Campus Corner
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Name and Sponsors Announced for the Freshmen Class of 2027
This year’s incoming class is now officially named the Beloved Class of 2027, and the class verse is John 17:23.
The incoming freshmen Class Sponsors — Amanda Hobbs ’24 and Andrew Seamands ’24 — have begun their work to welcome the group of students.
“We are so excited and expectant for this freshman class,” said Hobbs. “They are covered in prayer, and we are excited to share how their class identity is aligned with the love that their Heavenly Father has for them!”
The freshmen class sponsors are designed to mentor, challenge, and walk with new students as they begin living out their college years. Along with faculty and staff advisors, senior sponsors offer a unique perspective and guidance to encourage and relate to their peers.
Along with fellow students experiencing college life alongside new Asburians, the 2027 class is also prayed over and mentored by School of Education Professor Dr. Brittney Polis ’08 Worthen and her husband, Ryan Worthen ’03.
Set Apart Retreat Held in Colorado
Students traveled out West to rest, study and connect with God
In May, 46 students spent five days in Colorado for biblical worldview training and a refreshing time of learning what it means to be “set apart.”
“It’s a practical way for Asbury students to understand the theme, physically going away from campus and learning what it means to be ’set apart.’ This trip was a great reminder of the need for rest and also identifying and implementing daily rhythms in my life to help me be more intentional about connecting with God,” said Media Communication student, John Teoh ’25.
At the Ponderosa Retreat and Conference Center in Larkspur, Colo., participants’ daily itineraries consisted
of small breakout groups and free hours where students could hike, relax, or play camp sports. During morning and evening sessions, speakers from Summit Ministries and Asbury discussed how truth changes everything.
Students took an afternoon to hike and see the breathtaking mountainous landscapes in Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs.
Returning from the retreat, a survey showed that 90 percent of students who participated in the retreat felt more confident in sharing their faith while 85 percent felt a better capability of defending their beliefs.
Salvation Army Officers Present Capstone Projects and Attend Intensive Courses
Following April’s commencement, The Salvation Army held its second-annual capstone presentation and intensive course for ministry management bachelor’s program officers. This year, 27 officers gathered to showcase their capstone projects that develop a business plan to implement in their community.
Afterward, more than 90 officers visited campus for a May intensive week including classes on finance for nonprofits, fundraising for nonprofits, personal and spiritual care in service as a minister, mentoring in ministry, and ESL training. Time was also built in for rest and reflection.
“We try to create a refueling space even as they have class and are learning,” said the Director of Salvation Army Programs Kristi Boss MBA ’20.
Media Communication Students and Alumni Collaborate on Sony Film
In May, Asbury hosted the professional feature film production “Mr. Manhattan,” which was shot in several locations on and around Asbury’s campus with the Andrew S. Miller Center for Communication Arts acting as hub for the production. The on-Asbury set consisted of a fully furnished apartment built in the TV studio soundstage with other classrooms and spaces utilized as dressing rooms for the actors and production offices for the crew.
“Mr. Manhattan” was written by Andrea Gyertson ’96 Nasfell and produced by her husband Brady Nasfell ’93 MBA ’17. The couple moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in 2007, where they live and work as prolific artists in the film industry. They returned to Asbury to produce the feature film of their own. Brady, an alumnus of the Media Communication program, praised the building’s capacity to accommodate a professional production of that scale:
“The building creates a lot of opportunities for students, and now we’ve been able to bring a fairly sizeable feature film and make use of the facilities,” he said. “It’s more than adequate for what we need, and it’s given students an opportunity to work on a production that is professional, and they’re learning a lot.”
“It’s been gratifying to come back and be a part of
this,” Brady continued. “I’m very interested in the next generation of filmmakers, and we’ve made every effort to get students involved because of that.”
Eagle Days Celebrate Large Incoming Class
New students stepped onto campus from all over the country this summer as the second-annual Eagle Days exceeded capacity and welcomed more than 200 new students plus their families to Wilmore.
“We are excited to welcome Asbury’s largest incoming freshman class in over ten years, the Beloved Class,” said Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing Jennifer McChord.
Asbury expects more than 400 new students to join campus this fall, representing at least 31 states and 29 countries with an average high school GPA of 3.86.
“These students are leaders in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in their churches, local communities, and across the globe,” continued McChord. “This class will mark Asbury’s 134th freshman class and we are praying for them to belong, become, and be set apart!”
Summer Camps Bring More Than 5,000 on Campus
Asbury’s annual high school camps — ImpactU, Youth Becoming Leaders (YBL) and SummitCamp — brought students and high schoolers to campus over the summer and, with the attendance of this year’s Reunion, contributed to more than 5,000 people on campus!
Students at ImpactU experienced a five-day, college-like environment with hands-on exploration of an academic area in the context of a Christian community.
YBL brought together exceptional young leaders, providing them with the knowledge, skills, experience, and inspiration necessary to become effective agents of change and leadership in their churches and communities.
“I am truly inspired by the talent, passion, and dedication exhibited by the participants of this year’s Youth Becoming Leaders,” said Dr. Brian Hull, director of YBL. “These young men and women are great leaders, and we are confident that they will go on to shape a brighter future for our church and world.”
SummitCamp is designed to engage teens with today’s
top worldview thinkers and apologists and equip them to stand for truth in the marketplace while experiencing Christ in a new way. “So often in Christian culture we are told to simply ’have faith,’ and the leaders in our lives aren’t always open to answering hard questions about God and Christianity,” said SummitCamp Counselor Dorcus Lara ’26. “At Summit, every question is met with open arms and earns a thoughtful response.”
Not only did Asbury have high schoolers on campus, but TeamAU held kids’ sports camps including soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball.
Emma Reid Begins Her Role as Student Body President