Abigail Love Houston graduated from Lee University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is currently a registered nurse at CHI Memorial in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in their oncology department, and is back at Lee working on her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to become a family nurse practitioner. “My time at Lee in the undergraduate nursing program was incredibly challenging, but I know that I would not be the nurse I am today without their guidance,” said Abigail. “I was stretched mentally and physically, and now daily transfer the knowledge and grit gained from Lee to my profession as a nurse. I am excited to see where the rest of my journey at Lee as a doctoral student takes me.”
Lauren Neal graduated from Lee University in May 2014 with a bachelor’s in psychology. She currently serves as an assistant professor of social psychology at the University of Texas Permian Basin. “I learned from and was inspired by the faculty in my program to achieve excellence in my teaching and research,” said Neal. “My coursework and research assistant experiences at Lee laid the foundation that prepared me for my graduate studies and eventual academic appointment.” According to Neal, the department climate at Lee was encouraging and supportive of student learning. Small class sizes and personal mentorship made all the difference in helping students achieve their goals. The breadth of courses offered allowed her to explore new topics and enable her to become a well-rounded scholar with sharp critical thinking skills.
In 2015, Samuel Rumschlag graduated from Lee with a double major in anthropology and humanities. Following the completion of both his BA and Master of Arts degrees, Rumschlag was immediately hired by the Wisconsin Historical Society as an archaeologist. It is unusual for students to be hired right out of school, and he largely credits his success to Lee’s anthropology program and faculty. “Although Lee is a small school, its size gives students the opportunity to develop relationships with faculty and receive mentoring from them in a way that is rarely available at a larger school,” said Rumschlag. He says the faculty and the opportunity to meet established people in his field as major factors in preparing him for full time employment right out of college.
Natalie Brouwer graduated from Lee in 2014 with a degree in theatre. Since then, she has attended grad school, earning her MFA in acting, and gone on to perform for countless regional theatres throughout the U. S. as a professional actor and singer. “I am so grateful to be making my living as a performer, and my time at Lee is a big reason why it’s possible,” she said. “Lee prepared me in many ways, but I specifically learned how to be a more flexible performer and have a “yes, let’s!” attitude. In a field where I’m usually one of only a few believers, it’s been important for me to elevate my faith and my art without compromising my faith, and Lee taught me a lot in that regard.”
Axel Arzola is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He graduated from Lee in 2016 with a degree in cinema studies. Since then, he has been producing and directing independent film projects and working as a location scout for TV series and films at Sony, Warner Brothers, Apple, and Amazon. “As an international student coming to America my time at Lee was extremely helpful,” Axel said. “I literally had to learn how to write and communicate at a high level with a different language and cultural milieu. As a filmmaker my communication skills are essential to what I do, and during my time at Lee I had strong professors who taught me how to structure and deliver a story effectively. Our professors were always trying to get us ready for real live productions and we actually produced content that was par with television stations and media teams all over the world.”
Kyle Shawn Benner graduated from Lee University in 2014 with a degree in Intercultural Studies and completed his masters of arts in global studies in 2020. He currently works for Global Infusion, an international missions organization that operates in twenty nations around the world. He is the logistics coordinator, training, equipping, and preparing teams from across the United States to travel around the world. Brenner has been on thirty short-term mission trips and, according to him, his success is in large part due to the platform Lee provided him. “The training I gained from Lee was paramount in providing me a holistic education, teaching me how to best contextually preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.”
Rachel Abell graduated from Lee University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Intercultural Studies. Since graduating, she has also earned a masters in Human and Social Services. Currently, she is a full time service representative at Aaron Franklin State Farm and is the founder and chair of ELM, a nonprofit organization. She work at ELM focuses on a holistic trauma-informed home for young girls affected by sexual violence. “My time at Lee is a big reason why this is all possible,” Rachel said. “Every opportunity, from inner city immersion experiences to writing papers, helped equip me to lead this organization and give back to this community.”
Christopher Allen Oglesby graduated from Lee in 2012 with Bachelor of Music degrees in vocal performance, choral education, and band education. He is currently a second year Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, a multi-year performance-oriented residency that offers advanced artists intensive individual training, coaching, and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Oglesby credits a large part of his success to James Frost, Lee’s opera director, and Tony Deaton, associate professor of voice. “Tony gave me the tools I needed for vocal success and longevity and Jimmy nurtured in me a love for opera and its community,” he said. “When I came to Lee I had never seen nor heard an opera and was peer-pressured into joining the chorus for Floyd’s Susanna by some senior students. It changed what I thought music could be.”
Taylor Trotter graduated from Lee with a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies in 2013. He went on to earn a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) from Vanderbilt University’s Divinity School in 2015. He currently works as the dean of spiritual life and as the Christian studies department chair at Davidson Academy, a private Christian K-12 school located in Nashville, Tennessee, teaching high school biblical and theological studies, coaching middle school football and basketball. He will eventually also direct the upper school spiritual life activities. “Lee–especially my professors, mentors, and friends–showed me how to live a fully integrated life of mind, body, and spirit,” said Taylor. “Now I try to train my students and players in some of the same habits I acquired there, hoping that they may develop as whole persons fit for union with God, others, and the world.”
Jordan Halsey graduated from Lee in 2010 with a degree in biochemistry. Since then, she completed medical school and a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery and currently works as a Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery Fellow at Ohio State University. “My premedical years at Lee University were very formative in preparing me for medical school and a career as a reconstructive plastic surgeon,” said Jordan. “Not only were the classes engaging, the faculty in the natural science and math department provided excellent mentorship throughout my time at Lee.” While at Lee, Jordan had the opportunity to travel on two medical missions trips- one with Campus Choir to Ecuador and another with the natural science and math department to Guatemala. According to her, those trips gave her valuable experience in a clinical setting prior to medical school and also served as an important foundation for her career as a reconstructive plastic surgeon.