enjoy! #letourneaubuilt Resources: To learn more about the special 75th Anniversary R.G. LeTourneau Exhibit, click here. To learn more about the founding of LeTourneau University, click here.

Join us today as we hear from 2019 Nursing graduate Jane (Smith) Wortham, who sat down with another alumni, 2012 Christian Ministry and 2015 MBA graduate, Grant Bridgman, a couple of years ago to share her LETU story. Resources: Find out more about LeTourneau University's Nursing program: www.letu.edu/nursing

Join us as we talk with Joe Bailey, a 2012 Materials Joining and Mechanical Engineering graduate. Bailey is currently a Welding Engineer with Vermeer Corporation, a leading manufacturer in agricultural and industrial equipment. Resources: Learn more about LeTourneau's Welding/Materials Joining Engineering Program - www.letu.edu/engineering

Join us as we sit down with David Eaton ('05, Mechanical Engineer), Cofounder and President of Axis Ministries and special guest speaker for our Day of Prayer events in February 2021, to discuss his time at LeTourneau, Axis ministries, life as a parent, and more! Providing resources to over 400,000 parents and grandparents each month, Axis is committed to equipping parents to engage their teens through conversations of Christ and culture. Touching on topics of resurrection, restoration, and relationships, this is one conversation you don't want to miss! Links & Resources: Find out more about Axis here: www.axis.org Learn more the Day of Prayer event by visiting the 75th Anniversary site: www.letu.edu/75 Catch up on past Alumni Conversations via Facebook or in your favorite podcast app: www.facebook.com/LETUalumni/videos or search for "LETU Alumni Conversations" in your podcast app.

Join us as we sit down with 2013 Christian Ministry graduate - and special guest at last week's Day of Prayer 75th Anniversary celebration - Rev. Rodney McFarland to hear the story of how God brought him to LeTourneau University and how He led him and his family to Brooklyn, New York. More Resources: Learn more about First Baptist Church Bracktown (Lexington, KY), where Rev. Rodney McFarland currently serves as pastor: https://www.bracktown.org/ Click here to listen to "Make Sure" the song McFarland wrote and recorded in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://rodneymcfarland.hearnow.com/ Find out more about the School of Theology: www.letu.edu/theology

Join us as we sit down with 1965 and founder of Kingdom Air Corps, Dwayne King, to hear about his experience at LeTourneau and the adventure of following Christ to unexpected places, including on the 2nd plane into Eastern Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union with a plane full of Bibles! This is a conversation you don't want to miss, full of encouragement and a call to follow Christ boldly and faithfully. Dwayne King was originally scheduled to join us for a special Alaska edition of Alumni Conversations which aired on Christmas Eve. Check out that earlier conversation to hear how Dwayne King and Kingdom Air Corps have impacted the lives of other LETU alumni in the December 24 episode or watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/100296223400696/videos/225847675614698 Find out more: Kingdom Air Corps: www.kingdomaircorps.org LeTourneau University's Aviation program: www.letu.edu/aviation Learn more about the internships and opportunities available to LeTourneau Aviation students, including spending time at Kingdom Air Corps in Alaska: https://www.letu.edu/.../student-opportunities.html... Watch previous episodes of Alumni Conversations on Facebook Watch: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/

This week, we sit down to speak with Dr. Amber (Hobbs) Dyer, a 1997 English and History & Political Science graduate, who is a Fellow at the Dallas Institute for Humanities & Culture, where she trains educators, speaks on Classical education, and wrestles with what C.S. Lewis, Dostoevsky, Faulkner, and others have to say to our modern world. Our conversation covered everything from the LeTourneau "Beanie" to serving as the first female student on the Executive Council to starting the YellowJacket Activities Council (YAC) to the impact of Dr. Martin Batts, Dr. James Watson, and others on her time at LeTourneau and her career since. In the second half of the conversation, Dr. Dyer shares about the importance of the liberal arts for LeTourneau, for our world, and for us as Christ-followers seeking the true, the good, and the beautiful as we love God and love our neighbors in all that we do. #LeTourneauBuilt View the video of this conversation, and catch up on past Alumni Conversations, on our Alumni Facebook page by clicking here. Resources: Learn more about the Dallas Institute for Humanities & Culture here: www.dallasinstitute.org Learn more about LeTourneau University's Liberal Arts Guild: http://www.letu.edu/theguild Learn more about our 75th Anniversary year celebrations: www.letu.edu/75 Learn more about Homecoming (now scheduled for September 15-18): www.letu.edu/homecoming Join us for chapels this semester via livestream: www.letu.edu/chapel

Join us as we sit down with Lucas Kitchen, 2006 graduate, to discuss his time at LeTourneau, his work with Free Grace International, and his recently published book, "Naked Grace". From hosting Hootenanny as a student to his journey as an author, speaker, teacher, join us as Lucas shares about his own journey of faith and the questions so many face about their salvation, grace, and walking through uncertainty. Lucas is an Amazon best-selling author with over twenty books written. His writing has been seen and heard by millions, through viral videos, radio, and books. Lucas' books have covered genres such as sci-fi, urban fantasy, memoir, biography, children's literature, Christian theology, and more. In addition to his writing career, Lucas is a filmmaker, pastor, and international speaker. He can also be heard weekdays on the syndicated radio show Grace in Focus. He holds a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in Bible, psychology, and history/political science from Letourneau University. He has a Master of Theology from Liberty University. He lives in East Texas with his family. Catch-up on Season 1 of "Alumni Conversations" here on the podcast or watch the video of today's conversation and all of Season 1 here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/ Learn more about Free Grace International and the work of Lucas and Kristah Kitchen: www.freegrace.in

Since the 1960s, Alaska has been a mission field for so many LeTourneau alumni, especially our aviation alumns. With the founding of Kingdom Air Corp by Dwayne King ('65) in 1999, LeTourneau graduates and pilots from across the country have spent time over the last twenty years in Alaska training to be bush pilots. From there, these pilots head to destinations around the world to serve - Indonesia, Columbia, Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, and more! - but some find that God calls them to remain in Alaska to reach the communities there. Join us today as we sit down with alumns Mark Faires ('06), joining us from North Pole, Alaska, and Aaron Dalton ('16), to talk about their time at LeTourneau University, the impact of Dwayne King and Kingdom Air Corp on their lives, and the work they are involved in today in Alaska. As we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth on this Christmas Eve, we hope this conversation will be as much an encouragement to you as it was for us, as we celebrate our Savior born in a manger and as we join with the shepherds in proclaiming the good news of the Gospel! Note: Unfortunately, Dwayne King was not able to join us in person for this conversation as planned. He does share via a video clip from Kingdom Air Corp and we look forward to having him join us for an Alumni Conversation this next year! View the video of this conversation on the LeTourneau Alumni Facebook page. Resources and links: Click here to learn more about Mark & Nicola Faires' work. (You can contact Mark at MissionflyAK@gmail.com.) Click here to learn more about Aaron & Tisha Dalton's work. Click here to learn more about SEND International's work in Alaska and Canada. (contact SHall@send.org for internship opportunities) Click here to learn more about VASSAL Ministries and ways you can get involved. (contact office@vassalministries.org for internship opportunities) Click here to learn more about InterAct Ministries. Click here to learn more about Kingdom Air Corp.

Our alumni have not only shaped LeTourneau during their time here, but they continue to inform who the university is today, and shape who we are for years to come! Every year, alumni pour back into the university through a variety of ways - by sharing their story with our students in classes, by letting us know about internship and employment opportunities for our students and alumni, by giving financially to support our students and the mission of the university, by providing their insight and wisdom on one of a host of advisory councils and boards, and in so many other ways! LeTourneau University is the place that it is, in large part, because of how our alumni continue to shape it after they graduate. In this episode, we sit down with three alumni - Bill Anderson ('71, Chair, Board of Trustees), Roger Keiffer ('76, President, Alumni Council), and Dan DiFrancesco ('82, Chair, LeTourneau University Foundation Board) - and hear about how they are continuing to make a difference at LeTourneau and how they see their fellow alumni continuing to make an impact on our university! Learn more about these and other opportunities to be involved: Board of Trustees: https://www.letu.edu/offices/president/board-of-trustees.html Alumni Advisory Council: https://www.letu.edu/alumni/alumni-advisory-council.html LeTourneau University Foundation: https://letufoundation.org/ Support students by giving towards COVID Relief: https://www.letu.edu/give Learn about corporate matching gifts and other ways you can support LETU students here: https://www.letu.edu/development/ways-to-give.html View the video of this conversation here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/

Join us as we sit down with two recent graduates, Deborah Osomo ('17) and Caroline Pop ('20), to talk about their memories from LeTourneau's Teacher Education program and their stories since graduating. We are excited to have Dr. Kathy Stephens, former Department Chair and Professor of Teacher Education, joining us for this conversation! Links: Find out about LeTourneau's Teacher Education program here: www.letu.edu/education Deborah Osomo's "The Purposeful Educator" Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-mVnVSO73nIGz12yZ7YZAg

This week is a special look at the pilots and maintenance crew who serve our US Presidents and their staff. We're joined by Todd DeGroot ('86) and Imie Mark ('00). Both DeGroot and Mark served in the United States Air Force following their time at LeTourneau University. Eventually, both were stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, where they served with the 89th Airlift Wing - the squadron that serves the office of the President of the United States. DeGroot flew Air Force Two during the Bush and Obama presidencies, while Imie served as a maintenance lead for Air Force One under President Obama. Joining us this week is David Tesser ('95), Assistant Professor of Applied Aviation Science here at LeTourneau University.. Today, Todd DeGroot serves as a B-757 Captain and Fleet Technical Pilot for Fedex. Imie Mark and his family just returned from a four year assignment in Papua New Guinea, where Imie served as Maintenance Controller and Deputy CEO of the aviation program for Ethnos 360. Currently, the family is on furlough in the United States and Imie is serving as an adjunct instructor in LeTourneau University's aviation program. Links & Resources: Find out more about LeTourneau University's Aviation program: www.letu.edu/aviation Find out more about aviation careers with Fedex here: https://careers.fedex.com/fedex/jobs?keywords=aviation&page=1 Find out more about Ethnos 360 here: https://ethnos360.org/ View video of this conversation here: https://fb.watch/1Av4cx0JCj/

Today, two recent alumni - Tamara Birasa ('17) and Charity Mutesi ('17) - join us from their homes in Rwanda to talk about their time at LeTourneau, their stories since graduation, and to hear from them about faith and ingenuity in Rwanda. Tamara, an Aviation Management graduate, works as a Corporate and Strategic Planning Analyst for RwandAir, the national airline of Rwanda. Charity, an International Business graduate, worked for a non-profit in the United States immediately after graduation. She then returned to Rwanda, where she started a retail business in home appliances. She is currently finishing up a Masters in Leadership and Organizational Management. Sarah Epling, the Director of Intercultural Engagement & Development in our Office of Global Initiatives, joins Daniel Ostendorff, a member of our Alumni Relations team, for today's conversation. Note: Apologies for the poor audio in portions of our conversation. Find out more about studying at LeTourneau University as an international student - including the admissions process - by clicking here.

Listen in as we sit down with this year's Missionaries in Residence (MIR) - Jonathan ('90) and Becky ('92) Woodworth - and last year's MIRs - Steve ('95) and Becky ('95) Cochrane - to talk about LeTourneau's MIR program, the important role it plays on campus, and their own stories of how God took them into the mission field in Africa and Alaska, and the impact of their time at LeTourneau. NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, some of the audio early in the conversation is not clear. We were able to fix this shortly into the conversation. Our apologies for the inconvenience. Find out more about Straight Up Missions here: https://straightupmissions.com/ Find out more about Echo Ranch Bible Camp here: https://echoranch.org/index.html Catch-up on past conversations with our amazing alumni! View video here: www.facebook.com/LETUAlumni/videos

In today's episode, we sit down with Bill Kennedy ('85, Industrial Management), President/CEO of the San Franciscan Roaster Co. and Vincent Purvis ('12, Business Marketing), co-founder and co-owner of Silver Grizzly Espresso, to talk about their time at LeTourneau and the challenges and opportunities of taking on a dying business and launching a new business in the specialty coffee industry. Resources: Click here to find out more about studying Business at LeTourneau University. Click here to learn about the Entrepreneurial Experience at LeTourneau University. Find out more about how the work the new LeTourneau University Foundation is doing to help alumni with their legacy and estate planning in a way that reflects their faith and commitments. Click here to sign-up for news and upcoming events connected to our 75th Anniversary and Homecoming & Family Weekend 2021. Purchase tickets for the Sandi Patty concert at Homecoming & Family Weekend 2021 by clicking here. Listen and subscribe to the Snapshots podcast, where LeTourneau faculty share their journey's of faith and about their time at LeTourneau by clicking here. View the video of this conversation on our LETU Alumni Facebook page by clicking here.

Join us as we talk with Sam Skielnik ('87), Field and Launch Support at Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Misty Pearson ('08), Mockup Manager in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA, about their experience working in the space industry - from space propulsion to the International Space Station, from powering rockets to training astronauts! Norman Reese, a 1991 alumn, former NASA employee, and current Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering here at LeTourneau University, join us as co-host for this conversation. Find out more about studying Engineering at LeTourneau University here: www.letu.edu/engineering View the video of this conversation on our LETU Alumni Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/ Resources: Sign-up for news and upcoming events connected to our 75th Anniversary and Homecoming & Family Weekend 2021 at www.letu.edu/homecoming Checkout this article about about Nelson Bates ('64) work on the Apollo missions and Kieth Splawn's ('97) work on space suits in the Fall 2019 NOW Magazine: https://issuu.com/letourneauuniversity/docs/now_mag_fall_19_-_singles/12 View the videos of last year's Apollo Missions 50th Anniversary event at LeTourneau University here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/249092325121870/910699175981428

Join us as we talk with Eva Stephens and Andrew Mitchell, two 2018 Nursing graduates, who are currently working in a COVID ICU unit in Alabama and ER in Texas. We are excited to have Alecia Spurlin, a senior Nursing student at LeTourneau University, join us as a co-host. #LetourneauBuilt LeTourneau University is home to an incredible Nursing program, with a 100% NCLEX pass rate three years in a row! Find out more at www.letu.edu/nursing View the video of this conversation on our LETU Alumni Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/

From fresh cut flowers to machine cut PPE, we are so excited to get to talk with Sarah Jo Eversole (2004, founder and florist at Everbloomfields.com) and Jonathan Palmer (2007, owner and CEO of Autometrix.com) to hear how the COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunities to serve their customers and their communities in new ways. Join us for a great conversation this Thursday! Find out more about Everbloom Fields at www.everbloomfields.com and follow "EverbloomFields" on Instagram. Learn more about the work Autometrix is doing and download the PPE design files at www.autometrix.com. View the video of this conversation on our LETU Alumni Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/

Join us as we talk with Michael Gaines Jr. ('08) and Dr. Josh Wymore ('08) about the career search - from your first job to a mid-career pivot. Co-hosted by Dr. Rachel Olshine Frazier, the Director of Career Services, and Dr. Daniel Ostendorff, Alumni Relations Officer and Associate Professor of History at LeTourneau University. #LeTourneauBuilt View the original Facebook Live video of this conversation here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/LETUAlumni/329356581547873/ Find out more about today's guests: Michael Gaines Jr. (LinkedIn), The Voice of NOV's Podcast: https://www.nov.com/about/nov-today-podcast Dr. Josh Wymore (LinkedIn): https://www.joshwymore.com/