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Please note (and spread the word) that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrews University’s leaders have set social distancing and travel guidelines in place for Fall 2020. In order to protect the health and safety of the Andrews on-campus student population, visitor and guest access to campus (which includes Andrews Academy), as well as large group gatherings will be affected. Therefore, our annual reunion will not happen this October 2020 but will be postponed until next year.
Since we have been ahead by a year with our honor classes, we will keep the same honor classes for next year: those ending in 1 & 6. We have been celebrating class reunion years the Fall prior to a class's graduation date, instead of in the Fall following their Spring graduation date. So instead of the class of 2001 celebrating their 20-year reunion in the Fall of 2020, the class of 2001 will now celebrate their 20-year reunion in the Fall of 2021. This will be similar to how Andrews University and other schools celebrate their alumni weekends.
Thank you for your understanding during this challenging time. We pray that you are doing well and look forward to seeing you at our alumni reunion next Fall!
If you have questions, please reply to this email or contact the AA Alumni & Development Office at 269-471-6140. You can also watch our web site for updates.
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| AA Alumni Reunion Information » |
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Welcome, Class of 2020!
Another school year has come and gone, and it's time to welcome our newest alumni - the AA Class of 2020!
Eighteen out of this class of 64 students had a parent (or both parents) that also attended AA. More than $3 million in scholarships was awarded to this class, including seven full-tuition scholarships to Andrews University.
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, this year's graduation (and last quarter of the school year) looked very different than in previous years. This senior class, many of whom were born in the aftermath of 9-11, endured distance learning/online classes; missed out on their last two months of school at AA; didn't have their last SA banquet; missed trips, beach day, being with friends and classmates; had a virtual graduation; and more. It wasn't easy, but they did it!
Congratulations, Class of 2020! We are proud of you all and will miss you.
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AA faculty and staff drove throughout Berrien Springs and the surrounding area on May 11 & 12, 2020, delivering graduation gowns, caps, and gifts to the seniors. Click on the above photo for more photos on Facebook.
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| Video of Cap & Gown Delivery » |
| Honoring the Class of 2020 » |
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Baccalaureate Service at PMC:
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Music from the above graduation programs:
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AA Senior's Graduation Song Goes Viral
Emma Hamel wrote and performed the song Standing By My Side (to listen to the song, click the picture above or the YouTube video in the previous article) for the class of 2020. Her beautiful and poignant song has gone viral on YouTube, with almost 138,000 views since she posted it on May 27. Recently she has given several interviews and has been on the news.
In fact, the story of why Emma wrote the song and how it is being used by many Canadian high school graduations was recently broadcast on Canadian nationwide TV news by Global News. The news story includes a short video of Andrew Academy with the senior posters that were in front of the school.
A legacy graduate at AA, Emma's parents are Matthew Hamel '98 & Michelle Spangler Hamel '95.
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AA Student Creatively Spreads Joy to His Mentors via Drone
by Joelle Perry Ashley '88
"What in the world?” Virginia Clark asked herself when she received a strange phone request from her student helper from Andrews Academy, freshman Alex Butnaru. “Can you come out your side door please, and could you also bring a pair of scissors?”
Alex visited his “mentors,” Richard and Virginia Clark, and Jean Patterson, during the 2019-20 school year to help them around the house and yard and with technology questions through Andrews Academy’s Partnering for Eternity Program (PFE 9-12 - formerly Assist Program). Through grant and local donor funding, the program is designed to simultaneously benefit community members, free of charge, via students’ help and companionship and provide tuition assistance, as well as valuable relational experience to the student. Since in-classroom instruction ceased at Andrews Academy on March 12, 2020, due to COVID-19, Alex was not able to continue helping his mentors in the same way, but that did not keep him from using his penchant for technology to brighten his mentors’ day.
Mrs. Clark looked out her window and saw the Butnaru family car pulled into their driveway. “What in the world?!” She made her way out the side door with the requested pair of scissors. To her surprise, Alex was piloting an upside-down bouquet of daffodils tied to a drone with a long string. Once the daffodils were overhead, she delightedly snipped the bouquet loose and exclaimed her gratitude for Alex’s beautiful Spring gesture.
Shortly thereafter, Jean Patterson experienced the same surprise and socially-distanced driveway thoughtfulness when Alex delivered a similar bouquet into her hands.
This past school year, Andrews Academy had twenty students working within the PFE Program serving approximately forty different households in and around Berrien Springs. Before COVID-19, students worked and engaged with their mentors 2-10 hours per week; on average, two hours at a time after school. Over the 15+ years, Andrews Academy has implemented this program, and hundreds of community members have partnered with the school to receive needed help, mentor students, and provide an opportunity for students to receive tuition assistance.
For more information on Andrews Academy’s Partnering for Eternity 9-12 Program, please contact the program’s coordinator, Joelle Ashley (joellea@fullylive.com).
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| Video of Drone Delivery » |
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Alumni Weekend 2019
The weekend started on October 18, 2019, with Convocation in the chapel for the current Academy students. The senior class, the class of 2020, led in the school song and the pledge of allegiance. Jeannie Leiterman, AA Principal, welcomed everyone to convocation. Bud Cason (’55) presented the Convocation Address. He is an amazing storyteller, keeping the attention of the students as he retold various fond memories of the Academy and how it impacted his life.
After Convocation, the students went to various classrooms to participate in Career Seminars. One group actually went to an AA alumnus robotics engineer’s business for their seminar (click here for a video on Facebook). Based on their interests, students were able to attend two career presentations of their choice. This is a great opportunity for students to explore possible career choices as Andrews Academy alumni shared insights about their careers. Some presenters were able to bring items allowing students to participate in the presentation. They also shared how through our careers we can be serving God and leading others to Him.
This is the second year of also having a Career Fair as part of Friday's events. The gymnasium was full of booths helping to explain more about various careers, many of which had interactive activities. Booths were represented by various departments from AU, the community, and alumni.
Vespers
Friday night's Alumni Weekend Vespers (October 18, 2019) was presented by Andrews Academy Class of 2000. This class was known for their singing as they led out in chapels when they were students. They continued their tradition as Sarah (Woolf) Canada, Kimberly (Weber) Spare, and Richard Parke led out in singing for vespers this alumni weekend. Eileen (Vega) Spruill had opening prayer, and David Canada had the closing prayer. The class invited Pastor Glenn Russell, former AA Bible teacher, to present the worship thought, entitled, Trying to Hold on to Faith in the Midst of a Cynical World. By retelling the story of Joshua and Caleb and the Children of Israel found in Numbers 13-14, he reminded listeners that the Lord is with us, and we should not be afraid. Despite our cynical world, our faith can be strong in Jesus. (Click here for a video of vespers.)
Sabbath School & Church
Alumni Sabbath School began at 10 AM Sabbath morning (October 19, 2019) in the chapel. It was an inspirational presentation of tributes interspersed with music. Through their tributes, presenters (including Jim Row '57) shared how Jesus used the faculty and experiences of Andrews Academy to change their lives. Honor Classes were recognized by having each class stand. In some cases, the honored classes were asked to come to the front of the chapel to be recognized. For example, the class of 1970, which was celebrating its 50-year reunion, was presented with gifts.
Alan Anderson was honored as Teacher of the Year for his 43 years of teaching at AA. Lynda Popp Swanson (’70) was honored as Alumna of the Year. (Click here for a video of Sabbath School.)
Current faculty and a number of AA students led in children’s church. After singing, the leaders acted out a Bible story. Squeals of delight could be heard from the children, as they not only learned the story but also experienced the story! Before and after the story, the children worked on craft projects.
While the children were in the library, the worship service (planned by the Class of 1995) occurred in the Academy chapel. A powerful sermon was presented by Pastor Jonathan Bilima. Other alumni from the class that participated in the service included Ethan Jones (invocation), Martha (Macey) Daggett (special music), Michelle (Spangler) Hamel (scripture), and Heidi (Kunitz) Ray (prayer). The current Silhouettes invited alumni to join them in singing When I Survey The Wondrous Cross. It was great to see a number of families with two generations of alumni singing together. (Click here for a video of the church service.)
Following the worship service, a haystack meal was provided for the alumni. This was another good opportunity for classmates to reunite and share what has happened in their lives since graduation and remember experiences from Academy years. Many shared how much of a positive impact Andrews Academy had on their lives. During lunch, each of the honored classes had their photo taken.
Shydepoke
The traditional Shydepoke flag football game of alumni weekend occurred at the AU field on October 19, 2019. The female AA alumni and the female AA students' game was won by the alumni 6 to 0. The alumni took an early lead in the game and kept the lead.
The male AA alumni and the male AA students' game was very exciting, with the alumni taking the initial lead and keeping the lead. It was very close throughout the game. The alumni won the game 19 to 12. Everyone had a lot of fun on a perfect evening for a football game.
The Doug Newberry most valuable player award went to Sam Taylor, and the Lydia Chong most valuable player award went to Lizzy Lubbert. These awards are named after two PE teachers from the 1980s.
Some Shydepoke history: In 1960, the Andrews Academy Shydepoke tradition began when Knobby Mauro was principal. At that point, there was only one game for the males. In the 1980s, the female and then male games became a tradition. The name “Shydpoke” was chosen, a term from the south meaning a “get-together social event.” Also during the time Mauro was principal, a challenge was presented to the students to come up with a name for the school teams. Gordon Johns, from the Class of 1966, came up with the name “Acumen.” His goal was to scan the dictionary for a unique and meaningful name and only got to the “ac” of the dictionary when he came up with this name. The acumen name means “the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.” He won a $10 prize for this.
Besides these main events, various honored classes had their own special gatherings as a class to reconnect with classmates. We hope that each of you who attended this weekend had an enjoyable and blessed time!
Start planning now for next year's reunion weekend, October 15-16, 2021, where we will be honoring classes ending in 1 and 6. We would appreciate your help in contacting your classmates. If you are a member of a class ending in 1 or 6 and would like to be involved in reaching out to your class to encourage them to attend and/or helping to plan the weekend, please reply to this email with your name and what class you belong to (we do have some class representatives already). We will also need Career Seminar presenters as well, typically from the honor classes.
Please continue to keep Andrews Academy in your thoughts and prayers.
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Band & Bells Tour to Tennessee
The Andrews Academy band and handbells went on a short tour to Tennessee from February 20-23, 2020. It was the last tour that AA students went on before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the school to in-person classes in mid-March.
On Friday, they performed an evening concert at Highland Academy. They presented at both services on Sabbath morning at Madison Adventist church and concluded their performances at First Nashville Hispanic Adventist Church that afternoon.
The group visited the Tennessee Aquarium on Friday morning, where students experienced an array of animals found in both fresh and saltwater, butterflies, and other land animals. On Saturday evening, they enjoyed fun-oriented activities at Strikes and Spares, and open gym playing basketball with Highland Academy students.
These tours/performances provide valuable opportunities for students to employ their gifts in such a way that audiences may be drawn closer to God by means of the worshipful music they hear. In each venue, numerous people commented on the high quality of the performances, but most importantly, they shared how they had been blessed and/or inspired by the music. In addition, members of the audience remarked on how disciplined and organized students were, each one performing their duties efficiently—setting up chairs, stands, moving percussion, etc.—and how well they behaved on the platform. In the minds of these audience members, behaviors such as these speak very highly of the students' character, and also of the music program.
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The group enjoyed delicious suppers hosted by Southern Adventist University (Thursday evening) and Highland Academy (Friday night), and on Sabbath, the Madison Campus church provided a wonderful potluck for the students, allowing students and church members to mingle together. Several student leaders also presented worship thoughts throughout the tour.
Worshiping together, sharing Jesus through music, and doing all of these activities together helps develop the group into a closer and more cohesive unit.
Click on the above photo for more photos on our Facebook page.
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Virtual Student
Week of Prayer
One of the highlights of Spring semester is Student Week of Prayer. The class, SA, and NHS pastors, under the guidance of Pastor Mario Ferguson, prayed, brainstormed, planned, and worked together to create a series of messages centered around the theme, “Restart the Heart.”
This year our Student Week of Prayer was done virtually since the students were at home doing distance learning/online classes due to COVID-19. All of the presentations are on the AA Spiritual Life YouTube channel.
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If you haven't kept up with what's happening at AA, please visit our FB page to learn more.
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Reconnect at Alumni 2021
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We hope that you are planning to join us from October 15-16, 2021, for our annual alumni reunion! All EMCA/AUA/AA attendees, graduates, and their families, as well as former faculty and staff, are welcome, especially our honor classes (those that graduated in years ending in 1 and 6).
Note that submissions for the Alumnus of the Year and the Teacher Legacy Award are due by April 1, 2021.
Highlights of the Weekend:
► Vespers on Friday evening, planned by the Class of 2001
► Teacher Legacy Award (TBD) and Alumnus of the Year (TBD) citations, and roll call of honor classes and decades during Sabbath School
► Worship Convocation on Sabbath, planned by the Class of 1996
► Honor class photos and a haystack fellowship lunch
► Hanging out with friends on or off-campus
► Shydepoke on Saturday evening
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If you attended or graduated from Andrews University, or if you worked at AA or AU, please join the new Andrews Network.
The Andrews Network is a free mentoring, networking, and job posting platform exclusive to the Andrews community. Click on the link to sign up and to learn more about the benefits of joining, including reconnecting with classmates, expanding your network, and (once this is launched soon to the AU student population) the optional opportunity to help a current AU student out through mentoring.
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Continuum Magazine
The Spring 2020 issue of our alumni magazine, Continuum, is on our web site. It has stories about students' activities, alumni news, pictures, and details of the 2018 alumni weekend, a tribute to Knobby Mauro, and more. Due to COVID-19, it has not been printed at this time.
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| Spring 2020 Issue » |
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Wanted: Alumni News
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Have you recently graduated, gotten married, had a baby, changed jobs/got a promotion, published a book, or know of an AA attendee/ graduate/former staff that has passed away?
Please share your news with us, including a picture if you would like, for inclusion (as space permits) in the AA alumni magazine, Continuum.
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We welcome changes in contact information also! Please email news and contact updates to aaalumni@andrews.edu. Or update your information by clicking on the Update your info button.
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You are invited to partner with us!
During this time of uncertainty, we are continuing to do all that we can to fulfill our commitment to provide Christian education and academic excellence to our students.
Your support of our general scholarship and worthy student fund helps make it possible for students to attend AA that otherwise would not be able to without partners like you.
Donations to our worthy student fund, renovation fund, annual fund, and many others can be made at any time. Thank you for your continued investment in quality Christian education at AA!
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Gina Meekma, Coordinator
Alumni & Development
Andrews Academy
8833 Garland Ave
Berrien Springs, MI 49104
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296-471-6140
or
269-471-3138
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