Noteworthy Alumni
Asbury Student Life Vice President Publishes Outpouring Book
What would you do if God showed up when you least expected it? Rev. Dr. Sarah Thomas ’93 Baldwin reflects on this question in her new book titled: “Generation Awakened: An Eyewitness Account of the Powerful Outpouring of God at Asbury.”
“Jesus poured love out upon our students, and it overflowed into Wilmore, the region, the United States and the world,” she said. “Generation Z did awaken to the presence of Jesus at the altar and through simple worship, scripture reading, testimony, and freedom from sin. As we responded with testimonies, joyful worship, restoration of relationships, and repentance, the love of God immersed us.”
Alum Freelances for Nickelodeon and New Anime Series
Cooper Boss ’22 recently wrote episodes for an upcoming anime series funded by Angel Studios and produced by Colossul Studios. Set to release in 2025, “Gabriel and the Guardians” is a captivating fantasy series that draws inspiration from ancient Hebrew text.
“The collaborative nature of storytelling has been fun with this series,” said Boss, a former Media Communication and Spanish student. “I get to use what I learned about writing good stories from professors Sean Gaffney, Andrea Gyertson ’95 Nasfell, and Rich Manieri.”
Boss collaborated with Asbury’s Associate Professor of Screenwriting Sean Gaffney to produce this series. Gaffney brings significant industry experience to the table, previously working as story administrator for Warner Bros. Features.
Halfway through college, Boss found his passion for animation and storyboarding and later began taking Project City TV classes guided by DreamWorks story artist, Radford Sechrist, guiding him through writing, storyboarding, and editing a pilot for his original series, “Blue Mountain Mysteries.”
After graduating, through his class connections, Boss received an email to freelance for a feature film for Nickelodeon.
“I was very afraid of not finding work and jumped into the first part-time job I could find. I was working at Starbucks the same time I was working with Nickelodeon.”
After freelancing with the network, Boss took a risk and quit part time work to pursue more creative endeavors.
“I was taking jumps in which God met me, but I was still having trouble trusting,” said Boss, explaining his switching between part-time jobs and creative work. “A week later, I get an email from Sean Gaffney to work on ‘Gabriel and the Guardians.’”
As of now, “Gabriel and the Guardians” has locked several scripts in its early production process and given the co- production efforts between the U.S. and Japan on this series, the episodes also will be translated into Japanese. Boss’s storyboarding feature film work will be seen on Nickelodeon once it wraps production.
“Asbury taught me that the trick isn’t how good you are at your craft, the trick is to be someone who is kind,” said Boss. “I haven’t received a single job in media from portfolios, but from people who I showed kindness to.”
Learn more: angel.com/torches/guardians.
Poetry Book Published by Kristina Rader ’06 Erny
Alumna Kristina Rader ’06 Erny recently published a book of poems with Solum Literary Press entitled “Elijah Fed by Ravens.” In meditations set within imagery in 1 Kings, Erny deftly borrows the voices of long-dead prophets, widows, and ravens to explore her own contemporary faith-life, becoming the angel nudging herself forward. In this full-length poetry debut, Erny “questions whether sustenance will come in the desert places in her faith and what it might mean to journey forward anyway.” The book is available through Bookshop and Barnes and Noble.
Adobe Manager Works as Asbury’s New Adjunct Professor
Asbury alumna, Eliza Tan ’20, works as a Product Manager for Adobe, the global leader for digital media and digital marketing solutions, and recently returned to Asbury as an adjunct professor for photojournalism and interactive media classes. Teaching remotely from San Jose, Calif., Tan helps manage Product Ecosystem Strategy for Adobe Video Products while
sharing her multimedia expertise with undergraduate students.
“Asbury has been a part of my ongoing narrative wherever I go,” Tan said. “In a sense, I don’t feel like I’m returning, but as if I never left. I feel very privileged and honored to come back as an adjunct professor.”
Alum Showcases Logo for Lexington’s 250th Anniversary
Media Communication alumna Savannah Riley ’17 Guthrie submitted a logo design which Lexington, Ky., Mayor Linda Gorton and members of the 250 Lex Commission selected to promote the celebration of the city of Lexington’s 250th anniversary, coming in 2025.
Guthrie works as Senior Designer and Developer at Stratos Creative Marketing, with her favorite job being a mother to her two-year-old daughter, Miriam.
Learn more: lexingtonky.gov/250lex.
Asbury Special Education Scholars Write Book for Practitioners
Dr. Ruby Owiny ’96 co-authored a book (with Dr. Kyena Cornelius) about evidence-based instruction in special education with chapters from contributors Dr. Allie Rhodes ’97 and Dr. Victoria Slocum. Centered around the 22 High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) developed by the CEEDAR Center at the University of Florida and the Council for Exceptional Children, “The Practical Guide to High-Leverage Practices in Special Education: The Purposeful ‘How’ to Enhance Classroom Rigor” is available through Amazon.
“This book is important for practitioners, parents, and church workers to help ensure that students learn the content we’re trying to teach them, whether it’s from the state standards or biblical principles, in a public school, a private school, Sunday School, or youth group,” said Owiny, who serves as Assistant Professor of Special Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Asburians Cross the 100-Mile Finish Line
Asbury graduate, Jonathan Miller ’19 ran the Tunnel Hill race, an incredible and challenging 100-mile, 24-hour trek, with Asbury friends to help him cross the finish line.
In college, Miller played soccer for TeamAU and made the all-state team but sought out challenges to test his athleticism.
“I did a 50-mile race my junior year with no training,” said Miller. “After, I planned to do the 100-miler and asked my friends to run it with me one day.”
Five years later, Miller’s Asbury friends, Joel Wafford ’21 and Hayden Dwyer ’20, would help him run the last 50 miles of Tunnel Hill in the freezing November nighttime temperatures. Running the wooded terrain with only a headlamp and a vest holding water, clothes, and caffeinated sports gels, Miller raced with Wafford or Dwyer waiting to reach the next aid station, a checkpoint signaling his closeness to the finish line.
After eating more than 15 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and 15 cheeseburgers while burning more than 10,000 calories and suffering from bleeding foot blisters and severe pain, Miller neared the end where his wife, Cathryn Lien’18 Miller, and mother, Danielle Boisvert ’93 Miller, waited for him.
“By the end, I really started complaining a lot and asked both Joel and Hayden to finish with me. I had been wanting to do the 100-miler since being at Asbury with them in 2018,” said Miller. “At one point I couldn’t run in a straight line, and I just had to overcome it. I told my friends, ’You can’t let me quit.’”
The three Asburians crossed the finish line of the Illinois Tunnel Hill race with Miller running 100 miles for 27 sleepless hours. Wafford and Dwyer ran more than 26 miles — a full marathon in and of itself.
“Finishing the Tunnel Hill 100 is the hardest thing I have ever done. It wouldn’t have been possible without having Hayden and Joel run with me” said Miller. “Achieving
my dream alongside two of my best friends was an unforgettable experience.”