Cody: Upon graduating from AU in 2008 with a major in Religion and a minor in Spanish, I continued on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University in 2009. As I began exploring and praying about various career opportunities around the country, I noticed that my interest in joining the Armed Forces was growing.
In November of 2010, I was approved for the United States Army’s highly competitive Officer Candidate School. The prestigious and highly coveted opportunity was one that I was honored to accept. I enlisted and began a journey that has been full of challenging and yet rewarding experiences.
Two weeks ago I relocated to Fort Sill, Oklahoma where I will spend the next 6 months at the Army’s Basic Officer Leadership Course in Field Artillery.
It is a privilege to serve our country. I believe America continues to be the Shining City on a Hill, and a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. Regardless of what tomorrow may bring, I know that God will have our best interests in mind. I believe Jesus may have said it most clearly in Matthew 28:20, ‘surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Mike: After obtaining my BA in Religion at Ashland University, I found myself in the midst of great opportunity. Using what I had learned from my undergraduate studies, I applied to Trinity Lutheran Seminary and was accepted. I also found myself involved with and useful to a variety of ministries at an inner city church in Columbus, Ohio. The following year, after applying for a year-long leave of absence from seminary, I was employed at a homeless shelter in Tacoma, Washington.
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While there, I found myself working side-by-side with Catholic Workers, Buddhist monks, and priests who broke into army bases to protest nuclear weapons. Currently, I am back in Columbus at seminary, completing my second year of graduate studies. Next year, I hope to live and work with developmentally-disabled adults in either Oklahoma or Florida. The year after that, I will go on internship, serving as a minister to a congregation. Finally, three years from now, I will complete my studies at seminary. I have, since my time of studying religion at Ashland University, been on a long and wondrous pilgrimage, seeking liberation for the oppressed and reconciliation for those who have been estranged. Recognizing that my undergraduate studies contributed greatly to my sense of self, I remain very grateful for all of the valuable things that I was able to learn at Ashland University, the place where I was empowered to share and live out the Gospel with others.”
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